Latest news with #BillParsons
BBC News
12-08-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Farm mechanics driving tractors across the UK for mental health
Three farm mechanics plan to drive vintage tractors from John O' Groats to Lands End in to raise money for a mental health Kitcher, 23, from Chideock near Bridport came up with the idea and hopes the challenge will raise awareness of the issues with mental health in the farming industry as friends Bill Parsons and Jack Macey, from Wooton Fitzpaine, will join him for the for the more than 800-mile charity drive which starts in Scotland on 8 will raise money for Will does, a young persons mental health charity set-up in memory of 14-year-old William Paddy from Dorset. Mr Kitcher admitted that he and some of his friends have struggled with their mental health and says "there's not enough help for farmers".He said farmers were "over-worked and over-think things and I think that's why people have been giving up lately and don't want to ask for help".A recent survey from the Farm Safety Foundation found 94% of UK farmers under 40 rank poor mental health as the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today."I just want to do a bit more to get help for people and raise awareness, there's not a lot I can do other than do some fundraising," Mr Kitcher said. 'Great experience' The trio have raised more than £1,000 so far and Mr Kitcher joked that there was a poster with his face on "on every lamp post in the local area", as friends and family have been showing Kitcher has 11 vintage tractors that he takes to shows and said he will take an old 1954 Fordson Major for the journey, with Mr Parsons taking a Ford said getting the old tractors ready has been a "walk in the park", despite having to completely rebuild the engine on Mr Macey's Nuffield 10/ vintage vehicles travel at an average speed of 18mph and they are hoping other drivers will be forgiving when stuck behind them on the Kitcher is anticipating it will take them between five to 10 days to complete the trek, which will see them camping along the said it will be a "great experience" for them all, especially for 21-year-old Mr Macey, who "has never left Dorset before". You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did you vote matter in Oregon's 2025 special election? Mandatory recounts say yes
More than 30 races from the May 20 special election are too close to call, triggering an automatic recount. 'I hear from a lot of people that they think their vote doesn't matter, and here we have the undeniable proof that it does," Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read stated in a news release. "These elections will have a major impact on Oregonians lives, from deciding how we manage our water to how we run schools and fight wildfires — and they'll be decided by just a few votes." In Lane County, the South Lane School District Position 7 was one of those too-close-to-call races. The two candidates are tree service business owner Bill Parsons and retired Weyerhaeuser millwright and current SLSD board member Jeff Gowing. Gowing was appointed to the vacant SLSD seat in 2024 and is a former mayor of Cottage Grove. According to Lane County's certified final election results, Gowing won over Parsons by just two votes out of 3,855. There were also three write-in votes. The recount for SLSD will begin on June 18. According to the Secretary of State's Office, automatic vote recounts in the state of Oregon are required when: There is a tie between candidates. The vote margin is very close. Specifically, when the difference between the apparent winning candidate and the next is 0.2% or less. All recounts in the state of Oregon must be hand-recounted by a counting board. A counting board consists of a minimum of two county electors, and the electors must be registered with different political parties. Many of the recounts have already begun. Here is a list of all the races that required a recount from the 2025 special election. Baker County West Eagle Valley Water Control District, at-large position. Clatsop County Seaside Rural Fire Protection district, director, position 2. Arch Cape Domestic Water Supply District, commissioner, position 2. Coos County Bunker Hill Rural Fire Protection District, position 3. Shelley Rd-Crest Acres Water District, position 3. Crook County Juniper Canyon Water Control District, position 4. Deschutes County Laidlaw Water District, Director, position 3. Grant County Grant County Transportation District. John Day Rural Fire District. Monument Cemetery District. Long Creek School District, Position 5. Gilliam County Rock Creek Water Control District Director Zone 2. Rock Creek Water Control District Zone 3. Klamath County Two director positions in the Modoc Point Sanitary District. Lake County Christmas Valley Rural Fire Protection District, Director, position 3. Christmas Valley Park and Recreation District, Director, position 5. Lane County Dexter Sanitary District, Director, position 3. Dexter Sanitary District, Director, position 5. River Road Water Control, Directors, position 1-5. South Lane School District, Director, position 7. Linn County Denver-Conner Water Control District position 6. Little Muddy Creek Water Control District position 3. Little Muddy Creek Water Control District position 5. Tillamook County Ballot Measure 29-183 Nedonna Rural Fire Protection District – director, position 4. Beaver Water District – commissioner, position 4. Twin Rocks Water District – commissioner, position 4. Cloverdale Sanitary District – director, position 3. Umatilla County McKay Dam Fire, position 5. Milton-Freewater Valley Ambulance District, position 5. Wasco County Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District, position 1. Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@ or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon 2025 special election mandatory recounts triggered
