Governor Wolf Signs Clean Slate Bill, Calls for More Criminal Justice Reform
June 28, 2018 SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Governor Wolf Signs Clean Slate Bill, Calls for More Criminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reform, Press Release Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf was joined by Representative Sheryl Delozier, Senator Anthony Williams, Representative Jordan Harris and many stakeholder and advocacy groups for the signing of House Bill 1419, the “Clean Slate” bill. The first of its kind in the nation, the bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Delozier and Harris, Sen. Williams sponsored the Senate version of the bill.“I am proud to sign this legislation, which will make it easier for those who have interacted with the justice system to reduce the stigma they face when looking for employment and housing,” Gov. Wolf said. “Clean Slate passed in an overwhelmingly bi-partisan manner and I want to thank the General Assembly and the many advocates and stakeholders who made this possible.”“I’m honored to have authored this law, which had almost unanimous support of both Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of the General Assembly,” Delozier said. “People who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to minor misdemeanors many years ago deserve a second chance. They have shown that they have reformed their lives, and this barrier to employment and housing needs to be removed.”“With enactment of this clean slate legislation, citizens who have paid their debt to society and proven their rehabilitation can truly re-integrate into their communities, “Senator Anthony Williams said. “I look forward to welcoming these returning citizens to our workplaces and neighborhoods.”“Clean slate is another example of how we as a commonwealth can chart a new course that effectively addresses the reintegration of our neighbors into society after they have found themselves on the wrong side of the law,” Rep. Jordan Harris said. “Clean Slate will remove one of the many barriers to employment that our citizens face and hopefully assist thousands of Pennsylvanians to reenter the workforce.”This Clean Slate legislation allows for individuals to petition the courts for their records to be sealed if a person has been free from conviction for 10 years for an offense that resulted in a year or more in prison and has paid all court-ordered financial debts.Additionally, it allows automatic sealing of records for second or third-degree misdemeanor offenses that included a less than two-year prison sentence if a person has been free from convictions for 10 years, as well as sealing of criminal history records related to charges that resulted in non-convictions.The legislation does not allow for records-sealing in more serious crimes, such as firearms charges, sexual offenses, murder, kidnapping, child endangerment, and endangering the welfare of children, among other serious offenses.“This bill is the latest step in my administration’s efforts to make our commonwealth and our society safer by helping those who have offended put their lives back together,” Gov. Wolf said. “Last year, we ‘banned the box,’ removing the criminal conviction question for job applications covered by the Office of Administration, which ensured that all candidates for employment are being evaluated on their merit, and on their willingness and ability to contribute to our commonwealth.“While Clean Slate and Ban the Box are great steps to removing the stigma of low-level convictions, we also know that we need to do more to reform our criminal justice system,” Gov. Wolf said.The governor also called for passage of additional criminal justice reforms legislation to include:Justice Reinvestment Initiatives (JRI2), which seek to provide for fair sentencing, increase parole supervision and use of community-based programs, among other reforms.Bail and Pre-Trial Reforms to ensure that everyone has a right to a fair trial and that risk-assessment tools are consistent across the commonwealth.Post-Conviction Relief Act Expansion to reduce time sensitivity by increasing awareness of when rights expire so defendants can make an informed plea decision. Currently if a defendant pleads guilty, they are foreclosed from post-conviction relief; this needs to change so all defendants, regardless of plea, may attempt to prove their innocence.Probation/Parole Revocation and Resentencing to create uniformity in probation revocation procedures and ensure a correlation between risk and probation lengths, resulting in better supervision.Indigent Defense is a critical part of the system that can have a large impact on volume, cost, and human effects and is needed in Pennsylvania to ensure the independence and quality of counsel under the Sixth Amendment.Stepping Up Initiative, which was launched statewide in April 2017 and via summit in December 2017 along with a data-driven project by Dauphin County to examine its criminal justice system, with the goal of reducing the number of people who have serious mental illnesses in the county prison.
Building approval numbers continue to drop both in Queensland and nationally.The Queensland appetite for dwelling units continues to soften according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) numbers.“The trend estimate for total number of dwelling units approved in Queensland fell five per cent in December (2016) and has fallen for 11 months,” said the ABS.“The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses fell 0.1 per cent in December and has fallen for two months.”The result is in line with the national trend which saw the number of dwellings approved fall 2.5 per cent in December 2016.More from newsMould, age, not enough to stop 17 bidders fighting for this home2 hours agoBuyers ‘crazy’ not to take govt freebies, says 28-yr-old investor8 hours agoIt’s a measure that’s dropped for seven consecutive months.Queensland had the second largest retraction in approvals nationally with New South Wales dropping by 6.3 per cent.The only three states to record a rise in approvals were Tasmania (3.8 per cent), Victoria (1.5 per cent) and the Northern Territory (1.4 per cent).The falls continues for Queensland’s private housing approvals too with a drop of 0.1 per cent for the month.The figures are in line with analysis by Housing Industry Association (HIA) who considers construction numbers to have peaked in the March 2016 quarter.The HIA said although approvals have remained historically elevated overall, their forecasts predict continued falls in the sector.
WELL OVER half of the Ecu352m allocated by the European Commission under the Trans-European Networks funding programme for 1997 is being spent on rail projects.Analysis of the Ecu352m made available for 125 schemes, as notified to 14 of the 15 EU governments by Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock on July 24, shows that pure rail projects plus those with a significant rail element accounted for Ecu220m (Table I). After allowing for the non-rail element in some small multimodal studies, and a substantial road element in the Øresund link and its access routes, the rail total lies between 55% and 60%.The Commission’s White Paper on rail policy published in July 1996 stated that ‘rail’s share of the passenger market is no more than 6% and that of the freight market 16%.’ The fact that rail is getting the lion’s share of TEN funding despite this low and declining share of the transport market shows how serious the Commission is about making greater use of rail in the future. New high speed lines attract about Ecu90m of the rail total, with nearly Ecu43m going into the Köln – Frankfurt and Nürnberg – Berlin Neubaustrecken and their connecting links. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link to London also attracts strong support with Ecu24m going to London & Continental Railways for a design package.Most of the French funding is earmarked for construction of TGV Est which gets Ecu13m, but as this project is still on hold while a further review takes place, the full amount may not be spent in 1997. The new line from Amsterdam to the Belgian frontier gets serious money for design even though a start date is still uncertain.Freight supportThough harder to identify, there is robust support for the expansion of international freight within this year’s TEN funding. The most conspicuous element is Ecu10m for design of the Betuwe freight line from Rotterdam to the German frontier at Emmerich. However, the Øresund link between Sweden and Denmark – together with the Storebaelt crossing completed earlier this year – will allow several million tonnes a year currently using train ferries to move continuously on rail between Norway, Sweden and continental Europe.With the Brenner base tunnel still uncertain, Ecu9m has been allocated to the design of improvements to the present route in the lower Inn valley east of Innsbruck; this carries a heavy flow of intermodal freight including rolling motorway services between Germany and Italy.The Ecu8m provided for loading gauge and power supply enhancement between Genova and Domodossola is also aimed at improving the flow of intermodal traffic through the Alps, this time through the Simplon tunnel; work on enlarging clearances for carrying 4m high lorries on the southern approach to the Simplon tunnel began this summer. oTABLE: Table I. Trans-European Network funds for rail projects in 1997Country Project Grant Ecu000Europe European Rail Traffic Management System 9000 Øresund fixed link: coast-to-coast crossing 20000 Rail access in Denmark 5500 Rail and road access in Sweden 5000Austria Semmering base tunnel, trial bores 1300 Wels – Passau and Parndorf – Kittsee (Wien – Bratislava) upgrading 3000 Brenner, Lower Inn valley design studies 9000 Wien – St Pölten new line studies 900Belgium Zaventem airport surface access study 500Denmark Studies to speed up inter-city trains 1000Finland Turku – Helsinki – Vainikkala line improvements 3700 Nordic Triangle studies 500France TGV Est: studies and implementation 13000 TGV Sud: Perpignan – Spanish frontier study 500Germany Köln-Bonn airport: high speed rail link 2000 Stuttgart 21 through station: trial boring 3500 Study of faster routes to Polish and Czech borders 340 Köln – Rhein/Main Neubaustrecke 24950 Gr?€?bers – Leipzig and Erfurt – Arnstadt (Berlin – Nürnberg) new lines 16000Great Britain Channel Tunnel Rail Link 24000 West Coast Main Line upgrading and feasibility studies 9000 Trans-Pennine corridor study (multi-modal) 145Greece Patras to Corinth; gauge conversion study 1 000Italy Verona – Venezia: high speed and combined transport studies 3000 Venezia – Trieste improvements study 600 Venezia – Tarvisio improvements 3400 North Adriatic line upgrading 8000 Genova – Novara – Domodossola power supply and loading gauge upgrade 8100 Improved access to Verona 4000Luxembourg Traction power upgrade 1000Netherlands Antwerpen – Amsterdam new line: design studies 10000 Betuwe freight line design and technical studies 10000Portugal North line upgrading 2250 Beira Baixa line upgrading 1250Spain Madrid Barajas airport access study 1 500 Madrid – Zaragoza new line 3600 Madrid – Valladolid new line 3200 Castellon – Oropesa improvements (Mediterranean corridor) 500 Sevilla – Cadiz improvements 1000 Murcia to AVE line connections 500 Portugal – Spain – France links study 800Sweden Helsingborg – Kävlinge upgrading studies 2000 Varberg – Hamra upgrading studies 1400Total 219935
OA launches a National Business Honor Society Chapter.OLDENBURG, Ind. – Oldenburg Academy has become the first school in the state of Indiana to launch a National Business Honor Society Chapter, the school announced in a press release.New members were inducted at the first meeting in September.In order to enter the elite society, an OA junior or senior must complete or be enrolled in their third business course and have above a 3.0 overall GPA, and over a 3.5 GPA in business courses. An application is required and is reviewed based on the three pillars of the National Business Honor Society: Involvement, Leadership and Achievement.OA Business/Journalism Teacher Jonathon Maple chose to start the chapter this year, “I felt the pillars of the organization aligned perfectly with what we expect OA students to model: high levels of involvement through outstanding leadership and achievement.”The chapter has 19 juniors and seniors serving as charter members. Brooke Siefert was nominated President; Kirsten Ricke, Vice-President; Ella Lamping, Secretary; Aaron Moorman, Treasurer.The National Business Honor Society is part of the National Business Education Association.Part of the organization will be involved in service learning including promoting local business. The group will assist with the town of Oldenburg’s Holidays Under The Spires in December“This is such a great way to get students involved in planning an event and immersing them into working together on something real,” Maple states.“We definitely hit the ground running with this group – they accepted the challenge, and are such an inspiring group to work with – always willing to take on more to make this event the best it can be. I think we’ve definitely set the bar high for other National Business Honor Society groups,” Maple concluded.Anyone interested in becoming involved with the Holidays Under the Spires event can contact Maple at Oldenburg Academy.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy go into the second round of the Masters separated by just two shots, but the omens looked far better for Woods than the man he recently succeeded as world number one. Woods declared himself satisfied with an opening 70, two under par, that left him four shots behind overnight leaders Sergio Garcia and Marc Leishman, on a day when 33 players in the 93-strong field broke par. However, McIlroy was among those players who failed to finish in red figures. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland carded five birdies and five bogeys in his 72, and said afterwards: “I felt like I played well and gave myself plenty of opportunities. I just made some silly mistakes, a couple of three-putts on the back nine. I made enough birdies but I just need to cut those mistakes out and I’ll be fine.” He added: “I turned in two under par and everything felt good. That was the story of the day; any time I got a bit of momentum I gave it straight back. Around this course you really can’t do that.” Woods has started with a 70 on four previous occasions at Augusta National, going on to win in 1997, 2001 and 2002 before finishing ‘only’ sixth in 2009. 
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A pair of suspicious pressure cookers shut down the Fulton Street subway station this morning. They were reported by a 911 caller.The station was evacuated out of “an abundance of caution,” The NYPD’s Bomb Squad responded.Police and the bomb squad announced at 8:15 that the packages were not dangerous and did not contain explosives.RT CitizenApp_NYC: Pressure cookers just found at Fulton St Station, bomb squad investigating — be safe New York City. https://t.co/4HwaaPYd3J pic.twitter.com/O42ehz6zFg— kaihsing (@kaihsing) August 16, 2019 There would be an increased police presence in the area near Fulton and William streets as cops investigate.
By Mike LowePortland Press HeraldELLSWORTH — The Maine Principals’ Association on Tuesday delayed its decision on whether high school sports will be played this fall as the group awaits further guidance from state officials.MPA officials are trying to get clarification from the state on the differences between return-to-school safety guidelines from the Maine Department of Education and the community sports return-to-play guidelines established by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.This is placeholder textThis is placeholder textMPA Executive Director Mike Burnham said it would be difficult to offer a fall season under the DOE guidelines, which emphasize strict mask wearing and social distancing, but that the MPA could offer sports by following the community sports guidelines.Burnham had hoped to have a final recommendation on the fall season Tuesday but said the MPA needs to get more guidance. He said that it is possible that not all sports will be offered this fall.“At this point, we do not have a formal recommendation to make for the committee as we continue to work with those government agencies to determine what school-based sports should look like,” said Burnham. “I think I would be remiss if I didn’t say if we continue to follow the Department of Education and really centering on the use of masks as well as the physical distancing. Just two weeks ago, it was released for outdoor PE classes they recommend 14 feet for physical distancing. Our sports committees did not feel that was possible for us to adhere to with any of our athletic offerings.“I know that there have been some rumors out there that we have already made up our mind, that it was a foregone conclusion that today would be the formal vote to eliminate fall sports. … I don’t have that formal recommendation. We continue to do everything we can to try save all — if not all, at least a portion — of some of our fall programs.”Burnham said he realizes time is of the essence. Phase 4 of the MPA’s voluntary summer conditioning programming is to begin on Monday with fall tryouts scheduled for Sept. 8. Games are scheduled to begin Sept. 18.The MPA traditionally offers football, field hockey, golf, volleyball, boys’ and girls’ cross-country and boys’ and girls’ soccer in the fall season. Burnham said it is possible that some fall sports could be moved to later in the year.“We had actually kind of circled today on the calendar as the date we would make the recommendation,” said Burnham, “and I think we certainly could make a recommendation that if we’re following the guidelines that schools and superintendents are following for the return to school that our recommendation would be that we’re not able to offer those activities.“But if the recommendation from the Governor and CDC is that we follow closer to the community guidelines, then we feel that we can start putting that framework together. … I think we’re good to go, we just need to know what the expectations are for school-based sports and activities. We know that time is of the essence. We also know that Sept. 8 was not a hard line in the sand, that Sept. 8 was arrived at to give the superintendents an opportunity to get the kids back into school and figure out their plans.”
The Premier County’s 3-12 to 1-16 victory means they’ll play Waterford in the provincial decider.Although Limerick opened the scoring Tipp fought back in spectacular fashion.Michael Breen scored two goals in quick succession to put his team in control. However, the tide seemed to turn in the Treaty County’s favour when John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer was sent off for a strike on Richie English.TJ Ryan’s side got the game next three points after Tipp lost the Killenaule club man.That upward momentum for the visitors was halted when Seamus Callanan got 1-1 in quick succession and by the break the Premier led 3-5 to 0-11.Limerick’s Tom Morrissey managed to get the sliotar past Darren Gleeson in second-half stoppage time but by that stage it was too late to have any impact on the outcome of the match.This was an impressive display from Tipp, particularly when one considers they obstacles they faced.It didn’t look as though they were down a man with Cathal Barrett putting in a fine defensive performance to plug many of the gaps that could have appeared.The one down side was the dismissal of O’Dwyer, who’ll be suspended for the Munster final.
Cheerleading camp will be held in Skenderija on the 23rd of October. This is the first event under the auspices of Cheerleading Association of BiH that will be held in Bosnia, because all previous were held in Herzegovina, which is rich in cheerleading clubs.It is fascinating information that the West Herzegovina Canton has teams in all four cities, and that there is no club in Bosnia. Alliance is organizing camp in Sarajevo with the aim of developing the sport and cheerleading in Bosnia.Cheerleading was officially recognized as a sport on the 31st of May 2013, and negotiations about entering the Olympic Games are currently ongoing. Cheerleading is the most popular sport with football and the fastest growing sport in the world and it is the only sport where both boys and girls are competing.More than 200 athletes from all over the country were reported at the camp, and more is expected. Besides the members of the alliance, the camp is open for those who want to start cheerleading club and acquire basic knowledge, but also for all interested individuals.All participants in the camp will receive a diploma, and the best ones will receive gift packages.(Source: klix.ba)
Each week, the NFL announces its referee assignments for its slate of games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday. Each referee is tied to his crew of six other officials, including the umpire, line judge, side judge, back judge, field judge and down judge.MORE: Lions-Packers fiasco illustrates NFL’s officiating issuesNFL referee assignments Week 14The NFL has released its roster of referees and officials for Week 14 of the 2019 NFL season. Here are the assignments for every game.Cowboys at Bears referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeBrad Rogers3 yearsUmpireTony Michael18 yearsLine judgeJulian Mapp11 yearsSide judgeDon Willard2 yearsBack judgeGreg Steed17 yearsField judgeAaron Santi5 yearsDown judgeKent Payne16 years49ers at Saints referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeJohn Hussey18 yearsUmpireAllen Eck4 yearsLine judgeCarl Johnson16 yearsSide judgeJabir Walker5 yearsBack judgeBrad Freeman6 yearsField judgeAllen Baynes12 yearsDown judgeKevin Codey5 yearsRavens at Bills referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeShawn Smith5 yearsUmpireBryan Neale6 yearsLine judgeBart Longson5 yearsSide judgeDave Hawkshaw1 yearBack judgeDino Paganelli14 yearsField judgeDyrol Prioleau13 yearsDown judgeMark Hittner23 yearsRedskins at Packers referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeClay Martin5 yearsUmpireFred Bryan11 yearsLine judgeGary Arthur23 yearsSide judgeGreg Gautreaux18 yearsBack judgeGreg Wilson12 yearsField judgeNate Jones1 yearDown judgeJerod Phillips4 yearsColts at Buccaneers referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeAdrian Hill10 yearsUmpireRoy Ellison17 yearsLine judgeMark Stewart2 yearsSide judgeJim Quirk10 yearsBack judgeGreg Meyer18 yearsField judgeLand Clark2 yearsDown judgeDavid Oliver3 yearsLions at Vikings referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeWalt Anderson24 yearsUmpireRuben Fowler14 yearsLine judgeByron Boston25 yearsSide judgeRick Patterson24 yearsBack judgeKeith Ferguson20 yearsField judgeLee Dyer17 yearsDown judgeTom Stephan21 yearsBengals at Browns referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeCarl Cheffers20 yearsUmpireMark Pellis6 yearsLine judgeJeff Seeman18 yearsSide judgeEugene Hall6 yearsBack judgeMatt Edwards2 yearsField judgeMichael Banks18 yearsDown judgeDanny Short3 yearsBroncos at Texans referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeTony Corrente25 yearsUmpireBill Schuster20 yearsLine judgeTim Podraza12 yearsSide judgeBoris Cheek24 yearsBack judgeTodd Prukop11 yearsField judgeAnthony Jeffries2 yearsDown judgeDana McKenzie12 yearsPanthers at Falcons referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeClete Blakeman12 yearsUmpireJeff Rice25 yearsLine judgeTom Symonette16 yearsSide judgeJimmy Buchanan11 yearsBack judgePerry Paganelli22 yearsField judgeJoe Larrew18 yearsDown judgeJerry Bergman18 yearsDolphins at Jets referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeCraig Wrolstad17 yearsUmpireSteve Woods3 yearsLine judgeTripp Sutter1 yearSide judgeJeff Lamberth18 yearsBack judgeScott Helverson17 yearsField judgeTerry Brown14 yearsDown judgePatrick Turner6 yearsChargers at Jaguars referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeBill Vinovich14 yearsUmpireBruce Stritesky14 yearsLine judgeMark Perlman19 yearsSide judgeGary Cavaletto17 yearsBack judgeSteve Patrick6 yearsField judgeMearl Robinson3 yearsDown judgePhil McKinnely18 yearsChiefs at Patriots referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeJerome Boger16 yearsUmpireCarl Paganelli21 yearsLine judgeRusty Baynes10 yearsSide judgeJonah Monroe5 yearsBack judgeTony Steratore20 yearsField judgeDavid Meslow9 yearsDown judgePatrick Holt1 yearSteelers at Cardinals referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeRon Torbert20 yearsUmpireTerry Killens1 yearLine judgeMark Steinkerchner26 yearsSide judgeScott Edwards21 yearsBack judgeTony Josselyn2 yearsField judgeRyan Dickson4 yearsDown judgeSarah Thomas5 yearsTitans at Raiders referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeBrad Allen6 yearsUmpireBarry Anderson13 yearsLine judgeBrian Bolinger3 yearsSide judgeJimmy Russell1 yearBack judgeGreg Yette10 yearsField judgeSteve Zimmer23 yearsDown judgeJim Mello16 yearsSeahawks at Rams referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeShawn Hochuli6 yearsUmpirePaul King11 yearsLine judgeGreg Bradley11 yearsSide judgeJames Coleman15 yearsBack judgeRich Martinez6 yearsField judgeTom Hill21 yearsDown judgeEd Camp20 yearsGiants at Eagles referee, officialsPositionOfficialNFL experience (including 2019)RefereeScott Novak6 yearsUmpireRamon George4 yearsLine judgeWalt Coleman IV5 yearsSide judgeChad Hill2 yearsBack judgeTerrence Miles12 yearsField judgeMike Weatherford18 yearsDown judgeDerick Bowers17 yearsNFL officials assignments, responsibilitiesEach of the seven NFL officials on the field in a given NFL game have specific roles, watching different areas of the field and looking out for different kinds of penalties on a given play.Below are the responsibilities of each official, via NFL Operations.RefereeLining up 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the offensive backfield, the referee is the white-hat wearing leader of the crew who signals all penalties and is the final authority on all rulings. Below are the referee’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.Run plays: Watches nap; follows QB until action moves downfield; then follows runner to determine forward progress and position of the ball; determines first downs or if a measurement is necessary.Pass plays: Shadows QB from drop to release; drops back as the play starts and monitors offensive tackles; turns attention solely to QB as defense approaches; watches for roughing the passer; rules on intentional grounding; makes the decision whether a loose ball is a fumble or incomplete pass.Special teams: Watches for running into/roughing the kicker.UmpireLining up next to the referee 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the offensve backfield, the umpire primarily watches for holding and blocking fouls. He or she also reviews player equipment, counts offensive players on the field and marks off penalty yardage. Below are the umpire’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special teams-plays.Run plays: Watches for false starts on offensive line; watches for illegal blocks by the offense or any defensive fouls at the line of scrimmage.Pass plays: Watches for false stars on offensive line; on screens, turns attention to intended receiver to make sure he is able to run his route; watches for blocking penalties.Special teams: Watches for any penalties.Down judgeLining up on the sideline and looking directly down the line of scrimmage, the down judge directs the chain crew, informs the ref of the down and rules on sideline plays on the nearest half of the field. Below are the down judge’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.Run plays: Watches for offside or encroachment; monitors sideline; determines when/if a runner is out of bounds; marks runner’s forward progress.Pass plays: Watches nearest receiver for first seven yards of his route until he is clear the point of legal contact for defensive backs; watches for pass interference.Special teams: Watches for offside and encroachment; rules on penalties involving blockers and defenders on trick plays.Line judgeLining up on the sideline opposite the down judge and looking directly down the line of scrimmage, the line judge has similar duties without the chain crew direction. Below are the line judge’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.Run plays: Watches for offside and encroachment; watches blockers and defenders on nearest side for penalties.Pass plays: Watches for offside and encroachment on nearest side of field; follows nearest receiver for seven yards downfield; moves into offensive backfield to determine if pass is forwards or backwards; makes sure passer is behind the line of scrimmage when he throws the ball.Special teams: Stays at line of scrimmage on punts to make sure only players on the ends of the line move downfield before the kick; rules on whether the kick crosses the line of scrimmage; watches kicking team for penalties.Field judgeLining up on the same sideline as the line judge but 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield, the field judge counts defensive players and watches wide receivers/defensive backs on the nearest side of the field. Below are the field judge’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.Run plays: Watches widest receiver’s blocking and looks for illegal use of hands or holding; determines if/when a runner on nearest side of the field goes out of bounds.Pass plays: Watches widest receiver on nearest side of the field and makes sure he is able to run his route without interference; rules on whether a pass to nearest side of the field is incomplete; rules on whether a receiver is in or out of bounds when he makes a catch; watches for pass interference.Special teams: Rules on blocking during punts; lines up under goal posts to rule on whether field goals and extra points are good.Side judgeLining up on the same sideline as the down judge but 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield, the side judge backs up the clock operator, signals to the ref when time expires for each quarter and counts defensive players. Below are the side judge’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.Run plays: Watches widest receiver’s blocking and looks for illegal use of hands or holding; determines if/when a runner on nearest side of the field goes out of bounds.Pass plays: Watches widest receiver on nearest side of the field and makes sure he is able to run his route without interference; rules on whether a pass to nearest side of the field is incomplete; rules on whether a receiver is in or out of bounds when he makes a catch; watches for pass interference.Special teams: Watches punt returner and any action around him; joins umpire in defensive backfield on field goal and PAT attampts; watches for penalties along the line of scrimmage.Back judgeUsually lining up on the tight end’s side, the back judge is positioned 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield. The back judge keeps track of the play clock and all TV breaks, counts defensive players and focuses on tight ends and all the players on the end of the lines. Below are the back judge’s assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays. As always, the goal for NFL officials who are assigned to NFL games in Week 14 of the 2019 season is for observers not to care who’s assigned to what game. If nobody’s talking about the officiating, that generally means those calling the games are doing a good job.Of course, in 2019, chatter around NFL officiating has been as loud as ever, leaving referees to explain questionable calls made by their crews after most games. With the addition of pass interference to the NFL’s replay review system this year, senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron’s performance is also under the microscope. Run plays: Watches tight end for illegal blocking or defensive penalties.Pass plays: Watches tight end for illegal use of hands or defensive interference; rules on whether a receiver made a legal catch; determines who recovered a fumble.Special teams: Rules on fair catches; lines up under goal posts to rule on whether field goals and extra points are good.
Some of my daughter’s students, who’d never thought they could pursue higher education, went on to college, thanks to the encouragement that she and her fellow teachers gave to them.Some of those graduated from college and are now successful in their careers. They keep in touch with my daughter and her fellow teachers.I recall when my daughter was 4 years old and would set up her Cabbage Patch kids, classroom style, in her bedroom and would “teach” them. She’d often force her younger brother (also a graduate of Schenectady schools) to sit in her “classroom” as well. Little did I know that one day she’d earn three master’s degrees, stand in front of a classroom and inspire children to learn.Although my daughter’s not teaching now (She’s home with small children.), she’ll always be a teacher. Thank you again, Daily Gazette, for recognizing the special people who teach the children who are our future.Wanda FisherSchenectadyMore from The Daily Gazette:Schenectady’s Lucas Rodriguez forging his own path in dance, theater, musicSchenectady NAACP calls for school layoff freeze, reinstatement of positionsSchenectady High School senior class leaders look to salvage sense of normalcySchenectady, Saratoga casinos say reopening has gone well; revenue down 30%Schenectady police reform sessions pivot to online Categories: Letters to the Editor, OpinionWords cannot adequately express my appreciation for the front-page piece you ran on Dec. 17 concerning the dedication of teachers and how much “the little things,” such as a note from a student, means to them.Although I’ve never been a classroom teacher, my daughter, who’s the product of the Schenectady school system, taught middle school for 15 years, most of those in the Boston public schools. The quotes from the teacher you interviewed could have come directly from my own daughter, whose students did not come from families who could purchase Christmas gifts for her. Instead, they wrote notes or drew pictures.