Latest news with #Finch
Newsweek
a day ago
- General
- Newsweek
Couple Rip Down Wall To Reveal 245-Year-Old Door, Shock At Where It Leads
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A couple renovating their home were shocked to discover a 245-year-old hidden door leading to the most unexpected of places. Interior remodeling was the most frequent project undertaken by U.S. homeowners renovating their property in 2024. A Statista survey of just over 20,000 U.S. adults found about 69 per cent of respondents had completed some interior remodelling over the previous 12 months. While all renovations are done with a view to improving a home and adding value, sometimes unexpected surprises can spring up as a result. That was the case for Deborah and Luke Finch, a UK couple who made a shock discovery just days after moving into a picturesque home with a unique history. "The house was built in 1780 just outside of Durham by the Prime Minister Charles Earl Grey," Deborah Finch told Newsweek. "The Grey family name is on the original deeds." Deborah and Luke Finch were intrigued to see what was behind the plaster board. Deborah and Luke Finch were intrigued to see what was behind the plaster board. Instagram/the_olive_finch Charles Grey served as Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834. During his time in office the Great Reform Act of 1832 was passed, giving a greater proportion of the UK population a chance to vote. He also passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which ended the practice in the British Empire. Though Finch and her husband had fallen in love with the property the moment they first laid eyes on it, they agreed it was in need of an update and wasted little time in getting to work. "We began decorating the house soon after we'd purchased it," Finch said. Things took an unexpected turn when they noticed a section of stone wall in one of their hallways that was being covered over by plasterboard. "We really wanted an exposed stone wall and one night just started pulling at the plasterboard," Finch said. "Before we knew it we'd pulled off almost half a wall." As they were ripping away at the plasterboard, Finch and her husband came across something else. "We noticed a bricked up section and decided to pull down some bricks. We were too curious to see what was behind," she said. "That's when we found the doorway." In removing the plasterboard, Finch had uncovered a doorway sealed up by bricks dating back to 1830. She quickly realized where the doorway led: right through to her neighbor's house. "We went straight next door to ask if we could look to where it led and if they knew there had been a door between us," she said. "It led into their kitchen - we joked with them about what it would be like if we opened it up again." After conducting a little more research, Finch discovered that the two homes had once been part of the same property and that the door was used by servants. "If you put an ear to the bricks you could hear the sounds of next door," Finch said "Our dogs used to talk to each other through it!" The doorway's original wooden lintel and some old quarry tiles were visible around the doorway. But while there was undoubtedly a temptation to open it up, Finch wasn't sure about creating a doorway between the two homes. So they found a different solution. "We kept it sealed up with the original bricks and made it into a shelving display. It was a talking point every time someone came round," she said. "We didn't realise how much work would be involved to finish the wall but after finding the doorway, there's no way we could cover it up again so we kept it!" Though it may have resulted in a lot more work than they had bargained for, Finch has no regrets about ripping up that plasterboard. "We were so shocked," she said. "We were just so thrilled to have chosen that wall to expose or it would have remained hidden today and no one would ever know it was there!" The couple shared the video of the "hidden door" to their TikTok page, @the_olive_finch, at the end of May, where it amassed more than 2,000 views. The story follows on from that of a couple who made an alarming discovery while renovating their 135-year-old home. In another surprise discovery, a couple who had recently purchased a home dating back to the 1600s found something unwanted when they began removing the wallpaper at the property.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
St. Thomas Aquinas' Finch and Campbell are the Broward Lacrosse Players of the Year
St. Thomas Aquinas stuffed its lacrosse trophy case once again in 2024 and now the Raiders have some individual awards to add to it, too. James Finch and Jordan Palmer are the Miami Herald's Broward County Lacrosse Players of the Year. Finch, a junior, is the Herald's Boys' Lacrosse Player of the Year for the third straight year after helping the Raiders win their fourth state title. The attack scored 76 goals and added 76 assists as the engine of one of the top teams in the state. Finch also had 34 ground balls and seven takeaways for St. Thomas Aquinas, which won yet another state championship with a well-rounded style of play. 'It was the greatest feeling ever, I was bawling my eyes out,' Finch said. 'It was always the talk I heard from the 2022 team, how good it was to win state. Their grit, their determination. That's the team we wanted to model ourselves around.' Finch is already orally committed to Ohio State and is closing in on 200 goals in his career, topping 50 in each of his first three seasons in Fort Lauderdale. Most importantly, he now has a championship on his resume after narrowly missing out in each of his first two seasons of high school. Palmer, the Herald's Girls' Lacrosse Player of the Year, was one of the most well-rounded players in the county and helped the Raiders come just one goal short of a trip to the final four. The midfielder had 69 goals, eight assists, 30 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and 53 draw controls this season to wrap up her career at St. Thomas Aquinas. The Raiders reached the Region 4-2A championship, but came up just one goal short against Vero Beach. The senior was especially dominant in the postseason, scoring 13 goals in the region playoffs, including two in the season-ending loss to the Indians. Palmer scored 14 hat tricks, including at least four goals in five of her last six games in high school and seven in a thrilling shootout win against Bradenton Manatee—another region finalist—in March. Palmer is heading to UCF in the fall and will keep playing lacrosse as a club sport there. 'We did so well and played for each other the whole season,' Palmer said. 'We won a lot of really close games and games we haven't won in the past. Overall, it was amazing.'
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
'She was brave': Zara's grieving mother hopes girl's killing prompts change
Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All adults are mandated reporters in Indiana. Zara Arnold was a "radiant little soul" whose brown eyes beamed with the wonder and curiosity of a 5-year-old. Her warmth was felt through the way she would sign, "I love you," in American Sign Language (ASL) to her mother, Tiara Finch, who is deaf. The vibration of Zara's laughter is what her mother remembers most. "Her giggle was the kind that stuck with you," Finch told IndyStar. "She was hearing, but I taught her ASL. It was the only language we used to communicate." Zara loved going to school, socializing with her friends, and dressing up as a princess. Although her life was cut short, Finch wants people to know that she made an impact. While the city struggles to understand how so many opportunities to keep Zara safe were missed, Finch wants people to also remember her daughter's smile and pureness. "She was brave in ways small and big and endlessly loved," Finch said. Her pure heart was displayed in the last words she said to her accused killer. Zara Arnold: Prosecutor looking into 'everybody' tied to 5-year-old's brutal killing, abuse Just before 11 a.m. on May 19, 2025, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to a home in the 200 block of North Lasalle Street for an unresponsive 5-year-old girl. The only person in the home was Zara's father, 41-year-old Zachary Arnold. Cold to the touch and her body rigid, Zara was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives noticed she had multiple bruises and abrasions on her arms and face. There was bruising on the side of her neck. She appeared to have dried blood on her face, and nearby in a kitchen sink was a small tank top with blood. According to a probable cause for his arrest, Arnold later admitted to choking Zara two to three times the night before and has choked her on numerous occasions before. He claimed he wasn't trying to hurt Zara, but he was fighting with his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Lopez-Figueroa, and said she made him "go crazy." Later, police found videos on Lopez-Figueroa's phone of Arnold choking Zara and using a noose around her neck. 'Why'd you hurt me? Why'd you hurt me? I love you, Dad," were the last words the 5-year-old said, according to Arnold. He was arrested and formally charged with murder. Lopez-Figueroa was charged with assisting a criminal and failure to make a report for not calling 911. Finch has been facing homelessness and is working with groups and resources to help her get back on her feet and deal with the loss of her daughter. According to court documents, the mother had not seen Zara since September of 2024. Finch left Arnold when Zara was about 10 months old after claims of abuse, and between then and now, there was a long history of court orders, custody battles, and Finch not feeling like her concerns were heard. Despite a spate of subsequent concerns about other possible abuse, a Marion County judge ordered Finch to stop contacting police and the Department of Child Services with concerns about her daughter's safety. Alongside justice in her daughter's death, Finch wants people to take note of how a system tasked with keeping her safe failed. Tiara Finch: 5-year-old Zara was tortured and killed after Indiana judge silenced mom's pleas for help Finch declined to speak to the ongoing case and is instead focusing her attention on funeral arrangements and attaining resources. She has a GoFundMe set up for funeral costs for Zara and MealTrain representatives are collecting donations for the mother. Zara Arnold will be laid to rest on June 7, 2025.
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
‘Mooving Day': Farmers Ask Drivers Not To Honk And To ‘Please Drive Slowly' As They Relocate Cows
Article – RNZ For the annual event to relocate cows they also have a plea for motorists: drive slowly., Reporter 'Don't toot your horns, and please drive slowly'. That's the message for motorists as dairy farmers walk or transport their cows to different farms over the next couple of weeks. Moving Day, or Mooving Day as it's sometimes termed, is an annual event in the dairy farming calendar on 1 June. The term 'Gypsy Day' was formerly used – but it has been acknowledged it may be regarded as derogatory. From now until mid June about 5000 dairy farming families, and herds of cows, relocate to new farms – as it's the start of winter and many cows are not being milked. Dairy NZ spokesperson Tony Finch said Moving Day happens throughout most of the country – with more density in the Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury and Bay of Plenty regions. Finch said thousands of people were literally moving households and farms to new sharemilking jobs and starting the new season at the same time. 'It is a really busy time for a lot of people because of the volume of them moving houses, moving possessions, kids, animals, family into a new community. 'It does make a big part of the annual dairy calendar and it can be stressful. There is a lot of planning involved.' Finch said many cows were transported to their new farm in a stock truck, but for those not moving far they will walk on rural roads. He is urging drivers to be patient if they are delayed behind a herd of cattle, or a stock truck on a rural road. 'I suppose the big thing we want to remind people is to be mindful, respectful and patient – that there's going to be a lot of traffic, potentially, and stock moving.' People needed to be considerate as it was a stressful time for the animals and farmers, he said. 'Impatient drivers tooting their horns is no help – for cattle walking on the roads, and cattle in stock trucks being transported to other areas. Please do not toot. Just wait.' Biosecurity protection Finch said there were many rules about safely moving stock on roads, and farmers needed to have a plan surrounding their cows welfare. To prevent the spread of potentially fatal diseases, such as Mycoplasma bovis farmers have to respect biosecurity regulations. 'It is a critical part of any movement that we ensure cows NAIT (ID tags each cow wears) are up to date. We have had some big scares in the past about biosecurity and that was M Bovis so we want all stock to be tracked correctly. And that we secure boundary fencing so cattle don't get into neighbouring farms. All equipment must be clean that's left in the farms, and what is taken to the new farm.' It's not just diseases that have the potential to be spread – it's invasive weeds as well. Bay of Plenty Regional Council biosecurity officer Nicky Oliver-Smith was reminding farmers and contractors that strong biosecurity practices were essential to prevent the spread of pest weeds. 'We know farmers put a huge amount of planning into the shift, and good biosecurity and effluent management are key parts of getting it right. 'Unclean machinery can easily spread pests. Just one seed or weed fragment on contaminated equipment can lead to a new infestation.' Oliver-Smith said Alligator weed and Noogoora buras were two of the most concerning agricultural pest weeds in the region. These fast-growing weeds can reduce crop value and pose a risk to livestock if eaten. Effluent from moving stock trucks, and cows walking along roads can also cause problems on the roads. To prevent large spillages, farmers are advised to only feed their cows dry food, and not green grass, for several hours prior to transporting them to a new farm. One cow can produce about 52 litres of effluent a day.
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
'Mooving Day': Farmers Ask Drivers Not To Honk And To 'Please Drive Slowly' As They Relocate Cows
"Don't toot your horns, and please drive slowly". That's the message for motorists as dairy farmers walk or transport their cows to different farms over the next couple of weeks. Moving Day, or Mooving Day as it's sometimes termed, is an annual event in the dairy farming calendar on 1 June. The term 'Gypsy Day' was formerly used - but it has been acknowledged it may be regarded as derogatory. From now until mid June about 5000 dairy farming families, and herds of cows, relocate to new farms - as it's the start of winter and many cows are not being milked. Dairy NZ spokesperson Tony Finch said Moving Day happens throughout most of the country - with more density in the Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury and Bay of Plenty regions. Finch said thousands of people were literally moving households and farms to new sharemilking jobs and starting the new season at the same time. "It is a really busy time for a lot of people because of the volume of them moving houses, moving possessions, kids, animals, family into a new community. "It does make a big part of the annual dairy calendar and it can be stressful. There is a lot of planning involved." Finch said many cows were transported to their new farm in a stock truck, but for those not moving far they will walk on rural roads. He is urging drivers to be patient if they are delayed behind a herd of cattle, or a stock truck on a rural road. "I suppose the big thing we want to remind people is to be mindful, respectful and patient - that there's going to be a lot of traffic, potentially, and stock moving." People needed to be considerate as it was a stressful time for the animals and farmers, he said. "Impatient drivers tooting their horns is no help - for cattle walking on the roads, and cattle in stock trucks being transported to other areas. Please do not toot. Just wait." Biosecurity protection Finch said there were many rules about safely moving stock on roads, and farmers needed to have a plan surrounding their cows welfare. To prevent the spread of potentially fatal diseases, such as Mycoplasma bovis farmers have to respect biosecurity regulations. 'It is a critical part of any movement that we ensure cows NAIT (ID tags each cow wears) are up to date. We have had some big scares in the past about biosecurity and that was M Bovis so we want all stock to be tracked correctly. And that we secure boundary fencing so cattle don't get into neighbouring farms. All equipment must be clean that's left in the farms, and what is taken to the new farm." It's not just diseases that have the potential to be spread - it's invasive weeds as well. Bay of Plenty Regional Council biosecurity officer Nicky Oliver-Smith was reminding farmers and contractors that strong biosecurity practices were essential to prevent the spread of pest weeds. "We know farmers put a huge amount of planning into the shift, and good biosecurity and effluent management are key parts of getting it right. "Unclean machinery can easily spread pests. Just one seed or weed fragment on contaminated equipment can lead to a new infestation." Oliver-Smith said Alligator weed and Noogoora buras were two of the most concerning agricultural pest weeds in the region. These fast-growing weeds can reduce crop value and pose a risk to livestock if eaten. Effluent from moving stock trucks, and cows walking along roads can also cause problems on the roads. To prevent large spillages, farmers are advised to only feed their cows dry food, and not green grass, for several hours prior to transporting them to a new farm. One cow can produce about 52 litres of effluent a day.
