Latest news with #Miers
American Press
17-05-2025
- American Press
Jeff Davis remembers five officers lost in the line of duty
Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes presents a plant to Officer Keith Clement in memory of Officer Burt LeBlanc who was fatally shot while responding to an emergency call in 2020. (Doris Maricle / American Press) This week marks National Police Week, and Jeff Davis Parish showed its deep appreciation for local law enforcement on Wednesday with a special inaugural banquet. Sheriff Kyle Miers highlighted the significance of the event, noting it as an opportunity to celebrate the dedicated service of officers and to honor the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. 'With it being National Police Week, we want to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty, but also, we want to show respect and honor to all of you,' Miers said in his address. 'Every day, you go out and put your lives on the line for this community. I think a lot of times people take for granted the dangers that are out there whenever they go shopping at Walmart or just simply put gas in a car. And when danger knocks on their door you are the people they call. So I want to say thank you all for the job that you do. You are seen and you are appreciated.' Miers expressed his gratitude to the officers for their unwavering commitment to protecting their communities and for countless sacrifices made to ensure public safety. He also extended a heartfelt appreciation to the families of fallen officers. Sharing a personal sentiment, Mires quoted his wife, Miranda, who wrote, 'There is no better sound than the sound of velcro on my husband's duty belt at the end of this shift. That is the sound of him making it home safely.' Jamie Tyler, lead pastor at Our Savior's Church in Jennings, also conveyed his gratitude, thanking the dedicated men and women who proudly serve to protect and defend the community, ensuring it remains a safe and healthy place to live, and honoring those who have died in service. Tyler offered a blessing to the officers and their families, remarking, 'You can't show love in any greater form than to lay one's life down for another.' The event also served as a platform to recognize outstanding law enforcement officers within the parish, including the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy of the Year Chris Gaspard and Welsh Police Department Officer of the Year Liberty Gay. Challenge coins were presented by the Sheriff's Office to Capt. Jason Chretien, Detective Tyler Houston, Deputy Chris Gaspard, Deputy Tylynn Parsons, Deputy Nicholas Ardoin, Deputy Allen Dupuis, Deputy Brevan Fields, Sgt. Collin Janise, Deputy John Leber, Deputy David Marcantel, Deputy Jose Mohammed, Sgt. Elizabeth Morrison, Deputy Tonya Pattum, Deputy Taylor Reed, Deputy Tanner Richert, Deputy Harvey Sonnier, Deputy Jade Young, Deputy Cassidy Viator, Deputy Labrishca Bouley, Deputy Isaac Carrier, Sgt. Charles Caruthers, Deputy Lukthaddeus Collins, Deputy Jude Fruge, Deputy Sabastian Landry and Deputy Robert Maylen Additionally, a lifesaving award was given to Sr. Cpl. Fredrick Stewart of the Fenton Police Department, and two Meritorious Service Awards were presented to Ethan LeBlanc and Jeremy Moriarty of the Jennings Police Department. The event was a significant opportunity to honor and support the families of the courageous officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while safeguarding their communities. A moment of silence and a last roll call ceremony served as a touching tribute to their dedicated service. Five officers in Jeff Davis Parish have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1906: Fenton Police Officer Shannon Matthew Brown, who died in 2016 after being struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop; Officer Burton 'Burt' LeBlanc of the Jennings Police Department who was fatally shot while responding to an emergency call in 2020; Sheriff's Deputy Claude 'Winston' Guillory who died in 2020 after contacting COVID-19 in a presumed on-duty exposure and Sheriff Deputy James Michael 'Flip' Phillips, who was killed in 1999 when he lost control of his unit during a pursuit. City Marshal Cameron Coffin was also killed by gunfire in 1906.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The startling text message footy star sent to opponent he knocked out with one of the worst hits the AFL has seen in years
Conor Nash must serve a four-game ban for striking Geelong's Gryan Miers after Hawthorn unsuccessfully tried to downgrade his sentence at the AFL Tribunal. A 'genuinely remorseful and apologetic' Nash did not dispute the severity or impact of the incident at the hearing on Wednesday night, but argued for a three-game suspension. It means the midfielder will miss Hawthorn's games against West Coast, Richmond, Melbourne and Gold Coast. Nash had been sent straight to the tribunal after collecting Miers with a high, swinging arm in the Cats' seven-point win on Easter Monday. Miers was subbed out immediately and will miss at least Sunday's clash with Carlton at the MCG after entering the 12-day concussion protocols. The incident was assessed as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact. Hawthorn argued the incident only warranted a three-week suspension given Nash had pleaded guilty at the earliest available time. The club also made clear Nash hadn't used his fist to create excessive force against Miers and that he possessed an 'unblemished tribunal record' in the same vein as AFL great and fellow Irishman Jim Stynes. But the tribunal maintained, after 40 minutes of deliberation, that Nash had acted with severe force and a significant degree of carelessness. Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson KC added Nash was aware of Miers, given he had his arm on the opposition player's back. 'We have some difficulty in understanding how Mr Nash got it so wrong here,' Gleeson said. 'We accept that he was not intending to strike Miers to the head, but he should have known that a forceful swing of an arm at head height may well result in such a strike.' Nash had presented the tribunal a text message he sent to Miers in the days after the match. 'Firstly, I just want to check in on how you've pulled up today. Hopefully not too bad and can get back on track soon,' the message said. 'I'm also reaching out to let you know that there really wasn't any malice to that hit. 'I tried to play the ball and I just got it badly wrong. 'Yes, I do try to play the game with a physical presence, but not in that spirit and just want you to know that. 'Again, very sorry for what's happened and all the circus around it.' The AFL argued Nash warranted a four-week ban because he had a duty of care to a 'vulnerable' Miers, and that the contact was made to the Geelong player's head. Miers looked to be concussed before he hit the ground and staggered off the field with the help of medical staff. Parallels were drawn with Fremantle player Patrick Voss and Hawthorn teammate Jack Scrimshaw's respective three-match suspensions handed down earlier in the season. But the AFL argued the cases were not similar, given there was no immediate concern of concussions to the victim players during the incidents. Richmond player Nick Vlastuin suffered a broken nose after being struck by Voss, and Essendon defender Jordan Ridley played out the rest of the second quarter after his incident with Scrimshaw.
The Age
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Nash cops four matches for crude hit; Moore out of Anzac Day clash; Yze prickly on Balta issue
Tehan said Nash was trying to slap the ball out of Miers' hands, but when the Geelong forward lowered the ball it exposed his face. 'At all times … Nash's eyes are only at the ball,' said Tehan. 'The level of the arm and the level of the ball are the same … the ball gets lowered out of that range and the consequence is ... the inside of the bicep [of Nash] makes contact with Mr Miers. 'This was not a dirty act, it was an obvious football act.' But Gleeson said it should have been obvious such a careless act would have a significant impact to Miers. Until Wednesday night, Nash had an unblemished tribunal record in more than 100 AFL games. He said it was accidental and the result of a legitimate football play. 'I simply tried to grab the ball and tap it free with my hand,' said Nash. 'I was looking at the footy the whole time.' After the game Nash, who expressed his remorse during the hearing, said he tried to find Miers and apologise. The following day he sent Miers a text, which he recited to the tribunal. 'I wanted to check in on how you've pulled up today,' Nash texted Miers. 'I'm also reaching out to let you know that there really was no malice to that hit. I tried to play the ball I just got it badly wrong ... very sorry for what happened.' Nash will miss Hawthorn's games against West Coast, Richmond, Melbourne and Gold Coast. Moore to miss Anzac Day clash Danny Russell Collingwood have pulled Darcy Moore out of Friday's Anzac Day match after the Magpies captain started experiencing vertigo from an ear injury. It means that vice captain Nick Daicos, at just 22, will become the youngest player to skipper the Pies in 57 years. The star onballer has played just 76 games and is in his fourth top-flight season. At 22 years and 112 days Daicos will become Collingwood's fourth-youngest skipper, after Len Thompson in 1968 (20 years and 244 days), Dick Lee in 1910 (21 years and 91 days) and Murray Weideman in 1958 (22 years and 62 days). Moore copped an accidental knee to the left ear from teammate Jeremy Howe during a marking contest in Collingwood's 52-point win over the Brisbane Lions last Thursday. The skipper was taken from the ground at the time with blood trickling from a split at the bottom of the ear. The cut needed stitches, but Moore was cleared of concussion during the match and again during the week. Magpies coach Craig McRae announced during his press conference on Wednesday that Moore would not be playing against Essendon. 'Darcy's got a bit of an inner-ear issue,' McRae said. 'We are not sure exactly what it is. He has got a bit of vertigo symptoms at the moment. 'We've had scans, he is probably off to see a specialist now to see what is going on there.' McRae said Moore had not been able to train because of the lingering issues. 'I just chatted to him prior to training, and he goes, 'It just sort of comes on and goes away',' the Collingwood coach said. 'I haven't experienced vertigo, but he is using that language. We don't know the answers yet. He is going to go and have some tests, and we might be able to report something this afternoon.' The Collingwood match committee sit on Wednesday afternoon to name a replacement for the key defender. 'Lucky enough we have got a few players we think we can bring in,' McRae said. 'Whether we go tall or we go smaller in our backline, we will work through that, but it leaves a hole.' 'Any questions about the game?': Yze fed up with Balta questions Danny Russell Richmond coach Adem Yze has shut down a barrage of questions about Noah Balta's assault case as he revealed that the Tigers had ruled out appealing his punishment because it would stretch the matter out for another six weeks. Yze fronted a press conference at the Tigers' Punt Road headquarters on Wednesday morning, speaking for the first time since Balta was sentenced to an 18-month correctional service order in Albury Local Court on Tuesday for assault. Balta's penalty included a three-month nighttime curfew that will rule him out of at least four AFL games, including the Anzac Eve clash on Thursday night against Melbourne as well as the traditional Dreamtime at the G nighttime blockbuster against Essendon at the MCG in round 11. The Tigers coach spoke for four minutes about how the club would help a 'flat' and 'remorseful' Balta deal with his unusual penalty, which requires him to give up alcohol and be in his house between 10pm and 6am for the next three months, before declaring he had said 'enough'. 'To be fair, that's about six questions I've answered about Noah,' Yze said. 'Our job right now, he's been sanctioned, we're going to support him from now moving forward, and we've got a massive game against Melbourne. No more questions. Any questions about the game?' Loading The Richmond communications department then told the media pack that they were 'moving on'. Earlier, Yze had said the club and Balta accepted the court's punishment and would now set a plan for him, 'understanding which games he won't be allowed to play'. 'To go through an appeal process would be almost giving him the license to get back in and [say that] footy was more relevant than the sanction,' Yze said. 'He knew that he did wrong, and he was going to be punished. So to go through that for another six weeks, we just thought it was too hard, not only on him, but on our footy club and our playing group, so we accept the decision, and we move on.' Loading Yze said the club had not expected a curfew, but they knew the defender was going to be sanctioned. 'Dealing with that is just part of it,' he said. 'Like I said, he's really remorseful. We knew that he was going to be punished, and we went through that process yesterday, and now that's one little element that we'll have to play around with and deal with as a club. 'But at the same time we have got to wrap our arms around him and help him through this.' Richmond banned Balta, 25, for four AFL games and two pre-season matches after it was revealed he had assaulted a man outside Mulwala Water Ski Club in the early hours of December 30 last year. But Yze defended Balta's decision to not speak publicly about the court case. 'He will speak in time,' the Tigers coach said. 'It's pretty tough to go through. There's a fair few players that don't like speaking in front of the media, and they're not trained for that. 'And going through what he went through yesterday, you're obviously a little bit worried about what he could say. 'He was he's obviously disappointed, he's flat, he's emotional, so we've just got to protect him with that. He'll speak when he when it's his right time to speak and you will sense how remorseful he is.' Balta played his first game of the season against the Gold Coast last Saturday, and will be expected to line up for the Tigers again against Hawthorn in a day match at the MCG in round eight. Yze said Richmond would bring in 195-centimetre youngster Campbell Gray, 21, to make his debut on Thursday night. Gray was taken at pick 16 in the 2024 mid-season rookie draft. Roos lash out at 'coach bashing' of Clarkson AAP North Melbourne have come out swinging in defence of Alastair Clarkson with football boss Todd Viney lashing 'disrespectful' criticism and 'coach bashing' of the Kangaroos mentor. North have lost their past four games by an average of almost 59 points and reached a season-low with an embarrassing 82-point defeat to Carlton on Good Friday. Clarkson has come under fire, but Viney, who also worked with him at Hawthorn, scoffed at any suggestion the four-time premiership mentor had lost his edge. 'I find it amusing, really. I find it probably disrespectful,' Viney said on SEN on Wednesday. 'This is not only to Clarko but this is something that's pointed at senior coaches all the time. It's almost like a sport ... There is a sport around putting undue pressure on senior coaches in my view.' Viney pointed out 2025 was the first season where Clarkson hadn't also been dealing with the fallout from the Hawthorn racism saga. 'Not many clubs can really perform at their best when they've got such distractions going on,' Viney continued. 'He's had enormous distractions, unwarranted criticisms, judged unfairly – it's taken an enormous toll on him over those two years. 'Eventually we're into this third year, two years and six games in. He's a rejuvenated person, back to his old self, a lot of energy, seeing the game as well as he's ever seen it.' Viney was adamant Clarkson was well supported and seeing the game 'as well as he ever has' but the Kangaroos were in the early stages of building their game. 'The criticism is really unwarranted,' he said. 'I think it's a bit of a sport, the coach-bashing thing. 'It's a tall poppy syndrome which is the Australian culture – we pick on the guys who have been successful and in time ultimately bring them down.' Loading Ahead of Saturday's away clash with Port Adelaide, Viney was adamant the Kangaroos were strong and aligned across the board and wouldn't deviate from their plans. 'A lot of things are going well so we won't be fractured, we won't fall into jumping at shadows with all the noise,' he said. 'We understand the game gives us nothing and we need to deserve to win games. 'No one's going to give us anything and we don't expect it, we expect to cop our right whack with performances like the weekend.
Herald Sun
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Hawthorn Conor Nash learns AFL Tribunal fate for strike on Geelong Cats Gryan Miers
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Hawthorn's Conor Nash has been hit with a four-game ban for his sickening Easter Monday hit on Geelong star Gryan Miers. The 26-year-old Irishman was referred straight to the Tribunal for the shocking moment, with his swinging arm graded careless conduct, severe impact and high contact. The AFL was seeking at least a four-match sanction, while the Hawks were hoping for a three-game suspension for an incident they described as 'not a dirty act' and a 'football act' gone wrong during the hearing. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Miers was left in an awful state after the third quarter incident, needing help from two trainers to leave the ground during Geelong's victory in the MCG blockbuster. With the Cats leading by 12 points in front of a huge 88,746-strong crowd, Miers took possession of the footy right before Nash swung his right arm and collected the star Cat directly in the face. Watch the incident in the video player above Gryan Miers is helped from the ground after being cleaned up by Conor Nash. Picture: Michael Klein Fox Footy's David Zita, who was reporting from the Tribunal on X, quoted a 'very remorseful' Nash as he gave evidence at the hearing. 'I saw a player, didn't know who it was, coming through to grab the footy and I simply try to tap the ball, knock it free with my arm,' Nash said. 'I just want to express with deep regret what happened to Gryan. 'I'm very remorseful for the incident. I was simply trying to make a play on the ball and I just got it badly wrong.' Hawthorn's pleas ultimately fell on deaf ears and Nash will miss matches against the Eagles, Tigers, Demons and Suns, with his first availability coming against the Lions on May 24. Nash has been suspended for the crude hit. Photos: Fox Sports The Tribunal released a long statement after the hearing explaining its decision. 'We find the degree of carelessness here was significant,' it read in part. 'The ball was in contest among a relatively tight cluster of players. 'Nash was to the side of and slightly behind Miers, and Miers had no view of Nash as he attempted to collect the ball. The ball was at approximately head height. 'While Nash had eyes for the football, he had his arm on Miers' back prior to impact, and must be taken to have been aware of the approximate position of Miers' body and head. 'Nash gave evidence that he was attempting to knock the ball forward, but the angle with which he swung his arm, the elevation at which he swung his arm, and the force with which he swung his arm meant that it was all but inevitable that he was going to make forceful contact with Miers' head. 'In any event, force of impact was considerable.' Nash looks on as Miers receives medical attention. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) The statement added: 'Miers was knocked off his feet and stayed down for an extended period. 'He suffered a concussion and there was the potential for a facial injury given the nature and force of the impact. 'We have some difficulty in understanding how Nash got it so wrong here.' Hawks coach Sam Mitchell was asked about the moment on Fox Footy after Monday's game and understood he was likely to be without his midfielder for some period. 'I saw it live obviously and as soon as I saw (Miers) was taken off with concussion then you recognise that that's probably going to be a report and an MRO,' he said. 'My thoughts firstly go to Gryan, no one wants to see that concussion in the game. 'Nashy doesn't have a reputation for anything like that so I'm sure that's not what his intention was … I'll leave it for the MRO.' The Tribunal was blunt in its findings for Nash (right). (Photo by) The commentators and those watching on reacted straight after the hit. 'There's a real high one that's knocked the stuffing out of the Cat on the ground,' Matt Hill said on Fox Footy. 'It's Miers.' David King added: 'Oh gee. He's out. He's out.' Miers stayed on the ground for a long period before slowly being helped to his feet and taken from the ground with the help of the trainers. 'He is a man that's in trouble, big time,' Jason Dunstall added of Nash. 'You just can't have swinging arms like that and we've seen it in recent times.' Jon Ralph reported on Fox Footy after the game Nash was looking at a minimum three-week suspension from the tribunal. Nash will now have an extended period on the sidelines. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) King felt the discussion around possible red card send-offs in the AFL would roar back onto the agenda after the incident. 'The ramifications for this match are huge and the conversation will begin again about red cards and all sorts of things,' the North Melbourne champion said. 'Gryan Miers has set up five scores for the Cats, he's their most creative half-forward, particularly with ball in hand. 'We see him getting to his feet, he's wobbling, and that's the last time we'll see Gryan Miers for the day so it's a big hole for Christ Scott to fill.' Mitchell will now need to find a replacement for Nash, while Miers is also set for a stint on the sidelines as he recovers from the heavy hit. Originally published as 'Very remorseful' Hawk Conor Nash learns fate for Gryan Miers strike
ABC News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Conor Nash suspended for four weeks for Gryan Miers hit despite 'genuine remorse'
Hawthorn's Conor Nash has been handed a four-game suspension by the AFL tribunal for a hit that left Geelong's Gryan Miers concussed. The incident, which saw Miers subbed out of the Easter Monday clash at the MCG, was graded by the AFL's match review officer as careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, warranting a ban of at least three weeks. Loading Twitter content Nash accepted that finding but at Wednesday night's hearing, AFL representative Andrew Woods SC argued for a four-game ban while Hawthorn's legal team made a case for three. Representing Nash, Myles Tehan said his previously clean record in both the AFL and in previous sporting careers in Ireland, playing Gaelic football and rugby union, should count in Nash's favour. Mr Tehan bizarrely evoked Jim Stynes as an example of another Irishman in the AFL with "a famously impeccable record". Mr Tehan also pointed to Nash's immediate apologies and remorse after the incident and in subsequent text messages to Miers. Nash said Geelong players on the field during and after the game accepted the contact as accidental. Nash claimed he was trying to hit the ball away from the stoppage before his bicep made contact with Miers's head. Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson KC pointed out Nash had his left hand resting on Miers's back as he began to swipe towards the ball, indicating he could have reasonably foreseen contact to his head. This was a significant factor in the final judgement, as the tribunal found that Nash "must have been taken to have been aware of the approximate location of Miers" and it was "all but inevitable Nash would make forceful contact with Miers's head". Recent similar cases involving Hawthorn's Jack Scrimshaw and Fremantle's Patrick Voss were also referenced, with the AFL arguing the Nash hit was more severe than those two as the victims of those hits received either a delayed concussion or no concussion at all. Mr Tehan argued the key difference between Nash's hit and those of Scrimshaw and Voss was that Nash was attempting to play the ball, rather than the man. The AFL found the severity of the impact was worthy of a greater ban than those two incidents and agreed with the AFL's suggested punishment of four weeks.
