Latest news with #Fortenberry
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Students learn to make parts, find careers at special Calhoun camp
Jun. 13—Colton Naylor tested his skill — and luck — while making precision machine parts this week during a special camp at Calhoun Community College. The intensive four-day Precision Machining Academy gives dozens of students practical, hands-on exposure to the world of CNC machining, parts design and modeling, said Amber Fortenberry, director of talent development and recruitment for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, which partners with Calhoun for the event. There will be another camp in July. Participants gained experience in programming skills, including such tasks as configuring tool offsets, setting up machines and operating equipment safely and proficiently. Students were also introduced to the use of precision measuring tools. This camp for students entering grades ninth through 12th grades was held at the Advanced Technology Center on Calhoun's Decatur campus. Naylor, 16, of Hartselle, who is home schooled, said he was drawn to the camp as a sort of career exploration. Machining interested him. "Just trying to figure out what I want to do," he said. He learned a lot this week. "I learned just how complicated machining is. I knew programming was complicated but there is a lot more learning to that than I knew." He said he "really liked" the machining part of the camp. He said each part had to be programmed before they could make it. He held out something he had made — a tiny cylindrical metal device that lets air pass through. He said it was part of an engine that blows air. He gets to keep the gizmo as a memento. Fortenberry said there is such a need for machinists in the Decatur-Morgan County area that the camp is a good way to generate interest. "What's happening is we have a population that is aging out; they are ready for retirement. So, we are really trying to expose these kids to the machining trade and how to work all of the machines so we can get them into the industries that are looking for them." According to the chamber, those who sponsored the event were able to connect their brand with future workers in the industry while supporting them in gaining valuable, high-demand skills as well as partnering with Calhoun to drive local workforce development. Fortenberry said sponsors included Indorama Ventures, Industrial Manufacturing Specialties, Nucor Decatur, Joe Wheeler EMC, Redstone Federal Credit Union and Turner Industries. In addition to learning how parts are machined, the students get to see where these parts wind up, Fortenberry said. For example, the parts they make may end up with United Launch Alliance and end up in space. — or 256-340-2361
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Miss Covington County pushes for storm aid for neighbors
COVINGTON COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) – More than six weeks after a tornado outbreak hit Mississippi, the state has yet to receive federal assistance. Covington County was one of the hardest-hit areas. About 50 homes were damaged or destroyed. Miss Covington County Haley Fortenberry is using her platform to push for federal assistance. Her family lost their home in the storm, and her grandfather died after being trapped in his mobile home. Fortenberry said her family is struggling to recover financially, and she's concerned other Mississippians will not be able to rebuild without assistance. Walthall County tornado victims still waiting for federal help 'Mississippi's a low-income state, and we need it. Not everybody has the financial resources, or they may not have had insurance to help recover and rebuild their houses. Or some people may have to move,' she said. Covington County Emergency Management Director Brennon Chancellor said the county and state do not have the necessary funds to clean up the damage. 'Our threshold for covering the county is around $80,000. And we very much so passed that threshold. The state threshold was around $5.6 million. And it's estimated right now we're sitting a little bit over $18 million. So that federal assistance is needed,' he said. The Covington County Emergency Management will decide next week whether to begin cleanup on their own, hoping for reimbursement, or bring in contractors, which could be a burden to taxpayers. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fortenberry case over: Judge lets charges drop with prejudice
U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, flanked by his wife and other family members, speaks to reporters after the 2022 guilty verdicts. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A federal judge this week agreed with Trump administration prosecutors that the campaign finance-related felony charges filed against former Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry should be dropped with prejudice. That means the same charges cannot be filed again. Federal District Judge Trevor McFadden signed the order proposed by the Justice Department late Wednesday, which had reversed course under the new management of President Donald Trump. Trump, a Republican, has publicly complained about Fortenberry's prosecution, saying he was mistreated. The Justice Department investigation of Fortenberry's 2016 fundraiser in southern California began under Trump. Prosecutors under former President Joe Biden's Justice Department had obtained a conviction of Fortenberry for lying to federal agents and trying to conceal his knowledge of foreign campaign funds raised illegally in 2016 for his congressional campaign. But a federal appeals court overturned Fortenberry's conviction in 2023 because federal prosecutors had tried him in California, where the fundraiser took place, but not in Nebraska or Washington, D.C., where prosecutors had alleged Fortenberry lied to the FBI. Federal prosecutors charged him again in Washington, D.C. in May 2024, alleging that he knew and tried to conceal his knowledge of the illegal contributions, which Fortenberry still denies. His lawyers have argued, among other things, that he had a bad cell connection during the call with the FBI informant. Fortenberry was told that the $30,000, which had been delivered in a paper sack to an intermediary, was likely illegal. He was also told Lebanese billionaire Gilbert Chagoury was the source of the money. Fortenberry had supported the work of Chagoury's group in support of Christians abroad. Trump Justice Department files to drop charges against former Nebraska U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry Trump issued a statement on Truth Social on Wednesday saying that Fortenberry and his family had suffered because the justice system had been weaponized against the previous administration's political opponents. Many legal observers expected the charges to be dropped if Trump won the presidency. Prosecutors previously denied any political motivations and said a congressman should know better than to accept foreign funds, which cannot be raised for congressional races. They pointed to recordings with an FBI source that they said made clear Fortenberry knew more than he acknowledged. In a statement Thursday, Fortenberry compared his situation to Trump's legal civil and criminal fights in several states and said the president 'knows better than anyone what false accusations and political persecution mean.' 'The American people gave President Trump a mandate to end witch hunts like these and restore confidence in our justice system,' Fortenberry said. 'We are so grateful. I want to thank all who loved and supported my family and me through this ordeal.' The judge's decision closes a chapter for the former nine-term congressman for eastern Nebraska's 1st Congressional District. Fortenberry resigned from Congress after being convicted in 2022. U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb, replaced him. Some have speculated that Fortenberry might choose to run for office again, including perhaps his former seat. Fortenberry's spokesman did not immediately return a message asking about his future. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ moves to toss charges against former Republican lawmaker
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday moved to toss out charges against former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), who resigned from Congress in 2022 after a California jury convicted him of lying to federal authorities. The request to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the same charges can't be brought again, comes as President Trump's Justice Department has moved to end criminal prosecutions of his political allies, including those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Trump's co-defendants in his federal classified documents case. On his Truth Social platform, Trump celebrated the end of the DOJ's 'witch hunt' against Fortenberry and claimed he was the victim of a weaponized justice system. 'The charges were totally baseless,' Trump said. 'That Scam is now over, so Jeff and his family can go back to having a great life together, and be a part of our Country's future as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. I am very proud of our Department of Justice, something I have not been able to say for many years!' A California jury found Fortenberry guilty of lying to FBI agents in two separate interviews about his knowledge of illegal campaign contributions from a foreign billionaire. Those interviews took place in Lincoln, Neb., and in Washington, but the case was brought in Los Angeles because federal prosecutors said he received the contributions at a 2016 fundraiser there. However, he was never charged with receiving illegal contributions. That conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court in 2023, after it determined Fortenberry should have faced trial in Nebraska or Washington, D.C., instead. Federal prosecutors brought the case again in Washington in May, and Fortenberry was awaiting a new trial when Trump won the presidential race. The Hill requested comment from an attorney for Fortenberry. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Justice Department files to drop charges against former Nebraska U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, with his wife, Celeste, at his side, talks to reporters just after a federal jury found him guilty. His conviction was later overturned. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Justice Department's second push to prosecute former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., appears headed to an end under the new management of a Republican president. Federal prosecutors on Wednesday filed to withdraw the felony charges lodged against the Lincoln Republican in Washington, D.C., before the case was set to head to trial. The second trial for Fortenberry had been delayed until June instead of February because key prosecutors involved in the case had announced they were leaving the Justice Department. Legal observers expected the Justice Department's stance on the case to change under President Donald Trump, because Trump has publicly complained about how Fortenberry had been treated. Fortenberry was convicted in 2022 of lying to federal investigators and concealing his knowledge of foreign funds illegally donated in 2016 to his congressional campaign. An appeals court overturned his convictions in 2023 because he had been charged in California, where the fundraiser took place, instead of in Nebraska or Washington, where he allegedly lied. Federal prosecutors charged him again in Washington, D.C. in May 2024, alleging that he knew and tried to conceal his knowledge of the illegal contributions, which Fortenberry still denies. During the 2022 trial, prosecutors had played a recording of Fortenberry from 2018 speaking by phone with the organizer of the California fundraiser who had become an FBI informant. Fortenberry was told that the $30,000 raised was likely illegal and was delivered in a paper sack. He was also told Lebanese billionaire Gilbert Chagoury was the source of the money. Fortenberry had long supported the mission of Chagoury's organization, In Defense of Christians, which works to protect Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. The former congressman, in later interviews with the FBI, denied being told what the recording revealed, the charges alleged. He also denied being aware of the illicit contribution. His attorneys have argued at various points that he did not hear the FBI informant, that his connection was bad and that he did not understand that he was a target of an FBI investigation. Fortenberry's spokesman in 2024, Chad Kolton, described the charges as political and 'overzealous.' Others have argued that a congressman should've known better than to accept foreign funds. The investigation of Fortenberry began under Trump and continued under former President Joe Biden. Trump, in visits to Nebraska and elsewhere, has hinted that Fortenberry was wronged. Trump posted about the case on his social media site, Truth Social, on Wednesday, saying it was 'great to see that the Department of Justice has dropped the Witch Hunt against former Congressman Jeff Fortenberry.' 'Jeff and his family were forced to suffer greatly due to the illegal Weaponization of our Justice System by the Radical Left Democrats,' Trump wrote. 'The charges were totally baseless. That Scam is now over.' Trump's pick for Attorney General, former Florida AG Pam Bondi, is headed for a confirmation vote from the Senate soon, having advanced Wednesday out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Fortenberry attorney Kristen DeWilde said the congressman would have no immediate statement. The Justice Department declined to comment. Fortenberry resigned from representing Nebraska's 1st District in Congress after being convicted in 2022. He was replaced by U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., a former Speaker of the Legislature. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
