Latest news with #Holton
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Firefighters put out flames at Holton grocery store
HOLTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Firefighters from Muskegon and Holton worked to put out a fire at a grocery store Sunday. Flames broke out at Holton Foods on Holton-Duck Lake Road and 2nd Street in Holton, according to . It's not clear what caused the fire or if anyone was injured. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Group that got $5M from Hope Florida spent it without board knowing, chairman says
One of the nonprofits that received millions from a Medicaid settlement steered through a Hope Florida charity by the DeSantis administration took in and spent the money without the knowledge of its Board of Directors, the group's chairman wrote Wednesday in a resignation letter. James Holton said publicly for the first time in his letter that the board he served on at Save Our Society from Drugs was unaware that its executive director was passing $5 million through the organization and into a political committee fighting against a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana. He said he learned about it in the media. Holton also revealed for the first time that the executive director, Amy Ronshausen, had been suspended, a fact corroborated by Ronshausen in her own whistle blower complaint over what she claims was retaliation. Holton's resignation letter and Ronshausen's May 7 complaint were obtained by the Herald/Times on Thursday. The St. Petersburg-based organization is now considering reinstating Ronshausen, according to Holton's resignation letter. Neither Holton nor Ronshausen immediately responded to a request for comment. Ronshausen, who wrote that she was suspended with pay from her job on April 22, has maintained that she was coerced into sharing information about the Hope Florida Foundation grant with a Republican lawmaker who has been investigating how $10 million from a larger settlement with a Medicaid contractor was funneled through the Foundation to two nonprofits. Those nonprofits, Save Our Society from Drugs and Secure Florida's Future, then donated millions to Keep Florida Clean, the anti-marijuana political committee led by Gov. Ron DeSantis' then-chief of staff, James Uthmeier. The lawmaker investigating the issue, Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade, has said he uncovered a 'conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.' It's illegal to divert federal money like Medicaid. It's also against IRS rules for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit like the Foundation to spend a significant portion of its money on political causes, as is being alleged. DeSantis and Uthmeier, now Florida's attorney general, have dismissed Andrade's allegations as a smear campaign. On Wednesday, first lady Casey DeSantis, who spearheaded the Hope Florida program, said she has been undeterred by 'slanderous, false accusations.' Ronshausen has said that Andrade has mischaracterized their conversation about the organization's grant from the Hope Florida Foundation to exaggerate Uthmeier's involvement in the movement of the money. Andrade says Ronshausen's accusation is untrue. She also alleged in her complaint to Holton that her suspension as executive director was part of a retaliation campaign for activities that included her communication with Andrade and her objections to hiring outside attorneys that had worked for one of Florida's medical marijuana dispensaries. In his letter, Holton objected to bringing back Ronshausen and said he was resigning from the board after consulting with his lawyer. He said he appreciated the board wanting to reinstate Ronshausen to put the matter behind them and to 'avoid the need for litigation,' an apparent nod to Ronshausen's complaint. 'I also believe it is just not prudent or good governance to reinstate Amy prior to the completion of a full forensic audit by a third-party auditor and completion of any possible investigation by law enforcement and the Florida House of Representatives,' Holton wrote. He added: 'Such a premature reinstatement, in my opinion, could subject SOS, the Board and all Board members individually to additional scrutiny by various governmental bodies and may expose individual Board members to personal liability.' Holton is an attorney based in Tampa. He has been appointed by governors to several public boards, including by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Southwest Florida Water Management District in 2023. Andrade told the Herald/Times that it is significant that Holton revealed that Save Our Society from Drugs' board was unaware of its role passing the money from the Hope Florida Foundation to the political committee that fought the marijuana amendment. A Hope Florida Foundation board meeting in April revealed that its own board members didn't know where the $10 million that passed through their organization came from or whether it was public money. Andrade told the Herald/Times there was no board vote on either $5 million grant proposal from Save Our Society from Drugs or Secure Florida's Future, a nonprofit controlled by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. 'The fact that these grants were kept from the SOS board the same way they were kept from the Foundation board further implicates the individuals who knew what was going on,' Andrade said in a text message. 'Who on earth would hide a $5,000,000 grant from the Governor's office from their own board?'
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Cyclist, 18, dies after crash with quad bike near Halesworth
Cyclist, 18, dies after crash with quad bike Suffolk Police was called to Bungay Road in Holton following reports of the crash involving a cyclist An 18-year-old cyclist has died following a crash with a quad bike. Police were called to Bungay Road in Holton, near Halesworth, Suffolk, to reports of a collision involving a cyclist and the all-terrain vehicle shortly before 07:20 BST on 30 April. The cyclist sustained serious injuries and was taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital by ambulance. He was then airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where he died on Friday.
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Tears as Mom Shares Heartwrenching Reason Son Has Christmas for Birthday
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The reason a mom hosted Christmas for her 4-year-old's birthday has melted hearts across the internet. Melissa Kossack (@melissalkossack), 32, a stay-at-home mom of three, says her life turned upside down when her 2-year-old daughter, Lenny, was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in January—a rare and aggressive form of cancer that typically affects young children. From that moment on, her entire existence revolved around getting her daughter the best possible care. Amidst countless hospital visits and treatments, she remained determined to give her kids a slice of normalcy—especially for their birthdays. That included Holton, her Christmas-obsessed 4-year-old. A video of his festive April birthday celebration, complete with decorations and Santa suits, garnered more than 11,700 views on Instagram. Shortly after the family relocated from the Chicago area to Madison, Wisconsin, the little one made his passion for Christmas clear. A split image showing Holton walking down stairs to his birthday Christmas morning. A split image showing Holton walking down stairs to his birthday Christmas morning. Melissa Kossack/Melissa Kossack "Our first real holiday here was Halloween, and he absolutely hated Halloween. Wanted nothing to do with it. It was scary, he didn't want to go trick-or-treating, he didn't want to dress up as anything," Kossack told Newsweek. "My husband and I told him: first Halloween, then we have Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Eventually, we came to the idea that the only way we got him to participate in Halloween was if he dressed up as Santa." Halloween came and went—but Holton's Santa costume didn't. He wore it through New Year's, Valentine's Day, even St. Patrick's Day, when he helped set up a leprechaun trap and believed he might catch an elf. "His mind has never left Christmas. It's all he wants to do all day. He plays a game called 'Christmas' where he wraps everything in the house in wrapping paper—or he'll use towels and blankets and pretend those are his wrapping paper—and he wraps everything. He's just a Christmas boy at heart," Kossack explained. Holton's devotion to the holiday runs deep. He often wears Christmas shirts, and some days, he shows up to preschool in full Santa attire. Other kids even know him as "Santa." Despite everything going on with her daughter's health, Kossack wanted her children's birthdays to feel magical. Lenny was hospitalized for chemotherapy but was briefly discharged on April 20—just in time for Holton's birthday on April 22. When asked what he wanted to do for his birthday, Holton was clear: he wanted presents—and Christmas. With the help of her husband and father, Kossack set up a magical surprise. They put up the Christmas tree, hung festive decorations and a "Christmas Birthday" sign, added a red number 4 balloon, and placed his favorite Santa mailbox and stocking full of birthday gifts under the tree. Kossack captured the moment Holton walked downstairs in his Santa suit, wide-eyed at the springtime Christmas morning she had created, to join his siblings Lenny and Rayna, 5. "In really dark times, it's little moments like these that kind of bring joy and happiness. And it always amazes me—through the darkest days of our lives, we can find light in little things like this. I think that's why it meant so much," she said. "But honestly, seeing his little happy Santa face that day when he was walking down the stairs... I knew it was all worth it." Even on the day of his birthday, Holton had to visit the hospital to have a cast removed after breaking his wrist three weeks earlier. True to form, he showed up in costume. Holton dressed in his santa suit at the hospital with his little sister, Lenny. Holton dressed in his santa suit at the hospital with his little sister, Lenny. Melissa Kossack/Melissa Kossack "He wore his Christmas costume, brought his Santa bag, and packed his birthday presents in his Santa sack. All the nurses were laughing and in love with it. Four nurses came in and played 'Jingle Bells.' They made a paper bow and put it on his brace. And I could tell—the nurses felt the joy and love that this little Santa 4-year-old spread," Kossack concluded. Instagram users quickly fell in love with the story. "This is awesome. What a special day!!" one wrote. "This made me cry—how adorable!" another commented. "This is amazing and SO him," said Tiffany. "You are such an amazing mom!! Happy birthday to him," said another user. Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
Scotsman
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
SNP retain council seat in by-election, but Reform fire warning shot with vote surge
The SNP claimed the seat, but it was Reform that emerged as real winners from the by-election vote count Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Reform has fired a warning shot over the bows of its political rivals at a council by-election in Fife as the SNP retained its grip on the seat. SNP candidate Lynda Holton comfortably won the Fife Council seat of Glenrothes Central and Thornton to succeed the late Ross Vettraino, who represented the ward for 18 years until his death in February. She now joins her husband, Craig Walker, leader of the SNP group, on the opposition benches at Fife House after securing twice as many votes as Labour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Councillor Holton polled 1,439 first preference votes – just 72 shy of the target for election of 1,511 – and was formally declared at stage four of the process. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (centre) with supporters during a visit to Ramsgate in Kent. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire She was well ahead of Labour candidate Maciej Dokurno, who came second on 649 votes, with Ian Smith pushing the Reform Party into third. Reform polled more votes than the Tories and Lib Dems combined – and the party will be keen to build on that at next year's Scottish elections. Mr Smith netted 541 votes, well ahead of Ed Scorcher (Lib Dems) on 207 and Fiona Leslie (Tories) on 185. Fielding a candidate in the ward for the first time, Reform's 17.8 per cent share of the vote came largely at the expense of Labour – down 6.4 per cent – and the Tories who were down 6 per cent. The count took place at Fife House immediately after the polls closed. Turnout was 24.2 per cent, with 3,050 verified votes from an electoral roll of 12,623. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The result has no impact on the composition of the local authority. The SNP remains the largest single party at Fife House, but remains in opposition as Labour run a minority administration. Lynda Holton (centre) is declared the winner in the Glenrothes Central and Thornton by-election (Pic: Fife Council) In her victory speech, Cllr Holton paid tribute to the much respected Mr Vettraino, describing him as a 'gold standard' member of the council. She said: 'This was a by-election none of us wanted. Ross was highly respected, not only across the political divide, but more importantly in all the communities of this ward to whom he was devoted to the very end. He set the gold standard as a councillor and I will strive to meet that every day.' Cllr Holton added: 'Too often politicians make promises they can't keep. That results in an erosion of trust among the electorate, During this by-election I have committed only to what I can realistically achieve for the residents of this ward – and I am determined to deliver on those commitments.
