Latest news with #Browner
New York Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Richly Imagined New Historical Fiction
Sing to Me Ever since their exploits were recorded in Homeric Greek, the warriors of the 'Iliad' have been fixtures of our cultural heritage. But in his latest novel, Browner prefers to focus on the unknown lives that were lost on the fringes of the Trojan War, on the damage years of fighting left behind. SING TO ME (Little, Brown, 213 pp., $28) takes place in an apocalyptic landscape of scorched fields and abandoned villages. Its hero is an 11-year-old boy who finds himself alone on the family farm with only a donkey for company. Setting off in search of his father and 6-year-old sister, long overdue after a desperate trek to the markets of the nearby city, Hani heads for 'the road everyone takes before they don't come back.' What he finds at its end is a vast smoldering ruin, abandoned by both its defenders and its attackers — except for one severely wounded Greek. An innocent confronted with unspeakable destruction, Hani struggles to understand what the future holds and what his place in it might look like. 'Now,' he thinks to himself, 'the only combatants left are a dying soldier and a boy with a sling. Is this what people mean when they talk about peace? Maybe peace is just war taking a rest.' The Rarest Fruit The island of Réunion, a French territory off the east coast of Africa, is known for its vanilla. Less well known is the story of the illiterate enslaved boy who figured out how to hand-pollinate vanilla orchids, allowing the wider world to experience a flavor that had been lost since the 16th century, when the Aztec empire was destroyed by the Spanish. Edmond Albius made his discovery in 1841, when he was only 12 years old. It was, as Bélem notes in THE RAREST FRUIT (Europa, 189 pp., $24), just one act in the 'tragicomedy' of a Black child adopted, then exploited, abandoned and finally rescued in adulthood by the white planter whose horticultural knowledge he absorbed without benefit of formal schooling. Told he must be content with toiling as a gardener rather than studying to be a botanist, Edmond 'makes do with what he has and what people deign to give him.' Translated from the French by Hildegarde Serle, Bélem's fictional account of Edmond's experiences is also an ironic portrait of a society in which the official abolition of slavery does little to improve the lives of the formerly enslaved: 'They were running toward freedom as if plowing headlong into a wall, Edmond first among them.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
2 men sentenced in killing of Fort Worth grandfather who was unintended target
Ronald Bradley was along to pacify the situation. His grandson, Roy Browner, was in a dispute with Browner's ex-girlfriend and was upset that she had a new boyfriend. The fractured former couple spent a day in September 2022 arguing about custody of their son. Browner and his grandfather drove the ex-girlfriend's daughter to an apartment in Arlington. Browner and Bradley returned to south Fort Worth in a Cadillac. Bradley wanted something to eat from a Wendy's restaurant, and his grandson steered into the drive-thru line. There, according to the account Browner described to Fort Worth police detectives, a sport utility vehicle pulled next to them. A back passenger opened fire. The detectives, Kyle Sullivan and Matt Anderson, concluded that the shooter was Xavier Bacon, the new boyfriend. Bacon shot Bradley, who was 60, in the head and he died in the Cadillac's front passenger seat. In the minutes before the killing, Bacon and Johnathan Banks, who was driving the SUV from which Bacon fired, stalked Browner and Bradley, following them from an apartment building where they stopped to pick up the grandfather's wallet to the restaurant, according to surveillance video reviewed by police. Bacon and Banks were indicted on murder in the killing. In a plea agreement with the state, Banks, who is 38, on Friday pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failure to report a felony and was sentenced by Judge Steven Jumes to two years of deferred probation. Bacon, who is 23, on Feb. 19 pleaded guilty to murder, and Judge Jumes sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Jumes presides in the 485th District Court in Tarrant County. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Family faces legal fight over services for daughter with Down syndrome → Blue Cross Blue Shield drops coverage at North Texas hospitals → Woman attacked, killed outside Arlington apartment [Get our breaking news alerts.] Banks admitted to following Browner and told the detectives that Bacon was the only person in the back seat of his SUV when he was driving in the Wendy's parking lot in the 2100 block of Sycamore School Road. Banks said he heard gunshots but indicated he did not know their source, according to an arrest warrant affidavit supporting the suspects' arrest that recounts the Fort Worth Police Department Homicide Unit's investigation. Detectives said they found in the back passenger door cup holder of Banks' SUV a fired cartridge casing that is of the same brand as the cartridge casings that were found in the Wendy's parking lot. In his first interview with Detectives Sullivan and Anderson, Bacon said he was at work in Irving at the time of the homicide and was not involved in the shooting. In another interview after his arrest, Bacon admitted to the shooting and said that Banks was driving him, according to an affidavit. In a handwritten motion that he prepared from jail before he pleaded guilty, Bacon asserted a self-defense argument. Bacon wrote that Browner was jealous and intended to destroy the new relationship. Browner began to follow Bacon 'everywhere he went,' and was following him at the time of the killing, Bacon wrote. 'He had a firearm in his hand pointing it at [me],' Bacon wrote of Browner. Defense attorney Steve Gordon was appointed to represent Bacon. Defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp was appointed to represent Banks. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Chris Dewitt prosecuted the case.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
10 candidates for Orland School District 135 Board discuss test scores, taxes
With four seats up for vote, and only two incumbents running, a crowded ticket is on the ballot for the Orland Park School District 135 Board race on April 1. Nichole Browner and Elizabeth Jobb are seeking second terms on the board that governs primary schools Centennial, Center, Park and Prairie, intermediate schools High Point, Liberty and Meadow Ridge, and junior high schools Century, Jerling and Orland. Incumbents Jennifer Tutor and James Bax, who is running for High School District 230 Board, are not seeking reelection. Browner said candidates Ray Morandi, Chad Capps, Vince Oluwaleke and Kelly Chmielewski were handpicked by Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, following contention between the district and the Orland Park Village Board over tax increment financing districts and other issues. Other newcomers running are Deborah L. Scumaci, Aisha Zayyad, Jennifer Durkin-Fekete and Daniel Finlayson. 'I feel like this election especially, we're seeing a lot of people who are potentially running for the wrong reasons and just really don't understand what they're getting into or the role of a school board member,' Browner said Monday. Capps contributed $2,700 to Pekau's campaign committee between August 2023 and January of this year, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Morandi and Oluwaleke each recently contributed $1,000 to the Republican Organization of Orland Township, which has endorsed them along with Capps and Chmielewski in the upcoming election. Browner said she recruits and runs community activities as a Girl Scout leader and was asked to run for a school board seat in 2021 by parents in District 135. She said she's not a politician and will likely not seek a third term. 'I'm running again not to fix anything, because I'm extremely proud of our district and we've come such a long way in the last four years, coming back from COVID,' Browner said. She said she wants to see through projects she worked on during her first term. Browner said the board's accomplishments over the past four years include creating a strategic plan that represented the feedback of district staff, parents and community members, as well as renovating buildings as part of an eight-year plan to improve facilities for students that is expected to wrap up in summer 2026. During a candidate forum hosted by Orland School District 135 Parents for Education March 13, Browner, Jobb, Zayyad, Durkin-Fekete, Oluwaleke, Chmielewski and Finlayson shared views on TIF districts, curriculum development, the role of school libraries and redistricting. Chmielewski, who said her youngest daughter attends school at Jerling, raised concerns about the district's academic outlook, citing data from the Illinois State Board of Education showing 60% of district students are proficient in English/language arts compared to 41% statewide, and 38% of students are proficient in math compared to 28% across Illinois. 'These numbers tell the story of District 135 not providing the education our students deserve and that the taxpayers are paying for,' Chmielewski said. She said the board lacks transparency by cutting public comments out of board meeting recordings posted online. 'Their statements are gone forever, but the concerns remain,' she said. As as board member, she said she would make more meeting content available to the public as well as ensure fiscal responsibility. Jobb and Browner highlighted what they see as positive progress made by the board, including expanding five district schools to reduce class sizes. Jobb said she was instrumental in swapping numerical grades with traditional letter grades as well as in plans to update the district's math and literacy curricula. 'I support continuing focus on student growth across all academic levels, quality staff retention, building a positive relationship with the community through transparency and outreach and responsibly managing taxpayer money through a student-focused budget,' she said. Morandi said Monday he supported he the switch to letter grades and that it increased motivation in his own children to succeed academically. Morandi said he is running now that his children are older and he has more time to offer up to the community. Major priorities for Morandi, a real estate agent and owner of Morandi Properties, are to retain high quality teachers by offering competitive salaries and benefits as well as maintain a balanced budget. During the candidate forum, Jobb criticized TIF districts, which she said can pull funding away from school districts, with Browner saying they are most useful in 'blighted or undeveloped communities.' Those supportive of TIFs include Chmielewski, who said the district turned down $5 million from an Orland Park TIF that she would have supported as a board member, and Oluwaleke, who works as an assistant director of pharmacy at the University of Illinois Chicago. 'If it's good for the village, it's good for the schools,' Oluwaleke said. 'As long as it's used correctly, everybody still benefits from it.' Zayyad and Durkin-Fekete both said they are parents of District 135 students running independently. Zayyad said she is active in recommending books to add to school libraries, to which she said the district has been responsive. 'Most of the books that I've recommended ended up in the library, and I'm very, very happy to see that,' Zayyad, who has a professional background in biochemistry and food science, said at the candidate forum. 'I think we have a great selection of books, and I think it really keeps the kids engaged.' Incumbent Alan Kastengren took to social media to endorse several candidates in the upcoming election, including Zayyad, Jobb and Browner. :She has stood out by doing her homework: reaching out to board members, attending board meetings and laying out clearly what her priorities will be,' Kastengren said in a March 17 Facebook post. 'She has shown the willingness to work hard and to learn that is the heart of being a good school board member.' He said he also sees Durkin-Fekete and Finlayson, who works works as a science teacher within Westmont District 201, as other good choices for voters. Durkin-Fekete said at the candidate forum she has been a math teacher in South Holland for 19 years and as a District 135 parent has collaborated with administration and staff 'to create a positive, inclusive and effective learning environment.' She said she would support adding a board committee tasked with special education, especially amid threats to the U.S. Department of Education that provides funding to special education services. Finlayson agreed on the importance of special education as a discussion topic for the board but emphasized the importance of holding committees accountable for achieving set goals. 'I would want to make sure that it's not just a bureaucratic push through, but actually something that has goals and would be resonated with the board and the community,' Finlayson said. The next District 135 Board meeting is April 14 at Meadow Ridge School, 10959 W 159th St, Orland Park. ostevens@
Chicago Tribune
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
10 candidates for Orland School District 135 Board discuss test scores, taxes
With four seats up for vote, and only two incumbents running, a crowded ticket is on the ballot for the Orland Park School District 135 Board race on April 1. Nichole Browner and Elizabeth Jobb are seeking second terms on the board that governs primary schools Centennial, Center, Park and Prairie, intermediate schools High Point, Liberty and Meadow Ridge, and junior high schools Century, Jerling and Orland. Incumbents Jennifer Tutor and James Bax, who is running for High School District 230 Board, are not seeking reelection. Browner said candidates Ray Morandi, Chad Capps, Vince Oluwaleke and Kelly Chmielewski were handpicked by Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, following contention between the district and the Orland Park Village Board over tax increment financing districts and other issues. Other newcomers running are Deborah L. Scumaci, Aisha Zayyad, Jennifer Durkin-Fekete and Daniel Finlayson. 'I feel like this election especially, we're seeing a lot of people who are potentially running for the wrong reasons and just really don't understand what they're getting into or the role of a school board member,' Browner said Monday. Capps contributed $2,700 to Pekau's campaign committee between August 2023 and January of this year, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Morandi and Oluwaleke each recently contributed $1,000 to the Republican Organization of Orland Township, which has endorsed them along with Capps and Chmielewski in the upcoming election. Browner said she recruits and runs community activities as a Girl Scout leader and was asked to run for a school board seat in 2021 by parents in District 135. She said she's not a politician and will likely not seek a third term. 'I'm running again not to fix anything, because I'm extremely proud of our district and we've come such a long way in the last four years, coming back from COVID,' Browner said. She said she wants to see through projects she worked on during her first term. Browner said the board's accomplishments over the past four years include creating a strategic plan that represented the feedback of district staff, parents and community members, as well as renovating buildings as part of an eight-year plan to improve facilities for students that is expected to wrap up in summer 2026. During a candidate forum hosted by Orland School District 135 Parents for Education March 13, Browner, Jobb, Zayyad, Durkin-Fekete, Oluwaleke, Chmielewski and Finlayson shared views on TIF districts, curriculum development, the role of school libraries and redistricting. Chmielewski, who said her youngest daughter attends school at Jerling, raised concerns about the district's academic outlook, citing data from the Illinois State Board of Education showing 60% of district students are proficient in English/language arts compared to 41% statewide, and 38% of students are proficient in math compared to 28% across Illinois. 'These numbers tell the story of District 135 not providing the education our students deserve and that the taxpayers are paying for,' Chmielewski said. She said the board lacks transparency by cutting public comments out of board meeting recordings posted online. 'Their statements are gone forever, but the concerns remain,' she said. As as board member, she said she would make more meeting content available to the public as well as ensure fiscal responsibility. Jobb and Browner highlighted what they see as positive progress made by the board, including expanding five district schools to reduce class sizes. Jobb said she was instrumental in swapping numerical grades with traditional letter grades as well as in plans to update the district's math and literacy curricula. 'I support continuing focus on student growth across all academic levels, quality staff retention, building a positive relationship with the community through transparency and outreach and responsibly managing taxpayer money through a student-focused budget,' she said. Morandi said Monday he supported he the switch to letter grades and that it increased motivation in his own children to succeed academically. Morandi said he is running now that his children are older and he has more time to offer up to the community. Major priorities for Morandi, a real estate agent and owner of Morandi Properties, are to retain high quality teachers by offering competitive salaries and benefits as well as maintain a balanced budget. During the candidate forum, Jobb criticized TIF districts, which she said can pull funding away from school districts, with Browner saying they are most useful in 'blighted or undeveloped communities.' Those supportive of TIFs include Chmielewski, who said the district turned down $5 million from an Orland Park TIF that she would have supported as a board member, and Oluwaleke, who works as an assistant director of pharmacy at the University of Illinois Chicago. 'If it's good for the village, it's good for the schools,' Oluwaleke said. 'As long as it's used correctly, everybody still benefits from it.' Zayyad and Durkin-Fekete both said they are parents of District 135 students running independently. Zayyad said she is active in recommending books to add to school libraries, to which she said the district has been responsive. 'Most of the books that I've recommended ended up in the library, and I'm very, very happy to see that,' Zayyad, who has a professional background in biochemistry and food science, said at the candidate forum. 'I think we have a great selection of books, and I think it really keeps the kids engaged.' Incumbent Alan Kastengren took to social media to endorse several candidates in the upcoming election, including Zayyad, Jobb and Browner. :She has stood out by doing her homework: reaching out to board members, attending board meetings and laying out clearly what her priorities will be,' Kastengren said in a March 17 Facebook post. 'She has shown the willingness to work hard and to learn that is the heart of being a good school board member.' He said he also sees Durkin-Fekete and Finlayson, who works works as a science teacher within Westmont District 201, as other good choices for voters. Durkin-Fekete said at the candidate forum she has been a math teacher in South Holland for 19 years and as a District 135 parent has collaborated with administration and staff 'to create a positive, inclusive and effective learning environment.' She said she would support adding a board committee tasked with special education, especially amid threats to the U.S. Department of Education that provides funding to special education services. Finlayson agreed on the importance of special education as a discussion topic for the board but emphasized the importance of holding committees accountable for achieving set goals. 'I would want to make sure that it's not just a bureaucratic push through, but actually something that has goals and would be resonated with the board and the community,' Finlayson said. The next District 135 Board meeting is April 14 at Meadow Ridge School, 10959 W 159th St, Orland Park.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Chicago man solicited minor for sex, lied about pro-Islamic State posts, prosecutors say
The Brief A Chicago man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for soliciting a minor for sex and lying about pro-Islamic State social media posts. Prosecutors said he tried to contact the media arm of the Islamic State on X, formerly known as Twitter. They also said he met the minor for sex and attempted to traffic them. CHICAGO - A Chicago man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for soliciting a minor for sex and lying to the FBI about social media posts supporting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Hardy Lee Browner, 37, pleaded guilty in 2023 to making a materially false statement to the FBI involving international terrorism and soliciting a minor to engage in commercial sex, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office Northern District of Illinois. A federal judge sentenced Browner last Wednesday, and ruled he undergo five years of court-supervised release after he serves his sentence. What we know Browner admitted in a plea agreement that he used various accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, to communicate with individuals associated with the Islamic State, including the media arm of the terrorist group, prosecutors said. He also used the accounts to make public posts about "jihad, martyrdom, and ISIS," prosecutors said When FBI agents interviewed Browner about the posts, he falsely claimed he didn't use the accounts or tried to contact the terrorist group. Browner also attempted to traffic a minor with whom he had engaged in a sexual relationship. He communicated with the minor on Instagram, texts and phone calls, prosecutors said. He met the child multiple times and had sex with them. He gave the minor cash and other items. Browner also tried to traffic the minor for sex with others for money, but his crimes were discovered before the minor was trafficked. What they're saying Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Julia Schwartz discussed the message they had for criminals following the sentence. "The defendant disrespected law enforcement agents and sought to thwart the FBI's mission in defending against terrorist organizations," they said. About the trafficking crime, they said, "Traffickers operating today should receive the message that if you traffic children in the Chicagoland area, the sentence will be severe."
