2h en seconde
Lufkin residents gathered at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center Monday night for the Second Ward Community Connect hosted by Councilman Robert Shankle. The event was aimed at giving residents direct communication with city officials, addressing topics ranging from infrastructure improvements to public safety. Shankle opened the meeting with a prayer led by Bishop M.E. Lyons. Shankle emphasized his goal to “give citizens a voice” and highlighted the importance of city officials engaging with the community. “I have a heart for the community. I want to make sure we improve not just Ward 2, but the entire city of Lufkin,” Shankle said. “I always want to let you all have a voice at city hall.” City manager Kevin Gee provided an overview of Lufkin’s municipal government and outlined the responsibilities of his office, including longterm planning and budget preparations. Gee emphasized the city’s recent investments in street maintenance and drainage. Street department director Scott Cameron shared updates on ongoing projects, including Nexco Highway Solution’s grading system that will assess the condition of Lufkin’s 213 miles of roads. Cameron highlighted recent efforts to repair culverts, address flooding issues and clean up debris. He also highlighted his department’s achievements, such as replacing 353 signs, installing 97 new culverts and sweeping more than 8,000 miles of streets last fiscal year. Park maintenance was another focal point during the meeting. Assistant city manager Brian W. Bray addressed the public’s concerns about disparities in park upkeep across the city. Bray assured the public that improvements were underway, including reorganizing staff and improving the park superintendent’s practices to ensure all parks receive equal attention during peak season. “I’m dedicated to seeing a solution. We’ve worked with our department head at Parks and Recreation to rethink how they do things,” Bray said. “All I can tell you is that we have come up with a plan to make next year a better product, and if that means we have to hire more contractors or staff, then so be it.” Assistant police chief David Cross spoke about the department’s initiatives, including addressing concerns of speeding in neighborhoods and enforcing the new noise ordinance that was recently approved that prohibits any loud or unnecessary noise emanating from an electrical source. He also highlighted the department’s ability to respond to more than 38,000 calls annually, crediting highly trained police officers for maintaining safety within the community. Fire chief Jesse Moody provided updates on the department’s fire and emergency medical services, including a new focus on providing service within city limits only, which has significantly increased cardiac arrest survival rates. Moody encouraged residents to take advantage of their free smoke detector program and emphasized the department’s public education efforts to reduce fire-starting incidents caused by juveniles. “On average, we resuscitated zero to one person per year,” Moody said. “This year in June, we have already resuscitated six people, and that’s a big difference.” Moody added that EMS is tracking many metrics to make sure that each citizen is receiving the best health care that can be rendered. Residents voiced a variety of concerns during the meeting’s question-and-answer portion. One resident inquired about plans to revitalize Lufkin, citing the many vacant buildings and limited business growth in the area. Gee explained that while the city has no control over privately owned property development, the city enforces codes that address building standards. “We have codes that define how far dilapidated buildings can go before we step in to either write a citation or put it on the substandard housing list to be demolished,” Gee said. “As long as all of the developments, houses and old commercial sites are following or within our ordinances, there’s very little a city can do about that.” Other residents raised questions about flooding in streets such as Frank Avenue, Abney Avenue and Raguet Street. Gee noted that some of these streets are maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation and highlighted their efforts in acquiring bids to mill hot-mix asphalt on Frank next February. Gee also said these efforts would have no effect if water has no place to go. “There are areas that the street department is trying to identify blockage, whether it be in a channel or a creek. They’re checking and blasting culverts to try to open them up,” Gee said. “We don’t have a plan for any specific streets.” The meeting also touched on upcoming opportunities for citizen involvement on advisory boards and committees. Communications director Jessica Pebsworth encouraged residents to follow the city’s website and social media for updates and to report issues through the city’s online work order system. Gee closed the meeting by thanking the public for their engagement and offered further help for any other concernsbthe public might have. For more information, residents can contact Lufkin City Hall at (936) 634-8881 or visit cityoflufkin.com .OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking some time to reflect after Chrystia Freeland's bombshell resignation, the natural resources minister said on Tuesday. "The prime minister, as I understand it, a number of caucus colleagues have said that the prime minister has said that he will reflect on both the decision that minister Freeland made, but also what he's heard from members of his own caucus," Jonathan Wilkinson said. "I think we all need to give him a little time to reflect, and I respect that fact that he's going to take some time to reflect." Freeland quit as finance minister on Monday morning just hours before she was set to present the government's fall economic statement. That kicked off a day of turmoil on Parliament Hill that began with a morning cabinet meeting and wrapped with an evening meeting of the Liberal caucus, where some members called for Trudeau to step aside as party leader. That includes New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, one of 23 caucus members who signed a letter back in October calling for Trudeau to quit. "We certainly have more MPs than last time. So, if I had to guess how many more right now, I'd say we're probably at 40 to 50 right now," Long said. "But there's a lot more than that. I mean, this is so different than times before." The attempt to oust Trudeau earlier in the fall took up a great deal of oxygen on Parliament Hill, but ultimately failed to garner support from inside the cabinet. This time, Long said, at least five cabinet ministers believe it's time for a change at the top. "I certainly am one to say to my colleagues, to ministers in particular: 'Let's come out of the shadows,'" Long said. "Let's openly, once and for all, state how we feel and let's move forward with what we know has to happen." After the failed coup in October, Liberal MPs told reporters they believed Trudeau was taking time to reflect. But the very next day, he publicly stated his intention to stay on as leader at a press conference. The Liberals have faced three non-confidence votes in the House of Commons this fall and have struggled to advance legislation because of a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund. On Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre once again called on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to topple the government, criticizing him for voting against the latest non-confidence motion last week. Poilievre said Canada needs a new prime minister because U.S. president-elect Donald Trump can smell weakness from a mile away and the Trudeau government is weak. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also said a new Parliament is needed "as soon as possible," and he wants to see an election called in January. Blanchet said Trudeau has lost the political, moral and ethical authority to govern. He said the election should happen as soon as possible in the new year because Canadians do not want a campaign over the holiday season. On Monday, Singh called for Trudeau to step down but did not make a firm comment on whether the NDP would declare non-confidence in the Liberal government. Instead, Singh said "all options are on the table." The NDP, which ended a formal supply-and-confidence agreement to support the Liberals in September, has since voted with the government on all three non-confidence motions. Singh has repeatedly said a Poilievre-led Conservative government would cut things New Democrats have fought for like dental care, pharmacare and other social programs. The Tories are also calling on the House of Commons trade committee to study the tariff threat between the week of Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, the date of Trump's inauguration. The House of Commons is expected to rise for the holiday break on Tuesday and return on January 27. In her resignation letter, Freeland said she's been at odds with Trudeau in the last few weeks over the government's fiscal priorities. She said the government should do away with costly "political gimmicks" and instead set money aside to deal with a potential tariff war with the U.S. Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the new finance minister Monday, minutes after the government's fall economic statement was released. The economic update shows the deficit has grown to nearly $62 billion, far beyond the $40-billion target Freeland set earlier this year. It includes $1.3 billion in new spending on measures to beef up the border in response to Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariff threats on Canadian goods. LeBlanc, who is also in charge of intergovernmental affairs and democratic institutions, says his main priority as finance minister will be to address affordability issues. He will also continue to oversee the public safety file, implementing new border measures, until Trudeau holds a broader cabinet shuffle. That's expected to happen soon in order to replace ministers who have announced they won't seek re-election. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024. — With files from Nick Murray and Michel Saba David Baxter, The Canadian Press
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Jaipur: In a bid to combat illegal mining activities, the Rajasthan mining department is set to roll out geo-fencing technology , following its inclusion in the recently approved state mining policy. This move aims at tightening compliance in areas prone to illegal mining. An official said, "Geo-fencing will be instrumental in monitoring high-risk areas, while GPS tracking systems will be installed at check posts to enhance oversight. Furthermore, seized sand will be transported using the e-Ravanna system to maintain transparency." The policy also mandates the issuance of online royalty receipts, reducing the prevalence of fake receipts. Additionally, the vigilance wing will merge with the divisional mining wing, equipping the department of mines and geology with cutting-edge technologies like Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), drones, and other modern tools. The draft policy highlights, "In mineral-rich areas, up to one hectare of govt land adjoining private lease areas may be allocated to facilitate greater mineral extraction." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .FACT FOCUS: Vermont ruling does not say schools can vaccinate children without parental consent