Latest news with #McDiarmid
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Former Scots footie star accused of deliberately getting booked in gambling scam
Ex-Livingston star Keaghan Jacobs, 35, faces court over claims he intentionally earned a yellow card in a 2019 match vs Celtic to aid a betting scam. A former SPFL star is due to appear in court accused of deliberately getting himself booked in an attempt to cheat at gambling. Keaghan Jacobs, 35, is alleged to have picked up a yellow card on purpose while playing for Livingston in a Scottish Premiership league match against Celtic. He is said to have 'acted in a manner whereby he would receive a yellow card for the purpose of enabling or assisting others to cheat at gambling ' during the clash at his team's Tony Macaroni stadium on October 6, 2019. A second man, Conan McDiarmid, 40, is alleged to have placed bets – and arranged for others to take punts – on Jacobs getting a caution. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The case against Jacobs, from Edinburgh, and McDiarmid, from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, called at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week. Proceedings against Jacobs were continued without plea to later this month. McDiarmid's lawyer lodged a not guilty plea. A trial date was set for later this year. The match involved in the alleged betting scam saw Livingston secure a 2-0 win, handing the Hoops their first defeat of the season. Jacobs was shown the yellow card by referee Willie Collum for a foul on winger Jonny Hayes as the game was coming to a close in the 95th minute. Jacobs is a South African national who had two spells with Livingston between 2007 and 2015 and again between 2017 and 2022. The star has played a total of 252 times for the West Lothian club and scored 23 goals. He has also turned out for South African club Bidvest Wits, Falkirk, Arbroath and is currently playing with Lowland League club Gala Fairydean Rovers. He is believed to have made football history when he played alongside his three triplet brothers – Kyle, Devon and Sheldon – in a Scottish Third Division match between Livingston and Albion Rovers in April 2010. The 2-0 victory in front of just over 600 fans is said to be the only time four brothers have turned out for the same professional senior team in the same match. McDiarmid played as a defender with a number of amateur clubs, including Edinburgh United and Whitehill Welfare, before he retired in 2020 and moved into management.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Edinburgh footballer accused of deliberately getting himself booked in Livingston v Celtic game
A former SPFL star is due to appear in court accused of deliberately getting himself booked in an attempt to cheat at gambling. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Keaghan Jacobs is alleged to have picked up a yellow card on purpose while playing for Livingston in a Scottish Premiership league match against Celtic at the Tony Macaroni stadium in October 2019. Jacobs, 35, is said to have 'acted in a manner whereby he would receive a yellow card for the purpose of enabling or assisting others to cheat at gambling' during the clash on October 6, 2019. The game was played at Livingston's Tony Macaroni stadium | SNS Group Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A second man, Conan McDiarmid is alleged to have placed bets, and arranged for others to place bets, on Jacobs receiving the caution from referee Willie Collum during the match against the Hoops. Court papers state McDiarmid, 40, placed the bets 'in the knowledge that it had been arranged that Jacobs would act in a manner whereby he would receive a yellow card during the match'. Both men are being prosecuted under the Gambling Act 2005, Section 42, 1A. The case against Jacobs, from Edinburgh, and McDiarmid, from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, called at the Capital's sheriff court last Thursday where both men failed to appear in person. The case against Jacobs was continued without plea to later this month while McDiarmid's lawyer lodged a not guilty plea to the allegation and a trial date was set down for later this year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Premiership match involved in the alleged betting scam saw Livingston hand Celtic their first defeat of the season with a 2-0 win at the Tony Macaroni stadium. Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie was shown a straight red card for a wild tackle in the 25th minute before second half goals from Scott Robinson and Lyndon Dykes secured the points for the Lions. Jacobs was shown a yellow card by referee Willie Collum for an illegal challenge on winger Jonny Hayes in the 95th minute. Jacobs is a South African national who had two spells with Livingston between 2007 and 2015 and again between 2017 and 2022. The midfielder has played a total of 252 times for the West Lothian club and scored 23 goals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jacobs has also turned out for South African club Bidvest Wits, Falkirk, Arbroath and is currently playing with Lowland League club Gala Fairydean Rovers. Jacobs is believed to have made football history when he played alongside his three triplet brothers - Kyle, Devon and Sheldon - in a Scottish Third Division match between Livingston and Albion Rovers in April 2010. The 2-0 win in front of just over 600 supporters is said to be the only time four brothers have turned out for the same professional senior team in the same match. McDiarmid played as a defender with a number of amateur clubs including Edinburgh United and Whitehill Welfare before he retired in 2020 and moved into management.
National Observer
5 days ago
- Business
- National Observer
Solar panels are more affordable than ever - but it can depend on where you live
When she looked into installing solar panels on her roof, Heather McDiarmid came across an unexpected hitch. 'We realized we'd have to tear out the panels again a few years after we put them in because our roof was getting old, and it was going to need new shingles. So we got our roof redone — but with metal shingles. That way it would last longer. And then we got our PV (photovoltaic) system,' said McDiarmid, a climate change mitigation consultant. Solar panels have never been cheaper, and the lower upfront cost means homeowners can recoup their investment more quickly, with savings on electricity bills. But experts say where buyers live plays the largest role in how long they'll need to break even. Location plays into factors ranging from how much electricity the home consumes to how much sun it receives, what incentives are available and even whether foliage obstructs the sunlight — or if roof renovations are needed. Across Canada, the average installation cost for solar panels was $3.34 per watt as of fall 2023, or $25,050 for a typical 7.5-kilowatt system, which covers most of an average household's electricity needs, according to But the price can range widely, sitting as low as $2.42 per watt in Ontario but double that in Nunavut. In Ontario, the average homeowner with a bigger installation — 10 kW — enjoys annual electricity bill savings of about $1,584 when charged at time-of-use rates, according to a report McDiarmid authored for the Ontario Clean Air Alliance last year. That means an Ontarian, drawing on a new provincial grant of up to $5,000 plus an interest-free federal Greener Homes loan, might effectively pay $25,000 for a 10 kW system. If their electricity bill comes to $100 a month — $1,200 a year — the panels would pay for themselves in 16 years. Solar panels have never been cheaper, and the lower upfront cost means homeowners can recoup their investment more quickly, with savings on electricity bills. 'Many single-family home rooftops can accommodate a 10 kW solar array or more, which is enough to generate as much electricity as the home uses over a year,' McDiarmid writes. Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity, which then flows through an "inverter" to be used in the home, with excess electricity spilling onto the broader power grid. Savings come not just from consuming less energy from the local utility but from "net metering," which allows homeowners to receive credits for the extra electricity they feed back onto the grid. Banking electricity daily, monthly and often yearly is typical, said Joshua Pearce, a Western University professor specializing in solar photovoltaic technology. 'People go to their cottage during the summer, they generate a huge amount of solar power that then lasts them through the winter. They've banked that electricity,' he said. Other key questions include how much electricity your household uses — higher consumption builds a bigger case for solar — and how much that costs, with rates varying from region to region. Another factor to consider: electric heaters suck up much more electricity than gas-heated homes. 'Essentially, everywhere that breaks the 12-cents-per-kWh bar, it probably makes sense to put in solar,' said Pearce. All provinces except Quebec charge a higher rate on average, according to Also pertinent is not just where your home sits within Canada, but within the property itself. A roof that faces south soaks up more rays, while a flatter pitch further improves efficiency. 'I've got half my garage covered (with solar panels) because that's the south-facing roof, and then a third of my main roof covered, that's my southwest-facing side of the building. That's what captures the most amount of sun, so you get the most bang for your buck,' said Phil McKay, a senior director at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. Installers can help with assessing where branches might need to be cut to absorb more light — though not all trees are yours to prune. 'I'm talking to you from the Forest City, and I love trees as much as the next guy, but not when they're partially shading my roof,' said Pearce from London, Ont., noting that many of those trunks are owned by neighbours or the city. Another key variable in solar energy production is just how sun-kissed your corner of the country is. The Prairie provinces enjoy the most hours of 'equivalent full sunlight hours' — a metric to quantify the amount of solar radiation for a given area in a year — followed by Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. British Columbia, the Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador rank last. Cost differences to link up to the power grid also vary widely. In Ontario, for example, the Ottawa utility charged $1,449 to connect panels with its grid in 2023, while in Sudbury, the charge was only $548, according to McDiarmid. Jurisdictions offer an assortment of financial incentives. BC Hydro and Ontario give residential users rebates of up to $5,000 on grid-connected solar panels and up to $5,000 for battery storage systems. Nova Scotians can tap into rebates of up to $3,000, Prince Edward Island residents $10,000 (the program is on hold for a review, but is expected to resume in the coming months). Many municipalities have rebates for various home energy upgrades as well. A checklist to run through if you're considering rooftop solar: - Check your utility bill to tally how much you spend on electricity each year. In general, the more you shell out, the greater the possible savings from a photovoltaic system. - Check the average rate your utility charges for electricity. Again, the higher the rate, the more potential savings accrue. - Shop around for quotes from at least two or three installation firms. If their estimates on the long-term savings roughly align, those projections are probably not far off the mark. - Make sure the size of the installation matches your electricity demands. Don't splurge on a system that exceeds your needs. - Ask how efficient your system will be due to the slant of your roof and the directions it faces. - Research how much sun and snow your region receives. - Find out whether your municipality requires building and electrical permits to install solar panels. Many cities do, with the combined cost often topping $1,000.
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Are solar panels worth the investment? Yes — usually — but it depends where you live
MONTREAL - When she looked into installing solar panels on her roof, Heather McDiarmid came across an unexpected hitch. 'We realized we'd have to tear out the panels again a few years after we put them in because our roof was getting old and it was going to need new shingles. So we got our roof redone — but with metal shingles. That way it would last longer. And then we got our PV (photovoltaic) system,' said McDiarmid, a climate change mitigation consultant. Solar panels have never been cheaper, and the lower upfront cost means homeowners can recoup their investment more quickly, with savings on electricity bills. But experts say where buyers live plays the largest role in how long they'll need to break even. Location plays into factors ranging from how much electricity the home consumes to how much sun it receives, what incentives are available and even whether foliage obstructs the sunlight — or if roof renovations are needed. Across Canada, the average installation cost for solar panels was $3.34 per watt as of fall 2023, or $25,050 for a typical 7.5-kilowatt system, which covers most of an average household's electricity needs, according to . But the price can range widely, sitting as low as $2.42 per watt in Ontario but double that in Nunavut. In Ontario, the average homeowner with a bigger installation — 10 kW — enjoys annual electricity bill savings of about $1,584 when charged at time-of-use rates, according to a report McDiarmid authored for the Ontario Clean Air Alliance last year. That means an Ontarian, drawing on a new provincial grant of up to $5,000 plus an interest-free federal Greener Homes loan, might effectively pay $25,000 for a 10 kW system. If their electricity bill comes to $100 a month — $1,200 a year — the panels would pay for themselves in 16 years. 'Many single-family home rooftops can accommodate a 10 kW solar array or more, which is enough to generate as much electricity as the home uses over a year,' McDiarmid writes. Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity, which then flows through an 'inverter' to be used in the home, with excess electricity spilling onto the broader power grid. Savings come not just from consuming less energy from the local utility but from 'net metering,' which allows homeowners to receive credits for the extra electricity they feed back onto the grid. Banking electricity daily, monthly and often yearly is typical, said Joshua Pearce, a Western University professor specializing in solar photovoltaic technology. 'People go to their cottage during the summer, they generate a huge amount of solar power that then lasts them through the winter. They've banked that electricity,' he said. Other key questions include how much electricity your household uses — higher consumption builds a bigger case for solar — and how much that costs, with rates varying from region to region. Another factor to consider: electric heaters suck up much more electricity than gas-heated homes. 'Essentially, everywhere that breaks the 12-cents-per-kWh bar, it probably makes sense to put in solar,' said Pearce. All provinces except Quebec charge a higher rate on average, according to . Also pertinent is not just where your home sits within Canada, but within the property itself. A roof that faces south soaks up more rays, while a flatter pitch further improves efficiency. 'I've got half my garage covered (with solar panels) because that's the south-facing roof, and then a third of my main roof covered, that's my southwest-facing side of the building. That's what captures the most amount of sun, so you get the most bang for your buck,' said Phil McKay, a senior director at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. Installers can help with assessing where branches might need to be cut to absorb more light — though not all trees are yours to prune. 'I'm talking to you from the Forest City, and I love trees as much as the next guy, but not when they're partially shading my roof,' said Pearce from London, Ont., noting that many of those trunks are owned by neighbours or the city. Another key variable in solar energy production is just how sun-kissed your corner of the country is. The Prairie provinces enjoy the most hours of 'equivalent full sunlight hours' — a metric to quantify the amount of solar radiation for a given area in a year — followed by Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. British Columbia, the Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador rank last. Cost differences to link up to the power grid also vary widely. In Ontario, for example, the Ottawa utility charged $1,449 to connect panels with its grid in 2023, while in Sudbury, the charge was only $548, according to McDiarmid. Jurisdictions offer an assortment of financial incentives. BC Hydro and Ontario give residential users rebates of up to $5,000 on grid-connected solar panels and up to $5,000 for battery storage systems. Nova Scotians can tap into rebates of up to $3,000, Prince Edward Island residents $10,000 (the program is on hold for a review, but is expected to resume in the coming months). Many municipalities have rebates for various home energy upgrades as well. A checklist to run through if you're considering rooftop solar: - Check your utility bill to tally how much you spend on electricity each year. In general, the more you shell out, the greater the possible savings from a photovoltaic system. - Check the average rate your utility charges for electricity. Again, the higher the rate, the more potential savings accrue. - Shop around for quotes from at least two or three installation firms. If their estimates on the long-term savings roughly align, those projections are probably not far off the mark. - Make sure the size of the installation matches your electricity demands. Don't splurge on a system that exceeds your needs. - Ask how efficient your system will be due to the slant of your roof and the directions it faces. - Research how much sun and snow your region receives. - Find out whether your municipality requires building and electrical permits to install solar panels. Many cities do, with the combined cost often topping $1,000. - Consider a battery for power outages to keep lights, internet, sump pumps and fridges working. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Are solar panels worth the investment? Yes — usually — but it depends where you live
MONTREAL – When she looked into installing solar panels on her roof, Heather McDiarmid came across an unexpected hitch. 'We realized we'd have to tear out the panels again a few years after we put them in because our roof was getting old and it was going to need new shingles. So we got our roof redone — but with metal shingles. That way it would last longer. And then we got our PV (photovoltaic) system,' said McDiarmid, a climate change mitigation consultant. Solar panels have never been cheaper, and the lower upfront cost means homeowners can recoup their investment more quickly, with savings on electricity bills. But experts say where buyers live plays the largest role in how long they'll need to break even. Location plays into factors ranging from how much electricity the home consumes to how much sun it receives, what incentives are available and even whether foliage obstructs the sunlight — or if roof renovations are needed. Across Canada, the average installation cost for solar panels was $3.34 per watt as of fall 2023, or $25,050 for a typical 7.5-kilowatt system, which covers most of an average household's electricity needs, according to But the price can range widely, sitting as low as $2.42 per watt in Ontario but double that in Nunavut. In Ontario, the average homeowner with a bigger installation — 10 kW — enjoys annual electricity bill savings of about $1,584 when charged at time-of-use rates, according to a report McDiarmid authored for the Ontario Clean Air Alliance last year. That means an Ontarian, drawing on a new provincial grant of up to $5,000 plus an interest-free federal Greener Homes loan, might effectively pay $25,000 for a 10 kW system. If their electricity bill comes to $100 a month — $1,200 a year — the panels would pay for themselves in 16 years. 'Many single-family home rooftops can accommodate a 10 kW solar array or more, which is enough to generate as much electricity as the home uses over a year,' McDiarmid writes. Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity, which then flows through an 'inverter' to be used in the home, with excess electricity spilling onto the broader power grid. Savings come not just from consuming less energy from the local utility but from 'net metering,' which allows homeowners to receive credits for the extra electricity they feed back onto the grid. Banking electricity daily, monthly and often yearly is typical, said Joshua Pearce, a Western University professor specializing in solar photovoltaic technology. 'People go to their cottage during the summer, they generate a huge amount of solar power that then lasts them through the winter. They've banked that electricity,' he said. Other key questions include how much electricity your household uses — higher consumption builds a bigger case for solar — and how much that costs, with rates varying from region to region. Another factor to consider: electric heaters suck up much more electricity than gas-heated homes. 'Essentially, everywhere that breaks the 12-cents-per-kWh bar, it probably makes sense to put in solar,' said Pearce. All provinces except Quebec charge a higher rate on average, according to Also pertinent is not just where your home sits within Canada, but within the property itself. A roof that faces south soaks up more rays, while a flatter pitch further improves efficiency. 'I've got half my garage covered (with solar panels) because that's the south-facing roof, and then a third of my main roof covered, that's my southwest-facing side of the building. That's what captures the most amount of sun, so you get the most bang for your buck,' said Phil McKay, a senior director at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. Installers can help with assessing where branches might need to be cut to absorb more light — though not all trees are yours to prune. 'I'm talking to you from the Forest City, and I love trees as much as the next guy, but not when they're partially shading my roof,' said Pearce from London, Ont., noting that many of those trunks are owned by neighbours or the city. Another key variable in solar energy production is just how sun-kissed your corner of the country is. The Prairie provinces enjoy the most hours of 'equivalent full sunlight hours' — a metric to quantify the amount of solar radiation for a given area in a year — followed by Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. British Columbia, the Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador rank last. Cost differences to link up to the power grid also vary widely. In Ontario, for example, the Ottawa utility charged $1,449 to connect panels with its grid in 2023, while in Sudbury, the charge was only $548, according to McDiarmid. Jurisdictions offer an assortment of financial incentives. BC Hydro and Ontario give residential users rebates of up to $5,000 on grid-connected solar panels and up to $5,000 for battery storage systems. Nova Scotians can tap into rebates of up to $3,000, Prince Edward Island residents $10,000 (the program is on hold for a review, but is expected to resume in the coming months). Many municipalities have rebates for various home energy upgrades as well. A checklist to run through if you're considering rooftop solar: – Check your utility bill to tally how much you spend on electricity each year. In general, the more you shell out, the greater the possible savings from a photovoltaic system. – Check the average rate your utility charges for electricity. Again, the higher the rate, the more potential savings accrue. – Shop around for quotes from at least two or three installation firms. If their estimates on the long-term savings roughly align, those projections are probably not far off the mark. – Make sure the size of the installation matches your electricity demands. Don't splurge on a system that exceeds your needs. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. – Ask how efficient your system will be due to the slant of your roof and the directions it faces. – Research how much sun and snow your region receives. – Find out whether your municipality requires building and electrical permits to install solar panels. Many cities do, with the combined cost often topping $1,000. – Consider a battery for power outages to keep lights, internet, sump pumps and fridges working. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
