From student to scholar to professor and department chair, Dr. Kara Zografos’ history with Fresno State dates back nearly 20 years. Now she will usher in a new era as dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Fresno State She previously served as interim dean of the college since fall 2023 Zografos will continue to provide outstanding leadership to the College of Health and Human Services the university and its community,” said Dr Fresno State’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Zografos has devoted all of her professional career to Fresno State and has a deep appreciation for the university’s mission and values and is dedicated to advancing the college in preparing the next generation of leaders to address the critical issues in health and human services in our region and beyond.” Zografos earned her bachelor’s degree in health science with an option in community health in 1999 and later earned her Master of Public Health degree from the university in 2002 before heading to Southern California where she completed her doctorate of health education Zografos excelled at Loma Linda University Toward the end of her four-year doctorate program she returned to the Central Valley for her dissertation research on asthma and started teaching public health courses at Fresno State part-time before applying for a full-time position in 2007 as well as a deep-rooted desire to serve the university where she earned her undergraduate education is ultimately what led Zografos back to Fresno State Zografos has worked up the ranks within the Department of Public Health from lecturer to full professor where she also served as director of the Master of Public Health program and as department chair for seven years Zografos concurrently took on a new leadership opportunity as special assistant to then dean Zografos led many important college-wide initiatives including formalizing policies and procedures around college committees teaching assignments of honors program courses and scholarships – in addition to mentoring faculty in grant programs Zografos played a vital role as the college assessment coordinator helping many programs achieve successful accreditation and site visit feedback She also remained committed to work around diversity which led to various college-wide training opportunities for faculty and staff Zografos remained committed to faculty success and aided in efforts to support faculty with research and grants Her efforts to grow the nursing workforce in the region led to an inaugural partnership with the School of Nursing at Fresno State and Valley Children’s Hospital to create a hospital-based ASN-to-BSN cohort which allows registered nurses at Valley Children’s the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degrees in nursing at Fresno State while continuing to serve the local pediatric population Zografos helped build partnerships with K-12 schools and community colleges to create new and/or strengthen transfer pathways ensuring preparedness for transfer students specifically interested in careers within health and human services Zografos said she has a few goals in mind – lead with compassion while prioritizing the success of the over 4,000 students in the college and broaden the college’s reputation as a premier higher education institution The College of Health and Human Services prepares students for professions in communicative sciences and deaf studies recreation administration and social work; and also houses both the Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC programs as well as five interdisciplinary research centers and institutes Two of the three doctoral programs at the university exist within the college Zografos said she plans to work closely with each academic department and school to  implement high-impact experiences for all students to ensure they are career ready by the time they graduate she intends to meet the growing health care needs of the region and aspires to create an occupational therapy doctorate program as well as a certified registered nurse anesthetist program for the School of Nursing I look forward to contributing to Fresno State’s mission by fostering a dynamic and inclusive academic environment,” Zografos said “As an alumna and previous first-generation student I appreciate the transformative power of higher education and am deeply committed to ensuring our students have access to opportunities that empower them to succeed.” Fresno State News Hub is the primary source of information about current events affecting California State University faculty and staff; providing an archive of news articles as well as links to major resources on campus as a service to the university community This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application as a result of injuries sustained in a dirt bike accident in Thompson CT.  As tragic as it is for his family they take solace in knowing that he died doing what he loved Steven Francis and Marcella Marie (Tomsu) Zografos of Oxford; his twin sister Sophia Marie Zografos of Oxford; his paternal grandmother Judith Zografos of Randolph; his maternal grandparents George and Marie Tomsu of Leicester; his aunts and uncles Daniela Valentgas and her husband Harry of Sutton Raymond Zografos and his wife Donna of Dighton and Doreen Zografos-Ferrari and her husband Gerald Ferrari of Palm Beach Gardens and Amanda Alverio.  He was born in Worcester and was a lifelong resident of Oxford.  He graduated from Oxford High School in 2020 Steven’s passion was riding his dirt bike.  In addition he loved to work on his bikes and his cars.  He enjoyed snowboarding and many other outdoor activities.  He also enjoyed cooking and was a talented artist Steven grew up camping with his maternal grandparents at Powder Horn Campground in Old Orchard Beach and Jellystone Campground in Sturbridge.  He loved animals Axel.  He had a large circle of friends who remained close Oxford.  Burial will follow at North Cemetery in Oxford.  Calling hours are Tuesday memorial contributions may be made to Second Chance Animal Shelter in East Brookfield Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Police are investigating the death of a student at the Athens University campus in the suburb of Zografou after his body was found hanging from a tree on Tuesday morning who called an ambulance and alerted the police His death is being treated as a likely suicide though investigators are looking at security camera footage and taking witness statements as they try to piece together what may have led him to take such a decision Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox the Zoning Board chair and a former Finance Committee member won the Selectmen's seat with 55% of the vote to Zografos's 45% with Caron garnering 705 votes versus 584 votes for Zografos who had served two terms on the board.  Selectman Leonard Hull acknowledged this factor in his response after the election results were announced "Dighton is a conservative town," Hull said.  "So that's what we saw in this town election A favoring of conservative values. The most important thing is answering to the will of the people. Defeating an incumbent is not an easy task. But it was the will of the people." Hull also had words of praise for Zografos Standout athletes: Here are the 22 Greater Taunton softball players to watch this spring "He brought in an estimated half-a-million dollars in grant money for the town in support of town projects. And that skill set will be sorely missed. With his set of skills I doubt we have heard the last of Brett Zografos," Hull said.  "Dighton came up short today," Zografos responded to the election results in a text message.  "But I cannot thank the town enough for giving me the honor to serve the town for the last six years. I wish Selectman Caron much success in his new role and congratulate him on his victory today. I urge all my supporters to support him as he embarks on this new term in office." Caron said people told him they were voting for him because of his promises of fiscal responsibility and lowering taxes.  Real estate report: Victorian on High Street in Taunton goes for more than $700,000 "We both ran a great campaign. He was a very good selectman and served honorably. The voters just wanted a change." has been a resident of Dighton since age 23 and has worked on town boards for most of those years. He chaired the town Finance Committee for four years and has been a member and sometime chairman of the ZBA for 23 years. He retired from the Marriott Corp at age 31 but hasn't stopped working. He became a distributor for Pepperidge Farms franchises in New England until retiring again. Now he's a leasing consultant for a luxury apartment complex in Walpole Saturday's election attracted 1,295 voters or 21% of the town's registered voters Rachel Goulart became a Parks and Recreation Commissioner with 595 votes against 544 for Kerri Lynn Fontaine and Gary Dingus won another term as town moderator with 640 votes versus 615 for William F but Moore became a member of the Board of Assessors with 656 votes against 558 for Carol Beauregard Massachusetts family is remembering the life of their son His family said Steven died doing what he loved most “The kid was like an adventurer that’s what he did he was a dare devil all his life,” said Steven Zografos It’s so difficult doing this and planning all of this you know you aren’t supposed to be doing this for your son.” The family helped put together a memorial for Steven on Baker Road in Thompson Over 50 people came on Christmas day to say goodbye to Steven “It was amazing there were so many people and to come on Christmas and do that with us was amazing,” said Marcella Zografos “He was with his closest friends doing what he loved and if there was ever anyway he would’ve wanted to go it would have been dirt biking.” I don’t know it doesn’t feel real at all,” said Sophia Zografos “We were like the same person I could always talk to him.” Food brings people together—especially coffee and tea it’s all about competition,” says George Zografos ’76 who just sold off the last of the 13 Dunkin’ Donuts franchises he spent 30 years collecting on Cape Cod You can see the trend just by what’s happening with coffee McDonald’s is selling it for a dollar,” he says is responding by streamlining its own operations who started in the business 40 years ago in 1978 when he took a job as store manager at a Dunkin’ franchise in Connecticut “They’re going to be selling fewer kinds of donuts It’s the 80-20 thing—you focus on the 80 percent you sell the most of it’s not the competition that’s driving Zografos out He’s seen his share of that over the years and has prevailed at least as often as not “It forces you to stay current; it keeps you relevant.” He has family and friends he wants to spend time with; there are other things in life You never know how many more years you’ve got left Terms of Use and Privacy Policy For an optimum web experience we recommend the latest version of Firefox Please use one of the links below to install a supported browser A man and a woman were found dead on a road in Athens’ central district of Zografou are believed to have fallen from the third floor of their apartment building on Ammochostou street A forensic examiner is currently at the scene It is was not immediately clear how they fell but initial indications do not point to foul play DIGHTON — Selectman Brett Zografos wants to explain the importance of June as Pride Month It's his goal for reasons much deeper than the fact his name is attached to a controversial plan to raise the Pride flag at Town Hall that failed in January but that town officials are now reconsidering It's about who he is and is proud to be: one of the few openly gay selectmen in the state The 36-year-old Dighton native said he became a selectman because he had always wanted to serve the town where he was raised though he was born in Taunton at the Dighton line His family moved to Fall River for a time then returned to Dighton in 1993 He graduated from the Dighton Elementary and Middle schools and Dighton-Rehoboth High School He said his was one of the first classes to go all four years through the new middle school "I am a proud product of the Dighton Public Schools," he said More: Dighton revisits flying LGBTQ pride flag — 2 of 3 selectmen signal possible support Unfriendly encounters early on helped raise him But these influences only strengthened his resolve to return to Dighton and serve and educate "There was no role models to go to figure out what I was But it made me keep the idea that I wanted to come back and serve as a thank you to the community that raised me The latter goal is the one that makes him want to speak out during Pride Month A statement he wrote and read at the time of the selectmen's proclamation on the event pointed out "Despite a society that told us time and again to be ashamed of ourselves More: Should gay pride flag fly at Dighton Town Hall just in June? Year-round? Not at all? It's a perception others too have had of themselves that has to change." that perception about himself evolved as he earned an undergraduate degree in cellular molecular biology at Bridgewater State University and a Ph.D He then won a Marie Curie Fellowship award that sent him to Paris to study brain stem human cancer But there he felt the calling to pursue a career in public service "So when my contract was up I returned to Dighton," he said "The work (in Paris) was not rewarding — long hours; it's not a 9-to-5 job I realized this was not the life I wanted for myself I'm not satisfied without human interaction." Nowadays he works in the human resources department of an environmental resources firm and he applies his knowledge of science to grant writing for Dighton projects that need funding of that kind I helped us get our recent $143,000 Green Communities infrastructure grant the education that Dighton gave me to move the town forward They put him in office based on his experience More: 'A slippery slope': Fairhaven selectmen shoot down proposal to fly Pride flag at Town Hall Does this moment in time feel different as he promotes flying the Gay Pride Flags around town hall I just want to foster a position of tolerance supports that Dighton welcomes everyone with open arms." He added it is a false choice when some say it's the Pride flag versus the American Flag "My father served in Desert Storm and in Yugoslavia," he said I see the rainbow flag as symbolizing the struggle of gay rights and the American dream and the promise of justice for all." But he would not be discouraged if "the rainbow flag" never flew at town hall The town selectmen have done a lot of other good work here's what the colors of the rainbow flag symbolize: Red: Life; Orange: Healing; Yellow: Sunlight; Green: Nature; Blue: Peace/Harmony; Purple/Violet: Spirit Occupation: Scientific researcher & Zoning Board of Appeals (Town of Dighton) Previous Appointed or Elected Town Positions: Zoning Board of Appeals Family: Raymond Zografos (father) and Donna Zografos (mother) Education: Dighton Elementary School (1994) Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School (2002) in Biology from Bridgewater State University (2007); Ph.D in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin (2013) Years Lived in Dighton: 22 years (second generation Dightonian) I have often been asked how to improve participation at meetings and I always respond the same way: before we can generate ideas on how to boost participation we must first understand why residents are not participating The truth is that residents are not participating because they do not feel our town government is responding to their needs or listening to what they have to say Residents are also often unable to easily obtain the information they seek regarding town business I am running for Selectman to revitalize our town and to make our government more open and inclusive I have made sure all information pertaining to our meetings was posted online and easily accessible I have been a strong independent voice at Town Hall and I have a solid record of being open and inclusive I am running because I have no personal agenda other than making our government work for you My experience working on behalf of you has shown me that change is possible when we all work together I am confident that you will participate when you see we are listening to what you have to say I am the only candidate running for Selectman with experience making important decisions for the town I have an established record of listening to residents’ ideas and concerns and incorporating them into final recommendations and decisions I believe the town needs and deserves a leader who understands that the town is comprised of more than one department or board; a leader who understands that the decisions we make at Town Hall effect everyone employees and residents alike; a leader with a holistic and inclusive vision for the future of our town will be an asset to the Board of Selectmen and to the town for several reasons: I am able to write successful grant applications secure funding and deal with budgets and budgetary constraints; I think critically and independently; I research issues thoroughly and make informed decisions; I manage time efficiently and multitask; I take criticism well and learn from others; I work well both independently and as part of a team; I deal with pressure and stress well; I value new ideas and treat everyone with dignity What is the biggest issue facing the board you are running for The biggest issue facing the Board of Selectmen is the residential growth that is burdening our public services We are seeing more and more of our vast open land converted into residential developments Many residents feel our town is losing the beautiful open countryside character that we love and with which we grew up I would advocate for the purchasing of open land around town and urge the land to be deemed as “open space” or “conserved.” These transactions would need to be approved by town residents at an Annual or Special Town Meeting This strategy would help to control the likelihood of over-development in town and reduce the burden it could impose on our public services if left unchecked I will work with the Development and Industrial Commission to reach out to This will bring additional revenue into town which will help fund our expanding public services and works while leaving a relatively small footprint on them The now former Coventry High School football coach inadvertently gave students access to naked photos of another school staff member Head football coach Michael Zografos resigned as coach Thursday after he was charged in Barberton Municipal Court with a misdemeanor involving obscene or harmful material More: Coventry Comets football coach resigns Thursday after misdemeanor charge A call made to Zografos for comment Tuesday was not immediately returned He was hired in January to lead the Comets varsity football team According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Beacon Journal through a records request the charge stems from an incident during the last game of the season in October 30 game, Zografos gave three students a school-issued iPad to film plays during the game.  The iPad lost power and another coach went to get a charging cord the students and assistant coach observed four photos of a naked female staff member.  Two of the students recognized the staff member.  Zografos admitted to having the photos and the staff member admitted to sending the photos Several others saw and described the photos to detectives Summit County sheriff's detectives first became aware of the incident on March 23 and met with school officials.  Coventry Local Schools Superintendent Lisa Blough said Zografos who also works as an intervention specialist for the district was placed on administrative leave March 26 She told the Beacon Journal on Thursday that another staff member had resigned but that she could not provide further details.  Reach Reporter Sean McDonnell at 330-996-3186 or smcdonnell@thebeaconjournal.com DIGHTON — Dighton Selectman candidate Peter Caron lost his father when he was 10 years old. Because he was the second oldest of 11 children It was only the first step of his career there. Right after he graduated from high school he became the youngest general manager the Marriott company had at the time Now, as he mounts a campaign against incumbent Selectman Brett Zografos in the April 9 election he points to this work experience and his work ethic as his biggest qualifications for the job.    "Customer service was a big thing in my industry," he said.  "Working for the customer. It's no different than serving the people of a town which Dighton also has. Bill Marriott was a taskmaster when it came to spending a budget The Swansea native said he also learned early about the character of Dighton. He fondly recalls the Dighton order of nuns who provided his family with food assistance when he was young and his widowed mother was struggling financially. It is one of the reasons he eventually moved to Dighton has been a resident of Dighton since age 23 and has worked on town boards for most of those years. He chaired the town finance committee for four years and has been a member and sometime chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals for 23 years Playoff previews: Taunton boys basketball, D-R/Seekonk hockey seek Sweet 16 success He retired from the Marriott Corporation at age 31 but hasn't stopped working He became a distributor for Pepperidge Farms franchises in New England until retiring again. Now he's a leasing consultant for a luxury apartment complex in Walpole He uses an anecdote from his time on the zoning panel to explain that he is running for selectman to better control town spending "One year we were told to increase our budget by 2% the next year. No matter whether we need it Our town spending is a little out of control." Real estate report: New house in new Taunton subdivision sells for more than $600,000  His campaign is also about controlling the town's taxation "The same day I announced I was running for selectman I opened up a tax bill showing my taxes went up My evaluation went way up. We do have control over the tax rate I understand there are fixed expenses we can't control But there are things we don't have to spend on just because the money's there from a grant Most can't afford our tax increases. I will do something about this," he said Is his campaign a personal one against Zografos?  Caron said no.  "Brett is a friend," Caron said. "I like him It's the spending habits of the select board that I am running against." he would act differently on the LGBTQ pride flag issue that Zografos championed two years ago "I'm opposed to raising the gay flag at town hall," Caron said. "It's not necessary to have one in front of town hall. You can fly it on your private property." A proposal last year from officials that included Zografos would have placed an LGBTQ flag on Town Hall property. It spawned a petition article that residents approved at the fall 2021 town meeting that banned flags from flying on town property other than "the U.S the official flag of the branches of the U.S military and armed forces and the POW-MIA flag."    Would explore 'pulling out of B-P' over $305 million projectCaron added he also might act on his opposition to the proposed $305 million Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School construction project that was recently approved in a district-wide election on March 5 Dighton voters opposed the spending measure by a wide margin (573-no 309-yes) but now must abide by the district-wide approval "I was not in favor of the B-P project," he said.  "The cost calculation of $211 per taxpayer does not include the interest or the debt we'll encumber. It was the right project with the wrong timing." "I would look into pulling out of B-P and enhancing our own high school with teaching technical abilities," he said. "At least explore that." Coventry Township head football coach Michael Zografos abruptly resigned Thursday after he was charged in Barberton Municipal Court with a misdemeanor involving obscene or harmful material who was hired in January last year to lead the Comets varsity team pleaded not guilty to the single charge and is scheduled for a pretrial appearance in the courtroom of Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger on May 12 Zografos’ violation involves recklessly disseminating “material that is obscene or harmful to juveniles” on Oct Further details on the incident were not immediately available and Zografos’ attorney did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment “There are many layers involved in this situation,” she said “We have had another individual resign due to their involvement.” Blough said that individual's involvement did not include criminal conduct She said she would be unable to give further details on the case until it is resolved in court “The district is cooperating fully with local authorities regarding the allegations and concerns,” Blough said Zografos was hired last year after the resignation of former coach Ed Egan who left the position to concentrate on other interests Zografos led the Comets to a 4-5 record in a season with a delayed start due to COVID-19 restrictions The team made headlines when two female students More: Coventry girls get kick out of playing on high school football team Coventry Athletic Director Danny Savage cited Zografos’ commitment to developing student-athletes with a “consistent disciplinary approach.” Savage did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Blough said the the district’s disciplinary path with Zografos will be affected “All I can say is we are working with our legal counsel to outline all potential pathways … to make sure it is handled as quickly and appropriately as possible for our students Zografos could not immediately be reached for comment Blough said that students and parents should be confident the district is doing all it can to resolve the situation “These allegations and this type of misconduct are taken very seriously,” she said the district will follow through accordingly.” Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-224-7682 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com THOMPSON — A 22-year-old Oxford man died in a crash involving two dirt bikes in a Connecticut state forest during the holiday weekend of Oxford was pronounced dead at the scene of the Saturday-afternoon crash in Quaddick State Forest according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection He was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital His name and the extent of his injuries are not being released Environmental Conservation police and the Connecticut State Police responded to the state forest around 4 p.m Kelly Porter — whose son, Hunter, was a friend of the victim — posted a GoFundMe account for the victim’s family Porter said Zografos was loved by many and had an “infectious” smile A Dighton selectman has accused a school board member of threatening to run him over The comments were caught on camera during a heated exchange at a Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee meeting on Tuesday Brett Zografos filed a complaint with police The comment came from school committee member Richard Barrett Zografos had shortly before accused Barrett of sleeping at meetings “You’re going to sleep through the meeting I’m listening to what you’ve got to say with my eyes closed the two men had this exchange when Barrett said he was going to leave: you better be because you’ve got to drive home now Another person on the board then interjected “You have a member of the school committee now making threats.” Zografos posted on Facebook that he filed a report with police Zografos posted that Barrett’s behavior was unacceptable and he is a danger Barrett told NBC 10 to watch the comment in the full context of Zografos talking about him sleeping behind the wheel Barrett told NBC 10 he did not mean it as a threat and that he’s not going to run anybody over 2023 at 11:47 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Old Fashioned Pancake House had about $50,000 in food products that were ruined in Thursday night's fire IL— The long-time owners of Joliet's incredibly popular Old Fashioned Pancake House a breakfast and brunch restaurant at 2022 West Jefferson St told Joliet Patch they are grateful nobody was hurt during Thursday night's fire that happened about three-and-a-half hours after they closed for the day The Old Fashioned Pancake House Facebook page informed customers that it will remain closed until further notice "due to the unforeseen fire." Dimitrios "Jimmy" Zografos and Pano's sister let Joliet Patch inside the closed restaurant to show the damage and the areas of the restaurant that were not damaged by the fire nobody was in the building," Pano remarked The restaurant's kitchen and the two main dining room areas did not sustain any water damage from Joliet's firefighters putting out the roof fire The fire was confined to the southern corner of the roof Workers repairing the roof on Friday morning showed Joliet Patch where they suspect the fire originated: a broken electrical wire that ran power to light the neon restaurant sign around the entire building One of the workers told Patch that the mixture of recent snow and ice probably caused the electrical wire to break Pano's father told Joliet Patch that "I am hoping next Tuesday or Wednesday we might be open." Old Fashioned Pancake House is normally open from 6 a.m but we want to make sure that the premises is safe," Pano pointed out This is the second time there has been a fire at Old Fashioned Pancake House Friday's interview with Patch took place inside the darkened restaurant the city of Joliet had let the building contractors restore the electricity One of the more devastating aspects of Thursday night's fire: about $50,000 in refrigerated food product got ruined The Zografos family returned to their restaurant after learning of Thursday night's fire They said at least a half dozen of their dedicated employees also came to the restaurant "Our main concern right now is our employees and getting them back to work," Pano said "A lot of employees came out last night to see it and we want to thank them for their dedication and concern for us Pano wanted to thank his family's loyal customer base "A lot of them have come by to check up on us," he said "Thank the patrons and other business owners in the area." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard In a landmark victory for journalistic integrity and freedom of speech, Ellinika Hoaxes has been totally exonerated following five years of legal battle with the Greece’s most established physics society The AGP is a non-profit scientific association established in 1930 in Greece The disagreement started in 2019 when Ellinika Hoaxes – a Greece-based fact-checking organization – published investigative pieces that exposed erroneous claims made by the AGP These claims included the endorsement of a so-called “free energy” device and the propagation of pseudo-scientific notions regarding Greek DNA The articles provoked outrage in the scientific community resulting in multiple resignations from the Association of Greek Physicists board and public criticism from other research groups Despite making appearances on television shows and participating in so-called scientific conferences backed by the Association of Greek Physicists failed to provide conclusive evidence in a controlled environment proving the functionality of his generator On February 12, 2019, Ellinika Hoaxes‘ second investigative piece titled “The Promotion of Pseudoscientific Mysticism by the Association of Greek Physicists” was published The article delved into instances where a board member advocated claims about the DNA of Greeks suggesting that it preserves its superior traits through miscegenation Both the president and vice president of the board of directors endorsed activities and educational sessions that lack a scientific basis instead being rooted in concepts such as chakra and quantum healing The Association of Greek Physicists responded by filing a $700,000 lawsuit against Ellinika Hoaxes and unauthorized processing of personal data They used the Media Legal Defence Initiative’s legal aid to defend their journalistic practices and the critical role fact-checking plays in countering disinformation the lawsuit was dismissed by the Athens First Instance Court in 2020 and The Greek Physicists Association filed an appeal against the judgement the Court of Appeals of Athens issued a final verdict affirming the lower court’s decision and totally exonerating Ellinika Hoaxes The court specifically recognized their right to free expression and respect for ethical journalistic norms stating that the Association of Greek Physicists’ arguments were unfounded and intended to suppress genuine criticism who is passionate about using Fact-checking to curb the spread of Misinformation and Disinformation which has become prevalent in the media space She can be reached on X at muonweblessing and LinkedIn on Amala Blessing Muonwe Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" DIGHTON — A plan to fly an LGBTQ pride flag at town hall that the selectmen debated and abandoned last spring may soon be unfurled again "I think it's important," Board Chair Kenneth Pacheco said after the panel proclaimed June LGBTQ Pride Month at its June 7 meeting.  "It is my intention to bring the issue before the town again whose name had been attached to the original proposal had just read a statement emphasizing the symbolism of the rainbow colors in the pride flag and what that symbolism means to an openly gay man such as himself and the struggles the LGBTQ community has gone through to earn society's acceptance we have so many LGBTQ community members in Dighton who feel invisible, who feel forgotten," Zografos said "It is our job — our duty — as selectmen to shine a bright light on those people, to do anything and everything we can in our power to make them feel welcomed loved and supported by this small town with a big heart." More: Winner of Dighton selectman's race may be swing vote on gay pride flag Pacheco responded he supports the possibility of placing the pride flag on a pole at town hall separate from the one on which the American flag flies or on the building and bringing the issue to a public hearing He noted everyone listening to the meeting knows and loves someone who is gay Selectman Leonard Hull responded by urging his colleagues to move more cautiously.  "This town IS all-inclusive," he said.  "I have a problem with a proclamation turning into a political statement Today was not the day for this. I support following a procedure There are other groups who feel minimized by society We need to all sit down at the table over something like this." Pacheco said he did not see this as political but rather an issue that should be revisited.  "Hopefully some time this summer," he said Zografos clarified the difference here is that the LGBTQ community approached the town with the flag idea Zografos has said in previous interviews that he too believes the pride flag should fly in a spot separate from the town's American flag The news that selectmen are bringing up the issue of flying the pride flag in Dighton again did not sit well with retired veterans agent and Planning Board member Robert Woods "The American Flag is all-inclusive," Woods said "It represents everybody regardless of your race "What bothers me is that there is flip-flopping going on here after Pacheco said he was not going to support the flag issue because it's too divisive. Meanwhile veterans get honored only two days while LBGTQ gets a month. I have nothing against them I have gay friends and relatives. I fought for their freedoms too. I just don't like it being rubbed in my face," Woods said Zografos’ friend Holly McNamara said she met him for dinner Sunday night; when Zografos arrived he told her he thought he heard someone say a homophobic slur as he walked by “He said he looked around and no one was looking at him so he thought he just overheard something wrong,” McNamara said Culture wars come to Dighton library: What to know as some ask to limit access to books a commotion ensued as three people sitting at a table began arguing with two men at a nearby table The three people were being harassed by the two customers who made vulgar hand gestures and directed homophobic slurs at them — and they'd had enough McNamara recorded the end of the confrontation and posted it to Facebook “Management handled it really well and they escorted the guy out,” she said Kate Dempsey posted about the incident to the Our Town: Somerset Facebook page addressing the homophobes: “You should be ashamed of yourselves The fact that my 7-year-old daughter had to witness such a disgraceful act of hatred is infuriating … Your lack of respect for other humans is infuriating A representative from Fiesta confirmed that employees told the men to leave after the incident Zografos declined to be interviewed for this story Does my doctor know me? Local health providers take steps to accommodate LGBTQ+ patients. A sign of anti-LGBT trends across the region and country?McNamara said she knows why this episode happened “I think people feel emboldened because of the way national politics is playing out," she said Andy Pollock, president of the South Coast LGBTQ+ Network agrees and ties incidents like this to broader anti-LGBT trends in the culture “We’ve had four instances of Nazi violence against LGBT events in the SouthCoast area, and we’re concerned about an increase in book-banning, which is happening in Rochester, Mattapoisett and Marion," Pollock said “It seems like this area has been targeted.”  “I think there are certain political parties that target LGBT people and ideas,” Pollock said … I think it’s a fear-based tactic to get out the vote because our agenda is to live peacefully and joyfully in who and what we are — not to convert or to change anyone but just be there to support those who seek our help.”  Although the incident at Fiesta did not become physically violent and passed quickly Pollock said situations like this can escalate you say they are less than you and therefore violence is acceptable."   The network is hosting a Family Fun Day in Taunton at the First Parish Church The event will feature stories being read by a drag performer Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell and other readers hair glitter and other family-friendly activities But he said they’re having to prepare for the possibility of angry protests from those with a hateful agenda Whether it's handling an organized protest or people spewing vulgarities in a restaurant his advice is the same for those targeted by hate … Getting into an angry shouting-fest doesn’t make anyone look good You’re not going to win and you’re not going to change minds live it openly and positively as an LGBT person and to demonstrate to your neighbors and your friends and your family that you’re just like they are Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today New high-level partnerships will put the technology to the task of tracing troubled supply chains like palm oil and produce During a 2011 listeria outbreak involving cantaloupe While Anthony Zografos was not one of them And the thing that concerned him the most was the weeks it took to pinpoint the source of contamination Many consumers may have had those melons in their refrigerators the whole time ticking time bombs to make the consumers who purchased them deathly ill if I can look at my shirt and can tell right away where it's from How can you identify the origin of food pretty much instantly?" in mechanical engineering and previously worked as chief operating officer of tech company Compact Particle Acceleration Corporation There are two important reasons to make this information available he said: food safety and guaranteeing authenticity Most traceability applications on the market do a good job of keeping track of food packaging Zografos wanted to create something unique which creates DNA-level tracking that is applied directly to food products "The product information stays with the product itself or you can pick an apple out of a case or you can pick … a single row out of the tin of caviar and you can identify where it was produced While SafeTraces has been around for a few years, it recently announced high-level partnerships. Last week, the tracking company announced a deal with safety science giant UL to enhance palm oil traceability This partnership gives businesses dealing with palm oil — a common food ingredient that has a reputation for being farmed using substandard sustainability and human rights practices — a potentially easy solution to guarantee the ingredient's source Last month, SafeTraces announced a partnership with JBT FoodTech a leading producer of food processing and packaging equipment This partnership has not yet been fully defined SafeTraces Vice President of Business Development Ulrike Hodges told Food Dive but the companies are looking for a way to pursue food processing while integrating SafeTraces technology While other methods to trace food focus on barcodes on food packaging SafeTraces uses something much smaller: DNA Zografos said the company extracts food-safe DNA markers from seaweed Those markers can be read like a barcode and applied to the surface of the food It's received generally recognized as safe status from the FDA and is completely imperceptible "People are looking to tell this story and a way to do that is by talking about the origin of the grain and its journey SafeTraces is used by many different food makers There's vast demand for this kind of traceability technology — and vast opportunity The UL partnership to trace palm oil is one of these opportunities environmental and financial toll of this problem is enormous," Zografos said in a press release announcing the partnership is where the risk of deforestation and labor exploitation is greatest and where traceability is weakest SafeTraces is thrilled to partner with a global leader like UL to securely trace palm oil back to individual plantations in a way that is operationally and financially attractive for our customers." which provides third-party audits and inspections said in the press release it will use the partnership "to tackle the palm oil sourcing problem on the ground delivering unprecedented control of and insight into a critically important food supply chain." Authenticity is an important reason to trace food Adulteration has been a problem with some items with less expensive versions of items like caviar honey and fish being mislabeled as their pricier counterparts the end consumer can be sure an item is what he believes it to be even if a producer uses blockchain to meticulously track a box of Washington apples there's no guarantee that someone along the line didn't switch some out for less expensive varieties Food safety is another application of SafeTraces technology Like the listeria outbreak that first caught Zografos' attention consumers need to know quickly if they have an item that is contaminated which Zografos said he considers a tool in the traceability toolbox it requires buy-in from every link in the supply chain With the current infrastructure around blockchain a product can be traced through various points in the supply chain And while that’s important to manufacturers They want to know a few basic things: Is this product safe If the answer to either of those questions is no they want to know where the issue occurred "There is usually a single point — a single transformation if you like — where the product either gains value or acquires risk It's in a box and it goes from one place to another and it can go to 20 places before it gets to you." "The majority of the value or of the risk is introduced at a single point," Zografos said But there is usually a single point — a single transformation If items are checked consistently as they travel through the supply chain As SafeTraces improves its technology and continues to forge partnerships Zografos said the company is likely to work with agricultural commodities but opportunities may fuel greater expansion — maybe even into other fields like healthcare and pharmaceuticals "The possibilities are quite significant," he said Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts A dynamic policy landscape and ongoing de minimis scrutiny are shaping an era of uncertainty for apparel brands and retailers Added fees from the delivery giants are clashing with heightened shipping discounts but customers have options to limit the impact Subscribe to the Supply Chain Dive free daily newsletter Subscribe to Supply Chain Dive for top news The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines designed in 1975 by the architects Konstantinos Fines and Konstantinos Papaioannou exponents of Greek modernism in public architecture is getting a new lease on life after plans for its renovation were announced on Thursday Before a large-scale police operation last September which housed the student dormitory of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in the eastern suburb of Zografou It has now been included in the Public-Private Partnerships list of renovation projects and valued at 40 million euros (ABC7) — Olga Zografos and her 5-year-old daughter are trying their best to stick to their daily routine in Silver Spring which includes packing a lunch for school and coloring 39-year-old Idris Sesay vanished 21 days ago in Montgomery County Sesay's 2013 Black Nissan Altima 3.5SL is also missing a distinctive Transformer emblem on the trunk and a Maryland license plate that reads #6BP5393 Zografos says “I don’t have him being the type where he just takes off and not keep in touch with his daughters He loves his daughters more than anything in this world.” Sesay and Zografos share two beautiful daughters and a 20-year relationship They split a year ago and Sesay now lives in Lanham Zografos and the girls last saw him on June 29 daddy picked up his two daughters for a visit A text to a friend about work on July 4 was the last one sent from his phone Zografos biggest fear “For him right now he’s dead Montgomery County Police are investigating and will add Sesay's name to the National Crime Information List which will alert an officer if they come across the missing man He’s a dad who never missed time with his daughters was well liked at his remodeling job and then vanished 1924 in Spokane and was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Panagos Mary graduated from North Central High School and later in life received her College Diploma with highest honors from what was then Eastern Washington State College Mary was an English teacher at Central Valley High School and thousands of students learned their writing and punctuation skills with Mary as their taskmaster Mary’s love of singing was a major part of her life and those that heard her will never forget the power clarity and range of her unforgettable Soprano voice She sang professionally at the Greek American Club in Spokane as a young woman was a lifelong member of the choir at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church participated in many singing groups that performed throughout the Spokane area The highlight of her singing experience was when she and Tomi performed with their singing group by invitation at Carnegie Hall in New York Mary will forever be known for her prowess in the kitchen (making fabulous meals out of seemingly “nothing”) her love of fashion (but only at bargain prices) and for her endless love for her four sons and their ever-growing families Mary is survived by her step brother and sister Pano Salagianis and Dina Baker (Walla Walla Washington) and four sons and their wives who will forever remember her as their loving mother who will cherish their memories of their Yia Yia include: Amanda Jones and her husband Jeremy; Ashley Zografos; Scott Merritt and his wife Zoe; Matt Merritt; Stacy Zografos; Carrie Zografos Dina Zografos and her husband Will; Justin Campana and Tomi Zografos; Nick and Teddy Zografos who will forever be told the stories of Mary Zografos and her husband Tomi William and Brady Williams; Logan and Amelia Merritt 2012 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home The funeral service will take place on Saturday at 10:00 am in the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Interment will follow at Riverside Memorial Park Food and refreshments will follow at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Contributions in memory of Mary Zografos may be made to Hospice of Spokane Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens TDS Telecommunications continues expanding its high-speed all-fiber internet network into more Spokane-area neighborhoods © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy You start with a cramped 15-minute bus ride out of central Athens to a suburb called Zografou. Uphill past the blocks of flats that make this one of the most densely populated areas in Europe until you come to a fenced-off square Navigate the bolted gate (clue: a few feet along is a trespasser-shaped hole) and crawl inside into one of the few green patches in the entire neighbourhood Just ahead is an abandoned three-storey 19th-century villa its marble floors and fireplaces and balconies and busts still in good nick but spooky – as if the producers of Grand Designs had remade the Blair Witch Project It's also at the heart of a controversy that raises questions about how Greece racked up its debt – and whether some loans are illegal The essentials appear simple enough: in the early 2000s this estate was designated a communal green the then-mayor led the council into buying half the plot had the appeal been won some of the plot would have been turned into a shopping mall – a council purchase meant that locals got to exert some control over the development But some residents say the land has not yet lost its green-belt status so a deal was unnecessary to make the acquisition Kazakos' council borrowed €25m (£22m) from Kommunalkredit International an Austrian bank operating out of the nearby tax haven of Cyrus And it's claimed that the administration also broke the law by not getting approval from the state's court of auditors It's also asserted that the loan was deemed illegal by the mayor's own officials at the council who reportedly refused to pay any of the instalments It was called "illegal" early last month by a government minister Yet in order to secure another slug of IMF cash this July Prime Minister George Papandreou was reportedly forced to repay part of the debt owed by Zografou and another council with an outstanding foreign loan but the deal – IMF cash in return for repaying debts to overseas banks – has been widely reported by the Greek press Former mayor Kazakos has moved offices next door to a fishmonger Visitors are recieved in front of a 6ft by 3ft close-up photo of their host: heavy eyebrows He cites a directive from Brussels that he says exempts purchases with foreign loans independent lawyers Stathis Chatzopolous and George Katrougalos believe Kazakos hasn't even got the right directive – which in any case doesn't apply to purchases over €1m They're also shocked at the IMF's insistence that a possibly illegal loan between a council and a bank should be taken on by the state when foreign governments wanted to impose their will they used gunships," says Chatzopolous the European Central Bank and the European community." Campaigners believe many government loans are either unlawful or "odious" they formed a campaign for an open audit of Greek state debt then the public has a right to know where it came from and decide what to do about it," says one of the campaign's founders and economist Costas Lapavitsas is facing up to paying a loan worth around €45m over its full term Ask him what that means for his budget and he reels off a list of cuts: "We won't be able to pay for kindergartens to make a park … " And Zografou doesn't even have its shopping mall The headline and introduction of this piece were changed at 9.30am on Tuesday 2 August Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.