Latest news with #Kidwell
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I can't coach Queensland': Cheika on trophies, Aussie snubs and a future in league
'The whole turnaround thing, which has been something I've done always pretty much, you know, trying to do that in the year, I released I probably needed to accelerate a few things.' The Tigers have won eight of twelve games since. English style In his first season coaching in England, Cheika has been surprised, and impressed, with the amount of expansive rugby he has encountered. Though once considered a kick-heavy, forward-dominated competition, the average per-game tries in the Premiership now sits just under that of Super Rugby. 'It surprised me,' he said. 'There's some teams over here that are playing some extremely expansive footy. Like to a point where you've got to strategise defensively differently in order to cope with it 'There's a few others that are playing a lot less kicking and a lot of running from everywhere. It's been an interesting, good challenge for me to have to – I always thought I was the guy who was involved with the teams that are running the most, and I was probably the guy who's running the team that's running one of the least.' Hob-nobbing in Monaco Cheika and Kidwell found themselves with a close-up view of a high-performing Aussie in action – Oscar Piastri – when, via a coaching mentoring group, they were invited into the McLaren garage during qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. 'The whole day there, you know, they were so kind to us,' he said. 'They've got a really interesting set-up. They gave access to so many interesting people for the day. I'm hoping that I'll get another chance to go in with them again in the near future, because it's a very different sport to ours, but there's a lot of crossover in the human management of people and in the key moments, and they have so many key moments in that world. So it was great.' Homeward bound Cheika has made no secret of his interest in pursuing a coaching opportunity in the NRL, after working with the Roosters and coaching Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup in 2022. He has been linked to the Dragons, Souths and the Eels, and will resume duties with the Cedars later this year. But, mindful of the peril of becoming the guy floated for every NRL job vacancy, Cheika deflects when asked if interested in coaching the new PNG franchise in 2028. 'I've got some experience ... but I understand totally I am a bit of an outlier,' Cheika said. 'I'm sort of an outsider in both games, a bit, mate. 'I'm going to be pushing for that opportunity, but only in a way that if there's a club there that thinks they need the skill set I have, and along with the team that can put together, et cetera. That's how will work out. 'It's not something where I will go and put my CV in for everything that comes up. It's got to be if the team wants you, and sees the skill set you have and if that alignment occurs from the top. 'If that happens in league, that would be awesome because to master that challenge, that would be huge.' Rugby future With Rugby Australia focused soberly on stability and aligned high performance, the opinionated Cheika appears to be viewed as a square peg. And the still-smouldering second stint of Eddie Jones is also no help, either. 'It's pretty clear what their opinion is,' Cheika said. 'And I am not saying that in a negative way. That's the management decision, so that's fine. I have to then assess my options accordingly.' Loading He believes the meeting with Waugh about the Wallabies job at a Milson Point restaurant was 'never a serious thing', and probably done out of respect for the third party who lined it up. 'It got put in a very public place, and it got out pretty publicly. As soon as that happened, I thought, oh, ok, this isn't too fair dinkum,' he said. Cheika said he'll return home and then figure out his coaching future, be it in league or overseas rugby, where he has options to explore if interested. 'But I've got my businesses and stuff which I can get involved in and wait and see what unfolds,' Cheika said. 'I've got other opportunities [in Europe], but I actually want to go back and see my people and my family. 'I'm really grateful to my wife and kids. They've been so good about the whole thing, you know, moving around, supporting different teams. 'So maybe I will go back for a while, and then see what happens. I have no set plans at the moment.' There are some options on the horizon in Australian rugby, despite Cheika's view. Simon Cron has a year left on his contract at the Western Force, and Kiss' promotion means the Reds are now in the market for a head coach for 2027. But with sky-blue blood, Cheika has an old-school view on the notion of coaching Queensland. 'I can't coach Queensland,' Cheika says. 'No, seriously, I couldn't. It would be like me going to coach Munster against Leinster. Loading 'I understand it's a professional game and all that business. I get it. And I respect the guys at Queensland, I like (QRU chief executive) Dave Hanham a lot. He's a top fellow and they're good guys, and a good team. A great team, right? 'But there are just some rivalries … like, why would you disrespect the people from Waratahs that were on that journey back then (in 2013-2015)? 'I couldn't. I don't think it's right. I just don't think it would be the right thing to do. 'But that's me. I'm like that.'
The Age
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘I can't coach Queensland': Cheika on trophies, Aussie snubs and a future in league
'The whole turnaround thing, which has been something I've done always pretty much, you know, trying to do that in the year, I released I probably needed to accelerate a few things.' The Tigers have won eight of twelve games since. English style In his first season coaching in England, Cheika has been surprised, and impressed, with the amount of expansive rugby he has encountered. Though once considered a kick-heavy, forward-dominated competition, the average per-game tries in the Premiership now sits just under that of Super Rugby. 'It surprised me,' he said. 'There's some teams over here that are playing some extremely expansive footy. Like to a point where you've got to strategise defensively differently in order to cope with it 'There's a few others that are playing a lot less kicking and a lot of running from everywhere. It's been an interesting, good challenge for me to have to – I always thought I was the guy who was involved with the teams that are running the most, and I was probably the guy who's running the team that's running one of the least.' Hob-nobbing in Monaco Cheika and Kidwell found themselves with a close-up view of a high-performing Aussie in action – Oscar Piastri – when, via a coaching mentoring group, they were invited into the McLaren garage during qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix in May. 'The whole day there, you know, they were so kind to us,' he said. 'They've got a really interesting set-up. They gave access to so many interesting people for the day. I'm hoping that I'll get another chance to go in with them again in the near future, because it's a very different sport to ours, but there's a lot of crossover in the human management of people and in the key moments, and they have so many key moments in that world. So it was great.' Homeward bound Cheika has made no secret of his interest in pursuing a coaching opportunity in the NRL, after working with the Roosters and coaching Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup in 2022. He has been linked to the Dragons, Souths and the Eels, and will resume duties with the Cedars later this year. But, mindful of the peril of becoming the guy floated for every NRL job vacancy, Cheika deflects when asked if interested in coaching the new PNG franchise in 2028. 'I've got some experience ... but I understand totally I am a bit of an outlier,' Cheika said. 'I'm sort of an outsider in both games, a bit, mate. 'I'm going to be pushing for that opportunity, but only in a way that if there's a club there that thinks they need the skill set I have, and along with the team that can put together, et cetera. That's how will work out. 'It's not something where I will go and put my CV in for everything that comes up. It's got to be if the team wants you, and sees the skill set you have and if that alignment occurs from the top. 'If that happens in league, that would be awesome because to master that challenge, that would be huge.' Rugby future With Rugby Australia focused soberly on stability and aligned high performance, the opinionated Cheika appears to be viewed as a square peg. And the still-smouldering second stint of Eddie Jones is also no help, either. 'It's pretty clear what their opinion is,' Cheika said. 'And I am not saying that in a negative way. That's the management decision, so that's fine. I have to then assess my options accordingly.' Loading He believes the meeting with Waugh about the Wallabies job at a Milson Point restaurant was 'never a serious thing', and probably done out of respect for the third party who lined it up. 'It got put in a very public place, and it got out pretty publicly. As soon as that happened, I thought, oh, ok, this isn't too fair dinkum,' he said. Cheika said he'll return home and then figure out his coaching future, be it in league or overseas rugby, where he has options to explore if interested. 'But I've got my businesses and stuff which I can get involved in and wait and see what unfolds,' Cheika said. 'I've got other opportunities [in Europe], but I actually want to go back and see my people and my family. 'I'm really grateful to my wife and kids. They've been so good about the whole thing, you know, moving around, supporting different teams. 'So maybe I will go back for a while, and then see what happens. I have no set plans at the moment.' There are some options on the horizon in Australian rugby, despite Cheika's view. Simon Cron has a year left on his contract at the Western Force, and Kiss' promotion means the Reds are now in the market for a head coach for 2027. But with sky-blue blood, Cheika has an old-school view on the notion of coaching Queensland. 'I can't coach Queensland,' Cheika says. 'No, seriously, I couldn't. It would be like me going to coach Munster against Leinster. Loading 'I understand it's a professional game and all that business. I get it. And I respect the guys at Queensland, I like (QRU chief executive) Dave Hanham a lot. He's a top fellow and they're good guys, and a good team. A great team, right? 'But there are just some rivalries … like, why would you disrespect the people from Waratahs that were on that journey back then (in 2013-2015)? 'I couldn't. I don't think it's right. I just don't think it would be the right thing to do. 'But that's me. I'm like that.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business tackles need for caregivers at home
ASHLAND An Ashland woman learned the hard way how difficult it is taking care of loved ones when they're ill. With many years of experience in health care, Mandy Kidwell took care of her husband of her husband, Merle, when he died of cancer. 'It gave me a whole different perspective,' she said. Since then, she's bought a franchise in Hallmark Homecare, a California-based business that recruits experienced caretakers looking for work and those needing help in their home. Kidwell said she matches caregiver and client based on geographic location and needs and can continue as a liaison between worker and client. After a week of training at the corporate offices, Kidwell started the local business in September and currently has six caregivers and five clients. Different caregivers bring different skills and qualifications to the table, but Kidwell said corporate rules say each must have at least two years of experience. Kidwell said she prefers to hire those with at least five years of experience. She said she also expects verifiable, professional references and she does background checks. Help available includes dementia care, companion care, assistance in daily living skills, personal care, light housework, meal preparation, transportation to appointments and grocery stores. The business will cover territories from Ashland to Mount Sterling, with towns across the Ohio River included. Cost is $22 to $25 an hour, depending on the level of experience of the caregiver; no extra charge is paid for the service of matching client to caregiver. Kidwell said there also are live-in options that might be cheaper than per hour. So far, one of her caregivers is a man, but she said she hopes more men will apply. In fact, she's hoping to recruit many more caregivers, as well as clients. For more information Hallmark Homecare, is a private pay business matching clients to caregivers. To reach owner Mandy Kidwell, call (606) 775-0308. Kidwell has been an occupational therapist for last 20 years. She also has worked in First Steps, an early intervention program through the state for children with developmental delays or disabilities and she was a cofounder of the local nonprofit I Believe Foundation. She said she believes services like Hallmark Homecare are crucial. 'I think it's a desperate need,' she said. 'As a country, the way we take care of the elderly needs a lot of work. Medicare doesn't pay for any type of in-home caregiving services. Medicaid goes, but it comes with a waiting list.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A near-total abortion ban proposed in NC won't be taken up, House speaker says
A Republican bill filed this week that proposes making abortion illegal in North Carolina at any stage of pregnancy won't move forward, House Speaker Destin Hall said Tuesday. 'I don't think there's any real desire in our caucus to hear that particular bill, and so, it's not going to be heard in committee,' Hall told reporters after the House's voting session Tuesday afternoon. The bill, introduced on Monday by Rep. Keith Kidwell with the support of two other House Republicans, would ban abortion after conception and allow no exceptions other than to 'preserve the life of the mother.' Violations of the ban would be punished as felonies, and by a civil penalty of $100,000. Democrats were quick to raise concerns about the bill after it was filed, and vowed to fight it 'as hard as we can.' Named the 'Human Life Protection Act of 2025,' the bill mirrors similar legislation Kidwell, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, filed two years ago during the 2023 legislative session that was never taken up. At the time, Republicans in the House and Senate were working within their caucuses to come up with a consensus bill to further restrict abortion in the state that all GOP lawmakers could agree on and get behind. When Kidwell filed the similar bill in March 2023, a spokeswoman for then-House Speaker Tim Moore clarified that it didn't reflect 'the work of the working group or the consensus product we expect to emerge from those discussions.' House and Senate Republicans ultimately settled on a bill banning most abortions in the state after 12 weeks with exceptions up to 20 weeks for rape and incest, up to 24 weeks for a fetal anomaly, and at any point in pregnancy if 'a qualified physician determines there exists a medical emergency.' On Tuesday, Hall said he doesn't expect Republicans to consider any 'big changes' to that 12-week law that they enacted in 2023 over a veto by then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat. 'We just passed, less than two years ago, really landmark pro-life legislation, and that bill did a lot of things, and I think we need to give some more time to see how that bill is working, but I don't anticipate doing much more on that issue this session,' Hall said. Senate leader Phil Berger, meanwhile, told reporters on Tuesday that he wasn't familiar with Kidwell's bill, and said he doesn't expect the 12-week law to be changed either. Of any potential bills that would be more restrictive than what's currently in effect, Berger said: 'I don't know that there's support that we could get a bill passed and a veto overridden, so I don't see us moving in that direction.' Berger said last June that he didn't want to see any new abortion restrictions this year, noting that he was only speaking for himself. Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan contributed to this report.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NC House committee approves two more concealed weapon bills
(Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor) The North Carolina House Judiciary 2 Committee voted Tuesday afternoon to advance two bills targeting the regulation of concealed weapons, moving them along to the House Rules Committee. House Bill 427, 'CCW Permit/No Records Provided,' pertains to the mental health of an applicant for a concealed handgun permit — the latest in a number of measures aiming to alter the regulation of guns and concealed carry. Its primary sponsors are Reps. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico), Ben Moss (R-Moore, Richmond), Joseph Pike (R-Harnett), and Bill Ward (R-Camden, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank). At the moment, North Carolina law requires the disclosure of records concerning the mental health or capacity of applicants for concealed handgun permits. This bill would modify the law to ask for a 'yes' or 'no' statement indicating whether the applicant has been diagnosed by a medical professional with a mental illness. In explaining the bill, Kidwell said the release of medical records for background checks when applying for a concealed weapon permit are meant to be used only to look at a person's mental capacity. Instead, he said, there have been situations across the state in which additional non-mental health information has been released — for example, if a person had had a vasectomy or if they've had their tonsils removed. 'What this seeks to do is to put it in a situation where only the mental health piece of it would be what's checked on to verify that somebody can legally get a concealed carry permit,' Kidwell said. The panel also approved a technical amendment from Rep. Charles Smith (D-Cumberland) to provide additional privacy to the applicant and medical personnel. The other piece of legislation, House Bill 439, 'Allow Concealed Carry of Knife,' does as its title suggests. Kidwell, Pike, and Ward serve as the bill's primary sponsors. Current law allows people to carry concealed pocketknives. Under HB 439, individuals above 18 years of age who are carrying identification and have not been convicted of a felony may carry a knife as described: a bowie knife, a dirk, a dagger, or a switchblade. 'I think most gentlemen and many women carry concealed blades, and this is just going to make it a situation where you're not going to be arrested for doing so,' Kidwell said. He accepted an amendment from Smith to add additional language prohibiting knives in places where concealed handguns may not be carried. 'I think this bill is putting knives on the same level as firearms,' Smith said. 'My hope is to make that really consistent and just have sort of corresponding language.' Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) said she approved of the amendment, since it attempts to create parity between a firearm and a knife.
