Latest news with #Agustin
GMA Network
10-08-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Globe asks LGUs, HOAs for help in connectivity, restoration works
Telecommunications firm Globe has urged local government units and homeowners' associations (HOAs) to support its connectivity restoration works in gated communities amid its ongoing expansion, restoration, and maintenance works. In a statement Sunday, Globe said it is facing delays in restoring network services due to access restrictions and costly fees. These include permit requirements, per-entry charges, and construction bonds, some of which are recurring, excessive, or undefined in scope. Globe cited an example where their workers were required to pay P100,000 for access with no clear validity period, while another village required an access fee of P5,000 per day. The company added that other subdivisions do not allow the extension of fiber facilities. 'Timely access to our infrastructure is critical in preventing service disruptions and maintaining a seamless experience for our customers,' said Joel Agustin, Globe's head of Service Planning and Engineering. 'We recognize the importance of village security protocols and are committed to working in full coordination with HOA representatives,' he added. Citing the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development's Order No. 22, Globe said, 'Consent [is] not required for laying cables on existing poles, underground fiber ducts, and other physical telecommunications infrastructure.' Meanwhile, the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners' Associations prohibits the prevention of access or restriction to 'the entry of utility service providers, in order to install, maintain, or disconnect services pursuant to an approved contract or application.' 'We seek the support of HOAs as partners in connectivity. These restoration activities are for the benefit of their own residents, ensuring that families continue to enjoy reliable service amid growing demand,' Agustin said. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
Hamilton Spectator
25-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
PHOTO ESSAY: Many Californians lack safe tap water and don't trust cleanup efforts
THERMAL, Calif. (AP) — Agustin and Ricarda Toledo loaded eight empty 5-gallon jugs onto their truck and drove to a water store some 14 miles from their Southern California home, just as they've done almost weekly for years. The couple, originally from Mexico, planned to make dozens of chicken tamales for their five children and 13 grandchildren that weekend, and the limited flow of clean, safe water from their home filter wouldn't suffice. 'We can't consume the water; we can't use it' to drink or cook, said Ricarda, a retired farmworker whose family lives in and co-owns a mobile home park, speaking in Spanish. 'We'd like to have potable water.' In the agriculturally rich Eastern Coachella Valley , water is a source of worry. What flows from many people's taps contains health-damaging arsenic, and in areas where the issue has been resolved, distrust about the tap water lingers. Many rely on water donations or drive miles to fill water jugs and buy packs of bottles. Residents here are mostly low-income Latino and Indigenous farmworkers whose only affordable housing options are mobile home parks served by small, outdated systems more likely to violate drinking water rules . Luz Gallegos, executive director of Training Occupational Development Educating Communities, or TODEC, an immigrant and farmworker justice group, said people live in places with contaminated water because they have no other choice. 'Our community right now is not thinking of prevention. Our community is thinking of survival,' Gallegos said. More than a decade after California legislatively recognized that all residents have the right to clean water, more than 878,000 people were connected to failing water systems, many of which can increase their risk of cancer or other serious health issues, according to 2024 state data, the last year available. The Environmental Protection Agency has been working with a local nonprofit to restore safe drinking water to some Eastern Coachella residents. Last year, the agency announced that more than 900 people could safely drink and cook with tap water again. Distrust of tap water is widespread Many still fear the tap — an issue not unique to the area. Flint, Michigan's water crisis that began in 2014 eroded public trust of government and tap water. Even after high levels of lead were reduced to well below a state threshold, many residents still won't drink or cook with it . It's a distrust most common among non-white populations, research shows. A recent study on drinking water behaviors and perceptions in Evanston, Illinois, a suburban city north of Chicago, found, in part, that people who drank mostly bottled water were more likely to be Black, Indigenous or other people of color. Compared with white respondents, they were more than three times more likely to distrust tap water. The finding that minority groups in Evanston were more likely to distrust tap water was 'remarkably consistent' with research elsewhere, said Sera Young, a study co-author and co-director at the Center for Water Research at Northwestern University. 'It's a global phenomenon,' Young said. Respondents' main concern was contamination. A lack of trust in government and negative experiences with water were among other reasons. 'People who thought that they had been harmed by their water in the past were more likely to think they would be harmed by the water in future,' Young said. That's true for Martha. For 18 years, she and her husband lived in the Eastern Coachella Valley's Oasis Mobile Home Park, where the EPA found high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in the tap water in 2019. Martha, who is in the country illegally and spoke under the condition that only her middle name be used, said the water sometimes smelled like rotten eggs. An itchy rash would sometimes break out over her body when she showered, and her hair would fall off in clumps. She thinks the water was to blame. Martha and her family now live in a new place and have been told the tap water is safe to consume. 'We don't trust it,' Martha said. They buy water at stores or pick up bottled water at one of TODEC's offices, where plastic-wrapped packs cram a closet. The group provides free water to many of the area's residents and organizes know-your-rights workshops in farm fields, among other things. Perceptions can cause cascading effects Anisha Patel, a pediatrics professor at Stanford University who has studied drinking water access and tap water perceptions for years, said immigrants from countries with unsafe tap water can also bring those perceptions here and low-income families are more likely to distrust the tap because they may live in older homes. These perceptions can have significant negative impacts. People are more likely to consume sugary drinks, eat out and spend limited money on bottled water — upward of 10% of their household income, said Patel. Microplastics found in containers like bottled water, researchers are learning, may be harmful. Then there's the environmental impacts — single-use bottled beverages create enormous waste. Convincing people to drink from the tap is not easy, but experts have some recommendations based on their research findings. That includes government funding to improve plumbing in people's homes and investing in community-trusted groups to implement water testing programs and educational campaigns, said Silvia R. González, co-director of research at the UCLA Latino Politics and Policy Institute who lead a study in 2023 exploring drinking water distrust in Latino communities. 'It's been something that we've been trying to understand for the past 10, 15 years now, and I don't think we're closer to solving the issue, but we definitely see similarities across different communities,' especially among immigrant, Spanish-speaking and other non-English-speaking groups, González said. Back in the California desert, water jugs and stacked packs of bottled water are a common sight inside and outside homes. The kitchen in Virgilio Galarza Rodriguez's mobile home is cramped by bottled water — boxes and shrink-wrapped packs piled four high, a drinking water dispenser topped by a 5-gallon (19-liter) jug with a spare nearby and more loose bottles scattered around. The Galarzas, raising three boys, drank and cooked with tap water 16 years before a 2021 inspection by the EPA revealed arsenic at levels more than six times the federal limit. Despite now having filters and regular water tests, the family still worries. 'They tell us it's safe to drink, but we don't really trust it,' Galarza said, speaking in Spanish. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
YES Communities Announces 2025 Building Futures Arrupe Jesuit High School Scholarship Winner
YES Communities Announces 2025 Building Futures Arrupe Jesuit High School Scholarship Winner YES Communities Announces 2025 Building Futures Arrupe Jesuit High School Scholarship Winner Denver, CO, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denver, Colorado, June 2nd, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- - YES Communities, a Denver-based operator of manufactured housing, has named Agustin R., a student at Arrupe Jesuit High School, as one of the 2025 recipients of its Building Futures Scholarship. As a recipient, Agustin will receive a $5,000 scholarship to help support his college education. 'We are excited to provide our fifth scholarship to another talented Arrupe Jesuit student,' said Julie Elkins, CFO of YES Communities. 'At YES, we're dedicated to creating opportunities for growth. Assisting these outstanding students in furthering their education reflects our ongoing commitment to developing the leaders of tomorrow.' Agustin is a senior at Arrupe and will attend Santa Clara University this fall to pursue his dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer. "At Santa Clara University, I'm committed to building a supportive community through leadership, dedication, and hard work, not just to improve my own future, but to help others succeed too. By studying mechanical engineering and connecting with fellow first-generation students, I hope to create a community where we lift each other up, both academically and personally." said Agustin. Arrupe Jesuit deeply appreciates the continued support YES Communities provides to our students,' said Michael J. O'Hagan, President of Arrupe Jesuit. 'We are thankful for the scholarship awarded to Agustin and the opportunities it creates for his future. Our partnership with YES Communities has a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of our students.' Since the inception of the partnership with Arrupe Jesuit High School in 2010, YES Communities has provided 64 Corporate Work Study opportunities and 5 Building Futures Scholarships to students. About Arrupe Jesuit High School: Arrupe Jesuit High School is a Catholic, college preparatory school offering students with limited economic resources a premier educational experience through rigorous academics, formation in faith and discernment, and a unique work study program – fostering community, leadership, personal growth, and opportunity for all. To learn more, visit About YES Communities: YES Communities is a nationwide leader in the manufactured housing industry, offering high-quality, attainable housing solutions across the United States. Through meeting the unique needs of residents, our mission is to enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls a YES community home. For more information, visit Attachments YES Communities Announces 2025 Building Futures Arrupe Jesuit High School Scholarship Winner YES Communities Announces 2025 Building Futures Arrupe Jesuit High School Scholarship Winner CONTACT: Vanessa Jasinski YES Communities 1-833-625-0269 vjasinski@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
5 Family Members Killed in Hudson River Helicopter Crash Were on Celebratory Birthday Trip for 1 of the Children: Report
The family of five who died when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed into the Hudson River off New York City were on a celebratory vacation, according to reports. Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish branch of the technology company Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children, ages 4, 5, and 11, were confirmed to be the victims of the crash, PEOPLE previously reported. The pilot, who was also killed, has not yet been identified. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and friend, Agustin Escobar, and his beloved family," Siemens CEO Roland Busch said on X. "Agustin was the CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Agustin's family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. We will miss him and his family immensely." The family traveled from Barcelona, Spain for a vacation to celebrate one of their young children's birthdays when the crash occurred, local news outlet El Diario reported. Related: CBS Anchor Gets Emotional as She Reports 6 People Died in Helicopter Crash Over New York City Authorities have not yet shared details of what caused the crash to happen. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press conference shared on X on Thursday, April 10, 'Our hearts go out to the family and all six who were on board the helicopter.' He added that reports of the crash began at approximately 3:17 p.m., moments after the helicopter took off from downtown N.Y.C. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating alongside the National Transportation Safety Board, said the aircraft was a Bell 206 helicopter. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Operator of Helicopter That Crashed into Hudson River Says He's Never 'Seen Anything Like That': 'I'm Devastated' The aircraft was flying for tour company New York Helicopters, as previously reported. It 'lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the coast of Pier A Park in Hoboken," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. One witness told the Associated Press that they saw the aircraft 'falling apart' midair, while another said the aircraft appeared to be spinning uncontrollably with 'a bunch of smoke coming out.' New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth said he was "devastated" following the incident, according to the New York Post. Read the original article on People
