Latest news with #Faircloth
Business Upturn
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Business Upturn
Wheeler Earns 10th Career Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Win at Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Presented by Ranger Boats
BAY CITY, Mich., Aug. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jacob Wheeler couldn't help himself. Time had already run out in Toyota Stage 7 Presented by Ranger Boats on Saginaw Bay with Wheeler atop SCORETRACKER®, his 10th career Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour win secured. Yet after Wheeler addressed the MLFNOW! viewers and offered some thank yous to those who had helped him get his tournament fishing start growing up in Indiana, he picked his rod back up and pitched a topwater frog back to the clump of reeds and lily pads in front of his boat, trying to elicit one more blowup. That summed up Wheeler's week on Saginaw Bay. Needing only to finish 27th or better to secure his fourth Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title in the past five seasons, he could have played it safe, then celebrated and gone through the motions after he secured the hardware on Friday. Instead, he not only made Sunday's Championship Round but overcame an early 22-pound deficit to Todd Faircloth and willed his way to a win in a three-way battle with Faircloth and Edwin Evers. His total of 110 pounds even on 42 scorable bass ultimately topped Faircloth by 7-6. For the win, Wheeler earned $150,000 – he'll leave Saginaw Bay with $250,000 and two trophies thanks to his AOY victory. The dream end to yet another dominant season left even Wheeler, who is no stranger to recapping victories, short for words. 'I still don't know what to say, to be honest with you,' he said with a chuckle. 'I don't even believe it half the time. I just go fishing and things happen. I'm just speechless. It's crazy, it really is.' Link to Hi-Res Photo of Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Winner Jacob Wheeler Link to Day 4 On-the-Water Photo Gallery: Stage 7 Championship Round kicks off on Saginaw Bay Link to Day 4 On-the-Water Photo Gallery: Bass Pro Tour anglers finish 2025 season on a high note at Saginaw Bay Link to HD Video of Highlights from Day 4 Championship Round Competition Wheeler took his first lead of the Championship Round with about 10 minutes left in Period 2. From there, he and Faircloth traded blows, the top spot on SCORETRACKER® changing hands six times during the final period. Wheeler finally took the lead for good by catching a 2-11 with 40 minutes left, then added five more scorable bass to pull away. In typical Wheeler fashion, he pointed not to those bites that earned him win No. 10 but a series of decisions that started on the opening day of the event. Wheeler spent the first period of Day 1 fishing for smallmouth on the outer edges of the competition boundary. Using a drop-shot and forward-facing sonar, he stacked up nearly 52 pounds, then spent the rest of the day largemouth fishing amid the shallow vegetation that lines Saginaw Bay. In the third period, he hit a key area that yielded more than 30 pounds in about 90 minutes. On the second day of qualifying, he once again sampled both shallow largemouth and offshore smallmouth, this time starting on the green fish. Like the rest of the field, he found the smallmouth bite to be getting tougher, making it difficult to justify the hour or so it would take to travel from largemouth habitat to smallmouth waters (or vice versa). So, Wheeler committed to frogging for largemouth during the Knockout Round. While he finished third, easily advancing to Championship Sunday, he knew the area he'd fished, which he shared with Brent Ehrler, wasn't likely to hold up for another day. 'After basically sharing one stretch with Ehrler, I'm like, I'm not going to win this tournament sharing fish, especially after we beat on them this bad,' Wheeler said. 'It was just not going to happen. I knew we'd probably catch some fish there in the morning, and then after that, it was going to be all about making the right decisions, and I'm going to have to have some stuff that I can get away from.' Sunday morning, Wheeler (and just about everyone else in the Top 10) found the bite slower than a day prior. Faircloth, on the other hand, landed on an offshore school of largemouth and piled on 17 scorable bass for 44-3 in the opening hour and a half. At that point, he'd more than doubled every other angler on the water. He finished the first period with 50 pounds exactly, 17-4 ahead of Wheeler. Wheeler knew he needed to find a fresh spot. He considered loading his boat on the trailer and heading for smallmouth waters. But first, he figured he'd check the area that had produced for him on Thursday afternoon. He hadn't been back since, figuring no other angler would find it since it was only accessible with a long idle. At first, Wheeler couldn't relocate his fish. A couple times in the second period, he wondered aloud whether to stay or go. Eventually, a few hundred yards away from where he'd caught them on Day 1, he started to get bites in bunches. In the span of 1 hour, 22 minutes, he boated 13 scorable bass for 33-12 and climbed all the way to the top of SCORETRACKER®. 'When I found them, it was pretty apparent that they all decided to show up right there,' he said. 'And I knew when that sort of happened and we caught them like that, there's a good chance we can win this tournament.' Wheeler targeted a mixture of reeds and lily pads in about a foot of water, catching almost all his bass with a frog but mixing in a Rapala CrushCity Bronco Bug. The key to his area, he believes, was that it wasn't full of submerged vegetation. 'You had a lot of reeds and pads there that were really clean, meaning there wasn't a lot of grass that was choking them out,' he explained. 'Even though it was super, super shallow, it was a deal where they could swim around and they could live in there; they had room to swim around. Where if you have choked out pads or reeds, they're not as good. A little bit of grass is good, but not a whole lot of grass.' As the third period ticked by and he and Faircloth remained neck-and-neck, Wheeler leaned on his ample experience in tight Bass Pro Tour finishes. Not only had he hoisted nine red trophies entering this event, he's fallen just short a few times, too, including a pair of runner-up finishes this season. Instead of skewing his decision-making, the pressure sharpened it. Wheeler, the ultimate competitor, entered 'kill mode.' 'I know what it takes to win,' Wheeler said. 'When I get in those positions, I get in kill mode. You do everything to push you mentally to keep your mind sharp and make the right cast, and every cast matters and every fish matters. You get it to where you're just like locked and trained to focus on that.' The last key decision he made was leaving the spot where he'd relocated his fish from Day 1. Perceiving that the bass had noticed his presence and scattered, Wheeler trolled out toward his starting spot and then back again, picking off a few bass on the way. He arrived at the juice with about an hour left and promptly caught eight more scorable bass. 'I didn't stay in there,' he said. 'I went back out and I was able to catch a few and sort of settle back down and come back in the last hour basically and close it out.' While Wheeler is no stranger to the winner's circle, this victory carries significance for a few reasons. For one, it's his first national win on a frog, one of his favorite techniques and something he said he 'cut my teeth doing.' It also represented the perfect ending to a season-long redemption tour. Earlier this year, he finished in the top six at Lake Conroe, the Harris Chain of Lakes and Lake Murray – all fisheries where he'd failed to make the Knockout Round during previous BPT visits. While he'd fared better in his first event on Saginaw Bay, finishing eighth in the 2023 regular-season finale, Wheeler had to watch another angler, Matt Becker, hoist both the Stage 7 and AOY trophies after that event. Finishing second to Becker by 4 points, that's the only time in the past five years Wheeler's campaign hasn't ended with AOY hardware in hand. He admitted that was on his mind this week. This time, Wheeler made sure it was him who gets to ride off into the offseason as a double winner. 'It definitely gave me a sour taste in my mouth,' he said. 'I caught them and Top 10'd, but I just didn't perform that week. I had a bad Championship Day. … So, I was focused and determined that this one wouldn't get me. I controlled my own destiny that day, and I lost, which is what it's about. Thankfully, I didn't have the Angler of the Year pressure on me (today), but I was able to focus and just call it good.' The top 10 pros at the Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Presented by Ranger Boats finished: 1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 42 bass, 110-0, $150,0002nd: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 40 bass, 102-10, $45,0003rd: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 36 bass, 86-10, $35,0004th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 26 bass, 66-2, $30,0005th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 25 bass, 61-2, $25,0006th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 23 bass, 58-0, $23,0007th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 23 bass, 54-12, $22,0008th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 21 bass, 49-15, $21,0009th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 45-7, $20,500 10th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 18 bass, 43-6, $20,000
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
StormTrap Announces Acquisition of Faircloth Skimmer, Expanding Stormwater Management Solutions Portfolio
ROMEOVILLE, Ill., July 08, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--StormTrap, a leading provider of stormwater management systems, today announced the acquisition of Faircloth Skimmer, the leading manufacturer of surface drain dewatering devices used in sediment basins and stormwater ponds. This strategic acquisition enhances StormTrap's product offerings and reinforces its commitment to providing comprehensive, sustainable solutions for stormwater management. Founded in 2000, Faircloth Skimmer has built a strong reputation for its innovative floating skimmer technology, which helps improve water quality by removing sediment-laden water from construction sites and stormwater basins. The company's products are recognized for their reliability, regulatory compliance, and ease of installation, and have been used in thousands of construction projects across the United States. "We are thrilled to welcome Faircloth Skimmer to the StormTrap family," said Nate Olds, CEO of StormTrap. "Their cutting-edge products are a natural complement to our existing solutions, and this acquisition allows us to offer a more complete suite of stormwater management tools to our customers. Together, we will continue to lead the industry in innovation, quality, and environmental stewardship in every part of the country." The acquisition aligns with StormTrap's long-term growth strategy and strengthens its ability to deliver flexible, cost-effective solutions that span a broader range of the project lifecycle and meet the evolving needs of engineers, contractors, and municipalities in managing and treating stormwater. Faircloth Skimmer will maintain its brand in the marketplace in partnership with StormTrap, together upholding the high standards of service and product excellence that customers have long associated with both companies. "We are excited to join forces with StormTrap," said Michael Brewer, President & CEO of Faircloth Skimmer. "This partnership will allow us to scale our impact, reach new markets, and continue developing products that support sustainable construction and water management practices." Michael Brewer and the Faircloth team will continue in their current roles as Faircloth becomes a subsidiary and affiliate of StormTrap. StormTrap is a flagship company in the PSP Capital Partners portfolio. About StormTrap StormTrap is a leading provider of advanced stormwater management solutions across North America. Committed to protecting waterways and promoting sustainable infrastructure, StormTrap delivers engineered systems for detention, retention, infiltration, treatment, and water harvesting. Its proven, customizable solutions help civil engineers, developers, and municipalities meet stringent regulatory requirements while optimizing site design and reducing total project costs. StormTrap's product portfolio includes SingleTrap®, DoubleTrap®, ShallowTrap®, StormSettler®, SiteSaver®, TrashTrap®, and PumpGuard®. To learn more, visit About Faircloth Skimmer Faircloth Skimmer is a leading manufacturer of surface drain dewatering devices used in sediment basins and stormwater ponds. Its patented floating skimmer technology is widely adopted for its effectiveness in reducing sediment discharge and improving water quality on construction sites. To learn more about Faircloth Skimmer, please visit About PSP Partners and PSP Capital PSP Partners is a Chicago-based private investment firm founded by its Chairman Penny Pritzker, an entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The firm is comprised of a highly experienced team of investment professionals and business builders focused on partnering with entrepreneurs, business owners, and management teams to build market-leading businesses and develop valuable assets. With investment strategies focused on established businesses (PSP Capital), emerging/growth companies (PSP Growth) and real assets (Pritzker Realty Group), PSP Partners invests across stages and asset classes with a primary emphasis on business & technology services, advanced industrials and real estate that are well-aligned with its expertise and experience. For more information, visit: View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Stefanie GeissDirector of MarketingStormTrapEmail: sgeiss@ Phone: (815-791-7291)
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
StormTrap Announces Acquisition of Faircloth Skimmer, Expanding Stormwater Management Solutions Portfolio
ROMEOVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--StormTrap, a leading provider of stormwater management systems, today announced the acquisition of Faircloth Skimmer, the leading manufacturer of surface drain dewatering devices used in sediment basins and stormwater ponds. This strategic acquisition enhances StormTrap's product offerings and reinforces its commitment to providing comprehensive, sustainable solutions for stormwater management. Founded in 2000, Faircloth Skimmer has built a strong reputation for its innovative floating skimmer technology, which helps improve water quality by removing sediment-laden water from construction sites and stormwater basins. The company's products are recognized for their reliability, regulatory compliance, and ease of installation, and have been used in thousands of construction projects across the United States. 'We are thrilled to welcome Faircloth Skimmer to the StormTrap family,' said Nate Olds, CEO of StormTrap. 'Their cutting-edge products are a natural complement to our existing solutions, and this acquisition allows us to offer a more complete suite of stormwater management tools to our customers. Together, we will continue to lead the industry in innovation, quality, and environmental stewardship in every part of the country.' The acquisition aligns with StormTrap's long-term growth strategy and strengthens its ability to deliver flexible, cost-effective solutions that span a broader range of the project lifecycle and meet the evolving needs of engineers, contractors, and municipalities in managing and treating stormwater. Faircloth Skimmer will maintain its brand in the marketplace in partnership with StormTrap, together upholding the high standards of service and product excellence that customers have long associated with both companies. 'We are excited to join forces with StormTrap,' said Michael Brewer, President & CEO of Faircloth Skimmer. 'This partnership will allow us to scale our impact, reach new markets, and continue developing products that support sustainable construction and water management practices.' Michael Brewer and the Faircloth team will continue in their current roles as Faircloth becomes a subsidiary and affiliate of StormTrap. StormTrap is a flagship company in the PSP Capital Partners portfolio. About StormTrap StormTrap is a leading provider of advanced stormwater management solutions across North America. Committed to protecting waterways and promoting sustainable infrastructure, StormTrap delivers engineered systems for detention, retention, infiltration, treatment, and water harvesting. Its proven, customizable solutions help civil engineers, developers, and municipalities meet stringent regulatory requirements while optimizing site design and reducing total project costs. StormTrap's product portfolio includes SingleTrap ®, DoubleTrap ®, ShallowTrap ®, StormSettler ®, SiteSaver ®, TrashTrap ®, and PumpGuard ®. To learn more, visit About Faircloth Skimmer Faircloth Skimmer is a leading manufacturer of surface drain dewatering devices used in sediment basins and stormwater ponds. Its patented floating skimmer technology is widely adopted for its effectiveness in reducing sediment discharge and improving water quality on construction sites. To learn more about Faircloth Skimmer, please visit About PSP Partners and PSP Capital PSP Partners is a Chicago-based private investment firm founded by its Chairman Penny Pritzker, an entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The firm is comprised of a highly experienced team of investment professionals and business builders focused on partnering with entrepreneurs, business owners, and management teams to build market-leading businesses and develop valuable assets. With investment strategies focused on established businesses (PSP Capital), emerging/growth companies (PSP Growth) and real assets (Pritzker Realty Group), PSP Partners invests across stages and asset classes with a primary emphasis on business & technology services, advanced industrials and real estate that are well-aligned with its expertise and experience. For more information, visit:
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Pete hurricane victims fighting foreclosure after mortgage sold to new company
The Brief Hurricane victims trying to rebuild their homes are now fighting a new mortgage company that is threatening foreclosures. Mr. Cooper, a mortgage servicing company, is being accused of trying to foreclose on residents after buying their mortgages. Local real estate attorneys are urging residents to remain calm in the face of foreclosure threats. ST. PETE, Fla. - Hurricane victims trying to rebuild their homes are now fighting a new mortgage company that is threatening to take their homes away. One St. Pete family said that while they were trying to rebuild their home after Hurricane Helene, their mortgage was sold and its new owner threatened to foreclose on them. What they're saying "It's troubling mentally, it's stressing emotionally, it's deflating. As a husband and a father, it's mortifying because I have a family that depends on me," said Woody Faircloth. Woody Faircloth is fighting to keep his family's home in Riviera Bay. "They told us, 'Don't make your mortgage payments for the next four months. Work on your house. Then, when your insurance check comes in, pull the money out of there and catch your payments up,'" said Faircloth. When the forbearance period ended, however, Mr. Cooper, a mortgage servicing company, bought Faircloth's mortgage. When he attempted to resume payments, he was shocked to learn that the company had already placed his home in foreclosure proceedings because he was four months behind on his mortgage. "I told them, 'We were in a forbearance.' They told me, 'not with us, you weren't," said Faircloth. "What they're doing is threatening us with a sale date on our house if we don't pay them," Faircloth said. Local perspective Charles Gallagher, a St. Petersburg attorney specializing in real estate said situations like Faircloth's are becoming increasingly common, especially when the original forbearance agreement was verbal rather than written. "We're seeing a lot of that – just like we saw post-Covid," Gallagher said. "If you have a written forbearance agreement, the new mortgage company is obligated to honor it. If they don't, they're in violation of the amended mortgage terms." Nationstar Mortgage, the LLC behind Mr. Cooper, has faced multiple lawsuits for failing to honor the terms of mortgages transferred from other countries. All 50 state attorneys general have sued the company twice, resulting in settlements for homeowners. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau secured a $91 million settlement after alleging the company failed to handle transferred mortgages properly. What you can do Gallagher advises homeowners not to pay companies in a panic if they receive verbal threats of foreclosure. Companies must first file a suit in court, giving homeowners the chance to respond and then attend court proceedings. "We've seen cases where lenders falsely claim a sale date has been set, just to pressure homeowners into paying quickly," said Gallagher. "That can be actionable as fraud." READ: Mayor Castor to serve on Trump's FEMA Review Council "To say that you have a sale date set and a mortgage foreclosure case, when there's no foreclosure case filed yet, that triggers the issues of collection violations and deceptive trade practices," said Gallagher. "It's been done before many, many, many times by lenders and servicers who have tried to scare a borrower into quick repayment." What's next Faircloth has filed a police report with the St. Petersburg Police Department, which confirms a detective is reviewing the case. He has also submitted a complaint to the Florida Attorney General's Office. "Dealing with the disaster was bad enough," Faircloth said. "I didn't think I'd be dealing with a disaster and have the mortgage company trying to rip our house away." The other side FOX 13 has reached out to Mr. Cooper multiple times for comment, and has not heard back. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Sean Faircloth wins special election for Maine House District 24
Former Bangor Mayor Sean Faircloth won the Feb. 25 special election for Maine House District 24. (Photo via Maine Democratic Party) Sean Faircloth won an overwhelming victory in Tuesday's special election to fill the seat left vacant by State Treasurer Joe Perry, bolstering legislative Democrats' slim majority in the Maine House of Representatives. The former Bangor mayor defeated Republican Carolyn Fish, who serves on the Bangor City Council, 71.7% to 28.3% with more than 95% of votes counted, according to Decision Desk HQ. In a statement after the vote, Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman congratulated Faircloth, saying his 'deep roots in the community and his commitment to the values that strengthen Maine—economic fairness, job growth, and support for working families—will serve his constituents well.' 'This victory is a clear demonstration that voters in the district enthusiastically support Democratic Party values and policies that give all Mainers a fair shake,' Dingman said. The district, which includes Veazie and parts of Bangor, Brewer and Orono, leans Democratic. Faircloth had been selected by the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, an arm of the national party that aims to get Democrats elected to state legislators, as one of the organization's 'spotlight candidates.' The national organization celebrated Faircloth's win. 'Across the country, Democrats continue to focus on the issues most important to working families, and that's why they continue to dominate in special elections,' DLCC president Heather Williams said in a statement after the vote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
