Latest news with #JoshJones
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Battle of the lay-bys in Rothwell as parked lorries block access
Located next to the junction of two of the UK's busiest motorways, the south Leeds suburb of Rothwell can claim to be one of the country's best connected places. But while living within a stone's throw of the M1 and M62 may have its advantages, locals say the town's lay-bys are increasingly clogged up with HGVs and delivery vehicles using them for overnight drivers say they are stopping there because there aren't enough dedicated facilities for them to residents claim they are struggling to access a graveyard and are finding litter and human waste because of the inconsiderate parking. Café owner Josh Jones says HGV drivers regularly flout a two-hour parking restriction outside his business, which is in a lay-by close to J30 of the forces veteran Mr Jones, 36, says he was once threatened with a knife when he politely asked a driver to move on, and that the area is riddled with litter and human waste. "When I come over the brow of the hill to work each morning, the apprehension I get when I see lorries on either side makes me think, 'Oh my God, what's going to happen today'," he says. "Since I've opened the café in August 2023, incidents have ranged from verbally abusive ones to physical altercations."Mr Jones says that while the prospect of his business missing out on cash when turnover in the lay-by is low is a concern, his grievance is more related to the environment around him and the safety of other drivers in need of a pit stop being shut people say there is little enforcement of the two-hour parking limit here, although Leeds City Council says it conducts regular patrols of the lay-by and has issued more than 175 parking notices there in the last year."A good number of drivers leave bags of faeces, bottles of urine and general rubbish," Mr Jones says. "The council bins will be filled up."It would be OK if it was just one or two bags but the other side of the road can be heaving with it. "It is more than me moaning about not getting an extra £50 today." Mr Jones, insists he is not "anti-HGV at all", pointing out that most of his customers are truckers. "There are fantastic lorry drivers who hate these kind of people," he HGV driver, Nathan, is just leaving Mr Jones' cafe after grabbing a bite to eat. He says a shortage of dedicated truck stops and the expense of using them means he is a regular lay-by user."There's definitely not enough places to stop," Nathan says. "We do need more.""Between 11:30 BST and 13:30 BST the turn-off for some service stations can be backed up right out onto the motorway with wagons." A short drive away is a lay-by outside the graveyard at St John the Evangelist, Oulton's parish church, where mourners regularly go to pay their respects to loved ones. But resident Martin Law says the lay-by is often full, making it "extremely difficult" for those wanting to leave a bunch of Law, the chair of the Oulton and Woodlesford Neighbourhood Forum, says: "There aren't many alternatives in terms of walkable parking, particularly for those who can't walk far. That's the only spot available."There's rubbish, bags of faeces there too and it's not pleasant for anybody. It's disrespectful to the church too."There is no time limit on parking outside the church, but the council says it has drawn up plans to ban HGV parking in the affected lay-by and hopes the new regulations will come into force this summer. But 40-year-old driver Ionut, who has been parked in the lay-by for 15 hours when the BBC speaks to him, says this will simply push the problem onto residential streets."If you're not at the nearest truck stop by 17:00 BST you can't park there because it's full," he explains."It's not pleasant for me sleeping here, next to traffic driving past. Sometimes people will stop next to you and wake you up playing loud music. Sometimes you wake up and someone's taken all your diesel."But there's nowhere else for me to go." Ionut, who has driven HGVs since he was 20, says he has his own bin in his lorry in which he puts his rubbish and condemns drivers who litter as "out of order". He is sympathetic to people who want use the space to visit the graveyard, but says he feels people in his industry are taken for granted."During the pandemic we were key workers, but now we are seen as a nuisance," he says. "People need to realise everything they purchase has been on a lorry. If we stop, then they will go to the store tomorrow and they won't be able to buy bread or milk."An Amazon distribution centre is located nearby, with locals saying the lay-by hogging has become a problem since it was built just before the its part, Amazon says its provides "extensive facilities for HGV drivers" which include free hot drinks, toilets, access to food and even a pool table at the site in question. The company also says it has "very high standards for the service providers we work with and will investigate any issues."Liberal Democrat councillor for Rothwell, Stewart Golton, says the issue could be a growing one throughout the country because of the explosion in online shopping and the reliance on logistics. "Even five years ago, no-one would have assumed the level that people are (now) ordering the goods they want remotely through a computer or their mobile phone," Golton says. "The companies that guarantee next day delivery actually have a huge amount of logistical movements with trucks and delivery vehicles. "It needs responding to right now, because it's affecting people."The Road Haulage Association (RHA) says there is a shortage of 11,000 parking spaces for HGV drivers across the country and is campaigning over the issue."There's an urgent need for continued investment in roadside facilities, particularly in areas of high lorry parking demand and high freight crime rates," Ashton Cull, from the RHA says."More safe and secure parking spaces need to be provided, and a unified standard strongly encouraged if not enforced."We've made some progress, but there's a long way to go and there is much work ahead."The Department for Transport has been contacted for comment. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Highland Bluff Elementary School holds pre-test parade for third graders before state test
BRANDON, Miss. (WJTV) – School spirit is in the air at Highland Bluff Elementary School. For four years, the Rankin County School has been providing a parade to cheer on their third graders before they take the third grade GATE test. 'They go all out for this parade. They wear costumes and hats and all kinds of different things,' said Principal Dr. Josh Jones. 'The teachers support this, but it is a student initiative for them to kind of celebrate their work and focus and determination throughout the year.' One by one, the third graders were met with smiles and posters filled with messages of encouragement as they paraded down the hallway. 'I felt flabbergasted. I was really excited, and I just felt proud of myself,' said third grader Evangeline Crout. 'It made me feel a little nervous and also a little happy,' said third grader Dramauri Reed. The third graders were also read, 'The Anti-Test Anxiety Society' book to help reduce those test jitters. 'Kids in general need that peer support,' said Principal Jones. 'I hope they do good. Just don't give up. No matter what, just keep going,' said fifth grader Joshua Gaskin. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
13-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The last 10 years of 3rd-round picks for the Arizona Cardinals
The last 10 years of 3rd-round picks for the Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals have had a ton of third-round picks recently and are getting contributions. The 2025 NFL draft will commence soon, on Thursday, April 24 with the first round. Rounds 2 and 3 will follow on Friday with the remaining four rounds on Saturday the 26th. The Arizona Cardinals have selections in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh rounds. Let's look at the last several years of picks and see how those picks have worked out. Below are the last 10 years of third-round picks for the Cardinals. The last 10 years of Cardinals third-round picks 2024: RB Trey Benson, TE Tip Reiman, OL Isaiah Adams, CB Elijah Jones 2023: CB Garrett Williams, WR Michael Wilson 2022: OLB Cameron Thomas, OLB Myjai Sanders 2021: None (traded to Raiders for OL Rodney Hudson) 2020: OL Josh Jones 2019: DL Zach Allen 2018: OL Mason Cole 2017: WR Chad Williams 2016: CB Brandon Williams The hits Williams is definitely a hit. He looks like a stud cornerback for the Cardinals. Allen has been a hit, although he is no longer with the Cardinals. After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, he became very productive and now, with the Denver Broncos, he was a second-team All-Pro. Reiman appears to be a hit in his role as blocking tight end. He does that very well. The misses Brandon Williams? That wasn't a good pick, at least in terms of playing cornerback. He looked good in training camp but then was just bad. He was a good special teams player for a while, though. Chad Williams? He did nothing in the NFL, amassing 20 whole NFL receptions. Thomas and Sanders looked promising as rookies. Sanders is now in the UFL and Thomas has not done anything meaningful. Don't know yet Benson did a little bit as a rookie but hasn't proven anything yet. There are expectations for him this season. Jones didn't play all year. Adams might be the team's starting right guard moving forward. We will see. They were just fine Cole was an NFL starter for several seasons but didn't play last season. Josh Jones is a backup lineman still in the league. Wilson hasn't been bad. He also hasn't been good yet, but Kyler Murray believes he can be a 1,000-yard receiver. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who are the Dancing On Ice 2025 finalists?
Dancing On Ice is set for a big weekend as the 2025 grand final airs live on Sunday — but who are the three celebrities battling it out for the series title? With rumours swirling that this series could be the last for the ITV1 contest, there has been a lot of noise around the skating show in recent weeks. But Sunday is all about celebrating the accomplishments of the 2025 finalists as they showcase their best routines. Here's all you need to know about who is in the final and who is likely to win. Read more: Should Dancing on Ice be axed? Dancing on Ice's 2025 show's nasty injuries as Josh Jones quits As ever, it's been an injury-plagued series of the show with the cast starting one celebrity down after Dame Sarah Storey fractured her ankle in pre-series training. Contestant Josh Jones and pro skater Vanessa Bauer also had to quit the series midway through with injuries. Now, three brave celebrities remain in the final which will air on ITV1 on Sunday. The Springwatch star has been a hit with viewers and judges for her partnership with pro skater Mark Hanretty — the pair have never been in a skate off for the entire series. Strachan goes into the final on a high after scoring a series record of 49 points in last week's semi-final and told This Morning on Friday that her TV co-star Chris Packham is just one of the fans who is rooting for her to win. "He's been incredibly supportive," she shared. "He watches it back and analyses it. He's so invested." Wildlife show presenter Strachan has been a favourite to lift the trophy from the start but can she pull it off in the live final? Footballer Anton Ferdinand has fought his way into the final with partner Annette Dytrt after a rockier journey than the other finalists. The pair have been in the skate off three times, seeing off competition from Chris Taylor, Charlie Brooks and Dan Edgar. Ferdinand has also stepped well outside of his comfort zone, despite coming from a family which includes theatre performer sisters, with one of them starring in Hamilton in the West End. He told This Morning: "Everything that my body's used to, I had to untrain and relearn because it's completely different (from football). "I might have sisters that are performers, but I certainly ain't one of them! It's been really difficult and out of my comfort zone, but I've enjoyed embracing all the challenges." Coronation Street stars have a strong history on the skating show, and now Chesney Brown actor Sam Aston has joined their ranks as a 2025 finalist. Like Strachan and Hanretty, he and partner Molly Lanaghan have not had to take part in a skate off all series and their semi-final score was a close second at 48.5 points. Aston suffered a dislocated shoulder at one point, but told This Morning: "We've got a really good physio, we're all there on a regular basis!" He added that he had put his acting skills to good use, saying: "We've leant into these characters a lot and it's been nice to be able to perform in that way." Strachan has been the favourite the whole way through the series but while her chances are looking good in the bookies' odds an iceskating coach is predicting a shock third place result for her. The latest odds as according to Grosvenor Sport are: Michaela Strachan – 11/20 Sam Aston – 7/5 Anton Ferdinand – 11/1 Grosvenor Sport's Simon Kew said: "At the start of the competition, Sam Aston was seen as a strong contender with odds of 4/1, but Michaela Strachan and Anton Ferdinand were seen as outsiders at 9/1 and 40/1, respectively. "Since then, Michaela has emerged as the clear frontrunner, with her odds being drastically cut to 11/20, meaning punters now see her as the likely winner. Sam has also impressed, moving from 4/1 to 7/5, keeping him firmly in the race. "The biggest turnaround has been Anton Ferdinand, whose odds have shortened significantly from 40/1 to 11/1. Although still the underdog, he has defied expectations and could go all the way, having been saved over higher-performing celebrities and survived three skate offs." But iceskating coach Daniel King told Mecca Games: 'I think Sam will win, due to his consistent performances, superior skating ability and standout character performances compared to the other finalists. I also think Anton will be the runner-up as he's entertaining to watch and has proven incredibly popular, managing to stay in the competition over contestants who were objectively better than him. "Michaela has been a strong performer throughout the competition, but I don't think she will win. Even though she's up there with the skating and lift quality, she's just not as enjoyable to watch as Sam and Anton. Also, I'm concerned her final routine will consist of an excessive amount of lifts and very little skating. I believe Sam and Anton have the edge in terms of difficulty, creativity and overall impact on the ice." Meanwhile, over at BonusCodeBets their supercomputer — which predicts champions based on previous winning characteristics shared by the 16 winners of the show so far — agrees that Aston could upset the bookies' odds. A spokesperson said: "We've cracked the Dancing on Ice winning formula – just the right blend of soap star charm and enough skating skill to stay upright (most of the time). So, it's no shocker we're backing Corrie's Sam Aston to waltz off with the trophy in this weekend's grand finale. "Mark our words: this year's trophy is basically engraved already… probably!" The skating contest is a TV staple in winter schedules but it has recently been reported that the show may be coming to an end. Dancing on Ice started nearly 20 years ago in 2006 but took a four-year break between 2014 and 2018 before making a triumphant comeback to screens. Now, there are rumours that the current version presented by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern is facing the axe as reported by The Mirror. However, the show's future is still uncertain as an ITV spokeswoman told Yahoo UK in a statement: "The team is fully concentrating on the much-anticipated series finale this coming Sunday and therefore no decision has been made." Meanwhile, Yahoo readers have been offering their views on what should become of Dancing On Ice in our reader poll. Dancing On Ice's 2025 final will air on ITV1 at 6:30pm on Sunday.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Gutted' Dancing on Ice star bursts into tears after being eliminated from ITV series
Ferne McCann broke down in tears after becoming the second celebrity to be eliminated from this year's season of Dancing on Ice. The former The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star, 34, performed a Trolls -themed routine to 'September' by Earth, Wind and Fire with her professional skating partner Brendyn Hatfield. McCann and Hatfield scored 28 points for the choreography, based on the Dreamworks musical animation, which included a move in which the reality star sat down in a chair position while skating. Many Dancing on Ice fans presumed there would be no elimination in week three as comedian Josh Jones withdrew from the competition after sustaining an injury in rehearsals on Sunday (26 January). However, presenter Holly Willoughby confirmed a contestant would still be axed from the series despite Jones' withdrawal. 'Tonight, there are no second chances,' she said. 'The lowest placed couple will go straight out [of] the competition with no skate-off to save them.' When it was revealed McCann would be leaving the competition, the TOWIE star tearfully said: 'So gutted, but it is what it is. It's been amazing. Thank you so so much. It's just been brilliant. So fantastic.' The reality star's partner added: 'We've had just the best time skating together and learning and growing, and she had so much more in her.' McCann was far from the bottom of the leaderboard, with EastEnders star Charlie Brooks, sitting below her with 27 points for her Ghost -themed routine and Olympic rower Steve Redgrave securing just 20 points. Viewers quickly took to social media to express their dissatisfaction over McCann's 'unfair' elimination with no skate off, despite being middle of the leaderboard. 'It's a stupid and unfair idea not to have a skate off,' one person complained. 'I don't know who thought of it.' Meanwhile, another viewer added: 'Hate there's no skate off. Makes it just a popularity contest and not much about skill. Shame.' Another baffled fan wrote: 'Don't understand dropping the skate off - it's madness. Ferne didn't deserve to go at all!' Dancing on Ice announced Josh Jones had withdrawn from the competition in a statement released on the show's social media accounts on Sunday night – just hours before the live show was due to air. 'Josh Jones sustained an injury during rehearsals and has had to withdraw from Dancing on Ice,' it read. 'Josh and Tippy's partnership will be greatly missed. We will be helping to support Josh and wish him well with his recovery.'
