Midwest
Ohio orchestra performs at prison to bring 'hope and peace': 'Meaningful, important work'
Fifty members of an Ohio orchestra recently performed a “Patriotic Pops” program for an unexpected audience: inmates at a local prison.
The performance of June 30 was actually several years in the making, Elizabeth Brown-Ellis, executive director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra, told Fox News Digital in an email.
“The Lima Symphony Orchestra began our Healing Through Music program in 2018,” she said. “The original goal was to bring the healing power of music to people struggling with addiction and mental health.”
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The June 30 performance marked the first time a full orchestra was permitted to perform at an Ohio prison, and possibly the first time anywhere in the U.S., Brown-Ellis said.
The orchestra originally played at area hospitals and shelters. It is based in Lima, Ohio.
Shortly after the Healing Through Music program began, a chaplain at the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution (AOCI) contacted Brown-Ellis, asking that the program come to the prison as well.
The Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution is a mixed-security prison located in Lima with about 1,400 male inmates. The prison complex is “essentially two different facilities with one campus,” she said.
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Since 2018, members of the orchestra, though not the entire orchestra, “have performed dozens of times” at the facility, Brown-Ellis said.
“We started with a string quartet, but now we have hosted cello soloists, brass ensembles for the holiday and woodwind groups,” she said. “We purchased a 40-piece drum set and regularly host drumming circles in both facilities, bringing the inmates into the creative process.”
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Shortly after the Lima Symphony Orchestra began these visits to the prison, “we dreamed about bringing the entire orchestra to AOCI,” she said.
In Feb. 2020, plans were beginning to take shape for a “full-orchestra ‘Patriotic Pops’ performance” that July — but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that.
Ambitious plan is reignited
Finally, over three years later, in Oct. 2023, the Lima Symphony Orchestra and the AOCI began to discuss a performance once again. The plan was to bring 50 musicians to perform a one-hour concert, she said.
“Our sound man used equipment the prison already had, and two of the inmates ran sound with him,” she said.
“The performance was largely a repeat of our other two ‘Patriotic Pops’ programs that weekend with some notable exceptions,” she said.
The first of these was a piece of music called “Halls of Justice,” composed by a musician named Kevin Kohler, a former inmate at AOCI.
Kohler was paroled in 2021 after serving an 18-year sentence.
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“On the third anniversary of Kevin’s parole, he was able to return to AOCI as a guest to hear the premiere of his piece,” Brown-Ellis said.
The second difference was the choral accompaniment at the end of the program, she said.
The Lima Symphony Orchestra was “joined by a 100-member men’s chorus from AOCI, who sang ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ as our orchestral musicians played.”
“We want people on the outside to see us as people, too. We love music like they do. It moves us. It lifts us up.”
One of those singers, Jeff Hawkins, reflected on the experience in a statement provided by the Lima Symphony Orchestra.
“We want people on the outside to see us as people, too. We love music like they do. It moves us. It lifts us up,” he said.
Making the concert happen “was not an easy feat,” Brown-Ellis said. It required “many layers of approval” from officials at the prison and with the Ohio Department of Corrections.
“Each person had to have a background check and sign a media release form” and more, Brown-Ellis said.
“We also had to provide an inventory of everything that would enter the prison – every piece of music, every instrument and case, etc. All of this was pre-approved.”
Additionally, there were “numerous meetings to discuss rules and protocols” around the performance, and the Lima Symphony Orchestra had to comply with “very strict guidelines” regarding what could be filmed or recorded from the performance.
“It was a lot of work on our end, but I know the true efforts were with the Ohio Department of Corrections (ODC) to allow this historical event to happen,” Brown-Ellis said.
Brown-Ellis said she hopes that the Lima Symphony Orchestra will be able to return to AOCI – but that it is not up to her. “We have already begun discussing plans for next year, but the decision will be made by ODC personnel,” she said.
In the meantime, the Lima Symphony Orchestra will keep doing its smaller ensemble performances, she said.
“People often comment [on how] fortunate the inmates are that we bring music into the prison,” Brown-Ellis said.
She said she disagrees with this — saying instead, “We are the lucky ones.”
“Every single musician who has performed at AOCI, whether as part of the full-orchestra performance or the ensemble groups, has told me how this experience transformed them. It is the most meaningful and important work we have ever done,” she said.
“The musicians,” Brown-Ellis continued, “are so respectful and listen so attentively,” and the inmates “invite us into their home, they share their stories and they open their hearts to us.”
During performances, “I often look out to see the men close their eyes and allow the music to transport them to another place and time,” she said.
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“We have brought them hope and peace, and they have given us even more.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution for additional comment about the performance and any future performances.
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Milwaukee, WI
Three Milwaukee men charged in Menomonee Falls home burglary and shooting
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Authorities arrested three men in connection with a burglary in Menomonee Falls, during which a person inside a home was shot and injured.
The incident occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 18 at a residence on Weyer Farm Drive. The shooting victim, a relative staying at the home, was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Menomonee Falls police.
“No one was caught and I didn’t know if they could have somehow gotten in or been hiding out. It freaked me out and it was right over there. Too close for comfort in my eyes,” Judie Helmer, a neighbor, said.
On Oct. 3, search warrants executed in Milwaukee and Racine counties led to the arrest of three suspects from Milwaukee; Zamontae Burch, Dezmen Wilks, and Demetri Duvall-Wilks.
According to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Waukesha County Circuit Court, the men stole a 2002 red Jeep Liberty from Milwaukee just after midnight on Aug 18.
The defendants said they planned to enter vehicles in the area where “rich people leave them unlocked.”
Wilks admitted to police that they broke into about 20 vehicles in Menomonee Falls before they went into the home on Weyer Farm Drive, which the investigation revealed was unlocked.
While inside, the relative, who was sleeping on the couch in the living room, woke up and started screaming.
The complaint revealed Burch admitted to police that he shot at the person, but that he “wasn’t trying to kill him, he just wanted him to stop screaming.”
With people now in custody, neighbors are hopeful that life will go back to normal in their subdivision.
“The neighbors all get along, we have block parties, the kids are still out, this isn’t making us scared. The police have done an amazing job,” Kimberly Leidel, a neighbor, said.
Burch is charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, armed burglary as a party to a crime with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Wilks and Duvall-Wilks each face charges of armed burglary as a party to a crime and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
All three men have a cash bond set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16 at the Waukesha County Courthouse.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Minneapolis, MN
Two Rivers high school football rolls past Minneapolis Washburn behind Drew Altavilla’s three passing touchdowns
Two Rivers football players heard from co-head coaches Bruce Carpenter and Tom Orth in that order after Friday’s 42-17 victory at Minneapolis Washburn.
Carpenter calls the offense for the Warriors. He drew up a double-move dagger one play after the host Millers missed a field-goal try. Orth handles the defense, a unit that provided a well-received touchdown as well.
Both sides of the ball enjoyed highlight plays after slow starts, improving Two Rivers to 6-0 this season.
The Washburn defense tipped a ball from quarterback Drew Altavilla for an interception on Two Rivers’ opening drive. The Millers delighted their homecoming crowd by converting the turnover into a first-quarter touchdown.
A resulting 6-0 lead would not last.
Two Rivers senior Ramzi Rislove ran for a pair of short touchdowns, plays that sandwiched a defensive score — junior QJ Jones’ forced fumble, which was recovered by sophomore Thomas Becken in the end zone.
“He read it, put a good shot on the ball carrier, and we recovered it in the end zone,” Orth said. “So that was a big momentum shift. It gave us a charge. We had talked as a defense all week about improving at the takeaway battle, so it was nice to get a little offense from our defense.”
Jones and Becken served as the focus of needed improvement, Orth said.
Indianapolis, IN
Wikipedia conference comes to Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The people behind the online encyclopedia Wikipedia are in Indianapolis this weekend for a 4-day conference to share ideas and talk about how to improve the site.
IU Indianapolis is hosting Wiki Conference 2024. It drew hundreds of people from around the globe, including James Popoola, of Nigeria.
“I contribute mainly on Wikidata, and also I have some African biographies on Wikipedia,” Popoola said.
Justin Clark is the digital initiatives director at the Indiana State Library. He said many of the people who contribute to Wikipedia do so on their own free time.
“You are being a part of a community,” Clark said. “They’re a community of editors, creators, writers, and experts across many different fields who collaborate together to do this kind of work in real-time.”
Diversifying the types of articles on Wikipedia is a big focus of this year’s conference. Nearly 80% of biographies on the site are of white men.
An effort is being made to include works from people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Event organizer Dominic Byrd-McDevitt said anyone is allowed to edit or make contributions to Wikipedia as long as they follow the organization’s guidelines.
“Misinformation is one of the biggest issues Wikipedia deals with, and bias,” Byrd-McDevitt said. “When it comes to editing Wikipedia, there are a lot of policies that govern the content like neutral point of view.”
Popoola is also involved with the Wikivibrance project which encourages young people to get involved with initiatives affecting their countries. He’s looking forward to learning a lot at the conference.
“I think especially is how you can pick ideas from here and go plant it where ever you come from like taking action,” Popoola said.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett proclaimed Oct. 4 as “Wikipedia Day.” The IU Indianapolis Library received $280,000 from the Indianapolis Foundation Library Fund to improve Indiana’s digital heritage on Wikipedia.
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