Latest news with #Bunn
The Citizen
6 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Blanket drive is compassion and care in action
Thanks to a remarkable collaboration between Rekord, SPAR, and The Big Blanket Project, 400 blankets found their way to those most in need during the My SPAR My Community campaign, offering not just physical warmth but a gesture of deep humanity. This winter collaboration in August included the Kopano Lerato Project, a beacon of hope in Winterveldt, situated 55km northwest of Pretoria. Serving a community of over 300 000 people, many of whom live in extreme poverty, Kopano supports families affected by HIV, especially orphans and vulnerable children. Their services stretch from home-based care and HIV counselling, to TB screening, and assistance with gender-based violence. The project also promotes self-sustainability, encouraging households to grow vegetables, often in creative doorframe gardens that bloom with life. When Rekord approached The Big Blanket Project with the generous donation from SPAR as part of their My SPAR My Community campaign, they asked: 'Can your network help us reach those who need these most?' Without hesitation, the answer was yes. As Carol Bunn, founder of The Big Blanket Project, puts it: 'You increasingly see the need on the news to help, and you know all those social needs are growing and accelerating. It is deeply distressing. You feel the very real need to help.' The Big Blanket Project started just three years ago with a single friend's wish to make a difference. Now, it includes more than 30 dedicated knitters, mostly retired women, who meet every Monday morning at the Pretoria Old Boys Club in Pretoria east. They bring with them not just needles and yarn, but a spirit of friendship, laughter, and purpose. Together, they have created not just blankets, but a movement of goodness and kindness. This powerful network ensured that blankets reached multiple registered projects during the SPAR outreach, including the Tshwane Leadership Foundation's shelters and homes, the organisation PEN's inner-city outreach, and the Sisters of Mercy-run women's shelter in Capital Park. At this shelter, home to women and their children fleeing abuse, 21 blankets were delivered, along with a big bag of lovingly knitted toys and tiny beanies. The shelter, known for its dignity and warmth, also runs a thriving vegetable garden and provides skills training in hairdressing, sewing, and nail care. Sisters of Mercy expressed their heartfelt thanks to Bunn: 'Thank you so much for your very generous donation of blankets and the lovely knitted toys. Thank you, too, for visiting the shelter.' More blankets made their way to PEN's homeless shelters across Pretoria, including Sunnyside. In the capital city, nearly 20 000 people live without secure shelter. PEN, through its outreach and reintegration services, offers more than just beds; it offers a path forward. Here, the management said the blankets mean safety on a cold night, and become a barrier between hardship and hope. At the Tshwane Leadership Foundation, where inner-city homes and complexes support the most vulnerable, the blankets became more than gifts. They became symbols of solidarity, of a city showing up for its own. From the first stitch to the last delivery, this blanket drive was a living thread of community in action. While wool warmed bodies, it was the connection that warmed hearts. – The Big Blanket Project is a registered NPO. Any offers of donations of wool, needles, crocheted or knitted squares, as well as cash donations to buy wool, can be made via WhatsApp to Carol Bunn at The Big Blanket Project: 082 373 6206. Collection boxes are at The Toy Shop in Rodericks Road (Menlo Park), Cash Converters (Gift Acres) and Hazelwood Food Market. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
Winnipeg Free Press
26-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Shocked, honoured to be called: new chief and law student
BIRDTAIL SIOUX DAKOTA NATION — The first woman — and youngest — chief of Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation was officially sworn in on Friday, marking a new era for the community. 'I just want to inspire the next generation here in my community, the young women in my community… and all across Canada,' Tréchelle Bunn, 25, told the Brandon Sun. Bunn described the first few weeks after she was elected chief in April as 'surreal.' Three months later, her new reality has sunk in. 25072025 Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation Chief Tréchelle Bunn is the first woman to be elected chief at Birdtail and is also the youngest chief elected. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) She said change involves the entire community and knowing that Birdtail believed in her and elected her as chief keeps her 'inspired every day.' 'Knowing that the community is on board with the direction that myself and council want to go… is really positive,' Bunn said. Birdtail is located about 130 kilometres northwest of Brandon. As of 2021, the registered population was 907 with 408 living in the community. Roughly 40 people gathered to witness the historical moment outside the community health centre. To open the ceremony, Elder Joe Bunn shared a blessing in the Dakota language along with a few words about the significance of the day. 'Let's remember this day that Birdtail has made its change,' he said. 'We've got a young lady here. She's done a lot for us and we have a council here… From what I hear, they are going to work together to make this place a better place.' Bunn was the first to take the podium and read her oath of office. She was followed by the community's four councillors — Carson Benn, Heath Bunn, Samantha Benn and Doug Hanska Sr. 25072025 Community members congratulate Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation Chief Tréchelle Bunn and council members after the swearing in ceremony for the new chief and council at Birdtail on a hot Friday afternoon. Bunn is the first woman to be elected chief at Birdtail and is also the youngest chief elected. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) In an interview after the ceremony, Bunn said that while her dream to become chief started about three or four years ago, she has always pursued different interests. She was a student athlete and will start her third year of law school in the fall. She said her schooling is very much tied to her role as chief, as it has taught her how to be a good advocate as well as how to manage her time. In 2022, she was elected youth chief of the Southern Chiefs' Organization, which she described as a stepping stone to her role today. About two years ago, some elders talked to her about becoming chief and putting her name forward for the 2025 election. 'That was very shocking for me,' Bunn said. 'I always thought that the call upon me for leadership would come much later in life, but I was honoured.' Bunn said being the youngest and first female chief in Birdtail is an honour but also comes with an extra level of responsibility. 25072025 Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation Chief Tréchelle Bunn speaks during the swearing in ceremony for the new chief and council at Birdtail on a hot Friday afternoon. Bunn is the first woman to be elected chief at Birdtail and is also the youngest chief elected. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) 'The role itself is obviously a huge… responsibility, but I think any time you're the first for something, it adds that responsibility that much more, knowing that you're paving the way for those who come after you,' she said. She said while it might sound 'cheesy,' her message to young girls is to believe in themselves and surround themselves with good mentors and role models. Bunn said her parents, Jolene and Gabriel, have been her biggest supporters. 'They've always told me, 'You can do anything you put your mind to,'' she said. 'I've always felt that my parents genuinely meant it and genuinely had that belief in me.' Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Gabriel Bunn said it's nice to see his daughter's hard work pay off, adding that usually an achievement like this comes much later in life. He said when Bunn told them she wanted to be chief, he wasn't sure how to feel since the role holds a lot of responsibility. After he and his daughter had time to think about it, he knew she was ready to take the challenge. 'When Tréchelle says she's going to do something, you just know she's going to do it and she's going to give it her all,' Jolene said. 'I'm very proud of her and the community for the support they are giving.' — Brandon Sun
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
How meteorologist Jane Bunn uses AI to update weather forecasts 18 times a day
Weather watchers across regional Australia will have access to cutting-edge forecasting and rainfall information in their pocket following a deal between ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and weather forecasting platform Jane's Weather. The partnership will enhance ACM weather portal with a suite of Jane's Weather services powered by artificial intelligence as well as the exclusive insights of veteran meteorologist Jane Bunn. Jane's Weather forecasts are updated 18 times a day through a weather station network three times the size of the Bureau of Meteorology network. "We're really excited to see the Jane's Weather AI Forecast powering with our interactive maps, warnings that clearly show if you are in the danger zone, all the long-range climate tools and the latest weather news," Ms Bunn, meteorologist for 7News Melbourne, said. "I've always been passionate about making sure the right weather information gets through to as many people as possible, and it's thrilling to see our AI-powered weather helping Australians across the country." The ACM network's reach will put Ms Bunn's expertise and hyper-local, AI-powered forecasts at the fingertips of more regional Australians. is part of the ACM Agri division that includes long-standing specialist agricultural publications The Land in NSW, Victoria's Stock & Land, SA's Stock Journal, Queensland Country Life and WA's Farm Weekly. The weather portal will integrate Jane's Weather's powerful forecasting engine, which is already used by leading farm businesses, construction companies and local councils. Ms Bunn said her forecasts out to eight days were formulated using multiple global weather models and machine learning and were "better than other sources of weather information, especially in regional areas". "We've been really pleased with the accuracy," she said of her service's coverage beyond the Bureau of Meteorology's weather stations. "We have got a network of 2500 stations ... significantly more than the BOM, which helps increase the accuracy of the forecasts." ACM chief financial officer Chris Hitch said: "As Australia's leading agricultural media network, reaching 78 per cent of Australian farmers, ACM Agri is delighted to deliver them both a new, exclusive weather column from Jane as well as access to the most thorough free forecasts via Ms Bunn expects AI to enhance the accuracy of long-range forecasts: "With the 8-10 day forecast, the events are already happening, but longer term forecasts are a different kettle of fish. You don't know how many low pressure systems will connect with a feed of moisture. It is very complex. "There is a lot of machine learning still to come before the AI can deep dive into the data, but we've seen great results with AI in the short-term forecast and I'd love to see that moved into the longer-term window, which is of course what farmers really want. "AI can do things we haven't been able to with the traditional models and it is a very exciting space." She said a key priority would be getting more data points. "The more stations and data we have, the more complete and the more accurate our forecasts become." Ms Bunn said her connections with the agricultural sector had played a key role in establishing her business. "Through my work as a meteorologist I was frequently presenting at agricultural events and I was always being asked what weather app I recommended," she said. "We'd progressed really rapidly from having a limited set of sources via the Bureau of Meteorology and the forecasts you got in the papers and on TV to having so much information out there, but there wasn't anyone collating that information and presenting it in the way farmers need. "That is the aim of Jane's Weather, to provide that critical information in a meaningful way." With this in mind, Ms Bunn said the service looked to survey information from a variety of different models to provide growers with an overall view of the outlook. "We're aiming to dampen that roller coaster that goes with using just one model which may go from 50mm in the first run to 2mm the next then back up to 30mm after that, utilising a range of information gives you a clearer picture," she said. Weather watchers across regional Australia will have access to cutting-edge forecasting and rainfall information in their pocket following a deal between ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and weather forecasting platform Jane's Weather. The partnership will enhance ACM weather portal with a suite of Jane's Weather services powered by artificial intelligence as well as the exclusive insights of veteran meteorologist Jane Bunn. Jane's Weather forecasts are updated 18 times a day through a weather station network three times the size of the Bureau of Meteorology network. "We're really excited to see the Jane's Weather AI Forecast powering with our interactive maps, warnings that clearly show if you are in the danger zone, all the long-range climate tools and the latest weather news," Ms Bunn, meteorologist for 7News Melbourne, said. "I've always been passionate about making sure the right weather information gets through to as many people as possible, and it's thrilling to see our AI-powered weather helping Australians across the country." The ACM network's reach will put Ms Bunn's expertise and hyper-local, AI-powered forecasts at the fingertips of more regional Australians. is part of the ACM Agri division that includes long-standing specialist agricultural publications The Land in NSW, Victoria's Stock & Land, SA's Stock Journal, Queensland Country Life and WA's Farm Weekly. The weather portal will integrate Jane's Weather's powerful forecasting engine, which is already used by leading farm businesses, construction companies and local councils. Ms Bunn said her forecasts out to eight days were formulated using multiple global weather models and machine learning and were "better than other sources of weather information, especially in regional areas". "We've been really pleased with the accuracy," she said of her service's coverage beyond the Bureau of Meteorology's weather stations. "We have got a network of 2500 stations ... significantly more than the BOM, which helps increase the accuracy of the forecasts." ACM chief financial officer Chris Hitch said: "As Australia's leading agricultural media network, reaching 78 per cent of Australian farmers, ACM Agri is delighted to deliver them both a new, exclusive weather column from Jane as well as access to the most thorough free forecasts via Ms Bunn expects AI to enhance the accuracy of long-range forecasts: "With the 8-10 day forecast, the events are already happening, but longer term forecasts are a different kettle of fish. You don't know how many low pressure systems will connect with a feed of moisture. It is very complex. "There is a lot of machine learning still to come before the AI can deep dive into the data, but we've seen great results with AI in the short-term forecast and I'd love to see that moved into the longer-term window, which is of course what farmers really want. "AI can do things we haven't been able to with the traditional models and it is a very exciting space." She said a key priority would be getting more data points. "The more stations and data we have, the more complete and the more accurate our forecasts become." Ms Bunn said her connections with the agricultural sector had played a key role in establishing her business. "Through my work as a meteorologist I was frequently presenting at agricultural events and I was always being asked what weather app I recommended," she said. "We'd progressed really rapidly from having a limited set of sources via the Bureau of Meteorology and the forecasts you got in the papers and on TV to having so much information out there, but there wasn't anyone collating that information and presenting it in the way farmers need. "That is the aim of Jane's Weather, to provide that critical information in a meaningful way." With this in mind, Ms Bunn said the service looked to survey information from a variety of different models to provide growers with an overall view of the outlook. "We're aiming to dampen that roller coaster that goes with using just one model which may go from 50mm in the first run to 2mm the next then back up to 30mm after that, utilising a range of information gives you a clearer picture," she said. Weather watchers across regional Australia will have access to cutting-edge forecasting and rainfall information in their pocket following a deal between ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and weather forecasting platform Jane's Weather. The partnership will enhance ACM weather portal with a suite of Jane's Weather services powered by artificial intelligence as well as the exclusive insights of veteran meteorologist Jane Bunn. Jane's Weather forecasts are updated 18 times a day through a weather station network three times the size of the Bureau of Meteorology network. "We're really excited to see the Jane's Weather AI Forecast powering with our interactive maps, warnings that clearly show if you are in the danger zone, all the long-range climate tools and the latest weather news," Ms Bunn, meteorologist for 7News Melbourne, said. "I've always been passionate about making sure the right weather information gets through to as many people as possible, and it's thrilling to see our AI-powered weather helping Australians across the country." The ACM network's reach will put Ms Bunn's expertise and hyper-local, AI-powered forecasts at the fingertips of more regional Australians. is part of the ACM Agri division that includes long-standing specialist agricultural publications The Land in NSW, Victoria's Stock & Land, SA's Stock Journal, Queensland Country Life and WA's Farm Weekly. The weather portal will integrate Jane's Weather's powerful forecasting engine, which is already used by leading farm businesses, construction companies and local councils. Ms Bunn said her forecasts out to eight days were formulated using multiple global weather models and machine learning and were "better than other sources of weather information, especially in regional areas". "We've been really pleased with the accuracy," she said of her service's coverage beyond the Bureau of Meteorology's weather stations. "We have got a network of 2500 stations ... significantly more than the BOM, which helps increase the accuracy of the forecasts." ACM chief financial officer Chris Hitch said: "As Australia's leading agricultural media network, reaching 78 per cent of Australian farmers, ACM Agri is delighted to deliver them both a new, exclusive weather column from Jane as well as access to the most thorough free forecasts via Ms Bunn expects AI to enhance the accuracy of long-range forecasts: "With the 8-10 day forecast, the events are already happening, but longer term forecasts are a different kettle of fish. You don't know how many low pressure systems will connect with a feed of moisture. It is very complex. "There is a lot of machine learning still to come before the AI can deep dive into the data, but we've seen great results with AI in the short-term forecast and I'd love to see that moved into the longer-term window, which is of course what farmers really want. "AI can do things we haven't been able to with the traditional models and it is a very exciting space." She said a key priority would be getting more data points. "The more stations and data we have, the more complete and the more accurate our forecasts become." Ms Bunn said her connections with the agricultural sector had played a key role in establishing her business. "Through my work as a meteorologist I was frequently presenting at agricultural events and I was always being asked what weather app I recommended," she said. "We'd progressed really rapidly from having a limited set of sources via the Bureau of Meteorology and the forecasts you got in the papers and on TV to having so much information out there, but there wasn't anyone collating that information and presenting it in the way farmers need. "That is the aim of Jane's Weather, to provide that critical information in a meaningful way." With this in mind, Ms Bunn said the service looked to survey information from a variety of different models to provide growers with an overall view of the outlook. "We're aiming to dampen that roller coaster that goes with using just one model which may go from 50mm in the first run to 2mm the next then back up to 30mm after that, utilising a range of information gives you a clearer picture," she said. Weather watchers across regional Australia will have access to cutting-edge forecasting and rainfall information in their pocket following a deal between ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and weather forecasting platform Jane's Weather. The partnership will enhance ACM weather portal with a suite of Jane's Weather services powered by artificial intelligence as well as the exclusive insights of veteran meteorologist Jane Bunn. Jane's Weather forecasts are updated 18 times a day through a weather station network three times the size of the Bureau of Meteorology network. "We're really excited to see the Jane's Weather AI Forecast powering with our interactive maps, warnings that clearly show if you are in the danger zone, all the long-range climate tools and the latest weather news," Ms Bunn, meteorologist for 7News Melbourne, said. "I've always been passionate about making sure the right weather information gets through to as many people as possible, and it's thrilling to see our AI-powered weather helping Australians across the country." The ACM network's reach will put Ms Bunn's expertise and hyper-local, AI-powered forecasts at the fingertips of more regional Australians. is part of the ACM Agri division that includes long-standing specialist agricultural publications The Land in NSW, Victoria's Stock & Land, SA's Stock Journal, Queensland Country Life and WA's Farm Weekly. The weather portal will integrate Jane's Weather's powerful forecasting engine, which is already used by leading farm businesses, construction companies and local councils. Ms Bunn said her forecasts out to eight days were formulated using multiple global weather models and machine learning and were "better than other sources of weather information, especially in regional areas". "We've been really pleased with the accuracy," she said of her service's coverage beyond the Bureau of Meteorology's weather stations. "We have got a network of 2500 stations ... significantly more than the BOM, which helps increase the accuracy of the forecasts." ACM chief financial officer Chris Hitch said: "As Australia's leading agricultural media network, reaching 78 per cent of Australian farmers, ACM Agri is delighted to deliver them both a new, exclusive weather column from Jane as well as access to the most thorough free forecasts via Ms Bunn expects AI to enhance the accuracy of long-range forecasts: "With the 8-10 day forecast, the events are already happening, but longer term forecasts are a different kettle of fish. You don't know how many low pressure systems will connect with a feed of moisture. It is very complex. "There is a lot of machine learning still to come before the AI can deep dive into the data, but we've seen great results with AI in the short-term forecast and I'd love to see that moved into the longer-term window, which is of course what farmers really want. "AI can do things we haven't been able to with the traditional models and it is a very exciting space." She said a key priority would be getting more data points. "The more stations and data we have, the more complete and the more accurate our forecasts become." Ms Bunn said her connections with the agricultural sector had played a key role in establishing her business. "Through my work as a meteorologist I was frequently presenting at agricultural events and I was always being asked what weather app I recommended," she said. "We'd progressed really rapidly from having a limited set of sources via the Bureau of Meteorology and the forecasts you got in the papers and on TV to having so much information out there, but there wasn't anyone collating that information and presenting it in the way farmers need. "That is the aim of Jane's Weather, to provide that critical information in a meaningful way." With this in mind, Ms Bunn said the service looked to survey information from a variety of different models to provide growers with an overall view of the outlook. "We're aiming to dampen that roller coaster that goes with using just one model which may go from 50mm in the first run to 2mm the next then back up to 30mm after that, utilising a range of information gives you a clearer picture," she said.
Gizmodo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
AI Cheating is So Out of Hand In America's Schools That the Blue Books Are Coming Back
It's no secret that AI is wrecking America's educational system. With easy access to apps like ChatGPT—which can answer any question and also write full-fledged essays for you—high school and college students have begun to cheat their way through life, content to let an algorithm do the thinking, and the test-taking, for them. It's no surprise, then, that some educators have gone analog, in an effort to stem the tide of anti-intellectualism sweeping the nation. The Wall Street Journal recently did some digging and has discovered that sales of blue books have been climbing over the past year. Citing data from a number of large public universities, the newspaper notes that bulk purchases of the booklets have grown by leaps and bounds since ChatGPT's launch in late 2022: Sales of blue books this school year were up more than 30% at Texas A&M University and nearly 50% at the University of Florida. The improbable growth was even more impressive at the University of California, Berkeley. Over the past two academic years, blue-book sales at the Cal Student Store were up 80%. Demand for blue books is suddenly booming again because they help solve a problem that didn't exist on campuses until now. Surely those of us who came of age before the current one remember the blue book as an unfortunate staple of the pre-digital educational experience. I can certainly remember filling out my fair share of them in college, and I also remember them being no walk in the park. As a student, you're often given a very short amount of time to frantically scrawl an 'analytical' essay inside of one as a means of demonstrating to your professor your 'mastery' over a particular subject. I remember the pages being too small, the ruled lines being too large, and the general experience of using the dreaded booklets to be no fun. Now, however, as AI tears through America's elite educational system, lobotomizing tomorrow's young leaders as it goes, could it be that blue books have been refashioned from a villain of the pre-AI age to a hero for our algorithmically-poisoned times? More and more, it seems like they're the dark knight that America's illiterate masses needs. The Journal notes that Roaring Spring Paper Products, the family-owned paper company that produces a majority of the blue books that are sold on college campuses, admits that the new AI era has ironically been good for its business. Yet while the return of blue books may be a step in the right direction, they surely aren't a fix-all for the broad variety of ills caused by students' AI-use. Philip D. Bunn, an assistant professor at the Covenant College in Georgia, recently wrote on his blog that the traditional essay (which, until ChatGPT came along, was a great indicator of a student's intellectual capacity and was very difficult to fake unless you went to the trouble of hiring a ghostwriter) cannot be replaced by the in-class essay. Bunn writes that 'the process of writing a paper outside of class cannot simply be replicated in a blue book exam, and something serious is lost if we give up entirely on the traditional essay, whether those essays are more analytic, argumentative, or research-based.' Indeed, if the return of pen and paper is a promising sign, America's educators aren't out of the woods yet—not even close. A recent survey found that 89% of college students had admitted to using ChatGPT to complete a homework assignment. AI-detection tools designed to spot cheating also routinely fail. Increasingly, America's youth seem to view their educations as a high-stakes video game to be algorithmically juked. In short, more drastic measures (like the formulation of new laws and regulations around AI use) may need to be taken if the onset of America's aggressive stupidification is to be halted.
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Cop speaks up about missing drugs in evidence room, then is fired, NC suit says
A police sergeant who revealed drugs and other items were missing from his department's evidence room was fired for speaking up — and blamed by his police chief, a new federal lawsuit says. A complaint filed April 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina argues Wilson Bunn's firing from the police department in Brevard, North Carolina, violates his First Amendment rights. Bunn and the Southern States Police Benevolent Association are suing Brevard Police Chief Thomas Jordan, accusing him of retaliating against Bunn, who voiced concerns about potentially 253 missing pieces of evidence, including 27 different narcotics. The filing also names City Manager Wilson Hooper as a defendant. Bunn, a member of the PBA, found items were missing from the evidence room in June, then turned to the nonprofit organization for legal help in August, according to the complaint. The group represents more than 70,000 current and former law enforcement officers. Bunn grew 'concerned that BPD was not taking the issue seriously, and sought legal advice as to his obligations to report missing evidence to the appropriate authorities,' the complaint says. He spoke with the PBA's legal counsel, who then alerted the Brevard city attorney of the missing evidence, according to the complaint. This made Jordan angry, the filing says. In retaliation, Bunn was fired by Jordan in December and later blamed for the missing evidence, according to the lawsuit. Jordan specifically accused Bunn of stealing a jar of marijuana, the lawsuit says. Jordan, in an emailed statement to McClatchy News, said that the department is aware of the lawsuit but hasn't been served with the filing as of the afternoon of April 28. 'We are confident that the City has followed the proper procedures and processes in addressing any personnel matters, 'Jordan said. 'When the suit arrives, we will respond via the normal legal channels and allow the courts to settle the matter.' Becky McCann, the communications coordinator for Brevard, which is about a 30-mile drive southwest from Asheville, shared the same statement with McClatchy News via email on April 28. Bunn and the Southern States PBA are represented by Attorney Jeffrey Steven Warren, of Ellis & Winters LLP in Raleigh. 'The PBA and Sergeant Bunn look forward to proving their case in court,' Warren said in an email to McClatchy News on April 28. A disorganized evidence room Bunn joined the Brevard's police force as a detective in November 2023, when he found the department's evidence room was disorganized, according to the lawsuit. After realizing the room was 'in disarray,' Bunn and another detective volunteered to reorganize it, the filing says. At the time, Bunn was aware that mismanaged evidence could lead to the potential legal consequences, according to the complaint. He started working in law enforcement as an Asheville Police Department officer in 2012. That's when the department was 'in the midst of a crisis' involving about 115 items missing from its evidence room, Warren noted in the lawsuit. The Asheville Police Department's former manager was sentenced to 10 months in prison in June 2014 after he was accused of stealing drugs from the room, the Carolina Public Press reported. 'Beginning his law enforcement career in this environment,' Warren wrote in the lawsuit, 'Bunn became sensitive to evidence storage and security issues.' In 2018, Bunn became a deputy sheriff for the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, according to the lawsuit. While with the sheriff's office, he worked as a Homeland Security Task Force officer and in other capacities. Throughout his career, Bunn hadn't been 'reprimanded, disciplined, or placed under investigation,' the lawsuit says. His firing Bunn was exercising his free speech rights when notifying the Southern States PBA about missing evidence, and it ended up costing him his job with the Brevard Police Department, according to the complaint. With the lawsuit, Bunn and the Southern States PBA are asking for a jury trial, an unspecified amount in damages and further relief. The PBA's North Carolina division has more than 17,000 members — making it the largest organization of its kind in the state, according to the organization's April 21 news release issued on the lawsuit. David Rose, the president of PBA's North Carolina division, said in a statement that 'it is essential that public employees be able to speak freely on matters of public concern without fear of retaliatory dismissal.' John Midgette, the North Carolina division's executive director, said in a statement, 'We have never before witnessed such egregious violations of state, federal and constitutional law against a law enforcement officer by government officials.'
