Lincoln County School District is pleased to announce that Leslie Roache has been appointed the new principal of Taft Elementary School starting in the 2025-26 school year who is transitioning to the principal position at Yaquina View Elementary in Newport following the retirement of current Principal Kristin Becker at the end of this academic year “I am so excited to join my new school community!” shares Roache who brings over 20 years of experience in public education to the position she served for nine years in the Silver Falls School District holding roles as both an elementary school principal and at the district office Roache is a passionate educator who believes that schools serve as the center of their communities providing vital opportunities and connections for students and families alike Having relocated to Lincoln County in November with her husband Roache has already begun establishing roots in the community She is the proud parent of two college students — one a Duck at the University of Oregon and the other a Beaver at Oregon State University The district looks forward to welcoming Roache to her new role as she continues the tradition of excellence at Taft Elementary School We're always interested in hearing about news in our community View our Subscription offers and specials here Have the headlines delivered Monday through Friday so you don't miss out on updates there are no recent results for popular articles Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account KGET 17 News Man arrested on charges of false imprisonment, resisting arrest in Taft Bakersfield hit-and-run suspect turned himself in after crash Lakeside Union School District Grand Jury Report flags concerns, improvements Looking at the behind-the-scenes technology behind 911 calls. States with the most strict DUI laws - info from Nolo, Forbes Advisor 1 dead at construction site in west Bakersfield, according to KCFD. What do the orange, green dots on my iPhone mean? Digital Addiction: The time spent in front of cellphone screens has 'rewired' modern childhood BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — On May 2, 2025, deputies from the Kern County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the Gang Suppression Unit, North Area Substation deputies, and the Taft Police Department, executed a search warrant in the 500 block of Garfield Avenue in Taft. The operation led to the arrest of 30-year-old Shawn Dakota Smith after a standoff for false imprisonment. Smith faces charges of false imprisonment and resisting arrest. Authorities also apprehended him on an outstanding active parole violation warrant, an outstanding active felony warrant, and an outstanding active Ramey warrant. The Gondoliers’ No. 1 tandem swept its four matches to punctuate a perfect season and lead Venice to its first girls’ beach volleyball team championship, one that was capped by a 3-0 shutout of Taft in the finals. Lortie and Rozell are also outside hitters on Venice’s indoor squad, which fell in a five-set thriller to Taft in the City Open Division title match last fall, though both acknowledge they like the beach game more. “We had a drive to win pairs since we were runner-up last year, but winning this is equal because we love our teammates and we get to share this one with them,” said Rozell, a senior who started playing recreationally on the beach in 10th grade and did not take up indoor volleyball until her junior year. “We only lost twice all last year, once in league to Palisades and in the pairs finals [to El Camino Real sisters Audrey and Addison Choi],” added Lortie, a junior who has played indoor since she was 10 and beach since she was 13. Lortie and Rozell beat another El Camino Real duo, Aja Najar and Mackenzie Hazelton 28-20 in the pairs final Tuesday after escaping Taft’s Eva Velarde and Laila Braimah 28-24 in the semifinal round. On Friday, they found themselves facing Velarde and Braimah again with the team crown on the line and prevailed 21-18, 21-10. Lortie and Rozell did not drop a set all season. Savannah Rozell (left) and Samantha Lortie won the City Section pairs tournament and three days later led Venice to its first girls’ beach volleyball team title. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) “This is only our second year having a school beach team,” Lortie said. “We’d thought about playing together and when we tried out our coach [Charlie Styrbicki] agreed we’d be a good fit.” Lortie clinched her team’s championship with a spike on match point moments after Venice’s No. 2 tandem of Catherine Campbell and Adelaide Groff completed their 21-10, 21-18 victory over Taft’s Francine Baltazar-Shine and Ionna Relorcasa one court over. Venice’s Kailyn Appling and Natalie Boothby beat Taft’s Jasmine Orellana and Nikita Luniv 21-15, 21-14 at the No. 3 position. “For the first set we were adjusting to the wind,” Rozell said. “I kept getting aced on one side and depending on which end we served from we had to either put more on the ball or take a little off it.” “By the second set we’d figured out what to do,” Lortie added. Venice and Taft had split two regular-season meetings, both by 2-1 scores, so the Gondoliers’ No. 1 pair felt the pressure to set the tone for their team with the City title at stake. Venice’s Samantha Lortie goes on the attack in the City beach volleyball team finals against Taft on Friday. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) “Savannah has insane hustle and her ball placement is incredible,” Lortie said of her partner. “Whenever I think the ball’s going down, she somehow always gets it.” “Samantha’s consistent, she’s always positive and she has a great swing,” Rozell reciprocated. “We complement each other well, we have good communication and we get along off the court too.” Venice, seeded first in the 16-team bracket, eliminated No. 16 Simon Tech, No. 8 Grant and No. 5 Birmingham on its way to the final while the third-seeded Toreadors beat No. 14 Westchester, No. 6 El Camino Real and No. 2 Chatsworth. Braimah’s block on championship point lifted Taft to the title over Venice in November and she and Velarde keyed Taft’s 2-1 semifinal upset on the sand Friday by besting the Chancellors’ top tandem of Samantha Sikorski and Laila Velu, 21-10, 21-14. Chatsworth had beaten Taft twice during the season. “Third time’s the charm,” Toreadors coach Rene Lopez said. High School Sports Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map the daughter of Chauncey and Helen Lorraine (Parmeter) Taft Iowa.  She graduated from Marshalltown High School with the “Class of 1967” Chan-elen was united in marriage with James Brass in Nevada IA.  Through this union they had 3 daughters The couple lived in many cities throughout Iowa including Clarion in 1976 and Goldfield in 1991       Chan-elen enjoyed crafts fishing with Jim but mostly spending time with family        Chan-elen passed away on Sunday  She was preceded in death by her parents Chauncey Taft and Lorraine Wallace; stepfather      Survivors include her husband Ila Jo Browning (Chester) of Dubuque and Jolene Wilcox (Tim) of Clarion; nine grandchildren; five great grandchildren and brothers John Taft of Des Moines and Ben Taft (Melissa) of Marshalltown       Memorial services will be held on Saturday May 3 at Foust Funeral Home in Eagle Grove at 2pm with visitation one hour prior to service time Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker is the Neighborhood News reporter for San Patricio County alongside Victoria Balderama Tx — Mathis Independent School District (ISD) and Taft ISD are collaborating to investigate an altercation that occurred during Tuesday night’s varsity softball game Tuesday's game was the UIL 3A District 29 championship reviewing footage and statements to piece together a comprehensive picture of everything that occurred," Mathis ISD Superintendent Todd White told KRIS 6 KRIS 6 will not be identifying any individuals involved pending the district's investigations “The focus should be on the game,” White emphasized “You've got two great groups of kids from good schools working hard They played a great game and shouldn’t be overshadowed by something that shouldn't have happened.” The altercation occurred during the fifth inning of the game "It was a battle for the district championship," White added about the significance of Tuesday's match-up a player from the Taft Greyhounds got into an altercation with a player from the Mathis Pirates and members from both teams rushed in to break up the fight Some concerns being raised by residents over a Mathis coach who is seen grabbing the Taft player a review of reactions on social media are in the belief that the coach had tripped we haven't taken any disciplinary action against any coach or player We typically wait until we’ve fully investigated.” He anticipated inquiries regarding the coach’s actions but stressed that all stakeholders are under scrutiny KRIS 6 reached out to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to see if it was conducting its own independent investigation into the incident: Both districts aim for a thorough investigation White expressed his desire for the community’s focus to shift back to the students’ achievements rather than the altercation “Everyone is disappointed and wishes things were different and we want them to succeed as they move toward the playoffs.” For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App. Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page The 2024 Taft Lecture will address the recent enforcement trend of relying on Supreme Court merger decisions from the 1960s and early 1970s in both litigated cases and the 2023 Merger Guidelines has largely limited the opportunities of the Supreme Court to review the merger cases of the 1960s and early 1970s  Our lecturers will examine whether those merger cases are contemporaneous reflections on Congress’s intent in reviving Section 7 through legislation modernizing the Clayton Act or obsolete in light of more recent Supreme Court cases interpreting the Sherman Act The Taft Lecture connects practicing attorneys and economists with a scholarly presentation bearing on a contemporary antitrust issue  The lecture commemorates President and Chief Justice Taft’s many contributions to antitrust law as judge Weiss and former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice Policy Director at the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice In Collaboration with the Columbia Business Law Review © 2025 New York State Bar Association Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsRocky Garza TAFT Texas – A South Texas high school softball coach and her mother were arrested after allegedly assaulting an opposing player and her mom The incident happened on April 15 during a district softball championship game between Taft High School and Mathis High School in Taft an altercation began in the fifth inning after a Mathis softball player used explicit language toward a Taft softball player The Mathis softball player reportedly told the opposing player: “You ain’t s*it b**ch get the f**k out of here before I beat your a**,” the affidavit said The Taft player reacted by shoving the Mathis player prompting coaches and players from both teams to intervene and separate them things escalated when Mathis softball coach Briana Cruz “ran directly” at the Taft player and tackled her The opposing coach removed Cruz from the player Cruz was later arrested for assault causing bodily injury Another altercation occurred in the bleachers between Cruz’s mother and the mother of the Taft player whom Cruz allegedly assaulted According to another affidavit obtained by KSAT the Taft player’s mother was yelling at Cruz for tackling her daughter Deleon approached her and began to punch her in the head repeatedly Bystanders and the opposing head coach of Taft High School separated the two women Deleon was later arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury According to KRIS 6 News, Cruz posted a $3,500 bond three days after her initial arrest on April 15 Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Texas — The city of Taft is officially without a police chief Taft city officials have fired Taft Police Chief John Landreth during a special city council meeting on Friday A previous attempt to terminate Landreth's employment failed last month with council members Keeney and Molina voting to fire him while Garza and Castillo voted against the motion It was the third attempt to fire the city's police chief in less than a year As KRIS 6 News previously reported, Taft City Council initiated an investigation into Landreth following an executive session on March 18 where city officials claimed they felt threatened by a statement Landreth made neighbors came out in support of the Chief Lauren McGee drove from Austin to be speak on the Chief's behalf "There are a lot of people here that want to see the Chief stay here." McGee adding “I really don’t want to be here on a Friday night for this.” Margaret Harris has been a resident of Taft since 1980 “This is the first time I felt safe with the police department.” “When you look yourself in the mirrors tonight What did you do to make our lives better?'” Landreth allegedly made a threat to city employees he had filed a grievance with city secretary Jessica Gonzales and city attorney Thomas Gwodsz Five sworn affidavits from city officials all contained nearly identical descriptions of Landreth's alleged statement: "I'll resolve this right now Gwodsz conducted the investigation and provided witness statements from council members with each providing statements with identical word-for-word accounts of the alleged incident Gwodsz went through each affidavit and explained "It is my recommendation that the city take remedial action if they determine that there is misconduct." Mayor Pro-Tem Elida Castillo said that what occurred behind closed doors was not the case "I took it as the Chief was referring to himself His job had just been on the line and he felt like he was constantly being attacked." Did I feel how frustrated and tired he was I don't want to disregard or lessen the ways others were feeling but I did not take the comment in the way they did," Castillo stated Gwosdz revealed during the meeting that Castillo's statement was not under oath as she did not raise her right hand prior to giving her sworn statement Neighbors in attendance quickly raised concerns over an inaccurate date listed on all the sworn testimonies of the other city employees With no council members raising any additional questions Chris Keeney made the motion to terminate Landreth effective immediately Despite neighbors and Castillo voicing opposition Alonzo Molina and Isiah Garza voted in favor of termination Mayor Leonard Vasquez abstained from voting given he was not present for the meeting in question No word has been made by the city regarding Landreth's replacement or how his termination will affect the police department moving forward (KBAK/KBFX) — A 29-year-old Elk Grove man has been arrested for alleged unlawful sexual conduct with a minor after allegedly kidnapping an underage girl from Taft and taking her to Elk Grove The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said on April 13 deputies were dispatched to Cypress Street in Taft for a 10-year-old missing juvenile Family members reported that the girl was last seen the night before deputies received information from friends that indicated the possibility that the missing girl was kidnapped KCSO said further investigation by detectives found that the girl had been talking with 27-year-old Matthew Macatuno Naval They were believed to be in the area of Elk Grove It was suspected that the girl was talking with Naval through Roblox and Discord Detectives notified Elk Grove Police for help who found Naval in his car at a strip mall near his home with the missing girl KCSO said the child was found and temporarily taken into protective custody until released back to their family in the 7100 block of Elk Grove Boulevard in Elk Grove Naval was arrested and booked for kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor child Naval was booked into Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Jail with no bail and is awaiting extradition to Kern County Kern County Sheriff’s Office would like to take this time to remind the community of the importance of internet safety monitor all electronic usage and know who your children are communicating with Many apps and games have messaging capabilities and present the same Media monitoring apps are great tools for those who may not know where to begin when monitoring electronic usage,” said in the release Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to call the Kern County Sheriff's Office at (661) 861-3110 TAFT, Tx — The Taft City Council has initiated an investigation into Police Chief John Landreth following a March 18 where some city officials claim they felt threatened by a statement Landreth made That executive session was originally convened to address a grievance filed by Landreth against three city officials: City Manager Ryan Smith these are some of the same individuals Landreth was allegedly threatening and Gwosdz has been assigned to conduct the administrative investigation even though he claimed the message was threatening and acknowledged that his involvement in the investigation was a potential conflict of interest Five sworn affidavits from city officials—Ryan Smith and Chris Keeney—contain remarkably similar language with nearly identical descriptions of Landreth's alleged statement: "I'll resolve this right now I understood him to mean that he would resolve the grievance by hanging the three people who were the subject of the grievance: City Secretary Gonzalez I took his statement as a threat and an attempt at intimidation," according to a statement signed by Smith Those exact words were also written in signed and notarized statements presented by Gonzalez Each statement also ended with this sentence "City Attorney Gwosdz later asked me to write a statement describing these events to the best of my recollection Mayor Pro Tem Elida Castillo provided a markedly different perspective in her statement While acknowledging the statement was inappropriate she offered a more nuanced interpretation: "The chief was discussing how this was the third time his job was in jeopardy yet we didn't have documentation or evidence that he wasn't doing his job It was during this time that he mentioned how tired he was and if the city wanted to bring back corporal punishment there was a tree outside and he had a rope in his truck Nothing was at this time (sic.) how improper that comment was or any concerns for safety were not immediately expressed Gwosdz closed the door and mentioned how disgusting that comment was and feared for his safety and that of the staff." "I spoke up and said that I took it as the Chief was referring to himself His job had just been on the line and he felt like he was constantly being attacked I also mentioned I may have missed some that alarmed the others because I picture the going to his truck to get the rope and handing it over to the council I didn't get any part of the threat the others felt for their safety because the Chief had been referring to himself but I can understand how people can feel a certain way especially if they have an already established attitude towards someone." but I did not take the comment in the way they did," Castillo wrote In his response to the investigation, Landreth denied threatening anyone and requested the investigation be turned over to the Texas Rangers and District Attorney's Office even suggesting polygraph tests for all involved parties During the March 18 meeting, Landreth filed a grievance alleging the city had failed to release public information to a resident who requested all disciplinary actions against him. A letter written by former Taft City Manager Kandi Hubert which was part of Landreth's personnel file Gwosdz explained to the council that the document was an "Administrative Action and not a Disciplinary one per the public information request," according to Castillo's statement A previous attempt to terminate Landreth's employment failed last month Landreth was placed on leave without pay in May after he reported possible criminal violations by the City Secretary He first reported the violations to city officials Keeney made a motion to fire Landreth during a special council meeting in June Later, Landreth's job was once again on the chopping block amid an ongoing investigation into city spending. In October, a KRIS 6 News investigation revealed that Finance Director had allegedly misappropriated at least $30,000 in public funds Both officials have been arrested and face multiple felony charges The City Council has scheduled a special meeting on April 11 While it is currently set as an executive session item Landreth has the right to request a public meeting We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15chmB3spn/ The family has requested that anyone that want to s.. © 2025 Congleton Funeral Home and Cremations Made with love by funeralOne Texas — A Taft man died Monday morning after a GMC Sierra truck was hit by his Peterbilt dump truck Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers arrived at San Patricio County Road 77 and County Road 1258 north of Taft 33-year-old Anthony Luna of Odem was driving a 2015 Peterbilt 567 truck north on CR 1258 when it collided with a 2015 GMC Sierra pickup truck was driving the GMC Sierra west on CR 77 when it was struck by the Peterbilt which failed to yield the right of way at the intersection of County Road 1258 Gonzalez had significant injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene Luna was taken to Christus Spohn Shoreline for evaluation but did not appear to sustain any injuries Troopers from the Sinton Highway Patrol Office are investigating the crash Tx — In its third attempt in less than a year the City of Taft has failed to fire Police Chief John Landreth amid outcry from community members During Taft's City Council meeting on Tuesday residents gathered at City Hall in support of Landreth "Again?" Missy Lopez voiced to the council in frustration when the item was announced "A few months ago I offered a 2-year contract." Landreth noted that the contract would not include any pay raise or benefits other than "never being on the agenda again," which according to Landreth Mayor Leonard Vasquez promised would be the case "I’ve never been arrested or convicted of a crime and have never been suspended in my 30 years in law enforcement until I got here," Landreth said Landreth was placed on leave without pay in May after he reported possible criminal violations by the city secretary.He first reported the violations to city officials Keeney made a motion to fire Landreth during a special council meeting in June, with it failing to pass. Later, Landreth's job was once again on the chopping block amid an ongoing investigation into city spending. In October, a KRIS 6 News investigation revealed that Finance Director LeeAnn Goben had allegedly misappropriated at least $30,000 in public funds That same month, a motion to fire Landreth, again made by Keeney, failed to pass. Prior to Tuesday's meeting, 6 Investigates was provided with an email sent by City Manager Ryan Smith to Landreth. According to Landreth, he was not informed of his placement in executive session until theagenda for Tuesday's meeting was posted Landreth was placed on the agenda at the request of an undisclosed council member "due to concerns regarding a lack of confidence in your (Landreth’s) ability to effectively lead the Police Department." The email also stated that "ongoing challenges in maintaining a professional and cooperative working relationship with city staff as a whole" were a factor in Tuesday's agenda item At Tuesday's meeting Keeney announced that it was his complaint that put Landreth on the agenda "One member of the governing body should not be able to have grievance and not elaborate," Taft resident Ben Rios told the council prior to their vote Keeney made a motion to terminate Landreth Council member Alonso Molina seconded the motion Both council members voted in favor of the termination Isaiah Garza and Mayor Pro-Tem Elida Castillo voted against causing the motion to fail with the absence of Mayor Vasquez we will continue to update as more information is made available Get more 6 Investigates here. Tx — 6 Investigates has uncovered details of a potential economic development deal between the City of Taft and DRL Refineries LLC that has raised significant concerns about transparency DRL Refineries representatives met with city officials in an executive session presenting a proposal that goes far beyond a typical business development agreement According to an email sent by a DRL representative to members of the council and city officials on February 5 the company offered the city $3 million in "discretionary spending each calendar year towards specific social projects." The initial project appears to be a well water and treatment system at the refinery potentially sized to supply Taft City as well though the economic feasibility is still to be confirmed This offer immediately raised questions about the nature and strings attached to the proposed funding The proposed deal includes several unusual conditions beyond the discretionary spending These stipulations require maintaining strict confidentiality about the meeting's discussions demanding a performance assessment of City Manager Ryan Smith and mandating public endorsement of Smith by the Mayor and City Council The proposal also requires that Police Chief John Landreth publicly support Smith in an open session and grant Smith full control over city operations and personnel matters questioning the connection between these personnel demands and the refinery's business interests "I'm concerned about what the chief of police endorsing the city manager has to do with the refinery setting up business," he told 6 Investigates Council Member Isaiah Garza had previously called the plan "a win-win," but other officials are less convinced "It went from an economic development opportunity to something that was a little bit more demanding," Castillo said Castillo met with company representatives outside of that executive session during which the project was once again discussed She said when she raised health risks during this conversation a DRL representative was dismissive and said "With Texas and with President Trump being in office that's not really something that we're concerned about." Castillo worried about outside interests potentially dictating city council actions emphasizing that these decisions should be made by public servants accountable to their citizens Local resident Ben Rios viewed the stipulations as an attempt to humiliate the police chief But what is the purpose of that?" Rios questioned Two former employees have already been arrested and charged with multiple felonies When KRIS 6 News reached out to City Manager Ryan Smith for an interview to explain the funds offered by DRL Refineries and what is expected from the city for these monies providing a written statement: "The City of Taft does not make public statements regarding economic development opportunities or discussions the City maintains confidentiality in all economic development matters to protect the integrity of potential negotiations and ensure the best interests of the community." DRL Refineries offered a brief statement: "DRL Refineries LLC has a significant refinery development planned for San Patricio County near the City of Taft We believe this development will be beneficial to the local community and we are working closely with the City of Taft Council and City Manager we will be providing an updated briefing to the city and the local community on our development activities and the anticipated opportunities for employment and City infrastructure." KRIS 6 News has requested further clarification from DRL Refineries about the $3 million discretionary spending and how it can be considered truly "discretionary" if it is earmarked for specific social projects the company has not responded to these additional inquiries leaving many questions unanswered about the proposed deal and its potential implications for the City of Taft 6 Investigates also asked DRL to respond to residents concerns that the latest attempt to terminate Landreth is connected with the stipulations outlined in the email sent to council and city staff the company has not yet responded to that inquiry From protecting pro-growth tax provisions to fighting the regulatory onslaught and an imbalanced trade environment – the NAM is working hand in hand with manufacturers to engage officials candidates and more Americans to take action on an agenda that’s going to address our most pressing issues expand opportunity for the workforce and make our country’s competitiveness more resilient than ever – Following comments from President Biden that he will not intervene in the strike at East and Gulf Coast ports National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement: “Manufacturers call on President Biden to intervene by invoking the Taft-Hartley Act which will force ports to resume operations while negotiations continue “There will be dire economic consequences on the manufacturing supply chain if a strike occurs for even a brief period NAM estimates show a strike at the East and Gulf Coast ports would jeopardize $2.1 billion in trade daily and the total economic damage could reduce GDP by as much as $5 billion per day “The president can protect manufacturers and consumers by exercising his authority NAM estimates find that $2.1 billion worth of trade would be at risk every day and additional estimates have indicated that a strike would reduce GDP by up to $5 billion per day only some of which could be recovered as goods are rerouted or after a shutdown ends Major Commodities Moving Through East and Gulf Coast Ports [email protected] The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) represents 14,000 member companies from across the country We are the nation’s most effective resource and influential advocate for manufacturers © 2025 National Association of Manufacturers TAFT, Tx — Less than an hour after former Taft Police Chief John Landreth was terminated by the Taft City Council JP Easley submitted his formal resignation letter the Taft City Council voted 3-1 to terminate Landreth’s employment called Landreth’s termination “disheartening.” He explained that while his time with Taft PD is over Easley currently serves as the constable for San Patricio County 6 Investigates reached out to City Manager Ryan Smith to ask who is currently leading the department in the absence of its two key officers Smith has not yet responded to our request As KRIS 6 News previously reported, the Taft City Council initiated an investigation into Landreth following an executive session on March 18 where city officials said they felt threatened by a statement Landreth allegedly made Landreth reportedly made a threat to city employees he had filed a grievance against Five sworn affidavits from city officials contain nearly identical descriptions of Landreth’s alleged statement: “I’ll resolve this right now Mayor Pro Tem and Ward 1 representative Elida Castillo was the only council member to vote against the termination Castillo also denied that Landreth’s statement constituted a threat Castillo said Landreth made the comment at his own expense as well as saying Landreth made no mention of "finding a tree." Council Member Chris Keeney responded Following Friday’s meeting, Castillo took to social media to elaborate on her position regarding Landreth “There’s a lot more I could’ve included,” Castillo said during a Facebook Live broadcast “There’s nothing for me to change on there There’s nothing for me to say is a mistruth Castillo also addressed a meeting between the City of Taft and DRL Refineries. As previously reported DRL representatives met with city officials in executive session presenting a proposal that went far beyond a typical business development agreement was for then-Police Chief John Landreth to publicly support Smith in open session “There’s a carrot of $3 million being dangled in front of the council and I have concerns with that,” Castillo said in the Facebook Live video “When we are the governing body of this community our priorities should be based on what is important to our community because there are always strings attached to these kinds of opportunities.” Landreth also taking to social media writing, "I appreciate all the citizens that supported their City of Taft Police Department Please continue to support your local law enforcement Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your community the council is set to discuss granting Smith the authority to hire an interim police chief “The City of Taft is initiating the recruitment of a qualified law-centric candidate to lead our Police Department and a strong commitment to public service,” Smith wrote in a statement to 6 Investigates McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma’s largest law firm, has announced the expansion of its top-ranked Litigation Group with the addition of seven Tulsa-based trial lawyers as well as three professional support staff — all of whom concentrate their civil litigation practices on the representation of national and international insurance carriers in the fields of insurance law and litigation — further solidifies McAfee & Taft’s position as one of the region’s largest full-service law firms with 187 lawyers The combination also results in the state’s largest insurance defense practice whose lawyers represent insurers exclusively by providing coverage opinions and analysis and vigorously defending against claims of bad faith and extra contractual liability and violations of consumer protection laws involving a broad range of policies one of the state’s most accomplished trial lawyers and his esteemed team of colleagues to McAfee & Taft,” said shareholder and trial lawyer Bill Leach collaborated with them on a number of high-profile lawsuits and class actions in Oklahoma and have the utmost respect for their knowledge and proven track record in the courtroom.” is an expansive and challenging area of law that requires defense attorneys who are not only aggressive but who are always prepared to take cases to trial,” said Leach “We’re very fortunate to add a team of lawyers who can step in immediately to provide added strength in this rapidly expanding area of practice practice and quality of work complements ours and allows us to provide seamless services to our combined clientele.” in all phases of insurance law and litigation While the majority of her practice is focused on defending insurers in personal and commercial coverage disputes and bad faith litigation she is also often called upon to provide counsel to insurers regarding claims handling “Adding this talented team of civil litigators to our strong insurance defense bad faith practice provides us with an enhanced opportunity to quickly build upon our success in this area,” said managing director Michael Lauderdale but it’s also a win for the many insurance companies doing business in Oklahoma who demand highly knowledgeable courtroom-ready trial lawyers to battle against bad faith claims.” McAfee & Taft is one of the nation’s 250 largest law firms as ranked by National Law Journal Its Litigation Group is top ranked as a Band 1 firm in Oklahoma by the publishers of the exclusive Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business you accept and agree to be bound by these terms 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 This article is part of a series. Read the rest of the articles. Today, we are happy to spotlight Hope Taft who is running for the Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Marathon Team Hope is the Executive Director of the A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging within the Radiology Department at Massachusetts General Hospital She oversees day-to-day operations and strategy including developing new partnerships and industry studies I ran my first marathon a couple of years after graduating college and started running on the weekends to explore different parts of the city My casual weekend runs started getting longer and longer and I decided to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon which followed some of my favorite running paths around the city challenging myself daily through training and accomplishing something tangible at the end helped clear my mind during particularly stressful times at work and in graduate school I usually plan out runs a few weeks in advance to make sure that I can fit everything in I started treating my runs like I would any appointment or meeting—they need to be scheduled and prioritized too—whether it is squeezing in a run in Boston after work or a late treadmill run after I get my kids to bed training forces me to take a break and time for myself during a very stressful time in research which I believe has helped me be a more effective leader There is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty in research right now Training has helped reinforce the importance of perseverance and balance There are ups and downs in training (I just got over a two-week bout with the flu) but jumping back into training is so important—there is no time to do anything other than keep going losses and difficult times but it is important to keep moving forward Training also reinforces the importance of balance—working very hard but taking time for rest and recovery This is an important reminder for me with work as there is a seemingly endless list of things to be working on but to be most effective and efficient it’s vital to take breaks and find time to recover Texas — The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is lending a helping hand to the City of Taft with a grant of more than $3 million to improve water and wastewater infrastructure the Taft City Council approved a Community Development Block Grant from the GLO totaling $3,261,400 funding City Manager Ryan Smith called “critical.” the Texas Water Development Board conducted a study which found Taft to have the highest percentage of water loss in the Coastal Bend the city had a collective water loss of 57% Taft is one of several cities receiving part of the GLO’s recently approved $17.9 million in regional mitigation funds aimed at improving roads was awarded $1,039,746.27 for drainage improvements in Old Towne Smith said the grant “will support essential improvements to the city’s aging water and wastewater infrastructure,” helping to ensure “long-term reliability and public health protections for our residents.” The grant will support two major infrastructure projects The first involves replacing approximately 15,844 linear feet of aging asbestos concrete (AC) water supply lines “These lines are responsible for transporting water into the city and supplying all municipal water tanks including both elevated and ground storage tanks,” Smith wrote “The replacement is being pursued because the pipes have significantly aged and are prone to failure due to their 40+ year lifespan.” The second project targets wastewater infrastructure The city will replace about 3,450 linear feet of clay wastewater lines that are also more than 40 years old “These lines have exceeded their useful life and are in need of modernization to prevent potential system failures and improve long-term service delivery to residents,” Smith said He added that the city is “grateful for the support of the Texas General Land Office and looks forward to delivering this vital project to enhance public infrastructure and improve service reliability for years to come.” SAN ANTONIO - A special education assistant at Taft High School was arrested after allegedly punching an autistic student in the face with a "closed fist." was charged with injury to a disabled individual following the disturbing incident Verastegui was identified by a witness who alerted school officials and surveillance footage confirmed his involvement and school officials noticed redness on his chin—the spot where he said Verastegui struck him who had been employed by the Northside Independent School District since 2018 as a special education instructional assistant was immediately placed on administrative leave on January 24 Students in Northern Illinois University's nature writing class sit in a circle in a bright clearing just beyond the forest “We're just looking for something that stands out to you," said English instructor Molly McNett One of the students is reluctant to share but does anyway "I can see the ripples of wind waving beyond the canopy of leaves The students -- some of whom are English majors and some who study environmental science -- just hiked out from a classroom at Lorado Taft “I think it's a class in paying attention more than anything else," said McNett and we study particular things that are in the books we're reading too but a lot of it is about paying attention to the natural world.” This may be the last NIU class to study at the field campus before it closes at the end of the year Nature Writing is the only for-credit course that has been held at the outdoor campus in nearly two decades But for the students who have come to Oregon and experienced Lorado Taft “Just being in nature," said Nicholas Regelbrugge "unlocks a part of your writing muse that you just don't know you have until you do it." The field campus was originally an artist colony back in the early 20th Century after an artist group discovered it at the Chicago World’s Fair Regelbrugge says he feels that creative spirit alive and well in the forest surrounding the campus but he says he was devastated when he found out it was closing I would have it offered every semester of every year.” NIU’s Rena Cotsones described Taft as a picturesque facility in dire need of maintenance and repairs too costly to take on which she said has “minimal alignment with NIU’s current mission and goals.” Shannon Forney is the special events facilitator at Lorado Taft they also host many NIU groups -- and there’s another academic program that uses it they come for a weekend in February and they learn how to do all of our classes they come back and they actually teach our classes to a couple of schools," said Forney NIU’s statement said a majority of Lorado Taft staff will be able to stay on with the university She says not all of the staff received offers they were happy with “The thing that got me is the transfers weren't necessarily equitable our education staff really got the short end of the stick," said Forney especially the ones that have been here for 10 years A statement from NIU said the university has worked hard to identify and offer opportunities to eligible staff Forney’s hosting family reunions for old staff and students to come back one more time They’re also hosting some of their last camps “We do a goodbye song for when the kids have their last meal with us," she said "and I don't know how we made it through that song There’s an online petition to save the site by handing operations over to the state Department of Natural Resources a small group of McNett’s students makes a whistle out of an acorn cap while others scribble down notes as they head towards a fallen log “You can't do this in a classroom," said McNett NIU is closing the campus at the end of the year but the nature writing students are still walking the woods Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Tx — Families gathered in Taft on Saturday for a city-wide Easter egg hunt organized by Pastor Steve Boettcher of Open Fields Assembly of God church centered around the symbolic meaning of the egg in relation to the Easter story Boettcher aimed to create a family-friendly experience and I wanted to do something that was family-oriented but it's also bringing families together to hunt for an egg," he said Boettcher explained the significance of the egg in relation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ "If you take a fertilized egg and you break it from the outside which brings forth life," Boettcher told KRIS 6 "What a great example of how through death Jesus brought forth life by coming out of the grave." the event featured nine eggs hidden across three parks in Taft including Hidalgo Garcia Park Boettcher mentioned the inclusion of a golden egg with a special prize that one lucky family could find "There will be a bookmark with a number on the back of the bookmark and you can come here and redeem your prize," he added Several local businesses contributed prizes for the event Boettcher expressed gratitude for the local support and hopes for even greater involvement next year Reflecting on his intentions for the event Boettcher had a heartfelt message for the community "What I would personally like to get out of doing all this.. I just want to tell people that Jesus loves them Boettcher also highlighted the church's community initiative,the blessing box, which helps families in need, as well as thanking the community for their ongoing support in maintaining and filling the box with donations. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Taft later taught law at Yale University (1913–21) served on the National War Labor Board (1918) and was a supporter of the League of Nations he introduced reforms that made the court more efficient (1926) upheld the president’s authority to remove federal officials Residents of Taft were shocked to discover that a municipal court report published on the city's website exposed confidential personal information of at least 34 individuals The sensitive data was inadvertently included in the city council agenda packet for Tuesday making personal identifiers freely accessible to anyone visiting the website According to multiple sources who contacted 6 Investigates Within minutes of 6 Investigates reaching out to city council members on Monday night the agenda packet was removed from the website Privacy experts warn that such exposure can lead to serious consequences The City of Taft said it is "actively addressing the issue related to the agenda packet and has taken immediate steps to contain the matter we promptly removed the affected documents from public access and are conducting an internal review to determine the full scope of the exposure." "the City has identified those impacted and will be sending formal notifications in accordance with applicable laws and best practices for data security Affected individuals will be provided with guidance on monitoring their personal information and steps they can take to protect themselves from potential misuse those whose Social Security numbers were included in the disclosure will be offered credit monitoring services through the City to help safeguard against potential identity theft or fraud." the City is implementing additional safeguards including a multi-layer review process before the release of public documents and enhanced employee training on handling confidential information We are also reviewing and strengthening policies governing document preparation and distribution to ensure sensitive data is not inadvertently included in public records," Smith added Our team will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available KRIS 6 News is committed to covering Tuesday's council meeting McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma’s largest law firm, is pleased to welcome trial lawyer Brooke Boutwell Day to its top-ranked Litigation Group Her practice is focused on the representation of national insurance carriers in lawsuits alleging bad faith and violations of consumer protection laws as well in coverage disputes arising under personal and commercial insurance policies A 2018 graduate of the Wake Forest School of Law Boutwell Day devoted the first five years of her career to public service at the state level first working as an assistant attorney general for the State of Washington in its Health Care Authority Section and Mental Health Section and later as a deputy district attorney for the Denver District Attorney’s Office in Denver and then for the Colorado First Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Golden the Oklahoma native worked for a civil litigation defense firm in Denver where she focused her practice on the defense of governmental entities and their insurance carriers against state and federal civil rights claims Boutwell Day is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation and a 2015 honors graduate from the University of Tulsa where she earned her undergraduate degrees in English and psychology The Taft City Council voted Tuesday to authorize City Manager Ryan Smith to hire a new interim police chief Following an unscheduled executive session the council voted unanimously to allow Smith to pursue John S most recently served as chief deputy for the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office Galvan has 50 years of law enforcement experience He began his career in 1969 as a military police officer in the U.S Galvan worked as a California Highway Patrol officer for five years before returning to Texas to join the Department of Public Safety He remained with DPS until retiring as a major in 2006 Castillo explained that the council’s vote was simply to give Smith the authority to move forward in the hiring process “We voted to allow Ryan to pursue that further and upon him having all of the proper licensees and qualifications then it will be to extend an offer to him.” Tuesday's vote comes after the council terminated former Police Chief John Landreth during a special meeting following allegations that Landreth made a threatening remark to city officials Less than an hour after Landreth’s dismissal who also serves as constable for San Patricio County Precinct 8 left the department with just four patrol officers While Tuesday’s vote gave Smith the authority to hire Galvan the longtime lawman has not yet accepted the position Castillo emphasized the expectations for whoever assumes the role whoever is selected to be our full-time chief has some big boots to fill,” she said “I'm gonna do my best to ensure that it is somebody who is ready and willing to serve the community and continue the job that Mr She added that the council would need to vote again if Galvan or another candidate is considered for the permanent position “Right now it's just in the interim just so that our citizens and the work that is still left to be done can be completed,” Castillo said (KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County Coroner’s Office has identified a woman killed after she was hit by a vehicle while riding a motorbike as 55-year-old Kristen Ladon Meckler of Taft The report said the crash happened on February 18 Thanks for visiting SAN ANTONIO - A Northside ISD parent is upset saying school officials aren't doing enough to protect her twin sons at school I know there are parents out there if they found out their kid was going to this school and there was another kid threatened by a gun and they weren't notified I would be livid," said the mother Our reporter Mariza Mendoza spoke one-on-one with the mom who says she won't take any chances with her kid's safety "I think about the fear my children must have felt I was just thankful to the Lord they didn't catch up to them or follow them home," says the mother Debbie Hurd feels school officials at Taft High School dismissed her concerns about a gun on campus She says her sons ran back home scared they were going to get shot The incident happened Wednesday on the Taft High School campus but another student was jumped by the student who allegedly had the gun Hurd says she didn't take her boys back to school that day to provide statements to school officials but the student with the alleged gun sent these threatening texts "For the school to take it lightly and they didn't shut down the school when I said the kid's texting my son saying he was still at school with a gun waiting for them "There is no evidence indicating any weapon was brought onto campus school officials will take appropriate disciplinary and legal action if their investigation proves otherwise." "I'm very grateful that I'm crying that I'm trying to get my voice to have something done rather than saying I lost my kids to gun violence," says the mother Thanks for visiting Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website When you have experienced the loss of a loved one you can trust us to guide you through the arrangements necessary to create a meaningful ceremony that celebrates the unique life being honored Our staff is committed to providing your family with the highest quality care and service in your time of need and we take pride in our responsibility to lighten your burden as you take the first steps toward healing.  Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now.