North Carolina Governor Reappoints Jaki Shelton Green as Poet Laureate

May 18, 2021

Raleigh, NC (STL.News) Governor Roy Cooper announced that he would reappoint poet, teacher, and community advocate Jaki Shelton Green as North Carolina’s poet laureate. “Jaki Shelton Green has a remarkable ability to connect with people from all walks of life through the literary arts,” Governor Cooper said. “I’m proud to reappoint Jaki and look forward to seeing her in this role inspire more young poets and artists.” Green was first appointed North Carolina Poet Laureate in 2018 and is the first African American, and the third woman, to serve as the state’s ambassador for poetry and the spoken word. Green has conducted hundreds of public poetry workshops, lectures, and readings across North Carolina. In 2019 the American Academy of Poet Laureates awarded Green a $75,000 fellowship in reco

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Guilty Plea in First-In-The-Nation Cares Act fraud Case

Waqar Nawaz

May 18, 2021

Guilty Plea in First-In-The-Nation Cares Act fraud Case PROVIDENCE (STL.News) A Massachusetts man who faked suicide shortly after he and a co-defendant became the first in the nation to be charged with fraudulently seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in forgivable pandemic relief small business loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court. The CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) allowed qualifying small businesses to receive forgivable or low interest loans to meet payroll costs and mortgage, rent, and utility payments. David Adler Staveley, a/k/a Kurt David Sanborn, a/k/a David Sanborn, 54, of Andover, MA,

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North Carolina Governor: May as Military Appreciation Month

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Raleigh, NC (STL.News) Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May as Military Appreciation Month to honor the contributions and sacrifices North Carolina’s servicemembers, veterans and their families have made for North Carolina and the nation. “We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the servicemembers who have fought for our safety and freedom here and abroad,” Governor Cooper said. “This month is an opportunity to reflect on the tremendous sacrifices these brave men and women and their families have made to protect our freedom.” North Carolina is home to the fifth largest military presence in the nation, with more than 100,000 active duty military personnel and their families as well as approximately 725,000 military veterans. North Carolina is home to six major military installations including

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North Dakota Governor Appoints Gracie Lian to Board of Higher Education

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Burgum appoints Gracie Lian as student member on North Dakota Board of Higher Education BISMARCK, ND (STL.News) Gov. Doug Burgum appointed University of North Dakota student Gracie Lian to a one-year term as the student representative on the state Board of Higher Education. Lian is a senior at the University of North Dakota studying Business Administration and is a Master’s of Public Administration candidate. She has served as president of the North Dakota Student Association (NDSA) and student body president for the University of North Dakota Student Government Association. “Gracie’s experience in leadership positions and work with policies and procedures of the NDUS and SBHE make her well-suited to represent students and influence the future of North Dakota’s higher education system,” Bu

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North Dakota Governor Thanks Steinwand for 15 Years Service

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Burgum thanks Steinwand for service after Game and Fish Department director announces retirement BISMARCK, ND (STL.News) Gov. Doug Burgum thanked Terry Steinwand Director North Dakota Game and Fish Department for his more than 15 years of transformational leadership of the agency, after Steinwand announced his retirement effective July 31. Steinwand was first appointed Game and Fish director on Jan. 1, 2006, by then-Gov. John Hoeven. He was reappointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple in 2010 and by Burgum in December 2016. Steinwand began his career with the agency in 1982 as a fisheries biologist for the Garrison Diversion Unit. He was named fisheries division chief in 1989. “Terry has been a champion for North Dakota hunters and anglers for nearly four decades, spending the last 15 of those ye

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Maryland Reports Lowest Number of COVID Cases Since March 2020

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Positivity Rate Falls to 2.51%, Tying Lowest Level on Record Case Rate Per 100K Falls to Lowest Level Since July 2020 ANNAPOLIS, MD (STL.News) Governor Larry Hogan announced that the State of Maryland is reporting its lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since March 30, 2020. In addition, the state’s 7-day positivity rate has matched its lowest level on record. “From the very beginning of this crisis, we Marylanders truly have been all in this fight together,” said Governor Hogan. “Today’s key health metrics show that, after a long, hard-fought battle, we are nearing the end of this pandemic as we finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Those who have not yet been vaccinated are strongly advised to immediately do so. The easiest way to be protected from COVID-19 is to get vaccinate

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Maryland: Emergency Rental Assistance for Local Jurisdictions

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Governor Hogan Announces $192.9 Million in Additional Emergency Rental Assistance Awards to Local Jurisdictions Funds Support Local Initiatives to Help Tenants Affected By COVID-19 Pandemic State to Reopen Assisted Housing Relief Program ANNAPOLIS, MD (STL.News) Governor Larry Hogan announced an additional $192.9 million in funding has been awarded to local governments and service providers through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. These federal funds will support local Maryland Eviction Prevention Partnership initiatives that assist tenants whose ability to pay rent has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also announced that the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will reopen its Assisted Housing Relief Program, which provides rental as

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Massachusetts to Lift COVID Restrictions May 29

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Baker-Polito Administration to Lift COVID Restrictions May 29, State to Meet Vaccination Goal by Beginning of June Commonwealth Will Adopt CDC Face Covering Guidance BOSTON, MA (STL.News) The Baker-Polito Administration announced that the Commonwealth is on track to meet the goal of vaccinating 4.1 million residents by the first week of June and all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective May 29. The Commonwealth’s face covering order will also be rescinded on May 29. The Department of Public Health will issue a new face covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance. Face coverings will still be mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBT

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Florida Lottery: Moichen Lamadrid Chang Won $2 million Top Prize

Maryam Shah

May 18, 2021

Tallahassee, FL (STL.News) The Florida Lottery announces that Moichen Lamadrid Chang, of Ocala, claimed a $2 million top prize from the 100X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at the Gainesville District Office, five days before her 51st birthday! She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,780,000.00. Lamadrid Chang purchased her winning ticket from Winn-Dixie, located at 184 Marion Oaks Boulevard in Ocala. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket. This News Florida Lottery: Moichen Lamadrid Chang Won $2 million Top Prize appeared first on STL.News.

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Conservation Easement Investments could be a Red Flag to the IRS

Marty Smith

May 18, 2021

Tax Shelter Land Deals: Conservation Easement Investments could be a Red Flag to the IRS (STL.News) Syndicated conservation easements are private placement investments that promise tax deductions worth four to four-and-a-half times a person’s investment. Brokerage firms were seeing heavy sales in these investments prior to 2019 when the Senate Finance Committee launched an investigation into conservation easements after the Brookings Institution found that these deals cost the federal government more than $3 billion dollars in 2014 alone, with that amount expected to increase each subsequent year. Apparently, the Senate Finance Committee believed that groups of taxpayers were using syndicated conservation easements to reap tax benefits greater than their initial investments. While there ar

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U.S. Attorney’s Office Cautions Taxpayers To Beware Of

Waqar Nawaz

May 14, 2021

U.S. Attorney’s Office Cautions Taxpayers To Beware Of Fraudulent Tax Preparers IRS’s “Dirty Dozen” Highlights Common Tax Schemes CHARLOTTE, N.C (STL.News) With this year’s tax filing deadline approaching quickly, Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer urges taxpayers to beware of fraudulent return preparers and warns dishonest preparers that violating federal tax laws can lead to criminal actions and stiff monetary penalties. The IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams represents the worst of the worst tax schemes that taxpayers may encounter and typically peak during filing season. Unscrupulous tax preparers are once again listed as one of the most common tax fraud schemes. “Taxpayers rely on tax return preparers for their expertise and assistance with filing honest and accurate tax returns. When

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General Contracting Company Admits Causing Death of Employee

Waqar Nawaz

May 14, 2021

General Contracting Company Admits Causing Death of Employee who Fell Off Roof During Residential Roof Installation NEWARK, N.J (STL.News) A general contracting company based in Newark today admitted violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, leading to the death of an employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. Trustworthy LLC, d/b/a “Trustworthy Roofing and Siding,” (Trustworthy) via its owner, Derico Ferreira, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court to an information charging it with one count of willfully violating OSHA standards by failing to provide fall protection to employees engaged in the construction of a residential home, which caused the death of an employee. According to court documents filed

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Hobart: Gould Sentenced For Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine

Waqar Nawaz

May 14, 2021

Hobart Man, Charles Gould Sentenced To 168 Months In Prison For Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine HAMMOND (STL.News) Charles Gould, 37, of Hobart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 168 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release following his conviction at trial for conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Bell. According to documents in this case, during 2016 Gould conspired with other individuals in Gary, Indiana, to distribute crack cocaine. As part of the conspiracy, cocaine was cooked into crack cocaine, packaged for sale, and distributed by members of the conspiracy in Gary’s Glen Park neighborhood. During the investigation, law enforcement executed search warrants at

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Georgia: Robert Carter Indicted on Charges of Wire Fraud

Waqar Nawaz

May 14, 2021

Georgia Man, Robert Carter Indicted on Charges of Wire Fraud Involving the CARES Act ROCKFORD (STL.News) A Georgia man was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Rockford on fraud charges involving unemployment compensation claims and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). ROBERT CARTER, 27, of Hampton, Ga., was charged with three counts of wire fraud. Arraignment is set for May 14, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa A. Jensen in Rockford. The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General; and William Hedrick, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of

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Statement of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia

Waqar Nawaz

May 14, 2021

Statement of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia Before D.C. Council Regarding Measures to Strengthen Protections for Victims-Survivors of Domestic Violence Chairman Allen and Members of the Council: (STL.News) My name is Elana Suttenberg, and I am the Special Counsel for Legislative Affairs at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO). I am accompanied today by my colleagues, Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, and Ryan Creighton, a Senior Assistant United States Attorney in that Section who spearheads our Office’s Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Initiative, who are available to assist in answering the Committee’s questions. I thank you for the opportunity to appear at today’s public hearing on th