Latest news with #McWhorter
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Four Republicans, one Democrat running in House District 12 special election
Members of the Alabama House of Representatives vote on a local bill on May 1, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The lights in each name represent how a member of the House voted. Green is for yes; blue is for abstention. Abstaining on local bills is common for representatives not from the area that will be affected by the bill. A special election will be held to fill the Cullman County area House District 12 seat on Oct. 28, with the primary on July 15.(Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Four Republicans and one Democratic candidate qualified for the Alabama House District 12 special election in Cullman County. Republican voters will have the choice between Heather Doyle, Clint Hollingsworth, Dan McWhorter and Cindy Myrex on July 15. The lone Democratic candidate, Matt Glover, will advance to the general election on Oct. 28 against the winner of the special election primary. If one Republican candidate does not receive 50% of votes, the special runoff election will take place on Aug. 12. Former Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Cullman, resigned in April after he was absent for much of the 2025 legislative session. All interviewed candidates said they are running for office for Cullman County representation in Montgomery. 'You didn't ask how anybody that lives there, how they felt about it,' Doyle said. 'This is our community, like we live there. This is going to affect us.' 'My plan is to represent the folks in this district like I have my constituents with the city,' Hollingsworth said. 'I'm gonna work hard for them, just like what I've done for the last 17 years on the city council, for the folks here that voted for me.' 'I didn't think we were getting much representation on the issues that I thought were important, so I figured I'd get involved,' McWhorter said. Efforts to schedule an interview with Myrex were not successful. Doyle, Glover and McWhorter also expressed opposition to SB 322, sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills. It was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 7 and allowed the City of Cullman to annex a resort on Smith Lake in Cullman County, a dry county, for the resort to serve alcohol. 'I mean, there's nothing I can do about that, even though I know that's the main concentration for the election. I just think it's wrong,' Doyle said. 'We're exploring what it would take to rescind the legislation,' McWhorter said. Glover's first priority in his campaign is giving the people more power, which he said was not present when the legislation passed. The Republican primary Doyle, 43, is a former teacher and realtor in the Smith Lake area of Cullman County. She wants to reform the court system, inspired by an ongoing custody battle in her personal life that she declined to explain because of potential implications in the litigation. 'I think we just need a better system, like something for inmates to even go to rehab,' she said in an interview Monday. 'I just think we need to do something better.' She also wants to reduce wasteful spending and government overreach by reviewing where state taxpayer dollars are going. 'I think we need to look closer at the budget and what we're spending and the programs,' she said. Finally, she wants to improve education in the state and be a voice for children in education and in custody battles. 'They don't get like issues that are going on with the court system, with kids, it's just not a man thing. They're not worried about kids, and they're not worried about women,' she said. 'And I just think we've got a lot of things going on with juveniles in the court system that I think just needs to be handled differently.' The first-time candidate said she is the best for the job because she will not rely on the politics of lawmaking to pass legislation. 'Nobody's going to be able to bribe me, I don't owe anybody a favor,' she said. 'I really think this is how politics work.' Hollingsworth, 47, owns a used car dealership in Cullman. He said in an interview on May 27 that he is prioritizing education and work force development. 'Investing in public education and job training programs is vital to prepare our students for future employment opportunities,' he said. He also said he wants the state to support volunteer fire departments more. There are 983 volunteer fire departments in the state, 23 of which are in Cullman County, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission. 'There's 17 in this district that I'm running for, and I want to help with funding and training and just trying to get people willing to serve and help their community,' Hollingsworth said. He also said he wants to improve transportation infrastructure. 'Reliable transportation is essential for employment, education and our health care,' he said. 'Not just the county roads, but even 65 and interstate highways just need upgrades for sure.' The former Cullman County City Councilman said he is the best candidate because of his tenure on city council, which he has served on since 2008. 'It's a new challenge for me, but it encompasses areas that I'm already kind of used to,' he said. 'I'm just looking forward to helping and serving more people.' McWhorter, 68, has been a sales manager for Innovative Analytical Solutions in Bremen, Alabama, for a decade. McWhorter said in an interview on May 21 that his main priority is to implement a property tax cap for property owners who are at least 65 years old. 'Property ownership is either a right or it's a privilege,' McWhorter said. 'So if it's a right, we don't tax free speech, right? So why are you taxing my property?' Aside from that, McWhorter also wants a 'clean lottery bill' that would fund two years of tuition at technical colleges. The legislature failed to pass a comprehensive gaming bill in 2024, and the House rejected any attempts at another from the Senate this year. 'The second one is a clean lottery bill that'll fund two-year college tuition, or two years of college tuition for any high school graduate with a C average,' he said. Lastly, McWhorter wants to completely eliminate the tax on overtime, which is set to expire on June 30. He also mentioned eliminating daylight savings time as a goal. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, an original supporter of the bill, has said the exemption created a larger hole in the Education Trust Fund (ETF) than expected. President Donald Trump has advocated for a national exemption in his second term. The lone Democrat Glover, 40, served on the Good Hope City Council from 2012-2016. He wants to prioritize local power. 'Returning power to local communities, like just trying to wrestle away some of the power that the state government has taken from like local cities and towns, which plays in with SB 322,' Glover said in an interview on May 23. He also said he opposes HB 445, sponsored by Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, which was signed into law on May 14. The bill requires testing and labeling for all consumable hemp products and caps at 10 milligrams per individually wrapped product and 40 milligrams per package. It will require the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board to license retailers of these products, restrict retail establishments selling hemp products and impose an excise tax on consumable hemp products. 'With the amount of jobs that I think that's going to cost, and the amount of like, government overreach that is involved with it is pretty disgusting,' he said. Finally, Glover wants to advocate for direct ballot initiatives in order for Alabamians to have a say in a state lottery. Nineteen states have direct ballot initiatives, which allow citizens to propose constitutional amendments. 'A lot of that goes back to us not being able to get the lottery amendment on the ballot, like sports gambling, any number of things, but where they just won't pass it in Montgomery to allow the citizens to vote,' he said. Glover said he is running for office to show the people of the district that there are Democrats and that they deserve to be represented. 'We still exist. And I think there's just a lack of enthusiasm and motivation,' he said. 'When you see a statewide ballot with no Democrats running, it makes people less likely to turn out, and then it looks like that they're just not there.' Meet the Candidates Age: 43 Residence: Cullman Occupation: Realtor, former teacher Education: Associates degree, Accounting, Snead State Community College, 2006; Bachelor's degree, elementary education, Athens State University, 2010; Master's degree, instructional leadership, Athens State University, 2024 Party: Republican Previous political experience: first-time candidate Age: 47 Residence: Cullman Occupation: self-employed at a used car dealership Education: Bachelor's degree, K-12 physical education, Athens State University, 1999 Party: Republican Previous political experience: Cullman City Council since 2008 Age: 40 Residence: Cullman Occupation: Parts manager at a poultry plant Education: High school diploma, Good Hope High School, 2002 Party: Democrat Previous political experience: Good Hope City Council 2012-2016 Age: 68 Residence: Cold Springs Occupation: Sales manager at Innovative Analytical Solutions Education: Associates's degree, electronics, National Institute of Technology, 1984 Party: Republican Previous political experience: first-time candidate SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan football aims to flip Georgia's 2026 wide receiver during Ann Arbor visit
Michigan football already has one commitment in 2026 from a high school north of Atlanta who appeared to prefer an SEC school. Now the Wolverines are working on snagging another from just nine miles away from the other. It was something of a shock when the maize and blue were able to get a pledge from lifelong Alabama fan, four-star interior offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. McWhorter hails from White (Ga.) Cass, which is just nine miles from Cartersville -- the high school that produced Clemson standout Trevor Lawrence. Years removed from Lawrence's tenure, there's a four-star wide receiver committed to another SEC school that the Wolverines are working hard to flip. Georgia-committed wideout set to visit Ann Arbor Michigan is set to host official visitors for the annual spring-summer slate beginning on Friday, and On3's Ethan McDowell confirmed that the maize and blue are pulling something of a coup. 6-foot-1, 183-pound wide receiver Brady Marchese, from the aforementioned Cartersville, has been committed to Georgia since March, but it appears that he'll be on campus in Ann Arbor this weekend, starting on Saturday. Marchese is rated highest by ESPN, which has him as the No. 62 player in the country and eighth-best wide receiver and player from the state of Georgia. He also plans to visit the Bulldogs and Florida officially. Seeking wideouts in 2026 Michigan football already has one wide receiver committed in 2026 in Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star Jaylen Pile, who has been pledged to the Wolverines since fall 2024. But the maize and blue are targeting multiple other big names, with Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell being the biggest target, but the maize and blue are also in a good spot with Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson, Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson, and Rochester (N.Y.) James Monroe four-star Messiah Hampton. Advertisement The Wolverines excelled at flipping targets last cycle -- particularly within the SEC -- with Bryce Underwood coming from LSU, Shamari Earls coming from Georgia, Nate Marshall coming from Auburn, and Ty Haywood coming from Alabama. This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football targets another 2026 star committed to SEC school
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football aims to flip Georgia's 2026 wide receiver during Ann Arbor visit
Michigan football aims to flip Georgia's 2026 wide receiver during Ann Arbor visit Michigan football already has one commitment in 2026 from a high school north of Atlanta who appeared to prefer an SEC school. Now the Wolverines are working on snagging another from just nine miles away from the other. It was something of a shock when the maize and blue were able to get a pledge from lifelong Alabama fan, four-star interior offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. McWhorter hails from White (Ga.) Cass, which is just nine miles from Cartersville -- the high school that produced Clemson standout Trevor Lawrence. Years removed from Lawrence's tenure, there's a four-star wide receiver committed to another SEC school that the Wolverines are working hard to flip. Georgia-committed wideout set to visit Ann Arbor Michigan is set to host official visitors for the annual spring-summer slate beginning on Friday, and On3's Ethan McDowell confirmed that the maize and blue are pulling something of a coup. 6-foot-1, 183-pound wide receiver Brady Marchese, from the aforementioned Cartersville, has been committed to Georgia since March, but it appears that he'll be on campus in Ann Arbor this weekend, starting on Saturday. Marchese is rated highest by ESPN, which has him as the No. 62 player in the country and eighth-best wide receiver and player from the state of Georgia. He also plans to visit the Bulldogs and Florida officially. Seeking wideouts in 2026 Michigan football already has one wide receiver committed in 2026 in Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star Jaylen Pile, who has been pledged to the Wolverines since fall 2024. But the maize and blue are targeting multiple other big names, with Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell being the biggest target, but the maize and blue are also in a good spot with Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson, Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson, and Rochester (N.Y.) James Monroe four-star Messiah Hampton. The Wolverines excelled at flipping targets last cycle -- particularly within the SEC -- with Bryce Underwood coming from LSU, Shamari Earls coming from Georgia, Nate Marshall coming from Auburn, and Ty Haywood coming from Alabama.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Are you dually enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare? Here's what to know on Idaho switching contractors
Only 2,000 Idahoans dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid chose a specific insurance plan so far. But there's 90 days to decide. (Getty Images) Idaho is switching contractors that run health insurance plans for vulnerable patients. Starting June 1, the private health insurance companies running Idaho Medicaid and Medicare's plans will change to Molina Healthcare and UnitedHealthcare. That will only apply to the about 27,000 Idahoans who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, said Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson AJ McWhorter. Over half of them were already enrolled in an insurance plan run by a private company, called managed care. People dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid qualify for disabilities, low income and age. Many patients have already been automatically enrolled in one of the new duals insurance plans. But patients will have 90 days, or until Aug. 30, to pick, McWhorter told the Sun in an email. Only 2,000 people chose a specific insurance plan so far, after Health and Welfare sent out letters in March, he said on May 22. 'Many people haven't chosen a new plan because they like the plan they will be enrolled in if they do not make a selection. But we want to be sure that everyone who wants to make an active choice does so,' he said. Idaho's dual Medicaid and Medicare offers two types of plans. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX For people dually eligible, Medicaid generally covers costs not fully covered by Medicare, such as for nursing homes and home and community-based services, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Both of the new Idaho companies, Molina and United, will be required to honor existing patient authorizations for the first 90 days of the contract, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says. Health and Welfare is winding down readiness reviews of the new companies and hasn't spotted any concerning issues, Idaho Medicaid Deputy Director Juliet Charron told the Idaho Capital Sun in a May 19 interview. 'Could there be bumps in the road? Of course,' she said. But that's why she said Idaho officials are communicating proactively. People who have questions or concerns should reach out to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, or United or Molina, she said. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has resources about the contract change available online on a frequently asked questions webpage. Patients can also contact Health and Welfare, or the new insurance companies. Here's how: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: Website: Email: IdahoDuals@ Phone: 833-814-8568 UnitedHealthcare Website: Phone: 866-785-1628 for Medicaid participants, or 855-819-5909 for providers Molina Healthcare of Idaho: Website: Phone: 866-403-8293 for Medicaid participants, or 844-239-4914 for providers The health insurer Blue Cross of Idaho previously ran Idaho's dual Medicaid and Medicare plans. Last year, Idaho went out for a competitive bid for the contract for the first time. Initially, there was a six-month gap starting this June when Blue Cross's contract ended and United would've started, Idaho Reports reported in January. But since then, Health and Welfare has worked with the new insurance companies to start June 1. One United plan is available starting Jan. 1, 2026. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former CEO of SC-owned railroad sentenced in federal fraud case
The former CEO of South Carolina-owned Palmetto Railways, which helps move cargo for the Port of Charleston and other businesses in the state, was sentenced Thursday, May 22, 2025, in federal court for his role in a fraud case. (Stock photo via Getty Images) Jeffrey McWhorter, the former head of South Carolina-owned Palmetto Railways, will serve five years of probation for his part in a felony fraud scheme involving a key Port of Charleston customer. McWhorter, president and CEO of the railroad from 2007 to 2022, was sentenced Thursday to probation by Judge David Norton during a hearing in federal court in Charleston, five months after he pleaded guilty. McWhorter, 63, of Awendaw, admitted he took a cash kickback to steer a construction contract to a local businessman for a $35.5 million, rail-served plastic pellets warehouse adjacent to port-owned property. While the scheme occurred while he was president of the state railroad, the case didn't come to light until after he retired. 'It was a horrible decision I made, one that I will regret for the rest of my life,' McWhorter tearfully told the court. 'This act does not reflect the person I've tried so hard to be all my life.' The U.S. Attorney's office had sought a prison sentence of between eight and 14 months, saying McWhorter 'abused his position of trust' as a public official. 'His conduct was serious, the fraud offense is a serious offense, and a period of incarceration is appropriate,' Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for South Carolina, said in a court document. However, McWhorter's friends, family members and business associates said the kickback scheme was out of character for the former police officer turned railroad executive, and they asked the judge in testimony and letters of support for leniency. In the end, Norton opted for a sentence of supervision rather than incarceration. 'This was a very serious offense,' Norton said. 'It's stealing for the lack of anything else. What he did was a betrayal of everything he stood for his whole life.' In addition to probation, McWhorter must pay $90,000 in restitution, a $4,000 fine and perform 300 hours of community service. McWhorter has already put the $90,000 in an escrow account for repayment. Recent court documents and testimony have shed new light on how the kickback scheme took place, outlining who else was involved, how they arranged the fraud and the name of the victimized business. Previously, court documents did not identify the co-conspirators. Texas-based Frontier Logistics in 2018 was looking for a place near Charleston's port to build a warehouse where plastic pellets — also known as nurdles — could be transferred from rail cars to cargo containers for export to foreign markets. Charleston's port is the East Coast's busiest export hub for plastic pellets and chemicals, and Frontier has played a key role in the growth of those exports at the Port of Charleston. Kevin Newkirk, a vice president at Frontier, had discussed the warehouse project with McWhorter because the facility would need railroad access. McWhorter then introduced Newkirk to Tony Berenyi, the founder of Charleston contractor Berenyi Inc., who wanted to build the warehouse. The three men discussed how the construction contract could be steered to Berenyi. 'At one point, Berenyi offered Newkirk and Jeff a commission on the contract,' court records state. 'However, Newkirk decided that a kickback payment was more appropriate and approached Jeff about it.' Newkirk and McWhorter initially considered asking for a $2 million kickback but later settled on $1 million. Berenyi ultimately agreed to pay the men $420,000, with the money coming from his business profits. McWhorter's lawyers — Bart Daniel and co-counsel Nathan Williams — stressed no taxpayer money was involved. Frontier was not aware of the kickback scheme but eventually chose Berenyi to build the warehouse on land it bought from Palmetto Railways. Berenyi is incarcerated in a federal prison in Florida after a jury found him guilty in 2023 of a similar but unrelated kickback scheme for construction at a Nucor Steel plant in Kentucky. He is scheduled to be released later this year. Newkirk and McWhorter were supposed to split the $420,000 but Berenyi never finished making all of the payments. All told, Newkirk received about $84,000 in addition to the money that went to McWhorter. Investigators learned of the kickback scheme while investigating Berenyi's actions in the Kentucky case. That eventually led to charges against Newkirk and McWhorter. Newkirk was sentenced in April to five years of probation for filing a false federal tax return related to the scheme. 'Unfortunately, this discussion of payment came at a point in Jeff's life where he was struggling, and that struggle, combined with the opportunity presented to him, was more than he could resist,' McWhorter's lawyers said in a court document. 'At the time, Jeff was going through a difficult divorce with high attorney's fees, needed to pay for a daughter's wedding, and was in the process of having to find a new place to live,' they wrote. McWhorter, a state employee, was being paid $200,000 a year to lead Palmetto Railways at the time the scheme took place. He also received bonuses in 2020 totaling $133,000. In 23 letters of support submitted to the court, supporters said McWhorter's conduct was the opposite of the integrity he had shown throughout his career. 'Jeff's guilty plea stunned his colleagues throughout South Carolina,' wrote Ron Brinson, a former North Charleston councilman. He added McWhorter's actions are 'so uncharacteristic and inconsistent' with his reputation. Bobby Hitt, the state's former Commerce secretary, wrote that he had 'developed a trust relationship' with McWhorter and others at Palmetto Railways, 'both professionally and personally.' He added McWhorter played a role in some of the state's biggest economic development announcements. The felony McWhorter pleaded guilty to is called honest services fraud — a type of white-collar crime in which a company or individual offers something of value to another person, usually a public official, in exchange for special or preferred treatment. McWhorter retired from Palmetto Railways in 2022 after 37 years with the railroad — a so-called short line railroad that connects Port of Charleston customers and other businesses to bigger, long-haul services. Following his retirement, McWhorter started a consulting business that includes Frontier among its clients.
