Latest news with #Hodson
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remembering David Hodson: Knoxville veteran who led 150 Marines to Iraq and back dies at 76
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The top sergeant who took 150 Marines from Delta Company in Knoxville to Iraq in 1990 has passed away. Retired Sergeant Major David Hodson spoke with 6 News three years ago for Veterans Voices. Hodson lived the US Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis, all his adult life. After 26 years, he retired from the Marine Reserves as a sergeant major, the highest non-commissioned officer rank. He joined the US Marines out of high school in 1968 and served two tours in Vietnam. Laurel County sheriff gives list of locations providing resources for tornado victims Assigned to the 1st Marine Division in his first tour, the regiment saw combat. Three Hodson brothers served in the Marines. David returned to Vietnam for a second tour. He was told not to wear his Marine uniform home in 1970, at the height of the anti-war movement. He wore it anyway. Hodson remained in the Marine Corps Reserve and served in another war: Desert Storm. The headline in December 1990 said, 'Knox Marine reservists ship out for training, await Mideast call' – it caught everyone's attention. Then, First Sgt. Hodson assembled his 150 Marines from Company D, 4th Combat Engineers in Knoxville and made a vow. 'I said, if you will pray every single day for us. I said I will promise you, we will go before our lord every single day. And I know if we do that, we will come back home together,' Hodson told Dare in 2022. 4-year-old rescued after standoff in Sevier County, SCSO said Keeping his word, Company D cut a chapel in the Iraqi sand, and unit preachers led the services. 'Even during the war, we took 15 minutes out. We knew that was the time to ask God to protect us. He did. He sure did; he brought us back home,' said Hodson. Every member of Company D returned to East Tennessee in late spring 1991. 'It was the greatest welcome I ever had. I'll go to my grave thanking everybody for taking the time to come out and welcome me home that day,' said Hodson. His family and the Marine family mourn his passing. Hodson was 76 years old. Services for Hodson were conducted at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery last week. Veterans Voices: Hear the stories of those who served Before he passed away from brain cancer, some of Hodson's former Marine buddies came from across the country to say 'Thank you,' and told him they loved him. Many colleagues from the Knox County courthouse also visited him, who had most recently been a court bailiff. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, two children, seven grandchildren, her brother, and his sisters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
18-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump's wine tariffs spark panic — but Virginia sees opportunity
President Trump's tariffs are seeding panic and uncertainty in the wine world, but in Virginia, some makers see the glass half-full. Why it matters: Virginia wine has long fought for space at the table alongside more established regions in Europe and the U.S. — and with tariff disruptions, some are seizing a chance to edge in. The big picture: The wine industry went uncorked when Trump emptily threatened 200% tariffs on European imports, which some called a " financial death sentence" for many in the industry. But even with the current 10% tariff on foreign wines — and potentially raised fees after Trump's 90-day grace period — experts predict higher prices and narrower choices as winemakers pull out of the U.S. Plus, big-export domestic regions like California could be strained by retaliatory tariffs or bans from Canada, China and beyond. State of play: "Uncertain" is the word du jour, especially since it's early. "Where we are in our industry is bated curiosity mixed with fear, and trying to figure out an opportunity," George Hodson, president of the Virginia Wineries Association, tells Axios. Hodson, who owns Veritas Vineyard & Winery in Afton, is spearheading a "tariff response team" among the state's 300-odd vineyards. He likens it to a "unifying moment" in the COVID pandemic, when wineries came together, shared information and got creative with sales. Their plan now: Push Virginia wine to distributors, restaurants and everyday sippers at a time when other regions are pulling back, unavailable or more expensive. What they're saying: "In Sonoma, the whole restaurant industry and consumers are about Sonoma wine. We have yet to have that buy-in, and we're going to try and leverage the moment," says Hodson. "We want to get people to see Virginia wine country as their wine country." Zoom in: The group is in the process of creating resources and events — everything from cards diners can leave at restaurants asking for Virginia wines to trade tastings, like one coming to D.C. next month with 30 producers. Hodson says they're targeting distributors and restaurants looking for substitutes for European bottles, noting his region's evolution and progress. "Some people checked in 15 years ago and haven't checked back." The intrigue: Virginia is known for Bordeaux-style grapes, thanks in part to its parallel climate and oenophile Thomas Jefferson, an early cultivator who planted vines at Monticello and staked out Virginia as " the birthplace of American wine." "We're much more French than California," says Hodson, "more Old World than New World. We're a more relevant substitution for a Burgundian red than a Napa cab." Reality check: Sliding into France's seat isn't that easy. Virginia winemakers worry tariffs will raise their production costs, and Virginia's problem is that the wine has always been expensive. Especially compared to places where viticulture is government-subsidized, like Argentina (hence your $10 Malbecs). Land here is pricey and not overly abundant, plus the weather is finicky, so farming costs are higher to grow and protect grapes. "I can't tell you how many times I bring my rosé to a D.C. restaurant, and they're looking for a $6 to $7 bottle. You can't even get that by the glass in the United States," says Kirk Wiles, CEO of Paradise Springs Winery, a bicoastal operation in Clifton, Virginia, and Santa Barbara, California. Between the vines: Wiles says the hands-on approach of Virginia wineries — no mechanical harvesting — leads to higher quality but also higher prices. And that's made the wholesale and restaurant business tough, especially when the market is flooded with cheap imports that line distributors' pockets. "We need more distributors to believe in Virginia wine so we can get to that next level," Wiles tells Axios. He says visitors to his California winery will taste his Virginia wine and love it but then can't find it. "As that bottom shelf starts to come up, Virginia wine looks more attractive." The other side: Not all winemakers are optimistic. Jim Law of Linden Vineyards, often called "the godfather" of Virginia wine, tells Axios: "We're going to have to hunker down. The key here is the uncertainty — nobody knows the impact, including the man who's making it all happen." Law says three crucial production elements could be impacted by tariffs: custom French oak barrels, European-made corks — derived from trees that don't grow in the U.S. — and Chilean glass bottles, which are both "environmentally friendly and stylish." Each element is meticulously sourced in the art of Law's winemaking, and either won't or can't be substituted. "We just don't know what the final invoices will look like," says Law. Like other Virginia winemakers, Law is well-stocked and heading into bottling season. Price hikes won't impact this round. But he sees no cause to celebrate in the tight-knit ecosystem of winemaking.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Drug dealer caught by mobile phone records jailed
A drug dealer has been jailed for eight years after mobile phone records showed he was involved in a drugs line which supplied crack cocaine and heroin valued at about £82,000. Police searched the Sheffield home of 25-year-old Brandon Hodson in March 2024 and found drugs paraphernalia and a mobile phone. Analysis of his calls showed he had been involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin for almost a year, a court heard. Hodson, of Blackstock Road, was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a charge of being concerned with the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. South Yorkshire Police said analysis of mobile phone records revealed Hodson was involved in a drugs line from April 2023 until March 2024, days before his arrest on 12 March. He was charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, holding a person in slavery or solitude and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence. Hodson was found not guilty of holding a person in slavery or solitude and possession of a firearm. The police said an application would be made under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the money Hodson made from the drugs line. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North HM Courts and Tribunals Service South Yorkshire Police
BBC News
04-04-2025
- BBC News
Sheffield man jailed for eight years for supplying drugs
A drug dealer has been jailed for eight years after mobile phone records showed he was involved in a drugs line which supplied crack cocaine and heroin valued at about £82, searched the Sheffield home of 25-year-old Brandon Hodson in March 2024 and found drugs paraphernalia and a mobile of his calls showed he had been involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin for almost a year, a court of Blackstock Road, was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a charge of being concerned with the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. South Yorkshire Police said analysis of mobile phone records revealed Hodson was involved in a drugs line from April 2023 until March 2024, days before his arrest on 12 was charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, holding a person in slavery or solitude and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence. Hodson was found not guilty of holding a person in slavery or solitude and possession of a police said an application would be made under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the money Hodson made from the drugs line. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Davidson County families impacted after food pantry loses federal funding
LEXINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — The United States Department of Agriculture cut more than$11 million in funding to North Carolina food banks. It's a decision that's trickled down to local pantries. One of those pantries is West Davidson Food Pantry In Lexington. 'We have already noticed that our funding has changed through Second Harv … We have been getting 55, 56 boxes per month. Now has dropped to 28 boxes,' Davidson Food Pantry Executive Director Wendy Marion said. The West Davidson Food Pantry serves 1,190 clients every month. Its food supply from Second Harvest Food Bank has been cut nearly in half for the next month. On top of that, they just learned they won't be receiving the usual $15,000 grant from the state, which is funding that has been crucial for keeping food on the shelves. 'That's going to hit us hard there,' Marion said. The pantry has already helped more than 4,000 clients this year, and donations haven't kept up with demand. The food pantry is unsure how they'll keep up with the need. 'We did not get an abundance this year of donations, and that has hurt us in just preparing for our future. We are … working with the community for donations and our churches, but I am worried about our clients and our elderly clients coming in, and we also serve the three elementary schools,' Marion said. One of the people who relies on this pantry is Leonard Hodson. 'We got custody of six grandkids … We got a full house, and my stepson moved down here from Indiana to help us out. Trying to feed these kids. It's crazy,' Hodson said. While he receives help, he also gives back by donating dozens of eggs from his own chickens. 'We bring them 16 to 24 dozen eggs every month because they need them all,' Hodson said. Hodson said he and his wife hope others will give what they can to help the food pantry survive. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was notified by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service via email on March 7 of the termination of the agreement for the Local Food Purchase Assistance 2025 Cooperative Agreement effective 60 days from the March 7 date. The funds of $11.4 million were to be utilized over the next three years. The state had not yet received or distributed any funds associated with this when this decision was made. 'We are always striving to create opportunities for North Carolina products across the state,' Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. 'We are disappointed with this decision, and we will be discussing it with the appropriate people to see if there is a way to continue providing opportunities to communities with local foods and support farmers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
