Latest news with #Ahern
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Norsewear secures NZ Defence Force sock deal over international competitors
These machines, worth about $70,000 each, are a key reason Norsewear 's won a contract to supply socks to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). 'It's the way of the future. If you don't invest in the plant well, then you end up going backwards,' sock technician Terence Ahern said. 'To be honest, we wouldn't have kept up with demand with the Army, and that if we hadn't invested.' He's worked at Norsewear for 47 years and has been through its many ups and downs, including two receiverships. But from this month, the factory will make thousands of socks for the New Zealand Defence Force, Navy and Air Force, increasing manufacturing output by up to 10%. Ahern told RNZ that securing this deal was a real highlight, as the socks were put to the test by hundreds of soldiers. 'They've been through rigorous testing, and to win that over a few other companies is quite a feather in our cap here for Norsewear and the Norsewood village,' he said. 'We can go out and boast a bit that we achieved that.' Norsewear has been operating for over 60 years and employs about 20 locals, which means a team member from about two-thirds of local families. 'It's security for everyone here when you pick up a contract like that,' Ahern said. 'It's great work going forward and knowing the knitting machines will be running.' The factory is one of the larger employers in the rural area and has hired two more locals to keep up with the workload, which site lead Sarena Montgomery is thrilled about. 'It is a very big deal to win something like this; it just gives us the confidence that we are heading in the right direction,' she said. 'Talking to people outside the factory, there is that sense of pride that Norsewear is doing well, and it's really good for the community.' The NZDF socks had previously been supplied by the US, but by using the Lonati machines, local manufacturing expertise and high-quality New Zealand merino wool, Norsewear outperformed every other company bidding for the contract. 'We've competed with what's arguably the best US sock manufacturer in the world, for arguably the most technically demanding socks that you ever have to make, and we beat them based on performance,' Norsewear owner Tim Deane said. 'So that's been a huge confidence boost for the team and it proves you can be a world beater as a small NZ manufacturing company in the middle of regional NZ ... we can take on the world and win.' The NZDF socks cost less than those previously bought from the US and the wool they are using can be traced back to the New Zealand farm it came from. 'That means the Kiwi military gets great socks, NZDF gets more flexibility on supply, along with clarity of the whole supply chain, and we buy more wool from New Zealand farmers to fulfil the contract,' Deane said. A variety of socks are being made for the NZDF to suit different climates, but Deane said they have similar features in that they can help with temperature control, to ward off bacteria and are odour-resistant. One of Norsewear's new hires, as a result of the deal, is Jack Martin from Ormondville. 'It's good, good fun, good community. Everyone is friendly and super happy, very welcoming and a lot of fun,' he said. 'Generally, the main job I have is making sure there are no faults in the socks, as it's quite often you can have a bit of simple error in the machines.' Over 60 machines line the factory floor making socks, hats and gloves, from the latest Italian Lonatis to the lovingly-kept hat machine that's been in action at Norsewear since 1970. 'This machine will keep ticking those over for hopefully the next 50 years,' Ahern said. 'There are no electronics, completely mechanical, it's just got a motor, a couple of chains and a drum. 'It was here well and truly before I got here and was making hats, basically the same as what it's making today.' But it's the sock sector that Norsewear specialises in, churning out up to 10,000 pairs of socks every week, from bed socks to dress socks, work socks and farm socks. 'So there's variety right through the factory,' Montgomery said. 'They design the socks on programmes on the computers and bring [that] in here, download it all and set it all up. 'Every sock has different feeders that give it its shape and pattern.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
South Portland police launch policy review after Deering High School student 'mistakenly' detained by police
May 14—The South Portland Police Department has launched a review after officers "mistakenly" handcuffed and pointed their guns at a 16-year-old Deering High School student who "closely matched" the description of another teen who was suspected of committing a burglary in the city. The student was standing next to a vehicle about a block away from the high school as his friends were getting ready to drive to McDonald's for lunch, according to his mother. South Portland police, who were executing a search warrant at a nearby house on Orkney Street, say the 19-year-old they were looking for was "known to associate with" people who use and carry firearms, so they drew their guns after spotting the student near the house, which they say is standard protocol when arresting someone who may be armed. Officers ordered the 16-year-old to stop and lie down, and escorted him away from the house so they could pat him down — before realizing he wasn't the teen they were looking for. After less than five minutes, the teen and another person in the vehicle who was also detained were released, according to a release by the department. Amber Miller, the student's parent, said she spoke with South Portland police Chief Daniel Ahern Wednesday morning and felt the department did not provide a satisfactory explanation about why her son was apprehended. She said she believes her son was racially profiled because he is multiracial and "identifies as a light-skinned Black male," and added that there are clear differences in her son's appearance compared to the suspect police arrested later that afternoon. "We'll be holding them accountable," Miller said in a phone call Wednesday. "They have to take a deep dive into what happened here." Ahern said in an emailed statement that he believes the officers acted "reasonably and appropriately" given the information they had at the time. He said the department will review this incident to ensure officers adhered to all policies. "As a parent myself I completely understand how this incident could be very upsetting for innocent young people caught in the middle of a police action," Ahern wrote. "I'm grateful to school administrators for providing resources to anyone affected by this incident." The 19-year-old who police were looking for was arrested at his workplace in Cape Elizabeth later that afternoon. Miller said her 16-year-old son and his friends have heard of the suspect in the burglary, but the suspect was not near or inside the vehicle with the high school students that morning. Several law enforcement officials, including Southern Maine Regional SWAT members, South Portland police detectives and Portland police officers assisted in the search and arrest, according to a statement from the South Portland Police Department. "They could have gotten (my son's) identification in so many different ways prior to trying to detain him," Miller said. "It's not just the trauma that he faced that's so upsetting, but all the other kids that were with him. All of the kids had to observe that. I don't know how long it's going to take to unpack that." Miller said she's concerned that South Portland officers aren't being sufficiently trained in how to interact with and identify people of different races. She said she hopes her son's experience sparks a policy change. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 for '25: What working moms want in the workplace
Editor's note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. On the occasion of Mother's Day, let's find out what employers can do to give their working moms a good professional experience — as shared by a working mom whose responsibilities include creating a good environment for her team members. Ann-Marie Ahern is co-managing principal and head of the employment group at McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co. LPA in Cleveland. Ahern has been on the other side of the table in seeking to balance work and at-home responsibilities with young children. She told me in a recent conversation those experiences helped position her for management of others in her current role. Watch: Afternoon Forecast: Monday, May 12, 2025 While the pandemic certainly created new challenges for many companies, as employees shifted their work-life priorities, some pressure points for working parents and their employers remain the same as they've long been. Here are five things Ahern said managers can do that working moms will notice and appreciate. Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal's website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The Guardian
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's supposed to be intense': inside the experimental film that ‘truly captures' autism
Do you know how many autistic people there are in the UK? The answer is an estimated 700,000. Yet until now, there has never been a single feature-length film directed by autistic people. Or at least not one that has secured a theatrical release in the UK and slots at festivals worldwide. The film is The Stimming Pool, an experimental feature shot over just 12 days that puts on screen the interests, passions and perspectives of its five young autistic creators. They worked alongside Steven Eastwood, professor of film practice at London's Queen Mary University, funded initially by the Wellcome Trust. 'We asked why autistic people are always required to explain or illustrate their experience,' says Eastwood. 'What about just having neurodivergent authors behind the cameras, doing the creativity?' Such an approach is in contrast to the Chris Packham-presented BBC two-parter Inside Our Autistic Minds from 2023, for which autistic people worked with TV producers to make short films that aimed to show their families how autism affected them. This wasn't what Georgia Kumari Bradburn, one of the directors of The Stimming Pool, wanted to do: 'It was never about us having a duty to explain who we are or what we are doing to other people. This is just the way we exist. It's a different way of existing.' Despite its multiple directors, The Stimming Pool is not an anthology film with distinct chapters, but an intricate collaboration. Characters recur and narratives bleed into one another. We see the directors sitting around a table discussing how to weave their themes together. No one is identified directly and there are no captions or commentary. The audience is left to make its own interpretations. The Stimming Pool challenges some of the familiar tropes of documentaries and dramas about autism. One of its directors is Sam Chown Ahern, who featured in the 2018 Channel 4 documentary Are You Autistic? Ahern is filmed in a waiting room. She spots a little girl, also waiting, and echoes her repetitive hand movements – the kind that autistic people call 'stims', or self-stimulatory behaviour. Ahern muses on the ambiguities of the language used in a questionnaire designed to diagnose autism, then we see her take part in eye-tracking research intended to analyse how autistic people perceive facial expressions. The red dots and lines from the researcher's screen leak into sequences that follow another autistic character, clearly exhausted by navigating the sensory overload and social demands of the world. Benjamin Brown, a lover of derelict buildings and dystopian movies, contributed surreal sequences shot in an abandoned factory in which white-coated scientists use arcane devices to measure human subjects. In a satirical twist, these subjects start to mock the scientists through mime. Robin Elliott-Knowles, meanwhile, brings his passion for history, schlock horror and anime to the mix. We meet him welcoming a friendly audience to his local community cinema in Hastings, introducing an apparently lost video nasty. It turns out to be scenes from an animated drama he has directed about a female Confederate-era soldier with a cat's face fighting zombies in a swamp – all based on his own artwork. Speaking over coffee at the BFI Southbank in London, alongside his fellow directors, Elliott-Knowles is delighted to recall the shoot: 'I directed the actress and the very nice guy who played the zombie. Interestingly, I always remembered to say 'Action' but never remembered to say 'Cut'! To guide their movements, I suggested they imagine a cork being pulled out of a bottle – the moment it is in and the moment after. I think it worked. They were great actors.' Recurring throughout the film is the Shapeshifter, a character created by another director, Georgia Bradburn. Played by Dre Spisto, a neurodivergent, non-binary performance artist, the Shapeshifter navigates busy streets, open-plan offices, crowded pubs and toilets while wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Once home and alone, Spisto performs what looks like an elaborately choreographed sequence of body movements across the floor and furniture, muttering repeated phrases. 'The original idea for the Shapeshifter,' says Bradburn, 'was someone who is constantly transforming in their body through stimming. They are transitioning from a public space to a private space – and when they get there, they can lift the burden of 'masking'. They can just move in whatever way they want. That's something I used to do.' It all adds up to a dense, elliptical film that rewards repeated viewing. Some reactions have been strong. 'A couple of weeks ago,' says Chown Ahern, 'we had a screening and a young woman came in and said, 'I'm autistic and I've travelled here on the tube and I was already overwhelmed.' It's supposed to be intense in certain ways. That is the purpose of it – which is probably why it requires a second viewing.' Although neurotypical myself, I have a profoundly autistic brother and take a keen interest in the condition's portrayal. So I felt it was important to show The Stimming Pool to autistic people for their perspective. One, a friend who didn't want to be named, complained bluntly: 'It was pretentious wank with an autism flavour. Not my thing at all. I don't really know what they were trying to do or convey. And I don't like stuff where I need someone to explain the meaning to me. The art should do that.' But Rosie King, another friend, was moved to tears. 'Absolutely beautiful,' said King, whose Ted Talk on her experience of autism has had 3.2m views. 'I don't think I've ever seen a film truly capture what it's like to be autistic like this before – the good and bad parts. My favourites were the stimming sequences though, especially the last one in the pool with the spinning camera. They felt almost like interpretive dance. It showed a real beauty in stimming that I've never seen in film before. I loved all the young people involved and the focus on their art. So often autism narratives wholly surround the condition's limitations with only a passing glance at autistic joy. Seeing this group come together and create beautiful things really touched me.' Eastwood adds: 'One thing we chatted about was this expectation with a film that you've got to make sense of it and solve the mystery. I think everyone in the group has a love of the avant garde: experimental films, art films.' But the fact that the group could discuss sophisticated genre films in their meetings does flag up the absence of non-verbal or minimally verbal autistic people in the process. Figures suggest that one in three autistic people also has a learning disability, while 25-30% are minimally or non-verbal. Apart from a brief scene filmed at the Project Artworks studios in Hastings, where we see the non-verbal artist Heidi Nice, who has multiple disabilities, being helped to fingerpaint, The Stimming Pool only features autistic people who are adept at language and autonomous. Eastwood is aware that the film doesn't include the significant proportion of the autism community who have more complex needs. 'When this project first ran,' he says, 'it was designed to include a range, including non-verbal people. The pandemic killed that because, for the best part of a year, we could only meet remotely. We planned to develop it as a London and Hastings project and do a lot of studio workshopping at Project Artworks, but that all went out the window. However, I don't think this project should have to represent all the experiences of autism. But we recognise that everyone in the film, apart from Heidi, is verbal.' Bradburn sees the film as simply a starting point. 'You cannot generalise autism for everyone,' he says. 'It would be impossible to make a film that encapsulates the entire experience, because it is so varied.' Eastwood echoes these points: 'We're asking why films about autism have to carry the responsibility of answering all those questions. This is not a film about autism – it's a film about autistic co-creation.' The Stimming Pool is screening throughout the UK from 28 March.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Maine Mall shooting: Police search for suspect, mall fully evacuated
Feb. 5—SOUTH PORTLAND — Police are searching for a person who shot someone inside the Maine Mall on Wednesday afternoon. First responders brought the victim to Maine Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the leg. The incident triggered an hourslong lockdown of the mall, during which shoppers and employees sheltered in stores and supply closets. But by the time police arrived, the shooter might have already left the scene, South Portland Police Chief Dan Ahern said in a written statement around 8:30 p.m. "I would like to thank those officers for their response to what they only knew to be an active shooter at the largest mall in Maine," Ahern said. "It was not until first units arrived that we determined this to be an isolated incident between two individuals and that the shooter may have already exited the mall." After a "methodical search," all law enforcement units had cleared the mall several hours after the lockdown, he said. Surveillance video shows that the suspect left through the food court exit at around 3:45 p.m., city spokesperson Shara Dee said around 9:40 p.m. in an email response to questions about the sequence of events. Police first announced the incident and lockdown on Facebook shortly after 4 p.m. South Portland Police said the public should continue avoiding the area Wednesday night. The shooting appears to be an "isolated incident" and police do not believe the public is at risk, according to a city announcement. The department shared photos of the suspect and said anyone who sees them should call 911 and not approach the person. Dee said the department only saw the suspect on camera footage and did not not know their identity Wednesday night. The victim was in surgery and "expected to survive," Ahern said. Police first issued an alert shortly after 4 p.m., urging locals to avoid the mall. Within the hour, Gov. Janet Mills posted on X that Mainers should "follow the instructions of law enforcement and to avoid the area until otherwise instructed." All South Portland Police units descended on the mall, where they were assisted by officers from 10 other agencies, including the Maine State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ahern said. HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE A South Portland Police Department forensics truck pulled up near the JC Penney entrance around 5 p.m., joining dozens of law enforcement vehicles that were scattered throughout the parking lot by the food court and blocked the roads in and out of the lot. A few minutes later, near the food court entrance on the other side of the mall, police officers wearing tactical gear and carrying long guns stepped into the building. A handful of people walked out of the food court doors, as those told to shelter were released in small groups. A pair of German foreign exchange students stepped out of the food court entrance at around 5:30 p.m. They ducked under the police line, then stepped back to take a photo from behind the yellow tape. One of them, Niklas Germann, a student at Bonny Eagle High School, said they were in a changing room when the mall went into lockdown. He said they "saw nothing." "You hear stories from America of shootings, school shootings," he said. "But only hearing it from TV or stories. And now I'm in (it) — that's crazy." Stacie Estrella, a traveling nurse from Texas who is currently working at Maine Medical Center, said in Facebook messages to a reporter that she was sheltering in place inside the Old Navy and was let out around 6:30 p.m. She said she had been able to hear the department's K-9 dogs barking while inside. Outside the mall, several people filmed the police presence from their parked cars. A group of teenage boys put out messages on social media, encouraging friends to come see the scene in person. Though police had appeared to block the exits to the parking lot, vehicles continued to pour in during the lockdown. Would-be-shoppers and app-based delivery drivers attempted to approach the mall, asking whether it was still open. There were at least two collisions between cars in the parking lot as people attempted to evacuate. 'SLOW CHECK' OF STORES Betty Tundel, of Windham, stepped out of the food court entrance around 6:15 p.m. carrying a bag from Soma. She spent much of the early evening waiting in the shop's back storage room, she said. "I just came over to do a quick errand," Tundel said. "We didn't know what was happening." She and a handful of others in the room joined in prayer. She said the situation could have turned out much worse. The storage room did not have locking doors or a way to peer outside, but a friend outside the mall fed her details over the phone, she said. As she evacuated the building, Tundel said she saw food scattered through the food court and thought "it must have been very frightening, because that was nearby what was happening." Officers were still inside the building more than two hours after their initial response, along with some shoppers who sheltered inside. Around 6:45 p.m., Dee said police transitioned from a "slow check" of each store to an evacuation. The mall made an announcement to all stores that the employees could leave through the food court entrance, she said. No other information about the incident has been released. A spokesperson for the mall said they could not comment. South Portland police asks anyone with information about the suspect or this shooting to contact Detective Lt. Christopher Todd at 207-799-5511 Ext. 7448 or christo@ or leave an anonymous tip at 207-347-4100. Copy the Story Link
