Latest news with #JamesHoward
CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
Couple accused of running massive fentanyl, cocaine operation in Chicago's southwest suburbs
Feds say couple was running huge fentanyl and cocaine operation in southwest suburbs Feds say couple was running huge fentanyl and cocaine operation in southwest suburbs Feds say couple was running huge fentanyl and cocaine operation in southwest suburbs Federal agents raided a house in the southwest Chicago suburb of Frankfort, Illinois, on Monday. The owner is now accused of running a huge fentanyl operation, which landed him and his girlfriend behind bars. The drug operation spans from Frankfort to Oak Lawn, and includes a storage unit in Alsip where drugs, weapons, and wads of cash were found, according to the feds. According to a federal criminal complaint, James Howard, 32, and Shantel Robinson, 31, were behind a huge fentanyl and cocaine distribution operation. Robinson lives in an apartment building off 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue in Oak Lawn, right across from Chicago Ridge Mall. The federal complaint said Robinson's apartment was "being used as a drug laboratory." The feds had suspected the pair of running the drug operation. They set up a hidden camera in a flowerpot outside Robinson's third-floor unit. U.S. Department of Justice Prosecutors said the camera spotted Howard coming out with a comforter he placed in the hallway. But inside the bag with the comforter were "1.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and approximately 850 grams of suspected cocaine from within the sheets," according to prosecutors. "This seems to be a case of these subjects to being very bold and careless at the same time," said former FBI agent Phil Andrew. An image shared by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Howard discovering the hidden camera in the flowerpot. But even after Howard "appeared to notice the camera at the top of the staircase, and momentarily ducked out of the frame," the feds said he did not stop the illegal operation, prosecutors said. Andrew pointed out that Howard and Robinson hid in plain sight. Agents raided Howard's house in Frankfort. The nearly $800,000 new-construction house was paid off in full despite Howard moving into the house just in April. "Clearly, the point they're making in this complaint is that that is likely due to the ease of access to this drug money," Andrew said. Prosecutors said they found an arsenal of weapons, along with cash and drugs, inside the Frankfort house. U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Department of Justice But the operation did not end there. It stretched to a storage facility in Alsip of 115th Street and Cicero Avenue. It was there that the feds said additional drugs and weapons turned up. Andrew pointed out that local agencies have continued working jointly to win the fight against drugs. "Law enforcement — this is actually their bread and butter," he said. Andrew pointed out that many criminals may believe federal agents are focusing their attention on immigration. But he said this case is proof that public safety is a high priority. Howard and Robinson remained in federal custody Monday night.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Canada's health care system collapsing as surgeries rise but patients suffer longer waits and deadly delays
What do waiting for joint replacements, vision blurring behind cataracts, and anxiously waiting for radiation therapy have in common? They're all stories in Canada's healthcare struggle, as revealed in a new June 12 report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Canada performed 26 percent more hip replacements, 21 percent more knee replacements, 11 percent more cataract surgeries, 7 percent more cancer surgeries, and delivered 16 percent more MRIs and CT scans between 2019 and 2024, But under the surface, deeper problems persist. A shrinking share of patients received care within national time benchmarks: only 68 percent of hip replacements and 61 percent of knee replacements were done within the 26-week target, down from 75 percent and 70 percent in 2019. Radiation therapy within the 28-day goal dropped from 97 percent to 94 percent, and urgent hip‑fracture repairs within 48 hours fell from 86 percent to 83 percent. Most alarming, median waits for prostate cancer surgery increased by nine days, to 50 days; other cancers rose by one to five days. Live Events CIHI and experts point to several root causes: 'Health systems are managing multiple challenges, including an aging and growing population, rising demand for procedures, and health workforce shortages,' CIHI noted in a release. 'More scheduled procedures are being performed to meet growing demand.' Canada's aging population Those 65+ grew 19 percent faster than the overall population in five years, combined with workforce shortages. Anesthesiologists are up just 6 percent, orthopedic surgeons only 3.5 percent, while demands soar. Hospitals also juggle crowded ORs, stretched beds, and emergency cases. Dr. James Howard, chief of orthopedics at London Health Sciences Centre, warns that patients now arrive 'later… with more complex problems,' a factor that drags on wait times. What can be done? CIHI suggests concrete steps: centralized booking systems, better wait-list triage, and shifting low-risk surgeries to outpatient or private clinics. A promising pilot in one province showed day surgeries for hips and knees rose from 1 percent to over 30 percent, cutting costs, freeing hospital beds, and helping urgent cases. Performing more procedures is only half the battle. Ensuring timely, equitable access is the rest.
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Canadians still waiting longer for surgeries than before COVID
The massive surgical backlogs left after rolling pandemic lockdowns are clearing but Canadians are still waiting longer than they were pre-COVID for new hips and knees, cancer surgeries and other 'priority' procedures, new data show. Even though 26 per cent more hip and knee replacements were done in 2024 than 2019, it still wasn't enough to meet the need: just 68 per cent of Canadians received a hip replacement within the 26-week benchmark last year, compared to 75 per cent in 2019. For those needing a knee replacement, 61 per cent got a slot in the operating room within the 182-day threshold, compared with 70 per cent in 2019, even though 21 per cent more knee replacements were performed in 2024 than in 2019. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Median wait times for breast, bladder, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer surgery also rose, with prostate cancer seeing the biggest bump in wait times, an extra nine days over 2019. Wait times for scans to diagnose diseases and injuries also increased, 'with MRI scans requiring an additional 15 days and CTS scans three more days compared with 2019,' the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reported in a background release. Canadians waited a median 57 days for an MRI scan in 2024. One in 10 waited 198 days. The longer people wait, the more they deteriorate. Delays getting to an operating room 'can lead to disease progression, increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, risk of mental health flareups and worsening of surgical and nonsurgical patient outcomes,' Canadian researchers have warned. Hospitals across the country pushed back non-urgent surgeries during the early waves of COVID to free up beds. Almost 600,000 fewer operations were performed in the first 22 months of the pandemic alone compared to 2019, CIHI reported. The backlog has meant that by the time people see a surgeon, their problem is more complex than it would have been in the past, Dr. James Howard, chief of orthopedic surgery at University Hospital – London Health Sciences Centre said in the news release. Canada's aging baby boomer generation, with arthritis and other joint conditions, is also putting pressure on the system. 'So even with surgeons collectively working as much as they can and completing more surgeries than we have in the past, we are not seeing wait times come down due to the complexity and volume of patients presenting to orthopedic surgeons,' Howard said. While case numbers are bouncing back — five per cent more surgeries of all types were performed in 2023 than in 2019 — the volumes still haven't kept up with population growth (seven per cent over the same period) or the 10 per cent rise in demand for surgery among those 65 and older, CIHI reported. 'Although an increase in the volume of procedures performed across Canada means that the surgical backlog from the height of the pandemic period has effectively been cleared, ripple effects in the health systems — due in part to the pandemic — persist that impact wait times in Canada,' CIHI's Cheryl Chui, director of health system analytics, said in a statement. Factors driving those longer wait times include a shortage of specialists and nurses, limited operating room time, space and staff, and emergency cases that take priority over scheduled ones. Ontario and other provinces are trying to push through more surgeries and procedures, partly by doing more on an outpatient basis, meaning no overnight hospital stay. Ontario has also announced plans to expand the number of private clinics providing publicly covered hip and knee replacements. Other provinces have done the same, though 'the impact on surgical volumes and wait times is still being assessed,' CIHI said. According to the agency's latest waitlist snapshot, while the number of hip replacements increased from 22,000 in 2019, to 28,000 in 2024, and the number of knee replacements from 35,000 to 42,000 over the same period, a smaller proportion of people received joint replacement surgery within the recommended six months. Nationally, in 2024, only 68 per cent of people needing a new hip were treated within the 26-week benchmark, compared to 75 per cent in 2019. Ontario fared better than all other provinces: 82 per cent of hip replacement patients were treated within that timeframe. Newfoundland and Labrador (41 per cent) and Prince Edward Island (45 per cent) performed the worst. British Columbia (63 per cent), Saskatchewan (50 per cent), Manitoba (54 per cent) and Quebec (49 per cent) also scored below the proportion nationally. In Alberta, 73 per cent of hip replacements were performed within the benchmark in 2024. Ripple effects in the health systems — due in part to the pandemic — persist that impact wait times in Canada Overall, patients waited a median 125 days for hip surgery in 2024 (half waited less, half waited more). One in 10 waited 340 days. For knee replacements, 79 per cent of patients in Ontario received surgery within the 26-week benchmark in 2024, compared to 38 per cent in Quebec, 47 per cent in Saskatchewan, 55 per cent in B.C. and 62 per cent in Alberta. While efforts are being made to better manage and monitor surgical waitlists, researchers have warned that people with severe pain or worsening symptoms aren't being prioritized. Wait times for cataract surgery were close to pre-pandemic levels — 69 per cent of people were treated within a 16-week benchmark in 2024 versus 70 per cent in 2019. The percentage of people who received radiation therapy within 28 days and surgery to repair a fractured hip within 48 hours dropped slightly, by three percentage points from 2019 to 2024, falling to 94 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively. The volume of prostate cancer surgeries performed dropped by three per cent, from 3,500 in 2019, to 3,400 in 2024. And men waited longer for the procedure — from a median 41 days in 2019, to 50 days in 2024. Slower-growing cancers like prostate cancer tend to have the longest surgical wait times, CIHI reported. Median wait times for breast cancer surgery increased from 18 days in 2019 to 23 days in 2024, and wait times for bladder cancer increased from 24 days to 28 days. National Post Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AHC Hardwood Group Launches New Website and Brand Identity
ATLANTA, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta Hardwood Corporation, a leader in the U.S. hardwood industry for more than 70 years, has officially rebranded and launched a new website under its updated market identity: AHC Hardwood Group. The rebranding reflects the company's evolution from traditional lumber processing to a more modern, value-added manufacturing model focused on premium Appalachian hardwood products, along with kiln-dried hardwood lumber. Since 2020, AHC Hardwood Group has prioritized technological innovation and specialized product development, offering enhanced solutions for both domestic and international markets. The new website, launched today at replaces the company's former domain, Designed with user experience in mind, the site allows customers to more easily access AHC's full range of hardwood products and services. The site reorganization makes it easier for customers to access the product groups they need, including lumber, millwork, building supplies, industrial products, cabinet components and stair components. It also includes a dynamic map with enhanced access to regional sales representatives and detailed product support. "Our new website reflects who we are today -- an innovative hardwood group delivering added value through advanced processing, superior service and strategic partnerships," said CEO James Howard, Jr. "This is more than a redesign. It's a platform built to better serve our customers and improve user engagement." A key feature of the site highlights the company's joint venture with Finnish-based Oy Lunawood Ltd, showcasing the North American production of Lunawood's thermally modified hardwood at AHC's Cleveland, Georgia facility. The rebranding and updated website are part of a broader initiative to align all digital platforms, advertising, printed materials, signage and packaging under the AHC Hardwood Group name. Visit the new website: FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:KIM PENDARVIS, 404-237-5087kim@ CONLEY, 404-214-4708kconley@ View original content: SOURCE Atlanta Hardwood Corporation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Famous UK seaside town fury as £2 pier charge to tourists branded 'absurd'
One of the UK's most iconic piers has sparked backlash after doubling its seasonal entrance fee to £2 - with many vowing to boycott the attraction. However, not everybody has to pay the up-charge A UK pier which is a famous backdrop in a famous seaside town has become a point of contention among tourists - who are being charged £2 to visit. Stretching an impressive 1,722 ft into the English Channel, construction of the Brighton Palace Pier started in 1881 - 33 years before the start of the First World War. It's remarkable stature comes with a whole host of maintenance jobs to tackle every year, something the owners have cited as the reason why visitors are being financially stung to walk along it and experience its wonders. But not everyone is hit in the wallet when they go to enter, as residents with a BN postcode maintain the right to use the pier for free, the organisers say. Brighton's impressive pier was no easy feat to construct all those years ago, with developers requesting permission from the government to allow extra time for completion. However, in 1896 the pier was wrecked by a powerful storm that washed away the old Chain Pier and caused serious damage to the partly built Palace Pier - casting its future into jeopardy. Following a cash-boost from Sir James Howard, work and repairs continued on the pier until it was finally opened in 1899. Since then, millions has been injected into its maintenance. Even painting the pier - which is done every year - is not simple, and divers are employed to survey and maintain the steel structure that stands underwater. For many years, entrance onto the pier - which now boasts a four-storey soft play centre, restaurant, dome arcade, and several funfair rides - was completely free. However, at the end of March last year - a £1 entrance fee was controversially introduced. From March 8 until the end of September, this fee has now doubled - but does come with a £1 voucher to spend on the pier. Taking to TikTok, one user named Katie sparked fierce debate after showcasing the new £2 fee being advertised. "Boy bye," she captioned the post. In the comments section, dozens of viewers slammed the up-charge - with one person arguing: "I'd walk straight through. [It's] absolutely absurd to pay." Another agreed, commenting: "Brighton is a rip off - expensive parking, expensive everything," while a third added: "Simple. Don't go on it. They are charging us out of existence. Too greedy to see that people will just stop." However, others appeared to not mind the £2 charge. "If you can afford to travel here and spend on the pier, you can afford the £2 entry," one user suggested. Another pointed out: "Someone has to pay for its upkeep and repairs etc," while a third asked: "Am I the only one who doesn't mind? Like, it obviously needs daily cleaning, and long term maintenance?" Want the latest travel news and cheapest holiday deals sent straight to your inbox? Sign up to our Travel Newsletter After being approached by the Mirror, Brighton Palace Pier revealed the charge only applies to tourists - and not residents that have a BN postcode. "To gain free entry to the pier the residents can collect their resident's card from our team at the Pier entrance or by contacting us through our website," they added. "Last year we welcomed an additional 20,000 people to the Residents club. Not only can they have free entry but also receive various offers especially for them, throughout the year." Responding to criticism over the charge, Brighton Palace Pier explained the profits will be used to 'invest in the maintenance' of the structure. "Teams are already working on this year's sub-structure programme and half a mile of new decking is already completed," they explained. "The pier is a substantial structure and in recent years maintenance costs have risen by more than a third. The admission fee is critical in helping to meet the unique challenges and costs of preserving the pier's structural integrity as well as continuing to remain as an all-year-round attraction."
