Latest news with #Hood


Axios
14 hours ago
- General
- Axios
Tennessee parks expand accessibility with all-terrain wheelchairs, changing tables
Welcome to Day 2 of Tennessee Trailheads: This week, each edition of Axios Nashville will explore a different aspect of the parks where we picnic and play. Subscribe to Axios Nashville here for the next installment. It's not unusual for Chrissy Hood to walk into a bathroom and cry when she sees an adult changing table mounted on the wall. Why it matters: Hood's 22-year-old daughter Alaina has autism, cerebral palsy and other conditions caused by a rare genetic syndrome. Adult changing tables are a necessity for her, and for the Hood family, they have become symbols of independence and dignity. "Everyone deserves dignity," Hood says. When Hood sees a changing table, she says, she knows "I'm not having to lay my daughter down on that dirty, filthy restroom floor and change her." The big picture: Parks officials are working on parallel tracks to boost accessibility under the Access 2030 initiative, which aims to make Tennessee's parks the most accessible in the country. Changes are rolling out quickly. Earlier this year, Tennessee State Parks hired Ryan Jolley as its first-ever accessibility coordinator to oversee the ongoing projects. What she's saying: Hood works for the advocacy group Family Voices of Tennessee and serves on the state's Council on Developmental Disabilities, giving her a bird's-eye view of efforts to improve access to state parks. "What we are doing with our state parks and accessibility has really put Tennessee on the map in a very positive way," she says. "Tennessee is leading the way." State of play: Tennessee state parks have added adult changing tables at a rapid clip. Each new location represents a new opportunity for Alaina and her family. "We're getting to get out and see parts of our state we've never seen, and we're getting to experience our parks and nature," Hood tells Axios. "She's out getting to experience life." Zoom out: Also new at multiple state parks are all-terrain wheelchairs that can navigate trails and give people access to vistas they might have otherwise missed. Some parks have also added wheelchair-accessible canoe and kayak launches. Others have installed special viewfinders that can help people who are colorblind experience the vibrance of fall leaves. By the numbers: The state's fleet now includes more than 60 all-terrain wheelchairs. Hood remembers seeing one of the wheelchairs charging during a recent visit to Red Clay State Historic Park. "I was so excited, because the tires were dirty, and that means it's being used," she says. Reality check: Thirty-five years after the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, barriers are common. Inclusive playgrounds that accommodate children of different abilities, for instance, can be hard to find. "There's no rose-colored glasses on, that's for sure," Jolley says of the work that still needs to be done. He notes that plenty of older buildings and infrastructure across the state's park system are not up to date. Teams conduct assessments to prioritize needs and create improvement schedules. The bottom line: Jolley, who is legally blind, tells Axios his job is to listen to Tennessee residents, identify persisting parks problems and push new measures to solve them.

Courier-Mail
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
‘You should apologise': AFL legend, journo in heated clash
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt has demanded an apology after his comments were called 'sexist' during a heated TV exchange on Monday night. The Saints champion and veteran football reporter Caroline Wilson exchanged verbal barbs on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters as the panel discussed North Melbourne's abysmal 101-point defeat to Geelong on Saturday. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Wilson said it was now up to North Melbourne president Sonja Hood and chief executive Jennifer Watt to come out and address the club's woes in public. Wilson said it was also up to Hood to scrutinise the club's football department and coach Alastair Clarkson. Riewoldt said Clarkson would not be happy if Hood decided to question the four-time premiership coach's operations, despite the club enduring another disastrous season where they sit 17th on the ladder with just four wins this season. Nick Riewoldt gave Caroline Wilson both barrels. Photo: Channel 7. Hood was on a public relations drive and was full of praise for Clarkson when he was appointed coach of the Kangaroos on a five-year deal that reportedly made him the highest paid coach in the sport. Riewoldt described Hood's behaviour at the time 'sycophantic' with Wilson taking umbrage to the term. 'That is bordering on sexism,' she said. 'If a male president had lauded getting a premiership coach … you wouldn't call it sycophantic. I bet you wouldn't.' Riewoldt responded: 'What are you talking about … I resent the fact you think that's a sexist comment. That is a ridiculous thing to say. 'How is someone being sycophantic got anything to do with their gender? 'That's ridiculous and you should apologise. 'It's not sexist Caroline.' Wilson said she was not going to 'cop' Riewoldt's comment. Nick Riewoldt and Caroline at three paces. Photo: Channel 7. 'You're making ridiculous statements like that. You're wrong to say she was sycophantic,' she said. 'You should apologise to her Nick for calling her sycophantic. That's ridiculous.' The tension seemed to have simmered when the show returned from an ad-break. Wilson last week made plenty of headlines when she put Channel 7 host Craig Hutchison on the spot asking him not to fire her on air. The pre-planned segment, which Hutchison clearly did not know was going to happen, related to the media mogul's awkward appearance on radio network RSN last week after he announced a raft of sackings at the station. Earlier this month, the TV host's SEN group purchased RSN in a $3.25 million deal and immediately set about cutting costs, including giving popular hosts Daniel Harford and Michael Felgate the flick. Many long-time listeners of the station only learned the news when Hutchison fronted Felgate's Racing Pulse show last Thursday. So Wilson took the opportunity to make a cheeky plea over her own future on the Channel 7 show. X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY Set up by Riewoldt in a section called The Spill, the former St Kilda captain put the vague question to Wilson: 'The hour on air of the Agenda Setters is the highest risk of all.' The long-time Age reporter replied: 'Well, certainly if you're on air with Craig Hutchison. 'This is no respect, disrespect I should say, to Michael Felgate or Daniel Harford for that matter. 'But if you're going to remove me from the show, can you please not do it with me on-air?' Wilson delivered the jab with a straight face and Hutchison did not take it well. 'This is not something to joke about,' he shot back. There was plenty of drama elsewhere on Monday night with Channel 9's Footy Classified showing previously unseen footage of Giants captain Toby Greene appearing to kick Swans defender Dane Rampe in the groin region. The new vision shows Greene lashing out, kicking directly behind him between Rampe's legs during a heated confrontation before the start of the game. Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd, on Monday night, told the AFL and new general manager of football performance Greg Swann the league needs to come out and make a public statement about Greene's uncovered act. Originally published as 'You should apologise': AFL legend, journo in heated clash


Evening Standard
a day ago
- Evening Standard
The best solo travel destinations for an unforgettable summer holiday
Since the quietly unassuming Peak District draws fewer tourists than the Lake District, it's the ideal solo summer staycation to escape the crowds. The village of Youlgrave, nestled in the heart of the national park, is home to winding trails that span out in all directions, including one to an inviting natural open-air swimming spot, and others to ancient stone circle sites and a legendary rock formation known as Robin Hood's Leap. In the village itself, there are three good pubs, a small post office and a couple of deli-style shops where you can pick up hearty homity pies, homemade cakes and a great Bakewell Tart.


Business Standard
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
This Matchmaking app allows Only Men Earning 50L+. Women, No Salary Bar
BusinessWire India Gurgaon (Haryana) [India], July 22: The AI matrimonial app for "India's Top 1%" - is now requiring male members to earn at least 50 lakhs annually, along with 100% background verification and having personal relationship managers for each member. The company believes this approach will better serve women on the platform. Built for serious relationship seekers, is India's first matchmaking platform that uses conversational AI and human-assisted matchmaking to deliver emotionally compatible matches. Co-founded by Jasveer Singh and Abhishek Asthana, is unlike other traditional matrimony platforms that rely on filters and swipes, listens, learns, and understands. Users don't fill out endless forms -- they simply talk. In just a few minute AI conversation, the system captures personality nuances, emotional depth, and communication patterns to match users with high compatibility. "As the name suggests, it's not a dating app; It's for people who are tired of dating & ready to tie the knot," said Jasveer Singh, Co-founder & CEO. When asked about the harsh 50L filter: "It's not about the money - it's about ambition," Singh adds. "We needed a hard filter that creates clarity, not chaos. 50L is that line in the sand. It tells you something about who someone is, how they think, and where they're headed." The app is now live on Android, iOS, and Web. Early adopters have already praised its clean design, zero-spam onboarding, and deeply personal matchmaking approach. Backed by marquee investors like 3one4 Capital, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Ritesh Agarwal, Ashish Hemrajani, Kunal Shah, and Ashneer Grover, had earlier raised $3.2M during its Hood journey. With this public launch, the company enters a new chapter -- one led by AI, human intuition, and the real pursuit of marriage.


Business Upturn
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
This Matchmaking app allows Only Men Earning 50L+. Women, No Salary Bar
By Business Wire India Published on July 22, 2025, 16:57 IST The AI matrimonial app for "India's Top 1%" – is now requiring male members to earn at least 50 lakhs annually, along with 100% background verification and having personal relationship managers for each member. The company believes this approach will better serve women on the platform. Business Wire India The AI matrimonial app for "India's Top 1%" – is now requiring male members to earn at least 50 lakhs annually, along with 100% background verification and having personal relationship managers for each member. The company believes this approach will better serve women on the platform. Built for serious relationship seekers, is India's first matchmaking platform that uses conversational AI and human-assisted matchmaking to deliver emotionally compatible matches. Co-founded by Jasveer Singh and Abhishek Asthana, is unlike other traditional matrimony platforms that rely on filters and swipes, listens, learns, and understands. Users don't fill out endless forms — they simply talk. In just a few minute AI conversation, the system captures personality nuances, emotional depth, and communication patterns to match users with high compatibility. 'As the name suggests, it's not a dating app; It's for people who are tired of dating & ready to tie the knot,' said Jasveer Singh, Co-founder & CEO. When asked about the harsh 50L filter: 'It's not about the money – it's about ambition,' Singh adds. 'We needed a hard filter that creates clarity, not chaos. 50L is that line in the sand. It tells you something about who someone is, how they think, and where they're headed.' The app is now live on Android, iOS, and Web. Early adopters have already praised its clean design, zero-spam onboarding, and deeply personal matchmaking approach. Backed by marquee investors like 3one4 Capital, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Ritesh Agarwal, Ashish Hemrajani, Kunal Shah, and Ashneer Grover, had earlier raised $3.2M during its Hood journey. With this public launch, the company enters a new chapter — one led by AI, human intuition, and the real pursuit of marriage. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. Business Upturn take no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Business Wire India, established in 2002, India's premier media distribution company ensures guaranteed media coverage through its network of 30+ cities and top news agencies.