Latest news with #JohnHenderson
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Special district oversight legislation fails, but Colorado advocates still hope for metro district reform
A bill that some hoped would create more oversight for Colorado special districts has failed, but its supporters aren't done. CBS Colorado's reporter in Douglas County, Olivia Young, has been covering the Meadows Metro Districts for months, and calls by some Coloradans for reform of the quasi-governmental structures. In March, she covered HB 25-1079, a bill that would put special district board members and their direct hires under the authority of the state's Independent Ethics Commission. But the bill was laid over in a Senate committee to a date after the session, effectively killing it. CBS The bill would have created an avenue for ethics complaints to be filed against special district board members like school districts or metro districts. This is the third year in a row the legislation has been introduced, and the third year in a row it has failed. "I'm not at all discouraged by what happened in the legislature," said John Henderson with Coloradans for Metro District Reform. "Every time folks talk about move forward another foot." Henderson has spent years advocating for oversight in Colorado's nearly 2,500 metro districts. "It's just the same old story, right? People with power who can taking much more than they should," Henderson said. He felt this bill would be a good first step, by expanding the jurisdiction of the Independent Ethics Commission to include special districts. "In metro districts, there are no ethics because there's no way to enforce them," Henderson said. The lawmaker behind the bill agrees. "I think the people of Colorado are asking for this. They're looking for a tool in order to identify these financial ethics issues and help get resolution," said Democratic state Rep. Tammy Story of Evergreen, "there are members of school communities, constituents and students and families and even educators that are very invested in the public school system, who will not have their needs met because there are some people out there who are taking advantage of the system, especially in a financial way that is not appropriate, and this would have given them a tool in order to address those situations, as well as people in special districts." Story says the bill would have cost almost $140,000, and was budgeted for after passing the House Appropriations Committee and moving to the Senate. But the bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee. "We were anticipating that it would move out, but there was a member with a philosophical concern about the bill," Story said. Democratic state Sen. Jeff Bridges told CBS Colorado: "The measure faced significant opposition in the Senate, largely because of how it roped in public school officials. We've seen examples across the country of bills like this one leading to the harassment and abuse of folks just doing their best to create great schools for our kids. School boards and school employees across the state brought forward serious concerns about the policy, and I stood with them in support of amendments to address those concerns. Amendments that, as I understand it, bill sponsors declined." Story says frivolous complaints are dismissed and not made public, and that no amendments were declined. The Special District Association of Colorado also opposed the bill. CEO Ann Terry said, "SDA opposed HB25-1079 primarily due to the lack of statewide education regarding the State Ethics Commission's jurisdiction and insufficient resources to support additional staffing and enforcement. We're eager to collaborate with the bill sponsor to thoughtfully revise the policy goals to promote accountability without fostering unrealistic expectations that the Commission can address issues beyond its authority. It's crucial that any future efforts are based on clarity, capacity, and respect for the structure of local government, and that they are adequately funded by the general fund to ensure education and staffing are provided." "It's going to take a significant voter demand for accountability before the legislature really does something," Henderson said. But Henderson and Story aren't giving up on the bill. "When you're 71 years old, you realize that change doesn't happen overnight," Henderson said. "The folks who are willing to represent the people have a higher cause and will be successful. We will be successful." "There's another year coming, and we will keep working on this until we get this bill through," Story said. Story says she does plan to introduce this legislation again next session in Denver.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tennessee football vs Georgia kickoff time announced for 2025 SEC opener
Kickoff times for Tennessee football games against ETSU and Georgia have been announced for the 2025 season. On Sept. 6, Tennessee plays ETSU at 3:30 p.m. ET and streamed on ESPN+/SEC Network+ in a nonconference game. On Sept. 13, the Vols play Georgia at 3:30 p.m. on ABC in the SEC opener for both teams. Advertisement Both games will be played at Neyland Stadium as part of UT's three-game homestand early in the 2025 season. UT and Syracuse will face off in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 30 (noon, ABC). The Vols also have a Week 4 home game against UAB on Sept. 20, but that kickoff time will be announced at a later date. UT beat ETSU 59-3 in 2018 in their only previous meeting. The Vols have lost eight straight to Georgia, all by double-digit margins. Checker Neyland game vs Georgia, plus John Henderson The matchup with Georgia also will serve as UT's Checker Neyland game. Advertisement Checker Neyland showcases UT's checkerboard pattern across the stadium by utilizing the sections in a strategic manner. Fans are assigned either orange or white based on their seat location. Fans can find which color to wear at It will be the fifth straight season UT holds a Checker Neyland game following a four-year hiatus. It is the ninth Checker Neyland game at UT. The Vols are 4-4 in the eight previous Checker Neyland games with three of the wins coming against Florida. They are 3-1 in coach Josh Heupel's tenure in such games. Former UT star defensive lineman John Henderson also will be honored at the Georgia game as a College Football Hall of Fame inductee. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at Advertisement Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football vs Georgia kickoff time, TV announced for 2025 game
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee football announces Checker Neyland game for 2025 season
Tennessee football will hold its Checker Neyland game against Georgia on Sept. 13 at Neyland Stadium in its SEC opener, UT announced. Former UT star defensive lineman John Henderson also will be honored at the Georgia game as a College Football Hall of Fame inductee. Advertisement Checker Neyland showcases UT's checkerboard pattern across the stadium by utilizing the sections in a strategic manner. Fans are assigned either orange or white based on their seat location. Fans can find which color to wear at It will be the fifth straight season UT holds a Checker Neyland game following a four-year hiatus. It is the ninth Checker Neyland game at UT. The Vols are 4-4 in the eight previous Checker Neyland games with three of the wins coming against Florida. They are 3-1 in coach Josh Heupel's tenure in such games. The first four Checker Neyland games were under coach Butch Jones. UT did not hold a Checker Neyland game during Jeremy Pruitt's tenure. UT opens the 2025 season against Syracuse on Aug. 30 (noon ET, ABC) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. When is Tennessee homecoming 2025 and Senior Day? UT also announced that 2025 homecoming game will be Nov. 15 when the Vols host New Mexico State. It will be the first meeting between the programs. Advertisement That New Mexico State game will also serve as the Salute to Service, when UT honors service members, veterans and their families. Veterans Day is Nov. 11, earlier that week. Tennessee's game against Arkansas on Oct. 11 will be part of Champions Weekend, when past teams and athletes who won SEC and NCAA titles celebrate anniversaries. The Vols will celebrate senior day at their game against Vanderbilt on Nov. 29. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at Advertisement Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football announces Checker Neyland game for 2025 season
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee football announces 2025 Checker Neyland game at Neyland Stadium
Tennessee football announces 2025 Checker Neyland game at Neyland Stadium 2025 will mark the fifth football season for Tennessee under head coach Josh Heupel. He has compiled a 37-15 (20-12 SEC) record since 2021. The Vols will kick off their 2025 campaign against Syracuse on Aug. 30. Kick off between the Vols and Orange is slated for noon EDT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. ABC will televise the season opener. Tennessee's first home game at Neyland Stadium will take place Sept. 6 versus East Tennessee State. The Vols' first SEC contest is scheduled for Sept. 13 against Georgia at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will also host UAB, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico State and Vanderbilt in 2025. Tennessee will travel to Mississippi State, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida. On Wednesday, Tennessee announced football game designations for the 2025 season. 2025 Tennessee football game designations Sept. 13 versus Georgia – Checker Neyland presented by Pilot, John Henderson NFF Hall of Fame Salute Oct. 11 versus Arkansas – Champions weekend presented by Pilot Nov. 15 versus New Mexico State – Homecoming, Salute to Service Nov. 29 versus Vanderbilt – Senior day Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
In rural America, hospitals are closing their maternity wards
Rural hospitals across the United States are shuttering their labour and delivery units, leaving rural Americans with less access to necessary medical care. Across the country since 2020, 101 rural hospitals have stopped delivering babies or announced they soon will, according to a recent report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. That includes three hospitals in Texas, bringing the state to a total of 93 rural hospitals that do not provide labour and delivery services. Across the state, well over half of rural hospitals do not deliver babies. State organizations are sounding the alarm. The Rural Texas Maternal Health Assembly reported in November that 47% of Texas counties are "maternity care deserts." That's 14% higher than the national average, the assembly wrote. Rural hospitals are a lifeline to their communities, which may be located many miles from the next nearest medical facility. In medical emergencies, minutes matter - and long travel time leaves rural residents with lower odds of surviving. "Travel burden is real, and geography of Texas can be very challenging," said John Henderson, the president and chief executive of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals. "That's okay for certain things. ... It's not okay if you're having a heart attack or a stroke or delivering a baby." For some rural Texans, labour and delivery department closures could be the difference between life and death. 'Canary in the coal mine' It's not just about maternal health - across the board, many rural hospitals are struggling financially. Half of rural Texas hospitals are at risk of closure, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. For some hospitals, the threat has already become a reality. Mid Coast Medical Center Trinity, north of Houston, announced in April that it was closing before the end of the month. "It kind of feels like a death in the family," Henderson said of the closure. For a struggling rural hospital, closing the labour and delivery unit may be an alternative to closing the entire hospital. That's in part because labour and delivery units can be costly to operate. They must be staffed around the clock, since births can't always be scheduled or sequestered to regular business hours. In rural hospitals, which often have low patient volume, the unit could go long stretches without seeing any births at all. "You're basically paying people to sit in the hospital waiting for births that are very unlikely to happen on the majority of days," said Harold Miller, the chief executive of the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. Labour and delivery is also not a required service - unlike other services such as emergency medical care - which makes those units more likely to be chopped. "In some ways, it's the canary in the coal mine on these things," Miller said. "If they're in trouble, where are they going to look first? That's where they're going to look first." Exacerbating maternal health issues As an immediate impact of labour and delivery closures, rural residents are forced to drive further to access care. That travel time means worse outcomes for women who are pregnant or in labour, according to the assembly's November report. "The lack of local services harms the health of mothers and babies," the Assembly wrote. The impact of travel time means that "rurality in and of itself is a factor in the maternal health crisis," the assembly wrote. Long travel time also exacerbates an existing problem: Texas as a whole already falls short on maternal health outcomes. The state's infant mortality rate is about on par with the national average, according to data from The Commonwealth Fund. The maternal death rate, however, is 34.7 per 100,000 live births, the data shows, compared to the national average of 26.3 per 100,000 births. Overall, the organization ranked Texas as second to last in the country on women's health and reproductive care. A 'long-term issue' Advocates say there are potential solutions to rural hospitals' struggles. Miller said the country as a whole should pay rural hospitals for their standby costs, so they can afford to keep the doors open no matter how many patients walk through. In the meantime, he said, individual states and the federal government should take steps to protect rural hospitals. In his view, those efforts can't only be one-time grants or other short-term assistance. "The problem is, this is a long-term issue," Miller said. "There has to be some stream of money that is adequate on an ongoing basis, year after year." In Texas, Henderson pointed to a proposed bill from Representative Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston. House Bill 18 aims to stabilize rural hospitals' and clinics' finances through grant programs, training and a new state office focused on rural hospital finance. "There are Texans who do not currently have access to hospitals and health care services that the majority of us take for granted," VanDeaver said at a public hearing for the bill in March. "We have the opportunity this session to change that." House Bill 18 was passed by the Texas House in April and is now in the Senate. Outside of legislation, Henderson said he sees promise in telemedicine. In order to survive, he said, rural hospitals and advocates need to look at unconventional solutions. "It's not going to get easier. Rural hospitals aren't going to be less vulnerable in the near term," Henderson said. "We need to be working on innovative projects and finding ways for them to work together better."
