Paradise News

Tag: United States

  • 14-year-old allegedly killed his teen brother and had 'detailed' hit list of other family members

    PIKE COUNTY, Ala. (TCD) — A 14-year-old male allegedly admitted to fatally shooting his teen brother and writing up a hit list of other family members he intended to kill.

    Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas told WAKA-TV that on Tuesday, Oct. 3, a man called law enforcement to report he found his 17-year-old son, who had not been seen since the night prior, deceased on his property. Deputies responded to the residence, processed the scene, and took the victim’s family members to the station for interviews.

    Thomas interviewed the 14-year-old, and the teen allegedly “confessed that he shot and killed his brother at the residence.” The teen reportedly shot his brother inside their home, then the victim “staggered outside.” He collapsed on the ground and died.

    After that, the 14-year-old allegedly moved his brother’s body about 60 yards away to the edge of the property and went back inside to clean up the scene.

    The suspect’s friend reportedly learned the 14-year-old had a “detailed” list of family members he wanted to kill and “whether it would be easy or difficult.” Investigators searched the home and discovered the list inside the boy’s bag.

    Thomas said the teen allegedly “intended to shoot up” Pike County High School, where he and his brother both attended. He reportedly had specific students he wanted to target.

    In another press conference, Thomas said the teen told one of his classmates about the shooting. The student was reportedly taking and test and “was so bothered by what the 14-year-old friend told him that he reported it to the teacher.” The teacher subsequently informed administrators.

    Pike County District Attorney James Tarbox added, “Had the student not come forward, we might have had other deaths.”

    The Pike County School District released a statement Oct. 4 saying faculty became “aware of disturbing and threatening statements made by a fellow student,” which prompted the school to enact a safety protocol. The teen was “immediately removed from the school” and arrested.

    AL.com reports Thomas said the 14-year-old “asked his friend to help him murder the rest of the family and help him bury their bodies.”

    The teen is in custody at a juvenile detention facility.

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  • Progressive City Plans to Hand Out ‘Guaranteed Incomes’ To Transgenders, Illegal Immigrants

    From Townhall:

    According to 1,719 pages of documents from the City of San Francisco, obtained by Judicial Watch, San Francisco will allocate tax dollars on a preferential basis for black and Latino transgender individuals through a program that offers financial assistance to transgender people, Fox News Digital reported: 

    The pilot program provides low-income transgender residents with payments of up to $1,200 each month for up to 18 months with the goal of providing “economically marginalized transgender people with unrestricted, monthly guaranteed income as a way to combat poverty.” It uses pre-paid debit cards due to participants potentially not having bank accounts. The amount someone can receive is capped at $4,000. 

    Program documents, including those on its public website, say it prioritizes enrollment by race as well as those who engage in “survival sex trades,” those who have been in prison, and illegal immigrants. 

    Read more here…

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  • Fact Check: Has President E. Gordon Gee increased West Virginia University’s debt load by 55%?

    Amid the controversy over deep budget cuts at West Virginia University, the WVU Faculty Senate in September pursued a vote of no confidence in President E. Gordon Gee.

    Outlining the faculty’s concerns with Gee’s actions, the no-confidence resolution said Gee had “mismanaged the university’s finances—while also refusing to accept responsibility for the current financial situation of the university.” 

    The resolution added that Gee had promised to expand WVU’s enrollment to at least 40,000 by 2020, “to justify expansion and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on projects that would increase WVU’s debt load by 55%. Yet during his presidency, student enrollments have steadily decreased.”

    Along with several other PolitiFact West Virginia fact-checks of assertions made during the budget debate, we will look here at the Faculty Senate’s statement that Gee’s projects have increased “WVU’s debt load by 55%.”

    We found that the 55% figure is exaggerated.

    WVU has taken on additional debt during Gee’s second tenure as president, which began in 2014. According to data on WVU’s debt compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education, WVU’s total debt rose from $645 million in 2013, the year before his current presidential tenure began, to almost $963 million in 2022.

    That’s an increase of 49.3%, which is fairly close to 55%.

    However, not all of that increase relates to Gee’s actions. A significant portion was set in motion before he began his current tenure as president.

    April Kaull, WVU’s executive communications director, provided PolitiFact with a breakdown of the 25 line items comprising the university’s debt load.

    The data shows the university’s overall debt load is about $877 million today. But only about $300 million of that total stems from Gee-initiated projects. The remaining $577 million consists of debts incurred before his current presidency or Gee-era refinancing of debts incurred before his tenure.

    “This equates to about 34% of the currently outstanding principal on university-issued debt,” Kaull said.

    Frankie Tack, the WVU Faculty Senate chair and a clinical assistant professor of counseling and learning sciences, told PolitiFact West Virginia that the 55% figure is “inaccurate.”

    “Institutional debt at this level,” Tack said, “is highly complex.”

    Our ruling

    The WVU faculty Senate resolution said Gee’s university projects have increased “WVU’s debt load by 55%.”

    The actual rise attributable to Gee is about 34%, because much of the increase that has occurred during his presidency stems from debt taken on before he took office.

    That’s still a significant increase, but not as large as the resolution said.

    We rate the statement Mostly False.



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  • Shaw receives leadership award from U.S. Green Building Council

    Shaw receives leadership award from U.S. Green Building Council

    Published 12:20 pm Tuesday, October 10, 2023

    Kellie Ballew, Shaw’s vice president of global sustainability and innovation, receiving the award from Anyeley Hallová, founder of Adre, and Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

    Shaw Industries has been named a 2023 Leadership Award recipient by the U.S. Green Building Council.

    Shaw was one of five recipients from around the world to be recognized at the USGBC Leadership Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, Sept. 28, during the annual Greenbuild Conference in Washington, D.C.

    “USGBC members serve as the driving force behind the worldwide green building movement, helping push the entire industry to strive for greater efforts in constructing healthier, more sustainable communities,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC. “The recipients of this year’s Leadership Awards exemplify their unwavering dedication to sustainable solutions, contributing significantly to our collective pursuit of global climate objectives.”

    Shaw was recognized by USGBC for its long-standing commitment to sustainability, which they identified as efforts to advance environmental sustainability, human health and social equity in the built environment. Shaw’s work to certify products that contribute towards LEED building credits allow customers to specify products which align with building owner’s efforts to create spaces and places that support health & wellbeing of the planet and its people.

    Kellie Ballew, vice president of global sustainability and innovation at Shaw, attended the award recognition event, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. She shared about the honor, “I was humbled to accept this prestigious recognition from the USGBC. It takes manufacturers, designers and architects, and building owners and users working together to address global challenges around climate change, health & well-being, circularity and social equity. I am proud of Shaw’s leadership in these areas, and the collaboration we’ve had with USGBC through the years.”

    The 2023 Leadership Award recipients represent some of the best of USGBC’s over 6,000 members, a network of committed professionals with more than 100,000 LEED projects in more than 180 countries and territories around the world. The efforts of the award recipients stand out as exceptional examples of sustainability leadership among a strong and growing network of projects, companies and individuals.

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  • DHS Fails to Deport 99.7% of the 2.1 Million Illegal Immigrants it Freed Inside U.S.

    Besides shattering records for allowing enormous amounts of illegal immigrants into the U.S. through the Mexican border, the Biden administration has also failed to deport millions of migrants released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inside the country pending removal proceedings. Between January 20, 2021, and March 31, 2023, the agency created after 9/11 to safeguard the nation freed at least 2,148,738 illegal aliens into the United States, government figures obtained by members of Congress reveal. Only 5,993 were actually deported, according to a distressing report released this week by the House Judiciary Committee.

    Titled “The Biden Border Crisis: New Data and Testimony Show How the Biden Administration Opened the Southwest Border and Abandoned Interior Immigration Enforcement” the lengthy document includes new data obtained by federal lawmakers from DHS that expose the alarming state of immigration enforcement. Besides failing to remove millions of illegal immigrants released inside the country, the records show that a mere 6% of migrants were screened for fear of persecution when seeking asylum. “The Biden Administration has removed from the United States only 5,993 illegal aliens who were encountered at the southwest border and who were placed in removal proceedings before an immigration judge during that time,” the report states. “In other words, of the at least 2.1 million aliens released into the United States since January 20, 2021, the Biden Administration has failed to remove, through immigration court removal proceedings, roughly 99.7 percent of those illegal aliens,”

    The U.S. Border Patrol recorded a ghastly 5 million illegal immigrant encounters during the period examined by federal lawmakers and an eye-popping 6.2 million since Biden took office. “More than two and a half years into President Biden’s term, his Administration’s border crisis continues unabated,” the report states. “Publicly available information shows that encounters of illegal aliens on the southwest border surpassed 100,000 for the 31st straight month and total southwest border illegal alien encounters exceeded 2.2 million in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2023.” The bad news continues. “In August 2023, encounters of illegal aliens at the southwest border skyrocketed to 232,972 and the unreleased encounter numbers for September 2023 will reportedly shatter previous records, exceeding 260,000 encounters in a single month,” the congressional report says. As if those figures were not bad enough, more than 1.7 million known “gotaways” have evaded Border Patrol and escaped into the U.S. since January 2021, the stats show, with “untold numbers of unknown gotaways avoiding detection during that period.”

    As the illegal alien numbers keep rising and records get crushed, the Biden administration insists the border is under control with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas laughably proclaiming his agency has made it very clear the border is not open, that crossing irregularly is against the law and those who are not eligible for relief will be quickly returned. That clearly has not materialized, figures provided in the House Judiciary Committee report show. In fiscal year 2021, the Biden administration released 310,379 illegal aliens at the southwest border. The number more than doubled during the administration’s first full fiscal year (2022) to 777,283. In the first 10 months of fiscal year 2023, Biden’s DHS released 929,496 illegal aliens encountered at the Mexican border. It is important to note that as outrageous as the figures are, they do not even include Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC), which immediately get transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The report reveals that between fiscal year 2021 through the end of July 2023 at least 341,802 UAC were transferred to HHS shelters where American taxpayers spend a fortune to house, medically treat, educate, counsel and entertain them.

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  • Arrest Reports for October 3-9, 2023

    Arrest Reports for October 3-9, 2023

    Published 11:00 am Tuesday, October 10, 2023

    NOTE: The Andalusia Star-News will publish arrest reports as they are received.

    October 2

    • Audrianna Shree Bell was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (alcohol).
    • Tonya Marie Davis was arrested and charged with four counts of negotiating a negotiable worthless instrument.
    • Thomas Mack Harrod was arrested and charged with third degree robbery.
    • Aaliyah Jade McCormick was arrested and charged with grand jury indictment.
    • Tracy Nicole Rushing Wilson was arrested and charged with violation of probation.

    October 3

    • Stevie Lee Duncan was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Alexandra Danielle Farrington was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Lesa Jo Hamblin was arrested and charged with third degree criminal trespassing.
    • Chamberland Lamount Hines was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of probation, and possession of a pistol without a permit.
    • Krystal Rose Rosenbaum was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
    • Trenton Dewayne Sasser was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • Megan Zarski Tew was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • John L. Wade Jr. was arrested and charged with two counts of failure to appear.

    October 4

    • Robert Lee Adams was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Anthony Brent Armstrong was arrested and charged with violation of probation.
    • Brandi Justina Bell was arrested and charged with second degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Kiefer Cheynne Blackburn was arrested and charged with third degree domestic violence.
    • Letterrion Djon Brannon was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of probation.
    • Whitney Lynette Cook was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • Jackie Cortez Cooper was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence (alcohol).
    • Odarius Akamakil Fort was arrested and charged with grand jury indictment.
    • Christopher Scott Giles was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and second degree possession of marijuana.
    • Walter Wayne Harrell was arrested and charged with two counts of child support, attempt to elude, two counts of failure to appear (driving under the influence), and one count of failure to appear (unauthorized use).
    • James Danny Hooks was arrested and charged with child support.
    • Litisha Sharise Robinson was arrested and charged with grand jury indictment.
    • Hunter Levi Saultz was arrested and charged with grand jury indictment.
    • Dandre Paul Sinclair was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • Shaun Christopher Smith was arrested and charged with failure to appear.

    October 6

    • Stacy Elizabeth Baker was arrested and charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and obstructing government operations.
    • Patsy Mondoria Garner was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • Jordane Rashan Gavin was arrested and charged with second degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Tristan Glant Hopkins was arrested and charged with second degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance.
    • Jesse C. Hudson was arrested and charged with two counts of failure to appear.
    • Eric B. Kyser was arrested and charged with second degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Johnathan Terry Neal was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (alcohol) and three counts of failure to appear.
    • Tammy Suzanne Nelson was arrested and charged with fourth degree theft of property.
    • Charles Deangelo Rogers was arrested and charged with violation of probation.
    • Benjamin Wayne Sanders was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
    • Harold Luther Sparkman Jr. was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • Robert Ethan Stinson was arrested and charged with third degree domestic violence (harassment).
    • Pamela Jean Vaughn was arrested and charged with fourth degree theft of property.

    October 7

    • Christopher Clifton Bradley was arrested and charged with failure to appear.
    • William Earl Eldridge Jr. was arrested and charged with failure to appear.

    October 8

    • Tristan Glant Hopkins was arrested and charged with harassment.
    • Farren Zennette McCord was arrested and charged with driving under the influence (alcohol).

    October 9

    • Jarquez I. Byrd was arrested and charged with two counts of bondsman off bond.
    • Dontravious Devon Crenshaw was arrested and charged with two counts of failure to appear.
    • Kadeejah Patrice Lane was arrested and charged with grand jury indictment.
    • Alex Corey Stephenson was arrested and charged with failure to appear.

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  • Parents of school shooter face trial; New evidence alleges motive in Tupac’s shooting — TCD Sidebar

    In this episode of True Crime Daily The Sidebar Podcast: Matt Murphy joins host Joshua Ritter to break down the biggest cases making headlines across the nation. They discuss the renewed investigation into a mother’s disappearance after her body is discovered, the parents of a school shooter charged criminally for negligence, and new evidence revealed by prosecutors in the shooting death of Tupac Shakur.

    Tweet your questions for future episodes to Joshua Ritter using the hashtag #TCDSidebar.

    YouTube: Parents of school shooter face trial; New evidence alleges motive in Tupac’s shooting — TCD Sidebar

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.



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  • Man accused of fatally stabbing brother’s friend because he wouldn’t let him smoke weed

    DELTONA, Fla. (TCD) — Deputies have apprehended a 31-year-old man who allegedly killed his brother’s friend during an argument about marijuana over the weekend.

    According to a news release from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday, Oct. 8, at approximately 11 a.m., deputies responded to a home at 2997 Glenridge Terrace to a report of a shooting. A witness reportedly found the 21-year-old victim bleeding from the abdomen, stopped to help, and called 911.

    When officials asked the victim who caused his injuries, he “pointed back at the house but was unable to provide more details.”

    The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to stab injuries, rather than the initially reported gunshot wounds.

    A witness who was present during the stabbing said Joseph McDonald was allegedly responsible for the victim’s death. The Sheriff’s Office subsequently launched a search for McDonald, who had fled the scene. Deputies also released McDonald’s photo, and citizens began reporting sightings.

    The Sheriff’s Office deployed helicopter crews and K-9 units to find McDonald, and at approximately 1:15 p.m., he was located coming out of brush near the 2000 block of Newmark Drive.

    McDonald’s left hand was reportedly wrapped and bleeding. He was transported to a hospital in Sanford, where medical staff said his hand injuries “appeared to be lacerations from a sharp object.”

    A witness told deputies that he and the victim went to the Glenridge Terrace house to smoke marijuana, but their friend wasn’t there, and their friend’s brother — McDonald — let them in. McDonald reportedly got angry when he “was not given a chance to smoke,” and he threatened to kill the victim.

    As the argument escalated, the victim allegedly went to the garage. Soon after, the Sheriff’s Office said the victim came outside bleeding and asking someone to call 911.

    McDonald faces a charge of first-degree murder and will be held without bond.

    According to the Sheriff’s Office, investigators learned McDonald allegedly suffered from mental illness and had lived in the home for approximately two months.

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  • Va. man convicted of killing and setting woman on fire he mistook for his ex-girlfriend

    FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (TCD) — A jury found a man guilty last week of fatally stabbing and lighting a woman on fire because he mistook her for his ex-girlfriend.

    On Oct. 5, Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano announced Richard Montano was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Silvia “Kelly” Vaca Abacay last year.

    According to the statement, Abacay had been staying with Montano’s ex-girlfriend, who was a close friend of hers. On Aug. 10, 2022, 48-year-old Montano went into the apartment “likely intending to kill” his ex because she had broken up with him a few weeks prior. The woman and Montano had been together for eight years.

    A neighbor’s Ring camera reportedly showed Montano previously made his way into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment several times “without her knowledge,” including 10 days before the killing.

    On the day of the attack, a neighbor called Fairfax County Police four times after they heard “screaming and banging” coming from the apartment across the hall. Montano stabbed Abacay, 40, then set her body on fire. The medical examiner concluded Abacay suffered from blunt- and sharp-force injuries.

    The statement said prosecutors “believed that she was likely mistaken” for Montano’s ex when he killed her.

    Descano said, “As Commonwealth’s Attorney, I’ve seen considerable crime scenes and photos, but the photos from the case stood out in terms of the severity of the victim’s injuries.”

    Montano will be sentenced in January and faces up to life in prison.



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  • Fact Check: Video that predates Hamas October 2023 attack mischaracterized amid violence

    News outlets have published video footage that appears to show Hamas militants using motorized paragliders to land amid a music festival in Israel on Oct. 7.

    On social media, though, another video is being mischaracterized as some users claim it shows that event. 

    “Hamas paraglided amongst Israeli citizens and proceeded to massacre them,” reads the text over the video which shows paragliders landing among crowds in a city. 

    An Oct. 8 Instagram post sharing this video was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

    Hamas militants launched an Oct. 7 attack on Israeli towns. 

    But the video shared on Instagram has been online since September. 

    Searching the TikTok account of the handle that’s visible in the clip, we found the video posted Sept. 27 on that platform.  A second video shows the paragliders landing on a field, and the third shows adults and children running toward them. This doesn’t track with news reports of “festivalgoers fleeing the attack” in Israel or gunmen opening fire on a “crowd of young people.”

    A YouTube account that has the same user name as the TikTok account also posted the video there Sept. 29, with an Arabic caption that, translated to English, said: “Parachute forces in Heliopolis.” 

    Heliopolis is a city in Egypt.

    We rate claims this video shows Hamas militants paragliding into Israel as False.

     



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