Latest news with #Brantley
IOL News
11-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
Green Shoots: Kill them with kindness
I need a rich benefactor that will allow me to travel in business class. I may be getting old and cranky, but the seat space in economy class airplanes is getting smaller and smaller. It could cause serious social upheaval. So because of this, I try to be considerate when lowering my seat back into the reclining position. On a recent overnight trip, I turned and saw the woman behind me head down on the tray table, blanket over her head, and trying to fall asleep. My leaning back would have abruptly ended that project, so I gently tapped her shoulder to warn her of my impending interruption. She wasn't happy, and through red-rimmed eyes complained of her sinuses that don't allow her to sleep leaning backwards. Before I could be kind and offer her an anti-histamine, she covered her head again to mark the end of our exchange. Her protest at being stuffed into the cylindrical sardine can that is economy class continued, however, and she actively made sure to knock my seat each time she shifted to find her best sleeping position. Again I gently tapped her blanketed form to ask her to desist, and unleashed a tirade about how little room there was. As gently as I could, I reminded her that we are all in the same sardine can, I didn't design the aeroplane, and she really ought to stop kicking my seat. Of course by now any chance of her getting my anti-histamine was out the window. I like to believe I am a kind person. A member of our workshop group was from Brazil, a dynamic and colourful young woman on her first trip outside her country of birth. Among the colonial languages on offer as a lingua franca for our diverse gathering, Portuguese was the only one she could speak. So I was asked to get to the airport a whole lot earlier than I needed to be so that she had some support in checking in. English being my only language, I was not sure what help I could be, but sometimes solidarity is just about being present with someone. The event organisers appreciated my willingness to go extra early and told me I was very kind. The sinusy woman on the plane got me thinking about kindness. Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Researchers have described different types of kindness and the motivations behind their expression. I latched onto the words of a clinician called Brantley who writes of his encounters with Eastern and Western traditions, and makes the case that kindness toward others and toward oneself are very connected. For many people, he says, especially those who tend to beat themselves up about things, the hardest person to be kind to is yourself. By cultivating a kindness practice directed outwardly toward others, you can eventually be kinder inwardly too. And of course, this has well documented health benefits. How incredible is it that being kind to others allows you to be kind to yourself (admit it – who doesn't want kindness in their lives?). And how amazing would it be to have more kindness in our engagements with the world? It has to be good for our immediate family relations, local communities, and ultimately the world. Surely? There's a catch though. You have to be kind to the woman kicking your seat as well, no matter how irritated you are. I've started practicing being kind as a conscious state of being. I overtook a real slow poke in the traffic the other day, and when I saw it was a branded car I hooted my irritation. The young woman I hadn't seen behind the wheel was clearly inexperienced and held up an apologetic hand. I immediately regretted my impatience. It was unkind. You have to be kind whether you like the person or not, and definitely not to get plaudits or reward. Kindness cannot be conditional. But I promise you, if you act with kindness to others, you will feel better. And that is a pretty good reason to do it. It's also the right thing to do, but you already knew that. And as Eddy Grant says: ll kill'em with kindness, Might stop the blindness.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RCSO hosts demonstration for top non-lethal training company, as Sheriff continues to push public safety efforts
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley says it's his mission to continue prioritizing the safety of the public and his officers. One of his goals is for his deputies to be able to handle encounters without lethal force—and resolving conflicts before they turn deadly. That's why the Sheriff's office spent Wednesday morning getting a demonstration from a company that specializes in making non-lethal weapons for law enforcement. The company, PepperBall, is a Chicago-based company that has been making non-lethal weapons for law enforcement for more than 20 years. Regional Sales Director Jake Miller says their product stands out from the competition. 'A lot of law enforcement weapons are impact, and we are just area saturation based, with the option to directly impact somebody,' said Miller. 'So, we give negotiation that a lot of places can't offer, and plus our product is so non-lethal: families just drop their kids off to play paintball on a Saturday, and our product is almost identical to everything they're using.' The Richmond County Sheriff's Office joined other local law enforcement agencies for a demonstration of how PepperBall's various products are used. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is one of 5,000 across the country that currently has the technology installed. CEO Robert Plaschke says the results have been positive. 'Mesa (Arizona) is the same population size, same number of officers. By their account, they've had 10 times where they did not have to use their firearms. So, 10 officer-involved shootings have been avoided because they've been able to deescalate the situation using PepperBall,' said Plaschke. According to the Sheriff's Office, data shows police departments using this training see 30 to 50% fewer use-of-force complaints, and lower injury rates for civilians and officers. Sheriff Brantley says it's an option worth looking into, as many deputies are encountering more situations involving people with mental illness. 'They don't fully understand what they're doing, because they don't have the mental capacity to process what's actually going on. So, this is one of the ways we could still accomplish our goal of bringing some sense of normalcy to the situation,' said Brantley. 'All it's intended to do is to change their thinking so that they stop doing what they're doing—and they start to listen to what the police officers ask them to do, which is to simply engage them,' Plaschke said. Sheriff Brantley says they have not installed the system yet, but it's an option they will consider following Wednesday's demonstration. 'This is just the beginning phase,' Brantley said. 'We're just looking at this as being something else that we can use as opposed to using a tazor or going hands-on.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
John Brantley, the former longtime director of RDU International Airport, has died
John Brantley, the former longtime director of Raleigh-Durham International Airport who helped guide the operation into the modern era, has died. Brantley, 82, died unexpectedly on Friday at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh, according to his obituary. Brantley was director of RDU Airport from 1982 to 2011 during a period of tremendous growth 'John's legacy is woven into the very fabric of RDU,' the airport said Sunday on a post on its website. 'He helped guide its evolution from a modest airport with World War II roots into the modern, world-class gateway to the Research Triangle region that it is today.' Brantley was a lifelong resident of Raleigh. He graduated from Broughton High School in 1960 and N.C. State University in 1964. According to his obituary, Brantley began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration in 1966. He was hired to manage development of a long-range plan at RDU in 1977. Brantley became airport director in October 1982. During his 29-year tenure, he led construction of a 10,000-foot runway and new American Airlines' hub facilities. Improvements included a new air cargo and general aviation developments, roadways and parking garages, Terminal 2, and redevelopment of Terminal 1. Following his retirement from RDU, Brantley served as a trustee of Barton College and on the board of directors of the Research Triangle Foundation. In lieu of flowers, Brantley's family is asking that donations be made in his honor to the Raleigh Rescue Mission or the American Heart Association. No plans have been announced yet for his memorial service.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Family members charged in death of 8-year-old
HANOVER TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Two family members are facing charges after police say an 8-year-old died from a gunshot wound to the stomach. The Hanover Township Police Department stated they arrested 38-year-old Phillicia S. Brantley for endangering the welfare of children after her 8-year-old daughter died from a gunshot wound. Investigators say on December 09, 2024, Brantley left her home and her children unsupervised. Her 12-year-old son then began playing with her Sig Sauer P365 .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun, police said. Burning body identified as Schuylkill County woman While the child was playing with the gun, it discharged, striking the 8-year-old victim in the abdomen and ultimately killing her. The handgun was stored in a gun case in Brantley's bedroom, but officers noted that neither the bedroom door nor the gun case was properly secured. Detectives have charged Brantley's 12-year-old son with assault and manslaughter offenses, in a written allegation that will be prosecuted in juvenile court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico schools will soon become phone-free
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Statistics from the National Center for Education reveal more than half of public school leaders said cell phones hurt academic performance. And now, in New Mexico, schools will soon become 'phone free.' 'Our students are spending well over five hours a day on social media apps,' said Senator Crystal Brantley (R- Elephant Butte) in January. It's a major distraction school leaders have been grappling with nationwide. How to keep phones out of the classroom. 'It impacts not just their mental health but also proficiency rates in the classroom,' said Brantley to KRQE in March. Bernalillo County DA speaks out on juvenile crime bills not passing in the NM Legislature During this year's legislative session, Brantley has been fighting for a state-wide policy that would incentivize school districts and charter schools to limit the use of mobile devices during instructional hours. The bill also sets aside $10 million to reimburse schools for phone storage equipment, like phone lockers or a phone pouch already implemented in Taos schools. 'The only opposition that is loud and clear is from my own teenage daughters who are upset about the policy, but for the greater good of all New Mexico students, we hope to see it advance,' said Brantley to KRQE in March. Bill to manage wild horses in New Mexico passes, heads to governor's desk The bill made its way to the finish line and was signed into law on the final day of signings. Senator Brantley responded in a statement saying, 'This bill isn't just about test scores. It's about showing our kids that we care enough about their future to take practical steps forward when we can…The road to lifting New Mexico from the bottom in national education rankings is long—but this is one step in the right direction.' The senator also offered her gratitude to the governor, co-sponsor Moe Maestas, and both chambers for their support of the Distraction-Free Bill. 'It will help with social interaction so that our kids, and most importantly, it will help with academic success, to get them focused on the teachers, on the curriculum, in the classroom, and log off online,' said Brantley in January. The new law requires schools to implement the policy no later than August 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
