Latest news with #MarkReeves
The National
02-05-2025
- The National
Historic Scottish island site desecrated by defecating tourists
It comes as the famous Scottish historic site has been subject to an ongoing row over the construction of public lavatories. Councillors in Orkney agreed plans last year to install permanent loos at the Unesco World Heritage Site. Although it was said then that it will be 2027 by the time they are ready to be used. READ MORE: Poll predicts big boost for SNP and commanding lead over Scottish Labour However, it was also stressed that signs should be put in place to guide visitors to the nearest toilets in the area following reports of people using the nearby loch-side or road verge due to the lack of facilities. In the meantime, Orkney Islands council has been forced to hire a private firm to regularly clean the faeces. It's not the first popular attraction in Scotland to face issues with public toilets as we told last year how villagers in Glenfinnan (below) called for them to deal with an overwhelming number of tourists. (Image: PA) Mark Reeves, operator of Reeves Pest Management Services, complained on social media about the lack of toilets in Orkney. He said: The toilets get blocked on a weekly basis at Skara Brae. There is no toilets at the Ring of Brodgar and the track along the loch it's strewn with human faeces. A customer of mine found a tourist crapping in her front garden.' An Orkney Islands council spokeswoman said: 'The lack of toilet facilities at the Ring of Brodgar — where there is no visitor centre — is undoubtedly a challenge. We have improved signage and visitor information in the area and continue to explore options for facilities at the site, but there are very significant constraints in terms of what can be done, including those of planning permission, environmental constraints and the proximity of sites of historic and scenic interest. 'In the meantime, we continue to hold a contract with a local cleaning company who provide environmental cleaning at the site, which involves removal of various types of waste. We encourage visitors to Orkney to act in a responsible manner.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TSSAA tells Tennessee high school coaches one-time transfer bill ‘must be defeated'
The TSSAA is making a final push against Tennessee legislation targeting the state's high school athletics transfer rules. The TSSAA sent a letter to Tennessee high school coaches on Sunday 'strongly' encouraging them to ask their local representatives to vote no on House Bill 25 and Senate Bill 16. The TSSAA provided the letter to The Tennessean. It states that the bills, while amended to include similar language to a change the TSSAA Legislative Council made to its transfer rule earlier this month, would lessen the state high school association's ability to oversee its rule. 'If you want the member schools of TSSAA to continue to have control of transfer eligibility issues, we believe the bill must be defeated,' the letter says. " We strongly encourage you to prioritize some time on Monday to contact your representative to respectfully ask that they vote (no on the bills).This will allow the transfer rule that the TSSAA Legislative Council just amended to have an opportunity to take effect and avoid these unnecessary, unintended consequences." HB25 advanced to the House Education Committee and will be heard Wednesday. SB16 passed the Senate Education Committee by a 6-3 vote last Wednesday and will be placed on the Senate calendar. More: TSSAA still isn't serving athletes' best interests with new transfer rule | Opinion More: Tennessee lawmaker slams new TSSAA one-time transfer proposal, calling it 'tone deaf' More: Tennessee high school coaches sound off on TSSAA's latest one-time transfer proposal The bills must be voted through the House and Senate to become law. The bills were intended to provide student-athletes more freedom and initially threatened to change TSSAA transfer rules to allow athletes one free transfer without eligibility restrictions regardless of the reason. The TSSAA's transfer rule, until the Council's provision on March 3, required athletes who transfer schools to be ineligible for one year unless they have a bona fide change of address. The provision loosened the TSSAA's rule, allowing athletes one free transfer to another school without loss of eligibility if the transfer is due to reasons of significant academic, social-emotional, environmental or mental health need. That's as long as the sending school's administration could attest within seven days that the move is not for athletic or disciplinary reasons. TSSAA executive director Mark Reeves and association legal counsel Rick Colbert said, during testimony at the House Education Administration subcommittee hearing on March 18 and the Senate Education Committee's hearing last week, that the association will face serious issues if there are high school athletics transfer rules in state law. Colbert said the TSSAA is ill-equipped to handle the increased litigation he believes would take place, and that he foresees inconsistent court decisions from judges in different counties. The TSSAA member schools would ultimately bear the legal costs. The House and Senate bills also do not address transfers in specific situations that would violate other TSSAA rules, such the coaching link and age rule. TSSAA rules don't allow students to be eligible if they're 19 on or before August 1 of a school year. Students are also ineligible if they transfer to a new school where an athletic coaching link exists in the past 12 months. If Tennessee passes legislation regulating athletic transfer rules, the TSSAA believes it would lead to a landscape like the NCAA's where there are no transfer rules at all. The association has long said that its transfer restrictions inhibit illegal recruiting between high schools and uphold TSSAA core principles. 'Adding any TSSAA eligibility requirements to Tennessee State Law will eventually make it very difficult for TSSAA to have any transfer restrictions,' the TSSAA letter to coaches states. 'Putting eligibility rules into state law will make it unnecessarily difficult to adjust eligibility rules as needed.' Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@ and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA one-time transfer rule: Coaches urged to push back on Tennessee legislation
