Latest news with #Kenneth
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Wexford dairy farmer to run four marathons in four days
After previously fundraising for national charities by taking on Dublin and Waterford Marathons, Ferns resident Kenneth was motivated to select a local concern this year after learning about the vital work undertaken by Arklow-based East Coast Samaritans from his mother-in-law Olive, a long-serving volunteer with the charity. The Sliabh Buidhe Rovers Athletic Club member had already been plotting a grand adventure for 2025, and had set his sights on the ultra-challenging Quadrathon, a test of endurance that will see Kenneth run a separate route every day, completing a single 105-mile loop over four days, through hills, mountains and along coastal roads around Inishowen and the Wild Atlantic Way. Diligently preparing for the challenge, Kenneth said he feels an immense sense of pride to be raising funds for a local cause that is so close to his heart, adding that seeing donations come in will give him all the fuel he needs to push through the pain barrier. 'My mother-in-law, Olive, does volunteer work for East Coast Samaritans, answering calls at night, and after speaking to her and learning that they are the only Samaritans branch in the country who have to pay rent, I knew I had to fundraise for them,' Kenneth began. 'I usually raise money for the big, national charities, but when Olive told me about the great work that East Coast Samaritans do, and the fact that it's local, helping local people that are going through a bad time with their mental health, that clinched it for me. 'I suppose, like a lot of other people, you get into running for your mental health. It has helped me so much. So, for me to actually help raise money for a mental health charity, and maybe inspire others to take up running, exercise or getting outdoors for their mental health, that's massive for me. 'I've had a good few donations already, with some from friends and some from people I wouldn't even know, and I'll be giving updates every day during the Quadrathon – hopefully the donations will keep coming in,' he added. 'I know, when I'm up there running in the hills, just thinking about donations coming in and the difference that might make to someone's life will keep me going.' Unlike flat marathon courses, extreme north races require a little more endurance, with runners flocking to Donegal on August 14 encouraged to allow an extra 10pc on their normal marathon time to account for elevation and back-to-back runs. Having recently recovered from a lower back injury that cause bad sciatica, Kenneth has kicked into overdrive to prepare his body for the rigors of the challenge, ascending peaks like Sliabh Buí and seeking out mountainous terrain wherever he can find it as part of his pre-Quadrathon training regime. 'I am always up for a challenge, and I usually do the Dublin Marathon, and I was trying to get a sub-three-hour time, which I was delighted to get in Amsterdam,' Kenneth said. 'I came across the Quadrathon after I was scrolling through Facebook and saw that someone from the Wexford Marathon Club had done four marathons. So, I started researching it, and thought I'd love to do that. 'I applied for it, but then got unlucky when I got injured and had very bad sciatica. I was trying to work and couldn't really train, so I just did a bit of gym instead. I kept working at it, and I started back cycling. 'Now I'm back running, and things are going well. 'I've been doing a good few races just to get up to speed, and a lot of my long runs are hilly, because the marathons I'll be doing in Donegal are not like Waterford or Dublin,' he continued. 'They're up in the hills along the Atlantic Way and you could be climbing for two miles, so you have to prepare the body for that. 'I did the Glendalough Lap of the Gap Marathon last year, which was a challenging one because it's very hilly, but it was good practice. 'You're running four marathons, so you need to be able for that high mileage and basically get the body used to being under pressure and running on tired legs. Even if I was going for a recovery run, I'll find a few hills to go up, just to keep the body under pressure. 'It's nice to have something to work towards, and it's a challenge for me, which I love – so it's a win-win.' You can support Kenneth via
The Star
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Facing the storm alone
Eyes wide open: Jun Hao is bracing for a baptism of fire from the start in Tokyo, as he takes on defending champion and world No. 8 Alex Lanier of France. PETALING JAYA: Fire is the test of gold, and adversity, of strong men. This age-old saying rings true for national singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao, who is set to face a tough run of tournaments – the Japan and China Opens ahead of his debut in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris. The Japan Open starts today in Tokyo, followed by the China Open next week in Changzhou where most of the world's top 10 players will be competing. World No. 24 Jun Hao is Malaysia's sole representative in the men's singles following Lee Zii Jia's withdrawal, and the road ahead is anything but easy. Jun Hao will face a baptism of fire from the start in Tokyo, as he takes on defending champion and world No. 8 Alex Lanier of France in the opening round of the Japan Open. The 24-year-old will need to dig deep for a timely boost before the world meet and prove that he belongs on badminton's biggest stage. Singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen believes that the two Opens would be good preparation for Jun Hao for the world meet as he will face a similar challenge in Paris. 'I think the Japan and China Opens are quite important in our preparations for the World Championships,' said Kenneth. 'It will give us the best indication of what we need to go back and prepare for the remaining three weeks before the world meet. 'For me, the the world meet is the big event. Of course we want to do well in Japan and China but I'm there to gather more information on how to approach the world meet.' Jun Hao, who turned 26 on Sunday, has had a difficult first half of the year but Kenneth has seen positives in his charge's last two tournaments - the Singapore and Indonesian Opens - and hopes he can build on his showings. The 2017 Asian junior champion reached the quarter-finals in Singapore and second round in Indonesia. 'I have been trying to evaluate what has been working for Jun Hao recently. ''The court conditions in Japan are different from what we encountered in Singapore and Indonesia, so it's a slightly different approach we need to focus on,' said Kenneth. 'For me, it's basically to understand his own game and shot selection throughout like when to take the initiative and when to allow the opponent to try to open up his game. 'If we are too aggressive all the time, we kind of leave the court a little bit too open but I feel in both Singapore and Indonesia, he managed it really well. 'We've seen it a couple of times when he gets the shot selection correctly, he is a very tricky opponent for anybody to play against,' added Kenneth. Hopes are high that Jun Hao will come through the tests with flying colours.
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘No one speak to me': Aussies cop brutal ATO debts after completing tax returns
Every year around tax time social media becomes flooded with videos and posts of people complaining about their measly tax return, with many also being hit with debts. It has been less than two weeks since Aussies have been able to submit their tax returns to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and it seems that many who have chosen to get in early this year have been less than thrilled with the outcome. A quick scroll on TikTok will show dozens of videos of young people lamenting after their dreams of a healthy tax refund were dashed, instead being replaced by a bill. One user, Kenneth, said he spent '5 hours, 47 tabs, 3 breakdowns doing (my) tax return, just to find out I owe $4000 to the ATO'. In the caption of the video he added: 'The only return I got was emotional damage.' Another young worker shared an image showing she owes almost $5800 to the ATO, asking 'wtf is this' and 'no one speak to me'. A nurse made a video revealing his $3404 debt, while another TikToker, Elaya, was hit with a $1733 bill. Another user revealed they owed close to $9000, writing, 'Any accountants wanna help me?' previously spoke to 21-year-old Queensland woman, Kristy, after she was hit with a whopping $32,459 tax bill. She works in the event management and promotional marketing space and, while she wasn't surprised to receive a debt, she wasn't expecting it to be so high. 'I make a decent amount of money so wasn't too shocked to see the bill. I usually have a tax bill but it hasn't been this large,' Kristy said. 'I end up making pretty much the same net income as years where I was working less so it feels like a bit of a lose-lose situation.' Belinda Raso, tax agent and director at Tax Invest Accounting, told there are a few main reasons she is seeing people copping tax debts when submitting their returns this year. One of the key culprits is the rise in people taking on multiple jobs, with Ms Raso noting our payroll systems aren't set up in a way that accommodates this. Australian residents can only claim the $18,200 tax-free threshold for one job. For any other jobs they must inform their employer they will not be claiming the threshold. However, the accountant warned this is often not enough to avoid being hit with a tax bill at the end of the financial year. 'If your main job is earning $45,000 or more per year, when you tell that employer at your second job that you don't want to claim the tax free threshold, you go to that first tax rate, which is sitting at 16% plus Medicare levy, that automatically defaults to that,' Ms Raso explained. 'So the employee has done the right thing, the employer has done the right thing, but if you're earning $45,000 or above in that main job, you're already sitting at 30 per cent tax rate, plus 2 per cent Medicare levy, so straight up, you've got a 14 per cent difference.' Ms Raso said another common issue is to do with HECS-HELP debt. The repayment income threshold is currently sitting at $56,156. But, if you are earning under the threshold for both jobs, then neither employer will be withholding those repayments. However, the ATO looks at your total taxable income, so, if your combined income is above the threshold and you haven't been making repayments, you are going to be hit with a debt. 'So in your mind, you're telling all employers, but again, it's not adding up, and you end up with a debt,' she said. Another situation she sees revolves around salary sacrifice, novated leasing and reportable fringe benefits. Ms Raso said many people don't realise that those reportable fringe benefits get grossed up by 1.88 times, which is going to impact how your HECS-HELP repayments are calculated, with them being repaid at a higher rate. 'Now, I do stress to people that you're not actually paying more tax, so you're paying the same amount as tax as your colleague, but if you've got a HELP debt, you're repaying that HELP debt earlier,' she said. She said those are the three main reasons she sees every year, with Ms Raso warning people who cop a debt this year are likely to find themselves in the same situation next year, unless they figure out why. 'If it's not addressed, the same thing is going to happen next year. And if you're one of the people that go may not have had a tax debt this year, but have gotten a second job, you'll end up in that situation next year,' she said.
Axios
08-07-2025
- General
- Axios
H-E-B support trucks create 'powerful moment' for Texans
When disaster strikes in Texas, it's not just first responders people look for — it's those familiar H-E-B trucks, rolling in like family. Catch up quick: H-E-B has a disaster relief program that is often deployed during hurricane season, but also responded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the weekend, H-E-B went back home to Kerrville — where it was founded more than 100 years ago — to help the hard-hit community. Zoom in: Kenneth and Danielle Austin captured the moment in a now-viral Facebook post showing a convoy of H-E-B disaster relief trucks loaded with food and supplies, rolling through I-10 toward Kerrville. What they're saying:"They helped our family last year during the hurricane that hit Sargent," the couple tells Axios in a joint comment. "It was such a powerful moment to see them driving in again to help another Texas community in need." "We hold compassion and strength for everyone who has been impacted, and we remain committed to offer unwavering support to our communities," H-E-B said in a statement.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beyond The Gates Recap: Bill Handles Business
Beyond The Gates Recap: Bill Handles Business originally appeared on Daytime Confidential. On today's Beyond The Gates recap: Joey's Gambling Pit: Martin arrives and calls out for folks. Bill walks in and tells him to quiet down but Martin wants to make sure everything goes down ok. Bill wants him gone but Martin is sticking around. Martin is reeling and a very calm Bill tells him to stand down and stay in his lane. With that, Martin exits and Joey walks in. He says the casino will stay closed as long as they are dealing with Kenneth. Orphey Gene's: Leslie sits and reflects back on kicking Eva out of the house. Just then, Eva arrives, and she tells her daughter she's grateful she showed up for dinner. Leslie says it's not easy being the town pariah and says she is lonely. Eva is suspect of her mother's words. Leslie gets it but says her daughter not wanting to be close to her hurts. Eva says she should have thought about the consequences before dragging her into her mess and kicking her out. Eva thinks she understands her mother but Leslie isn't so sure her daughter doesn't see her like everyone else. Leslie asks if her daughter ever wondered what she was like before meeting Ted. Eva says she did but didn't really know what to think. She follows it up by saying her mother never seemed like someone another person would fall in love with (Yikes!). Leslie indicates her daughter's words are harsh but fair. She says how proud she is of her beautiful daughter. Eva reminds Leslie a lot of herself at the same age – smart, ambitious and looking. She was looking for something bigger than what she was and thought she found it in Ted. Leslie thought Ted was her salvation which turned her into who she is now. Eva wonders who her mother is without all the venomous hatred. She wonders if Leslie remembers how to be her mother. Leslie says she's been doing soul searching and has regrets about making Eva an accessory to her pain. She knows Eva is fixing her life but hopes they can retain some of their mother/daughter amazingness. Eva says tonight was nice and they hold hands. Leslie looks over at Kat and Jacob and asks what the brat is smiling about. Kat looks directly at Leslie and says, 'you are cooked.' They chat a bit about old times and all the tiny joys they enjoyed which brought them closer together as mother and daughter. Leslie mentions Alan and how he was never in on their customs and inside jokes. Eva says the important thing was he was there. She begins to tear up and Leslie hands her a napkin. Eva says her mother was always there, too. Just then, Jacob and Kat walk in. Uptown: Chelsea is waiting for Madison when she gets a text from Kat. She calls her cousin and says her date is a no-show. Kat says she will check on Madison as she's hanging around the hospital trying to keep tabs on Eva. Chelsea gets a text from Kat saying Madison's shift ended two hours ago. Chelsea gets up to leave when Madison jogs in with scrubs on. She says she was all ready for their date when a patient threw up all over her. Madison moves along to talking about their relationship and says she has a tendency to leapfrog from just met to intimacy. She talks about her pattern of behavior and how it always results in the end of the relationship. Madison gets the feeling she's also a 'leaper' and they both note how they did things backwards. She admits she tends to guard her heart and often stays away from relationships because they distract from her career goals. Chelsea gets it and notes how her modeling career was the same for her. Just then, a woman across the room stares at them. Chelsea thinks she's looking at Madison but it's clear she is the object of her affection. Madison asks about how things are going with Chelsea and Bill. She gives him some background on their history and how she thinks he doesn't 'see her' as much as he does Naomi. Madison says Chelsea is worthy of being seen and says she is one of the smartest women she knows. Just then, she approaches, and Allison introduces herself to Madison. She apologizes for intruding on their date and asks to chat with Chelsea alone. Chelsea tries to put her off but Madison says she needs to go and makes her exit. Chelsea returns and takes a seat with Allison. Allison says she misses Chelsea, and she apologizes for hurting her. Allison forgives her and says she never did her wrong. Allison says her husband gave her an ultimatum and she did what her husband wanted and ghosted Chelsea. She says her husband is bitter and angry which scares her. Fairmont Country Club: Martin lurks in the distance as he watches Kenneth bus tables and finish his shift. Kenneth grabs his stuff and rushes out the door. As Martin tries to follow, Diego intercepts him and asks why he hasn't been keeping up with his workouts. He thinks they should get back to the gym right then and there and Martin reluctantly agrees. Joey's Gambling Pit: Randy arrives on the scene and promises Joey he will do what's asked of him. With that, Joey exits. Kenneth arrives and walks into a seemingly empty room. Just then, Bill arrives and begins to tell him the story about two years prior. He recalls Kenneth was on a dark road about two years ago when he saw a congressman on the side of the road. Bill says Kenneth was a wee out of it and needed a little work done. That's how they know each other. Bill says he doesn't have a name and can call him 'the fixer.' He reminds Kenneth he is dealing with the Dupree family and needs to back off if he wants to keep himself safe. Bill says there is no limit to what he can do. He tells Kenneth to leave witching two days or suffer the consequences. With that, he throws down a duffel bag and exits. Kenneth opens it up and finds all kinds of cash inside. Bill walks out and calls Martin asking where he is. He tells him to sit tight, and he will meet him at the club. Orphey Gene's: Jacob and Kat take a seat. Kat ribs Jacob about liking to work with her. Jacob says he doesn't need her help but she's not really giving him a choice. Jacob says he found a security expert who found a tiny scratch on the motorcycle helmet and thinks they could match it to the video footage. Now, they break down the video and analyze the scratch. Leslie is glad to hear that her daughter thinks she did something right by her. With that, she asks about her new job at Ted's office. Eva says it's all kinds of difficult but is most surprised by Kay's willingness to help her learn the job. Leslie says she should be wary of Kay's motives and Eva guarantees her mama she's being oh so careful. Previous Beyond The Gates Recap: Endings Eva and Leslie get up to leave just as Kat is breaking Jacob's balls. Just then, Eva and Leslie walk out and stare Kat down. Chelsea tells Allison she's surprised about Craig as he never seemed bitter nor violent. She does admit she never knew the two of them very well. Allison says she would like to pick up where they left off. Just then, Madison returns and watches the two from afar. Bill arrives and Martin begins his annoying questions. Bill tries to put him off but says the busboy shouldn't be bothering him again. Kenneth sits at the poker table counting his coins (Why? Why in the world would he not have left immediately). Just then, Randy walks in and pulls out a gun. Keep checking back for the latest Beyond The Gates recaps! This story was originally reported by Daytime Confidential on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
