DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Nearly 400 people still missing after Maui fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A general view shows damage in the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, U.S., August 15, 2023. MAUI, Hawaii — The County of Maui on Thursday night released the names of nearly 400 people who remain officially unaccounted for, two weeks after a devastating wildfire swept through the island. The 388 names were compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and deemed validated with first and last names, county officials said. In a statement Thursday, Hawaiian Electric said its focus in the aftermath of the fires has been to support the people of Maui and Maui County. "We are very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding," it said.

Persons: John Pelletier Organizations: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Police, Authorities, Hawaiian Electric Co, Hawaiian Electric, Electric, EPA, NBC Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, MAUI, The County, West Maui, Maui County

☆ Demonstrations, calls for police reforms flood Memphis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, fueled by newly released body camera footage showing the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by police officers, demanded justice, accountability and police reform Saturday afternoon. “We’re used to having issues with police in this city.”Body camera footage of Nichols being savagely beaten by Memphis officers on Jan. 7 was released Friday night, igniting protests across the U.S. For Memphis demonstrator Joshua Lewis, 18, he said he wasn’t surprised by the actions of the officers who were caught on camera beating Nichols. “It angered me to see the video of Tyre but this is normal (in Memphis) and I feel that it’s time for a change. “The corruption of the Memphis police and the death of Tyre Nichols, we’re just tired altogether.

☆ Tyre Nichols loved his family, photographing sunsets and skateboarding
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — He was an amateur photographer who loved skateboarding and watching sunsets darken the woods and ponds of his adopted hometown. RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, cries at a news conference in Memphis on Monday. Photographing sunsets at Shelby Farms Park, an expansive green space in Memphis, was another passion, she said. She said at a news conference Friday that Nichols was driving home from Shelby Farms when he was pulled over. Nichols died Jan. 10, three days after the encounter with police that landed him in the hospital.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As their son lay bleeding from mortal injuries, the family of Tyre Nichols said Friday not only did police fail to render aid — they callously smoked cigarettes in the moments following the fatal beatdown. A grand jury on Friday indicted five former Memphis police officers, charging them with second-degree murder, in connection to Nichols' death. RowVaughn Wells, center, arrives at a news conference with civil rights Attorney Ben Crump in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 23, 2023. The police footage will also show Nichols calling out for his mother and moaning in agony following the beating, his family said. A portrait of Tyre Nichols is displayed at a memorial service in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 17.

☆ Five officers and medics plead in death of Elijah McClain, who was injected with ketamine while handcuffed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Woodyard, who placed McClain in a chokehold, forcing him into unconsciousness, will be tried alone. That night, three Aurora police officers responded to a report of a suspicious person wearing a mask and waving his arms. Police body camera video released later showed officers ordering McClain to stop. He responded that he was an introvert and to “please respect the boundaries that I am speaking.” After questioning McClain, the officers grabbed him. One of them said he believed McClain had reached for a holstered gun, and McClain was brought to the ground.

☆ As water dries up in Arizona community, residents use rainwater to flush toilets and plastic plates to avoid dishwashing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Another 200 homeowners in Rio Verde get water from wells on their property that are running dry, forcing them to periodically rely on water haulers, as well, residents said this week. The municipal utility Scottsdale Water decided to cut off Rio Verde Foothills to reduce its consumption as drought persists throughout the West. Arizona relies on water from the diminishing Colorado River, which supplies water to about 40 million people in several states. The utility informed Rio Verde Foothills in November 2021 that its water would be cut off starting this year. Scottsdale’s conservation efforts have left nearby residents of Rio Verde Foothills without enough water for basic necessities, such as doing laundry and washing dishes.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Republican lawmakers scrambled on Wednesday to distance themselves from shooting suspect and failed GOP candidate Solomon Pena. Pena, who lost his race for the New Mexico state House, was arrested Monday in connection with a string of shootings at the homes of state and local Democratic leaders, police said. This individual was a felon in possession of a gun who conspired to terrorize and harm New Mexico families,” New Mexico Senate Republican Leader Senator Greg Baca said in a statement. He lost in a landslide to House incumbent Democrat Miguel P. Garcia by 5,679 to 2,033, or 74% to 26%. On Wednesday, New Mexico Republican leaders insisted they are opposed to "violence in any form."

☆ Solomon Pena was belligerent to neighbors who opposed his political views, condo official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Mirna-Alsharif-Byline-Jm.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Pena claimed his defeat was the result of election fraud, Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said Monday at a news conference. Bode said her partner, who died a year ago, had several interactions with Pena. “My partner got into difficult, unsolicited conversations with him as she came in and out of the building,” Bode said. “He’s not a polite, nice person.”Parks said Pena often expressed his political thoughts. “You didn’t necessarily want to get in the elevator with him, because you may not have a nice conversation,” Parks said.

☆ Solomon Peña, New Mexico GOP candidate, visited homes of Democratic politicians to dispute election prior to shootings, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A failed New Mexico state House candidate visited the homes of local Democratic leaders to vehemently dispute his election loss weeks before he allegedly orchestrated a series of shootings at the residences, elected officials said. “Peña came to my house right after the (November) election. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said at a news conference early Monday evening that Peña alleged his defeat was the result of election fraud. Peña lost his state House challenge to incumbent Democrat Miguel P. Garcia by 5,679 to 2,033, or 74% to 26%. He took his case to three county commissioners and a state senator — some whose homes were targeted in the shootings — to no avail, Gallegos said.

☆ New Mexico leaders say they won't be intimidated by shots fired at their homes and offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A county commissioner who was among six Democratic leaders in Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose homes or offices were sprayed with gunfire said she won't let the attacks stop her from doing her job. Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa's home was the first to be targeted Dec. 4, when eight shots were fired. The shootings continued intermittently until Thursday, when shots were fired outside the downtown law offices of newly appointed state Sen. Antonio “Moe” Maestas. At least eight shots were fired at state Sen. Linda Lopez’s home on Jan 3. Neither she nor the state's newly elected attorney general, Raúl Torrez, whose former campaign office was targeted Dec. 10, could be reached for comment Tuesday.

☆ Colorado ends short-lived program to bus migrants to Chicago and NYC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Jared Polis said Colorado will no longer bus asylum-seekers to New York City and Chicago after the mayors of both cities demanded a halt to the policy. “The majority of migrants have a final destination other than Denver,” Polis' office said in a statement last week. While reversing his decision, Polis also set aside $5 million in state money to help provide assistance to the migrants, Denver officials said Monday. "We respectfully demand that you cease and desist sending migrants to New York City and Chicago." New York City has already taken in more than 38,000 migrants in the last nine months, Adams' office said Monday.

MOSCOW, Idaho — Bryan Christopher Kohberger, who was arrested last week in the killings of four University of Idaho students, was expected to make his first appearance in an Idaho courtroom on Thursday. Kohberger is scheduled to appear before Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall at 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. Earlier this week, Marshall ordered police, attorneys and officials connected to the case not to speak publicly or share any information about Kohberger's prosecution outside courtroom walls. Kohberger arrived in Latah County on Wednesday, following a cross-country trip from northeastern Pennsylvania where the Washington State University graduate student was arrested on Friday. Deon Hampton reported form Moscow, Idaho, and David K. Li from New York City.

Bryan Christopher Kohberger, the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students, was removed from a county jail in Pennsylvania and turned over to state police Wednesday, officials said. “He is no longer in the custody of the Monroe County Correctional Facility; he’s in the custody of the Pennsylvania State Police,” warden Garry Haidle said. Less than 24 hours earlier, the 28-year-old Kohberger waived extradition in a Stroudsburg courtroom, paving the way for his trip to Latah County, Idaho. Kohberger was arrested Friday in Albrightsville in northeastern Pennsylvania, about 2,500 miles from Moscow, where the students were killed Nov. 13. The suspect was a doctoral student in the criminal justice and criminology department at Washington State University, 9 miles from Moscow.

MOSCOW, Idaho -- The father of one of four slain University of Idaho students vowed Monday that when the Pennsylvania man accused of the killings finally appears in their courthouse, he and the other parents will be there to stare him down. Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, speaks with NBC News. Kaylee Goncalves, one of four University of Idaho students found stabbed to death on Nov. 13. Three of the victims — Goncalves, Mogen and Kernodle — were roommates at the home where they died, police have said. Gadi Schwartz and Deon J. Hampton reported from Moscow, Idaho, Minyvonne Burke reported from Monroe County, Pennsylvania, and Corky Siemaszko reported from New York City.

☆ Suspect in Idaho killings had made 'creepy' comments to brewery staff, customers, owner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Deon J. Hampton | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The suspect in the killings of four University of Idaho students last month had been known to some employees at a Pennsylvania brewery to make "creepy" and inappropriate comments, the business owner said. The brewery sometimes had "unusual characters," Serulneck said, but he remembered Kohberger from some interactions he had with female patrons and staff. “Staff put in there, ‘Hey, this guy makes creepy comments, keep an eye on him. Serulneck said Kohberger would ask the female staff or customers who they were at the brewery with, where they lived and what their work schedule was. Kohberger had not returned to the brewery since Serulneck approached him months ago about the complaints from his staff, the owner said.

☆ Feds settle with California city and sheriff's department over discriminatory rental housing program
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a first-of-its-kind agreement with a California city and sheriff's department over a "crime-free" rental housing program that led to Black people and Latinos being evicted from their homes based on allegations they had committed crimes. The consent decree announced this week requires Hesperia, California, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department to end the program. The sheriff's department released a statement saying it could not comment because the case has not been formally dismissed by a federal judge. In one instance, the Justice Department said, a Black woman called police repeatedly because she did not feel safe with her boyfriend at her home. The sheriff’s department then notified her landlord about the domestic disturbances and threatened the landlord with a misdemeanor for violating the crime-free ordinance.

The victims of the shooting at the LGBTQ-friendly Club Q in Colorado Springs include two bartenders, the mother of an 11-year-old girl and two other clubgoers who were enjoying a carefree night before a lone gunman started firing indiscriminately. "He lit up a room, always smiling, always happy and silly," said his mom, Sabrina Aston, who lives in Colorado Springs. We’re mad, angry.”Paugh, who is not part of the LGBTQ community, spent Saturday in Colorado Springs with a female friend. Jessica Fierro said she was at Club Q with her husband, their daughter and friends to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Daniel Arkin reported from New York; Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In an interview at her home Monday afternoon, Jessica Fierro described her husband's heroic efforts to prevent greater tragedy. Richard Fierro, 45, an Army veteran who completed four tours between Iraq and Afghanistan, yelled for someone to call the police, she said. Jessica Fierro said her two best friends were shot and her daughter broke her knee as she ran for cover. Richard Fierro earned his MBA from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs last year. Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, Janelle Griffith and Melissa Chan reported from New York.

Stephanie Clark said Paugh, 35, was a loving mother and wife who was devoted to her family, including her 11-year-old daughter. Courtesy Stephanie Clark"My niece is devastated," Clark said, adding that Paugh "lived for her daughter." Paugh, who is not part of the LGBTQ community, spent Saturday in Colorado Springs with a female friend. "Club Q is in shock, and in deep mourning, with the family and friends who had loved ones senselessly taken from them. Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, Colorado; Daniel Arkin reported from New York.

Michael Anderson, a bartender at Club Q, recalled that he heard "a few popping sounds" and initially assumed someone inside the club might have been clapping. In the dark of the club, Anderson saw "a silhouette of a person" clutching a long gun and heard one loud pop after another. "I don't know who stopped him," Anderson told NBC News, "but I'm grateful, because they most certainly saved my life last night." He has processed this much, Loveall said: "You don't need to take lives or cause pain and suffering to people that you don't know, you don't understand. "It's that adrenaline of, 'I can’t think, and I don’t know what to do.'

Many faces were awash with tears at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church where locals organized the vigil. Outside the vigil, Shayana Dabney, 23, a Black bisexual woman said the "heartbreaking and egregious" shooting had left an indescribable sadness in the pit of her stomach. People gather for a vigil at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday. “The city is hurt.”But, according to some, the city's pain appears to also come from an intolerance for the LGBTQ community that has developed in recent years. Jared Polis, an openly gay man, speaking virtually at the vigil because he tested positive for Covid, called the attack devastating.

MOSCOW, Idaho — Four college students who were fatally stabbed last weekend were likely killed in their sleep and some had defensive wounds, authorities said Friday. Each of the victims was stabbed multiple times, the Moscow Police Department said in a statement, citing autopsies completed by Thursday by the Latah County coroner. There was no sign of sexual assault in the Sunday killings of University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, the department said. Authorities did not receive a 911 call until 11:58 a.m., when someone reported an “unconscious person” at the home, authorities said. I mean, Just nothing.’”More than two-dozen local patrol officers and detectives are investigating the case with the help of 22 FBI investigators and 35 officers from the Idaho State Police, the Moscow Police Department release said.

☆ Faucets poised to run dry for hundreds of Arizona residents by year's end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Scottsdale residents also were urged to reduce their usage as a first step toward more stringent restrictions. Some Rio Verde Foothills residents said they don't know how such an important issue could have dragged on so long without a resolution. Rio Verde Foothills resident Jennifer Simpson. Rio Verde Foothills. “I’m sure that if there’s no access to water, we’d be up in arms.”Many Rio Verde Foothills residents say they feel abandoned.

☆ Rep. Boebert is locked in an unexpectedly close race. Some constituents say they're tired of a 'mini Trump.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

As of Friday morning, Frisch trailed Boebert by 1,122 votes in the U.S. House race. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report had rated the district as solidly Republican ahead of Tuesday’s election. Trump won the district twice, capturing 53.1% of the vote in 2016 and 52.9% four years later. Boebert has since become a volatile figure within her district, opening the door for Frisch to get close to winning the seat, political experts said. Still, Boebert has a strong core of supporters and was leading Friday as the final votes were being tallied.

☆ Mom of 5 died after ketamine injection by a paramedic, family alleges in wrongful death suit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

DENVER — The family of a woman who died four years ago shortly after a paramedic injected her with the powerful sedative ketamine have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the health care worker and the ambulance company. LaCour's family alleges in the lawsuit that Jason Poulson, a paramedic for American Medical Response Ambulance Service, administered 400 milligrams of ketamine to LaCour despite objections from a firefighter who was also an emergency medical technician. Shortly afterward, LaCour stopped breathing, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of her and her husband's five preteen children. LaCour died from acute alcohol and ketamine intoxication, the El Paso County Coroner's Office said in its report. Poulson and American Medical Response Ambulance Service Inc. are named as defendants in the wrongful death lawsuit.

Search resuls for: "Deon J. Hampton"

25 mentions found