Latest news with #JimHarrison
Agriland
23-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Funding available for cross-border twinning of agricultural shows
The potential for agricultural shows in Northern Ireland to partner with societies south of the border has been highlighted. The driver for such development is the funding available under the aegis of the Change Maker Funding Programme, part of the cross-border PEACEPLUS initiative. Irish Shows Association (ISA) national secretary, Jim Harrison, highlighted this initiative at the launch of Newry Show 2025. The Change Maker Funding Programme will distribute €40 million over the next three years to support people-to-people projects on a cross-community and/or cross-border basis. It will make awards of up to €100,000 for specific projects. Harrison said: 'The Irish government provides €1 million of core funding to support ISA events on an annual basis. 'I find it hard to believe that the Stormont Executive cannot take a similar approach when it comes to supporting agricultural shows taking place in Northern Ireland. 'I am aware that many of the local councils in the north support the agricultural shows taking place in their area. But this happens south of the border as well.' Newry Show chairperson, Brian Lockhart, is also chair of the Northern Ireland Shows Association (NISA). He said: 'An NISA deputation recently met with representatives of the Stormont Agriculture Committee. 'The politicians were told of the important role played by the shows as a platform for the farming and food sectors and also at community level. 'These events attract many thousands of people, year-in: year-out. All of this activity is also adding to local economises in a more than meaningful way.' Lockhart went on to point out that local show societies have histories that stretch back, in some cases, over 150 years. And they continue to play a key role at the very heart of the farming and food sectors. He added: 'But none of this can be taken for granted into the future. Fermanagh Show did not take place last year because of the funding challenges facing the show society at that time.' Role of agricultural shows The NISA chairperson also referenced the key role that NISA members play in helping to communicate the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) sustainability agenda into the future. 'We want to work closely with DAERA on this and other matters,' Lockhart said. 'The local shows represent the perfect vehicle for the changes taking place across the farming and food sectors at the present time to be communicated to the general public. 'But it is imperative for DAERA core funding to be made available to all the local show societies across Northern Ireland. And that clock is ticking.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky Zoo Director Recovering After Bite from 'Highly Venomous' Snake
Kentucky Reptile Zoo co-director Jim Harrison was working on an anti-venom project with two Jameson's mamba snakes when he was bitten A Jameson's mamba is a type of snake that is "highly venomous," with a bite that can cause paralysis and respiratory failure Harrison said that after the bite, he received anti-venom and was put in a helicopter to the hospital, where he was intubated A Kentucky zoo director is lucky to be alive after a bite from a venomous snake. Jim Harrison, co-director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, told WKYT-TV that he had been attempting to breed two snakes on Monday, April 28, for an anti-venom project when a Jameson's mamba snake suddenly bit him. "The male shot out. I grabbed it with wraps, and then the female took advantage of me not paying attention and then shot up and bit me," Harrison recalled to the outlet. A Jameson's mamba is a "dull green snake" native to equatorial Africa that is "highly venomous," according to the African Snake Bite Institute. The institute added that the snake's bite is potently neurotoxic, which means its venom can affect the nervous system and cause paralysis and respiratory failure. Related: How I Survived a Venomous Snake Bite in My Own Backyard — Then 10 Hours of 'Excruciating Pain' (Exclusive) Kentucky Reptile Zoo co-director Kristen Wiley said that after Harrison was bitten, he was "in pretty serious shape rather quickly," adding that zoo staff needed to rush to get him a dose of antivenom that she called "anti-serum." Harrison, who has received at least 16 snake bites throughout his career, said that he had a keeper drive him from the zoo in Slade to Stanton, about 10 miles away, where the "anti-serum vials" were located. "And they started the anti-serum, five vials there, they put me in the helicopter and intubated me, and after that, I don't know anything," Harrison recalled to WKYT-TV. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Those guys here that responded right away, they definitely saved his life," Wiley told the outlet. "[Harrison] was in the ICU for about three days. He was intubated for about two days, which means he was on a ventilator for that time." Wiley said Harrison is "recovering well," and will hopefully "leave the hospital soon." However, there are still some withdrawal symptoms that Harrison is facing, including a shooting pain in the bitten arm. Related: Va. Man Narrowly Avoids Venomous Snake Bite After Finding Copperhead on His Washing Machine "It's not instant pain. The pain is some of the muscle breaking down, I believe," Harrison told WKYT-TV. "There's not a lot known about this particular species and, as far as I know, nobody in the United States has been bitten by one." He explained to the outlet that he had been researching Jameson's mamba venom to create an antivenom and that the venom is being studied as an alternative to opioid pain treatment. "Obviously, that would be a huge advantage if they could mitigate pain without having the same addictive tendencies as opioids do," Harrison said. Despite being hospitalized in the ICU, Harrison said he is still determined to continue his work. He told WKYT-TV, "As soon as they let me go, I'm back working." Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Inspired by Police Squad!, how a company director turned the tables on a hapless fraudster
Financial scams are a fact of life. Sadly, despite efforts by the banks and regulators to make them more difficult to perpetrate, the criminals always seem one step ahead. A few days ago I was contacted by a director of a firm of chartered financial planners in London whose name and company had been used by fraudsters to tempt one of his clients to invest in an 'investment portfolio'. The client, thank God, didn't fall for it, but the attempted fraud shows what lengths criminals will go to persuade us to part with our hard-earned money. It all started with an email last month allegedly from Jim Harrison, who in real life is a director of Master Adviser, a firm which specialises in building income-friendly portfolios for those in retirement. It is based on Chancery Lane in London. The email was sent to one of Jim's clients. It invited him to set up a Banking Circle cash management portfolio with the promise of 8.52 per cent income, fixed for 12 months. This was on an investment of £200,000. On the surface, mightily attractive. For the record, Banking Circle is a Luxembourg-registered company with its UK operations regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – and offers a range of banking services, including deposit services. As they had with Jim's details, the fraudsters had cloned its name. 'We have a long-term relationship with Banking Circle,' Jim's clone said in the email. 'I recommend we set up a Banking Circle cash management portfolio for you. 'It will serve as a good savings vehicle to retain the value of your funds while also benefiting from interest rate growth.' Jim's impersonator assured the client that his money would be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (up to £85,000) in the event of Banking Circle going bust. The email ended: 'Let me know what you think. Kind regards, Jim.' It gave Jim's business address and confirmed that Master Adviser was also regulated by the FCA. Convincing though the email seemed to be, the client contacted the real Jim who confirmed that his details had been cloned and that the email was a scam. 'It was a clever email,' Jim told me last week. 'The only giveaways were the opening line which read, 'I hope you are doing great and having a wonderful week.' I would never use such effusive language when sending an email to clients.' The other giveaway, he said, is that the email had been sent from Jim Harrison at – as opposed to the real Riled by the attempted fraud using his name, Jim thought that he would strike back. Mischievously, he set up a dummy email address in the name of Dutch Gundersen, a nod to a money-launderer in the 1980s American comedy series Police Squad! featuring the wonderful late Leslie Nielsen as Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant. In the series, Dutch Gunderson (not Gundersen) was played by Al Ruscio, while Nielsen went on to play Drebin in the hugely successful Naked Gun films. 'I've watched the Police Squad! series hundreds of times,' said Jim. 'I can't get enough of it.' Jim, now Dutch, emailed his clone asking for details about the portfolio service. It wasn't Jim who responded but Luke Morley who sent the same product details fake Jim had given the client of the real Jim (stay with me). Luke said Jim was away on holiday. Dutch responded by saying he didn't have £200,000 but would be happy to invest about half that amount. Luke said that would be fine, saying: 'Let me know what you think and if I should go ahead and set up an account for you.' Dutch requested the necessary forms and said he would be able to call in at Master Adviser's address on Chancery Lane if he needed to sign anything. Luke replied by saying that he would set up the investment portfolio and send through the confirmation documents. Luke then rang Dutch (using a withheld number) asking whether he had received the documents – and to give him the passcode necessary (gundersen__dutch) to open up the confirmation notice confirming his intended investment (£100,000), the one-year 8.52 fixed rate of interest, and where he should send the money to. Not directly to Banking Circle, but an account with Banking Circle in the name of Alpha Trading. The ensuing 15-minute conversation between them is wonderfully entertaining as Dutch starts asking awkward questions that the fraudster avoids answering. 'You work for Master Adviser. Where are you based?' asked Dutch. 'We can be anywhere in the country. We work remotely. Jim is on holiday.' Luke goes on to say how exclusive Banking Circle is. 'It's amazing, I'm really excited,' said Dutch. He then asked Luke again where Master Adviser is based. 'Just in London,' is the response. 'I assume you're on a road in London,' said Dutch. Luke avoids answering. Dutch wasn't giving up. 'Just tell me your address. You have an office in London. London is quite big. I don't want to have to knock on every door in London asking for you. I'm about to put a lot of money with you. There is a relationship here.' He continued: 'If I Google Jim Harrison at Master Adviser, would I get an email or a physical address?' Luke doesn't give an answer, but two minutes later he mentions that the office is actually on Chancery Lane. Dutch is excited. 'I can pop in and see you,' he said. 'Are you in there today? I could do now. Where are you based on Chancery Lane. I'm also on Chancery Lane.' 'OK, what time?' asks Luke. 'Next five minutes,' responded Dutch. 'Unfortunately, I'm not that easily available,' is Luke's limp response. Dutch then asked for his and Jim's number so that he can ring one of them back. 'Just give me a number,' he pleaded. 'I can't just give out a number,' said Luke. 'It's not how we work.' Dutch had had enough. 'So you're in Chancery Lane but you can't see me. And you can't give me your number.' Luke promised to ring Dutch back. He didn't but he sent an email on Thursday asking whether Dutch had made the payment. Reassuringly, Jim Harrison has yet to hear from any other clients who have received the same fraudulent email. This suggests it was his client's email account that was hacked by the fraudster, not his. Harrison said it is despicable that fraudsters such as Luke Morley are preying on investors, often elderly people. 'More needs to be done to track down these criminals and lock them up,' he added. 'Luke was not phoning me from overseas – he was UK based and as British as they come.' On Friday, after I contacted Banking Circle and provided it with details about the fraud, it closed Alpha Trading's bank account. Result!
