Latest news with #Elgin
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man charged over crash that left three in hospital
A man has been charged in connection with a crash in Moray which left three people in hospital. Part of the A96 between Elgin and Alves was closed for several hours following the incident involving a bus and a van on 20 May. Three people between the ages of 37 and 60 were taken to Dr Grey's Hospital for treatment. A 37-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal. Three in hospital after crash closed A96
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Man charged over crash near Elgin that left three in hospital
A man has been charged in connection with a crash in Moray which left three people in of the A96 between Elgin and Alves was closed for several hours following the incident involving a bus and a van on 20 people between the ages of 37 and 60 were taken to Dr Grey's Hospital for treatment.A 37-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Savage killer who beat mum to death in 'exceptionally brutal' attack in home given at least 24 years
A killer who went on a spending spree after savagely beating a woman to death in her own home has been jailed for life for her murder. Owen Grant repeatedly bludgeoned Lucretia Donaghy, known as Keshia, with a weapon like a claw hammer in the fatal attack. A judge ordered that the 43-year-old must serve a minimum prison term of 24 years before he is eligible to seek release on parole because of the 'exceptionally brutal nature of the murder' and the killer's extensive record for violent crime. Lord Scott told Grant that he murdered 'an unarmed and defenceless' woman. He said: 'The attack was exceptionally savage, frenzied and, as your own senior counsel said, brutal.' The judge added: 'The reasons for this brutal murder remain unknown, but appear almost certainly to have been related to money.' Lord Scott said that after the murder Grant embarked on a spending spree 'frittering away' hundreds of pounds on cocaine. The judge told him that when, if ever, he is released, it will be a matter for the parole board. He said that in a victim impact statement the deceased's mother said her heart was broken following the loss of her only daughter. The mother-of-two died after sustaining multiple blunt force head injuries and was found lying face down in a bedroom at her address in Elgin, Moray. A neighbour had heard sounds of an argument coming from the downstairs flat and the victim calling out: 'No, no, no.' A passport in the name of Owen Grant was found in the property and he left his hand print in the victim's blood on a bedroom wall but claimed it came from tattooing her wrist. However, he was caught on camera with a wad of money after the killing. Grant, of Elgin, denied murdering the 32-year-old and claimed: 'I never laid a finger on her.' He told the High Court in Edinburgh that the killing was 'disgusting' and 'horrible' and he was devastated by the death. But a jury found him guilty of assaulting Ms Donaghy by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with an unknown object and murdering her on November 15, 2023 in Elgin, by a majority verdict on the third day of deliberations. Grant, a former labourer, who has previous convictions for violence and was sentenced to eight years detention in 2003 for arson to danger of life at Warrington Crown Court, in Cheshire, admitted he owed the victim £300 for cocaine but insisted he was planning to pay her back. But the court heard he had just £12 in his bank account at the time of the murder and had not paid his rent that week. Advocate depute Christopher Wilson KC told jurors: 'My suggestion to you is the accused had run out of money. A drug habit and a lack of money is a bad combination.' He added: 'No one saw Owen Grant wield the hammer. The hammer itself has never been recovered, if you accept it was a hammer.' Grant was seen on CCTV putting a bag in a refuse bin after the killing and buying cigarettes and drinks at a Scotmid store with a large amount of cash in his wallet. No money was recovered when police searched Ms Donaghy's home following the slaying and no murder weapon was found, however, a witness said Grant had made attempts to buy hundreds of pounds worth of drugs afterwards. Following the sentencing, her grieving mother, Amanda Gow, said: 'Life without Keshia will never be the same. She was my only daughter and my first born. Her two daughters will have to live their lives without their mum. 'I still cannot get my head around the fact that she is gone and that her life was taken in such a brutal way.' She thanked for police and everyone who's supported the family and asked for their privacy to be respected. Detective Superintendent Lorna Ferguson said: 'My thoughts remain with Keshia's family and friends as they continue to try to come to terms with what happened. I hope the verdict will bring them some form of justice. 'This was a complex enquiry and I would like to thank the local community for their patience and assistance throughout our investigation. 'Grant now faces the consequences of his actions.'
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
New Elgin School of Rock to celebrate grand opening with music lessons, concert
It may not be the 'Rock 'n' Roll High School,' but Tommy Evans hopes students who check out Elgin's new School of Rock get the same kick from music that he did when he first heard groups like the Ramones. The music school's newest franchise at 355 S. Randall Road will celebrate its grand opening from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 7, by offering a free music lessons and a concert by Elgin School of Rock's 101 program students. Evans, a St. Charles resident who's been playing guitar since he was a teen, opened the school with his mother, Meg. He remembers the thrill he felt when he first got into music, he said. 'My friends introduced me to bands like Nirvana and the Ramones, and I became infatuated with the sound of the guitar and the process of creating music,' Evans said. He went on to get his bachelor's degree in audio production and design from Columbia College in Chicago in 2012 and has played with bands in the Chicago area, including one he formed called Secret Colours. The band's name is a nod to a Beatles song, its sound inspired by '90s Britpop acts like Oasis, Blur and Pulp. 'My (late) father (Jim Evans) listened to a lot of those bands in that scene,' Evans said. 'Something about the sound of that time and place will always make me feel nostalgic. It had such raw energy and aspiration behind it. I think it will always influence my songwriting in one way or another.' Secret Colours' music has been featured in YouTube videos, the 2015 horror movie 'Wind Walkers,' and TV shows including Showtime's 'Shameless' and 'Californication,' CW's 'The Vampire Diaries' and Hulu's 'Difficult People.' Still, like many musicians, Evans needed a full-time job to pay his bills and started working for School of Rock in 2013. Since then he has played various roles with the organization, most recently as general manager of the location in Naperville. After gaining experience, Evans said he realized it was time to open a School of Rock franchise of his own. 'I love the mission of School of Rock,' he said. 'It does so much more than teach music. It helps people learn how to work together, encouraging each other toward a common goal, building confidence and having great experiences in rehearsals and at venues,' Elgin's is the 401st School of Rock in the country; more than 20 of those are located in Illinois. Evans opened and operates the business with his mother, Meg, who lives in Geneva. 'My husband, Jim, passed away unexpectedly in 2021, just six weeks after I retired from a 35-year sales career with Johnson & Johnson,' Meg Evans said. 'When Tommy came to me with the desire to get involved and open his own school, it helped give me some purpose back. Jim would have loved it. He supported Tommy in everything Tommy ever did.' In addition to the free lessons and performance, the grand opening celebration will feature a ribbon-cutting, food, beverages and tours. The students who will be performing are among the 40 who have come on board since the school's soft opening two months ago. They already have eight adult students, and 'as soon as we get six or more adults, we will be able to form a band with them,' Meg Evans said. 'At the end of each three- to four-month term, they will play at a local venue.' School of Rock teaches guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and vocals. Students have a 45-minute, one-on-one lesson every week followed by a 90-minute band rehearsal lesson, Evans said. The school is offering a variety of summer camps as well, she said. They've also has been getting involved in the Elgin community. They offered free lessons earlier this month at the Elgin Public Museum, and will be doing events at Lords Park Zoo and Elgin Downtown Market, conducting a kids interactive musical experience before the June 20 screening of 'Soul' in Wing Park, marching in Elgin's Fourth of July Parade, and sponsoring the summer outdoor concert series at Panton Mill Park in South Elgin. 'And when we have our own house band, we will be out playing wherever the community would need us,' Meg Evans said.
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Bill putting Narcan in Illinois libraries, proposed by Elgin teen, passes state Senate; Pritzker expected to sign
A bill proposed by an Elgin high school student that will put supplies of opioid antagonists like Narcan in Illinois libraries passed the Illinois Senate unanimously. House Bill 1910, proposed by Illinois Math and Science Academy senior Jordan Henry through Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin), is now on Governor JB Pritzker's desk. He is expected to sign it into law. The law mandates Illinois public libraries maintain a supply of medications like naloxone, a nasal spray that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose with almost no side effects, and also have at least one staff member on duty at all times who is trained on administering the medication, Capitol News Illinois reports. Chicago has had a program to keep Narcan at public libraries since 2022. Public libraries are safe, accessible community space where people can access not just book but also computers, the internet, and depending on the time of year, heat or air conditioning. They are often frequented by vulnerable populations, including people who may be prone to opioid overdoses. Unlike the Chicago program, which allows any member of the public to take and administer Narcan at libraries, the Illinois law allows only trained library staff members to administer the opioid antagonists. The medications will be kept on or near library grounds, and also at library-sponsored events, according to the legislation.
