Over $4 million stolen from Mississippi’s poorest
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)- State Auditor Shad White will be paying a visit to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Monday to brief officials on the largest public embezzlement scheme in Mississippi’s history.
“We moved quickly and quietly in the Auditor’s office to put a stop to the DHS scheme before any more money was taken, and now is the time to use every investigative resource available to uncover all the fraud that remains,” said White.
After an eight month investigation, auditors found that the former Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services and five others conspired to illegally obtain millions in public funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program administered by DHS. Defendants used a variety of business entities and schemes to defraud the taxpayers.
White says at least $4 million in federal welfare money was stolen by the former head of the state welfare agency and others in nation’s poorest state.
via: https://www.wjtv.com/news/state-auditor-to-visit-fbi-regarding-embezzlement-scheme/
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Arizona woman’s ex-husband hides in car and chokes her while driving, police say
PHOENIX, AZ (3TV/CBS5) — A west Phoenix woman was choked by her ex-husband while driving after he hid in the back seat, police say.
This happened in March of 2019.
As she was driving, he then wrapped his arms around her neck, choking her, court documents state. The victim then tried to slow down the car, while her legs dangled out of the driver’s side door. She thought her ex-husband may have had a gun, but wasn’t certain, according to the arrest report. Witnesses saw what was happening and pulled the suspect off of her.
“Situational awareness is key in these situations because you can very easily avoid them,” said Ivette Hofrichter, co-owner of EVKM Fitness & Self Defense. She has been practicing the technique for nearly a decade, and said if you are ever in this situation you have to “escalate with response.
“Throwing elbows to the back, biting, keeping your chin down, scratching the face,” Hofrichter advised. “Reaching for objects to stab and slash to the attackers face.”
She said to use your car to your advantage. “If we have our seat belt on we can slam on the brakes, hard, to get them off balance, and allow us enough time to exit the vehicle,” Hofrichter said. “Swerving left and right to get our potentially un-belted attacker off.”
The suspect is facing felony charges of burglary and unlawful imprisonment. He is due in court March 4.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Saint Louis Police Cooperative gets $25,000 grant to buy Ring cameras for North County residents
PINE LAWN, Mo. (KMOV.com) — There is a multi-thousand dollar effort in one area of St. Louis County aimed at running off crime.
The North County Police Cooperative received $25,000 to buy Ring cameras to give to residents. Police believe these cameras will help them fight crime saying it has already helped them solve dozens of cases.
The money comes from a grant from Ameren Missouri along with Beyond Housing.
“It certainly assists us in the long-run with getting cases solved, additional evidence, and capturing criminal behavior in crimes on camera,” Major Ron Martin said.
Last year, the department investigated eight killings and solved all of them.
“I can tell you, in quite a few of those cases, Ring camera footage was obtained that would have caught suspects going to the scene or things of that nature,” Martin said.
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“A lot of people when they see you have it won’t even come up on the porch. So I think it is a good thing,” Johnson said.
The North County Cooperative, along with Pagedale, Normandy, Bel Ridge and North Woods Police Departments, will start giving out the cameras March 15.
If you want a camera, contact the police to see if you qualify.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
8-year-old boy with rare terminal cancer is made police chief for a day
JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. (WDRB/CNN/Meredith) — An 8-year-old boy is battling a rare, terminal cancer. His home city of Jeffersontown, Kentucky decided to surprise him – by naming him police chief for the day.
Officer Brandon Gwynn with the Jeffersontown police said he wanted to go “above and beyond” for Kyler Buckner.
“He deserves anything and everything,” Gwynn said.
They say live in the moment, each day at its best. But when you’re eight years old and the doctors say your days are few, these minutes and moments just matter more.
Kristen Mackin, Kyler’s mother, said her son’s condition was more serious than they thought. A tumor had spidered over his brain stem. He has a rare pediatric cancer. There’s no cure and no effective treatment. It’s the kind of cancer no child survives.
“It’s so hard to have a kid that’s running around and playing and just enjoying life and being so silly,” Mackin said. “And then next day he can’t walk. He can’t feed himself. He can’t go the bathroom. And it’s just like you just don’t know. You just don’t know that this is possible until you walk in those shoes. And then you’re just heartbroken that it has to happen to anybody and you’re devastated that your child is one of those.”
The Jeffersontown police did everything they could to make Kyler’s moment as police chief one of his best, from K-9’s to firearms and even some true detective work with Kyler’s brother Jakob at his side as assistant chief.
But it wasn’t just training for the new recruit. Kyler’s day one had a very real police run.
On the 8-year-old’s way to the station, he witnessed his fellow officers tend to a crash complete with injuries and an infant.
“He kind of looked up and me and said, ‘is this real?’” Gwynn said. “I said, ‘Kyler, this is what it’s like to be a hero.'”
All those involved in the crash were expected to be okay.
“You don’t get picked or chosen to do certain things, you just got to act,” Gwynn said.
You don’t get picked for cancer either, and the kind Kyler has kills most kids in less than a year.
“We just live day to day,” Mackin said. “Live and laugh and love and enjoy what time we have because nobody knows how long.”
Each moment, every day at its best.
“The smile’s never left his face,” Mackin said.
Kyler and his family will soon travel to San Francisco for an experimental treatment that will put chemo directly into his brain stem.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Utah Man Admits to Killing Wife Aboard Cruise Ship After She Asked for Divorce
A Utah man pleaded guilty to beating his wife to death aboard a cruise ship two and a half years ago, the US Department of Justice announced Friday.
Kenneth Ray Manzanares pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of Kristy Manzanares in July 2017.
The Emerald Princess cruise ship was in US waters when the Manzanareses had a verbal fight in their cabin, a news release from the Department of Justice said.
“According to admissions made in connection with the plea, Kenneth and Kristy Manzanares became involved in a verbal argument about Kenneth’s behavior that evening, and, during the discussion, Kristy stated she wanted a divorce and told him to disembark the vessel at Juneau in order for him to travel back home to Utah,” the news release said.
Kenneth Manzanares told two children in the room to go to an adjoining room where some of Kristy’s relatives were staying, the Justice Department said. After the children heard screaming they tried to get back in the room but couldn’t. They could see from a connected balcony the husband striking his wife with his hands while she was on the floor, the release said.
Kristy Manzanares died of blunt force trauma to her face and head.
CNN reached out to a public defender for Kenneth Manzanares but didn’t get an immediate response.
Kenneth Manzanares faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000, the Justice Department said. The case fell under federal jurisdiction because the killing occurred while the ship was in US waters.
The couple was from Santa Clara, Utah. The Emerald Princess is operated by Princess Cruises.
Photo Credit: ktla.com
Sexologist Shan Boodran uses her own ‘vagina juice’ as ‘love potion’ to drive men wild
Vaginal secretions are all the rage these days.
Gwyneth Paltrow is selling a $75 candle called “This Smells Like My Vagina” via her site, Goop. This week, Erykah Badu announced she the sale of incense called “Badu’s P—y,” that smells like her vagina, on her own soon-to-launch online store — but one sexologist just goes straight to the good stuff.
Shan Boodran, the author of a book called The Game of Desire: 5 Surprising Secrets to Dating with Dominance — and Getting What You Want, insists that her “vagina juice” works like a love potion when it comes to attracting men, making them flock to her.
“Vaginal fluids, especially around ovulation, but really any time you want to feel an extra boost of confidence, can serve as a love potion,” Boodran told Refinery 29.
“Regardless of if vaginal pheromones truly make a person irresistible or not, the fact that you think it does, will cause you to act in a bolder, more confident manner. There are no health risks for others and unless you suspect you may have bacterial vaginosis, it will not make you smell bad,” she said.
“I’ve used this technique countless times in the past 10 years and have had mixed results: sometimes people are flocking to me, sometimes I don’t notice a difference. So while I’m not sure how effective this experiment is, I am certain that every single time I employ it, it makes me feel like an enchanted goddess with a delicious secret.”
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Texas teen shot dead by bully two days after defending a younger boy
A Texas teenager who defended a younger boy from getting attacked was allegedly shot dead by the infuriated bully just two days later, according to reports.
Brave Samuel Reynolds, 16, had stepped in to protect a 15-year-old from being assaulted by another boy in Arlington early last week, police told NBC News Dallas Fort-Worth.
“After he broke up the fight, he started having trouble with the suspect,” Arlington Police Lt. Christopher Cook told the station.
On Thursday — just two days after the confrontation — Reynolds was gunned down in a communal area of his apartment complex.
A boy aged between 13 and 15 who lives in the same complex was arrested, and police say he was the same boy Reynolds had earlier confronted, according to NBC.
He is not being identified because of his age, the reports say.
The suspect initially denied involvement in the shooting, but security camera footage showed the killing, cops told NBC.
“He pulls out a handgun from the rear part of his pants he was wearing, points it at the victim and fires one round,” Cook told NBC, saying they found a shell casing from a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
The teen faces a murder charge and has been transported to a juvenile detention center, but it remains unclear whether he will be tried as an adult or child, NBC said.
“This senseless act of gun violence has no place in society and our hometown community,” Arlington police chief Will Johnson said on Twitter.
Calling it “an emotionally tough case” for responding officers, he said: “We will direct our attention to how a young teen suspect accessed a firearm used in the offense.”
Students and teachers gathered at Arlington High School on Friday for a candlelight vigil to remember their former pupil. The suspect was in the same school district but not in the high school, officials said.
“We are heartbroken by this tragic loss of a young life,” principal Shahveer Dhalla said of Reynolds.
“He touched the lives of many of our Arlington students and teachers, and he will be missed. We are keeping our thoughts and prayers with Sam’s family and friends.”
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Rose McGowan tells Snoop Dogg to ‘grow the f–k up’ amid Kobe Bryant outrage
Rose McGowan on Sunday called Kobe Bryant a “hero” for apologizing to his sex accuser — but told Snoop Dogg to “grow the f–k up” and stop attacking anyone who raises the late hoop star’s troubled past.
“You want to know why Kobe Bryant is a hero? He apologized to a hurt young woman,” the #MeToo pioneer wrote on Twitter early Sunday, referring to Bryant’s mea culpa to a 19-year-old hotel employee who accused him of rape in 2003.
While praising Bryant, 41, McGowan also sent a message to Snoop Dogg to “stop terrorizing” CBS’ Gayle King following his wild attack on her for bringing up Bryant’s past during an interview.
“Truth hurts. Death hurts. Grow the f–k up. Kobe stopped hurting women, so can you,” McGowan wrote.
The “Charmed” star also mentioned Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez — who received death threats and was suspended after linking to stories about Bryant’s case — as one of those unfairly attacked. Oprah Winfrey also claimed that Snoop’s viral interview clip led to King receiving death threats.
McGowan — whose accusations against Harvey Weinstein helped form the #MeToo movement — previously mentioned the “complex” nature of grieving someone with troubling accusations against them.
“Put an * next to a hero’s name if they have sexual assault in their past,” she wrote last week, saying the symbol, “says investigate further.”
“It’s okay to hold space for the dead & their victims simultaneously. It’s complex,” she wrote.
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Study: Graduates would spend a week in jail to erase student loan debt
What would you do to have your student loan debt erased?
A recent study suggests plenty of people would be willing to go to jail for a week if it meant getting out of paying off their loans.
The study was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Splash Financial. It surveyed 1,000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate degree holders.
The study included insights on the sacrifices borrowers make, such as skipping social gatherings and working a side hustle, as well as the financial impossibilities for those in debt, such as buying a house or saving for retirement.
The most interesting results came from those answering what they’d do to erase their student debt.
Thirty-nine percent said they’d spend a week in jail.
Here’s a look at all the responses:
- Shaving ones’ head (51%)
- Walk to work for a month (49%)
- Never have caffeine again (40%)
- Relive high school over again (40%)
- No time off from work for a year (40%)
- Spend a week in jail (39%)
Article via WSET