News published on Federal Newswire in October 2020

News from October 2020


Peterson Welcomes Announcement of CRP Payments to Producers

News Release: WASHINGTON - House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson released the following statement Thursday in response to an announcement that USDA will issue $1.68 billion in payments to farmers through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as part of the Department’s implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill...


Former Baltimore Police Officer Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Federal Charge of Possession of Child Pornography

News Release: Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced James Robert Wissmann, IV, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, formerly a police officer with the Baltimore City Police Department, to 78 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of...


DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants With Firearms-Related Crimes In FY20

News Release: The Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General...


News Release: The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from the second phase of the experimental Small Business Pulse Survey. Data collection began Aug. 9, 2020. Results will be released weekly starting Aug. 20 through Oct. 15, 2020. The second phase includes questions on the core concepts from the first phase...


Ozark National Scenic Riverways seeks public input on draft accessibility self-evaluation and transition plan

News Release: VAN BUREN, MO - Ozark National Scenic Riverways is seeking public input on the park’s draft Accessibility Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. Public participation is an important part of the planning process and will help Ozark National Scenic Riverways become more accessible for all visitors.


Back from the Brink of Extinction in Haleakalā National Park

News Release: Kula, Maui - During the summer of 2020, the National Park Service (NPS) and Hawai’i Department of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) successfully planted 141 critically endangered ‘ōhā wai (Hana Clermontia, Clermontia samuelii ssp. Samuelii) into one of the wettest rainforests in the world. Saving the ‘ōhā...


Seattle Man Charged with Stealing Police Rifle, Setting Patrol Car on Fire During May 30 Riot in Downtown Seattle

News Release: Seattle - A felon from Georgia, with a domestic violence conviction and no contact order in Washington State, was arrested yesterday charged with arson and weapons crimes for his conduct during civil unrest on May 30, 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. TYRE WAYNE MEANS JR will make his initial...


News Release: Monitor Concludes that the Jail Has Successfully Implemented the Parties’ Agreement to Address Use of Excessive Force, Use of Isolation for Minors, and Inadequate Medical and Mental Health Care.


News Release: FARMINGTON, PA. The staff at Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Friendship Hill National Historic Site have produced a series of virtual activities for students and young people who are unable to visit the sites. These programs can be can used by teachers and parents in their curriculum for children...


Increased Access to Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site

News Release: Danville, CA - Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site (NHS) is increasing access. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local...


U.S. Winter Outlook: Cooler North, warmer South with ongoing La Nina

News Release: NOAA’s winter forecast for the U.S. favors warmer, drier conditions across the southern tier of the U.S., and cooler, wetter conditions in the North, thanks in part to an ongoing La Nina. Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center - a division of the National Weather Service - are also closely monitoring persistent drought during the winter months ahead, with more than 45% of the continental U.S. now experiencing drought.


Trump Administration Invests $6 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural South Dakota

News Release: HILL CITY, S.D., Oct. 15, 2020 - The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $6 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in South Dakota. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program.


News Release: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Kristopher Wade Parker, 36, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, was sentenced on Oct. 14 in federal court to five-and-a-half years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.


U.S. Attorney Announces the Appointment of the District Election Officer for the Western District of Tennessee

News Release: MEMPHIS, TN - United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Scott Smith will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Smith...


News Release: United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Zachary C. Wood (age: 45) of Merrimac, Wisconsin, was charged via a criminal complaint following his Oct. 12, 2020, arrest by local and federal authorities.


News Release: The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Christina E. Nolan, announced today the results of an 18-month multi-agency enforcement operation targeting the illegal trafficking of firearms and drugs between Vermont and Western Massachusetts. “Operation Fury Road" was a sustained state-wide...


News Release: NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that CARLOS DAVID IRIAS, age 47, a resident of Cutler Bay, Florida, was sentenced to two (2) years probation by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon after previously pleading guilty to a one-count bill of information charging him with intentionally...


News Release: United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced two separate federal indictments charging 11 individuals in connection with parallel methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution conspiracies on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Ten defendants are currently in custody and will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court over the next several days.


Senator Lisa Murkowski, Congresswoman Elaine Luria Urge NDAA Conferees to Include NELA in Final Conference Report

News Release: This week, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va.-2, led 29 of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee, urging them to include the text of the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (S. 903 /H.R. 3306 ) in ...


News Release: This is the first in a series of feature articles highlighting the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) work related to 5G.