According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, an investigation into the drug trafficking organization of Tyrone Broadway AKA “PawPaw” concluded on Tuesday, Oct. 29 with the largest fentanyl seizure—over 100,000 lethal doses—in the parish. Officials said a total of four people were arrested and approximately 36,000 dosage units of pressed fentanyl pills were seized.

“During the scope of the investigation, agents were able to seize numerous controlled purchases of pressed fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, along with methamphetamine from Broadway and other co-conspirators,” said Sheriff Jason Ard.

According to the sheriff’s office, officials arrested Broadway, Eugene ‘Jake’ Skinner, Donald ‘Bo’ McCray, and Devonte Skinner while executing search warrants at homes on Skinner Lane in Tickfaw and Brown Morris Lane in Hammond, both of which were allegedly associated with the organization.

The sheriff’s office reports the recovery of the following narcotics, firearms, and vehicles during the investigation:

• Approximately 67,922 pressed fentanyl pills or 9.5 kilo’s
• Approximately 21 kilos of fentanyl/pressed pills (from being discarded in wooded area)
• Approximately 5lbs of methamphetamine
• Approximately 6 dosage units of Adderall
• Approximately 3g of fentanyl powder
• Approximately 4.5 grams of crack cocaine
• Approximately 2.5 grams of marijuana
• Crack barrel .410 caliber shotgun
• Two handguns
• 2022 GMC Sierra 2500 AT4 (reported stolen through Houston)
• GMC Sierra (pending seizure)
• Toyota RAV4 (pending seizure)
• Chevrolet Corvette (pending seizure)
• Hyundai Elantra (pending seizure)

Several agencies and departments helped with this investigation, including LPSO SRT, Criminal Patrol/K9 Division, Uniform Patrol Division, Burglary Division, General Detectives, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, HSI SRT, Drug Enforcement Administration, Albany Police Department, and Customs and Border Protection.

The sheriff’s office released information about this investigation on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Sheriff Ard says these investigations take a lot of time and effort, but they are committed to seeing each and every one through.

“Look, these results speak for themselves. I’m proud of our beefed up Narcotics Division. We will continue to focus our efforts on targeting and disrupting these drug trafficking organizations,” said Ard. 

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Source

Two Rochester, New York, men tragically died after fertilizing their marijuana plants with bat feces, a practice that led to severe fungal infections.

The 64-year-old reportedly collected bat guano, as bat feces is called, from an infestation in his attic. He used it to fertilize his cannabis crop, unaware of the risks.

The men, aged 64 and 59, unknowingly exposed themselves to harmful fungal spores, resulting in histoplasmosis—a serious lung infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum.

Inspired by his friend’s success, the 59-year-old purchased bat guano online to try the same technique. Tragically, their experiment led to devastating health consequences.

“Exposure to bat guano among cannabis growers appears to be a recent trend,” researchers from the University of Rochester said in a report. “This can lead to histoplasmosis cases and outbreaks.”

Both men experienced rapid weight loss, breathing issues, and difficulty eating in the weeks following exposure.

The 59-year-old developed respiratory failure and was admitted to Strong Memorial Hospital, where doctors initially suspected cancer due to a mass on his larynx.

A biopsy confirmed histoplasmosis, but despite treatment, he passed away weeks later.

Similarly, the 64-year-old was hospitalized after losing 35 pounds and experiencing a chronic cough. He was diagnosed with low sodium levels and treated for suspected histoplasmosis.

Although he was discharged, his condition worsened, and he returned to the hospital with abdominal pain. He died from complications related to bowel ischemia, a rare condition caused by reduced blood flow to the intestines.

Histoplasmosis, often misdiagnosed, can range from mild to severe. Symptoms include fever, chest pain, and muscle aches. Researchers warn that recent cannabis legalization and the promotion of bat guano as fertilizer could increase cases.

This incident underscores the importance of public education about histoplasmosis and safe gardening practices. For now, growers should avoid untested fertilizers and consider the potential dangers of seemingly natural solutions.

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WLKY

A man was charged Tuesday after he tried to sexually assault a toddler.

The Bowling Green Police Department arrested Decision Bitingingwa, 19, after he was found inside a vehicle with his pants down. The incident happened in the area of North Lee Drive.

A 3-year-old was in the car with their pants down, along with their diaper, police said. Police said Bitingingwa eventually admitted that he planned to “rape” the child.

An investigation revealed the parents placed their two children in the car and briefly returned to their apartment to retrieve some water for their children.

When the parents made it back to the car, they discovered Bitingingwa leaning into the back of the car with his pants down and genitals exposed, according to an arrest citation.

The father removed Bitingingwa from the vehicle and called police. Bitingingwa reportedly said he “was sorry” while being detained, police said.

During an interview with detectives, Bitingingwa first said the story was made up and he only got in the front seat of the car to “see if he could drive it.” He said he exited the car after he noticed the children.

Bitingingwa later told police he got in the back of the car with the children and “pulled the child’s pants down because he wanted to ‘beat’ the kids.”

Bitingingwa was arrested and charged with first-degree attempted rape. He was cited to the Warren District Court and is expected to appear for arraignment Wednesday.

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Syracuse.com

Man who acted as the main aggressor in the brutal kidnapping and assault of a man pleaded guilty Monday.

Tashawn Adams, 23, admitted to kidnapping Koddie Beechner at knifepoint, holding him in various apartments and assaulting him over several days in April 2023.

Adams admitted to his role in the brutal attack after Judge Gordon Cuffy offered to sentence Adams to no worse than 20 years to life in prison if he pleaded guilty to the whole indictment.

Adams is one of seven people accused of assaulting Beechner. He was accused of acting as one of the main aggressors along with Hunter Armstrong.

Beechner was beaten, tased and shot with a pellet gun, prosecutors have said. The torture was captured on cell phone videos made by at least one of the men, he said.

In one video, Beechner is inside Adams’ apartment and is jumped by Quincy Williams and Adams. Adams paid Williams $50 to assault Beechner, Williams’ attorney Shaun Chase said.

Another video showed Adams tasering Beechner in his apartment. The last video filmed inside Adams’ apartment shows Renee Dolson and Adams threatening Beechner. Adams told Beechner he could not leave until he gave them $4,000 to $6,000 of his Social Security money.

Beechner was then forced to walk around an hour from Adams’ apartment to the home of Hunter Armstrong at 304 Merriman Ave. Videos filmed inside Armstrong’s home show Adams and Armstrong threatening Beechner as he is shot at close range with a pellet gun. Beechners screamed as he was shot multiple times and blood could be seen from where the pellets hit him.

Beechner told the men that he could not feel his body. They told him that they would slit his throat if he collapsed.

Beechner was found April 24 and taken to Upstate University Hospital.

Beechner was left with several facial injuries, a collapsed lung, bone fractures and wounds from being shot repeatedly with a pellet gun. He still has pellets lodged in his body.

Adams’ decision to plead guilty comes just days after Cuffy ruled that he would not be considering a lighter sentence under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act.

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AL.com The suspect in the shooting death of a man in Birmingham’s Kingston public housing community was taken into custody Friday night.

Demarco Griffin, 27, is charged with murder in the Memorial Day slaying of 43-year-old Juanderius Woods. The brutal killing was captured on surveillance footage that somehow was leaked and made its way onto social media.

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office issued the warrant against Griffin on Friday. Authorities have not released a motive, but police say Griffin targeted Woods, which was clear on the video of the killing.

Once the warrant was issued, Birmingham police were notified to be on the lookout for Griffin. His car was spotted at an apartment complex on the east side.

More officers responded and took Griffin into custody without incident. He was then taken to Birmingham Police Headquarters for questioning.

He will be held without bond.

The shooting happened about 8 p.m. Monday. South Precinct officers began receiving multiple Shot Spotter alerts in and around the 4400 block of Ninth Avenue North in the Kingston community.

Roughly 90 rounds were fired within one minute.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said those rounds were fired in the 800 block of 44th Place, the 900 block of 44th Place North and the 4600 block of Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard North.

There were multiple volleys of gunfire in the 800 block of 44th Place North.

“All of those shots were fired within a minute. We’re talking 10 rounds, 15 rounds, eight rounds, 20 rounds, six rounds, all being fired in succession,” Fitzgerald previously said.

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Khou – Two teens are dead and multiple others are injured after a shooting at what police are calling a makeshift club in north Houston.

The shooting happened around 11:20 p.m. Saturday on Jensen Drive at Topping Street.

Houston police said that when officers arrived at the scene, they saw many people running out of the club. Several people were injured and were treated at the scene.

A 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, and a 16-year-old girl died at a hospital.

Three other people were shot, including a 13-year-old who police said is in critical condition.

Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra urged witnesses to come forward with information.

“We are assuring the public that we are going to put all our resources in finding out what happened here tonight and who did this so we can bring them to justice,” he said. “If you were here tonight, we need your help.”

Menendez-Sierra said it appeared the party was organized on social media.

Police said there is no information on a suspect or how the shooting started.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

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KOTV – News On 6

Tulsa Police say the victim was putting money into a Bitcoin ATM at the mall, when Karmello Shannon knocked her down and took her money.
-She has a broken arm and a cut that needed more than a dozen stitches.

They got his teenage accomplice, but, then they spotted Shannon, he broke into someone’s apartment, changed clothes and got away.

They believe he’s in Tulsa or OKC.

Be on the lookout for a fugitive accused of attacking a 92 year old woman in Tulsa.

SUSPECT’S HISTORY:

Records show Shannon was given five years’ probation for four separate Tulsa County felony cases in the last year, including domestic assault by strangulation, grand larceny, having a gun while on D.O.C supervision, and having stolen credit cards.

THE SEPARATE CRIME:
This victim was putting $7,000 cash into the Bitcoin ATM because she was being conned by people overseas.

They told her, her internet search history showed terrible things and they were going to share it with everyone in her life, if she didn’t pay.

If anyone demands money through Bitcoin ATM, gift cards, money wire through Western Union or Money Gram or cash apps, IT’S ALWAYS A SCAM.

COMMON THINGS THEY CLAIM:

1. They’ve arrested or kidnapped your loved one
2. They are in love with you
3. You’re talking to a celebrity who needs help
4. You’re talking to someone in the military or a missionary who needs help
5. They’re going to share pictures they found on your phone or computer

These are charges not a conviction.
KOTV – News On 6

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US spies land in SA to discuss Mozambique – Rapport

US intelligence officials were in South Africa last week to discuss the situation in Mozambique with their counterparts. Rising political tensions and a looming popular uprising have Mozambique on edge as the country holds its breath over the findings of an inquiry into October’s national election, which the ruling party, Frelimo, won amid great controversy.

The Americans’ C-17 Globemaster plane landed at the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIL). According to Rapport’s sources, it is also here that meetings with the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC) were held.

America has already had a training team in Mozambique for the last few years helping with the training of a specialist response unit in the Mozambican army.

At the same time, a British Air Force Airbus A400M landed in Gaborone, Botswana on Friday. The call sign of this aircraft indicates an emergency operational flight.

According to Rapport’s aviation sources, several meetings have been held at the Lanseria airport in the last few days to discuss the emergency evacuation of various embassies and foreigners in Mozambique.

The respective forward teams in South Africa wanted to make sure, among other things, that there is enough fuel at Lanseria for additional flights to temporarily house their countrymen who may be removed from Mozambique before they fly out of the country.

The various agencies of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are all involved in these plans.

The operations – should it become necessary – will be coordinated from South Africa and Botswana, Rapport learned. NICOC consists of representatives from state security, defense and crime intelligence, as well as the financial intelligence centre.

Additional departments may also be involved

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Sharing on TikTok, Agustin explained that it’s the ‘technique to fall asleep in two minutes’, but put out a warning that most people who give it a go will need to practice for around six months to see the full results.

Well, according to the experts, the technique was developed by the US Army, apparently ‘mainly for fighter pilots who need 100 percent of their reflexes’ and for those in active combat who need to be able to fall asleep in noisy and stressful situations – perhaps even on the battlefield in order to recharge and refresh.

This is something that claims to send you off to sleep within minutes and it’s easy peasy to try.

While you might think it’s a load of tosh (harsh words, reader – even for you) a fitness coach has backed it.

It’s thought to have first been shared with civilians in the 1981 book Relax and Win: Championship Performance, written by American track and field coach Lloyd Bud Winter.

Winter hoped that the method would help him recover faster from injuries and improve his overall performance.

And if you fancy giving it a go yourself, it’s pretty easy.

First up, you need to get yourself into a comfortable position, once that’s done turn your thoughts to your breathing and then begin to slowly relax your entire body to ‘shut it down’.

Start off with your scalp, and then work down towards your forehead and facial features.

Make sure your whole body is relaxed: arms are loose and to your sides and imagine a warmth spreading from your head to your fingertips.

Then you move to your chest and take a deep breath to help it relax, and then continue to the stomach, thigh, legs and feet.

The warm sensation needs to be imagined going from your heart down to your toes.

But the hack doesn’t stop there, while ensuring your body feels nice and relaxed, you also need to clear your mind of any stressors – you can do this by picturing a soothing scenario such as lying in a canoe on a clear, calm lake, or tucked away inside a hammock in a dark room.

If your mind does start to wander, repeat: “Don’t think,” to yourself for ten seconds.

I don’t know about you, but I feel quite tired already.

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Source

A former OpenAI researcher known for whistleblowing the blockbuster artificial intelligence company facing a swell of lawsuits over its business model has died, authorities confirmed this week.

Suchir Balaji, 26, was found dead inside his Buchanan Street apartment on Nov. 26, San Francisco police and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said. Police had been called to the Lower Haight residence at about 1 p.m. that day, after receiving a call asking officers to check on his well-being, a police spokesperson said.

The medical examiner’s office determined the manner of death to be suicide and police officials this week said there is “currently, no evidence of foul play.”

Information he held was expected to play a key part in lawsuits against the San Francisco-based company.

Balaji’s death comes three months after he publicly accused OpenAI of violating U.S. copyright law while developing ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence program that has become a moneymaking sensation used by hundreds of millions of people across the world.

Its public release in late 2022 spurred a torrent of lawsuits against OpenAI from authors, computer programmers and journalists, who say the company illegally stole their copyrighted material to train its program and elevate its value past $150 billion.

The Mercury News and seven sister news outlets are among several newspapers, including the New York Times, to sue OpenAI in the past year.

In an interview with the New York Times published Oct. 23, Balaji argued OpenAI was harming businesses and entrepreneurs whose data were used to train ChatGPT.

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