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Tag: Brandon Smith

  • Burroughs Football Stumbles Against Crescenta Valley, Falls 34-28

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    Tony Sanchez caught five passes for 98 yards for Burroughs, which lost 34-28 to Crescenta Valley. (Photo by Xavier Dubon)

    By Rick Assad

    In a Pacific League football game that Burroughs High lost to Crescenta Valley at Memorial Field on Friday night by six points, it was clear that the second half was exceedingly better than the first.

    And maybe that’s something positive to build upon for what will be the regular-season finale against city rival Burbank next Friday at 7 p.m.

    The Bears trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 at halftime but outscored the Falcons 21-13 across the last two periods and lost 34-28.

    Burroughs junior quarterback Brandon Chapparo delivered a 14-yard scoring run with 11:45 left in the second quarter that made it 14-7 and finalized a 59-yard, nine-play drive.

    Burroughs (3-6 and 3-3 in league) started to heat up as it drove 72 yards and consumed just three plays as Chapparo found wide receiver Tony Sanchez (98 yards on five receptions) with a short pass, but the speedy junior raced 61 yards and crossed the goal line with 6:13 remaining in the third frame that sliced Crescenta Valley’s lead to 27-14.

    When sophomore running back/defensive back Troy Acosta plunged into the end zone from two yards, capping a six-play, 27-yard drive, the Bears drew within 34-21. The score was made possible after a Falcon fumble was recovered by junior linebacker Ryder Bowne.

    With thirty-four seconds left in the contest, backup quarterback, junior Sean Gahman (two of four for 56 yards and one interception) tossed a 47-yard scoring strike to Acosta that trimmed the deficit to six points, but time ran out.

    Hard-running junior Sho Fujita had 45 yards on 18 carries for the Bears. (Photo by Xavier Dubon)

    Sho Fujita, a junior running back/defensive back who has carried the rushing load for much of the season because junior running back/defensive back Carson Shrode has been injured with an ankle problem and who recently injured his left knee in a game against host Muir, had 45 yards on 18 carries for the Bears.

    Chapparo was also effective as he ran for 52 yards on 10 carries and added 118 yards passing on eight of 14 attempts with an interception.

    Jose Calzadilla is the Bears’ first-year head coach and gave credit to both teams.

    “Crescenta Valley had a great game plan. We struggled in the first half to adjust,” he admitted. “We did a better job in the second half, but too little, too late. But I liked that our guys continued to fight. Even down the way we were.”

    Senior wide receiver/defensive back Brandon Smith had a spectacular, diving interception for the Bears just before halftime.

    Crescenta Valley (5-4 and 3-3 in league) employed a potent running game as sophomore running back/linebacker Ethan Martinez tallied three rushing scores and senior running back/tight end/linebacker Daniel Lopez chimed in with two scoring runs.

    The Falcons tallied two touchdowns in the first stanza as Martinez ended a 62-yard, five-play march with a five-yard run and 7:19 left that made it 7-0.

    Crescenta Valley forged ahead 14-0 on a 39-yard scoring dash from Lopez and 3:27 remaining on the clock as the visitors drove 60 yards on four plays.

    Lopez then added a 27-yard burst that capped a 69-yard, nine-play trek with 6:55 left before halftime that made it 21-7.

    A six-yard scurry by Martinez increased the margin to 27-7 and 7:57 left in the third period that ended a 55-yard, six-play march.

    Crescenta Valley then marched 81 yards and consumed nine plays as it led 34-14 as Martinez ripped off a 42-yard gallop.

    Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center

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    Rick Assad

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  • Kentucky State Senator Sued Over Bitcoin Mining Business

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    Kentucky Sen. Brandon Smith (R-Hazard) is facing two separate legal cases related to a Bitcoin mining repair business he founded in Letcher County, Kentucky.

    Smith is the CEO and co-founder of Mohawk Energy, which in 2022 pivoted from coal cleanup operations to ASIC repair and other Bitcoin mining services.

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    Local outlet, Lexington Herald Leader, reports that Ricky Dale Cole sued Smith in Letcher Circuit Court in January, accusing the lawmaker of misrepresenting the value of Mohawk Energy.

    Cole claims that he sold a warehouse to Mohawk, agreeing with Smith to sell the premises below market price in return for a 20% stake in the business.

    Yet Cole’s suit alleges that the company has refused to share info about its finances and that he has not profited from the deal. He also alleged that Smith made false promises and representations.

    This suit comes in addition to a case filed in November 2023 by Huobi-subsidiary HBTPower, which alleges breach of contract and misrepresentation, following an agreement with Mohawk Energy in June 2022.

    According to HBT’s allegations, Smith had made a deal to work with HBTPower employees to train his own workers and acquire the in-house ability to repair Bitcoin mining machines.

    However, Smith and other Mohawk representatives eventually asked HBTPower personnel to leave Mohawk’s premises, with HBTPower claiming that Smith did not own the warehouse at the time he entered into a contract with the Chinese company.

    Smith has denied the allegations against him, and has filed counterclaims against both plaintiffs.

    Despite the legal difficulties surrounding Mohawk’s pivot to crypto, Smith remains optimistic about the industry’s future in the US and in Kentucky.

    Smith had been instrumental in securing the passage of several crypto-related bills in Kentucky, including a 2021 bill—which he authored—that provides tax incentives for investments in cryptocurrency mining.

    Speaking to Decrypt in his capacity as Mohawk Energy CEO, Smith said that the company is “excited” to return to its mission of “job creation and training” once the litigation is over.

    Bitcoin Difficulty Hits Another All-Time High—Here’s What It Means for Miners

    “While it is unfortunate that Huobi and its shell subsidiary HBTPower breached their eight year contract and refused to start operating at the Mohawk plant, that does not impact Mohawk’s long term plans to bring more jobs and technology training to the region,” he said. “Our counter suits to the complaints explain our position.”

    Mohawk’s difficult pivot came during a period when the U.S. cryptocurrency mining sector witnessed rapid expansion, with Bitcoin mining sites in the U.S. increasing in number by 23% between 2022 and 2024, to 48.

    According to Shanon Squires, the Chief Mining Officer at Compass Mining, such growth has continued this year, as evidenced by Bitcoin’s hashrate reaching new all-time highs recently.

    “In the U.S., that momentum is especially visible in states like Texas and Wyoming,” she told Decrypt. “The expansion seems to be mostly coming from existing companies, rather than from new players entering the market.”

    While affirming that the American cryptomining industry has become increasingly professionalized in recent years, there is still some degree of variability, with some endeavors “popping up and fading” quicker than others.

    She added, “While Bitcoin mining is no longer the ‘wild west’ it once was, companies still need to do their homework and work with established partners that have proven themselves through multiple cycles.”

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  • Mateo the donkey, ‘quite the entertainer,’ gets loose on Murfreesboro’s Saint Andrews Dr.

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    Mateo the donkey roamed Aug. 31 along Murfreesboro’s busy Saint Andrews Drive until Heather Bowman corralled her beloved pet.

    “I was not ready for that morning cardio. I was struggling,” said Bowman, who witnessed Mateo get loose at 7:05 a.m. to gallop on and to the side of the road before returning home.

    “He is back home living his best life. He is quite the entertainer. He thought the grass was greener on the other side, but it is exactly the same stuff. That’s probably why he went back so quick.”

    Heather Bowman kisses her donkey Mateo.

    Mateo romping away from home on the southwest side of Murfreesboro toward nearby the even busier New Salem Highway follows a well-publicized zebra escape. The zebra nicknamed, “Ed” on social media, disappeared in Rutherford County’s Christiana community south of the city in late May before the wild animal returned to the owner in early June.

    Bowman said she’s thankfulf no one was hurt while Mateo “was having the time of his life” on Saint Andrews Drive that leads commuters to Murfreesboro’s nearby Salem and Scales elementary schools.

    “There were passers by who asked if they could help,” Bowman said.

    “The shout out to the people who helped me were exceptional.”

    Wild animal gets loose: Escaped Rutherford zebra being tracked via drone; officials warn public to ‘stay clear’

    ‘I’m still sore’

    Heather Bowman brushes Betty the cow while and Mateo the donkey wateches.

    Heather Bowman brushes Betty the cow while and Mateo the donkey wateches.

    The donkey in the more recent escpade gallopped through a gate Bowman had opened after she returned home from a 24-hour shift as an advanced emergency medical technician for Rutherford County.

    Bowman jogged along with her donkey until she was able coax Mateo to return through the gate of their home.

    “I was jogging beside him trying to get him back the opposiste way of New Salem,” Bowman said. “I was able to lure him back. He knew exactly where his home was.”

    Mateo sometimes while Bowman jogged beside him would stoop down to take a bite of grass before bolting again. Bowman finally guided the donkey back to the 5-acre property they share with her future husband, Brandon Smith, and free-roaming Betty the cow, 15 goats and over 50 chickens.

    “I got shin splints the day after,” Bowman said. “I’m still sore.”

    Middle Tennessee’s missing zebra: Owner talks escape, why the animal may get a new home

    Donkey arrives as Christmas present

    Heather Bowman and her donkey Mateo on his first day at the farm.

    Heather Bowman and her donkey Mateo on his first day at the farm.

    Bowman has enjoyed Mateo since Smith surprised his future wife with the donkey as a Christimas present in 2024 when the pet was 2-months-old. She also recognizes the religious influence that donkeys have in the Gospels as an animal serving Jesus.

    “Donkeys have crosses on their backs,” Bowman said.

    “They are wonderful. They love to be loved on. They feed off your mood.”

    Smith kept his future wife from figuring out the actual present the week before by giving Bowman a blow up donkey.

    Watch USA Today video: Zebra in Tennessee captured after more than a week on the run

    ‘He has been my little therapy animal’

    Like Bowman, Smith works for the Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services. He finished a 24-hour shift as a paramedic, as well, when Bowman told him Mateo got loose.

    Mateo helps the couple de-stress from the trauma they face as EMS responders.

    “He has been my little therapy animal,” Bowman said.

    Project for autopsy investigations: $15M Rutherford County Regional Forensic Center breaks ground in Smyrna

    Couple will be adopting another donkey friend for Mateo

    Brandon Smith with Mateo the donkey, who is wearing a tiny sombrero.

    Brandon Smith with Mateo the donkey, who is wearing a tiny sombrero.

    Bowman has bonded with Betty the cow. He also stands guard against coyotes that might want to attack the goats and chickens on the couple’s leased 5 acres that’s part of the historic Boxwood plantation.

    Smith works as a part-time farmhand for the adjacent 40 acres with cattle to the back of the couple’s old farmhouse.

    Bowman and Smith plan to lease more farmland to start their own herd of cattle.

    Given Betty the cow will join the future heard, the couple will be adding another yet-named 2-month old donkey to be a new close friend for Mateo on Sept. 5.

    “We think it’s a girl,” Bowman said. “We’ll get to name her on Friday.”

    Speaking up for justice: Survivor of child sex abuse shares story for 25th anniversary of Child Advocacy Center

    Couple from Nashville love their farm animals in Murfreesboro

    Goats and chickens on Heather Bowman and Brandon Smith's property where Mateo lives.

    Goats and chickens on Heather Bowman and Brandon Smith’s property where Mateo lives.

    Bowman grew up in East Nashville before embracing the life of raising farm animals.

    “I love them more than people,” Bowman said.

    Smith grew up in the Antioch community on the southeast side of Nashville. He spent summers in the Brentwood area working at Ravenwood Farms that was owned by his father’s Uncle Reece Smith. The farm included Tennessee Walking Horses.

    The couple now enjoy letting people admire Mateo and their other farm animals.

    “This is phenomenal,” Bowman said.

    “If our donkey story can bring a smile to someomone’s face, that is a win for us because we love poeple and making people happy.”

    Heather Bowman and her donkey Mateo.

    Heather Bowman and her donkey Mateo.

    ‘They can be a kid again’: Child Advocacy Center helps victims disclose rape and abuse

    Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.

    This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Middle TN donkey gets loose in Murfreesboro, chased, caught by owner

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