Latest news with #Isom
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Man found guilty of gunning down rising Atlanta actor in road rage shooting
A metro Atlanta man has learned his fate after a jury convicted him of murder after the death of a rising actor and model. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Last Friday, a Clayton County jury convicted Victor Laray Isom Jr. of felony murder, possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. This conviction comes after the shooting and killing of Jovan Jerome Cook on Aug. 24, 2023. According to the Clayton County District Attorney's Office, Isom sped out of a gas station, almost hitting Cook's Mercedes. Authorities said Cook honked his horn at Isom and the two men briefly exchanged words. That's when Isom fired two shots, with one bullet hitting Cook in the head, police said. Cook later died from his injuries five days later. TRENDING STORIES: A trip to a GA Burger King's drive-thru led to a high school graduate's dream he never saw coming 'Life doesn't feel real:' Family mourns GA 9-year-old found shot in car Grandfather dies saving twin granddaughters from falling tree limb in Dacula On May 22, after a 75-minute deliberation, Isom was found guilty. A judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus five years to serve in confinement. 'We hope this conviction offers some measure of solace to the family of Mr. Cook. This conviction also reaffirms our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice and holding individuals accountable for their actions,' DA Tasha Mosley said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Channel 2 Action News spoke with Cook's wife, Nicole, who said her husband was a righteous, devoted and loving man. 'My husband couldn't even defend himself. He didn't even see it coming his way,' said Nicole Cook. Loved ones said the victim was a rising model and actor. 'Jovan was a rising and gifted model/actor. Unfortunately, his life has now been cut short due to the senseless acts of violence as it relates to road rage,' a family spokesperson said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus families experiencing homelessness to get $1,500, monthly payments
As homelessness outpaces population growth in Franklin County, two local organizations are partnering together to give guaranteed payments to families without housing. At its 2025 PIVOT Summit on May 29, RISE Together Innovation Institute CEO Danielle Sydnor plans to announce Stabilize Families, a partnership with Community Shelter Board and others to offer guaranteed income to local families who are unhoused. Community Shelter Board is giving 80 families $1,500 and then 20 of those families will also get $500 payments each month for 11 months, according to RISE Together, a nonprofit group aimed at ending poverty. RISE Together will fund the $500 monthly payments. Ohio State University will conduct research of the pilot program's impact. Can $500 change a life? Central Ohio uses Universal Basic Income concepts to target poverty 'With Community Shelter Board and other partners, we are building a new narrative to address poverty and support families experiencing homelessness,' Sydnor said in a statement. 'Guaranteed income is a viable strategy to promote economic stability and well-being for residents in Franklin County.' Families shouldn't have to choose between paying rent and putting food on their table, said Shannon Isom, president and CEO of Community Shelter Board, in a statement. 'Stabilize Families is about dignity — giving parents the breathing room to stabilize, plan, and dream again," Isom said. "This partnership moves us beyond temporary shelter to real solutions that empower families to reclaim their future." The pilot can also act as a model for how public, private and nonprofit sectors in the region can work together to address the root causes of homelessness and poverty with bold, evidence-based strategies, Isom said. This is the third program locally to launch that uses the principles of Universal Basic Income, or UBI, which describes programs that offer no-strings-attached cash payments. RISE Together is also a funder of the Ohio Mother's Trust, along with UpTogether. What is UBI? Universal Basic Income has buy-in from Columbus, Franklin County leaders The Ohio Mother's Trust is a local pilot program that gives 32 local mothers, selected by grassroots collective Motherful, $500 per month for 12 months. It began in January and was one of the first two local programs using the principles of a concept called Universal Basic Income, or UBI. The other is the city of Columbus' Economic Mobility Accelerator Program. It is giving $500 a month to 200 local people enrolled in six area programs for two years and started payments in March. The idea for Stabilize Families came up in RISE Together's last PIVOT Summit, in 2024, during a conversation about boosting economic security for families through guaranteed income, according to RISE. The announcement comes at a time when homelessness locally and use of the shelter system are up. The latest annual count, released earlier this month by the Community Shelter Board, found that homelessness in 2024 increased six times faster than Franklin County's population growth. Community Shelter Board's annual "point-in-time" count, which took place Jan. 23, found 2,556 people experiencing homelessness locally — up 7.4% from the 2024 count of 2,380 people. Since 2022, there's been a more than 30% increase in unhoused people in the county. Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@ or on X at @DanaeKing. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 20 unhoused Columbus families to get monthly payments for one year
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Senior enlisted man based in Hawaii will advise Joint Chiefs of Staff
The top enlisted leader at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at Camp Smith has been tapped to go to the Pentagon to serve as the most senior enlisted service member in the entire U.S. military. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Fleet Master Chief David Isom, a seasoned combat veteran, has been selected to serve as the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or SEAC. He will be the sixth person to take on the position since it was was created in 2005. Isom enlisted in the Navy in 1987, and after passing SEAL selection went on to serve with the service's most elite special operations units, including Navy Special Warfare Development Group—better known to the general public as SEAL Team Six. His deployments include the Persian Gulf War, tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and—according to his official bio—several deployments across the Pacific and the Horn of Africa. His military awards include four Bronze Star Medals, including two with 'V ' devices for valor ; two Combat Action Ribbons ; and a Presidential Unit Citation. Before serving as the senior enlisted man for Indo-Pacific Command he had already been in Hawaii as the senior enlisted leader for Special Operations Command Pacific. In both roles Isom's duties included traveling the region visiting American bases to talk to troops as well as working to bolster ties with foreign service members from other countries and observing training. At the Pentagon, Isom will replace Marine Sgt. Maj. Troy Black, who is leaving the job after serving as SEAC for two years. Black previously served as the sergeant major of the Marine Corps before he was selected as the SEAC by Army Gen. Mark Milley and continued on as the senior enlisted advisor to Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, whom President Donald Trump controversially fired from the role of chairman in February along with Navy chief Adm. Lisa Franchetti and other officers serving under the Joint Chiefs. After the firings, Hawaii's U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono charged that 'there is no reasonable justification for these terminations. Instead, the dismissals reveal the President's true intention : installing a group of 'yes men' with fealty to him and not the Constitution or the American people.' Under Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon is seeing major shake-ups across the board. Hegseth has vowed to rid the military of 'woke ' officers and civilian personnel, and pledged that there will be a new focus on 'lethality.' Though considered the most senior enlisted role in the military, the SEAC doesn't actually lead troops as part of the chain of command but serves as an advisor to the military's most senior officer to serve as a voice to the Pentagon's top leadership addressing the issues of enlisted personnel. In this case, Isom will advise Brown's replacement, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine. Just as Brown's firing was controversial, Trump's appointment of Caine raised eyebrows. Though Caine is a respected officer with extensive experience across the U.S. government, at the time of his nomination he had already retired as a lieutenant general—making him legally ineligible for the role. To make him eligible, Trump had to order that he be both reinstated to active service and promoted to four-star general. Trump has often told a story of meeting Caine in Iraq during his first presidency, describing him as wearing the iconic red MAGA hat of his supporters and expressing personal admiration and loyalty to Trump—which would have violated several military policies if true. The details of the story often differed and shifted when Trump told it at different venues. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Caine told lawmakers 'I went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was actually talking about somebody else. I've never worn any political merchandise or said anything to that effect.' When Hirono asked him 'if you wore it, would that constitute partisan political activity by a uniformed officer—yes or no ?' Caine answered, 'I think it probably would, yes.' Caine ultimately was confirmed with 44 Republicans and 16 Democrats voting in favor, though his confirmation was opposed by both Hawaii's Hirono and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Isom will be the first sailor to serve as SEAC and is leaving Camp Smith for the Pentagon at a time when the military views the Pacific as its top priority theater of operations amid tensions with China. He would bring extensive experience in the region as well as personal knowledge of and relationships with members of foreign militaries that Pentagon leaders are hoping to strengthen alliances with.
New York Post
7 days ago
- General
- New York Post
SEAL Team Six alum named advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff: DoD
A former member of SEAL Team Six has been named the highest ranking enlisted official and an advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, military officials announced Tuesday. Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom, once a member of Navy Special Warfare Development Group commonly called SEAL Team Six, will become the sixth Senior Enlisted Advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to the Department of Defense. The SEAC position was created in 2005 and is considered the most senior enlisted leader, according to Task and Purpose. Advertisement Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom is the new Senior Enlisted Advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday. U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anthony J. Rivera Master Chief Isom has a long resume of active duty service including combat and operational deployments in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and other stints through the Pacific and the Horn of Africa, according to his official biography. The career soldier also deployed with SEAL Team 1 during his illustrious career, according to that biography. Advertisement During his service career, Isom won four Bronze Star Medals, including two with distinction for valor, two Combat Action Ribbons, and a Presidential Unity Citation, Task and Purpose reported. 'Master Chief Isom's assignments have included a full range of duties in Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) Teams at Theater Special Operations Commands and across the joint environment,' the newly minted SEAC's biography read. Isom won four Bronze Star Medals during his combat career that included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Marine Corps/Cpl. Dean Gurule Most recently, Isom has served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for US Indo-Pacific Command. Advertisement Isom joined the Navy in 1987, inspired by his Korean War Army veteran father and a love of the ocean that he discovered while surfing off the coast of his native North Carolina, he revealed in an interview in 2022. The decorated SEAL revealed that he was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer around the time of September 11th, 2001, and was soon deployed to the Middle East. After losing 'teammates' while fighting in Afghanistan in Iraq, Isom said he learned, 'the key role of leaders and caring for people and developing other leaders,' according to that interview. Master Chief Isom is replacing current SEAC Troy E. Black, the DoD said in the release.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader
Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom, a former member of Navy Special Warfare Development Group, or DEVGRU — commonly referred to as SEAL Team Six — has been selected to serve as the U.S. military's next top enlisted leader, defense officials announced on Tuesday. Currently serving as the command senior enlisted leader for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Isom will become the sixth service member to serve as the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or SEAC, since the position was created in 2005. Although the SEAC is considered the U.S. military's most senior enlisted leader, the job involves serving as an advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff rather than as a direct supervisor within a chain of command. Isom enlisted in the Navy in 1987, and after passing Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training, or BUD/S, he went on to deploy with units that include DEVGRU, Naval Special Warfare Group 10, Special Reconnaissance Team 2, and SEAL Team 1, according to his official biography. 'His combat and operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as deployments throughout the Pacific and the Horn of Africa,' his biography says. Isom's military awards include four Bronze Star Medals, including two with 'V' devices for valor; two Combat Action Ribbons; and a Presidential Unit Citation, according to his service record. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, selected Isom to be the next SEAC following two rounds of interviews, a Joint Staff spokesperson told Task & Purpose on Tuesday. Isom will replace Marine Sgt. Maj. Troy Black, who is leaving the job after serving as SEAC for two years. The change of office is tentatively scheduled for mid-to-late June. Black previously served as the sergeant major of the Marine Corps before he was selected as the SEAC by Army Gen. Mark Milley, and he initially served as the senior enlisted advisor to Air Force Gen. Charles 'CQ' Brown Jr., whom President Donald Trump fired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February. 18 Army Rangers suspended for allegedly firing blanks at Florida beach Hegseth announces accountability review of Afghanistan withdrawal Coast Guard rescue swimmers saved a worker stuck in hardening concrete after roof collapse This National Guard unit went completely analog to simulate a cyber attack Fewer reenlistment options for soldiers amid high Army retention
