WSSN Stories

Michael Brown

On Saturday, August 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager was killed by a police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, MO. Eyewitnesses to the shooting reported that Brown was killed while attempting to surrender, but police say that the teen assaulted the officer before the shooting.

Immediately following the shooting, riots and looting broke out within the community where several businesses were destroyed, including a QuikTrip convenience store that was burned down due to the frustration in the community involving the killing.

There are several articles circulating the internet and other various news sites that all depict something slightly different of what happened. Some are on Brown’s side, other’s are on the police’s side, and the vast majority are stuck in the middle. However, there are a few facts that we know for sure about Michael Brown and the shooting.

What we know about Michael Brown:

• He was an 18-year-old student
• He grated from Normandy High School in St. Louis in the spring of 2014. He was scheduled to start classes at Vatterott College, a Missouri trade college, on Monday, August 11.
• On the day of his death, Brown as visiting his grandmother, Desuirea Harris, who lives in Ferguson, a working-class suburb of St. Louis.

What we know about the shooting:

• Brown was shot multiple times and killed by a Ferguson police officer in the early afternoon of Saturday, August 9, outside of an apartment complex.
• Brown was unarmed. All shell castings found at the scene were from the police officer’s gun.
• At least one shot was fired from the police car. Brown was killed while he was standing about 35 feet away from the car.
• The name of the police officer has not been released. St. Louis County police chief Jon Belmar told reporters on Sunday morning that the officer had been in the Ferguson police department for six years, and that Belmar was not aware of any problems the officer had during that time.

Source: Vox News

Other interesting and debatable articles:

• The Guardian
• The New York Times  
• International Business Times

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Terry Boykins of Street Positive visited Empire Talks Back radio on Sunday, August 3. Justified was also a guest on the station. If you missed the discussion, you can catch a recap by clicking on to kcaaradio.celestrion.net/kcaa-podcasts/empire. 

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I Can’t Take It Anymore!  Have you ever heard anybody say that? Have you ever said that yourself? “I’ve had enough! I can’t do this anymore.” Every day is a grind.  Every day is another battle.  Every day brings more struggles. Every day brings more stress. And just when you think all the problems are gone, then a new one pops up out of nowhere.  Talk about battles!  Talk about struggles!  Just when you feel good about yourself and your spiritual life, then Satan attacks and it seems like you can’t win for loosing.  It seems as though, “If it ain’t One Thing, It’s another!”

Well, back in the disco music time, a songwriter wrote, “Enough is enough!” Donna Summer had decided that she couldn’t go on no more. She had been in a relationship that she finally saw was going nowhere. She saw that it was time for her to move on and do better. She saw that it was time to stop putting up with all the heartache and pain; all the sorrow and wrongdoing; all the misdirection and misinformation; it was time to put her foot down and let it be known that she had had enough. “No More! Enough is enough!”

My friend, just like Donna Summer, there should come a time in our lives that we should see the Devil for who he really is. We should see that his only purpose is to steal, kill, destroy, and to convince us to go against God’s will. Even Jesus was tired of the Devil messing with Him, and He decided to put a stop to all of Satan madness and He told him, “No More… Enough is enough… Get thee behind Me Satan!”  Aren’t you tired of being tired? Aren’t you tired of the Devil messing with you?  Aren’t you tired of him stealing your joy, peace, and happiness? Aren’t you tired of him taking things from you? If so, then tell the devil, “No More! Enough is enough!” Let him know that you’re not going to take it anymore! Tell him to get out, there’s nothing left to talk about!  GET OUT and don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you!  Look him square in the eyes and simple shout, “NO MORE!  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” and proceed to put him out! To Hell with the Devil!

You know the Bible is full of men and women who display the full range of emotions that we ourselves experience, who struggle with the big questions of life. Elijah was a person just like us who reached a point where he sat down in total, abject despair and said, “No More… Enough is enough! It’s the last straw… I can’t take any more!” If you have had enough.  If you are tired and worn out from the things you have had to deal with in the last few months or year. Then let the Devil know that the buck stops here, today! Stand your ground. Don’t give up. Hit him with everything you’ve got and he will always flee from you. Remember, Satan doesn’t have any power over you; the only thing he has is ability, and that is the ability to deceive. There are a lot of people that consider Satan to be an all-powerful being, when, in fact, he’s not! He lost whatever power he had as an anointed cherub of God when he was cast out of Heaven and fell to Earth (Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12-14) He is not equal to God in any way, and he never was! We have to realize that all he is is a disenfranchised spirit that is seeking those that he might deceive. 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Note that he isn’t a roaring lion, he just acts like one! It’s important for us to realize that God is the one that has the real dynamic power, not Satan.

Listen, only you can prevent the Devil from making his permanent abode in your heart. Our struggle is against forces of evil. And yes, it is a struggle! You’ve got to put forth effort. You’ve got to try hard. Revelation 2:25 tells us to hold fast till Jesus come. That requires effort: to hold fast. You’ve got to do that. Make no mistake about it, the Devil will extract all the good he can from you and when he finally does leave, he’ll leave you in as bad a shape as he possibly can. You’ve got to ditch him by evicting him. You have the right of emanate domain over the devil. Use it!

Jesus served papers on the Devil, and He drove the him away with the sharp two edged sword called Scripture. Jesus used the pages of Scripture to add authority to this eviction. {Matthew 4:10, 11 says, Then the Devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him}.  You can ditch the Devil the same way. Pack your mind with Scripture. The pages of the Bible are powerful. {Hebrews 4:12, For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.}  So crowd him out with the Bible. Give the Devil a cold shoulder and invite Jesus in. The Devil can shoot all the arrows he wants at you but when you are inside God’s armor you are fully protected. Do it now, before the Devil attacks. Drive him out- Cut him out- Pray him out- Force him out- Crowd him out- Squeeze him out- Block him out. You can do that. We are not going to let the Devil run us from where we need to be! We have to make up our mind that we will be stead fast and unmovable always abiding in His Word!

Ditch him today and every day. “No More… Enough is enough!”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- WSS News intern, Noelle Lilley, recently interviewed Rancho Cucamonga native Joshua Robinson, 32, who is competing for $10,000 on CMT’s ‘Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull’. Robinson is a youth athletic trainer with plans of buying top of the line equipment for his youth training program if he wins.

“Slow feet, don’t eat, that’s why we compete, and I’ll be damned if I fall victim to defeat”, is the motto that Mr. Robinson lives by for the show.

During the interview, Robinson discussed how he got into sports, his future endeavors and what inspired him to get apply to be on the show. For those that are interested in watching an episode or two, Broken Skull Challenge comes on each Sunday at 8 p.m. on CMT.

To view the interview, click here.

Faulty pool lighting and bad wiring are the greatest electrical threats to safety, but can easily be eliminated by regular inspection, maintenance and adherence to local and national codes.

By Paul Netter

Don’t swim with shocks.

It’s a nice play on words in a Consumer Product Safety Commission fact sheet, but there’s nothing nice about the hidden dangers it warns of in and around swimming pools with the summer in full swing. The spring electrocution of a 7-year-old boy in his family’s Miami swimming pool is a tragic worst-case example, but another non-fatal Miami accident where three children were badly shocked is instructive as well.

Faulty pool lighting and bad wiring, respectively, are suspected in both accidents. In fact,underwater lights and their wiring are the greatest potential electrical hazards inside a pool since it can’t be said enough that water and electricity don’t mix. A pane of glass and a rubber seal are often swimmers’ only protection from electrical wiring.

Any water inside the underwater light fixture — the presence of mold or rust, buzzing noises or flickering lights is a tip-off — is very dangerous, but so is a power system that is not well-grounded and aging or corroded wires. These risks are only heightened if lighting and circuits aren’t protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). And older pools may not only have degraded lighting fixtures, but also may not have GFCIs on underwater lighting circuits. If these issues exist, they should be updated immediately.

“People should have a qualified electrician inspect their underwater lights to make sure that junction boxes and wiring connections are properly and safely installed,” said Don Neal, director of Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety at Southern California Edison (SCE), which also offers a pool-pump rebate program to assist customers. “In addition to fixing any problems, that electrician should upgrade your pool, as well as your hot tub or spa, in accordance with local codes and the National Electrical Code.”

GFCIs should also be used on pumps and electrical equipment, such as heaters, used with pools, spas and hot tubs and on all outlets within 20 feet of the water’s edge to protect people from shocks.

These are all very important steps because there have been 60 electrocutions and nearly 50 serious electrical shocks in and around swimming pools in the U.S. since 1990, according to the safety commission. The commission said some of the deaths and shocks occurred during attempted rescues of shock victims because the rescuers were unaware of the electrical hazards.

Another safe move is to have an electrician downgrade pool lighting from a potentially deadly 120 volts to 12 volts. The 120-volt lighting systems are particularly prevalent in older pools and GFCIs are recommended on any lighting system 15 volts or greater.

“The lower voltage is simply less dangerous,” said Neal “In case of a broken glass or leakage into an underwater light, you should avoid having 120 volts introduced into your water. Landscape lighting should also be powered by a low-voltage system to prevent shocks on a rain-soaked lawn.”

A well-ground power system is also very important since it adds critical protection by guaranteeing that if something goes wrong, the power flows to the ground and not to those in the pool.

“Pool owners should also make sure that electrical wires and junction boxes are a minimum of five feet away from water, as also required by the National Electrical Code,” said Neal.

As for other hazards outside the water, a permanent or storable pool should never be built or set up underneath power lines (if this exists, there are clearance requirements, but pool owners should consult their local inspection agency). Long-handled cleaning tools also should be used away from power lines and electrical cords should be kept at least five feet away from the pool.

Neal offers an additional warning on the electrical cords, suggesting that, “When possible, people should use battery-operated appliances and not cord-connected ones in and around a pool, spa or hot tub.”

Meanwhile, pool owners should always have an emergency plan within view of pool users and power switches should be labeled for pool, hot tub and spa equipment and lighting so they can be turned off quickly during an electrical emergency. In addition, a fiberglass Shepherd’s crook should be used to remove any victims from the water, CPR should be administered and 911 should be called.

As for rescuers not taking these precautions, they risk serious injury if they touch a conductive fixture or enter the water before the current is stopped.

“Pool electrical accidents are easily prevented,” said Neal. “But pool owners must follow state-mandated codes, conduct proper inspection and maintenance and use qualified electricians to achieve that prevention.”

Karen Bass

LOS ANGELES, CA – United States Congresswoman Karen Bass, now in her second term representing California’s 37th Congressional District, will continue her steadfast support for innovative job creation and economic development in both the U.S. and Africa, when she delivers a keynote address to a historic assemblage of African business leaders, bankers, entrepreneurs, investors, high-level government leaders and regulatory officials, along with their American counterparts, at the African Global Economic and Development Summit (AGED Summit), which will be hosted by Global Green Development Group (GGDG) at the University of Southern California (USC) from August 7 through August 9, 2014.

Experts agree that Africa is on the brink of an expansive economic growth period.  In recognition of this, the AGED Summit returns for its 2nd year at USC by welcoming Rep. Bass to participate in a unique three-day gathering among a diverse and synergistic group of stakeholders in African economic development, which is profoundly impacting the prospects for job creation and entrepreneurial opportunities in California and elsewhere in the U.S.   As Rep. Bass notes, “Africa is currently home to 6 out of the 7 fastest growing economies in the world and is viewed by investors from Europe, Malaysia, China, India, Turkey and Brazil as a priority region for investment.”  She went on to say that investment in Africa helps Americans as well.  As the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Rep. Bass recognizes that U.S. trade agreements with Africa, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), are “critically important for many reasons. First it supports jobs across the continent. There are some 300,000 jobs attached to AGOA and many of those are jobs that go to African women. If you count the jobs that are indirectly linked to AGOA that number rapidly approaches one million or more jobs.”  Regarding the impact of AGOA in the U.S., Rep. Bass pointed out that, “AGOA can only serve to facilitate greater trade and investment with the United States.  It can be a win-win for both African nations and the U.S. if we truly recognize and seize the opportunity.”

Unique among forums on Africa, the AGED Summit presents an enabling environment, which demystifies the process of doing business in Africa by bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, financiers, investment guarantors and other necessary linkages in order to actually position transactions to be structured and completed in a manner that maximizes safety without compromising profitability. “Whether you’re a multinational corporation or a small entrepreneur, everything required to put together a business deal with Africa will be available through the AGED Summit”, says Mary Flowers, CEO of GGDG. This year’s theme is “Walking the Talk”.

Among other outstanding agenda items, the AGED Summit will highlight ways for attendees to tap into the U.S. Government’s “Power Africa Initiative” that has committed over $7 billion to add more than 10,000 megawatts of clean, efficient electricity generation capacity to sub-Saharan African countries. The need is tremendous since the installed power capacity of all of sub-Saharan Africa is less than that of Delaware.  Regarding Power Africa, which she has championed since its announcement last year, Rep. Bass says, “Power Africa and Trade Africa, ultimately are aimed at strengthening the capacity of Africa to trade locally, regionally and internationally.”

Few contemporary albums bare as particular a narrative as The Lagos Music Salon. The new album by the superb chanteuse Somi, finds her breaking new ground with a hybrid style of music that organically integrates the essence of jazz and soul with the musical depth of her African heritage.

The Lagos Music Salon (available Tuesday, August 5^th) marks Somi’s major label debut for Sony’s OKeh Records and features a range of originals that are sublimely melodic, percussively textured.  A socially informed and adventurous vocalist, Somi sings with a soulful beauty about her experiences in Lagos. While there, she kept a journal of her observations and collaborated with a community of musicians, writers and artists who helped her to envision what would become The Lagos Music Salon.

The album covers a broad swath of styles and features a number of carefully matched guest performances. These include a fast-paced groove with Afro-pop sensibilities on the Fela Kuti-inspired “Lady Revisited” with Angelique Kidjo, and a rap-inflected cinematic reflection on Africa’s pollution, “When Rivers Cry,” that features Common.

For more information on Miss Somi, please visit www.somimusic.com.

Calvin Howard Pierce of San Bernardino passed away on Sunday, July 27, 2014 in Loma Linda, California after a short illness.  He was 85 years old.  Calvin retired from the San Bernardino County Marshal’s Department in 1989 after more than 30 years of service.  At retirement he received the designation of honorary captain.  During his career as a Marshal he also served as a bailiff in the Superior Court system and earned several awards and commendations for improving court system operations. In fact, his initiative resulted in Marshals being assigned department vehicles.  One of the first African American Marshals in the department, he also designed the Marshal’s department badge.  Before joining the Marshal’s department, Calvin was a mechanic for Santa Fe Railroad.

A lifelong resident of San Bernardino, he was born January 11, 1929 to Emmett Caldwell Pierce and Eula Mae Carter, the second of three sons.  He graduated from San Bernardino High School in 1947.  That same year he married his sweetheart– the love of his life! – Barbara Pulliams.  To this union three children were born:  Francis, Brenda, and Valerie.

Throughout life, Calvin had many interests including architecture, photography, jewelry making, and beaded walking sticks.  Another of his favorite hobbies was fishing (including deep sea) with his buddies.  He also enjoyed cruising on a motorcycle with Barbara.  A remarkable athlete, he was nicknamed “Windmill Cal” in recognition of his cake walk style of running, which he used to return kickoff returns of up to 99 yards.  He was an award winning sprinter, runner (Loma Linda Lopers), cyclist, and bowler who participated in multiple marathons and tournaments.  A leader and generous by nature, he was a member of San Bernardino Kiwanis.

Calvin was tremendously loved by his family.  He is remembered for his sharp and charming sense of humor.  Calvin was a calming and steady presence in the lives of his family members and friends; and will be always remembered as loving, humorous, and dependable.

Calvin is survived by his wife of 67 years Barbara Pulliams Pierce; three children: Francis Howard Pierce of Grand Terrace, Brenda Joyce Lilly of San Bernardino, and Valerie Ann Futch (Terry) of Grand Terrace.  An adored grandfather, he is lovingly remembered by four grandchildren:  Tiffany Hinton (Glenn), Cherysa Cortez (Jerome), Corey Futch, and Shandyn Pierce; seven great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.  Also left to cherish his memory are his brothers Mr. Tyree Pierce of San Bernardino and Dr. Robert Pierce of St. Louis, Missouri.  He was also a favorite uncle, cousin, and nephew in a large extended family rooted in California, Arizona, and Missouri. Calvin also will be remembered by a host of friends he held dear.

A memorial to honor him will be held Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 10 a.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 1575 W. 17^th Street, San Bernardino, California 92411.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

If you live this life of yours like you are going to live this life forever… then you are playing the fool! If you are duped into thinking that there must be another way to Heaven (even amidst the knowledge of Jesus’ words that He is the “Only Way”)… then you are playing the fool! If you come and go service after service, time after time, all the while God extends His saving grace unto you, and you keep resisting His offer of salvation… then you are playing the fool! If you are deceived into thinking you have all of your life to get right with the Lord… then you are playing the fool! And if you think you can have all the pleasure now and think about eternity later… then you are playing the fool!

Listen, life is filled with choices each and every day. Choices produce consequences, and actions produce reactions. Saul life stands as a warning to us that we cannot rebel against God and get away with it. Your choices and actions will catch up with you—maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow. But sooner or later, the Bible says, “Your sin will find you out unless you repent.”

I don’t think any of us can comprehend the great conflict right now that exists in the Spirit realm. Nor do we realize how determined Satan is to destroy us. In Ephesians 5:15 Paul tells us, to walk circumspectly. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” He warns the Church to wake up from their dead state. The goal of Proverbs is to impart wisdom…To know wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:1-3.) One way to learn about something is to consider its opposite… Want to understand what is wisdom? Then know what folly is! Want to be wise? Then don’t be a fool!

Peter warned, “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the Devil as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). BEWARE! The devil is out to steal your soul, and he will use any deceit in his arsenal. (2 Cor 2:11) So be warned and be on guard every single day, and if you should fall for one of his devices, repent and turn back to the Lord. Remember the greatest sin is not falling for the devices of the Devil, but the reluctance to turn from it and back to God.

If you’re tired of living your life being hoodwinked, bamboozled, ran amuck, led astray, tricked and trapped, and/or tied of people leading you down a wrong path, do like Paul did and take the scales off your eyes so you can see! Once you start seeing you become a better person than you were before. Things that you use to say, you don’t say anymore. Things you used to think about, you don’t think about anymore. Things that tripped you up, you walk around them, you step over them, and you go under them now. I hear Jesus saying, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy: I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”

Look, it is a fact that we are all going to slip up in life. We are all going to make mistakes. We are all going to sin. But you don’t want to look back on your life one day and think I threw my life away by the stupid choices I made. The question is, can you learn from your mistakes? Can you say, “That was such a bitter experience, such a hard pill to swallow, I pray that I will never do that again?” If so, you have learned something. Something good will have come out of something bad. But if you go back and do the same thing again and again, then you are falling backward, and ultimately, you are going to play the fool again. Don’t do it! You can’t trifle with God.

Jesus asked this question in Mark 8:36, 37: “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” It is an awful thing to fall into the hands of a sovereign and angry God, who shall consign men to Hell. The rich man woke up, but it was too late. Lots of people are awakened out of their lethargy, but it is too late. He awoke, but it was too late. He came face to face with the inevitable fact that God was taking charge now. “Thou Fool, this night I am going to require thy soul . . .”

Suppose God should say to you, “You have played the fool, and today thy soul shall be required of thee.” What would you do? Where would you spend Eternity? That is the question: Who are you today? Are you a Fool or are you Wise?

LOS ANGELES, CA-The California African American Museum (CAAM) encourages all independent filmmakers to submit their short films to be featured in CAAM’s fourth annual Shorts at CAAM. Directors, producers, writers, actors, and editors will be given the opportunity to showcase their work to new and diverse audiences, and speak about the creativity that sparked each film. Shorts at CAAM begins Saturday, August 16 through Sunday, August 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Submissions accepted will include short films, web-series, narratives, documentaries and music videos which cannot exceed 30-minutes in length.  All films screened are made with an adult audience in mind.

This year’s Shorts at CAAM will feature films by Evita Castine, Dawn Westlake, Moon Molson, David Berget, among others. All film submissions must be mailed to Elise Woodson at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park and must include two copies, by 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 31.  For more information, please contact Elise Woodson at (213) 744-7536.

This event is free and open to the public. CAAM is located at 600 State Drive in Exposition Park. Parking is $10.00 and located at 39th and Figueroa Streets. For more information on CAAM, please visit www.caamuseum.org.