Latest news with #Colley
NZ Herald
15-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Motorcyclists crash on loose gravel in Pukehina
'It hadn't been reswept — it was like riding on marbles.' Police breath-tested the riders, who all returned negative results, and agreed that the road was the likely cause of the crash, he said. The council confirmed resealing work had been completed on four sites on Old Coach Road recently, and was reswept after the crash. Nearby farmer Rob MacKenzie saw the crash unfold on February 27. 'The bikes went past me, and I turned around and saw Mark just losing control. Then two more riders came off at the next corner — it was chaotic,' he said. 'I went straight over to help him. Got quite a shock when he took off his helmet and I saw silver hair. They were all older Kiwis, like me.' Their route took them through Pukehina and on to Old Coach Road, where disaster struck. 'We ride in staggered formation, with a lead rider and a 'tail-end Charlie',' Colley said. 'I was about fifth from the front when it happened. I was the first to come off at the corner, and around 25 per cent of the group went down too.' Colley spent four days in Tauranga Hospital. He needed surgery for a plate to be put in his knee. 'My colleague with a broken rib was in more pain than me. My shoulder hurt badly at first — I thought it was broken — but three X-rays showed nothing, and most of the pain was gone within 30 hours.' MacKenzie said the incident could have been far worse. 'If a tractor or bin trailers had been coming the other way, it could've been deadly. All that gravel — it probably would've cost a grand to sweep properly compared to the cost of five police cars, two fire brigades, three ambulances, plus ACC costs.' He said the gravel had been left on the road for six weeks or more. 'There's been no signage either. They put the lines back in, but the road was still left with pebbly stones.' While MacKenzie believed signs could help, he said in his view, the responsibility lay with maintenance crews. 'Old Coach Road's full of curves. They probably should have had a temporary sign up where it hadn't been swept but, at the end of the day, they should have come back and finished the job. 'If they had, those 12 bikers would've ridden straight through.' Council network operations and maintenance manager Desmond Barnard said resealing on two parts of the road took place on January 7, 10, and 15. 'Every reseal site has temporary traffic management in place while the work is being undertaken. This stays in place until the road has been swept and line marking has been completed. 'This stretch of road [where the accident happened] was swept on January 10 and the other two sites were swept on January 21. 'Line marking occurred on the same day as the sweeping and, once this was completed, temporary traffic management was removed.' Another road sweep was carried out on March 6 after the council was made aware of the crash. 'We care about the safety of all road users and are always looking to improve our systems and processes,' Barnard said. 'Following any incident, we review where improvements could be made, taking into account a number of factors, including road surface, alignment, visibility and curvature.'
Telegraph
21-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Majestic pulls wines from shelves after tax raid makes them unprofitable
Majestic has axed wines from a string of small vineyards after a shake-up of alcohol tax rates made them unprofitable. John Colley, chief executive at the wine retailer, said the retailer had pulled a number of wines from its shelves in the wake of new rules which came into effect in February. He said: 'Typically you would range some of these wines for consumers because they love them. But it becomes much more a commercial decision with the changes being brought in. That's the sad thing.' Under previous rules, wines between 11.5pc and 14.5pc ABV (alcohol by volume) attracted the same tax rate. Under the new system, the tax due on them is calculated based on their individual strength, making some wines much more expensive and creating a mountain of extra paperwork for retailers. Mr Colley said: 'If you've got something that just doesn't make sense because the volumes are so small and the cost of administration [has risen], there's an impact. You just can't make any money from doing it. 'We've spent hundreds of hundreds of thousands of pounds on systems just to manage it, it's that complex.' It follows warnings from Mr Colley last year year that some of shoppers' favourite wines 'could increase in price, or at worst disappear from shelves altogether' because of the changes. The shake-up of alcohol duties was the brainchild of former prime minister Rishi Sunak, but was pushed through by the current Labour Government despite fierce lobbying from industry. Mr Colley insisted the changes would not be noticeable to most shoppers unless they were specifically seeking out wines that had been delisted. He said: 'We still have over 1,300 in our offering. The added advantage that we have in Majestic is we've got trained and qualified experts, so if we haven't got a specific Amarone that they were after, we have got an alternative.' Founded in 1980, Majestic runs 213 wine stores on British high streets. The company has been expanding its presence across the country, and last week completed a deal to buy the drinks wholesaler Enotria & Coe, which suppliers restaurants and retailers with high-end wines. This followed its acquisition of bar group Vagabond Wines last year. Mr Colley said the company planned to keep opening retail stores, but warned the barrage of tax increases levied on businesses this month meant 'we're having to be a little bit more picky about types of shops for opening', singling out the rise in employers' National Insurance contributions. He said: 'It's not insignificant. We've had to cut our cloth accordingly within our retail business model. The sad thing is that the changes made affect workers.' A government spokesman said: 'The alcohol duty reforms have modernised and simplified the duty system, prioritising public health and incentivising consumption of lower strength products. 'We continue to work closely with the wine sector to drive growth, support high-quality jobs and identify opportunities to export the UK's fantastic wines across the world.'
Associated Press
15-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Africa Baseball Project & Global Air Entertainment Announce Partnership to Elevate Baseball, Empower African Communities
The collaboration marks a significant step towards establishing the Africa Continental Baseball League, comprising eight cities across seven nations. 'As we broaden our presence in Africa, Africa Baseball Project emerges as the ideal collaborator. Together, we are poised to transform lives and enhance the quality of life throughout the continent. '— Rodney Colley, Global Air Entertainment president MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2025 / / -- The Africa Baseball Project (ABP), a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding baseball opportunities for youth across Africa, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Global Air Entertainment (GAE), a leading Black-owned drone technology company specializing in Science, Technology, and Engineering. This collaboration marks a significant step towards realizing the ABP's vision of establishing the Africa Continental Baseball League, comprising eight cities across seven nations, while simultaneously leveraging GAE's innovative technology to positively impact communities. GAE, renowned for its commitment to 'monetizing the sky' and empowering businesses through cutting-edge drone solutions, is expanding its investment in Africa. President Rodney Colley expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, 'As we broaden our presence in Africa, the Africa Baseball Project emerges as the ideal collaborator. Together, we are poised to transform lives and enhance the quality of life throughout the continent.' Colley added, 'It is the right time for these organizations to work closely together. Furthermore, to be able to announce this strategic partnership while Jackie Robinson is being celenbrated as the first African-American player in MLB, makes it even more exciting for both groups, and the thousands of African youth we can start impacting together.' The ABP, founded in 2020, has already made substantial strides in its mission to 'get more kids playing baseball.' Its initiatives include conducting impactful clinics in Tanzania and Nigeria, providing crucial support for the construction of an outfield fence in Burkina Faso, contributing to the development of a two-field complex by in Nairobi, Kenya, and funding the installation of a backstop for Zambia's inaugural baseball field. The ABP's esteemed Board of Directors comprises: * Gift Ngoepe, the first African-born Major League Baseball (MLB) player. * MLB Hall of Fame inductee Andre Dawson * World Series champion and MLB Gold Glove winner Charles Johnson * Chountelle Bullock, Founder of CBULL Enterprises * Mario Signorello, retired Senior Executive of the Miami Marlins, and Director of ABP In addition to the Board, the ABP has garnered support from notable MLB alumni, including Rick Ankiel, Orlando Hudson, Derek May, Luis Alicea, Julian Tavarez, Mark Whiten, Yamit Haad, and most recently, Livan Hernandez, who have contributed supportive videos to encourage and inspire young athletes in several African nations. 'DSL Sports and Miami Christian School have generously underwritten some of the expenses for our not-for-profit organization, the ABP actively requires and seeks additional support to further its mission. We invite individuals to join our cause and experience the transformative impact of traveling to Africa with us,' shared Mario Signorello. For further information or to contribute to the Africa Baseball Project, please contact Mario Signorello at [email protected]. ** About the Africa Baseball Project:** The Africa Baseball Project is a non-profit organization established in 2020 with the mission of assisting organizations in reaching their full potential and increasing youth participation in baseball across Africa. The ultimate goal is to inaugurate the Africa Continental Baseball League. ** About Global Air Entertainment:** Global Air Entertainment (GAE) is a Science, Technology, and Engineering company specializing in drone technology. As a proud Black-owned enterprise, GAE empowers companies worldwide to 'monetize the sky' through innovative solutions. Mario Signorello Africa Baseball Project +1 786-318-8403 [email protected] Visit us on social media: X Instagram YouTube TikTok Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Reason cash allegedly stashed in microwaves
About $900,000 was allegedly found stashed in microwaves as part of an investigation into an organised crime group believed to be involved in the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping products. A 26-year-old man from Baldivis — about 45km south of Perth — allegedly co-ordinated the trafficking of illicit tobacco products from eastern Australian states before selling them at three tobacco stores in Perth. The profits were then allegedly sent to an organised crime group in the eastern states. The Australian Federal Police searched the WA man's Baldivis home on Thursday along with a courier company from Perth's south and storage facilities across the city under Operation Snug. The operation was launched to investigate an organised crime group allegedly dealing in the proceeds of crime from the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping products in WA. About $900,000 worth of cash was found stashed in microwave ovens, set to be shipped to Melbourne, at a courier company, according to the AFP. About 645,000 cigarettes, 19,000 vapes and 200 pouches of loose-leaf tobacco was also allegedly found at the home and storage facilities. The 26-year-old was charged with one count of dealing with money or property, believed to be the proceeds of crime and at the time of the dealing the value of the money or property was $100,000 or more. He was also charged with one count of possession of tobacco being an excisable good where excise duty is payable on the tobacco and the weight is 100kg or more. AFP Inspector Chris Colley said criminal networks used the profits from illicit tobacco sales to 'support other serious criminal activities'. 'The AFP is dedicated to protecting the Australian community from serious organised crime syndicates by disrupting and dismantling these illegal operations,' Inspector Colley said. 'These criminals have no regard for the significant health issues these products present for the community and the burden they place on our health systems. 'The message to these criminals is simple, the AFP won't stop until it has shut down your illegal and harmful activities.' The Baldivis man was expected to front Perth Magistrates Court on Friday.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital staff to sleep out in aid of veterans
More than a dozen hospital staff are to take part in a sleep-out in aid of homeless military veterans. Led by Emma Colley and Sarah Millington from the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, they plan to spend the night on Wrekin, a hill near the town in Shropshire, next month to raise money for the Royal British Legion Industries. Ms Millington said: "It will be cold and probably wet, but it's nothing compared to what some veterans are facing day in, day out." Their effort will be part of the national Great Tommy Sleep Out, which involved more than 7,000 people last year and raised £1.2m. Ms Colley and Ms Millington both work in Telford's emergency department, and they will be joined by 15 other doctors, nurses, health care assistants, and non-clinical staff, plus four children, on 29 March. Ms Millington said she wanted to show support because there were veterans among "our patients, patient family members and colleagues". Ms Colley added: "I was heartbroken to hear recently of a young woman who is ex-military and living in her car, with no fixed address. "Our veterans should not be living like this." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
