6 minute read
NATIONAL
Donkey On The Run In Same Town That Dealt With Runaway Steer
JOHNSTON, R.I. (AP) — The same Rhode Island town that had to deal with a runaway steer earlier this year is now investigating reports of a donkey on the loose.
Advertisement
The donkey was first spotted in Johnston at about 7 p.m. Sunday near the town line with Scituate.
It was reported again at about 8:30 p.m., but when police arrived at the scene it was gone, Chief Joseph Razza said.
WJAR-TV shared video captured by a motorist that showed the donkey trotting down a street as cars whizzed past.
“Here we go again,” Mayor Joseph Polisena told WPRO radio on Monday morning, saying he was concerned that the donkey might cause a car crash.
No one has reported a missing donkey, but Polisena noted that there are several farms in the area.
Animal control will patrol the area where the donkey was last scene, he said.
A 1,500-pound (680-kilogram) steer that escaped on its way to a slaughterhouse spent nearly two months on the lam in Johnston until it was captured in late March.
Three years ago, three wild turkeys intimidated drivers in town.
Jeff Bezos Riding His Own Rocket In July, Joining First Crew
Jeff Bezos will ride his own rocket into space next month, joining the first crew to fly in a Blue Origin capsule.
The Amazon founder announced Monday he will launch July 20 from Texas along with his firefighter brother Mark. Also making the 10minute up-and-down hop will be the highest bidder in a charity auction.
Bezos is stepping down as Amazon's CEO on July 5 — just 15 days before liftoff — to spend more time on his space company as well as his newspaper, The Washington Post. His stake in Amazon is currently worth $164 billion.
Bezos said he invited his younger brother — his best friend — to share the journey and make it even more “meaningful.”
The flight will officially kick off Blue Origin's space tourism business. The company has yet to start selling tickets to the public or even to announce a ticket price for the short trips, which provide about three minutes of weightlessness. The capsule can hold six people, each with their own large window. The company hasn't said who might occupy the remaining three seats on the debut passenger flight.
Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson also plans to launch aboard his own rocket later this year, after one more test flight over New Mexico. SpaceX's Elon Musk — who's transported 10 astronauts to the International Space Station and already sold private flights — has yet to commit to a spaceflight.
Blue Origin successfully completed the 15th test flight of its reusable New Shepard rocket in April, with the capsule reaching an altitude of 66 miles (106 kilometers). Before liftoff, a mock crew strapped into the capsule for practice, then hopped out, paving the way for the upcoming flight with passengers on board.
The company's launch and landing site is in remote west Texas, 120 miles southeast of El Paso and close to the Mexican border. After the capsule separates, the rocket lands upright, to be used again. The capsule, also reusable, descends under parachutes.
For its first crew launch, the company chose the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. It also used a space anniversary in May to announce an online auction for a seat on the flight — the 60th anniversary of the first U.S. spaceflight by Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, for whom the rocket is named.
The current high bid is $2.8 million. The auction will conclude Saturday, with the winning amount donated to Club for the Future, Blue Origin's education foundation. Nearly 6,000 people from 143 countries have taken part in the auction.
Stores Enlist Shoppers To Stop Bad Behavior Against Workers
NEW YORK (AP) — A dozen retailers including Gap and H&M are collaborating on a campaign this fall to enlist customers to combat bad behavior against retail workers.
The campaign, spearheaded by nonprofits Open to All and Hollaback as well as the Retail Industry Leaders Association, comes as workers face increased harassment as they try to enforce social distancing and mask protocols during the pandemic. Among those who have been the targets of abuse are people of color, those with disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQ.
Calla Devlin Rongerude, director of Open to All, said the campaign is not asking customers to step in to physically stop altercations, but rather to help de-escalate the situation and show support for workers.
Participating retailers will have signage in their stores with QR codes, allowing customers to sign a pledge of support. There will also be a tool kit designed by Hollaback to show how customers can help, including how to create a distraction for the abuser as well as documenting the situation and bringing in someone else to help.
Even as the spread of COVID19 slows, retailers fear abusive behavior will worsen as stores anticipate big crowds for the back-to-school and holiday seasons. With many states and businesses relaxing mask mandates and customers experiencing pandemic fatigue, workers worry about their safety.
The Open to All coalition is made up of about 600,000 businesses, mostly retail establishments, that have collaborated on training and hiring practices. It launched in 2018 with companies like Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap pledging not to discriminate against employees or customers based on race, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. The movement was spurred by controversies such as florists refusing to provide flowers for gay weddings and stores turning away Muslim customers.
The pandemic has since exposed the vulnerabilities of frontline workers. Last September, a group of retailers felt they needed to do something more to protect their employees against discriminatory and racist behavior, Rongerude said. Although these abusive customers are a minority, she said they still have damaging effects on shoppers and workers alike.
Emily May, founder of Hollaback, says she has seen a spike in interest among average citizens as well as corporations wanting bystander training from her organization. Last year, she had 25,000 people sign up for a free one-hour Zoom training, up from 5,000 in 2019. So far this year, 130,000 people have registered.
Chris Nelson, senior vice president of asset protection at Gap Inc., said the chain had seen an increase in incidents against store workers of color, though he couldn't disclose a number.
Trenton Republican-Times
122 E. 8th St., Trenton, MO 64683 • rtimes@lyn.net • 660-359-2212
TRENTON REPUBLICAN-TIMES NEWSPAPER + ALL DIGITAL ACCESS
✔
Start my Unlimited FREE Digital Access to the www.republican-times.com and my print subscription delivery. Call us today at 660-359-2212 and we can get both suscriptions started!
Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Email: Phone:
Please provide your email address to receive your free access to our website. You must pre-pay your print subscription before we can give you digital access. We accept cash, checks, debit or credit cards (Visa, MC, Discover). Please send your payment to Trenton Republican-Times, PO Box 548, Trenton, MO 64683 (locally: 1 yr. $70.43; 6 months $53.09; 3 months $31.96).
