Contractor faces prison time for defrauding minority business program

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Contractor faces prison time for defrauding minority business program ST. LOUIS - 72-year-old Brian Kowert Sr. is heading to prison for defrauding a program meant to empower minorities.“We’re not going to tolerate it,” said Hal Goldsmith, a federal assistant prosecutor. “This program is to right the wrong, if you will, of years and years of racism in the construction trades.”Court records showed defendant Kowert “…recruited an elderly Black business owner as a pass-through, paying him $2,000 in order to pass through hundreds of thousands of dollars to non-minority owned and operated business.”“It was simple in the way he did it, but it wasn’t simple to detect," Goldsmith said.The building in question is owned by a business that the feds say is also a victim. Court records indicated ‘Greater Goods’ not only knew about the scheme but also moved to the city, renovating a building to give back. A Missouri doctor’s death is steeped in mystery and speculation. Authorities aren’t talking The business lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax incentives ...

Multi-million dollar affordable housing complex coming to Long Beach

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Multi-million dollar affordable housing complex coming to Long Beach A multi-million dollar affordable housing project is coming to downtown Long Beach.City officials approved a $3.6 million loan for the development of a new apartment complex reserved for low- and extremely low-income residents.The 100-unit complex will be built on a 1.16-acre site at 946 Linden Ave. near St. Mary Medical Center. The space is currently occupied by The First Lutheran School which will be demolished.The $3.6 million loan from the city follows the approval of a $50 million loan the city applied for with the state.The four-story complex will offer a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units. Agoura Hills-based developer, AMCAL Multi-Housing, Inc., will be overseeing the build. Amenities will include a community room, fitness area, computer center, tot lot, courtyard and barbecue area along with 125 underground parking spaces.Construction is slated to begin in late 2024.“This funding action continues our urgent work to increase the city’s housing stock and create opportunit...

Live Nation to combine ‘junk fees’ with regular ticket prices

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Live Nation to combine ‘junk fees’ with regular ticket prices President Joe Biden met with representatives of Live Nation, SeatGeek and Airbnb on Thursday as part of his effort to crack down on so-called "junk fees" that add to the cost of purchases far beyond what consumers expect.At the White House Thursday, Live Nation, which is based in Beverly Hills, California, announced that it will provide customers with upfront all-in pricing - meaning the actual purchase price including service charges and any other fees - for its owned venues by September and that Ticketmaster will give consumers the option to view all-in pricing upfront for other venues on the live-entertainment tickets platform. Taylor Swift ticket sales put Ticketmaster in the hot seat; lawmakers call for investigation “Fans typically know tickets will include service fees, but seeing the total cost from the start makes buying tickets easier and consistent with other retail shopping experiences,” Live Nation said in a statement.SeatGeek, based in New York, will also unveil feat...

Logwood pleads no contest to reduced charges for Oakland slaying

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Logwood pleads no contest to reduced charges for Oakland slaying (KRON) -- Delonzo Logwood entered a plea in Alameda County Superior Court Thursday for the death of Eric Ford. According to prosecutors, he pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, and will face up to 12 years in prison when he is sentenced in July. Logwood's plea is the latest chapter in a criminal justice saga that began in 2015. Then-Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley charged Logwood with murdering Eric Ford, Richard Carter, and Zaire Washington. The three victims were shot to death in separate Oakland shootings in 2008. O'Malley added special enhancements to the charges because the killings allegedly involved street gangs. If Logwood had been found guilty of the murder charges, he would have faced life prison sentences. But the case never went to trial. Instead, 32-year-old Logwood has been locked in Santa Rita Jail for eights years with his case in limbo. District Attorney Pamela Price (KRON4 image) Last month, Judge Mark McCannon granted District Attorney Pam...

U.S. Open Leaders Cards

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

U.S. Open Leaders Cards ThursdayAt The Los Angeles Country ClubLos AngelesYardage: 7,423; Par: 70First RoundPar out544344353–35Rickie Fowler433343343–30Xander Schauffele434334243–30Wyndham Clark353343343–31Dustin Johnson443333344–31Par in434453444–35–70 Rickie Fowler343443353–32__62Xander Schauffele333443444–32__62Wyndham Clark433543353–33__64Dustin Johnson434442444–33__64Source

Photographer captures injured officer at Nuggets parade

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Photographer captures injured officer at Nuggets parade DENVER (KDVR) — A man captured the intense moments when a Denver police officer was hit by a fire truck at the Nuggets championship parade."All of a sudden we were standing there, right at the corner, and I just heard this bloodcurdling scream," Brian Willie said.Willie was on the front row, taking in sights that were anything but celebratory."I saw this officer falling backwards, and the truck is still kind of going forward a little bit," Willie said.A Denver Police officer receives first aid after being struck by a fire engine during the Nuggets championship parade. (Credit: Brian Willie)The officer, identified as Sgt. Justin Dodge, was the man under that truck."It looked like the legs kind of got crossed and then the truck came up and was sitting, kind of, on his legs," Willie said. "He very easily could have crushed both his legs the way the truck was on him."Willie captured images during the historic celebration, which suddenly became a tragedy shared by all of Denver."I see Ja...

Caught on camera: 2 men with guns look for unlocked vehicles

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Caught on camera: 2 men with guns look for unlocked vehicles PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) — Home security cameras caught two thieves carrying guns onto driveways while looking for unlocked vehicles in a Parker neighborhood. According to the Parker Police Department, the alleged crimes occurred in the Parker Vista neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Ex-cop faces assault charge for punching woman in face The thieves can be seen on multiple security cameras attempting to open vehicle doors. If a door is locked, they immediately move on. If a car is found to be open, they appear to rummage through the inside.“It’s not uncommon for criminals to go, and whether they’re driving down the street or walking down the street, to lift the door handles, and they are looking for vehicles that are unlocked,” public information officer Josh Hans said. However, Hans said it is unusual for those criminals to be carrying visible firearms.“What makes these guys so dangerous, put us on such high alert here, is it’s very rare that you see suspects engaged i...

Adams County roads closed indefinitely by storm damage 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Adams County roads closed indefinitely by storm damage  BYERS, Colo. (KDVR) — Just north of the Adams County town of Byers, County Road 2 looked more like a river Thursday.Huge portions of the road had been washed out after unprecedented rain in the county."I haven't seen anything like this," public works manager Matt Fightmaster said. "This has been the longest, wettest spring that I've seen in the 20 years in this industry that I've been doing it."Fightmaster's crews have been working around the clock trying to prioritize damage across the region, with multiple closures now in place. He said the continuous rain has made it difficult to assess or repair some of the damage."If we can’t get it to dry out, then it just delays that process sometimes," he said. "Until we can get to the bottom of that water and inspect it, it’s tough to tell, but there usually is a decent amount of damage there." Officer hurt after being hit by parade truck He said it's far too early to know how much the repairs will cost the county, considering new da...

Club Q victim wants to shift the focus from the shooter

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Club Q victim wants to shift the focus from the shooter DENVER (KDVR) — Word of a potential plea deal has been reported for the person charged in the mass shooting at Club Q, and victims are ready to shift focus.It might have taken years to mete out justice if Anderson Aldrich had been tried for the Club Q shooting that killed five people in November. Now, a guilty plea could come as early as the upcoming arraignment on June 26. Colorado law requires victims to be notified of deals like this. Club Q shooting suspect expected to take plea deal Victims given that advance notice have also been asked to prepare for the possible release of surveillance video from the attack.Ashtin Gamblin, a former door girl at the club, was shot nine times that fatal night but survived. She said the focus shouldn't be on news reports about Aldrich but on the victims and survivors and what their message is. "We need to respect the victims and survivors and put a focus towards pride, that this is Pride month," Gamblin said.Pride: 'This is the month for speak...

Hickenlooper talks gun violence solutions

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:15:59 GMT

Hickenlooper talks gun violence solutions DENVER (KDVR) — Violent crimes involving guns continue to rise in Denver. The issue was highlighted on a national stage after the Denver Nuggets won their first-ever world championship. A mass shooting left 10 injured near 20th and Market streets early Tuesday morning as crowds thronged downtown to celebrate the NBA Finals victory. Polis responds to property tax plan critics All the victims are expected to survive, and two people were arrested in connection to the shooting. Police are still investigating what led to the incident but say it may be drug-related, as fentanyl was found at the scene. U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper reacted to the shooting on "Colorado Point of View" this week. "It’s unacceptable that people are going to come in and shoot up a happy celebration, after you went almost 50 years it takes to win the NBA title, and a bunch of kids ruin it for everybody," Hickenlooper said.Denver violent crime on pace to break recordsThe problem isn’t new though. Data through Apr...