TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalIllinois minimum wage increases on July 1
Christopher Hanken’s five businesses lost more than $690,000 in sales between March and May 19 after he severely cut services to comply with the stay-at-home order imposed due to the novel coronavirus.
He owns five restaurants across the Springfield area – Lake Pointe Grill, Public House 29, Mowie’s Cue, and both Pie’s The Limit locations.
It has been a battle for him and his business partner, Vic Lanzotti, as they were forced to close the Pie’s The Limit location on Freedom Drive and combine it with the one at 1710 S. McArthur Blvd. because “it wasn’t maintaining itself,” he said. “We were going to go further in the hole.”
About two and a half weeks after he spent the last dollar of his federal Paycheck Protection Program loan money – designed to provide small businesses a way to keep their workers on payroll throughout COVID-19 – Hanken will face another hurdle: the July 1 minimum wage increase.
Read more: https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200627/illinois-minimum-wage-increases-on-july-1
(Springfield State Journal Register)
Three Texans in Congress exposed to COVID-19 while at detention center
Source: Texas Tribune
WASHINGTON - Three Texas members of Congress were potentially exposed to COVID-19 while touring a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in south Texas on Monday, but all have tested negative for the virus.
A Trump administration official notified congressional staffers on Friday that while touring an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas, Democratic U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Sylvia R. Garcia of Houston were exposed to an ICE staffer who tested positive for the virus three days later.
"I was just informed that one of our ICE employees who met Mr. Castro, Ms. Garcia, and Mr. Cuellar at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, TX on Monday, June 22, 2020 tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)," ICE official Sean Hackbarth wrote to a Congressional Hispanic Caucus staffer.
"While the employee wore a mask for the entire duration of the visit and maintained the minimum social distancing of six feet, out of an abundance of caution, I'm providing notification to you can share it with the appropriate member offices and Hill personnel."
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/27/texans-congress-exposed-coronavirus-border/
Article written by Abby Livingston.
Aldi, Jewel-Osco recall salads in Indiana after Cyclospora outbreak in Midwest
Aldi and Jewel-Osco are voluntarily recalling certain salad mixes for Indiana that may be part of a Cyclospora infection outbreak across eight Midwestern states.
The salad recalls, which also include products at Walmart and Hy-Vee, span a dozen states after the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued safety alerts as early as June 19. The mixes are produced by Fresh Express in Illinois and contain iceberg lettuce, carrots and red cabbage.
Aldi issued a recall June 25 for 12-ounce bags of Little Salad Bar garden salad that have use-by dates between May 1 and June 29.
Jewel-Osco issued a recall June 20 for 12-ounce bags of Signature Farms garden salad with use-by dates between May 16 and July 4.
Read more: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2020/06/27/cyclospora-outbreak-leads-recall-some-salads-sold-aldi-jewel-osco/3272322001/
Florida woman sues for paternity test on goats, and more of this week's weirdest news
ODESSA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit seeking either a paternity test on her goats or a refund — and she's not kidding.
Kris Hedstrom filed the suit against her neighbor, Heather Dayner, last month seeking DNA for the goats she purchased. Hedstrom paid Dayner $900 for five Nigerian dwarf goats in December.
According to the lawsuit, Hedstrom believed the goats — Bella, Gigi, Rosie, Zelda and Margoat — could be registered with the American Dairy Goat Association, a group that records goat pedigrees. Registered goats have higher values than unregistered goats.
Dayner, who has been selling goats at Baxter Lane Farm for about 10 years, typically provides information to her clients so they can register their animals themselves.
Read more: https://www.nwitimes.com/news/weird/florida-woman-sues-for-paternity-test-on-goats-and-more-of-this-weeks-weirdest-news/collection_16eb374a-6b65-50b0-8beb-6aaee10915d2.html#1
(Northwest Indiana Times)
Florida Woman was upset because Florida Man was grabbing all the headlines.
Merger of casino giants wins Federal Trade Commission approval
The Federal Trade Commission has given its blessing to a $17.3 billion merger of two casino giants that will bring five of Indiana's 13 state-regulated gaming facilities, including Hammond's Horseshoe Casino, under the control of a single owner.
Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced Friday it won FTC approval of a consent order for Caesar's merger with Eldorado Resorts, Inc. that satisfies all federal antitrust clearances required for the merger.
The FTC agreement mandates Eldorado divest one casino in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, another in Bossier City-Shreveport, Louisiana, and to follow through on its planned sale of a casino in Kansas City, Missouri.
The merger still requires sign off by the Indiana Gaming Commission, Indiana Horse Racing Commission, Nevada Gaming Control Board, Nevada Gaming Commission and New Jersey Casino Control Commission before it can be completed.
Read more: https://www.nwitimes.com/business/gambling/merger-of-casino-giants-wins-federal-trade-commission-approval/article_1b588496-be91-5ba4-98cf-b136f7a00c65.html
(Northwest Indiana Times)
As camping takes off, here's a comfy RV from Elkhart that you pull with a bike
Scottie Shultz is building and selling an RV that, he realizes, “is such an off-the-wall concept that people don’t get it.”
So he’s organized a weekend adventure for a small group of people to try out the BikeStream RV — to actually tow it behind their bikes — while they explore the backcountry of Marshall County. After all, that’s how it works.
This bike trailer looks like a super-downsized version of a car-towed trailer. But it sets up quicker in camp. When Shultz first started to show off the trailer two years ago at the Elkhart EnviroFest at Wellfield Botanic Gardens, he challenged me and others to set it up as fast as they could — often in 2 to 3 minutes — as we hooked a few latches and wheel supports.
It opens up as a cozy shelter for a slightly more than 6-foot adult to sleep, sit up and read by an on-board light, wash hands in a dry sink from a jug of water with a valve, stow goods in small compartments and open small, screened windows, a skylight and vents. Apart from the hitch, wheels and platform, most of it is made from lightweight but rigid corrugated plastic. The inside walls are lined with foil insulation. The cost: $2,395.
Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/life/travel/outdoor/as-camping-takes-off-heres-a-comfy-rv-from-elkhart-that-you-pull-with-a/article_a647ba96-b4e8-11ea-9982-d70ad0c43040.html
A BikeStream RV is pulled this past weekend on a test run of a Marshall County camping trip.
Purdue student expelled for 'racist and despicable' posts on social media
WEST LAFAYETTE — A Purdue University undergraduate has been expelled for making racist statements on social media, according to a news release from the university.
The Exponent, Purdue's student newspaper, reported that the student, incoming sophomore Maxwell Lawrence, posted a video on TikTok about running over protesters and made racist comments in a group chat.
Late last week, Purdue spokesman Tim Doty indicated in an email to The Exponent that the university would not punish students for statements on personal social media accounts, saying Purdue was "committed to freedom of expression" and cannot punish students' speech "no matter how offensive or vile."
But on Tuesday, Purdue President Mitch Daniels decided to expel Lawrence.
Daniels "determined that, in addition to being racist and despicable, repeated statements posted on social media by Lawrence appear plainly intended to incite others, and therefore, create a risk of public safety issues in the current environment," the university announced on its website.
Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/purdue-student-expelled-for-racist-and-despicable-posts-on-social-media/article_16d57446-b634-11ea-af57-438e328c5c70.html
Pete Buttigieg to teach about trust in politics and other fields during Notre Dame fellowship
The University of Notre Dame has hired former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg as a researcher and teacher for the 2020-2021 academic year, the university announced Thursday.
As a faculty fellow in the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, Buttigieg will work on two research projects: one that explores how to restore trust in political institutions and another that considers the forces shaping the 2020s.
He joins a group of more than 30 faculty and student fellows who will conduct research on the nature of trust, the institute’s 2020-2021 research theme.
Buttigieg will take part in weekly seminars and other academic programs.
He also will teach an undergraduate course on the importance of trust in different fields, the university said. The seminar draws on literature, politics, economics and philosophy, with guest experts participating.
Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/pete-buttigieg-to-teach-about-trust-in-politics-and-other-fields-during-notre-dame-fellowship/article_f858c956-b72c-11ea-85ad-ef27047c25ea.html
Indiana University discovery could lead to virus-killing masks
An Indiana University scientist has discovered that face masks made of a special fabric could do more than simply block the coronavirus from infecting the wearer. The masks could actually kill the germs.
Known as electroceutical fabric, the material employs microcell batteries to create an electrical field that essentially disarms the virus and prevents it from infecting a person. Without a host, the virus will die.
The fabric is already FDA-approved for use as a wound dressing, where it can prevent bacterial infections.
After studies have shown the fabric also can block the coronavirus from infecting a person, the company that makes the V.Dox Technology has applied for emergency authorization to craft face masks out of the fabric.
Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/coronavirus/iu-discovery-could-lead-to-virus-killing-masks/article_8a6c2e8e-b4a6-11ea-a31d-b7778f05275e.html
Indy 500 will allow fans but only at 50% capacity
Indianapolis Motor Speedway says it's committed to having spectators in the stands for the Indianapolis 500 on Aug. 23 — but only at 50% capacity.
In an email sent Friday by IMS president Doug Boles to ticket holders, he says the aim is "to accommodate at least 50% of your original ticket quantities in or near your current seating location."
IMS says it is open to requests for more than 50% of original order size, but ticket holders may be moved to another available location.
Friday’s announcement means that, when combining maximum capacity for suites, grandstands and infield tickets — a mark of roughly 350,000 in recent years — IMS will cap its total attendance for this year at about 175,000.
Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/professional/indy-500-will-allow-fans-but-only-at-50-capacity/article_10906e00-b7fc-11ea-b371-ab49553eca53.html
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
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