Latest news with #Leeming
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
RAF pilot's final flight after 45 years in the air
An RAF pilot has said he was "quite emotional" after making his final solo flight after a 45-year flying career which saw him amass about 16,000 hours in the air. Flt Lt Richard "Ricko" Offord, 64, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, first took to the skies for the air force in 1980 and has been based at RAF Leeming since 1998. During his career, he piloted several different models of fast jet and in 1995 was forced to eject from his Tornado F3 after a mid-air collision. Flt Lt Offord said he was "a bit sad" about his retirement, and was saluted by fire engines upon landing at RAF Leeming and surprised by colleagues, family and friends, but added: "I've had a pretty good innings." After his final flight, Flt Lt Offord, who is RAF Leeming's longest serving fast jet pilot, said: "I started flying fighters in 1982. It's quite a long time, so I'm not too upset." However, he said his time in the sky had not fully come to an end. "I'll carry on flying, but I can't do it in military planes," he explained. "You can only do it up to age 65, unfortunately, and I'm 65 on Tuesday, so this is it." Asked about any dramatic incidents during his long career, Flt Lt Offord said: "I was once knocked out and woke up on the ground in Lincolnshire. "We were doing air combat and I bumped into the other aircraft, so his tail and my wing came off. They don't fly very well without tails or wings." Pondering his lucky escape further, he added: "I didn't fly for a year due to back injuries, but all four of us ejected and everyone walked away, so that's the main thing." Speaking about the surprise welcoming committee and celebrations waiting for him after he landed for the final time in his Hawker Hunter at RAF Leeming, Flt Lt Offord said: "I had a little tear, to be fair." "I had no idea they were going to be here," he said. "The whole reception with mates and fire engines, it's made me a bit emotional." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. RAF Leeming
The Age
3 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Drinking coffee linked to better ageing in women, new study finds
Along with the immediate sharpening many experience after drinking coffee, caffeine consumption has been found in multiple studies to enhance brain function, particularly short-term or 'working memory'. According to an analysis published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews, 'the scientific consensus regarding basic cognitive functions is that caffeine in doses from 32 to 300 mg enhances fundamental aspects of cognitive performance, such as attention, vigilance, and reaction time'. This is thought to be due to caffeine blocking the adenosine receptors in the brain, which temporarily heightens memory and alertness. Coffee is also rich in polyphenols, 'a group of antioxidants and particularly chlorogenic acids (naturally occurring compounds that appear in plants such as coffee and tea) that are linked to many brain health benefits,' says Dr Emily Leeming, a nutritionist and author of Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for Your Second Brain. Loading These polyphenols are believed to be protective against Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. A 2023 meta-analysis published by scientists at Inje University in South Korea highlighted that for those who drank fewer than four cups a day, polyphenols 'may contribute to the prevention of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline'. Caffeine has also been shown to reduce amyloid-beta production and tau phosphorylation – key pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's. Dr Gill Livingston, professor in psychiatry of older people at University College London, says that of the studies undertaken to date, 'the jury is still out but [caffeine] does not seem to harm you'. 2. It contains good bacteria that boost your gut health The polyphenols in coffee also act as 'potential prebiotics for your gut microbes,' Leeming says, boosting their growth and motility, and creating favourable conditions for other good bacteria to flourish. Research from ZOE, the nutrition app, found that coffee had the strongest food-microbiome association of 150 consumables they surveyed. Coffee drinkers had six to eight times more L. asaccharolyticus in their microbiome – a bacteria which also led to increased levels of hippurate, a key marker of metabolic and gut health. Leeming also points out that while much has been made of the potential upsides of coffee drinking, caffeine can be deleterious for our health if consumed too late in the day. She advises drinking it no later than noon, 'as caffeine floats around in our bloodstream long after the buzz has worn off, and can lead to a lower quality of sleep, even for those who have no problem getting to sleep after an evening espresso'. Poor sleep has repeatedly been found to increase mortality risk. There are concerns too that, as a high-caffeine diet increases the amount of calcium lost via urine, bone density could diminish if enough replacement calcium is not consumed. The Royal Osteoporosis Society advises that, 'if your calcium intake is low, or you have other risk factors for osteoporosis, aim to have no more than four cups of coffee a day'. 3. Coffee drinkers have improved heart health, studies show A study by Queen Mary University of London and the Budapest Semmelweis University in 2022 found that up to three cups of coffee a day had a protective effect on heart health, and led to a reduction in overall mortality rate and risk of stroke. Research published in the European Heart Journal in January, meanwhile, showed that morning coffee consumption was associated with improved heart health. Compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who consumed theirs in the morning were 16 per cent less likely to die of any cause, and 31 per cent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. According to Tracy Parker, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, 'research shows that drinking moderate amounts of caffeine – up to four or five cups of coffee a day – doesn't seem to have a negative impact on the heart and should be fine for most people.' But she warns that excessive consumption (above the recommended 400mg daily), 'can lead to temporary increases in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as side effects like palpitations, anxiety, nausea and headaches.' Leeming also adds that 'not everyone reacts well to coffee. It can cause jitters, or digestive issues in some people.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Drinking coffee linked to better ageing in women, new study finds
Along with the immediate sharpening many experience after drinking coffee, caffeine consumption has been found in multiple studies to enhance brain function, particularly short-term or 'working memory'. According to an analysis published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews, 'the scientific consensus regarding basic cognitive functions is that caffeine in doses from 32 to 300 mg enhances fundamental aspects of cognitive performance, such as attention, vigilance, and reaction time'. This is thought to be due to caffeine blocking the adenosine receptors in the brain, which temporarily heightens memory and alertness. Coffee is also rich in polyphenols, 'a group of antioxidants and particularly chlorogenic acids (naturally occurring compounds that appear in plants such as coffee and tea) that are linked to many brain health benefits,' says Dr Emily Leeming, a nutritionist and author of Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for Your Second Brain. Loading These polyphenols are believed to be protective against Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. A 2023 meta-analysis published by scientists at Inje University in South Korea highlighted that for those who drank fewer than four cups a day, polyphenols 'may contribute to the prevention of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline'. Caffeine has also been shown to reduce amyloid-beta production and tau phosphorylation – key pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's. Dr Gill Livingston, professor in psychiatry of older people at University College London, says that of the studies undertaken to date, 'the jury is still out but [caffeine] does not seem to harm you'. 2. It contains good bacteria that boost your gut health The polyphenols in coffee also act as 'potential prebiotics for your gut microbes,' Leeming says, boosting their growth and motility, and creating favourable conditions for other good bacteria to flourish. Research from ZOE, the nutrition app, found that coffee had the strongest food-microbiome association of 150 consumables they surveyed. Coffee drinkers had six to eight times more L. asaccharolyticus in their microbiome – a bacteria which also led to increased levels of hippurate, a key marker of metabolic and gut health. Leeming also points out that while much has been made of the potential upsides of coffee drinking, caffeine can be deleterious for our health if consumed too late in the day. She advises drinking it no later than noon, 'as caffeine floats around in our bloodstream long after the buzz has worn off, and can lead to a lower quality of sleep, even for those who have no problem getting to sleep after an evening espresso'. Poor sleep has repeatedly been found to increase mortality risk. There are concerns too that, as a high-caffeine diet increases the amount of calcium lost via urine, bone density could diminish if enough replacement calcium is not consumed. The Royal Osteoporosis Society advises that, 'if your calcium intake is low, or you have other risk factors for osteoporosis, aim to have no more than four cups of coffee a day'. 3. Coffee drinkers have improved heart health, studies show A study by Queen Mary University of London and the Budapest Semmelweis University in 2022 found that up to three cups of coffee a day had a protective effect on heart health, and led to a reduction in overall mortality rate and risk of stroke. Research published in the European Heart Journal in January, meanwhile, showed that morning coffee consumption was associated with improved heart health. Compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who consumed theirs in the morning were 16 per cent less likely to die of any cause, and 31 per cent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. According to Tracy Parker, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, 'research shows that drinking moderate amounts of caffeine – up to four or five cups of coffee a day – doesn't seem to have a negative impact on the heart and should be fine for most people.' But she warns that excessive consumption (above the recommended 400mg daily), 'can lead to temporary increases in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as side effects like palpitations, anxiety, nausea and headaches.' Leeming also adds that 'not everyone reacts well to coffee. It can cause jitters, or digestive issues in some people.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kirkman Road extension will be ‘epic' for both theme park traffic and local commuters
It's been a long time coming! And we're not just talking about Universal's Epic Universe theme park. Something equally as 'epic' has arrived for Orlando commuters: The Kirkman Road Extension Project. 'It's been 25 years in the making,' said Ken Leeming of Orange County Public Works. For years, drivers in the area had just two north-south road options — International Drive and Universal Boulevard. Then came Universal's plans for its new park, Epic Universe. 'That allowed for the partnership to join hands and make the project a reality,' Leeming said. Channel 9 has tracked the Kirkman Road Extension from concept to construction — and now, to completion. 'This is not a project for Universal alone,' Leeming emphasized. 'It's a project for Orange County residents.' So how does it work? Drivers heading southbound on Kirkman Road toward Epic Universe will drive onto the elevated circle and make a direct turn into the park. Local traffic on Kirkman Road will stay on the ground level, avoiding congestion with park-goers. Northbound traffic, however, does not have direct access to the elevated circle — Epic Universe traffic will turn into the park down below. The design accounts for public transit as well. 'You also have dedicated transit lanes,' Leeming said. 'Which means that buses are not stuck in traffic.' It's a major win for both locals and tourists. With Kirkman's new route, drivers now have another much-needed option for north-south travel in an increasingly busy part of Orange County. Leeming has worked on dozens of highway construction projects during his career. But this one was different. 'This tops the list,' he said. Not because of the magnitude or appeal of the elevated circle — but because of the relief for residents and the overall benefit for local traffic. Plans are already in motion on another extension of Kirkman Road to Destination Parkway. Leeming confirmed the design work is nearly complete. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
How Campbell's and Ace Hardware Are Appealing to Gen Z Workers
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Challenges in recruiting a new generation and fast-changing times can be magnified in industries where the work is deemed less interesting, such as large manufacturing, distribution, or retail divisions, either due to labor market preferences or portrayals of the work in mass media. Despite these challenges, Campbell's and Ace Hardware—two employers with large blue-collar workforces—earned a 5-star rating on Newsweek's Greatest Workplaces for Gen Z, produced in partnership with data analytics firm Plant-A Insights. These two companies are focused on developing new strategies and are seeing success in the form of this recognition from third-party surveys and analysis. At Campbell's, the company long-known for its soup but also the corporate owner of a plethora of food brands, including Snyder's pretzels, Pepperidge Farm, V8 and Pace salsa, the Gen Z recruitment strategy has included renovated offices, an in-person Welcome Week program for interns, a co-op program, investments in learning and development in support of enhanced career-path opportunities and a shuttle from downtown Philadelphia to the company's headquarters in Camden, New Jersey. "I love to see early career talent come and challenge us," Diane Leeming, senior vice president of human resources and head of talent at Campbell's, told Newsweek. "We encourage them ... to challenge our thinking, to tell us what they know that we don't know about what [their] generation is looking for, so that we can be agile and adapt." The Campbell's 2024 intern class. The Campbell's 2024 intern class. Campbell's Because of Campbell's supply chain and manufacturing locations across the country, interns and early career professionals also have access to a wide variety of opportunities in where to work, Leeming added. At Ace, the company emphasizes entrepreneurial experience and lots of unique career paths that start with part-time, in-store or entry-level roles. The company has also revamped onboarding, expanded community efforts and promoted the stability of jobs in their stores and trade careers in mechanics or home repair. "We have teammates that started with entry-level jobs in our distribution centers that are now directors running million-square-foot facilities," Kane Calamari, CHRO at Ace Hardware, told Newsweek via email. "We've seen warehouse associates double their income by training to become one of our drivers, and corporate team members leave to become Ace store owners." While corporate roles in tech, consulting and finance remain popular with younger workers, typically for their high pay and prestige, companies like Campbell's and Ace Hardware aim to stand out by providing unique opportunities. The companies offer core corporate roles but also opportunities in supply chain, distribution centers and retail management. "We offer something Gen Z often doesn't expect from a multibillion-dollar corporation and a global brand: real entrepreneurial impact," Calamari said. "Ace is a cooperative, which means our corporate team directly supports thousands of small business owners across the country. That sense of ownership, mission and visible impact is hard to find in traditional corporate roles." Campbell's: More Than Soup As a diversified food manufacturing and distribution company with locations in places like Chicago, Denver, Charlotte, North Carolina, and many smaller cities and towns across the country, Campbell's offers a corporate experience close to home. "I think our diverse locations actually help us attract early career talent," Leeming said. "Because people can have opportunities closer to home, versus having to come into a headquarter location." This summer, Campbell's will welcome 54 interns from 30 different universities. The company looks to convert the interns into full-time roles to join the 19,000-person workforce at Campbell's, 15,000 of which are in manufacturing or distribution centers. "We have a really great breadth of opportunities across different experiences for our early career talent," Leeming said. "Then our primary goal with early career internships and co-ops is conversion of those experiences for early career talent to full-time job opportunities." The internship experience kicks off with a Welcome Week at the recently renovated corporate headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, about four miles from Center City, Philadelphia. The $50 million renovation project was recently completed with the opening of Maggie's Place, a bistro where employees get free soup on Thursdays. The company has employees in the office three days a week, from Tuesday to Thursday. "It's a really engaging workplace," Leeming said. "We've built a lot of collaborative workspaces. [Maggie's Place] is more of a collaboration site; it's got some games there for people to just kind of unwind and relax together but also be creative. It's got a history wall of Campbell's rich history." With a hybrid approach and a desire to attract employees into the office, Campbell's has adjusted its space usage for the new priorities that people have when they go into work. The Campbell's central gathering area in the office. The Campbell's central gathering area in the office. Campbell's "We designed the building to have neighborhoods and open collaborative spaces for people in those neighborhoods to just gather together, brainstorm, come up with the latest marketing campaign or the newest flavor that our consumers are looking for," Leeming said. "A lot of open space, collaborative space. We have separate, dedicated training space. We really invest a lot in training our employees and our leaders. I would call that a huge differentiator for us, for early career talent, thinking about where they can best learn and grow." The company has also considered accommodations for working parents and other amenities that employees may need. "We've got a day care on site. We've also got a fitness center, dry cleaner, a company store. There's just a lot that we created in this headquarters space to really make people love coming to work," Leeming said. For trades and blue-collar work, it's investing in partnerships with local vocational schools and community colleges to run vocational career pathway programs. "We've got a lot of experienced, knowledgeable workers in the maintenance space who are nearing potential retirement ages," Leeming said. "So when you think about talent from a succession strategy and knowledge transfer, we've been saying, how do we build that knowledge within the organization and younger generation?" Campbell's is also encouraging young job-seekers to pursue careers in maintenance. "If you don't want to go the degree route, you can get certified through this program," Leeming said. "It's helping us bring people in who may not have the degree but have an interest in the maintenance field, and we have these experienced workers who will train them. That's another area where I think we have a lot to teach you a very technical, advanced skill, so you can have a career with us at Campbell's." Campbell's has also worked to expand career pathways and allow employees to expand their skill sets by assisting on internal projects. "One way we need to be responsive to what early career talent is looking for is, How do you create experiences and pathways versus, you know, a traditional job with a linear path to it? And we've been, you know, moving away from career paths to career experiences as well," Lemming said. This emphasis on experiences includes the opportunity to move around and explore new career areas. "You can move anywhere, pretty much, across the United States. We've got locations, and we are more than happy to move talent, because we believe the more people see of the total company, the better they'll be in terms of their own growth and development," Leeming said. "Moving to different locations across our system would be super advantageous for you, as you think about a career path growing into leadership." Ace Provides Diverse Experience with Stability Ace Hardware added new onboarding and enhanced training to lure Gen Z employees for corporate, in-store and distribution center roles. The co-operative network of small businesses in the retail tools and home goods sector expanded learning and development opportunities through a new platform that includes accessible opportunities to learn management skills or gain technical abilities. "We've revamped onboarding to emphasize mentorship and belonging from day one, pairing new team members with experienced guides and prioritizing regular, two-way feedback, to support development and retention," Calamari said. "Whether someone wants to grow into management, explore the trades or lead in a corporate setting, there's a structured path forward." He also mentioned a partnership with Children's Miracle Network that raised over $200 million for children's hospitals across the country as a part of the employee experience that resonates strongly with younger generations. "This allows all of our team members, from our stores to our warehouses to the corporate office, an opportunity to give back and help raise money for their local CMN Hospital. This sense of purpose and feeling of pride keeps our newest team members engaged at an entirely different level," Calamari said. Calamari boasts that in addition to offering access to widespread small-business-owning opportunities, the company is proud of its many long-tenured colleagues. "We're proud to have several employees across the company with 30, 40, even 45 years of service," he said. "That kind of longevity speaks volumes to Gen Z workers looking for more than just a stepping stone to their next job." Along with opportunities to get into the trades or own a repair business, Ace offers stability in a field that has the appearance of being somewhat "AI-proof," in that people will always need plungers, wall mounts and hammers, no matter how good machine-learning technology gets. "Whether you're in tech, marketing, operations or the trades, there's room to grow and lead," Calamari said. "At a time when many young professionals are looking for both purpose and possibility, we think Ace offers the best of both worlds: meaningful work and real opportunity."
