Latest news with #DavidGregory
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri eyes free college tuition for public safety personnel and dependents
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — New legislation headed for the governor's desk would provide free tuition in Missouri for a wide-range of public safety personnel if approved, a new tool designed to address staffing shortages and boost recruitment. Senate Bill 71, sponsored by Sen. David Gregory, R-St. Louis, would provide college tuition awards for public safety personnel such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, telecommunicators, first responders, emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians. Public safety personnel with at least six years of service shall be entitled to an award worth up to 100% of the resident tuition charges, including fees, for an institution of higher education located in Missouri. The legal dependent of public safety personnel with at least ten years of service is also eligible for a tuition award if he or she executes an agreement with the institution of higher education outlining the terms and conditions of the tuition award, including the legal dependent's commitment to reside in Missouri for the next five years. Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett called the measure a new and innovative" tool that would not only benefit public safety personnel and the departments they work for, but the communities they serve by offering new ways to recruit and retain valuable officers in Missouri. "This is a good hand in glove kind of concept because the more we train, the more we educate our staff, the better they serve the community," he said. "It's a win-win. It keeps our folks here in the state of Missouri and it allows our universities that have really quality programs to continue to prosper." Puett said the measure would focus on degree programs designed specifically for public safety and public safety-oriented fields. Individuals who have already earned a baccalaureate degree are ineligible to use the tuition award to earn another degree. The measure passed both the Missouri House and Senate this legislative session and now awaits approval from Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. The governor has identified fighting crime and enhancing public safety as a top priority. "Kudos to the governor, Department of Public Safety and the legislature because the governor came in with a law enforcement priority and he is holding true to those values," Puett said. "This is one of the planks in that effort to recruit and retain good law enforcement officers for our state. Puett said if the measure is ultimately approved, the department would look to utilize it immediately, helping them save local tax dollars that are currently used for tuition assistance. According to a fiscal analysis, the measure would lead to a decrease of roughly $3.4 million in general revenue funding. Four St. Joseph Police officers talk at the scene of a shooting at 16th and Grand streets in 2024 in St. Joseph. Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri eyes free college tuition for public safety personnel and dependents
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — New legislation headed for the governor's desk would provide free tuition in Missouri for a wide-range of public safety personnel if approved, a new tool designed to address staffing shortages and boost recruitment. Senate Bill 71, sponsored by Sen. David Gregory, R-St. Louis, would provide college tuition awards for public safety personnel such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, telecommunicators, first responders, emergency medical technicians or advanced emergency medical technicians. Public safety personnel with at least six years of service shall be entitled to an award worth up to 100% of the resident tuition charges, including fees, for an institution of higher education located in Missouri. The legal dependent of public safety personnel with at least ten years of service is also eligible for a tuition award if he or she executes an agreement with the institution of higher education outlining the terms and conditions of the tuition award, including the legal dependent's commitment to reside in Missouri for the next five years. Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett called the measure a new and innovative" tool that would not only benefit public safety personnel and the departments they work for, but the communities they serve by offering new ways to recruit and retain valuable officers in Missouri. "This is a good hand in glove kind of concept because the more we train, the more we educate our staff, the better they serve the community," he said. "It's a win-win. It keeps our folks here in the state of Missouri and it allows our universities that have really quality programs to continue to prosper." Puett said the measure would focus on degree programs designed specifically for public safety and public safety-oriented fields. Individuals who have already earned a baccalaureate degree are ineligible to use the tuition award to earn another degree. The measure passed both the Missouri House and Senate this legislative session and now awaits approval from Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. The governor has identified fighting crime and enhancing public safety as a top priority. "Kudos to the governor, Department of Public Safety and the legislature because the governor came in with a law enforcement priority and he is holding true to those values," Puett said. "This is one of the planks in that effort to recruit and retain good law enforcement officers for our state. Puett said if the measure is ultimately approved, the department would look to utilize it immediately, helping them save local tax dollars that are currently used for tuition assistance. According to a fiscal analysis, the measure would lead to a decrease of roughly $3.4 million in general revenue funding. Four St. Joseph Police officers talk at the scene of a shooting at 16th and Grand streets in 2024 in St. Joseph. Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW
The Independent
07-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Danish ships involved in transatlantic slave trade uncovered off Costa Rica
Archaeologists have uncovered a pair of Danish slave ships that sank off the Central American coast in 1710, shedding more light on the role played by Denmark in the transatlantic trafficking of humans in the 18th century. Researchers analysed timber and bricks taken from the shipwrecks during an underwater excavation off Costa Rica in 2023, and assessed samples, including clay pipes, from their cargo. The analysis revealed that the ships were most likely slave trade vessels Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, two of the 'most dramatic shipwrecks' in the history of Denmark. 'The bricks are Danish and same goes for the timbers which are additionally charred and sooty from a fire,' David Gregory, marine archaeologist from the National Museum of Denmark, said. 'This fits perfectly with the historical accounts stating that one of the ships was burnt.' Researchers analysed tree ring patterns on the oak wood from one of the sunken ships and found the timbers originated in the western part of the Baltic Sea encompassing the northeastern German province of Mecklenburg, Denmark, and Scania. They estimated that the tree was cut down sometime between 1690 and 1695. Some of the wood was found charred and sooty, confirming historical accounts of one of the vessels being set ablaze. Bricks taken from the shipwrecks were found to be similar to Flensburg bricks used in Denmark and Danish colonies, researchers said. The clay pipe too was found to be of Danish origin, likely from the Flensburg Fjord region, which in the 18th century was home to a sizeable brickmaking industry. According to historical records, Fridericus Quartus was set afire while Christianus Quintus got wrecked in the surf after its anchor rope was cut. The two wrecks were known to lie in the shallow waters off the Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica but were for long thought to be pirate ships, until the discovery of strange yellow bricks on one of them in 2015 raised questions among American marine archaeologists. Such bricks, it was known, were used in Denmark and Danish colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries. 'The analyses are very convincing and we no longer have any doubts that these are the wrecks of the two Danish slave ships,' Dr Gregory said.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Underwater 'yellow-brick road' leads divers to long-lost slave ships that sunk in the 18th century
Marine archaeologists have found a 'yellow-brick road' at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean that led them to the discovery of two long-lost Danish slave ships. According to historical records, the ships, called Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, wrecked off the coast of Central America in 1710. Fridericus Quartus was set on fire, while Christianus Quintus had its anchor rope cut and was destroyed in the surf. But for three centuries, no one knew exactly where the remains of these ships were. In Costa Rica, people had long been aware of two shipwrecks located off the coast of Cahuita National Park, but dismissed them as sunken pirate ships. That changed in 2015, when American marine archaeologists found yellow bricks from one of the wrecks, which raised new questions about their history. Researchers from the National Museum Of Denmark and the Viking Ship Museum conducted an underwater excavation of the ships in 2023, taking samples of wood from one of the wrecks, the bricks, and recovering several clay pipes. The team published their analysis of the objects on Sunday, revealing that the shipwrecks are, in fact, the missing remains of Fridericus Quartus and Christianus. Co-researcher David Gregory of the National Museum Of Denmark said: 'The analyses are very convincing and we no longer have any doubts that these are the wrecks of the two Danish slave ships. 'The bricks are Danish and the same goes for the timbers, which are additionally charred and sooty from a fire. This fits perfectly with the historical accounts stating that one of the ships burnt.' Measurements of the bricks revealed that they were the same size as the 'Flensburg' yellow bricks that were used in Denmark and the Danish colonies during the 1700s. Analysis of their clay confirmed that it came from Denmark - either from a beach called Iller Strand or a small town called Egernsund. Both places are located near the Flensburg Fjord, which was home to a large brick-producing industry in the 18th century, according to the National Museum Of Denmark. The researchers used tree-ring dating to determine where oak wood extracted from one of the wrecks came from, finding that it originates from a tree in the western part of the Baltic Sea that was cut down sometime between 1690 and 1695. The wood was also charred and sooty, which aligns with historical reports about one of the ships being set ablaze. The clay pipes offer further evidence that the ships were Danish, as they proved to be Dutch-produced pipes that were commonly found onboard Danish ships at the time. 'The size, shape and patterns of the pipes suggest that they were produced in the period right before the ships became wrecked in 1710,' according to the researchers. Gregory led the study alongside marine archaeologist Andreas Kallmeyer Bloch, who has been working for years to determine the origins of the Costa Rica shipwrecks. Bloch said: 'It's been a long process and I've come close to giving up along the way. 'But this is undoubtedly the craziest archaeological excavation I've yet been part of. Not only because it matters greatly to the local population, but also because it's one of the most dramatic shipwrecks in the history of Denmark, and now we know exactly where it happened. 'This provides two pieces that have been missing from the history of Denmark.' Denmark banned the transatlantic slave trade in 1792, but didn't actually abolish slavery until 1847, according to the museum. This project was carried out by the museum's new research center, Njord, which plans to excavate several more Danish shipwrecks around the world.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Underwater yellow-brick road leads divers to astonishing discovery
Marine archaeologists have found a 'yellow-brick road' at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean that led them to the discovery of two long-lost Danish slave ships. According to historical records, these ships, called Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, wrecked off the coast of Central America in 1710. Fridericus Quartus was set on fire, while Christianus Quintus had its anchor rope cut and was destroyed in the surf. But for three centuries, no one knew exactly where the remains of these ships were. In Costa Rica, people had long been aware of two shipwrecks located off the coast of Cahuita National Park, but dismissed them as sunken pirate ships. That changed in 2015, when American marine archaeologists found yellow bricks from one of the wrecks, which raised new questions about their history. Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark and the Viking Ship Museum conducted an underwater excavation of the ships in 2023, taking samples of wood from one of the wrecks, the bricks and recovering several clay pipes. The team published their analysis of these objects on Sunday, revealing that the shipwrecks were, in fact, the missing remains of Fridericus Quartus and Christianus. 'The analyses are very convincing and we no longer have any doubts that these are the wrecks of the two Danish slave ships,' said co-researcher David Gregory of the National Museum of Denmark. 'The bricks are Danish and the same goes for the timbers, which are additionally charred and sooty from a fire. This fits perfectly with the historical accounts stating that one of the ships burnt,' he added in a statement. Measurements of the bricks revealed that they were the same size as the 'Flensburg' yellow bricks that were used in Denmark and the Danish colonies during the 1700s. Analysis of their clay confirmed that it came from Denmark — specifically either from a beach called Iller Strand or a small town called Egernsund. Both of these places are located near the Flensburg Fjord, which was home to a large brick-producing industry in the 18th century, according to the National Museum of Denmark. The researchers used tree-ring dating to determine where oak wood extracted from one of the wrecks came from, finding that it originates from a tree in the western part of the Baltic Sea that was cut down sometime between 1690 and 1695. The wood was also charred and sooty, which aligns with historical reports about one of the ships being set ablaze. The clay pipes offer further evidence that the ships were Danish, as they proved to be Dutch-produced pipes that were commonly found onboard Danish ships at the time. 'The size, shape and patterns of the pipes suggest that they were produced in the period right before the ships became wrecked in 1710,' according to the researchers. Measurements of the bricks revealed that they were the same size as the 'Flensburg' yellow bricks that were used in Denmark and the Danish colonies during the 1700s Gregory led the study alongside marine archaeologist Andreas Kallmeyer Bloch, who has been working for years to determine the origins of the Costa Rica shipwrecks. 'It's been a long process and I've come close to giving up along the way,' Bloch said in the statement. 'But this is undoubtedly the craziest archaeological excavation I've yet been part of. Not only because it matters greatly to the local population, but also because it's one of the most dramatic shipwrecks in the history of Denmark, and now we know exactly where it happened. 'This provides two pieces that have been missing from the history of Denmark,' he said. Denmark banned the transatlantic slave trade in 1792, but didn't actually abolish slavery until 1847, according to the museum. This project was carried out by the museum's new research center, Njord, which plans to excavate several more Danish shipwrecks around the world.
