Latest news with #Lytle
Calgary Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Successful renos are based on good relationships
When it comes to home renovations there is no one-size fits-all formula or approach. Just ask Todd Stringer and Michelle Lytle of Crafted Edge Homes, a boutique renovation and home building company based in Calgary. Article content Article content 'We're really finding that clients are wanting to break the barrier a bit, they're trying different things outside of the norm, like adding in a golf simulator room or pushing the boundaries with cool cabinet colours,' says Michelle Lytle, who co-founded the company 15 years ago with Stringer, who is a framer by trade and runs the project management side of the company. Article content Article content Crafted Edge Homes recently picked up the award for 2024 Renovator of the Year at the Building Industry and Land Development Association Calgary Region (BILDCR) Awards, for the second year running. And, as if eight finalist nods weren't enough, it also won in three categories — Best Home Renovation (Without Addition); and two awards for Best Kitchen Renovation (Up to $70,999 and $71,000-$130,999). Article content Article content The duo began in the residential homebuilding industry working for one of the big builders (that's where they met) and when that company was sold, they decided to start up on their own, first as custom new home builders and then, as the market shifted, as boutique renovators. Lytle says that Crafted Edge Homes completes only 10 to 15 projects per year, as they don't want to take on more than they can comfortably manage. Article content 'Todd visits the sites daily, so we are quite particular,' she says, adding that over the past year or two Calgary has exploded with its demand for renovations and that clients are really looking for that 'right fit' with their renovator. Article content Article content 'Our clients are really looking for a good relationship,' says Lytle. She says that they are looking for things like strong communication and previous projects that they resonate with. 'And the clients are asking themselves, would I enjoy working with these people.' Article content Kristy and Jerrid Brown would definitely agree. The couple brought on Crafted Edge Homes to assist them with a full renovation on two levels of their four-level-split home in Lake Bonavista. The renovation won in the category of Best Kitchen Renovation Up to $70,999, but entailed so much more than that. Article content 'It was quite a struggle trying to find a general contractor to do the work,' says Jerrid, noting that the couple initially met with half a dozen companies. The goal was to find a company that shared the couple's vision. 'We'd never done a renovation before. We were pretty darn green. We had always built new,' says Kristy, adding that the couple moved into the Lake Bonavista home in February 2023, from a home that they had built from scratch in Lake Mahogany, in order to be within walking distance of schools for their two kids, ages 11 and 13.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WATCH: Dems spar with whistleblower who exposed children's hospital for performing trans surgeries on minors
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee grilled whistleblower Dr. Eithan Haim this week over his criticism of transgender medical treatments, months after the Biden Justice Department dropped criminal charges against him. During a Wednesday hearing titled "Ending Lawfare Against Whistleblowers Who Protect Children," Haim defended his decision to leak documents to the media, revealing that Texas Children's Hospital in Houston performed transgender medical procedures on minors through May 2023. "I wouldn't want this to be done to anyone, not even liberals, even if they're the craziest communists ever," Haim said during the hearing. "There's no one in this country who should be falsely accused and the entire power of the federal government be brought down on them." Doctor Targeted By Biden Doj For Exposing Trans Medicine For Minors Invited To Trump Congressional Address At one point during the hearing, ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned Haim's lawyer, Mark Lytle, about the precedent behind Haim's case, drawing a comparison to a hypothetical scenario involving vaccination records for measles. "If I'm in Texas, and there's a law requiring children to get measles vaccines, and I learn that another doctor's patients aren't vaccinated, does that give me the right to access their medical records and release them to the media or an ideological group?" Raskin asked. Read On The Fox News App "Dr. Haim didn't break into any systems," Lytle responded. "He was authorized to see these records by Texas Children's Hospital, and the prosecutor knew that." "Was he authorized to release the information?" Raskin asked. "He was because he was a whistleblower, and he was reporting wrongdoing," Lytle said. House Judiciary Calls On Biden Doj Prosecutor To Testify In Dr Ethan Haim Case Raskin asked Lytle to explain why Haim "did not follow Texas State law and go to the Department of Social Services or another medical authority or law enforcement authority" and instead "went to an ideological organization in the media." Lytle responded that Haim went to the Texas Attorney General's office as well as the media, adding, "Congress favors going to the media for whistleblowers." Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., asked Haim whether the charges against him were "a case of the administration using weaponizing law enforcement to intimidate you and other dissenters." "There has to be a certain standard with our justice system, where people can't just bring these charges and power through the courts and send these people to prison, because that's what was going to happen to me," Haim said. Cline also asked Lytle whether the federal government treats whistleblowers differently depending on who's in office. Trump Admin Warns States To Comply With Housing Prisoners By Their Biological Sex Or Face Funding Cutoff "This case is an example of that," Lytle said. "It's extremely rare for anyone to be charged with criminal HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] violations, let alone the maximum 10-year charge. It's really outrageous, and the fact that he was charged in this way shows that the prosecutor was out to get him. He was biased." Later in the hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., further pressed Haim about releasing the medical records, asking whether children and their families should worry about their private information being released. "When children are being mutilated and sterilized," Haim said, adding that personal information, like the names of the patients, was not included. Haim, a surgeon formerly affiliated with Texas Children's Hospital, was indicted on federal charges last year for allegedly accessing and sharing private medical records of minors receiving transgender medical procedures. Haim's whistleblower report occurred during a transitional period in Texas' policies regarding transgender treatments for minors. In March 2022, Texas Children's Hospital announced it would stop such services to children following Gov. Greg Abbott's directive to investigate such treatments as potential child abuse. The hospital later resumed these services after determining compliance with existing laws. In June 2024, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Senate Bill 14, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state, with the law taking effect on Sept. 1, 2024. DOJ prosecutors claimed Haim obtained these records under false pretenses, violating the HIPAA and providing them to the media to harm the hospital's reputation. Facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Haim pleaded not guilty, arguing that no personally identifiable information was disclosed and that he was blowing the whistle on "child abuse" in the hospital. In January, the DOJ dismissed the case "with prejudice," preventing future prosecution on the same grounds. Four days later, President Donald Trump signed the "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation" executive order, suspending federal funds for gender-transition procedures for minors, including coverage under article source: WATCH: Dems spar with whistleblower who exposed children's hospital for performing trans surgeries on minors
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
WATCH: Dems spar with whistleblower who exposed children's hospital for performing trans surgeries on minors
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee grilled whistleblower Dr. Eithan Haim this week over his criticism of transgender medical treatments, months after the Biden Justice Department dropped criminal charges against him. During a Wednesday hearing titled "Ending Lawfare Against Whistleblowers Who Protect Children," Haim defended his decision to leak documents to the media, revealing that Texas Children's Hospital in Houston performed transgender medical procedures on minors through May 2023. "I wouldn't want this to be done to anyone, not even liberals, even if they're the craziest communists ever," Haim said during the hearing. "There's no one in this country who should be falsely accused and the entire power of the federal government be brought down on them." At one point during the hearing, ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned Haim's lawyer, Mark Lytle, about the precedent behind Haim's case, drawing a comparison to a hypothetical scenario involving vaccination records for measles. "If I'm in Texas, and there's a law requiring children to get measles vaccines, and I learn that another doctor's patients aren't vaccinated, does that give me the right to access their medical records and release them to the media or an ideological group?" Raskin asked. "Dr. Haim didn't break into any systems," Lytle responded. "He was authorized to see these records by Texas Children's Hospital, and the prosecutor knew that." "Was he authorized to release the information?" Raskin asked. "He was because he was a whistleblower, and he was reporting wrongdoing," Lytle said. Raskin asked Lytle to explain why Haim "did not follow Texas State law and go to the Department of Social Services or another medical authority or law enforcement authority" and instead "went to an ideological organization in the media." Lytle responded that Haim went to the Texas Attorney General's office as well as the media, adding, "Congress favors going to the media for whistleblowers." Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., asked Haim whether the charges against him were "a case of the administration using weaponizing law enforcement to intimidate you and other dissenters." "There has to be a certain standard with our justice system, where people can't just bring these charges and power through the courts and send these people to prison, because that's what was going to happen to me," Haim said. Cline also asked Lytle whether the federal government treats whistleblowers differently depending on who's in office. "This case is an example of that," Lytle said. "It's extremely rare for anyone to be charged with criminal HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] violations, let alone the maximum 10-year charge. It's really outrageous, and the fact that he was charged in this way shows that the prosecutor was out to get him. He was biased." Later in the hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., further pressed Haim about releasing the medical records, asking whether children and their families should worry about their private information being released. "When children are being mutilated and sterilized," Haim said, adding that personal information, like the names of the patients, was not included. Haim, a surgeon formerly affiliated with Texas Children's Hospital, was indicted on federal charges last year for allegedly accessing and sharing private medical records of minors receiving transgender medical procedures. Haim's whistleblower report occurred during a transitional period in Texas' policies regarding transgender treatments for minors. In March 2022, Texas Children's Hospital announced it would stop such services to children following Gov. Greg Abbott's directive to investigate such treatments as potential child abuse. The hospital later resumed these services after determining compliance with existing laws. In June 2024, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Senate Bill 14, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state, with the law taking effect on Sept. 1, 2024. DOJ prosecutors claimed Haim obtained these records under false pretenses, violating the HIPAA and providing them to the media to harm the hospital's reputation. Facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Haim pleaded not guilty, arguing that no personally identifiable information was disclosed and that he was blowing the whistle on "child abuse" in the hospital. In January, the DOJ dismissed the case "with prejudice," preventing future prosecution on the same grounds. Four days later, President Donald Trump signed the "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation" executive order, suspending federal funds for gender-transition procedures for minors, including coverage under Medicaid.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Banana Ball continues to grow with the addition of 2 new teams
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The Savannah Bananas and Party Animals officially have additional competition as the Banana Ball League announced two new teams. The first new squad aiming to take control of the league is The Firefighters! The team made its official debut on May 30, 2024, and has played 14 games to date. I spoke with catcher Joe Lytle, who had this to say about playing for the Firefighters… 'I just think it's so special because we get to represent something so much bigger than ourselves and entertain people. I just think it is awesome how much this has grown and allows us to interact with fans. Honestly representing the Firefighters really means something special. I got a bunch of firefighter friends and family so it is really cool.' Lytle is originally from Yukon, Oklahoma and played college ball at Oklahoma City University. Click here to see the complete Firefighters roster. The second team stepping into the Banana Ball arena is the newly formed Texas Tailgaters. WSAV spoke with Tailgaters catcher Taylor Justus on what we can expect from the Tailgaters this season… 'I think you got a little sneak peek of it. We're gonna bring some energy. I think we got some guys who are fired up to be here. They are really taking this opportunity with a lot of gratitude and I think we are gonna have a really special energy to this team.' Justus was born in Thousand Oaks, California. He attended San Jose State and Biola University where he was a catcher. The Tailgaters will host home games at Rider Stadium in Frisco, Texas. You can follow both The Firefighters and The Tailgaters on Instagram. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Conneaut school board hears from Gateway principal, staff
CONNEAUT — Gateway Elementary School staff spoke to the Conneaut Area City School Board about progress on working with students, literacy education and upcoming school events at a Wednesday meeting. Principal Dawn Zappitelli said the school recently received a Momentum Award from the state. 'That says we are doing what we need to do to start closing gaps in the progress that kids are making,' she said. Every year, the school works to find new ways to help kids grow and develop, Zappitelli said. 'We have a large amount of students that have already met their year's growth goal,' she said. Zappitelli said school staff are working to improve kids' behavior on the playground and outside. 'We're still finding that kids are having trouble,' she said. 'They don't really know how to play. As you're driving around town, you may not see them riding their bikes or playing kickball as much as they did in years past.' Gateway started recruiting fifth graders to be junior coaches to teach younger students how to play, Zappitelli said. 'We brought in Playworks the last two years ... to talk about doing analysis of our playground, see some of our strengths, our weaknesses and what we can do better,' she said. Gifted Intervention Specialist Christina Alessi and fifth grade teacher Adam Lytle presented on the fifth grade economic fair. Lytle said the fair's goal is to teach students about saving, budgeting and entrepreneurship. Students at Gateway start their own mock business, and have mock advertisements. Lytle said last year's fair included bracelets, comic strips, balloon art and terracotta pots. 'You know how kids are,' he said. 'They're very good at using their imaginations.' Alessi said the fair is funded by career grant funds from A-Tech. Intervention Specialist Jodi Pasanen spoke on Gateway Grows Reading. She said the program focuses on advancing students' reading abilities, and each year, students read a book. Pasanen said this year's book is The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling, which is an age-appropriate retelling of the legend of King Midas. District Treasurer Jackie Miranda said district fiscal staff are eligible for an award from the Ohio Auditor of State's Office after the district received a clean audit. 'That's a feather in our cap for doing well,' she said. 'I'm very proud of our office and our staff for going through and following the guidelines that we put in place.' Superintendent Lori Riley said the district's website will be overhauled to be more friendly to parents and administrators. 'We should be able to launch that by the summer,' she said. Riley met with city leaders about getting a second school resource officer, she said. Conneaut Finance Director John Williams is looking to see how that could be done, Riley said. 'We'd really like to have that second person in place to go back and forth between [Conneaut Middle School] and Gateway [Elementary School] by the beginning of next school year,' she said. Board members discussed a 1.5-mill renewal levy the district will have on the May 6 ballot. The levy would collect $252,000 annually. Board President Chris Brecht said people should understand property revaluations do not increase the levy's collection. 'It's the same amount that was originally approved, and it doesn't grow based on inflation or any other formula,' he said. 'We get the same amount that was approved almost 20 years ago, today.' During his legislative report, board member Russ Coltman said the state's two-year budget should be done by June 30. 'We'll have lots more changes between here and there,' he said. Coltman said school vouchers and real estate taxes have been on the table during budget discussions. Riley said she is participating in webinars and calls to stay up to date with the state budget's impact on schools.
