Latest news with #KathleenFeeney
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Walk-ins held at several Des Moines schools to protest public education cuts
DES MOINES, Iowa – Students in the Des Moines metro were taking part in the National Day of Action before school started Thursday morning. Students were joined by elected leaders, educators, and members of the community at rallies around Des Moines. They gathered outside schools, with some protesters holding up signs reading, 'Honk for Schools.' The walk-in was sponsored by the National Education Association and the Iowa State Education Association in protest of cuts to public education. One teacher, who attended a rally outside Central Campus, said it's important for kids to learn about how the government works because they will eventually help shape it. Sky-high ticket prices for Caitlin Clark's return to Iowa for Fever preseason game 'Because they're eventually going to be voters and they need to develop their critical thinking and have arguments and discussions about yes or no, pro or con. And this was a heated debate right along with should we wear uniforms. So that was a big conversation as well. And I think that this is something they'll always remember,' said Kathleen Feeney, a 4th-grade teacher at Des Moines' Downtown School. Feeney spoke about the parents' support for student participation, saying, 'Also the parents endorse this and they wanted to be a part of it. They thought it was a great idea. You know, we joked that we can't get them off screens and then I can't keep their attention. I'm not clickbait, you know, I don't have any coins. They can't level up with me. So the parents were excited for them to have these hard discussions. We call them Socratic discussions and pick a side and stick to it, you know, so the parents appreciate it. The rallies wrapped up in time for the kids to get to class. Organizers said 70 schools participated across Iowa, including 12 in Des Moines. MercyOne and Bras for the Cause team up for yearly Muffins and Mammograms initiative Walk-ins held at several Des Moines schools to protest public education cuts Metro man plays it cool as he surprises wife with $100,000 scratch-off win Fans get the chance to mingle with Iowa Hawkeye coaches at annual I-Club Banquet How a local doctor and a 'life-changing' class are helping people lead healthy lives Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Ulster University: Residents fear Magee will create 'Derry Holylands'
Residents living near Ulster University's Magee campus have called on the council to cap the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) approved in the area. This comes after a report exploring the expansion of student numbers at the Londonderry campus was published last group, Concerned Residents Around Magee (CRAM), said most approved HMOs were concentrated near the campus and were disproportionate with the rest of the city.A Derry City and Strabane District council spokesperson said new planning policies will put safeguards in place to ensure proposals for HMOs are suitable and appropriate. The report said the increase to 10,000 students by 2032 would help address regional imbalance and be "transformative" for the it noted the quantity of privately rented accommodation and purpose-built student accommodation must be increased. What are HMOs? A house in multiple occupation is a property rented out by at least three people who share facilities like the bathroom and kitchen, also referred to as a "house share".The tenants must be from more than one household for it be an HMOs must be licensed by their local council unless a temporary exemption notice is in City Council's NIHMO unit administers the regulation of HMOs on behalf of each of Northern Ireland's 11 councils. Kathleen Feeney who lives in a terraced street, a five minute walk from the campus, said she feels as if "the street as [she has] known for forty years is disappearing"."There are less families here now. More HMOs have sprung up and I feel that the atmosphere has changed," she said."We don't always know our neighbours; it can be noisy at night and the worst thing is the traffic and congestion.""If the houses next door to me became HMOs, I would consider leaving the area, even though it would break my heart," she said. According to the HMO licence register, there are currently 212 HMO properties in Derry that total, more than 200 are in the BT48 (Cityside) are seven in the BT47 (Waterside) are calling for an immediate cap of 10% on HMOs in streets neighbouring the university and then a long term cap once the council's local development plan is adopted. 'Neighbours are disappearing' Patrick Gill, a Park Avenue resident for 74 years, feels an oversaturation of HMOs weakens the sense of community."Local neighbours are disappearing," he said."Expansion is good for the city but where people are going to live must be considered."Mr Gill said people were "worried about the area becoming another Holylands"."The HMOs need to be spread out or there won't be any long-term residents left," he also said the number of HMOs led to a lack of parking. Students' view Argyle Street is directly opposite the campus and most homes there are student Coffey, from Fermanagh, and Ciara Fitzpatrick, from County Meath, are final year nursing students and have lived on Argyle Street for the past two said the street's proximity to the university was an obvious draw for students but highlighted there is a need for more accommodation. "We had to be so quick in looking and securing a house. If you leave it too late, it gets difficult to find anywhere," she said. "I'd say it is hard for residents with some students as it can be noisy."But I do think there should be better student facilities although we are in a city and its hard with space too," she added. 'Balance and compromise' A meeting is due to be held for residents on Thursday at the university chaired by Stephen Kelly of the Magee Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin grew up in an area which has seen a rising number of HMOs and said "balance" was needed."Residents are not against HMOs or university expansion - they actually welcome it - what they are concerned about is a quick change of the residential character of the area," he said."They don't want something to develop quickly like the Holylands that would utterly transform it." Paddy Gray, professor emeritus of housing at Ulster University, co-authored a report into the Holylands in said there were accommodation models that worked for both residents and students in other university Gray said the view of residents are important in finding "an acceptable balance"."Students can bring a lot of money into areas too, especially for small businesses," he added. 'Sustainable growth' A council spokesperson said some restrictions have been proposed in terms of the number of rooms permitted in an HMO property and a minimum square feet size of the property. There are also guidelines around ensuring that HMOs do not impact the character of the local added that a taskforce, including political representatives and statutory agencies, has also been established, for residents to discuss issues. At a planning committee meeting on 22 January, members agreed that all applications for HMOs, where they would lead to more than 10% in a street, will be brought to the committee for consideration.A spokesperson for Ulster University said "student accommodation in the city needs to grow alongside and support the sustainable growth in student numbers". The spokesperson said the university worked with its neighbours in North Belfast and will do the same in Derry.
