17-Year Old Makes History, Becomes Licensed Pilot Before Graduating High School

At the age of 17, William Moore, Jr. is a licensed private pilot. Even though he hasn’t graduated from high school yet, he is already ready to pursue his instrument rating.

Over the past three years, he attended the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy located in Northern Virginia (NOVA). This Academy provides middle and high school youth with exposure to opportunities in aerospace and aviation through week-long summer camps. The program is endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), OBAP has served a leading role in establishing ACE Academies nationwide to introduce, educate and guide diverse students towards careers in aviation.

Earlier this year, he interviewed for a scholarship through the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) Youth in Aviation Program (YIAP). He was accepted to attend ground school and completed in the top 5% of his class.

The ECCTAI YIAP covered many of his hours towards dual flight instruction and over the summer he flew at Potomac Airfield through HJ Aviation, LLC. He was honored to learn that his flight school was named after Herbert H. Jones Jr., an original Tuskegee Airman. He had the privilege of meeting Mr. Jones and he encouraged him to remain focused and stay on the path to aviation.

He started his first flight lesson on April 28, 2019, completed his first solo on June 28, 2019 and received his private pilot’s license (PPL) on October 15, 2019 (his birthday). He was selected and awarded a scholarship from Delta Air Lines to attend the National Flight Academy for a 2019 Summer Deployment 19-06. He learned so much and looks forward to attending again.

“We are so proud of our son. He set goals, was determined to pass his FAA exam the first time and also spoke into existence that he would achieve his PPL on his birthday,” said his mother, Kamesha Moore and father William Moore, Sr.

He plans to give back by sharing his experience with his peers in hopes of inspiring them that their dream of becoming a PPL can be achieved through hard work. For example, he is the first to complete the program and was invited and will participate with the incoming class of students.

On October 24, 2019, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson introduced audiences at the National Business Aviation Association to William Moore Jr. He said, “Last week William celebrated his 17th birthday by passing the oral portion of the exam for his private pilot’s license and by taking a flight with his instructor. We need more like Moore.”

His future goal is to become a commercial airline pilot and/or a cargo pilot. In addition, he is also interested in serving his country as a military C-5/C-17/C-130 pilot

Moore will join a small group of African American male pilots. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, figures from last year show less than 3% of US commercial pilots are African American.

This article was originally published by BlackNews.com.

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17-Year Old Makes History, Becomes Licensed Pilot Before Graduating High School

At the age of 17, William Moore, Jr. is a licensed private pilot. Even though he hasn’t graduated from high school yet, he is already ready to pursue his instrument rating.

Over the past three years, he attended the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy located in Northern Virginia (NOVA). This Academy provides middle and high school youth with exposure to opportunities in aerospace and aviation through week-long summer camps. The program is endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), OBAP has served a leading role in establishing ACE Academies nationwide to introduce, educate and guide diverse students towards careers in aviation.

Earlier this year, he interviewed for a scholarship through the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) Youth in Aviation Program (YIAP). He was accepted to attend ground school and completed in the top 5% of his class.

The ECCTAI YIAP covered many of his hours towards dual flight instruction and over the summer he flew at Potomac Airfield through HJ Aviation, LLC. He was honored to learn that his flight school was named after Herbert H. Jones Jr., an original Tuskegee Airman. He had the privilege of meeting Mr. Jones and he encouraged him to remain focused and stay on the path to aviation.

He started his first flight lesson on April 28, 2019, completed his first solo on June 28, 2019 and received his private pilot’s license (PPL) on October 15, 2019 (his birthday). He was selected and awarded a scholarship from Delta Air Lines to attend the National Flight Academy for a 2019 Summer Deployment 19-06. He learned so much and looks forward to attending again.

“We are so proud of our son. He set goals, was determined to pass his FAA exam the first time and also spoke into existence that he would achieve his PPL on his birthday,” said his mother, Kamesha Moore and father William Moore, Sr.

He plans to give back by sharing his experience with his peers in hopes of inspiring them that their dream of becoming a PPL can be achieved through hard work. For example, he is the first to complete the program and was invited and will participate with the incoming class of students.

On October 24, 2019, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson introduced audiences at the National Business Aviation Association to William Moore Jr. He said, “Last week William celebrated his 17th birthday by passing the oral portion of the exam for his private pilot’s license and by taking a flight with his instructor. We need more like Moore.”

His future goal is to become a commercial airline pilot and/or a cargo pilot. In addition, he is also interested in serving his country as a military C-5/C-17/C-130 pilot

Moore will join a small group of African American male pilots. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, figures from last year show less than 3% of US commercial pilots are African American.

This article was originally published by BlackNews.com.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3lShoWD

Florida man reportedly used $2 million in virus aid to buy boat

Casey David Crowther has been charged with fraudulently acquiring millions through the Paycheck Protection Program.

A Florida business owner who received more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds used nearly $700,000 of it to buy a 40-foot boat, authorities said.

Casey David Crowther, 35, has been arrested and charged with fraudulently acquiring millions through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for his company Target Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc., The Hill reports.

The PPP was a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The program was set up to help small businesses pay their employees and maintain their businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More: Gas station uses PPP loans to pay for Trump billboards

According to the complaint, Crowther made false and misleading statements to a lender in April in order to secure the loan. 

A joint Secret Service investigation led to a Florida man being arrested for fraudulently receiving more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds for a small business, instead the government relief funds were used for his personal benefit. Read more: https://t.co/QwyZe4CGdD

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) September 3, 2020

He then used approximately $689,417 of the funds to purchase a 2020 40-foot catamaran boat. Prosecutors say he transferred the rest of the money to multiple business accounts and closed the account he used to obtain the loan.  

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

Crowther is the latest business owner charged with fraud by federal prosecutors for crimes related to PPP loans.

theGRIO previously reported, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star, Arkansas Mo, was charged in May with federal bank fraud charges after investigators discovered he used funds from a $2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan to buy luxury items for himself.

Mo, born Maurice Fayne, allegedly purchased $85,000 worth of jewelry, including a Rolex Presidential watch, a diamond bracelet, and a 5.73-carat diamond ring. He also paid $40,000 in back child support.

Read More: Companies owned by billionaire governor awarded up to $24M in PPP loans

According to MSN, The US Department of Justice also seized $80,000 in cash from the home and found a 2019 Rolls-Royce Wraith that still had temporary tags on it. Agents also seized three bank accounts into which Fayne had allegedly transferred $503,000 worth of PPP funds.

Maurice “Mo” Fayne and Karlie Redd attend “Ferrari Karlie” Single Release Party at Buckhead Loft on July 18, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

“The defendant allegedly stole money meant to assist hard-hit employees and businesses during these difficult times, and instead greedily used the money to bankroll his lavish purchases of jewelry and other personal items,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski said in a statement. “The department will remain steadfast in our efforts to root out and prosecute frauds against the Paycheck Protection Program.”

More than $3 billion in PPP loans may have gone to companies and firms that should have been excluded from the program, The Hill reports.

These increasing cases of fraudulently obtained loans continue to stir debate across social media among Black entrepreneurs who were denied loans through the PPP. According to a recent report from the Small Business Administration, Black and Hispanic businesses were largely shut out of access to the funding.

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Fauci warns these 7 states could see COVID uptick during Labor Day

The disease expert told former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg that ‘there are several states that are at risk for surging’

American physician, immunologist, and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has been cautioning the public about the greater effects of COVID-19–most recently warning that if Americans are “careless” then infection numbers will increase this fall.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a conversation with former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg, “there are several states that are at risk for surging.”

Read More: Long-term effects of COVID-19 ‘really troublesome’ for young people, Fauci says

He especially emphasized North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois because these states have seen upticks in COVID-19 cases. Fauci insisted residents take additional measures as they go about to limit the spread of the virus during the holiday weekend

The number of Americans contracting coronavirus continues to increase daily. Statistics show the number of people contracting the virus has slowed down significantly in certain areas, but according to Fauci, coronavirus cases could spike if effective precautions are not taken.  

CDC head Dr. Anthony Fauci. (Photo by Al Drago – Pool/Getty Images)

“Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem,” Fauci SAID in an interview.

At the beginning of the summer, some states saw an increase in the spread of the virus. Reports showed 10,420 new cases per day in July, as primary school students across the nation begin in-person socially-distanced teaching. The American death toll has reached around 1,000 people per day, the Washington Post reported.

“If we’re careless about it, then we could wind up with a surge following Labor Day. It really depends on how we behave as a country,” Fauci continued.

Vice President Mike Pence and Fauci have cautioned governors to enforce COVID-19 precautions for fear of spikes in cases similar to earlier summer holidays. In total, there have been 6 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and over 185,000 people have died.

Read More: Fauci requests security for daughters as family gets death threats

According to Forbes, America’s Midwestern region has become a high-risk zone for the spread of the virus.

The two most highly recommended measures to avoid spreading coronavirus are to wear a mask and social distance. To America’s betterment — these precautions also help to curb the spread of the common flu.

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Over 93 percent of summer protests were peaceful: report

‘With two months until the election, the US faces deep divisions over racial inequality.’

A vast majority of the anti-police brutality and racial justice protests that have erupted across the nation since the death of George Floyd have been peaceful and nonviolent, according to a new report.

The US Crisis Monitor — a joint project between ACLED and the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) at Princeton University — analyzed real-time data about protest movements and political violence in the US, using news reports and social media for the report published on Thursday (Sept. 3). 

The ACLED recorded more than 10,600 demonstrations across the US between May 24 and August 22, about 93% were peaceful. Nearly 8,000 (precisely 7,750) were linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, the report states. 

Read More: Republican congressman threatens to kill protesters in Facebook post

The police or military “disproportionately used force while intervening in demonstrations associated with the BLM movement, relative to other types of demonstrations,” the researchers found.

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 28: Protesters hold signs of George Floyd during the Commitment March at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images)

“These data reveal that the United States is in crisis. It faces a multitude of concurrent, overlapping risks — from police abuse and racial injustice, to pandemic-related unrest and beyond — all exacerbated by increasing polarization,” the researchers wrote. 

According to the study, less that 100 demonstrations between May 24 and August 22, where counter-protesters clashed with racial justice advocates, turned violent. The ACLED noted 43 incidents in the report.

In nearly 10% of BLM protests recorded this summer, “Authorities used gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray” or have beaten “demonstrators with batons,” according to the data.

Police force was also used in “over 54% of the demonstrations in which they have engaged,” the authors wrote.

They also warn that as we get closer to the November presidential election, “these intersecting risks are likely to intensify.”

Read More: Trump defends Kenosha protest shooter: ‘He probably would have been killed’

“While these data present only a snapshot of demonstration activity and political violence in America, the trendlines are clear: demonstrations have erupted en masse around the country, and they are increasingly met with violence by state actors, non-state actors, and counter-demonstrators alike,” according to the authors. 

“With two months until the election, the US faces deep divisions over racial inequality, the role of the police, and economic hardship exacerbated by an ineffective pandemic response.”

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