Southeast

Haitian couple alleges Virginia town targeted their food truck

Published

6 months ago

February 11, 2024

Haitian couple alleges Virginia town targeted their food truck

A married couple who fled Haiti for Virginia achieved their American dream when they opened a variety market on the Eastern Shore, selling hard-to-find spices, sodas and rice to the region’s growing Haitian community.

When they added a Haitian food truck, people drove from an hour away for freshly cooked oxtail, fried plantains and marinated pork.

But Clemene Bastien and Theslet Benoir are now suing the town of Parksley, alleging that it forced their food truck to close. The couple also says a town councilman cut the mobile kitchen’s water line and screamed, “Go back to your own country!”

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“When we first opened, there were a lot of people” ordering food, Bastien said, speaking through an interpreter. “And the day after, there were a lot of people. And then … they started harassing us.”

A federal lawsuit claims the town passed a food truck ban that targeted the couple, then threatened them with fines and imprisonment when they raised concerns. They’re being represented by the Institute for Justice, a law firm that described a “string of abuses” in the historic railroad town of about 800 people.

“If Theslet and Clemene were not of Haitian descent, Parksley’s town government would not have engaged in this abusive conduct,” the lawsuit states.

Theslet Benoir and Clemene Bastien stand inside their Eben-Ezer Haitian food truck in Parksley, Virginia, on Jan. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)

The town council is pushing back through a law firm it hired, Pender & Coward, which said its own investigation found many allegations “simply not true.”

The couple failed to apply for a conditional use permit and chose to sue instead, the law firm countered. It said the council member cut an illegal sewage pipe — not a water line — after the food truck dumped grease into Parksley’s sewage system, causing damage.

The councilman had authority to do so as a public works department representative, the law firm said.

“We expect to prevail once the evidence is presented,” attorneys Anne Lahren and Richard Matthews said.

Conflicts between local governments and food trucks have played out in the U.S. for decades, often pitting the aspirations of entrepreneurial immigrants against the concerns of local officials and restaurants. Tensions can spark debates about land use, food safety and food truck owners’ rights in underserved communities.

The Parksley dispute is unfolding on a narrow peninsula of farmland and coastline between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, where the population is majority white but growing increasingly diverse.

Black and Hispanic migrant workers from Florida, Haiti and Latin America began picking fruits and vegetables in the 1950s. Many people from Haiti and Latin America now work in the coops and slaughterhouses of the expanding poultry industry, which extends north into Maryland and Delaware.

Several community members said the lawsuit unfairly maligns a town that has integrated recent immigrants into its 0.625 square miles.

Parksley has two Caribbean markets, a Haitian church and a Latin American restaurant, all of which sit near the hardware store, flower shop and iconic five & dime.

Jeff Parks, who serves on the Accomack County Board of Supervisors, said the town “has welcomed any business which operates within the rules.”

Once a transportation hub for trains and trucks that hauled away grains and produce, Parksley has lost two grocery stores, a bank and a garment factory in recent decades. Some shops on the town square sit empty.

“It’s disheartening to see a town that is so open to everyone and welcoming new businesses into its storefronts to be mischaracterized,” Parks said. “We have multiple Haitian businesses, so it wouldn’t make sense that this one was being targeted.”

Bastien and Benoir said they were singled out.

“We did everything we’re supposed to do,” Bastien said.

The couple came to the U.S. in the 2000s and received asylum after fleeing this hemisphere’s poorest nation. Benoir is a U.S. citizen, while Bastien is a permanent resident.

They initially worked in a poultry processing plant. But in 2019, the couple opened the Eben-Ezer Variety Market in Parksley.

The food truck opened in June on the store’s property after the couple passed a state health inspection and obtained a $30 business license, their lawsuit stated. But Nicholson, the councilman, allegedly complained the food truck would hurt restaurants that buy equipment from his appliance store.

Nicholson cut the water line, causing $1,300 in spoiled food, the lawsuit said, and then tried to block a food shipment and screamed: “Go back to your own country!” when Bastien confronted him.

Nicholson declined to comment.

In October, Parksley’s council passed its ban on food trucks, except for special events. Mayor Frank Russell said it wouldn’t impact the food truck until its one-year business license expired.

But Parksley’s position changed after the Institute for Justice raised concerns, the lawsuit said. The town claimed food trucks were always illegal under zoning laws and threatened fines of $250 a day and 30 days in jail for each day the food truck remained open.

The couple quickly closed the town’s only permanent food truck, which now sits empty.

“We’re waiting to see what justice we’re going to get,” Bastien said. “And then we’ll see if we reopen.”

The couple’s lawsuit is seeking compensation for $1,300 in spoiled food, financial losses and attorneys’ fees. They also want $1 in nominal damages for violations of their constitutional rights.

Food truck disputes in America date back to the 1970s, said Ginette Wessel, an architecture professor at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.

Restaurants often accuse food truck vendors of playing by their own rules, while immigrants can face perceptions they’re doing something unsanitary or illegal.

Wessel said lawsuits often end in compromise: “The (food trucks) do get restrictions, but they don’t get elimination. Or the city backs down and says, ‘OK, we can negotiate.’”

Meanwhile, the region’s Haitian community keeps growing as more people work in the poultry industry, said Thurka Sangaramoorthy, an American University anthropology professor who studies the area’s immigrant populations.

U.S. Census numbers show that 600 people identify as Haitian in Accomack County, with several thousand more on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and in lower Delaware. Sangaramoorthy said the region’s Haitian population likely numbers in the tens of thousands.

She said Parksley’s Haitian food truck provided something vital — familiar foods that remind people of their homeland — to people often working long hours.

“It’s a community that is triply marginalized for being foreign, Black and speaking Haitian Creole,” Sangaramoorthy said. “They feel like they need to keep to themselves, so it’s surprising that this couple was brave to even file a lawsuit.”

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Southeast

Visit Mississippi and experience a trip filled with history, beauty, fun

Published

5 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Visit Mississippi and experience a trip filled with history, beauty, fun

If you are traveling to Mississippi, there is no shortage of activities to take part in during your travels.

Mississippi is filled with ravishing natural beauty and museums where you can take a deeper dive into history.

In Mississippi, there is something for everyone, from scenic hikes to testing your luck at the blackjack table at one of the state’s numerous casinos.

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Use this guide as inspiration for stops to make during your trip to Mississippi.

Visit one of the state’s many museums
Head to the casino
Relax on Biloxi Beach
Visit Vicksburg National Military Park
See Windsor Ruins
Go to Longwood
Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
Take kids to Mississippi Aquarium
Go to the birthplace of Elvis Presley

Mississippi is home to many different attractions tourists enjoy, like a large aquarium and the house where Elvis Presley was born. (Getty Images)

1. Visit one of the state’s many museums

Mississippi is home to many different museums throughout the state.

One popular one to visit is the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.

The Delta Blues Museum is the state’s oldest music museum, according to its website. The museum is filled with exhibits that explore the history of blues music. Check the museum’s website to see the exhibits that will be running during your visit.

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Another museum located in Mississippi is the GRAMMY Museum. This museum can be found in Cleveland. The 28,000-square-foot museum has more than 24 exhibits that cover different music genres, from rock to hip-hop to country, according to its website.

2. Head to the casino

Mississippi has many different luxurious casinos throughout the state where you can play slot machines and table games.

One of the most popular to visit is Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. In addition to the games you can play, there are also many dining opportunities and a hotel on-site if you want to stay at the casino.

There is live entertainment at the casino, too, so be sure to check in and see who will be playing prior to your visit.

3. Relax on Biloxi Beach

Biloxi Beach is a popular tourist attraction in Mississippi.

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You can take a walk in the sand along the beach after visiting Beau Rivage Casino.

While at the beach, you can also enjoy many of the main fishing spots and grab a bite at one of the delicious seafood restaurants by the beach.

For great views of the beach 24 hours a day, stay at one of the many beachside hotels with quick access to the sandy shore.

Biloxi Beach is a great fishing spot in Mississippi. (Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images)

4. Visit Vicksburg National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park is full of Civil War history. The Vicksburg campaign was a success for the Union Army, according to History.com, and one of the longest campaigns of the Civil War.

The Vicksburg Campaign began in 1862 and continued until July 4, 1863, with the Confederate surrender, according to the National Parks Service.

Today, you can visit Vicksburg National Military Park and see the 1,325 historic monuments and markers that fill the location, according to NationalParks.org.

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You can also find a restored Union gunboat, the USS Cairo, here and the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

5. See Windsor Ruins

Not far from Port Gibson is Windsor Ruins.

This location is where the Windsor plantation once stood but was destroyed by a fire in 1890, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Today, there are 23 columns left standing.

The Windsor Ruins is a free destination you can visit on your vacation. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

You may recognize the ruins from the movies they have been featured in: “Raintree County” and “Ghost of Mississippi.”

Guests can visit the ruins during operating hours at no cost.

6. Go to Longwood

Longwood is a mansion in Natchez.

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The mansion is unique in its octagonal shape and an attraction that many tourists make time to see while they are visiting the state.

Guests can take a tour of Longwood seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the Visit Natchez website.

7. Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile scenic road that runs through three different U.S. states: Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

Take a scenic drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway during your trip to Mississippi. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

There are many places to hike or bike along the trail.

If you enjoy camping, there are numerous places to pitch a tent on the trail after a long day of hiking or driving.

8. Take kids to Mississippi Aquarium

The Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport is a great destination for kids and adults alike.

This aquarium provides hours of family fun with so much to see during your visit.

This aquarium features an alligator habitat, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, a freshwater river and a touch pool for guests to get up-close to horseshoe crabs, baby sharks and more.

For an additional cost, guests can also book special encounters with dolphins, penguins and others.

9. Go to the birthplace of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on Jan. 8, 1935.

If you are a fan of the King of Rock and Roll, stop at the two-room house where Presley was born.

When the house was originally built by his father, $180 was used to put together the home, according to Visit Mississippi.

The house is now part of the 15-acre Elvis Presley Park.

Here you can also find the “Elvis at 13” statue, a popular photo stop on the property, and Presley’s childhood church.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

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Southeast

Shark bite reported at Hilton Head Island resort is first reported shark bite of year on island

Published

12 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Shark bite reported at Hilton Head Island resort is first reported shark bite of year on island

A beachgoer is recovering after being treated for a “probable shark bite” Monday at a resort on Hilton Head Island.

Shore Beach Patrol officials told WSAV News 3 it happened shortly after noon Monday near beach marker 26 in the Sea Pines Resort.

Lifeguards claimed the beachgoer exited the water and was bleeding but had the wound under control.

Officials did not release the name or age of the female victim but confirmed to News 3 she did not need to be taken to a hospital.

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A shark apparently bit a man in the waters off Hilton Head Island, S.C., Friday, officials said. (Fox News Digital)

The area of the reported shark bite was closed for about 30 minutes until officials could make sure the area was safe and secure.

According to Shore Beach Services, this marks the first reported shark bite of the year on Hilton Head, but officials said “there was another possible shark bite early this year that wasn’t confirmed.”

The only other shark attack reported on Hilton Head Island happened in 2023.

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Beachgoers in bathing suits at Hilton Head beach

A beachgoer is recovering after what’s being called a “likely shark bite” in the waters off Hilton Head Island. (Fox News Digital)

In that incident, a shark apparently bit a 60-year-old man in the waters off Hilton Head Island.

The swimmer was reportedly bitten on the foot while in waist-deep water at the beach in Sea Pines, the Town of Hilton Head Island Government previously told Fox News Digital.

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A shark bite was reported at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island Monday. (Fox News Digital)

In 2022, there were 57 reported unprovoked shark bites on humans worldwide, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. Of those unprovoked bites, 41 occurred in the United States.

According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been 76 shark attacks reported in South Carolina since 2012.

The top 10 most dangerous beaches are all in Florida, according to Simmrin Law’s report. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, broke into the top 25. That location had 24 surf zone deaths and shark attacks and 33 hurricanes, according to Fox Tampa.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Shore Beach Services for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.

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Southeast

Riley Gaines touts Marsha Blackburn as 'fearless advocate for female athletes' in GOP senator's campaign ad

Published

19 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Riley Gaines touts Marsha Blackburn as 'fearless advocate for female athletes' in GOP senator's campaign ad

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EXCLUSIVE: Riley Gaines expressed her support for Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s re-election bid on Wednesday and appeared in a new campaign ad touting the lawmaker’s stance on women’s sports.

Gaines has been the leader in the movement to protect women’s sports since she competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the NCAA Championships in 2022. The former Kentucky Wildcats swimming star, who hosts OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, has been to Capitol Hill and college campuses to spread her message.

Riley Gaines (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK/File)

“In Tennessee, we know the difference between a man and a woman, and we know that men do not belong in women’s sports,” Gaines said in a news release obtained by Fox News Digital.

“As a fearless advocate for female athletes, Senator Blackburn will continue to ensure they are recognized for their accomplishments and protected from the left’s woke identity crisis. I’m on Team Marsha because future generations of girls depend on us to preserve the equality that generations before us fought so hard to achieve.”

In the advertisement, first seen by Fox News Digital, Gaines supports Blackburn in the fight to protect women’s spaces against “woke politics.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin/File)

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“I trained my entire life to be the best,” Gaines says in the clip. “I was one of the fastest women in the entire country. But woke politics made me swim against a man, sharing the pool and the locker room. That’s not just dangerous; it’s degrading.

“Thank God for Marsha Blackburn. No one fights harder to protect us. Marsha Blackburn will always stand for strong women because she’s one of us.”

Gaines told Fox News Digital in a separate statement that Blackburn’s political ferocity made her proud to live in Tennessee.

“Senator Blackburn has been a fierce defender of common sense, traditional values, and women,” Gaines said. “Few are as morally sound and unapologetic as she is. She makes me proud to be a Tennessean.”

Blackburn is so far running against Tres Wittum in the Republican primary, which takes place on Aug 1.

Democrat primary candidates include Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Brown, Gloria Johnson and Civil Miller-Watkins.