Latest news with #MarkHall
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'World's dirtiest tourist attraction' is litter-strewn mess with strange odour
Batu Caves, located just outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, are sacred for Hindus across the world, but also have issues with cheeky monkeys and piles of rubbish A sacred tourist spot has become overrun by monkeys and plagued by litter. Batu Caves, located just outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, took first place in a recent study of the world's most littered tourist attraction, with 1.67% of reviews mentioning rubbish out of a total 13,950 reviews. The huge cave complex is one of Malaysia's most iconic tourist destinations and has particular religious significance due to its Hindu temple complex dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of war. The limestone caves themselves are more than 400 million years old, while the temple at their heart was built in 1920. Hindus from all over have come together during festivals to celebrate and pray as a community in the Batu Caves, where magnificently built shrines and statues are strikingly set against a captivating background of limestone hills. Unfortunately, several factors have chipped away at the beauty of the unique attraction. The site's litter issue has often been attributed to its popularity with milions of annual visitors, many of whom discard rubbish and often feed the resident monkeys. The large size and complex nature of the site also make it difficult to maintain. Following a recent visit to the Caves, a man from Burnley wrote: "The whole area surrounding the shrine was filthy and covered with litter, discarded food, refuse bins overflowing with plastics etc, used face masks and litter in general. "If this is a sacred shrine, I find it difficult to understand why those responsible for its upkeep allow it to be abused in this way. Entry to the sacred shrines requires visitors to remove shoes, but having seen the filthy state the floors were surrounding these areas, there was no way my wife nor I would risk doing so. "I appreciate that the matter was exacerbated by the presence of monkeys at the caves that scavenge for food, but surely those responsible for health and safety should introduce a programme of cleaning throughout the day to ensure all litter etc is removed." A holidaymaker from Essex added: "The area is strewn with rubbish and very stinky. It needs a good clean-up." Mark Hall, general waste expert at which conducted the study, said: "It is concerning to see so many reviews mentioning litter at iconic tourist attractions around the world. Many of these sites have religious, spiritual, or historic importance, so it's vital that travellers treat them with respect. Sadly, overtourism is now a huge issue in many countries and this often brings the issue of litter. 'When tourists visit in such vast numbers, it can be difficult for the operators of tourist attractions to manage waste. Therefore, it's vital that travellers are mindful of the impact of their own waste. You should never litter, and if a bin isn't available or is full, always take litter home with you to dispose of properly. That way, we can ensure that these sites remain preserved and enjoyable for years to come.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Science
- USA Today
1-in-30 million gold lobster saved from all-you-can-eat New England seafood restaurant
1-in-30 million gold lobster saved from all-you-can-eat New England seafood restaurant A Rhode Island aquarium took in the crustacean after a local all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant called 'out of the blue.' Show Caption Hide Caption Rhode Island restaurants you have to try Prime dining-out season is here. It's time to catch up with friends over dinner or have a date night while the kids do homework. NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI – A lobster's extremely rare gold color saved it from the dinner plate in seafood-loving New England. How unique is a gold lobster? About 1 in 30 million, according to Mark Hall, owner of the Biomes Marine Biology Center, in Kingstown, Rhode Island. Earlier this week, the aquarium took in the crustacean after a local all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant called 'out of the blue,' Hall said. A genetic mutation gives gold lobsters their color, the National Science Foundation says. "The blue [lobster] is everybody's favorite, but there's something about the gold that really jumps out at you," Hall said. "Most people assume it's a different kind of lobster.' The rare mutation for gold lobsters isn't to be confused with orange lobsters, Hall wrote in a Facebook post. Their orange counterparts 'are slightly more common, and a darker orange color." On May 27, the Nordic seafood restaurant in Charlestown donated the lobster. Within about an hour of the restaurant calling, bartender Joel Humphries delivered it to its new home, where it's now in a tank, Hall said. Humphries happens to be a former volunteer and employee at Biomes, an education facility and hands-on aquarium, which features marine animals from Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The morning of May 29, about 50 fourth-grade students visited the aquarium. As Hall worked, he could hear the kids reacting to the marine life. They sounded impressed by the golden lobster, he recalled. In its new tank, the lobster shuffled to and fro with hefty golden claws. It looked out with two piercing black eyes, videos showed. Eduardo Cuevas of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Despite a month of heavy rain, farmers remain optimistic about growing season
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The spring planting season is well underway in Missouri, with an excess of rainfall forcing farmers to shift their strategies, and in some cases, they are having to replant all over again. The University of Missouri reports there are approximately 87,600 farms and 27 million acres being farmed in Missouri. The report shows half of Missouri's land is in production agriculture. The UM report also shows a mixed bag heading into growing season: Outputs for crops like corn, cotton, hay, and rice are projected to decline in overall numbers this year, yet soybean production is projected to increase in 2025. But with that much farmland spread out across every region of the state, the variables that present itself each year to one farmer in Missouri may not be exactly what farmers on the other side of the state are facing. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'You know, that's the beauty of Missouri,' Diehl, a GOP representative from Butler in his first term. 'It's pretty diverse.' More than 130 miles north of Butler, a city in Bates County along the Kansas border, the conditions have been pretty exceptional, minus an ongoing dry spell that, as of the recent drought monitor, shows parts of northwest and northeast Missouri falling under abnormally dry conditions. 'I think we're doing quite good,' Mark Hall, a farmer from Holt County in the extreme northwest portion of the state, said. 'The corn is in and started to sprout but we're still working to get in the (soy)beans.' Hall said once things dry down, more and more of his farming neighbors will finish planting. He said one of the main reasons to get the plants in early is to have them harvest early, which makes it easier for them to move and sell crops ahead of his neighbors. Not out of pride, but because most farmers share equipment and there can be a rush to get the crops to market. Federal charges filed in well-known Wildwood cat-hoarding case But just across the Missouri River into Kansas, it's a different story as much of the state is dealing with some sort of drought. While every farmer will tell you they need the rain, some caution that too much rain over a short period of time can setback farmers who have to replant seeds. 'That's a reality,' said Diehl. 'Since it's wet and continuing to be wet, we're at the discretion of the weather.' But weather rarely stops farmers from making their living. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Possible Bearish Signals With Monster Beverage Insiders Disposing Stock
Over the past year, many Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) insiders sold a significant stake in the company which may have piqued investors' interest. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. The Director, Mark Hall, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$13m worth of shares at a price of US$52.22 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$58.67, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was just 32% of Mark Hall's stake. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 120.82k shares worth US$6.4m. But insiders sold 651.81k shares worth US$34m. In total, Monster Beverage insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! See our latest analysis for Monster Beverage If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar). The last three months saw significant insider selling at Monster Beverage. In total, insiders sold US$1.1m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it's not the be all and end all. Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Monster Beverage insiders own about US$221m worth of shares (which is 0.4% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. Insiders haven't bought Monster Beverage stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Monster Beverage. For example - Monster Beverage has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Ashland lifts boil water advisory
ASHLAND The City of Ashland lifted its systemwide boil water advisory after three days, it announced on 11 a.m. Thursday. The city completed the required flushing and sampling of the water system on Wednesday. It shipped samples for testing, and all samples were clear. The city initially issued a systemwide boil water advisory Monday due to replacement of a section of water line that feeds the Debord Hill tank. Ashland's mayor and commissioners commended city employees' diligent work to replace the line and have the BWA lifted in a reasonable time frame. 'Thanks very much to Mark Hall (Director of Utilities) for the work your guys did under tough circumstances,' said Sonny Martin, a city commissioner. 'You brought us through, and we appreciate your efforts.'
