Latest news with #Hellmich
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Foley dedicates improvements to Heritage Park, extension of Jessamine Avenue
FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — The City of Foley dedicated improvements made at Heritage Park Friday, including the extension of East Jessamine Avenue and reopening East Jessamine and North Chicago streets to traffic after about nine months of construction. Fairhope and Daphne hit by 80 mph winds as surprise storm downs trees across Baldwin County According to a City of Foley news release, improvements included the construction of a brick gateway, columns and pavers at the eastern entrance to the park. Additionally, East Jessamine Avenue was extended from the park's gate to Cypress Street, the release said. These improvements create a new walkway that will lengthen the pedestrian bridge that extends over Alabama 59 to Foley City Hall. Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the improvements increased pedestrian access in downtown Foley. 'We've added a sidewalk that ties in City Hall all the way to our middle school,' he said. 'This goes right through the heart of the park.' Other improvements have been made to East Jessamine including two new sets of four-way stop signs at the intersections of North Chicago Street and North Cypress Street, and 20 new parking spaces, the release said. The completion of the eastern gate now gives the park brick entranceways on all four sides, and pavers link the new gate with the Centennial Clock and fountain on the west side of the park, according to the release. 'The clock tower here is the nexus of the park, so we have sidewalks that go north and south and east and west — very symmetrical,' Hellmich said. 'This eastern boundary is now beautified to match all of the other directions of our park. The city worked with Riviera Utilities to install decorative LED lights on Jessamine Avenue and wooden poles that held halogen lights were replaced with black poles holding LED lights. Tornado and storm damage in the News 5 coverage area (Mobile and Baldwin County) Foley's Horticulture Department will also six new trees along the Jessamine Avenue extension. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich to seek another term
FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich has announced he will seeking reelection. Massive bull shark caught outside mouth of Mobile Bay Hellmich said in a news release he is running with the theme, 'Your Mayor. Your Voice,' and said he wants to continue to be 'an accessible, results-driven leader that prioritizes the community needs.' During his stint as mayor, Hellmich has made four core areas of improvement his primary goal — infrastructure, public safety, education and overall quality of life, the release said. According to the release, Hellmich's administration has accomplished a lot in those areas: Infrastructure: In collaboration with Baldwin County and the Alabama Department of Transportation, the city upgraded 27 intersections, implemented a traffic signalization program to improve traffic flow, and improved pedestrian safety with new sidewalks, solar-powered crosswalks and numerous safety grants. Public safety: The city has invested in 'cutting-edge' fire equipment, police technology and programs that educate young adults about public safety careers, plus new fire stations and expanded police facilities have ben built. Education: Partnerships with the Baldwin County Board of Education has led to an additional $600,000 annually to enhance local schools, raise ACT scores and create public safety career paths. Quality of life: The city has added hundreds of acres in parks and upgraded facilities with LED lighting. Additionally, a new $20 million library and community center is being built, with plans to eventually build a civic center and a World War II heritage museum. 'Our commitment is to ensure Foley remains a safe, thriving and welcoming community,' Hellmich said. 'We are dedicated to preserving what makes Foley unique while strategically planning for our future.' Prior to taking the helm as Mayor, Hellmich served 16 years as District 3 Representative on the Foley City Council, serving as Mayor Pro Tem. He is a Certified Municipal Official served on several boards, including the Foley Planning Commission, Redevelopment Authority and Public Facilities Cooperative District. He served as the chairman of the Riviera Utilities Board and served on the University of Alabama Geological Sciences Advisory Board, the release said. Hellmich is a lifelong resident, having graduated from Foley High School. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in Geology and retired as the Regional Operations Supervisor from the State of Alabama Oil and Gas Board, the release said. He currently serves on numerous boards and organizations in the community. He is married to Jo McGill Hellmich and they have three children and one grandchild, the release said. From addiction to hope: Meet Fairhope's Dancing Queen Hellmich will hold a campaign kickoff party, open to the public, Thursday, June 5, from 5-7 p.m. at Hotel Magnolia, 119 North McKenzie Street in Foley. EVENT LOCATION: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
07-02-2025
- The Independent
Naomi Campbell's fellow charity trustee ‘carried out deception against her'
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has alleged in an appeal against a Charity Commission ban that her fellow trustee carried out a 'concerted deception' against her. It was revealed last year that the 54-year-old had been disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after the watchdog – which regulates charities in England and Wales – found serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion for Relief, which she founded. This included using charity funds to pay for her stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes. From the further documents that have now been provided by the commission there is significant further evidence of motive on the part of (at least) Ms Hellmich for the concerted deception of Ms Campbell Andrew Westwood KC Campbell was one of three of the charity's trustees to be disqualified as a result of the probe, with Bianka Hellmich disqualified for nine years, and Veronica Chou for four years. The model has launched an appeal against her ban, claiming she was a 'victim of fraud and forgery' – including a fake email account said to have been used to impersonate her in communications with lawyers. Her case came before a tribunal on Friday in which lawyers for her and for the Commission variously applied for disclosure of documents. In written arguments for Campbell, barrister Andrew Westwood KC said: 'Ms Campbell says that the (disqualification) order was wrongly made because she was not able adequately, or at all, to deal with issues that arose with the running of Fashion For Relief and/or present her proper and accurate position during the process which led to the making of the order. 'That was so as a result of deception on the part of, at least, her co-trustee Ms Bianka Hellmich.' Mr Westwood added: 'From the further documents that have now been provided by the commission there is significant further evidence of motive on the part of, at least, Ms Hellmich for the concerted deception of Ms Campbell, both in relation to the commission's inquiry that led to the making of the order and in the running of the charity more broadly. 'In particular, the documents appear to show that during the period that the charity was operational (2016-2021), Ms Hellmich was paid in excess of £500,000 out of charity funds.' An important feature of the appellant's grounds of appeal is that broadly she does not dispute that there was misconduct/mismanagement in the administration of the Charity but instead she contends that she was unaware of the misconduct/mismanagement due to wholesale deceit being perpetrated against her by a fellow trustee, Ms Bianka Hellmich Faisel Sadiq He told the court on Friday: 'It is Ms Campbell's case that because of the deception that was practised on her… she has been disqualified without having the opportunity to respond to the reasons for disqualification and without having had sight of the documents relied on by the commission in taking that action.' He argued that was 'fundamentally unfair', and applied for disclosure of the entirety of the commission's investigation file, but this was rejected – with the judge ordering the commission to disclose a smaller amount of only relevant documents. Faisel Sadiq, for the Charity Commission, said in written argument that Campbell is 'positively asserting that she was the victim of fraud and forgery'. 'An important feature of the appellant's grounds of appeal is that broadly she does not dispute that there was misconduct/mismanagement in the administration of the charity, but instead she contends that she was unaware of the misconduct/mismanagement due to wholesale deceit being perpetrated against her by a fellow trustee, Ms Bianka Hellmich,' he said. 'Indeed, the appellant goes so far as alleging that her signature on a document had been forged.' Mr Sadiq told the tribunal on Friday that Campbell's position 'is not to criticise the commission', but to say that it was a fraud and that her case in a nutshell is: 'I knew nothing about it, I was a figurehead.' He successfully applied for Campbell to disclose communications between herself and her fellow trustees. The court heard neither Ms Hellmich nor Ms Chou have launched appeals against their disqualifications. In a statement on Wednesday, Campbell said: 'I am grateful to the tribunal for allowing me to appeal the Charity Commission's findings after considering the evidence I have submitted. Ever since the commission's report, I have fought to uncover the facts. What has been unearthed so far is shocking. 'I want to shine a light on how easy it is to fake identities online and prevent anybody else going through what I have been through. 'I want to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and justice is done.' She said this was 'just the beginning' and reiterated that she has 'never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so'. A Charity Commission spokesperson said: 'The commission notes the tribunal's initial ruling and the judge's comment that the case will require Ms Campbell to prove very serious allegations of wrongdoing against a fellow trustee. 'These are significant allegations for the courts to consider, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the tribunal as it does so.'
