Latest news with #Vaughn
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Search warrants confirm illegal drug activity at Ramsey Farms
May 30—Laura M. Vaughn, 52, and James R. Castillo, 32, both of Mount Ayr were taken into custody May 27, after search warrants were executed at four Ringgold County addresses, collectively known as Ramsey Farms, where controlled substances and drug paraphernalia were located. The Ringgold County Sheriff's Office said four properties of Ramsey Farms, located in the 2200 block of 270th Street in Mount Ayr, were suspected as a "drug hub" and hangout for selling and using controlled substances. With assistance from multiple local agencies, a list of individuals and criminal activity supporting the suspected activity was compiled over several months, resulting in search warrants being obtained and executed. During the search warrant execution, Castillo was taken into custody on an outstanding federal indictment arrest warrant charging him with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Vaughn was also taken into custody at the same location and charged with keeping premises or vehicle for controlled substance violations, gathering where controlled substances are used, possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine, second offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to Ringgold County reports, Vaughn and her late mother were long-time caretakers and event planners for Ramsey Farms and both lived on the property for several years. Around the time of her mother's passing, it became apparent Vaughn had allowed several people participating in the sale and possession of illegal controlled substances to live or stay on the property. During the search warrants, controlled substances and drug paraphernalia were located in all of the occupied homes. A baggy containing a white crystalline substance was located on the kitchen bar of Vaughn's living quarters. The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine. In October 2024, the Ringgold County Sheriff's Office was made aware of a publicly-posted Facebook event at Ramsey Farm. The event was taken down by the individual who had created it but was described as a birthday celebration party for Jimmy, Vaughn's son, and two other people, that would include a "fun night of drugs, drinking and dancing." The event was scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. Oct. 26. Before the event took place, Ringgold County deputies gained permission from the Lesanville Operations Board to look for signs of suspected criminal activity inside Ramsey Farm's event buildings. While there, deputies collected a sample of debris left on tables in each building. These samples field tested positive for the presence of cocaine and methamphetamine. Castillo and Vaughn are being held in the Ringgold County Jail without bond and $9,300 cash bond, respectively. Agencies assisting Ringgold County with the investigation and execution of the warrants were sheriff's offices from Taylor, Decatur and Union counties; Afton, Creston and Maryville police departments, Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Ringgold County Conservation and the Multi-Jurisdictional Entry Team.
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Untimely Wins Led To White Sox Missing Out On Witt, Rutschman
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 15: Andrew Vaughn #25 of the Chicago White Sox walks back to the dugout after ... More striking out in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 15, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by) Timing is everything in baseball, as in life. There are times when wins can hurt you, especially when they come against the wrong opponents. The White Sox were 62-100 under Rick Renteria in 2018, the first 100-loss season since 1970 for Frank Thomas' old franchise. But included among the 62 wins were 15 in 26 games against the Royals and Orioles. That's a .577 winning percentage versus Kansas City and Baltimore, and a .346 winning percentage against everyone else. The implications of being able to beat the Royals (11-8) and the Orioles (4-3) have been felt every time they've taken the field the last three years, and will continue to be felt into the future. As bad as the White Sox were in 2018, the Royals (58-104) and Orioles (47-115) finished with worse records. That meant they picked ahead of the South Siders in the '19 draft, when it was clear to almost all scouts that Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman and Texas high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were the top prospects in the pool. The Orioles claimed Rutschman with the first overall pick; the Royals took Witt Jr. with the second pick. That's when the draft became problematic. But University of California, Berkeley first baseman Andrew Vaughn had been the most productive college hitter for at least two seasons. He won the Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore and then was almost as impressive as a junior, hitting .374 with 15 home runs and a 1.243 OPS in 52 games. Despite the 32-year-old Jose Abreu still hitting like he was in his prime, the White Sox selected Vaughn over the likes of prep prospects Riley Greene, C.J. Abrams and Corbin Carroll and college stars JJ Bleday, Josh Jung and Nick Lodolo. While Rutschman and Witt stayed in the minors for 180 and 161 games, respectively, the White Sox rushed Vaughn to Chicago after only 57 games in their farm system. All three of those players missed a year's worth of games during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, when the minor leagues did not operate. The White Sox, who had traded Chris Sale and Jose Quintana in 2017 to trigger a brief rebuilding phase, went 35-25 under Renteria in '20, surprisingly winning the American League Central, and then fired Renteria to bring Tony La Russa out of retirement for '21. Vaughn was never far from their minds before he landed a spot on the Opening Day roster that season, hitting fifth and playing left field in a 12-8 victory over the Angels. This seemed the start of something big but it hasn't worked out that way. While Rutschman and Witt led their franchises to postseason spots last season, the White Sox have gone 249-361 with Vaughn on the field, including a 112-237 record the last three seasons. He hasn't even played to replacement level, and was hitting .189 with five home runs and a .531 OPS in 48 games when he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte last week. With below-average speed and defensive skills, Vaughn's value lies almost exclusively in his bat. Fangraphs ranks him at -1.3 WAR this season, dropping his career figure to -1.7. Witt has accrued 21.3 fWAR in his three-plus seasons; Rutschman is at 14.4 even though his production is currently in decline. The White Sox haven't had the first overall pick in the draft since 1977, when they selected Hall of Famer Harold Baines. They won't have it this year despite losing 121 games last season, the most in history. Anti-tanking rules implemented at the request of the players' union in the last collective bargaining agreement prohibit 'payor clubs' — that is, big-market teams that are required to make revenue-sharing payments — from picking in the top six in back-to-back drafts. The White Sox had the fifth pick a year ago, selecting University of Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith. They will pick 10th in the first round on July 13 but then have the first overall pick in all other rounds. There are no obvious picks like Witt and Rutschman at the top of this year's draft. Meanwhile the White Sox hope Vaughn regains his confidence in Triple-A and returns to finish the season strong. But either way he appears to be near the end of his road with the team that took him after Rutschman and Witt went off the board.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Trolls His Dad For Trying To Steal His MVP Trophy
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Trolls His Dad For Trying To Steal His MVP Trophy originally appeared on Fadeaway World. After a dominant Game 5 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that sent the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first NBA Finals since 2012, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP trophy, but it was his dad, Vaughn Alexander, who nearly stole the show. Advertisement As the postgame celebrations unfolded, Shai gathered with family to soak in the moment. But as he posed with the hard-earned MVP trophy, he couldn't help but notice something funny: his dad refused to let go of the award. With a sly grin, Shai turned to Vaughn and said, 'You actin' like it's yours.' The moment instantly went viral. Vaughn, fully embracing the playful jab, pretended to stuff the trophy under his sweatshirt and sneak away with it. Shai burst out laughing, capturing a heartwarming exchange between father and son that reminded everyone watching of the importance of family behind basketball's biggest moments. Vaughn's pride was undeniable. After all, his son had just averaged 31.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game in the series, leading the Thunder to a 4–1 win over Minnesota. In the clinching Game 5, SGA posted 34 points on 56 percent shooting along with eight assists and seven rebounds. Advertisement He became the third player in NBA history to record ten 30+ point, 5+ assist games in a single postseason, joining only Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Beyond his Western Conference Finals MVP, Shai is also the 2025 regular-season MVP, an honor earned with averages of 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and five rebounds per game for the 68-win Thunder. He's been the engine behind OKC's remarkable transformation from a 24-win team just three seasons ago to a juggernaut with homecourt advantage in the Finals. The WCF MVP trophy moment was also a full-circle one for the Alexander family. Shai's father played basketball in his youth, and his mother Charmaine, competed in track at the 1992 Olympics. Advertisement The athletic lineage is undeniable and even extended to the opposing team, as SGA's cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker plays for the Timberwolves. While Vaughn may not have actually won the trophy himself, his support and presence throughout Shai's rise to superstardom is symbolic. In that one playful moment, we saw the years of investment, sacrifice, and belief that fueled one of the NBA's best players. With the Finals looming on June 5 against either the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are locked in. If OKC goes on to win the championship, Vaughn may once again have trouble keeping his hands off the next piece of hardware, and this time, maybe he'll have earned a tiny piece of it himself. Advertisement Related: "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Saved The NBA" - Former NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Copycat League This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
New remanufacturing plant in Bradford, Ont. gives machinery a second life
Toromont Cat, a brand new remanufacturing facility in Bradford helps take near end-of-life Caterpillar machine parts and refurbishes them for future use on may 27, 2025. (CTV News/Luke Simard) Toromont Cat, a brand new remanufacturing facility in Bradford helps take 'near end-of-life' Caterpillar machine parts and refurbishes them for future use. The company, formerly located in Vaughn, broke ground on a new facility in 2021 off of Line 5 in Bradford. They facility is 143,000 square feet. Terry Harkness, general manager of Toromont Remanufacturing said the remanufacturing plant offers new life to the machinery. Toromont Cat Toromont Cat, a brand new remanufacturing facility in Bradford helps take near end-of-life Caterpillar machine parts and refurbishes them for future use on may 27, 2025. (CTV News/Luke Simard) 'We call it the circular economy because we keep it back and put it back into life,' said Harkness. 'On a lot of our components, we can reuse up to 60 per cent of the original, parts.' Harkness adds a lot of machine parts will be reused and not end up in a landfill or another recycling plant. 'The parts will last upwards of 20 to 25,000 hours depending on the use,' said Harkness. 'When the component comes here, it will generally stay in our plant for four to eight weeks before being sent back out.' Harkness said there were many benefits to relocating the plant to Bradford. Toromont Cat Toromont Cat, a brand new remanufacturing facility in Bradford helps take near end-of-life Caterpillar machine parts and refurbishes them for future use on may 27, 2025. (CTV News/Luke Simard) 'We looked for a site for many years and landed on Bradford because of the access to the skilled people and the open arms we have seen from Bradford West Gwillimbury,' said Harkness. Employees are also appreciative of the new location. Matt Koski has been an employee for more than 30 years. 'I remember when I started, I wanted a pair of coveralls that say my name on it,' said Koski. 'It took me a while to get in, but I did get in, and I have a passion for caterpillar products, and I thoroughly enjoy every day that I work.' Koski adds the work he does a on a day-to-day basis is fulfilling. 'I ran the High-Performance Dino for many years and diagnosing, making the product perfect before the customer gets it is the main goal,' said Koski. Now that Toromont Cat is settled into their new location, they plan on getting out into the community and expand their workforce. The company currently employs more than 150 people with plans to add more than 50 jobs in the future.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barbecue's Kingmaker: Meet the man with the final say on BBQ's most important list
In Texas' state-designated BBQ capital, two legendary Lockhart families run the town's most iconic barbecue joints as a rising star joins the scene — and all vie for coveted spots on the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list. Explore our project online now and watch the documentary June 5 at 7 p.m. on the KXAN+ smart TV app. KENNEDALE, Texas (KXAN) — A light November rain fell on the tired and hungry crowd gathered in the parking lot. Some brought folding chairs, others ponchos and umbrellas, knowing it's better to be dry and comfortable than wet and sore when waiting hours for the doors to open. At one point, a horse escaped from a nearby ranch and trotted between the dozens of cars in the lot. Those waiting merely looked on, unwilling to risk losing their spot in line attempting to corral it. At 10:37 a.m. on that Friday morning, an employee stepped out of the front door of the small, red wooden building and started shouting out the lay of the land before opening. The crowd learned that meats were priced by the half pound, a Laotian sausage was the special, and banana pudding was the dessert. Equine excitement aside, the morning played out like a typical start to a Friday at Goldee's BBQ, in Kennedale, Texas, a suburb south of Fort Worth. Then Daniel Vaughn showed up. The Texas Monthly's BBQ editor parked and headed toward the front of the line, meeting up with a friend who'd been saving his spot since 5:30 a.m. A typical Friday no more. Speaking from experience, Goldee's owners will tell you that when Vaughn arrives at your restaurant, you'd better pay attention. It may be the most important thing that ever happens to your business. 'It was life-changing,' recalled co-owner Jalen Heard. Vaughn first stopped by the newly-opened restaurant in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, when the BBQ was sliced, wrapped and walked out to his car. 'I thought it was really good, but I didn't know what this was gonna taste like fresh,' he said. Meet the barbecue leaders behind KXAN's 'Family Beef' documentary Vaughn returned when pandemic restrictions relaxed and he could eat inside. That's when he said he experienced a flavor palette unlike anything he'd had before, including mouth-watering ribs covered in an acidic and sweet simple syrup made from vinegar and sugar. 'That's when it really hit me, like, this place is special,' Vaughn said. The following year Vaughn named Goldee's the number one restaurant on the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list. A star was born seemingly overnight. 'The line was all the way down the street,' Heard said. 'There was no parking. It was wild, just like, 'Oh my goodness.'' The restaurant went from cooking as few as five briskets a day to 50. In the four years since, it hasn't looked back. The coveted ranking only comes out once every four years, and if Vaughn visits a restaurant in the final few months, it's not because he was simply in the area and craving barbecue. Preparation for the 2025 ranking began in August 2024 when Vaughn assembled a team of 25 Texas Monthly staffers to serve as tasters. Each is assigned a territory in Texas. They're then given a list of barbecue joints to visit, and a list of those not to bother with. Those are the joints where Vaughn's gone five times in a row and had a terrible meal each time. 'I've had a meal so bad I'd be embarrassed if they were on the Top 50 list,' he said. 'I don't want them to get bogged down in wasting their time.' Instead, the focus is on finding new places and trying those tried-and-true places on their list. There are an estimated 2,000 barbecue restaurants in Texas. This go around, Texas Monthly tasters expected to eat at roughly 400 of them. When scores come back and there are new restaurants Vaughn hasn't tried, he will personally visit them. The top 10 on the list receive even more scrutiny. In 2021, Vaughn recalls 26 or 27 places in contention. He will visit each at least three times, making sure their quality is consistent. To get to this point, restaurants had to score highly on their brisket, ribs, turkey, sausage and sides. 'Really, what it comes down to as far as the meat goes: is it juicy, is it tender, and is it well seasoned?' Vaughn said. Nearly all of the top 10 meet this criterion. At that point, Vaughn uses the quality of the sides as a tie-breaker. Daniel Vaughn was not born a meat lover. Originally from Ohio, he went to college in New Orleans before moving to Dallas in 2001. That's when he tried brisket for the first time, and ribs unlike anything he'd ever tasted at now-closed Peggy Sue's Market. '(I) couldn't quite wrap my head around how you get this sort of texture out of a pork rib,' he said. Vaughn was hooked. 'I just became enamored with it almost instantly,' he said. He started traveling around North Texas, trying barbecue, and writing about it in his blog titled 'Full Custom Gospel BBQ.' His travels and writing didn't start out with the intention of being a review site, as much as it was his attempt to keep track of his personal favorite spots. In 2012, Vaughn's hobby became more. After more than 500 reviews up and down the state, Texas Monthly reached out and asked Vaughn if he'd like to start writing articles for the publication. He, in turn, asked to be part of the magazine's 2013 Top 50 tasting team. Both said yes. This all happened at the same time Vaughn had just started a book deal with the late great food critic Anthony Bourdain. While writing and researching for the book, Vaughn had another idea, one that eventually allowed him to quit his job in architecture and pursue writing about barbecue full-time. He asked the magazine to name him its BBQ editor. He's been getting paid to write about it ever since. 'There are a lot more bad meals that I eat. My mantra is, 'I eat the bad barbecue, so you don't have to,'' he said. Vaughn said for every restaurant owner happy about being ranked on the list, there are many more who are angry about being left off. Some question whether Vaughn favors new restaurants, emphasizes modern cooking techniques and flavors too much, and if joints that are only open one or two days a week have an unfair advantage. 'They can find a whole range of things to blame, whether it's personal preferences, or politics, or whatever they might call it,' Vaughn said. 'But the one thing they rarely consider is maybe it's their barbecue, and I can guarantee you, it's the barbecue.' What none of them dispute is how influential the list is. In Lockhart, the state-designated 'Barbecue Capital of Texas,' Black's and Terry Black's have both been on the list at one point or another. As have Kreuz (which graced the first cover in 1997) and Smitty's (which made the cover in 2003). 'It brings in a lot of people that are going around on the barbecue tour,' said Smitty's Market Owner Nina Sells. 'We were struggling, and three years after we opened, they put my son on the cover, and so we saw what it does to your business.' Meanwhile, Kreuz most recently made the honorable mention in 2021. 'We were swamped for weeks after that first issue kicked off, owner Keith Schmidt said. 'I stopped worrying about it. I tried to get my dad to stop worrying. I don't care as long as we're still getting written about.' While it was Terry Black's Austin location that made the Top 50 list in 2017 and its Dallas location in 2021, its other restaurants in Waco, Fort Worth and Lockhart also all benefit. 'There are 100 different top barbecue lists out there. Texas Monthly is the one that matters,' said Terry Black's Co-Owner Mike Black. 'That's the one that everyone wants to be in. If you make the Texas Monthly Top 50 List, you'll see an impact the following day.' How did Lockhart become the Barbecue Capital of Texas? Black's BBQ last made the list in 2013, something Owner Kent Black said doesn't bother him. 'We were already a king before Texas Monthly came around,' Black said. 'It's not frustrating. We're successful, been extremely successful, whether we're on the list or not on the list.' Barb's B Q is the newcomer to Lockhart and made the Texas Monthly's 25 Best New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas list in 2023, after opening earlier that year. Owner Chuck Charnichart is familiar with the experience, though. She worked at Franklin BBQ in Austin when it was named to the top spot in 2017, and at Goldee's in 2021. 'There's nothing like being at the number one barbecue restaurant,' she said. 'It changes the restaurant for that period of time. Yeah, that list carries a lot of weight.' Texas Monthly's new 2025 list comes out May 27. While the pressure has been off for a while, it's returned. Owners dote on Vaughn when he shows up, offering him free food (he refuses and pays himself) and a spot at the front of the line. They gently nudge him to share what he plans to write about them. 'Everybody knows what season it is right now,' Vaughn said. 'The attitude does change a bit. In some people, you can see a nervousness.' Vaughn shared a story from 2017 when he was working on that year's list. He said he showed up at Snow's BBQ in Lexington, only to see Wayne Mueller, the owner of Louis Mueller's in nearby Taylor, also stopping by for lunch. Wayne stood up and told the owner of Snow's he had to go, knowing Vaughn was likely heading to his restaurant next. 'I think there is a greater meaning to being on the Texas Monthly Top 50,' Vaughn said. 'I think Texas has the best barbecue in the country. So if you're the best in Texas, then you're the best barbecue joint in the nation.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
