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Bloomington woman sentenced to more than 7 years of prison for pandemic fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

A Bloomington woman was sentenced to 7½ years in prison and ordered to pay $4.7 million in restitution for defrauding federal pandemic programs, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis.Tequisha Solomon, 40, defrauded the government by obtaining unemployment benefits from several states from June 2020 through January 2022, according to court documents.She received pandemic assistance from Minnesota, California, Illinois and Nevada when she didn’t live in those states at the time.In addition, she charged other individuals as much as $2,000 to help them defraud states with false applications for assistance.In total, court documents show she fraudulently applied for $7.15 million in pandemic-related funds. At least $4.7 million was paid out in fraudulent unemployment benefits and small business loans.Solomon pleaded guilty Dec. 13 to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | ...

CCSO: Suspect escapes town court, located shortly after

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

CLAVERACK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, a suspect reportedly escaped from the Claverack Town Court on Tuesday after being remanded to the custody of the sheriff. The suspect was found shortly after with the aid of several agencies. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Deputies say the suspect managed to escape around 5 p.m. A search of the area was done by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, New York State Forest Rangers, the City of Hudson Police Department, and the Village of Philmont Police Department. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.Deputies say there is no threat to the public at this time. The sheriff's office is expected to release more information as the investigation continues.

Missouri Task Force 1 flying to Hawaii to help in wildfire recovery efforts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A team from Missouri Task Force 1 is sending four people and four canines to help with recovery efforts in Maui.FOX 2's Laura Simon spoke with Missouri Task Force 1 Canine Handler Cathy Schiltz about how their team will help with the recovery mission. Sidewalk repairs trap 92-year-old woman in her home "Our dogs that we're bringing out there on this mission are all human remains detection dogs, so they're trained specifically to find human remains," Schiltz shared.The crew is set to leave St. Louis Lambert International Airport a little after 7:00 a.m. It's unknown how long the group will be deployed.

First day of school for East Alton School District

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

EAST ALTON, Ill. - It is a big back-to-school day Wednesday morning for many Illinois districts in the area.Back to school pretty much started on Monday of this week. That's when some districts, including East St. Louis, went back to class. East Alton is one of at least a dozen Illinois schools, and next week many Missouri districts in our area start. Neighbors frustrated with sidewalk squatters FOX 2's Chris Regnier spoke with Superintendent of the East Alton School District, Mario Sherrell, about his thoughts heading into the new school year and new implementations in the school year.

Rockies Mailbag: What is going on with Colorado’s high strikeout totals?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.What is going on with the Rockies hitters and the strikeouts? They already don’t hit for power, but don’t make contact either. I understand having young guys, but other teams do too, and don’t seem to swing and miss at the rate the Rockies do. Wasn’t Hensley Meulens brought in to address this?— Jason, Tulare, Calif.Jason, you’re correct, the strikeouts are through the roof, especially on the road. We saw that last weekend at Dodger Stadium, which is a graveyard for Rockies hitters. I received numerous emails and several Rockies Mailbag questions about the topic.The Rockies struck out 49 times while being swept by the Dodgers in a four-game series. That was the third-most Ks in club history for a four-game series. They walked just twice, their second-fewest in a four-game set. T...

“I want their badges”: Family of pregnant woman killed by Arvada police officer files lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

An Arvada police officer shot and killed a pregnant woman after mistaking her for a shoplifting suspect two years ago in an altercation the woman’s family now says never should have happened.Destinee Thompson’s surviving family members filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against five Arvada police officers on Tuesday, two years after the 27-year-old mother of three was killed as she drove away from officers on Aug. 17, 2021.“She was murdered, as far as I am concerned,” her father, Francis Thompson, said in an interview Tuesday, crying at times as he remembered his daughter, a boisterous, thoughtful woman who once bicycled around with a whole mini fridge strapped to her back in order to gift it to her stepmother, Carmela Delgado.“It was mistaken identity,” Delgado said. “They just made the assumption because of the way she looked, and where she was…I feel very much like that officer had in his mind, ‘She’s les...

Video points to power lines as possible cause of Maui fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

p Awakened by howling winds that tore through his Maui neighborhood, Shane Treu went out at dawn and saw a wooden power pole suddenly snap with a flash, its sparking, popping line falling to the dry grass below and quickly igniting a row of flames.He called 911 and then turned on Facebook video to livestream his attempt to fight the blaze in Lahaina, including wetting down his property with a garden hose. Maui fire death toll reaches 106 as first two victims identified “I heard ‘buzz, buzz,’” the 49-year-old resort worker recounted to The Associated Press. “It was almost like somebody lit a firework. It just ran straight up the hill to a bigger pile of grass and then, with that high wind, that fire was blazing.”Treu’s video and others captured the early moments of what would become the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Now the footage has emerged as key evidence pointing to fallen utility lines as the ...

Sailboat stays stuck at Stinson Beach as owner works to remove it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

Authorities are working with a boat owner to free a 33-foot-long, 10-ton sailboat stuck in the sand near Stinson Beach for more than two weeks.The boat ran aground on July 31 at Upton Beach, which fronts a neighborhood of beachside homes in the Stinson community, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.The owner is living on the vessel, according to authorities, and could not be reached for comment.Sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said the owner has declined assistance. Authorities are giving him time to come up with a plan, and the finances, to remove the vessel on his own, Schermerhorn said. He said the owner is “actively” working with a towing company.Schermerhorn said they are checking on the boat and its owner every few days and will continue to give him time to come up with a plan to move the vessel on his own.Boat ran aground on Stinson Beach. Bummer. pic.twitter.com/rD9JIT06gS— The West Marin Feed (@WestMarinFeed) August 1, 2023The county has not imposed a stric...

What is RICO, the law at the heart of Donald Trump’s Georgia criminal case?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

By Devan Cole | CNNWashington  — Former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants have been accused of breaking a variety of criminal laws in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case, but one crime ties all their alleged misconduct together: the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.The state law – which is commonly referred to as RICO – is similar to the federal version of the statue that targets so-called criminal enterprises. Georgia’s law allows prosecutors to pull an array of conduct – including activities that took place outside of the state of Georgia but may have been part of a broad conspiracy – into their indictments.Those convicted of racketeering charges also face steeper penalties, a point of leverage for prosecutors if they are hoping to flip potential co-conspirators or encourage defendants to take plea deals.RELATED: Former President Donald Trump’s fourth indictment, annotated“Federal RICO is a very big deal. It’s difficult to prove, and it’s used...

Todd Kent retires as UCSC’s winningest women’s basketball coach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:40 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — Todd Kent, the winningest coach in UC Santa Cruz women’s basketball history, has stepped down as the Banana Slugs’ coach after 13 seasons at the helm.The NCAA Division III school announced Tuesday that’s he’s retiring from coaching.“On behalf of the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Department of Athletics & Recreation, we would like to congratulate Todd on his career as the head coach of women’s basketball,” said Courtnie Prather, interim director of athletics & recreation, told goslugs.com. “Throughout his accomplished career, Todd has exhibited an unwavering commitment to his craft and all Banana Slugs, including student-athletes, alumni, and all UC Santa Cruz students.”Banana Slugs assistant Monica Armstrong has been promoted to interim head coach.Kent compiled a 169-148 career record and led the Banana Slugs to their first two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 2016 and ’17.UC Santa Cruz head coach Todd Kent argues with referee Rudy Domi...