Latest news with #DanEpstein
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
55th annual Special Olympics Hawaii kicks at UH Manoa
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Special Olympics Hawai'i athletes are ready to go the distance as the 55th Annual State Summer Games get underway this Opening Ceremonies began Friday morning at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Les Murakami Stadium, with hundreds of athletes, coaches, and supporters from across the state gathering to celebrate one of the organization's biggest events of the year. WakeUp2Day's Chris Latronic was live on location, speaking with Dan Epstein, president and CEO of Special Olympics Hawai'i, and Kenji Roy Momohara, a Special Olympics athlete, to preview the festivities. Athletes have been training since February to compete in events such as powerlifting, softball, swimming, and track and field. The Summer Games run from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8, with multiple venues across Honolulu hosting competitions and special programs. The Opening Ceremonies also marked the finish line for participants in the First Hawaiian Bank Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run. Now in its 40th year, the torch run honors Honolulu Police Officer Troy Barboza, who coached Special Olympics athletes before he was tragically killed in the line of duty. Law enforcement officers from across city, county, state, and federal agencies join the run annually to raise awareness and support for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Celebrate the Summer Solstice at Capitol Modern Friday, June 6 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Softball (UH Mānoa and Sand Island) 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies (Les Murakami Stadium) 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – Cheer for Champions Fundraiser (Les Murakami Stadium) Saturday, June 7 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Healthy Athletes Program (UH Mānoa and Kaiser High School) 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Track and Field (Kaiser High School) 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Powerlifting (UH Mānoa, Warrior Recreation Center) 9:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Swimming (Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex) 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Softball Finals (UH Mānoa) 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Victory Dance (UH Mānoa) Sunday, June 8 8:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Swimming Finals (UH Mānoa) 8:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Powerlifting Finals (UH Mānoa) 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Track and Field Finals (Kaiser High School) Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Les Murakami Stadium (UH Mānoa) – Opening Ceremonies, Softball Finals Sand Island Softball Complex – Softball competitions Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex – Swimming events Warrior Recreation Center (UH Mānoa) – Powerlifting Henry J. Kaiser High School – Track and Field For full details on the event and volunteer opportunities, visit Special Olympics Hawai'i. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
40th annual Torch Run to honor fallen HPD officer, support Special Olympics Hawaii
HONOLULU (KHON2) — This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first Hawaiian Bank Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run, which honors a fallen police officer and helps support a great cause. 12k participants compete in 41st Great Aloha Run 'It's truly an incredible milestone that fills all of us with gratitude and pride,' said Dan Epstein, the President and CEO of Special Olympics Hawaii. 'For 40 years, this event has been more than a tradition – it's been a symbol of unity, hope, and the belief that every person deserves a chance to shine. What started as a small group of officers running in support of our athletes has grown into a powerful, statewide movement involving thousands of law enforcement volunteers from every island. It's a testament to the heart of Hawaii, where people come together, year after year, to stand up for inclusion and show our athletes that they are valued, seen, and celebrated.' According to the Honolulu Police Department, Officer Troy Barboza was shot to death on October 22, 1987, in his home. The culprit was a suspect previously arrested and charged as a result of an undercover narcotic investigation conducted by Officer Barboza. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The festival begins at 5 p.m. on June 6, with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the Torch Run to follow. The fundraising helps support the 55th Annual State Summer Games for Special Olympics Hawaii, which runs from June 6 to June 8. Officials said they'll have hundreds of athletes from across the state come together to compete in sports like track and field, swimming, softball and powerlifting. 'The weekend kicks off with softball games and our Opening Ceremonies at Les Murakami Stadium on Friday night, where the Flame of Hope arrives,' Epstein said. 'Saturday is packed with competition and events – including swimming, track, powerlifting, and our Healthy Athletes and Young Athletes programs – and then we end the day with softball finals and our Victory Dance. On Sunday, we wrap up with more competition and Closing Ceremonies at each event site. Our State Summer Games is really a celebration of everything Special Olympics Hawaii is about – inclusion, determination, and community – and we welcome everyone to come out and cheer on our incredible athletes.' Check out more news from around Hawaii For more information and to get involved with Special Olympics Hawaii, please visit You can also follow them on Facebook at @SpecialOlympicsHawaii and Instagram at @sohawaii. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahomans speak out, write letters against bill restricting statewide ballot initiatives
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – For three straight days, peaceful demonstrators have stood outside the Oklahoma State Capitol holding signs against Senate Bill 1027. 'It makes it virtually impossible for a ballot initiative to work,' said Dan Epstein, a peaceful protestor. The group was forced to stand behind a locked door after camping out near a set of doors on the Capitol grounds Monday. 'We were well within our First Amendment rights,' said Christy Taylor, a peaceful protestor. 'We had a group of troopers that came out requesting that we leave. We refused to. The Capitol Police came out and actually told us that we had permission to be out there.' SB 1027 would change the state's initiative petition process by restricting the number of Oklahomans who can sign a petition to put an issue on a statewide ballot. It has already been successful in expanding Medicaid and allowing medical marijuana in the state. The bill must get approval one last time on the Senate floor before it heads to Governor Kevin Stitt's desk. It was expected to be heard on the floor Tuesday but was pulled from the agenda at the last minute. It was not heard on the floor on Wednesday. Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) said most of the signatures to get recent measures on statewide ballots have come from Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, which was why he felt the legislation was necessary. 'Current law is making it where rural residents are disenfranchised from the process of Initiative Petition gathering process,' said Hilbert. Restrictions to Initiative Petition process passes another hurdle Those opposed to the measure said it did the opposite. 'This takes power away from every voter in every county,' said Amber England, Initiative Petition advocate. According to the bill, the number of signatures needed per county is based off election results from the last statewide general election for Governor. Under the current law, every voter in the state can sign a petition to put a question on a ballot. If the bill passes it would limit that number. Harmon and Cimarron counties are in rural Oklahoma. Cimarron County currently has 1,414 registered voters. Under the new bill, only 84 of those voters could sign a petition. There are 1,442 registered voters in Harmon County but the signatures of only 75 voters would be allowed. 'So 94% of the voters in Harmon County will actually be disenfranchised. So it is a myth to say that this is helping rural Oklahoma,' said England. Senate Democratic leaders said more than 1,800 Oklahomans in all 77 counties have written petition letters against the move. They said the will have supporters join them to hand deliver the letters to the Governor who could use his veto powers. 'We're going to have them all printed and ready to go, and we're going to deliver them with anyone who can show up with us,' said Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City. If you would like to learn more about the petition letters for the Governor, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Resource Pro Partners with Ascend to Launch ‘Direct Bill Complete' Offering for Insurance Brokerages
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ReSource Pro, a global provider of technology and operations solutions for the insurance industry, today announced an expansion of its Direct Bill Complete offering through the integration of technology from Ascend, a leading AI-powered insurance automation platform for insurance businesses. Designed to streamline and simplify the reconciliation of direct bill commissions, the enhanced solution pairs ReSource Pro's expert service delivery with Ascend's advanced technology to help insurance brokerages accelerate processing times, improve financial accuracy and reduce operational costs. 'Solving our clients' operational challenges begins with understanding the intricacies of their day-to-day workflows,' said Dan Epstein, CEO of ReSource Pro. Share Processing direct bill commission statements remains a time-consuming challenge for insurance agencies. With thousands of statements arriving each month from hundreds of carriers, in more than 13,000 unique formats, agencies spend hundreds to thousands of hours monthly on manual entry, reconciliation and error resolution. Direct Bill Complete accelerates transaction matching, reduces human involvement by up to 95%, and improves accuracy and data quality. This approach delivers 20% to 50% cost savings and provides actionable visibility into commissions and revenue. Key components of enhancing Direct Bill Complete with Ascend's platform include: Automation of manual tasks across the direct bill workflow Scalable support for exception handling and quality assurance Improved visibility into commissions, payments and revenue activity Faster reconciliation and improved cash flow management Enhanced service quality with fewer errors and shorter turn-around times 'Solving our clients' operational challenges begins with understanding the intricacies of their day-to-day workflows,' said Dan Epstein, CEO of ReSource Pro. 'For one retail insurance broker, we resolved more than 10,000 transaction discrepancies in a single quarter. Direct bill processing remains a complex and resource-intensive area for insurance agencies. Our expanded Direct Bill Complete solution reflects our commitment to delivering practical, high-impact innovations that combine advanced technology with human expertise. By working across the insurance ecosystem, we're helping clients streamline operations, reduce risk, and unlock the capacity of their internal teams to focus on strategic growth.' 'At Ascend, we believe the future of insurance finance is intelligent, automated, and effortless,' said Andrew Wynn, Co-CEO of Ascend. 'Our AI software eliminates the repetitive, manual back-office work that holds brokerages back. Partnering with ReSource Pro allows us to bring this technology to more brokerages than ever before, with a managed delivery model that's built to scale.' This launch is one of several tech-enabled solutions ReSource Pro plans to bring to market this year. In February, ReSource Pro announced the launch of Premium Audit Complete, a solution designed to transform the premium audit process for insurance carriers. By combining automation with expert support, the company aims to help insurance organizations work more efficiently and deliver greater value to their clients. Additional enhancements to Direct Bill Complete and new offerings in areas such as policy servicing, certificate management and analytics are already in development. For more information, visit About ReSource Pro Focused exclusively on the insurance industry, ReSource Pro is the trusted partner insurance organizations rely on to optimize performance, streamline operations, and drive growth. Serving 1,800+ carriers, brokers, wholesalers, and MGAs, our global team of 10,000+ employees operates at the critical intersection of people, technology, data, and operations to help clients deliver sustainable results. With a 96%+ client retention rate for over a decade, ReSource Pro is a recognized market leader in insurance process and workflow optimization, data and technology services, and strategic evolution. In 2024, ReSource Pro earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies, making it the only insurance industry company to achieve this distinction 15 times. About Ascend Ascend is the leading AI-powered insurance automation platform for insurance businesses. By streamlining workflows across invoicing, accounting, reconciliation, and disbursement, businesses experience improved operational efficiencies, treasury management, and customer experience - resulting in increased profitability. To learn more about how Ascend can transform your business, please visit
