As a rambunctious banjo strums in the background, Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff sits at his desk Three text overlays appear: “Expanding Access to Abortion,” “Protecting Physicians & Patients from Out of State Seeking Care” and “Ensuring Your RIGHT to Reproductive Healthcare Can NEVER Be Taken Away.” In the final second of the video he turns to the camera and mouths along with Beyoncé: “This ain’t Texas.” it certainly is not — this is the official TikTok account of the Connecticut Senate Democrats.  The account, which has been posting videos since August 2022, is a small part of the caucus’ effort to connect with constituents. Amid steep decreases in Americans’ news consumption and in their trust in mainstream media this account and others like it seem to encapsulate elected officials’ need to adapt to a new information environment — one dominated by scrolling the Senate Democrats communications director said that the caucus joined the app in 2022 in order to “communicate with people where they are “It is always best to utilize a trending meme or sound,” he added These accounts provide Connecticut politicians with a direct line of communication with their constituents. They need not contend with questions from reporters; instead, they are at the mercy of the infamous TikTok algorithm “The Democratic Party here in the state is not giving a lot of love to ratepayers throughout the state,” Harding laments in a video published on Valentine’s Day that is focused on an electricity bill reduction plan The communications director of the Senate Republican Caucus explained that the account gets engagement by spotlighting “the issues that really matter to the people of Connecticut” like the cost of living and inflation “We really want to show the people of Connecticut as opposed to having a media outlet in the middle I’m not saying anything negative about traditional media — we have a lot of wonderful reporters up here at the Capitol — but I think sometimes it’s great to hear the message directly from the people that are working on the policy.” The basic tone of the Democratic account, meanwhile, has less to do with specific legislative efforts and more to do with rhetoric. Its most popular video features an impassioned speech by State Senator Cathy Osten denouncing immigrant deportations The reproductive healthcare video was posted in early 2024; this year, Duff has leaned more into irony. In a video from earlier this month following clips of President Donald Trump promising to lower grocery prices Duff appears in a bathrobe preparing “to make breakfast in bed” for his wife Reaching into a closet filled with office supplies you really can’t be too careful,” he quips In Connecticut, however, while a bill to ban the app from government devices was approved by the General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections Committee, it died in the State Senate At present, following President Donald Trump’s vow to “save” TikTok — which may have been influenced by his own “very good experience” on the platform — its future is uncertain and I am sure there’ll be another platform to learn and communicate on soon enough,” Coughlin said A recent survey found that over 43 percent of Connecticut residents support a ban on TikTok — the second highest out of any state in the nation 28: A previous version of the article misspelled Coughlin’s name Interested in getting more news about New Haven? 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Cross-country hikerShe traveled all over America while serving in the Army as an E4 specialist with the Corps of Engineers from 2001 to 2003 native Ohioan Erin Parete started to walk across it But after 12 days she suffered a broken foot and came to Newport to recover at the suggestion of a friend She stepped off from Weekapaug on March 25 and ended in Newport Idaho and Oregon — and averaged 8 to 14 hours of walking a day A bulletin board display of her journey was up from March to November at the Mad Hatter Bakery in Newport where she works as a baker’s assistant Why did you decide to walk across the United States I had some vacation time and I didn’t know what to do with myself “I’m going to walk from San Diego to Los Angeles Just because.” It was just over 100 miles and took about three days That was when I really thought I could walk across America I’ve always been a hiker and distance walker I’ve driven across the country seven times and it was always in the back of my mind: “This would be really fun to walk.” Why do people climb Everest It’s something that will challenge you and push you to your limits and you’ll learn so much about yourself I spent about three and a half months getting myself back into hiking shape I would get up around 3 o’clock in the morning and do a huge loop around Newport and then go in to work (at Mad Hatter) I would try to get in 15 to 20 miles every day and on my days off I would try to do 30 to 40 miles My friends here were very irritated with me you’ve already done over 1,000 miles in Newport alone you’re lucky we’re not dropping you off in Pennsylvania.” So we compromised and I was dropped off in Weekapaug and I reached Connecticut in about three hours Do you mean touched the Atlantic with your hand and I figured the worst way I could start off my walk was to put my feet into freezing water Did you do the same thing with the Pacific when you reached the West Coast but it was the end of my walk so it didn’t matter I was very excited when I got to Wyoming because you’re allowed to walk on the interstate that whole state is nothing but mountains and foothills in between One day I had just pushed up a mountain and I was so happy to get to the top but the winds were so bad that I let go of my cart just to see what would happen I loved the Plains States because they were so flat It took over five hours to get to the summit Every state tried to kill me in its own way Did you plan your route or just start walking The problem with doing this on foot is that things change The website CouchSurfing is kind of like Airbnb You can write reviews of your hosts and hosts can write reviews of people who stay and that’s how you know you’re not staying with some psycho killer it was necessary but not my favorite thing to do In the through-hiking community it’s called stealth camping because I was walking on highways with the stroller people would see me and think I had a baby and call 911 That’s how I got to meet I can’t even tell you how many very nice police officers all over America Appearances are very important when you’re doing something like this so nothing about how I looked was accidental I had an American flag flying from my cart I didn’t look like just some vagrant; I’m a patriotic veteran passing through your neighborhood I did my very best to look as much like a guy as I could I did not want to broadcast the fact that I’m a female The people who would stop would soon be very surprised when they realized I was a woman When I was in Iowa and just the very beginning of Nebraska and started recognizing that now I’m getting a little confused I realized this is either the beginning of heat stroke or sun stroke and I needed to find help immediately I decided to flip my sleeping schedule and I hiked the entire state of Nebraska at night I had a black bear pacing around my campsite for an hour and a half one night I was tracked by a mountain lion for about 20 minutes before he decided that I was not worthy of a meal I can’t even tell you how many times I was nearly struck and killed by drivers It shoots 30 feet and the entire canister empties in six seconds so if that’s going to take down a bear I’m pretty sure it’s going to take down you I’d been asleep about three hours and heard footsteps coming out of the woods I knew what it was immediately but was trying to talk myself out of it When it was maybe five feet in front of me it started huffing and grunting and I was petrified I’m either going to die of fright or a bear attack but either way I can’t deal with this anymore With my flashlight and my bear spray I stepped off the pavilion into dry leaves and the sound spooked the bear and it went charging back into the woods going up one of the 18,000 mountains I had to climb and I wanted to sit down on the side of the road and have a good cry and just give up and my response was “because it’s hard.” That’s the worst reason to quit doing something If you quit anything just because it’s hard you’re never going to reach the extraordinary What made an impression on you about the people you met The news convinces us that we’re so divided I watched NASCAR with gun-totin’ Trump supporters and talked politics with liberal college radicals I had an orthodox Mennonite couple invite me to lunch and give me a ride in their horse-drawn buggy I stayed with an Indian woman in Nebraska who kept me for three nights and eventually admitted “I’ve never had a white person in my house before.” Mormons Everyone I stayed with was so amazingly kind “Be Right Back.” That was the joke at the bakery I’d call every day and they’d update the board and it was The impact of longtime Bishop Kenny coach and athletic director Joe Parete's death continues to be felt in Jacksonville's sports community He served as Bishop Kenny's athletic director from 1959-89 Among the players Parete coached who went on to success was James Thompson who was the first African-American football player to play at BK Thompson became a noted engineer in the nation's space program before his death in 1996 who coached baseball at BK and the University of Florida and currently works for the New York Yankees "Joe was the type of man that could influence people in such strong ways," Bishop Kenny athletic director Bob West said If they needed a teacher or if they needed a coach He has helped shape some very productive people who have done great things." is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Crusaders this fall also played quarterback at BK and was a member of Clemson's 1981 national championship team "Joe had the ability to take a kid by the seat of his pants and put him in the right direction," said West but then he would pat you on the back and tell you he loved you He never let a kid go away without knowing he was loved That's a very hard thing to do in this world Parete coached for eight years at Fernandina Beach before retiring He was an assistant on the football team in charge of the running backs the former football coach at Fernandina Beach who knew Parete from their college days in Ohio I called him and told him that if he wanted to come to Fernandina Beach we'd hire him in a heartbeat He did a great job for us and every other coach loved working with him ®PAPERCITY ©2025 urban publishers, inc. all rights reserved terms & condition // privacy policy // sitemap Ombre Is My Nombre adorning the walls of a chic space What happens when pop culture meets wallpaper? A slick new brand Daniela Guarin and Michael Freedman (who co-founded the brand alongside Matthew Wagman) had worked for the same large wallcovering company for about five years and despite some cultural and age differences found themselves to be kindred spirits in myriad ways “We didn’t fit into this industry because it can be a little precious sometimes and we wanted to bring a little levity to our work,” Guarin shares “We gave our products names like ‘Ombre is My Nombre,’ ‘Make My Daisy,’ and ‘Riunite on Ice’ because we don’t take ourselves too seriously how many wallcoverings named after cities in Europe do we really need?” The only things that the team is serious about are design They also pride themselves on a small manufacturing footprint The Parete plan is to have regular product “drops.” “We take our cues more from art and fashion than interiors,” Freedman adds “We want to speak through our voices and reflect our personalities rather than using the vernacular of ‘luxury interior products’ which can sound elitist Available to the trade at Pholio Co. The Go-To Event Calendar for Texas’ most glamorous parties & charitable events Home » Sport » Beauden “ Parete” Barrett comes in clutch for All Blacks despite late England fightback it is with no doubt that the 33-year old’s impact from the bench is worthy of a matai title But if you’re a dedicated follower of the Blues social media page and Samoan then you 100%  know him as ‘Parete’ from Samoa;  a running online gag that definitely provided fans with some entertainment over the past two years claiming Beauden Barrett to be of Samoan heritage Replacing a confident Stephen Perofeta early in the second half Barrett not only set up a try in the corner for Mark Tele’a but also showed brilliant touches with his kicking game and had a big part in denying England a last minute equalising try but of course everyone wants to start and be out there from the first minute It’s a competitive situation and I’m just happy to influence where I can,” he says “We understand the influence we can have coming off the bench I was sitting next to Cortez and Anton trying to keep each other calm and ready In my case I had 50 minutes to sit and watch and analyse and see how I can influence it – ultimately when you get out there it’s pure instinct.” It was a big sigh of relief for coach Scott Roberton who now goes 2/2 in his start as the All Blacks head coach.  Robertson says he’s pleased with their progress so far and gave his coaching grade at the moment as “It’s finals footy every week man,” Robertson says about his shift from Super Rugby to the International arena but just close and gritty rugby on full display I am proud of my boys for how much effort they put in through these two close encounters.” Robertson described it as a “hell of a  performance” from an experienced veteran kicking and even his cover of the backfield He also showed some courage to take the line and put some people away for tries.” Although disappointed with a back to back loss to the All Blacks England coach Steve Borthwick was also quick to applaud Barrett’s impact and what a world class player he is “Being able to bring on Beauden Barrett in the last 20 minutes of the two test matches showed his impact on the field He is one of the world’s best players and phenomenal.” Also playing a pivotal role in the win was winger Mark Tele’a who crossed over for a double in what was a tight battle between him and his opposition Tommy Freeman.  With the series now wrapped up for both England and New Zealand the two teams now look ahead to their next clash in Twickenham in November.  his main goal now is to keep the team building and improving as they prepare for the next battles Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox Copyright © 2025 TP+ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme The home of Tagata Pasifika the Pacific voice on New Zealand television since 1987 Want to be the first to know when new videos are available Joe Taufete’e is returning to Major League Rugby The US Eagles front rower has signed on with the Houston SaberCats one of four new additions confirmed by MLR clubs on Friday afternoon Also announced by the league is a two-week suspension for Free Jacks lock Jesse Parete Houston are the second MLR destination for ‘Big Joe’ He spent the 2022 campaign with the LA Giltinis before signing on with Leicester Tigers in the English Premiership Taufete’e has previously suited up with the San Diego Breakers in PRO It’s not immediately clear what position the SaberCats have in mind for Taufete’e he has been capped by the Eagles at all three front row positions The 30-year-old played tighthead prop during the World Cup Qualifiers in 2021 though one closer to the other end of the career spectrum Sam Faoagali has joined the club from Western Australia side Perth Bayswater The 20-year-old has been playing for the USA Hawks starting five of their six matches to date Add Kieran Joyce’s name to the returnee list The 26-year-old has signed on with New York for the rest of the season A left-footed goal-kicker who can slot in at flyhalf Joyce spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Seawolves he fills a big gap on the roster with first choice flyhalf Jack Heighton out indefinitely due to concussion and Jason Emery also a concern Just a couple days after confirming South African hooker Sidney Tobias Trevior Owens is originally from Hawai’i but grew up in New Zealand and represented Horowhenua Kapiti in the Heartland Championship The wing or outside center was most recently playing with Associates in the Western Australia Premier grade competition Jesse Parete will sit out the next two games for the Free Jacks He was found guilty of deliberately stamping on ATL flyhalf Duncan van Schalkwyk during the first half of Saturday’s game at Fort Quincy and later received a second which meant red Despite that being Parete’s second red card of the season – both from double-yellows – the judicial decision did not factor that into his punishment He was instead rewarded for good behavior at the hearing With New England holding a bye week next weekend Parete will be eligible to suit up again for the May 21 home match against NOLA Tags Two of the best teams in Major League Rugby will meet at Fort Quincy on … 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 A revived Lower West Side pocket park cleared of its drug dealers by police and neighbors will be a memorial to Buffalo Police Officer Patricia Parete.The park is near the beginning of Whitney That's only yards from where Parete and her partner Officer Carl Andolina were shot the night of December 5 Andolina recovered from his wounds and recently retired from the department living with those injuries until she died early last month City Hall has decided to name the cleaned-up park for her Councilmember David Franczyk says the renaming reflects the dangers of being a First Responder "It's an example of how the men and women in the Police Department are what they Society would be in a complete state of criminal degeneracy were it not for police officers that protect us The park plan calls for a memorial for Parete and her police service and facilities for the kids in the community Neighbors like Marilyn Rogers who worked with police to clean up the park said they wanted it named for Parete "One of the things that we would like to do with this park is to make it a place for children and for our neighbors to recognize the fact that police officers are our friends," Rogers told the Council last week Activist Nancy Standish says supporters would like to a three-tiered black marble wall with a synopsis of Parete's life and police department history an image of a female officer reaching out to a small child and a written saying reading "Officers aren't heroes for the way they died the Buffalo police officer who was paralyzed after being shot while on duty in 2006 The exact cause of death was not immediately known Saturday night arduous and brave battle since suffering spinal injuries from the shooting that left her paralyzed from the neck down president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association News of her death early Saturday morning spread quickly through the ranks of the Buffalo Police Department whose members had kept a vigil at her hospital bedside after the shooting more than six years ago "It hurts just as much now as it did then." A funeral for Parete will be held at 11 a.m "We woke up this morning to very sad news," Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said in a prepared statement "Patricia Parete was a brave and courageous officer We have suffered a tremendous loss -- not only this department Brown added: "My first reaction upon hearing the news of Officer Parete's passing was just total sadness prayers and wishes are with her and her family at this time." Parete -- who had a passion for the outdoors and her Harley-Davidson V-Rod motorcycle -- was accepted into the Police Department in 2001 Her fellow officers said she had great street instincts and an obsession with physical fitness 120-pound Parete had nearly zero percent body fat Parete and partner Carl Andolina responded to a fight call when they were shot at West Chippewa Street and Whitney Place by Varner Harris Jr. The first bullet struck her bulletproof vest traveling through her body and lodging in her spine She suffered severe injuries to her spinal cord Parete spent nine months undergoing rehabilitation in the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange Parete's struggle continued to make headlines as the local community came together to raise more than a half-million dollars for her care and in 2009 a new house was built in Niagara County to make it easier for Parete to get around in her wheelchair Burton struck an unprecedented deal to pay salary and benefits to Parete's life partner and caregiver at the time But Parete had moved out of the public spotlight in recent years and police officials said she recently was under hospice care Parete is survived by friend Polly Strait; her father Connections established among Science & Technology Policy Fellows often continue and extend well beyond the fellowship year now employed by his fellowship host office Office of Space and Advanced Technology; Dr now with the Association of American Geographers (AAG); and Dr Suzanne Parete-Koon now at the University of Tennessee recently joined with other partners to organize the conference Space Technology and Geoinformation for Sustainable Development the conference was part of the AAG’s ongoing Geoinformation for Sustainable Urban Management initiative The event took place one year after President Barack Obama’s “New Beginnings” speech at Cairo University and it highlights the type of activity that the Administration wants to promote in the Muslim world Teamwork and mentoring between Fellows was the driving force in developing the conference Parete-Koon initiated the idea for the project in the first weeks of her 2008 fellowship while working in the Bureau of Oceans Office of Space & Advanced Technology (OES/SAT) Parete-Koon attended a Cairo meeting with Dr the director of Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) – Egyptian jointly hosted conference on the use of space technologies for promoting sustainable development and international cooperation Parete-Koon knew that she would benefit from the input of experienced co-developers to make the conference a reality two former AAAS S&T Policy Fellows with experience in turning ideas into action The three Fellows organized a public-private partnership to design and execute the conference Seed funding came from the U.S.-Egypt Fund for Science and Technology Cooperation through the OES Bureau and NARSS Additional support was provided by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) The key implementing organization was the AAG representatives of international organizations Forty-two papers were presented on applications of remote sensing and GIS to sustainability issues including water resources management A highlight of the meeting was a keynote address by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden There were many important outcomes that could facilitate greater mid and long-term collaboration between U.S One of the most important occurred during the last day of the event when participants produced a list of more than 30 collaborative projects that U.S and Egyptian institutions are prepared to submit to the governing board of the U.S.-Egypt Joint Fund on Science and Technology Cooperation for consideration as part of the “U.S.- Egypt Year of Science 2011.” The Cairo Conference program and papers may be accessed at www.aag.org This is the second time Echavarria and Goldberg have combined their specialties and interests to promote the use of science and technology for diplomacy Their first collaboration was in 2006 when both were working at the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans They organized a successful conference on Geoinformation for Sustainable Urban Management in Amman When asked about working together again in the future “Collaboration between current and former AAAS Fellows continues to play a critical role in implementing projects designed to promote the use of geospatial science and technology to improve infrastructure services in burgeoning cities of the developing world Now we are hoping to implement projects in cities in Latin America.” Return to the November 2010 edition of the Fellowship Focus. Our ability to provide a voice for scientists and engineers and to advance science depends on the support from individuals like you Give together we can be a united voice for scientific progress.  Join The New England Free Jacks have announced the signing of versatile forward Jesse Parete on a two-year deal through the 2023 Major League Rugby season the 28-year-old heads stateside after a spell in Japan with the Canon Eagles where he was a teammate of Sef Fa’agase Parete made his senior provincial debut with Taranaki in 2014 and after a two-year stint with Bay of Plenty he made the jump to Super Rugby in 2018 with the Chiefs He then returned to Taranaki and joined the Highlanders in 2020 To date Parete has won 33 Super Rugby caps Capable of playing lock, blindside flanker, or No8, the 6’4″ (1.93m) forward is known for his powerful ball carrying and offloading ability. He will help fill the gap in the forwards left by the departure of Namibian international Wian Conradie to Gloucester Tags The New England Free Jacks have confirmed the return of Jesse Parete for the remainder of the Major League Rugby season Initially signed through 2023 when he was announced ahead of last season the New Zealander was then confirmed to be departing the side in the off-season only to suddenly re-commit to the Eastern Conference finalists Parete featured heavily at blindside flanker last season but should be primarily used at lock after playing there exclusively with Taranaki in the NPC The 29-year-old isn’t the only player bolstering New England’s pack Expect another announcement in the coming days of a second unexpected arrival Some heavyweight help also looks to have arrived in Seattle Samu Manoa made a cameo appearance as a water carrier for the Seawolves in their victory over Dallas on Friday night Though the club have not made any formal announcement the big man is reportedly back in training with the side It remains to be seen when he will show up in a match day squad Dallas could soon be short a second backfielder to suspension after Martín Elías was sent off just two minutes into the game against Seattle The flyhalf took to the air to catch a high ball but in the act stuck a boot straight in the face of Seawolves winger Lauina Futi Marcos Moroni was handed a three-game ban for the same infraction in the season opener Jackals fans will also be waiting anxiously on the fitness of scrumhalf Pedro Imhoff who left the game during the first hydration break with an undisclosed injury and with Maikeli Naromaitoga also sidelined Conrado Roura was forced into an unfamiliar role at lock Chicago didn’t get the win they were hoping for against Utah but they did get a strong turnout in their home opener The official tally was 4,443 which bodes well considering the brisk temperatures as Hugh Roach went down with a knee problem early in the first half and star winger Julián Domínguez injured a shoulder or collarbone after being caught on the receiving end of a heavy clearout from Paul Lasike The Warriors meanwhile might have a couple concerns of themselves and it wasn’t clear if it was tactical or for injury His replacement Cliven Loubser didn’t even last three minutes when he was whipped to the ground by Mark O’Keeffe and helped off the pitch Houston had to re-jig their starting lineup against San Diego Carlo de Nysschen took a blow to the face and came off shortly before halftime the SaberCats should be able to call on Dillon Smit for the first time this season The latter wanted to play against the Legion but was advised to take an extra week off Josh Henderson came off at the same time as de Nysschen Isaac Ross limped off gingerly after twisting a knee towards the end of the game and shortly after Fred Apulu exited with an ankle issue it was a shaky weekend for the production crew The most notable problems were missed cards Elias’ red went completely unnoticed by the commentary crew for nearly 10 minutes and a yellow card against Pago Haini late in the game for New York against DC wasn’t seen on camera There have been some improvements to the broadcast quality this year but accurately relaying cards and substitutions from the field is still a problem Buffalo Police officer Patricia Parete was honored by the state senators in Albany today who rose in a moment of silence for the late law enforcer Parete died over the weekend at the age of 48.  She and her partner Carl Andolina were wounded by gunfire while responding to a call in downtown Buffalo in December of 2006.  The shooter is serving 30 years-to-life in prison.  Parete suffered a spinal injury and was paralyzed from the neck down Her exact cause of death has not been disclosed speaking on the Senate floor late Tuesday morning said the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers on a daily basis can not be understated "Patty Parete and her brothers and sisters in law enforcement make our communities safer They give their all to protect our families She made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of Buffalo and the residents of New York State We remember her today and we thank her and her family for her brace and courageous service," Kennedy said and George Maziarz also offered words of appreciation for Officer Parete and condolences to her loved ones.  Following the tributes the Senate chamber stood in a moment of silence for the late officer.  Wednesday at Trinity Episcopal Church.  The service is open to the public Parete will be honored with a 21-gun salute Buffalo Fire Department officials will drape an American flag across Delaware Avenue at Tupper Street Parete's death has now officially been ruled a homicide The classification was issued today by the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office It is now up to Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III to decide whether Varner Harris should be charged with first-degree murder for causing Parete's death.  family and friends gathered Wednesday morning to remember Buffalo Police Officer Patricia Parete more than six years after suffering a paralyzing gunshot would to the spine in the line of duty in December 2006 The Erie County Sheriff's Air One Helicopter provided an escort overhead for the cortage Dozens of officers and an honor guard stood at attention for the arrival of the flag-draped casket Mayor Byron Brown was among several speakers during the service at Trinity Episcopal Church on Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo Brown told reporters Parete touched many lives "Since the horrible incident that occurred to Officer Parete I've been all around the city and people always asked about her and how she was doing She certainly will be remembered as someone that touched people and brought people together," Brown said Buffalo Fire Department officials unfurled a large American flag across Delaware Avenue near the church Hundreds of additional officers watched the service on video monitors at the Adam's Mark Hotel.    but District Attorney Frank Sedita has not yet decided whether he will charge Varner Harris with first-degree murder Harris is serving 30 years-to-life in prison for the shooting which also severely injured Officer Carl Andolina When your opening line is a bit of an insult But that wasn't the case for Allie Santillo and Trenton Parete They were studying for finals in the library at Clemson University when a mutual friend introduced them Clemson gives out free cookies once a semester during exam week and Allie helped herself to a rather big plateful "At least it's a good thing that it's only December because you'll have time to get your beach body back." Allie didn't take the critique too seriously "I can be pretty sassy and that was the No They started dating right away and never looked back proposed while they walked together around the fort in St Trenton wasn't prepared for the crowds there because it happened to be Easter weekend so Trenton scrambled around trying to find a place they could be alone When they got to the moat outside the fort he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring the first word out of her mouth was 'huh?'" Trenton recalled "She didn't know what was actually happening." 6 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church followed by a reception at TPC Sawgrass It was a festive celebration with lots of dancing No one expected what broke out during the father-daughter dance Even the bride was shocked when her normally very reserved father started spinning and throwing down some freestyle hip hop moves She also said her dad gave a heartfelt speech that left everyone teary-eyed Another unique part of the reception was a cigar roller Trenton said when he thought about his future 50 years - who will you want to hang out with and spend your life with I wanted her and I wanted her to be the mother of my children She brings the best out of me," Trenton said What Allie loves most about her new husband is that he makes everyone feel comfortable "He does everything he can to make people happy," she said a process engineer at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is from Ponte Vedra Beach and they find it so ironic that they met 400 miles away at college They love cheering for Clemson teams together and even named their dog Tilly after Tillman Hall They are most grateful for the Clemson tradition of the free cookie day during exam week - otherwise Trenton may not have had the opportunity for such a memorable opening line If you know of a wonderful wedding story for "I Do I Do," please email your suggestion to Brodyrobyn@gmail.com Gianfilipo and Ludovica Parete were rescued despite earlier pessimism about possibility of survivors It was one of the few holidays that Giampiero Parete, a 38-year-old chef, and his family had ever taken together – a handful of days at a spa hotel in Farindola, a popular ski resort three hours east of Rome in central Italy’s Abruzzo region. Parete wanted to take advantage of the discounted rates at the usually expensive Rigopiano hotel about 3,900 feet above sea level in the lower Gran Sasso mountain range they were relaxing and enjoying the snow,” he said On the same day the management of the Rigopiano tweeted: “A dream Tuesday … the snow is giving us spectacular scenery!” the dream turned into a nightmare after the hotel was struck by a powerful avalanche that trapped all but two of the registered guests and staff inside Parete had left the hotel to get headache tablets from his car for his wife who was also the first person to alert rescuers The call came just after 5.30pm (central European time) on Wednesday “He told me that the hotel had been buried by an avalanche I immediately stopped work and called for help.” However it took some time to convince an emergency services phone operator that the avalanche had happened The 35 people thought to have been in the hotel when it was engulfed by the avalanche were on the ground floor awaiting evacuation after a series of earthquakes And it was midday before a snow plough and excavation equipment managed to pass the snow-clogged roads leading to the hotel Parete and Salzetta, both suffering from hypothermia, were taken to hospital at Penne, a town about 6km from the site, where a base camp for rescuers was set up. Parete then spent an agonised 24 hours believing the worst: that his wife and children along with the others trapped under the rubble rescuers who had to dig through a two-metre wall of snow to get to the demolished hotel As Italy, which is reeling from a series of earthquakes – the first of which killed almost 300 people last August, went into mourning over the latest tragedy, there was good news: shortly after 11am on Friday, reports came in that some people had been found alive Among the first to be pulled out alive were Parete’s wife They were found in an air pocket close to what had been the hotel’s billiards room As she was lifted out of a tunnel in the snow Adriana could be heard saying “my daughter Soon after nightfall it was confirmed that six-year-old Ludovica had also been rescued and the first thing Ludovica reportedly said was: “I want my biscuits.” six more people had been pulled alive from the rubble But it was an anxious wait for the relatives of the 23 people still missing The bodies of five victims had been recovered by lunchtime Rescuers were continuing their search for survivors but with the operation now in its third day and temperatures in Farindola at 2C they fear that anyone still alive could freeze to death No further signs of life had been detected but optimism remained because although no more voices have been heard there may be people trapped behind or under a cement wall which would make it impossible to hear them,” Enrica Centi The 1981 Clemson football team started the season unranked but a 13-3 victory over Georgia in the third game got them into the top 20 and the Tigers steadily gained ground with each subsequent triumph Players began to bask in the glowing media coverage and fan adulation It wasn't that complacency set in but Jeff Stockstill a Fernandina Beach High graduate who was a junior wide receiver on that team "We had started talking about how good we might be," recalled Stockstill one of four Clemson players on that team who had First Coast ties "Not just good enough to win an ACC championship but that there might be something beyond that." Coach Danny Ford wasn't about to let confidence turn into cockiness State 17-7 to improve to 7-0 and climb to third in the Associated Press poll and fourth in the coaches poll Ford walked into a team meeting with one fist closed When he began talking to the players he opened his hand to show the 1973 national championship ring he had earned while the offensive line coach at his alma mater Ford began talking about what it would take to earn one of those rings "He told us we hadn't gotten to the point where we were good enough to deserve one of those rings." All of a sudden the tempestuous Ford threw the ring against the meeting room wall After Ford picked up the ring and walked out of the room the team went out and had one of its best practices of the season the Tigers mauled Wake Forest 82-24 and eight weeks later earned the program's only national championship to date with a 22-15 victory in the Orange Bowl over No The First Coast ties to the 1981 Clemson team included one player who had a productive career in the NFL one who became a high school coach in South Carolina who caught four passes for 81 yards that season is now an executive with an Orlando merger and acquisitions company Recently-retired Edward Waters athletic director and 10-year NFL veteran Johnny Rembert was a junior linebacker who had 19 solo tackles and two interceptions was a freshman quarterback and the holder on all placement kicks Lake City Columbia graduate Jeff Cruce was a sophomore offensive tackle and was red-shirted in 1981 after injuring his knee in the preseason who went from coaching at Baker County to the Tigers' running backs coach from 1978-1985 have both found success as high school coaches They'll all be watching and supporting Clemson's No 2 Alabama on Monday in the College Football Playoff title game "My wife asked me if there was a part of me that wanted them to lose so we could stay the only unbeaten national champions in school history," said Cruce I think to a man anyone on the 1981 team loves these kids today and we all think Dabo Swinney has done a great coaching job There are some similarities and differences between the two teams Both had dominant defenses and both battled national perceptions despite going undefeated entering their championship games tougher-than-nails Bear Bryant disciple; Swinney is more outgoing and emotional Perhaps the most common thread is a lack of respect Both Clemson teams were ranked first in the nation and both went into a championship game as underdogs the 1981 team by four points to Nebraska and the 2015 team by seven points to the Tide and Nebraska was fourth and had lost two games but Nebraska was favored to win," Rembert recalled It's the same thing with this Clemson team it was dangerous of them to underrate us and it's going to be dangerous to underrate Dabo's team." The disbelief among the media in 1981 that Clemson could crash an exclusive club (Nebraska Oklahoma and Ohio State had combined to win 16 of the previous 19 AP national championships) was so pervasive that columnists were speculating a victory by No 2 Georgia over Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl would vault the Bulldogs to No 1 if Clemson lost or won a close game in the Orange Bowl - despite the Tigers' 13-3 victory over Georgia early in the season Parete said few things nick a football team's pride more than lack of respect "Can you believe people thought Georgia could jump us if we both won Ford built Clemson's program in old-school fashion: defense running the ball and special teams were the priorities The defense was led by senior tackle Jeff Bryant freshman nose guard William "The Refrigerator" Perry linebacker Jeff Davis and two-time consensus All-American safety Terry Kinard "Our defense was so dominating that we never thought the other teams had a chance to score on us," Rembert said "All our offense had to do was get us about 15 points and we'd be fine." Fifteen points would have won 10 games for the Tigers that season as the defense gave up only 8.7 points per game Opponents scored 10 or less points nine times and during one four-game stretch early in the season in which the Tigers held running back Herschel Walker to a regular-season low of 111 yards Few people had as good a perspective on how good the Clemson defense was than Parete who frequently ran the scout team against the first-team defense We ran the veer back then so the quarterback got hit quite a lot Stockstill said the 1981 defense might have been the best in school history He also said he never worked harder on a football field than his two years at Clemson - including the 10 years he played for the New England Patriots When I got to the NFL and was in my first practice I never played with a team that was in as good shape as that Clemson team." Cruce was invited to the Denver Broncos camp in 1984 as a free agent and in the first practice in pads tried to impress coaches by going after linebacker Karl Mecklenburg with the kind of aggression he was taught by Ford "Karl looked at me after the play and said "I never once heard the words 'take it easy' at Clemson Cruce said DT Bryant would jump into an offensive lineman's face if he thought he was dogging it in practice 'you're not making me better!'" Cruce said averaging 28.1 points and 391.5 yards per game Quarterback Homer Jordan was the prototype veer quarterback throwing for 1,630 yards and nine touchdowns and running for 486 yards and six touchdowns set almost every Clemson receiving record to that point catching 62 passes for 1,630 yards and eight of Jordan's nine TD passes Chuck McSwain (692 yards) and Jeff McCall (457 yards) helped the Tigers average nearly 250 yards per game Remebert said he can't help but think about how Jordan would fit in with a modern spread offense "I think he'd do a world of damage," he said "He was a little shorter and not quite as fast as DeShaun Watson but he was stronger than you think he was And Homer had a heart as big as I don't know what It scored on every possession against Wake Forest but struggled in a 10-8 victory over North Carolina the following week The Tigers won two other games by scoring 13 points The week after the second-ranked Tigers beat South Carolina 29-13 to end the regular season 1-ranked Pittsburgh and Clemson was playing for the national championship The 1981 Orange Bowl's footnote in history is that it was played the day before one of the most famous NFL games ever the San Diego Chargers' 41-38 overtime victory over Miami The iconic image of that game is the Chargers' Kellen Winslow being helped off the field in a state of exhaustion "It was hot that night and it was hot as heck for our game," Parete said In anticipation of playing in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1956 he arranged for the team to practice for two weeks in New Smyrna Beach "We were already acclimated to the heat," Rembert said Although it stuck in the Clemson players' collective craw which had bounced back from losses to Iowa and Penn State in its first three games Outland Trophy winner and All-American Dave Rimington at center and a defense led by Big 8 player of the year Jimmy Williams But Gill didn't play in the game because of a leg injury in the next-to-last game of the regular season that caused nerve damage Clemson forced three turnovers and had two sacks and held the Huskers to 256 total yards had 134 yards passing and 46 rushing and the Tigers built a 22-7 lead before Nebraska added a touchdown in the fourth quarter without putting up mind-boggling statistics Cruce saw in the training room after the game how statistics didn't tell the whole story about Jordan "Chuck Reedy told me later that if there had been overtime back then He gave absolutely everything he had for Clemson." The other unsung heros were the thousands of Clemson fans who turned the Orange Bowl "It was like a home game for us," Parete said That memory is why the 2015 season has brought so much enjoyment to the ex-Tigers "It's been great watching those guys," said Rembert "To see them grow up in front of your eyes has been amazing We know what it's like to win a national championship and we'd love those guys to experience it." The man who shot Buffalo Police officer Patricia Parete in 2006 will not be charged with first-degree murder following Parete's death earlier this year is already serving 30 years-to-life in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder Harris admitted to shooting Parete and her partner Carl Andolina in December of 2006 on Chippewa Street.  She died in February while in Hospice care.  Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita says he weighed whether to charge Harris with first-degree murder after Parete's death was classified as a homicide But he says he was told prosecuting Harris again was against Parete's wishes Leave a Reflection Thank you for your service and dedication to your community You've fought the fight May your family and friends (co-workers) find peace that you are in heaven with god I am originally from North Tonawanda and wanted to extend my condolences to the Buffalo Police Department You fought for years and are now our guardian angel Patty........Judges in New York need to do their jobs and keep criminals in jail when cops lock them up.I still can't come to grips with your passing There are many others in high places who believe they are above the p.o.'s who work in this dept The ones who worked along side you and saw you often May he fear the wrath of God for taking His daughter much too early from her family May the good Lord above cradle you in His arms and may you Rest in Peace my Brother in Blue I offer my prayers and sympathies to each and every one of your family members My heart goes out to all of your loved ones and close friends You are a true hero and will never be forgotten It is hard for me to understand why the individual that brought so much hurt to your loved ones was given such an unjust punishment May you Rest in Peace now................................... friends & the Department during this time of profound loss She will FOREVER be a hero and will NEVER be forgotten My prayers are with her family and friends She gave her life trying to protect others May she RIP and god be with her family and friends at this difficult time Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time officer Patricia A Heald College Criminal Justice Class of 2013 Create an account for more options or use this form to leave a Reflection now KINGSTON -- Ulster County Legislator Peter Loughran wants to snatch the chairmanship of the Legislature from John Parete next month a Democrat from Boiceville who co-owns the Boiceville Inn was voted chair of the 23-member Ulster County Legislature last January by aligning with 10 Republican legislators his son Rich Parete and Democrat Dave Donaldson The move angered some Democrats more aligned with Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and the rift has since caused tensions and some testy exchanges within the Democratic caucus Parete has sometimes clashed with Hein on policy issues despite both being Democrats head of the Legislature's 10-member minority Republican caucus even though they don't always agree on issues "I think our caucus is standing firm with Chairman Parete," Ronk said Ronk said Loughran asked for Republican support though he didn't see a scenario where they wouldn't support Parete Loughran said he was confident in his abilities but wouldn't elaborate on how he would take on policy issues differently Loughran is the legislative director for state Sen He previously worked for the state Assembly "I just think I could do a better job," Loughran said The chair of the Legislature earns $19,500 annually The majority and minority leaders earn $12,000 each Parete said he's sent out letters asking for support from county legislators and thinks that during his tenure as chair he's helped the Legislature carve out its own areas of policy he said his priorities would be having the county cover the cost of unpaid taxes to its three villages: New Paltz He also wants to concentrate on using alternative fuels; senior workforce and low-income housing; the cost of community college; jobs and economic growth The Legislature's reorganization meeting will be held Jan Immediate Need  The Family Interactive feature enhances the Book of Memories Authorized family members can securely access their loved one's memorial website settings at any time Connect with families at their time of loss you will receive two daily updates containing all new stories Operated by Families First Funeral Home and Tribute Centre Inc Marli Welter still remembers responding to her first call with the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps she was grinning in the back of the ambulance took a 250-hour training course to become a certified emergency medical technician Emily Parete and Erika Mack are all high school seniors whose final softball season were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic able to channel their concerns into action to benefit the community a Madison outfielder who hopes to become a trauma surgeon is the chief of the Milton First Aid Squad and got her involved when she was 15 years old She volunteered twice weekly for six weeks learning "how to assist the EMTs in the back of the ambulance Though Emily Parete has to ride with another EMT because she's only 17 crewmates "want me to take control and work my skills as best I can." The Morris County Office of Emergency Management has designated two ambulances specifically for coronavirus cases Parete said her squad was trained to use "head-to-toe" Tyvek suits but nobody ever thought to use them," said Parete a Jefferson senior right-hander who took time off from club softball to do the three-month EMT course.  It's kind of shocking you need to be so protected from something." Do you know me?: Mystery man leaves doctors, nurses in tears as he holds sign up to hospital window 'It takes a village' to fight coronavirus: Morris County residents rally to help health care workers Phil Murphy reported a statewide total of 11,124 positive tests on Saturday afternoon There have been 140 deaths due to complications from COVID-19 in the state Morris County has 442 cases spread across almost every municipality. Thirteen Morris residents have died this week. volunteering with the Budd Lake First Aid and Rescue Squad led to a change in her dream career A Morris Tech senior taking most of her courses through County College of Morris Mack originally wanted to become a certified athletic trainer she "had my senior-year crisis over the summer" and switched to nursing Mack took the EMT course at Morris Tech The only EMT in the Budd Lake junior program She also doesn't get to go on coronavirus calls "I'm what you call a 'white cloud,'" said Mack who is part of one weekday and one weekend crew The boys and girls lacrosse seasons were scheduled to begin Wednesday and boys volleyball would have followed on April 1.   The NJSIAA has not ruled out the possibility of an abridged spring season. Parete has been keeping in touch with Jefferson head coach Amy Pearce — and keeping tabs on 23 freshmen — via group text since the fall where she posts daily strength and conditioning workouts — mostly body-weight exercises and yoga stretches — as well as position-specific drills "We're not doing it for ourselves," Parete said 'I don't want to do that,' but you have to look at the big picture." A two-year captain at Morris Tech who is about two dozen hits short of the school record Mack is planning to continue her softball career at the University of Scranton She already wrote a "heartbreaking" goodbye letter to her coaches and Morris Tech softball teammates The school has its own student-run fire and rescue programs "We'll get a lot of different experiences," said Welter Jane Havsy is a sports reporter for DailyRecord.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today Email: JHavsy@gannettnj.com Twitter: @dailyrecordspts  Trent Pickering appeared in New Plymouth District Court for sentencing on charges relating to making an intimate visual recording of a woman A video covertly taken by two drunken rugby mates while they were having sex with a woman in a shower showed the men high-fiving and one - a representative player - grinning and making a “hang loose” gesture during the act Two days later, the woman discovered the intimate moment had been recorded and posted to a Snapchat group for premier rugby players from multiple clubs across Taranaki Trent Pickering, 32, and the representative player, who has interim name suppression, were charged for their actions and at their sentencing this week, were supported in New Plymouth District Court by rugby union player Jesse Parete who applied for a discharge without conviction and permanent name suppression has a “very promising rugby career” and had letters of support from the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) But Judge Gregory Hikaka emphasised the need to deter “this sort of conduct particularly in organisations that are mindful of the impact of alcohol and drug use” “The deterrent message will be lost if the discharge without conviction was granted,” he said The initial offending occurred on August 5 last year about 3.30am at a New Plymouth home following a night of drinking leaving the country after she was left feeling violated anxious and feeling her reputation had been tarnished the woman and a friend of the woman engaged in sexual activity together in the bedroom the woman went to have a shower and was followed into the bathroom by Pickering who previously played for the Taranaki Development team and the Southern Rugby Club’s premier squad The other man joined them in the bathroom and also brought his phone with him The three agreed to further sexual activity while in the shower and as this played out Pickering grabbed the other man’s phone and hit record waves a “hang loose” sign and then high-fives Pickering The woman could not see what they were doing and did not consent to the activity being recorded Pickering texted the other man and asked him for the video Pickering posted it to a Snapchat group featuring premier rugby players from across the region and it quickly became a talking point at a rugby party that night It is unknown exactly how many people have seen it the woman found out about the video through her ex-boyfriend who had been told about it by someone who lived in Australia and had seen it She messaged Pickering and the other man asking about the video but they both denied it existed Subsequent messages between the men showed they encouraged each other to continue denying it existed and to delete the video and screenshots from their phones When the woman pressed the men to come clean Pickering sent derogatory messages to his co-offender about the woman The man responded with “Yo” and a laughing face emoji the woman had obtained a copy of the video from her friend and taken it to police The men have admitted charges of making an intimate visual recording and publishing an intimate visual recording She has since left New Plymouth for a fresh start and to ensure she avoids seeing the men or anyone who may have seen the video The woman strongly opposed the man being discharged without conviction or for his name to be suppressed “I didn’t get a choice in what happened to me so why should they get the opportunity to hide behind their actions and not be accountable for the decisions they made at that time.” and he wished to this day that he deleted the video instead of sending it to Pickering Arguing for permanent name suppression and a discharge without conviction Pascoe said a conviction could potentially impact his “very promising rugby career” He was genuinely remorseful and had sought counselling to assess his drinking and behaviour towards women said the offending arose through alcohol and immaturity and he accepted the significant harm he had caused the victim Crown prosecutor Rebekah Hicklin said the aggravating factors included the harm caused to the victim She submitted Pickering showed a pattern of harm towards women and harmful alcohol use and should be jailed for 14 months Hicklin accepted the other man’s offending was lesser than Pickering’s but said it was still very serious stating the consequences he faced were a normal flow on from a conviction and that any impact on his rugby career would be speculative Hicklin said his remorse was limited and focused on his rugby career Judge Hikaka said the man had provided “a number of documents” in support of his applications “There was support for the promise that [the man] shows in his rugby potential from individuals not only the CEO but also the local manager of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association,” the judge said Information from NZRPA was that media attention to “these sorts of matters” does carry an impact particularly for those at the start of their career “There is a concern by the association of how these things can ‘stick’.” NZRPA chief executive Rob Nichol told NZME he had provided a letter to the court when charges were first laid in November 2023 supporting interim suppression to “allow for legal advice discovery and the judicial process to take its course” he said neither the NZRPA or himself personally had written any further letters or had any input “into any application for a discharge without conviction He was surprised to hear his initial letter had been referenced in the sentencing “As we understand it the player has accepted responsibility for his actions through his guilty plea and will now have to own the consequences as laid down by the judicial system.” Judge Hikaka found the consequences of a conviction did not outweigh the gravity of the offending a clear message that this activity is entirely unacceptable,” he said the sport concerned has benefited from a detective’s presentation of issues related to this sort of offending is that the deterrent message would be lost if the discharge without conviction was granted.” The judge said the case indicated the high risk that drunk individuals place themselves in when they get involved in sexual activity and then go beyond the limits of consent The man was convicted and sentenced to 12 months of supervision and ordered to pay $1500 reparation Permanent name suppression was declined but he was given 14 days interim suppression to allow his counsel time to appeal Judge Hikaka agreed Pickering’s culpability was higher than his co-offender’s and adopted the Crown’s starting point He said Pickering’s past and current offending was indicative of his lack of respect for women He sentenced him to 15 months imprisonment but then converted it to eight months of home detention and ordered he pay $1500 emotional harm reparation Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice An ambulance and rapid response vehicle are on-site geometric wall design can turn a bare background into an eye-catching interior vignette From zigzagging beauties to fois bois–style stunners Business of Home presents eight graphic wallcoverings to drum up some dimensional drama in an upcoming project Products featured in this article have been sourced from BOH’s Collections vertical a showcase of the latest debuts from some of the industry’s leading brands While his dreadlocks are becoming a regular sight on the Super Rugby field now there was a time where the loose-forward was on the pathway to the NRL The Taranaki product moved to Melbourne after leaving New Plymouth Boys High school to take up a contract with the Melbourne Storm's NYC team in 2010 He describes the intensity of training as one of the hardest things he's ever done but also credits the experience as helping him prepare for life as a professional football player "At school it's 'just go have a jam'," he says "but in that [Melbourne] it's just learning discipline And it's definitely got me to where I am now I think if I didn't have that that early I might've struggled a little bit." Some of his Melbourne teammates read like a who's who of current NRL stars including Kiwi players Tohu Harris and Kenny Bromwich Parete admits there are times when he wonders what might have happened had he continued in the 13 man code "some of the boys found out that I was in the Storm when I was younger and they're like 'what if' and I'm like yeah I know and just like far what if I would've stayed he doesn't regret his choice to return home to NZ and make the switch back to rugby union surprisingly only moved into the forwards around 4 years ago he played for Taranaki U20s at second five eight and says the move into the forward pack was strange at first He made his Mitre 10 Cup debut with Taranaki in 2014 before moving to the Bay of Plenty Steamers in 2016 and returning to the amber and Blacks in 2018 He has spent a couple of years with the Chiefs development team and is finding regular game time with the Super Rugby franchise since making his debut in the 23-19 loss to the Jaguares in Rotorua last year and to achieve something like that is just unreal," says Parete He says his whānau and friends were watching at home Jesse Parete and his dreadlocks will again be in action in Hamilton when the Chiefs face the Sunwolves on Saturday night.