Latest news with #Eversole
Politico
09-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Eversole to lead Wall Street trade group
With Daniel Lippman BANK LOBBY TAPS NEW LEADER: The Financial Services Forum, which represents eight of the largest banks in the U.S., has lured Amanda Eversole from the American Petroleum Institute to be its next president and chief executive. Eversole has been with the oil and gas lobby since 2018, and has served as API's executive vice president and chief advocacy officer since 2022. — But Eversole is no stranger to the banking world, having spent two years as head of public affairs at JPMorgan Chase — a member of the Financial Services Forum — prior to joining API. Before that, Eversole spent 13 years with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she helped launch the Chamber's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness. — Eversole succeeds Kevin Fromer, who announced last week that he would step down after eight years as head of the Forum. TRUMP AIDE HEADED BACK DOWNTOWN: Joe Ellis is returning to K Street to join BGR Group as a vice president after a stint in the public sector. Ellis most recently worked as an advance staffer for the White House, where he helped lead the planning for President Donald Trump's recent trips to Qatar and the NATO Summit in the Netherlands. Before that he served as chief of staff to Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), a former Trump advance staffer himself. — Prior to his time on the Hill, Ellis worked for nearly a decade at BP, including serving as the British oil major's vice president and head of U.S. government affairs for much of the first Trump administration. Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. Let me know where your attention is focused now that the reconciliation bill has been signed into law: Add me on Signal at caitlinoprysko.17, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. TURNING THE SCREWS: Liberal judicial reform group Demand Justice is ramping up the pressure on lawmakers who support the Trump administration's judicial nominees amid the president's attacks on judges and the courts. — The dark money group unveiled a new tracker today that it says has catalogued more than 1,700 attacks on the rule of law by Trump and his administration, Republican lawmakers, the broader conservative ecosystem and even the Supreme Court itself. — The launch was paired with a print and digital ad buy in today's Washington Post highlighting recent polling from 2026 Senate battleground states that found bipartisan concern about the Trump administration's handling of judicial issues. — Demand Justice plans on using the tracker and polling data to squeeze members of Congress — including Democrats who break with the party — as the Senate prepares to vote on a slate of controversial Trump nominees, including Trump's former personal attorney Emil Bove for a judgeship on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. GAMING INDUSTRY PIVOTS TO TAX FIX: The gaming industry is falling in line behind a bipartisan measure aimed at addressing a tax change in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that sparked a last-minute outcry from gamblers. Earlier this week, Las Vegas Democratic Rep. Dina Titus introduced legislation that would restore a provision allowing gamblers to write off 100 percent of their losses, which the GOP megabill signed into law last week would cap at 90 percent. — Furious gamblers took to social media to warn that the new law would hit some bettors with tax bills that exceeded their winnings or even if they netted losses on the year. But a gaming industry source granted anonymity to discuss private discussions about the bill stressed the change was procedural, rather than a 'referendum' on gambling policy, and would likely impact a much smaller swath of taxpayers than is being suggested online. — The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which protested the tax change just as the reconciliation bill neared the finish line last week, threw its support behind Titus' fix, calling the deduction cap 'detrimental' to bettors who are foundational to horse racing and pledging to work with the Trump administration and Congress to address the matter. — Titus' bill has already drawn support from across the aisle, with GOP Reps. Troy Nehls (Texas), Mark Amodei (Nev.) and Jeff Van Drew (N.J.) — all of whom voted for the reconciliation bill containing the tax change — signing on as cosponsors. Titus' fellow Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna (Calif.) and Steven Horsford (Nev.) are also backing the bill, though the gaming industry source argued that the best shot for a fix will likely involve hitching a ride on some as-yet determined legislative vehicle. — The American Gaming Association, which listed the extension of the 100 percent deduction as one of its top priorities for the reconciliation bill in a memo to lawmakers in May, said in a statement praising the overall bill following its passage that it would work to 'restore the long-standing tax treatment of gaming losses' and supports Titus' fix. ANNALS OF ETHICS: 'As commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick oversees the U.S. government's vast efforts to monitor and predict the weather. The billionaire also ran a financial firm, which he recently left in the control of his adult sons, that stands to benefit if President Donald Trump's administration follows through on a decade-long Republican effort to privatize government weather forecasting,' The Associated Press' Brian Slodysko and Michael Biesecker write. — 'Deadly weekend flooding in central Texas has drawn a spotlight to budget cuts and staff reductions at the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, two agencies housed within the Commerce Department that provide the public with free climate and weather data that can be crucial during natural disasters.' — 'What's drawn less attention is how the downsizing appears to be part of an effort to privatize the work of such agencies. In several instances, the companies poised to step into the void have deep ties to people tapped by Trump to run weather-related agencies.' — 'Privatization would diminish a central role the federal government has played in weather forecasting since the 1800s, which experts say poses a particular harm for those facing financial strain who may not be able to afford commercial weather data. The effort also reveals the difficulty that uber wealthy members of Trump's Cabinet have in freeing themselves from conflicts, even if they have met the letter of federal ethics law.' HOW CRYPTO GOT A HODL OF TRUMP: 'Just over a year ago, while sitting around a table in an ornate meeting room at Mar-a-Lago, David Bailey and a group of top Bitcoin executives made a pitch to Donald J. Trump. They were looking for a savior' following years of animosity from leaders in Washington, The New York Times' David Yaffe-Bellany and Ken Vogel write, and were rallying support for Trump's reelection to the tune of $100 million. — The outcome of that meeting, which culminated in a supportive post on social media from the formerly crypto skeptical ex-president, marked 'one of the earliest successes in a high-stakes lobbying campaign by the crypto industry that has put huge sums of money behind Mr. Trump and reaped enormous rewards.' — 'Virtually every step of Mr. Trump's transformation has been steered by the industry. Lacking much knowledge of its intricacies, Mr. Trump embraced crypto when he saw it could generate huge profits for himself or his political groups, while outsourcing the details to industry advisers with their own business ambitions,' the Times reports, based on documents, audio recordings and interviews with more than 50 people involved with the issue. RELATED READ: 'As Truth Social Business Struggles, Trump Media Goes Big on Crypto,' by the Times' Matthew Goldstein. Jobs report — Nicholas Raineri has joined TSG Advocates as head of the firm's national security portfolio. He most recently served as a senior advisor in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and is a Pentagon and Hill alum. — CGCN is adding Kathryn Johnson as creative director, Elizabeth Pedrotti as a senior associate on the strategic comms team, Mathilde Sharman as vice president on the strategic comms team and Majeda Abu-Alghanam as executive vice president of advocacy. — Catherine Morehouse has launched a strategic comms firm focused on power grid policies and the energy transition. She most recently was an energy reporter at POLITICO. — Noah Kowalski is launching Ad Astra Advisors, an advocacy and advisory firm for companies to navigate Washington. He previously was a vice president at Invariant, leading its national security practice. — Muon Space has added Paula Trimble as vice president of government affairs. She was previously policy chief and director of legislative affairs at the Space Development Agency. — NetChoice is promoting Paul Taske to co-director of its Litigation Center, where he will oversee and manage operations for 19 lawsuits across a dozen states. He was previously the Center's associate director. — Kelsi Daniell has joined P2 Public Affairs as a vice president. She was previously deputy chief of staff to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). — Kendall Witmer, Guillermo Pérez and Jobie Crawford have joined the DNC communications team. Witmer, previously a vice president at Arc Initiatives, is now rapid response director. Pérez, previously comms director for Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), is now speechwriter. Crawford, previously national deputy director of press for the Harris campaign, is now traveling press secretary. — Chris D'Aloia is joining American Airlines as comms manager of public affairs. He previously was comms director for Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) and is a Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) alum. — Caya Lewis Atkins is now vice president of government performance at The Pew Charitable Trusts. She previously was founding principal at GlobalDC Strategies, and is an HHS alum. New Joint Fundraisers None. New PACs Citizens Trust Bank -Political Action Committee (Super PAC) DEFEAT CHINA PAC (PAC) Driftless Rivers Coalition, Inc. (Super PAC) First Americans PAC (Hybrid PAC) IOWA ALWAYS PAC (Super PAC) Maricopa County Democratic Victory Fund (Hybrid PAC) Ohioans For A Safer Future (Super PAC) VIRGINIA VICTORY 2026 (Super PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Acg Advocacy: Environmental Working Group Adams And Reese, LLP: International Economic Development Council Advanced Policy Consulting, LLC: Wiz, Inc. Ballard Partners: Agi Cargo, LLC And Agi Ground, Inc. Canfield Consulting, LLC: Millennium Corporation Canfield Consulting, LLC: Oracle Corporation Carlough Solutions, LLC: Mike Schmitz Automotive Group Cook Inlet Region Inc.: Cook Inlet Region Inc Crane Strategies LLC (Louisiana): California Hospital Association Crowell & Moring LLP: Growth Energy Dutko Government Relations: North American Home Furnishings Association Federal Health Policy Strategies: Brightspring Health Services Federal Health Policy Strategies: Vektor Medical Ferox Strategies: Stoke Therapeutics Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (Ewic)) Imperium Global Advisors: 9 Mothers Defense Jones Walker, LLP: Free File, Inc. Joshua Higginbotham Consulting, LLC: Cmn Security Group Joshua Higginbotham Consulting, LLC: Elizabeth Hoolman Memorial Holocaust Education Foundation Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton: Candyco, LLC Liberty Partners Group, LLC: National Endovascular Associates (Office-Based Facility Assn Obfa) Lucas | Compton: Garrison Fathom Mercury Public Affairs, LLC: Eugene Shvidler Mr. Daniel Weiss: The Cormac Group Obo The Bell Legal Group Nichols Law LLP: Continuity Global Solutions Ogr: Vl Business Services LLC O'Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies, LLC: Atlas Arteria N.A. Portfolio Strategies LLC: Milo'S Tea Company Inc. Relation Strategy, LLC: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld (Obo Valiant Strategies LLC) River Public Affairs Group: Montana Tunnels Mining Inc Strategic Marketing Innovations: Sixteen Thirty Fund On Behalf Of Paid Leave For All Sugar Creek Packing Company: Sugar Creek Packing Company Surescripts: Surescripts The Nickles Group, LLC: Charter Brokerage, LLC The Normandy Group, LLC: Lowe Syndrome Association Tiber Creek Group: Arcxis Tsg Advocates Dc, LLC: Banco De Desarrollo Rural, Borovicka & O'Shea Government Solutions (Fka Alexander & Borovicka Go: Mclane Company, Inc. Congressional Solutions, Inc (Csi): Northeastern University Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C.: Alliance For America's Promise Holland & Knight LLP: Crysalis Biosciences, Inc. Mason Street Consulting, LLC: Innovaccer Inc. Mason Street Consulting, LLC: Perimeter Medical Imaging Mayforth Group, LLC.: State Of Rhode Island Mindset Advocacy, LLC: B. Riley Financial, Inc. Mindset Advocacy, LLC: Pretium Partners The Federal Group, Inc.: Association Of Clinical Research Professionals The Federal Group, Inc.: Javara Research The Federal Group, Inc.: Medical Device Manufacturing Association Think Policy Consulting, LLC: Bridge Fuels Think Policy Consulting, LLC: Thorium Energy Alliance
Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: DuPage forest preserve district police officer wins state honor; BrightSide Theatre announces upcoming 2025-26 season
Kim Eversole, a police officer for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, has been named a 2025 Illinois Juvenile Officers Association Officer of the Year. Eversole is a 14-year veteran of the department and is its community engagement coordinator. She is involved with several efforts to connect youth with nature and law enforcement, a news release from the forest preserve district said. Among her outreach events last year included four free 'Cops and Bobbers' fishing programs held at DuPage County forest preserves. Eversole also attended numerous summer camps and community programs, including like National Night Out, which reinforces the idea that law enforcement officers are approachable, the release said. In December, she organized 'Shop With a Cop,' a program that gives kids a holiday shopping trip to pick out items from their wish list while spending meaningful time with an officer. Eversole is also a field training officer and responds to calls as a Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team drone operator in addition to her regular patrol duties. She previously led the department's volunteer Trail Watch program. BrightSide Theatre, a professional theater company based in Naperville, will open its 14th season in October with 'The Rocky Horror Show.' The musical, which was adapted into the film 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' will be presented from Oct. 24 to Nov. 9 at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. From Jan. 9 to 18, BrightSide will perform 'Phantom in Concert' at the Madden Theatre, 171 Chicago Ave. It will be followed by 'Private Lives' from April 10-26 and 'The Producers' from June 12-28. Both productions will be at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall. Tickets are $37 for adults and $32 for students and seniors. Season subscriptions and individual show tickets can be purchased starting July 1 online at or by calling 630-447-8497. The BrightSide Youth Theatre Project will also perform condensed versions of hit musicals tailored for young performers and audiences. 'The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition' will be presented Oct. 25-Nov. 2 at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall and 'Legally Blonde the Musical Jr.' will be performed Feb. 20-28 at the Yellow Box Theatre, 1635 Emerson Lane. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and will be on sale beginning in September and January before the shows. Empty camping-sized, 1-pound propane tanks can be recycled for free if dropped off at the Blackwell Forest Preserve Campground, near Butterfield and Winfield roads in Warrenville, just past the gate and east of the campground office building. The gates are closed during non-camping hours, but patrons can park in the north shelter lot and walk to the recycling crate when the Blackwell preserve is open, officials said. Blackwell is open one hour after sunrise and closes one hour after sunset. The program is offered through a partnership with the county, the forest preserve district and Flat Can Recycling. Four Naperville restaurants have been recognized for their exceptional wine programs and pairing experiences by Wine Spectator. The magazine recently named its 2025 honorees, which includes Award of Excellence winners Sullivan's Steakhouse, 244 S. Main St.; Ramsay's Kitchen, 39 W. Jefferson Ave.; Fogo de Chao, 1824 Abriter Court; and Morton's The Steakhouse, 1751 Freedom Drive. This year, Sullivan's expanded its offerings with wine-pairing dinners that feature educational components, multicourse menus and exclusive access to limited-edition bottles, according to a news release from the Dividend Restaurant Group, whose brands include Sullivan's and Eddie Merlot's steakhouse. Eddie Merlot's Warrenville and Burr Ridge locations were also recognized by Wine Spectator. Wine Spectator selected more than 3,800 restaurants as award-winners this year, including restaurants in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, its website said. The awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers, the website said. Restaurants named to its Award of Excellence category typically offer at least 90 selections of wine. Its highest honor, given to fewer than 100 restaurants, typically feature more than 1,000 selections of wines and the highest level of wine service.
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Inside the mysterious slaying of a Hollywood pimp with Russian mob tattoos
The key to solving a mysterious double homicide in the South Bay city of Lomita was a convicted robber imprisoned 200 miles away. Robert Eversole had never met Allan Roshanski or Ruslan Magomedgadzhiev, but he told the authorities he knew 'everything' about how they died the morning of Oct. 4, 2020. But first, Eversole wanted to make a deal. He'd gotten his daughters and wife involved in fraud, drug dealing and gun running schemes that he'd orchestrated from prison. He wanted their charges dropped and his own sentence reduced. The only currency Eversole had to barter with was his knowledge of crimes he said he'd committed for the Aryan Brotherhood, the syndicate of white inmates that dominated the prison yards where he'd spent the last 21 years. In January, Eversole explained how Roshanski and Magomedgadzhiev ended up on the Aryan Brotherhood's hit list, his account part of a saga that unspooled over three days in a Fresno courtroom. It all came down to a stolen car, unemployment benefits and Russian prison tattoos. The first part of Roshanski's story was told by his former lover. Testifying in Fresno in January, Lana Haley said she was addicted to methamphetamine and supporting herself through fraud and theft when she met Roshanski in 2020. He was two years out of prison, having served four years for pimping women in Hollywood. Haley said she had a 'friends with benefits relationship' with Roshanski, who was living out of hotel rooms around San Diego. Roshanski, then 36, made his money by defrauding the California Employment Development Department, which was doling out benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, Haley testified. In August 2020, she accompanied Roshanski on a trip to Wisconsin. While he was asleep, Haley stole his rental car. 'I was struggling, homeless and on drugs,' she testified. 'It's just something I decided to do to survive.' Inside the car were two pounds of methamphetamine. Haley used some and sold the rest, she testified. Then she got a call from Francis Clement, she said. Clement is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood who has been imprisoned for murder since 1985, prosecutors say. At parole hearings, the 58-year-old has denied being affiliated with the gang. Clement told Haley she'd stolen drugs that belonged to the Aryan Brotherhood, she testified. She owed them $5,000. Haley said she returned to California and gave the money to a man who worked for Clement. She never saw Roshanski again. Eversole, 51, filled in the rest of the story. A compact man with no neck, a salt-and-pepper beard and close-cropped hair, Eversole was at North Kern State Prison in Delano when he heard about Roshanski's fraud racket. Defrauding the state of pandemic benefits was 'the big thing' at the time, said Eversole, who admitted getting his own family involved. 'A lot of people were getting a lot of money.' The Aryan Brotherhood collected a 'tithe' from white criminals inside and out of prison, Eversole said. At North Kern, where Eversole said he used corrupt kitchen staff and drones to bring in drugs and phones, he paid for the privilege of doing business in the Aryan Brotherhood's 'house.' 'We always said among ourselves, 'This isn't your prison. This is the Aryan Brotherhood's prison,'' he testified. 'They let you be on their yards.' The same rules applied to criminals on the street. Eversole wanted to extort Roshanski — but he needed to find out whether he could get away with it. From his prison cell, Eversole said he'd heard Roshanski had 'Russian mob-style tattoos.' According to a coroner's report, Roshanski had inked stars on his knees, a symbol in the Russian penal system that can only be worn by a high-level criminal. 'I'm not sure what this guy is,' Eversole said he told Kenneth 'Kenwood' Johnson, a reputed Aryan Brotherhood member who has been incarcerated since 1996 for attempting to kill a Madera County sheriff's deputy. Johnson, 63, has denied at parole hearings being affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood. Eversole said he ran a background check on Roshanski, asking some Armenians he knew if they were aware of him. They sent word back to Eversole: Roshanski wasn't part of any Russian mob and shouldn't have gotten those tattoos. According to Eversole, Johnson wanted Roshanski to turn over EDD debit cards loaded with cash. Once Roshanski came under Johnson's protection, no one else would be allowed to extort or rob him, Eversole testified. Then the plan changed. Johnson said Roshanski had 'disrespected' Clement, according to Eversole. It wasn't clear if this had to do with the methamphetamine stolen from Roshanski's car. 'We're going to smoke his a— and take all of them, all the cards,' Johnson said, according to Eversole. Johnson's attorney, Andrea Luem, called Eversole 'the definition of an incentivized witness' and said he only implicated Johnson after prosecutors suggested it. Hoping to sweeten his deal, Eversole offered a 'made-up theory,' she said in her closing argument. When he learned who Johnson had picked to be the killer, Eversole testified, he was stunned. Eversole had met Justin 'Sidetrack' Gray at Calipatria State Prison, where they worked out together under the desert sun. Gray was a good soldier, according to Eversole. He said that, on his orders, Gray had 'stabbed the s— out of' a convicted sex offender, who somehow survived. Eversole came to see Gray as a little brother, he testified. Gray was paroled and started a family in Los Angeles. Eversole had talked with Gray about moving to get away from his past. Then, he said, he learned Gray had been tapped to kill Roshanski. His voice cracking with emotion, Eversole testified he called Gray from prison and asked: 'What the f—'s wrong with you? Why are you doing this?' According to Eversole, Gray said his imprisoned brother was in trouble with the Aryan Brotherhood. If Gray didn't kill Roshanski, they were going to kill his brother, Eversole testified. Understanding the dilemma Gray faced, Eversole said he 'walked him through' how to kill Roshanski. The target was supposed to bring a briefcase filled with EDD debit cards. 'I told him to walk up, shoot him, throw the gun on his body, grab the briefcase and leave,' Eversole testified. Gray has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He is scheduled to stand trial in Fresno in September. His lawyer didn't return a message seeking comment. Eversole said the next time he heard from Gray was a text message that read, 'It was done.' He called Gray and asked if he'd gotten the briefcase. Gray said he hadn't. The plan had gone awry. 'Two guys showed up,' he said, according to Eversole. There was no briefcase. Looking down at the bodies on the sidewalk, Det. Louie Aguilera of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department knew this 'wasn't your typical L.A. murder,' he recalled in an interview. Lying next to Roshanski was Magomedgadzhiev, 40, a former boxer from Chechnya who had served in the Russian military. Both men had been shot once in the head. As a coroner's investigator examined the bodies, 'I started seeing tattoos I've never seen in my life,' said Aguilera, who investigated the homicides with his partner, Det. Maria Maciel. The stars on Roshanski's knees. A sickle and star tattooed across Magomedgadzhiev's abdomen. 'I worked gangs for 12 years in South Central,' Aguilera said. 'I'm familiar with gang tattoos. These were not gang tattoos.' Within days, anonymous tipsters told detectives Gray was involved in the slayings, Aguilera said. Sheriff's deputies arrested him at a motel in Ontario. Gray had a handgun in his waistband and two rifles in his room, according to a police report. Gray refused to talk, Aguilera said. He carried himself with the confidence of someone who could weather prison time. 'This guy's not going to break,' Aguilera recalled thinking. The tips were uncorroborated hearsay. They let Gray go. An agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives called Aguilera a few months later. Eversole knew about their double-murder in Lomita, the agent said. Aguilera and Maciel went to Fresno, where Eversole was being held at the county jail on new charges of trafficking guns and drugs from prison. Eversole laid out why and how the killings happened. He said Gray had made a big mistake — he'd brought Brandon 'Bam Bam' Bannick on the hit, Aguilera recalled. Bannick was Gray's friend and member of the same South Bay gang, the Baby Blue Wrecking Crew. Whereas Gray was a hardened criminal who'd been tested in prison, Bannick was, 'in one word, lost,' Aguilera said. 'I don't think he had a mind of his own.' Eversole didn't think Bannick could be trusted to keep his mouth shut. He testified he told Gray to kill Bannick. In 2022, a grand jury in Fresno charged Johnson and Clement with ordering the slayings in Lomita and Gray and Bannick with carrying them out. The week before he was scheduled to stand trial, Bannick pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Johnson and Clement. At their trial in Fresno earlier this month, Bannick said he knew 'somebody needed to get killed' as he drove Gray to a dark street off Pacific Coast Highway, but he wasn't sure how it was going to happen. Bannick said he pulled over and got out to greet Roshanski and Magomedgadzhiev. Gray walked up and shot them without saying a word, Bannick testified. 'I was startled because I didn't know anything was going to happen right there,' he said. Bannick, 36, said he hopes U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston will spare him from spending the rest of his life behind bars in exchange for his testimony, which helped convict Johnson and Clement of ordering Roshanski and Magomedgadzhiev's slayings. For a time, Eversole said, he spoke nearly every day with Johnson and Clement using contraband cellphones. Because they were held in a different prison, he had never seen them before that day in the courtroom. Eversole said he felt conflicted about testifying against his onetime friends — but his turn as government witness got him all that he wanted. His family's charges were dropped; his own sentence for racketeering and drug trafficking was cut in half. He left prison in July and is now attending college on a Pell grant, he testified. He was never prosecuted for his role in Roshanski and Magomedgadzhiev's deaths. 'You saw him sit up there, get teary-eyed,' Clement's attorney, Jane Fisher-Byrialsen, said in her closing argument. 'When you think about that, think about who he was. Who he is. He got away with murder.' Eversole told the jury he felt 'ambivalent' about his freedom, his voice breaking again, because 'I don't feel I deserve it.' Then he finished testifying and walked out into the free world.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Valley Chapel UMC delivers annual Valentine's gifts to 201st Field Artillery Regiment
FAIRMONT — Even though nothing is really planned by the Marion County National Guard Armory for Valentine's Day, the women of the Valley Chapel United Methodist Church still like to make it a little special for the guards members who serve. Marcella Yaremchuk and one other member of the church stopped by Armory on Thursday armed with candy for members of the 201st Field Artillery Regiment. It's become a yearly tradition for them. 'For us here in the 201st, we've annually been getting these gifts from Miss Yaremchuk,' Maj. James Wikle said. 'We greatly appreciate them because we give them out over the weekend. This has kind of become a tradition for us here, which has been really nice.' Wikle said Valentine's Day gets a pretty standard celebration on military installations. Most soldiers try to get home to their spouses or significant others for a typical Valentine's Day date. Since Valentine's Day and President's Day fall on the same weekend this year, some of the men took a little bit of a longer weekend to take a trip into the mountains with their partners. Overall, it's a more relaxed environment, Wikle said. Lt. Cody Eversole was grateful to receive candy from the local community. 'It's really good candy too, I've seen the peanut butter M&M's,' he said. 'It's my favorite.' Eversole said he took his girlfriend out to dinner for Valentine's Day but other than that, it's business as usual. Eversole is the battalion training officer. He helps coordinate all the major training events at the armory. He also performs various administrative tasks on a part-time basis. The 201st Field Artillery Regiment is a unit with a storied history. It's been in existence since Feb. 17, 1735, it's 290th anniversary was earlier this week. The unit was part of the Continental Army and has served in every major American war since the country's inception. The unit's service record even predates the country, and it also saw action during the French and Indian War, which tilled the soil for the future American Revolution. Most recently, the unit began sending guardsmen down to the southern part of the state to assist with the flooding that's taking place there. Wikle said community involvement is important for the National Guard because it's a community based organization, that supports the local community. Building bonds between the community and the guard makes their job a lot easier, plus, it's nice to be appreciated, he said. 'Community buy-in is huge,' Eversole said. 'Not only does it remind us why we do what we do, it also helps buy-in and increase recruiting and retention.' Wikle added the 201st also does Wreath's Across America every year with Yaremchuk, and they also directly support football teams at the local high schools. Yaremchuk said the guard does more than that. They also allow groups to use the building for events, they've allowed New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day Dances in the past. 'They are the ones who are here for us locally,' Yaremchuk said. 'They're our state people who are here when we have gasoline shortages, flooding, problems of any kind. They're activated by the governor, so they're here in West Virginia. It's wonderful we have troops who are in other states, but we in Fairmont, West Virginia need to show our appreciation for our local National Guard.'
