Latest news with #JamieCook
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sackets educators recognized for role in bringing family back from ICE detainment
May 20—SACKETS HARBOR — Three Sackets Harbor educators who mobilized to help bring back a family detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have received an award for their courage. On April 5, more than 1,000 people marched through Sackets in support of a mother and three children who were taken by federal immigration agents during a raid at a local farm on March 27. The family's detainment in a Texas detention center for more than a week sparked community outrage. About a week after the protest, the children and their mother were returned home to the north country. Pre-K-12th grade principal Jamie Cook, district superintendent Jennifer Gaffney, and Sackets Harbor Teachers Association President Jonna St. Croix were recognized by The Courage Project, a nationwide initiative aimed at honoring and celebrating acts of bravery. According to a news released from The Courage Project, the initiative is backed by a $5 million commitment to honor those who are standing up for what they believe in, helping their neighbors, and building bridges across communities. "By allowing recipients to 'pay it forward,' the project gives everyday Americans a chance to support nonprofits that provide vital community services, promote civic engagement, uphold human dignity, and champion the public good," the news release reads. School officials were credited by the Sackets Harbor community with playing an integral part in bringing the students and their mother home, working behind the scenes to ensure they were released. Many teachers from all over the north country participated in the march. Gaffney said the week of the march that educators must protect children. The Courage Project gives awards that range from $10,000 to $50,000 to organizations and honors individuals for acts that demonstrate leadership in their communities. For individual recipients, they may recommend donations to values-aligned American nonprofits organizations, according to the organization. "Everyday acts of courage make our communities strong, connected, and resilient. As individuals, we all are empowered with the ability to be the positive change we want to see in our communities," said Angela F. Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, one of the founding partners of The Courage Project. "We need only take the first step by checking in on a neighbor, volunteering to clean up a local park, or organizing a food drive. Courage can take on many shapes — our voices, our talents, or simply our willingness to show up for others expecting nothing in return. These selfless acts of compassionate courage are powerful reminders of our collective humanity at its best. Through The Courage Project, United Way Worldwide is proud to help honor the organizations and individuals who embody these values, whose everyday bravery keeps us going."
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Citizen testing reveals phosphate ‘crisis' in English and Welsh rivers
Citizen testing of rivers in England and Wales by anglers reveals that more than a third of freshwater sites breach phosphate levels for good ecological status. Volunteers from angling groups are using the data to try to drive change in the way rivers are treated – but the task ahead is huge, according to the Angling Trust and Fish Legal. 'Our freshwater habitats are in crisis – a fact now widely recognised by the public, politicians and regulators,' the chief executive, Jamie Cook, said. 'Many anglers already knew this, having witnessed the decline in water quality at our favourite fishing spots. 'This report sheds further light on the dire state of our rivers and shows how anglers are using data to deepen our understanding of water pollution – and to influence the future of river management when recognised as legitimate stakeholders in decision-making processes.' The report analysed about 4,000 samples collected by volunteers in the network between July 2023 and July 2024. They measured nitrate, phosphate, ammonia, electrical conductivity, temperature and turbidity on 76 catchments, along with visual observations and photographs. Only 16% of English rivers are considered to be in good ecological status, with phosphate levels at an upper limit of 0.306ppm. The report reveals almost 34% of samples collected by angling volunteers breached that upper limit. Nitrate levels have no upper limit but Angling Trust volunteers were given independent guidance that nitrate concentrations of 5ppm or more were excessive in a freshwater habitat. This level was exceeded in 45% of samples collected. The pollution is not evenly spread, the report reveals. In the Medway catchment, which is mostly in south-east England, including Kent, Surrey and East Sussex, 100% of site averages – based on eight or more samples in the year – failed to meet good ecological status as defined by the water framework directive, which is part of English law. In the Avon catchment in Warwickshire, 86% of phosphate site averages failed to meet good ecological status. Anglers are calling on the government and water companies to improve water quality. Alex Farquhar, the campaigns and advocacy officer at the Angling Trust, said: 'This report paints a picture of the continued ill health of our rivers and the systemic failure to make the rapid shifts in governance needed to bring them back to life. Listening to citizen science initiatives like this one is essential to this process.' The extent of pollution still affecting English rivers was revealed as Labour MPs refused to consider adding extra protections for chalk streams, which would designate them as irreplaceable habitats in the planning and infrastructure bill – designed to drive Labour's target of 1.5 million houses and grow infrastructure delivery across the country. All Labour members examining the draft law rejected an amendment containing the extra provision. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Anglers from the rivers Test and Itchen, two world-renowned chalk streams in Hampshire, used the data gathered over 12 months to expose how Southern Water was contributing to polluting the waterways. They protested with others over sewage dumping from the Fullerton wastewater treatment works. After the demonstration Southern Water increased the capacity of the treatment works, drastically reducing sewage spills. Anglers from the Royal Tunbridge Wells Angling Society, on the Medway, monitored 15 sites and collected 279 samples, which were analysed by the independent researchers Dr Eleanor Kean and Dr Liz Bagshaw, at the University of Bristol. Every sample breached the upper limit for good ecological status (GES) due to high phosphate levels. The anglers put pressure on the Environment Agency to create a joint monitoring group that exposed how more than 90% of pollution problems were from direct outputs and outflows from wastewater treatment works and combined sewer overflows, which were the responsibility of Southern Water. In Warwickshire, more than 50 anglers took part in the monitoring. Their sampling showed 86.4% of sites regularly tested in 2023-24 had average phosphate readings breaching good ecological status – significantly higher than the national average. Andy Hammerton, a Water Quality Monitoring Network volunteer with the Girling Angling Society, said: 'While our efforts to force the water companies and Environment Agency to improve may be perceived by some to be too little too late … my hope is that by applying the pressure now, my grandchildren will benefit from a clean and safe natural river environment where wildlife and fish will once again flourish.'
