Latest news with #Crouse
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
No injuries reported after an overnight house fire in Gaston County
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Officials are investigating after a fire broke out at a home in Gaston County. Crews responded to reports of a house fire in the 1000 block of St. Marks Church Road in Crouse at 3:18 a.m. The rear of the structure had already collapsed by the time crews arrived. The fire was brought under control by 4:14 a.m. Thankfully, there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. The property damage is estimated at $100,000. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Springfield man pleads guilty to auto thefts, money laundering
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Springfield man accused of auto theft and scrapping of dozens of vehicles has pleaded guilty to tampering with motor vehicles and money laundering and will be sentenced in July. Charles Lynn Crouse, 55, is one of three men accused in connection with a series of vehicle thefts from October 2022 to February 2023. He was set to go to trial on Wednesday, April 30, but changed his plea under an agreement with prosecutors. Sentencing is set for July 23, 2025. Judge Kaiti Greenwade ordered a sentencing assessment report, and Crouse was told to report to probation and parole officers within seven days. Crouse was implicated in the theft or movement of 60 stolen vehicles. One arrest led to another in connected cases. OzarksFirst previously covered Crouse's 60-vehicle patronage of All Metal Recycling from Oct. 3, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023. Of the 60 vehicles, only two were accounted for with proper bills of sale, and one of those was for a 1991 Ford Ranger that had been reported as stolen before Crouse sold it for scrap metal. The other two men charged in the case, Randy Dale Lindberg and Carl Allen Jackson, were sentenced to jail time on similar charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Is it true that … drinking green tea burns fat?
'When you talk about 'burning fat', you're talking about the oxidation of body fat; the breakdown of lipids into fatty acids to use them as fuel,' says Bethan Crouse, a performance nutritionist from Loughborough University. It's the process that needs to occur for someone to lose weight or go through 'body recomposition'; losing fat and gaining muscle. Regular exercise can increase rates of fat oxidation, Crouse says. (When we work out at low-moderate intensity, fat provides the majority of the fuel for working muscles. As intensity increases, this will shift more towards carbohydrates.) However, she says, 'There's not necessarily a food that burns fat.' For a food to oxidise fat, consuming it would have to 'replicate the effects of exercise'. Where does she think the idea that green tea burns fat comes from then? 'Caffeine – which is found in green tea – in relatively high doses has, in some circumstances, been shown to increase fat oxidation,' Crouse says. It activates the fight-or-flight response, increasing the release of hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline that mobilise energy stores. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion However, she says, 'It's a very small amount, and the research isn't great – it's definitely not something that you'd recommend relying on if somebody is trying to change their body composition.' That's especially true since, even if we're exercising extensively and oxidising lots of fat, if we're in an energy surplus and consuming more calories than we're expending, our body mass will not decrease. 'You can absolutely burn fatty acids instead of carbohydrates, but still not lose body mass,' Crouse says. Her tips for anyone trying to lose fat? Avoid falling for hype around superfoods or supplements. 'There are a lot of big, bold claims out there,' she says. Instead, increase exercise and gently decrease the number of calories you consume.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Another session where it appears West Virginia lawmakers will do nothing for child care
Ellie O'Keefe stands in the West Virginia Capitol building in Charleston, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, to advocate for child care changes. (Amelia Ferrell Knisely | West Virginia Watch) When Ellie O'Keefe moved to Oak Hill in Fayette County, West Virginia, she was surprised how difficult it was to find child care. 'I was very surprised, coming from a much more suburban area, to be faced by this lack of child care,' she said. More than 25,000 children in West Virginia don't have access to child care, and more than 150 child care providers have closed their classrooms over the last year. There are also concerns about the state's long-term plan to fund its subsidy program that helps working parents pay for child care. Parents, child care workers, the state's business leaders and some Republican and Democrat lawmakers have asked for bills and funding to address widespread issues. Another legislative session is likely to end with no movement on the issue. 'Well, none of our bills made it through, so I think that says a lot about priorities,' said Pamela Shope, site director for Playmates Preschools and Child Development Centers, which operates six centers in Cabell and Wayne counties. O'Keefe, pregnant with her second child, stood in the lower rotunda of the state Capitol on Tuesday for Child Care Day. A sticker on her T-shirt said, 'I am a child care voter.' 'Families are really struggling in ways they haven't in the past,' she said. 'It is another year where we've been told that this was going to be a priority, and nothing has really shifted.' It feels like déjà vu for those hoping for changes after last year the Republican-led legislature failed to send a stack of child care-focused bills to the governor's desk for consideration. Lawmakers, at former Gov. Jim Justice's urging, did approve a Child Care Tax Credit in 2024, and it's available to families who already claim the federal child care tax credit. 'I'm disappointed,' said Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, who sponsored several child care measures. She said the House of Delegates' focus on budget constraints had partially held up the measures. 'It's not over till midnight on Saturday, so there's always hope, but I won't be surprised if nothing happens.' West Virginia has the nation's lowest rate of women serving in a legislature, which Crouse believes has impacted the House's action on child care. 'Unfortunately, the majority of the body are men, and they don't have to deal with these issues,' said Crouse, a mother who chose to leave the workforce to stay home with her children. 'I'm not saying they don't care about them. I just don't think they have the same pull and realize what it takes and what's needed.' Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, is a mom of two and at one time was the only mother of young children serving in the House. She has championed child care legislation during the last few years. 'I don't think we have any women who are chairs of major committees in the House, and it's obviously not a priority of this super majority,' Young said. 'Feels like another year with all the same excuses,' she continued. 'We still haven't done anything for child care.' The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has backed child care measures, saying it's necessary to improve the state's abysmal workforce participation rate. Others pushing for child care expansion point to the importance of early childhood learning and resources in a state with a high rate of poverty and babies impacted by the substance abuse crisis. There were a number of child care measures introduced this year, particularly in the House. House Bill 2731, sponsored by Crouse, would create the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership, where the state would partner with child care employers to offset their employees' child care costs. The program is meant to help centers retain workers and keep classrooms open. Shope said the measure would have 'a huge impact to help retain staff.' The average annual cost of care at a licensed child care center in West Virginia is more than $6,000 per child. 'Child care is very expensive, and we do give our teachers and staff employee discounts … but it's still very hard,' Shope said, adding that employees at her centers can make too much to qualify for the state's child care subsidy program. 'We want to have the highest quality child care that we can provide for our families, and sometimes it's difficult to find a good, qualified teacher that wants to work in child care. We need all of the benefits that we can to get them to stay,' she said. The bill remains parked in the House Health Committee with the legislative session set to adjourn Saturday. Crouse also introduced legislation, House Bill 2730, to establish a pilot program where the state, an employer and an employee each pay one-third of total child care costs. It's known as a 'tri-share model' for child care. The program is currently being piloted in eight counties. The bill, which would have cost roughly $10 million, is unlikely to make it to the full House of Delegates for consideration. Del. Bob Fehrenbacher, R-Wood, who serves on the House Finance Committee, said there wasn't one single thing that had derailed child care measures this session. 'I do think there are some tax considerations, you know, with the structural deficit, but there are some of the options that I think would be OK. Let's get started on this,' he said. 'Yes, there may be some tax implications, but there also ought to be some benefits, such as more people being in the workforce.' Fehrenbacher sponsored multiple bills aimed at tackling the state's child care issues, including a measure that would increase the tax credit for employers providing child care for employees. His child care bills weren't considered by House committees. 'Frankly, I'm disappointed,' he said. While the House budget increases funding for child care in fiscal year 2026, Young is concerned that the state's subsidy program is facing a July 1 funding cliff, which she said could result in thousands of children being removed from the program. During House budget negotiations last week, she tried to amend the budget bill to include around $32 million for the child care subsidy program. The House voted down her amendment. '[It] means we'll have more parents out of the workforce. It means we'll have more centers closing,' Young said. Fehrenbacher said testimony from Department of Human Services Secretary Alex Mayer led him to believe the program will be funded throughout the year, but there's still a question mark about the long-term funding amid the state's child care issues. 'We need other options. So, things like the tax incentives for an employer or the tri-share model are things that are out there that I think could have helped give us options,' he said. O'Keefe hopes the state will work to address the affordability of child care. 'We're looking for the best opportunities for our children. We're looking for the freedom to be able to go to work,' she said. 'Just because you don't see these parents coming to the Capitol doesn't mean that they don't want to speak up … They often are not able to come to this stage because they're working and because they have child care,' O'Keefe continued. 'Their voices deserve to be heard.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Is it true that … eating yoghurt can heal your gut?
'Healing the gut' is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot. Some people use it to refer to improving gut microbiome health – balancing the microorganisms in the digestive system that, when off kilter, can leave us with digestion and immune problems. Others link it to 'leaky gut syndrome', a condition associated with intestinal permeability and said to cause nausea and fatigue. Whichever definition you're using, Bethan Crouse, a performance nutritionist from Loughborough University, says it is unlikely that yoghurt alone can give you a total gut makeover. 'But some types of yoghurt products could help with gut health,' she says. Yoghurt is a fermented food – it's made by heating milk, adding bacteria, and then incubating it – and as a result it contains probiotics. When consumed live, these bacteria can support gut health by outcompeting harmful microbes. However, not all yoghurts are created equal – many shop-bought products undergo pasteurisation to increase their shelf life, which involves heating the product to kill bacteria. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion 'A really good source of probiotics is kefir,' says Crouse. It contains up to 61 different microbial strains. Greek and natural yoghurt also contain probiotics if unpasteurised – look for labels that mention 'live and active cultures' or list strains like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Yoghurt is not the only gut-friendly food, though. 'Other probiotic-rich options include kombucha, kimchi and some sourdough breads,' says Crouse. Plus, eating a varied, fibre-rich diet is essential for supporting the microbiome. 'Generally speaking, people should include two portions of probiotic-rich foods each week,' Crouse says. And if you feel your gut needs 'healing', she recommends talking to your GP, who can arrange an appointment with an accredited nutritionist or a dietician.
