Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Monday, October 30, 2023
EPA Announces Nearly $4 million to the City of New Orleans to expand recycling infrastructure
USEPA News Release:
EPA Announces Nearly $4 million to the City of New Orleans to expand recycling infrastructure
DALLAS, TEXAS (October 30, 2023) –- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3,982,000 in funding to the City of New Orleans to improve material management and to improve existing recycling programs in the city. This announcement comes from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across the nation.
“We must continue to invest in comprehensive strategies that promote recycling initiatives in communities overburdened by climate change challenges,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By providing nearly $4 million in funding, EPA is fulfilling our promise to identify marginalized communities and fund projects designed to address climate change and improve public health. I would like to thank the City of New Orleans for continuing to fight the climate crisis and for ensuring overlooked communities continue to receive the resources they need for a cleaner environment.”
“I’m committed to environmental sustainability, and this grant funding is a significant milestone in New Orleans’ journey towards a greener and more environmentally responsible future. I’m also proud that this grant aims to ensure that federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Environmental justice MUST be at the center of any action to address disproportionate health and environmental impacts on communities, especially communities of color. Together, we will make New Orleans a shining example of environmental stewardship, equity, and progress,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).
“The City of New Orleans is honored to have been selected to receive this $3.9 million federal grant that will undoubtedly help achieve our goal of increasing recycling rates, expanding our recycling infrastructure and educating the public on the importance of being more environmentally friendly,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This means every household throughout the city that is eligible for curbside pickup will now be a part of our circular economy. Thank you to our federal partners, as well as The Recycling Partnership, for helping make this initiative a reality. I must also applaud our dedicated, hard-working City workforce who continue to dedicate their time and effort to ensure we put our best foot forward in applying to receive these critical, one-time federal dollars. Through our shared vision, New Orleans will continue to lead in combatting the global climate crisis and promoting new ways to create a better, greener and more vibrant community.”
The City of New Orleans will expand its current residential curbside recycling program to all eligible households. This expansion will ensure universal and equitable access to curbside recycling, providing new recycling access to about 73,000 households and to replace 10,000 legacy recycling carts. The city will also develop a 10-year solid waste master plan that evaluates recycling processing infrastructure and capacity, explores opportunities for organics diversion including food waste, and explores infrastructure and policy needs to address waste diversion in multifamily and commercial operations. The grant supports the implementation of EPA’s National Recycling Strategy to build an economy devoted to keeping materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible –what’s known as a “circular economy.”
EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program is also advancing the President's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Approximately $56 million out of the $73 million – or 76% - of the total funding for communities will go toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for States and Territories
The recycling grants for states and territories will provide funding to all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia via grants ranging from $370,000 to $760,000; with the highest grant amounts supporting those states and territories that need it the most.
These grants represent important steps toward achieving the EPA’s National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Funded activities include improving post-consumer materials management programs through developing or updating solid waste management plans and strengthening data collection efforts.
Additional Background
In the coming months, EPA will announce the selected recipients of the recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA’s new Recycling Education and Outreach grant program.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act - the largest investment in recycling in 30 years. The recycling grants are supplemented with additional funding provided through EPA’s annual appropriations. For details about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program selectees and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related funding opportunities, visit the EPA recycling grants webpage.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
‘Superman’ Robber Charged with Bank Robbery
PRESS RELEASE
‘Superman’ Robber Charged with Bank Robbery
Friday, October 27, 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Southaven, Mississippi, man who wore a t-shirt with a Superman logo during a Springfield, Mo., bank robbery has been charged in federal court.
Scott A. Tyner, 50, was charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., on Oct. 6, 2023. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following Tyner’s arrest in Alabama. Tyner remains in federal custody and will have an initial court appearance on Monday, Oct. 30.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Tyner robbed Legacy Bank and Trust in Springfield on Sept. 29, 2023.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Tyner was wearing a blue t-shirt with the Superman logo on the front and blue athletic shorts when he entered the bank on Sept. 29, 2023. Tyner slid a note on a teller counter that read, “This is a robbery.” The teller gave Tyner $5,560, the affidavit says, and he left the bank.
Investigators determined that Tyner was driving a silver, four-door Chevrolet Silverado. The vehicle was captured by a license plate reader in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Oct. 1, 2023.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Joplin Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Following High-Speed Motorcycle Chase in Newton County
PRESS RELEASE
Joplin Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Following High-Speed Motorcycle Chase in Newton County
Friday, October 27, 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm after he led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit on his motorcycle across state lines from Kansas to Newton County, Mo.
Douglas Eugene Alexius, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, Oct. 26, to six years and six months in federal prison without parole.
On April 13, 2023, Alexius pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Alexius was arrested on Oct. 9, 2022, after leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase. Alexius was driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle on U.S. Highway 166 in Cherokee County, Kan., when a sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop him for failing to stop at a stop sign. Alexius accelerated his motorcycle and led law enforcement officers in pursuit into Newton County. Officers observed the motorcycle swerving into the oncoming lane of travel on multiple occasions. Alexius lost control of his motorcycle and crashed at the intersection of Greenwood Drive and Birch Drive.
Alexius was taken into custody after being tased three times because he refused to follow an officer’s order to lie on the ground and kept reaching into his jacket pocket. Officers searched Alexius and found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol in his jacket pocket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Alexius has four prior felony convictions for resisting arrest and two prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance, as well as prior felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in relation to a drug offense, receiving stolen property, and unlawful use of a firearm.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Springfield Man Involved in Shooting Sentenced for Illegal Firearms
PRESS RELEASE
Springfield Man Involved in Shooting Sentenced for Illegal Firearms
Thursday, October 26, 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms on four separate occasions, including an incident that involved a shooting in a neighborhood.
Darris Lamar Mull, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 19, 2022, Mull pleaded guilty to four counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Mull admitted he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Kel-Tec pistol with an extended 30-round magazine on Dec. 6, 2020.
He also possessed firearms on Dec. 15, 2017, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence and found a firearm in the dining room and another firearm in the closet; on March 30, 2018, when police officers searched Mull’s vehicle after a traffic stop and found a loaded firearm in the glove box; and on Sept. 2, 2021, when officers found a loaded firearm in his backpack following a foot chase.
Mull, along with co-defendants Cartevion Marquis Chapman, 35, and Nicholas David Caligone, 45, both of Springfield, was involved in a shooting and retaliatory shooting that occurred on Dec. 5 and 6, 2020, over allegations that Mull had stolen drugs from another individual.
Chapman’s vehicle was damaged in a drive-by shooting at Zan Nightclub in downtown Springfield on Dec. 5, 2020. After leaving the nightclub, Chapman met with Mull. Mull received a phone call from his girlfriend, who said the individuals responsible for the shooting at the club were armed and inside their house looking for him. Mull was upset because they went to his house when his kids were present. They went to check on Mull’s girlfriend and children, then Caligone drove Chapman and Mull to find the people who had been at his house, who were at an address on Kerr Street in Springfield.
When they arrived at the Kerr Street residence at about 6 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2020, Chapman told investigators, they got out of the car and “bullets went flying.”
Chapman, Mull and others fired multiple rounds; police officers recovered 40 spent shell casings from the area of the shooting. Shell casings were found in front of at least eight separate residences, indicating that Chapman and Mull sprayed the neighborhood with bullets. At least two of the homes had damage consistent with being struck by gunfire.
Chapman and Mull got into Caligone’s Volkswagen immediately after the shooting and left the area. According to the evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, Chapman handed his Kel-Tec firearm to Mull, who put it under the front passenger seat, and put Mull’s Smith & Wesson pistol, which was stolen, in the glovebox. Springfield police officers who heard the gunshots saw Caligone’s vehicle at the intersection of East Kearney and North Delaware and conducted a traffic stop. Caligone, who was driving, Chapman, who was in the front passenger seat, and Mull, who was in the back passenger seat, were arrested.
Investigators determined that some of the expended cartridges recovered from the scene of the Kerr Street shooting came from the two guns found in Caligone’s vehicle and others were fired from two other guns that were not recovered.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mull has two prior felony convictions for forgery and a prior felony conviction for non-support.
The government’s sentencing motion notes that violent crimes committed with firearms is a significant issue in southwest Missouri. According to the National Incident Based Reporting System, the Springfield Police Department reported 734 violent crimes committed with firearms and 19 homicides in 2021, with approximately 79 percent of the homicides being committed with a firearm. The Greene County Sheriff’s Department reported 44 violent crimes committed with firearms and six homicides, all committed with firearms.
Although violent crime numbers were down slightly in Springfield in 2022, illegal possession and use of firearms have increased. In 2022, Springfield police officers seized 229 illegal guns, an increase from the 150 illegal guns seized in 2021. There was also a record high of “shots fired” calls in 2022, with a total of 356 incidents that resulted in 73 injuries.
Chapman was sentenced on April 4, 2023, to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Caligone pleaded guilty on July 5, 2022, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 16, 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
TOMORROW: EPA to Recognize Choctaw Nation for Nearly $2M in Cleanup and Climate Grants
USEPA Media Advisory:
TOMORROW: EPA to Recognize Choctaw Nation for Nearly $2M in Cleanup and Climate Grants
(DALLAS – Oct. 30, 2023) Tomorrow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance will present Chief Gary Batton and other Choctaw Nation representatives with two grants totaling nearly $2 million. The Nation will receive $1.57 million for Brownfields funding to assess and cleanup abandoned properties and a $400,000 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Both grants are funded from historic legislation under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in American agenda.
Members of the media should RSVP to R6Press@epa.gov. Please include your name, media affiliation and contact information.
WHAT: Choctaw Nation Grant Celebration
WHERE: Choctaw Nation Headquarters
1802 Chukka Hina
Durant, OK 74701
WHEN: Tuesday, October 31
2 pm
WHO: U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton
# # #
Sunday, October 29, 2023
TUESDAY: EPA to Recognize Choctaw Nation for Nearly $2M in Cleanup and Climate Grants
USEPA News Release:
TUESDAY: EPA to Recognize Choctaw Nation for Nearly $2M in Cleanup and Climate Grants
(DALLAS – Oct. 27, 2023) On Tuesday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance will present Chief Gary Batton and other Choctaw Nation representatives with two grants totaling nearly $2 million. The Nation will receive $1.57 million for Brownfields funding to assess and cleanup abandoned properties and a $400,000 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Both grants are funded from historic legislation under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in American agenda.
Members of the media should RSVP to R6Press@epa.gov. Please include your name, media affiliation and contact information.
WHAT: Choctaw Nation Grant Celebration
WHERE: Choctaw Nation Headquarters
1802 Chukka Hina
Durant, OK 74701
WHEN: Tuesday, October 31
2 pm
WHO: U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton
# # #
Friday, October 27, 2023
Thursday, October 26, 2023
TOMORROW: EPA to Announce Nearly $4 million in Funding to the City of New Orleans for Recycling Initiatives
EPA News Release:
TOMORROW: EPA to Announce Nearly $4 million in Funding to the City of New Orleans for Recycling Initiatives
(DALLAS – Oct. 26, 2023) On Friday, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will meet with city officials from New Orleans to announce a grant for $3,982,000 from the agency’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program. The grant will fund a project to improve material management and recyling programs in the New Orleans area. Funding for the grant comes from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.
Members of the media should RSVP to R6Press@epa.gov. Please include your name, media affiliation, and contact information.
WHAT: EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWFIR) Grant to the City of New Orleans
WHERE: Sanchez Multi Service Center
1616 Fats Domino Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70117
WHEN: Friday, October 27th
1:00 pm
WHO: Dr. Earthea Nance, EPA Region 6 Administrator
LaToya Cantrell, Mayor, City of New Orleans
Matt Torri, Sanitation Director, City of New Orleans
Rob Taylor, Vice President of Grants & Community Development, The Recycling Partnership
Arthur Johnson, Executive Director, Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development
Troy Carter, US Congressman - LA 2nd Congressional District, US House of Representatives
Three Topeka residents charged in money lending business robbery
PRESS RELEASE
Three Topeka residents charged in money lending business robbery
Friday, October 20, 2023
TOPEKA, KAN. – Three Kansans have been charged through criminal complaint in Topeka in connection with a robbery that occurred on October 16, 2023, at money lending business, LendNation.
LendNation, located on Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka, is a company that provides various loan options to customers.
According to the criminal complaint, Aaron Elizabeth Fish, 32, of Topeka, store manager of LendNation; Mejia J. Pattillo, 47, of Topeka; and Katelyn Nichole North, 32, of Topeka are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly conspiring together to rob LendNation.
Pattillo is also charged with one count of Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly robbing LendNation on October 16, 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Topeka Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
FRIDAY: EPA to Announce Nearly $4 million in Funding to the City of New Orleans for Recycling Initiatives
USEPA News Release:
FRIDAY: EPA to Announce Nearly $4 million in Funding to the City of New Orleans for Recycling Initiatives
(DALLAS – Oct. 25, 2023) On Friday, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will meet with city officials from New Orleans to announce a grant for $3,982,000 from the agency’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program. The grant will fund a project to improve material management and recyling programs in the New Orleans area. Funding for the grant comes from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.
Members of the media should RSVP to R6Press@epa.gov. Please include your name, media affiliation, and contact information.
WHAT: EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWFIR) Grant to the City of New Orleans
WHERE: Sanchez Multi Service Center
1616 Fats Domino Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70117
WHEN: Friday, October 27th
1:00 pm
WHO: Dr. Earthea Nance, EPA Region 6 Administrator
LaToya Cantrell, Mayor, City of New Orleans
Matt Torri, Sanitation Director, City of New Orleans
Rob Taylor, Vice President of Grants & Community Development, The Recycling Partnership
Arthur Johnson, Executive Director, Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development
Demetric Mercadel, District Director,
Troy Carter, US Congressman - LA 2nd Congressional District, US House of Representatives
Kansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm
PRESS RELEASE
Kansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Galena, Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute and a firearm.
Carlos Joseph Blake Gandy, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, Oct. 23, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gandy was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On Oct. 18, 2022, Gandy pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Gandy was arrested on Aug. 30, 2021, when a law enforcement officer saw him driving a motorcycle in Joplin, Mo., although his driver’s license was revoked. Gandy pulled into a restaurant parking lot and carried a black backpack with him into the restaurant. Gandy placed the backpack in a booth while he waited in line with other customers to order. A Joplin police officer placed Gandy under arrest for driving with a revoked license. When the officer asked him about the backpack, Gandy denied having a bag.
Officers found the backpack in a booth. Inside the backpack, officers found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 33.86 grams of methamphetamine, another baggie that contained approximately 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded Rock Island Armory .45-caliber pistol.
Gandy committed this federal offense while on parole or probation for two robbery convictions and a conviction for stealing a car. Gandy also has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for possessing methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, resisting arrest, possessing a chemical with the intent to create a controlled substance, and possessing a stolen vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Monday, October 23, 2023
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Columbia Sex Offender Sentenced for Obscenity
PRESS RELEASE
Columbia Sex Offender Sentenced for Obscenity
Thursday, October 19, 2023
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for uploading an obscene bestiality video to his online Google account.
Brian Joe Gravatt, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Wednesday, Oct. 18, to five years in federal prison without parole.
Gravatt was required to register as a sex offender due to his prior convictions of statutory rape and statutory sodomy against 14- and 15-year-old victims He was on probation at the time of this offense for failing to register as a sex offender.
On April 4, 2023, Gravatt pleaded guilty to one count of transporting obscene material. Gravatt admitted that on Oct. 28, 2020, he uploaded a 33-minute video to his Google Photos account that depicts an adult woman performing a series of graphic sex acts with a large dog. Gravatt acknowledged the video is intended to appeal to prurient interests and that, judged by contemporary, adult, community standards of the community, depicts sex acts in a patently offensive way and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value.
The video was discovered by law enforcement while investigating a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a complaint of suspected child pornography stored in Gravatt’s Google Photos account.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
KC Man Indicted After Officers Found 29 Firearms, Fentanyl and Meth
PRESS RELEASE
KC Man Indicted After Officers Found 29 Firearms, Fentanyl and Meth
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today after law enforcement officers found 29 firearms in his residence, along with significant amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Charles J. Dunne, 60, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Dunne on Sept. 20, 2023. Dunne remains in federal custody without bond.
Today’s indictment charges Dunne with one count of possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Dunne has multiple felony convictions including a prior federal felony conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dunne’s residence on Sept. 19, 2023. Officers found a black backpack in Dunne’s bedroom that contained 415.6 grams of powder fentanyl and 1.5782 kilograms of methamphetamine. Under the backpack, says the affidavit, officers found two handguns. Officers also found several other firearms in the bedroom, including a shotgun, an AR-15 rifle, and a sawed-off short-barreled shotgun.
In a second bedroom, according to the affidavit, officers found another large supply of firearms, including additional AR-15-style rifles, shotguns, hunting rifles and handguns. Officers found several more handguns in a third bedroom. Officers also found an additional 774.9 grams of a substance believed to be fentanyl. In total, officers found 29 firearms and approximately $16,000 in cash.
During the search, the affidavit says, Dunne began to experience a medical emergency consistent with a fentanyl overdose. EMS responded and a total of 12 doses of naloxone were administered at the scene and during transport of Dunne to the hospital.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Friday, October 20, 2023
EPA Announces Nearly $800K to Southern University for Pollution Prevention Project
USEPA News Release:
EPA Announces Nearly $800K to Southern University for Pollution Prevention Project
DALLAS, TEXAS (Oct. 19, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is selected for a nearly $800,000 pollution prevention grant. Nationwide, 24 recipients were selected for $16 million in grants through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda. Southern University’s grant will fund a project to reduce water pollution from industrial facilities.
“EPA values the partnership of Southern University in working to bring the benefits of pollution reduction to all communities, especially those like East Baton Rouge and New Orleans East that are historically overburdened and underinvested,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “The Southern University team designed a project that will leverage EPA programs like Safer Choice and help mitigate the air and water pollution that these communities experience.”
“The Southern University Ag Center is excited to be the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pollution Prevention grant in the category of Environmental Justice in Communities,” said Dr. Orlando F. McMeans, Chancellor-Dean of the Southern University Ag Center and the College of Ag. “This grant will assist the Ag Center in ensuring that underinvested communities have access to clean water and air through educating manufacturers on solutions to reduce hazardous substances that are released in the waters of East Baton Rouge and New Orleans East”.
“This is great news for Louisianians who have endured environmental injustice for far too long. All Americans – no matter where they live – deserve to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and live in a healthy environment. That's why I worked so hard to craft the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and am proud to see underserved communities access this critical funding and technical assistance to improve public health at the local level. As the Member for Region 7 of the Regional Leadership Council, I will continue to work closely with the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure these transformative environmental protection policies and programs reach every American in every community in our region,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).
The grant selectees include a diverse set of projects that will tackle pollution prevention at the community level. Southern University plans to partner with Louisiana State University and local community leaders to conduct workshops and onsite water quality assessments to find ways to reduce contaminated discharges to local aquifers, including through EPA’s Safer Choice program. Their work will be focused in East Baton Rouge and New Orleans East, two areas suffering from underinvestment. The project will also include outreach to local communities to identify and track pollution prevention strategies.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
These grants will be fully funded upon being awarded. Individual grant awards may range from $100,000 to $800,000 for state- and city-level projects, or up to $1.2 million for multi-state projects over the funding period. EPA anticipates awarding the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. The list of selections and the proposed summaries of proposed grantee projects can be found on EPA’s Pollution Prevention website.
Thursday, October 19, 2023
EPA Releases New Food Waste Reports
EPA Press Office: