Latest news with #ArmyVeteran
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbus mayoral candidate has had multiple arrests since 2018
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — A retired Army veteran who is running for mayor of Columbus has been arrested twice since 2018, WRBL has learned. Steven Kelly filed his intent to run for mayor with the Muscogee County Office of Elections and Registrations on Monday. By Tuesday evening, WRBL found Kelly was arrested for DUI in 2018 and then again in early June for a misdemeanor simple battery family violence charge. Kelly confirmed both arrests with WRBL. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Third candidate jumps into Columbus mayor's race 'I do not run from my past or the challenges that I have faced or will face,' Kelly said in a statement. 'I knew there were issues that would be made public and I still remain committed to transparency, accountability, and the values that have guided me throughout my life: service, resilience, and a dedication to doing better for my family, myself, and for the people of Columbus.' The June simple battery came after a 9-1-1 call to Kelly's residence. He says he has a court date scheduled for next month. The February 2018 DUI case is still pending, Kelly told WRBL. 'Like many in our community, I've faced personal challenges that I'm not proud of, but I believe it's how we confront those challenges that truly defines us,' he said. 'I take full responsibility for my actions and my past.' Kelly spent 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring two years ago. He says he will remain in the mayoral race. Director of Elections and Registrations Nancy Boren says neither of the charges Kelly faces would disqualify him from seeking the mayor's office. Kelly is one of three people who have declared an intention to run for Mayor. The other two or former City Manager Isaiah Hugley and Mark LaJoye, who has run unsuccessfully four times for sheriff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
'I spent months fighting £25 parking penalty'
A man has said he spent months fighting and eventually winning an appeal against a £25 charge after parking outside his home. Mark Toplass has a brain injury, which causes memory loss and he relies on reminders about everyday activities like bills and car payments. The 55-year-old received the penalty in February when his parking permit, which allows him to park for free outside his home in The Meadows in Nottingham, had expired. After numerous demands from Nottingham City Council for payment, Mr Toplass later discovered that the authority's policy states it will send a reminder to residents ahead of their permit expiring - which he said he did not receive. Mr Toplass, who has had two brain injuries - his first a haemorrhage aged 38 - said: "My memory is shocking so I have reminders set up for everything. I've had to adapt my life. "This should've been dealt with at the very first appeal. Instead, they kept telling me the fine would double if I didn't pay, which is when it got stressful. "I've had to spend hours upon hours on this, just to show that they're not following their own procedures." Mr Toplass said the council told him it only reminded residents to renew their permits as a matter of courtesy. After digging into the issue, the former Army veteran - who used to work in local government - discovered the part of the council's policy, which states that "reminders will be issued to permanent residents... via email" before a permit expires. The charge was then cancelled in May after his second appeal. Since then, Mr Toplass has filed an official complaint and a freedom of information (FOI) request in a bid to find out how many other residents have been affected. He said: "My grievance now is how many other people in Nottingham are in the same boat? "In this day and age, we're all tight on money and don't want to be paying for something that isn't our fault." Mr Toplass has now cancelled his parking permit as he "doesn't want to go through the rigmarole", and will instead park on his own driveway, which he previously left empty so local children could play football on it. The city council said its policy was to send reminder letters to residents with virtual parking permits, but added the responsibility for renewal remained with the permit holder. A council spokesperson said they were sorry to hear about the difficulties Mr Toplass had experienced. The council has not told the BBC why the charge was cancelled. The spokesperson added: "We understand that situations like this can be challenging, particularly for residents with additional needs, and we aim to take a fair and proportionate approach to enforcement. "Anyone who receives a penalty notice can appeal, and all appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking individual circumstances into account." Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Parking ticket anger amid on-street permit delays City centre on-street parking charges to rise Related internet links Nottingham City Council
BBC News
20-07-2025
- BBC News
'I spent months fighting £25 parking penalty'
A man has said he spent months fighting and eventually winning an appeal against a £25 charge after parking outside his home. Mark Toplass has a brain injury, which causes memory loss and he relies on reminders about everyday activities like bills and car 55-year-old received the penalty in February when his parking permit, which allows him to park for free outside his home in The Meadows in Nottingham, had numerous demands from Nottingham City Council for payment, Mr Toplass later discovered that the authority's policy states it will send a reminder to residents ahead of their permit expiring - which he said he did not receive. Mr Toplass, who has had two brain injuries - his first a haemorrhage aged 38 - said: "My memory is shocking so I have reminders set up for everything. I've had to adapt my life."This should've been dealt with at the very first appeal. Instead, they kept telling me the fine would double if I didn't pay, which is when it got stressful."I've had to spend hours upon hours on this, just to show that they're not following their own procedures."Mr Toplass said the council told him it only reminded residents to renew their permits as a matter of digging into the issue, the former Army veteran - who used to work in local government - discovered the part of the council's policy, which states that "reminders will be issued to permanent residents... via email" before a permit charge was then cancelled in May after his second appeal. Since then, Mr Toplass has filed an official complaint and a freedom of information (FOI) request in a bid to find out how many other residents have been said: "My grievance now is how many other people in Nottingham are in the same boat?"In this day and age, we're all tight on money and don't want to be paying for something that isn't our fault."Mr Toplass has now cancelled his parking permit as he "doesn't want to go through the rigmarole", and will instead park on his own driveway, which he previously left empty so local children could play football on city council said its policy was to send reminder letters to residents with virtual parking permits, but added the responsibility for renewal remained with the permit holder.A council spokesperson said they were sorry to hear about the difficulties Mr Toplass had council has not told the BBC why the charge was spokesperson added: "We understand that situations like this can be challenging, particularly for residents with additional needs, and we aim to take a fair and proportionate approach to enforcement. "Anyone who receives a penalty notice can appeal, and all appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking individual circumstances into account."
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
US citizen and Army veteran spent three days in jail after being arrested in California immigration raid
A U.S. citizen and Army veteran spent three days in jail after being arrested during an immigration raid at a California marijuana farm last Thursday. George Retes, 25, who works as a security guard for the Glass House Farms in Camarillo, said Wednesday he was sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray before being dragged from his car, pinned down by federal agents and arrested. "They took two officers to kneel on my back and then one on my neck to arrest me, even though my hands were already behind my back and I was covered in OC [oleoresin capsicum] spray,' he told reporters during a video press conference. Retes wasn't released until Sunday afternoon and was never charged, Reuters reported. "I told them everything - that I was a citizen, I worked there, and they didn't care. They still never told me my charges, and they sent me away. They sent me to a place in downtown L.A. without even telling me what I was arrested for,' Retes said. Retes was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center where he said he was put in a special cell and checked on each day after he became emotionally distraught because he was missing his three-year-old daughter's birthday party Saturday. He said federal agents never allowed him a chance to contact a lawyer or his family during his detention. "It doesn't matter if you're an immigrant, it doesn't matter the color of your one deserves to be treated this way," Retes said, adding, "I hope this never happens to anyone ever again." Retes had joined the Army at 18 and was deployed to Iraq in 2019. 'I joined the service to help better myself,' he said. 'I did it because I love this [expletive] country. We are one nation and no matter what, we should be together. All this separation and stuff between everyone is just the way it shouldn't be.' Retes' sister, Destinee Magaña, previously told KABC, 'He has a bad back, and he's disabled, and it clearly says it in the back of his car that he's a disabled veteran. This is how you're going to treat U.S. citizens?" Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department, told Reuters, "The U.S. Attorney's Office is reviewing his case, along with dozens of others, for potential federal charges related to the execution of the federal search warrant in Camarillo.' More than 360 people were arrested during immigration raids at Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria last Thursday, the Associated Press previously reported, citing federal authorities. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said agents found 10 undocumented children at the facility, including eight who were unaccompanied. Under California law, minors as young as 12 can work on farms but only in non-hazardous jobs and outside of school hours. Federal authorities characterized the raids as one of the largest deportation operations since President Donald Trump took office and began his immigration crackdown. There was a standoff in the Camarillo raid between authorities in military gear and people protesting Trump's crackdown. Jaime Alanis, a 57-year-old farmworker, fell from a greenhouse roof during the Camarillo raid and died Saturday from his injuries, his family confirmed to the AP. This is the first known death during Trump's ICE raids. The United Farm Workers union said several workers were critically injured during the raids as well.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Petition demands new storm warning system in flood-ravaged Texas Hill Country
Nearly 40,000 people have signed a petition "urgently" calling for officials to create an early warning siren system for the flood-ravaged Texas hill country. The petition, created by Nicole Wilson of San Antonio, demands that modern outdoor emergency sirens be installed in hard-hit Kerr County to provide warnings for floods, tornadoes, and other life-threatening emergencies. "The tragic events at Camp Mystic and the devastating flooding along the Guadalupe River that happened in July are stark reminders that severe weather can strike with little notice," Wilson wrote on July 5. "A well-placed siren system will provide critical extra minutes for families, schools, camps, businesses, and visitors to seek shelter and evacuate when needed. "This is not just a wish ‒ it is a necessary investment in public safety," added Wilson, 42, an Army veteran and married mother of three. The petition comes as the death toll from the floods has risen to at least 120, while search and rescue teams and volunteers desperately scour for bodies. Ninety-six of those killed in Texas were in Kerr County in central Texas. More than 160 people remain missing, authorities said. At least 27 of the deaths were children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a beloved girls' Christian camp situated along the river. Wilson said she "strongly believes" that if there had been audible siren warnings at the camp, it could've given camp counselors and campers ‒ who had little notice when the flash flooding began ‒ enough time to possibly evacuate. "I personally have no doubt that even with an extra five minutes, those counselors would've seen the scenario and taken themselves to higher ground," Wilson, who served as a Sergeant First Class in the Army and specialized in military intelligence, told USA TODAY on July 9. "I strongly believe more lives would've been saved." Seeking hope: Search teams scour for more than 160 still missing in Texas flooding: Live updates Flood warning systems typically use a variety of resources ranging from advanced weather forecasting and real-time data collection to alert officials and the public about the potential for flooding, according to Alex Tardy, a former longtime warning coordination meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These systems usually involve monitoring rainfall, water levels, and stream flow through sensors inside and out of the water and automated reporting to a central station, Tardy said. When certain thresholds are met, for example, if rain, flood, or river waters are rising, a series of alerts can be issued through sirens, depending on location, and text messages, added Tardy, who runs Weather Echo, a San Diego-based weather and climate data consulting company. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for Kerrville County in the early hours of July 4, but people at the camp may not have gotten the warnings in time. "In a perfect world, you have a local warning system where officials can use any methods, including sirens, to notify their residents," Tardy said. How to properly warn residents, camps and parks along the Guadalupe River of potential flooding and other disasters has been debated for years, Wilson said. Initially seeking 1,000 signatures for her petition, Wilson said it is past time that Kerr County, part of a region nicknamed "Flash Flood Alley," receives an updated flood warning system. And she believes the state or federal government "absolutely" should be able to fund it. "We are not taking 'no' as an option any longer," Wilson said. "There are no more excuses." Nearly a decade ago, Kerr County asked for $1 million to build a flood warning system that would have upgraded 20 water gauge systems, added new water level sensors and posts, and created software and a website to distribute the information to the public in real-time. But records indicate that the Texas Division of Emergency Management repeatedly denied the county's request. Kerr County has long used software called CodeRed to notify residents about floods, fires and other emergencies via cell phone. In 2020, county leaders voted to expand CodeRed by integrating it with a FEMA system, which enabled it to alert people passing through the area, even if they didn't have the local CodeRed app. Clinging to rafters: How staff at all-boys camp in Texas saved hundreds from floodwaters The expansion, however, did not include the upgraded gauges, new sensors or the public website the county had requested. The upcoming repairs and funeral costs should serve as haunting reminders that funding for a better early warning system isn't optional, Wilson said. She believes Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will find a way through state funding. And if not, Wilson hopes President Donald Trump, who plans to visit the area on July 11, will provide funding for a new siren system. Wilson said she plans to testify during a special legislative session in Austin later this month, hoping to use her petition as a catalyst for an early warning siren system. "Anything short of it is unacceptable," Wilson said. 'The loss of future life is too important because of this region's long history of flooding." Contributing: Kenny Jacoby and Rick Jervis, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Petition demands new early warning siren system in Texas Hill Country
