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St. Louis man admits to $150,000 pandemic load fraud

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis man pled guilty in federal court to fraud to get a $150,000 loan for a small business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demetrice Black, 53, applied for the loan using a Social Security number that did not belong to him and a fraudulent Missouri driver's license on July 24, 2020.Prosecutors say he worked with another person to move the funds to a separate bank account and withdrew some in cash. The Economic Injury Disaster Loans were designed to assist business owners impacted by the pandemic.Black is set to be sentenced on February 8, 2024. The charge of misusing a Social Security number carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, and the theft charge may lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Both offenses also come with the possibility of a fine of up to $250,000.

Jury finds Aurora police officer who put Elijah McClain in neck hold not guilty in 23-year-old’s death

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

Elijah McClain is pictured in this undated photograph. (Photo provided by family of Elijah McClain)Jurors on Monday found the Aurora police officer who put Elijah McClain in a neck hold during a violent arrest not guilty on all counts related to the 23-year-old’s death more than four years ago.Nathan Woodyard, 34, was acquitted of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, the conclusion of the second of three criminal trials in a death that garnered widespread local and national attention following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.Jurors in the first trial similarly acquitted former officer Jason Rosenblatt on all counts last month, but found officer Randy Roedema guilty of the lesser charges of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault.McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain was in the courtroom and wiped tears from her eyes after the verdict was read.Defense lawyer Megan Downing said, “We believe it was the right verdict, not an easy one...

Evergreen “castle in the woods” lists for $27M

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

After Richard and Pamela Bard married in 1990, they wanted to purchase a home together. Bard, who previously owned an Evergreen ranch, knew what he wanted: a castle in the woods. The realtor he worked with told him he would love Greystone Estate, but it just sold.A few days later, Bard got a call saying the property was returning to the market. “We agreed to look at it, and as we drove up the driveway, I thought, ‘We’re going to buy this.’” The Bards purchased Greystone Estate, a former dude ranch, for $1.4 million in 1992 and have spent more than $10 million on renovations and upgrades. They lived in the guest house for the first four years while renovating the 12,000-square-foot manor house from a hunting lodge into something more elegant for their family.The couple added a 6,000-square-foot pavilion in 2001 for their daughter’s wedding. Because his wife’s health necessitates relocating to a lower elevation, the couple listed the 55-acre gated property in September for $27 m...

L.A. homeowner exchanges gunfire with would-be robbers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

Editor's note: This article has been updated to remove the neighborhood where the incident occurred at the victim's request.A Los Angeles homeowner exchanged gunfire with a pair of would-be robbers in a terrifying incident that was captured on home surveillance video Saturday evening.The homeowner, who did not want his identity released, had just pulled into his gated driveway and was walking to the front door when the masked robbers jumped over a wall.Video shows one robber charging at the man with a gun as he goes to open his front door. A homeowner in Central L.A. repels a would-be robber on Nov. 4, 2023. The would-be home invaders hopped the home's wall and approached the homeowner at the front door. Nov. 4, 2023. The would-be home invaders hopped the home's wall and approached the homeowner at the front door. Nov. 4, 2023. The would-be home invaders hopped the home's wall and approached the homeowner at the front door. Nov. 4, 2023. The homeowner pulled out a gun and opene...

Metrolink, Amtrak riders now have more options between Ventura and Los Angeles

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

Metrolink and Amtrak customers now have more connectivity options after the two commuter rail services announced an expanded program that lets passengers use either services with only one ticket.Riders who purchased a Metrolink ticket or a ticket aboard Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner will now be able to board either train between Ventura and Los Angeles, opening up far more transit options along the Ventura County line.The new pilot program is an expansion of the existing "Codeshare" partnership between the two commuter rail systems and will remain in place until at least June 30, 2024. Metrolink makes major expansion on Antelope Valley line Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle, a Ventura County resident himself, said he's excited to provide more options for commuters, travelers and explorers with the expanded service options."Thank you to our LOSSAN and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner partners for building synergy between our services to deliver more convenient transit options for riders traveling b...

Masai giraffe calf makes debut at Los Angeles Zoo

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Zoo welcomed a new addition to its Masai giraffe herd.  The unnamed male calf weighs 174 pounds, is six feet and four inches tall, and was born to a 12-year-old female giraffe named Zainabu and an 11-year-old male giraffe named Philip.The Los Angeles Zoo welcomed a new addition to its Masai giraffe herd. (l.A. Zoo)The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the giraffes as endangered since their population has declined 50% within the last 30 years. (Los Angeles Zoo)Guests can see the new calf and the rest of the herd at their habitat in the zoo's Africa section, depending on weather conditions. (Los Angeles Zoo) The unnamed male calf weighs 174 pounds, six feet and four inches tall, and was born to a 12-year-old female giraffe named Zainabu and an 11-year-old male giraffe named Philip (Los Angeles Zoo) Masai giraffes can grow up to 18 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds, making them the largest giraffe species and the tallest land mammal. (Los An...

Election 2023: Five key races to watch Tuesday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

Tuesday is Election Day. It’s a sleeper in California: Only a few scattered races for school board and a handful of local issues are in play.But in other parts of the United States, it’s a big deal. With exactly one year until the 2024 presidential election, high-stakes contests will be decided Tuesday in multiple states that could affect everything from abortion to voting rights. Several possible future presidential candidates will see their fortunes rise or fall. And there’s even a celebrity angle — voters in Mississippi will decide whether to elect Elvis Presley’s cousin as governor.Here are five of the biggest races to watch as returns come in Tuesday night:1) Abortion in OhioIn a landmark decision last year, the conservative-controlled U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. Many conservative states imposed strict limits soon afterward.Since then, abortion rights groups have won election after elec...

‘Party mom’ who wouldn’t take 17 years for alleged drunken teen sex bashes could face 31 years

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

The Los Gatos party mom charged with orchestrating drunken teen sex bashes for her high-school freshman son and his pals, where prosecutors say girls were sexually assaulted, now faces significantly more time behind bars under a new indictment filed last week.Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rebekah Wise, speaking after Shannon O’Connor’s arraignment Monday on a fresh grand jury indictment, said that the accused teen party maven who had faced a 20 year maximum sentence now could receive more than 31 years if convicted.“We believe that the 63 charges returned in the indictment adequately reflect the crimes that the defendant committed against 13 minor children who were 14 years old at the time that they were abused by Ms. O’Connor,” Wise said. “Multiple children were left unconscious from alcohol intoxication, vomiting from alcohol intoxication, sexually abused, unconscious, or one with broken bones.”The court entered not-guilty pleas on...

Evan Ellingson dies at 35; child actor had roles in ‘CSI: Miami,’ ’24’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

By Alli Rosenbloom | CNNEvan Ellingson, a former child actor known for roles in “My Sister’s Keeper” and “CSI Miami,” has died. He was 35.According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s division online records, Ellingson died on Sunday. The record notes he was found in “a bedroom” in the city of Fontana, which is about an hour east of Los Angeles County.The cause of death has not yet been released.Related ArticlesObituaries | ‘Black Panther’ stuntman, three of his children killed in car crash in Atlanta Obituaries | Astronaut Ken Mattingly dies; helped save the crew of Apollo 13 Obituaries | David Mitchell dies; his little Point Reyes newspaper exposed Synanon cult Obituaries | ‘Death of a Salesman’ revival in San Francisco canceled after cast member killed in pedestrian accident Obituaries | Steve Kerr remembers Bob Knight with fitting anecdote: ‘He was terrifying. Not...

San Jose Sharks GM meets with players, promises changes if no improvement

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:48:00 GMT

SAN JOSE – With his team off to a historically dismal start, San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier said changes – to the roster and potentially to the coaching staff — will be in the offing if some improvement is not seen soon.After watching the Sharks get outscored 20-3 in their last two games and fall to 0-10-1 this season, Grier met with the players as a team on Monday morning and emphasized how unacceptable the start — and particularly the beginning of this homestand — has been.Grier said it was a one-way conversation.“I just felt they needed to hear from me and what I’m seeing and what I expect from them,” Grier said. “To let them know what’s happening was not acceptable from my end. There are certain things I won’t tolerate and some of that stuff has been happening, and I kind of let them know that. We’ll kind of go from there.”The Sharks were blasted 10-1 by the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday for their mo...