Latest news with #Ainsley
Bloomberg
04-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Albanese Gets Rare Chance to Fix Australia's Economy
Good morning and welcome back, it's Ainsley here with everything you need to know as the dust settles on the election. Today's must-reads: • Albanese's chance to fix the economy • Australian assets may get post-election boost • Westpac CEO sees rate-cut relief Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shocked Australia by securing an historic win in Saturday's election. Now the question is whether he'll use that mandate to push through tough measures to overhaul the nation's economy. His center-left government has the best chance in years to take the hard steps economists have called for to ignite growth.
CBS News
02-05-2025
- CBS News
Funeral for Ainsley Johnson, killed in Chatham, Illinois daycare crash, to be held Friday
First funeral for Chatham, Illinois crash victim to be held Friday First funeral for Chatham, Illinois crash victim to be held Friday First funeral for Chatham, Illinois crash victim to be held Friday The first funeral for one of the four girls killed after a car crashed into an after-school camp in downstate Chatham, Illinois will be held Friday. Family and friends will lay eight-year-old Ainsley Johnson to rest Friday afternoon. She is one of three children and one teenage girl who were killed. In an update Thursday, Illinois State Police said 44-year-old Marianne Akers, who was driving the car that crashed through the building housing YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp on Monday afternoon, was not intoxicated at the time of the incident. They said preliminary toxicology testing found no traces of alcohol or cany controlled substances. State police said they are considering that this could have been the result of a medical emergency. Six others were also hurt, most of whom have since been released from the hospital, including Akers. "Our people and all first responders are tough," said ISP Director Brendan Kelly. "But when a child dies, when children die, it weighs on their hearts and on their minds and their souls." There are no charges pending, but an investigation remains open and active. Ainsley was in second grade at Glenwood Elementary School. She danced at Studio M Dance Center, and played soccer in the SASA Soccer League, her obit read. Ainsley would "often sing along to any song she heard," and would take her dad's AirPods when he was mowing the lawn so she could listen to the music he was enjoying, her obit read. Ainsley also loved art, makeup, swimming, boating, and spending time at a lake—and she always looked forward to family vacations, her obituary said. Classes in the district also returned to in-person learning Friday. The school district said there will be extra counselors and therapy dogs will be available for students and staff.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Disturbing new theory about why female driver crashed into after school club and killed four young girls
The driver of a car that plowed through an after-school program and killed three young kids and a teen may have suffered a medical emergency. Marianne Akers' black Jeep rammed straight through the YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp in Chatham, Illinois, about 3.20pm on Monday. Kathryn Corley and Alma Buhnerkempe, both seven, Ainsley Grace Johnson, eight, and Rylee Britton, 18, died and six other children were injured. Akers, 44, tested negative to drugs or alcohol and was not under the influence when she veered off the road 'a substantial distance' away, police said. Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said evidence of a medical emergency was so far 'not conclusive' and the investigation was still ongoing. No decision has been made whether to charge Akers with any crime, he said. Akers was filmed in handcuffs, with her hair in a messy bun and wearing a dark grey T-shirt. She was uninjured despite crashing through a wall. Police at the time said she was taken to a local hospital for evaluation with toxicology results still pending, and was not under arrest. 'Akers is not in custody at this time as the cause of the crash remains under investigation,' Illinois State Police said on Tuesday. The Chatham Police Department debunked rampant social media rumors that Akers was drunk and failed a field sobriety test after the crash. 'This is not true. Please stop sharing this,' the department's Facebook page commented on a post claiming Akers was arrested for a suspected DUI. Akers is a food service worker at Chatham Elementary School and a mother of two children - a teenage boy and girl. Ainsley's grandfather Galen Johnson mourned her online with a photo of her in an adorable fancy dress outfit. 'Words alone cannot express the pain we in the Johnson family are feeling with the loss of granddaughter Ainsley Grace Johnson. Love you "Squirt!"' he wrote. Ainsley was a dancer at Studio M Dance Centre, where her teacher Mariah Clark promised to always remember her. 'Ainsley brought so much light and joy into my class, she always gave me a little hip-hop tude and I lived for it,' she said. 'Her smile was so bright, her personality was already so big at such a young age, and she danced like she meant it. I will forever keep Ainsley in my heart.' Britton was a senior at Glenwood High School and like many of the students who helped run the program, planned to be a teacher. 'One of my favorite things about her was how she was unconditionally nice to everyone,' a classmate said. 'She was super intelligent and always made people laugh.' Three of the victims were hit by the Jeep as they stood outside the building, while the fourth person who died was inside the building, police said. The six injured children were rushed to hospital, including one with injuries so severe they had to be airlifted for treatment. 'Postmortem procedures done today indicate that they all died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the incident,' Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said. Akers is understood to have crashed her car into the east side of the school facility with such force that it burst out the other side seconds later. 'The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but this does not appear to be a targeted attack,' Illinois State Police said. The program is designed for school-aged children and is run by college students and 'very mature' high school seniors - most of whom have ambitions themselves of one day becoming educators. A fundraiser for the victims and their families has already attracted more than $75,000 in donations. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed his horror on Monday afternoon, writing: 'Parents said goodbye to their kids this morning not knowing it would be the last time. 'Our community lost a group of bright and innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them. 'Let's wrap our arms around the community tonight as we receive updates on the situation.' Devastated locals recalled the moment their neighbors, friends, and loved ones learned of the tragedy and rushed to the scene. 'Watching people you know sprint past your house, not knowing if their children are safe, is a gut-wrenching experience. My heart aches for everyone,' one wrote. Employees and volunteers at the local blood bank, Impact Life, urged locals to give blood this week, as they drained much of their stockpile helping victims of the crash. 'After the tragic events today the blood bank is running low, please if your able go donate,' one woman wrote. Another said: 'I work at the Blood Center, and we had to pack up so much of our supply for this, so please if you can donate blood, platelets, any of it, go do it.' Illinois Senator Doris Turner said she was 'heartbroken' by the tragedy. 'When we drop our kids off in the morning, we should always have the utmost belief that they will come home safely at the end of the day,' she wrote. 'For some families, that belief was shaken today following the tragedy at YNOT in Chatham. 'I am heartbroken - there truly are no words to explain what the Chatham community is feeling and will feel for days, weeks and months to come. 'I want to thank the first responders, law enforcement and volunteers.' The local Chick-Fil-A has offered all first responders a free meal on Monday and Tuesday in response to the tragedy. YNOT, which stands for Youth Needing Other Things, is a summer and after school camp offering three hours of care for busy parents with little ones. The Chatham Baptist Church has become the makeshift reunification point for families who have children at YNOT.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Girls killed after being mown down by mom-of-two who plowed into after-school club... as driver remains free
A school worker killed killed three young kids and a teen after a car she was driving plowed through an after-school program in Illinois. Marianne Akers's black Jeep rammed straight through the YNOT Outdoors Summer And After School Camp in Chatham, exiting the other side of the building about 3.20pm on Monday. Kathryn Corley and Alma Buhnerkempe, both seven, Ainsley Johnson, eight, and Rylee Britton, 18, died from blunt force trauma injuries, the coroner said. Six other children were injured, one of whom is still in critical condition. Two of them were identified as Mia and Emma. Three of the victims were hit by the Jeep as they stood outside the building, while the fourth person who died was inside the building, police said. The six injured children were rushed to hospital, including one with injuries so severe they had to be airlifted for treatment. 'Postmortem procedures done today indicate that they all died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the incident,' Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said. Akers is understood to have crashed her car into the east side of the school facility with such force that it burst out the other side seconds later. 'The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but this does not appear to be a targeted attack,' Illinois State Police said. After the shocking incident Akers, 44, was filmed in handcuffs wearing a dark gray T-shirt. She was uninjured despite crashing through walls. She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation with toxicology results still pending, but was not placed under arrest. 'Akers is not in custody at this time as the cause of the crash remains under investigation,' Illinois State Police said. Chatham Police Department debunked rampant social media rumors that Akers was drunk and failed a field sobriety test after the crash. 'This is not true. Please stop sharing this,' the department's Facebook page commented on a post claiming Akers was arrested for a suspected DUI. Akers is a food service worker at Chatham Elementary School and a mother of two children - a teenage boy and girl. Ainsley's grandfather Galen Johnson mourned her online with a photo of her in an adorable fancy dress outfit. 'Words alone cannot express the pain we in the Johnson family are feeling with the loss of granddaughter Ainsley Grace Johnson. Love you "Squirt!"' he wrote. Ainsley was a dancer at Studio M Dance Centre, where her teacher Mariah Clark promised to always remember her. 'Ainsley brought so much light and joy into my class, she always gave me a little hip-hop tude and I lived for it,' she said. 'Her smile was so bright, her personality was already so big at such a young age, and she danced like she meant it. I will forever keep Ainsley in my heart.' Britton was a senior at Glenwood High School and like many of the students who helped run the program, planned to be a teacher. 'One of my favorite things about her was how she was unconditionally nice to everyone,' a classmate said. 'She was super-intelligent and always made people laugh.' A fundraiser for the victims and their families has already attracted more than $75,000 in donations. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed his horror, writing: 'Parents said goodbye to their kids this morning not knowing it would be the last time. 'Our community lost a group of bright and innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them. 'Let's wrap our arms around the community tonight as we receive updates on the situation.' Devastated locals recalled the moment their neighbors, friends, and loved ones learned of the tragedy and rushed to the scene. 'Watching people you know sprint past your house, not knowing if their children are safe, is a gut-wrenching experience. My heart aches for everyone,' one wrote. Employees and volunteers at the local blood bank, ImpactLife, urged locals to give blood as they drained much of their stockpile helping victims of the crash. 'After the tragic events today the blood bank is running low, please if your able go donate,' one woman wrote. Another said: 'I work at the blood center, and we had to pack up so much of our supply for this, so please if you can donate blood, platelets, any of it, go do it.' Shock speed: Akers is understood to have crashed her car into the side of the school facility with such force that it burst out the other side seconds later Illinois Senator Doris Turner said she was 'heartbroken' by the tragedy. 'When we drop our kids off in the morning, we should always have the utmost belief that they will come home safely at the end of the day,' she wrote. 'For some families, that belief was shaken today following the tragedy at YNOT in Chatham. 'I am heartbroken - there truly are no words to explain what the Chatham community is feeling and will feel for days, weeks and months to come. 'I want to thank the first responders, law enforcement and volunteers.'
Bloomberg
13-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Election 2025: Vote Sweeteners Unveiled
By Good morning and welcome back, it's Ainsley here with all the news you need to kick the short working week ahead of the Easter break. Today's must-reads: • Albanese, Dutton launch election campaigns • PM approval rises to highest point in 11 months • Monash IVF shares plunge after embryo mix-up The election campaigns kicked off. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to allow all first-time home buyers to purchase their residence with as little as a 5% deposit and to provide A$10 billion to build 100,000 homes reserved for those entering the property market. Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he would allow a limited number of first-time home buyers to deduct their mortgage interest payments from their taxes for five years, in addition to offering voters a one-time cost-of-living tax cut in the financial year ending June 2026.
