Latest news with #GeorgiaSouthernUniversity
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Miami Herald
‘SharkFest' researcher sentenced in Florida for a $453,000 scheme
A shark researcher who stole more than $450,000 from a nonprofit with Florida ties will spend years in prison and decades on probation. Christine Bedore, 45, a former biology professor featured on National Geographic's 'SharkFest,' pleaded no contest Tuesday in a Manatee County courtroom to felony charges of scheming to defraud and fraudulent use of personal identification, according to court records. Investigators say she spent five years siphoning money from the American Elasmobranch Society, a shark research nonprofit with a Bradenton mailing address. Judge Matt Whyte sentenced Bedore to three years in prison, followed by 27 years of probation. She must also pay $452,953 in restitution, including $20,000 paid to the organization in court on Tuesday, court records show. Police say Bedore had served as the nonprofit's treasurer since 2018 and used its accounts to cover personal expenses such as medical procedures, a vehicle, pet insurance, subscription services, travel and entertainment. An arrest report details several of those transactions, including an $8,000 down payment on a used Jeep, nearly $13,000 for oral surgery and more than $38,000 in Amazon purchases. Investigators say the stolen funds were intended to support research on sharks and rays. Financial documents also show Bedore used the nonprofit's money to buy lab specimens and equipment for her academic work at Georgia Southern University, where she was employed at the time. Shark researcher convicted in Bradenton Bedore was previously featured on National Geographic as part of the 2022 series When Sharks Attack 360, according to a Facebook post by Georgia Southern University's Biology Department. Several members of the American Elasmobranch Society, including student researchers, attended Tuesday's hearing, according to a news release. In a statement provided to police, the organization said it was ready to move forward after what it described as a financially and emotionally damaging ordeal. 'This will allow us to focus on our efforts to rebuild AES finances and restore the trust and confidence of our community of dedicated shark and ray scientists, especially our young student members who were particularly wronged by the defendant's actions,' the organization said. 'We are hopeful that this judgment represents the start of a good-faith effort by the defendant to accept responsibility and show remorse for her actions and work towards rebuilding her life.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police arrest suspect in shooting on GA university campus
Georgia Southern University police have arrested a suspect in a shooting that happened Tuesday on the school's Savannah campus. Police say neither the suspect nor the victim is an enrolled student and that they both knew each other. The shooting happened in the Residential 1 parking lot. The suspect was arrested at an off-campus site and charged with aggravated assault. Other charges may be filed in the future. After the shooting on Tuesday, students on the Savannah campus were told to shelter in place. About an hour later, at around 9 p.m., police determined there was no immediate threat to students and they were given the 'all clear' alert. GSU's main campus is located in Statesboro, about 57 miles northwest of Savannah. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: 'I have plans for that money': Woman says Truist Bank is holding $30,000 of her money hostage Kemp signs bill that could make Fulton County residents foot the bill for Trump's GA legal fees EPA announces rollback on forever chemical limits. What that means for your drinking water [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TEDxSavannah to feature 12 local leaders, live music
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — TEDxSavannah will feature 12 local speakers Friday on the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus. TEDxSavannah said the speakers will be exploring the theme of Curiosity Unleashed through a range of perspectives in talks designed to resonate with the greater Savannah community, address local issues and spark deep discussion. The event will also feature live entertainment by local musicians. 'We're incredibly honored to present a dynamic group of local thought leaders at our 14th annual TEDxSavannah event,' said TEDxSavannah organizing committee member and speaker coach Karla Jennings. 'We invite everyone to attend TEDxSavannah on May 16 and to be part of important conversations that have the power to affect positive change in our community.' TEDxSavannah 2025 will display their commitment to sustainability and will feature a number of initiatives designed to reduce waste and minimize the event's carbon footprint, organizers said. Sustainability highlights are set to include food waste composting by Code of Return, a local composting company and a public tree planting at a future date with Savannah Tree Foundation. Fruitful Futures, a local nonprofit, will provide native trees for the TEDxSavannah stage and lobby. There will be recycling opportunities, plastic-free lanyards and compostable, plant-based cups for attendees. 'We think it's important to deepen our commitment to sustainability at TEDxSavannah this year and are honored to join forces with a wide range of local community partners for our upcoming event,' said Kelley Boyd, a TEDxSavannah board member leading sustainability initiatives for the 2025 event. 'We want to continue to identify creative ways to make TEDxSavannah as sustainable as possible and to model best practices, year after year.' 2025 TEDxSavannah speakers include: Cyd Ahlberg – Poet and Multimedia Storyteller Jill Cardenas – Passionate Peacebuilder Amanda Fanelli – Global Citizenship Advocate Brynn Grant – Economic Development Innovator Devika Kulkarni – Branding Influencer Jacilyn Ledford – Frequency Facilitator Dr. Tilicia Mayo-Gamble, Public Health Leader Destiny Mojica-Taylor – Marketing Strategist Erik Reagan – Executive Coach Chelsea Sawyer – Emergency Expert Laura Solomon – Sustainability Trailblazer Rufus Stephens – Uplifter General admission tickets are on sale for $60, which include seating, onsite parking, lunch, snacks, coffee and admission to the speaker meet-and-greet event on-site immediately following TEDxSavannah 2025. Discounted tickets are available for educators, students, first responders, active-duty military and nonprofits for $50. VIP tickets are also available for $100, which include priority seating. TEDxSavannah will take place on Friday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fine Arts Auditorium at Georgia Southern University's Armstrong Campus, located at 11935 Abercorn St. Doors will open at 8 a.m. Groups of more than six attendees can receive a 10% discount on the price of their tickets by contacting Clinton Edminster at tedxsav@ To purchase tickets or to learn more about TEDxSavannah, click or tap here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This heartthrob was all smiles before a receding hairline transformed his look... whose yearbook snap is this?
He is an early favorite for heartthrob of the year and has also been embroiled in a much talked about feud. However, he wasn't always Hollywood royalty as he was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his family went on to move to Atlanta suburb Lithia Springs, Georgia where he attended Lithia Springs High School. In 1989, he flashed his pearly whites in this photo from his yearbook before attending Georgia Southern University for a year and moving to Los Angeles to pursue his acting dream. He has since gone on to have a successful thespian career but recently became a sex symbol due to his role in one of the most talked about series of the year. Can you guess whose yearbook snap this is? It's Walton Goggins of The White Lotus fame! The 53-year-old actor - born Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. - has become one of the most talked about actors of the year with some even crediting him with making receding hairlines sexy. His first role was in 1990 television movie Murder In Mississippi but his breakout role came as Detective Shane Vendrell in series The Shield which aired from 2002 to 2008. He also had another successful television run starring as Boyd Crowder in western series Justified from 2010 to 2015. Walton's talent is undeniable as he has also had plenty of success on the big screen with films like Predators (2010), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015). The talented star has also managed to find a strong working relationship with funnyman Danny McBride as they have starred together in two successful HBO comedies: Vice Principals (2016-2017) and The Righteous Gemstones (2019-2025). However, it is his role in season three of The White Lotus which aired this year that has been his most talked about for many different reasons. The actor is rumored to be feuding with co-star Aimee Lou Wood, 31, after the pair portrayed couple Rick and Chelsea on season three of the hit show. Wood recently broke her silence on feud rumors with Goggins. Despite their on-screen chemistry in Thailand, the pair have reportedly fallen out since filming for the HBO Max series wrapped up. Eagle-eyed fans noticed how the pair have unfollowed each other on social media and potentially have each other blocked. Taking to her Instagram, Aimee shared a piece of fan art by @sketchesbyspencer on her Stories. The impressive drawing showed the actress and the actor during their time together on the show, seemingly suggesting all is now well between them. The post comes just a day after it was reported that the pair will soon be reuniting for a work obligation amid suspicions they are embroiled in a feud, CNN reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister claimed. The entertainment correspondent said she learned 'off the record' that Aimee and Walton may be forced to team up 'in the coming weeks' for a professional matter. 'There is something professionally that they are doing in the coming weeks together,' she explained during an appearance on Nick Viall's The Viall Files podcast. If the pair are indeed feuding, Elizabeth believes their upcoming work event indicates the rift is not as bad as warring former co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who stayed separated due to their drama. 'So, if there really is a feud, this has not stopped them... It's not like they can't be in the same room, is my point. Because I am told that there is something on the books. 'But also like work is work, right? So if you have to do something for work... look, they're about to go into a giant Emmy campaign. Like every person in that show is going to be nominated.' 'They're going to have to be in the same room. But, the reason why that was interesting to me, is because if you look at like a Blake Lively Justin Baldoni thing, like they cannot be in the same, right? Eagle-eyed fans noticed how the pair have unfollowed each other on social media and potentially have each other blocked. 'So this isn't at that level by any means, because I am told that they are going to be doing something for work in the next few weeks.' contacted representatives for Aimee and Walton for comment. Aimee Lou, who boasts 2.6m Instagram followers, has been passionately sharing behind the scenes photos and reposts from her co-stars throughout the third season, with Walton also sharing his own set memories. And in their posts they have both enthusiastically tagged their co-stars - every one but each other.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Shannon Sharpe family: All about unmarried NFL legend's 3 children – Kayla, Kiari and Kaley
Shannon Sharpe is under fire as he is facing a $50 million lawsuit filed against him by a woman who has accused him of rape. Sharpe has denied the allegations, with his legal team releasing alleged text messages between the NFL legend and the accuser, revealing X-rated missives she sent him. Subsequently, the woman released alleged audio where Sharpe can be heard threatening her, 'I'm going to f–king choke the s–t out of you.' As Sharp is making headlines, we decided to take a closer look at his family. The three-time Super Bowl champion never married, but has three children – son Kiari and daughters Kayla and Kaley. Sharpe has kept the identity of his children's mothers private. All of Sharpe's children were born in the early '90s, during the beginning of his NFL career. Sharpe said in his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech in 2011, 'As I stand here at the end of my journey, I know I wouldn't be here without my family.' 'To my three kids, Kayla, Kiari and Kaley, thanks for understanding when I promised to take you to the movies or the amusement park or to the mall, but because I had run myself into the ground or lifted myself into oblivion earlier that day, I didn't do what I had promised to do the night before,' he continued. 'Thank you for making all those sacrifices that other kids never had to make, so your dad could live out his dream,' he added. Kayla Sharpe – Born on October 16, 1992, Kayle pursued pre-law at Georgia Southern University and is a business partner in human resources for Phoebe Putney Health System, according to HNHH. She suggested in a video for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 that her father taking her to school every day is one of her favourite memories. 'That quality time is very cherished to me,' Kayla said. 'He would be completely silent in the car and then tell me everything I did wrong when we got home.' In one part of the clip, Kayla told Sharpe, 'You are loved. You are appreciated. You've been doing a great job at this dad thing for a very long time now.' Kiari Sharpe – Kiari, Sharpe's only son, was born in 1992, just two years after the football icon started his professional NFL career. According to HNHH, he studied biology and business management at Georgia Southern University and works as a financial analyst. Some reports claim that his mother is Erika Evans, who previously filed a lawsuit against Sharpe for allegedly kicking her out of his home. Evans later filed charges, following which Sharpe turned himself in, posting a $1,000 bond. The case was ultimately dismissed. Kiari said while speaking in the Pro Football Hall of Fame video, 'A couple of my favorite memories that we've shared over the years, one being just all the family game nights that we had together.' 'Whether it was just you and me, or you, me and my sisters. You always beating us down in Monopoly and Uno, and then finally getting the chance to beat you,' he added. "Because everything is earned, nothing is given. So, that's a satisfaction that I can barely put into words.' Kaley Sharpe – According to the Denver Post via Distractify, Kaley is Sharpe's youngest child. One of her favourite memories is playing Monopoly with her dad when she was young. In the Pro Football Hall of Fame video, Kaley recalled talking 'a whole lot of smack' when she was 10 or 11, saying, 'My dad proceeded to obliterate me in Monopoly. I love that memory because we were just having such a carefree time. He was laughing every time he collected my $200.' Kaley also said that she got to know that Sharpe is 'tenacious on and off the field' and if you went up against him, 'no matter if you were friend, family or foe,' he was going to do everything in his power to win. 'I just love that memory because we just had such a good time,' Kaley said. 'But it's just one of my proudest moments with my dad because we just had such a great time and it was just so relaxing.'
