Latest news with #JaneSmith
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Division says vanity plate records request 2HARD
Sorry, New Mexico, but if you're trying to do a vanity plate public records deep dive, UR SOL. While other states are able to provide the public a record of personalized license plates that have been rejected after being deemed derogatory, obscene or some other reason, New Mexico claims the undertaking is almost MPOSIBL. The New Mexican in March requested all applications for personalized, vanity or prestige license plates that have been rejected by the Motor Vehicle Division since 2020 under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. The newspaper offered the division the option of providing a list of rejected license plates rather than each individual application to speed up the process and reduce its workload. The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, which oversees the division, closed the request the next day, claiming it had reviewed its files and determined "there are no responsive documents." "Rejections are done on a case by case basis," the department's Legal Service Bureau wrote in its denial letter. "You are requesting information which we have determined does not currently exist and would, therefore, require TRD to create a new public record," the letter added. "We are, therefore, unable to provide for the inspection of the records that would include the information that you have requested." The records actually exist; the department just doesn't keep track of them. "MVD's license plate application records are maintained by the customer's name or identifier," spokesperson Bobbie Marquez wrote in an email in April. "Once we have their information, staff can go to their file and locate the application in question." In other words, the newspaper — or the public — would have to know the name of each person who filed an application that was rejected in order to obtain the information. "Once the application has been processed, it goes to that specific person or vehicle," Kelly Kitzman, the department's general counsel, said in an interview last month. "We can't locate it unless we have that person's name to be able to locate it. ... We can't just go to a file and find everything." The information isn't unavailable but attached to an individual's name, she said. "So, if you know, for instance, Jane Smith filed an application that we rejected, we could look it up according to Jane Smith's name," Kitzman said. "But we can't just look up all rejected applications." Other states, however, are able to provide the information upon request. "In Texas, you can receive a list of denied personalized license plate patterns by submitting a records request through our Open Records Portal," Adam Shaivitz, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, wrote in an email Monday. "A previously released list from January–November 2024 is readily available," he added. "You can access this list by clicking on the Trending Topics box in the portal. If you need data from more recent months, please submit your request through the portal and specify which month(s)/year(s) you are seeking." Texas denied more than 2,300 personalized license plates between January and November 2024. They include BTCHWGON, IM BLZD, LITTLPP and TOPLUSS. Arizona's transportation department on Monday provided documents listing the rejected vanity plates by year, with MYFBOMB and KISSASH making the list. Earlier this year, Bridge Michigan, which describes itself as Michigan's nonpartisan, nonprofit news source, reported it had obtained a list of rejected personalized license plates through a public records request under the Freedom of Information Act. "The department doesn't track denials by year, but rather adds them to a continuously growing list," the outlet reported. "Plates are generally rejected for reasons such as vulgarity, references to bodily functions, or the use of curse words," it added. "Other reasons for rejection include references to drugs, alcohol, criminal activity, or harmful slurs. The list of banned plates runs the gamut from 'ADULTRY' to 'WEEDMAN' and just about everything in between." New Mexico has similar rejection rules. A so-called prestige plate application will be rejected if it is deemed to be derogatory or obscene, falsely states or implies the vehicle or driver represents the authority of a governmental agency or official or duplicates an existing plate. But a word of advice to New Mexicans: GOODLUK finding out if it already exists. Marquez said in a statement Monday the Taxation and Revenue Department and the MVD take the utmost care in complying with the Inspection of Public Records Act. "However, we are not able to fulfill your request in its current form, as your request results in no responsive records," she said. Marquez noted IPRA does not require a public body to create a new public record. "A member of the public may request to inspect a prestige plate application under the name of an individual, and MVD would produce the responsive application after redacting personal information that is confidential pursuant to state law," she said. "A member of the public may also request an individual's unredacted prestige plate application by providing the individual's name and a signed authorization from that individual."
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Nurse reveals how she achieved Ozempic-style weight loss by changing TWO toxic habits she had no idea were sabotaging her health
There are moments that split your life into before and after. For me, it was a photo.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Town criers to lead more than 300 regional VE Day celebrations
Principal town crier Jane Smith will lead more than 300 colleagues across the UK and the Commonwealth in a VE Day proclamation. Victory in Europe Day is celebrated on May 8 each year to mark the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. The Bognor Regis town crier wrote the official VE Day 80 Proclamation that will be announced by hundreds of criers on May 8, and will be leading her region's proclamation personally. Mrs Smith said: 'It's very poignant for a lot of people because there are so many ways in which family members have been involved. 'There's a lot of criers who are ex-military, so it's obviously very significant for them, and also if there were people from their families that would have been involved in the conflicts. ADVERTISEMENT 'The people that are left, we're very lucky to be where we are now as a result of a lot of people surrendering their own lives. 'My father was in the Navy. There are lots of people who have family members and people like that who have been involved in things like that. Makes you very thankful.' She will light a beacon with the mayor of Bognor Regis and two Scots Guards Pipers on the evening of the anniversary. The criers will make the proclamation in towns and cities across the UK. Ely Cathedral will have a proclamation and will run VE Day tours, including stories of Cambridgeshire regiments and evacuees who settled in the area. Warwick's town crier Michael Reddy will read the proclamation from the top of Market Hall Museum and a commemorative VE Day 80 flag will be raised at 9am at Leamington Town Hall. ADVERTISEMENT Southampton's lord mayor will host a VE Day 80 tea party after the proclamation is made on the civic centre steps. Mrs Smith said: 'There won't be very many veterans left because we would be 80 years down the road by now. 'Town criers, we were news givers originally. Since then, we've had the introduction of newspapers and the internet and all sorts of things. But we do seem to be being used more again now. 'In the last few years, there's been a lot more going on with significant anniversaries, and town criers have been really quite involved in that. 'There's been a lot going on with the jubilee and sadly with the passing of the Queen, and then the coronation. And obviously the D-Day commemoration and celebration of VE Day and things like that. 'There's a lot of criers that go on to do corporate stuff and things like that. We get to do all sorts of things now.' Jane Smith's father was in the Navy (Paul Wells/PA) The proclamation asks listeners to 'reflect too on the words of our late and glorious Queen, Elizabeth – 'Never Give Up, Never Despair''. ADVERTISEMENT Bruno Peek, pageant master of the VE Day anniversary commemorations, said: 'It's really just a proclamation of peace – the celebration of 80 years of peace. 'It's another great British way of undertaking these events. 'It's about using people and our tradition to celebrate these anniversaries. 'And these characters are so great, they're all dressed in fancy uniforms and they're amazing and colourful.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Town prepares for musical VE Day celebrations
Residents in a Cornish town are preparing for a special musical celebration to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Thursday 8 May marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. As part of the celebrations, Saltash has been busy organising and rehearsing for their celebration of music, drama and remembrance. It is believed 122 people from Saltash died during the war and their sacrifice will be high in people's minds during the commemorations. Community workshops are being held twice-weekly to get the Saltash VE 80 choir in order and in tune. Julian Barnicoat, the choir's musical director, has written and composed a new score for the concert "I have chosen to write music that has a certain amount of period flavour, but also a lot of 21st Century flavour as well, in order to make the whole project more accessible and more understandable, especially to younger people," he said. "You are always up against a time limit but we're doing very well and we have a very very supportive choir... and it's working well and we will have an amazing concert, I am sure." Jane Smith, who has volunteered to perform, she said: "I haven't sung in a choir since I was at school, I'm not the most brilliant singer, but I heard it was a community choir and so I came along. "I've really enjoyed it and had a great time and maybe when it's all finished I will then go and join a choir." The festivities are being funded by The Sue Hooper Charitable Foundation, founder Sue Hooper said. She added: "Saltash celebrates and commemorates VE Day because we had 122 fallen during the Second World War, including 15 civilians, and we wanted to play our part as we have done with so many special anniversaries as a community." The VE 80 community workshops are being held on Tuesdays, in the afternoon at Burraton Methodist Chapel and in the evenings at Ashtorre Rock on the Waterside. VE Day celebrations across the South announced New Saltash memorials planned for 77 missing names Flypast and concert for VE Day 80th commemorations
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Town prepares for musical VE Day celebrations
Residents in a Cornish town are preparing for a special musical celebration to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Thursday 8 May marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. As part of the celebrations, Saltash has been busy organising and rehearsing for their celebration of music, drama and remembrance. It is believed 122 people from Saltash died during the war and their sacrifice will be high in people's minds during the commemorations. Community workshops are being held twice-weekly to get the Saltash VE 80 choir in order and in tune. Julian Barnicoat, the choir's musical director, has written and composed a new score for the concert "I have chosen to write music that has a certain amount of period flavour, but also a lot of 21st Century flavour as well, in order to make the whole project more accessible and more understandable, especially to younger people," he said. "You are always up against a time limit but we're doing very well and we have a very very supportive choir... and it's working well and we will have an amazing concert, I am sure." Jane Smith, who has volunteered to perform, she said: "I haven't sung in a choir since I was at school, I'm not the most brilliant singer, but I heard it was a community choir and so I came along. "I've really enjoyed it and had a great time and maybe when it's all finished I will then go and join a choir." The festivities are being funded by The Sue Hooper Charitable Foundation, founder Sue Hooper said. She added: "Saltash celebrates and commemorates VE Day because we had 122 fallen during the Second World War, including 15 civilians, and we wanted to play our part as we have done with so many special anniversaries as a community." The VE 80 community workshops are being held on Tuesdays, in the afternoon at Burraton Methodist Chapel and in the evenings at Ashtorre Rock on the Waterside. VE Day celebrations across the South announced New Saltash memorials planned for 77 missing names Flypast and concert for VE Day 80th commemorations
