Month: July 2021

The Biden administration extended eligibility deportation relief for Yemeni nationals on Tuesday. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas extended and re-designated Yemen for 18 months of Temporary Protected Status from Sept. 4 through March 3, 2023.  The extension allows approximately 1,700 Yemenis currently benefiting from TPS to retain their protection through March 2023 and allows an additional 480 Yemini nationals, or people who have no nationality but last resided in Yemen, to apply for protection.

Mayorkas made the decision to re-designate Yemen for TPS protection in response to the six-year civil war and issues such as lack of food, water and healthcare, large-scale destruction of infrastructure, population displacement, a cholera outbreak that has been ongoing since 2016, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayorkas said: “Yemen continues to experience worsening humanitarian and economic conditions that prevent individuals from safely returning to their homes. Therefore, I have decided to extend and re-designate Yemen for Temporary Protected Status. We will continue to protect and offer these individuals a place of residency temporarily in the United States.”

Elsa regained hurricane strength as it moved toward Tampa up along the southwestern coast of Florida.  The National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday evening that Elsa had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane once again, and was moving north at 14 mph. Elsa had previously been categorized as a hurricane late last week as it neared the Caribbean before weakening into a tropical storm.

The NHC said in its update. “On Wednesday morning, Elsa is forecast to make landfall along the north Florida Gulf coast and then move across the southeastern United States through Thursday. Slow strengthening is forecast through tonight, and Elsa could be near hurricane strength before it makes landfall in Florida.” The NHC noted in its updated tropical storm-force winds and heavy rainfall in the Florida Keys.

Elsa was forecast to produce between 3-5 inches of rain through Wednesday across the Florida Keys and into southwest and western portions of the peninsula, with the rest of the state expected to receive between 2-4 inches. The NHC said there’s also a tornado threat in Elsa’s path, adding that the threat will continue into Wednesday across north Florida, southeast Georgia and parts of South Carolina.

A professional golfer was shot and killed over the weekend at a Georgia golf club, identified by the Georgia PGA and the Georgia State Golf Association as Gene Siller, the director of golf for the club and father of two. “Tragedy has stricken the Georgia Section PGA in the loss of our member, Gene Siller,” the Georgia PGA said on Twitter. “Thoughts and prayers for his family and the Pinetree Country Club family.” In addition, PGA President Jim Richerson said on Facebook: “We are truly heartbroken to hear about the senseless murder that took place yesterday at Pine Tree Country Club in Georgia that took the life of PGA member Gene Siller. The PGA of America sends our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy to his family, club and the Georgia PGA community.”

The Cobb County Police Department said in a statement Sunday that officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, about 27 miles north of Atlanta, at about 2:20 p.m. a day prior and found Siller, who worked there, unresponsive on the green of the 10th hole suffering from an “apparent gunshot would to the head.” He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The suspect who is connected to the deaths of two other people and is still at large. Police say he was driving a white RAM 3500 pickup onto the golf course Saturday afternoon, where he shot Siller. In the bed of the truck, which was left at the scene, police discovered two more bodies, one of which was identified as Paul Pierson, the vehicle’s owner. Both individuals died of gunshot wounds, police said.

On Monday evening, Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Cuba while continuing on a path for the United States. As of 8 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said Elsa was located 30 miles east of Havana, Cuba, carrying maximum sustained winds of 50 mph while moving northwest at 13 mph. Elsa is the fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, and is the earliest to arrive.

The National Hurricane Center said: “On the forecast track, Elsa is expected to continue to move over west-central Cuba for the next several hours, move into the Florida Straits this evening and pass near the Florida Keys early Tuesday. Elsa is then forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday.”  Else is expected to restrengthen some after moving over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Mayabeque, Havana and Artemisa as well as in the Florida Keys from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas and the west coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Swannee River. A storm surge watch was in effect for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach north toward the Aucilla River including Tampa Bay and a tropical storm warning alongside teh west coast of Florida was extended northward and westward to the Ochlockonee River. A tropical storm watch was in effect in the Florida Bay and North of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass.