The Conjuring House could lose its business license

Business News

BURRILLVILLE – After its owner has twice been committed for psychiatric care at two area hospitals, The Conjuring House is in danger of losing its license to operate as a business.The centuries-old farmhouse, where the Perron family said they were tormented by a malicious spirit in the 1970s, a story that inspired the 2013 horror movie “The Conjuring,” has been owned since May 2022 by former Boston real estate developer Jacqueline Nuñez. She has operated it as an attraction, offering tours, overnight stays and camping on the property, among other events.This year, Nuñez told The Providence Journal that she has been in a dispute with former employees of The Conjuring House. She also said she’d been committed overnight to a psych ward at Landmark Medical Center in July and for more than a week to a psych ward at Fatima Hospital in September.Will the Conjuring House have its business license revoked?On Wednesday, Nuñez was notified via the town’s online licensing system that Police Chief Col. Stephen J. Lynch had marked as “Not Approved” some of the information she had submitted to renew the entertainment license that allows her to operate The Conjuring House as a business.”Based on submissions I found to be inappropriate, I rejected it,” Lynch told The Journal Friday, declining to give details about what she had submitted on forms that ask for information about ownership of the business and the property, information about liability insurance and information to be used in a criminal background check.The Journal has submitted a public records request with the town clerk’s office for a copy of the information Nuñez submitted.When asked whether his concerns about what Nuñez had submitted were related to her commitments to Landmark and to Fatima, Lynch said, “I believe the behaviors that landed her at those hospitals are consistent with her submissions that she made with her application.”Have the police been called to the Conjuring House?Lynch said that other than two times when his officers escorted healthcare workers to the house, the police have not been called there to deal with any problems this year.The Conjuring House license expires at the end of November. Businesses in Burrillville face a Nov. 1 deadline to submit their applications for review by town officials, including the police chief, the fire marshal and the building inspector.”The license process isn’t over for her,” Lynch said, adding that she can correct any deficiencies on her application before the Town Council meets Nov. 18 to decide on license renewals.Asked whether she intends to update her application, Nuñez told The Journal, “I am not naming Burrillville on my insurance. I will indemnify them from any liability.”

UOG seeks undergraduate fellows for National Science Foundation program

Science and Health

The University of Guam said it is now accepting applications for the National Science Foundation’s SEAS Islands Alliance Undergraduate Fellowship program, which provides undergraduate students with a chance to conduct cutting-edge research, gain valuable research experience, and contribute to Micronesia’s sustainable development.In a press release, UOG said the SEAS Islands Alliance Undergraduate Fellowship program offers a comprehensive experience that includes:Mentorship: Students will be paired with experienced faculty mentors who will guide them through their research projects.Research opportunities: Fellows will have the opportunity to work on a variety of research projects related to environmental, social and marine sciences.Monthly stipend: Fellows will receive $500 a month as a stipend during their term.Professional development: Fellows will receive training in professional skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership, and may have travel opportunities.“We are looking forward to a great program year with our faculty mentors,” explained co-principal investigator of the program Cheryl Sangueza, PhD. “The research themes this year include environmental science, marine biology, engineering, botany, ecology, social science, and sustainability.”All undergraduate students from UOG or Guam Community College are encouraged to apply for this opportunity.

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“We welcome all students pursuing their undergraduate degrees to join us for this great experience,” said SEAS Islands Alliance Guam Program Associate Marie Librando. “We have had a great history of students who participate in our program going on to great things and we cannot wait to welcome our next cohort.”Applications are being accepted until midnight on Oct. 31, with notification of selection to be delivered in November.The year-long fellowship will be from January to December 2025.For more information and to apply for the fellowship, students can visit seagrant.uog.edu/seas or follow @SeasAllianceGuam on Instagram and Facebook. They can also contact [email protected] via email.

UOG seeks undergraduate fellows for National Science Foundation program

Science and Health

The University of Guam said it is now accepting applications for the National Science Foundation’s SEAS Islands Alliance Undergraduate Fellowship program, which provides undergraduate students with a chance to conduct cutting-edge research, gain valuable research experience, and contribute to Micronesia’s sustainable development.In a press release, UOG said the SEAS Islands Alliance Undergraduate Fellowship program offers a comprehensive experience that includes:Mentorship: Students will be paired with experienced faculty mentors who will guide them through their research projects.Research opportunities: Fellows will have the opportunity to work on a variety of research projects related to environmental, social and marine sciences.Monthly stipend: Fellows will receive $500 a month as a stipend during their term.Professional development: Fellows will receive training in professional skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership, and may have travel opportunities.“We are looking forward to a great program year with our faculty mentors,” explained co-principal investigator of the program Cheryl Sangueza, PhD. “The research themes this year include environmental science, marine biology, engineering, botany, ecology, social science, and sustainability.”All undergraduate students from UOG or Guam Community College are encouraged to apply for this opportunity.

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“We welcome all students pursuing their undergraduate degrees to join us for this great experience,” said SEAS Islands Alliance Guam Program Associate Marie Librando. “We have had a great history of students who participate in our program going on to great things and we cannot wait to welcome our next cohort.”Applications are being accepted until midnight on Oct. 31, with notification of selection to be delivered in November.The year-long fellowship will be from January to December 2025.For more information and to apply for the fellowship, students can visit seagrant.uog.edu/seas or follow @SeasAllianceGuam on Instagram and Facebook. They can also contact [email protected] via email.

Benidorm’s ‘Gypsy Lane’ where British tourists pay £20-a-week to live in squalor

Travel

Benidorm may be known for its cheap-and-cheerful holiday resorts, almost year-round sunshine, sandy beaches and lively nightlife. But the high-rise coastal town on Spain’s Costa Blanca has a dark side that’s not exactly hard to find. Less than 150 yards from a popular mobility scooter rental centre, and holiday apartment blocks, is Camí Azagador de Soria, or as it’s colloquially known, “Gypsy Lane”.Express.co.uk visited the narrow, winding lane, with expat, musician and charity volunteer, Jonny Elraiz. The Croydon native explained that the area, too dangerous for our reporter and photographer to spend much time in, was populated by Romanian gypsies that rented the properties to the homeless.The area Jonny’s vehicle stopped in was in front of a red and white house, without a door. The villa also had a bare mattress sticking out of it, with a sofa outside.Yards away from the crumbling house was a huge pile of rubbish and a burned-out car.He agreed that the scene looked like something from a “disaster movie”.”The gypsies that run this area, these ones tend to be more from Romania and they rent these out to homeless people”, he explained.When asked whether it was just Spaniards that populated the run-down street, Jonny said: “There was a British guy [who lived here], a while ago.” He didn’t know his name.Those looking to stay in the ramshackle accomodation, would need to pay the gypsy ‘owners’ “£20 to £25-a-week”, according to Jonny.“That’s affordable, it gives them a little bit of security, you know what I mean?”.

Govt’s delay in readying SAP-2 on climate change is worrisome: Science body

Science and Health

Guwahati, Oct 27: Both the governments in the state and at the centre allegedly have a lackadaisical attitude towards the credible sufferings of people under the impacts of the changes rapidly taking place in global climate. The responses of both governments towards the plea to announce the second version of the State Action Plan (SAP) for mitigating adverse impacts of climate change are there as proof, said the Assam State Coordination Committee of the All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN).The AIPSN State Coordination Committee is a conglomeration of the Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Assam; CRU (NER); and Ellora Vigyan Mancha.Since 2022, the AIPSN Coordination Committee has been making pleas to the state government to announce the SAP-2. The SAP-2 was scheduled to be ready in 2020. But there occurred a time lapse due to the Covid-related crises. Since by 2022 the Covid-related situation improved, it was expected that the SAP-2 would soon be readied.Strengthening this hope, the state’s Minister for Science and Technology Department made a statement on the floor of the State Assembly on September 16, 2022, in reply to a question (No-69) from MLA Mrinal Saikia on the impacts of climate change on the state. The minister presented a very grim picture. He stated that according to climate change-related projections, the mean average temperature in Assam is likely to shoot up by 1.7 degrees Celsius to 2.2 degrees Celsius by mid- 21st century if the AD 1971-AD 2000 mean average temperature is taken as the base line.The state’s extreme rainfall events are also likely to go up in the range of 5% to 38%. Again, barring its southern districts, prospects of drought are going to rise in the state by over 75%, and there are 25% more possibilities of flood prevalence during this time.Again, a 2019 Department of Science and Technology (DST) evaluation had ranked Assam as the fifth vulnerable state of the country with regard to climate change adverse impacts.The above statement of the Minister gave rise to the belief that the State Government was serious in its approach towards mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change. In addition, the Science and Technology Department had set up a climate change cell under the Assam Science, Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) too.But there was no response from the department to the coordination committee queries on the SAP update. This baffled the Coordination Committee, said its core committee member, Khanindra Talukdar. Therefore, since October 2022, it started writing to both the state’s Science and Technology Department as well as the environment and forest department seeking information on SAP updates.The Environment and Forest Department became open only after receiving an RTI application. The state’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HOFF) informed Talukdar on December 12, 2023, in reply to his RTI queries that the State Cabinet had approved the SAP-2 meant for the 2021–2030 period. But he maintained that it was waiting for the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEFCC’s) approval.Significantly, this top Forest Department official provided only negligible information on its consultation with 30 state government departments and 12 NGOs for the SAP-2 preparation. The department made the Coordination Committee also to make another communication on July 29, 2024, to get the information on the MoEFCC approval to the SAP-2, only to tell on August 16 that the Union Ministry had approved the SAP-2 on February 16 this year.Thus, a delay of four years is allowed to occur in getting the SAP version 2 ready. This perhaps explains the level of sincerity of the state as well as the central governments on this crucial matter, said Talukdar.By-Ajit Patowary

Govt’s delay in readying SAP-2 on climate change is worrisome: Science body

Science and Health

Guwahati, Oct 27: Both the governments in the state and at the centre allegedly have a lackadaisical attitude towards the credible sufferings of people under the impacts of the changes rapidly taking place in global climate. The responses of both governments towards the plea to announce the second version of the State Action Plan (SAP) for mitigating adverse impacts of climate change are there as proof, said the Assam State Coordination Committee of the All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN).The AIPSN State Coordination Committee is a conglomeration of the Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Assam; CRU (NER); and Ellora Vigyan Mancha.Since 2022, the AIPSN Coordination Committee has been making pleas to the state government to announce the SAP-2. The SAP-2 was scheduled to be ready in 2020. But there occurred a time lapse due to the Covid-related crises. Since by 2022 the Covid-related situation improved, it was expected that the SAP-2 would soon be readied.Strengthening this hope, the state’s Minister for Science and Technology Department made a statement on the floor of the State Assembly on September 16, 2022, in reply to a question (No-69) from MLA Mrinal Saikia on the impacts of climate change on the state. The minister presented a very grim picture. He stated that according to climate change-related projections, the mean average temperature in Assam is likely to shoot up by 1.7 degrees Celsius to 2.2 degrees Celsius by mid- 21st century if the AD 1971-AD 2000 mean average temperature is taken as the base line.The state’s extreme rainfall events are also likely to go up in the range of 5% to 38%. Again, barring its southern districts, prospects of drought are going to rise in the state by over 75%, and there are 25% more possibilities of flood prevalence during this time.Again, a 2019 Department of Science and Technology (DST) evaluation had ranked Assam as the fifth vulnerable state of the country with regard to climate change adverse impacts.The above statement of the Minister gave rise to the belief that the State Government was serious in its approach towards mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change. In addition, the Science and Technology Department had set up a climate change cell under the Assam Science, Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) too.But there was no response from the department to the coordination committee queries on the SAP update. This baffled the Coordination Committee, said its core committee member, Khanindra Talukdar. Therefore, since October 2022, it started writing to both the state’s Science and Technology Department as well as the environment and forest department seeking information on SAP updates.The Environment and Forest Department became open only after receiving an RTI application. The state’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HOFF) informed Talukdar on December 12, 2023, in reply to his RTI queries that the State Cabinet had approved the SAP-2 meant for the 2021–2030 period. But he maintained that it was waiting for the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEFCC’s) approval.Significantly, this top Forest Department official provided only negligible information on its consultation with 30 state government departments and 12 NGOs for the SAP-2 preparation. The department made the Coordination Committee also to make another communication on July 29, 2024, to get the information on the MoEFCC approval to the SAP-2, only to tell on August 16 that the Union Ministry had approved the SAP-2 on February 16 this year.Thus, a delay of four years is allowed to occur in getting the SAP version 2 ready. This perhaps explains the level of sincerity of the state as well as the central governments on this crucial matter, said Talukdar.By-Ajit Patowary

Democrats Took Over a Bucks County School Board, but Still Ban Some Books

Arts & Culture, Books

Democrats swept a school board election in Bucks County after Republicans instituted book bans and other changes. But the right-wing “parental rights” movement has left an indelible mark.For two years, the Republican Pennridge School Board, north of Philadelphia, governed with a burst of ideological energy. It instituted book bans and curriculum rewrites — the sort of politics pushed nationwide by Moms for Liberty, the conservative advocacy group allied with Donald J. Trump.But in this closely divided community, the board’s moves created a backlash.A slate of Democrats swept school board elections. They promised to put “Pennridge over politics” and end an era of drama and division for this community.Still, a year later, the legacy of the district’s Moms for Liberty moment has not at all been undone.Some removed books have been restored to library shelves, but others have not. Transgender students can use some bathrooms that align to their gender identities — but not all of them.At least for now, teachers remain barred from displaying identity markers like rainbow flags. There has been no move to reinstate the diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and reading assignments that were canceled by the previous board.Adrienne King, a parent activist, says her trust in the school district has been broken.Rachel Wisniewski for The New York TimesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Joan Didion Remains as Elusive as Ever. These Books Want to Fix That.

Arts & Culture, Books

Since her death, Didion has become a literary subject as popular for her image and writing as for the fascination she inspired for almost half a century.It’s still bright afternoon when the writer Lili Anolik slips into the dim recesses of the Odeon restaurant. Here, at New York’s timeless destination for downtown cool, she prefers to sit in the same place every time, a small booth by the host’s stand.Anolik orders an Earl Grey tea but furtively sips from a Pepsi she pulls from her purse. On the table: galleys of her new book, “Didion and Babitz,” out in November.Despite the split billing in Anolik’s title, the conversation quickly turns to Joan Didion.“She’s so opaque,” Anolik said. “I felt like I’ve been trying to understand her for years, but I’ve been standing outside a locked door.”Anolik isn’t the only one trying to crack open that door. “Didion and Babitz” is one of four books featuring Didion written since her death in 2021, with at least two more scheduled in the years to come. The published books include a memoir from Didion’s nephew Griffin Dunne about his family in Los Angeles; Cory Leadbeater’s memoir of his time working for Didion at the end of her life; and Evelyn McDonnell’s meditative tribute, “The World According to Joan Didion.” Next year, The New York Times’s movie critic Alissa Wilkinson’s depiction of Didion in Hollywood will be published in March.These writers, of course, bring their own gaze and interpretation of Didion, a figure whose distinctive blend of opacity and confession seems to invite dissection, speculation and projection perhaps more than any other contemporary writer. It’s not only Didion herself that these books grapple with, but the fascination she inspired and the enduring patina of cool she held onto for nearly 50 years.Lynn Nesbit, Didion’s longtime agent and now one of her three literary executors, expressed a lack of enthusiasm for the trend. “It makes me somewhat uncomfortable that so many writers are trying to understand their own lives through the prism of examining Joan’s life and her work,” Nesbit said. “Their books become so much about them, and not about her.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.