Community
Taj-Aya Barnes recognized by IUP Department of Criminology
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER — The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Taj-Aya Barnes, an Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate, was selected by the IUP Department of Criminology for the 2019 Gregory W. Spinelli Memorial Award. Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a minor in psychology from IUP one semester early, in December 2018.
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Taj-Aya Barnes, an Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate, was selected by the IUP Department of Criminology for the 2019 Gregory W. Spinelli Memorial Award.
Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a minor in psychology from IUP one semester early, in December 2018.
Barnes, daughter of Erika Kurzawa and Chris Kurzawa, is a 2015 graduate of Upper St. Clair High School. She was a dean’s list student, Promising Scholar and Dean’s Merit Scholarship recipient. She is a member of Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority Inc., the NAACP and was a Welcome Weekend Leader and Peer Advisor.
The Spinelli award is presented annually to a graduating senior in the criminology department who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.
The award was established at IUP in memory of the late Gregory W. Spinelli, a 1970 graduate of IUP. Spinelli was killed in 1973 while working as a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent. The IUP criminology department has been presenting the Spinelli scholarship since 1974.
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This article originally appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
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