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It was a year of change in Ottawa in 2024, with federal public servants required to spend more time in the office, alcohol now available in grocery stores and gas stations, and the Ottawa Senators taking the next step towards moving downtown. 2024 was also a year of tragedy in the city, including six people killed inside a Barrhaven home and the Ottawa Police Service labelling a killing as a femicide for the first time. CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top stories in Ottawa in 2024. 6 people killed, including mother and 4 children, in Barrhaven home A mother, her four children and a family acquaintance were killed in a "mass killing" at a Barrhaven home on March 6. The Ottawa Police Service says officers responded to two 9-1-1 calls from the Berrigan Drive area "reporting a suspicious incident where a male was yelling and asking people to call 9-1-1," Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs told reporters. "Officers entered the home to check on the safety of those inside, and that is where they began to discover the six victims, the youngest of which is less than three months old. The family are newcomers to Canada and are originally from Sri Lanka." The victims were identified as 35-year-old Banbaranayake Gama Walwwe Darshani Dilanthika Ekanyake and her four children: 7-year-old Inuka Wickramasinghe, 4-year-old Ashwini Wickramasinghe, 3-year-old Ranaya Wickramasinghe and two-month-old Kelly Wickramasinghe. A sixth man, 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, was also found deceased at the home. Febrio De-Zoysa, 19, is facing six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The Wickramasinghe family is pictured here in this undated image. The four young children and their mother were killed in their Ottawa home on March 6, 2024 alongside a family friend. The father was seriously injured in the attack. A 19-year-old suspect is in custody and is facing multiple counts of first-degree murder. First time the Ottawa Police Service labels a killing as a femicide The Ottawa Police Service labelled the death of a woman at a home in Ottawa's rural west end in August as a femicide, the first-time police used the term in a media release. Police say they were called to an address on Lady Slipper Way, a rural area just north of Highway 7 at about 6:40 p.m. on Aug. 25. The victim was identified as Jennifer Zabarylo, 47, of Ottawa. "In the context of police investigations, we consider this death to be a femicide, as it occurred in the context of intimate partner violence, which is one of the many forms of misogynist killings," Ottawa police said in a news release. "A femicide is generally defined as 'the killing of women and girls because of their gender' often driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women and girls or unequal power relations between women and men. Michael Zabarylo, 55, of Ottawa, has been charged with second-degree murder. Ottawa police identified the victim of a homicide on Lady Slipper Way as Jennifer Zabarylo, 47, of Ottawa. Police have labelled her death a femicide. (Facebook) In October, police classified the death of Brkti Berhe , 36, of Ottawa as a femicide. The woman died in a stabbing at Paul Landry Park on Oct. 24. Ottawa Senators, National Capital Commission reach agreement for new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats The Ottawa Senators moved one step closer to building a new home in downtown Ottawa in 2024. After more than two years of talks, the Senators and the National Capital Commission reached an agreement in principle to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats. NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum said the Senators will buy "just over 10 acres" of land to build the new arena. The Senators say it will be "years, not months, before shovels are in the ground." A rendering of what a new Ottawa Senators arena at LeBreton Flats could look like. (Capital Sports Development Inc.) Ottawa high school principal apologizes for song played during Remembrance Day assembly The principal of an Ottawa high school apologized to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service. The assembly for students and staff at Sir Robert Borden High School on Nov. 11 included the song 'Haza Salam' being played. "It has come to my attention that the inclusion of the song 'Haza Salam' in the program caused significant distress to some members of our school community," principal Aaron Hobbs said in a letter to Sir Robert Borden families. "For this, I would like to offer my apologies." 'Haza Salam' translates in English to "This is Peace." On YouTube, there are several different versions of the song 'Haza Salam', and it has become a song to oppose the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) said it was conducting a "thorough investigation into this issue to ensure it is addressed appropriately and meaningfully." Sir Robert Borden High School on Greenbank Road in Ottawa. (Google Maps) PSAC encourages federal workers to 'buy nothing' as civil servants return to the office Tens of thousands of federal public servants returned to the office more days a week in 2024. In September, the federal government introduced new rules requiring federal workers in the core public service to be in the office a minimum of three days a week, and executives to be in the office four days a week. Federal public service unions protested the new hybrid work requirements, including launching a federal court challenge. The Public Service Alliance of Canada encouraged workers to "buy nothing" at downtown Ottawa businesses as they returned to the office in September, in an apparent retaliation against downtown Ottawa businesses for the new protocols. "The needs of the downtown core shouldn't fall on the back of workers and the federal public service. How workers spend their money on in-office days will send a clear message to politicians," PSAC said in a post on Instagram. PSAC asked members to minimize spending on in-office days and buy from local businesses in their neighbourhoods. PSAC calls for downtown boycott The next day, PSAC encouraged its members to "buy local" and support neighbourhood businesses . This year, the federal government signalled it was going to cut 5,000 federal jobs through attrition. In November, the Canada Revenue Agency confirmed it was eliminating 600 temporary and contract employees by the end of the year. Alcohol in corner stores and gas stations 2024 marked the largest change to alcohol sales in Ontario in nearly a century. The Ontario government opened up the liquor market, allowing beer, wine and spirits to be sold in corner stores, gas stations and big box stores, including Costco. In September, Ontario allowed convenient stores in Ottawa and across Ontario to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. More than 180 gas stations and convenience stores in Ottawa are selling alcoholic beverages. According to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission website, five Costco stores and four Walmart locations in Ottawa were licensed to sell alcohol starting Oct. 31. Licensed stores are only allowed to sell alcohol between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. However, officials say deliveries of alcohol will only be permitted between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. The AGCO says stores permitted to open on holidays will be allowed to sell alcohol between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Beer sits in storage at the Pioneer gas station on Industrial Avenue in Ottawa in advance Sept. 5, when convenience stores and gas stations are legally able to sell alcohol in Ontario. Aug. 27, 2024. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa) Trillium Line Commuters were hoping to ride the Trillium Line in 2024, but delays have pushed the opening of the new north-south light rail transit line until Jan. 6, 2025. Line 2 will run from Bayview Station to Limebank Station, including stops at Carleton University and South Keys. Line 4 will run from South Keys to the Ottawa International Airport. OC Transpo says the new Line 2 and Line 4 will open in three phases, beginning Jan. 6 with Monday to Friday service. The three-phase approach will look like this: A Trillium Line train entering South Keys station on Dec. 16, 2024. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa) Historic solar eclipse brings breathtaking views across eastern Ontario Thousands of people gathered as a solar eclipse moved across eastern Ontario on April 8, achieving totality in several communities. More than 5,500 people were at Fort Henry in Kingston, Ont. — one of the communities in the path of totality — and many more gathered in places like Brockville and Cornwall to witness the total eclipse, despite a cloudy day. Events in Ottawa, where the eclipse was partial, still drew crowds. The partial eclipse began the moment the edge of the moon touched the edge of the sun. Totality began when the edge of the moon covered all of the sun and totality ended when the edge of the moon exposed the sun. The partial eclipse ends the moment the edge of the moon leaves the edge of the sun. While total solar eclipses occur about once every 18 months, you need to be directly along the eclipse's specific path to see the full effect. A total solar eclipse hadn't been seen in Canada since 1979. A diamond ring effect is seen during the totality phase of a total solar eclipse, in Kingston, Ont., Monday, April 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Rare cloud formations ripple the sky over Ottawa A unique cloud formation over Ottawa was the talk of social media in October. The clouds, known as asperitas clouds, are known for their distinctive formations that look like rippling waves. "The thing about these clouds is, I mean, they're beautiful to look at, but they're scientifically really compelling as well, because we don't really understand why they form," Dan Riskin, CTV Science and Technology specialist, told CTV News Ottawa. "I mean, they're kind of associated with bad weather, but they don't actually cause rain to come out. They tend to show up before a storm or after the storm, but not always. And they have this undulation to them. So, they make for beautiful images." The World Meteorological Organization added the asperitas clouds to its International Cloud Atlas in 2015. It is the latest cloud type to be added to its atlas and the first in more than 50 years. Its name comes from the Latin word for "roughness." "It looked biblical," Jody Harrison said. "We were just enjoying the rolling of them all from the west, just coming right at our place. So, it was really cool." Visiting Ottawa from Saskatchewan (land of living skies), I couldn't resist taking these photos that I'd never seen before!! (Barb McCaslin/CTV Viewer) Ottawa woman dies after battle with pancreatic cancer An Ottawa woman who raised more than $500,000 for cancer research at the Ottawa Hospital died after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Sindy Hooper passed away in September. "She did it in typical Sindy style, courageously and gracefully while surrounded by good friends. She was able to see many of our good friends over the last few days, had them reminiscing, laughing, and as always, she gently encouraged us and reminded us to make every moment count," said Jonathan Hooper, Sindy's husband in a post on her Instagram account. "There is no way I can coherently express what an incredible person, friend, wife and mother she is." Hooper was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer that spread to her lung, spine and ribs. Hooper continued to run, raising funds for pancreatic research and treatment. A fundraising campaign is underway as part of the 2025 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. An Ottawa woman who raised more than $500,000 for cancer research at the Ottawa Hospital has died after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. (Jonathan Hooper/ Instagram) Other top stories on CTVNewsOttawa.ca in 2024 Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks 10 Family Calendars And Planners That'll Help You Keep Track Of Everything In The New Year Our Guide To The Best Winter Boots You Can Get In Canada 16 Cozy Home Essentials That Cost Less Than $100 Home Our Guide To The Best Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) 14 Of The Best Home Security Devices You Can Find Online Right Now (And They've Got The Reviews To Prove It) 13 Of The Best Fidget Toys For Adults Gifts The Clock Is Ticking — Shop These 25 Last-Minute Amazon Prime Gifts Now If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 70+ Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Will Still Arrive Before Christmas If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 50 Brilliant Stocking Stuffers Will Still Arrive Before Christmas Beauty 20 Products Your Dry, Dehydrated Skin Will Thank You For Ordering 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Deals Set The Table For Less — Fable's Boxing Week Sale Is Here The Silk & Snow End Of Year Sale Is Officially On — Here's What To Add To Your Cart 50+ Of The Best Amazon Canada Boxing Day Sales, Deals, And Discounts For 2024 Ottawa Top Stories YEAR-IN-REVIEW | Top stories in Ottawa in 2024 PART 2 | Ottawa mayor speaks on Sprung structures, challenges facing the city in year-end interview OPP and Ottawa firefighters help remove vehicle wedged into Highway 417 overpass Friends, family reunite in Ottawa on Christmas Eve What's open and closed in Ottawa over the holidays Ottawa driver gets double licence suspension after allegedly going 3 times the speed limit Last minute shoppers in Ottawa wrap up Christmas wish lists Shoppers in Brockville, Ont. enjoying stress-free last-minute shopping CTVNews.ca Top Stories What is flagpoling? A new ban on the practice is starting to take effect Immigration measures announced as part of Canada's border response to president-elect Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what's known as 'flagpoling.' Hong Kong police issue arrest warrants and bounties for six activists including two Canadians Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced a fresh round of arrest warrants for six activists based overseas, with bounties set at $1 million Hong Kong dollars for information leading to their arrests. Stunning photos show lava erupting from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano One of the world's most active volcanoes spewed lava into the air for a second straight day on Tuesday. Indigenous family faced discrimination in North Bay, Ont., when they were kicked off transit bus Ontario's Human Rights Tribunal has awarded members of an Indigenous family in North Bay $15,000 each after it ruled they were victims of discrimination. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. OPP and Ottawa firefighters help remove vehicle wedged into Highway 417 overpass Ottawa firefighters and local Ontario Provincial Police officers were called to a bizarre scene Tuesday morning along Highway 417, where a driver managed to wedge his vehicle under an overpass. On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis appeals for courage to better the world Pope Francis said the story of Jesus' birth as a poor carpenter's son should instill hope that all people can make an impact on the world, as the pontiff on Tuesday led the world's Roman Catholics into Christmas. Read Trudeau's Christmas message Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his Christmas message on Tuesday. Here is his message in full. Ontario First Nation challenging selection of underground nuclear waste site in court A First Nation in northern Ontario is challenging the selection of a nearby region as the site of a deep geological repository that will hold Canada's nuclear waste, arguing in a court filing that it should have had a say in the matter as the site falls "squarely" within its territory. Atlantic Two deaths in Truro ruled homicides: RCMP Police in Nova Scotia are investigating after two deaths in Truro, N.S., over the weekend have been ruled homicides. Snow forecast through Christmas Eve for parts of the Maritimes Parts of the Maritimes that were hit by a weekend snowstorm are in for more of the white stuff this Christmas Eve. 'Can I taste it?': Rare $55,000 bottle of spirits for sale in Moncton, N.B. A rare bottle of Scotch whisky is for sale in downtown Moncton, N.B., with a price tag reading $55,000. Toronto Suspect charged in killing of senior found dead in North York driveway Toronto police have charged a suspect in the fatal shooting of a 69-year-old grandfather who was found in the driveway of a North York home earlier this month. Trudeau could stay or go. Either way, Canadians should brace for a spring election Canada appears to be barrelling toward a spring election now that the NDP is vowing to vote down the government early next year -- whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stays on or not. Norad crew waiting for Santa to fly over Canada as annual holiday track underway Departing from the North Pole while we were all sleeping, Santa Claus' journey around the world bringing presents and Christmas cheer for all of the good boys and girls who believe is underway. Montreal Snowfall means a white Christmas, but also traffic woes across southern Quebec roads A heavy snowfall has guaranteed much of Quebec a white Christmas, but it has also sent cars skidding off the province's roads during the busy holiday travel period. Montreal homeless centres lacking for space during cold snap Despite a cold snap, some Montreal homeless centres are being forced to turn people away as beds fill up. Warmer temperatures mean fewer Montreal ice rinks open for Christmas With climate change meaning warmer winter temperatures, fewer outdoor Montreal ice rinks are opening by the end of December. Northern Ontario Indigenous family faced discrimination in North Bay, Ont., when they were kicked off transit bus Ontario's Human Rights Tribunal has awarded members of an Indigenous family in North Bay $15,000 each after it ruled they were victims of discrimination. Norad crew waiting for Santa to fly over Canada as annual holiday track underway Departing from the North Pole while we were all sleeping, Santa Claus' journey around the world bringing presents and Christmas cheer for all of the good boys and girls who believe is underway. Dismiss Trump taunts, expert says after 'churlish' social media posts about Canada U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and those in his corner continue to send out strong messages about Canada. Windsor Mother daughter duo pursuing university dreams at the same time For one University of Windsor student, what is typically a chance to gain independence from her parents has become a chance to spend more time with her biggest cheerleader — her mom. 'We may have to look at other sensible locations': Where will Windsor’s new H4 be located? The search for a site to house Windsor’s new Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) is back underway after the city scrapped plans at 700 Wellington Avenue on Monday. Sandwich Street officially opens after six months of construction A more than 2-kilometre stretch of Sandwich Street near the University of Windsor had been under construction since mid-June. London Palace Theatre boarded up over the holidays due to recent damage A break in, theft, and continued property damage has led to the boarding up of the Palace Theatre over the Christmas holidays. Knights stars ready to help Canada chase gold at World Juniors Three London Knights are on the roster, including Easton Cowan, who scored a hat-trick in Canada’s first exhibition game. London fire responds to Wellington Road collision, contains fuel leak London Fire Department was on the scene of a two vehicle collision involving a delivery truck on Tuesday morning. Kitchener Why holiday shopping may feel a little different this year At around 11 a.m. Tuesday at Kitchener’s Fairview Park Mall, there were plenty of parking spots available. It’s a sign that maybe this year, the rush for last minute gifts is no more. How to stay safe during the holiday season As fun festivities begin, the Canadian government, SickKids and fire departments in the Waterloo Region are reminding families of the higher safety risks during the holiday season. What’s open and what’s closed over the holidays A detailed guide to what’s open and closed between Dec. 24 and New Year's Day. Barrie Here's when Santa is coming down your chimney, live tracking underway in Simcoe County The spirit of Christmas is in the air as Santa Claus begins his lasting journey to deliver presents to children around the region. Help this missing pup make it home for Christmas The Ontario SPCA in Barrie needs your help bringing this handsome pup home to his family before Christmas. Last minute shoppers braced for chaos but found calm on Christmas Eve Many shoppers were out on Christmas Eve, and while the rush was expected to be chaotic, many found the day surprisingly manageable. Winnipeg 'They gambled with trees': Cutting down trees resumes in Lemay Forest The next chapter of the Lemay Forest saga has unfolded as the sounds of trees coming down could be heard Monday. One person dead, another injured following Monday night house fire One person has died and another is in unstable condition following a house fire Monday evening. Winnipeg police investigating string of packages being stolen The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating a string of package thefts in the Transcona area. Calgary Speed, alcohol possible factors in Glenmore Trail crash that left man, 18, dead: police Speed and alcohol are possible factors in a fatal crash on Glenmore Trail on Monday night, according to police. Person in critical condition after downtown Calgary fire A person was sent to hospital in life-threatening condition after a fire in downtown Calgary on Tuesday morning. Skier seriously injured in avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C. A skier was seriously injured after an avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C., over the weekend. Edmonton Edmonton apartment building boarded up after evacuation order from the city An Edmonton apartment building that was evacuated for safety reasons on Monday now sits boarded up. Panthers' Hubbard among NFL's elite running backs as he joins exclusive Canadian club Chuba Hubbard has reached 1,000 yards rushing this NFL campaign, joining a handful of others near the top of the league stats sheet, but also to become just the second Canadian to reach the mark in a season. 1 charged after van stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Monday One person has been arrested after a van was stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Monday. Regina Sask. RCMP still searching for man suspected of small-town break-ins spanning years A man suspected of breaking into offices and small businesses across Saskatchewan over the past number of years has struck again – according to RCMP. Tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle in Sask. this holiday season The City of Regina is urging residents to recycle their holiday waste responsibly. 'A nice way to connect': Christmas card exchange between Sask. friends spans 60 years What started out as a little holiday fun between two Regina friends has turned into a tradition that now spans six decades. Saskatoon 'People prop the doors open': Saskatoon resident concerned as people shelter in her stairwell With the number of homeless people in Saskatoon at an unprecedented high, it’s no surprise people are looking for places to warm up. A separate Ukrainian Christmas may be a thing of the past There might be more households than usual celebrating this Christmas Eve, as many Ukrainians around the world are opting to abandon the orthodox calendar. Lloydminster man killed in Christmas Eve highway crash: RCMP A 24-year-old Lloydminster man was killed Tuesday after his pickup truck collided with a semi. Vancouver DEVELOPING | Several Christmas Day ferries between Tsawwassen, Victoria cancelled – and others are 'at risk' The stormy weather in the forecast for B.C.'s South Coast is already disrupting many Christmas Day travel plans. Rappelling RCMP members bring Christmas magic to B.C.’s Ronald McDonald house Children at the Ronald McDonald House at BC Children’s Hospital were paid a surprise visit from a number of nimble guests on Friday, sent from none other than the jolly old man himself. Striking janitors at Vancouver airport reach tentative deal, cancel escalation Escalating job action from striking janitors at the Vancouver International Airport was called off on Christmas Eve after the workers and their employer reached a tentative agreement. Vancouver Island Ripe avalanche conditions for parts of B.C. expected to persist this week A forecaster says ripe avalanche conditions are expected to persist across much of British Columbia for the rest of the week. Woman struck by vehicle dies in Burnaby, B.C. A 24-year-old woman who was struck by a vehicle last week in Burnaby, B.C., has died. Homicide victim identified as 36-year-old man from Langley, B.C. Homicide investigators are identifying the victim of a suspected murder last year in Langley, B.C. Kelowna Forfeited Hells Angels clubhouse in Kelowna, B.C., sold to the city A former Hells Angels clubhouse that was seized by the British Columbia government in 2023 after years of fighting in court has been sold to the City of Kelowna. Death of woman found in Kelowna's Waterfront Park in June deemed 'non-criminal in nature': RCMP Police in Kelowna say a death they began investigating back in June has now been confirmed as "non-criminal in nature." B.C. man sentenced for 'execution-style' murder of bystander in drug trade conflict A B.C. man convicted of the "intentional and ruthless killing of a bystander" while acting as an enforcer in the drug trade has been sentenced for a second time in the slaying. Stay ConnectedAtiku, Kwankwaso, others knock Tinubu over continued borrowing

CEO’s Murder Draws Disturbing Praise, Stoking Insurer Fear of CopycatsPotter scores 19 as Miami (OH) knocks off Sacred Heart 94-76AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:16 p.m. EST

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OAKLAND — For Cecilia Schonian, one of the hardest parts of living in her car was simply finding a place to park. She learned to avoid malls and shopping centers, where security guards quickly rousted alleged loiterers. Instead, she sought out the well-lit parking lots of hotels and motels across the East Bay. Once there, she’d peer out of her windows with a dash of envy at people sleeping indoors just feet away. “It’s depressing — you know that whoever is sleeping in those rooms are comfy, they’re showered and they’re clean,” Schonian said. “But it was just what I needed to do at the time. And I got through it.” The turning point came when Schonian, 37, walked through the front doors of Swords to Plowshares , an organization with 50 years of experience helping homeless and impoverished military veterans such as herself. Nearly a year after first visiting the nonprofit, she now lives in her own apartment and works at the front desk of the organization’s Oakland Service Center. Through the East Bay Times’ Share the Spirit campaign, which helps the neediest in our communities, Swords to Plowshares is hoping to raise $35,000 to help boost that center, which provides a wealth of services for military veterans. It’s the same place that Schonian visited in October 2023, after finding the nonprofit through a simple Google search. After tapping out the words “rental assistance for veterans around me,” she followed one of the first links to appear on her phone to discover the organization’s drop-in center located in Oakland’s Jack London Square. Upon her arrival, Schonian felt near-immediate relief. She could tell that the years of turmoil that plagued the past decade of her life — her struggles with homelessness, unemployment and alcoholism — were nearing an end. “It just felt like I was at home,” said Schonian, who served for five years in the Air Force as an active-duty airman, as well as another two years in the Air Force Reserves, before leaving the service with untreated post-traumatic stress. “I had people that understood me and cared about me, that weren’t going to judge me off of whatever was happening in my life at that time.” Swords to Plowshares traces its roots back to 1974, when Vietnam War veterans in San Francisco began searching for a way to help their fellow soldiers struggling with high rates of unemployment, homelessness and substance abuse. Their initial answer came in the form of a drop-in center, one specializing in providing legal support to people filing medical claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Over the next 50 years, the nonprofit expanded its services exponentially. Just last year, the nonprofit helped more than 3,100 military veterans, more than a third of whom were new to the organization, according to its 2023 annual report. Nearly 45% of those people had been homeless when they sought help, having spent an average of more than three years without a permanent indoor place to live. Many of those people were placed into one of the nonprofit’s 500 housing units that it operates across the Bay Area, while others were offered rental assistance. The nonprofit also helped connect veterans to mental health care, doled out more than 100,000 meals and distributed nearly 1,000 gun locks to help stem the tide of suicides among former military service members. “A lot of this growth is based on the needs of veterans and seeing what the gaps in care and services are, and making sure that there was the entity that was culturally able to provide the care and services that veterans needed and to advocate on their behalf,” Tramecia Garner, the nonprofit’s executive director, said. About 20 years ago, the nonprofit expanded its work across the Bay Bridge into the East Bay, where it opened a center at 330 Franklin St. in downtown Oakland. It’s an outlet that helps about 500 East Bay veterans every year with housing vouchers, food handouts, gas vouchers, hygiene kits and holiday backpacks. These days, Schonian is tasked with greeting most every person to walk through the center’s front doors. On a recent Thursday afternoon, Schonian handed out gourmet turkey breast sandwiches from Salt & Honey to a handful of visitors, then she sat down to enroll a man in a popular supportive housing program. She didn’t even try to convince the man to go to a crowded shelter — a place that he flat-out refused to visit. Rather, Schonian convinced him to apply for an apartment of his own. All the while, Schonian spoke with an air of credibility that newcomers to the nonprofit respond to, said James Thomas, 80. He described routinely visiting the nonprofit over the past decade for help with paying rent, keeping his wardrobe stocked or meeting the month’s bills. “You can feel that she’s caring about the individuals she’s talking to,” said Thomas, who stopped by this time for help with his water bill. “Her emotions come from the heart.” For Schonian, the goal is to help other military veterans escape that same cycle of homelessness that led her to the nonprofit’s front doors last year. “I was meant to go through everything that I went through for a reason,” Schonian said. “Now I get to celebrate those victories with them.” THE SHARE THE SPIRIT SERIES Share the Spirit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by the East Bay Times, The Mercury News and Bay Area News Group that provides relief, hope and opportunities for East Bay residents by raising money for nonprofit programs in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. WISH Donations will support Swords to Plowshares ’ Oakland Service Center, which provides direct services for 500 East Bay veterans annually. Funding will help meet 100 veterans’ basic needs by providing emergency housing, food and gas vouchers, hygiene kits, and holiday backpacks. Goal: $35,000 HOW TO GIVE Go to sharethespiriteastbay.org/donate or print and mail in this form . LEARN MORE Find additional stories at sharethespiriteastbay.org .

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Police in Peterborough, Ont., say advances in DNA technology have led to a breakthrough in a cold case that began decades ago with the grisly discovery of a human skull in a river. Now they're asking the public for help solving the historical homicide of a man named Gerald Durocher who was known to frequent the Ottawa area. The partially intact skull, along with several vertebrae, was discovered by recreational divers on July 10, 1988, in the Otonabee River about 40 metres from shore, according to Det.-Sgt. Josh McGrath. Despite extensive air and underwater searches, the rest of the remains were never found and the victim's identity remained unknown for years, the detective explained. "It's always remained a true mystery," said McGrath. The 'Ontonabee River Man' Then, in 2021, police started working with a Texas-based company called Othram, which bills itself online as a business that combines laboratory science and software to "break through previously impenetrable forensic DNA barriers." Police said they managed to build a DNA profile which helped identify potential relatives of the person who at that point was known only as the "Ontonabee River Man." Testing carried out by the Forensic Pathology Service then confirmed his identity as Durocher, who was 38 at the time of his death. Investigators say Gerald Durocher had ties across Ontario and in B.C., but was known to frequent the Ottawa area. (Peterborough Police Service) "It is an amazing step," said McGrath, adding it's only the first step in a long investigation to come. Nearly four decades after Durocher's death, McGrath said he and other investigators are trying to piece together "who Gerald was, where he was associated to, the people that he knew, and really the circumstances that led to his death." Many of those who knew Durocher have since died, and even some of the places he was known to frequent don't exist anymore. That includes the Vendome Hotel that used to stand near Somerset and Rochester streets in Ottawa, described by investigators as a "common watering hole" for Durocher. McGrath said the disappearance of such locations that could otherwise have generated leads in the case has been a hurdle. "That's really proven difficult," he said. Police say the Vendome Hotel in Ottawa was a common hangout for Durocher. The hotel no longer exists. (Peterborough Police Service) Seeking closure for the family Photos of Durocher shared by investigators show a man with long dark hair and a beard. Police said the victim appears to have lived a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. He had contacts across Ontario and in the B.C. Interior, including around the city of Quesnel. However his "home" at the time of his death was the Ottawa area, where his family and partner at the time also lived. McGrath said police have theories about why Durocher moved around so much, but they're continuing to find out more about him. Investigators are also trying to determine how his skull ended up in the river, and where the rest of his remains might be. "It is a small win," McGrath said of the positive identification. "But ... it's bittersweet, because now we have a family that we're concerned about and that we want to bring some closure to." The detective said police in Peterborough never forgot the shocking case of the skull in the river. They're asking anyone with information about Durocher or his death — even small details — to contact them. Peterborough-Northumberland Crime Stoppers is also offering a $5,000 reward for any tips that lead to an arrest.

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns (12-2) play the No. 10 Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2) in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET, and Texas is a 13.5-point favorite. If you are in the market for Longhorns vs. Sun Devils tickets, information is available below. Texas vs. Arizona State game info How to buy Texas vs. Arizona State tickets You can purchase tickets to see the Longhorns square off against the Sun Devils from multiple providers. Texas vs. Arizona State betting odds, lines, spreads Odds courtesy of BetMGM Texas Longhorns schedule Texas Longhorns stats Arizona State Sun Devils schedule Arizona State Sun Devils stats This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Driving a feed truck on a farm means steering a 60,000-pound vehicle inches away from a concrete feed trough that would wreck the truck. While augers are shoveling food out of the truck to the hungry cattle below, drivers have to drive perfectly straight. “It’s just one of the most demanding jobs in one of the worst environments out there,” said Jacob Hansen, the CEO of ALA Engineering. “And so food truck drivers, specifically, do not stick around very long.” Jacob Hansen, CEO of ALA Engineering, explains how the company’s automated feed truck works during the Nebraska Ag Expo on Dec. 12 at Sandhills Global Event Center. ALA Engineering, a startup based in Scottsbluff that also has an office at Nebraska Innovation Campus, hopes to change the livestock industry with driverless technology. The company showed off its concept for a driverless feed truck at the Nebraska Ag Expo in Lincoln earlier this month. Hansen said the truck could help farmers deal with labor shortages and food costs. 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Meet the powerful rancher seemingly inspiring the 'Yellowstone' legend Empty stands, shaky funds and a pickpocket: How Nebraska's last NYC trip became legendary The ALA Navigator is still being developed, but the company brought its technology attached to a normal feed truck to the Ag Expo. ALA Engineering’s driverless feed truck aims to help farmers who have to drive large trucks with precision to feed cattle. Once the truck is on the market, it would drive a predetermined route with lane limits. The truck will also have sensors in order to see any obstacles on the road ahead while it is dumping feed. Hansen, who studied software engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the predetermined routes that will be used by the truck means that autonomous vehicles in agricultural settings are safer than a driverless car in city traffic. “When larger robotaxi companies and stuff make big public mistakes, it shines negatively on the autonomy industry as a whole,” Hansen said. “And it’s worth knowing that agricultural and industrial and off-highway autonomy is a lot different than kind of urban autonomy, especially when it comes to safety.” Although the company’s trucks may be less likely to crash, there are still big stakes. “If you plant a week late it’s a big deal,” Hansen said. “If you don’t feed cattle for a week, it’s the end of the world.” The engineering company is building multiple different sensors into the truck so that it can operate day after day in whatever weather conditions a state like Nebraska might throw at it. The backup sensors even have backups. Asher Khor, the senior embedded engineer for the company and a UNL graduate, said the truck can be accurate within less than an inch. Asher Khor (left), the senior embedded engineer for ALA Engineering, shows off the company’s automated feed truck at the Nebraska Ag Expo on Dec. 12 at Sandhills Global Event Center. “If you’re a few inches off, you will hit the bunk,” Khor said. “They’re major vehicles and so we need really, really precise accuracy of the vehicle.” The truck is meant to solve problems like inaccuracies in food distribution and crashes. Hansen also said the agriculture industry as a whole has experienced labor shortages. The average farmer was unable to hire 21% of the workforce they would have hired under normal circumstances, according to a 2022 National Council of Agricultural Employers survey. The vehicle is set to go into production in 2026, Hansen said. Before then, the company will work on commercial pilot programs and complying with different regulations. The truck will be ALA Engineering’s first product. Hansen said the company had built a driver-assistance program but decided to keep engineers working in research and development, building toward the end goal of an autonomous vehicle. The startup’s goal isn’t to replace all of a farmer’s trucks or employees, Hansen said. He said good employees are often more useful elsewhere in a stockyard. “As your oldest truck ages out of your fleet, bring in one of ours,” Hansen said. “As you lose an employee, or you have an unfilled position, bring in one of our trucks.” 15 things invented in Nebraska Round baler The invention of the round baler is credited to the Luebben family of Sutton, with the patent issued in the early 1900s. This advertisement of Ummo Luebben circulated in 1909 and mentions a Beatrice manufacturer of the invention. Car rentals Appropriately located in a former horse stable, the Ford Livery Company at 1314 Howard Street was America's first car rental company, dreamed up in 1916 by Joe Saunders. He and his brothers expanded their company, later renamed Saunders Drive It Yourself System, to 56 cities by 1926. They sold to Avis in 1955. 911 Cary Steele checks one of his seven computer monitors while taking a 911 call in 2014 at the Lincoln Emergency Communications Center. Although the system was first used in Alabama, Lincoln is credited as the home of the 911 system's invention. Eskimo Pie Inspiration for the chocolate-coated ice cream bar came from a candy store in Onawa, Iowa, in 1920. But it wasn’t until owner and creator Christian Kent Nelson took his invention to a Nebraska chocolatier named Russell Stover that the Eskimo Pie went into mass production. Many variations of the delicious treat are available in grocery and convenience stores worldwide. Railroad engineer invented the ski lift -- in Nebraska Union Pacific Railroad mechanical engineering employees determine a comfortable speed at which the world's first ski chairlift should operate during a test at the railroad's Omaha railcar and locomotive repair shop complex in the summer of 1936. The next time you sit on a ski lift on the way to the top of a mountain, think of bananas and the Union Pacific Railroad. Credit them with the modern-day chairlift system used by ski resorts around the globe. Seventy-five years ago, Jim Curran, a structural engineer with U.P., came up with the idea of adapting a system used to load bunches of bananas onto boats into one to move people up steep, snow-covered slopes. His design called for replacing the hooks for bananas with chairs for skiers to sit on while wearing skis. The chairs would be suspended from a single cable running overhead. Curran's idea was so out of the box for its day that his co-workers thought it was too dangerous and his boss tried to shelve it. Fortunately, Charlie Proctor, a consultant brought in by the railroad to help plan the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho, saw Curran's design, which he had slipped in with some approved designs, and thought otherwise. Proctor, a famous skier from Dartmouth College, convinced the railroad's top management to allow Curran to make his idea a reality. This winter ski season, the Union Pacific and Sun Valley Resort are marking the 75th anniversary of the world's first chairlift operation, which was invented not in the mountains but in the flatlands of Nebraska in Omaha. "From our side ... it's kind of unusual that a railroad would invent a chairlift," U.P. spokesman Mark Davis said. The railroad did so to serve a need, "and it turned out to be groundbreaking for the skiing industry," he said. During the 1930s, Union Pacific Chairman W.A. Harriman saw Americans beginning to embrace winter sports and knew his railroad operated through some of the most scenic and mountainous territory in the western United States, according to the railroad's history. Harriman's vision: Develop a world-class winter sports resort served by the Union Pacific. Other railroads were thinking the same way. Harriman enlisted Austrian sportsman Count Felix Schaffgotsch to find land for such a resort. In winter 1935, the count came across the area that would become the world-famous Sun Valley Resort in south-central Idaho, about 100 miles northeast of Boise. "Among the many attractive spots I have visited, this (location) combines more delightful features than any place I have seen in the United States, Switzerland or Austria, for a winter sports resort," Schaffgotsch wrote to Harriman. Based on Schaffgotsch's recommendation, the railroad bought 4,300 acres adjacent to the Sawtooth Mountain National Forest. The Sawtooth Mountains, running east and west, would protect the future resort from northern winds. The mountains also surrounded a small basin, with hills and slopes largely free of timber. Snowfall and sunshine were abundant. And natural hot springs would provide outdoor swimming year-round. Schaffgotsch had found the perfect spot for a winter sports resort. Construction of the ski lodge and other facilities began in April 1936. Meanwhile, nearly 1,200 miles away in Omaha, members of the railroad's engineering department were investigating ways to transport skiers up slopes, including by rope tows, J-bars and cable cars. But those designs were put aside after Curran's chairlift idea was championed by Proctor. Soon prototypes of the lift were being built and tested at the railroad's locomotive and railroad car repair shops, on land that is now home to the Qwest Center Omaha and the new downtown baseball stadium. To help determine how fast a chairlift should travel up a mountainside, engineers attached one to the side of a truck for tests. Because it was summer and relatively flat in Omaha, engineers wore roller skates to simulate skis running over snow. Their conclusion: 4 to 5 mph would be a comfortable speed to pick up and drop off skiers. It's the summer of 1936, in Omaha, as the world's first snow ski chairlift is ready for a round of testing to determine a comfortable speed for snow skiers to get on and off the lift. The world's first two first snow ski chairlifts were debuted by Union Pacific Railroad at the opening of its Sun Valley, Idaho ski resort in December 1936. (Courtesy Union Pacific Railroad) When Union Pacific opened the Sun Valley resort on Dec. 21, 1936, the world's first two chairlifts went into operation. As with anything new, it took skiers awhile to get used to the newfangled invention that changed the sport forever. The railroad sold the Sun Valley Resort in 1964. Frozen TV dinners In 1896, 17-year-old Carl A. Swanson borrowed enough money from his sisters to travel from his native Sweden to Omaha. Without knowing a word of English, he began working on a farm near Wahoo, then moved to Omaha, where he continued studying English, business and accounting. While working in a grocery store, he met John Hjerpe, who sold produce for farmers on a commission, and in 1898 went to work for him. After saving $125, Swanson put his nest egg into a partnership with Hjerpe and Frank Ellison for a net capital of $456. Although the enterprise was intended to be called the Hjerpe Commission Co., the sign painter accidentally eliminated a letter and the firm was spelled Jerpe from that day forward. In 1905, the partnership became a corporation with $10,000 in capital and within a decade moved from a commission firm to paying cash for all purchases. With Ellison's death at the beginning of World War I, the corporation assumed his stock and began moving seriously into butter production and, a short time later, into poultry in general. Swanson bought out Hjerpe's interest in 1928 but retained the name Jerpe. About 1923, Clarence Birdseye developed fast-freezing as a method of not only preserving food but also retaining fresh flavor, which had not worked well with conventional freezing. As the Depression lessened, Jerpe Co. became a distributor for Birdseye, which was purchased by General Foods and inexplicably named Birds Eye. By the beginning of World War II, Jerpe's had grown to the point where Swanson was known as the "Butter King," one of the four largest creameries in the United States. During the war, production again was diverted, with the firm becoming one of the largest suppliers of poultry, eggs and powdered eggs to the military. At the end of the war, the firm's name was changed to C.A. Swanson & Sons, its major brands being called "Swanson Ever Fresh." With Carl Swanson's death in 1949, management was assumed by sons Gilbert and Clarke, who had been apprenticing for the position for some time. A year later, after considerable experimentation with crust recipes, the company introduced a frozen chicken pot pie using some of Birdseye's techniques. Although some of the story of frozen dinners may be apocryphal, it is simply too good not to repeat. Two ill-fated versions of the idea, the Frigi-Dinner and One-Eye Eskimo, already had been attempted. Then an overpurchase of 500,000 pounds —-- 10 refrigerated boxcars -- of turkeys— sent the Swansons scrambling for a solution. One of the less probable versions of the incident said that the only way the boxcar refrigeration worked was when the cars were in motion, which necessitated their constant movement from Omaha to the east, then back. Back in Omaha, Gerry Thomas discarded the previous metal trays and perfected an aluminum compartmentalized container with turkey, cornbread dressing and peas, which could be retailed for 98 cents. Because the box design resembled a rectangular television screen, the product was dubbed the TV Dinner. Unsure of the salability, 5,000 were produced and instantly sold in the first year, 1952. The second year, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce were added and an astounding 10,000,000 were sold. Not resting on the success of the TV Dinner, 1953 also saw the Swansons as one of the nation's largest margarine producers. Despite their success in butter and margarine, both products were discontinued in 1954 to allow the company to concentrate on its main items of canned chicken fricassee, boned chicken and turkey, frozen chickens, drumsticks, chicken pot pies and TV Dinners. In April 1955, Swanson merged its more than 4,000 employees and 20 plants with the Campbell Soup Co., which ultimately dropped the famous TV Dinner label, thinking it limited their market. Still generically thought of as TV dinners, the frozen dinner joins butter brickle ice cream, raisin bran and maybe even the Reuben sandwich as an Omaha original. Historian Jim McKee, who still writes with a fountain pen, invites comments or questions. Write in care of the Journal Star or e-mail jim@leebooksellers.com . SAFER barrier a key player in motorsports safety Dean Sicking of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility examines a SAFER barrier on display at the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011. (ROBERT BECKER/Lincoln Journal Star) Don't turn until you know where to turn. Mac Demere watched the car in front of him lose control and veer left toward the inside of the track. He tried to anticipate the car's next move, not wanting to turn until he knew where the other car was headed next. Don't turn until you know where to turn. He finally swerved far to the track's outside. But as the other car regained traction, it veered sharply to the right, directly toward Demere, and Demere's car smashed into its right side. "I can't tell you what caused him to lose control," Demere said of the 1983 crash at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York. "It happens so fast." Demere, now 57, walked away from that crash, but the other driver suffered a broken ankle. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you crash, said Demere, a former racer from South Carolina and longtime motorsports journalist. That certainly seemed to be the lesson at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway a week ago when 15 cars crashed, killing two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon. He was the first IndyCar driver to die on a track since Paul Dana was killed during a practice run at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2006. On Oct. 16, two cars went airborne -- Wheldon's and Will Power's. Wheldon hit a catch fence built to protect spectators from crash debris. He died later at a hospital of head injuries. Power hit a barrier designed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. He walked away. The tragically different fates of Wheldon and Power have raised concerns about the catch fence at NASCAR and IndyCar tracks and have highlighted the safety performance of the UNL-designed SAFER barrier. Dean Sicking, director of the safety facility at UNL, said the SAFER -- or Steel and Foam Energy Reduction -- barriers now are in place at all NASCAR and IndyCar tracks. There have been no fatalities involving crashes into those barriers since 2004, when all of the barriers were fully installed at NASCAR tracks. Before those barriers were installed, 1 to 1.5 drivers died each year at NASCAR tracks alone, Sicking said. In an especially cruel span of 10 months in 2000 and 2001, NASCAR crashes claimed the lives of budding stars Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr. and Tony Roper, and one of the sport's legends, Dale Earnhardt. The trapezoidal barriers designed at UNL are made of insulation foam that is waterproof and effective at absorbing the impact of cars going well over 100 mph, Sicking said. Steel tubes serve as a barrier between the foam blocks and track. The SAFER barriers protect drivers from the unforgiving nature of concrete walls. Sicking -- whose office is decorated with a photo of him shaking hands with former President George W. Bush, as well as numerous awards -- related the story of how the UNL center got the contract to design the barriers. In 1998, Tony George, the longtime former IndyCar president and Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO, wanted a new racetrack barrier. The concrete barriers simply weren't good enough. IndyCar designers had developed a new barrier made of sheets of plastic, but it broke into 50- to 100-pound chunks that littered the speedway when hit too hard. George asked the UNL center to improve the design. "He said, ‘Can you fix this?'" Sicking said. "We never admit we can't do something." Initially, Sicking wasn't convinced it would be worth the extra effort. Then his assistant director, Ron Faller, convinced him it would drive the UNL center to find new solutions to road safety and new materials with which to build them. Sicking agreed and asked George for $1 million. "He said, ‘When can you start?'" It didn't take the UNL center long to figure out the IndyCar plastic barrier would never perform as well as foam, and Sicking worked to convince a skeptical George. Finally, George relented. In 2002, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway installed the SAFER barriers, and, seeing how well they performed, NASCAR CEO Bill France Sr. ordered them installed at all NASCAR speedways by the end of 2004 at a cost of $100 million. The UNL center oversaw installation. "No one can ever put it in right," Sicking said, laughing. The barrier has earned the UNL center numerous awards, including the prestigious 2002 Louis Schwitzer Award, presented in conjunction with the Indianapolis 500. IndyCar senior technical director Phil Casey called SAFER barriers the greatest achievement for safety in automobile racing. The barriers were installed at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2003, and the speedway where both Petty and Irwin Jr. died has had no fatalities or serious injuries since, said speedway spokeswoman Kristen Costa. "It's better on impact. It moves with the vehicle," she said. Costa said the speedway reconfigured its catch fence in 2009 to make it safer as well. Sicking said catch fences at motorsports facilities need to be re-examined. "The catch fence is a difficult safety issue, a tough nut to crack, but I think it can be," he said. Sicking said IndyCar is reluctant to invest the large amount of money required to redesign the catch fence, and NASCAR isn't as interested in redesigning it as its cars rarely go airborne like the open-wheel Indy cars are prone to do. While nothing has been determined, the UNL center could end up leading the investigation into the crash that killed Wheldon, as it did with the 2001 crash that killed Earnhardt, Sicking said. The UNL center has examined nearly 2,000 crashes under federal contract. "Any time you have a big wreck, we normally get to look at it," he said. Demere, the former racer who now is pursuing a master's in journalism from UNL, said it appears Wheldon tried to slow down by lifting his foot off the accelerator and tried to direct his car toward the gearbox of the slowing car in front of him. But his car's nose lifted, and, traveling at more than 200 mph, his car quickly took to the air. With 15 cars involved, it was simply impossible for Wheldon to avoid the carnage, Demere said. He said drivers try not to think about getting seriously injured or killed while they're racing. They simply try to focus on the track and the racers around them. "We all know that it might happen to us," he said. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised that it didn't happen to me." CliffsNotes Before the Internet and Wikipedia, the distinctive yellow-and-black covers of CliffsNotes adorned the bookshelves of many a college and high school student. The series of study guides (which are not to be used as a substitute for reading the actual text, OK?) was launched in Lincoln by Cliff Hillegass and his wife Catherine. From the original 16 Shakespeare titles, CliffsNotes has grown to include hundreds of works and has saved many a student. Crete woman invented today's voting booths Nebraska history shows many inventions have originated in the Cornhusker state, some by women and a few that have lasted for more than a century. One of them that is often overlooked began with a promise and came to be after a dream by a Crete woman. John Quincy Robb’s daughter Elizabeth Jane was born in Washington, Illinois, in 1858, but the family moved to a farm near Tecumseh a short time later. Elizabeth married William Wallace Douglas and moved to Missouri, then to Glenwood, Iowa, before moving to Crete near the beginning of the 20th century. Although both were teachers, William was employed by the Burlington Railroad as a land agent. In 1904, Elizabeth attended a talk by a missionary from Tibet sponsored by a Crete Methodist church and was so taken by his story that she pledged $20,000 to his campaign. Not only was this an incredibly large amount of money, she had no idea where she might come up with it. That night, Elizabeth dreamed of “an old man with a long white beard who told her to make a steel collapsible voting booth,” which would ensure her wealth enough to fulfill her promise and prosper. The concept of voting booths at the time came from the introduction of the Australian balloting system and employed wooden booths. Because of the waste and amount of labor involved in building, then dismantling them, demand for a lightweight, collapsible, reusable booth that could be quickly reassembled by unskilled labor was obvious. The only obstacle was manufacturing a booth with those requirements that also would meet all local and national requirements. The next morning, Elizabeth began to build a prototype with paper, pasteboard and pins. With the idea and working model, the next step was securing a patent. She contacted Albert Litle Johnson, C.C. White’s partner and brother-in-law at Crete Mills, for financial help. Patent 828935A was issued to Johnson and Elizabeth Douglas in August 1906. Dempster Manufacturing in Beatrice then built a small number of booths that were sold locally. In 1909, the Douglas family moved to Los Angeles, where a small factory was built and 1,000 two-stall booths with red, white and blue canvas screens were sold to a local government with William as salesman. Within months, he sold an additional 4,000 booths for $40,000. The family returned to Crete in 1912 and leased property at 1530 Pine St. from the Burlington Railroad, where a factory was established. In less than a decade, a new building had been constructed and employed 10 workers with four salesmen. Elizabeth designed a new booth concept in 1923 resulting in another patent in her name alone the following year. Although William died in 1930, the business prospered until 1945, when the factory burned. A new building was quickly constructed. Elizabeth died in Friend in 1952, but Douglas Manufacturing continued in family ownership. I.B.M. approached the firm in 1970 and subsequently contracted for Douglas to build metal media storage containers. 1980 saw a second fire but the facility was again rebuilt with an expansion. In 1990, the leased land was purchased from Burlington and two years later a third fire was met with yet another expansion, with the firm reporting having 25 employees. Today, Douglas Manufacturing still builds voting booths with as many as five stalls per unit, now using aluminum instead of steel and vinyl attached with Velcro in place of canvas. Elizabeth and William’s great-grandson Roger C. Douglas is now president of the firm, which also produces ballot boxes, election signs, media storage boxes and even flash drive containers. Patents secured through the years for ideas never produced included retractable steps for Pullman railroad cars, a mail cart and shut-off valves for gasoline pumps. Sadly, the company is closing. Douglas broke the news Dec. 30 to the four remaining workers, according to longtime employee Tim Smejdir, who said business had been "very slow, so the decision was made to terminate." Douglas is selling or auctioning equipment and plans to retire, Smejdir said. Douglas Manufacturing was the oldest manufacturer of election equipment in the nation. Interesting, too, is that the election supply company was formed by a woman over a decade before women received the right to vote. Nebraska's connection to the McRib Dr. Roger Mandigo, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of animal science poses with a McRib sandwich inside a meat locker at the UNL Animal Science Complex on Thursday, November 4th, 2010. Mandigo invented a process to bind meat together into different shapes. The technology is often associated with the famous McRib sandwich. Move over, Richie Ashburn and Bob Gibson. Another Nebraskan has made it to the hall of fame. Of course, University of Nebraska-Lincoln meat scientist Roger Mandigo never had Ashburn's ability to hit to all fields or Gibson's ability to back batters off the plate with an inside fastball. His induction Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz., was into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. And his biggest claim to fame outside that industry is research that led to the introduction of McDonald's McRib sandwich in 1981. His company is no less exclusive. Among the 10 other honorees were Col. Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken; Dave Thomas,founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers; and Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's. And it just happens that Mandigo's return coincides with what the Wall Street Journal describes as the first nationwide featuring of Mc-Donald's McRib sandwich at 14,000 restaurants, including more than a dozen in Lincoln,in 16 years. Wouldn't this be a great time for a big guy - squeezed into a small, obscure, windowless office during an $18.3 million renovation at the Animal Science Building - to step up, at last, and claim credit for his highprofile work? "I get credit for inventing the McRib fairly often," Mandigo conceded in an interview earlier this week. But taking credit was not something he did back in 1981. And he won't be doing it now, in his 44th year at UNL. That's because, despite common misperception, it's just not true. "We played an important role in the technology to bind pieces of meat to each other.I didn't invent the McRib sandwich," he said. "Mc-Donald's did that." All this is said with the kind of smiling patience that a McDonald's associate is supposed to demonstrate when asked for the 44th time during the lunch rush to hold the pickles. Pickle slices, by the way, are part of the standard preparation of the McRib. As its ravenous fans, including Steve Glass of Walton, know so well, a McRib is a pork patty that's also garnished with raw onions and smothered in barbecue sauce. Glass, 47, had two McRibs on his lunch tray Thursday as he made his way to a table at the McDonald's near the intersection of 10th Street and Cornhusker Highway. That's right, two. "I haven't decided whether to eat the one now or eat it later,"he said. Rapid progress on the first one seemed to leave the choice between one and two very much open to question for a guy who likes "something different - not a burger." Glass is not one to worry about what's under the barbecue sauce."It's like a hotdog," he said. "What's in a hotdog? If it tastes good, go ahead." Decades ago, it was Mandigo who was going ahead with a research initiative launched by the National Pork Producers Council. Its members were looking for another reliable source of demand for pork shoulder. There were never any royalties associated with the results, Nebraska's newest hall of famer said. And to this day, the McRib comes and goes from the McDonald's menu for reasons that have to do with its intense popularity and a national supply of pork trimmings that's typically a lot more limited than the supply of beef trimmings. "If you suddenly start to buy a large amount of that material,"said Mandigo,"the price starts to rise." As the cost to McDonald's rises, the McRib tends to go out of circulation again. And then the same parts of a hog tend to flow back into the processing lines for Spam, Vienna sausages and other specialized products. Anything else that goes into periodic McRib feeding frenzies is not for Mandigo to analyze. "It's a function of a business strategy and that's McDonald's decision, not mine." The official word on that subject comes from Ashlee Yingling at the headquarters of McDonald's USA. The McRib is in something called "a national limited time promotion for the month of November in the U.S.," Yingling said by email. This is only the third time that's happened in the 29 years since it hit the market. The rest of the time, the company has chosen a regional strategy. "To keep it relevant and appealing," Yingling said, "it will continue to be offered as a limited-time promotion on a regional basis." Does Mandigo eat this sandwich that he did NOT invent? "Every chance I get," he said. Harold Edgerton made the invisible visible Virtually no one, anywhere in the world, is unfamiliar with the iconic photos of a drop of milk above a white haloed crown just as the previous drop hits a flat surface, or a bullet as it exits a just-pierced apple. Few outside the state, however, realize that Harold Edgerton is a native son and graduate of the University of Nebraska. Harold Eugene Edgerton was born in Fremont on April 6, 1903. Harold’s father, Frank, was born in Iowa, then graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1900 as president of his senior class. After teaching in the Fremont public schools, he returned to Lincoln on the staff of the then-new Lincoln Star. After earning a law degree from George Washington University, Frank again returned to Lincoln in 1911, becoming the assistant attorney general of Nebraska and prominent in state politics before becoming county attorney in Hamilton County. Harold’s interest in science came early; in 1910, he told of attempting to build a searchlight on the roof of the family home and realizing tin cans were unable to produce a tight beam of light. While attending junior and senior high school in Aurora, he became interested in photography and, with the help of an uncle, set up his own darkroom. In 1921, Harold entered the University of Nebraska and at his father’s suggestion, he earned half of his tuition by wiring Lincoln homes for electricity and working on a line gang for the Nebraska Power & Light Company. It was here that he observed how, in the darkest night, his coworkers became suddenly visible in lightning flashes and just as suddenly again were invisible. As a student, Harold joined Acacia, chose a major in electrical engineering and was active in the annual E-Week open houses. Interestingly, although there is no record of which exhibits Edgerton participated in, one of the demonstrations during his student days involved stop-motion photography that employed either 120 flashes per second or an exposure of 1/50,000ths of a second depending on which report is to be believed. The demonstration featured an electric fan with the letter N painted on the blades. The room was darkened, the “strobe light synchronized to the fan, thus making the N stand still ... people could hardly believe their eyes.” After graduating from Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1925, Edgerton moved first to Schenectady, N.Y., then entered MIT. He received his master's degree, having developed the stroboscope, which employed a reusable flash bulb that was linked to a camera. Edgerton married his high school sweetheart, Esther Garrett, in 1927, received his doctorate in 1931 and became an associate professor at MIT. As he further perfected his stop-motion photography, some of his work was shown at the Royal Photographic Society’s convention in London. In the 1930s, Edgerton and two of his students formed Edgerton, Germeshausen & Grier, later becoming simply E.G.&G. Corp., which manufactured Rapatronic cameras, consulted with the U.S. Army during World War II, had contracts to do photographic research surrounding atomic explosions for the Atomic Energy Commission, was instrumental in the establishment of the New England Aquarium in Boston and ultimately had 47 operating divisions with more than 23,000 employees in several countries. Often forgotten is Edgerton’s film “Quicker 'n a Wink,” which won an Academy Award for best short subject in 1941. Myriad awards followed, with perhaps the most prestigious being the Medal of Freedom for his nighttime reconnaissance photos during WWII. In 1947, his photo essay on hummingbirds was published in National Geographic magazine, and in 1953, he began working with Jacques-Yves Cousteau to develop an underwater camera using side-scan sonar technology. These experiments led to discovering the USS Monitor, which sank in 1862, and producing the first real photos of the Titanic in 1986-87. Closer to home, in October 1967, Edgerton donated two strobe lights to be mounted on Nebraska’s State Capitol tower as an aircraft warning meant to be visible for 150 miles when extended to their operational capacity, seemingly to fulfill federal aeronautics regulations. Working with Bob Newell, the Capitol building superintendent, Edgerton had his mother standing by to activate the experiment. The low-power version of the lights on the east and west sides of the building were turned on as she said “let there be light,” as instructed by her son, and almost immediately complaints began to pour in. The experiment lasted only briefly before being abandoned. Ultimately, the strobe light was perfected to the point where the light burst lasted only one-billionth of a second with his stop-motion photos of bullets, hummingbirds, Stonehenge, milk droplets, etc., known worldwide. Edgerton died at MIT on Jan. 4, 1990, and five years later the Edgerton Explorit Center opened as a museum in his honor in Aurora. Reach the writer at nfranklin@journalstar.com or 402-473-7391. On Twitter @NealHFranklin Lincoln Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.