Latest news with #BillJohnson
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Trump pulls $156 million for solar panels in Florida
The Trump administration revoked $156 million in grant money that would have helped low-income residents in Florida afford solar panels, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Why it matters: Hundreds of people had already applied for these funds, and many were eligible for grants or subsidies to install solar panels, which would have helped them offset rising electricity costs. Catch up quick: The Trump administration pulled the funds amid efforts to roll back the Solar For All program, according to the Times. Three nonprofits — Solar and Energy Loan Fund, Solar United Neighbors, and The Nature Conservancy in Florida — had put in for the grant. The termination letter sent to these nonprofits references the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which also advanced the sunset of the 30% tax credit for residential solar installations to year's end. The big picture: Florida's average retail residential price for 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity increased from 13.62 cents to 14.98 cents between May 2024 and May 2025. That's an increase of about 10%, according to the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. What they're saying: " Now more than ever, Floridians need clean, affordable solar power and the added resiliency it provides during storms," Bill Johnson, who runs solar company Brilliant Harvest in Sarasota, told the Times.
CTV News
31-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
How wildfire smoke is impacting youth sports in Winnipeg
From youth sports to the CFL, air quality is having an impact on games and practices. CTV's Jeff Keele reports. Smoke from wildfires in Manitoba is forcing organizations to cancel events and activities in Winnipeg. Air quality warnings – issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)– have been in effect for much of the week as fires continue to burn in northern and eastern Manitoba. ECCC cautions heavy smoke conditions are a health risk for everyone especially seniors, pregnant women, and children. The weather agency encourages people to limit time outdoors and to monitor symptoms like eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, or a mild cough. It also warns people experiencing more severe symptoms like wheezing, chest pains, or a severe cough should seek medical assistance. Concerns over the negative health impacts have forced youth sports organizations to cancel or postpone events and practices. 'The air quality is a massive concern where obviously kids' health is first and foremost,' Bill Johnson, Football Manitoba's executive director, told CTV News. Johnson said volunteers who help run football clubs are finding ways to get games in when the air quality improves. 'It hasn't gotten to the point where we've lost any tackle events yet, but we did lose our provincial flag championships this year. The entire event was cancelled,' Johnson said. Meantime, the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association (WYSA) said it lost several tournament games in late May and early June because of air quality issues. Scott Dixon, WYSA's executive director, said they're juggling some league games too. 'Cancellations and then rescheduling for later on in the season,' Dixon said. 'Hopefully we can play those matches, but it depends on how the weather is going to be.' Andrew Halayko, a research chair in lung pathobiology and treatment at the University of Manitoba, says children may be more vulnerable to wildfire smoke than adults. 'With a perhaps undeveloped immune system, they haven't seen the exposures you have as an adult and built up some of the resistance,' Halayko explained. He says the university has received funding for a lab to study the long-term health impacts of car exhaust and wildfire smoke. 'We already have generations of the population that have been exposed to bad air and we don't know what's coming decades from now.'
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Manitoba takes home gold at U-18 Indigenous Cup
Manitoba plays against Alberta at the U-18 Indigenous Cup on July 6, 2025. (Daniel Timmerman/CTV News) Manitoba took home the gold at this year's Under-18 Indigenous Cup. Football Manitoba held the tournament from Thursday to Sunday at the St. Vital Mustangs field as tackle football players from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario competed. The event culminated with a gold medal match between Manitoba and Alberta on Sunday, with Team Manitoba coming out victorious on home soil. 'What a fantastic ending to the tournament,' said Bill Johnson, executive director of Football Manitoba. 'The fact that it came down to last-second plays and laterals and big comebacks and all these things going on. It was so much fun, and I think everyone really enjoyed it.' Manitoba's U-18 Indigenous Cup roster included 27 players from all across the province. This year's jersey's featured updated language to represent the communities, bands and tribes that make up the team. 'It's a unique experience for these kids in the sense that it's a high-level sport…but also there's a cultural component built into it and there's pride in the fact that we're not just football players, but we're Indigenous football players,' Johnson said. 'I think that's a really neat thing that we're able to offer that opportunity to these kids.' - With files from CTV's Harrison Shin and Daniel Timmerman.
Axios
23-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Mesa gives historic neon signs a new life
Neon signs from downtown Mesa's past are getting a new lease on life. Why it matters: Historic preservation advocates have spent more than a decade saving iconic Main Street signs from the wrecking ball. Now, they'll be showcased. State of play: The city of Mesa and Mesa Preservation Foundation opened its Neon Garden last week behind The Post building downtown. Zoom in: The garden features five restored signs from the 1940s-1970s and one replica: Bill Johnson's Big Apple: The towering western-themed sign was a focal point in downtown from 1977 to 2018. Watson's Flowers: This 30-foot sign from the '50s collapsed during a windstorm in 2014 and was donated to the Mesa Preservation Foundation in 2019. Dairy Queen: A porcelain ice cream cone is the centerpiece of this sign, which sat atop the old-school Dairy Queen near the Mesa Mormon Temple until its 2018 closure. Smiley Ford: The sign is believed to have been installed around 1960, when the city's first Ford dealership relocated to Main Street and Mesa Drive. Frontier Motel: The sign marked one of the nearly 60 motels that dotted Main Street in the '50s. Diving Lady replica: The animated "diving lady" sign still standing outside the Starlite Motel was nearly destroyed during a 2010 microburst. The community rallied to raise funds to restore it, and it was relit in 2013. It marked the beginning of the Mesa Preservation Foundation's quest to save neon signs, so the city commissioned a smaller replica version to display in the Neon Garden. What's next: The Mesa Preservation Foundation has salvaged 15 other signs still in need of restoration, president Vic Linoff told The Arizona Republic.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cafaro Foundation donates millions toward YSU Kilcawley Center renovation
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The Cafaro Foundation has jumped to the top of a growing donor list Thursday with a $3 million donation to the Kilcawley Centered on the Future campaign. Kilcawley Center closed Monday, just after graduation weekend, for the start of renovations, which are expected to take more than two years to complete. Some updates include a new black-box theater, a revamped Chestnut Room for large gatherings, flexible meeting rooms, a new dining area, and indoor and outdoor areas. The project is anticipated to come with a $50 million price tag, covered by loans and aided by donations that keep coming. This donation puts the Cafaro family into YSU's highest notable giving society, the Penguin Pinnacle, which accounts for contributions to the university from donors of $5 million or greater. 'We are thankful and deeply grateful for the Cafaro family's continued support of our university,' said YSU President Bill Johnson. 'This gift reflects their dedication to YSU's student community and further acknowledges their belief in the critical role YSU plays in the social, cultural, and economic vitality of our region.' The Cafaros' support for YSU dates to the 1960s. William M. Cafaro was a key advocate for Youngstown University becoming a state public university in 1968. He also was one of the founders and one of the first board members of the YSU Foundation. Other significant contributors include former university president Jim Tressel and his wife Ellen, alumnus Dr. George Young, The Hynes Finnegan Foundations, Board of Trustees member Joe Kerola and his wife Pam, The John S. and Doris M. Andrews Memorial Fund, and more. YSU's website includes a breakdown of the project, a timeline of what will be closed when and where offices have been relocated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
