Pittsburg, PA
At New Hampshire’s northern border, calls for more law enforcement to handle smugglers
Residents in northern New Hampshire are sounding the alarm about unlawful border crossings and calling for extra legislation enforcement to patrol the world.New Hampshire shares a 60-mile border with Canada. The city of Pittsburg is huge; with 291 sq. miles, it ranks ask the biggest municipality, when it comes to areas, in New England.However the city has simply 800 full-time residents.”As everybody calls it, it is God’s nation,” one resident mentioned. “It is peaceable. It is quiet.”The third-generation farmer who lives on Corridor Stream Highway mentioned he would not wish to give his identify or present his face as a result of, he mentioned, life there’s altering.”It is no extra simply having fun with nature,” he mentioned. “Now, we’re watching to ensure we aren’t going to work together or cross paths with a smuggler.”He mentioned it began final summer time with a stick within the street.”Going to work within the morning, it was there,” he mentioned. “Coming dwelling at evening, it was gone.”He mentioned he is aware of it sounds loopy, so he waited and watched. After 5 days of the repeating stick dance, he known as U.S. Customs and Border Safety. The stick turned out to be an indication for a smuggler on the U.S. aspect of the border to look within the woods for a package deal.”They caught them,” the resident mentioned. “It was three individuals. It was three or 4 baggage filled with marijuana.”Pittsburg is distant, nevertheless it’s additionally a crossroads, near Canada and Vermont. The Border Patrol headquarters in Beecher Falls, Vermont, covers 295 miles of border in Vermont, a part of New York and New Hampshire.”What we might be searching for is any indication that somebody had crossed into the U.S., so the general time period we might use is ‘signal slicing,’” mentioned Erik Lavallee, patrol agent in cost.The work could be harmful. Brokers are armed however usually alone. Cell service is spotty, and the terrain is tough.”We do have quite a lot of roads up right here which can be laborious to entry — logging roads — so the four-wheel drive is certainly important,” Lavallee mentioned.”It is not like each week, however each two or three months, there’s one thing that is occurring with medication, and it’s extremely scary to the neighborhood,” mentioned Richard Judd, chairman of the Pittsburg choose board.In a single incident, Judd mentioned, a landowner interrupted a drug handoff at his camp final summer time. The landowner refused to again down, and so did the smuggler. The interloper used his cellphone to document the landowner’s face, his truck and his license plate. “After which he known as, and we did not have any power on the time, and no one was there to assist him, and it was a scary level for him,” Judd mentioned.After a months-long emptiness, Pittsburg simply employed a part-time police chief. He is the lone member of the division. Border Patrol has cross-agent certification, so brokers can act as native legislation enforcement, however there’s one other challenge.”A lot of the Border Patrol are gone to the southern borders they usually’re down there, however they may assist us any method they’ll,” Judd mentioned.The federal company declined to substantiate staffing ranges, citing safety considerations, however Lavallee mentioned his workplace is supplying personnel to the Mexican border. He agreed that individuals could be shocked by what’s occurring on the northern border.”I believe individuals could be shocked on the general exercise, not simply drug trafficking, however human smuggling, as nicely,” he mentioned.City officers mentioned they consider simply the visibility of a Border Patrol marked car helps, however that is extra rare now.”I believe it’s extremely essential to see the Border Patrol drive by city,” Judd mentioned. “It slows all the pieces down, if nothing else. They know the presence is there.”Based on the U.S. Customs and Border Safety web site, the overwhelming majority of drug seizures on the northern border are marijuana, with almost 3,000 kilos seized in 2021.”It could be on a backpack, 50 to 100 kilos on a backpack,” Lavallee mentioned. “It could be a snowmobile towing a sled behind it. It could possibly be an ATV with a single duffle bag on the again rack.”Backpacks, snowmobiles and ATVs are hallmarks of recreation and life within the North Nation, however they now convey sinister prospects and are altering the way in which locals see their piece of paradise.”Now, we’re strolling on our property, I assume you would form of say, on eggshells,” the Pittsburg resident mentioned.
Residents in northern New Hampshire are sounding the alarm about unlawful border crossings and calling for extra legislation enforcement to patrol the world.
New Hampshire shares a 60-mile border with Canada. The city of Pittsburg is huge; with 291 sq. miles, it ranks ask the biggest municipality, when it comes to areas, in New England.
However the city has simply 800 full-time residents.
“As everybody calls it, it is God’s nation,” one resident mentioned. “It is peaceable. It is quiet.”
The third-generation farmer who lives on Corridor Stream Highway mentioned he would not wish to give his identify or present his face as a result of, he mentioned, life there’s altering.
“It is no extra simply having fun with nature,” he mentioned. “Now, we’re watching to ensure we aren’t going to work together or cross paths with a smuggler.”
He mentioned it began final summer time with a stick within the street.
“Going to work within the morning, it was there,” he mentioned. “Coming dwelling at evening, it was gone.”
He mentioned he is aware of it sounds loopy, so he waited and watched. After 5 days of the repeating stick dance, he known as U.S. Customs and Border Safety. The stick turned out to be an indication for a smuggler on the U.S. aspect of the border to look within the woods for a package deal.
“They caught them,” the resident mentioned. “It was three individuals. It was three or 4 baggage filled with marijuana.”
Pittsburg is distant, nevertheless it’s additionally a crossroads, near Canada and Vermont. The Border Patrol headquarters in Beecher Falls, Vermont, covers 295 miles of border in Vermont, a part of New York and New Hampshire.
“What we might be searching for is any indication that somebody had crossed into the U.S., so the general time period we might use is ‘signal slicing,’” mentioned Erik Lavallee, patrol agent in cost.
The work could be harmful. Brokers are armed however usually alone. Cell service is spotty, and the terrain is tough.
“We do have quite a lot of roads up right here which can be laborious to entry — logging roads — so the four-wheel drive is certainly important,” Lavallee mentioned.
“It is not like each week, however each two or three months, there’s one thing that is occurring with medication, and it’s extremely scary to the neighborhood,” mentioned Richard Judd, chairman of the Pittsburg choose board.
In a single incident, Judd mentioned, a landowner interrupted a drug handoff at his camp final summer time. The landowner refused to again down, and so did the smuggler. The interloper used his cellphone to document the landowner’s face, his truck and his license plate.
“After which he known as, and we did not have any power on the time, and no one was there to assist him, and it was a scary level for him,” Judd mentioned.
After a months-long emptiness, Pittsburg simply employed a part-time police chief. He is the lone member of the division. Border Patrol has cross-agent certification, so brokers can act as native legislation enforcement, however there’s one other challenge.
“A lot of the Border Patrol are gone to the southern borders they usually’re down there, however they may assist us any method they’ll,” Judd mentioned.
The federal company declined to substantiate staffing ranges, citing safety considerations, however Lavallee mentioned his workplace is supplying personnel to the Mexican border. He agreed that individuals could be shocked by what’s occurring on the northern border.
“I believe individuals could be shocked on the general exercise, not simply drug trafficking, however human smuggling, as nicely,” he mentioned.
City officers mentioned they consider simply the visibility of a Border Patrol marked car helps, however that is extra rare now.
“I believe it’s extremely essential to see the Border Patrol drive by city,” Judd mentioned. “It slows all the pieces down, if nothing else. They know the presence is there.”
Based on the U.S. Customs and Border Safety web site, the overwhelming majority of drug seizures on the northern border are marijuana, with almost 3,000 kilos seized in 2021.
“It could be on a backpack, 50 to 100 kilos on a backpack,” Lavallee mentioned. “It could be a snowmobile towing a sled behind it. It could possibly be an ATV with a single duffle bag on the again rack.”
Backpacks, snowmobiles and ATVs are hallmarks of recreation and life within the North Nation, however they now convey sinister prospects and are altering the way in which locals see their piece of paradise.
“Now, we’re strolling on our property, I assume you would form of say, on eggshells,” the Pittsburg resident mentioned.
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker suffers unexpected knee injury
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers veteran linebacker Tyler Matakevich suffered a knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens and would have missed practice on Sunday, the team estimated on their Sunday injury report.
Matakevich missed multiple games with a hamstring injury earlier this season but has returned and become a core part of the special teams room. If he can not play, the Steelers have inside linebacker Devin Harper on the practice squad, or they could turn to someone else, like Jonathan Ward, to encapsulate what Matakevich does on special teams.
Matakevich plays on all units, including both coverage teams. The Steelers re-signed him this offseason from the Buffalo Bills to help bolster their special teams units with the new NFL kickoff rules. He has four tackles in nine games for the team on those units.
With just four days until the Steelers face the Kansas City Chiefs, any new injuries will have a tough time healing before that game, and it seems likely that those players will have to sit or play through the injury on short rest.
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Pittsburg, PA
Texans Release Former Steelers WR
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Steven Sims is searching for a new NFL home after the Houston Texans cut ties with the 27-year-old WR and kick returner. The Texans announced the move following the elevation of another receiver to their 53-man roster for their Week 16 matchup.
This was the former Steelers receiver’s second season in Houston. In seven games as the team’s returner, he returned seven kick-offs for 195 yards but failed to find the end zone. He wasn’t factoring into then offense at all, with just one carry and three receptions through his seven weeks of action.
The Steelers are quite familiar with Sims. During the 2022 season, he became the team’s primary kick and punt returner. He also became a fixture in the offense as a slot receiver. As a receiver, he hauled in 14 receptions on 23 targets for 104 yards and zero touchdowns. He also added on 13 rushing attempts for 70 yards.
He was much more productive in the return game. The speedy receiver fielded 19 punts over 12 games with the Steelers, collecting 105 yards. On kick-offs, he had 17 attempts for 434 yards, including a season-long of 89 yards.
In his career, Sims has made a name for himself on special teams. He broke into the league with the Washington Commanders and had a sensational rookie season in 2019 as a returner. That year he had 32 return attempts and collected 819 yards, including a 91-yard return for the sole return touchdown of his five-year career.
Sims went undrafted in the NFL following his collegiate career at Kansas. With the Jayhawks, he hauled in at least 50 catches in three straight seasons. His career best came as a sophomore, when he racked up 859 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games.
It’s been a tough week for former Steelers receivers. Sims joins former star receiver Diontae Johnson in the free agent market. Johnson had recently been acquired by the rival Baltimore Ravens but lasted just a few weeks before being released.
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Pittsburg, PA
Icy roads, snow across Pittsburgh area leads to several crashes
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