Major North Philadelphia Drug Dealer Headed to Prison for 30 Years

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Edward Stinson, 30, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond for leading the Stinson Drug Trafficking Group, which sold crack cocaine in and around the Norman Blumberg Apartment Complex in North Philadelphia from about 2010 through 2015.

In January 2019, the defendant was found guilty at trial of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”) near a public housing facility, and several related drug charges, including unlawful use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug felony. Stinson was the leader of the group, and he was assisted in the daily operations of the drug gang by multiple individuals, including his co-defendant at trial, Debra Baylor. They obtained bulk quantities of cocaine from suppliers and arranged for it to be cooked into crack cocaine inside various apartments in Blumberg. The crack cocaine was then distributed on the streets of North Philadelphia, often accompanied by violence that terrorized the neighborhood.

“For at least half a decade, Stinson and the members of his gang controlled the illicit drug market in this neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “His drug trafficking organization operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, tearing at the fabric of the neighborhood at the expense of the families, seniors, and other neighbors living there. Today, justice prevailed and Stinson got what he deserved.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Josh A. Davison and Joseph T. Labrum, III.

Catholic Charities Appeal Partners with Philadelphia 76ers

A portion of all tickets sold will directly benefit Catholic Charities Appeal beneficiaries providing support to the homeless, special needs students, food cupboards, afterschool programs, and more.

The Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA), the Archdiocese of Philadelphia\’s single most important fundraiser, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people through countless organizations and ministries in the Archdiocese, will partner with the Philadelphia 76ers to host a night of family fun at the Wells Fargo Center.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

8:00 p.m.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Wells Fargo Center

3601 South Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

Each year, CCA helps to ensure the vitality of countless organizations and ministries throughout the five-county Archdiocese. CCA beneficiaries are grouped into five areas of ministries including Education; Social Services; Evangelization, Parish and Spiritual Life; Clergy; and Local Mission Activities.

Those interested in supporting Catholic Charities Appeal can purchase tickets online through a dedicated link at

https://fevo.me/cca76

. If 150 tickets are sold, Mr. James Amato, Secretary for Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS), a CCA beneficiary, will be honored on court prior to the start of the game.

# # #

Editor’s Note:

The Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA) is the Archdiocese of Philadelphia\’s single most important fundraiser, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people through countless organizations and ministries in the Archdiocese. To learn more about the CCA, please visit:

https://www.catholiccharitiesappeal.org/

. CCA is powered by The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP), an independent, nonprofit community foundation. To learn more about CFGP, please visit

https://thecfgp.org/

5 Players We Could See At The Philadelphia Eagles in 2020

Gloucestercitynews.net (February 7, 2020)–Last season wasn’t terrible for the Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible. The joy of winning the Super Bowl in 2018 still looms large in the memory of many of the team’s younger fans, and sometimes obscures the fact that prior to that, the Eagles had never won the competition before, and had in fact only made it to two previous finals in their entire existence. Reaching the playoffs is still an acceptable result for a team of the Eagles’ standing, even if the

loss to the Seattle Seahawks

was a disappointing one.

As with every team in the NFL at the moment, the upper management and coaching team of the Eagles will be taking stock of what they have, what they need to improve on, and who\’ll soon be available to acquire both in terms of April\’s draft and in terms of free agency. There are places in which the team could definitely be improved, and conversations about making those improvements will already be happening as you read this article. It\’s probably safe to assume that we\’ll see some significant movement in and out of the Eagles before the first game of the new season arrives.

Making major changes to a settled lineup is never easy, and always comes with an element of risk involved. It’s as if the popular

online slots

‘Gridiron Glory’ has come to life. In exactly the same way an online slots player puts their money into a game and hopes for the best, Doug Pederson will be placing the club’s money into players and hoping that luck is on his side. Neither the online slots player nor the coach can change their selection after they’ve made it – they just have to trust the Gods of fate and hope that everything goes his way. But who might Pederson be looking at, and who can we realistically expect to see at Lincoln Financial Field when the new season kicks off? Let’s take a look.

Darron Lee

In the run-up to the Super Bowl, the New York Post ran an article about

Darron Lee’s ‘crazy’ journey

to the biggest game in the sport. We guess they must have a different definition of \’crazy\’ to us, because Lee barely even featured in the build-up to the final, and didn\’t see the field in the final game at all. Lee is, without a shadow of a doubt, a talented player, but he appears to be surplus to requirements at Kansas City. If he is, he will make an excellent addition to the Eagles, who could do with more strength and competition in the squad when it comes to linebackers. His statistics from last season are misleading. The numbers will tell you that he played every game of the regular season without making a single interception or sack, but that\’s not fair. Lee only started two of those games. At the age of 25, the prime of his career is still ahead of him, and there\’s the potential for him to come and play through it at Philadelphia.

Arik Armstead

You might think that this suggestion belongs in the realms of fantasy, but there are whispers that Armstead may be interested in a move when free agency comes around. The defensive end knows how good he\’s been this season, and he\’ll expect his level of performance to be reflected in any new contract he signs. It may be the case that the San Francisco 49ers simply can\’t pay him what he\’s looking for, but the Philadelphia Eagles can. The Eagles wouldn\’t be the only team in the hunt for him if he decides to test the market – we suspect every single ambitious team in the NFL does – but the Eagles make for an attractive package, and stand as good a chance as anybody else. All they would have to worry about is whether his form holds up. He was excellent last season as we\’ve already said, but for the four seasons prior to that, he was mostly anonymous.

Bryce Hall

This kid should be a priority for the Eagles when it comes to the draft. He was born locally, and he looks like the real deal. Bryce Hall has stood out in an exceptional Virginia team in the past, but due to an unfortunate injury, he\’s slipped under the radar during 2019 while he\’s focused on getting healthy again. Teams worry about rookies who\’ve already had breakages or dislocations, and Hall has had both, but the opinion of his doctors is that he\’ll be fully fit in time to start the season. This gives the Eagles the chance to pick up a naturally gifted outside corner that nobody else has on their shortlist – and given his connections with the area, he could stay with the team for the next ten years or more if the move works out.

Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson is not the best wide receiver who\’ll be available in this year\’s draft, but he\’s the best wide receiver likely to remain available when picking 21 rolls around, and the Philadelphia Eagles desperately need a new wide receiver. We suspect that he might even be a first-round pick for the team if nobody else picks him up first. In 2019 he picked up 111 catches – that\’s more than any other player at his level in the country. He also ranked second for TD catches and third for receiving yards. As the old saying goes, the numbers don\’t like – and the numbers all look very good where Jefferson is concerned.

Justin Madubuike

We think it might be a tale of two Justins when it comes to the NFL Draft in 2020. Justin Jefferson will almost certainly appear high on the list, and we think Justin Madubuike will, too. At 6’3 and over three hundred pounds, Madubuike is a big, big man, and he’s becoming available at the right time when we look at the current DT options within the Eagles squad. Malik Jackson is about to turn 30, and nobody knows whether he’ll ever fully recover from his foot injury or not. Fletcher Cox is also nudging on 30. Ridgeway and Jernigan, the only other options, haven’t developed as well as the Eagles hoped, and will likely be leaving as free agents. That will leave the Eagles with a big hole in the DT position – and to us, it looks like a Justin Madubuike-sized hole.

This is just our take on the matter, though – the Eagles could end up with all of these players, some of them, or none of them. That’s the risk you take when you try to make sporting predictions! From now until the first day of next season, we’ll be watching and waiting to see if we were right.

images courtesy of unsplash.com

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

WASHINGTON – February 6 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, all members of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), join U.S. and foreign government partners, non-governmental organizations, and local communities to call for the eradication of the practice.

The elimination of FGM/C has broad implications for the health and human rights of women and girls, as well as societies at large. This day serves as an opportunity to reflect on victims who have suffered from female genital mutilation/cutting, including many women and girls who have died or suffered lifelong health complications from the practice. The day also renews a global commitment to the health and well-being of all women, girls and communities by eliminating the practice.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a federal crime, and any involvement in committing this crime is a serious human rights violation, which may result in imprisonment and potential removal from the United States. Individuals suspected of FGM/C, including sending girls overseas to be cut, may be investigated by the HRVWCC and prosecuted accordingly. In 2017, the HRVWCC initiated Operation Limelight USA, a program designed to bring awareness of FGM/C to passengers flying to countries where FGM/C is prevalent, to identify potential victims and perpetrators of FGM and to deter its practice. Since June 2017, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in partnership with non-governmental organizations, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and others have conducted outreach operations at 18 U.S. airports and have engaged with nearly 4,000 passengers on 168 flights.

“Female genital mutilation is an affront to the human rights of women and girls throughout the world,” said Mark Shaffer, Chief of ICE’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. “Ending this practice will require continued cooperation and creativity of governments, partner organizations, and communities.”

“Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a significant threat targeting women in our communities and around the world. The FBI is committed to identifying and investigating the human rights violators who perpetrate this heinous crime,” said Acting Unit Chief Tyrone Lara of the FBI International Human Rights Unit. “We are also dedicated to working with our domestic and international partners to bring perpetrators to justice and put an end to this practice worldwide.”

FGM/C prevalence is primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, but also occurs in parts of Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. It is global in scope and found in multiple geographies, religions, and socioeconomic classes.

Anyone who has information about an individual who is suspected of assisting in this crime is urged to call the toll-free ICE tip line at (866) 347-2423 or complete the

ICE online tip form

or the

FBI online tip form

. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously.

For more information about the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting,

view this Fact Sheet on FGM/C from the U.S. Department of State

visit the United Nations\’ Zero Tolerance Day website

FACE OF DEFENSE: Coast Guard Rescues 4 Fishermen in Rough Seas (Video)

U.S. Coast Guard District 5 North

An aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina hoists four fishermen who ran aground near Shackelford Banks, North Carolina, February. 7, 2020. A crew member reported that they had become disabled due to fuel issues, then ran aground and began taking on water.

(U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Elizabeth City.)

WILMINGTON, N.C.- The Coast Guard rescued four men after their 78-foot fishing vessel ran aground near Shackelford Banks, North Carolina, Friday morning.

Watch standers at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina’s command center received a radio distress call at approximately 3:30 a.m from a crew member aboard the vessel Tamara Alane, who reported that they had become disabled due to fuel issues, then ran aground and began taking on water.

The crew members asked to be removed from the vessel due to harsh weather conditions.

An aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City launched to assist.

Once on scene, the aircrew hoisted the four crew members and transported them to Michael J. Smith Airport in Beaufort.

There were no reported injuries or visible signs of pollution. The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the situation and salvage operations.

“The fishermen did the right thing by calling us as soon as possible,” said Chief Warrant Officer Kristen Auer, command duty officer at the Sector North Carolina command center.“With the deteriorating weather conditions, the situation could have gone from bad to worse.”

SOURCE US Coast Guard

FACE OF DEFENSE

VIDEO:Philadelphia Police Seeking Help ID Suspect Who Shot Three People

PHILADELPHIA PA (February 7, 2020)–Philadelphia Police are asking the public for help identify a suspect who was caught on surveillance cameras running in the 5200 block of Market Street after gunfire erupted just after 12AM. The man fled westbound on Market Street. He stopped for a second to talk with another male who was heading towards him and they both continued west on Market Street.

Police say the man is suspected of shooting a 30-year-old man who was placed in critical condition after being shot in the left side of his face. Also injured was a 29-year-old man who was shot in the right leg, and a 28-year-old man who was shot in the lower back. The still photos of the man were taken from the police video below.

Suspect Caught On Surveillance Video Fleeing Scene Of West Philadelphia Triple Shooting

Resident from Southampton Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud

PHILADELPHIA PA (February 7, 2020)–On February 6, 2020, DUANE WILSON (WILSON), 66, of Southampton, PA, was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by six months of home confinement. WILSON was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of

$272,742.00 to the IRS. WILSON previously pled guilty to filing a false tax return.

WILSON, who was once employed by Valley Power in Willow Grove, PA, embezzled over $1 million from his former employer. WILSON failed to report some of those funds on his tax return. WILSON’S actions caused a loss of approximately $272,742.00 to the IRS.

“No matter the source, all income is taxable,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “There is no better time than tax season to remind the public that knowingly omitting income on a tax return is a felony; one that could result in jail time.”

In fashioning a sentence, United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson referred to this case as a straight forward crime of greed.

WILSON will begin serving his prison sentence on April 06, 2020.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Gray.

source :

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation-Philadelphia Field Office

ICE Arrests Illegal Alien in Philly Again; Sanctuary Policies Put Public\’s Safety At Stake

PHILADELPHIA PA- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers recently arrested a Mexican man who was released from Philadelphia custody on three prior occasions, despite ICE detainers filed with local authorities each time. In addition to the ignored detainers, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office intervened on the alien’s behalf, writing a letter to an immigration judge, which was used as supporting evidence to help get the man released from ICE custody.

The 36-year-old Mexican national has had numerous encounters with local law enforcement and has been arrested at least six times since 2018, for offenses including simple assault, disorderly conduct and recklessly endangering another, aggravated assault, simple assault, possession of an instrument of a crime, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and failure to appear. Despite the man’s multiple run-ins with local law enforcement and his failure to appear for several hearings related to his criminal proceedings, the Philadelphia district attorney’s office wrote a letter to an immigration judge in York, PA, which was used as supporting evidence to help get him a favorable custody decision and ultimately released from ICE custody.

Despite the support provided by the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, he was arrested again by the Philadelphia Police Department and was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, possession of an instrument of a crime and recklessly endangering another person and released from the Philadelphia officials custody, despite the presence of an ICE detainer.

\”Cooperating with ICE is in the best interest of the residents of the city of Philadelphia,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Deputy Field Office Director Gregory Brawley. “Philadelphia officials misguided policy of releasing dangerous criminals, rather than safely transferring these individuals to ICE custody, negatively impacts public safety. Despite the city’s stance on detainers, this is the first case that we have seen the district attorney’s office inject itself into immigration removal proceedings. City officials have indicated that they do not want to be a part of immigration enforcement, and yet in this case, they go on record and write a letter to an immigration judge, to help get an individual released? This is a dangerous policy, as I am sure the most recent victim(s) can attest to.”

About Detainers

Under federal law, ICE has the authority to lodge immigration detainers with law enforcement partners who have custody of individuals arrested on criminal charges and who ICE has probable cause to believe are removable aliens. The detainer form asks the other law enforcement agency to notify ICE in advance of release and to maintain custody of the alien for a brief period of time so that ICE can take custody of that person in a safe and secure setting upon release from that agency’s custody. Yet, across the United States, several jurisdictions refuse to honor detainers and instead choose to willingly release criminal offenders back into their local communities where they are free to offend.

Congress has established no process, requirement, or expectation directing ICE to seek a judicial warrant from already overburdened federal courts before taking custody of an alien on civil immigration violations. This idea is simply a figment created by those who wish to undermine immigration enforcement and excuse the ill-conceived practices of sanctuary jurisdictions that put politics before public safety.

Sanctuary Policies Put Public Safety at Risk

When law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release a criminal alien onto the streets, it negatively impacts public safety. Any local jurisdiction thinking that refusing to cooperate with ICE will result in a decrease in local immigration enforcement is mistaken. Local jurisdictions that choose to not cooperate with ICE are likely to see an increase in ICE enforcement activity, as the agency has no choice but to conduct more at-large arrest operations. A consequence of ICE being forced to make more arrests on the streets, the agency is likely to encounter other unlawfully present foreign nationals who would not have been encountered had we been allowed to take custody of a criminal target within the confines of a local jail. Additionally, once these criminals are out on the street, confirming their whereabouts is often time consuming and resource intensive. Many of our arrest targets are seasoned criminals who are savvy about eluding law enforcement.

A Nevada COTA Family is Celebrating American Heart Month

Thanks to Their Toddler’s Heart Transplant

COTA Kid Emerson Buskirk Heart Transplant Recipient

February 3, 2020

—

February is the month to celebrate love and hearts. Since 1964 February has been known as American Heart Month throughout the United States. For the Buskirk family of Las Vegas, Nevada, February truly is a month to celebrate selfless gifts from the heart. Their toddler, Emerson, is alive and able to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year because of the new heart she received just over a year ago.

Emerson Lee Buskirk was born in June 2018 to ecstatic first-time parents, Andrea and Brandon. They were thrilled and thankful to welcome this precious infant to their now family of three. Their first few months at home in Las Vegas with Baby Emerson were like those of other first-time, adoring parents. According to Andrea and Brandon, Emerson was the world’s easiest baby and they knew how fortunate they were. She was a champion sleeper and eater. She was very calm yet very curious. But early in the morning of September 24

, they embarked on a new and unexpected journey with Emerson.

Andrea and Brandon both blogged and posted on social media regularly about Emerson’s transplant journey and what follows are excerpts from their narratives:

Brandon and I are both teachers, so when the school year started for Brandon, we knew it was inevitable he would bring home germs. In early September he had a cold that was eventually passed to Emerson. We did not know it at the time, but that virus was the tipping point for her body. In mid-September 2018 we noticed something was ‘off’ with Emerson. She was not sleeping as well as normal, and was a little more cranky than usual. We decided Brandon would stay home with her on September 24

because that was to be my first day back from maternity leave for my teaching job. However, I was not able to return to my classroom as planned.

That night Emerson’s whole demeanor changed and she was lethargic. We assumed she just was not feeling well because of her cold. At 3:30 a.m. we were awake with Emerson. She was refusing to eat and her wet diaper was very dark, signaling dehydration. We grabbed her diaper bag and left quickly for the local hospital’s emergency room. Upon intake, an IV was started and she was immediately put on oxygen. She was very pale and was having trouble breathing. A chest x-ray was performed and then a doctor came in with news we had not expected to hear — Emerson was in congestive heart failure. Our world stopped.

We were immediately transferred to Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas to meet with pediatric cardiologists. The cardiologist who performed Emerson’s first echocardiogram left the room saying, ‘I need to expedite this’ and then returned very quickly to tell us what he had seen. He knew Emerson would need a heart transplant to survive. We were briefly admitted to the PICU and plans were being made to transfer us to a pediatric heart center. Loma Linda University’s Children’s Hospital had an opening on the cardiac floor, and less than 12 hours later we were being life-flighted there … about 250 miles from our home.

The first week of Emerson’s Dilated Cardiomyopathy diagnosis was grim. By the time she had another echocardiogram performed on September 25

, her heart function had gone from 30% to 9%. Her body was failing. Loma Linda’s team of pediatric cardiac specialists thought she would need to be placed on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), which is highly specialized life support. She was sedated, intubated and placed in isolation. The only way we could see her was to put on a gown, mask and gloves. We could not hold or comfort her. We felt lost and far away from our support network. Emerson was officially listed as transplant status 1A on September 26

. Our pastors travelled from Las Vegas to California and we baptized Emerson in the hospital, which was not at all what we had planned. We were preparing for the worst.

The next step was to get Emerson off the ventilator, which could only be done if her heart function got better. On October 8

her first open heart surgery, the Pulmonary Artery Band, was performed. This procedure is so new in the world of Dilated Cardiomyopathy treatment that less than 100 had been performed worldwide. Emerson was the fourth Loma Linda patient to have this procedure. This banding allowed her to come off the breathing tube and start eating again. Her heart function improved to about 20%. With these successes, Emerson was moved from 1A status to 1B since she was no longer quite as critical. Then the waiting began.

A close friend of the family reached out to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) to learn more about the organization and about fundraising for transplant-related expenses. Andrea and Brandon then spoke to their Loma Linda transplant social worker to learn more. On October 15, 2018, the Buskirks officially became part of the COTA Family.

COTA is a 501(c)3 charity so all contributions to COTA in honor of Emerson are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and COTA funds are available for a lifetime of transplant-related expenses. COTA uniquely understands that parents who care for a child or young adult before, during and after a transplant have enough to deal with, so COTA’s model shifts the responsibility for fundraising to a community team of trained volunteers. A COTA fundraising specialist travelled to Loma Linda on November 3

to train the family’s volunteers and walk them through the entire process. This group of family members and friends returned to Las Vegas and quickly got to work organizing fundraisers to help with mounting transplant-related expenses.

The months following the Pulmonary Artery Band surgery allowed Emerson’s body to regain strength, allowed her to grow, allowed her to gain weight and allowed her to completely breathe on room air. From what our nurses told us, Emerson was a rare case. When babies need heart transplants, they usually do not look like her. From her appearance alone you never would have known she was so sick. She would light up the hospital room with her gigantic smile and truly loved all the attention she received. She was known as the ‘mood booster’ of the pediatric cardiology floor at Loma Linda. In January our cardiologist wrote to UNOS (the United Network of Organ Sharing) to petition Emerson to go back to 1A status since a heart transplant was her only chance at long-term survival.

We received our life-changing call that a heart was available on January 17, 2019, at 5:46 pm. Emerson was taken to surgery at midnight, and was brought back up at 6:30 am on January 18

. She was extubated right after the transplant. With her now healthy heart, she almost instantly ‘pinked up’ like other babies. Her numbers stabilized. Miraculously she was discharged nine days after her heart transplant.

On February 14, Valentine’s Day, 2019, Andrea posted the following update:

Valentine’s Day has a whole new meaning for us this year, because February 14

is also National Donor Day. Today we are especially thankful for our donor family who gave Emerson a second chance at life. Without families like theirs, our little girl would not be here. They truly gave us a priceless gift. Today I want to bring awareness to the thousands of children and adults who are waiting for a life-saving transplant. I urge you to prayerfully consider becoming an organ donor. Did you know one person alone can save eight people with his/her organs? Emerson required blood transfusions many times throughout her hospital stay. Donating blood is another great way to honor our little girl. Lastly, if you feel so inclined, Emerson was transplanted at six months old. If everyone gave just $6 to COTA for Team Emerson, medications can be provided for Emerson for many, many years to come. The outpouring of love and support we have witnessed over the past months is incredible — it has allowed us to focus on Emerson’s needs and care … and not on the financial stresses of life. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Emerson and Andrea remained in Loma Linda until early April and regularly went to nearby clinic appointments to make sure she was doing well. (Brandon had been teaching during the week in Las Vegas and travelling to California on the weekends for several months, which is a transplant-related expense for which COTA funds can be utilized.) They were all able to return home to Las Vegas on April 1, 2019, to resume life as a family of three.

Today Emerson is thriving and is as curious as ever. Andrea and Brandon are elated to have her home and to watch her grow and develop. She continues to love life. Her personality is blossoming with every beat of her amazing new heart. Emerson loves to smile and make funny faces. She loves her kitties, any and all toys that make music and her large collection of stuffed animals.

The COTA fundraising effort in Emerson’s honor has been very successful, which has continued to alleviate many of this young family’s stressors.

According to Brandon, “When we first learned about COTA, it was a relief to see other families who were also in our situation. Through COTA we discovered there is an entire community of transplant families who know exactly what we face each and every day. The

COTA.org

home page provided us tremendous hope because we could read success stories about other COTA heart kids. COTA has allowed us to focus on our family first and not on worrying about how to pay for the resources Emerson needs today … and into the future.”

On Emerson’s first birthday in June, Andrea wrote her this note

My Dearest Emerson,

Today you turn one year old. A birthday we did not know we would ever be able to celebrate with you. The challenges and odds you have had to overcome in your first year of life are greater than most people experience in a lifetime. You have overcome Intubation … Being paralyzed … Two open heart surgeries … A heart transplant … Surgery to drain fluid on your heart … Numerous IVs … Countless blood draws … Numerous blood transfusions … Countless heart tests, CTs and MRIs … Withdrawal from narcotics … A collapsed lung … Doctors saying you might not survive … and so much more. Being your mom and watching you overcome such adversity has been a challenge. They always say having kids teaches you so much. That is an understatement with you. You have taught me how to fight … how to be brave … and how to overcome. Your ‘fighter’ spirit is something I pray lives inside of you forever.

“Emerson becoming a Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) kid continues to be a huge blessing for us. Our world turned upside down after her birth, and we had to move to another state for her care and eventual transplant. COTA provided us comfort regarding the mounting medical bills for our lengthy stay. Now that we are back home, we know Emerson will get the best care possible and continue her recovery without the two of us worrying about the medical bills. It is so reassuring to know that when Emerson inevitably needs another heart transplant, COTA will be there at that point and …

for a lifetime

,” said Andrea and Brandon.

Emerson has not slowed down in any way since her heart transplant. She has shown her Warrior Spirit and has proven she can weather any storm. People comment to Brandon and Andrea frequently that had they not followed her journey or known anything about her health challenges, you would never know what she has been through.

According to Andrea, Emerson is running through life (literally) and shows no signs of slowing down. She is a bundle of energy from the moment her eyes open in the morning. She loves taking her new puppy, Weston, on walks and playing fetch with him. She loves reading books, being chased around the house while letting out full squeals of excitement and dancing to any music she hears (especially if it is Moana!). Emerson is living her life with no abandon.

“While Brandon returned to work in the fall, I stayed home to make sure all of her appointments were always taken care of. We are seeing a delay in eating due to her time in the hospital and are currently working to find the right feeding therapist to help us address these needs,” Andrea said. “We find total comfort knowing COTA funds can be used towards this. That knowledge takes away the financial stress of paying for her necessary therapy and the medications she needs.”

This Valentine’s Day, Emerson will likely be eating her favorite foods and doing her favorite things, which will undoubtedly include dancing, laughing, reading making funny faces and simply being adorable. Andrea and Brandon will be remembering Emerson’s heart donor angel with love.

Happy Valentine’s Day Buskirk Family from your COTA Family!

For more information about the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA),

or to find a COTA family in your area, please email

kim@cota.org

CNB Business News: More Growth Coming for Comtech Telecommunications, South Jersey Industries

The recent performance of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ:CMTL) stock in the market spoke loud and clear to investors as CMTL saw more than 184.45K shares in trading volumes in the

last trading session, way higher than the average trading volume of 184.45K shares by far recorded in the movement of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (CMTL). At the time the stock opened at the value of $28.75, making it a high for the given period, the value of the stock dropped by -0.67%. After the decrease, CMTL touched a low price of $28.50, calling it a day with a closing price of $30.03, which means that the price of CMTL went 29.83 below the opening price on the mentioned day.

Given the most recent momentum in the market in the price movement of CMTL stock, some strong opinions on the matter of investing in the company’s stock started to take shape, which is how analysts are predicting an estimated price of $40.90 for CMTL within consensus. The estimated price would demand a set of gains in total of -278076.74%, which goes higher than the most recent closing price, indicating that the stock is in for bullish trends. Other indicators are hinting that the stock could reach an outstanding figure in the market share, which is currently set at 23.76M in the public float and 732.48M US dollars in market capitalization.

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (CMTL) Technical Analysis

When it comes to the technical analysis of CMTL stock, there are more than several important indicators on the company’s success in the market, one of those being the Relative Strength Indicator (RSI), which can show, just as Stochastic measures, what is going on with the value of the stock beneath the data. This value may also indicate that the stock will go sideways rather than up or down, also indicating that the price could stay where it is for quite some time. When it comes to Stochastic reading, CMTL stock are showing 36.05% in results, indicating that the stock is neither overbought or oversold at the moment, providing it with a neutral within Stochastic reading as well. Additionally, CMTL with the present state of 200 MA appear to be indicating bearish trends within the movement of the stock in the market. While other metrics within the technical analysis are due to provide an outline into the value of CMTL, the general sentiment in the market is inclined toward negative trends.

A Look At South Jersey Industries (NYSE:SJI)

With the previous 100-day trading volume average of 599799 shares, South Jersey Industries (SJI) recorded a trading volume of 1.23 million shares, as the stock started the trading session at the value of $31.14, in the end touching the price of $31.29 after jumping by 0.48%.

South Jersey Industries (SJI) Intraday View

SJI stock seem to be going ahead the lowest price in the last 52 weeks with the latest change of 9.48%.Then price of SJI also went backward in oppose to its average movements recorded in the previous 20 days. The price volatility of SJI stock during the period of the last months recorded 2.06%, whilst it changed for the week, now showing 3.26% of volatility in the last seven days. The trading distance for this period is set at -1.62% and is presently away from its moving average by -0.66% in the last 50 days. During the period of the last 5 days, SJI stock lost around -2.52% of its value, now recording a dip by -2.69% reaching an average $32.16 in the period of the last 200 days.During the period of the last 12 months, South Jersey Industries (SJI) dropped by -5.12%.

Consensus Price Target for South Jersey Industries (SJI)

According to the Barchart’s scale, the company’s consensus rating jumped to 4.20 from 3.80, showing an overall improvement during the course of a single month. Based on the latest results, analysts are suggesting that the target price for SJI stock should be $31.29 per share in the course of the next 12 months. To achieve the target price as suggested by analysts, SJI should have a spike by 0% in oppose to its present value in the market. Additionally, the current price showcases a discount of 21.78% when compared to the high consensus price target predicted by analysts.

South Jersey Industries (SJI) Intraday Trading

SJI shares recorded a trading volume of 1.14 million shares, compared to the volume of 663.51K shares before the last close, presented as its trading average. With the approaching 3.26% during the last seven days, the volatility of SJI stock remained at 2.06%. During the last trading session, the lost value that SJI stock recorded was set at the price of $31.29, while the lowest value in the last 52 weeks was set at $28.58. The recovery of the stock in the market has notably added 9.48% of gains since its low value, also recording -4.19% in the period of the last 1 month.