WARSAW The owners of a dilapidated palace in Poland have put up a security fence to deter treasure hunters after their property was named as the secret location of 28 tons of Nazi gold, buried there in the dying days of the Second World War.

Located in Roztoka, a town in south-west Poland, the palace once lay in Germany before the end of the war changed the international borders.

The claims of hidden gold were made in a diary written some 75 years ago by an SS officer. Writing under the pseudonym Michaelis, the officer detailed 11 locations where gold and artifacts owned by the Nazis were buried as Soviet forces swept in from the east.

The palace, once the home of the Hochberg family, was selected as the location for the gold, which had apparently come from banks in Breslau, now the Polish city of Wroclaw.

The manuscript covers the last months of the war and the efforts made by the SS to hide treasure, bank deposits and valuables from advancing Soviet forces, said Roman Furmaniak, from Silesian Bridge, a foundation based in the south-west town of Opole and the owners of the diary.

Im not saying it [the gold] is definitely there, but according to the information it was buried there.

To make sure it was well hidden and protected from any fighting, the gold was apparently hidden at the bottom of a well. The well was then blown up and its entrance levelled to conceal it. Just how the foundation came into possession of the diary, which had remained secret for decades, has added a twist of mystery to the story.

The diary was handed over by a Christian lodge in the town of Quedlinburg. Composed of the descendants of former SS officers and German aristocrats, the lodge gave the diary to Silesian Bridge as an act of atonement for crimes committed by the Germans.

The owners of the palace, a couple from the northern city of Szczecin, have issued a statement on Facebook, in which they pledged to co-operate with state authorities.

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Polish couple erects fence after 75-year-old diary lists their property as location of Nazi gold - National Post

The death of the artist Christo in his New York City loft last Sunday was a personal loss for many of us who are old enough to remember the magic of his Running Fence.

Christo and his wife and partner in art, Jeanne-Claude, who died in 2009, are lauded by the worlds art community as innovators of a new style of environmental art and praised by critics like the New Yorkers Calvin Tomkins for their bold ventures that were grandiose, ephemeral and absurdly beautiful.

Tomkins description certainly fits the project that brought them to us in the mid-1970s, promising to hang a 24-mile curtain that would follow the curves and dips of the western Sonoma and Marin ranch landscape to skinny-dip into the Pacific Ocean.

And that is what they did. And we all watched and wondered through some 20 months of meetings, permit applications, denials, appeals and bureaucratic gymnastics never seen in these parts before.

There are many versions of the Running Fence story. Every one of the thousands who saw it has a story. Some can be found, digitized, in special collections of the Schulz Library at Sonoma State. Heres one, written at the 10th anniversary of the event.

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ON SEPT. 7, 1976, the Running Fence unfurled across 1,000 yards of rocky shoreline and disappeared into the Pacific Ocean, a shining white ribbon of light reflecting the rays of the sun. It was also an illegal act.

It had begun its journey on a hill above the freeway in Cotati and headed west, changing color with the sunsets, rippling with the winds, placing exclamation points for emphasis on the golden hills of western Sonoma and Marin counties.

The 20 months preceding had been a local reporters dream come true. The Christo story was ideal no blood spilling, no lives ruined, just good clean governmental acrimony.

The 60s liberals, who were supposed to be the intellectual leaders and understand all that conceptual stuff, lined up vehemently against Christos project while the conservative West County ranchers joined with New York gallery owners, museum curators and art professors in support.

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OH, THE WONDER of it all, wrote The Press Democrats Petaluma reporter Bob Wells in January of 74 when Christo and Jeanne-Claude called a press conference at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds to announce the plans.

Then, for a year we familiarized ourselves with this man Christo, who had wrapped a beach in Australia with synthetic fiber and hung an orange curtain across Rifle Gap in Colorado.

Its just an art project, he deprecatingly told a Petaluma meeting of ranchers whose land would be crossed by Running Fence. But they didnt believe that, even then. And Dr. Peter Selz, an art professor at UC Berkeley, didnt either. He called it the greatest aesthetic engineering experience since the Great Wall of China.

The economics of the project, Christo told us, were irrelevant to the art but the legal and political machinations that lay ahead (even he could not have known how many there would be) were part of the art process, he said.

In January of 1975, Running Fence got its first public hearing before the Marin County Planning Commission and lost. The commissioners voted 3-3 to disallow a permit for the 4 miles of Marin County the Fence would traverse. The tie vote constituted a denial. The circus had begun.

Excerpt from:
LeBaron: Christo's death revives memories of the 'Running Fence' and the obstacles to build it - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Driver killed in overnight crash in Upstate after car hits trees, fence, deputies say

Crash happened around 1:30 a.m. Friday

Updated: 8:14 AM EDT Jun 5, 2020

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IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. RENEE: FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND ACTIVISTS SAY NOW IS THE TIME TO STAND UP IN GEORGE FLOYDS MEMORY AND DEMAND CHANGE. RENEE: TOMORROW, THERES ANOTHER MEMORIAL IN RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE FLOYD WAS BORN. THE FIRST MEMORIAL WAS IN MINNEAPOLIS YESTERDAY. THERE WAS SILENCE FOR EIGHT MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS, THE TIME AN OFFICER HAD HIS KNEE ON FLOYDS NECK. NEXT WEEK, THERE WILL BE A FUNERAL MONDAY AND TUESDAY IN HOUSTON, FLOYDS HOMETOWN. AMANDA: NEW THIS MORNING, AND UPLIFTING MOMENT OF UNITY DURING A PROTEST IN NEBRASKA. RENEE: POLICE JOINED PROTESTERS IN MUSIC. AMANDA: WE HAVE SEEN MOMENTS LIKE THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS JOINED TOGETHER TO DO THE CUPID SHUFFLE AT A MEMORIAL FOR GEORGE FLOYD IN LINCOLN. RENEE: BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING, U.S. OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED MORE THAN 1000 COVID 19 DEATHS IN THE LAST DAY. AMANDA: THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO MORE THAN 108,000. 485,000 PEOPLE HAVE RECOVERED. WORLDWIDE, THERE ARE MORE THAN 6.6 MILLION CASES. RENEE: IN ROSSEN REPORTS, WE HAVE PART TWO OF OUR SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE. AMANDA: WITH THE COUNTRY REOPENING THIS SUMMER JEFF , ROSSEN IS LOOKING AT WHICH SUMMER ACTIVITIES PEOPLE CAN DO SAFELY, AND WHICH ONES ARE JUST TOO RISKY. JEFF: HI, THE WEATHER IS GETTING NICE AND YOURE GETTING OUT WHICH IS GREAT. YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND BE PRACTICAL. I GET IT. SO, WERE HERE TO HELP. WE ARE RANKING THE RISKS OF FIVE POPULAR SUMMER ACTIVITIES RIGHT NOW. ITS THE ROSSEN REPORTS SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE. THIS WEEK WORKING WITH MEDICAL , EXPERTS, WE RANKED THE RISK OF GOING TO THE BEACH, LOW RISK. A PUBLIC POOL, MEDIUM RISK BECAUSE OF ALL THE COMMON SURFACES AND TOYS. BACKYARD BBQ? MEDIUM RISK. THE GET TOGETHER IS FINE. JUST KEEP DISTANCE AND DONT SHARE UTENSILS. GOING OUT TO EAT? MEDIUM RISK IF YOU SIT INSIDE THE RESTAURANT. SITTING OUTSIDE? LOW RISK. HOW ABOUT USING A PUBLIC RESTROOM? MEDIUM RISK. THE BIGGEST HAZARD? THOSE HAND DRYERS BLOWING THE VIRUS EVERYWHERE. AND GOING ON VACATION WITH ANOTHER FAMILY? LOW RISK. ASSUMING EVERYONE HAS BEEN STAYING SAFE AND ISNT IN A HIGH RISK CATEGORY. NOW LETS RANK THE NEXT FIVE SUMMER ACTIVITIES. WHAT ABOUT PLAYING OUTDOOR SPORTS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARENT IN YOUR FAMILY? BASKETBALL FOR EXAMPLE. YOURE UP IN EACH OTHERS FACE, SWEATING AND YOURE TOUCHING THE SAME BALL. WHAT ABOUT BASEBALL? SAME TYPE OF THING, RIGHT? THEYRE THROWING THE BALL AT YOU. YOURE ALL TOUCHING THIS. AND BY THE WAY, ITS THE SAME THING FOR TENNIS, RIGHT? YOU ARE ALL PLAYING WITH THE SAME TENNIS BALLS. YOURE ALL TOUCHING IT. WHATS THE RISK? >> OUTDOOR SPORTS, THIS IS GENERALLY LOW-RISK. LETS TAKE TENNIS AND BASEBALL. THE BALLS ARE MOVING AT RAPID SPEEDS. BOTH PEOPLE MAY BE TOUCHING THE BALLS BUT THEYRE GENERALLY HAVING MINIMAL CONTACT SO ITS NOT AN ISSUE. NOW LETS TALK ABOUT BASKETBALL. THATS MEDIUM RISK. FIRST OF ALL THE PLAYERS ARE IN , EACH OTHERS FACES, BREATHING RAPIDLY, THEYRE SWEATING AND THAT COULD INCREASE VIRAL TRANSMISSION. JEFF: SO MANY OF YOU ASKING ABOUT AIR TRAVEL TOO. FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE PLANE ITSELF. OPERATING AT LOWER CAPACITY BUT STILL POSSIBLE TO SIT RIGHT NEXT TO SOMEONE. >> AIR TRAVEL, WERE TALKING HIGH RISK HERE. THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RISK POINTS WHERE YOU COULD TRACK THE -- COULD CONTRACT THE VIRUS. THIS IS BECAUSE PEOPLE FROM MANY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND MANY COUNTRIES, WITH MANY TOUCH SURFACES ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR TALKING AND JUST BREATHING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME IN THE SAME COMPARTMENT. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RISK AREAS EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE WEARING MASKS. >> WHEN YOU LAND, YOU NEED A RENTAL CAR RIGHT? , THE QUESTION IS, ARE THERE CORONAVIRUS DROPLETS IN HERE FROM THE LAST CUSTOMER? THE RENTAL CAR AGENCIES SAY THEYVE BEEN DISINFECTING THE CARS BETWEEN EACH CUSTOMER BUT IN HERE, YOU HAVE NO WAY TO GUARANTEE THAT. I MEAN YOU CANT TELL BY LOOKING , AT THE STEERING WHEEL, THE ARMREST WHAT BACTERIA IS ON HERE. SO THE QUESTION IS, WHATS THE RISK IN A RENTAL CAR? >> RENTAL CAR? NOW THIS CASE IS RELATIVELY LOW RISK. ASSUMING THE CAR COMPANY HAS WIPED DOWN THE CAR THOROUGHLY, I THINK IAN THIS POINT YOURE OK BUT YOU MAY WANT TO DO AN ADDITIONAL WIPE DOWN. JEFF: AND WHAT ABOUT STAYING IN A HOTEL ROOM? WE ALREADY KNOW FROM ALL THE STORIES IVE DONE ON GERMS THAT THE LIGHT SWITCHES, THE REMOTES, THE BED SPREADS, THE PILLOW CASES CAN BE FULL OF GERMS AND BACTERIA. THE HOTELS SAY THEYRE DOING DEEPER CLEANINGS NOW BETWEEN STAYS, BUT WHATS REALLY THE RISK? >> STAYING IN A HOTEL THATS LOW , RISK. BUT THATS ONCE YOU GET INTO YOUR ROOM. REMEMBER TO WIPE DOWN SURFACES THERE BUT WHEN YOU VENTURE OUT , INTO THE REST OF THE HOTEL, THATS WHERE YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. LOBBY, AND DEFINITELY STAY OUT OF THE GYM, THATS HIGH RISK. JEFF: AND OF COURSE YOU CANT , FORGET ABOUT HAIRCUTS. THE STYLIST AND THE CLIENT WEARING A MASK BUT THEYRE IN CLOSE QUARTERS. SO HOW SAFE IS IT TO VISIT YOUR SALON OR BARBERSHOP? >> GETTING A HAIRCUT, THIS IS HIGH RISK. THE MAIN ISSUE IS THE PROLONGED CONTACT BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE STYLIST. THE RISK ALSO IS THE STYLIST BEING INFECTED BUT THEYRE ASYMPTOMATIC AND BEING ABLE TO SPREAD THE VIRUS TO YOU. THIS HAPPENS EVEN IF BOTH OF YOU ARE WEARING A MASK. JEFF: IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THAT, WE HAVE A FULL BREAKDOWN ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW ROSSENREPORTS.COM. , YOU CAN SHARE IT WITH FRIENDS, KEEP THEM SAFE TOO. BACK TO YOU. RENEE: THE TD SATURDAY MARKET -- THE TD SATURDAY MARKET RETURNS SATURDAY AND IT WILL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT. IT WILL LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT WHEN VENDORS ARE THERE. BOOTHS WILL BE SPACED OUT AND AT HALF CAPACITY. CRAFTS WILL BE SOLD ONLINE INSTEAD OF IN PERSON, AND SHOPPERS ARE ASKED STAY SIX FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND CONSIDER WEARING A FACE MASK. IN OUR WYFF 4 GOOD SERIES, WERE SHARING ALL KINDS OF WAYS OUR COMMUNITY IS COMING TOGETHER AT THIS TIME. AMANDA: UPSTATE SERVICE INDUSTRY UNITED HAS BEEN HELPING RESTAURANTS SHUT DOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC. NOW THEYRE SUPPORTING THE LOCAL BLACK COMMUNITY. THEYRE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO VISIT BLACK-OWNED RESTAURA

Driver killed in overnight crash in Upstate after car hits trees, fence, deputies say

Crash happened around 1:30 a.m. Friday

Updated: 8:14 AM EDT Jun 5, 2020

A driver was killed in an early morning crash after being thrown from the vehicle, deputies said.Rickey Smith, 38, of Williamston, was driving south on Midway Road near Beaverdam Road around 1:30 a.m. Friday. The car lost control, hit some trees and went through a fence, deputies said.So far, there is no information on what caused Smith to lose control. Overnight news: 16-year-old girl dies after early morning drive-by shooting in Anderson, coroner saysPedestrian dies after late night hit-and-run in Greenwood County, coroner saysDriver dies after two-car crash in Spartanburg County, troopers say

A driver was killed in an early morning crash after being thrown from the vehicle, deputies said.

Rickey Smith, 38, of Williamston, was driving south on Midway Road near Beaverdam Road around 1:30 a.m. Friday. The car lost control, hit some trees and went through a fence, deputies said.

So far, there is no information on what caused Smith to lose control.

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Driver killed in overnight crash in Upstate after car hits trees, fence, deputies say - WYFF4 Greenville

TOP OF THE HOUR:

George Floyd to be buried Tuesday in Houston.

Protesters heartened by swift reform, but vow broader change.

Protesters in Portland walk onto Interstate, leading to temporary shutdown.

Violence gives way to street fair vibe outside White House.

___

HOUSTON The black man whose death has inspired a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice will be buried Tuesday in Houston, carried home in a horse-drawn carriage.

George Floyd, who was 46 when he was killed, will be laid to rest next to his mother. On May 25, as a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on Floyds neck for several minutes, the dying man cried out for his mother.

His funeral will be private. A public memorial service was held Monday in Houston, where he grew up. Some 6,000 people attended.

Under a blazing Texas sun, mourners wearing T-shirts with Floyds picture or the words I Cant Breathe one of the other things he cried out repeatedly while pinned down by the police officer waited for hours to pay their respects. Floyds body, dressed in a brown suit, lay in an open gold-colored casket.

Shorty after the memorial ended, Floyds casket was placed in a hearse and escorted by police back to a funeral home.

___

ATLANTA In the two weeks since George Floyd was killed, police departments have banned chokeholds, Confederate monuments have fallen and officers have been arrested and charged amid large global protests against violence by police and racism.

The moves are far short of the overhaul of police, prosecutors offices, courts and other institutions that protesters seek. But some advocates and demonstrators say they are encouraged by the swiftness of the response to Floyds death incremental as it may be.

___

PORTLAND, Ore. Protesters walked onto Interstate 84 on Monday evening in Portlands Lloyd District, which led to officials temporarily shutting it down in that area, news footage showed.

Earlier, protesters cheered when a speaker at the demonstration talked about the police chiefs resignation.

Are we done yet? he asked the crowd. No, the crowd shouted back.

Another crowd near the downtown jail after 9 p.m. was urged by police not to shake and climb a fence erected to keep protesters away.

We are not here to police a fence, Portland police said on Twitter. We are here to protect the people who work in the Justice Center and the adults in custody who are living there.

On the ground, police were staying farther away from the fence than they had during other nights. The crowd had grown to hundreds by around 9:40 p.m., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

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WASHINGTON That massive fence erected around Lafayette Park has become a do-it-yourself gallery of protest art. Messages, posters and portraits, ranging from loving to enraged, almost blot out the view of the White House across the way.

One block away at the corner of 16th and I streets a constant flash point for most of last week the calliope version of La Cucaracha rang out from an ice cream truck parked just outside the police roadblock. In front of St. Johns Episcopal Church, it was so tranquil Monday afternoon you could hear the birds chirping while a white visitor paid for a $20 Black Lives Matter T-shirt with Venmo.

As the nations capital emerges from a violent and chaotic 10-day stretch of protests and street battles, a different mood is taking hold. The anger has given way to something closer to a street fair as community leaders, members of Congress and the D.C. government have rallied to the protesters cause.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer who has met with and walked with demonstrators a number of times was involved in a scuffle Monday afternoon with protesters a day after hed had another tense interaction.

Video shows CMPD Captain Brad Koch surrounded by chanting protesters Monday in front of the local government center before a white male protester approaches and shoves him. After being pushed, Koch took the man to the ground as more protesters were seen piling on. He was the only officer in the immediate vicinity.

No injuries were reported but in a tweet, CMPD said Koch was assaulted in broad daylight and is asking for the publics help to identify those involved.

Koch has repeatedly walked with protesters through the city. He was pictured kneeling alongside them last week. The police department said in a tweet that he has walked more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) with protesters in recent days.

But his interactions havent been well-received by all protesters. Some say he isnt welcome to march with them.

___

The lead attorney for George Floyds family said the grieving relatives met with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for an hour Monday in Houston.

Ben Crump said Bidens compassion meant the world to this grieving family, and he described the visit as an example of what will begin to heal America as citizens around the country demand changes to police practices after Floyds death.

Listening to one another is what will begin to heal America, Crump said. Thats just what Vice President Biden did with the family of George Floyd for more than an hour. He listened, he heard their pain and shared in their woe.

Biden traveled to Houston for the visit ahead of Floyds funeral. Biden has called for substantial changes to police practices in the U.S., but he opposes some activists call to defund police and shift that taxpayers spending to other services.

Biden wants to expand spending on social services such as education and mental health care that can support police efforts, but also spend more on training existing police officers.

Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died after a white officer pressed his knee into Floyds neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air. The officer has since been fired, arrested and charged with second-degree murder, among other charges.

___

WASHINGTON The National Park Service is calling a newly erected fence in front of a White House protest area temporary.

Park Service spokeswoman Katie Liming said Monday that her agency and the Secret Service expect to reopen part of Lafayette Park in front of the White House on Wednesday.

Liming says some areas of the park will remain closed to allow workers to deal with damage and address safety hazards. Liming gave no details and no time for when the rest of the square would reopen.

Lafayette Park in front of the White House is one of the countrys most prominent sites for political protests and other free-speech events.

Its been closed off since early last week, when law officers used chemical agents and other force to drive out protesters in the nationwide rallies against police brutality.

Authorities left a newly erected high black fence blocking the square, even though recent protests have been overwhelmingly calm.

Liming says the Washington Ellipse, Sherman Park and some other landmark areas also will reopen Wednesday.

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GENEVA The American Civil Liberties Union says relatives of George Floyd and three other black people who were killed by police have joined some 600 rights groups to demand the top U.N. human rights body urgently convene a special session to look into a rise of police violence and repression of protests in the United States.

A spokesman for the Human Rights Council in Geneva confirmed the council office received a letter on Monday from the groups outlining their call, as Black Lives Matter protests continue to gain traction well beyond the United States notably in Europe.

At least one-third of the councils 47 member states would have to back the call for a special session in order for one to be called.

The prospects of one being held swiftly remained uncertain. The council cut short its last session in March because of the coronavirus outbreak and has been grappling with ways to start it back up next Monday.

The efforts have been complicated because the government of Switzerland, which has seen the COVID-19 pandemic recede in recent weeks, is for now still restricting all public gatherings to no more than 300 people. Council sessions generally draw hundreds more than that.

The groups want an independent investigation into the recent killings of unarmed black people in the U.S. as well as one into violent law enforcement responses to protests. The call included relatives of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and Philando Castile.

The United States, like all U.N. member states, regularly has its human rights record examined by the council, a 47-member state body that is not part of the United Nations but is supported by it.

___

HARRISBURG, Pa. Black Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives commandeered the podium for about 90 minutes at the start of voting session Monday, disrupting the days business in an effort to force action on police reform bills.

The dramatic takeover went on pause when the Republican House speaker said he would consider putting proposals up for votes and that he supports a special session to consider the legislation.

The protesters, including veteran black lawmakers from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, hung a BLACK LIVES MATTER banner from the speakers dais and vowed they would not leave without movement on the stalled proposals.

___

OLYMPIA, Wash. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he was convening an advisory group of black leaders and law enforcement representatives to develop police reform proposals following days of huge protests in his state over the killing of George Floyd.

My hope is to collaborate with this group to write meaningful legislation in our state, the Democrat said.

He stated three areas of action: an independent investigative and prosecutorial process for allegations of officer-involved killings, which would involve the creation of a state investigative unit separate from any other law enforcement entity in the state; rethinking police use of force, including chokeholds; and creating a legally binding and enforceable obligation that officers report misconduct by fellow officers.

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NEW ORLEANS New Orleans mayor said the Superdome would glow crimson and gold the colors of George Floyds high school Monday night as a tribute to him and a call for racial equality.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Superdome administrators agreed to her lighting request which in turn was made at the request of Sylvester Turner, mayor of Houston, where Floyd grew up and where his funeral will be held Tuesday.

Floyd, who was black, choked out I cant breathe many times before he died May 25 after what prosecutors said was 8 minutes and 46 seconds with his throat pinned under a white police officers knee in Minneapolis.

Crimson and gold are the colors of Houstons Yates High School, where Floyd graduated.

As we continue to mourn the loss of George Floyd, along with others who have been the victim of violence by police officers, we will seek to remember him and honor his memory, Cantrell said.

Last week, we showed the world that we can march, protest and be heard, and do so peacefully and respectfully. We will continue to demand justice and ensure that our police officers remain a positive presence in our own community.

Earlier in the day, Police Chief Shaun Ferguson acknowledged that police fired rubber balls at protesters on a Mississippi River bridge last week and apologized for having said otherwise at a next-day news conference defending officers use of tear gas.

Other protests in New Orleans and around the state have been peaceful.

___

LOS ANGELES Prosecutors say criminal charges will not be brought against thousands of Los Angeles protesters arrested for violating curfew and other police orders.

City Attorney Mike Feuer said Monday that his office will develop an alternative outside court without punishment for those cited for violating curfew or failing to obey orders to leave demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

District Attorney Jackie Lacey said she wont file charges in protest misdemeanor cases from other parts of Los Angeles County.

The city had the largest number of the 10,000 protest arrests in the U.S. tracked by The Associated Press.

Police and sheriffs deputies arrested more than 3,000 people over days of mostly peaceful protests. The vast majority of citations were happened in Los Angeles for violating curfew or dispersal orders.

___

HOUSTON Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has paid his respects with hundreds of people mourning the death of George Floyd at a church in Houston, where Floyd grew up.

The Republican governor looked at Floyds body in a gold-colored casket at The Fountain of Praise church Monday for about 15 seconds, then lowered his head with his hands folded for several seconds more.

Abbott told reporters outside the church that he will include Floyds family in discussions about police reform and any related legislation.

George Floyd is going to change the arc of the future of the United States. George Floyd has not died in vain. His life will be a living legacy about the way that America and Texas responds to this tragedy, Abbott said.

Abbott said he planned to meet privately with Floyds family and present them with a Texas flag that was flown over the state Capitol in Floyds honor. The governor wore a striped crimson and gold tie, which he said was in honor of Floyd as those are the colors of Floyds high school.

Floyd, who was black and handcuffed, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped responding. Floyds death has inspired international protests.

See more here:
The Latest: George Floyd to be buried Tuesday in Houston - KTTC

Banff National Park is trying a new strategy to keep bears off the highway.

The park recently installed five kilometres of electrified wire along fencing on the side of the TransCanada highway, east of the Banff townsite.

Dan Rafla, a human-wildlife coexistence specialist for the park, said every summer, parks staff will see black bears climb the fence to eat dandelions and berries on the other side.

"In spring through June, we'll actually see a pulse of activity of bears crossing over the fence," he said.

"Then it might peter off into July as the snow melts off the landscape, grass grows elsewhere, and the animals follow that green wave up the mountains. Then we might see it again in August as buffalo berries come online in the valley bottom."

Staff havealreadyremoved berries and other food attractants from the highway side of the fence,and have replaced and upgraded fences to prevent animals burrowing underneath.

Now, the new wiring, installed far from any human trails a few weeks ago,will deliver strong but non-lethal zapsto encourage the bears to wander off in search ofa safer place to cross.

And Rafla said it's working so far.

"Unless something radically different has happened, that area where the hot wire [was installed] has been a traditional hotspot for bears climbing over for years and we haven't had one yet this year."

Rafla said they'll be assessing the wire's effectiveness over the course of the summer.

They have also introduced warning signs and highway speed reductions near those trouble spots to remind drivers to stay alert.

View original post here:
New Banff fence will zap bears who try to climb it to eat roadside dandelions - CBC.ca

Gary Maynard Johnson, 66

July 10, 1953 April 22, 2020

Aurora, Colo.

Gary Maynard Johnson, 66, passed away on April 22, 2020, in Aurora, Colo. He was born on July 10, 1953, in Longmont, Colo., to L. Maynard and Norma Ruth (Sauter) Johnson. He grew up just outside of Erie, Colo., graduating from Erie High School in 1971. During his school years, Gary was very musical, playing the piano, trumpet and composing his own music. Beginning early in life, he always had to figure out how things, such as televisions and radios, worked by taking them apart and putting them back together again. This fascination continued throughout his life, as he was always doing some repair or upgrade to his computer. While he had plans to study engineering at CU Boulder after high school, a tragic motorcycle accident changed the path of his life forever. After a long and intense period of recovery, Gary resided for many years in the heart of Denver where he had access to public transportation, shopping and activities that allowed him to live independently. His unique sense of humor is a strong trait that will long be remembered by all who knew him.

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Preceding him in death were his parents, Maynard and Ruth. Gary is survived by two sisters, Donna Sauer (Jim) and Elaine Hepner (Fred); nieces, Anna Redmon (James), Sara Rector (Nathan); nephew, Scott Sauer (Danielle); and seven great-nieces and great-nephews.

A private graveside service will be held at Foothills Garden of Memory.

Readers like you make the Fence Posts work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.

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The Fence Post obituary: Gary Maynard Johnson - Fence Post

BEDFORD, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SpotOn Virtual Fence the worlds first and only dog containment and tracking system was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the New Product Consumer Electronics category in The 18th Annual American Business Awards.

SpotOn was honored because of its groundbreaking use of advanced technology for dogs. Unlike the traditional invisible fence and buried fence systems currently on the market, the SpotOn Virtual Fence lets dog owners set up a virtual containment area wherever they are. The system is also smart, offering satellite tracking in the event that the dog leaves the area as well as the ability to store fences at up to 10 locations. It is the first fence of its kind to incorporate such technology providing highly accurate positioning for containment and tracking purposes. The entire system is a collar and phone app, making it completely portable.

A virtual smart fence is a great idea and the features of the SpotOn Virtual Fence are a great advancement to what is available today, shared one judge. I have used some of the current products [and] technologies and it seems that this innovative offering has tackled the issues of what is available today.

More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this years Stevie Award winners.

"We are so honored to be named a Gold Stevie Award winner in the New Product category as its key validation of the exceptional technology weve developed for the pet wearable industry, said Ken Solinsky, founder of SpotOn Virtual Fence. The Stevies are known for honoring some of the greatest American businesses, and our team is incredibly proud to be recognized amongst such notable organizations.

The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning crowned, the awards will be virtually presented to winners during a live event on Wednesday, August 5. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2020 Stevie winners are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About SpotOn Virtual Fence

SpotOn Virtual Fence gives dogs the freedom to be dogs and owners the peace of mind to let them. The only truly wireless containment solution, SpotOn replaces buried wires and base stations with GPS technologyeliminating the need for professional installation and maintenance. Simply use the collar to walk a perimeter anywhere, creating an instant containment area of unlimited shape and size. Completely connected, SpotOn offer escape notifications, status updates, and easy map management right on your smartphone.

SpotOn was created by a team with decades of experience developing high-quality electronic devices and a commitment to developing the best products for the pet industry. Recognized as a CES 2020 Innovation Award honoree, SXSW 2020 Innovation Award finalist and New Hampshire Tech Alliance 2019 Product of the Year, SpotOn has changed the lives of dogs and owners across North America. To learn more about the SpotOn technology and product, visit: http://www.spotonfence.com, our blog, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of The 2020 American Business Awards include John Hancock Financial Services, Melissa Sones Consulting and SoftPro.

Excerpt from:
SpotOn Virtual Fence Honored as Gold Stevie Award Winner In 2020 American Business Awards - Business Wire

Sometimes I cant believe it how time flies. May 25, 2010 happened already ten years ago. That was the day when I got up in Stuttgart, Germany, around 3 a.m. to pack some odds and ends into my suitcase, tossed the keys to my apartment into my own mailbox, and took a cab to Stuttgart Airport. Some fourteen hours later I would land half a world away in Washington State, where my husband had been waiting for me for a year.

It is interesting how this one day is standing out with so many details. Sure, it was a life changer. And that is probably why a lot of not so life-changing days meld into a colorful muddle. Colorful, yes but still a muddle.

I remember that 2010 had a really cold late spring. My, I was freezing constantly. And I was sick a lot that very first year in my new chosen home. Recently I heard from other immigrants that they experienced the same in their first year in a new home country. Its probably all the changes in climate, circumstances, and lifestyle that rattle a body if not the mind.

It is also interesting that immigration means a second life experience into which you can take all your former experiences to build on. I have definitely learned to listen to my gut feeling in my first life, but I use it to a bigger extent in my second life. And having a far more outdoorsy lifestyle now, adds to the city mouse experience of former times.

What is the best thing? The bliss I experience in almost each and every day in my new life. Of course, there are days when I feel daunted, too. Or sad. Or stressed out. And Im not a fake goody two shoes either. But bliss and gratefulness are indeed the first and foremost emotions I come up with when asked how Im feeling. And that has to do with the people who have crossed my path, offered me opportunities, and taken me in since then.

It started with the kind and warm welcome I was given a walk down the hill from home at the Steilacoom Pub and Grill on my first Saturday night there. It continued with a door hanger from the Steilacoom Historical Museum Association and the 2010 Salmon Bake at which I signed up our family as members. The people I have met there, the opportunity I have been given there on the Education Committee, as an office manager, ice cream social chair, docent, trustee even; the friendships that were forged through this institution are priceless. The people from the McChord 62nd Airlift Wing soon also became family, as I was offered and held the position as a lead key spouse, i.e. the liaison between the commander and military families for several years. I went to classes there that taught me helpful wisdom for life.

I dont believe in coincidences. As a docent on my very first Sunday in 2010, I met who has been my friend for almost ten years now, renowned bestselling author Anjali Banerjee aka A.J. Banner. We were talking shop, I, the German journalist with two small books of poetry and short stories under her belt, she the already established writer of wonderful fiction for children and adults. That encounter and the numerous requests for my services as a writer back in Europe made it clear to me that writing would be it for me again but under my own flag.

Ever since, I have encountered so many more wonderful people authors, painters, photographers, film makers, musicians, entertainers, chefs, artisans, teachers, historians, you name it. I have met a lot of them in person, a lot of them via social media. I have been given the opportunity to speak to military newcomers on Joint Base Lewis McChord and to the Lakewood Rotarians; to read from my books at the Sock Peddlers in Lakewood, the Topside Coffee Cabin in Steilacoom, and at the Lakewood Library; to have book signings at the Steilacoom Historical Museum; to help launch and participate in the Lakewood Book Fest; to participate in book events in Kitsap County, including a Christmas TV show; to talk on radio podcasts by legendary multitalent Dorothy Wilhelm and by Pamela Sommer from the German Radio in San Francisco; to be featured by Karen Lodder Carlson with her marvelous blog German Girl in America; to write a column with my friend, Lakewood icon Joe Boyle, whose sense of humor challenges me to explore the depths of my own; and to be published with my own columns by my highly appreciated friend, the Suburban Times publisher, Ben Sclair.

This upcoming Memorial Day will be the tenth anniversary of my coming to the United States for good. A solemn occasion as to the commemoration. But as to the date itself in my private life, a blissful occasion. A lot of you have accompanied me these past years. It takes a village to raise a child, they say. Maybe, it takes similar to create a home for an immigrant. You know how far I have come. I have not mentioned everybody in the above paragraphs who have helped me in this. You know who you are. Let me just say: Thank you all and God bless!

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Across the Fence: A Decade in the USA - The Suburban Times

Health Law

By Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi

May 21, 2020, 8:00 am CDT

In the autumn of 2014, Brittany Maynard was dying from brain cancer at age 28. Her final weeks were filled with pain, the inability to sleep and frequent seizures, says her husband, Dan Diaz.

Maynards final weeks also included the discussion as to when she would take a lethal prescription that would push her into a deep sleepand then end her life. Maynard had received the prescription legally in Oregon, which allows terminal patients to seek a life-ending prescription from a medical doctor, Diaz says.

About 21% of Americans now live in a state that allows medical aid in dying. Eight states and the District of Columbia have death with dignity laws, also called medical aid in dying laws. These states include California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, according to Compassion & Choices, an advocacy group.

Although these states allow medical aid in dying, the state laws have specific restrictions about when and how a patient can take the prescription. Advocates for medical aid in dying laws are pushing to ease criteria, so that more patients have access and more providers can offer support.

There are barriers to access, such as a waiting period between formal requests. In some states, patients must wait 15 days between each request and repeat the process with multiple physicians. Advocates argue that not all terminal patients can survive the waiting period.

Another access issue relates to how the medication must be consumed. All states that permit medical aid in dying require the patient to self-ingest the medication and be mentally competent at the time the prescription is taken. That means patients have to make decisions as to when they will take the prescription, so they can remain within the perimeters of the law.

For example, a patient with Lou Gehrigs disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, could eventually lose the ability to swallow. The patient would have to discuss their progression with their physician or hospice nurse. But, some religious organizations forbid their employees from having end-of-life discussions or from being present when the prescription is consumed.

For Maynard, she worried an incapacitating stroke would render her unable to self-ingest the medication. In her final weeks, Maynard experienced violent seizures on a daily basis, Diaz says.

It comes to the point, are you living in those days? Or only suffering through them? Diaz asks.

That was when Brittany said, This is my time. Ive lived a good life. Her fear was that what would come next for her was a stroke. She could lose her ability to communicate altogether. Lose her ability to swallow. She said, There is no way I will die like that, trapped in my own body.

When Maynard was first diagnosed, she was living in California. The state had not yet passed the End of Life Option Act, and Maynard wanted the option.

We had to pack up half our house in a U-Haul, say goodbye to family and friends and drive up to Oregon, Diaz says.

In Oregon, Maynard and Diaz rented a house and found a medical care team associated with a university hospital. Maynard obtained residency and entered clinical trials.As her disease progressed, Maynard also obtained the lethal prescription and planned to take it before she lost her ability to swallow or communicate.

Currently, state laws require patients to be sound of mind both when the prescription is requested and taken. Physicians are tasked with ensuring patients meet all the criteria at the time the prescription is written.

Those roles are spelled specifically. [Physicians] must assess the prognosis, diagnosis, patients state of mind, mental capacity, they must advise the patient of all options of end-of-life care, says Barbara Coombs Lee, an attorney and former nurse in Portland who helped draft the Oregon law.

Euthanasia, which is illegal in the United States, involves when someone other than the patient administers medication in any form with the intention of hastening the patients death, according to the American Nursing Association. For example, Vermonts Patient Choice at the End of Life Act states that the law shall not be construed for any purpose to constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing, or homicide.

The state laws additionally require the patient to receive the prescription from a medical doctor who is licensed to diagnose and treat the underlying condition. The doctor must be the same physician overseeing the patients care.

You cant go to ophthalmologist or dermatologist for your lung cancer, Lee says.

Once the prescription is obtained, the patient stores it at home and may choose when to take it. Diaz says his wife was prescribed secobarbital.The powder comes in about 100 capsules that the patient must open and mix into water.He says the process takes about 40 minutes.

Some laws permit others to help the patient open and mix the powder. In Vermont, for example, the law permits assistance with preparation if the patient is not considered exposed to grave harm, which means that witnesses to the death have no liability.

Advocates argue the laws protect the professionals right of refusal, but not their right to support. Lee says that when she and others wrote the Oregon bill, they intentionally protected medical care providers right of refusal.

At the time, she says, they did not realize that religious-based hospitals and hospices would forbid employees from having end-of-life discussions, writing the prescription or supporting the patient in their final moments. Most patients who use medical aid in dying are in at-home hospice care, and many have the same nurse who visits each day. Hospices can block nurses from being with their patient when the prescription is ingested, which can be upsetting for the patient, their families and the nurses.

We never intended that an institution could hold patients hostage to its doctrinal rules and beliefs, Lee says. Doctors should be allowed to serve their patients requests off premises and off the clock of a refusing facility.

The American Medical Association officially opposes medical aid in dying. But in 2019, the American Nurses Association changed its position statement to address growing conflicts between nurses and their employers. Whereas the 2013 statement had prohibited nurses from participating in medical aid in dying, the new statement called for nurses to be knowledgeable and objective, and for hospices and hospitals to clarify how a nurse can proceed if asked to support a patient.

The change in the position statement happened because we were receiving inquiries from nurses, hospital leaders, and wondered, what does it mean to participate? One of the main issues is, can the nurse even be in the room? says Liz Stokes, the director of the AmericanNurses Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights.

Religious organizations typically forbid nurses from being in the patients home when the prescription is taken. Other organizations have vague rules that imply the nurse should step away from the room while the patient swallows the prescription but can return to support the family. Stokes says the ANA wants greater clarification so that nurses who want to support their patients understand their employers perimeters.

The presence of a nurse during the process can be both comforting and helpful to the patient and their families. Stokes says that patients often experience nausea, and a nurse is permitted to administer anti-nausea medications. Nurses can also help explain the process as the patient drifts into a sleep, and then slowly stops breathing.

For Maynard, her palliative care team was not with her when she took her prescription. Diaz says one of their friends who was present was a physician, which was a great source of comfort.

Although nurses and physicians have legal protections to refuse discussing or participating in medical aid in dying, some opponents want to go a step further and seek to overturn state laws. In New Jersey, physician Yosef Glassman sued the states attorney general to stop a new law, which he described as a violation of his religious tenets.

As a geriatrician, Glassman is a general practitioner for the older population. Not a specialist, he is not legally allowed to write a lethal prescription. If one of his patients, however, is dying from a terminal illness such as cancer, the oncologist might ask Glassman to transfer the patients file.

It is the act of sharing the file that Glassman opposes. Glassman sued the state to prevent even the possibility of his secondary involvement in medical Aid in dying in advance of the law going into effect.

In the filed complaint, his attorney, E. David Smith, argued the responsibility of sharing a file goes against Glassmans First Amendment right to practice his religion, Orthodox Judaism, that holds all human life is sacred and must not be taken.

My client feels very strongly that no doctor has a right to determine that is a life no longer [worth] living, says Smith.

Glassman initially succeeded in stopping the state law before it took effect. In August 2019, a judge issued a temporary restraining order that halted medical aid in dying in New Jersey. Within two weeks, however, an appellate court reversed the decision and stated Glassmans suit did not meet required standards. Glassman plans to appeal until all options are exhausted.

Although opponents to medical aid in dying have tried to end the laws, legal scholar Thaddeus Mason Pope expects legal access to expand in the coming years. He says he anticipates 15 additional states will pass medical aid in dying laws in the next five years.

Youll see it become the norm, not the exception, says Pope, who is a professor of law at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Saint Paul and the Director of the Health Law Institute.

Barriers to accesssuch as the waiting period between requestsare likely to be relaxed, Pope says. States are also likely to increase the life expectancy minimum from six to 12 months.

Advocates such as Diaz are eager to see the expansion. He feels his wife passed peacefully and was spared from an imminent and painful death.

She saved herself from an enormous amount of tragic suffering in front of her, Diaz says.

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi is the author of Ugly Prey: An Innocent Woman and the Death Sentence that Scandalized Jazz Age Chicago and This Is Really War: The Incredible True Story of a Navy Nurse POW in the Occupied Philippines. She has a PhD in communication from the University of Illinois at Chicago and studies health communication, medical history and stigma communication.

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Why states are on the fence about a patient's right to die - ABA Journal

Ethan Lienwand , a gifted blues pianist, will perform a free livestream concert for Common Fence Music on Sunday, June 7, at 7 pm.

The concert can be accessed by a link provided atcommonfencemusic.org. on the day of the show.

Ethan Lienwand is a St. Louis-based barrelhouse blues piano player and preservationist. A student of the musics rich history and varied regional styles, Ethan presents personal interpretations of many of the great (and forgotten) old-time masters. He specializes in St. Louis pre-war piano blues, Texas barrelhouse, Deep South barrelhouse, early Chicago boogie-woogie, and good-time hokum stride. His influences include: Little Brother Montgomery, Black Bob, Jimmy Yancey, Henry Brown, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Hersal Thomas.

Sponsored in part by a generous grant from the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts.

Common Fence Music is a non-profit with a mission to promote culturally relevant but underexposed folk, roots and world music through concerts and educational activities.

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Common Fence Music to host free live-stream concert feateruing Ethan Lienwand - What'sUpNewp