Greater than six months after Texas father David Barnes was arrested by Russian authorities, his household is asking on officers in Washington to do extra to attempt to facilitate his launch.
“David’s a really caring and empathetic particular person,” his sister, Carol Barnes, informed ABC Information. “Each minute of daily, my thoughts is on what he is going by way of, the hell that he is residing in, and the way unjust it’s.”
David Barnes has been held since January in a Moscow jail. He’s certainly one of a number of Individuals being detained in Russia, however in contrast to Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan or Marc Fogel, legislation enforcement in Moscow has alleged that he engaged in prison exercise in america — an accusation that has bewildered members of his household, American prosecutors and now, his native congressman.
“Mr. Barnes has been arrested and detained for political functions, and my workplace is working with the State Division to carry him again to Texas as quickly as potential,” Rep. Kevin Brady informed ABC Information in a press release. “We proceed to induce the Biden administration to do all it could actually to resolve this example and free Mr. Barnes.”
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David Barnes traveled from suburban Houston to Moscow in December 2021 in an effort to achieve authorized clearance to both see his youngsters or carry them dwelling, after his Russian ex-wife allegedly violated a court docket custody order and fled america with them, based on his household.
In August 2020, a choose in Montgomery County signed an order designating David Barnes as the only managing conservator of his youngsters, which gave him rights to resolve the first dwelling for his youngsters, make choices relating to their schooling, symbolize them in authorized actions, and possess their passports.
Barnes’ ex-wife is herself now needed within the U.S. on a felony cost of interference with baby custody, after she fled with the kids in 2019.
“David Barnes traveled to Russia in an trustworthy try to reunite along with his youngsters, who had been kidnapped by their mom and brought to Russia illegally,” Brady stated. “This can be a baby custody dispute, not a prison matter.”
David Barnes, seen right here in a photograph offered by his household, has been held in a Russian detention heart since January.
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Courtesy Carol Barnes
On Jan. 13, Russian investigators apprehended Barnes in Moscow, accusing him of abusing his two youngsters years earlier in Texas, based on translations of court docket paperwork.
Comparable allegations towards Barnes have been dropped at authorities in Texas by his now-ex-wife Svetlana Koptyaeva throughout their lengthy and acrimonious divorce proceedings. The allegations have been investigated in 2018 by the Division of Household and Protecting Companies, which discovered inadequate proof to help them and closed the case with none findings of abuse or any expenses towards Barnes.
“Right now, there are not any accusations out of Montgomery County that we’re conscious of that might permit Mr. Barnes to be held in custody,” Kelly Blackburn of the Montgomery County District Lawyer’s Workplace informed ABC Information in Could.
A spokesperson for the Harris County District Lawyer’s Workplace stated in Could that David Barnes had not been charged in any baby abuse instances there both.
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Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have met with David Barnes within the time since his arrest, based on emails between his household and the State Division. Nevertheless, Brady’s feedback mark the primary time that an elected official has said publicly that David Barnes’ detention in Russia is because of “political functions.”
Carol Barnes is hoping the elevated consideration on her brother’s state of affairs will inspire different officers to categorise him as being wrongfully detained, push for his launch or add him to a proposed prisoner change between Russia and the U.S.
“Washington ought to be capable of get their very own Americans again dwelling with out a lot purple tape and us having to contact a whole bunch of individuals and getting 1% response,” Carol Barnes stated. “I imply, any person listen.”
In July, Secretary of State Antony Blinken introduced a proposal that known as on Russia to change Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen who was convicted of expenses associated to unlawful arms trafficking. Carol Barnes stated she has not heard something about her brother being a part of any potential prisoner change.
ABC Information requested the White Home in July whether or not it considers David Barnes to be wrongfully detained and if efforts have been made to safe his launch, however it referred all inquiries to the State Division.
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“It is simply so irritating,” Carol Barnes stated. “I notice we’re coping with Russians and it isn’t that simple, however I do not suppose they’re paying sufficient consideration to it.”
A spokesperson for the State Division wrote in a press release on July 26 that they’re persevering with to induce the Russian authorities to permit for normal consular entry and providers to be offered to Individuals who stay detained in Russia.
“We take severely our accountability to help U.S. residents overseas and are monitoring Mr. Barnes’ state of affairs carefully,” the spokesperson stated, partly. “The division routinely screens instances of all U.S. nationals detained overseas for indications that it ought to be designated as a wrongful detention. On account of privateness issues, we’ve no additional remark at the moment.”
David Barnes celebrated his sixty fifth birthday in his Moscow detention heart in July. His household doesn’t know when they may get to see him once more.
“I need him again. I really like him. I miss him,” Carol Barnes stated. “There is no pleasure in my life proper now in any respect.”
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ABC Information’ Shannon Crawford contributed to this report.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Monday for doubling a state fund to $10 billion to support new natural gas generation.
Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, both Republicans, wrote in a joint statement that they were concerned by recent comments from the head of the state’s main grid operator that Texas may need as much as 150,000 megawatts of electricity online by 2030 to meet growing demand. Currently, the state can produce about 85,000 megawatts at maximum capacity, said Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, during testimony before a Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee meeting.
“If the new estimate is correct, the updated numbers provided by Mr. Vegas call for an immediate review of all policies concerning the grid,” wrote Abbott and Patrick.
The challenges facing the Texas electric grid were thrust in the national spotlight in 2021 when Winter Storm Uri caused widespread generation failures in the state, leading to power outages that lasted nearly a week. More than 200 people died as a result.
In April 2023, a Hays County woman survived a fentanyl overdose. She was in the throes of an addiction that nearly killed her. Today, she credits a program called Neighborhood Defender Service for her sobriety.
HAYS COUNTY, Texas – In April 2023, a Hays County woman survived a fentanyl overdose. She was in the throes of an addiction that nearly killed her. Today, she credits a program called Neighborhood Defender Service for her sobriety.
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Meaghan Callahan said April 26, 2023, is the day that changed her life forever.
“I don’t remember anything except for waking up to the first responders around me and I really had no idea what had happened,” Callahan said.
Callahan had overdosed on fentanyl. EMS administered four doses of Narcan and saved her life.
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“When I came to, and I really just got my senses about me, in that jail cell, I was grateful to even be in a jail cell, it gave me a new lease on life,” Callahan said.
Accidental drug overdoses in Travis County
The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office released its 2023 annual report revealing 279 people died from a fentanyl overdose.
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Callahan was in jail and charged with multiple felonies for possession. Police said marijuana was in plain view, and they also found several other types of drugs. Two kids, both under the age of five, were just feet away and were being taken care of by a roommate.
“Children do not deserve to be wrapped up in that world,” Callahan said.
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Callahan said she had relapsed. She is a recovering alcoholic and blamed herself, at the time, for trying to get sober alone.
“Even though it was self-medicating, I was trying to treat my alcoholism with the studies that have been done by microdosing ketamine and mushrooms and I felt like that would help me as well as the CBD and cannabis that was found, I thought that that would help me with my postpartum depression to be honest,” Callahan said.
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It almost cost her her life.
“You can’t really fix yourself; you’ve got to go outside yourself to the community and the professionals to get help,” Callahan said.
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Callahan was given that opportunity. She was represented by an attorney with the Neighborhood Defender Service, specifically for Hays County.
“We try to help the client instead of just trying to help the case,” Neighborhood Defender Service Texas Meenu Walters said.
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Fentanyl deaths growing in Travis Co.: report
The number of fentanyl-related deaths continues to grow in Travis County, according to the 2023 Medical Examiner’s Report.
NDS staff have been handling about 25 percent of all Hays County cases since 2023. Walters said they use a holistic, team-based model of defense, which includes not only lawyers, but social workers, client advocates, and investigators.
“Something that we can try to work on is building out and identifying community-based options for people so that if we can get in and get people the help that they need outside the system, maybe the system is not what they rely on for help,” Walters said.
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“I had a whole team around me to really help me just get better,” Callahan said.
A judge gave her a second chance. All of Callahan’s charges were dropped. She’s now in recovery and wants to help others.
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“I want to give hope to the people out there that are in active addiction or love people that know there is a solution and there’s a huge team of us waiting to help,” Callahan said.
She encourages people to ask for help because she said a wonderful life is on the other side.
Going hiking? Three tips to stay safe on the trail
If you’re planning on going hiking, it’s important to keep some tips in mind before hitting the trails.
A Texas man died while hiking the Grand Canyon’s River Trail on Saturday, National Park Service officials said.
Park officials received a report of a semiconscious hiker on the River Trail halfway between Silver Bridge and Black Bridge near Phantom Ranch around 7 p.m. Saturday. The hiker, identified as 69-year-old Scott Sims from Austin, Texas, became unresponsive shortly after.
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Bystanders attempted CPR before three park service paramedics from Phantom Ranch responded to the scene and took over. CPR attempts were unsuccessful.
Sims was hiking to Phantom Ranch for an overnight stay, park officials said.
The Coconino County Medical Examiner and the National Park Service were investigating the incident.
