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The Courier
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Andy Murray's Cromlix Hotel picks up two awards at prestigious ceremony
Andy Murray's Cromlix Hotel was the big winner at a prestigious awards ceremony, scooping two awards. The Dunblane hotel was named best boutique and best historic hotel at the Innis and Gunn Prestige Hotel Awards on Thursday. The ceremony, held at Glasgow's Radisson RED hotel, also saw winners from Tayside and Fife. St Andrews hotel Rusacks collected two accolades, including best five-star and best hotel restaurant. The Parklands Hotel in Perth and Edzell's Glenesk Country House Hotel and Spa each won awards for four-star premises. Awards director Warren Paul said: 'Of course there's a lot of eyes on Cromlix, but for us and our title sponsors Innis and Gunn, every winner or highly recommended recipient here is a star. 'It's worth saying the calibre of the people here tonight is quite incredible. 'Whatever you want to do, you can find it in Scotland – and here tonight. 'We have it all, Scotland really is special and the offerings in this trade are stellar. 'That's why we are here – to showcase the results of the hard work by so many people, and to recognise and thank them.' Murray, who co-owns the Cromlix with his wife Kim, had been coaching former tennis rival Novak Djokovic until this week. Both he and Kim didn't attend the ceremony, letting their team enjoy the spotlight of the wins instead.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Auto inspection repeal bill stalls before Senate panel
A key state Senate committee failed Tuesday to agree on what to do with one of the most heavily lobbied bills of 2025 — to eliminate annual safety inspections for cars and trucks. Commerce Committee Chairman Dan Innis, R-Bradford, had proposed a compromise, to require inspections every other year and to eliminate the unpopular emissions tests for most vehicles. 'It's been a rather interesting journey for this one,' Innis said. Sen. Keith Murphy, R-Manchester, had favored the full repeal, but backed Innis's proposal as a good first step. 'Every study done concludes that these inspections are ineffective. We don't see cars littering our highways,' Murphy said, adding that newer cars are safer and less prone to breakdowns than in years past. 'It is a way to make money for auto dealers, which is why we have seen such consistent lobbying from this industry," Murphy said. Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford, joined two Democrats to create a 3-3 vote that blocked the Innis proposal from going forward. 'I wanted to blend short-term exemptions for low-risk vehicles with annual inspections for all other vehicles,' Ricciardi said. 'We have to be responsive to what the dealers, the tow truck operators, the state troopers are telling us: There are a lot of older, high-risk cars on the road that need to be checked out.' Ricciardi's amendment, which also failed, 3-3, would have retained annual inspections for cars five or more years old. Sen. Tara Reardon, D-Concord, sided with Ricciardi. 'As the owner of a 10-year-old car I can say every-other-year inspection for that vintage is not a good idea,' Reardon said. Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth temporarily stepped in on the committee in place of Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, who recused himself because his family owns several car dealerships in Keene. 'There's a lot of argument that our inspections are needed,' Perkins Kwoka said. 'I think it's particularly relevant in a state like New Hampshire that doesn't require its automobile owners to have insurance." After the meeting, Innis said he will present his proposal to the full Senate when it meets on the bill. Top reasons vehicles fail DMV Director John Marasco said there were 1.2 million safety inspections last year and 13.6% failed their initial test. Dan Bennett, president of the New Hampshire Auto Dealers, said its members reported last year that almost 79,000 cars had failing brakes, 51,000 had steering malfunctions and more than 43,000 had deficient tires. The Department of Safety and the Division of Motor Vehicles said ending inspections would cost the state $3.4 million a year in lost revenue by 2028, and cities and towns would lose 12%, or just under $350,000, in local aid. But House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, and Transportation Chairman Tom Walsh, R-Hooksett, said in a joint statement after the meeting that the bill is about getting rid of intrusive, unnecessary government. 'This mandate hits working families the hardest, adding costs and inconvenience without clear benefits. In a state built on personal responsibility, it's fair to ask whether this system still serves the people,' they said after the House acted on March 6. While the legislation (HB 649) has been a popular topic for debate, previous efforts have failed to get far due to the vocal opposition of the New Hampshire Auto Dealers and the New Hampshire Municipal Association. House Deputy Speaker Steven Smith, R-Charlestown, became a convert after he changed the law to reduce inspection failures due to rust only to have state officials and the auto industry restore it in agency rules. The House passed the full-repeal bill overwhelmingly, 212-143. Whatever the Senate does with the bill, it will not end the debate. The trailer bill to the House-approved state budget would get rid of all the jobs in the Division of Motor Vehicles and Department of Safety related to the inspection program. +++ What's Next: The full Senate will take up the bill, which has 'no recommendation' from the committee, in the coming days. Prospects: Thanks to the state budget trigger, the issue will only be resolved when the Legislature and Gov. Kelly Ayotte come together on a compromise two-year spending plan. klandrigan@
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jackson County could charge $500 towing licensing fee
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jackson County could start licensing tow companies. It's a FOX4 follow up to our coverage of predatory tow companies taking advantage of unsuspecting drivers. Three of the four counties that include the city have such an ordinance for this. As of Monday afternoon, the county did not. Franklin County crash kills 8 people, including high school student from Oklahoma Despite that, the county legislature heard from tow companies and attorneys who represent them that said the fees the county was proposing were too much. In the original ordinance, early Monday afternoon, a fee for a tow company to operate in the county would have been $1,000 a year plus $250 per vehicle that they have. 'If you look at your neighbors to the north in Platte County and Clay County, their fees there are anywhere between $75 to $100 dollars per business,' Porto Law Firm founder Nicholas Porto said to a Jackson County Committee Monday afternoon. 'So, Jackson County is, you know, conservatively ten times that amount.' Porto was representing people like Jared Innis, the president of the Missouri Tow Truck Association, who also owns All Star Towing. Tuesday, April 29, FOX4 found out that the city can't require a business license or permit for a tow company. Only a county can. Regardless, Innis did not like the large amount the county was proposing. 'If my business was totally located here in Jackson County, my fee would be right at $10,000 a year for a business license, and we pay a couple hundred to the other two counties,' Innis said. 'I mean, it's got the making of a lot of these other counties, but it just stretches it a little bit too far in our estimation,' Porto continued right after that. 'So it's a good start.' Then, Republican Legislator Sean Smith and Democratic Legislator Megan Marshall said that there was an amended ordinance being proposed that would cut down the licensing to $500 a year per business instead of $1,000. 'But even at $500, I mean, $500 is literally five times what Clay County charges for the same things,' Porto replied. The committee advanced the ordinance with a recommendation of not passing it. Then, at the legislative meeting that same afternoon, FOX4 learned more about the ordinance changes. Companies will have to pay that $500 licensing fee. They'll also have to pay $100 per vehicle they use instead of $250. That ordinance passed by a vote of 9-0. Second person charged with murder in KC sports reporter Adan Manzano's death When it comes to the much larger amounts Jackson County could charge, than say a county like Clay, Democratic Legislative Chair DaRon McGee said you have to look at the population of Jackson County. It is more than 2 1/2 times the size of Clay County. 'So, our residents are much higher in population than the other surrounding communities around us,' he said. 'So, I think that the fee structure is appropriate with our large urban size.' There is no word whether Democratic County Executive Frank White will sign this. He was not at the committee or full legislative meeting. If he does, it will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ayotte signs first bill to promote more housing
Feb. 27—A bill that could reduce upfront costs for housing developers by carving out the energy portion with special financing became the first one Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed into law Thursday. New Hampshire will join 36 other states that legally allow developers to deploy Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency agreements (C-PACER). "Housing is our most critical economic issue, and this legislation is another tool in our toolbox to help bring even more housing development to New Hampshire. I was glad to sign SB-4 to create a C-PACER program in our state," Ayotte said in a statement. "By making it easier for private sector partners to finance projects and removing the administrative burden on municipalities, we're taking an important step in the right direction to increase the supply of attainable housing for our growing workforce." State Sen. Dan Innis, R-Bradford, who is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, was the lead sponsor of the bill (SB 4). "(C-PACER) is designed to help new housing projects by reducing the upfront costs through financing developments and freeing up capital for other projects," Innis said. Both House Speaker Sherman Packard and Senate President Sharon Carson, both R-Londonderry, joined in on celebrating the legislation becoming law. "This bill is not just about building housing, it's about strengthening our economy and providing long-term solutions that benefit all Granite Staters," Packard said. Eligible spending includes energy-efficient upgrades, building insulation, cost-effective renewable energy and water conservation measures, officials said. While housing is the primary focus, any commercial property can use C-PACER, including manufacturing plants, office buildings, retail buildings and multifamily housing projects. The legislation had universal bipartisan support. It cleared the state Senate, 24-0. The House passed it on a voice vote. Sen. Tara Reardon, D-Concord, a retired executive with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, joined Innis in writing the bill. "Innovation and creativity in financing is crucial for housing development, particularly in a housing crisis," Reardon said. Starting Jan. 1, C-PACER will replace a law on energy efficiency and clean energy districts that state officials said proved to be unworkable. Energy spending becomes similar to a tax lien James Key-Wallace, executive director of the Business Finance Authority, said the existing law requires every participating town to write its own documents, run its own programs and do its own billing. Under the new reform, the BFA will serve as the central administrator to allow municipalities to take advantage of the voluntary option at no cost. Each city and town must decide to opt in to the program. The existing law required the provider to file a mortgage, Key-Wallace explained. Under thes plan, the financing for the energy part of the project is part of the developer's tax bill that is repaid over time. Currently, 22 states have active programs converting hundreds of millions a year in energy spending into capital investments to make projects more affordable, Key-Wallace said. Steve Duprey, a former Republican state chairman and Concord developer, said during a recent hearing that this will make projects more feasible for builders. With a $10 million project, Duprey said a lender might ask the developer to come up with $3 million as a down payment and finance the other $7 million in a first mortgage. With a $2 million energy portion of the project separated out, this would lower that mortgage to $5 million and make the energy spending like a tax lien, Duprey said. "As a result, a builder may only need to put down 15 to 20 percent," Duprey told Innis's committee. Duprey called it the "best tool to increase the amount of housing" and both profit and non-profit developers could make good use of it. A broad coalition of groups backed the bill, including the New Hampshire Homebuilders, New Hampshire Realtors, Clean Energy N.H., the N.H. Lodging & Restaurant Association, the N.H. Municipal Association and the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association (BIA). BIA officials announced a press conference for Tuesday to unveil the Housing Supply Coalition of 20 member groups that will outline their issue agenda for the 2025 legislative session. klandrigan@
