Mississippi

Brett Favre texts reveal his role in Mississippi welfare scandal

Published

2 years ago

September 15, 2022

Brett Favre texts reveal his role in Mississippi welfare scandal

According to not too long ago made public textual content messages, NFL Corridor of Famer Brett Favre was way more concerned than beforehand thought within the marketing campaign to divert hundreds of thousands of federal welfare funds meant for serving to low-income households to construct a brand new volleyball court docket on the college the place his daughter performed the game.

The texts, which have been made public this week in a court docket submitting, additionally present that Favre requested a nonprofit official for assurances that nobody would ever know he was on the lookout for awards price hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, which lastly got here from the Mississippi welfare company.

Favre has overtly acknowledged that he did not know the cash was welfare cash and that he would not suppose he broke any legal guidelines. He returned the $1.1 million that was instantly transferred to him, however in line with the state auditor, he nonetheless owes curiosity of $228,000.

There is no such thing as a proof that Favre is the topic of the FBI’s felony investigation, although the FBI has questioned him in regards to the matter.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, requested in July that the Justice Division study into the involvement of former Gov. Phil Bryant and quarterback Brett Favre within the large welfare scheme.

In accordance with NBC Information, Bud Holmes, Favre’s lawyer stated that Favre acted “utterly honorably in every little thing” and that these texts embrace nothing noteworthy.

The disputed welfare funds have been a portion of the $86 million in annual federal help allotted to Mississippi to assist pull households out of poverty. Practically 200,000 youngsters in Mississippi, the poorest state within the union, stay in poverty.

Are these textual content messages incriminating Brett Favre?

The concept to redirect funds to the volleyball facility seems to have been mentioned at a gathering in July 2017 that included Favre, John Davis, the pinnacle of Mississippi’s welfare company (often known as the Division of Human Companies, DHS), and Nancy New, whose charity was receiving hundreds of thousands in grants from the state company.

This data comes from texts and court docket paperwork. Within the civil case introduced by the state, New, Davis, and Favre are defendants.

The texts, which have been included in a doc filed by New’s counsel, don’t show that Favre was conscious the general public funds being mentioned have been welfare {dollars}.

The volleyball facility, which has now been accomplished, is on the College of Southern Mississippi, Favre’s alma mater.

Bryant, a Republican, was considerably extra concerned within the challenge as governor than was beforehand recognized, in line with the newly revealed textual content conversations.

In accordance with texts, he made an effort to safe the financing for Favre. Can we assist him along with his challenge? he texted New on July 16, 2019, after leaving a gathering with Favre.

Davis’s lawyer declined to remark. Davis has entered a not-guilty plea to the bribery and conspiracy accusations.

The objective of New’s nonprofit group was to implement initiatives that might help low-income households. Nonetheless, New claims in court docket data that Davis and Bryant gave her the order to misuse hundreds of thousands of welfare cash by giving them to Favre, Davis’ associates, and household along with retired skilled wrestlers.

What did the textual content messages say?

After the assembly in July 2017, Favre expressed his gratitude to New for offering the power with the preliminary cost.

“Nancy thanks once more!!! John [Davis] talked about 4 million and unsure if I heard him proper. Very large deal and may’t thanks sufficient,” texted Favre.

It took greater than $4 million to complete the job. And the texts counsel that Favre and New devised a scheme to acquire the remaining funds required.

She would give Favre $1.1 million in state cash in alternate for him doing a couple of radio commercials. He then declared that he would offer the funds to the volleyball challenge.

“I may document a couple of radio spots right here initially. I am positive proper right here. See how it’s obtained and no matter compensation may go to USM,” Favre wrote.

With three smiley face emojis, New jokingly replied, providing a reward of “4 million {dollars}.” “Simply kidding,” she texted. “The primary part might be $500,000 and after Sept. we are able to renew. This can be a good method. What do you suppose?”

“Was simply pondering that right here is the best way to do it!” Favre responded.

New urged that her son Zach New draft a deal for Favre.

Each New and her son have entered responsible pleas to state counts of misusing public funds meant to assist Mississippians in want.

Textual content communications between Favre and New over the course of the next two years reveal he had some reservations in regards to the settlement.

“My largest concern is time dedication so we are able to handle that I am good,” texted Favre.

“Please don’t worry about your time dedication. We will solely think about what number of instructions you’re pulled. Just some issues right here and there, unfold out might be loads,” New responded.

Favre often worries that the state’s cost to him could also be made public. “For those who have been to pay me is there anyway the media can discover out the place it got here from and the way a lot?”

“No, we by no means have had that data publicized,” Nancy texted again. “I perceive you being uneasy about that although.”

In August, New confirmed that the then-governor was on-board. “Wow, simply obtained off the telephone with Phil Bryant! He’s on board with this, we’ll get this executed!”

Favre texted New after receiving the cash from her a couple of months later, in December 2017. “Nancy, Santa got here at present and dropped some cash off,” he wrote, including two smiley faces. “thanks my goodness thanks. We have to arrange the promo quickly. Your strategy to sort.”

By March 2018, the volleyball facility’s constructing bills have been growing, and Favre was involved that the challenge might run out of cash. He texted New to precise his fear.

“Nancy, are you continue to assured you’ll be able to cowl the $1.8 and that quantity will in all probability be much less as we get nearer,” he questioned as soon as extra a 12 months later.

By March 2018, the volleyball facility’s constructing bills have been growing, and Favre was involved that the challenge might run out of cash. He texted New to precise his fear.

“In a gathering with John Davis now. He stated we’ll cowl a lot of it however might need to be in a few funds. We’re on board!” she responded.

The texts reveal that Favre and New would regularly plan collectively on how to ensure the cash can be delivered and how you can persuade the governor to commit extra sources. Would calling the governor be of help? a gathering? a press release? Favre knowledgeable New by textual content that he was “month-to-month” questioning the governor in regards to the monies.

Favre has stated he was unaware that the funds have been used to pay welfare. The texts, nonetheless, reveal that he was conscious of the monetary relationship between Davis, the pinnacle of the state welfare company DHS, which works to higher the lives of underprivileged youngsters and households within the state, and the governor, New.

“I like John a lot, and also you too,” Favre texted at one level in 2019 whereas utilizing extra smiling faces, giving the impression that he knew each New and Davis properly.

Source link

Related Topics:Agency_LATINWEB Brett Favre - English en/nfl Featured Green Bay Packers - English NFL - English US News

Click to comment

Mississippi

Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2

Published

2 hours ago

September 3, 2024

Press Room

Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2

The Mississippi high school football rankings saw some drastic changes after an opening week which saw multiple ranked matchups in the Magnolia State.

Brandon, Madison Central and Louisville each won top-10 games while Oak Grove, West Jones, Clinton and Germantown also picked up ranked wins.

Below is the updated Mississippi On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Sept. 2.

The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.

CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+3)
Madison Central opened the season in style with a 27-20 top-10 win over Ocean Springs. Ocean Springs shut out Madison Central for nearly the entire first half — until Madison Central running back Glen Singleton rattled off four consecutive rushing touchdowns. The Jaguars are on the road again Friday in the Mississippi game of the week as they travel to face No. 2 Brandon.

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Brandon featured in another Mississippi top-10 game in week one, thrashing then-No. 7 Picayune Memorial 60-34. Star junior defensive back Preston Ashley recorded a 45-yard scoop-and-score touchdown, Logan Drummond returned a punt 61 yards to the house and Trey McQueen returned an interception 38 yards for a score in a night filled with unconventional scoring for the Bulldogs. Brandon will host No. 1 Madison Central on Friday.

Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-1)
Starkville took down Noxubee County 43-22 in week one. Tyson Knox picked off Mississippi State commit KaMario Taylor on Starkville’s own 1-yard line to keep the Yellowjackets’ 14-point lead in the second half. Two plays later, quarterback Jaylen Ruffin hit Jaheim Deanes for a 97-yard touchdown. Starkville now gets to look forward to hosting No. 20 West Point this week.

Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-3)
Oak Grove fell in the rankings this week simply by virtue of other teams’ impressive performances — as the Warriors won their game over No. 15 Grenada 38-24. Oak Grove quarterback Kellon Hall was 19-of-27 passing for 306 yards with a touchdown. Next up is No. 11 Ocean Springs at home.

Previous Ranking: No. 5
Tupelo escaped upset-minded Whitehaven last week with a 26-19 opening win. Quarterback Noah Gillon and running back J.J. Hill each accounted for two touchdowns as the Golden Wave came away with an ugly win in ugly conditions following a 90-minute weather delay. Tupelo will play Southaven on the road next.

Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+3)
Yet another top-10 matchup on opening night in Mississippi. Louisville took down then-No. 10 West Point 15-14 in a nailbiter. Louisville scored the only points of the second half — a 21-yard field goal to put the Wildcats on top. Louisville will hit the road again this week at Neshoba Central.

Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
West Jones knocked Laurel out of the Mississippi top 25 with a dominant 34-6 win on Friday. Senior running back Elijah Jones was unstoppable on the ground with 226 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. West Jones will play Northeast Jones on the road this Friday.

Previous Ranking: No. 21 (+13)
Clinton pulled off the upset in week one with a 26-20 win over then-No. 11 Warren Central in the ‘Red Carpet Bowl’. Jakobe Williams rushed for two touchdowns while the Clinton special teams and defense scored on a blocked punt and recovered three fumbles. A road game against Northwest Rankin is on deck.

Previous Ranking: No. 16 (+7)
Oxford owned one of the few week one blowouts on this list, beating Lafayette 45-0 in the ‘Crosstown Classic.’ All six of the Chargers’ touchdowns came on the ground. Oxford will play No. 22 South Panola at home this Friday.

Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+2)
Madison-Ridgeland moved to 3-0 on the season after a 50-6 win over Oak Forest Academy that was never in question. Pulaski Academy — The No. 9 team in Arkansas — is on deck for the Patriots.

11. Ocean Springs (-5)
12. Gulfport (+2)
13. Pearl (+4)
14. Germantown (+10)
15. Hartfield Academy (+3)

16. Grenada (-1)
17. Picayune Memorial (-10)
18. Hattiesburg (NR)
19. Jackson Prep (+3)
20. West Point (-10)

21. D’Iberville (NR)
22. South Panola (-9)
23. Poplarville (NR)
24. Warren Central (-13)
25. Gautier (NR)

Dropped from rankings: Northwest Rankin, Meridian, Columbia, Laurel

Source link

Mississippi

MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota

Published

9 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. —It winds 650 miles, rushing past the cities, industries and landscapes that make up Minnesota.

However, the Mississippi River has never gotten this type of attention from water quality professionals.

For the first time ever, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is testing the entirety of the river, from Itasca to Iowa, in a single year.

The governor’s office wants the river to be swimmable and fishable, but right now, parts of the river are polluted.

The MPCA says the upper Mississippi is largely healthy up north, but quality drops south of St. Cloud where metro development and tributaries from agriculture muddy the waters. The National Park Service says stretches of the river exceed water quality standards for things like mercury, bacteria and sediment.

Think of the testing like a checkup for one of our state’s most valuable and powerful resources. Researchers will check temperature, transparency and levels of pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen and ammonia.

Crews also check fish for those contaminants and collect insects to test in a lab to identify any concerning trends.

“If we find the fish community is suffering — maybe the water is too warm and maybe there’s a thermal pollution source upstream or maybe it’s too much runoff — that sort of stuff. Temperature is an important indicator especially for sensitive species,” Isaac Martin with the MPCA said.

Also for the first time, the agency is looking for PFAS contamination with money from an Environmental Protection Agency grant to identify and stop the forever chemicals from streaming into the Mississippi.

PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals for industry and consumer products that don’t break down in the environment. While research is ongoing, the EPA says exposure to the chemicals can cause human health issues. It’s why the federal agency just lowered the amount allowed in drinking water.

“They go to parts per trillion, which is incredibly sensitive. You get that low, you’re talking drops in an Olympic swimming pool,” Martin said. “Part of the reason why it was chosen is because it’s a primary drinking source or potentially could be a primary drinking source. We’re just finding them in places we never expected to find them. We’re finding them almost everywhere and being that it is new, there’s just a lot of ‘I don’t know’ that goes with it.”

It’s too early to know what this complete snapshot will reveal, but we know this powerful river is part of our community, economy and health.

“Maybe you don’t use the resource yourself, but maybe you know someone who does or future generations of your own will,” Martin said. “In Minnesota, we’re just trying to be the best stewards we can be.”

The data from this testing will be available early next year. Researchers will use that data and compare it to 10-year pollution averages to determine which parts of the river are improved or impaired.

A full report will be released in 2026.

Erin Hassanzadeh

Erin is back home in the Twin Cities after stops in South Korea and Omaha. The Jefferson High School grad (Go Jags!) is excited to get back to storytelling in the community that raised her.

Source link

Mississippi

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Published

17 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.

DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.

Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.

Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.

Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.

Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.

Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.

Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.

Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.

Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.

Source link