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County official in Texas accused of taking bribes

By WTOP Staff

DALLAS (AP) — A longtime Dallas County commissioner has been charged with accepting nearly $1 million in bribes in exchange for providing insider information and voting in favor of projects proposed by various companies, federal authorities announced Friday.

John Wiley Price, his chief of staff and two political consultants were in custody after being charged in a 13-count indictment.

Price is a well-known local leader in the Dallas area and has served on the commissioners court for more than 27 years.

Price and the other three defendants each pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances Friday afternoon. All four were released on personal recognizance bonds.

While leaving the courthouse, Price told reporters he was innocent and would be getting back to work soon.

Billy Ravkind, Price’s attorney, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldana said at a Friday morning news conference that during a decadelong scheme, two political consultants, Kathy Nealy and Christian Campbell, provided Price with $950,000 in money, cars and land.

Authorities allege that in exchange for the bribes, Price voted in favor of lucrative contracts before the commissioners court that were proposed by the consultants’ clients.

“Price corruptly solicited and demanded a series of benefits … to award contracts for Dallas County business,” Saldana said.

Price is charged with 11 counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery and depravation of honest services by mail fraud. He is accused of leaking confidential information on contract bids to the clients of Nealy and Campbell to help these businesses land the contracts.

Saldana said that in return, Price was provided “with a stream of benefits” that included more than $447,000 in cash and checks, the use of a new Chevy Avalanche every four years as well as a BMW convertible and nearly $200,000 from property secretly bought for Price.

“These types of actions can diminish the public’s trust and cost taxpayers money and resources,” said Diego Rodriguez, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas office.

Also indicted was Dapheny Fain, Price’s chief of staff. She is accused of helping Price hide the bribes and other income he allegedly received.

Tom Mills, Fain’s attorney, said he was still reading through the indictment.

Court records did not list attorneys for Nealy or Campbell.

Nealy is facing nine counts, Fain is charged with two and Campbell is facing one count.

Price and Nealy face the most serious charges in the case, which carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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