NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Blog

  • MIL-OSI USA: 10.23.2024 Sen. Cruz Honored for Major South Texas Victory, Awarded Key to the City of Laredo

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    Laredo, TEXAS – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, was honored today by the city of Laredo and awarded the Key to the City for his leadership in streamlining the presidential permitting process and securing presidential permits to build and expand four major international bridges in South Texas, including two in Laredo.
    Upon receiving the Key to the City, Sen. Cruz said, “I am honored and humbled to receive the Key to the City—an incredible distinction from an amazing place in Texas. I have to say I love South Texas, I love the city of Laredo, it is an incredible hub of commerce and port to the entire world. My passion, my number one priority is jobs, jobs, jobs, and that means fighting for the people of Laredo, fighting for the people of South Texas, to have more jobs, and better jobs, and higher wages.
    “I will say, over the past several years, I’ve been proud to work very closely with Mayor Treviño, and very closely with my friend Congressman Henry Cuellar, and County and business leaders, fighting for jobs here in Laredo and throughout South Texas. We worked together on expediting the permitting of four bridges here in South Texas: two in Laredo, one in Eagle Pass, and one in Brownsville. All four of those bridges were delayed by bureaucratic roadblocks coming from the Biden-Harris White House. A delegation from the city of Laredo asked me to help, asked me to lead the effort to get this done. I told them I’d be proud to do so, and we were able to draft legislation, bipartisan legislation, and pass it through the Senate with bipartisan support. I worked hand in hand with Congressman Cuellar, we passed it through the House with bipartisan support. It was signed into law in December of last year, and just a few months ago those permits were granted.”
    BACKGROUND
    Last year, Sen. Cruz authored and secured into law a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 to streamline the presidential permitting process for new and expanded bridges across the Rio Grande in Webb, Cameron, and Maverick Counties. The language required the State Department to submit for approval and the White House to approve or deny the permits for these projects in 60 days respectively. Sen. Cruz was joined by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Monica de la Cruz (R-Texas), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) in working to secure this provision.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Shaheen Call on Navy to Protect Employee Pay and Benefits at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Published: October 24, 2024

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of the Navy urging the branch to reconsider the Office of Civilian Human Resources’ (OCHR) decision to review and modify civilian workforce position classifications across four public shipyards, including Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In their letter to Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Senators noted that the review could result in civilian employees losing pay and benefits as well as negatively impact efforts to eliminate submarine maintenance backlogs.

    “Should OCHR’s review result in position description demotions and salary decreases for a significant population of technical professionals, it would cripple efforts to staff and support the needs of the Navy,” the Senators wrote. “We, therefore, ask for your support in protecting our shipyard employees by reconsidering OCHR’s directive and by engaging with OPM to find a position that both maintains the integrity of the Federal and Department of Navy Classification Programs while protecting the wages and benefits of our valued workforce.”

    “Today’s security environment requires the United States to have a combat-credible undersea fleet to maintain a competitive edge over our adversaries.  The overwhelming production capacity of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia’s steady production progress toward fifth generation submarines, and growing cooperation between these authoritarian regimes will create additional demands on the U.S. submarine force. Meanwhile, the U.S. submarine industrial base continues to face maintenance shortfalls at our four public shipyards that affect the Navy’s ability to get boats back into the fleet on time. Reducing these maintenance backlogs is contingent on a robust, well-trained shipyard workforce,” the Senators concluded.

    The complete text of their letter can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    On the margins of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, the Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

    The Secretary-General reiterated his position that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law. He further underlined United Nations support for peace, in line with the remarks he delivered at the BRICS summit. **

    The Secretary-General expressed his belief that establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is of paramount importance for Ukraine, the Russian Federation and for the world’s food and energy security. He fully supports the continuation of negotiations in this regard and expresses his deep appreciation for the work being done by Türkiye. 
     
    The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the situation in the Middle East, in particular the absolute need for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the need to avoid a further regional escalation.

    The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the questions of development and the international financial system.

    ** From the Secretary-General’s BRICS remarks: “A just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions.”
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rebuild work on SH3 in South Taranaki getting underway

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Work is getting underway next week to rebuild the first of 5 planned sites on State Highway 3 in South Taranaki.

    The 5 sites, between Patea and Nukumaru, will be rebuilt over the coming months, with crews starting work on the first 2 sites next week.

    These sites are included in the 32 lane kilometres of roads around Taranaki that we anticipate will be rebuilt over the 2024/25 maintenance season. Rebuilding the road is important to maintain its reliability and longevity.

    2024/25 maintenance season(external link)

    The 5 sites are:

    • SH3 Waitōtara No. 1 (south of Jackson Road)
    • SH3 Whenuakura (south of Oreilly Road)
    • SH3 Moumahaki (between Waiau and Okotuku roads)
    • SH3 Nukumaru (north of Pakaraka Road)
    • SH3 Waitōtara No. 2 (south of Waitōtara River bridge)

    Work on the first two sites (SH3 Waitōtara No. 1 and SH3 Whenuakura) is expected to start next Tuesday 29 October.

    Both rebuilds are expected to be complete by early December.

    At both sites, work will be completed under stop/go traffic management with a temporary speed limit in place. Delays of up to 10 minutes are possible at each site.

    The sites will be open to two lanes of traffic during the night and on weekends.

    The remaining 3 sites will begin at a later date. We will provide information about these as soon as possible.

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi System Manager for Taranaki, Liesl Dawson acknowledges there’s a lot happening on Taranaki state highways this maintenance season.

    “A busy few months are ahead as we continue to make the roads more resilient, efficient and ultimately safer for all road users.

    “We appreciate the support from all road users and we’re reminding people how important it is to follow the temporary traffic management in place, adhere to all speed restrictions in place and respect our crews while travelling through the roadworks site,” says Ms Dawson.

    For more information about the 2024/2025 road maintenance seasons in Taranaki, visit:

    Taranaki region maintenance programme

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: STOCKHOLDER INVESTIGATION: The M&A Class Action Firm Investigates the Merger of Sterling Bancorp, Inc.– SBT

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered money for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2018-2022 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating Sterling Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBT), relating to a proposed merger with EverBank Financial Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, EverBank will acquire all outstanding shares of Sterling Bancorp in an all-cash transaction.

    Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/sterling-bancorp-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: VAALCO Announces Timing of Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY; LSE: EGY) (“Vaalco” or the “Company”) today announced the timing of its third quarter 2024 earnings release and conference call.

    The Company will issue its third quarter 2024 earnings release on Monday, November 11, 2024 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange and host a conference call to discuss its financial and operational results on Tuesday morning, November 12, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time and 3:00 p.m. London Time.)

    Interested parties in the United States may participate toll-free by dialing (833) 685-0907. Interested parties in the United Kingdom may participate toll-free by dialing 08082389064. Other international parties may dial (412) 317-5741. Participants should ask to be joined to the “Vaalco Energy Third Quarter 2024 Conference Call.” This call will also be webcast on Vaalco’s website at www.vaalco.com. An audio replay will be available on the Company’s website following the call.

    About Vaalco

    Vaalco, founded in 1985 and incorporated under the laws of Delaware, is a Houston, Texas, USA based, independent energy company with a diverse portfolio of production, development and exploration assets across Gabon, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Canada.

    For Further Information

    Vaalco Energy, Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries) +00 1 713 543 3422
    Website: www.vaalco.com
       
    Al Petrie Advisors (US Investor Relations) +00 1 713 543 3422
    Al Petrie / Chris Delange  
       
    Buchanan (UK Financial PR) +44 (0) 207 466 5000
    Ben Romney / Barry Archer VAALCO@buchanan.uk.com

    This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Midland States Bancorp, Inc. Announces 2024 Third Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Third Quarter 2024 Highlights:

    • Net income available to common shareholders of $16.2 million, or $0.74 per diluted share
    • Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision earnings of $27.5 million
    • Tangible book value per share increased to $24.90, compared to $23.36 at June 30, 2024
    • Common equity tier 1 capital ratio improved to 9.00%, compared to 8.64% at June 30, 2024
    • Net interest margin of 3.10%, compared to 3.12% in prior quarter
    • Efficiency ratio of 62.8%, compared to 65.2% in prior quarter

    EFFINGHAM, Ill., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: MSBI) (the “Company”) today reported net income available to common shareholders of $16.2 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $4.5 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024. This also compares to net income available to common shareholders of $9.2 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2023.

    Provision expense was $5.0 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $16.8 million and $5.2 million in the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2023, respectively. The elevated provision expense in the second quarter of 2024 was primarily due to credit deterioration and servicing issues involving one of our fintech partners, LendingPoint, subsequent to their system conversion in late 2023.

    Jeffrey G. Ludwig, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said, “We executed well in the third quarter and delivered a higher level of profitability while making continued progress on our balance sheet management strategies, which resulted in further increases in all of our capital ratios, an increase in our tangible book value per share, and an increase in our level of liquidity with a reduction in our loan-to-deposit ratio. We continue to utilize the payoffs resulting from the intentional reduction of our equipment finance and consumer portfolios to fund high quality loans generated in our community bank and the purchase of investment securities. We are also seeing good results from the investments we have made in the business, such as increasing our presence and business development efforts in the St. Louis market, where our loan balances increased at an annualized rate of 12% during the third quarter, and growth in our Wealth Management revenues due to an increase in assets under administration, partially driven by the new wealth advisors we have added in recent quarters.

    Improving our credit quality is a priority and we are taking proactive steps to resolve problem loans in order to reduce our level of non-performing and classified loans going forward. We continue to closely monitor the health of our borrowers and be conservative in downgrading loans where we see the potential for weakness. We also recently added a new Chief Credit Officer whose background and experience is consistent with our increased focus on in-market relationship lending in our community bank, which will continue to result in a higher quality, lower risk loan portfolio.

    “While we will remain conservative in new loan production while economic conditions remain uncertain, we are well positioned to benefit from lower interest rates and we expect positive trends in our net interest margin and revenue generated from our Wealth Management business. While maintaining disciplined expense control, we are continuing to make investments in talent and technology that will further enhance our ability to increase our market share, add attractive new client relationships in our community bank, and generate profitable growth. With the stronger balance sheet we are building, including a Total Capital Ratio of approximately 14%, we believe we are well positioned to support the continued growth of our franchise as economic conditions improve in the future and create additional value for our shareholders in the process,” said Mr. Ludwig.

    Balance Sheet Highlights

    Total assets were $7.75 billion at September 30, 2024, compared to $7.76 billion at June 30, 2024, and $7.97 billion at September 30, 2023. At September 30, 2024, portfolio loans were $5.75 billion, compared to $5.85 billion at June 30, 2024, and $6.28 billion at September 30, 2023.

    Loans

    During the third quarter of 2024, outstanding loans declined by $103.2 million, or 1.8%, from June 30, 2024, as the Company continued to shrink its equipment financing and consumer loan portfolios, and focus on commercial loan opportunities in our community banking regions.

    Equipment finance loan and lease balances decreased $30.0 million during the third quarter of 2024 as the Company continued to reduce its concentration of this product within the overall loan portfolio. Consumer loans decreased $82.8 million due to loan payoffs and a cessation in loans originated through GreenSky. Our Greensky-originated loan balances decreased $63.0 million during the third quarter to $475.3 million at September 30, 2024. In addition, as previously disclosed, during the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company ceased originating loans through LendingPoint. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $96.5 million in loans that were originated through and serviced by LendingPoint. Equipment financing and consumer loans comprised 15.0% and 11.5%, respectively, of the loan portfolio at September 30, 2024, compared to 15.2% and 12.7%, respectively, at June 30, 2024.

    Increases in commercial FHA warehouse lines and commercial real estate loans of $50.2 million and $89.0 million, respectively, were offset by decreases in all other loan categories.

        As of
        September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
    (in thousands)   2024   2024   2024   2023   2023
    Loan Portfolio                    
    Commercial loans   $ 863,922   $ 939,458   $ 913,564   $ 951,387   $ 943,761
    Equipment finance loans     442,552     461,409     494,068     531,143     578,931
    Equipment finance leases     417,531     428,659     455,879     473,350     485,460
    Commercial FHA warehouse lines     50,198     —     8,035     —     48,547
    Total commercial loans and leases     1,774,203     1,829,526     1,871,546     1,955,880     2,056,699
    Commercial real estate     2,510,472     2,421,505     2,397,113     2,406,845     2,412,164
    Construction and land development     422,253     476,528     474,128     452,593     416,801
    Residential real estate     378,657     378,393     378,583     380,583     375,211
    Consumer     663,234     746,042     837,092     935,178     1,020,008
    Total loans   $ 5,748,819   $ 5,851,994   $ 5,958,462   $ 6,131,079   $ 6,280,883


    Loan Quality

    Overall, credit quality metrics remained consistent this quarter compared to the second quarter of 2024, albeit, nonperforming loans were still at elevated levels. Non-performing loans increased $2.4 million to $114.6 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $112.1 million as of June 30, 2024. Substandard loans increased $32.0 million to $167.5 million at September 30, 2024, as compared to June 30, 2024, primarily due to two multi-family projects that were downgraded this past quarter.

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
    (in thousands)   September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
        2024       2024       2024       2023       2023  
    Asset Quality                    
    Loans 30-89 days past due   $ 55,329     $ 54,045     $ 58,854     $ 82,778     $ 46,608  
    Nonperforming loans     114,556       112,124       104,979       56,351       55,981  
    Nonperforming assets     126,771       123,774       116,721       67,701       58,677  
    Substandard loans     167,549       135,555       149,049       184,224       143,793  
    Net charge-offs     11,379       2,874       4,445       5,117       3,449  
    Loans 30-89 days past due to total loans     0.96 %     0.92 %     0.99 %     1.35 %     0.74 %
    Nonperforming loans to total loans     1.99 %     1.92 %     1.76 %     0.92 %     0.89 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets     1.64 %     1.60 %     1.49 %     0.86 %     0.74 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans     1.49 %     1.58 %     1.31 %     1.12 %     1.06 %
    Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans     74.90 %     82.22 %     74.35 %     121.56 %     119.09 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans     0.78 %     0.20 %     0.30 %     0.33 %     0.22 %

    The allowance for credit losses on loans totaled $85.8 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $92.2 million at June 30, 2024, and $66.7 million at September 30, 2023. The allowance as a percentage of total loans was 1.49% at September 30, 2024, compared to 1.58% at June 30, 2024, and 1.06% at September 30, 2023.

    Notably, the Company recognized provision expense of $14.0 million in the second quarter of 2024 related to the loans originated and serviced by LendingPoint, increasing the allowance to $14.6 million on this portfolio. Credit deterioration and servicing issues following their system conversion have resulted in increased losses within this portfolio. In the third quarter of 2024, loans totaling $6.2 million were charged off. At September 30, 2024, the Company had an allowance of $8.3 million on the $96.5 million of loans serviced by LendingPoint.

    Deposits

    Total deposits were $6.26 billion at September 30, 2024, compared with $6.12 billion at June 30, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits decreased $57.9 million to $1.05 billion at September 30, 2024, while interest-bearing deposits increased $196.7 million to $5.21 billion at September 30, 2024. Brokered time deposits increased $138.0 million to $269.4 million, and represented 4.31% of total deposits at September 30, 2024.

        As of
        September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
    (in thousands)   2024   2024   2024   2023   2023
    Deposit Portfolio                    
    Noninterest-bearing demand   $ 1,050,617   $ 1,108,521   $ 1,212,382   $ 1,145,395   $ 1,154,515
    Interest-bearing:                    
    Checking     2,389,970     2,343,533     2,394,163     2,511,840     2,572,224
    Money market     1,187,139     1,143,668     1,128,463     1,135,629     1,090,962
    Savings     510,260     538,462     555,552     559,267     582,359
    Time     849,413     852,415     845,190     862,865     885,858
    Brokered time     269,437     131,424     188,234     94,533     119,084
    Total deposits   $ 6,256,836   $ 6,118,023   $ 6,323,984   $ 6,309,529   $ 6,405,002


    Results of Operations Highlights

    Net Interest Income and Margin

    During the third quarter of 2024, net interest income and net interest margin, on a tax-equivalent basis, were $55.2 million and 3.10%, respectively, compared to $55.2 million and 3.12%, respectively, in the second quarter of 2024. Net interest income and net interest margin, on a tax-equivalent basis, were $58.8 million and 3.20%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2023.

    Average interest-earning assets for the third quarter of 2024 were $7.07 billion, compared to $7.13 billion for the second quarter of 2024. The yield on interest-earning assets increased 7 basis points to 5.91% compared to the second quarter of 2024. Interest-earning assets averaged $7.28 billion for the third quarter of 2023.

    Average loans were $5.78 billion for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $5.92 billion for the second quarter of 2024 and $6.30 billion for the third quarter of 2023. The yield on loans was 6.15% for the third quarter of 2024, up from 6.03% for the second quarter of 2024 and 5.93% for the third quarter of 2023.

    Investment securities averaged $1.16 billion for the third quarter of 2024, and yielded 4.71%, compared to an average balance and yield of $1.10 billion and 4.69%, respectively, for the second quarter of 2024. The Company purchased additional higher-yielding investments resulting in the increased average balance and yield. Investment securities averaged $863.0 million for the third quarter of 2023.

    Average interest-bearing liabilities for the third quarter of 2024 were $5.76 billion, compared to $5.78 billion for the second quarter of 2024. The cost of funds increased 9 basis points to 3.45% compared to the second quarter of 2024. Interest-bearing liabilities averaged $5.92 billion for the third quarter of 2023.

    Average interest-bearing deposits were $5.13 billion for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $5.10 billion for the second quarter of 2024, and $5.35 billion for the third quarter of 2023. Cost of interest-bearing deposits was 3.25% in the third quarter of 2024, which represented a 14 basis point increase from the second quarter of 2024, due to increased competition.

        For the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    Interest-earning assets   Average Balance   Interest & Fees   Yield/Rate   Average Balance   Interest & Fees   Yield/Rate   Average Balance   Interest & Fees   Yield/Rate
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 75,255   $ 1,031   5.45 %   $ 65,250   $ 875   5.40 %   $ 78,391   $ 1,036   5.24 %
    Investment securities(1)     1,162,751     13,752   4.71       1,098,452     12,805   4.69       862,998     7,822   3.60  
    Loans(1)(2)     5,783,408     89,344   6.15       5,915,523     88,738   6.03       6,297,568     94,118   5.93  
    Loans held for sale     7,505     124   6.57       4,910     84   6.84       6,078     104   6.80  
    Nonmarketable equity securities     41,137     788   7.62       44,216     963   8.76       39,347     710   7.16  
    Total interest-earning assets     7,070,056     105,039   5.91       7,128,351     103,465   5.84       7,284,382     103,790   5.65  
    Noninterest-earning assets     653,279             669,370             622,969        
    Total assets   $ 7,723,335           $ 7,797,721           $ 7,907,351        
                                         
    Interest-Bearing Liabilities                                    
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 5,132,640   $ 41,970   3.25 %   $ 5,101,365   $ 39,476   3.11 %   $ 5,354,356   $ 37,769   2.80 %
    Short-term borrowings     53,577     602   4.47       30,449     308   4.07       20,127     14   0.28  
    FHLB advances & other borrowings     428,739     4,743   4.40       500,758     5,836   4.69       402,500     4,557   4.49  
    Subordinated debt     89,120     1,228   5.48       93,090     1,265   5.47       93,441     1,280   5.43  
    Trust preferred debentures     50,990     1,341   10.46       50,921     1,358   10.73       50,379     1,369   10.78  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     5,755,066     49,884   3.45       5,776,583     48,243   3.36       5,920,803     44,989   3.01  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     1,075,712             1,132,451             1,116,988        
    Other noninterest-bearing liabilities     97,235             104,841             97,935        
    Shareholders’ equity     795,322             783,846             771,625        
    Total liabilities and shareholder’s equity   $ 7,723,335           $ 7,797,721           $ 7,907,351        
                                         
    Net Interest Margin       $ 55,155   3.10 %       $ 55,222   3.12 %       $ 58,801   3.20 %
                                         
    Cost of Deposits           2.69 %           2.55 %           2.32 %

    (1) Interest income and average rates for tax-exempt loans and investment securities are presented on a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 21%. Tax-equivalent adjustments totaled $0.2 million for each of the three months ended September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.
    (2) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans. Interest income on loans includes amortization of deferred loan fees, net of deferred loan costs.

    For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net interest income, on a tax-equivalent basis, decreased to $166.5 million, with a tax-equivalent net interest margin of 3.13%, compared to net interest income, on a tax-equivalent basis, of $178.6 million, and a tax-equivalent net interest margin of 3.27% for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

    The yield on earning assets increased 34 basis points to 5.84% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 compared to the prior year. However, the cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased at a faster rate during this period, increasing 57 basis points to 3.34% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

        For the Nine Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    Interest-earning assets   Average Balance   Interest & Fees   Yield/Rate   Average Balance   Interest & Fees   Yield/Rate
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 69,960   $ 2,857   5.45 %   $ 76,939   $ 2,868   4.98 %
    Investment securities(1)     1,083,597     37,265   4.59       844,946     21,103   3.33  
    Loans(1)(2)     5,903,216     267,570   6.05       6,324,578     274,005   5.79  
    Loans held for sale     5,281     263   6.65       3,900     179   6.14  
    Nonmarketable equity securities     40,429     2,438   8.06       44,034     2,104   6.39  
    Total interest-earning assets     7,102,483     310,393   5.84       7,294,397     300,259   5.50  
    Noninterest-earning assets     663,967             615,383        
    Total assets   $ 7,766,450           $ 7,909,780        
                             
    Interest-Bearing Liabilities                        
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 5,142,979   $ 120,660   3.13 %   $ 5,223,852   $ 97,791   2.50 %
    Short-term borrowings     49,750     1,746   4.69       26,865     53   0.26  
    FHLB advances & other borrowings     414,259     13,615   4.39       471,084     15,959   4.53  
    Subordinated debt     91,921     3,773   5.48       96,820     3,985   5.49  
    Trust preferred debentures     50,873     4,088   10.73       50,216     3,887   10.35  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     5,749,782     143,882   3.34       5,868,837     121,675   2.77  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     1,119,764             1,184,410        
    Other noninterest-bearing liabilities     107,192             84,650        
    Shareholders’ equity     789,712             771,883        
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 7,766,450           $ 7,909,780        
                             
    Net Interest Margin       $ 166,511   3.13 %       $ 178,584   3.27 %
                             
    Cost of Deposits           2.57 %           2.04 %

    (1) Interest income and average rates for tax-exempt loans and investment securities are presented on a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 21%. Tax-equivalent adjustments totaled $0.6 million for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    (2) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans. Interest income on loans includes amortization of deferred loan fees, net of deferred loan costs.

    Noninterest Income

    Noninterest income was $19.3 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $17.7 million for the second quarter of 2024. Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2024 included a $0.2 million gain on the repurchase of subordinated debt, offset by $0.2 million of net losses on the sale of investment securities. The third quarter of 2023 included $5.0 million of losses on the sale of investment securities. Excluding these transactions, noninterest income for the third quarter of 2024, the second quarter of 2024, and the third quarter of 2023 was $19.3 million, $17.6 million, and $16.5 million, respectively.

        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (in thousands)     2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Noninterest income                    
    Wealth management revenue   $ 7,104     $ 6,801     $ 6,288     $ 21,037     $ 18,968  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     3,411       3,121       3,149       9,648       8,744  
    Interchange revenue     3,506       3,563       3,609       10,427       10,717  
    Residential mortgage banking revenue     697       557       507       1,781       1,452  
    Income on company-owned life insurance     1,982       1,925       918       5,708       2,685  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     (44 )     (152 )     (4,961 )     (196 )     (6,478 )
    Other income     2,683       1,841       2,035       9,777       9,989  
    Total noninterest income   $ 19,339     $ 17,656     $ 11,545     $ 58,182     $ 46,077  

    Wealth management revenue totaled $7.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $0.3 million, or 4.5%, as compared to the second quarter of 2024, due to increases in assets under administration and estate fees. Assets under administration increased to $4.27 billion at September 30, 2024 from $4.00 billion at June 30, 2024, primarily due to improved sales activity. Assets under administration totaled $3.50 billion at September 30, 2023.

    Income on company-owned life insurance income totaled $2.0 million, $1.9 million and $0.9 million for the third quarter of 2024, the second quarter of 2024, and the third quarter of 2023, respectively. The Company surrendered certain low-yielding life insurance policies and purchased additional policies in the third quarter of 2023, resulting in the increase in revenue.

    Other income totaled $2.7 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. Income from the sale of SBA loans in the third quarter of 2024 of $0.2 million and losses from the disposition of repossessed leased assets in the second quarter of 2024 of $0.6 million resulted in the quarter over quarter increase in other income.

    Noninterest Expense

    Noninterest expense was $46.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $47.5 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $42.0 million in the third quarter of 2023. Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2024 included $4.1 million of aggregate expenses related to OREO impairment and property taxes, and accruals related to various legal proceedings. Excluding these items, noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2024, the second quarter of 2024, and the third quarter of 2023 was $46.7 million, $43.4 million, and $42.0 million, respectively. Costs related to increased staffing levels, upgrades to our ATM fleet, and loan collection and OREO expenses drove the increase in noninterest expense in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the prior quarter.

    The efficiency ratio improved to 62.76% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to 65.16% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The efficiency ratio for the third quarter of 2023 was 55.82%.

        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (in thousands)   2024   2024   2023   2024   2023
    Noninterest expense                    
    Salaries and employee benefits   $ 24,382   $ 22,872   $ 22,307   $ 71,356   $ 69,407
    Occupancy and equipment     4,393     3,964     3,730     12,499     12,052
    Data processing     6,955     7,205     6,468     20,882     19,323
    Professional services     1,744     2,243     1,554     6,242     4,977
    Amortization of intangible assets     951     1,016     1,129     3,056     3,628
    FDIC insurance     1,402     1,219     1,107     3,895     3,632
    Other expense     6,906     8,960     5,743     21,149     16,395
    Total noninterest expense   $ 46,733   $ 47,479   $ 42,038   $ 139,079   $ 129,414


    Income Tax Expense

    Income tax expense was $4.1 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $1.7 million for the second quarter of 2024 and $11.5 million for the third quarter of 2023. The resulting effective tax rates were 18.1%, 19.9% and 50.3%, respectively. Tax expense for the third quarter of 2023 included a $1.4 million return to provision adjustment and $4.5 million associated with the surrender of company-owned life insurance policies, as previously discussed.

    Capital

    At September 30, 2024, Midland States Bank and the Company exceeded all regulatory capital requirements under Basel III, and Midland States Bank met the qualifications to be a ‘‘well-capitalized’’ financial institution, as summarized in the following table:

      As of September 30, 2024
      Midland States Bank   Midland States Bancorp, Inc.   Minimum Regulatory Requirements(2)
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 13.34%   13.98%   10.50%
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 12.09%   11.65%   8.50%
    Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 12.09%   9.00%   7.00%
    Tier 1 leverage ratio 10.47%   10.10%   4.00%
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets(1) N/A   7.03%   N/A

    (1) A non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to page 16 for a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure.
    (2) Includes the capital conservation buffer of 2.5%, as applicable.

    The impact of rising interest rates on the Company’s investment portfolio and cash flow hedges resulted in an accumulated other comprehensive loss of $60.6 million at September 30, 2024, which reduced tangible book value by $2.84 per share.

    Stock Repurchase Program

    As previously disclosed, on December 5, 2023, the Company’s board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program, pursuant to which the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $25.0 million of common stock through December 31, 2024. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased 23,113 shares of its common stock at a weighted average price of $22.54 under its stock repurchase program.

    About Midland States Bancorp, Inc.

    Midland States Bancorp, Inc. is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, and is the sole shareholder of Midland States Bank. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had total assets of approximately $7.75 billion, and its Wealth Management Group had assets under administration of approximately $4.27 billion. The Company provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services and business equipment financing, merchant credit card services, trust and investment management, insurance and financial planning services. For additional information, visit https://www.midlandsb.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/midland-states-bank.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with GAAP.

    These non-GAAP financial measures include “Adjusted Earnings,” “Adjusted Earnings Available to Common Shareholders,” “Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Common Share,” “Adjusted Return on Average Assets,” “Adjusted Return on Average Shareholders’ Equity,” “Adjusted Return on Average Tangible Common Equity,” “Adjusted Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Earnings,” “Adjusted Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Return on Average Assets,” “Efficiency Ratio,” “Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets,” “Tangible Book Value Per Share,” “Tangible Book Value Per Share excluding Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,” and “Return on Average Tangible Common Equity.” The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s funding profile and profitability. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, the measures in this press release may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Readers should note that in addition to the historical information contained herein, this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meanings of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including but not limited to statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, future performance, goals and future earnings levels. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including changes in interest rates and other general economic, business and political conditions, the impact of inflation, increased deposit volatility and potential regulatory developments; changes in the financial markets; changes in business plans as circumstances warrant; risks relating to acquisitions; changes to U.S. tax laws, regulations and guidance; and other risks detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers should note that the forward-looking statements included in this press release are not a guarantee of future events, and that actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “will,” “propose,” “may,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” or similar terminology. Any forward-looking statements presented herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

    CONTACTS:
    Jeffrey G. Ludwig, President and CEO, at jludwig@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321
    Eric T. Lemke, Chief Financial Officer, at elemke@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321
    Douglas J. Tucker, SVP and Corporate Counsel, at dtucker@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321

    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited)
                         
        As of and for the Three Months Ended   As of and
    for the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)     2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Earnings Summary                    
    Net interest income   $ 54,950     $ 55,052     $ 58,596     $ 165,922     $ 177,940  
    Provision for credit losses     5,000       16,800       5,168       35,800       14,182  
    Noninterest income     19,339       17,656       11,545       58,182       46,077  
    Noninterest expense     46,733       47,479       42,038       139,079       129,414  
    Income before income taxes     22,556       8,429       22,935       49,225       80,421  
    Income taxes     4,080       1,679       11,533       10,114       25,672  
    Net income     18,476       6,750       11,402       39,111       54,749  
    Preferred dividends     2,229       2,228       2,229       6,685       6,685  
    Net income available to common shareholders   $ 16,247     $ 4,522     $ 9,173     $ 32,426     $ 48,064  
                         
    Diluted earnings per common share   $ 0.74     $ 0.20     $ 0.41     $ 1.47     $ 2.14  
    Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted     21,678,242       21,734,849       21,977,196       21,732,093       22,223,986  
    Return on average assets     0.95 %     0.35 %     0.57 %     0.67 %     0.93 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity     9.24 %     3.46 %     5.86 %     6.62 %     9.48 %
    Return on average tangible common equity(1)     12.69 %     3.66 %     7.56 %     8.62 %     13.37 %
    Net interest margin     3.10 %     3.12 %     3.20 %     3.13 %     3.27 %
    Efficiency ratio(1)     62.76 %     65.16 %     55.82 %     61.91 %     56.15 %
                         
    Adjusted Earnings Performance Summary(1)                    
    Adjusted earnings available to common shareholders   $ 16,223     $ 4,511     $ 17,278     $ 32,391     $ 56,783  
    Adjusted diluted earnings per common share   $ 0.74     $ 0.20     $ 0.78     $ 1.47     $ 2.53  
    Adjusted return on average assets     0.95 %     0.35 %     0.98 %     0.67 %     1.07 %
    Adjusted return on average shareholders’ equity     9.23 %     3.46 %     10.03 %     6.61 %     10.99 %
    Adjusted return on average tangible common equity     12.67 %     3.65 %     14.24 %     8.61 %     15.80 %
    Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision earnings   $ 27,523     $ 25,214     $ 33,064     $ 84,977     $ 100,405  
    Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision return on average assets     1.42 %     1.30 %     1.66 %     1.46 %     1.70 %
                         
    Market Data                    
    Book value per share at period end   $ 33.08     $ 31.59     $ 29.96          
    Tangible book value per share at period end(1)   $ 24.90     $ 23.36     $ 21.67          
    Tangible book value per share excluding accumulated other comprehensive income at period end(1)   $ 27.74     $ 27.22     $ 26.35          
    Market price at period end   $ 22.38     $ 22.65     $ 20.54          
    Common shares outstanding at period end     21,393,905       21,377,215       21,594,546          
                         
    Capital                    
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets     13.98 %     13.83 %     12.76 %        
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets     11.65 %     11.23 %     10.53 %        
    Common equity tier 1capital to risk-weighted assets     9.00 %     8.64 %     8.07 %        
    Tier 1 leverage ratio     10.10 %     9.84 %     9.59 %        
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets(1)     7.03 %     6.59 %     6.01 %        
                         
    Wealth Management                    
    Trust assets under administration   $ 4,268,539     $ 3,996,175     $ 3,501,225          

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to pages 14 – 16 for a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measures.

    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited) (continued)
                         
        As of
        September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
    (in thousands)     2024       2024       2024       2023       2023  
    Assets                    
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 121,873     $ 124,646     $ 167,316     $ 135,061     $ 132,132  
    Investment securities     1,216,795       1,099,654       1,044,900       920,396       839,344  
    Loans     5,748,819       5,851,994       5,958,462       6,131,079       6,280,883  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (85,804 )     (92,183 )     (78,057 )     (68,502 )     (66,669 )
    Total loans, net     5,663,015       5,759,811       5,880,405       6,062,577       6,214,214  
    Loans held for sale     8,001       5,555       5,043       3,811       6,089  
    Premises and equipment, net     84,672       83,040       81,831       82,814       82,741  
    Other real estate owned     8,646       8,304       8,920       9,112       480  
    Loan servicing rights, at lower of cost or fair value     18,400       18,902       19,577       20,253       20,933  
    Goodwill     161,904       161,904       161,904       161,904       161,904  
    Other intangible assets, net     13,052       14,003       15,019       16,108       17,238  
    Company-owned life insurance     209,193       207,211       205,286       203,485       201,750  
    Other assets     245,932       274,244       241,608       251,347       292,460  
    Total assets   $ 7,751,483     $ 7,757,274     $ 7,831,809     $ 7,866,868     $ 7,969,285  
                         
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                    
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits   $ 1,050,617     $ 1,108,521     $ 1,212,382     $ 1,145,395     $ 1,154,515  
    Interest-bearing deposits     5,206,219       5,009,502       5,111,602       5,164,134       5,250,487  
    Total deposits     6,256,836       6,118,023       6,323,984       6,309,529       6,405,002  
    Short-term borrowings     13,849       7,208       214,446       34,865       17,998  
    FHLB advances and other borrowings     425,000       600,000       255,000       476,000       538,000  
    Subordinated debt     82,744       91,656       93,617       93,546       93,475  
    Trust preferred debentures     51,058       50,921       50,790       50,616       50,457  
    Other liabilities     103,737       103,694       102,966       110,459       106,743  
    Total liabilities     6,933,224       6,971,502       7,040,803       7,075,015       7,211,675  
    Total shareholders’ equity     818,259       785,772       791,006       791,853       757,610  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 7,751,483     $ 7,757,274     $ 7,831,809     $ 7,866,868     $ 7,969,285  
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited) (continued)
                         
        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (in thousands, except per share data)     2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net interest income:                    
    Interest income   $ 104,834     $ 103,295     $ 103,585     $ 309,804     $ 299,615  
    Interest expense     49,884       48,243       44,989       143,882       121,675  
    Net interest income     54,950       55,052       58,596       165,922       177,940  
    Provision for credit losses on loans     5,000       17,000       5,168       36,000       14,182  
    Provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments     —       (200 )     —       (200 )     —  
    Total provision for credit losses     5,000       16,800       5,168       35,800       14,182  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     49,950       38,252       53,428       130,122       163,758  
    Noninterest income:                    
    Wealth management revenue     7,104       6,801       6,288       21,037       18,968  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     3,411       3,121       3,149       9,648       8,744  
    Interchange revenue     3,506       3,563       3,609       10,427       10,717  
    Residential mortgage banking revenue     697       557       507       1,781       1,452  
    Income on company-owned life insurance     1,982       1,925       918       5,708       2,685  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     (44 )     (152 )     (4,961 )     (196 )     (6,478 )
    Other income     2,683       1,841       2,035       9,777       9,989  
    Total noninterest income     19,339       17,656       11,545       58,182       46,077  
    Noninterest expense:                    
    Salaries and employee benefits     24,382       22,872       22,307       71,356       69,407  
    Occupancy and equipment     4,393       3,964       3,730       12,499       12,052  
    Data processing     6,955       7,205       6,468       20,882       19,323  
    Professional services     1,744       2,243       1,554       6,242       4,977  
    Amortization of intangible assets     951       1,016       1,129       3,056       3,628  
    FDIC insurance     1,402       1,219       1,107       3,895       3,632  
    Other expense     6,906       8,960       5,743       21,149       16,395  
    Total noninterest expense     46,733       47,479       42,038       139,079       129,414  
    Income before income taxes     22,556       8,429       22,935       49,225       80,421  
    Income taxes     4,080       1,679       11,533       10,114       25,672  
    Net income     18,476       6,750       11,402       39,111       54,749  
    Preferred stock dividends     2,229       2,228       2,229       6,685       6,685  
    Net income available to common shareholders   $ 16,247     $ 4,522     $ 9,173     $ 32,426     $ 48,064  
                         
    Basic earnings per common share   $ 0.74     $ 0.20     $ 0.41     $ 1.47     $ 2.14  
    Diluted earnings per common share   $ 0.74     $ 0.20     $ 0.41     $ 1.47     $ 2.14  
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited)
                         
    Adjusted Earnings Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)    September 30,
    2024
     
       June 30,
    2024
     
       September 30,
    2023
     
       September 30,
    2024
     
       September 30,
    2023
     
    Income before income taxes – GAAP   $ 22,556     $ 8,429     $ 22,935     $ 49,225     $ 80,421  
    Adjustments to noninterest income:                    
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     44       152       4,961       196       6,478  
    (Gain) on repurchase of subordinated debt     (77 )     (167 )     —       (244 )     (676 )
    Total adjustments to noninterest income     (33 )     (15 )     4,961       (48 )     5,802  
    Adjusted earnings pre tax – non-GAAP     22,523       8,414       27,896       49,177       86,223  
    Adjusted earnings tax     4,071       1,675       8,389       10,101       22,755  
    Adjusted earnings – non-GAAP     18,452       6,739       19,507       39,076       63,468  
    Preferred stock dividends     2,229       2,228       2,229       6,685       6,685  
    Adjusted earnings available to common shareholders   $ 16,223     $ 4,511     $ 17,278     $ 32,391     $ 56,783  
    Adjusted diluted earnings per common share   $ 0.74     $ 0.20     $ 0.78     $ 1.47     $ 2.53  
    Adjusted return on average assets     0.95 %     0.35 %     0.98 %     0.67 %     1.07 %
    Adjusted return on average shareholders’ equity     9.23 %     3.46 %     10.03 %     6.61 %     10.99 %
    Adjusted return on average tangible common equity     12.67 %     3.65 %     14.24 %     8.61 %     15.80 %
     
                         
                         
    Adjusted Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Earnings Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Adjusted earnings pre tax – non-GAAP   $ 22,523     $ 8,414     $ 27,896     $ 49,177     $ 86,223  
    Provision for credit losses     5,000       16,800       5,168       35,800       14,182  
    Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision earnings – non-GAAP   $ 27,523     $ 25,214     $ 33,064     $ 84,977     $ 100,405  
    Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision return on average assets     1.42 %     1.30 %     1.66 %     1.46 %     1.70 %
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited) (continued)
                         
    Efficiency Ratio Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Noninterest expense – GAAP   $ 46,733     $ 47,479     $ 42,038     $ 139,079     $ 129,414  
                         
    Net interest income – GAAP   $ 54,950     $ 55,052     $ 58,596     $ 165,922     $ 177,940  
    Effect of tax-exempt income     205       170       205       589       644  
    Adjusted net interest income     55,155       55,222       58,801       166,511       178,584  
                         
    Noninterest income – GAAP     19,339       17,656       11,545       58,182       46,077  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     44       152       4,961       196       6,478  
    (Gain) on repurchase of subordinated debt     (77 )     (167 )     —       (244 )     (676 )
    Adjusted noninterest income     19,306       17,641       16,506       58,134       51,879  
                         
    Adjusted total revenue   $ 74,461     $ 72,863     $ 75,307     $ 224,645     $ 230,463  
                         
    Efficiency ratio     62.76 %     65.16 %     55.82 %     61.91 %     56.15 %
                         
    Return on Average Tangible Common Equity (ROATCE)
                         
        For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,   September 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net income available to common shareholders   $ 16,247     $ 4,522     $ 9,173     $ 32,426     $ 48,064  
                         
    Average total shareholders’ equity—GAAP   $ 795,322     $ 783,846     $ 771,625     $ 789,712     $ 771,883  
    Adjustments:                    
    Preferred Stock     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )
    Goodwill     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (13,506 )     (14,483 )     (17,782 )     (14,501 )     (18,959 )
    Average tangible common equity   $ 509,364     $ 496,911     $ 481,391     $ 502,759     $ 480,472  
    ROATCE     12.69 %     3.66 %     7.56 %     8.62 %     13.37 %
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited) (continued)
                         
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets Ratio and Tangible Book Value Per Share
                         
        As of
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)    September 30,
    2024
     
       June 30,
    2024
     
       March 31,
    2024
     
       December 31,
    2023
     
       September 30,
    2023
     
    Shareholders’ Equity to Tangible Common Equity                
    Total shareholders’ equity—GAAP   $ 818,259     $ 785,772     $ 791,006     $ 791,853     $ 757,610  
    Adjustments:                    
    Preferred Stock     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )
    Goodwill     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (13,052 )     (14,003 )     (15,019 )     (16,108 )     (17,238 )
    Tangible common equity     532,755       499,317       503,535       503,293       467,920  
                         
    Less: Accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCI)     (60,640 )     (82,581 )     (81,419 )     (76,753 )     (101,181 )
    Tangible common equity excluding AOCI   $ 593,395     $ 581,898     $ 584,954     $ 580,046     $ 569,101  
                         
    Total Assets to Tangible Assets:                    
    Total assets—GAAP   $ 7,751,483     $ 7,757,274     $ 7,831,809     $ 7,866,868     $ 7,969,285  
    Adjustments:                    
    Goodwill     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (13,052 )     (14,003 )     (15,019 )     (16,108 )     (17,238 )
    Tangible assets   $ 7,576,527     $ 7,581,367     $ 7,654,886     $ 7,688,856     $ 7,790,143  
                         
    Common Shares Outstanding     21,393,905       21,377,215       21,485,231       21,551,402       21,594,546  
                         
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets     7.03 %     6.59 %     6.58 %     6.55 %     6.01 %
    Tangible Book Value Per Share   $ 24.90     $ 23.36     $ 23.44     $ 23.35     $ 21.67  
    Tangible Book Value Per Share, excluding AOCI   $ 27.74     $ 27.22     $ 27.23     $ 26.91     $ 26.35  

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Seacoast Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Strong Growth in Loans and Deposits

    Annualized 20% Increase in Tangible Book Value Per Share

    Well-Positioned Balance Sheet with Strong Capital and Liquidity

    STUART, Fla., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (“Seacoast” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SBCF) today reported net income in the third quarter of 2024 of $30.7 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to $30.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2024 and $31.4 million, or $0.37 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2023.

    Pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 were $46.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 3% compared to the second quarter of 2024 and an increase of 6% compared to the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 were $46.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 4% compared to the second quarter of 2024 and a decrease of 2% compared to the third quarter of 2023.

    For the third quarter of 2024, return on average tangible assets was 0.99% and return on average tangible shareholders’ equity was 10.31%, compared to 1.00% and 10.75%, respectively, in the prior quarter, and 1.04% and 11.90%, respectively, in the prior year quarter.

    Charles M. Shaffer, Chairman and CEO of Seacoast, stated, “I would like to thank all of the Seacoast associates for their unwavering dedication during the challenging impact of back-to-back significant hurricanes. Your commitment to our customers and the well-being of our communities is commendable. I am very proud to serve alongside such an amazing and dedicated group of bankers. Furthermore, our hearts and sympathy go out to all those in our communities who lost loved ones and experienced catastrophic outcomes as a result of the storms.”

    Shaffer added, “Turning to third quarter results, this marks the turn in organic growth we had anticipated, with nearly 7% annualized loan growth and 7% annualized customer deposit growth, clearly showcasing the results of our previous investments in banking teams across the state. Additionally, this quarter demonstrated continued growth in net interest income, noninterest income and, when removing accretion on acquired loans, expansion in the net interest margin. Our competitive transformation is taking shape as we build Seacoast into Florida’s leading regional bank. We expect to continue to see positive results from recent talent acquisitions, which will drive further organic growth in the coming periods.”

    Shaffer concluded, “We remain committed to a disciplined approach to credit, and our balance sheet is one of the strongest in the industry, with a Tier 1 capital ratio of 14.8%2 as of September 30, 2024. The ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets has increased to a strong 9.64%. Our liquidity position is also robust, with a loan-to-deposit ratio of 83%, providing us with balance sheet flexibility as we continue to work towards stronger earnings in the coming periods.”

    Update on Hurricane Recovery

    In late September and early October 2024, communities across our corporate footprint were impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We maintained uninterrupted digital and telephone access for our customers and, having experienced minimal impacts to our branch properties, we fully reopened to serve our communities shortly after each storm passed. Recovery efforts in many areas continue and the full impacts on people and businesses in the most hard-hit regions are not fully known. We do not expect a significant impact from Hurricane Helene, but an additional provision for credit losses may be warranted in the fourth quarter of 2024 for Hurricane Milton, in a range between approximately $5 million and $10 million.

    Financial Results

    Income Statement

    • Net income in the third quarter of 2024 was $30.7 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to $30.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share in the prior quarter and $31.4 million, or $0.37 per diluted share in the prior year quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net income was $86.9 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, compared to $74.5 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Adjusted net income1 for the third quarter of 2024 was $30.5 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to $30.3 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, for the prior quarter, and $34.2 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, for the prior year quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, adjusted net income1 was $91.9 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, compared to $101.9 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
    • Net revenues were $130.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $3.7 million, or 3%, compared to the prior quarter, and a decrease of $6.8 million, or 5%, compared to the prior year quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net revenues were $382.5 million, a decrease of $56.7 million, or 13%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Adjusted net revenues1 were $130.5 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $3.6 million, or 3%, compared to the prior quarter, and a decrease of $7.2 million, or 5%, compared to the prior year quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, adjusted net revenues1 were $382.9 million, a decrease of $55.2 million, or 13%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
    • Pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 were $46.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $1.5 million, or 3%, compared to the second quarter of 2024 and an increase of $2.7 million, or 6%, compared to the third quarter of 2023. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 were $126.3 million, a decrease of $5.5 million, or 4%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 were $46.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $1.9 million, or 4%, compared to the second quarter of 2024 and a decrease of $1.0 million, or 2%, compared to the third quarter of 2023. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, adjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 were $133.4 million, a decrease of $35.5 million, or 21%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
    • Net interest income totaled $106.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $2.2 million, or 2%, compared to the prior quarter, and a decrease of $12.6 million, or 11%, compared to the prior year quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net interest income was $316.2 million, a decrease of $61.3 million, or 16%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023. In the loan portfolio, higher interest income from new loan production was partially offset by lower accretion of purchase discount on acquired loans. Included in loan interest income was accretion on acquired loans of $9.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, $10.2 million in the second quarter of 2024, and $14.8 million in the third quarter of 2023. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, accretion on acquired loans totaled $30.0 million, compared to $45.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Recent purchases in the securities portfolio contributed to higher securities yields. Higher interest expense on deposits reflects the impact of higher rates, with cuts to the federal funds rate late in the quarter not yet fully impacting the third quarter 2024 results.
    • Net interest margin decreased one basis point to 3.17% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 3.18% in the second quarter of 2024. Excluding the effects of accretion on acquired loans, net interest margin increased three basis points to 2.90% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 2.87% in the second quarter of 2024. Loan yields were 5.94%, an increase of one basis point from the prior quarter. Securities yields increased six basis points to 3.75%, compared to 3.69% in the prior quarter. The cost of deposits increased three basis points from 2.31% in the prior quarter, to 2.34% in the third quarter of 2024. We expect the cost of deposits to decline in the fourth quarter of 2024.
    • Noninterest income totaled $23.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $1.5 million, or 7%, compared to the prior quarter, and an increase of $5.9 million, or 33%, compared to the prior year quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, noninterest income totaled $66.4 million, an increase of $4.5 million, or 7%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Results in the third quarter of 2024 included:
      • Service charges on deposits totaled $5.4 million, an increase of $0.1 million, or 1%, from the prior quarter and an increase of $0.8 million, or 16%, from the prior year quarter. Our investments in talent and significant market expansion across the state have resulted in continued growth in treasury management services to commercial customers.
      • Wealth management income totaled $3.8 million, an increase of $0.1 million, or 2%, from the prior quarter and an increase of $0.7 million, or 22%, from the prior year quarter. The wealth management division continues to grow and add new relationships, with assets under management increasing 26% year over year to $2.0 billion at September 30, 2024.
      • Insurance agency income totaled $1.4 million, an increase of 3% from the prior quarter and an increase of 18% from the prior year quarter, reflecting continued growth and expansion of services.
      • SBA gains totaled $0.4 million, a decrease of $0.3 million, or 44%, from the prior quarter and a decrease of $0.2 million, or 36%, from the prior year quarter, due to lower saleable originations.
      • Other income totaled $7.5 million, an increase of $1.5 million, or 26%, from the prior quarter and an increase of $3.2 million, or 74% from the prior year quarter. Increases in the third quarter of 2024 include gains on SBIC investments and higher swap-related fees.
    • The provision for credit losses was $6.3 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $4.9 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $2.7 million in the third quarter of 2023.
    • Noninterest expense was $84.8 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of $2.3 million, or 3%, compared to the prior quarter, and a decrease of $9.1 million, or 10%, compared to the prior year quarter. Noninterest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, totaled $257.7 million, a decrease of $51.5 million, or 17%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023. With significant cost-saving initiatives now complete, Seacoast has prudently managed expenses while strategically investing to support continued growth. Results in the third quarter of 2024 included:
      • Salaries and wages totaled $40.7 million, an increase of $1.8 million, or 5%, compared to the prior quarter and a decrease $5.7 million, or 12%, from the prior year quarter. The third quarter of 2024 reflects continued additions to the banking team as the Company focuses on organic growth.
      • Outsourced data processing costs totaled $8.0 million, a decrease of $0.2 million, or 3%, compared to the prior quarter and a decrease of $0.7 million, or 8%, from the prior year quarter, reflecting the benefit of lower negotiated rates with key service providers.
      • Marketing expenses totaled $2.7 million, a decrease of $0.5 million, or 16%, compared to the prior quarter and an increase of $0.9 million, or 45%, from the prior year quarter, primarily associated with the timing of various campaigns. We will continue to invest in marketing and branding supporting customer growth.
      • Legal and professional fees totaled $2.7 million, an increase of $0.7 million, or 37%, compared to the prior quarter and an increase of $29 thousand, or 1%, from the prior year quarter. Professional services engaged in connection with contract negotiations contributed to the increase in the third quarter of 2024.
    • Seacoast recorded $8.6 million of income tax expense in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $8.9 million in the second quarter of 2024, and $9.1 million in the third quarter of 2023. Tax benefits related to stock-based compensation totaled $0.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to tax expense of $0.2 million in the second quarter of 2024 and a nominal tax benefit in the third quarter of 2023.
    • The efficiency ratio was 59.84% in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 60.21% in the second quarter of 2024 and 62.60% in the prior year quarter. The adjusted efficiency ratio1 was 59.84% in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 60.21% in the second quarter of 2024 and 60.19% in the prior year quarter. The Company continues to remain keenly focused on disciplined expense control, while making investments for growth.

    Balance Sheet

    • At September 30, 2024, the Company had total assets of $15.2 billion and total shareholders’ equity of $2.2 billion. Book value per share was $25.68 as of September 30, 2024, compared to $24.98 as of June 30, 2024, and $24.06 as of September 30, 2023. Tangible book value per share increased 20% annualized from the prior quarter to $16.20 as of September 30, 2024, compared to $15.41 as of June 30, 2024, and $14.26 as of September 30, 2023.
    • Debt securities totaled $2.8 billion as of September 30, 2024, an increase of $180.8 million compared to June 30, 2024. Debt securities include approximately $2.2 billion in securities classified as available for sale and recorded at fair value.
      • During the third quarter of 2024, net unrealized losses associated with available for sale securities declined by $59.6 million due to changes in the interest rate environment. This contributed $0.53 to the increase in tangible book value per share during the quarter. The unrealized loss on available for sale securities is fully reflected in the value presented on the balance sheet.
      • The portfolio also includes $646.1 million in securities classified as held to maturity with a fair value of $538.5 million. Held-to-maturity securities consist solely of mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, each of which is expected to recover any price depreciation over its holding period as the debt securities move to maturity. The Company has significant liquidity and available borrowing capacity and has the intent and ability to hold these investments to maturity.
      • In October, we took advantage of favorable market conditions and repositioned a portion of the available for sale securities portfolio. We sold securities with an average book yield of 2.8%, resulting in a pre-tax loss of approximately $8.0 million impacting fourth quarter results. The proceeds, approximately $113 million, were reinvested in agency mortgage-backed securities with an average book yield of 5.4%, for an estimated earnback of less than three years.
    • Loans increased $166.8 million, or 6.6% annualized, totaling $10.2 billion as of September 30, 2024. Loan originations increased 22% to $657.9 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $538.0 million in the second quarter of 2024. The Company continues to exercise a disciplined approach to lending and is benefiting from the investments made in recent years to attract talent from large regional banks across its markets. This talent is onboarding significant new relationships, resulting in increased loan production.
    • Loan pipelines (loans in underwriting and approval or approved and not yet closed) totaled $831.1 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $834.4 million at June 30, 2024 and $353.0 million at September 30, 2023.
      • Commercial pipelines were $744.5 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $743.8 million at June 30, 2024, and $259.4 million at September 30, 2023.
      • SBA pipelines were $28.9 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $29.3 million at June 30, 2024, and $41.4 million at September 30, 2023.
      • Residential saleable pipelines were $11.2 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $12.1 million at June 30, 2024, and $6.8 million at September 30, 2023. Retained residential pipelines were $21.9 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $24.7 million at June 30, 2024, and $20.9 million at September 30, 2023.
      • Consumer pipelines were $24.4 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $24.5 million at both June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023.
    • Total deposits were $12.2 billion as of September 30, 2024, an increase of $127.5 million, or 4.2% annualized, when compared to June 30, 2024. Excluding brokered balances, total deposits increased $195.9 million, or 6.6% annualized, in the third quarter of 2024.
      • Commercial deposits increased $133.0 million, or 2%, compared to the prior quarter. Of note, commercial noninterest bearing deposits increased $67.2 million, or 3%, from the prior quarter, the result of onboarding new clients.
      • Total noninterest bearing deposits increased $45.5 million, or 5.3% annualized, from the prior quarter.
      • At September 30, 2024, customer transaction account balances represented 49% of total deposits.
      • The Company benefits from a granular deposit franchise, with the top ten depositors representing approximately 3% of total deposits.
      • Average deposits per banking center were $159 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $157 million at June 30, 2024.
      • Uninsured deposits represented only 36% of overall deposit accounts as of September 30, 2024. This includes public funds under the Florida Qualified Public Depository program, which provides loss protection to depositors beyond FDIC insurance limits. Excluding such balances, the uninsured and uncollateralized deposits were 31% of total deposits. The Company has liquidity sources including cash and lines of credit with the Federal Reserve and Federal Home Loan Bank that represent 145% of uninsured deposits, and 167% of uninsured and uncollateralized deposits.
      • Consumer deposits represent 43% of overall deposit funding with an average consumer customer balance of $26 thousand. Commercial deposits represent 57% of overall deposit funding with an average business customer balance of $117 thousand.
    • Federal Home Loan Bank advances totaled $245.0 million at September 30, 2024 with a weighted average interest rate of 4.19%.

    Asset Quality

    • Nonperforming loans were $80.9 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $59.9 million at June 30, 2024, and $41.5 million at September 30, 2023. New nonperforming loans in the third quarter of 2024 have collateral values well in excess of balances outstanding, and therefore, no loss is expected. Nonperforming loans to total loans outstanding were 0.79% at September 30, 2024, 0.60% at June 30, 2024, and 0.41% at September 30, 2023.
    • Accruing past due loans were $50.7 million, or 0.50% of total loans, at September 30, 2024, compared to $39.6 million, or 0.39% of total loans, at June 30, 2024, and $35.5 million, or 0.33% of total loans, at September 30, 2023. A limited number of larger-balance residential mortgage loans, which returned to current status in October, comprise the majority of the increase from the prior quarter.
    • Nonperforming assets to total assets were 0.58% at September 30, 2024, compared to 0.45% at June 30, 2024, and 0.33% at September 30, 2023.
    • The ratio of allowance for credit losses to total loans was 1.38% at September 30, 2024, 1.41% at June 30, 2024, and 1.49% at September 30, 2023.
    • Net charge-offs were $7.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $9.9 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $12.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. Charge-offs during the quarter primarily reflect specifically identified reserves previously established in the allowance for credit losses.
    • Portfolio diversification, in terms of asset mix, industry, and loan type, has been a critical element of the Company’s lending strategy. Exposure across industries and collateral types is broadly distributed. Seacoast’s average loan size is $360 thousand, and the average commercial loan size is $789 thousand, reflecting an ability to maintain granularity within the overall loan portfolio.
    • Construction and land development and commercial real estate loans remain well below regulatory guidance at 36% and 241% of total bank-level risk-based capital2, respectively, compared to 36% and 235%, respectively, at June 30, 2024. On a consolidated basis, construction and land development and commercial real estate loans represent 34% and 227%, respectively, of total consolidated risk-based capital2.

    Capital and Liquidity

    • The Company continues to operate with a fortress balance sheet with a Tier 1 capital ratio at September 30, 2024 of 14.8%2 compared to 14.8% at June 30, 2024, and 14.0% at September 30, 2023. The Total capital ratio was 16.2%2, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio was 14.1%2, and the Tier 1 leverage ratio was 11.2%2 at September 30, 2024. The Company is considered “well capitalized” based on applicable U.S. regulatory capital ratio requirements.
    • Cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2024 totaled $637.1 million.
    • The Company’s loan to deposit ratio was 83.4% at September 30, 2024, which should provide liquidity and flexibility moving forward.
    • Tangible common equity to tangible assets was 9.64% at September 30, 2024, compared to 9.30% at June 30, 2024, and 8.68% at September 30, 2023. If all held-to-maturity securities were adjusted to fair value, the tangible common equity ratio would have been 9.11% at September 30, 2024.
    • At September 30, 2024, in addition to $637.1 million in cash, the Company had $5.6 billion in available borrowing capacity, including $4.1 billion in available collateralized lines of credit, $1.2 billion of unpledged debt securities available as collateral for potential additional borrowings, and available unsecured lines of credit of $0.3 billion. These liquidity sources as of September 30, 2024, represented 167% of uninsured and uncollateralized deposits.

    1 Non-GAAP measure, see “Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information and for a reconciliation to GAAP.
    2 Estimated.

    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS              
    (Amounts in thousands except per share data) (Unaudited)
      Quarterly Trends
                       
      3Q’24   2Q’24   1Q’24   4Q’23   3Q’23
    Selected balance sheet data:                  
    Gross loans $ 10,205,281     $ 10,038,508     $ 9,978,052     $ 10,062,940     $ 10,011,186  
    Total deposits   12,243,585       12,116,118       12,015,840       11,776,935       12,107,834  
    Total assets   15,168,371       14,952,613       14,830,015       14,580,249       14,823,007  
                       
    Performance measures:                  
    Net income $ 30,651     $ 30,244     $ 26,006     $ 29,543     $ 31,414  
    Net interest margin   3.17 %     3.18 %     3.24 %     3.36 %     3.57 %
    Pre-tax pre-provision earnings1 $ 46,086     $ 44,555     $ 35,674     $ 42,006     $ 43,383  
    Average diluted shares outstanding   85,069       84,816       85,270       85,336       85,666  
    Diluted earnings per share (EPS)   0.36       0.36       0.31       0.35       0.37  
    Return on (annualized):                  
    Average assets (ROA)   0.81 %     0.82 %     0.71 %     0.80 %     0.84 %
    Average tangible assets (ROTA)2   0.99       1.00       0.89       0.99       1.04  
    Average tangible common equity (ROTCE)2   10.31       10.75       9.55       11.22       11.90  
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets2   9.64       9.30       9.25       9.31       8.68  
    Tangible book value per share2 $ 16.20     $ 15.41     $ 15.26     $ 15.08     $ 14.26  
    Efficiency ratio   59.84 %     60.21 %     66.78 %     60.32 %     62.60 %
                       
    Adjusted operating measures1:                  
    Adjusted net income4 $ 30,511     $ 30,277     $ 31,132     $ 31,363     $ 34,170  
    Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings4   46,390       44,490       42,513       45,016       47,349  
    Adjusted diluted EPS4   0.36       0.36       0.37       0.37       0.40  
    Adjusted ROTA2   0.98 %     1.00 %     1.04 %     1.04 %     1.12 %
    Adjusted ROTCE2   10.27       10.76       11.15       11.80       12.79  
    Adjusted efficiency ratio   59.84       60.21       61.13       60.32       60.19  
    Net adjusted noninterest expense as a
    percent of average tangible assets2
      2.19 %     2.19 %     2.23 %     2.25 %     2.34 %
                       
    Other data:                  
    Market capitalization3 $ 2,277,003     $ 2,016,472     $ 2,156,529     $ 2,415,158     $ 1,869,891  
    Full-time equivalent employees   1,493       1,449       1,445       1,541       1,570  
    Number of ATMs   96       95       95       96       97  
    Full-service banking offices   77       77       77       77       77  
    1Non-GAAP measure, see “Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information and a reconciliation to GAAP.
    2The Company defines tangible assets as total assets less intangible assets, and tangible common equity as total shareholders’ equity less intangible assets.
    3Common shares outstanding multiplied by closing bid price on last day of each period.
    4As of 1Q’24, amortization of intangibles is excluded from adjustments to noninterest expense; prior periods have been updated to reflect the change.

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Conference Call Information

    Seacoast will host a conference call October 25, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the third quarter of 2024 earnings results and business trends. Investors may call in (toll-free) by dialing (800) 715-9871 (Conference ID: 6787376). Charts will be used during the conference call and may be accessed at Seacoast’s website at www.SeacoastBanking.com by selecting “Presentations” under the heading “News/Events.” Additionally, a recording of the call will be made available to individuals shortly after the conference call and can be accessed via a link at www.SeacoastBanking.com under the heading “Corporate Information.” The recording will be available for one year.

    About Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF)

    Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF) is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $15.2 billion in assets and $12.2 billion in deposits as of September 30, 2024. Seacoast provides integrated financial services including commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers at 77 full-service branches across Florida, and through advanced mobile and online banking solutions. Seacoast National Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary bank of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida. For more information about Seacoast, visit www.SeacoastBanking.com. 

    Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning, and protections, of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, economic and seasonal conditions in the Company’s markets, and improvements to reported earnings that may be realized from cost controls, tax law changes, new initiatives and for integration of banks that the Company has acquired, or expects to acquire, as well as statements with respect to Seacoast’s objectives, strategic plans, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

    Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates and intentions about future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond the Company’s control, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (“Seacoast” or the “Company”) or its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Seacoast National Bank (“Seacoast Bank”), to be materially different from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect the Company to update any forward-looking statements.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “anticipate”, “assume”, “should”, “support”, “indicate”, “would”, “believe”, “contemplate”, “expect”, “estimate”, “continue”, “further”, “plan”, “point to”, “project”, “could”, “intend”, “target” or other similar words and expressions of the future. These forward-looking statements may not be realized due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the impact of current and future economic and market conditions generally (including seasonality) and in the financial services industry, nationally and within Seacoast’s primary market areas, including the effects of inflationary pressures, changes in interest rates, slowdowns in economic growth, and the potential for high unemployment rates, as well as the financial stress on borrowers and changes to customer and client behavior and credit risk as a result of the foregoing; potential impacts of adverse developments in the banking industry, including those highlighted by high-profile bank failures, and including impacts on customer confidence, deposit outflows, liquidity and the regulatory response thereto (including increases in the cost of our deposit insurance assessments), the Company’s ability to effectively manage its liquidity risk and any growth plans, and the availability of capital and funding; governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, as well as legislative, tax and regulatory changes including proposed overdraft and late fee caps, including those that impact the money supply and inflation; the risks of changes in interest rates on the level and composition of deposits (as well as the cost of, and competition for, deposits), loan demand, liquidity and the values of loan collateral, securities, and interest rate sensitive assets and liabilities; interest rate risks (including the impacts of interest rates on macroeconomic conditions, customer and client behavior, and on our net interest income), sensitivities and the shape of the yield curve; changes in accounting policies, rules and practices; changes in retail distribution strategies, customer preferences and behavior generally and as a result of economic factors, including heightened inflation; changes in the availability and cost of credit and capital in the financial markets; changes in the prices, values and sales volumes of residential and commercial real estate, especially as they relate to the value of collateral supporting the Company’s loans; the Company’s concentration in commercial real estate loans and in real estate collateral in Florida; Seacoast’s ability to comply with any regulatory requirements and the risk that the regulatory environment may not be conducive to or may prohibit or delay the consummation of future mergers and/or business combinations, may increase the length of time and amount of resources required to consummate such transactions, and may reduce the anticipated benefit; inaccuracies or other failures from the use of models, including the failure of assumptions and estimates, as well as differences in, and changes to, economic, market and credit conditions; the impact on the valuation of Seacoast’s investments due to market volatility or counterparty payment risk, as well as the effect of a decline in stock market prices on our fee income from our wealth management business; statutory and regulatory dividend restrictions; increases in regulatory capital requirements for banking organizations generally; the risks of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including Seacoast’s ability to continue to identify acquisition targets, successfully acquire and integrate desirable financial institutions and realize expected revenues and revenue synergies; changes in technology or products that may be more difficult, costly, or less effective than anticipated; the Company’s ability to identify and address increased cybersecurity risks, including those impacting vendors and other third parties which may be exacerbated by developments in generative artificial intelligence; fraud or misconduct by internal or external parties, which Seacoast may not be able to prevent, detect or mitigate; inability of Seacoast’s risk management framework to manage risks associated with the Company’s business; dependence on key suppliers or vendors to obtain equipment or services for the business on acceptable terms; reduction in or the termination of Seacoast’s ability to use the online- or mobile-based platform that is critical to the Company’s business growth strategy; the effects of war or other conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, including hurricanes in the Company’s footprint, health emergencies, epidemics or pandemics, or other catastrophic events that may affect general economic conditions and/or increase costs, including, but not limited to, property and casualty and other insurance costs; Seacoast’s ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting; potential claims, damages, penalties, fines, costs and reputational damage resulting from pending or future litigation, regulatory proceedings and enforcement actions; the risks that deferred tax assets could be reduced if estimates of future taxable income from the Company’s operations and tax planning strategies are less than currently estimated, the results of tax audit findings, challenges to our tax positions, or adverse changes or interpretations of tax laws; the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, non-bank financial technology providers, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions; the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of reserves for expected credit losses; risks related to, and the costs associated with, environmental, social and governance matters, including the scope and pace of related rulemaking activity and disclosure requirements; a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt, actions that the U.S. government may take to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling, and uncertainties surrounding the federal budget and economic policy; the risk that balance sheet, revenue growth, and loan growth expectations may differ from actual results; and other factors and risks described under “Risk Factors” herein and in any of the Company’s subsequent reports filed with the SEC and available on its website at www.sec.gov.

    All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in other periodic reports that the Company files with the SEC. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC’s Internet website at www.sec.gov.

    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS         (Unaudited)          
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                    
              Quarterly Trends           Nine Months Ended
    (Amounts in thousands, except ratios and per share data) 3Q’24   2Q’24   1Q’24   4Q’23   3Q’23   3Q’24   3Q’23
    Summary of Earnings                          
    Net income $ 30,651     $ 30,244     $ 26,006     $ 29,543     $ 31,414     $ 86,901     $ 74,490  
    Adjusted net income1,6   30,511       30,277       31,132       31,363       34,170       91,920       101,878  
    Net interest income2   106,975       104,657       105,298       111,035       119,505       316,930       378,009  
    Net interest margin2,3   3.17 %     3.18 %     3.24 %     3.36 %     3.57 %     3.19 %     3.91 %
    Pre-tax pre-provision earnings1   46,086       44,555       35,674       42,006       43,383       126,315       131,807  
    Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings1,6   46,390       44,490       42,513       45,016       47,349       133,393       168,905  
                               
    Performance Ratios                          
    Return on average assets-GAAP basis3   0.81 %     0.82 %     0.71 %     0.80 %     0.84 %     0.78 %     0.68 %
    Return on average tangible assets-GAAP basis3,4   0.99       1.00       0.89       0.99       1.04       0.96       0.88  
    Adjusted return on average tangible assets1,3,4   0.98       1.00       1.04       1.04       1.12       1.01       1.15  
    Pre-tax pre-provision return on average tangible assets1,3,4,6   1.46       1.45       1.22       1.39       1.43       1.38       1.49  
    Adjusted pre-tax pre-provision return on average tangible assets1,3,4   1.47       1.45       1.42       1.48       1.55       1.44       1.85  
    Net adjusted noninterest expense to average tangible assets1,3,4   2.19       2.19       2.23       2.25       2.34       2.20       2.40  
    Return on average shareholders’ equity-GAAP basis3   5.62       5.74       4.94       5.69       6.01       5.44       4.94  
    Return on average tangible common equity-GAAP basis3,4   10.31       10.75       9.55       11.22       11.90       10.21       10.09  
    Adjusted return on average tangible common equity1,3,4   10.27       10.76       11.15       11.80       12.79       10.72       13.14  
    Efficiency ratio5   59.84       60.21       66.78       60.32       62.60       62.24       65.19  
    Adjusted efficiency ratio1   59.84       60.21       61.13       60.32       60.19       60.39       56.47  
    Noninterest income to total revenue (excluding securities gains/losses)   18.05       17.55       16.17       15.14       13.22       17.27       14.16  
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets4   9.64       9.30       9.25       9.31       8.68       9.64       8.68  
    Average loan-to-deposit ratio   83.79       83.11       84.50       83.38       82.63       83.80       82.86  
    End of period loan-to-deposit ratio   83.44       82.90       83.12       85.48       82.71       83.44       82.71  
                               
    Per Share Data                          
    Net income diluted-GAAP basis $ 0.36     $ 0.36     $ 0.31     $ 0.35     $ 0.37     $ 1.02     $ 0.89  
    Net income basic-GAAP basis   0.36       0.36       0.31       0.35       0.37       1.03       0.89  
    Adjusted earnings1,6   0.36       0.36       0.37       0.37       0.40       1.08       1.21  
                               
    Book value per share common   25.68       24.98       24.93       24.84       24.06       25.68       24.06  
    Tangible book value per share   16.20       15.41       15.26       15.08       14.26       16.20       14.26  
    Cash dividends declared   0.18       0.18       0.18       0.18       0.18       0.54       0.53  
    1Non-GAAP measure – see “Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information and a reconciliation to GAAP. 2Calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis using amortized cost. 3These ratios are stated on an annualized basis and are not necessarily indicative of future periods. 4The Company defines tangible assets as total assets less intangible assets, and tangible common equity as total shareholders’ equity less intangible assets. 5Defined as noninterest expense less amortization of intangibles and gains, losses, and expenses on foreclosed properties divided by net operating revenue (net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent basis plus noninterest income excluding securities gains and losses). 6As of 1Q’24, amortization of intangibles is excluded from adjustments to noninterest expense; prior periods have been updated to reflect the change.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME   (Unaudited)          
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                    
      Quarterly Trends   Nine Months Ended
    (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) 3Q’24   2Q’24   1Q’24   4Q’23   3Q’23   3Q’24   3Q’23
                               
    Interest on securities:                          
    Taxable $ 25,963   $ 24,155     $ 22,393     $ 21,383     $ 21,401     $ 72,511   $ 61,543  
    Nontaxable   34     33       34       55       97       101     299  
    Interest and fees on loans   150,980     147,292       147,095       147,801       149,871       445,367     433,304  
    Interest on interest bearing deposits and other investments   7,138     8,328       6,184       7,616       8,477       21,650     16,974  
    Total Interest Income   184,115     179,808       175,706       176,855       179,846       539,629     512,120  
                               
    Interest on deposits   51,963     51,319       47,534       44,923       38,396       150,816     81,612  
    Interest on time certificates   19,002     17,928       17,121       15,764       16,461       54,051     36,490  
    Interest on borrowed money   6,485     6,137       5,973       5,349       5,683       18,595     16,597  
    Total Interest Expense   77,450     75,384       70,628       66,036       60,540       223,462     134,699  
                               
    Net Interest Income   106,665     104,424       105,078       110,819       119,306       316,167     377,421  
    Provision for credit losses   6,273     4,918       1,368       3,990       2,694       12,559     33,528  
    Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses   100,392     99,506       103,710       106,829       116,612       303,608     343,893  
                               
    Noninterest income:                          
    Service charges on deposit accounts   5,412     5,342       4,960       4,828       4,648       15,714     13,450  
    Interchange income   1,911     1,940       1,888       2,433       1,684       5,739     11,444  
    Wealth management income   3,843     3,766       3,540       3,261       3,138       11,149     9,519  
    Mortgage banking fees   485     582       381       378       410       1,448     1,412  
    Insurance agency income   1,399     1,355       1,291       1,066       1,183       4,045     3,444  
    SBA gains   391     694       739       921       613       1,824     1,184  
    BOLI income   2,578     2,596       2,264       2,220       2,197       7,438     6,181  
    Other   7,473     5,953       5,205       4,668       4,307       18,631     15,636  
        23,492     22,228       20,268       19,775       18,180       65,988     62,270  
    Securities gains (losses), net   187     (44 )     229       (2,437 )     (387 )     372     (456 )
    Total Noninterest Income   23,679     22,184       20,497       17,338       17,793       66,360     61,814  
                               
    Noninterest expense:                          
    Salaries and wages   40,697     38,937       40,304       38,435       46,431       119,938     139,202  
    Employee benefits   6,955     6,861       7,889       6,678       7,206       21,705     23,240  
    Outsourced data processing costs   8,003     8,210       12,118       8,609       8,714       28,331     43,489  
    Occupancy   7,096     7,180       8,037       7,512       7,758       22,313     24,360  
    Furniture and equipment   2,060     1,956       2,011       2,028       2,052       6,027     6,664  
    Marketing   2,729     3,266       2,655       2,995       1,876       8,650     6,161  
    Legal and professional fees   2,708     1,982       2,151       3,294       2,679       6,841     14,220  
    FDIC assessments   1,882     2,131       2,158       2,813       2,258       6,171     5,817  
    Amortization of intangibles   6,002     6,003       6,292       6,888       7,457       18,297     21,838  
    Other real estate owned expense and net loss (gain) on sale   491     (109 )     (26 )     573       274       356     412  
    Provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments   250     251       250       —       —       751     1,239  
    Other   5,945     5,869       6,532       6,542       7,210       18,346     22,613  
    Total Noninterest Expense   84,818     82,537       90,371       86,367       93,915       257,726     309,255  
                               
    Income Before Income Taxes   39,253     39,153       33,836       37,800       40,490       112,242     96,452  
    Provision for income taxes   8,602     8,909       7,830       8,257       9,076       25,341     21,962  
    Net Income $ 30,651   $ 30,244     $ 26,006     $ 29,543     $ 31,414     $ 86,901   $ 74,490  
                               
    Share Data                          
    Net income per share of common stock                          
    Diluted $ 0.36   $ 0.36     $ 0.31     $ 0.35     $ 0.37     $ 1.02   $ 0.89  
    Basic   0.36     0.36       0.31       0.35       0.37       1.03     0.89  
    Cash dividends declared   0.18     0.18       0.18       0.18       0.18       0.54     0.53  
                               
    Average common shares outstanding                          
    Diluted   85,069     84,816       85,270       85,336       85,666       84,915     83,993  
    Basic   84,434     84,341       84,908       84,817       85,142       84,319     83,457  
                               
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS       (Unaudited)        
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                
      September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
    (Amounts in thousands)  2024     2024     2024     2023     2023 
    Assets                  
    Cash and due from banks $ 182,743     $ 168,738     $ 137,850     $ 167,511     $ 182,036  
    Interest bearing deposits with other banks   454,315       580,787       544,874       279,671       513,946  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   637,058       749,525       682,724       447,182       695,982  
                       
    Time deposits with other banks   5,207       7,856       7,856       5,857       4,357  
                       
    Debt Securities:                  
    Securities available for sale (at fair value)   2,160,055       1,967,204       1,949,463       1,836,020       1,841,845  
    Securities held to maturity (at amortized cost)   646,050       658,055       669,896       680,313       691,404  
    Total debt securities   2,806,105       2,625,259       2,619,359       2,516,333       2,533,249  
                       
    Loans held for sale   11,039       5,975       9,475       4,391       2,979  
                       
    Loans   10,205,281       10,038,508       9,978,052       10,062,940       10,011,186  
    Less: Allowance for credit losses   (140,469 )     (141,641 )     (146,669 )     (148,931 )     (149,661 )
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   10,064,812       9,896,867       9,831,383       9,914,009       9,861,525  
                       
    Bank premises and equipment, net   108,776       109,945       110,787       113,304       115,749  
    Other real estate owned   6,421       6,877       7,315       7,560       7,216  
    Goodwill   732,417       732,417       732,417       732,417       731,970  
    Other intangible assets, net   77,431       83,445       89,377       95,645       102,397  
    Bank owned life insurance   306,379       303,816       301,229       298,974       296,763  
    Net deferred tax assets   94,820       108,852       111,539       113,232       131,602  
    Other assets   317,906       321,779       326,554       331,345       339,218  
    Total Assets $ 15,168,371     $ 14,952,613     $ 14,830,015     $ 14,580,249     $ 14,823,007  
                       
    Liabilities                  
    Deposits                  
    Noninterest demand $ 3,443,455     $ 3,397,918     $ 3,555,401     $ 3,544,981     $ 3,868,132  
    Interest-bearing demand   2,487,448       2,821,092       2,711,041       2,790,210       2,800,152  
    Savings   524,474       566,052       608,088       651,454       721,558  
    Money market   4,034,371       3,707,761       3,531,029       3,314,288       3,143,897  
    Time deposits   1,753,837       1,623,295       1,610,281       1,476,002       1,574,095  
    Total Deposits   12,243,585       12,116,118       12,015,840       11,776,935       12,107,834  
                       
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   210,176       262,103       326,732       374,573       276,450  
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   245,000       180,000       110,000       50,000       110,000  
    Long-term debt, net   106,800       106,634       106,468       106,302       106,136  
    Other liabilities   168,960       157,377       153,225       164,353       174,193  
    Total Liabilities   12,974,521       12,822,232       12,712,265       12,472,163       12,774,613  
                       
    Shareholders’ Equity                  
    Common stock   8,614       8,530       8,494       8,486       8,515  
    Additional paid in capital   1,821,050       1,815,800       1,811,941       1,808,883       1,813,068  
    Retained earnings   508,036       492,805       478,017       467,305       453,117  
    Less: Treasury stock   (18,680 )     (18,744 )     (16,746 )     (16,710 )     (14,035 )
        2,319,020       2,298,391       2,281,706       2,267,964       2,260,665  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net   (125,170 )     (168,010 )     (163,956 )     (159,878 )     (212,271 )
    Total Shareholders’ Equity   2,193,850       2,130,381       2,117,750       2,108,086       2,048,394  
    Total Liabilities & Shareholders’ Equity $ 15,168,371     $ 14,952,613     $ 14,830,015     $ 14,580,249     $ 14,823,007  
                       
    Common shares outstanding   85,441       85,299       84,935       84,861       85,150  
    CONSOLIDATED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA       (Unaudited)    
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                    
                         
    (Amounts in thousands)   3Q’24   2Q’24   1Q’24   4Q’23   3Q’23
    Credit Analysis                    
    Net charge-offs   $ 7,445     $ 9,946     $ 3,630     $ 4,720     $ 12,748  
    Net charge-offs to average loans     0.29 %     0.40 %     0.15 %     0.19 %     0.50 %
                         
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 140,469     $ 141,641     $ 146,669     $ 148,931     $ 149,661  
                         
    Non-acquired loans at end of period   $ 7,178,186     $ 6,834,059     $ 6,613,763     $ 6,571,454     $ 6,343,121  
    Acquired loans at end of period     3,027,095       3,204,449       3,364,289       3,491,486       3,668,065  
    Total Loans   $ 10,205,281     $ 10,038,508     $ 9,978,052     $ 10,062,940     $ 10,011,186  
                         
    Total allowance for credit losses to total loans at end of period     1.38 %     1.41 %     1.47 %     1.48 %     1.49 %
    Purchase discount on acquired loans at end of period     4.48       4.51       4.63       4.75       4.86  
                         
    End of Period                    
    Nonperforming loans   $ 80,857     $ 59,927     $ 77,205     $ 65,104     $ 41,508  
    Other real estate owned     933       1,173       309       221       221  
    Properties previously used in bank operations included in other real estate owned     5,488       5,704       7,006       7,339       6,995  
    Total Nonperforming Assets   $ 87,278     $ 66,804     $ 84,520     $ 72,664     $ 48,724  
                         
    Nonperforming Loans to Loans at End of Period     0.79 %     0.60 %     0.77 %     0.65 %     0.41 %
                         
    Nonperforming Assets to Total Assets at End of Period     0.58       0.45       0.57       0.50       0.33  
                         
        September 30,   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,
    Loans    2024     2024     2024     2023     2023 
    Construction and land development   $ 595,753     $ 593,534     $ 623,246     $ 767,622     $ 793,736  
    Commercial real estate – owner occupied     1,676,814       1,656,391       1,656,131       1,670,281       1,675,881  
    Commercial real estate – non-owner occupied     3,573,076       3,423,266       3,368,339       3,319,890       3,285,974  
    Residential real estate     2,564,903       2,555,320       2,521,399       2,445,692       2,418,903  
    Commercial and financial     1,575,228       1,582,290       1,566,198       1,607,888       1,588,152  
    Consumer     219,507       227,707       242,739       251,567       248,540  
    Total Loans   $ 10,205,281     $ 10,038,508     $ 9,978,052     $ 10,062,940     $ 10,011,186  
     
    AVERAGE BALANCES, INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSES, YIELDS AND RATES 1       (Unaudited)                    
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                                
                                       
                                       
      3Q’24   2Q’24   3Q’23
      Average       Yield/   Average       Yield/   Average       Yield/
    (Amounts in thousands) Balance   Interest   Rate   Balance   Interest   Rate   Balance   Interest   Rate
                                       
    Assets                                  
    Earning assets:                                  
    Securities:                                  
    Taxable $ 2,756,502     $ 25,963   3.75 %   $ 2,629,716     $ 24,155   3.69 %   $ 2,575,002     $ 21,401   3.32 %
    Nontaxable   5,701       42   2.93       5,423       40   2.97       15,280       119   3.11  
    Total Securities   2,762,203       26,005   3.75       2,635,139       24,195   3.69       2,590,282       21,520   3.32  
                                       
    Federal funds sold   433,423       5,906   5.42       510,401       6,967   5.49       547,576       7,415   5.37  
    Interest bearing deposits with other banks and other investments   102,700       1,232   4.77       98,942       1,361   5.53       90,039       1,062   4.68  
                                       
    Total Loans, net2   10,128,822       151,282   5.94       10,005,122       147,518   5.93       10,043,611       150,048   5.93  
                                       
    Total Earning Assets   13,427,148       184,425   5.46       13,249,604       180,041   5.47       13,271,508       180,045   5.38  
                                       
    Allowance for credit losses   (141,974 )             (146,380 )             (158,440 )        
    Cash and due from banks   167,103               168,439               168,931          
    Bank premises and equipment, net   109,699               110,709               116,704          
    Intangible assets   812,761               818,914               839,787          
    Bank owned life insurance   304,703               302,165               295,272          
    Other assets including deferred tax assets   317,406               336,256               372,241          
                                       
    Total Assets $ 14,996,846             $ 14,839,707             $ 14,906,003          
                                       
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                                  
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                  
    Interest-bearing demand $ 2,489,674     $ 12,905   2.06 %   $ 2,670,569     $ 14,946   2.25 %   $ 2,804,243     $ 15,013   2.12 %
    Savings   546,473       601   0.44       584,490       560   0.39       770,503       465   0.24  
    Money market   3,942,357       38,457   3.88       3,665,858       35,813   3.93       2,972,495       22,918   3.06  
    Time deposits   1,716,720       19,002   4.40       1,631,290       17,928   4.42       1,619,572       16,461   4.03  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   241,083       2,044   3.37       293,603       2,683   3.68       327,711       2,876   3.48  
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   237,935       2,549   4.26       149,234       1,592   4.29       111,087       888   3.17  
    Long-term debt, net   106,706       1,892   7.05       106,532       1,862   7.03       106,036       1,919   7.18  
                                       
    Total Interest-Bearing Liabilities   9,280,948       77,450   3.32       9,101,576       75,384   3.33       8,711,647       60,540   2.76  
                                       
    Noninterest demand   3,393,110               3,485,603               3,987,761          
    Other liabilities   154,344               134,900               133,846          
    Total Liabilities   12,828,402               12,722,079               12,833,254          
                                       
    Shareholders’ equity   2,168,444               2,117,628               2,072,747          
                                       
    Total Liabilities & Equity $ 14,996,846             $ 14,839,707             $ 14,906,003          
                                       
    Cost of deposits         2.34 %           2.31 %           1.79 %
    Interest expense as a % of earning assets         2.29 %           2.29 %           1.81 %
    Net interest income as a % of earning assets     $ 106,975   3.17 %       $ 104,657   3.18 %       $ 119,505   3.57 %
                                       
                                       
    1 On a fully taxable equivalent basis. All yields and rates have been computed using amortized cost.              
    2 Fees on loans have been included in interest on loans. Nonaccrual loans are included in loan balances.              
    AVERAGE BALANCES, INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSES, YIELDS AND RATES 1       (Unaudited)        
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                    
                           
                           
      Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024   Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
      Average       Yield/   Average       Yield/
    (Amounts in thousands) Balance   Interest   Rate   Balance   Interest   Rate
                           
    Assets                      
    Earning assets:                      
    Securities:                      
    Taxable $ 2,655,422     $ 72,511   3.65 %   $ 2,649,127     $ 61,543   3.10 %
    Nontaxable   5,677       123   2.89       15,721       370   3.14  
    Total Securities   2,661,099       72,634   3.65       2,664,848       61,913   3.10  
                           
    Federal funds sold   438,089       17,929   5.47       336,022       12,444   4.95  
    Interest bearing deposits with other banks and other investments   102,415       3,721   4.85       90,511       4,530   6.69  
                           
    Total Loans, net2   10,056,466       446,108   5.93       9,840,484       433,821   5.89  
                           
    Total Earning Assets   13,258,069       540,392   5.44       12,931,865       512,708   5.30  
                           
    Allowance for credit losses   (145,579 )             (151,613 )        
    Cash and due from banks   167,424               185,426          
    Bank premises and equipment, net   110,929               116,840          
    Intangible assets   819,046               811,483          
    Bank owned life insurance   302,220               287,756          
    Other assets including deferred tax assets   330,898               402,175          
                           
    Total Assets $ 14,843,007             $ 14,583,932          
                           
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Interest-bearing demand $ 2,626,026     $ 43,117   2.19 %   $ 2,642,180     $ 25,780   1.30 %
    Savings   586,285       1,701   0.39       909,184       1,292   0.19  
    Money market   3,673,493       105,998   3.85       2,831,747       54,540   2.58  
    Time deposits   1,646,285       54,051   4.39       1,288,736       36,490   3.79  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   289,181       7,806   3.61       249,242       5,333   2.86  
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   163,468       5,101   4.17       214,415       5,936   3.70  
    Long-term debt, net   106,538       5,688   7.13       103,469       5,328   6.88  
                           
    Total Interest-Bearing Liabilities   9,091,276       223,462   3.28       8,238,973       134,699   2.19  
                           
    Noninterest demand   3,468,790               4,204,389          
    Other liabilities   148,000               126,487          
    Total Liabilities   12,708,066               12,569,849          
                           
    Shareholders’ equity   2,134,941               2,014,083          
                           
    Total Liabilities & Equity $ 14,843,007             $ 14,583,932          
                           
    Cost of deposits         2.28 %           1.33 %
    Interest expense as a % of earning assets         2.25 %           1.39 %
    Net interest income as a % of earning assets     $ 316,930   3.19 %       $ 378,009   3.91 %
                           
                           
    1 On a fully taxable equivalent basis. All yields and rates have been computed using amortized cost.        
    2 Fees on loans have been included in interest on loans. Nonaccrual loans are included in loan balances.        
    CONSOLIDATED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA         (Unaudited)        
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                  
    (Amounts in thousands) September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    Customer Relationship Funding                  
    Noninterest demand                  
    Commercial $ 2,731,564   $ 2,664,353   $ 2,808,151   $ 2,752,644   $ 3,089,488
    Retail   509,527     532,623     553,697     561,569     570,727
    Public funds   139,072     142,846     145,747     173,893     134,649
    Other   63,292     58,096     47,806     56,875     73,268
    Total Noninterest Demand   3,443,455     3,397,918     3,555,401     3,544,981     3,868,132
                       
    Interest-bearing demand                  
    Commercial   1,426,920     1,533,725     1,561,905     1,576,491     1,618,755
    Retail   874,043     892,032     930,178     956,900     994,224
    Brokered   —     198,337     —     —     —
    Public funds   186,485     196,998     218,958     256,819     187,173
    Total Interest-Bearing Demand   2,487,448     2,821,092     2,711,041     2,790,210     2,800,152
                       
    Total transaction accounts                  
    Commercial   4,158,484     4,198,078     4,370,056     4,329,135     4,708,243
    Retail   1,383,570     1,424,655     1,483,875     1,518,469     1,564,951
    Brokered   —     198,337     —     —     —
    Public funds   325,557     339,844     364,705     430,712     321,822
    Other   63,292     58,096     47,806     56,875     73,268
    Total Transaction Accounts   5,930,903     6,219,010     6,266,442     6,335,191     6,668,284
                       
    Savings                  
    Commercial   44,151     53,523     52,665     58,562     79,731
    Retail   480,323     512,529     555,423     592,892     641,827
    Total Savings   524,474     566,052     608,088     651,454     721,558
                       
    Money market                  
    Commercial   1,953,851     1,771,927     1,709,636     1,655,820     1,625,455
    Retail   1,887,975     1,733,505     1,621,618     1,469,142     1,362,390
    Public funds   192,545     202,329     199,775     189,326     156,052
    Total Money Market   4,034,371     3,707,761     3,531,029     3,314,288     3,143,897
                       
    Brokered time certificates   256,536     126,668     142,717     122,347     307,963
    Time deposits   1,497,301     1,496,627     1,467,564     1,353,655     1,266,132
        1,753,837     1,623,295     1,610,281     1,476,002     1,574,095
    Total Deposits $ 12,243,585   $ 12,116,118   $ 12,015,840   $ 11,776,935   $ 12,107,834
                       
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   210,176     262,103     326,732     374,573     276,450
                       
    Total customer funding 1 $ 12,197,225   $ 12,053,216   $ 12,199,855   $ 12,029,161   $ 12,076,321
                       
    1Total deposits and securities sold under agreements to repurchase, excluding brokered deposits. Securities sold under agreements to repurchase consists of customer sweep accounts.

    Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This presentation contains financial information determined by methods other than Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance and believes these presentations provide useful supplemental information, and a clearer understanding of the Company’s performance. The Company believes the non-GAAP measures enhance investors’ understanding of the Company’s business and performance and if not provided would be requested by the investor community. These measures are also useful in understanding performance trends and facilitate comparisons with the performance of other financial institutions. The limitations associated with operating measures are the risk that persons might disagree as to the appropriateness of items comprising these measures and that different companies might define or calculate these measures differently. The Company provides reconciliations between GAAP and these non-GAAP measures. These disclosures should not be considered an alternative to GAAP.

    GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION         (Unaudited)              
    SEACOAST BANKING CORPORATION OF FLORIDA AND SUBSIDIARIES                        
              Quarterly Trends           Nine Months Ended
    (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) 3Q’24   2Q’24   1Q’24   4Q’23   3Q’23   3Q’24 3Q’23
    Net Income $ 30,651     $ 30,244     $ 26,006     $ 29,543     $ 31,414     $ 86,901   $ 74,490  
                             
    Total noninterest income   23,679       22,184       20,497       17,338       17,793       66,360     61,814  
    Securities (gains) losses, net   (187 )     44       (229 )     2,437       387       (372 )   456  
    BOLI benefits on death (included in other income)   —       —       —       —       —       —     (2,117 )
    Total Adjustments to Noninterest Income   (187 )     44       (229 )     2,437       387       (372 )   (1,661 )
    Total Adjusted Noninterest Income   23,492       22,228       20,268       19,775       18,180       65,988     60,153  
                             
    Total noninterest expense   84,818       82,537       90,371       86,367       93,915       257,726     309,255  
    Merger-related charges   —       —       —       —       —       —     (33,180 )
    Branch reductions and other expense initiatives   —       —       (7,094 )     —       (3,305 )     (7,094 )   (5,167 )
    Adjustments to Noninterest Expense   —       —       (7,094 )     —       (3,305 )     (7,094 )   (38,347 )
    Adjusted Noninterest Expense2   84,818       82,537       83,277       86,367       90,610       250,632     270,908  
                             
    Income Taxes   8,602       8,909       7,830       8,257       9,076       25,341     21,962  
    Tax effect of adjustments   (47 )     11       1,739       617       936       1,703     9,298  
    Adjusted Income Taxes   8,555       8,920       9,569       8,874       10,012       27,044     31,260  
    Adjusted Net Income2 $ 30,511     $ 30,277     $ 31,132     $ 31,363     $ 34,170     $ 91,920   $ 101,878  
                             
    Earnings per diluted share, as reported $ 0.36     $ 0.36     $ 0.31     $ 0.35     $ 0.37     $ 1.02   $ 0.89  
    Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share   0.36       0.36       0.37       0.37       0.40       1.08     1.21  
    Average diluted shares outstanding   85,069       84,816       85,270       85,336       85,666       84,915     83,993  
                             
    Adjusted Noninterest Expense $ 84,818     $ 82,537     $ 83,277     $ 86,367     $ 90,610     $ 250,632   $ 270,908  
    Provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments   (250 )     (251 )     (250 )     —       —       (751 )   (1,239 )
    Other real estate owned expense and net gain (loss) on sale   (491 )     109       26       (573 )     (274 )     (356 )   (412 )
    Amortization of intangibles   (6,002 )     (6,003 )     (6,292 )     (6,888 )     (7,457 )     (18,297 )   (21,838 )
    Net Adjusted Noninterest Expense $ 78,075     $ 76,392     $ 76,761     $ 78,906     $ 82,879     $ 231,228   $ 247,419  
    Average tangible assets   14,184,085       14,020,793       13,865,245       13,906,005       14,066,216       14,023,961     13,772,449  
    Net Adjusted Noninterest Expense to Average Tangible Assets   2.19 %     2.19 %     2.23 %     2.25 %     2.34 %     2.20 %   2.40 %
                             
    Net Revenue $ 130,344     $ 126,608     $ 125,575     $ 128,157     $ 137,099     $ 382,527   $ 439,235  
    Total Adjustments to Net Revenue   (187 )     44       (229 )     2,437       387       (372 )   (1,661 )
    Impact of FTE adjustment   310       233       220       216       199       763     588  
    Adjusted Net Revenue on a fully taxable equivalent basis $ 130,467     $ 126,885     $ 125,566     $ 130,810     $ 137,685     $ 382,918   $ 438,162  
    Adjusted Efficiency Ratio   59.84 %     60.21 %     61.13 %     60.32 %     60.19 %     60.39 %   56.47 %
                             
    Net Interest Income $ 106,665     $ 104,424     $ 105,078     $ 110,819     $ 119,306     $ 316,167   $ 377,421  
    Impact of FTE adjustment   310       233       220       216       199       763     588  
    Net Interest Income including FTE adjustment $ 106,975     $ 104,657     $ 105,298     $ 111,035     $ 119,505     $ 316,930   $ 378,009  
    Total noninterest income   23,679       22,184       20,497       17,338       17,793       66,360     61,814  
    Total noninterest expense less provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments   84,568       82,286       90,121       86,367       93,915       256,975     308,016  
    Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Earnings $ 46,086     $ 44,555     $ 35,674     $ 42,006     $ 43,383     $ 126,315   $ 131,807  
    Total Adjustments to Noninterest Income   (187 )     44       (229 )     2,437       387       (372 )   (1,661 )
    Total Adjustments to Noninterest Expense including other real estate owned expense and net (gain) loss on sale   491       (109 )     7,068       573       3,579       7,450     38,759  
    Adjusted Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Earnings2 $ 46,390     $ 44,490     $ 42,513     $ 45,016     $ 47,349     $ 133,393   $ 168,905  
                             
    Average Assets $ 14,996,846     $ 14,839,707     $ 14,690,776     $ 14,738,034     $ 14,906,003     $ 14,843,007   $ 14,583,932  
    Less average goodwill and intangible assets   (812,761 )     (818,914 )     (825,531 )     (832,029 )     (839,787 )     (819,046 )   (811,483 )
    Average Tangible Assets $ 14,184,085     $ 14,020,793     $ 13,865,245     $ 13,906,005     $ 14,066,216     $ 14,023,961   $ 13,772,449  
    Return on Average Assets (ROA)   0.81 %     0.82 %     0.71 %     0.80 %     0.84 %     0.78 %   0.68 %
    Impact of removing average intangible assets and related amortization   0.18       0.18       0.18       0.19       0.20       0.18     0.20  
    Return on Average Tangible Assets (ROTA)   0.99       1.00       0.89       0.99       1.04       0.96     0.88  
    Impact of other adjustments for Adjusted Net Income   (0.01 )     —       0.15       0.05       0.08       0.05     0.27  
    Adjusted Return on Average Tangible Assets   0.98       1.00       1.04       1.04       1.12       1.01     1.15  
                             
    Pre-Tax Pre-Provision return on Average Tangible Assets   1.46       1.45       1.22       1.39       1.43       1.38     1.49  
    Impact of adjustments on Pre-Tax Pre-Provision earnings   0.01       —       0.20       0.09       0.12       0.06     0.36  
    Adjusted Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Return on Tangible Assets2   1.47 %     1.45 %     1.42 %     1.48 %     1.55 %     1.44 %   1.85 %
                             
    Average Shareholders’ Equity $ 2,168,444     $ 2,117,628     $ 2,118,381     $ 2,058,912     $ 2,072,747     $ 2,134,941   $ 2,014,083  
    Less average goodwill and intangible assets   (812,761 )     (818,914 )     (825,531 )     (832,029 )     (839,787 )     (819,046 )   (811,483 )
    Average Tangible Equity $ 1,355,683     $ 1,298,714     $ 1,292,850     $ 1,226,883     $ 1,232,960     $ 1,315,895   $ 1,202,600  
                             
    Return on Average Shareholders’ Equity   5.62 %     5.74 %     4.94 %     5.69 %     6.01 %     5.44 %   4.94 %
    Impact of removing average intangible assets and related amortization   4.69       5.01       4.61       5.53       5.89       4.77     5.15  
    Return on Average Tangible Common Equity (ROTCE)   10.31       10.75       9.55       11.22       11.90       10.21     10.09  
    Impact of other adjustments for Adjusted Net Income   (0.04 )     0.01       1.60       0.58       0.89       0.51     3.05  
    Adjusted Return on Average Tangible Common Equity   10.27 %     10.76 %     11.15 %     11.80 %     12.79 %     10.72 %   13.14 %
                             
    Loan interest income1 $ 151,282     $ 147,518     $ 147,308     $ 148,004     $ 150,048     $ 446,108   $ 433,821  
    Accretion on acquired loans   (9,182 )     (10,178 )     (10,595 )     (11,324 )     (14,843 )     (29,955 )   (45,365 )
    Loan interest income excluding accretion on acquired loans $ 142,100     $ 137,340     $ 136,713     $ 136,680     $ 135,205     $ 416,153   $ 388,456  
                             
    Yield on loans1   5.94       5.93       5.90       5.85       5.93       5.93     5.89  
    Impact of accretion on acquired loans   (0.36 )     (0.41 )     (0.42 )     (0.45 )     (0.59 )     (0.40 )   (0.61 )
    Yield on loans excluding accretion on acquired loans   5.58 %     5.52 %     5.48 %     5.40 %     5.34 %     5.53 %   5.89 %
                             
    Net Interest Income1 $ 106,975     $ 104,657     $ 105,298     $ 111,035     $ 119,505     $ 316,930   $ 378,009  
    Accretion on acquired loans   (9,182 )     (10,178 )     (10,595 )     (11,324 )     (14,843 )     (29,955 )   (45,365 )
    Net interest income excluding accretion on acquired loans $ 97,793     $ 94,479     $ 94,703     $ 99,711     $ 104,662     $ 286,975   $ 332,644  
                             
    Net Interest Margin   3.17       3.18       3.24       3.36       3.57       3.19     3.91  
    Impact of accretion on acquired loans   (0.27 )     (0.30 )     (0.33 )     (0.34 )     (0.44 )     (0.30 )   (0.47 )
    Net interest margin excluding accretion on acquired loans   2.90 %     2.87 %     2.91 %     3.02 %     3.13 %     2.89 %   3.44 %
                             
    Security interest income1 $ 26,005     $ 24,195     $ 22,434     $ 21,451     $ 21,520     $ 72,634   $ 61,913  
    Tax equivalent adjustment on securities   (8 )     (7 )     (7 )     (13 )     (22 )     (22 )   (71 )
    Security interest income excluding tax equivalent adjustment $ 25,997     $ 24,188     $ 22,427     $ 21,438     $ 21,498     $ 72,612   $ 61,842  
                             
    Loan interest income1 $ 151,282     $ 147,518     $ 147,308     $ 148,004     $ 150,048     $ 446,108   $ 433,821  
    Tax equivalent adjustment on loans   (302 )     (226 )     (213 )     (203 )     (177 )     (741 )   (517 )
    Loan interest income excluding tax equivalent adjustment $ 150,980     $ 147,292     $ 147,095     $ 147,801     $ 149,871     $ 445,367   $ 433,304  
                             
    Net Interest Income1 $ 106,975     $ 104,657     $ 105,298     $ 111,035     $ 119,505     $ 316,930   $ 378,009  
    Tax equivalent adjustment on securities   (8 )     (7 )     (7 )     (13 )     (22 )     (22 )   (71 )
    Tax equivalent adjustment on loans   (302 )     (226 )     (213 )     (203 )     (177 )     (741 )   (517 )
    Net interest income excluding tax equivalent adjustment $ 106,665     $ 104,424     $ 105,078     $ 110,819     $ 119,306     $ 316,167   $ 377,421  
                             
    1On a fully taxable equivalent basis. All yields and rates have been computed using amortized cost.    
    2As of 1Q’24, amortization of intangibles is excluded from adjustments to noninterest expense; prior periods have been updated to reflect the change.    

    The MIL Network –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Meets with Drug Enforcement Administration Leaders in NH

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    BEDFORD – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan visited the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New Hampshire office on Tuesday, where officials briefed her on current drug trends across the state and the agency’s strategic partnerships with local communities. 

    During her visit, Senator Hassan toured the facility’s temporary on-site laboratory, which supports the DEA Manchester District Office’s response to local drug threats. She was also briefed on plans for a new regional DEA laboratory in Londonderry that will serve the New England region when it opens in 2026, accelerating the testing of drug evidence and strengthening investigations across the region.

    “The dedicated law enforcement agents at DEA are working tirelessly to keep deadly drugs like fentanyl out of New Hampshire communities,” said Senator Hassan. “I will continue to work to ensure that our law enforcement partners have the resources and tools that they need to protect our neighborhoods and combat drug trafficking across the Granite State and the country.”

    Senator Hassan has led efforts to stop drug trafficking and support communities devastated by the fentanyl crisis. In September, Senator Hassan reintroduced bipartisan legislation to curb the spread of rapidly evolving synthetic drugs by allowing the DEA to restrict and penalize substances that have a substantially similar chemical structure and effect on the body as fentanyl. In April, Senator Hassan and colleagues’ FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the illicit fentanyl supply chain and will impose sanctions on fentanyl traffickers, was signed into law. Senator Hassan also developed and help pass into law the END FENTANYL Act, which helps Customs and Border Protection crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Establishes & Funds Scientific Consortium in Washington State, Expanding NASA Footprint in PNW

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Murray wrote and passed the funding bill that provided the resources for this award and directly authored the provision to establish the BioS-ENDURES Consortium

    Seattle, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced a $2.5 million NASA award to establish a scientific consortium based at the University of Washington in partnership with Washington State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The award was funded through a provision in the Fiscal Year 2024 government spending bill authored by Senator Murray to establish a consortium within the Biological and Physical Sciences—and resulted in the establishment of the Biology in Space: Establishing Networks for DUrable & REsilient Systems (BioS-ENDURES) Consortium. The BioS-ENDURESConsortium will focus on innovation, acceleration, and implementation of space biology specific knowledge and technology centered on human-plant-microbiome relationships to enable a durable human presence in low Earth orbit and beyond.  

    “As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am writing our funding bills to invest in Washington state’s growing innovation economy,” said Senator Murray. “By establishing this scientific consortium here in Washington state, we are laying the groundwork to bring even more private and federal investment to our state’s growing aerospace industry. If we want to maintain our competitive edge, we have to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery—and this federal research partnership will help us do that. Investing in scientific discovery is an investment that pays off—this is a next chapter in a story of inquiry, invention, innovation, exploration, and discovery of new frontiers.”

    “The University of Washington is excited to have this opportunity to contribute to the development of new capabilities that will enable a sustainable human presence in space,” said Mari Ostendorf, Vice Provost of Research, University of Washington. “This consortium enables new partnerships and brings together investigators who have a long history with NASA and space applications with researchers who have deep expertise in human/animal, plant, and microbial biology. This research will push the boundaries of our scientific understanding to reveal new biological mechanisms that will address both sustainability and risk mitigation needs in space. We look forward working with WSU, PNNL, and NASA, as well as with other industry and science partners to accelerate space technology.”

    “This represents an exciting opportunity for the state of Washington to continue building our capacity for critical research to understand and improve human-plant-microbial systems for space habitation,” said Dr. Michael Wolcott, Interim Vice President of Research at Washington State University. “This work will have a direct contribution to humankind’s ability to travel—and live—in space. WSU is thrilled to be part of this collaborative effort with our colleagues at the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and looks forward to continuing this work with NASA.”

    “Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is thrilled to join forces with the University of Washington and Washington State University in the BioS-ENDURES consortium,” said Malin Young, Associate Laboratory Director, Earth and Biological Sciences. “Together, we’re harnessing our cutting-edge life science capabilities to help NASA achieve its mission of establishing a sustainable and lasting human presence in low Earth orbit, on the Moon, on Mars, and beyond.”

    A more thorough understanding is needed of mechanisms underlying responses to space-relevant stressors (ionizing radiation, microgravity, circadian disruption, abiotics, and biotics) to both humans and plant food sources and what role microbiomes may play in shaping those responses.  Human/animal, plant, and microbial biologists will work together to ensure an integrated view of the space flight biosphere by enhancing data acquisition, modeling, and testing.

    Human/animal, plant, and microbial biologists will work together to ensure an integrated view of the space flight biosphere by enhancing data acquisition, modeling, and testing. BioS-ENDURES has three thrust areas focusing on the effects of spaceflight stressors: 

    • Develop monitoring capabilities to measure underlying molecular status (biomarkers) of humans, animal models, plants and their associated microbial communities.
    • Build models to predict human-plant-microbe robustness and interactions among organisms in space.
    • Validate and apply understanding of human and plant health, including promoting beneficial human-plant-microbe interactions, to enhance health in space.

    The BioS-ENDURES Consortium is built upon a collaboration between the University of Washington, Washington State University, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and science and industry advisory boards. Consortium members will partner closely with NASA to align work with current and projected needs. Funding from NASA will support proof-of-principle demonstration projects each year to advance the science of the three thrusts, annual symposia tracks (some full consortium, some with tighter focus), and costs of physical testing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Cotton, Colleagues to DOJ and FTC: Systemic, Weaponized Leaks Violate Ethics Rules

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) demanded an investigation into systemic media leaks in a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz and Federal Trade Commissioner (FTC) Inspector General Andrew Katsaros. These leaks, all to the same media outlet, resulted in negative headlines about the Biden-Harris administration’s antitrust targets and potentially violated ethics rules.
    “These leaks result in negative headlines about the administration’s targets while the targeted companies have no way to respond, as they haven’t yet seen the potential lawsuits. Both DOJ and FTC have ethics rules that prohibit leaking civil cases before the cases are filed,” wrote the senators. 
    Read the full letter here or below: 
    Dear Inspectors General Horowitz and Katsaros,
    We write asking you to investigate whether the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have violated their own ethics rules by systematically leaking potential antitrust cases to a specific media outlet.
    Since 2023, Bloomberg News has broken the news in at least twelve instances that DOJ or FTC was “preparing” or “poised” to take legal action before a lawsuit was filed. Indeed, the same journalist reported on eleven of these cases. This pattern strongly suggests that certain officials at DOJ and FTC are intentionally publicizing legal action days or weeks before filing.
    These leaks result in negative headlines about the administration’s targets while the targeted companies have no way to respond, as they haven’t yet seen the potential lawsuits. Both DOJ and FTC have ethics rules that prohibit leaking civil cases before the cases are filed.
    Bloomberg News reporting DOJ and FTC antitrust actions before the filing of a lawsuit

    January 23, 2023: DOJ Poised to Sue Google Over Digital Ad Market Dominance
    February 23, 2023: DOJ Preps Antitrust Suit to Block Adobe’s $20 Billion Figma Deal
    May 15, 2023: Amgen’s $28 Billion Horizon Deal Faces Unexpected FTC Hurdle
    June 29, 2023: Lina Khan Is Coming for Amazon, Armed With an FTC Antitrust Suit
    October 16, 2023: Real Estate Brokers Pocketing Up to 6% in Fees Draw Antitrust Scrutiny
    February 20, 2024: FTC, States to Sue Over Kroger-Albertsons Deal Next Week
    March 20, 2024: Justice Department to Sue Apple for Antitrust Violations
    April 10, 2024: Nippon Steel Bid to Buy US Steel Gets Extended Antitrust Review
    April 17, 2024: Tapestry’s $8.5 Billion Capri Deal Faces Planned FTC Lawsuit
    May 22, 2024: US Justice Department to Seek Breakup of Live Nation-Ticketmaster
    July 10, 2024: FTC Preparing Suit Against Drug Middlemen Over Insulin Rebates
    September 23, 2024: Visa Faces Justice Department Antitrust Case on Debit Cards

    These leaks aren’t just unethical, but they harm these companies’ employees, shareholders, and others. If the companies have engaged in wrongdoing, by all means the government should try them in a court of law. But the Biden-Harris administration shouldn’t try them in the liberal media. These leaks appear to be simply one more instance of this administration weaponizing the administrative state against politically disfavored opponents and critics, much like DOJ investigating parents at school-board meetings or the FTC targeting Elon Musk and Twitter for insufficient censorship of conservatives.
    We urge you to investigate promptly these systematic, unethical, and potentially illegal leaks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Investing in Flood Prevention Infrastructure Works. Here’s What We Are Doing.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) penned an op-ed in The Advocate highlighting a new report showing flood mitigation investments reduce storm damage and the billions of dollars he’s secured for Louisiana from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to do so. 
    “The best way to recover from a storm is never to flood at all. A recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report confirmed this, finding that for every dollar spent on federal flood mitigation projects, communities see a return of $2 to $3 in reduced damages. This reality resonates deeply for many families in Louisiana and across the country,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. 
    “In my time in Congress, I have been a vocal advocate for federal investment in flood mitigation, working to secure billions of dollars for projects that protect communities and reduce the economic burden of disasters. The funding secured through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a game-changer,” continued Dr. Cassidy.
    This op-ed comes on the heels of a critical report Cassidy released this morning detailing the current state of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the issues that led to skyrocketing premiums for millions of homeowners.
    “As the new CBO report shows, investment in flood mitigation pays off — again and again. The IIJA provided billions of dollars to reduce the risk of flooding, and much of this money is heading to Louisiana. It’s a good start, but NFIP reform must come next,” concluded Dr. Cassidy. 
    Read the full op-ed here or below. 
    Investing in Flood Prevention Infrastructure Works. Here’s What We Are Doing.
    By: Senator Bill Cassidy
    October 24, 2024
    As hurricanes Milton, Helene, and Francine floods homes and communities across the East Coast, Americans are focused on two questions: How do we help those affected to recover and how do we prevent this from happening again?
    The best way to recover from a storm is never to flood at all. A recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report confirmed this, finding that for every dollar spent on federal flood mitigation projects, communities see a return of $2 to $3 in reduced damages. This reality resonates deeply for many families in Louisiana and across the country.
    In my time in Congress, I have been a vocal advocate for federal investment in flood mitigation, working to secure billions of dollars for projects that protect communities and reduce the economic burden of disasters. The funding secured through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is a game-changer. The findings of this CBO report show us this is the right strategy.
    The IIJA allocated over $5.5 billion for disaster mitigation, coastal restoration, and flood risk reduction efforts. In Louisiana alone, it has already delivered hundreds of millions in coastal resiliency grants alone.
    Last month, I announced Louisiana will receive a fresh $206 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance program. This funding will go toward projects across Louisiana, from Gretna’s green infrastructure network — set to receive $51.8 million — to elevation projects in St. John the Baptist Parish and Livingston Parish totaling $27.1 and $11.8 million, respectively.
    In 2023, Louisiana secured over $207 million from FEMA in Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities grants. These funds have gone toward a variety of projects, from $19 million for hardening and hurricane-proofing Jefferson Parish’s power grid to $4.5 million for residential mitigation programs in Lafayette Parish. The result: stronger resilience for Louisianans as we confront future storms.
    Three years in, we have made historic investments in flood infrastructure, providing resources to communities across Louisiana and the country to build stronger, more resilient systems. These efforts not only safeguard communities to prevent catastrophic flooding, they reduce the need for costly recovery efforts and alleviate the pressure on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which has struggled to stay solvent.
    I have repeatedly highlighted the urgent need to reauthorize — and more importantly, reform — the NFIP in a series of speeches on the Senate floor. Skyrocketing flood insurance premiums due to Risk Rating 2.0 are leaving families in Louisiana and other flood-prone areas behind. Flood insurance costs impose an unsustainable financial strain placed on both homeowners and the program itself.
    At my request, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on NFIP reform in January, featuring testimony from locals speaking to the program’s challenges. The principles can be stated simply: Make the program affordable to the homeowner, accountable to the taxpayer and sustainable for the future.
    This isn’t just a Louisiana issue, as the devastation of Hurricane Helene has demonstrated. Flooding is a national problem. Forty-four states have had over $50 million in total NFIP claims since 1978. Thirteen states have had more than $1 billion in NFIP claims during that same timeframe. So, I’m confident we can build the big coalition needed to enact this vital legislation.
    As the new CBO report shows, investment in flood mitigation pays off — again and again. The IIJA provided billions of dollars to reduce the risk of flooding, and much of this money is heading to Louisiana. It’s a good start, but NFIP reform must come next.
    Background
    In January, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on NFIP at the request of Cassidy. The hearing highlighted the urgent need for Congress to act and featured a Louisiana witness. Cassidy also participated in a roundtable hosted by GNO, Inc. and the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance before introducing the bill to hear from community leaders and advocates on the issue.
    Cassidy traveled St. Bernard Parish last year to talk with residents about their flood insurance premiums, resulting in the second episode of his series Bill on the Hill.
    Over the last several months, Cassidy has delivered a series of speeches on the Senate floor calling for action on NFIP. Most recently, he demanded that Congress reauthorize and reform the program just before its authorization expired at the end of the fiscal year on September 30th.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland speech at the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech by Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

    Location:
    Dublin, Republic of Ireland
    Delivered on:
    24 October 2024 (Speaker’s notes, may differ from delivered version)

    Good afternoon. It’s a great pleasure to be with you all today.

    Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

    I would like to extend my thanks to John McGrane and Paul Lynam for your very kind invitation and sharing my congratulations to Marie Doyle on her recent appointment as President of this wonderful organisation.

    Now, many people in Britain might assume that the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce has a long and distinguished history. It is certainly distinguished but it’s not very long, having been founded only in 2011. But it feels to me and I’m sure to you much older, such is the strength of the ties that bind our two countries together.

    Two countries that share so much… in terms of history, culture, ideas, politics and friendships.

    And it is a story that runs like a thread through these islands and through the lives of so many of our families, including my own: on my side, it was an Ulster Scot from Fermanagh who took that journey that millions made across the Atlantic to Ohio from where my mother came and, on my wife’s side, Irish Catholics from  Mayo and Kilkenny and Cork, her grandfather was born in Monkstown.

    And talking of families, you may be aware that I come from a family best known for politics. What you may be less aware of is that two of my great grandfathers were Victorian entrepreneurs.

    One – Peter Eadie – designed and made ring travellers for the textile industry working out of the upstairs of a terraced house in Galashiels, in Scotland.

    The other – John Benn – was very good at drawing and decided to found a furniture trade magazine which, with great prescience – given the posts that his son, grandson and great grandson – that’s me – all went on to hold, he decided to call it “ The Cabinet Maker.“ You couldn’t make it up.

    Both of those grandfathers entered politics as elected councillors as they put their business minds, industriousness and civic virtues at the service of the public.

    So, if I may say so, it is in that spirit of innovation and constructive endeavour that I address you today.

    Now the history of these islands has not always been benign. Over the centuries there have been terrible wrongs, great violence, revolution, bitterness but in recent years – reconciliation and progress in ways that would have seemed impossible in the past.

    It was a great pleasure last night to see the play Agreement at the Gate Theatre, which so powerfully depicts the events leading up to that miraculous Good Friday in 1998. That agreement eventually resulted in something – I must be frank – I never thought I would see in my lifetime. I grew up watching reporting of the Troubles on the television, reading about it in the papers, and to witness a unionist and a nationalist sitting side by side in government together – that truly was the impossible made possible. And today Northern Ireland is a very different place. 

    Why? 

    Because of the courageous political leadership shown in the play last night and many others showed.

    We must never lose sight of how far we have come across these shared islands since then. I want to say very clearly and directly: The Government’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement – in letter and in spirit – is absolute. And that our support for the European Convention on Human Rights, which underpins the Agreement, and to the rule of law is unwavering.

    My priority as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – above all else – is to support political stability and economic growth. 

    And critical to that stability and critical to that growth in Northern Ireland is a healthy and constructive relationship between the Irish and UK governments.

    And from day one, this new Government has been absolutely determined to seize the opportunity to restore trust, friendship and collaboration between our two countries. And as Paul just set out, the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have made their joint commitment to this reset,  which will be underpinned by annual summits, in addition to the existing Strand 3 institutions.

    You’ve heard about the visits the British ministers have made and colleagues from here over to Westminster, and all of those are practical expressions of that commitment to a new and better relationship. 

    And talking of new relationships, the restoration of the Executive and Assembly in February was a hugely important moment for Northern Ireland – after too many years in which devolved government was not functioning. And it is vital that we now do all we can to ensure that this stability endures.

    Stable and devolved government and political representation at Stormont matters above all for the people of Northern Ireland  – they need a government and an Assembly that work for them.

    But it also matters enormously for businesses right across Ireland, the United Kingdom and beyond. What do businesses and potential investors say they want? Stability. Political stability. 

    I am really impressed by the partnership that Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly have forged and the Executive now has a Programme for Government and a Fiscal Sustainability Plan.

    And Northern Ireland has a great opportunity to make the most of its unique access to both the British and the European markets to help the economy to grow and to create jobs.

    And that is what you do as the British Irish Chamber in promoting trade, prosperity and progress across these islands.

    Now we are still having to manage the consequences of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, in a way that does not unnecessarily inhibit trade and commerce across the Irish Sea. That is why this Government is absolutely committed to fully implementing the Windsor Framework, pragmatically and in good faith.

    It is not without its challenges – I think that is probably the understatement of the year – but it is necessary. And there is a much bigger prize in sight.

    The Government is committed to improving the UK’s trading relationship with the EU, including through the negotiation of a sanitary and phyto-sanitary agreement which would have the potential to dramatically smooth the movement of food, animals and plants across the Irish Sea.

    One of the joys of my job is that everywhere I go in Northern Ireland I see talent, ingenuity and enterprise.

    I see world class businesses operating in the life sciences, high-tech engineering, making composite aircraft wings and building the buses of the future – electric and hydrogen – services and film and television, education.

    I am really struck that all these firms have seen something in Northern Ireland and its people.

    And my message to investors is simply this.

    Come, look, see, believe, invest in Northern Ireland.

    Just look at the opportunities for the UK and Irish Governments to work collaboratively on areas and projects to help improve growth in Northern Ireland, in the Republic of Ireland including in its border regions.

    Areas which are summed up by the four pillars which will form the basis of the annual leaders’ summits.

    We need this collaboration not only because it is in our mutual economic interest, but because in these very uncertain times, we face shared challenges which our shared values and our shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law, will help us to face up to.

    What do we need to do?

    We need to ensure stability in an unstable world.

    We need to build economic growth.

    We need to make sure we have the infrastructure to enable that growth and attract that investment.

    We have got to invest in skills. 

    We’ve got to make the transition to net zero – what a fantastic opportunity for businesses if you just think about changing the way we heat our homes. There are a lot of heat pumps that will have to be built and installed, and we together on these islands should be making them.

    Building new energy infrastructure which will be required to power those heat pumps and the electric buses, cooperating on energy resilience – not least given the huge potential across these islands for more wind power – and the investment in Northern Ireland from GB Energy, the UK’s new publicly owned, clean energy company, which in turn will support the Shared Electricity Market.

    At the same time, we only have to look around us to see the risks from conflict, climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is not a like-to-have, it is the very stuff on which human existence is based.  

    If you pause for a moment and look around you, every single thing we see is a gift from what is on the surface of the earth and beneath it. The genius of the human mind is that we have taken those gifts and look at what we have built. Look at what we have created, look at what we have fashioned.  

    And given the increasingly uncertain geopolitics of the world, it also makes sense for the UK and Ireland to collaborate on confronting the threats we face, whether in relation to cyber security, terrorism, organised crime or the threat from Russia and other states.

    And in doing all of this, the sense I get from the vast majority of people is they would like us to move forward and to try and build a better future that we can jointly embrace.

    So let us be bold, let us get on with it and let us take inspiration from those who 26 years ago truly made the impossible possible. 

    Finally, why do the relationships that I have spoken about matter so much?

    They are clearly important economically, but they are also about something else – it’s about building alliances so we can deal with the risks and take advantage of the opportunities.

    All of these are powerful reasons why we should work together closely.

    Ireland and the United Kingdom.

    Two proud nations with everything to gain from a close partnership, for as the great W B Yeats reminded us:

    “There are no strangers here. Only friends you haven’t yet met.”

     Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle | Philadelphia,  PA

    Source: The White House

    Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    1:27 P.M. EDT

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Oh, hi, guys. 

         Q    Hello.

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Good morning — or af- —

         Q    Good afternoon.

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — afternoon.  Good afternoon.  Good afternoon.

    Well, let me start by saying I’m really very proud to announce that we’ve had some endorsements this morning, as we’ve been rolling out endorsements, by two leaders in the Republican Party: the mayor of Waukesha and then, of course, former Representative Fred Upton.

    And this continues to be, I think, evidence of the fact that people who have been leaders in our country, regardless of their political party, understand what’s at stake.  And they are weighing in — courageously, in many cases — in support of what we need to have, which is a president of the United States who understands the obligation to uphold the Constitution of the United States and our democracy.

    As for last night, yet again, Trump not showing up, refused to be a part of a CNN debate.  And clearly, his staff has been saying he’s exhausted.  And the sad part about that is he’s trying to be president of the United States, probably the toughest job in the world, and he’s exhausted.

    I said last night what I mean, which is the American people are being presented with a very serious decision, and it includes what we must understand will happen, starting on January 20th, in this choice. 

    Either you have the choice of a Donald Trump, who will sit in the Oval Office stewing, plotting revenge, retribution, writing out his enemies list, or what I will be doing, which is responding to folks like the folks last night with a to-do list, understanding the need to work on lifting up the American people, whether it be through the issue of grocery prices and bringing them down or investing in our economy, investing in our small businesses, investing in our families.

    Happy to take any questions.

         Q    Madam Vice President, you will be back in Philadelphia with members of your team on Monday, former President Barack Obama, as well as Bruce Springsteen.

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yes.

         Q    Do you — can you tell us where you — that may be? 

    And secondly, any other, as we would say, heavy hitters in your campaign planning to come to Philadelphia in the lead-up to Election Day?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m very honored to have the support of former President Obama.  As you know, he’s been on the campaign trail and has been really wonderful and extraordinary in terms of the time and effort that he’s putting into our campaign.  And people like Bruce Springsteen, to have their support — and, of course, he is an American icon — I think it just shows the breadth and depth of the support that we have and also the enthusiasm that a lot of people are bringing to the campaign and feel about our campaign.

    Q    Any other big names we can share?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I have nothing to report at this moment.  (Laughs.)

    Q    (Inaudible.)

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Stay tuned, however.

    Q    Vice President, what do you make of the gender gap in this election?  Why do you think you have stronger support among women than the former president?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I have to be honest with you, it’s not what I see in terms of my rallies, in terms of the interactions I’m having with people in communities and — and on the ground.  What I am seeing is e- — in equal measure, men and women talking about their concerns about the future of our democracy; talking about the fact that they want a president who leads with optimism and takes on the challenges that we face, whether it be grocery prices or investing in small businesses or homeownership. 

    So, I’m not actually seeing that kind of disparity, and I intend to be a president for all Americans.  And that includes paying attention, yes, to a fundamental freedom that has been taken away because of Donald Trump — the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body — and, in equal measure, to prioritize the economic needs of individuals and families in America and what we also must do in terms of upholding our strength and standing on the global stage.

    Q    Madam Vice President —

    Q    Madam Vice President —

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:   You all sort that out, okay?  (Laughter.)

    Q    How are you going to vote on Prop 36 in California? You are a California voter.  Do California and other states need to punish drug and theft crimes more harshly?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, I have not yet voted, and I have not yet had the chance to read through the ballot.  I will keep you posted on that.

    AIDE:  We have time for one more question.

    Q    Madam Vice President, this topic was brought up last night, but will construction of a southern border wall continue in your administration?

    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I will tell you that my highest priority is to put the resources into ensuring that our border is secure, which is why I’ve been very clear: I’m going to bring back up, as president, that bipartisan border security bill and make sure that it is brought to my desk so I can sign it into law. 

    The biggest issue that we have right now is that Donald Trump has stood in the way of what would have been a proven part of the solution to the bigger problem, which is that we have a broken immigration system in America, and we need to fix it.  And we have the tools at hand, but we have on the other side of this election, Donald Trump, who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. 

    I intend to fix the problem in a way that is just about practical solutions that are within our arms reach if we have the commitment to do it. 

    Okay?  Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Continues to Combat Retail Theft Over Holiday Season

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 24, 2024

    Manitoba Government Continues to Combat Retail Theft Over Holiday Season


    The Manitoba government is continuing to support the efforts of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) in combating retail theft throughout the holiday season, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.

    “We’re grateful to the Winnipeg Police Service and their members who have made such a positive impact throughout the summer and fall for businesses and community members,” said Wiebe. “Over the summer, people in the Exchange District, Osborne Village, the West End and other parts of the city have said they feel safer. We look forward to maintaining that momentum throughout the holiday season.”

    In addition to building on the success of the retail theft and violent crime overtime initiative, 12 new provincially funded Winnipeg police officers begin patrols next month to provide a visible presence and engage with the community in specified areas. The minister noted the use of overtime for focused enforcement and crime prevention will continue.

    “Over the last number of months, WPS members have renewed their connection with the community through engagements and interactions that help foster trust and confidence,” said acting chief Arthur Stannard, Winnipeg Police Service. “The Winnipeg Police Service appreciates the support of the Manitoba government and the funding that has helped make this possible. I would also extend further thanks to the citizens, business owners, and our police officers for their efforts and commitments to enhance the safety of our communities.”

    The enhanced police response to retail crime and violence is another important component of efforts to ensure safety in core areas of Winnipeg, the minister noted. Related initiatives include nearly $1.5 million from the Manitoba government, mayor’s office and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ for the Downtown Community Safety Partnership and development of a voluntary safe sobering centre at N’Dinawemak – Our Relatives’ Place at 190 Disraeli Fwy.

    “The impact of the retail theft initiative has been phenomenal, as provincial funding has allowed Winnipeg Police Service to more effectively respond to the safety and security issues retail stores have been facing for too long,” said John Graham, director of government relations (prairie region), Retail Council of Canada. “We are grateful that this support will continue and help support retailers as they head into the very busy and important holiday shopping season.”

    Over the summer and fall, the Manitoba government has provided $1.9 million to support an increased police presence in areas identified by the WPS.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Awards – New Zealand Muslim Women hit the world stage as finalists in global awards

    Source: Islamic Women’s Council New Zealand (ICWNZ) 

    25 October 2024 – A small New Zealand charity dedicated to uplifting the lives of Muslim women across the nation has been named as a finalist in an international Shorty Awards alongside major global brands and their marketing teams.   The Shorty Impact Awards honour the best and most impactful digital and social media campaigns, projects, and initiatives that address pressing global issues.

    In June this year, the Islamic Women’s Council New Zealand (ICWNZ) launched the CHILL campaign to empower New Zealand Muslim women, challenge hate and gendered stereotypes, and pass the mic to local women to tell their own stories.

    CHILL stands for Challenge Islamophobic Language and Loathing, and the campaign featured eight Muslim women’s personal stories told through their voices as they go about their lives – working, teaching, creating and sharing moments of joy in their communities. All videos end with the participant saying, “Just CHILL, New Zealand, we’ve got this!”– indicating the country, as a whole, can get in front of the challenges facing Muslim women.

    The campaign has been selected as a finalist in the Shorty Impact Awards, an international competition celebrating social impact campaigns. Other finalists include major brands like Amazon, Doritos, L’Oreal and Searchlight Pictures, international marketing agencies  and large international NGOs.

    “The entire campaign was conceived in-house,” says IWCNZ National Coordinator Aliya Danzeisen adding, “We wanted to create awareness about our community and to encourage New Zealanders to challenge Islamophobic language and stereotypes about Muslim women by empowering women themselves to share their joys, triumphs and challenges in their own words. The response was far more positive than we could have ever expected.”

    The campaign was produced by local production company Eyes and Ears and had a shoestring advertising budget exclusively targeting a New Zealand audience. CHILL content reached over 300,000 New Zealanders, with videos going viral locally for a small country, as well as reaching global audiences.

    All awards finalists are eligible for an Audience Honor award, so IWCNZ is asking their community and all New Zealanders to get behind the CHILL campaign and vote for it as their people’s choice in both categories. Voting is open to anyone internationally. 

    “Watching the CHILL campaign grow from an idea into something that has touched people’s hearts has been amazing. It started as a dream, and now it’s creating real change, both in our community and internationally. Seeing this impact has been a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together. For me, we’re winners already.” says ICWNZ Project Manager Shabina Shamsudeen.

    Further information and campaign background:

    In recent years, social media has been an increasingly hostile space for Muslims. This is no different in New Zealand, where in 2019, a terror attack killed 51 Muslims in their places of worship, forcing New Zealanders to grapple with the impacts of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant hate. 

    Muslim women in New Zealand face a challenging combination of Islamaphobia and gendered abuse, including increasing online hatred, physical assault and harassment, particularly for women who wear hijab.

    Through CHILL, the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) sought to challenge that by leveraging the positive power of social media to connect and amplify their stories. 

    CHILL also sought to empower non-Muslim New Zealanders with material to challenge stereotypes when they encounter gendered Islamophobia in their wider communities. The team decided that through showcasing the diverse lives of Muslim women throughout New Zealand, CHILL would focus on the joy, strength, community belonging and leadership of New Zealand Muslim women, inspiring more people to counter hate. 

    Alongside a small local production company Eyes and Ears, director Calvin Sang, and photographer Ankita Singh, the creative team behind CHILL also reflects and celebrates New Zealand’s diversity. 

    The campaign was not without its challenges, including securing funding. After a highly competitive grant process, IWCNZ was awarded a small amount of funding from the New Zealand Government to make CHILL a reality. However, the campaign budget remained tight, and the IWCNZ team relied on their creativity, connections, and skills to ensure this campaign’s impact and production value punched above its weight.

    The team also worked to ensure a high duty of care to their participants. As Aliya outlines:

    “Our campaign delivery involved dedicated monitoring of social media, with clear processes in place to support our participants if they encountered any abuse through their involvement with the campaign,”

    CHILL launched in June 2024 with a community celebration featuring participants and their families. Over the next ten weeks, content rolled out across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter. 

    The campaign highlights the unique journeys, challenges and successes of Muslim women in New Zealand through eight personal stories:

    • Anjuman – an assistant principal who works at a special needs school.
    • Heba – a yoga and wellness instructor who provides free classes to her community.
    • Samadiana – a gymnast, coach and a nursing student.
    • Naeema – an artist who runs creative workshops and works in cancer prevention.
    • Hend – A public servant with a PhD in Politics and International Relations, working to make organisations more inclusive. 
    • Nesra – a primary school teacher and former refugee who is now a teacher at the school she once attended, and proudly encourages all to embrace their multiple identities.
    • Rizwangul – a former asylum seeker, a Fulbright scholar with two Master’s Degrees. and now a community worker who helps refugees and migrants settle and thrive in New Zealand.
    • Ugeshni – an operations engineer, outdoor enthusiast and YouTuber working on living more holistically.

    Given that CHILL confronts and provides a counterbalance to online hostility, the IWCNZ team was prepared to encounter some bad-faith engagements. Instead, they were thrilled to receive an outpouring of enthusiastic support from New Zealand and around the world. 

    The campaign had a shoestring advertising budget, exclusively targeting a New Zealand audience. CHILL content reached over 300,000 New Zealanders, with videos going viral locally for a small country, as well as reaching global audiences.

    Some examples of the reach of the campaign include: on Instagram, the campaign teaser was viewed over 57,000 times. Nesra’s story was especially popular, reaching 55,000 views. On Facebook, Hend’s story gained nearly 14,000 impressions.

    Within New Zealand, the campaign has been highlighted by a range of group, the Human Rights Commission, Race Relations Day, nationwide media like Radio New Zealand, government ministries like the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and high-profile organisations like Sport New Zealand.

    Globally, CHILL has also been picked up and share.  

    Most importantly, the campaign has been energising and powerful for the participants themselves.

    “By taking part in this campaign, I’ve felt a profound sense of purpose—helping inspire others while building awareness of the strength, diversity, and beauty within our community.” – Naeema

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consumer News – Consumer NZ questions Foodstuffs’ removal of online price-sorting tool

    Source: Consumer NZ

    If you shop online for groceries, beware: New World and Pak’nSave have quietly removed the ability to sort items by price, sparking concerns among consumers.

    Consumer NZ has found that the ability to rank products by price – an essential tool for online shoppers – has vanished from the websites of two major supermarkets owned by Foodstuffs.

    “Shoppers are accustomed to having the option to filter by price on most retail websites, so this change is surprising and disappointing,” said Chris Schulz, investigative journalist at Consumer NZ.

    Numerous retailers –  including Woolworths and The Warehouse, amongst others – still offer this crucial feature. Yet, New World and Pak’nSave have removed it entirely from their websites, opting instead to default to sorting products by their popularity.

    A Consumer member alerted the watchdog to the removal of the price-sorting tool, expressing their frustration at the development. “In a time when grocery prices are rising, making it harder to find the cheapest options is simply unacceptable,” the member stated.

    Consumer verified the claim and confirmed that while the option to sort by price is no longer available on the websites, it remains accessible through the supermarkets’ shopping apps.

    Impact on consumer purses and choices

    To understand the implications of the move, Consumer conducted a survey of common grocery items on both supermarkets’ online shopping sites.

    The results showed that Pams products, the home brand for both supermarkets, dominated search results.

    This raised questions about how the removal of the price sorting feature would affect consumer choice and transparency.

    “Such a move may limit options for shoppers and ultimately bolster supermarket profit margins at the expense of local suppliers,” Schulz noted.

    Foodstuffs’ response

    Consumer reached out to Foodstuffs for clarification on why the sort-by-price tool had been removed.

    A spokesperson stated, “We’re upgrading our digital platform to improve our e-commerce offerings, including more transparent unit pricing. A new sorting feature will be added soon to allow price and unit price comparisons.”

    However, the spokesperson did not specify when the price-ranking tool would return, leaving consumers in the dark.

    In contrast, Woolworths, a key competitor, confirmed that it has no plans to remove its price-sorting feature, emphasising its importance in providing customers with the best value.

    Consumer’s stance

    Schulz described the removal of the sorting option as “bizarre”, especially amid ongoing concerns over food prices due to the ongoing the cost-of-living crisis. “This change could hinder consumers from making informed decisions about their purchases.”

    He also reiterated previous concerns about supermarkets prioritising their own brands in search results, emphasising the need for greater transparency and choice in the grocery market.

    Consumer urges shoppers to remain vigilant and advocate for better online shopping tools that empower them to make informed purchasing decisions.

    For further updates on this issue, and to add your voice to the conversation, please visit Consumer’s website: https://consumernz.cmail19.com/t/i-l-fjjhuky-iyhupdhli-j/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appointments – Tapuwae Roa appoints new chair

    Source: Tapuwae Roa

    Tapuwae Roa is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Ngawati as Chair of its Board of Directors, succeeding Kate Cherrington, who has held the role since 2019.
    Previously serving the trust as an Alternate Director in 2019 and full Director since 2021, Ngawati has worked across the education and health sectors over the last two decades and brings a track record of social entrepreneurship as the Founder of kaupapa Māori Charitable Trust IndigiShare and previous Edtech platform, AkoMaiWay.
    “I grew up around the conversations of the people that started and supported Te Pūtea Whakatupu, and as an urban-grown Māori who is connected to my whakapapa, I am privileged to be a part of a trust that values the sustenance of this identity. Haramai te ataahua o te kaupapa nei,” says Ngawati.
    Retiring as Chair, Kate Cherrington (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, Te Kapotai) was appointed to the board of Tapuwae Roa (then Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust) in 2018 under the leadership of Norm Dewes and has overseen the transformation of the Trust, embracing its impact-led focus.
    Cherrington was part of the leadership team of Trustees along with Tapuwae Roa’s Kaihautū, Te Pūoho Kātene, to develop and implement the Trust’s intergenerational Theory of Change and overall strategy, which continues to act as its foundational framework in driving social impact into Māori communities. 
    “The evolution of Tapuwae Roa requires a leadership style that reflects the innovation, tenacity and mātauranga Māori expertise that Maria brings, and I am so happy to be alongside this wahine toa as she navigates Tapuwae Roa through its next phase of mahi and investment into the communities that we serve,” says Cherrington.
    Cherrington will remain on the Board as Director alongside Awerangi Tamihere (Director), Tatiana Greening (Alternate Director), Bernie O’Donnell (Alternate Director), and Naomi Manu (Alternate Director).

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Changes to improve building fire safety

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is progressing changes to better protect Kiwis and their property from fires, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.

    “Following the tragic Loafer’s Lodge fire in 2023, 37 boardings houses across the country were assessed and I am pleased to say that all fire safety recommendations from the review have now been completed. This is an important milestone which will reduce the chances of a tragedy like that happening again.

    “The Government is now prioritising a full review of the fire safety provisions in the Building Code to improve the fire safety of all buildings. This is the first full review in more than a decade.

    “We have now released a discussion document which outlines issues that need addressing to ensure the fire safety provisions in the Building Code keep pace with changes in urban design and modern methods of construction.

    “The way we build has changed significantly in the last decade. Newly evolving products and technologies are adding complexities to buildings, which have implications for fire safety and firefighting.

    “One of the challenges for the review is to ensure requirements are cost-effective, meet social expectations for safety standards and are well supported by industry.

    “In addition to the review, there is a Bill currently before select committee which contains a number of provisions that will improve building fire safety.

    “The Building (Earthquake-prone Building Deadlines and Other Matters) Amendment Bill includes:

    • a new offence and penalty for independently qualified persons who negligently certify that the building owner or their agent has met all of the inspection, maintenance and reporting requirements in the compliance schedule
    • a clarification that an independent qualified person should only certify a specified system if it meets the requirements in the building’s compliance schedule
    • amended regulations to increase the fines for building owners who fail to supply or display a Building Warrant of Fitness.

    “With several initiatives underway, we are moving quickly to ensure Kiwis and their property are better protected from fires. We are committed to improving our built environment so that Kiwis can live, work and play in safe, high-quality buildings.”

    Notes to editor:

    The Building Code fire safety review discussion document is now open for public comment: www.mbie.govt.nz/fire-safety-review.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wellington – Poll shows 3 in 4 Wellington residents oppose council spending on cycleways

    Source: Business Central

    As Wellington City Council reviews its Long-Term Plan, a new Wellington Chamber of Commerce-Curia poll shows a significant majority of Wellington City residents believe the council is spending too much on cycleways.
    The poll shows three quarters of residents believe Wellington City Council is spending “too much” on its cycleway program.
    Voters of the five largest political parties believe the council is overspending on cycleways, including 51% of Green Party voters.
    Overall, 76% of Wellington residents believe the council is spending too much on the bicycle network.
    17% believe the spending is “about right”; 3% say it’s “too little”; 4% say they’re “unsure”.
    The poll of 1099 Wellington city residents was conducted between September 15 and September 25, with a representative sample of the population in terms of gender, age and ward.
    Respondents were asked the following question:
    Wellington City Council has spent $52 million dollars on cycleways in the past three years, an average of $642 per household. It is planning to spend another $56 million on cycleways over the next three years. Do you believe this level of spending is – too much, too little or about right?
    Wellington City Council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) includes $115m of capital expenditure on the cycle network in the next 10 years, as set out on Page 100 of the 2024-34 Long-term Plan Volume 2.
    It comes as Wellington City Council revisits the spending in its LTP. The city’s 10-year budget will now have to be amended after the council reversed its decision to sell its shares in Wellington Airport.
    Wellington Chamber of Commerce CEO Simon Arcus says it’s time to review all of council’s spending, including the bike network plan.
    “This is the first definitive survey of Wellington residents on cycleways. It is fairer and far more compelling than the conclusions from public consultation for the Long-Term Plan and the cycle network surveys, which never consulted the public on cost,” says Mr Arcus.
    “Put simply, the council needs to stop talking how much it will be spending and start thinking about how much it has to spend, with revenue as the starting point. Council must be working on a plan to reduce rates for Wellington resident and businesses,” he said.
    “There can be no non-negotiables in the process of re-drafting the LTP. All options need to be on the table, and that includes the transport network.
    “Let us be clear that we do support cycleways, as part of an integrated transport network – one where investment is equitable and based on the needs of every resident. Right now that isn’t the case,” said Mr Arcus.
    “This poll shows three quarters of Wellington residents believe the council is over-spending on the cycle network.
    “The collapse of the LTP process is a profound signal the current ideas have failed and new principles for expenditure need to be considered.
    “Let’s think more strategically about alternatives to the cycle spend and look closely at the success of Te Kāinga Te Pu, part of Wellington City Council’s Te Kāinga Affordable Rental Programme. This has been an excellent initiative, converting vacant office space to affordable residential living. People can live in the heart of the city with improved quality of life and sustainable outcomes without the need to build extensive cycleways.
    “There is a lot more work to do to make sure the LTP sets Wellington up for a prosperous future. We think the council has to look at this through the right framework and will contribute more on that soon,” said Mr Arcus.
    It also follows the decision of Local Government Minister Simeon Brown to appoint a Crown Observer to oversee the council’s management of the LTP.
    “We welcome this decision by Minister Brown to bring order and accountability to the council table.
    “Wellington faces many tough decisions that are crucial to its future. Rewriting the city’s Long-Term Plan months after its passing is a significant and unusual step. It’s important that everything is on the table when projects have to be cut.
    “Wellington’s rate rises are among the highest in the country, and that isn’t sustainable in the short or long term.
    “This is a vital opportunity to revisit the council’s budget and ensure it’s focused on the things that matter, not pet projects and nice-to-haves.
    “A Crown Observer will assist in that process. We encourage the council to heed the Observer’s advice, listen to ratepayers and the business community for the many decisions that are still to come.”
    Note:
    Business Central is the home of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and part of the BusinessNZ network, alongside EMA, Business Canterbury and Business South. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: First Responders – Waikato wetland fire update #12

    Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

    Fire and Emergency drone crews identified 16 hotspots overnight, with crews now focused on dampening them down today.
    Incident Controller Mark Tinworth says three helicopters and 22 personnel on the ground will be in operation.
    “The fire remains contained, and has not grown in size overnight.
    “A big thank you to our crews and helicopter pilots who will be working hard again today as we continue efforts to extinguish this fire.”
    Cordons are back in place with access to residents only on Island Block Road and Falls Road between 8am and 6pm to allow air operations to continue and restrict access to the public on the fire ground.
    For residents in the area, we understand there may be concerns regarding water tanks and ash-debris fall. People can visit Health New Zealand’s Waikato website for more information about this here: Meremere Wildfire, North Waikato – WaikatoDHB Newsroom
    Fire and Emergency’s Waikato Local Advisory Committee will be visiting the Incident Management Team this morning.
    The next update will be late afternoon.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Agriculture Recovery Resource Day to Take Place in Grayson County, Va., on Oct. 29

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Agriculture Recovery Resource Day to Take Place in Grayson County, Va., on Oct. 29

    Agriculture Recovery Resource Day to Take Place in Grayson County, Va., on Oct. 29

    BRISTOL, Va.— Helene caused over $159 million in agricultural damage and farm losses in southwest Virginia, according to a recent assessment by the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Commonwealth, federal and local agencies will be coming together in day-long events dedicated to agricultural recovery to share information and resources with impacted producers. The commonwealth of Virginia, USDA and FEMA are jointly organizing an Agricultural Recovery Resource Day on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Grayson County. The event will take place at the Mountain View Baptist Church at 112 Mountain View Road in Independence, Va. At least two additional, day-long events are also being planned for the week of Nov. 3 in Wythe and Washington counties. Southwest Virginia farmers and agricultural producers whose operations were affected by Helene can attend any event and can arrive any time from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For the latest information, please visit the event website: fema.gov/event/hurricane-helene-virginia-agricultural-recovery-resource-day“Multiple organizations, including federal, commonwealth, and local agencies have come together to help agricultural community recover from Tropical Storm Helene. The first Agriculture Recovery Resource Day will be an opportunity for farmers, private forest owners, and agribusiness owners to receive information and speak directly to representatives from over 15 agencies,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Timothy Pheil. “We understand the critical role agribusinesses play in Virginia’s economy, and through the Agriculture Recovery Resource Days, we’re working to provide farmers with direct access to the tools and resources they need to bounce back stronger than ever.”“Recovery is a long process. The commonwealth is working to coordinate resources for the agricultural community that was impacted by Tropical Storm Helene,”, said VDEM State Coordinating Officer Shawn Talmadge. “We welcome any farmers to the first Agriculture Recovery Resource Day in Grayson County”.The following agencies will be present on Agriculture Recovery Resource Day to answer questions about grants, loans and other resources available for the agricultural community: Federal agencies: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) USDA Farm Service Agency (USDA FSA) USDA National Resources Conservation Agency (USDA NRCS) USDA Rural Development (USDA RD) Commonwealth agencies:Virginia Department of Emergency Management Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesVirginia Department of ForestryVirginia Department of Conservation and RecreationVirginia Department of Environmental QualityVirginia Cooperative ExtensionVirginia Department of HealthVirginia Tobacco Region Revitalization CommissionVirginia Small Business Financing AuthorityLocal agencies and organizations: Soil and Water Conservation DistrictsAgriSafeVirginia Farm Bureau Virginia Cattlemen’s Association Farm Credit of the Virginias First Bank & TrustMount Rogers Health DistrictGrayson CountyFarming is an economic driver in southwest Virginia and recovery for agribusiness is essential for long-term, sustainable recovery after Helene. The federal government and commonwealth are here to support recovery for the whole community. For additional disaster recovery resources, visit vaemergency.gov,  the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.  ###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.To apply for FEMA assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or download and apply on the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages). Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.
    erika.osullivan
    Thu, 10/24/2024 – 20:31

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Katie Hobbs and Local Leaders Applaud ADWR Steps Toward Protecting Arizona’s Water

    Source: US State of Arizona

    Phoenix, AZ —Today, Governor Katie Hobbs, local vineyard owner Mark Jorve, farmer Ed Curry, and resident Steve Kisiel issued statements in support of the Arizona Department of Water Resources announcing the Notice of Initiation of Designation Procedures for a potential Willcox Groundwater Basin AMA.

    “When I traveled to Willcox, I heard stories from farmers, local well owners, and a bipartisan group of elected officials who are concerned about their community’s future because of groundwater depletion,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “I saw dried up wells, fissures in the earth, and farms struggling to survive because of unchecked pumping of the precious water that Arizonans rely on. As the Department of Water Resources begins this important process, I look forward to hearing more from Arizonans concerned about securing our water future. 

    “For too long, politicians have stuck their heads in the sand and refused to take action to fix the problems Arizonans face. I won’t. I know protecting our water isn’t a Democratic or a Republican issue, it’s an Arizona issue. I will continue to put politics aside and work across the aisle to deliver the solutions Arizonans are desperate for.”

    “We support and welcome this step taken towards protecting our water supplies. As a small business vineyard in the Willcox groundwater basin we’ve experienced firsthand the alarming declines in our local water levels due to decades of unchecked, unlimited groundwater pumping,” said Mark Jorve, owner of Zarpara Vineyard. “An AMA designation would finally put us on a path to stabilizing this precious and shared resource to safeguard local growers and business owners.”

    “When a situation becomes a crisis, it demands action,” said fourth-generation Arizona farmer, Ed Curry. “This announcement of a potential AMA is a new beginning for the Willcox Basin, and we must continue to work together to move forward to protect our groundwater supplies. I am thankful for the courage of Governor Hobbs and her administration to tackle these issues head on.”

    “Today’s announcement by ADWR to initiate the AMA designation process gives me hope that we will finally have a secure water future here in the Willcox Basin,” said Willcox basin homeowner Steve Kisiel. “For too many years legislative and executive inaction to protect rural groundwater in Arizona has led to severe consequences for myself and my neighbors. While today’s announcement is just the first step on our journey toward a better water future, we can finally see a solution on the horizon. Thank you to ADWR and Governor Hobbs for your historic work to preserve our groundwater supplies.”

    The action comes after Governor Hobbs visited the Willcox basin to examine the effects of unlimited groundwater pumping, including dried wells and earth fissures, and met with local officials and everyday Arizonans to hear more about their experiences with groundwater depletion. Groundwater conditions in the Willcox Basin have declined at alarming rates, making it one of the most endangered groundwater basins in the state. 

    The Notice of Initiation of Designation Procedures is the first step in ADWR considering designating an Active Management Area in the Willcox Groundwater Basin. As a part of that process, ADWR is accepting comments and will hold a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. on November 22, 2024, at the Willcox Community Center. 

    More information on groundwater conditions in the Willcox Basin can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Issues Executive Order to Ease DMV Requirements and Fee Collections for Western North Carolinians in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Issues Executive Order to Ease DMV Requirements and Fee Collections for Western North Carolinians in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

    Governor Cooper Issues Executive Order to Ease DMV Requirements and Fee Collections for Western North Carolinians in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
    mseets
    Thu, 10/24/2024 – 16:23

    Yesterday, Governor Roy Cooper issued an Executive Order focused on easing requirements and fee collections for North Carolinians related to the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. As a result of this Order, the DMV will suspend the collection of various application and late fees, suspend certain requirements for both residents and businesses, and extend certain licenses for mechanics and businesses.

    “Western North Carolina was deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene and many people have lost vehicles, licenses and other important documents,” said Governor Cooper. “This Executive Order will support the DMV’s critical work and help affected North Carolinians as they recover from this storm.”

    Following the devastation of Helene, several DMV facilities remain closed and many vehicles were destroyed by the storm. Additionally, many residents of impacted counties cannot access an open facility to obtain services thereby delaying their ability to obtain the registration and other documents required for their vehicles. Replacing lost documents would also require paying various fees. This action allows DMV to support disaster recovery by expediting the issuance of vital motorist records, identification, and documentation while also providing relief for residents of impacted counties to restore some of their property. 

    Yesterday, Governor Cooper announced his budget recommendation to help Western North Carolina rebuild stronger. Governor Cooper recommends an initial $3.9 billion package to begin rebuilding critical infrastructure, homes, businesses, schools, and farms damaged during the storm. Initial damage estimates are $53 billion, roughly three times Hurricane Florence estimates in 2018 and the largest in state history.

    The North Carolina Council of State unanimously concurred with this Executive Order.

    You can see the Concurrence Record here.

    Read the Executive Order here.

    ###

    Oct 24, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: First Lady Cathy Justice invites students to create Santa ornaments for the 2024 First Lady Student Ornament Competition

    Source: US State of West Virginia

    First Lady Student Ornament Competition

    CHARLESTON, WV — 

    First Lady Cathy Justice is inviting all West Virginia students to participate in the twentieth annual First Lady Student Ornament Competition.

    All kindergarten through 12th grade students who are public, private, or home-schooled are encouraged to create a “Santa” themed ornament for the tree, which will be on display at the Culture Center in Charleston during this year’s holiday season.

    Ornaments will be classified in four divisions according to grade: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each ornament will be individually judged and four winning classes will be selected, one from each division. In January 2025, the winning ornaments will be donated to the West Virginia State Museum for a permanent collection.

    The ornaments and the Christmas tree will be unveiled in conjunction with Joyful Night, the annual holiday celebration at the State Capitol held in early December. The four winning classes will receive a gift card to help purchase supplies for their class.

    Ornaments must be received by November 22, 2024, to be eligible for judging.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: China-Based Chemical Manufacturing Companies and Employees Indicted for Alleged Fentanyl Manufacturing and Distribution

    Source: US State of California

    Today, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight employees charging federal crimes, including attempted distribution of synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, and money laundering. The indictments were filed under seal in the Middle District of Florida over the past year.

    “Today, the Justice Department announced charges against eight China-based companies and eight individuals we allege are responsible for trafficking precursor chemicals that cartels use to manufacture lethal fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies based in China. In order to break this critical link in the fentanyl supply chain, the Justice Department has aggressively investigated and prosecuted these companies. We will continue to target every organization and individual that fuels the deadly drug trade.”

    As described in the unsealed indictments, the defendants openly advertised their ability to thwart border officials and deliver the synthetic opioids or the chemicals used to make fentanyl to the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere in the United States. The defendants deliberately engaged in evasive activities, such as mislabeling the contents of shipments to ensure the illicit chemicals and controlled substances went undetected. As a result, these companies were able to sell a stable supply of precursor chemicals to clients in Mexico and the United States for years. One of the companies even represented that every month it sends “more than 20 kilograms to the United States, Africa, Canada, and other countries.” 

    “Today’s indictments against eight China-based chemical companies and eight Chinese nationals are further evidence of DEA’s unwavering commitment to disrupt every aspect of the global fentanyl supply chain,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “For the third time in over a year, DEA investigations have resulted in charges against chemical companies and individuals in China who we allege are supplying chemicals to the cartels to make deadly fentanyl. While they may go to great lengths to try to evade our detection, DEA will use every tool and authority we have to save American lives.”

    The indictments target the evolving tactics of drug traffickers, who often adapt to tightening restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl. For example, when China banned the production of fentanyl in 2019, China-based companies began producing and selling fentanyl precursors, the ingredients needed to manufacture the drug. These China-based companies distribute fentanyl precursors throughout the world, including to the United States and to Mexico, where drug cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación combine the chemicals into fentanyl and other synthetic opioids that they then distribute throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

    “These indictments are part of our continuing commitment to the protection of our country from the deadly scourge of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Along with our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, we will be relentless in our pursuit of China-based chemical companies and their employees who are knowingly manufacturing and exporting fentanyl precursors that cause thousands of deaths every year in the United States.”

    The Justice Department acknowledges the efforts of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Public Security. The following indicted companies are now out of operation: Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., and Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology.

    In addition, the People’s Republic of China has recently scheduled three key chemicals, which in turn provides additional tools for the People’s Republic of China to regulate the chemicals’ production and distribution. DEA Administrator Milgram said, “I would also like to recognize the work done by the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security in taking action to schedule protonitazene, piperidone, and 1-BOC-4-AP, which were not scheduled at the time of these investigations, but have now been scheduled.”

    The DEA investigated the cases.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Chee, David Pardo, Lauren Stoia, and Adam McCall and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Haynes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases.

    These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Case Summaries

    In January, Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co. Ltd., based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Chinese national Xiaojun Huang, who allegedly maintained a Bitcoin wallet for the remittance of payments for illicit synthetic opioids on the company’s behalf.

    In January, Hubei Shanglin Trading Co., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Zhihan Wang, who was the alleged registered owner of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company utilized to complete the sale of fentanyl precursors.

    In November 2023, Jiangsu Jiyi Chemical, based in Beijing, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, along with Ji Zhaohui, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.

    In January, Tianjin Furuntongda Tech Co. Ltd, based in Tianjin, Hebei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors, along with Wenxing Gao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged registered agent of Tianjin Furuntongda and the owner of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.

    In November 2023, Wuhan Jinshang Import & Export Trading Co. Ltd., based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene, attempted importation of a fentanyl precursor, and attempted international money laundering, along with Wenying Nie, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of a Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.

    In January, Wuhan Mingyue Information Technology, based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of fentanyl precursors and attempted international money laundering, along with Chinese national Huanhuan Song, who was the alleged recipient of funds via Western Union on the company’s behalf and the alleged holder of a cryptocurrency wallet associated with the company.

    In June, Henan Oumeng Trade Co. Ltd., based in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Yinxia Zhao, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.

    In June, Shanghai Senria New Materials Co. Ltd., doing business as Shanghai Senria Biotechnology Co. Ltd., based in the Fengxian District of Shanghai, China, was charged with attempted importation of protonitazene and attempted international money laundering, along with Zhenbo Han, a Chinese national, who was the alleged holder of the Bitcoin wallet associated with the company.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Defense Contractor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraud, Money Laundering, and Unlawful Export of Technical Data

    Source: US State of California

    Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and violating the Arms Export Control Act. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $275,430.90, the proceeds of Senbol’s fraud and money laundering scheme. Senbol entered pleaded guilty on May 7.

    According to facts taken from public filings, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, Navy Submarines, Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.

    To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. As Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a virtually identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.

    In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer — and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States — Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and in spite of the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.

    Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them — making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.

    This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.

    Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.

    The General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Reaches Settlement for Over $100M in Civil Lawsuit Against Owner and Operator of the Vessel That Destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge

    Source: US State of California

    Settlement Will Cover Federal Costs Incurred to Restore Access to the Port of Baltimore

    The Justice Department announced today that Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the Motor Vessel DALI, have agreed to pay $101,980,000 to resolve a civil claim brought by the United States for costs borne in responding to the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.  

    The settlement resolves the United States’ claims for civil damages for $103,078,056 under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law. The settlement monies will go to the U.S. Treasury and to the budgets of several federal agencies directly affected by the allision or involved in the response.

    “Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys since day one of this disaster, we were able to secure this early settlement of our claim, just over one month into litigation. This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”

    “This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the United States for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the DALI accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The prompt resolution of this matter also avoids the expense associated with litigating this complex case for potentially years.”

    In the early morning hours of March 26, the Motor Vessel DALI left the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating through the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power, regained power, and then lost power again before striking the bridge. The bridge collapsed and plunged into the water below, tragically killing six people. In addition to this heartbreaking loss of life, the wreck of the DALI and the remains of the bridge were left to obstruct the navigable channel, bringing all shipping into and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill. The loss of the bridge also severed a critical highway in the transportation infrastructure and blocked a key artery for local commuters.

    The United States led the response efforts of dozens of federal, state, and local agencies to remove about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel and from the DALI itself. While removal operations were underway, the United States set up temporary channels to start relieving the bottleneck at the port and mitigate some of the economic devastation caused by the DALI. The Fort McHenry Channel was cleared by June 10, and the Port of Baltimore was once again open for commercial navigation.

    On Sept. 18, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, seeking over $100 million in damages from Grace Ocean and Synergy. The Department’s claim was part of a legal action that the vessel companies filed shortly after the tragedy, in which they seek exoneration or limitation of their liability to approximately $43.7 million. Today’s settlement is in addition to $97,294 recently paid by Grace Ocean  to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center for costs incurred to abate the threat of oil pollution arising from the incident.  

    The settlement does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The State of Maryland built, owned, maintained, and operated the bridge, and attorneys on the state’s behalf filed their own claim for those damages. Pursuant to the governing regulation, funds recovered by the State of Maryland for reconstruction of the bridge will be used to reduce the project costs paid for in the first instance by federal tax dollars.

    The resolution of the civil matter was handled by attorneys from the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Man Who Murdered Fellow Soldier on Military Base in Germany Sentenced to Prison

    Source: US State of California

    A former U.S. soldier was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for the murder of a pregnant, 19-year-old fellow soldier on a U.S. Army base in Germany over 22 years ago.

    On May 7, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, found Shannon L. Wilkerson, 44, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Amanda Gonzales.

    According to court documents, Wilkerson beat and strangled Amanda Gonzales to death on Nov. 3, 2001, in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Wilkerson feared he was the father of Gonzales’ unborn child and that her pregnancy would interfere with his military career and his marriage to another soldier on the base. Wilkerson was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of the offense but was later discharged.

    “Shannon Wilkerson brutally murdered Amanda Gonzales, a fellow soldier who Wilkerson knew was pregnant at the time,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While nothing we can do will reunite Amanda with her family, we hope today’s sentencing brings some measure of closure and comfort to Amanda’s loved ones. I am proud of the dedicated and hardworking members of the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners, who are committed to pursuing justice for victims of violent crime, no matter how challenging that pursuit may be.”

    “The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to obtain justice for the victims and their family. The defendant took the life of a 19-year-old woman serving her country far from home — knowing that he was killing her unborn child. The sentence acknowledges the brutal, selfish nature of his crime and imposes just punishment.”

    “Justice for victims is not just a promise, it’s a commitment, no matter how long it takes,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentencing comes just as Amanda Gonzales’ family will mark 23 years since she and her unborn child were brutally murdered by Shannon Wilkerson on Nov. 3, 2001. While no amount of prison time will bring the young Army solider back, we hope this will close another chapter in the Gonzales family’s grieving process.”

    The FBI New York and Jacksonville Field Offices investigated this case, with assistance from the Army Criminal Investigative Division, which originally investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 25, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Coldbrook — Missing youth: Help the RCMP find Tyson Taylor

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    October 25, 2024, Coldbrook, Nova Scotia… Kings District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 15-year-old Tyson Taylor.

    Tyson is described as 5-foot-11, 175 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. Investigators believe he may be in the Berwick area.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Tyson Taylor is asked to contact Kings District RCMP at 902-679-5555. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    File #: 2024-1568992

    –30–

    Sgt. Deepak Prasad

    Public Information Officer
    Nova Scotia RCMP

    rcmpns-grcne@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 25, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 5,136 5,137 5,138 5,139 5,140 … 5,934
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress