Latest news with #Howes
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Wildfire near Port Alberni, B.C., triggers evacuations, road closure
Published Aug 12, 2025 • 4 minute read Mount Underwood wildfire burns near Port Alberni, B.C. on Aug. 12, 2025. Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service PORT ALBERNI, B.C. — The rapidly growing wildfire on Vancouver Island near Port Alberni, B.C., has reached 13.9 square kilometres in size, almost triple what was reported when the fire was first reported late Monday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Mount Underwood wildfire is now classified as a fire-of-note and has cut off the main road access to a community 90 km southwest of Port Alberni in addition to forcing an evacuation of a local campground. B.C. Wildfire Service fire information officer Christi Howes said Tuesday that the blaze has forced the closure of the highway between Port Alberni and Bamfield. Howes said the Bamfield is without power and operating with limited services, and people should avoid travelling there by other means of transportation. 'We don't want to add any additional pressures to the community by having extra people trying to get there either by road or by trail,' she said. Bamfield is a popular tourist destination for sport fishing and for those hiking the West Coast Trail. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The fire triggered an evacuation order for an area that includes the China Creek Campground and Marina, which has 250 tent and RV campsites and is about 15 km southwest of Port Alberni. Ladysmith, B.C., resident Chelsea Fitzel was camping with her family at China Creek Monday when they were told to leave. 'We lost power at China Creek campground around 6:30 p.m. as we were getting ready for dinner,' Fitzel said in a text message response. 'Shortly after, the China Creek campground staff drove around on their golf carts with loud speakers saying, 'The campsite is being evacuated — leave your boats, leave your trailers, get in your vehicles and go.'' Fitzel, who was scheduled to stay at the campground until Aug. 18, said her husband was able to return to the marina at China Creek by boat from Port Alberni to retrieve their own vessel, and police told them Tuesday they could briefly return to the campground to get their trailer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Meanwhile, Emergency Management Cowichan issued an evacuation alert on Tuesday for five properties in addresses in Electoral Area F. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District said Tuesday that an evacuation order has also been issued for about 300 properties in the sparsely populated area. Regional District Chairperson and Huu-ay-aht First Nations Chief-Councillor John Jack said in an update posted on Facebook that there is still road access to Bamfield through rural roads, but it should not be considered 'a major thoroughfare for public to go as they like.' Jack added that the power in Bamfield will likely be out for at least 72 hours if not longer, and people currently camping near the community can choose whether to leave but the trip will likely take longer than usual. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Take care of each other,' Jack said in the message to people in the affected areas. 'Check in with one another. The West Coast is resilient. I know that this is nothing new for a lot of our people, but there's empathy out there and people need to take care of one another. 'How we're feeling is going to be just as important as what we're doing, and so that kind of work is important as well.' Howes said crews had been working on fire protection for buildings, including at private campgrounds and at forestry mills and log-sorting facilities in the area. She said the fire is displaying behaviour up to a rank-5 intensity, which means an 'extremely vigorous surface fire or active crown fire' with limited options available to fight the burning directly. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The cause of the fire has not been determined. The wildfire service said in an earlier update that an attack crew and several firefighting aircraft have been mobilized to fight the fast-growing blaze, and structural protection specialists are also on site. Howes said three additional units arrived Tuesday, while an incident management team was en route and will take over command of the situation by Thursday. She said the fire is not affecting the resources available to fight another nearby fire, the Wesley Ridge blaze burning near Cameron Lake that had triggered evacuations for hundreds of homes last week. Howes said firefighters are anticipating cooler weather and some rain in the area later this week, but the situation remains dynamic and crews will be watching the weather 'very closely.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Regional District of Nanaimo partly downgraded evacuation orders and alerts prompted by the Wesley Ridge fire Tuesday at 5 p.m. It lifted evacuation alerts for nearly 350 properties. Another 268 remained on alert and 35 properties remained on evacuation order. There are about 96 wildfires burning across B.C., eight of which are classified as out of control. The Wildfire Service said Tuesday that temperatures are well above seasonal from the coast to the Rockies in southern B.C., and while cooler air is expected to move in from the north, it will remain hot and dry in the south before a new system brings rain to the area by Friday. Read More Toronto & GTA Opinion Toronto Blue Jays Columnists Toronto & GTA
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Thug 'oozing jealousy' forced new partner to cover tattoo she had for her ex
Joel Howes, 37, had been seeing the woman for just three weeks when he made the demand and cut up clothes he disliked A thug who "oozed jealousy" forced his girlfriend to pawn her jewellery and use the money to cover a tattoo she had for her ex, a court heard. Joel Howes, 37, is said to have forced the woman - who he had been seeing for just three weeks - to cover the inking of Roman numerals referencing her anniversary with her former partner. The personal trainer also cut up items of her clothing which he disapproved of and made her remove photographs from her home which showed her ex. He has now been convicted of coercive control after a two-day trial at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court. Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said Howes "oozed jealousy" and "in a fit of rage" had also punched his girlfriend in the arm and slapped her in the face with the back of his hand. Mr Jackson said Howes also told his girlfriend her children could not be dropped off at her home because he did not want to see their father, her ex-boyfriend. Instead, he gave instructions that she should collect the children from a lay-by or that they should be dropped off at their grandparents. Howes and the victim had known each other from middle school. They began seeing each other in 2023, shortly after the victim had come out of a 15-year relationship with the father of her two children. However, within a month, she had gone to the police to report Howes' behaviour and he was arrested. The court was told that shortly after the relationship began he went through her wardrobe and cut up clothes he did not approve of. He also found her old jewellery, which he said she should pawn. Using the money raised, they went to Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, and paid for a tattoo of a black block which covered over a previous tattoo of Roman numerals referencing her anniversary with her former partner. Giving evidence, the woman said that on one occasion she received several messages from Howes while he was at work accusing her of being at her neighbour's house. He had been monitoring her remotely on the GPS app Life360 - which indicates where her phone is - and demanded evidence from her that she was at home. She said she had to take a picture of herself in her kitchen to convince him. Describing the incident when she was slapped, she said: "He was pacing back and forwards calling me a liar and slapped me with the back of his hand across my face and told me he would 'knock my f**king teeth out of my head' and was pointing in my face and shouting at me. I sort of froze and couldn't speak. I didn't want him to see me cry so I held it in. I was petrified of him and what he would do." The victim's sister also gave evidence at the trial saying that her sibling had always been "super glamorous" but that this changed within a week of the start of her new relationship. The witness said her sister began wearing a hat and baggy clothes and stopped replying in a WhatsApp family group chat. The sister also said she was "shocked" and "concerned" when she went to her sibling's home and noticed family photos had been removed from their frames. Giving evidence, Howes, of Stepshort in Burgh Castle, said he "did not like" the fact that when the couple were having sex in the front room, he had to see images of her ex. He also said that her wearing "skimpy tops" made him feel "uncomfortable" but denied cutting up and throwing out her clothes. But he admitted he "moaned if she walked around Tesco in gym gear" because it made him feel "insecure". He also insisted he had not had a problem with her tattoo, stating: "It was in Roman numerals. It could have said anything." The trial was told things came to a head during a heated row at the gym where Howes worked when he accused her of hiding phone messages from him. He took her phone off her and snapped it on his knee. After breaking the screen, he then tracked her on the Life360 on the handset which showed her going to the police station, where she reported him. After hearing the evidence, magistrates found Howes guilty of one count of coercive control. He will be sentenced on August 27.
Herald Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
MONEYME secures key Mastercard status
Don't miss out on the headlines from Stockhead. Followed categories will be added to My News. MONEYME to become principal credit card issuer for Mastercard in Australia Non-bank lender to gain direct access to Mastercard's network, unlocking new opportunities MME partners with Episode Six to enhance credit card infrastructure and enable rollout of multiple card products Special Report: Non-bank lender MONEYME has become a principal credit card issuer for Mastercard in Australia, marking a major milestone in its strategic roadmap to accelerate growth in the credit card space. As a principal issuer, MONEYME (ASX:MME) will have direct access to Mastercard's global network, unlocking new opportunities, product development and distribution. The agreement supports MME's strategy to enhance customer experience, diversify its product offering and drive stronger economics as the business scales. In another strategic move, MME has partnered with global payment technology provider Episode Six to enhance its credit card infrastructure and enable the rollout of multiple card products. MME said integrating Episode Six's cloud-based card processing infrastructure into its proprietary technology would facilitate innovation, faster roll-out of new products, custom card designs and dynamic feature sets tailored to different customer segments. 'Defining moment' in growth journey Together, MME said the alliances would enable significant long-term growth, scalability, speed to market and future-ready customer experiences for its credit card offering. 'Becoming a Mastercard principal issuer in Australia and partnering with Episode Six marks a defining milestone in our growth journey,' MME managing director Clayton Howes said. The move enabled MME to expand into new distribution channels and deliver a differentiated credit card offering in a market 'where banks have under-innovated'. 'With strong everyday relevance and a direct customer connection, our credit card offering plans to fill a clear gap, just as Autopay did,' Howes said. 'We see it as a high-margin, high-engagement product that will power our future growth objectives.' Mastercard and Episode Six back MONEYME's push Mastercard division president Australasia Richard Wormald said the company was excited to welcome MME to the network as a principal issuer. 'With its unique technology capabilities, agile approach and challenger mindset, MONEYME is strongly placed to drive fresh thinking in Australia's consumer and retail credit card programs,' he said. Episode Six co-founder and CEO John Mitchell said the company was proud to support MME as the company took the significant step forward in owning more of the credit card value chain. 'By integrating our platform, MONEYME can configure and launch differentiated credit card products with greater speed, control and flexibility,' Mitchell said. 'Together, we're building a foundation that supports rapid innovation, scalable growth and future-ready infrastructure for the Australian market and beyond.' This article was developed in collaboration with MoneyMe, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions. Originally published as MONEYME secures Mastercard principal issuer status, partners with Episode Six
The Citizen
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Story of 1990s serial killer Moses Sithole set to make its debut on Showmax
While serving a 2 410-year prison sentence, Sithole is currently studying law after completing a degree in theology. In just over a year, 1990s serial killer Moses Sithole murdered 38 people, sexually molested 40 and committed six robberies. These crimes were in broad daylight, while Sithole was sober and just a few months after Nelson Mandela had become South Africa's first democratically elected president. 'This was the biggest case of our history at the time,' says former detective Derrick Nosworthy in the trailer of the series on Sithole. 'I don't think we had ever had a case where there were so many people murdered by potentially one offender.' The abovementioned crimes are the ones for which Sithole was later convicted, and his story will be told in a three-part series on Showmax, directed by Jasyn Howes, who also directed another doccie of a Mzansi 1990s serial killer, Boetie Boer. 'It was a natural progression from my previous series, where I had met one of the principal characters in the story during my research phase on the last series,' Howes tells The Citizen. 'When I heard the story, I immediately knew I needed to tell this story, but it would need to wait. Often stories happen upon us, and I am very grateful that this one did.' ALSO READ: Lasizwe cuts ties with MultiChoice amid podcast payment dispute Telling the Sithole story Thirty years ago, then-rookie journalist Tamsen de Beer was working the night shift at The Star newspaper when she received a life-changing call from someone claiming to be South Africa's most prolific serial killer. Through repeated conversations, the two developed a disturbing rapport that bears resemblance to Stockholm Syndrome. 'It was like a journey I was on with him,' de Beer says in the trailer. 'We were bonded in a strange, ugly way. I was hoping he was okay all the time, which is absolutely crazy.' 'He was our Ted Bundy,' says Howes about Sithole, comparing him to the famed US serial killer, Bundy, who murdered dozens of young women and girls between 1974 and 1978. The ABC Killer is his second series in a row for Showmax about a 90s serial killer, the first Boetie Boer, which received a nomination at last year's South African Film and Television Awards for Best Documentary Series and Best Editor (Jaco Laubscher, who also cut The ABC Killer). For the new series, Howes tracked down many of those closest to the story, including de Beer and her night editor, Alameen Brendan Templeton, who admits in the trailer that he was worried his journalist 'could end up as one of his victims.' While serving a 2,410-year prison sentence, Sithole is currently studying law after completing a degree in theology. ALSO READ: Hey Neighbour Festival postponed as organisers negotiate new dates with artists Howes — the storyteller Howes was a nine-year-old during the time and says he remembers the atmosphere of the country at the time. 'I remember the long lines of people standing to vote, and I remember the social fabric of my classrooms beginning to change. It was an exciting time, and it felt like every day something new and interesting was happening,' said The director, who has worked in film, commercials, and documentaries, says South Africa has a wealth of stories to tell across multiple genres. Saying the country's landscape, history and varied cultural mix make South Africa a storytelling goldmine. 'It excites me that our local platforms are providing more and more opportunities to tell local stories, and I think it is only a matter of time before international audiences start to see our content as viable viewing options,' said Howes. Howes says he's always hands-on with his projects, thanks to his background in writing, directing, cinematography, and editing. 'So I apply all of those skills in the projects I create, and it's very important for me to have a meaningful handle on the research, interviewing the story stakeholders and then figuring out how I want to visually tell the story. 'The first longer form documentary I made, I played all the creative roles bar illustration, and this gives me confidence in knowing that I can take on a project and feel confident to execute it,' he said. The ABC Killer will be available to binge on Showmax from Tuesday, 22 July. NOW READ: How the last episode of 'Shaka iLembe' made Nomzamo Mbatha feel like a 'new person'
Glasgow Times
17-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Driver ‘did not know' he fatally struck young mother off bike, murder trial told
Keaton Muldoon, 23, told jurors at Derby Crown Court that he would have stopped if he knew 25-year-old Alana Armstrong, who had a young son, had been knocked off the Sur-Ron off-road bike and denied that he saw her go 'over' his Land Rover Discovery. The defendant, who the court heard was a drug dealer and had a newborn baby at the time of the collision, said he feared he was being robbed but did not chase the bikes before Ms Armstrong died at the scene in Batley Lane, near Pleasley, Derbyshire, on the evening of November 26 last year. Muldoon denies Ms Armstrong's murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to her boyfriend Jordan Newton-Kay, who had his right leg amputated 15cm above the knee. He admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving before his trial began. Prosecution KC Sally Howes cross-examined Muldoon on Tuesday and suggested that he was made a 'fool of' in the lay-by of a country lane near Pleasley after he picked up a woman who wanted to buy £30 of cocaine from him. Ms Howes said: 'You were either embarrassed or annoyed by the fact that these bikes had lit up your car. There was some sniggering outside about shagging going on, and that made you cross, didn't it? 'Something happened in that lay-by that made you lose your rag and drive in that intimidating way, didn't it?' Muldoon said: 'No. There was no reason to be embarrassed or annoyed.' The prosecutor continued: 'We know that the vehicle ran over Jordan Newton-Kay's leg – you would know, because he was run over by you as the driver. You say you were unaware of it.' Muldoon told the jury: 'If I saw people fall, I would stop. I would not just leave people to suffer. I did not know I had hit anyone.' He told the court he thought he had successfully overtaken the bike at a passing point in the country lane, and that the bike was still behind him. Ms Howes asked: 'These are people you feared were robbing you. If you think you are being robbed, why are you pursuing them?' Muldoon told the court: 'I was not pursuing them. Just because I'm behind them doesn't mean I'm chasing them. I was behind them doing 30 miles an hour, about a car distance.' Ms Howes said to the defendant: 'She (Ms Armstrong) was scooped into the bonnet, wasn't she? That explains how her body travelled in the region of 20 metres from where we know she would have disengaged from the bike. 'She was not dragged – there are no injuries consistent with dragging, but there are injuries consistent with an impact onto her, or her onto a hard, unyielding surface. 'That would have only been for a split second, but you could not fail to notice that a) you have run a body over and b) there was one in front of you on the bonnet.' Muldoon responded: 'I would have seen if someone went over me.' The defendant denied that he said to his passenger: 'I was only meant to knock them off the bike,' after the crash. Ms Howes said: 'Knocking someone off a lightweight electric motorcycle with a vehicle like a Discovery is only going to have one result – really serious harm to the riders. 'You were driving in such a way as to intimidate Jordan Newton-Kay as he went up that hill slowly because of the incline and the weight on board.' The court heard that Muldoon followed Ms Armstrong and Mr Newton-Kay on one bike, and a rider on another bike, for two minutes and 20 seconds before the fatal crash. Muldoon told the jury: 'There was no intention to intimidate him. I had no intention to do anything. If my intention was to leave that lay-by and go after them and hit them, why would I leave that amount of time to hit them?' Ms Howes said Muldoon told a 'carefully constructed lie' when he told detectives he had not driven the vehicle for days before the collision and said he hoped his uncle 'hands himself in'. When asked why he lied to police, Muldoon said: 'Because I was scared, everything what everyone was saying. It was a murder investigation, obviously I was going to be scared. 'My head was all over, I didn't know what to think.' Muldoon, of Tuckers Lane in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, told the court, before becoming tearful: 'I knew I wasn't going to see my children for a bit. I just had a newborn baby. I promised I would always be there.' The trial continues.
