Latest news with #AnnaMaria
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Travel + Leisure
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Travel + Leisure
Yes, You Can Buy a Golf Cart at Amazon—and We Found an Electric, 4-seat Option for $8K
What says summer more than cruising around a beach town in a golf cart? If you frequent some of Florida's communities or islands like Amelia, Anna Maria, and Captiva, where open-air low-speed vehicles (LSVs) seem to outnumber actual cars, you know this freeing feeling. Golf carts are not just legal to drive in parts of the Sunshine State, but they're actually encouraged. The state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says as long as they stay off the highways, golf carts provide a 'great way to enjoy local communities and natural spaces.' Some other locales across the U.S. are adopting this laid-back mindset and welcoming these 'vehicles' on the streets: Highland, Utah; Monroe, Michigan; and Shelbyville, Indiana, are just a few places where golf carts are newly street-legal as of 2025. This summer, in addition to perfecting your beach packing list, why not get your own set of wheels? Cruise the neighborhood, take it to the campground, or bring it on your beach vacation (check the LSV laws, obviously)—we'll save you a trip to the dealership with this golf cart we found at Amazon. Adding to the list of strange and unexpected things you can buy at Amazon (including entire homes), this electric-powered golf cart comes from Dallas-headquartered off-road recreational vehicle seller Kandi America and is just over $8,000. That's on the lower end of the pricing spectrum, as new models can cost, on average, as much as $15,000 to $20,000. The cart seats four, thanks to the inclusion of a rear bench, and the hard-shell roof extends over the back to keep all passengers dry and shaded. It comes equipped with electric power steering and a backup camera that connects to the seven-inch LCD screen to make it easy to maneuver—you don't want to end up on one of those 'golf cart fail' compilations. The cart reaches a full charge in 6.5 hours, and it doesn't need any special plug-ins—it's compatible with a 120-volt outlet, which is the standard outlet in the U.S. Fully charged, the 5,000-watt motor should be good for about 28 miles. If you were to drive only at its top speed—20 mph—you'd be able to go for almost an hour and a half without needing to charge. Reviewers love how much quieter the electric motor is than gas-powered carts, which is an especially important feature in campgrounds. They're impressed with the suspension and that it sits higher off the ground than other models, claiming it 'rides like a Jeep' out on the trails. 'It's loaded up with incredible features, and the design is fantastic,' one wrote, deeming it a 'head-turner.' There's an even more jazzed-up version with a 28-inch soundbar and LED lighting system for an extra fee. In case you're wondering how your regular Amazon delivery driver will get this 1,500-pound package off the truck, the brand assures the cart will come to you via freight, and you can choose your own delivery time. In terms of brand reputation (because buying any vehicle on the internet raises questions), Kandi American is a well-known manufacturer you can find at Lowe's and other big-name dealers. Though it's one of the more affordable golf carts we've found at Amazon, it's surprisingly not the only option. We discovered alternatives ranging from a Kandi six-seater to a $14,000 solar-charging cart on sale for $11,000. Shop around for a fresh, new summer ride, below. For families and bigger groups, this six-seater version of the Kandi America golf cart might be more practical. It has most of the same features as the four-seater, but with an extra row of seats and a bit more range (37 miles on a single charge, the brand says). Despite the larger size, it still plugs into a normal electrical outlet. $14,000 $11,000 at Amazon Going for 56 miles on a charge, this is the cart with the highest range that we found at Amazon. The luxe cruiser has a slightly higher-powered 51.2-volt lithium battery and a 400-watt solar panel on the roof, which alone can charge the battery from zero percent to full in 48 hours. High-tech amenities include the 10-inch LCD screen, Bluetooth, and Apple AirPlay. At the time of publishing, the price started at $8,099. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What does the UK-EU deal mean for holidays and jobs? Your questions answered
Many of you have been submitting questions to Your Voice, Your BBC News about the deal signed this week between the UK and European Union. Your questions have touched on a range of issues, including jobs, food and travel. Our experts have been digging into the detail to figure out what the deal means for you and your family. Anna Maria, a dental student studying in Bulgaria, asked about mutual recognition of professional qualifications, which was a Labour Party manifesto pledge. Our political reporter Becky Morton has looked into the details of the deal. In its manifesto last year, Labour said it would seek to "secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications, external to help open up markets for UK service exporters". That would mean professionals such as doctors, lawyers and accountants who qualified in one country could practice in another with minimal extra bureaucracy - a system already in place across the EU. Monday's deal promises to set up "dedicated dialogues" on the recognition of professional qualifications, but a full agreement could take much longer to negotiate. Such an agreement would make it easier for British companies to move staff between the UK and EU and undertake short-term work in Europe. However, there may be less incentive for the EU to agree a deal, given the current situation makes it harder for UK firms to compete for business in Europe. Malcolm in Bristol wanted more clarity on what the agreement will mean for passport queues for UK citizens visiting the EU. Our transport correspondent Simon Browning explains. While some EU ports and airports already allow UK citizens to use modern e-gates, many do not and queues have become familiar to holidaymakers. The new agreement provides more clarity on e-gates and sets out that in the future, UK citizens will be able to use them - but the EU Commission says that will not come into force in time for this summer. However, the UK government has indicated it is hopeful there could be changes in time for the summer, so the timeline still appears to be up for debate. The EU says there will be no change before a new EU border security scheme comes into force in October, which will see biometric data including fingerprints collected from passengers coming from non-EU countries such as the UK. It will mean manned desks where people will have to queue in order to enter some EU countries could still be a feature of travel beyond this year, even if e-gate usage becomes more widely available. In short, that will mean long queues at some destinations could continue during this holiday season and perhaps beyond. Any decision about UK citizens using e-gates will not be a blanket one across the bloc. Instead, it will be up to individual countries to decide how they manage queues at their borders. We have received a lot of questions about pet passports. Our political correspondent Jack Fenwick has looked into when the scheme will be up and running. In short, we just do not know yet whether there will be any change in time for this summer. The agreement between the UK and EU commits to introducing a new passport system which would make it easier for people to travel with their pets and end the need to acquire repeat vet certificates. Many British holidaymakers will be keen for these rules to be introduced in time for their trip this year. However, so-called pet passports come under a part of the deal known as the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement - and while the UK and EU have agreed to work together in this area, the full scope of it has not been fully fleshed out yet. Chris in Bristol asked whether UK farmers would have to accept EU regulations on food standards. Our business correspondent Simon Jack has assessed the impact. The new agreement removes the need for time consuming and costly veterinary checks and forms - but in return, the UK will have to align with EU food standards. As those regulations change, the UK will have to change too. The government insists it will have a say in how those rules develop and it may be able to negotiate exceptions - but they will not have a vote. The National Farmers Union has broadly welcomed the new deal because it provides easier and quicker access to a big market for perishable products, in which the speed that goods can be moved is important. Andy in Eastbourne asked whether this deal would allow for the free and unrestricted movement of musicians and bands on tour in Europe. Our political reporter Becky Morton answered. Since Brexit, British musicians have faced extra costs and red tape when touring Europe. The industry has been urging the government to find a solution and Labour's general election manifesto pledged to "help our touring artists" as part of negotiations with the EU. But the deal agreed on Monday only recognises the "value" of touring artists and promises to continue efforts "to support travel and cultural exchange". The UK says it will explore "how best to improve arrangements for touring across the European continent". Tom Kiehl, chief executive of UK Music, which represents the industry, welcomed this as "an important first step" but said the sector was seeking "more concrete commitments". Brian in Nottingham asked about any knock-on effect the agreement may have on the UK's ability to negotiate trade deals with other nations. Political correspondent Jack Fenwick looked into it for him. If the UK was to re-join the customs union or single market, there would be knock-on effects for other trade agreements, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership - but this relatively limited agreement does not go nearly that far. However, the UK will now effectively be a rule-taker when it comes to EU standards on food and farming exports - but the government is fairly comfortable with that for two reasons. Firstly, ministers do not want to lower food standards anyway, which we saw during recent trade negotiations with the US. Secondly, the level of trade the UK has with the EU massively outstrips other agreements signed in recent years. This UK-EU deal is expected to eventually boost the economy by around £9bn a year, largely from food, farming and energy trading. Compare that with the much broader agreement signed with India this year, which will bring economic benefits of around £5bn a year. Neil Heard asked whether people who owned properties in the EU before Brexit would be able to spend more time there? Political analyst Peter Barnes checked it out. There was nothing in the new agreement that would change the rules in this respect. If a UK citizen travels to the Schengen area, which covers most of the EU and some other European countries, you do not need a visa but you can only stay for 90 days in any 180 day period. The rule applies even if the 90 days is made up of multiple trips, and also if you stay in more than one Schengen area country. It is the total number of days that counts. Ireland and Cyprus are not in the Schengen area and UK citizens have the right to live and work in Ireland - but for people with holiday homes in France and other EU countries, the rules are not changing. The Schengen agreement abolished many of Europe's internal borders, allowing freedom of movement between the countries which are signed up to it. A reader in Scotland asked about the impact on the local fishing industry. Scotland editor James Cook spelled out what it means for the whole of the UK. To understand what has gone on, we need to go back to when the UK was a member of the EU. Back then, fishing quotas were governed by the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) under which EU boats could catch fish in UK waters and vice versa. This was very unpopular with many UK fishermen who complained, accurately, that under the CFP they caught far fewer fish in EU waters than EU fishermen caught in UK waters. After Brexit, the UK and the EU agreed that EU vessels could still fish in UK waters until 30 June 2026, but that 25% of the EU's quota in UK waters (by value of fish landings) would gradually be transferred to the UK. From 1 July 2026, EU-UK deals for fishing access were going to be negotiated annually. But this new deal maintains the current position in terms of EU access to UK waters for 12 years, a move criticised by the Scottish Fishermen's Federation as a "total capitulation" by the UK government. Downing Street stressed that the EU quota in UK waters has not increased, and says the deal provides certainty - as well as streamlining the process for selling UK fish and shellfish in the EU. Five unanswered questions in UK-EU deal The new UK-EU deal at a glance Who are the winners and losers from the UK-EU agreement?
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anna Maria College in Paxton put on notice by acceditation panel
PAXTON — After an oversight commission questioned finances at Anna Maria College, the school has heightened its focus on cost-cutting and increasing its enrollment. Anna Maria, which has seen a drop in students in some areas in recent years, is readying for new leadership, with Sean Ryan, an administrator at Bellarmine University in Kentucky, due to replace Mary Lou Retelle in July. The school recently underwent a review of its finances by the New England Commission of Higher Education, an accreditation source. On March 6, the commission determined that Anna Maria is in danger of not meeting its Standard on Institutional Resources. In a joint statement by the commission and Anna Maria, the commission questioned whether changes made by the school "will be sufficient for the institution to return to financial stability and compliance with its debt service covenant." The meeting ended with an agreement that the commission would monitor the school's standing through spring 2026. "We will continue to work in partnership with NECHE concerning the Institutional Resources standard," Retelle, the outgoing Anna Maria president, said in a statement. "The strong work that has been conducted to address variables accentuated by the pandemic is ongoing. We continue to provide our students with a high-quality, service-focused education that advances the mission that has guided this institution for 79 years." Anna Maria in 2022 announced it was discontinuing three of its music majors. At the time, the college said efforts to boost the number of students had fallen short. In July 2024, Retelle, who became the head of Anna Maria in 2015, said that the current school year would be her last. She is retiring, she said. On March 6, the same day as the meeting of the New England Commission of Higher Education, the school announced that Ryan would be the new president. He is a senior vice president at Bellarmine, a school of about 3,000 students in Louisville. Earlier in his career, he was chief enrollment officer at Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire. The New England Commission of Higher Education accredits more than 200 schools that award degrees. Anna Maria's accreditation dates to 1955, not long after Sisters of Saint Anne, a Marlborough-based order, took over the 290-acre Paxton estate known as Mooracres. More: Graphics explain: How has college enrollment changed in the past decade? This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Anna Maria College put on notice by acceditation panel
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Reminder of 'devastating impact of hate...urgent need for justice': Birmingham church-bombing survivor speaks at Anna Maria
PAXTON — Sarah Collins Rudolph did not see the moment her life changed forever. She did not see the crater in the floor of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was getting ready for church on the morning of Sept. 15, 1963. She did not see the hole blown out of the back wall of the church — and she did not see the bodies of the four girls including her sister Addie Mae Collins, who were so utterly destroyed by the explosion that one of the girls could only be identified by a ring she was wearing. Rudolph didn't see any of this — she was blinded by over 20 pieces of broken glass cutting into her eyes, which left her in the hospital for months. Rudolph eventually regained vision in one eye after multiple surgeries. "When I got to the hospital, I asked where Addie was and I was told she was hurt up bad, but she was going to visit me tomorrow," Rudolph said. "When I came back from surgery, my mother told me that all of the girls were dead. All I could think about was why they would want to kill little girls? I wanted to cry, but I couldn't because my eyes were filled with glass." Rudolph is the only surviving victim of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, one of the most infamous moments of domestic terrorism in United States' history and a landmark tragedy of the civil rights movement. Now a motivational speaker, Rudolph visited Anna Maria College Monday afternoon to speak as part of the college's Black History Month programming. "Sarah Collins Rudolph is not just a witness to history, she is a part of it," Sherman Cowan, chief diversity officer at Anna Maria, said. "Sarah's story does not end with that horrific event. Despite the trauma, physical pain and injustice of never receiving proper restitution or even an apology, she chose to speak out, tell her story and honor the lives of those who were lost, and to remind us all of the devastating impact of hate and the urgent need for justice." Rudolph was 12 years old when she sat in the basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church, alongside her 14-year-old sister Addie, and Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14) and Carol Denise McNair (11). "We had no idea what we were headed into that day. We had just gone downstairs to freshen up before church," Rudolph said. "Growing up, the entire city was segregated. When we went to try on shoes at the shoe store, we had to wrap pieces of paper around our feet because Black people were not allowed to try on shoes in the store." Sarah Collins Rudolph, only surviving victim of 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Alabama in 1963 Birmingham had been at the center of the civil rights movement for a number of years. Earlier in 1963, the city had been home to a major protest where hundreds of Black residents were arrested while protesting for their right to vote. The city had gained national notoriety for its enforcement of segregation, led by Public Safety Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor and Alabama Gov. George Wallace. "Growing up, the entire city was segregated. When we went to try on shoes at the shoe store, we had to wrap pieces of paper around our feet because Black people were not allowed to try on shoes in the store," Rudolph said. The 16th Street Baptist Church had become a meeting place for civil rights organizations in the city, with Martin Luther King Jr., as well as other prominent activists from the Baptist community such as Ralph Abernathy and Fred Shuttlesworth, frequently using the church as a meeting place. Bombings in the city of Black houses and public gathering spaces was common in Birmingham. The Washington Post reported that there were at least 21 separate incidents where Black-owned properties were bombed in the city in the eight years prior to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. When Rudolph speaks, she does not use the energized rhetoric of a college professor or the passionate fury of a practiced minister. Instead, she talks in a very easy, comfortable style, ripped straight out of her hometown of Birmingham, where she still lives today. She credits her faith in God for allowing her to survive that awful day. "By the grace of God I am here today, a walking miracle," Rudolph said. In the aftermath of the bombing, Rudolph was able to finish high school and attempted to ignore the trauma that had been inflicted on her by the bombing, while her family sought to seek justice for her sister. For Rudolph, that justice was delayed. Despite the fact that the FBI had identified four known Ku Klux Klan members, Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., Herman Frank Cash, Robert Edward Chambliss and Bobby Frank Cherry by 1965 as the primary perpetrators of the bombing, there were no convictions until 1977, when Chambliss was convicted of first-degree murder. Blanton and Cherry would be convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001 and 2002, respectively, while Cash died in 1994 and was never tried for his alleged involvement. "It took such a long time to bring these men to justice and I was angry for a long time because the City of Birmingham knew who they were. Bob Chambliss' daughter said that he would brag at the dinner table about how he blew up four (N-words)," Rudolph said. Rudolph said that despite the lack of immediate justice, she has been able to forgive the perpetrators for what they did and credits her faith for allowing her to move on with her life. "I just had this angry look on my face, all the time, and people would ask me what was wrong and I would say that, 'I just look like this,'" Rudolph said. "I knew that in my heart, I had to forgive those men for what they had done because I couldn't go around being so angry all the time." Rudolph, 74, now spends her time crisscrossing the country and telling her story, alongside her husband, George and sharing her story. She recently published a book, "The Fifth Little Girl" about her experience which is available for purchase. When asked about living during a time that saw civil rights gained and the recent policies by President Donald Trump that have drawn criticism for rolling back civil rights, Rudolph said she is frustrated but optimistic about the future. "They are trying to take our rights back. We've got someone in office right now, I don't want to even say his name, but I want to tell all of you, we are not going back," Rudolph said. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Birmingham church-bombing survivor speaks at Anna Maria
USA Today
11-02-2025
- General
- USA Today
Reminder of 'devastating impact of hate...urgent need for justice': Birmingham church-bombing survivor speaks at Anna Maria
AI-assisted summary Rudolph, who was blinded in the bombing, recounts the terror of segregation in Birmingham and the long fight for justice for the victims. Despite the trauma and delayed justice, Rudolph emphasizes forgiveness and shares her story as a testament to faith and resilience. The bombing, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, highlighted the rampant racism and violence faced by Black communities in the South. PAXTON — Sarah Collins Rudolph did not see the moment her life changed forever. She did not see the crater in the floor of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was getting ready for church on the morning of Sept. 15, 1963. She did not see the hole blown out of the back wall of the church — and she did not see the bodies of the four girls including her sister Addie Mae Collins, who were so utterly destroyed by the explosion that one of the girls could only be identified by a ring she was wearing. Rudolph didn't see any of this — she was blinded by over 20 pieces of broken glass cutting into her eyes, which left her in the hospital for months. Rudolph eventually regained vision in one eye after multiple surgeries. "When I got to the hospital, I asked where Addie was and I was told she was hurt up bad, but she was going to visit me tomorrow," Rudolph said. "When I came back from surgery, my mother told me that all of the girls were dead. All I could think about was why they would want to kill little girls? I wanted to cry, but I couldn't because my eyes were filled with glass." Rudolph is the only surviving victim of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, one of the most infamous moments of domestic terrorism in United States' history and a landmark tragedy of the civil rights movement. Now a motivational speaker, Rudolph visited Anna Maria College Monday afternoon to speak as part of the college's Black History Month programming. "Sarah Collins Rudolph is not just a witness to history, she is a part of it," Sherman Cowan, chief diversity officer at Anna Maria, said. "Sarah's story does not end with that horrific event. Despite the trauma, physical pain and injustice of never receiving proper restitution or even an apology, she chose to speak out, tell her story and honor the lives of those who were lost, and to remind us all of the devastating impact of hate and the urgent need for justice." Rudolph was 12 years old when she sat in the basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church, alongside her 14-year-old sister Addie, and Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14) and Carol Denise McNair (11). "We had no idea what we were headed into that day. We had just gone downstairs to freshen up before church," Rudolph said. Birmingham at center of the civil rights movement then "Growing up, the entire city was segregated. When we went to try on shoes at the shoe store, we had to wrap pieces of paper around our feet because Black people were not allowed to try on shoes in the store." Sarah Collins Rudolph, only surviving victim of 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Alabama in 1963 Birmingham had been at the center of the civil rights movement for a number of years. Earlier in 1963, the city had been home to a major protest where hundreds of Black residents were arrested while protesting for their right to vote. The city had gained national notoriety for its enforcement of segregation, led by Public Safety Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor and Alabama Gov. George Wallace. "Growing up, the entire city was segregated. When we went to try on shoes at the shoe store, we had to wrap pieces of paper around our feet because Black people were not allowed to try on shoes in the store," Rudolph said. The 16th Street Baptist Church had become a meeting place for civil rights organizations in the city, with Martin Luther King Jr., as well as other prominent activists from the Baptist community such as Ralph Abernathy and Fred Shuttlesworth, frequently using the church as a meeting place. Bombings in the city of Black houses and public gathering spaces was common in Birmingham. The Washington Post reported that there were at least 21 separate incidents where Black-owned properties were bombed in the city in the eight years prior to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. 'A Walking Miracle' When Rudolph speaks, she does not use the energized rhetoric of a college professor or the passionate fury of a practiced minister. Instead, she talks in a very easy, comfortable style, ripped straight out of her hometown of Birmingham, where she still lives today. She credits her faith in God for allowing her to survive that awful day. "By the grace of God I am here today, a walking miracle," Rudolph said. In the aftermath of the bombing, Rudolph was able to finish high school and attempted to ignore the trauma that had been inflicted on her by the bombing, while her family sought to seek justice for her sister. For Rudolph, that justice was delayed. Despite the fact that the FBI had identified four known Ku Klux Klan members, Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., Herman Frank Cash, Robert Edward Chambliss and Bobby Frank Cherry by 1965 as the primary perpetrators of the bombing, there were no convictions until 1977, when Chambliss was convicted of first-degree murder. Blanton and Cherry would be convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001 and 2002, respectively, while Cash died in 1994 and was never tried for his alleged involvement. "It took such a long time to bring these men to justice and I was angry for a long time because the City of Birmingham knew who they were. Bob Chambliss' daughter said that he would brag at the dinner table about how he blew up four (N-words)," Rudolph said. Rudolph said that despite the lack of immediate justice, she has been able to forgive the perpetrators for what they did and credits her faith for allowing her to move on with her life. "I just had this angry look on my face, all the time, and people would ask me what was wrong and I would say that, 'I just look like this,'" Rudolph said. "I knew that in my heart, I had to forgive those men for what they had done because I couldn't go around being so angry all the time." Rudolph, 74, now spends her time crisscrossing the country and telling her story, alongside her husband, George and sharing her story. She recently published a book, "The Fifth Little Girl" about her experience which is available for purchase. When asked about living during a time that saw civil rights gained and the recent policies by President Donald Trump that have drawn criticism for rolling back civil rights, Rudolph said she is frustrated but optimistic about the future. "They are trying to take our rights back. We've got someone in office right now, I don't want to even say his name, but I want to tell all of you, we are not going back," Rudolph said.
