Latest news with #Millers
Indianapolis Star
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Noblesville and its 'incredibly impressive' offense dethrone defending 4A state champion
FISHERS — The Noblesville softball team typically likes to show up early for games, especially when they're at home. But there were conflicting reports (briefly, at least) as to how early the Millers were for Monday's Class 4A Sectional 8 opener vs. Hamilton Southeastern. "We got here kind of around normal game time," Brookelyn Grayson said. "We pulled in before 4," teammate Addi Emmerson quickly corrected. "Oh, we did?" Grayson replied, before explaining that, yes, the Millers were in fact very early for their first state tournament game. "We got here and the other team was nowhere to be found. 'Are we here too early? Are we at the right spot?'" the senior infielder laughed. "We normally get there early for games. … But yeah, we were definitely here earlier than normal." More: Defense has carried Lapel softball. And the gloves were on point again Monday. It's better to be ahead of schedule than behind it and Noblesville's unusually early arrival allowed the players to take their time warming up and gave them an opportunity to calm the pregame nerves. The vibes were immaculate. Noblesville was ready. And when the first pitch was thrown, it set about executing its gameplan. Facing arguably the state's top pitcher in Hamilton Southeastern junior Grace Swedarsky, the Millers looked to attack early in the count so as to avoid seeing her up-spin later in the at-bat. Delaney Rundle ripped a lead-off triple on Swedarsky's third pitch of the game, then came around to score when Grayson doubled on the second pitch of her at-bat. "After the first inning, I felt really hype for our team, just getting a run early," Grayson said following her 3-for-3, two RBI, two-run performance. "We only had one run (against her during the regular season), so that was huge." Noblesville remained aggressive, and when the Royals scratched across runs in the second and fifth to tie, it unleashed a seven-run barrage in the bottom of the fifth, setting itself on course for a decisive 9-4 victory. Seven of those runs came against Swedarsky, who allowed nine hits, issued one walk and struck out four. The Virginia Tech commit has allowed multiple runs in three of her 11 postseason starts (five shutouts). It's happened twice vs. Noblesville. "Grace is a really fantastic pitcher, but we're also really good hitters here," Emmerson said. The Millers spent the past few practices with the speed dialed up on the pitching machine to prepare for Swedarsky's speed and focused on laying off pitches up in the zone. Force her down in the zone, said catcher Maggie Kern, who initiated the fifth-inning rally with a bases-clearing double. From there, approaches were more individualized. Emmerson doubled on a pitch inside in the fourth, so her coaches told her to watch for an outside pitch. "I was like, 'OK, let's see it." The senior infielder took the first pitch then, as promised, Swedarsky went outside with her next pitch — and Emmerson launched it over the right-field wall for a two-run home run, her fifth of the season and third over the past four games. "When I saw it go over, I was ecstatic," beamed Emmerson, who finished 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. "I'm never looking for a home run, but when they go over, I'm always OK with it." Rundle finished with two hits, two walks and two runs scored; Izzy Zapp tallied two hits and a run scored and pitcher Addison Retzinger notched a hit, while also allowing just two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and seven walks over 6.2 innings. Noblesville out-hit HSE, 11-4, and boasts a team season average of .365 with 25 homers and 39 doubles. It's averaging around eight runs per game, and has seven-plus in four straight games. "Noblesville's always been an incredibly impressive offensive team," HSE coach Emily Pusti said. "Their bats are good. They've got really fast slappers. And their talent being really aggressive challenges the defense. … We got checked on that in the first inning, but our girls figured it out from there and improved. I'm so proud of them." Noblesville advances to face Fishers on Tuesday.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Going, going, gone: Scam websites imitating famous brands are luring in victims on social media. What can be done?
Australian consumers are being lured to fake websites imitating major labels such as Blue Illusion, Millers and Sussan that replicate their branding and advertise fictitious closing-down sales on social media. After previously identifying more than 140 so-called 'ghost stores' falsely marketing themselves as local brands, Guardian Australia has found the problem extends to more sophisticated sites impersonating well-known retailers. Customers who have lost money on the scams have urged Shopify, Meta and PayPal to take action to stop fraudulent players from using their software to build and advertise their sites. One Facebook ad reviewed by Guardian Australia on 16 May featured an image of a Blue Illusion storefront and the words: 'Saying goodbye is tough, dear ladies … our Final Sale is on now – let's make this chapter truly unforgettable.' Clicking on the ad led to an e-commerce website that used Blue Illusion's logo but had the domain name which was registered on 10 May. The real Blue Illusion, founded more than 35 years ago, is not closing down. Guardian Australia has seen ads on Facebook for other Australian labels including Susanne Grae, Sussan and Millers, linking to sites with different domain names that use very similar branding to the real labels. Susanne Grae and Sussan are not closing down, while Millers has already closed. The legitimate labels were contacted for comment. Customers duped by these sites say they believed they were buying products from reputable labels, but have not received anything. Elizabeth Bednall, a Melbourne resident, spent $79.99 in March on a raincoat and pair of pants after seeing a site she believed was Blue Illusion advertised on Facebook. The 73-year-old said the items never arrived despite contacting the site several times and she felt 'lucky' to have been able to secure a refund through her bank. Emails between Bednall and the site she believed was Blue Illusion show it used the domain name which has been repurposed and now claims to be a pet accessory retailer based in California. 'I'm not that dumb. But I did feel stupid,' Bednall said. 'Facebook need to be really responsible. They seem to take no action.' Vicki Forscutt, who lives in New South Wales, reported one of the pages running the fictitious ads. Forscutt said she was disappointed by Meta's response, seen by Guardian Australia, which said 'as our review team is focused on the most severe cases with potential for real world harm, we're not able to review your report'. A Meta spokesperson said it was investigating the pages. One of the scam pages had been taken down on Friday. 'Meta doesn't want scams on our platforms and we are continuing to invest in tools and technology to prevent them,' they said. 'The safety of our users is of utmost importance, and we continue to work with industry, the government and law enforcement to protect Australians from scams.' Experts have previously called on Meta to stop ghost stores from advertising, but the issue is complicated because the owners of the sites are difficult to identify and other online platforms are involved. For example, Guardian Australia on 16 May visited one of the websites claiming to be Millers. Guardian Australia paid $13 for a pair of trousers, using PayPal. No shipping notification was sent and the trousers have still not arrived. PayPal Australia's Bonnie Brady told Guardian Australia people 'can have full trust' that PayPal has verified the details of any account that is live. The company said it had removed the fake Millers site from its platform and all Australian sellers were verified when applying for a Paypal account. However, Paypal acknowledged this may not be the case for online sellers based in countries with different laws and regulations. 'PayPal has always made preventing bad actors from using our platform a top priority,' a spokesperson said. The PayPal account Guardian Australia used to buy the items from the fake Millers site showed the payment was made to a company in Singapore. Many of the ghost stores identified by Guardian Australia have been built using Shopify, the Canadian multinational e-commerce company headed by Tobias Lütke. Shopify has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Manchester United have run out of patience with unlucky Academy ace Dan Gore who could be sold in the summer
Manchester United have run out of patience with unlucky Academy ace Dan Gore who could be sold in the summer Manchester United are next in Premier League action against Bournemouth on Sunday and Ruben Amorim is expected to rotate heavily keeping in mind the upcoming Europa League semi-final. Just like Tyler Fredricson earned his senior debut and Harry Amass earned back-to-back league starts, more opportunities are expected for academy graduates. Advertisement On Wednesday, the head coach called up five youngsters of which two were new names — Zach Baumann and Dan Gore. The later is still technically on loan at Rotherham United, whom he joined on loan in January. The 20-year-old has been desperately unlucky with injuries, having to cut short his loan spell with the Millers after only one League One game. Gore's poor injury record Incidentally, his previous loan spell at Port Vale ended under similar circumstances with the Carrington graduate managing a solitary appearance before returning to Manchester after picking up an injury. The England U20 international is expected to head back to Rotherham for their last two games but before that, Amorim called him up for senior team training. Gore has already played twice for the United senior team last year, becoming the 247th academy star to make his senior bow, back when Erik ten Hag was boss. Advertisement He made one Premier League appearance and one in the Carabao Cup. However, given his terrible luck with injuries, FourFourTwo have claimed that the Red Devils are looking to move him on permanently in the summer. 'Dan Gore, who joined Rotherham United on loan earlier this season, was spotted taking part in training and joined big names such as Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes in the session. United have run out of patience 'The 20-year-old returned from his loan spell with the Millers after picking up a foot injury. FourFourTwo understands the Red Devils are looking to loan, or even sell Gore, during the summer transfer window.' Advertisement The Mancunian's present deal is valid until 2026 and he has a market value of nearly €1 million and it will count as pure profit owing to his homegrown status. Another loan exit does not make sense given Gore's track record. Lower league EFL clubs should be ready to take a punt on the 'brilliant' wonderkid while there surprisingly, there was interest from Borussia Dortmund in the past. Maybe, INEOS will include a buyback or sell-on clause in that case to maximise profit as they have done with plenty of recent outgoings. Follow us on Bluesky: @
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The FBI says Arizona father–son duo made $280M with a ‘lie' meant to ‘exploit' investors. Here's how it worked
Arizona father and son, Randy and Chad Miller, have reportedly been indicted in an alleged scheme that targeted investors looking to fund a sports complex. The elaborate plot, which resulted in more than $280 million in defrauded funds, involved municipal bonds linked to a large sports complex in the city of Mesa. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Federal prosecutors allege the pair deceived investors about prospective interest in the use of Legacy Park (formerly Bell Bank Park). The Millers used forged documents to sell what were essentially worthless bonds, according to prosecutors. The father–son duo now face four major charges, with victims ranging from individuals to organizations, including one that promotes athletes living with disabilities. According to federal investigators, the Millers orchestrated an elaborate fraud centered on Legacy Park, a massive sports venue near Mesa Gateway Airport. The pair reportedly created fake demand by forging "binding" letters of intent from sports groups and customers, falsely claiming that the venue would be fully occupied and generate more than $100 million in its first year — more than enough to cover bond payments. In some instances, prosecutors allege that the Millers directed others to sign letters without permission or copied forged signatures onto fabricated documents. 'Essentially, the Millers made solicitations … particularly through bonds that were based on false statements and misrepresentations,' criminal defense attorney Jason Lamm told AZ Family. The fraudulent documents misled investors into believing the project had significant, credible backing. However, the project began unraveling soon after opening in 2022. By October of that year, the park had defaulted on its bond payments and filed for bankruptcy the following spring. Despite the estimated $284 million raised, federal officials say less than $2.5 million was ultimately used to repay bondholders. The complex was eventually sold for less than $26 million. The FBI's assistant director in charge, Christopher G. Raia, remarked to AZ Family: 'Randy and Chad Miller allegedly chose to use a planned sports complex as a means to exploit and defraud investors … the FBI will continue to ensure a level playing field by holding fraudsters accountable.' Prosecutors said the money was allegedly used to enrich the Millers personally, with things like a home, SUVs and inflated salaries. Read more: The US stock market's 'fear gauge' has exploded — but this 1 'shockproof' asset is up 14% and helping American retirees stay calm. Here's how to own it ASAP The father-son duo has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. 'The Millers allegedly executed the scheme using fraudulent documents to lie about the status of the proposed project in order to raise hundreds of millions of dollars which they used to enrich themselves,' Raia said. Investment scams involving municipal bonds or large development projects often prey on good intentions, especially when tied to community efforts. Awareness and skepticism are your best defense. Here are some red flags and practical tips to avoid being deceived. Lack of transparency. If financial documents, contracts or project plans aren't readily available, that's a warning sign. Pressure to act quickly. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to discourage due diligence. Unrealistic returns or projections. Promises of high or guaranteed returns, especially on municipal bonds, should raise suspicion. Missing independent verification. If third-party audits or evaluations are unavailable, it may signal fraudulent intent. Follow these tips to protect yourself: Verify bond issuers. Check with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and Electronic Municipal Market Access database to confirm a bond offering's legitimacy. Consult financial advisors. Before investing significant sums, especially in unfamiliar financial products, speak with a licensed investment advisor or securities attorney. Research the project thoroughly. Look for third-party confirmations, such as news reports, planning commission documents or business filings. Don't rely on just the pitch. If the only source of information is the promoter, it's time to ask questions and dig deeper. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Father and son indicted in New York over failed Arizona sports complex
By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A father-and-son team has been indicted in Manhattan on charges they defrauded investors in a failed Arizona sports complex, causing more than $200 million in losses for Vanguard Group, AllianceBernstein and other municipal bond investors. Federal prosecutors said Randy Miller, 70, and Chad Miller, 41, were arrested on Tuesday and each charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy and aggravated identity theft related to Legacy Park, a sports and entertainment complex in Mesa, Arizona, that collapsed into bankruptcy in May 2023. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges against the Millers and a third defendant. Prosecutors said the Millers raised $284 million in bond offerings in 2020 and 2021 by inflating projected revenue for the 320-acre complex, citing forged "pre-contracts" and "letters of intent" from sports organizations to use it. Authorities said Legacy Cares, which the Millers created to own the park and pay bondholders, made no bond payments after the park's January 2022 opening as revenue and attendance fell short of promises, and the bonds defaulted nine months later. The indictment also said the Millers, both from Phoenix, misappropriated several hundred thousand dollars to pay themselves and cover personal expenses, including a home for Randy Miller and two SUVs. Legacy Park was sold for less than $26 million in the Chapter 11 case, and bondholders received only $2.5 million of the $284 million they were owed, authorities said. Lawyers for the Millers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Parts of the bond offerings occurred in New York, court papers show. Bond funds run by Vanguard, AllianceBernstein and Macquarie Group's Delaware Investments sued the Millers and their underwriter last September, calling Legacy Park "doomed from the start." Pimco funds also sued, court records show. The bondholder complaint said fake letters of intent were provided for at least seven entities, including the Premier League's Manchester United soccer team and a youth affiliate of Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake. The criminal case is U.S. v. Miller et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-cr-00138. Sign in to access your portfolio
