Latest news with #MichaelMarshall
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie homeowners warned over property almost 'crumbling' as tradie makes alarming find
Homeowners are being warned not to overlook the devastating impact termites can inflict after a professional property flipper was forced to pay more than $200,000 to repair damage caused by the tiny insects. Tradie Michael Marshall recently bought a five-bedroom house in Mudgeeraba, Queensland and was renovating it when he stumbled upon a costly discovery. Several of the interior walls were being whittled down to nothing by termite activity and it was likely the building would have collapsed had he not noticed the issue when he did. "Some of the walls were nearly starting to fall over. You could tap the bottom of the studs and they were crumbling and there was a section of the floor that had caved in," he told Yahoo News. "There was literally termite nests inside the walls, inside the property... the whole top second floor was being held up by termite timber." It is understood the property had someone living in it only six months earlier, and Michael suspects there may have been some attempt to cover up the damage before it was sold. "It was full of mould, it was disgusting," he said, explaining he has since paid over $200,000 to have the property reframed, and all traces of the termites removed. Yahoo News has reported on several Aussies excitedly buying their dream home, only to later find termites and significant structural damage to the property. This is sadly not an uncommon issue in the country, with several pest control companies claiming one in five Aussie homes are affected by termite damage. 🏡 Sinister find above garage door prompts warning over 'active' threat 👀 Tradie's sinister find uncovers expensive $4,000 mistake in home 🥴 Concerning find behind wall of home highlights 'serious' problem Older homes are more susceptible to the issue as timber was used to frame the homes. Modern homes are now framed by treated pine frames or metal, with neither impacted by termite — however, it's something all homeowners should be wary of, Michael explained. After his own experience, he is urging Aussies to not "cut corners" when it comes to termites and recommended the following: "It's a must," Michael said. "It's something you need to do before you put your money on the line and they're not even that expensive, they're about $1,000." Michael explained getting experts to inspect a home before purchase will give buyers peace of mind, or at least ensure their eyes are wide open when making their decision. Michael believes termite activity inside a home doesn't necessarily mean a prospective buyer should stay clear of the property. However, he stressed the importance of knowing the extent of the damage and understanding how much it would cost to fix. "If you do get a building and pest report, and it does have termite damage, that necessarily doesn't mean don't buy the house. There are solutions... you can get termite barriers and treatment done to the house," he said. It's important to constantly ensure your home is being protected against termite activity and Michael urged homeowners to not get complacent with regular upkeep. "The cost of getting it redone and the cost of termites being in your house is a massive difference," he said. "Don't cut corners, because it will come back to bite you on the ass." After termite treatment has occurred, most pest control experts will place a sticker onto the property's electrical box to indicate the date of treatment and that it was done to the Australian standard. This is something prospective homebuyers can keep an eye out for, and something all Aussies should strive to have in their home. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
An urgent effort to cure the fentanyl crisis
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — At 59-years-old, Michael Marshall is a long way from the boy who started selling drugs when he was 18. At 25, he was locked up for second-degree murder. During his 13 years behind bars, Marshall tackled his addiction, earned his general education diploma and completed the human services program at the University of Phoenix. He also authored a book, 'Once Upon a Time,' which chronicles how he escaped his past. He left prison at 38 with a determination to take back the community of Hampton Roads from the generations of dysfunction that are fueled by poverty, crime and broken homes. Marshall remains close to the community and has witnessed the aftermath of what happens when a productive member of society falls to fentanyl. 'It could be someone who used to be a cheerleader or someone who was an outstanding ball football player,' Marshall said. 'We don't know who it may be, who the next child will be.' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week announced tougher penalties for dealers. Lindwood Williams, founder of Cleaning Up The Streets, said the plan won't cure the crisis. Youngkin signs bipartisan bills to charge fentanyl dealers with involuntary manslaughter if the drugs they sell cause an overdose 'To me, it's more of getting out in the community and actually reaching and finding out what these young men need,' Marshall said. 'These older people need [help] because it's more than just a stiffer penalty. Because when the penalty comes, it's too late.' Armed with street credibility and a degree, Marshall, Williams an other experts will host a fentanyl education seminar in Portsmouth this weekend. Here's why: 'So what I want to say everyone that is listening or watching or hearing me speak today, I want you to take a moment and pause and really think about how impacting fentanyl has been,' Marshall said. 'Fentanyl only takes a small milligrams to end your life. Every time that you pick up any type of illicit illegal drug, it's like playing Russian roulette with your life.' The fentanyl awareness event takes place at noon Saturday, May 17 at 2880 Airline Blvd. The event is free and open to the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeowners warned after tradie's shocking discovery leaves Aussie house 'crumbling'
Tradie Michael Marshall is urging Australians to take termites seriously after his home was close to collapsing from the damage caused. Homeowners are being warned not to overlook the devastating impact termites can inflict after a professional property flipper was forced to pay more than $200,000 to repair damage caused by the tiny insects. Tradie Michael Marshall recently bought a five-bedroom house in Mudgeeraba, Queensland and was renovating it when he stumbled upon a costly discovery. Several of the interior walls were being whittled down to nothing by termite activity and it was likely the building would have collapsed had he not noticed the issue when he did. "Some of the walls were nearly starting to fall over. You could tap the bottom of the studs and they were crumbling and there was a section of the floor that had caved in," he told Yahoo News. "There was literally termite nests inside the walls, inside the property... the whole top second floor was being held up by termite timber." It is understood the property had someone living in it only six months earlier, and Michael suspects there may have been some attempt to cover up the damage before it was sold. ADVERTISEMENT "It was full of mould, it was disgusting," he said, explaining he has since paid over $200,000 to have the property reframed, and all traces of the termites removed. A load-bearing wall was crumbling from termite activity. Michael has since installed metal structures to support the house. Source: TikTok/mmpropertyimprovement Yahoo News has reported on several Aussies excitedly buying their dream home, only to later find termites and significant structural damage to the property. This is sadly not an uncommon issue in the country, with several pest control companies claiming one in five Aussie homes are affected by termite damage. Older homes are more susceptible to the issue as timber was used to frame the homes. Modern homes are now framed by treated pine frames or metal, with neither impacted by termite — however, it's something all homeowners should be wary of, Michael explained. ADVERTISEMENT After his own experience, he is urging Aussies to not "cut corners" when it comes to termites and recommended the following: 1. Get a building and pest report done before purchase "It's a must," Michael said. "It's something you need to do before you put your money on the line and they're not even that expensive, they're about $1,000." Michael explained getting experts to inspect a home before purchase will give buyers peace of mind, or at least ensure their eyes are wide open when making their decision. 2. Termites don't necessarily equate to 'no purchase' Michael believes termite activity inside a home doesn't necessarily mean a prospective buyer should stay clear of the property. However, he stressed the importance of knowing the extent of the damage and understanding how much it would cost to fix. ADVERTISEMENT "If you do get a building and pest report, and it does have termite damage, that necessarily doesn't mean don't buy the house. There are solutions... you can get termite barriers and treatment done to the house," he said. It's important to constantly ensure your home is being protected against termite activity and Michael urged homeowners to not get complacent with regular upkeep. "The cost of getting it redone and the cost of termites being in your house is a massive difference," he said. "Don't cut corners, because it will come back to bite you on the ass." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Biggest Technological Development in Human History Happened All Across the World Around the Same Time, by Groups of People With Zero Contact With One Another
Around the world, on separate continents that had no contact with each other, multiple groups of ancient humans invented farming more or less simultaneously — and scientists still don't know how or why. Known to archaeologists and anthropologists as the Neolithic Revolution, the discovery of this historical head-scratcher is by no means new. Nevertheless, it continues to fascinate folks like Michael Marshall, an author at New Scientist who pondered this phenomenon in a new piece about this quantum leap in human development. As a 2023 PNAS paper cited by Marshall suggests, the things scientists do know about this incredible happenstance are what make it so captivating. After the great ice sheets age of the Pleistocene Epoch began to retreat about 11,700 years ago, humans who had gradually migrated to at least four continents — Africa, Eurasia, and North and South America — moved from hunting and gathering to domesticating plants. In as many as 24 separate sites of origin, the paper explained, people began farming within a few thousand years of each other, with no means of contact between them. Across scientific disciplines, researchers have long been trying to figure out why this leap in evolutionary behavior occurred with so many groups simultaneously. Anthropologist Melinda Zeder, the senior scientist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institute, told PNAS in 2023 that some of her colleagues even argue that humans may have been "tricked into it by plants" — but still, there's nothing near consensus about why, exactly, our ancestors all picked up farming around the same time. In his more recent musings, Marshall, the New Scientist writer, pointed out that agriculture may have emerged as a response to any number of external factors: food shortages, climate change, or even sociopolitical reasons as evidenced by research suggesting that a rudimentary form of property rights may have begun around the same time that farming emerged. He then went on to hypothesize something that hasn't been studied outright before: that Neanderthals, or any other early hominin groups, may have "tried their hands at gardening, if only in a small way." "If they were lacking some crucial cognitive or physical capability to enable gardening, I'm not sure what it was," Marshall wrote. "And if they did enjoy tending their own small gardens, that would have given our species a head start on creating full-blown farms." Even if Neanderthals did make early attempts at agriculture, however, it wouldn't explain why subsequent evolutionary groups wouldn't have immediately followed suit, or why there was suddenly a global explosion of farming activity more than 100,00 years after the first known deforestation projects took place in modern-day Germany. Like many worthwhile mysteries, this one doesn't have a neatly-packaged answer — and unless something unprecedented about our ancestors' agricultural practices is uncovered, it may never be explained at all. More on our origins: Something Mysterious Swept Over Our Entire Solar System, Scientists Say
