Latest news with #Batchelor
1News
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- 1News
'Frustrated locals' lash out: Tauranga parking machines vandalised
"Frustrated locals" have vandalised parking machines in Tauranga in an attempt to stall paid parking, a business owner believes. Four Tauranga City Council parking terminals have been damaged in the past 10 days and will each cost about $2000 to fix. Rutherford Signs director Matt Batchelor believed the two machines on Glasgow St and Third Ave were damaged with hammers. "Frustrated locals have now resorted to vandalising the new, very expensive-looking paid parking terminals with hammers in an effort to delay progress [of paid parking]." Paid parking in the city centre fringe begins on Monday, August 18. ADVERTISEMENT It was meant to start on August 4 but was delayed a fortnight to allow time for residents' permits to be implemented. On-street parking between the eastern end of Fourth Ave and Park St, north of the CBD, will cost $1 an hour for the first two hours and $2 for every subsequent hour until 5pm, to a maximum of $10 on weekdays. New two-hour parking limits also apply to some CBD-fringe streets, as far south as Eighth Ave. A map showing the new paid parking and time limited areas in Tauranga. (Source: Taurangs City Council) Batchelor said his Glasgow St business did not have enough parking for his staff, and they were looking to him to cover the cost. If he were to cover their parking, it would cost $14,400 a year when things were "already tough", he said. Unlike the CBD, the area of Glasgow and First, Second and Third Ave West was primarily industrial, not retail. ADVERTISEMENT "The only people being financially penalised here are the business owners and their staff." Council city centre infrastructure lead Shawn Geard said the estimated cost to repair each machine was $2000 because the machine head would need replacing. A machine on Dive Cres and one on Devonport Rd had also been damaged, he said. The cost of a new machine was $11,500 for a cash machine and $9200 for a contactless card-only machine. The damaged machines would not delay the CBD fringe paid parking, he said. The council appreciated that decisions around paid parking could often result in frustration, but people needed to know vandalising machines did not have an impact on parking enforcement. "Rather, it adds an additional cost to council, and makes it more difficult for residents, workers, customers and visitors to conveniently pay for parking. ADVERTISEMENT "For any person who chooses to express their frustration in this manner, we have CCTV cameras operating throughout the city centre. "Any instances of wilful/intentional damage will be investigated and, where applicable, reported to the police." A report was filed with police about the vandalism of the Devonport Rd machine, and reports would be filed for the three other machines, he said. He hoped the replacement parts would arrive so the machines would be working by Monday. People could pay for parking through the PayMyPark app if the machines were not working. Anyone who had an issue with the app should contact the council, Geard said. The council could not guarantee parking meters would work at all times because of situations such as vandalism. ADVERTISEMENT "If someone parks within a paid parking area, they will still need to ensure they make payment, which may mean needing to find the nearest undamaged meter." A variety of people, including workers, customers and visitors, used Glasgow St and First, Second and Third Aves, Geard said. The extension of paid parking into those areas was to ensure regular turnover of the on-street parks to improve access for everyone. The council aimed to achieve 85% occupancy across all its parking, Geard said. This supported high use but allowed people to find parks when they wanted one. City centre workers were encouraged to use parking buildings, off-street options, or consider public transport and active travel modes such as cycling and walking. Police said anyone who saw property being damaged or vandalised should call 111 if it was happening now or 105 if it was after the fact. ADVERTISEMENT LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL Europe 2 video: Levi Batchelor pulls of rare submission with confusing finish
Levi Batchelor pulled off a rare submission that initially caused some confusion. At 2025 PFL Europe 2: Brussels, Batchelor (2-0) locked up an Ezekiel choke on Fahdi Khaled late in the fight at ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium. As the squeeze got tighter, Khaled (2-1) appeared to punch Batchelor's back, but in reality, it was a closed-fist tap. Batchelor tried to tell the referee his opponent was tapping, and let go of the choke. The referee stepped in close to monitor, but didn't stop the fight until after Batchelor released the choke and realized Khaled was out of it. Check out video of the finish below (via X):
Rhyl Journal
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
James Batchelor hopes to follow in brother Joe's footsteps and win Challenge Cup
While major silverware still eludes the 27-year-old Rovers second rower, older brother Joe won the prestigious trophy with St Helens in 2021 and also has two Grand Final triumphs to his name. James credits his riotous introduction to rugby league to the impact of his brother – his senior by three years – and is determined to emulate him when the Robins get another chance to end their 40-year trophyless streak against Warrington. Batchelor told the PA news agency: 'I definitely want what my brother's got. He's already got one and I want one to match it, and although there's always been a rivalry between us I'm sure he wants me to get one because he knows how much it means to me.' Batchelor admits the sibling rivalry between the pair was not always so healthy when they were growing up in West Yorkshire, with the younger brother eager to prove himself in games against much bigger and more physical friends. 'It could get pretty fierce at times,' recalled Batchelor. 'We were at each other 24-7, kicking lumps out of each other in the garden, and we drove our mum up the wall. 'But it definitely drove us both on, and I got used to playing with him and his mates who were a lot older than me. When they're all going through growth spurts and I'm not growing, it definitely toughens you up because you have to get on with it and you get no sympathy at that age.' Since joining Rovers in 2023, Batchelor has been integral to the club's rise to the top of the Super League table, but was also part of the setbacks of losing the 2023 Challenge Cup final in heartbreaking fashion to Leigh, and last year's Grand Final against Wigan at Old Trafford. Batchelor believes those tough losses have equipped his club to kick on and put an end to a much-publicised streak without silverware, which stretches back to Rovers' 1985 title win in what was then the Slalom Lager League. 'There's a lot of factors that add up, including the excitement of being back at Wembley for the second time in three years, but also having that motivation to get rid of the hurt of those two losses and go one better this time,' he added. 'We said after the 2023 final that we could either fade away or learn from it and kick on, and that's what we did. Every setback we've had at this club in recent years, we've been able to work on it and come back stronger. 'The 40-year thing is also a big deal, the taunting our supporters get about it, many of whom have been with us a long time and have been through it. 'All these things fuel the fire towards Saturday, and we definitely want to go out and win the trophy for our fans.'
Glasgow Times
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
James Batchelor hopes to follow in brother Joe's footsteps and win Challenge Cup
While major silverware still eludes the 27-year-old Rovers second rower, older brother Joe won the prestigious trophy with St Helens in 2021 and also has two Grand Final triumphs to his name. James credits his riotous introduction to rugby league to the impact of his brother – his senior by three years – and is determined to emulate him when the Robins get another chance to end their 40-year trophyless streak against Warrington. Batchelor told the PA news agency: 'I definitely want what my brother's got. He's already got one and I want one to match it, and although there's always been a rivalry between us I'm sure he wants me to get one because he knows how much it means to me.' James Batchelor is determined to match the exploits of older brother Joe at Wembley (Mike Egerton/PA) Batchelor admits the sibling rivalry between the pair was not always so healthy when they were growing up in West Yorkshire, with the younger brother eager to prove himself in games against much bigger and more physical friends. 'It could get pretty fierce at times,' recalled Batchelor. 'We were at each other 24-7, kicking lumps out of each other in the garden, and we drove our mum up the wall. 'But it definitely drove us both on, and I got used to playing with him and his mates who were a lot older than me. When they're all going through growth spurts and I'm not growing, it definitely toughens you up because you have to get on with it and you get no sympathy at that age.' Since joining Rovers in 2023, Batchelor has been integral to the club's rise to the top of the Super League table, but was also part of the setbacks of losing the 2023 Challenge Cup final in heartbreaking fashion to Leigh, and last year's Grand Final against Wigan at Old Trafford. Batchelor believes those tough losses have equipped his club to kick on and put an end to a much-publicised streak without silverware, which stretches back to Rovers' 1985 title win in what was then the Slalom Lager League. 'There's a lot of factors that add up, including the excitement of being back at Wembley for the second time in three years, but also having that motivation to get rid of the hurt of those two losses and go one better this time,' he added. 'We said after the 2023 final that we could either fade away or learn from it and kick on, and that's what we did. Every setback we've had at this club in recent years, we've been able to work on it and come back stronger. 'The 40-year thing is also a big deal, the taunting our supporters get about it, many of whom have been with us a long time and have been through it. 'All these things fuel the fire towards Saturday, and we definitely want to go out and win the trophy for our fans.'
North Wales Chronicle
05-06-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
James Batchelor hopes to follow in brother Joe's footsteps and win Challenge Cup
While major silverware still eludes the 27-year-old Rovers second rower, older brother Joe won the prestigious trophy with St Helens in 2021 and also has two Grand Final triumphs to his name. James credits his riotous introduction to rugby league to the impact of his brother – his senior by three years – and is determined to emulate him when the Robins get another chance to end their 40-year trophyless streak against Warrington. Batchelor told the PA news agency: 'I definitely want what my brother's got. He's already got one and I want one to match it, and although there's always been a rivalry between us I'm sure he wants me to get one because he knows how much it means to me.' Batchelor admits the sibling rivalry between the pair was not always so healthy when they were growing up in West Yorkshire, with the younger brother eager to prove himself in games against much bigger and more physical friends. 'It could get pretty fierce at times,' recalled Batchelor. 'We were at each other 24-7, kicking lumps out of each other in the garden, and we drove our mum up the wall. 'But it definitely drove us both on, and I got used to playing with him and his mates who were a lot older than me. When they're all going through growth spurts and I'm not growing, it definitely toughens you up because you have to get on with it and you get no sympathy at that age.' Since joining Rovers in 2023, Batchelor has been integral to the club's rise to the top of the Super League table, but was also part of the setbacks of losing the 2023 Challenge Cup final in heartbreaking fashion to Leigh, and last year's Grand Final against Wigan at Old Trafford. Batchelor believes those tough losses have equipped his club to kick on and put an end to a much-publicised streak without silverware, which stretches back to Rovers' 1985 title win in what was then the Slalom Lager League. 'There's a lot of factors that add up, including the excitement of being back at Wembley for the second time in three years, but also having that motivation to get rid of the hurt of those two losses and go one better this time,' he added. 'We said after the 2023 final that we could either fade away or learn from it and kick on, and that's what we did. Every setback we've had at this club in recent years, we've been able to work on it and come back stronger. 'The 40-year thing is also a big deal, the taunting our supporters get about it, many of whom have been with us a long time and have been through it. 'All these things fuel the fire towards Saturday, and we definitely want to go out and win the trophy for our fans.'
