GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 35-year-old Hidden Oak Elementary custodian has been arrested in Gainesville after police said he injured an officer during a traffic stop that led to the discovery of a reportedly stolen handgun and suspected drugs. The School Board of Alachua County identified Kenneth Dale Anderson II as an employee at the school and said he will be placed on leave.
According to Gainesville Police Department reports, an officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Anderson at about 12:25 a.m. on September 17 after it allegedly ran a red light near SE 3rd Avenue and SE Hawthorne Road. The vehicle stopped at a daycare in the 1700 block of SE Hawthorne Road, where a K-9 unit reportedly alerted officers to possible illegal substances inside.
Police said Anderson used a door code to enter the business, explaining that he was there to clean. He allegedly attempted to get away by going inside, then shut the building’s door on an officer’s arm. The arrest report said the officer sustained serious bruising and other injuries.
Officers then took Anderson to the ground and handcuffed him, police said.
Following the K-9 alert, officers searched the vehicle and reportedly located a bag containing a Taurus G3C handgun with an extended magazine. Police said the gun had been reported stolen in Columbia County in 2022. The bag also allegedly held several controlled substances, including 1.0 grams of powdered amphetamines, one MDMA pill, three amphetamine pills and one Suboxone pill.
Investigators said the bag also contained several pencils. Although the report identifies Anderson in the case, it states that “Henderson” said the pencils were given to children at Hidden Oak Elementary.
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After being advised of his Miranda rights, Anderson reportedly said he opened the daycare door only to show that he had access to the business. He denied trying to lock himself inside to avoid police, according to the report. Anderson said his mother had rented the vehicle for him and that he and his mother were the only people who drove it. He denied knowing about the gun or drugs, suggesting his mother may have allowed someone else to use the vehicle.
Anderson’s mother later arrived and told officers she had rented the vehicle for him, though police said the rental agreement listed Anderson’s name. She also reportedly said that she and Anderson were the vehicle’s only drivers.
Anderson faces charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a controlled substance, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence. Court records show he has one prior non-violent felony conviction. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set his bond at $140,000.
Ex-partner of mum found dead on beach denies killing her
The former partner of a woman found dead on a Queensland beach has strongly denied any role in her death, while claiming she was allegedly kidnapped and violently assaulted two years earlier.
Payge Leembruggen, 31, was discovered in sand dunes near North Wall Beach in Mackay at about 8am on Tuesday after a dog walker spotted her body.
The Mt Jukes mother-of-one was last seen on September 11, when her grandfather, David Leembruggen, dropped her at a Mackay hair salon for a 9am appointment.
Queensland Police are treating Ms Leembruggen’s death as suspicious. Her body has been flown to Townsville for an autopsy.
In the days since her death, friends had reportedly speculated that Cris Wilesmith, Ms Leembruggen’s former partner and the father of their autistic son, Nakoa, may have been involved.
However, Mr Wilesmith told the Daily Mail on Thursday that he had no involvement in her death, saying: ‘I would never do that.’
Mr Wilesmith said he had not seen Ms Leembruggen for several years because she had obtained a restraining order against him, which prevented him from being near her or their son.
He said, however, that he was not surprised people had connected him to her death.
Payge Leembruggen, 31, was found dead in sand dunes near North Wall Beach in Mackay.
Payge Leembruggen’s former partner, Cris Wilesmith, has firmly denied any involvement in her death.
‘It’s pretty s***ty, but I guessed people might say that,’ he told the Daily Mail from his home in Finch Hatton, an hour west of Mackay.
‘If the police want to speak to me, they can. But they haven’t been to see me.’
Mr Wilesmith said he had been in Mackay over the weekend, but did not come into contact with his ex, and did not know how she died.
‘The only feeling I have is that she put herself in a situation she could not get out of,’ he said.
He revealed Ms Leembruggen was the alleged victim of a four-day kidnapping and a serious assault in 2024 in a case which did not involve him and is currently going through court.
Mr Wilesmith said he and Ms Leembruggen were not on good terms and claimed she had refused to pass on his Christmas and birthday gifts to their son.
But he said he was still devastated by her death.
‘It’s terrible, horrible – my son is now growing up without a mother,’ he said.
‘His whole life, he’s going to be motherless. Everyone needs their mum.’
Mr Wilesmith said he now hopes to be reconciled with Nakoa, and would be consulting a lawyer ‘to see what my rights are’.
Cris Wilesmith freely admitted he was not on good terms with his ex
His mother Nita Harrison, from Cairns, also insisted her son was innocent of any involvement with the tragedy.
‘Payge and Cris absolutely hated each other, but we have nothing to hide,’ she said. ‘I know my son would’ve had nothing to do with it. He was not at all involved.
‘He contacted me yesterday to tell me the news, and he was really upset, more for Nakoa.’
Ms Leembruggen’s grandfather earlier revealed his granddaughter had used ‘ice or meth’ since she was a teenager, and that she had a ‘wonderful technique for finding the wrong friends and men’.
Ms Harrison said her son met Ms Leembruggen in rehab in Mareeba, west of Cairns, six years ago, and the couple had Nakoa before they separated several years ago.
‘She wasn’t the best at choosing dudes, but she liked to see the best in people,’ said Mr Wilesmith.
Nakoa, who has category three autism and is non-verbal, has not yet been told his mother is dead.
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His great-grandfather confirmed he was now in the care of his grandmother Julia, himself and his wife, Colleen.
Cris Wilesmith is now hoping to be reconciled with his special-needs son after several years
Mystery surrounds what happened to Ms Leembruggen between her hair appointment on Friday and her body being found in the sand dunes on Tuesday.
Her grandfather told the Mail he was the last family member to see her alive when he drove her from the family’s rural Mt Jukes home to the salon, dropping her off at 9am.
‘She was quite okay,’ he said. ‘I drove her in because she doesn’t have a licence, and said, “Give me a yell when you’re ready to be picked up”.
‘Then she sent me a message saying, “Don’t worry about picking me up, I’ll get my own transport home”.’
He never heard from her again, and found out she was dead when police arrived at the family property on Tuesday morning.
The Mail previously revealed an associate of Ms Leembruggen had seen a Snapchat from her over the weekend, in which she was dancing with a female friend.
Mr Leembruggen said he had not seen the Snapchat personally, nor did he know where or when it was posted.
‘A family friend contacted us to say they had seen it, but the post, being Snapchat, has disappeared,’ he said.
It was not unusual for Ms Leembruggen to vanish for several days
Mr Leembruggen said the family did not report her missing because it was not out of character for her to vanish for days at a time.
‘She didn’t mention any plans for the weekend [when I dropped her off]. We were treated a bit like mushrooms [by her] and kept in the dark,’ he said.
‘She often didn’t come home for four or five days. You wouldn’t see her and then she’d come home.’
Mr Leembruggen said he had not been told how his granddaughter had died, and said her body had been flown to Townsville for an autopsy.
He said her mother Julia had ‘lost it’ and the family collectively ‘broke down’ when police sat them down at their kitchen table and informed them of the death.
Police are desperate to solve the mystery over her movements between September 11 and 15, and have appealed for locals to assist the investigation.
‘We’re trying to fill a four-day gap at this time and that’s why we’re seeking information from members of the public,’ Mackay Whitsunday District Detective Inspector Emma Novosel said.
‘The area where Payge’s body was located is quite dense and difficult to navigate.’
Police are treating her death as ‘suspicious until it is proved otherwise’ after she was found on a Mackay beach (pictured)
Detective Inspector Novosel said the autopsy will help determine the cause of death but it was too early to say if Ms Leembruggen died at the beach or her body was moved there.
‘The area where Payge’s body was located is quite dense and difficult to navigate.
‘We always treat an unexplained death as suspicious until proven otherwise,’ she said. ‘Our thoughts are really with the family. We’re assisting them as much as we can.
‘The beach is safe for everyone to use. We’ve got no concerns about the safety of the general public and using that area.’
Ms Leembruggen, about 178cm tall, was last seen wearing a white top, bright red trousers and a red bow in her brown hair.
Do you know more? Email karleigh.smith@dailymail.com.au
READ MORE: Aussie mum’s heartbreaking plea for a fresh start before she was found dead on a Queensland beach
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty Gets Nickname After $500K Security Guard Spending
A Minnesota prosecutor who spent more than $500,000 on private security has been branded “Bloody Mary” online amid criticism over plea deals that resulted in accused criminals being released.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, 62, drew the nickname on social media following reports that several defendants, including people accused of murder, had been freed.
Online criticism intensified after reports showed Moriarty had used more than $500,000 in taxpayer money to fund her personal private security.
“In Minnesota she is known as ‘Bloody Mary.’ She will unleash the worst of the worst back on the streets within hours while [having] 24/7 personal security,” one X user wrote.
Moriarty has used private bodyguards since November 2023, according to financial records obtained by Alpha News.
Records show Hennepin County paid the private firm Relative Intel $10,950 in 2023, $103,825 in 2024 and $183,875 in 2025 for Moriarty’s protection.
The county attorney has maintained that Minneapolis is a safe city. In December last year, Moriarty rejected President Donald Trump’s assertion that Somali gangs were terrorizing Minneapolis.
Moriarty has faced repeated controversy and criticism over what opponents call her “woke” prosecutorial approach. Among the most prominent complaints was her decision not to file charges against Carlton Johnson II, who allegedly threatened and assaulted his neighbor in June.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, 62, was dubbed “Bloody Mary” by social media users following reports that accused criminals had been released.
Moriarty has employed private bodyguards since November 2023. Hennepin County paid Relative Intel $10,950 in 2023, $103,825 in 2024 and $183,875 in 2025 to protect her.
Moriarty in June declined to file charges against Carlton Johnson II, who allegedly assaulted a neighbor at his apartment complex. He went on to carry out a mass shooting at the building on September 2
Three months later, he went on to carry out a deadly mass shooting at his apartment complex as he faced eviction proceedings from the building.
Another case in 2025 saw Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, who was charged with ‘multiple kidnappings and rapes, including against minors,’ charged once again after he was set free by plea deals.
A user on X wrote: ‘Bloody Mary let serial kidnapping gang rapist Abdimahat Bille Mohamed free twice with plea deals that involved no jail time. The 3rd time the DOJ took over because they didn’t trust her to actually give the guy jail time. She threw a fit with a TDS [Trump Derangement Syndrome] rant.’
In response to the additional charges, Moriarty said the Justice Department news release was a ‘clear attempt to politicize a sexual assault prosecution to inflict further harm on our entire Somali community.’
‘The current federal administration is more adept at pardons for violent insurrectionists and drug traffickers than prosecutions,’ Moriarty added. ‘If they intend to start caring about public safety and victims, we recommend they end their coverup of pedophiles and those who protect them.’
Moriarty has continued to maintain her stance that Minneapolis is safe, yet this year alone has spent a staggering $214,573 on Relative Intel’s services, records showed.
The amount, which only covered security fees through August 28, is more than what the county spent last year and over double the total spend in 2024.
Hennepin County confirmed the security spending to the news outlet, claiming it has ‘an agreement with Relative Intel, LLC to provide personal security services.’
In response to additional charges against Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, who was accused of ‘multiple kidnappings and rapes…against minors,’ Moriarty said it was a ‘clear attempt to politicize a sexual assault prosecution to inflict further harm on our entire Somali community
Moriarty with her longtime partner, progressive activist and former Hopkins School Board member Jen Westmoreland
A county spokesperson added: ‘This service is used by the County Attorney.’
Hennepin County entered a $115,000 agreement with Relative Intel from October 2023 to December 2024, the spokesperson said.
Moriarty was elected as county attorney in 2022 and took office in January 2023.
The county entered into a second contract, totaling $500,000, with that firm that runs from January 2025 until December 31 this year, the spokesperson said.
Hennepin County claims it has spent $425,000 on security for Moriarty under two contracts between November 2023 and June 2026.
But supplier payment records obtained by Alpha News that extend through August 28, 2026 reportedly show a total of $513,223 paid to the firm.
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Attorney Chris Madel, who has routinely clashed with the Democrat, has branded Moriarty a hypocrite over the alleged security spending.
‘Mary Moriarty spends her time telling Minneapolis residents not to worry about crime while spending $513,000 to make sure she doesn’t have to worry about it herself,’ Madel, a Republican who quit the GOP in January, told the outlet.
Johnson shot and killed two of his neighbors and left five more people injured at the Loring Towers complex in downtown Minneapolis on September 2
‘That’s not leadership. That’s hypocrisy with a security detail.’
He shared how other county officials have received ‘genuine death threats’ but are not afforded taxpayer funded security detail.
He added that it appears ‘crime is only a crisis’ when Moriarty has to ‘face it.’
Moriarty’s term as county attorney, which has been met with massive criticism over her handling of crime, ends on January 4, 2027.
Most recently, she has faced backlash over her decision not to file charges against Carlton Johnson II.
Johnson, 35, shot and killed two of his neighbors and left five more people injured during a mass shooting at the Loring Towers complex in downtown.
The gunman was killed by police officers.
Court documents say Johnson was facing eviction and had threatened a fellow resident with a gun in the months leading up to the shooting.
Police descended on the complex within two minutes of Johnson opening fire
Moriarty confirmed after the shooting that Minneapolis Police had investigated a June 25 encounter where Johnson had displayed a weapon but kept it in his waistband.
Police said he had a legal permit to carry the weapon, and Moriarty’s office decided not to file the charges because there was ‘insufficient evidence to prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt.’
Moriarty’s office also declined to pursue an emergency order to remove Johnson´s weapon.
Court records also showed that at least one woman who had a child with Johnson filed a restraining order against him in 2023.
According to the complaint, Johnson threatened to kill her in expletive-laden text messages after she told police that he had sexually assaulted her two years earlier.
Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson, at the time of the mass shooting, defended the police response to Johnson’s record and said they only recently knew of many of the incidents.
Moriarty, who is in a relationship with progressive activist Jen Westmoreland, announced in August 2025 that she would not run for re-election.
Her tenure has been plagued by scandal.
Moriarty announced in August 2025 that she would not run for re-election
Last month she negotiated a lenient sentence for a double murderer.
She sought to prosecute police officers using the full force of the law but let a progressive public official off with a slap on the wrist after he keyed six Teslas to avenge Donald Trump’s 2024 election win.
Last year, Moriarty was probed by federal officials after she ordered her assistant prosecutors to factor in race when offering plea deals.
The slew of scandals saw Moriarty splurge another $150,000 of taxpayer cash to try and salvage her reputation.
UN General Assembly Brings Gridlock, Heavy Security to New York City
New Yorkers should brace for major traffic disruptions and heightened security as the United Nations General Assembly returns, effectively placing parts of Manhattan under partial lockdown while antisemitic hate crimes remain elevated and tensions persist between Israel and City Hall.
Broad sections of Midtown Manhattan will be off-limits to vehicles, while a restricted airspace zone will be imposed near the United Nations as roughly 200 international leaders and dignitaries arrive for the yearly summit, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thursday.
Law enforcement agencies will also be focused on managing demonstrations expected during the high-profile diplomatic gathering. The NYPD will work alongside the FBI, Secret Service, State Department Diplomatic Security Service and UN police across the metropolitan area, officials said.
Among the expected attendees are President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Thousands of uniformed NYPD officers will be posted at and around UN headquarters all week, supported by heavy weapons teams, our aviation and harbor units, K-9, the bomb squad, NYPD’s drone team, counterterrorism officers, and other specialized units,” Tisch said.
“As always, there will be security measures that you will see, and others that you will not see,” she said.
The city’s Department of Transportation has issued a gridlock alert beginning Monday. It includes street closures around the UN complex, rolling restrictions for pedestrians and vehicles, and flight limits within two nautical miles of the building.
Police will maintain a substantial presence at planned rallies and other events tied to the General Assembly, with officials saying permits have been approved for at least 55 related gatherings.
The UN General Assembly opens Tuesday and is set to continue through Sept. 28, arriving as New York City continues to confront an increase in antisemitic hate crimes following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war.
Through the end of August, antisemitic incidents had risen 8% compared with the same period a year earlier and represented more than half of all confirmed hate crimes during that timeframe.
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Local Jewish leaders have blamed Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, for anti-Israeli rhetoric, which has been a major point of contention for his critics.
He sparked outrage in July when he said he would seek to have Netanyahu arrested when he set foot in the city for the General Assembly, a threat that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar laughed off.
This week, Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, fired back by calling for Mamdani to be arrested ahead of Netanyahu’s arrival in the city next week.
Netanyahu’s presence in the Big Apple is expected to spark another rash of pro-Palestinian protests, although Tisch and Mamdani assured that there are no specific threats.
“I want to be clear: there are no known specific or credible threats against the United Nations General Assembly or our city at this time,” the mayor told reporters.
“However, our security posture will be elevated out of an abundance of caution,” he said. “This is standard procedure. New Yorkers can expect to see a visible increase in officers deployed across our city, as well as a heightened police presence surrounding the United Nations building.”
In terms of traffic, First Avenue will be closed from 41st Street to 48th Street, and 44th Street to 47th Street will be closed from First Avenue to Second Avenue daily for the duration of the assembly.
42nd Street will also close from First to Second Avenue for the duration of the assembly, and the 42nd Street exit from the FDR will be blocked off each day while the meeting is in session until around 9 p.m.
Passenger vehicles and bicycles will be permitted to use the First Avenue Tunnel to travel north through the area, and vehicles requiring access to Tudor City will be able to enter via 41st and 43rd streets.
Meyer Lansky’s Grandson on Mob Empire, Vegas Legacy, Missing Millions
To Prohibition-era gangsters, historians and true-crime followers, Meyer Lansky was the financial architect behind a sprawling international gambling empire. To his grandson, however, he was simply “grandpa.”
Meyer Lansky II revisits the life of his late grandfather — the mob boss who helped shape organized crime in the United States — through personal letters, photographs and firsthand recollections in a new book written with S. J. Peddie, “The Lansky Legacy: The Life and Letters of Meyer Lansky.”
“He never mentioned the names of anybody that he worked with. He was always cautious with that,” Lansky told News Media.
Underworld figure Meyer Lansky, center, with his lawyer Morris Polankoff. Lansky was a key figure who helped usher in the golden era for the mob. (NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Raised in Washington state, the younger Lansky initially knew his grandfather as a stern, serious man who kept the parts of his life carefully separated. The elder Lansky did not discuss his underworld activities. Instead, he taught his grandson how to carry himself, paying attention to small refinements such as tie pins and shoehorns.
“Growing up in Washington state, I wasn’t exposed to those kinds of things anywhere else,” Lansky said. “He was always asking me about my grades, my studies, and what books I was reading.
“He’d give me basic advice: ‘Whatever you do, do a good job. Be honest with people, provide good service, and people will come back to you.’”
Meyer Lansky mugshots, circa 1935. Lansky spent decades being the focus of federal investigations. (Getty Images)
Known widely as the “mob’s accountant,” the elder Lansky emerged as a major force in the early 20th century alongside childhood friends Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Together, they reshaped organized crime and developed profitable gambling ventures stretching from Havana to Las Vegas.
“He was right alongside Luciano and Bugsy Siegel during the transformation of the syndicate into the modern American Mafia,” Lansky said.
That reputation carried real-world danger. The younger Lansky recalled a chilling incident from his childhood, when his grandfather’s notoriety and perceived wealth nearly led to his kidnapping.
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As he grew older, the veil began to slip.
Lansky was linked to Charles “Lucky” Luciano, above, the infamous 20th century mobster. (Getty Images, File)
“One day I was listening to the radio and heard that Treasury Secretary John Connally was going to Las Vegas to investigate Meyer Lansky,” he said, referencing the decades-long, unsuccessful federal effort to convict his grandfather.
“When my grandfather visited a week later, I told him, ‘Hey, I heard your name on the radio.’ He looked at me, smiled, and said, ‘You did?’ He didn’t elaborate, but I knew at that point he realized I was going to figure out who he really was.”
While mob historians contend that the Polish-born gangster perfected modern money laundering and amassed vast fortunes, a central mystery remains: what happened to the money?
If the elder Lansky stashed away millions, his grandson noted, the family never saw it.
Yet, the physical legacy remains impossible to ignore.
Lansky, widely dubbed the “Mob’s Accountant,” rose to prominence by building lucrative gambling operations from Havana to Las Vegas. (Clive Mason/Getty Images, File)
“He was heavily involved in transforming the American Mafia into something that still holds an irresistible, nostalgic grip on culture,” Lansky said. “These guys are major figures of history.
“They took a barren desert and turned it into a sophisticated gambling empire.”
What Really Happened in Teen Lifeguard’s Fatal Shark Attack
The family of teenager Charlize Maree Zmuda say they have finally found some measure of closure, 18 months after her devastating shark attack death. A coroner has determined the incident unfolded so rapidly that, by the time Charlize’s friend on the shore realised something was wrong and raised the alarm, it was already too late.
Charlize was swimming at an unpatrolled stretch of Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, in Queensland’s Moreton Bay region, when she was fatally injured in February 2025.
The 17-year-old Bribie Island local was an experienced swimmer and volunteered as a lifeguard.
In findings released this week, Coroner Carol Lee concluded that Charlize was bitten by a bull shark estimated to have measured between 2.5 and 2.9 metres.
The coroner found that a severe bite to the teenager’s upper right arm caused extensive injuries and triggered a fatal air embolism, which blocked her arteries.
“This is a rapidly fatal event and is the most likely mechanism of death,” Ms Lee wrote.
Although the details of Charlize’s injuries have been painful for her parents, Steve and Renee, they said they were comforted to learn their daughter did not endure prolonged suffering.
“As a parent, my biggest fear was that she was screaming in pain, but she wasn’t, it killed her instantly,” Mr Zmuda told the Courier Mail.
A coroner has delivered findings into the death of Bribie Island teenager Charlize Maree Zmuda
Charlize’s parents, Steve and Renee, said they were relieved to know their daughter did not suffer
‘It gave me a lot of solace to know there was nothing anybody could do.’
His wife added: ‘It was confronting but also a relief because the details of the report confirmed it was very quick.’
At the time of their daughter’s death, the Zmudas issued an emotional appeal to Aussies not to be afraid of the ocean, a message they still stand by.
‘She (Charlize) wouldn’t want this to cause fear because the ocean just gave her so much joy,’ Ms Zmuda said.
‘I think if losing Char has taught us anything, it’s that we only have today, that’s all that’s promised.’
Charlize’s death was so quick that it was too late by the time her friend waiting onshore raised the alarm.
‘Her friend saw a commotion in the water, a quantity of blood, and heard a scream,’ Ms Lee said of the February 3 incident.
‘Charlize was then seen floating on her back with no further signs of movement.’
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Charlize died from extensive injuries from a shark bite to her right upper ar, which caused an air embolism that fatally blocked arteries
At the time of the tragedy, Charlize’s father Steve (pictured at her funeral) urged Aussies to not be afriad of the ocean
An inquest will not be held, as the coroner found that there were ‘appropriate’ safety measures at the beach.
A drone trial ended a day before Charlize’s death, and drumlines had been serviced two days before the incident and were fully operational.
The beach did not have the protective nets used elsewhere under the Queensland government’s shark control program.
However, Ms Lee said shark nets were not suitable for the beach due to the high tidal currents, which tend to twist or drag the nets, rendering them ineffective.
The shark control program ended a trial of surveillance drones at Woorim Beach the day before the incident.
However, 18 baited drumlines were floating between 300 and 350 metres offshore.
Drumlines are used to trap feeding sharks for euthanasia or relocation.
The Bridie Island teen was a volunteer lifeguard
‘In accordance with standard servicing protocols and timeframes, the Woorim Beach drumlines were serviced by a contractor two days before the incident,’ Ms Lee said.
‘All drumlines were baited and found to be operational.’
Only four sharks have been caught in the Woorim Beach drumlines, including two bull sharks, between January 2024 and March 2025.
‘Shark nets and drumlines do not provide an impenetrable barrier,’ Ms Lee said.
The shark control program came under an earlier independent review and underwent substantial reform and investment after Charlize’s death.
‘I am satisfied that an appropriate shark risk mitigation framework is in place in an attempt to reduce the occurrence of shark attack risk at our coastline in the future, with the aim of protection of human life whilst maintaining environmental stewardship,’ Ms Lee said.
Ms Zmuda would like to see the SharkSmart drone technology expanded for all weather conditions and used for longer durations.
Texas-Based F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in Michigan, Evacuation Order Issued
An F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, prompting an evacuation order for part of County Road 633, according to county emergency management officials.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft and is in stable condition while receiving medical treatment, a spokesperson for the Texas National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing confirmed. Michigan State Police, assisting the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, said no other injuries have been reported.
The Texas Military Department said the 149th Fighter Wing’s Texas Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon was flying a routine training mission from the Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena when it experienced an incident Thursday afternoon.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Emergency management officials initially issued a shelter-in-place order for County Road 633 between Jefferson Place and Blair Townhall Road. Residents in the area were told to remain indoors, close windows and vents, and follow directions from emergency personnel.
Officials have since ordered evacuations within a 1-mile radius of the crash site. Residents in that zone are urged to leave the area around the intersection of County Road 633 and Jefferson Place. Shelter is available at Kensington Church, 6880 Secor Road in Traverse City, Michigan, with the church and the American Red Cross assisting affected residents, emergency management said.
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Grand Traverse County officials said the aircraft went down near County Road 633 and Blair Townhall Road. Traffic has been shut down in the area as responders work at the scene, and authorities have asked the public to stay away.
Blair Township Supervisor Nicole Blonshine said she does not believe anyone on the ground was injured or that any homes were damaged.
Blonshine did not provide details about what caused the crash, who was operating the aircraft or whether anyone else was aboard.
Poker Legend Loses Court Fight Over Friend’s Massive Debts
One of Australia’s most accomplished professional poker players has failed in a court bid to recover nearly $50,000 in alleged gambling debts from another punter.
Gary Benson, an inaugural inductee into the Australian Poker Hall of Fame, has recorded career earnings of $2,826,031 and sits 20th on Australia’s all-time poker money list.
The 69-year-old has a Wikipedia page and owns a World Series of Poker bracelet, regarded as the most prestigious non-cash prize available on the global poker circuit.
Away from the tables, Benson has worked as a chartered accountant since 1985. For three decades, he specialised in advising Australian poker players about their US tax obligations.
His occasional poker rival, 52-year-old Michael O’Grady, has a lower profile on the tour but remains a successful player in his own right. O’Grady ranks 56th on the Australian money list, with career winnings of $1,657,979.
O’Grady also wagers heavily on sport, including AFL, NRL, NFL, UFC, motor racing, tennis, soccer and golf. Benson was willing to take his private bets.
The Sydney men had known one another for several years before entering an ongoing betting arrangement that eventually brought both before the court.
Benson was ultimately found to have been operating as an unlicensed bookmaker. Because the gambling arrangement was prohibited, O’Grady could not be compelled to repay any money allegedly owed to him.
Gary Benson, one of Australia’s most successful professional poker players, unsuccessfully turned to the courts in an attempt to recover nearly $50,000 in alleged debts from a fellow punter. Benson is pictured.
Gary Benson and Michael O’Grady, pictured above, both compete on the international poker circuit. The pair had known each other for years before their ongoing betting arrangement led to court proceedings.
Downing Centre Local Court judge Scott Nash described the nature of the pair’s arrangement in a landmark decision handed down this week which set Benson back $48,711.84, plus legal costs.
‘Initially, that relationship appears to have been relatively informal,’ Judge Nash found.
‘However, over time it developed into a sustained course of betting activity involving repeated wagering transactions conducted over an extended period.’
While Judge Nash said ‘the precise detail of every wager is unnecessary to recount’, a betting ledger showed 211 transactions between May 2022 and February 2023.
‘This was not a case involving one or two isolated bets,’ Judge Nash found. ‘Nor was it a case involving occasional social wagering.
‘The evidence further establishes that odds were quoted, discussed and agreed. Mr Benson was not merely participating in bets proposed by others.
‘He occupied the position of receiving wagering propositions and agreeing the terms upon which betting would occur.’
O’Grady placed his bets by text messages, such as the following exchange in which he wanted to put $5,000 on the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to beat an NRL opponent by at least 12 points for a return of $9,300.
Benson (above) was an inaugural member of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame with career earnings of $2,826,031, putting him 20th on the local all-time money list
O’Grady: “Gaz can I have 5K sharks -11.5 @1.86”
Benson: “Yep”
O’Grady: “Thx Gaz”
‘Outcomes of the wagers were subsequently recorded and liabilities calculated according to those outcomes,’ Judge Nash said.
‘A feature of the parties’ dealings was that liabilities were not invariably settled immediately following the completion of a particular event or wager.
‘Instead, wins and losses were often carried forward and incorporated into an ongoing balance between the parties.’
From time to time, Benson extended credit to O’Grady and ‘the relationship developed characteristics that were financial as well as recreational’.
On one occasion, Benson accepted two wagers totalling $20,000 within about two minutes. The ledger recorded Benson receiving $70,000 in wagers from O’Grady on August 12, 2022.
O’Grady placed bets with Benson by text messages, such as the exchange in which he wanted to put $5,000 on the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to beat an NRL opponent by at least 12 points
‘Expressed another way, the relationship between Mr Benson and Mr O’Grady was not merely an agreement that the parties would occasionally select opposing teams and bet with each other on a social or casual basis,’ Judge Nash said.
‘The arrangement contemplated that Mr O’Grady would communicate the bet he wanted, Mr Benson would decide whether to take it, the odds and amount would be agreed and fixed and the resulting liability would be settled on credit later.’
As O’Grady’s betting continued, the amounts said by Benson to be owed to him ‘increased substantially’ and were ‘not insignificant’, according to Judge Nash.
‘Discussions concerning repayment occurred and, for a time, the parties attempted to manage the position without recourse to the courts,’ Judge Nash said. ‘Those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.’
Benson commenced legal proceedings against O’Grady in May 2023, seeking the recovery of money he claimed he was owed – $42,488.58, plus interest and costs.
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Judgment was made in favour of Benson in July that year and O’Grady was ordered to pay him $45,035.94 but during April and May 2024 the parties began negotiating a ‘compromise agreement’.
Under that agreement, O’Grady would pay Benson $48,711.84, representing the judgment debt and accrued interest, out of prize money from future poker tournaments.
As part of the undertaking, Benson surrendered enforcement rights of the original judgment and a third man acted as his guarantor.
A spreadsheet (above) Benson maintained of O’Grady’s sports betting between May 2022 and February 2023 listed events, wagers, potential wins, results and an ongoing balance
In the end, the compromise agreement was not followed and Benson took both O’Grady and the third man back to the local court to have it enforced.
The case did not turn on whether the debt or compromise agreement existed, but rather whether Benson had been acting as an unlicensed bookmaker.
‘Gambling has become an enduring feature of professional sport and racing,’ Judge Nash said in his judgment.
‘Viewers of sporting and racing broadcasts will be familiar with the warning, “You win some, you lose more”, popularised by the title of the 2023 Australian parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and its impacts.
‘Another familiar warning is, “Chances are you’re about to lose”. In a sense, both expressions have some relevance to these proceedings.’
O’Grady and the third man were represented by Tony Taouk, of Magna Carta Lawyers, instructing barrister Cameron Shamsabad.
Benson contended his dealings with O’Grady ‘amounted to little more than private betting between acquaintances’, and the compromise agreement was a binding contract.
O’Grady submitted his gambling liabilities arose from transactions conducted in circumstances where Benson acted as an unlicensed bookmaker under the meaning of NSW’s Unlawful Gambling Act.
Benson (above) was found to have acted as an unlicensed bookmaker, and as such, O’Grady could not be forced to repay any debt he owed him because such gambling was prohibited
Judge Nash said there were ‘apparently no previously determined cases that have considered the same legal questions’ that arose in the case of O’Grady and Benson.
‘The issues in this proceeding are therefore novel,’ he said.
‘The novelty of the case lies not in the existence of wagering transactions but in the legal consequences that follow from a later compromise agreement reached after judgment had already been entered and enforcement activity had commenced.’
The Unlawful Gambling Act of 1998 defines a bookmaker as a person ‘who carries on the business of, or who acts as, a bookmaker, bookmaker’s clerk or turf commission agent’.
Alternatively, it states a bookmaker is a person who ‘gains, or endeavours to gain, a livelihood wholly or partly by betting or making wagers’.
If Benson was acting as a bookmaker, his wagering arrangements with O’Grady were prohibited by reason of him being unlicensed. If he wasn’t, O’Grady’s case would fail.
‘I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Mr Benson was acting as a bookmaker within the meaning of the legislation,’ Judge Nash found.
Judge Nash did, however, accept Benson’s submission there was no evidence he gained or sought to gain a ‘livelihood’ from wagering transactions.
O’Grady (above) might be less well known on the poker tour than Benson but nonetheless ranks 56th on the Australian money list, with career earnings of $1,657,979
In making those findings, Judge Nash said: ‘In my opinion the relationship extended beyond the realm of private social wagering.’
‘I accept that laying a wager is not itself synonymous with acting as a bookmaker. I accept that no bright line exists between private wagering and bookmaking activity.
‘The finding that Mr Benson acted as a bookmaker is based upon the cumulative effect of the proved conduct and not upon any isolated feature of the relationship.’
That meant the wagering arrangements upon which the compromise agreement depended were prohibited by the Unlawful Gambling Act and it was not enforceable.
‘Mr Benson’s claim fails not because the compromise agreement or guarantee lack contractual validity, but because the legislation denies legal effect to agreements of that character when they derive from prohibited gambling,’ Judge Nash said.
Judge Nash dismissed Benson’s claim, entered judgment in favour of O’Grady and the third man and ordered Benson to pay both men’s costs ‘as agreed or assessed’.
Tony Taouk, the solicitor who acted for O’Grady and the third man, noted a gambling liability and an enforceable debt were not always the same thing.
‘What makes the case particularly interesting is that the outcome ultimately turned on the statutory consequences of prohibited gambling, rather than ordinary contractual principles,’ he said.
‘Once a gambling dispute reaches a courtroom, the issue is no longer simply who won or who lost. The question becomes whether the law will recognise and enforce the resulting liability.
‘The case is a reminder that when gambling arrangements become the subject of litigation, the statutory framework can be just as important as what the parties themselves agreed.’