Latest news with #Gridley
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
North Coast seal sightings prompt rabies caution
Authorities are warning beachgoers to avoid seals after rabies was confirmed in Cape fur seals for the first time in South Africa. On Friday, a fisherman reported a seal on the shore at Tinley Manor, while another was seen at Westbrook on Saturday. Two weeks earlier, a seal was sighted at a Ballito tidal pool. The sightings come amid concerns over a rabies outbreak affecting Cape fur seals, following an investigation into seal attacks on humans and dogs in Cape Town that began in 2021. The principal investigator and founder of the Sea Search Research Institute in Muizenberg, Dr Tess Gridley, said there is no evidence of rabies in other species but urged caution. 'Be very wary of any seals; give them a wide berth,' said Gridley. To date, 81 confirmed cases have been documented, with several carcasses testing positive for the deadly viral disease. According to Sea Search's research, it is unclear how rabies spreads in aquatic species or how many seals are affected. 'If you see any seals being aggressive or acting unusually, call the authorities immediately,' said Gridley. In 1980, one case of rabies was reported in a ringed seal in Norway, but this is reportedly the first known major outbreak of the disease among marine mammals in the world. Quentin Power, commander of Ballito's Specialised Rescue Unit, noted that seals are a common sight along the North Coast, with sightings documented at beaches between Westbrook and Zinkwazi. Power said the marine mammals chase the sardine migration from the Western Cape and sometimes remain before heading back. A seal was relocated from Tiffany's Beach in 2018, and a sub-Antarctic fur seal was rescued near Chaka's Rock in 2019. 'We have been documenting, rescuing and relocating seals for years,' said Power, who attributes the increase in sightings since 2010 to smartphones providing photographic evidence of locations.' The World Health Organisation states that rabies is primarily transmitted through saliva and affects the central nervous system. Symptoms include fever, pain and tingling, pricking or burning sensations at the wound site. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below.
Business Insider
16-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
'30 Days of GPT': How a Whoop product leader ingrained AI in her team
Most tech leaders promote AI adoption through training sessions or performance metrics. A product leader at Whoop is more focused on creating habits. Hilary Gridley, the head of core product at the wearables company, said on an episode of "Lenny's Podcast" published Sunday that her goal is to make AI feel like a natural part of daily work, not a mandate. To do that, she relies on a three-part framework: consistency, friction reduction, and a strong reward loop. Consistency means building an everyday relationship with AI — and that starts small, said Gridley. "It has to start super easy. You have to give them things that take no more than a minute or two to do," she said. To help her team form the habit, she created "30 Days of GPT" — a list of daily micro-tasks designed to ingrain AI use. The list begins with simple prompts, like uploading your calendar into ChatGPT and asking for meeting talking points. It eventually moves into more complex tasks like "reverse-engineer prompts to make LLMs think like you." Grindley said she avoids frontloading real, complex work into the process. She's focused on forming habits, not on education. "Work is hard," she said. "I start with things that are just fun, simple use cases." "I don't know anyone who has gone through this and not come out the other side feeling a hundred times more confident in their skills," she added. Create a reward loop Another key to her strategy is designing a reward loop — a crucial but often overlooked part of behavior change. It needs to be powerful, immediate, and emotional, Gridley said. "When this person does the thing that you want them to do, they feel like a million bucks," she added. One way she makes that happen is through Custom GPTs. Team members can upload a document and get immediate feedback or an improved version — no advanced prompting needed. "They get the joy of, 'Oh, this helps me, this was cool' without any of the despair of, 'Oh, I'm not very good at prompting," she said. Gridley also said giving shout-outs in team meetings and encouraging demos when someone uses AI to solve a real problem are effective ways to recognize and reward adoption. "If I'm trying to build any kind of habit on my team," she said, "it's less about the accountability of how I'm enforcing this, and more about how I make it so rewarding for people to do it that they do it naturally." Gridley did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Her comments come as the corporate rush to adopt AI is shifting into high gear. More than three-quarters of business people surveyed by McKinsey said their companies used AI for at least one business task as of July 2024, up from 55% since late 2023, according to a March report. The consultancy surveyed nearly 1,500 participants online across various industries, company sizes, tenures, and regions, including 42% who said they work at organizations with over $500 million in annual revenue.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Student's family suing Lawrence School District after alleged sex abuse
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A lawsuit has been filed after a school staff member in Lawrence was recently accused of sexually abusing a student at an elementary school. Monsees & Mayer, P.C., a Kansas City-based firm, announced Friday that a lawsuit has been filed in Douglas County District Court against the Lawrence School District on behalf of a 6-year-old student and her family. Kansas City Manager Brian Platt suspended after whistleblower lawsuit The lawsuit states that while the student was attending Prairie Park Elementary School, she was sexually abused by Mark Gridley, who was then a speech pathologist employed by the district. Gridley, 61, is facing criminal charges, including one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, in relation to the incident. He is currently being held in the Douglas County jail with bond set at $1.5 million. FOX4 has reached out to an attorney representing Gridley in the criminal case to comment on the lawsuit. The lawsuit states that sometime from Feb. 6-7, Gridley 'used his position of trust and authority to isolate, groom, and/or sexually abuse students under the guise of speech therapy.' It claims that the school district knew or had reason to know that Gridley 'engaged in acts of misconduct consistent with a dangerous propensity for unwanted or abusive contact' with children but that the district failed to take action and continued to allow him to work at the school. In an email Friday, the school district said it was unable to comment. The lawsuit asks for a jury trial to conducted and requests compensatory damages in excess of $75,000. 'Our clients are experiencing every parent's worst nightmare when they drop their kids off at school,' Reed Martens, the family's attorney, said in a statement Friday. 'The parents are seeking justice for their daughter in hopes that something like this will never happen.' A court date has not yet been set in the civil case. The Lawrence Police Department, the lead investigating agency in the criminal case, said last week that it was requesting additional charges to be filed against Gridley, and stated that there has been a total of eight possible victims identified in the case. As of Friday, additional charges have not been announced by the district attorney's office. Gridley's next court date in the criminal case is March 26. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Lawrence police requesting additional charges for teacher charged with assault
KANSAS ITY, Mo. — The Lawrence Police Department have submitted a new charging affidavit to the Douglas County District Attorney's Office requesting new charges be filed against a Lawrence teacher. Mark Gridley, 60, worked as a speech and language pathologist at Prairie Park Elementary School before his arrest. He's worked in the Lawrence School District since 2021. KCPD officers fire shots while investigating disturbance at home Lawrence police announced Thursday that and the total number of victims is now eight. The allegations made against Gridley reportedly occurred over a two-day period at the school from Feb. 6 to Feb. 7. Police said the victims range in age from 6 to 11 years old. According to an affidavit released last week, one potential victim claimed that Gridley blindfolded him and tied his hands, saying he wanted to do a 'tongue strength test.' He's under the age of 14 and one count of kidnapping. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Police continue to ask parents to speak with their children. They say it's important to ID anyone impacted so they can get services to victims. Gridley is being held in jail on a $1.5 million bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
More alleged victims come forward after Lawrence teacher charged with assault
LAWRENCE, Kan. — A Lawrence, Kansas teacher is facing sexual assault of a minor and kidnapping charges. Douglas County prosecutors charged Mark Gridley, a teacher at Prairie Park Elementary. Lawrence police announced on Tuesday that more alleged victims have come forward since the news broke on Monday. Now, detectives are expanding the investigation. Deputy Chief Anthony Brixius said the investigation will include potential students outside of those receiving speech services at the school. Man pleads guilty for Shawnee house fire that injured family Gridley, 60, was a speech and language pathologist at Prairie Park Elementary School. He's under the age of 14 and one count of kidnapping. Brixius said according to public records, Gridley's worked in the Lawrence School District since 2021. Police continue to ask parents to speak with their children. They say it's important to ID anyone impacted so they can get services to victims. 'It's heartbreaking and if you hear a parent call in and talk about what they spoke with their children about and the parents thus far have been good about following the directions,' Brixius said. 'You can certainly hear the pain in their voices and we have a lot of investigators on this right now.' Lawrence Public Schools said Monday 'The district immediately relieved the individual of all duties.' Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Gridley's being held on a $1.5 million bond. His next court appearance is Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
