AIK attends Isshinryu Hall of Fame banquet, tournament in Tennessee
Published 11:00 am Monday, August 5, 2024
Andalusia Isshinryu Karate attended the 43rd Annual Isshinryu Hall of Fame Banquet and Tournament in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on July 19-20. Pictured are, from left, Mark Rudd, Johnathan Rudd, Henley Sargent, Lawrence Sargent, Cord Cook, Stetson Cook, and Alex Myrick. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
The 43rd Annual Isshinryu Hall of Fame Banquet and Tournament was held at the Gatlinburg, Tennessee Convention Center on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20.
Johnathan Rudd was presented with the IHOF Young Male Competitor of the Year award.
The Isshinryu Hall of Fame (IHoF) was founded in 1979. Based in Tennessee, this international board represents Isshinryu practitioners from all branches of Isshinryu Karate. The Hall of Fame honors and recognizes outstanding Isshinryu practitioners from around the world for their contributions to the art, regardless of their associations or dojo memberships.
“We are very proud of this group and their strong effort representing Andalusia Isshinryu Karate and Covington County on an international stage in Tennessee,” Coach Mark Rudd said.
Each year, nominations are sent in worldwide for 18 different award categories and also to nominate outstanding black belts for induction into the Hall of Fame. Five finalists are selected in each category, and the finalists and winner in each category are recognized at the banquet on Friday night.
Andalusia student Johnathan Rudd was named 2024 Male Junior Competitor of the Year after an outstanding year of competition in 2023 and 2024. His tournament record included 14 first-place finishes and four Youth Grand Championships.
The IHOF tourney was held on Saturday, and top Isshinryu competitors from several different countries and all over the United States competed for the coveted gold on the always-tough day of competition.
AIK’s competitors did well against their competition.
Stetson Cook took first place in yellow belt kata and second in fighting. Johnathan Rudd placed second in brown belt weapons and third in kata. Lawrence Sargent placed second in yellow belt weapons, third in kata, and third in sparring. Alex Myrick competed strongly in men’s black belt weapons and kata but did not place. Henley Sargent, 4, and Cord Cook, 6, competed in the 7-and-under divisions but did not place. Rudd said they were fierce competitors and were the youngest and smallest in their group.
Classes in Okinawan Isshinryu Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are offered in Andalusia for all ages. New beginner classes are enrolling for the 2024-2025 year. For class information, call or text Mark Rudd at 334-488-3104.
TRIBUTE: During Beyonce’s explosive Renaissance concert in Paris, the singer paid tribute to the recently deceased Queen of Rock and Roll Tina Tuner. Also surprising was the appearance of her daughter Blue Ivy, who joined her on stage. Beyoncé invited Blue Ivy to perform the song “My Power”.
DANCE: Abel Ruiz de Castilla is one of the most sought-after modern dancers today. He has been a director and competitor at the “World Hip Hop Dance Championship” in Arizona. He has obtained 1st place in the nationals directing the Varsity Category. Among his many experiences is being a choreographer and dancer for De La Ghetto.
SOUNDTRACK: It is impossible that, when thinking about the Barbie tape, the song of Aqua Barbie Girl does not sound in your head. The film has the theme Barbie World as its soundtrack, performed by rappers Nicky Minaj and Ice Spice in collaboration with the Danish group. There are also songs like “Watiti” by Karol G G (Ft. Aldo Ranks), “Pink” with Lizzo and “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa, among others.
LOVE: Chiquis Rivera has given marriage a second chance again. The singer announced that she was engaged to Emilio Sánchez. The commitment took place in the middle of a romantic setting with nature as a witness, in addition to the fact that it coincided with his birthday.
SUCCESS: Osman Aray stole the applause in the play “A” 2.50 La Cubalibre” at Maní in Miami. The host of Univisión’s “Sin rollo·” played the role of “La Enrollada”.
SUCCESS: Laura Pausini will be recognized as the 2023 person of the year by the Latin Recording Academy. The artist is celebrating 30 years of career. The Latin Grammy this time will be in Seville, Spain.
LOOKS: Action star Jason Momoa plays the main villain Dante in Fast X. He turns heads with his acting and costumes.
Carlos Camargo is a Venezuelan journalist with 40 years of experience. Specialized in Entertainment and Lifestyle. He is the author of the book “Happy and Unbound”
Secret Service Takes ‘Full Responsibility’ For Assassination Attempt On Trump
“This was a mission failure,” ~ Acting Director Ronald Rowe
By Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said on Friday the agency takes full responsibility for the tragic events at former President Donald Trump’s rally last month, pledging changes such as flying drones.
“This was a mission failure,” said Rowe at a press conference in Washington.
Rowe replaced Kimberly Cheatle as director of the Secret Service amid intense scrutiny after she resigned in the wake of the attempted assassination of Trump, which saw one rallygoer killed and two more injured in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was struck at the tip of his ear by a bullet fired by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks while he spoke at a campaign rally. Crooks, who fired several bullets, was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
But agents should have had eyes on the roofs and other vantage points, Rowe said. And despite offers by local enforcement to fly drones, the Secret Service didn’t put one up.
That will change, Rowe said.
“We thought we might have had it covered with the human eye,” he said. “But clearly we are going to change our approach now, and we are going to leverage technology and put those unmanned aerial systems up.”
“We did not have a drone on site. We did not put a drone up. Based on the information I have right now, I am aware that there was a request from a local agency to offer to fly a drone on that day. And that is also part of the mission assurance review that I’ve asked to get some better insight in,” Rowe added.
Ronald Rowe Jr. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Rowe said that the Secret Service also failed to communicate with local law enforcement over the radio at the rally. He said that the agency “fell short” of their responsibility to ensure Trump’s safety. “I’m working to make sure that this failure does not happen again,” he said.
Local police had identified Crooks as a suspect over an hour before the incident, but the Secret Service failed to secure the warehouse he fired from, which local police couldn’t cover.
Congress, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, and an independent review directed by President Joe Biden have been launched into the assassination attempt.
The Secret Service’s own Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting a mission assurance review. Rowe said disciplinary action would be taken if necessary, and procedures would be changed.
There should have been more of a physical law enforcement presence on site, Rowe said, given how close the building used by the shooter was to the stage where Trump spoke. If no law enforcement presence on the roof, there should have been “better security” preventing someone from getting up there, he said.
“That building was very close to that outer perimeter and we should have had more of a presence,” he said.
It’s hoped that a larger physical presence of law enforcement on site will deter future attempts.
“We want to deter people from even thinking about doing something like this again,” Rowe said.
Rowe also commended the bravery of the Secret Service agents who responded during the assassination attempt, noting their swift action to shield Trump’s body with their own “within three seconds of bullets ringing out in an unflinching act of bravery.”
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(TLB) published this article by Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times
Header featured image (edited) credit: Trump fist in air/X account public card
Rowe picture insert: Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 30, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Emphasis added by (TLB)
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OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. (TCN) — A 32-year-old father who repeatedly increased the speed on a treadmill while his son was on it, causing him to fall multiple times, will spend more than two decades in prison in connection with the child’s death.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced that a judge sentenced Christopher Gregor on Aug. 2 to 20 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter and five years for endangering the welfare of a child. A jury found Gregor guilty of the charges in May. Gregor must serve at least 85% of his sentence before parole eligibility.
According to prosecutors, on April 2, 2021, Stafford Township Police responded to a report of a deceased 6-year-old boy, identified by the Asbury Park Press as Corey Micciolo. The medical examiner’s office performed an autopsy the following day and determined the child suffered blunt force trauma injuries. The boy’s father, Gregor, reportedly brought Micciolo to the hospital, and the victim went into cardiac arrest twice and died shortly after his arrival.
According to the Asbury Park Press, before her child’s death, Micciolo’s mother noticed bruises on her son, and she tried to gain full custody because she was worried for his well-being. Her application was denied, and Micciolo reportedly died the next day.
Further investigation revealed that “Gregor had committed acts of abuse against the child” while Micciolo was in his care. After the victim’s death, investigators obtained surveillance footage showing that on March 20, 2021, Gregor reportedly forced the child to run on a treadmill and kept increasing the speed, causing him to fall multiple times. According to the Asbury Park Press, Gregor was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Prosecutors didn’t charge Gregor with murder until the following year when an expert witness for the prosecution submitted a report concluding that the child died from blunt force impact to the chest and abdomen. Micciolo’s death was ruled a homicide, and investigators determined Gregor was responsible. Detectives took him into custody on March 9, 2022.
Prosecutors argued Gregor caused his son’s injuries as punishment because his mother brought him home 14 hours late, the Asbury Park Press reports.
In a statement, Billhimer said, “Christopher Gregor will spend the rest of his days here on earth knowing that he caused the death of his son Corey. While nothing can bring this precious child back to his family, I hope that today’s sentence brings some sense of closure for those who knew and loved Corey. At long last, justice for Corey has been accomplished.”
MORE:
Monroe Township Man Sentenced to State Prison for Aggravated Manslaughter – Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
Christopher Gregor sentencing: 25 years in son Corey Micciolo’s death – Asbury Park Press
Monroe Township Man Charged with Murder, 3/9/2022 – Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office
N.J. father on trial in son’s death after allegedly increasing speed on treadmill, causing falls, 5/2/2024 – TCN
‘I feared for Corey’s life,’ Breanna Micciolo says during treadmill abuse trial, 5/1/2024 – Asbury Park Press
Though the Biden administration has publicly denied it, one of the Jordanian illegal immigrants released from federal custody after being charged for trying to breach a U.S. military base appears on a terror watch list, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch. The men, 32-year-old Hasan Yousef Hamdan and 28-year-old Mohammad Khair Dabous, posted bail in early June and were released by the Washington D.C. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the records show. A Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge in Annandale, Virginia set Dabous’ bail at $10,000 and Hamdan’s at $15,000 and they were freed after posting bond and agreeing to stay away from military facilities and to appear in court for immigration hearings.
Judicial Watch has been investigating the matter since the Jordanians tried to infiltrate Marine Corps Base Quantico on May 3, quickly firing off a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain records that could shed light on what occurred that day and uncover any threat that the individuals may represent. The Virginia base is about 35 miles south of Washington D.C. and houses the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Academy and Laboratory as well as a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) facility and Marine Corps commands that include the unit that flies the president’s Marine One helicopter. Initial reports revealed that in the early morning hours of May 3, Hamdan and Dabous drove a truck to the military installation’s main gate and told guards they were making a delivery to Quantico Town’s post office. They ignored guards’ orders to stop when they could not provide credentials required to gain access to the facility. The illegal immigrants were arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing on military property.
A Serious Incident Report (SIR) filed by Marine Base Quantico to Marine Headquarters confirms that a white box truck driven by Dabous tried to access the installation via a gate on Fuller Road. Guards asked for a license to conduct a visitor check and directed Dabous to move the truck into the inspection area. While the guard transmitted the drivers’ license information for vetting, the truck moved forward from the holding area and final denial barriers were deployed, according to the SIR report obtained by Judicial Watch. The passenger, Hamdan, could only provide a Jordanian passport for identification and both men were taken into custody. “Hamdan illegally entered the United States 20 days ago from Mexico into California where Hamdan was arrested and sent to an immigration camp with a deportation court date in 2026,” the SIR report states. An ICE officer, whose name is redacted in the document, “telephonically confirmed” to the Marine Criminal Investigations Division (CID) that “Hamdan was on a terror watch list,” the report says, further revealing that ICE personnel assumed custody of Hamadan and Dabous for further processing.
Despite the Marine SIR documenting that Hamdan appears on a terror watch list, the government—specifically ICE—has consistently denied it. A spokesperson for ICE ERO in Washington D.C. told Judicial Watch that neither man posed a threat to national security or the public. The spokesperson, James Covington, assured that the agency is “focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.” Covington also emphasized that “regardless of nationality, ICE makes custody determinations on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with U.S. law and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, considering the circumstances of each case” and that ICE officers “apply prosecutorial discretion in a responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals and in a way that best protects the communities we serve.”
While Hamdan is one of hundreds on the terror watchlist to sneak into the country through the famously porous southern border, Dabous was admitted in the U.S. on September 11, 2022, as an F-1 nonimmigrant student with authorization to remain for the duration of his student status, records obtained by Judicial Watch show. On January 14, 2023, Dabous’ Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record was set to “terminated,” indicating that his permission to be in the country expired, though he never left. Judicial Watch will continue investigating this case and fighting for records that can further uncover the outrageous security lapses associated with the Biden administration’s dangerous open border measures.
Are Google and Meta putting their Big Tech thumbs on the scale to tilt the election in Vice President Kamala Harris’ favor?
That’s what some social media users and supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump recently said. They accused Google of manipulating search results and Meta’s artificial intelligence tool of hiding information about the attempted assassination against Trump.
“Big Tech is trying to interfere in the election AGAIN to help Kamala Harris,” Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, wrote on X.
X owner Elon Musk, who has endorsed Trump for president, and conservative X account Libs of TikTok accused Google of obstructing meaningful search results for Trump and suppressing news about the July 13 shooting at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally. Both X accounts have millions of followers.
Some social media users also criticized Meta’s AI tool, saying it wouldn’t give information about the assassination attempt or called it a “fictional event.”
Donald Trump attacked the tech companies July 30 on Truth Social, urging his supporters to “go after Meta and Google,” accusing them of trying to rig the election. Trump also criticized Meta for flagging as misinformation a widely circulated photo of him raising his fist after a would-be assassin shot at him July 13. A Meta official said that was an error that has been fixed.
Google, in a lengthy July 30 thread posted on X, responded to complaints by acknowledging some bugs in its autofill feature. But the company said it is neither “censoring” nor “banning” particular search terms.
Meta also responded to problems involving its AI chatbot and said those problems were not “the result of bias.”
Experts told PolitiFact they don’t believe Google or Meta are intentionally favoring one candidate, but that they need to rebuild people’s trust in their platforms.
Tim Harper, a senior policy analyst of democracy and elections at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington, D.C. think tank, said intentionally filtering information to favor one political candidate could result in “political blowback” that could damage their businesses.
Experts also noted AI’s imperfections, saying that tech companies need to better warn users of its flaws.
It’s not just Meta’s AI giving out questionable answers. Five secretaries of state called on Musk to change the way X’s AI chatbot, Grok, works after it shared false claims about Vice President Kamala Harris’ eligibility for president and falsely said ballot deadlines in nine states had passed. As of Aug. 5, Musk had not publicly responded to the secretaries of states’ letter.
What happened with Google searches?
Musk’s July 29 X post showed a screen recording of a Google search for “Donald Trump,” and said “only news about Kamala Harris” appeared.
The next day, Musk posted that, “Google has a search ban on President Donald Trump! Election interference?” He showed a screenshot of a search for “president donald,” with autofill suggestions for “president donald duck” and “president donald regan,” an apparent misspelling of former President Ronald Reagan, whose image was shown next to those words.
Another X user shared the same screen recording and said Google was redirecting people searching for Trump to “puff pieces” about Harris. That video shared a four-second screen recording of a Google search that showed a scrollable box of stories under the heading, “News about Harris – Donald Trump.”
Libs of TikTok’s July 28 post shows a screen recording of a “Donald Trump” Google search and accused the tech company of hiding Trump results.
“Google isn’t just trying to memory hole the ass*ss*nation attempt, they’re ALSO suppressing search results for simply searching President Donald Trump. No results come up and autofill,” the post said. The post’s screen recording showed that the only autofill suggestions that popped up after typing “President Donald” was “President Donald Regan.” When “President Donald Trump” was entered in the search field, there were no other autofill suggestions.
We recreated these searches
On July 29 and 30, we recreated the searches on mobile and desktop browsers and got results similar to those in the social media posts.
In a mobile Google search for “Donald Trump,” we got the same box that said “News about Harris – Donald Trump.” That sliding display of headlines features the latest news about both candidates, which can change frequently.
When we scrolled down on the phone browser — something the social media videos didn’t show — the search results were Trump-focused. The “news about” box was only a fraction of the search results.
We also searched for “Kamala Harris,” and mobile and desktop searches returned results that included a box reading, “News about Kamala Harris.” That label didn’t mention Trump in the title, but the box included stories that had headlines about both candidates. A desktop search also showed us a box of stories with the heading “News about Elon Musk – Kamala Harris.”
We tried to recreate the search Libs of TikTok shared in its video on mobile browsers. In the Google app, we typed in “President Donald” and got autofill suggestions that led with Donald Trump, followed by “President Donald Duck” and “President Donald Regan.”
So what happened?
Google said in its X thread that its autocomplete feature wasn’t providing predictions for searches about the assassination attempt “because it has built-in protections related to political violence — and those systems were out of date.”
After the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting, predictive text should have included the assassination attempt, but didn’t. Google said it started working on improvements as soon as it discovered the problem; Google spokesperson Lara Levin said the company started rolling out improvements to the autocomplete function July 29.
Google said the claims about how autocomplete wasn’t showing relevant predictions for “President Donald” referred to a “bug that spanned the political spectrum.” Searchers for “President Ba,” for example, offered “President Barbie” instead of “Barack Obama,” and typing “vice president K” also showed no predictions, it said. Google said it made an update to improve these predictions.
Sometimes, improvements result in unintended consequences, Levin said, and a single update won’t always fix every possible instance of an issue.
Predictive text offerings aside, if you search “Donald Trump” you’ll get results about Trump, Google said in its X thread. Labels, such as “News about Harris – Donald Trump,” are automatically generated based on related news topics.
A search for “Kamala Harris” also showed top stories labeled with “Donald Trump.” Such results are common, Google said, when searching a range of topics, including the Olympics and public figures. Those labels change based on what topics news articles are covering, and can change rapidly, Levin said.
But Chirag Shah, a University of Washington engineering and computer science professor and visiting researcher at Microsoft Corp., added that just because searches for Donald Trump may yield information about Kamala Harris doesn’t mean something has gone awry. Search engines are expected to provide users with information that may be connected to a search subject.
“Whether you like it or not, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are pretty connected,” Shah said. “And Google’s algorithm, or other algorithms, they’re not thinking that they’re the opponents, and when somebody’s looking for one thing, they actually explicitly don’t want the other thing.”
The predictions and labels used in searches are algorithmic, Google said. Users may find unexpected or imperfect predictions and notice bugs, it said. Such things are common on other platforms, including X, it said.
Also, Harper said, users’ search histories and login status can affect search results or autofill options. People logged into Google may see different results than people who aren’t, he said.
What’s behind the Meta AI responses on the Trump assassination attempt
Some social media users shared screenshots of exchanges with Meta AI in which the AI said it had no information about the shooting at Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, or that the assassination attempt was a “fictional event.”
One X user shared July 28 a screenshot of someone asking Meta AI, “tell me about the assassination attempt on Trump.” The AI responded, “I can’t assist with that. I don’t always have access to the most up-to-date information.”
The person then asked Meta AI to provide information about Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, the screenshot showed. And Meta AI provided a longer, more detailed response about Harris’ July 21 announcement and platform.
Another X user shared a screenshot of an exchange with Meta AI in which someone asked, “why is (there) rich and structured information about (the) Harris campaign but not about the Trump assassination attempt?”
The screenshot showed Meta AI responded, “The reason for the disparity in information is due to the fact that the Trump assassination attempt is a fictional event, whereas Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign is a real and ongoing event.”
Joel Kaplan, Meta’s vice president of global policy, said in a July 30 statement that AI chatbots, including his company’s, are “not always reliable” for breaking or developing news events because initially the public domain, from which the chatbot draws its information, can contain conflicting or false information.
“Rather than have Meta AI give incorrect information about the attempted assassination, we programmed it to simply not answer questions about it after it happened — and instead give a generic response about how it couldn’t provide any information,” Kaplan said.
The company has updated the response Meta AI gives about the Trump assassination attempt, Kaplan said.
The “small number of cases” in which Meta AI gave an incorrect answer that the assassination attempt didn’t happen was the result of a “hallucination,” Kaplan said. This term refers to an industrywide problem in which generative AI tools sometimes provide nonsensical or inaccurate results. Meta said it is addressing this issue.
Harper said it’s hard to say how often AI chatbots hallucinate. When they do, he added, it can be difficult for average people to detect what’s happening.
On July 29 and 30, three PolitiFact staff members prompted Meta AI with the same queries seen in these social media posts and received different responses. We all got a summary of currently known details about the assassination attempt, but one response about Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign incorrectly said Harris had not announced a run this year.
(Screengrabs from Facebook Messenger)
Tech companies should be transparent with the public about these AI hallucinations and AI chatbots should provide links to authoritative sources of information about the 2024 election, such as government websites, Harper said.
And Shah said tech companies need to better inform users about their products’ limitations, especially for critical areas of information, such as elections or health care.
“If you see their ads right now, they’re showing us that these things are magical and can do all kinds of amazing things,” Shah said. “Yeah, they can do those (things). But then there are also these other cases where they screw up in a big way. And we’re not talking enough about them.”
Shah said users should look at AI-generated information as a tool, given the limitations. And tech companies, he said, should label their AI products as being in Beta, or a testing mode, similar to the way Gmail initially was for a lengthy period.
“You see all these AI things being put out as if they’re ready,” Shah said. “They’re not ready. They’re not nearly ready.”
PolitiFact Staff Writer Maria Briceño contributed to this report.
Covington Electric Cooperative celebrates 80 years in business
Published 1:00 pm Monday, August 5, 2024
Covington Electric Cooperative, Inc. celebrated its 80th anniversary on Friday, August 2. Pictured are, from left, Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Membership Services Maggie Holmes, Hunter Grimes, Chamber Vice President Ginny Grimes, Hunter Grimes, Anna Worley, Kyle Kennington, Kim Carter, Beth Foreman, Patty Singleton-Seay, Dave Morris, Chamber President Jennifer McClung, and AACC Executive Director Mellisa King. (PHOTO BY ZACK MAIO)
Covington Electric Cooperative, Inc. celebrated 80 years in business with a pop-up birthday party at its location in the Sanford community on Friday, August 2.
CEC was formed to electrify rural areas in South Alabama in 1944. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association introduced the Youth Tour program in 1957, and it is still going strong to the present day. Nine years later, Covington Electric Cooperative and Alabama Electric Cooperative mutually agreed to end joint operations. In 1966, John Hill was named the general manager of CEC, and its office in Sanford was built.
Covington Rural Services was established, and C-Band Satellite TV service was first offered in 1986. Charles “Ed” Short was named the general manager with the retirement of John Hill in 1990. Three years later, the Alabama Blizzard of 1993 caused prolonged outages throughout the entire state. Hurricane Opal wreaked havoc across CEC’s service territory with some outages lasting more than a week in October 1995.
CEC joined the Touchstone Energy Cooperative alliance in 1998. Hurricane Ivan caused major widespread damage to the CEC electric distribution system in September 2004.
The Bright Ideas Program was established for teachers at schools served by CEC in 2016. Covington Electric launched Buzz Broadband, providing high-speed fiber Internet five years later. CEC initiated a community solar garden project and expanded access to solar energy in 2022. Mark Parker was named CEC’s new president and CEO following Short’s retirement in 2023.
Today, CEC serves approximately 24,300 meters across six counties: Covington, Coffee, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, and Escambia. An additional branch is located in Enterprise.
Covington Electric Cooperative is located at 18836 U.S. Highway 84 outside of Andalusia.
For more information visit covington.coop or call 334-222-4121.
Dr. Jacqui Showers, a distinguished entrepreneur, ordained Elder, and licensed Minister, has dedicated her life to empowering individuals and organizations to achieve spiritual abundance, wholeness, and wealth—what she calls SAWW. Known as the Bold Encourager and Power Igniter, Showers leverages her extensive experience and dynamic approach to inspire and equip others to fulfill their divine calling.
A Journey of Faith and Empowerment
Jacqui Showers’ path began with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Wayne State University. Her academic journey set the stage for a multifaceted career that spans business development, diversity inclusion, and leadership. Throughout her career, Showers has consistently demonstrated her intellectual, creative, and leadership skills, making significant contributions to various organizations and initiatives.
One of her most notable achievements is her transformative leadership within The Capital Press Club (CPC), the oldest African American communications organization in the nation. As President, she established CPC’s infrastructure, secured its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and implemented strategic approaches that led to increased revenue, membership, and community awareness. Her leadership helped CPC flourish, forging valuable alliances and delivering top-notch programming.
Mentoring and Empowerment
Showers’ commitment to mentoring young women is evident in her founding of REDS Rubies, an organization that empowers young women aged 18-35 to navigate life’s challenges. Through her guidance, countless young women have gained the skills and confidence needed to succeed in both their personal and professional lives. Showers’ leadership extends beyond this initiative, as she continues to mentor and support emerging leaders and entrepreneurs.
As an ordained Elder and licensed Minister, Showers uses her platform to inspire audiences worldwide. Her Oh Break Out Empowerment & Leadership Conference and the Kingdom Marketplace Connection Network Event are just a few of the avenues through which she spreads messages of empowerment and spiritual growth.
Overcoming Challenges
Showers’ journey has not been without its challenges. Early in her career, she faced a significant setback when a journalism instructor suggested she needed remedial classes to improve her writing skills. This moment of devastation led to a long battle with fear and self-doubt. However, Showers refused to let this challenge define her. Through perseverance and faith, she wrote her way out of fear, embracing her identity as an award-winning writer and communicator.
Her resilience is further demonstrated by her ability to thrive despite economic hardships. Living “promise to promise,” Showers’ faith, confidence, and boldness never wavered. She continued to pursue her calling, providing encouragement and support to others even when faced with personal scarcity.
Transformational Leadership
Showers’ enterprising spirit is evident in her founding of multiple ventures, including JASSAI LLC, The ME Place, JASSAI Publishing, and The Showers Group Ministries. Through these platforms, she offers business coaching, consultancy, and empowerment programs tailored to the needs of aspiring entrepreneurs and Kingdom influencers. Her holistic approach guides individuals and businesses to profitability, scalability, and longevity.
Her expertise in marketing and public relations has also been instrumental in shaping the success of numerous ventures and campaigns. Showers has held esteemed positions in organizations such as the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and the US Census Bureau.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Showers envisions herself as a Kingdom marketplace influencer, entrepreneur, and world-renowned speaker. Her goal is to move people out of the four walls of the church and into the “walless-ness” of the marketplace, helping them become all God envisioned. She aims to continue inspiring others to experience SAWW—Spiritual, Abundance, Wholeness, and Wealth—through her bold encouragement and power ignition.
Conclusion
Dr. Jacqui Showers’ life and work are a testament to the power of faith, resilience, and purpose. As a bold encourager and power igniter, she has dedicated her life to helping others achieve their divine calling. Whether through mentoring young women, leading organizations, or inspiring diverse audiences, Showers’ infectious energy and unwavering optimism leave a lasting impact. Her legacy is one of empowerment, innovation, and transformation, inspiring future generations of leaders and influencers to live out their vision every day.
Atlanta Residents Offer Warm Welcome to Trump Rally Visitors
Breitbart Texas posted outside the Trump-Vance rally and found the crowds interacting well with residents who seemed to go on about their business despite heavier than normal traffic on Saturday morning.
BREITBART
ATLANTA, Georgia — The rally for former President Donald Trump and Vice Presidential Nominee J.D. Vance held at the Georgia State Convocation Center went off without a hitch with no reported security incidents and no severe heat-related injuries despite a heat index of 96 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday. A crowd of approximately 8,000 ultimately filled the arena that plays home to the Georgia State Panthers men’s and women’s basketball teams. Downtown residents seemed unimpacted by the increased vehicle traffic and the thousands of Trump supporters who remained on the streets after the rally began.
Breitbart Texas posted outside the Trump-Vance rally and found the crowds interacting well with residents who seemed to go on about their business despite heavier than normal traffic on Saturday morning. The crowd began to arrive around 7:00 a.m., some ten hours before the event was slated to begin. Some residents took the opportunity to move about the crowd of thousands toting large ice chests with bottled drinking water for sale to keep the growing crowd hydrated.
Trump-Vance supporters lined up for hours to attend the rally for the former president. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Downtown businesses benefited from the enormous crowd, as some rally hopefuls patronized restaurants and stores. Breitbart Texas spoke to some of the supporters lining the streets of downtown Atlanta, who were hopeful that another Trump presidency would bring changes to the economy soon.
Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
Stacey, an attendee from Marietta, Georgia, told Breitbart she hadn’t been very active in politics until recently. The mother of two boys says things have changed in her life that make it impossible for her to ignore policies that impact the economy.
An Asian-American family attending the Trump-Vance rally in Atlanta. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
“Things have gotten so expensive, from gasoline to groceries, it’s getting harder to get around and almost impossible to feed a family,” Stacey told Breitbart.
Another group of men said they switched their support to the Republican party after years of voting Democrat. On behalf of the group sporting shirts that read TRUMP DADS #FathersRights, Brandon Marteliz says “Our group has been following Donald Trump since 2015, we were institutionally ignorant about politics and told who to vote for based upon what we look like. No more, we’re done!”
“Let’s vote and pray for Trump.” (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Officers from Atlanta’s finest were posted near the facility’s entrance, ready to respond to any incidents and offer emergency services if required. Luckily, despite the heat and the large number of people hoping to gain entrance into the limited-capacity facility, there were none….
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Header featured image (edited) credit: Trump supporters/Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
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(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that a hearing will be held on August 6 at 4 p.m. ET in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in the $30 million wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of the estate of Ashli Babbitt.
(Judicial Watch has asked that the case be returned to San Diego so that it can appeal the California Southern District Court’s earlier venue transfer to Washington, DC.)
This is the first hearing to be held in the wrongful death lawsuit that was filed on January 5, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against the U.S. Government on behalf of the family of Ashli Babbitt, the U.S. Air Force veteran who was shot and killed inside the U.S. Capitol by then-Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd on January 6, 2021 (Estate of Ashli Babbitt and Aaron Babbitt, et al. v. United States of America (No. 3:24-cv-00033)). The lawsuit includes claims against the U.S. Government for wrongful death, assault and battery, and various negligence issues.
Babbitt was a 35-year-old resident of San Diego, CA, where she owned and operated a successful pool business with her husband Aaron. Ashli traveled alone from San Diego to Washington, DC, to attend the Women for America First (aka Save America) rally on January 6, 2021, at the Ellipse.
As the Judicial Watch complaint recounts:
The shooting occurred at the east entrance to the Speaker’s Lobby. After demonstrators filled the hallway outside the lobby, two individuals in the crowded, tightly packed hallway struck and dislodged the glass panels in the lobby doors and the right door sidelight. Lt. Byrd, who is a United States Capitol Police commander and was the incident commander for the House on January 6, 2021, shot Ashli on sight as she raised herself up into the opening of the right door sidelight. Lt. Byrd later confessed that he shot Ashli before seeing her hands or assessing her intentions or even identifying her as female. Ashli was unarmed. Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and other officers in the lobby.
***
The facts speak truth. Ashli was ambushed when she was shot by Lt. Byrd. Multiple witnesses at the scene yelled, “you just murdered her.”
Lt. Byrd was never charged or otherwise punished or disciplined for Ashli’s homicide.
The U.S. District for the Southern District of California, at the request of the Biden Justice Department, transferred this case to the DC District Court on June 12, 2024.
In a July 2024 motion to retransfer the case, Judicial Watch argues:
The Southern District of California transferred this case to the District of Columbia … without a hearing, against the will of [the Estate of Ashli Babbitt] …
This hasty process afforded Plaintiffs no opportunity to seek a stay of the order or petition for mandamus relief from the order although they clearly had a right to do both.
The Justice Department later asked the court to dismiss the case in the D.C. District Court.
Judicial Watch argues that nothing in the case should be decided until the matter of venue is resolved.
“Ashli Babbitt and her family deserve accountability and justice for her wrongful death on January 6. In short, there was no good reason for Lt. Byrd to ambush and shoot her,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “But the Biden Justice Department, rather than admit government wrongdoing, is doing its best try to ensure Ashli never gets her full day in court.”
In April 2024, records from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in a separate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit showed that the FBI opened a criminal investigation of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt after her killing and listed four “potential violations of federal law,” including felony rioting and civil disorder.
In September 2023, Judicial Watch received records from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, a component of the Department of Justice, in a FOIA lawsuit that detail the extensive apparatus the Biden Justice Department set up to investigate and prosecute January 6 protestors.
A previous review of records from that lawsuit highlighted the prosecution declination memorandum justifying the decision not to prosecute U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd for the shooting death of Babbitt.
In January 2023, documents from the Department of the Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, MD, showed U.S. Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd was housed at taxpayer expense at Joint Base Andrews after he shot and killed U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In November 2021, Judicial Watch released multiple audio, visual and photo records from the DC Metropolitan Police Department about the shooting death of Babbitt on January 6, 2021, in the U.S. Capitol Building. The records included a cell phone video of the shooting and an audio of a brief police interview of the shooter, Byrd.
Ronald Rowe Jr. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump-Vance supporters lined up for hours to attend the rally for the former president. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
An Asian-American family attending the Trump-Vance rally in Atlanta. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
“Let’s vote and pray for Trump.” (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)