TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalMN power plant that burns turkey poop was once a wonder. Now, it may close.
BENSON, Minn. — A plant in western Minnesota that burns turkey litter for power and was once heralded by politicians could soon be shutting down.
Reed Anfinson, who serves on the city of Benson’s economic development authority, told Minnesota Public Radio that 45 employees of Benson Power, formerly known as Fibrominn, were told this week that the plant could close.
Xcel Energy has about a decade left on a contract to buy the power at a premium, but the utility company wants out.
“The costs to rate payers are near $100 million a year, the environmental benefits are minimal, and it just hasn’t worked,” said Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, and chairman of the House energy committee.
Read more: http://www.twincities.com/2017/04/27/an-mn-power-plant-that-burns-turkey-poop-was-once-a-wonder-now-it-may-close/
Off-duty security instructor pepper-sprayed autistic man for eating free cookies, charges say
He was the training director of one of St. Paul’s largest security companies — a man certified on when and how to use Mace.
Which left police mystified as to why Timothy Knutsen would pepper spray an autistic man in the face for eating a cookie from a Cub Foods sampler tray.
Knutsen, 53, of St. Paul, has been charged with two counts of fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct for an incident in Roseville last month.
According to an incident report, in early March, Knutsen was a customer at a Cub Foods at 1201 Larpenteur Ave., when he saw a man eating “a doughnut or a cookie” from the bakery. He told an employee at the store’s service desk, but she said she didn’t see it and there was nothing she could do.
Read more: http://www.twincities.com/2017/04/27/roseville-mn-security-trainer-customer-with-autism-mace-pepper-spray-ate-sample-cookies-charges/
Feds seize $2 million from mental health agency accused of bilking Medicaid
In a highly unusual move, federal prosecutors seized $2 million from a former Twin Cities mental-health agency accused of submitting fraudulent bills for home services involving hundreds of Minnesota children and adults.
The U.S. attorney's office said it seized the funds after an investigation found that Complementary Support Services (CSS), a nonprofit based in Richfield, had fraudulently billed Medicaid.
The money represents a portion of the more than $12 million that CSS allegedly obtained through its fraudulent billing practices, the U.S. attorney's office said in a civil forfeiture action filed Tuesday.
The civil action is a signal that prosecutors could be moving closer to filing criminal charges against those involved in the now-defunct agency.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/feds-seize-2-million-from-mental-health-agency-accused-of-bilking-medicaid/420518853/
Judge to sentence former head of Chicago Public Schools
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago is scheduled to sentence the former head of the nation's third-largest school district for steering $23 million in no-bid city contracts to education firms for $2.3 million in bribes and kickbacks.
Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who held top education jobs in Detroit and Cleveland before becoming Chicago Public Schools CEO, faces up to 20 years behind bars when sentenced Friday. Prosecutors will ask for a 7½-year term, while the defense will argue for 3½ years.
The scheme displayed a brazenness that stood out even for a city with a long history of corruption. Byrd-Bennett, 68, participated in it knowing the district was buckling under major financial strain; the district serves 400,000, mostly low-income students, a government sentencing memo says.
At the time, Byrd-Bennett had a national reputation as an education reformer, earned a $250,000 annual salary and had multiple pensions from previous jobs. But prosecutors say she made a decision "rooted in greed" to participate in the scheme.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/judge-to-sentence-former-head-of-chicago-public-schools/420691263/
Asia-based FIFA official pleads guilty to corruption charges
NEW YORK — An Asia-based FIFA official has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to charges relating to bribery and corruption in elections for soccer's world governing body.
Guam Football Association President Richard Lai, who is a member of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee and is on the Asian Football Confederation's executive board, pleaded guilty in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Thursday to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy in connection with multiple schemes to accept and pay bribes to soccer officials.
Lai, a U.S. citizen, also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose foreign bank accounts and agreed to pay more than $1.1 million in forfeiture and penalties. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen.
Bridget M. Rohde, an Acting U.S. Attorney, announced the guilty plea and said it "marks another important step in our ongoing effort to root out corruption in international soccer."
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/asia-based-fifa-official-pleads-guilty-to-corruption-charges/420692323/
Medica eliminating another 250 jobs as it exits state contract
Minnetonka-based Medica is eliminating another 250 jobs following its decision last year to drop a major state contract for managing care in public health insurance programs.
It was the second and final round of layoffs, the health insurer said, stemming largely from its pullback in the Medicaid and MinnesotaCare programs, which primarily serve lower-income state residents.
Medica let 100 workers go in January, bringing the overall impact to 350 positions — about 20 percent of the health insurer's workforce as of December.
Medica currently serves as the HMO for more than 300,000 people in state public programs, most of whom are switching to a new health plan effective Monday. In 2015, the state saw a similarly large enrollment shift as Minneapolis-based UCare's role in the programs was significantly downsized, prompting the HMO to eliminate 250 jobs.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/medica-eliminating-another-250-jobs-as-it-exits-state-contract/420620033/
Texas House OKs bill to eliminate franchise tax
A plan to eliminate the state’s main business tax won initial approval from the Texas House late Thursday, despite arguments from opponents that the move is short-sighted at a time when lawmakers already are struggling to bridge a multibillion-dollar funding gap with deep budget cuts.
The House voted 98-45 to approve House Bill 28, which would phase out the state franchise tax, also called the margins tax, that brings in an estimated $8 billion to state coffers each two-year budget cycle.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, still must be approved on a final procedural vote, but it is expected to be sent to the Senate.
The bill “puts the franchise tax on the correct path, and that is the path of going away,” Bonnen said. “This is the appropriate thing to do to eliminate this bad tax, that was created largely to do property tax relief” that hasn’t been fully realized.
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/business/texas-house-oks-bill-eliminate-franchise-tax/BVZ5ei4EO2xAT9izEU7laO/
Fox host Jesse Watters announces vacation following backlash over Ivanka Trump remark
Fox News host Jesse Watters announced late Wednesday that he is taking an abrupt vacation from “The Five” following backlash over sexually charged remarks about first daughter Ivanka Trump.
"I'm going to be taking a vacation with my family, so I'm not going to be here tomorrow,” Watters said during his show, according to reports. "I'll be back on Monday, so don't miss me too much.”
His abrupt departure comes just three days into the new prime-time slot for his show. CNN’s Brian Stelter noted that Watters will miss two days of his first week in prime time, as well as his weekend show.
During a segment on Tuesday night, Watters remarked on the way that Trump held a microphone while she discussed women’s rights at a panel in Germany.
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/330816-fox-host-jesse-watters-announces-vacation-following-backlash-over-ivanka-trump
Decorated Veteran announces his campaign to win Texas Senate District 25
Austin, April 21, 2017 – Former Army Reserve Captain and local businessman Steven Kling of Dripping Springs, TX has announced his candidacy for Texas Senate District 25. He will be challenging Donna Campbell (R) for the seat in the November 2018 election.
“Our district is experiencing unprecedented growth, and while growth is good, it is important to manage it responsibly and equitably. My opponent has failed this district in that regard. Our infrastructure is dangerously inadequate and our rivers and creeks have become dumping grounds under the current administration. Growth must work for the people who live here, not just a handful that seek to profit from it, and not without a plan to maintain a high standard of living for all citizens now and in the future.”
Steven has lived in the Austin area since 2001 with his wife Kelsey and twin boys, Everett and Elliott. They moved to Dripping Springs in 2013. Steve grew up in San Angelo, TX attending Central High School, and graduating from Texas A&M University in 1995. Steve has answered the call to service before, joining the Army Reserve in 2004 to serve two combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recipient of the Bronze Star, the Combat Action Badge and the Joint Services Commendation Medal, Captain Kling left the reserve after 11 years of distinguished service in 2015. The current corrosive political environment has convinced him to return to fight for his community in a new capacity.
“We’ve had enough of cynical, fear-based, divide-and-conquer politics. The backward ideology being forced upon us by the legislature, rubber-stamped by my opponent, is making our state a national pariah for just the kind of businesses we need to attract to position us for future success. We have a vision for our state where Texas takes the lead in adopting in innovative ideas that will bring next-generation improvement in education, energy and public health and safety. We need to embrace these new ideas. Peddling nostalgia isn’t leadership.”
Read more: http://www.hayscountydemocrats.org/decorated-veteran-announces-his-campaign-to-win-texas-senate-district-25/
The campaign launch party is on April 29.
U.S. Steel restarts Lone Star mill; 200 workers to be recalled
Encouraged by an improvement in the oil industry and overall national economy, U.S. Steel is restarting the No. 2 Welded Pipe Mill that it idled a year ago at the Lone Star Tubular Operations.
"We expect production to resume in May, and we anticipate recalling 200 employees," Meghan Cox, a spokeswoman at corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh said in an email.
Cox referred to the first-quarter earnings report that U.S. Steel released Tuesday.
The report states total U.S. rig count stood Friday at 857, an increase of 112 percent compared with the lowest point in May 2016.
Read more: https://www.news-journal.com/news/2017/apr/26/us-steel-restarts-lone-star-mill/
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
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