WSSN Stories

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Can’t nobody tell you nothing! You think you know it all!  Mark Twain said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”  You ought to mimic Paul who said, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified [1 Corin 2: 2].

There are just some people you can’t tell anything. Their minds are like steel traps – tightly shut and difficult to open. They have their mind made up and they’re not going to change for you, me… or even God. That’s pretty much the situation we discover in [Jeremiah 44] when Jeremiah warns the people that God is upset with their behavior… and they respond: “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD!” [Jeremiah 44:16]. They’ve made up their minds.  They liked what they’re doing. And they had no intention of stopping for Jeremiah or God.

I will venture to say that we all have come across people who think they know everything. Usually, they like to tell us how they know so much and make us feel like we are inferior. These arrogant personalities are perhaps the most difficult types of people to deal with.

But I just want to bring to remembrance to all the “Can’t tell me nothing” individuals. [Psalm 81:11-14], tells the story of a sad saga of a people who would not listen to God. From this Psalm, we learned that the nation of Israel did not listen to the counsel of God.  They tuned Him out and followed their own “stubborn hearts.”  You see, God told Israel through His commandments not to bow down to other gods, but they did not listen to Him.  Instead, [1 Kings 17:12] says, they worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”  They chose to follow their own ways instead of God’s ways. And do you know what happened to the Northern Kingdom known as Israel? And because of their hard-headiness, in 722 BC, they were destroyed by the Assyrian army. Since they did not listen to God, and follow His will, God allowed the Assyrian army to defeat them.

What will happen to those of us who do not listen to God’s Word?  “He will punish us who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus” [2 Thess. 1:8]….. [2 John 9] says, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”

Listen, if we want to live godly lives, then we must listen to God’s will and then put it into practice.  The Bible teaches in [Deuteronomy 11] that if we listen and obey God, we will be blessed.  On the other hand, if we do not listen to God, we will be cursed.

God still lives and His Word still speaks. We need to listen to His Word because of our position before Him and our responsibility to Him. It is Finished!

Nya BanXXX

By Lue Dowdy

Arie Vee

Female EMCEE, Nya BanXXX; R&B Singer, Yung Muusik; and Singer Arie Vee is WHAT IT DO this week Inland Empire.

LUE PRODUCTIONS is holding its very first B.B.W. MODEL COMPETITION/FASHION SHOW and FUNDRAISER this Saturday at the San Bernardino Women’s Club located at 501 N. E Street from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Come out and watch these amazing artists do what they do and that’s ENTERTAIN. For information on this EPIC EVENT highlighting BIG BEAUTIFUL WOMEN please visit LUE PRODUCTIONS Facebook page or text (909) 567-1000.

Tickets are just $20 bucks. Hope we see you there. Until next week L’z!

By Naomi K. Bonman

As a Journalist and being able to interview people of all walks of life from celebrities to people in the community, my favorite stories and interviews are always from the locals; the people that you run into every day. In 2012, I interviewed Shawn O’Connell when he was running for Rialto City Council. He had a very gentle, sweet, and down to earth spirit. His love for the community was made him best fit to be a councilmember. The recent news of his passing was definitely a shock. Although, I only got to interact with him a couple times after the interview, he will definitely be remembered throughout the City of Rialto and in San Bernardino County.

In addition to his seat on Rialto’s council, O’Connell ran a patrol team and was a crisis negotiator for the SWAT team. He was Officer of the Year in 1998. He had never seen himself stepping into the world of politics, yet his mother who served on an East Coast school board instilled in him a passion for public service.

By Ronda Racha Penrice, Urban News Service

Kunta Kinte still haunts us.

Nearly 40 years after it premiered, Roots – Alex Haley’s iconic quest, tracing his ancestry from slavery back to Juffure, The Gambia – still inspires African-Americans to reclaim their heritage. Today, the ripple effect of the 1977 ABC miniseries is evident in reality shows, such as Finding Your Roots, and now the History Channel’s reboot of the epic TV program for a new generation. And African-American entrepreneurs have capitalized on the momentum by helping others find their own roots.

“The original Roots was extremely effective for all of us who saw it, black people who saw it, in planting the seed to wonder where am I from, where in Africa is my ancestor from, where is my Kunta Kinte, what was my name before Toby?” says Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, a Washington, D.C.-based DNA testing service. “African Ancestry was born out of a desire for black people to better understand who they are.”

African Ancestry came to prominence as part of Henry Louis Gates’s 2006 PBS series, African American Lives. Through the pioneering work of Paige’s co-founder, Dr. Rick Kittles, a renowned geneticist and expert in African lineages, the company helps clients uncover their own roots.

“In addition to losing our names, we lost our languages. We lost our traditional beliefs. Our families were torn apart. All of those things have an impact on us even today,” Paige says. “So, we’re the only company that allows people, black people, some identity restoration.”

That identity restoration, which costs $299 per test, can be powerful, Paige says.

After Isaiah Washington discovered his direct African lineage, the actor took an active role in the country where most of his bloodline was traced, she says. “He went to Sierra Leone specifically and then helped to rebuild a hospital and then got dual citizenship and started a foundation, specific to the people with whom he shares an ancestry.”

There are limits to DNA testing, Paige says. “If you’re just a consumer watching these shows, you think you can get one test and get all of that information, and that’s not true. It takes different types of tests, as well as genealogy research itself, to get the same comprehensive amount of information that celebrities receive on those shows.”

That’s where a professional genealogist such as Dean Henry comes in. Henry merged his IT background with his decades-long interest in genealogy and launched Family Pearl in 2013. In addition to traditional genealogical research, the Berwyn, Pa., company helps clients establish accounts on Ancestry.com and similar sites, digitize family documents and pictures, and maintain electronic family trees.

Television has motivated some clients to seek him out, Henry says. “They’ve seen some of the commercials for Ancestry.com, or they’ve seen some of the shows [like] Finding Their Roots, and it piques their interest. They always wanted to learn more about their family, but they didn’t really know how to go about doing it.”

While many folks want to know from where in Africa they descended, some people want to do so by ignoring the most painful period of American and African-American history – and you just can’t do that, says genealogist Kenyatta D. Berry, best known for hosting PBS’s hit series, Genealogy Roadshow. “That’s why you’re here,” she says. “The reason we’re living our lives, doing whatever we’re doing, is because someone survived that.”

On Genealogy Roadshow, Berry, the first black president of the Association of Professional Genealogists, tackles many difficult periods of history. In one recent episode, the Tuskegee Experiment played a central role in a guest’s genealogy. An episode this June features black people who owned slaves. In past programs, relatives who passed for white have surfaced.

Whether its Roots then, Roots now or the countless Roots-inspired TV shows, they all bank on this: knowing who you are is powerful. For Berry, it helps to cancel out the stereotypes and low expectations that black people constantly endure.

“If you listen to what people tell you, and you listen to what the media say about you, then you buy into that crap,” Berry says. “That’s why I think it’s so important to know your ancestors and your ancestry because, if you look at those who came before you, who survived and went through all of that stuff, then you will have more of a greater sense of power and empowerment.”

And that’s why, nearly 40 years later, Kunta Kinte still leads the charge.

Ten years ago a young black man moved to California on a quest to succeed in life-in essence seeking the “California dream” little did he know what began as a dream would seemingly become a living nightmare.

Albert Joseph Moyer stems from a devoted family which holds a strong belief in faith, and education. Albert experienced great success in California venturing off in becoming an entrepreneur; following in the footsteps of long line of family members who proceeded him:  a grandfather who was a mechanic, his uncle who owns several dental labs in Michigan and Ohio, his mother and father, Godfather Dave Bing, an Uncle who has a Ph. D in chemical engineering, a Godmother who serves as federal judge and a host of other successful family members.

Albert started a clothing company “Touche” which he successful managed until the economic downturn of 2008 forced him out of business.  He managed and helped produce an up and coming local artists (his cousin Rob J setting up tours in the Middle East with the USO. Albert also ventured off into other ventures such as solar (PTR Solar). However, Albert most viable venture was coordinating petition drives under the late Jean Nuisse, where he created and branded “Petition Management”.  As his business grew he became extremely successful building relationships with local and state elected officials, often assisting them with voter registration drives and ballot initiatives, managing approximately 30-40 employees whom consistently worked for him.

During this time Albert met his California dream girl whom he courted for several years eventually asking her hand in marriage. Albert was unaware of this woman’s mental status associated with her alleged sexual abuse by her father. She medicated herself in using several over the counter drugs prescribed by her physician and other prescriptions which weren’t prescribed by her physician. Eventually, her issues came to light and as they progressed, he believed through prayer and love he could provide a solid foundation by to sustain their relationship. Yet, he uncovered as originally stated by his family and close friends she was more interested in what Albert could do for her as opposed to the love and stability he attempted to provide.  

During the Fall of 2013 Albert made a very concerning phone call to his sister and aunt who are both in the medical field stating “I don’t know what is wrong with her.  She’s foaming at the mouth, what should I do?” When asked what happened Albert stated that she had been drinking and took her medication (Xanax Immediately). He was advised to take her to the hospital. When Albert arrived at the hospital he was told that she also had cocaine in her system. This came as a disappointing shock to Mr. Moyer as he didn’t have a clue she was prescribed Xanax and had been experimenting with cocaine.

A couple months after this episode Albert and this young lady had a domestic dispute which resulted in him being arrested after a neighbor called the police. The story the DA is trying to inaccurately portray is that Mr. Moyer initiated the attack which is false as she was the aggressor.

Mr. Moyer was on the phone outside of their shared apartment with his sister when the alleged victim attacked him because she assumed he was on the phone with another woman.

She attacked Mr. Moyer with a glass candle holder and when the police arrived the EMT attempted to stop the bleeding. Having been injured he went to a local hospital in Riverside county  and as a result of her hitting him in the face and head with candle stick holder he had several  lacerations both to the face and mouth and received  several stitches 7 stitches to his forehead and mouth.

 The alleged victim refused medical attention at the time, as she had a slightly busted lip and a couple of bruises on her arm. This occurred as he acted in self-defense and attempted to subdue her and as a result she began to scream resulting in the neighbor contacting Corona PD because he heard her screaming “Get off of me”.

Albert was taken to jail and was charged with domestic violence. Although the police took a statement from her, they didn’t provide him with a chance to provide his story. 

Later that day Albert was released on bond. Upon Albert’s release from jail he remained in California for a few months before coming home to live in Michigan as his father had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

During the time in which Albert was out on bail he and the alleged victim stayed in contact and even traveled together to Las Vegas in an attempt  to mend their relationship and handle other pertinent business matters. In October of 2014 Albert was arrested in Michigan as a result of missing his first court date due to a family death and his father’s illness.  Although Albert attempted to contact the Riverside Superior Court to explain the situation along with offering proof, they disregarded his efforts. 

A few weeks prior to Albert being arrested at our home his father and sister were pulled over in Farmington Hills, MI by the Farmington Hills Police Department during a routine traffic stop, and his father was detained for over an hour for the aforementioned reason. As a result Albert’s father, who shares the same name as his son, was admitted to the hospital due to heat exhaustion and stress from the situation (they believed Albert’s father was actually Albert, Jr. although he provided identification to prove otherwise).

 When Albert was arrested by the Farmington Hills Police at our home in Michigan in October 2014, the arresting officer stated he was being arrested because he had a warrant out of California due to a failure to appear; however, the warrant was non- extraditable and the only remedy they had was to arrest and hold Albert for a local traffic warrant which was paid the next day at which point Al was released from custody and returned home.

Nearly two hours after Albert was released the Farmington Hills police came back to Albert’s home and asked him to step outside stating that they just wanted to speak with him. The moment he stepped outside they stated the warrant had been revised and he was taken into custody and transferred to Oakland County Jail in Michigan for almost a month. During that time Albert’s family hired Attorney Folmar, who attempt to fight on his behalf. She indicated something was strange the situation in that not only had he been arrested twice in the same day but additionally the warrant had been modified from non-extraditable to extraditable without a judges signature. Despite her attempt to fight on his behalf Attorney Folmar was unsuccessful in blocking his extradition as he was flown to California for his court hearing.

During the bail hearing in CA his bail was set at $125,000 and he was subsequently released after posting bond.  It was at this juncture Albert moved in with his Godmother Judge Crawford , a Federal Judge in Seattle, Washington to avoid missing any future court dates in California.

 He did not vacate any future court appearances and since that time had been out of custody for approximately 18 months until his court appearance on May 25^th, 2015 during which he was remanded into custody.

Prior to the May 29^th court date the alleged victim did not show up to any court hearings and called Albert on October 30, 2014 to state, “I love you, and I am not pressing charges. I will be present at the next court date to see you, but I will not cooperate with the prosecutor”.

On 12/12/2014 the alleged victim indicated she was staying out of reach of the prosecutor because, “We both made a mistake”. Not only did she miss the first court date but never made an appearance for 18 months. In March 2015 a new prosecutor (Alberto Recalde) was assigned to his case and stated “I am one of the best, and will have several private investigators locate the victim and make her testify against you if you don’t take this plea deal of four years and eight months”. 

During his preliminary hearing in May the alleged victim testified against him and in several instances committed perjury while under oath. Due to her malicious testimony his charges escalated from domestic violence to attempted murder within a matter of hours, resulting in his bail not only increasing (increased from 125k to 1M) but him being remanded into custody. Since this time he has remained incarcerated in the Riverside County Jail.

The DA is attempting to demonstrate Mr. Moyer choked her three times as she supposedly stated at the prelim hearing. However, we have a statement from a plastic surgeons and dermatologist stating that those are not choke marks on her neck but in fact acne, and we have other witnesses who can attest to this fact (i.e. the acne on her neck). I have included these pictures of her and Albert from the night of the incident.

Summary

Albert had ineffective counsel during the preliminary hearing. For the record, Albert’s first deal was take a felony, go home and with probation, time served and after and year with good behavior it will dropped down to a misdemeanor. Thus one must question why would the court be comfortable with  reducing a violent felony to a misdemeanor only then to retaliate by charging him with attempted murder charges and yet all the circumstances remained the same, devoid her perjurious testimony.

Albert has no prior arrest record, nor acts of violence which would predicate maliciously enhancing his charges. The alleged victim was on depression medication long before this incident, and even quit her job, after which she received State Disability due to the fact that she could not work because of the constant depression, migraines and unstable thoughts that she had been having.

Throughout this time Albert posed no threat to the alleged victim, while her testimony contradicted her originally police statement in indicating she feared for her life at the preliminary hearing. Yet she traveled with him to Las Vegas and less than a year prior and had remained in contact with both he and his family throughout the 18 month period prior to her appearing at his preliminary hearing. She even went so far as to suggest she’d had no contact with Albert the entire time, no contact with his family, even stated on the record it was a “coincidence” they’d met in Las Vegas.

However, Albert has the plane ticket that he bought for her to fly to Vegas to meet him and there are several text messages demonstrating  she not only traveled with him, but had remained in contact with the family over the course of the 18 months prior to his May 25^th preliminary hearing.

Faced the possibility of 15 years to Life prison everything Albert’s worked for now stands in jeopardy as a result of her perjurious pre-trial testimony and a malicious prosecution by the DA. The legal system in Riverside County Courthouse has disregarded the blatant violation of his civil rights. As we have learned Riverside County is well known for usurping justice in pursuit of filling beds, given the majority of this County’s revenue is generated through the court system (sending disproportionate number of minorities to jail).

It was later suggested by his 2^nd hired attorney, Angela Friedrichs, the prosecutor had proceeded to trump up charges against Mr. Moyer due to a disagreement he had with his former attorney (Anthony Brooklier). Recalde stated that Mr. Brooklier was arrogant and that he blew him off when he approached him to discuss Albert’s case.  Albert was not bound over in the proper time frame therefore the case should have been dismissed. At the time of the preliminary hearing Albert’s attorney of record, Anthony Brooklier, did not show up leaving the case to a stand in attorney from his office, Gevork Chilingaryan, who explained to Judge Schwartz and the prosecutor Alberto  Recalde he’d just received Albert’s file the night before and was not prepared to proceed with the pre-trial hearing.

Gevork Chilingaryan requested the matter be adjourned until the following Monday due in part to him not being prepared to proceed and feeling uncomfortable representing Mr. Moyer on this matter; yet the court allowed them to proceed.

Albert has had several bond hearings yet no Judge has been willing to lower his bond, although Judge Matthew Perantoni has acknowledged on the record he is not a flight risk, nor a threat to the alleged victim. However, due to the attempted murder charge his bail remains at 1M dollars. Additionally it was stated that since Judge Bernard J. Schwartz set this bail, Judge Perantoni didn’t want to undermine his colleague in lowering the bail despite the evidence illustrating he is not a flight risk nor a threat to the alleged victim.

Albert’s civil rights have been violated in that he was extradited without a Judges signature on the amended arrest warrant in October 2015, he was not bound over in the allotted time frame as prescribed by law, and he had ineffective counsel during his pretrial hearing.  Judge Matthew Perantoni stated on the record on January 27,2015 that he feels certain rights pertaining to Albert may have been violated, but there is nothing that can be done until he goes to trial.

Lastly, given Mr. Moyer went to the hospital had several stitches to mend his facial lacerations and the alleged victim did not receive medical attention, it’s difficult to comprehend the attempted murder charge.

We seek justice, not sympathy, in this matter for truly the criminal justice system has turned a blind eye.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Oh, Sinner Man, Sinner Man….  Jesus said, twice He said it [Luke 13]: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned that when Jesus says something it’s very important to listen. Turn or Burn! The urgency of repentance, [Isaiah 55:6-7]. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For the Lord is not slack concerning his promise , but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [2 Peter 3:9].

God wants all of us to be saved, but as the prophet Isaiah says, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you” [Isaiah 59:2]. Sinner Man!  Do not be deceived…The rich man in Hell [that Jesus talks about in Luke 16] wanted someone to return from the dead to warn his brothers, lest they would also come to that awful place. The answer given to him was, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31). God is not going to send someone back from the dead to convince you that Hell is real. The Bible is clear enough, and its message is God’s first blockade to try and stop you from traveling on the broad road that leads to destruction. You say, “But surely God is too good and too loving to permit a person to suffer in Hell.” I challenge you to put your finger on a red hot stove and see if God is too good to keep you from getting burned. Jesus says of those who reject God’s plan of salvation, “These shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Evidence that God Will Punish Sinners in Eternity…. [Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:8; Revelation 20:11-15]. Sinner man, make no mistake about it, if you go to Hell, you’ll suffer. You will close your eyes in death, and the Devil will have your soul to torment in Hell forever.

The suffering of Hell is horrible. Not only is there physical suffering, but there is also a great deal of mental suffering. You’ll always remember your earthly life. You’ll remember your family and your friends. You’ll remember your spouse and your children. You’ll remember it all! You’ll also remember the chances that you had to be saved. You’ll remember reading this article, and you’ll remember your thoughts and comments about it. Do not be deceived! God is not a man that He shall lie! In Hell you will hear people screaming for mercy twenty-four hours a day. It’ll never stop! There will be no peace and quiet in Hell. Hell will be forever filled with roaring flames, boiling hot lava, and the horrible screams of billions of lost souls! You’ll never escape the sounds of Hell. In Hell, there will be nothing except weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth! [Luke 13:28]

Jesus said, that the rich man died and was in Hell immediately [Luke 16:22-23] He was a sinner, so he went straight to Hell. The rich fool in [Luke 12] had big plans for the future, but God said; “Thou Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. . .”Hell comes suddenly. When King Belshazzar threw his drunken brawl in Daniel Chapter Five, he had no idea that he’d be in Hell before sunrise. Goliath had no idea that a small stone slung by a young shepherd boy would land his soul in Hell forever, but it did. Before his corpse was even cold, his soul was suffering the torments of Hell. Hell almost always takes its victims by sudden surprise, and you could be next. Repent Sinner Man, Repent!

The Shame of Hell… If you go there, you will eventually come to grips with one unforgettable truth: You didn’t have to go! Imagine that! Imagine spending eternity with that on your mind! Imagine being in Hell for a million years and then thinking, “I didn’t have to come here! I could have received Christ! Oh, what a fool I was! If only I had not been so stubborn! If…if…if…!” That’s the shame of Hell: going there when you don’t have to go! ”

Jesus says, [Isaiah 1:18] “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Why not turn to Him right now? Turn from your sins! Claim His promises and trust Him to save you while there’s still time. Tomorrow may be too late. Repent, Oh Sinner Man! Repent!

Nya BanXXX

By Lue Dowdy

LUE Productions 1st Lady NYA BANXXX IS WHAT IT DO! Who is Nya BanXXX with the 3 X’s behind the name?  Killing Mics and gassin’ stages all over the Inland Empire and Southern California is what she DO!

Nya BanXXX, whose real name is Mychelle Mosley, is a fire flame spittin’, crowd pleasing female emcee straight out of San Bernardino, California. Nya picked up the passion for rapping after her high school years. She started off in the game singing. With her first show being with LUE Productions back in 2006 this talented artist now has been rapping a little over 5 years. When she performs you can’t take your eyes off of her. From her sexy moves, to her seductive looks, and dope lyrics, she’ll bring you into her WORLD. A triple threat, yes indeed, especially with her vocals and writing skills all in the mix.

Miss BanXXX was honored in 2015 at LUE Productions Indie Artist Award Show. There she received an award of recognition for her contribution to music. Nya BanXXX is truly one to watch for. Collaborating with other local artists such as Yung Miss, Gwaap Fam of LUE Productions, Aaron Swift of On My Mama Records, Bonnie Dollas, and many more has given her more fuel to carry on the music. Miss BanXXX has been told that her style is in the lane of Trina and Nicki Minaj. When asking Miss BanXXX how she feels about that statement she replies, “I consider myself to be in my own lane. Others may compare me and that’s cool. I want my fans to remember most about me, is that my confidence and ability to put feeling into my song is so that others can relate.”

Loving her community, BanXXX’s gives back by volunteering to help feed the homeless. BanXXX’x new project is on the way. Currently in the studio now working on her mixtape titled, “NYA BANXXX NOT FOR FAME,” will be dropping this summer. Catch her starring live Saturday, June 11 in San Bernardino at the Women’s Club for LUE Productions 1st B.B.W. Model and Fashion Show Competition/Fundraiser.

Sleeping on this talented artist would be a BIG, BIG MISTAKE! Please take a moment and check out her music on Sound Cloud, Reverbnation, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram Pages under NyaBanXXX. Until next week L’z high up in da airrr! Management Contact: LUE Productions at Lue.info@yahoo.com, or (909) 567-1000.

By John Coleman

RIVERSIDE, CA-James S Jackson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan and widely recognized for academic, administrative, research and other accomplishments? was the guest of honor at UCR’s reception held May 6, 2016 at the UCR Alumni Center. The reception was hosted by the African American Family Wellness Center, UCR African Student Programs, the UCR STEM Academy, and the J W Vines Medical Society.

The theme this year was, “The National Survey of American Life,” and “The Family Survey across Generations and Nations.” It was conducted by honoree Dr. Jackson. Partially freed of responsibilities as Director, University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and other national and international duties, Dr. Jackson expressed interest in developing programs in targeted long-term studies of African American communities and populations in Southern California.  This ‘availability’ makes HIM a ‘Target of Opportunity’ for recruitment by national leaders in academic research institutions (including UCR) in California.

By Josh Peterson, Urban News Service

Genetically modified mosquitoes could mean curtains for the Zika virus.

New U.S. cases of Zika virus infections are continually being discovered as the Food and Drug Administration looks to these high-tech mosquitos as a possible solution.

Zika’s potential to spring from mosquito “nurseries” in the American South could hammer poor minority communities as summer heats up. Atlanta has the nation’s worst mosquito problem, according to Orkin, the pest control company. Mosquitoes only need standing water to spawn.

Scientists believe Zika spreads when a female mosquito feeds off of an infected person and later bites a new victim. Harmless male mosquitoes feed on flower nectar.

Zika also can be transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected partner. Symptoms, while rare, can last for a week and range from a mild fever to muscle and joint pain.

Concerns rocketed after last year’s discovery that Brazilian babies with unusually small skulls and brains were born to mothers who contracted the virus while pregnant. Brazil’s Zika woes continue as athletes, fans, journalists and others from around the globe prepare to converge on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, is battling potential local Zika infections.

The Aedes aegypti, which lives in the Deep South, is one of several mosquitoes that scientists believe spread the virus.

Specialists with Fulton County’s Department of Health and Wellness, according to the agency, are working with Georgia’s Department of Public Health and the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor outbreaks and educate the community.

“The mosquitoes that spread Zika virus will bite four or five people before they are satisfied,” said Nancy Nydam, spokeswoman for Georgia’s health department. She said people should use insect repellent, eliminate standing water around their homes and stay indoors during dawn and dusk, when mosquitos are most active.

An $85-million fund is available to states, cities and territories at risk of Zika outbreaks, the CDC announced on May 13. The money would finance Zika-prevention efforts only temporarily, said Dr. Stephen C. Redd, a director at the agency. More money from Congress is needed, he said.

The CDC reported that between January 1, 2015 and May 18, all of the 544 U.S. Zika cases are travel-associated, meaning the virus was originally contracted abroad. To date, 157 pregnant women in the U.S. have reported symptoms.

New York logged 114 travel-related cases, the highest number in America. Florida was second with 109, and California’s 44 cases put it in third. Texas was fourth, with 35 reported infections. These states all have high black and Hispanic populations, foreshadowing what this disease could do to these communities.

Among 836 Zika cases in U.S. territories, 832 were contracted locally. These include 803 infected people in Puerto Rico, 15 in the Virgin Islands, and 14 in American Samoa.

Oxitec, a British biotechnology company, is testing its genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Key Haven, Florida.

Oxitec’s male mosquitoes mate with wild female Aedes aegypti, producing offspring that “have a very high probability of dying before they reach adulthood,” according to its website.

Mosquitoes generally live about two weeks.

The company’s experiments “have resulted in reduction of the wild population by more than 90 percent,” said Oxitec spokesman Matthew Warren. “Existing methods to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as insecticides, are only 30 to 50 percent effective, at best.”

More than 150 million Oxitec mosquitos have been released, Warren said, with no reported adverse effects.

Oxitec’s mosquitos were one possible approach within a larger program, said FDA spokeswoman Theresa Eisenman. “However, it is too early to say with any certainty whether such an approach would be successful.” The agency approves and regulates biotechnology treatments, including vaccines.

“The FDA is acting responsibly with its mosquito pilot approach, and we’re glad to see that the CDC has activated the resources to respond,” said Adolph Falcon, executive vice president for the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

Oxitec’s solution, however, only targets one mosquito species. Also, pesticides no longer could be used against the insects, since they would kill both the dangerous female mosquitoes and the modified males.

Mosquito breeding habits show Zika disproportionately could affect poor countries and communities with inadequate sanitation.

A still-undiscovered Zika vaccine and improved sanitation would be more effective solutions, said Jaydee Hanson, senior policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety.

“People like magic,” said Hanson. “We want easy answers and we like technology. I’m a big fan of technology, but it needs to be assessed for it what it can do.”

By Ronda Racha Penrice 

Home flippers and interior designers are thriving in the rebounding real-estate sector — as seen on TV.

With an average gross profit of $55,000 per home, it’s little wonder that home flipping is attractive. Home flips — reselling properties within 12 months of purchase, usually after some renovation — were up in 83 of 110 U.S. cities, according to RealtyTrac, the leading national source of housing data. And husband-and-wife flippers Daniel and Melinda Wiafe, stars of HGTV’s Flipping the Heartland, have been getting their slice of the pie.

Flipping the Heartland, which began as Five Figure Flip in spring 2014 and currently re-airs on HGTV Canada, shows the Wiafes — with their son Malachi in tow — buying, rehabbing and selling houses in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Melinda’s roots run deep. Being on TV was never a goal, however, until Daniel’s many online real-estate marketing videos caught the eyes of a production company associated with HGTV.

“They were stalking me,” says Daniel. Never imagining his ticket to HGTV was on the line, Daniel didn’t respond until the sixth or seventh call. But being on HGTV, Daniel says, has been great for business.

“If you appeared on HGTV, then people hold you more credible because that’s an authoritative badge that you can wear in your real-estate business,” says Daniel, who moved the family to Las Vegas, where year-on-year local home sales rocketed 211 percent in March, according to RealtyTrac. “It helps with dealing with real-estate partners, getting money; it helps with coaching programs teaching other people how to flip real estate.”

Inspiring others is an added bonus, notes Melinda. “It helps to see that there are African-Americans that are doing this,” she says.

“Most of the time, when you see people on TV, they’re investing in mostly West Coast places. So you’re looking at over $300,000, $400,000, up to million-dollar homes, and it doesn’t seem too realistic to the average flipper,” Melinda says. “Well, we are flipping homes that are like $80,000, and putting $50,000 in [for] rehab,” she says about Tulsa, where final flip sales average $177,735. “I heard a lot of people say ‘Wow, now that’s realistic. Those are things we can do.’ ”

With home flips, sales of new and existing homes and home renovations up, there are increased opportunities in interior design, too. And Tiffany Brooks is among the best known in her field. Ever since the married mother won HGTV Star in 2013 — seven years after she started her own interior-design firm — she has become one of the industry’s brightest stars. Today, beyond running Tiffany Brooks Interiors, the naturally charismatic Chicagoland native has been hosting the show/event HGTV Smart Home 2016. In July, the program will give away the dream home she has been beautifying. Her other HGTV shows include HGTV 2014 Smart Home Giveaway and Most Embarrassing Rooms in America.

Average annual salaries for interior designers are $48,840, the U.S. Labor Department reports. And more than 80 percent of these professionals are overwhelmingly happy, according to a 2012 Interior Design magazine survey.

Brooks, who began in high-end residential property management and entered interior design on a dare, personally knows that the expense of pursuing interior design as a career bars many people from this occupation. And, today, many states have implemented more rigorous certification requirements.

“I couldn’t afford [interior design] school because it was 80 grand,” Brooks says. “I went online, researched courses and the syllabi and ended up buying and reading through the interior-design textbooks on my own.”

Mindful of her struggles, Brooks is very supportive of efforts that help bolster African-American participation in this field, such as the Black Interior Designers Conference, scheduled from August 18 to 20 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Her best advice to new designers? “Don’t be afraid to ask somebody to be a mentor,” she says, “and actually work for that person. Be a part of their brand. See how they tick. See how they chew their food.”

“That’s the one thing that I wish I would have done differently,” Brooks says. “I made a lot of mistakes coming up, and these are mistakes I could have possibly prevented if I had looked for a mentorship program or tried to work for someone else before deciding to start up on my own.”

Don’t let the obstacles deter you, says Daniel Wiafe. “In order for anybody to be successful,” he says, “they have to be able to step outside their comfort zone and take calculated risks.”