Latest news with #McTaggart
Press and Journal
23-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Lorry driver jailed after hitting charity cyclist on the A9
An HGV driver has been jailed after he hit a Land's End to John O'Groats charity cyclist on the A9, leaving him seriously injured. James McTaggart failed to spot James Baker as he drove north on the trunk road between Dunkeld and Pitlochry. Dashcam footage from his lorry was played to Inverness Sheriff Court and showed the moment he collided with Mr Baker's bicycle in the early hours of the morning. The court was told that later the same day, McTaggart tested positive for cocaine in a roadside drugs test – but it could not be conclusively proven he had been under the influence at the time of the collision. Mr Baker, from Cheshire, had been taking part in a charity cycle ride to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis along with three other friends. McTaggart, 33, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court, where he admitted charges of causing serious injury by careless driving and drug-driving. Fiscal depute Victoria Silver explained that the cyclists were travelling in convoy with support vehicles to the front and rear, connected by radio. 'One was supposed to drive ahead, another to the rear, to offer some protection to them on the road,' Ms Silver said. But at around 2.15am, on the dark and drizzly morning of July 9 2023, the convoy had pulled into a layby North of Blair Atholl for a rider change before Mr Baker set off on his portion of the ride. 'There was a cycle path to the side, however decision was made that the charity cycle would remain on the A9,' the fiscal depute explained. She said the cyclist was wearing a light blue jersey and gilet and had working lights on his bike. Witnesses stated that 'as he set off, there were no other vehicles on the road'. The driver of the support vehicle estimated that it took around 40 seconds between the rider and the rear support vehicle leaving the layby. In this time a car and a lorry passed. Around this time, another driver spotted a torch waving in the road and a stationary lorry. He stopped and spoke to McTaggart, who told him: 'I've clipped a cyclist.' 'The driver observed a person lying in the road in the northbound carriageway,' the fiscal depute said. When the support van also arrived at the scene, alerted by the flashing hazard lights ahead, McTaggart, who was shaking, told the driver: 'I didn't see him – I just didn't see him.' The court was played dashcam footage taken from the cab of McTaggart's lorry, which showed a car passing him and another approaching with its headlights appearing to flash, as well as the smaller light of Mr Baker's cycle on the left-hand side. The footage shows the lorry bearing down on the bicycle, not appearing to adjust its speed in the moments before the collision. Police and ambulance attended at the scene and Mr Baker was taken to Raigmore Hospital where it was confirmed he had suffered a number of broken bones, including ribs, clavicle and vertebra. He also suffered internal injuries. McTaggart gave a positive breath test at the scene, but officers who attended were not trained in the drug wipe procedure. He was traced by trained officers later that morning, in his parked lorry near Moy. At this stage, a roadside test came back positive for cocaine and later blood testing revealed him to have 250 microgrammes of the cocaine metabolite benzolecgonine per litre of blood – five times the legal limit of 50 microgrammes. Solicitor Kevin Hughes, for McTaggart, told the court that his client had taken the drugs, which were left over from recreational use days prior to the incident, after the collision. Speaking about the careless driving charge, Mr Hughes said: 'Very unfortunately there was a cycle path running the length of the road, for some reason, the decision was taken to use the road 'The rear support vehicle was not in place. 'He failed to see the rider. 'It was dark at the time – he wasn't wearing a reflective jacket.' 'He was driving the vehicle, he believed he was paying attention to the road, he simply failed to see him.' Responding to a suggestion that McTaggart had sought to blame his victim during the preparation of a presentencing report, Mr Hughes said: 'He just would have expected the person to be using the cycle lane rather than the A9. 'Because he didn't see him, he would have expected him to be more visible than he was.' 'He has accepted that it is his responsibility to see obstructions in the roadway – no matter what they are,' Mr Hughes added Sheriff Ian Cruickshank told McTaggart, of Dovecot Road, Tullibody: 'I have taken time to digest the Crown narrative and I have viewed – on several occasions – the footage which effectively captures the collision. 'I remain very sceptical of your explanation, but it would be wrong for me to conclude as a fact that the level of benzolecgonine at the time of the accident exceeded the prescribed limit. 'It is a matter of fact that you failed to observe the cyclist prior to colliding with him. 'The real issue is the degree of carelessness.' Sheriff Cruickshank said: 'It is difficult to comprehend how you failed to see the cyclist in sufficient time to take the necessary evasive action.' Assessing McTaggart's culpability as high, he said: 'I consider that there is no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.' He jailed McTaggart for eight months and banned him from the roads for 23 months.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Northeast North Dakota, northwest Minnesota hospitals among top critical access hospitals in U.S.
May 21—HILLSBORO, N.D. — Several hospitals in northeast North Dakota and one in northwest Minnesota received spots on the National Rural Health Association's top critical access hospital lists for 2025. The three categories were "2025 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital" overall winners, "Best Practice in Quality" recipients and "Best Practice in Patient Satisfaction" recipients. A press release by Sanford Health said the hospitals are chosen based on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, which has eight indices of performance — inpatient market share, outpatient market share, patient perspective, cost, charge, finance, quality and outcomes. The top 20 critical access hospitals were chosen from the Chartis Center for Rural Health's 2025 top 100 critical access hospital list, the release said. Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center was one of the recipients for Best Practice in Quality, alongside Pembina County Memorial Hospital in Cavalier and Towner County Medical Center in Cando. Jac McTaggart, Sanford Hillsboro's CEO, said the facility takes pride in being a national rural health care leader. "This honor recognizes the dedication of our talented staff members to provide world-class health care to our patients and community," McTaggart said. "It is our mission to provide the highest of care to our communities right here in their own backyards." Regional recipients of Best Practice in Patient Satisfaction included Towner County Medical Center as well as Kittson Healthcare in Hallock, Minnesota. The overall 2025 Top 20 Critical Access Hospital list featured Towner County Medical Center and CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington in Carrington, North Dakota.
Business Insider
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Citi Remains a Hold on New Hope Corporation Limited (NHPEF)
Citi analyst Paul McTaggart maintained a Hold rating on New Hope Corporation Limited (NHPEF – Research Report) today and set a price target of A$3.85. The company's shares closed today at $2.34. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks straight to you inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, McTaggart is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 9.7% and a 55.87% success rate. McTaggart covers the Basic Materials sector, focusing on stocks such as Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, Iluka Resources Limited, and Rio Tinto Limited. New Hope Corporation Limited has an analyst consensus of Hold, with a price target consensus of $2.64.
Business Insider
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Bluescope Steel (BLSFF) was downgraded to a Hold Rating at Citi
Citi analyst Paul McTaggart downgraded Bluescope Steel (BLSFF – Research Report) to a Hold today and set a price target of A$26.50. Protect Your Portfolio Against Market Uncertainty Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. According to TipRanks, McTaggart is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 9.4% and a 55.56% success rate. McTaggart covers the Basic Materials sector, focusing on stocks such as BHP Group Ltd, Rio Tinto Limited, and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. The word on The Street in general, suggests a Strong Buy analyst consensus rating for Bluescope Steel with a $17.56 average price target. BLSFF market cap is currently $6.76B and has a P/E ratio of 17.81.
Business Insider
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Woodside Energy Group (WDS) Gets a Hold from Citi
Citi analyst Paul McTaggart maintained a Hold rating on Woodside Energy Group (WDS – Research Report) today and set a price target of A$21.50. Protect Your Portfolio Against Market Uncertainty Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. McTaggart covers the Basic Materials sector, focusing on stocks such as BHP Group Ltd, Rio Tinto Limited, and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. According to TipRanks, McTaggart has an average return of 9.4% and a 55.56% success rate on recommended stocks. In addition to Citi, Woodside Energy Group also received a Hold from Morgan Stanley's Robert Koh in a report issued on May 2. However, on April 30, Jarden maintained a Buy rating on Woodside Energy Group (ASX: WDS). The company has a one-year high of A$29.72 and a one-year low of A$18.61. Currently, Woodside Energy Group has an average volume of 5.9M. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 14 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of WDS in relation to earlier this year.
