The campaign cited data showing from 2021 to 2023, murders in Springfield, Ohio, rose from five to nine. That’s an 80% increase.  A crime data expert cautioned against making annual comparisons in places where less than one homicide is reported each month, noting that homicides would be considered too rare to draw conclusions.  FBI homicide data also showed that the number of homicides in Springfield fluctuated without a clear trend from 2012 to 2022.

There is nothing about learning English that is easy if it's not your first language. Heck, you could probably find more than a few native English speakers that continue to get tripped up on different words, meanings and grammar rules. There are so many words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have completely different meanings. English also borrows the sounds or spellings of words from other languages just to mix things up a bit. So when an adult tries to learn the language for the first time, it's understandable why it can be a little frustrating. But Mary Gomes, a woman from Brazil has been enthusiastically learning English on her own amassing millions of "teachers" online.The native Portuguese speaker gained traction from her infectious joy while reading English from pre-written notes in an effort to learn the language. She calls her viewers teachers as they often help her with pronunciation and correct emphasis on certain parts of speech in the comments. But recently the "teachers" have been trying to dry the tears of Gomes after an unpleasant encounter with a caller.Gomes who is normally extremely bubbly in her videos appears red faced and somber in a recent video uploaded to TikTok. The mom of three explains through tears that she received a phone call from someone who needed to verify information but the caller began getting frustrated with the new English speaker. There was a miscommunication when the man on the other end of the phone asks Gomes for her address from seven years ago. @_mari_gomes__ ♬ som original - Mary Gomes Since Gomes just started learning English in March 2024, she's not fluent yet and has a heavy Portuguese accent. This led to anger from the man when she struggled to give him the address. In her video she takes a deep breath to try to explain."I'm sorry. The name of the address is 190 T-H but I don't know how I say this number in English you know. 190 T-H, I think I speak wrong and NE. I said NE but I don't know, I think it's north east, north east. I don't know if I speak wrong, I don't know but the guy was so rude, so rude you know," she says through tears. woman sitting near the osfa Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash The man tells Gomes the address isn't found. Gomes says she tries to apologize to the man for misspeaking or him not being able to understand her. She tells her followers the interaction left her feeling small."Because I've been struggling to learn English. I do my best every day and when this happened. When this thing happened I feel oh my gosh why," Gomes cries. People were hurt for Gomes as she has spent months learning to speak English and no longer needs to use notes to record videos. Commenters left the emotional woman positive comments to encourage Gomes to keep learning, praising her ability to speak more clearly now than when she first started. @_mari_gomes__ ♬ som original - Mary Gomes One person notes, "the fact that you told this entire story so clearly in English shows how well you are doing.""You are being able to express such deep feelings in a language that is not your native language, and that's really difficult, so, you are doing an amazing job Mary. Please don't feel discouraged," another person shares."Mary even as a native English speaker I forget words and mess up! I remember when you were still reading out of a notebook to make videos and look at you now telling a full story even while emotional," someone praises the upset woman. Normal People Love GIF by HULU Giphy "Numbers in a second language are so so so hard!!! I can't even remember all of my addresses in English! You're struggling, but you're learning & expressing yourself so well, even while upset," one commenter writes.Someone else encourages Gomes, "it hurts my heart to see you so upset! The world is such a cruel place sometimes. You're doing so well, we are all so proud of you. Don't let the worst people pull you down." Season 3 Friends GIF by Living Single Giphy People tried to help Gomes with the correct pronunciation of the number but were unclear on what number she was saying due to her accent. She clarified in the comments that she was attempting to say 190th which people heard as 1938, 19038 or 908. Since the interaction was over the phone, Gomes wasn't able to write the number down for the man to see to better understand her. In the end, though Gomes was left in tears, she was reminded of how many people are rooting for her success. Learning a new language is hard and when dealing with people who have less patience for your endeavor, it can be deflating. The support Gomes is getting isn't waining. People wish her nothing but the best hoping she will continue trying to learn.

It takes a special type of person to work in retail without losing their mind. Retail jobs are both mentally and physically taxing and the pay isn’t usually that great either. Most retail workers spend all day on their feet and they have to have a pleasant attitude even when dealing with the most difficult customers. On top of customer drama, there’s inevitably a boss or manager lurking around to make sure you didn’t take too long of a lunch break or that you’re wearing the appropriate amount of flair. One great thing about retail is being able to bond with coworkers who are going through the same thing. Retail employees tend to be friendly, social people so it’s a great environment to build friendships. You’re gonna need somebody on your side after you’ve spent an hour dealing with a customer who keeps demanding they speak to your manager.The Retail Problems Instagram page does a perfect job of explaining what it’s like to work in retail through hilarious memes that anyone who’s ever had to work a cash register understands.Here are 17 of the best memes at Retail Problems. 1. See on Instagram Retail workers should be eligibile for Academy Awards. 2. See on Instagram The first thing you lose after taking a retail job is your love for Christmas music. Having to hear the same 25 songs on repeat for eight hours a day is seriously traumatizing. I left my retail job in 2004 and it took 15 years for me to be able to listen to Christmas music again.3. See on Instagram Having a retail job is like being on a treadmill. No matter how hard you work, you never seem to get anywhere. 4. See on Instagram The coworker who switches shifts with you at the last minute is worth more than gold. 5. See on Instagram You'll never truly understand what the general public is like until you've spent at least six months on the floor of a retail store dealing with people from all walks of life. 6. See on Instagram A great way to see what someone's character is like is to go out with them to a restaurant. You can learn a lot about someone by watching them interact with a server. Good people go out of their way to be nice. Entitled people do whatever they can to make the server's life miserable because they can't fight back. 7. See on Instagram "The badge says I work here."8. See on Instagram Coworkers in a retail job are like war buddies. 9. See on Instagram There should be a law making it illegal to subject anyone to more than four hours of Christmas music a day. It gets burned into your head and never goes away, even when you're not at work. 10. See on Instagram Seasoned retail people know to avoid their managers at the end of the day. They're known for suprising you at the end of your shift with one last task. "Could you go clean up the register on aisle six? Do you have some time to put up the new signs for the sale tomorrow?"11. See on Instagram "Just start with the number at the top of the receipt and we'll go form there, ok?"12. See on Instagram Murphy's law of retail: the fewer the employees, the more the customers. 13. See on Instagram Everyone working in retail should have received hazard pay for having to be around people during a pandemic. 14. See on Instagram Retail people are the masters of going from joking around with a coworker to quickly throwing on their professional smile to ask, "How may I help you?"15. See on Instagram In retail, success can feel like failure. If you get your job done quickly, they pile more work on your plate.16. See on Instagram There are few things that feel lonelier than when your bestie at work finds a new job and leaves you behind.17. See on Instagram The register is the great equalizer. This article originally appeared on 12.21.21

Cherie Garcia managed to score some major mom points from her response to her child's creative—yet slightly flawed—coming out letter. Using colorful cut-out letters, Garcia's son Crow made a short letter coming out as transgender, which looked something like a ransom note. The message was meant to be: Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of your very own son.Garcia was nonchalant about the announcement, but she did notice something unsettling that every mom would notice. And she was quick to point it out. Aware that something was getting ready to transpire (mother's intuition, after all) Garcia told Crow's dad—her ex-husband—on the phone that Crow was "either working on homework or holding someone ransom" after walking by his room. She was relieved to find out that neither was the case.Garcia's tweet read: "My teenager handed me this envelope and asked that I wait to open it until after he went to his dad's house. After opening it, I called to let him know that the *only* thing that's wrong with this is the 'r' he accidentally left out of congratulations." She concluded the tweet with a supportive trans and rainbow flag emoji. Thanks, mom. My teenager handed me this envelope and asked that I wait to open it until after he went to his dad’s house. After opening it, I called to let him know that the *only* thing that’s wrong with this is the “r” he accidentally left out of congratulations . ??️‍⚧️?️‍? pic.twitter.com/0DXmvcgGjk— Cherie Garcia (@CherieAmours) November 14, 2021 Garcia and Crow make a game out of pointing out spelling errors on signs, so she felt especially compelled to call him out on that missing "r."The follow-up tweet is really the kicker here. "There is nothing my kids could do to lose my support and unconditional love. My prayer for each of them is that they live life as their authentic selves, without compromise. My teen is figuring things out and I support him 100%, because God created both of my babies perfectly." There is nothing my kids could do to lose my support and unconditional love. My prayer for each of them is that they live life as their authentic selves, without compromise. My teen is figuring things out and I support him 100%, because God created both of my babies perfectly. ❤️— Cherie Garcia (@CherieAmours) November 14, 2021 Garcia's welcoming embrace for her son, along with the bonus spelling lesson, soon went viral on Twitter. Comments came flooding in from other parents wanting to commiserate with the coming-out letters they had received."I love the drama of it," wrote one mom. "My own non binary kiddo nailed a note to their door in the middle of the night and declared that if we must refer to them to refer to them as our spawn. I commented on the atrocious handwriting."Garcia's reply? "I'll call you Voltron if you want, but please spell it correctly."Another person shared their own creative process while coming out, saying "I couldn't decide when I came out so I gave my parents 3 different cards. This was one" followed by a (really well done) image of Pinocchio saying "I'm a real boy." I couldn't decide when I came out so I gave my parents 3 different cards. This was one. pic.twitter.com/piv6dCig7z— CapnV (@CapnVonV666) November 16, 2021 Every kid just wants to be seen as perfect in their mom's eyes. Spelling is important (as Garcia jokingly stated on Twitter) but to a teenager going through a major identity transition, compassion and acceptance are crucial. Growing up and figuring yourself out is no easy process. But knowing mom is always gonna love you, no matter what, at least makes it seem a little less impossible. Thanks Cherie Garcia for the spelling lesson and gesture of love all-in-one. And to Crow, "congatulations."This article originally appeared on 11.18.21

Most women, at one point or another, have felt some wariness or fear over a strange man in public. Sometimes it's overt, sometimes it's subtle, but when your instincts tell you something isn't right and you're potentially in danger, you listen. It's an unfortunate reality, but reality nonetheless.A Twitter thread starting with some advice on helping women out is highlighting how real this is for many of us. User @mxrixm_nk wrote: "If a girl suddenly acts as if she knows you in public and acts like you're friends, go along w[ith] it. She could be in danger." — (@) Other women chimed in with their own personal stories of either being the girl approaching a stranger or being the stranger approached by a girl to fend off a situation with a creepy dude.One wrote, "A girl did this FOR me one time when I was sitting alone at a bar because she could tell I was in a very uncomfortable situation and I'll never forget her. It was bold of her to do that for a stranger but she literally saved me from some creep ass guy."Another added, "I had a waitress do this for me once when an ex was yelling at me. She didn't leave me out of her sight and when he went to the bathroom she asked if I was ok and if I had roommates or if I was going to be alone with him after. An actual angel."Another shared how a woman joined her and her husband as if they were old friends until her friends arrived. Friend Zone Image 2 | Concept shoot in Oakland California. W… | Flickr www.flickr.com "A woman walked up to my husband and I saying 'I haven't seen you guys in so long!!' then hugged us. We were ???, but went w/ it. She then pointed out a group of guys that followed her in, and the one that wouldn't leave her alone. He kept getting drinks right near us. Which was odd because we were in the corner out of the way. She hung out w/ us until her other friends got there. Once we realized what had actually happened we were a little shocked." — (@) User "AmberLUVV" shared a story of being in a Dominican Republic port on a cruise when two girls pretended to belong to her family. "When I went on a cruise with the fam, we ported in DR for a day. My dad and I decided to go the local shopping market. We had took a break on a bench cuz it was HOT! But all of sudden two girls walk up to us and addressed my dad as their own, and proceeded to say that they had And scared! We played it out for a minute longer until they told us what happened! Some men in a van were following them promising to take them to the beach and wouldn't leave them alone! They pointed out one of the guys and I had seen him turn away when they addressed my dad!" — (@) "Raeloe" shared how a girl approached her at a nightclub to get away from a creepy guy when she'd been separated from her friends. "I had this happen in a nightclub once. My hubby and I were working PAX and this club let's [sic] the enforcers in for free with their badges, I've never been before so he said c'mon let's go. Bout 2 hours in this girl comes up and dances with me and asks if it's okay to stay awhile. She lost her friends and this dude was creeping on her. I told her to take all the time she needs to find her friends. She came back with them later and gave me a big hug for making her feel safe. Would do it again without hesitation." — (@) Another person shared how they'd been the one who needed help. "Been the person who needed this. Creepy dude wouldn't leave me tf alone, so I walked over to a group of girls and acted very excited to see them again. They immediately caught on and we started talking about whatever. For over an hour. Bcuz he wouldn't leave. They ended up giving me a ride around town bcuz the creeper was following. Made some friends and we made him run a red light, which had a cop chasing him. They got me home and we hung out regularly after that."And another explained how grateful she was to a woman on the bus who let her act like they were best friends. — (@) One person even shared a video showing exactly what such a scenario looks like in real life. — (@) Some people responded with various "what if" scenarios, like what if a woman is really trying to lure them into a dangerous situation, or what if they want them to accompany them somewhere that might not be safe? But those questions seemed to miss the point that no one was suggesting anyone go anywhere private with anyone, and also seemed to miss how often women actually do find themselves in situations where they need to turn to a stranger for help. As one woman wrote, "All the people fighting this saying it'll be a setup are underestimating how often women actually do this to get away from creepy men. I've had to do this at a bar and I've also gone up to a women I saw distressed and pretended to be her friend and she played along. It happens. man in gray crew neck shirt standing beside woman in pink tank top Photo by Nikolas Noonan on Unsplash I've yelled back. I've thrown drinks in guys faces. I've pushed them away from myself and others. I've reached out for help and asked other guys or security to step in. Sometimes the path of least resistance for a good night is to blend in real quick."And others pointed out that women don't generally approach men for help unless they feel like they really need to—usually because they end up in situations where men don't respond to the word "no." Finally, someone suggested a tip for using your phone to ask a girl if she's in danger while pretending to show her a picture, so you both can be clear on what's really happening. But the bottom line is, if a girl or woman walks up to you and pretends to know you, more often than not it's because she's trying to get away from someone. Play along and accompany her until she's safe. Guaranteed she'll be eternally grateful. This article originally appeared on

Championing the avant-garde. The post Juana Molina: The comedian who transformed Argentinian music first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Don't settle for a lackluster appetizer. Give Texas Roadhouse's famous Cactus Blossom a smoky, savory assist by adding this secret menu item.