Latest news with #McLean
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Season over for Swans after sensational Giants comeback
GWS have stormed home to stun the Swans and end their Sydney rivals' finals hopes. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS) GWS have stormed home to stun the Swans and end their Sydney rivals' finals hopes. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP GWS have turned on a third-quarter blitz to secure a sensational 44-point comeback win and drive the dagger into bitter rivals Sydney's finals hopes. Down by 35 points before the main break at Engie Stadium, the Giants needed the first goal when play resumed to keep their bid for a top-four finish alive. Adam Kingsley's side got that when young gun Finn Callaghan answered the call with a dash down the corridor, setting up a 15.12 (102) to 8.10 (58) win on Friday night. So dominant were GWS after early strife that they kicked eight straight goals - nine in total - in the third quarter for a 23-point lead at the final change. The home side had kicked just three majors in the opening half. Snaring their first win in six derbies, the Giants have effectively ended their cross-town rivals' campaign to muscle into finals contention. The in-form outfit move to fifth (13-6) with their sixth consecutive win, while Sydney languish in 10th (9-10) ahead of the weekend's clashes. A serious head knock to Hayden McLean further soured the loss, the Swans forward stretchered off in the opening minute. Sydney then lost defender Joel Hamling (hamstring) in the third quarter, while Giants veteran Josh Kelly's night ended prematurely with a calf complaint. Callaghan and Tom Green were sensational for the Giants at the contest, as captain Toby Greene proved their firestarter in a fierce battle with Swans livewire Tom Papley. Greene had issued an ominous warning at halftime after Papley celebrated his first major on return from a hamstring injury by making a beeline for the Giants forward. "He's (Papley) looking overweight," Greene told Fox Footy at halftime. "Let's see how he goes in the second half." Greene also had a pre-first-bounce tussle with Swans defender Dane Rampe before giving away a free kick for an arm to Isaac Heeney's head. Aaron Cadman and Jake Stringer slotted three majors each, as defenders Harry Himmelberg and Lachie Ash got in on the goalscoring action with one apiece. Errol Gulden led the Swans with 32 disposals, while Will Hayward was commanding in attack with three-straight majors in the opening half. Sydney started the better side after finding composure following McLean's injury. He clashed heads with Giants defender Jack Buckley in a marking contest. Buckley had been pushed into McLean when Giants teammate Sam Taylor entered the contest and attempted to spoil the mark while wrestling with Swans player Jack Buller. Play was delayed for six minutes as a conscious McLean left the field on a medicab, with Aaron Francis coming into the game in his place. Sydney then kicked six straight goals to take a 28-point lead at halftime, before Greene issued his Orange Tsunami warning.
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Dolly Parton Imagination Library comes to Woodstock
New literacy program set to deliver free books to regions' youngest children A new chapter in childhood literacy is set to begin in Woodstock this fall as the community prepares to launch its first affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The iconic singer founded the program 30 years ago to improve children's literacy. She was inspired by her upbringing in rural Tennessee, where literacy rates were low. Parton stated on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library website that her father's inability to read influenced her to bring her idea to life. 'He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams,' said Parton. Since its launch, over 3 million children have been registered across the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., and Ireland. Nearly 300 million books have been given as gifts. Children registered from birth to age five receive one free book per month by mail, totalling 60 books, if they are enrolled from birth. After the program has been running for three decades, Woodstock will 'jump on the train' in September. Jane McLean, a member of the board of directors for the Woodstock affiliate, says she and her fellow retired teacher and friend, Gloria Yechyshin, had been talking about it for years. 'We're both retired. We're not young and energetic anymore, but we've wanted to do this for years. We've talked about it, and then it just kind of died away,' said McLean. Fate had other plans in store, however. McLean was approached by Caitlin Taylor, a current teacher, about bringing Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Woodstock. Before meeting with McLean, Taylor had reached out to the Canadian representatives; McLean knew right away that what she had been dreaming about for years would finally become a reality. 'I just said, are you kidding me? And that was it,' said McLean. The three later met with Trish Foster, a member of the Carleton North Dolly Parton Imagination Library board, for their first official meeting on April 12. Although the books delivered to registered children are free, affiliates are responsible for paying shipping and handling fees. If 100 per cent of children in the area are to register in September, the Woodstock affiliates would have to pay $37,800 per year, which only accounts for children enrolled at Townsview and Meduxnekeag Consolidated School. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library advises expecting only 60 per cent of children to register, meaning the Woodstock affiliates will pay around $23,000 per year. 'We had to do some fundraising. We had to be pretty sure that we were going to have enough money to not only make it work one year, but long-term,' said Mclean. The board was able to attract 11 generous individuals from the community who have committed to a substantial amount of money. McLean says the names of the donors will be revealed at a later date, once everyone has given their permission for disclosure. On May 12, the members presented the idea to the Woodstock Rotary Club and requested a $25,000 donation; on July 7, Rotary agreed to support them. The committee is also partnering with the L.P. Fisher Library to hold events and promote the use of the public library to up-and-coming readers. McLean says the program will be a stepping stone for children's engagement in public libraries. The Woodstock team will be at the Aug. 27 Meet the Teacher nights at Townsview and Meduxnekeag Consolidated Schools, hoping that the Imagination Library train will be full of enrollments for the launch. They will also be distributing brochures around town with the information. Having been an English teacher for 33 years, McLean is looking forward to the enrolled children receiving books at their door. She emphasizes how these books can be generational; when they reach the age of five, they can share their books with younger siblings or family. ' The joy of reading and the power that being literate gives an individual; you can't buy that. When they are five and they no longer get books, some of them are very sad, but if they have younger siblings, you'll be able to read the books to your younger brother or sister,' said McLean. The Carleton North Imagination Library has achieved remarkable success, delivering over 30,000 books and registering almost 1,000 children in the ten years since its inception. On September 15, a public event will be held to celebrate the milestone. For more information, contact fosterrodents@ . If you are interested in registering your child with the Woodstock Imagination Station, you can go to or email , where you can also donate money via e-transfer. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. 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South Wales Argus
15 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
No firm proposals on Kymin View Primary says Monmouthshire
A petition to 'Save Kymin View School' has been signed by more than 280 people amid claims Monmouthshire County Council is proposing the school close and the recently established Welsh medium Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy move into the building. However, a spokesman for the county council said while it is drawing up plans to address surplus places in the Monmouth area it has made no firm proposals as yet, and when it does publish plans they will be in line with strict Welsh Government requirements on allowing parents and the wider community the chance to comment as part of a consultation. The petition, which claims the council's Labour-led cabinet will propose a statutory consultation at its October 15 meeting, has been started by Xavier Turner, who is standing as Conservative candidate in the Monmouth Town Council by-election for the Wyesham ward due to take place on Thursday, July 24. His petition states: 'The council is proposing that Kymin View would close and that Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy (Monmouth's Welsh-medium primary school), which is currently based at Overmonnow, would move into the Kymin View site. 'This would force Wyesham families to transport their children either on a 14-mile round trip to Llandogo or across the Wye Bridge every day to attend another Monmouth primary school, but Osbaston only has about a dozen surplus places, so only Overmonnow would have spare capacity.' The petition, in support of the Wyesham school which had 129 pupils at the time of its most recent inspection in March 2024 and a nursery, states taking action could 'stop this proposal before it reaches the formal consultation stage'. At the county council's July meeting Conservative opposition leader, Mitchell Troy and Trellech councillor, Richard John asked director of education Will McLean if he agreed Ysgol Gymreag Trefynwy is 'where it needs to be'. Mr McLean said the Welsh medium had been established as a 'seedling school' with the intention of growing by a class every year and its future is linked to how the council addresses surplus places in Monmouth, with around 200 empty places in local primaries. Mr McLean said: 'I think it will be a complex and challenging period of time as we work through the potential options. No decisions have been made and there are no formalised proposals as yet. We want to work with the four schools and community in Monmouth to make sure we come to a position that is reasonable, very well informed and we are able to advance.' The strategic director acknowledged 'limited flexibility' in the code governing school reorganisation in Wales and said it was important the council 'get our proposals right before we start that formal process.' A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said the claim it would close Kymin View and move Ysgol Trefynwy to its building 'is entirely speculative and there is currently no preferred option.' The spokesman said officers met with headteachers, staff and governors from Kymin View, Osbaston Church in Wales Primary, Overmonnow Primary and Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy on July 8 to share 'relevant data with them and explain the rationale to consider the surplus places and the need to plan accordingly' The spokesman said: 'It was made clear to attendees that there was no preferred option at this time. 'When further consideration has been given to the position of the four schools we will engage with them prior to any formal process of consultation beginning. This process is set out in two defined stages under the Welsh Government's School Organisation Code and takes approximately four to five months to complete. Any school impacted by any future proposals will be a full participant in the process.' There are two other candidates in the Wyesham ward by-election they are independent Jim Lin Jenkins-Jones and Reform UK candidate Robert James Andrew Kavanagh.
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
HII is Awarded Task Order to Develop Training Simulations for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
MCLEAN, Va., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that its Mission Technologies division was awarded a $74 million task order to provide modeling and simulation capabilities to the U.S. Air Force that will inform technology-fielding decisions for the space community. Under the five-year effort, HII will continue to support the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, providing end-to-end modeling and simulation capabilities to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and strategic partners. The work includes the development of simulations that will enable space units to train from their wartime locations. 'Modeling and simulation are central to the U.S. Air Force's ability to meet its top priorities, particularly in the space domain, which presents a unique set of challenges,' said Michael Lempke, president of Mission Technologies' Global Security group. 'We're pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with the AFRL and offer an operationally relevant solution set that will significantly enhance our space guardians' readiness as well as the survivability of U.S. assets in an increasingly more complex multi-domain environment.' The team is also developing decision aid software, which uses machine-to-machine data collection to enable decision-making required by space command and control organizations. HII was awarded the task order under the U.S. Department of Defense's Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract (IAC MAC) vehicle. The IAC MAC task orders are awarded by the U.S. Air Force's 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron to develop and create new knowledge for the enhancement of the Defense Technical Information Center repository and the research and development and science and technology community. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. HII develops groundbreaking technology for the U.S. Space Force and combatant commands, including U.S. Space Command, U.S. Strategic Command and others in the role of space support for training, test and analysis. About HII HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit: The DoD IAC, sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center, provides technical data management and research support for DoD and federal government users. Established in 1946, the IAC program serves the DoD science and technology and acquisition communities to drive innovation and technological developments by enhancing collaboration through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination for the DoD and broader science and technology community. This material is based upon work supported by the DoD Information Analysis Center Program (DoD IAC), sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) under Contract No. FA8075 18D0002. Contact:
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Caldicot's 'head from hell' Alun Ebenezer is 'never dull'
Will McLean was responding to a question over comments made by Caldicot headteacher Alun Ebenezer to the Argus in which he complained of a 'flawed culture' in Welsh schools. Mr Ebenezer hit the headlines when he took over at Caldicot in summer 2024 and introduced a uniform crackdown that saw girls sent home over make up and the length of their skirts. An Estyn inspection report this year said the school, that was hit by strike action in 2023 over claims of violence and abuse from pupils, is in overall need of improvement but noted an upturn in behaviour and staff moral. Before taking over at Caldicot Mr Ebenezer had been labelled 'the head from hell' by the tabloid press over his strict uniform standards at schools in England. Monmouthshire council's director of education, Mr McLean, told county councillors: 'I would say it is never dull working with the headteacher at Caldicot School.' Caldicot Castle councillor Rachel Garrick, who had raised concerns about the uniform crackdown in 2024 impacting female pupils and previous concerns over the school's management before Mr Ebenezer's appointment, raised the newspaper article that featured a 'Monmouthshire headteacher' when Mr McLean presented his annual director's report to the full council. The Labour member said the head had claimed the 'Welsh education system is failing not due to a lack of resources but its culture'. With Monmouthshire schools holding a combined £4 million deficit Cllr Garrick said 'I infer that to be a resource issue.' She asked if Mr McLean agreed schools were 'failing' and asked when the council had agreed to 'divert' from the child centred approach in the Welsh curriculum. Mr McLean said he had described education as 'flourishing' in Monmouthshire as he presented the conclusion of his report and said: 'I don't believe our education system is failing, I believe it a successful education system with areas we need to focus on and improve still further.' He also defended Mr Ebenezer who he said had made 'an immediate impact' at Caldicot. He said: 'He has attracted attention with his thinking about what school discipline looks like and what school culture could be. What we've found when we've spoken with Alun, Mr Ebenezer, is within his approach is a child centred approach. 'I know looking in it can sometimes seem this is a 'my way' approach to school discipline but I know colleagues have really welcomed they way he has reached out to bring changes to the way school works and the treatment, and support, of additional learning needs and develop a culture that supports all learners.' Mr McLean said he felt it is a 'strength' that Monmouthshire's four secondaries have their own 'unique approaches' but said through a partnership of the four schools 'we will see greater commonality and we will see shared standards and aspirations across the four schools.' He added: 'I think the work that the headteacher in Caldicot is doing at the moment is galvanising the school staff and providing them with a structure and a basis for which they will hopefully make improvements they need to move from their Estyn categorisation. 'I would say it's never dull working with the headteacher at Caldicot School.' The head of the council's education service also said heads often hog the headlines, and cited Monmouth Comprehensive headteacher Hugo Hutchinson. 'We see attention on heads all the time. The headteacher in Monmouth was in the press and the BBC for his approach to mobile phones.'
