Latest news with #Magill
Irish Independent
30-07-2025
- Irish Independent
‘No one is going near me with a needle' – Driver banned for refusing to provide blood sample at Louth garda station
Gda Alan Macklin was giving evidence in the trial of Shane Magill (42), Quarter Road, Camlough, Co. Armagh. The defendant, a bricklayer, contested a charge of refusing to provide a sample of his blood arising from the incident last year. He told a doctor at Drogheda Garda Station that he didn't like needles, adding, 'No one is going near me with a needle'. Gda Macklin testified that at 3.48pm on October 16, 2024, on the R132 at Newtown, Monasterboice, he was driving behind a red Audi A4. He ran a registration check and discovered that this car had neither an MOT nor tax. There was a smell of cannabis coming into his vehicle. He stopped the Audi. Mr Magill provided him with a full UK licence. This man's eyes were bloodshot and his speech slurred. There was a 'strong smell' of cannabis from the car. Gda Macklin continued that at 3.54pm he requested an oral fluid sample for a roadside drugs test. The test failed for cannabis and at 4.01pm he arrested Mr Magill at Newtown, Monasterboice. At the garda station the defendant said that he didn't like needles. ADVERTISEMENT 'No one is going near me with a needle,' he remarked. The court heard that at 5.42pm he refused to provide a blood specimen. He was arrested and made no reply after caution. Cross-examined by barrister Eoghan Fagan, instructed by solicitor Paula Tiernan, Gda Macklin said he couldn't recall if the windows of the garda vehicle were up or down. The smell (of cannabis) was coming through the vents. He was 'right behind' the other car. Mr Fagan submitted that there was a 'special reason' for the accused not giving a blood specimen. He clearly indicated a fear of needless. There was not a wider aversion to giving a sample. Garda Inspector Kevin Toner replied that not liking needles was not a medical term. It was said in front of a doctor. That didn't make it a special reason. A blood specimen was 'the only way' to test the driver. Judge Vincent Deane agreed that it (a fear of needles) didn't amount to a reason. 'I don't like them myself. A lot of people don't like them,' the judge added. The defence did not go into evidence. Counsel said that Mr Magill had three children and was a bricklayer who worked in the Republic of Ireland. He recently suffered an injury. A €200 fine and four-year driving disqualification were imposed. Legal aid was granted.
NBC News
30-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Thousands of tarantulas expected to appear in these five states during mating season
Male tarantulas are gearing up to look for a mate, leading to a surge of spider sightings in the Southwestern U.S. over the next few months. Across states like California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas, tens of thousands of tarantulas are on the hunt for their perfect match, and some people are seeing the eight-legged critters in droves. During an interview on TODAY that aired July 30, Ron Magill, communications director of Zoo Miami, explained why people in those states are set to see more tarantulas. 'At this time of year, when it's time to look for the females, they risk their lives,' Magill said. 'They leave their burrows. They go out searching until they can find those females.' Male tarantulas can travel as many as 20 miles in their pursuit of a romantic rendezvous — which often ends in the ultimate sacrifice, experts said. 'More often than not, after breeding with a female, the male dies and the female eats it,' Magill said. 'This is really giving it all up for love,' he added. There are more than 1,000 species of tarantulas, some of which can reach the size of a dinner plate, with dozens of species found in the U.S. While the size of the creatures can cause fear in some people, tarantulas are gentle, and their venom, while potent, is usually not dangerous in humans. However, some people can get skin irritation from picking up the spiders due to little hairs found on their bodies. Some people can also be allergic and wind up in the hospital. Experts said the best bet is to leave the arachnids alone if a person happens to come across one. Aside from looking for love, they also have an important job to do this summer. 'Spiders play such a huge role in keeping ecological balance,' Magill said. The rise in tarantula sightings is in line with other surges in bugs across the U.S. There has been a 20% to 30% increase in tick-related emergency room visits in the Northeastern U.S. compared to last year, NBC Connecticut reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'Some years are hot tick years and some aren't. Now, this happens to be a hot tick year,' Thomas Daniels of the Fordham University Louis Calder Center, who manages Fordham University's Tick Index, told NBC Connecticut. The 2025 cicada bloom also brought billions of cicadas rising out of the ground in the South, Midwest and Northeast this summer, affecting 12 states from Georgia to Massachusetts.
Belfast Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
‘His contribution was immense': Tributes paid after death of former Glentoran and Northern Ireland physio
Widespread tributes have been paid following the passing of a 'gentleman' former Irish League physio who also worked with the Northern Ireland football team. News of George Magill's death was confirmed this morning, with tributes led by Glentoran – the club Mr Magill both supported and worked for across a number of decades. In a tribute on social media, the east Belfast club said they were 'deeply saddened' and added that he had 'served the Glens with distinction' including during 'our iconic 1987/88 double-winning season, before retiring in 2015'. The club's chairman Colin Jess highlighted Mr Magill's 'immense' legacy across football in Northern Ireland. 'George was a gentleman and a hugely valued member of the Glentoran family,' he said. "His contribution to this club, and to football in Northern Ireland, was immense. We send our sincere condolences to Dorothy and the wider Magill family at this very sad time.' Mr Magill – who celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Dorothy a number of weeks ago – worked at a number of other clubs in local football, including Larne, Carrick, Bangor and Portadown. Larne chairman Gareth Clements wrote on social media: 'Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of George Magill. "I got to know George at Larne Football Club in the very early eighties, and our paths crossed many times down the years, none moreso than during his time at Glentoran, where I was honoured to prepare the buffet to mark his retirement in 2015 after fifty one years service to local and international football. "Rest in peace my friend.' The Open at Royal Portrush: What happened in 2019? Mr Magill's nephew also paid his own tribute online, writing about his uncle on the Northern Ireland Football Museum page: 'Terrible news this morning with the passing of my uncle, George Magill. "Just a couple of weeks ago George & Dorothy celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary 'George was well known and respected right across Irish football. As well as being physio for the Northern Ireland international team and the Irish League representative teams, George helped out at most clubs in the league. 'Bangor, Ballymena, Carrick, Portadown, Larne and no doubt a few I have missed, but it was with his beloved Glentoran where he spent most of his career. 'Right up until his health issues over the last couple of years, George continued with his physio clinic. Although it's never nice getting an injury or ailment, I always loved going to Uncle George for treatment as you could guarantee that the treatment room would be full of Irish League superstars!'
AU Financial Review
16-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Energy-as-a-service lowers power costs without capital outlay
The service provider handles everything from installation to maintenance, allowing businesses to enhance energy reliability and efficiency, while remaining focused on their core operations. Origin, in partnership with engineering and technology firm Climatech Zero, is aiming to help businesses make this transition. 'Energy-as-a-service is an innovative option now available to businesses,' says James Magill, executive general manager at Origin Zero. 'The benefit for them is the guarantee of energy savings and that the company providing the energy service is there throughout the journey, rather than just going to a site, fixing or fitting something and leaving.' 'Costs are reduced and then smoothed out for the business and the risk is on the provider of the energy-as-a-service, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations. ' Many of the financial advantages of this approach are the result of shifting spend from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, with businesses paying a fixed monthly or annual payment spread out over the length of the service. This contrasts with the traditional model of upfront equipment purchases plus ongoing maintenance costs. Instead of buying and maintaining compressed air systems, for example, a manufacturer could pay a fixed fee for guaranteed compressed air volume, with the service provider handling all equipment and maintenance. 'We're accountable for delivering results and the customer only pays for the performance they receive, which removes the risk for the customer,' Magill says. Visy – an industry-leading, Australian-owned packaging and recycling company – has worked in partnership with Climatech Zero since 2019 on a range of energy initiatives, which has delivered 13 projects across 11 sites. Sustainability is central to Visy's operations, with this partnership helping Visy meet its energy, emissions, production and financial goals. Discussions around the energy-as-a-service model began in 2023, initially focused on compressed air systems, with Visy rolling out its first two sites in 2024. 'After partnering with Climatech Zero for its energy-as-a-service model for our compressed air assets, we've seen fantastic energy efficiency improvements of more than 25 per cent in the power required to deliver our compressed air needs,' says Ryan Santowski, Visy's group general manager – energy, waste and water. 'Our reliability has improved, allowing us to focus more on what we do best, Australian manufacturing. We've seen the energy-as-a-service model provide high asset reliability, combined with high energy improvements.' Climatech Zero, in which Origin has a 20 per cent equity stake, provides tailored engineering solutions for industrial customers that complement Origin's capabilities in grid-scale and on-site energy solutions. The partnership will help the companies deliver end-to-end energy and decarbonisation strategies for businesses. 'Origin brings deep expertise in both behind-the-meter and in front-of-the-meter services, including solar, demand response and market integration,' says Climatech Zero co-founder and managing director, Peter O'Connell. 'We focus on optimising the mechanical systems and controls that drive industrial energy use,' says Climatech Zero co-founder and managing director.' 'There's a big energy efficiency opportunity for Australia and we're excited to be part of this transition.'
Axios
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
What former UPenn president Liz Magill said about her disastrous congressional testimony
In her first extensive interview since her widely criticized congressional testimony on antisemitism, former UPenn president Liz Magill said her testimony lacked "common sense and humanity." The big picture: Magill's appearance on Capitol Hill came as universities were grappling with how to respond to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and student protests on college campuses. Magill ignited what she called a "maelstrom" of criticism by not explicitly stating that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the university's conduct code, instead saying it was a "context-dependent decision." She and UPenn's former board chair, Scott Bok, resigned within days of the uproar. Zoom in: Magill told Politico she regretted that her response had harmed the university's reputation and made her seem insensitive following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Magill's answer sounded too "legalistic," Bok, who wrote a book detailing the fallout, told the outlet. What they're saying: Few people thought Magill's "context-dependent" soundbite would become the "defining moment" of her presidency. Magill said her apology did little to soothe the "utterly untenable" situation once her testimony exploded. "I couldn't keep being president with the wide variety of board views about what I should do going forward," she said. Yes, but:"One of the ironies about Liz Magill's testimony was that technically she was correct on the law," Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told the outlet. "It is a matter of context." Between the lines: Magill spent several days preparing to testify with high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm WilmerHale, per Politico. Topics ranged from Penn's DEI programs to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Bok lamented that Magill hadn't received guidance from political consultants about how to handle lawmakers' pointed questions. By the numbers: Magill, who left UPenn after less than two years at the helm, received $2.3 million in total compensation the year she resigned, per the Inquirer. What we're watching: Magill, a visiting law professor at the London School of Economics, held a fellowship last year at Harvard and has been giving lectures and writing essays about academic freedom and a current U.S. Supreme Court case.
