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USA Today
29-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
40 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 40
From Dalton Hilliard and Mike Bell to Delvin Breaux We are down to a 40-day wait until the New Orleans Saints take the field for their 2025 regular season opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Rookie seventh round choice Fadil Diggs is currently in possession of the No. 40 for the Saints. Diggs is trying to become the 19th player in New Orleans franchise history to wear that number during the regular season. Here is the complete list of who preceded him. Saints' History of No. 40 Earl Gros was the first to put on a No. 40 jersey for New Orleans, but did so for only one game. Hoyle Granger was the first to wear it for an entire season but was only a Saint through the 1971 campaign. Of the 18 players who have worn No. 40 with the Saints, 17 of them did so for two years or less, with 13 of those wearing it for just one year. Terry Schmidt was the first player to keep 40 for more than a season, the first one to be drafted by the Saints to wear No. 40, and also the first defensive player to wear it. Schmidt was with the Saints for two seasons and led the 1974 squad with 4 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Dalton Hilliard was a Round 2 choice, 31st overall, from the LSU Tigers in the 1986 NFL draft, the highest drafted player by New Orleans to wear No. 40. Hilliard had a fantastic eight-year career as a Saint. However, he only wore 40 during his 1986 rookie season before switching to his more-familiar No. 21. As a rookie, Hilliard had 138 offensive touches for 532 yards and 5 scores. Robert Massey was also a Round 2 pick, selected with the 46th overall choice by the Saints in the 1989 NFL draft out of North Carolina Central. Massey had a promising start to his career, intercepting 5 passes for an outstanding 1989 New Orleans defense. He was only with the Saints for two years, however, before going on to standout years with the Phoenix Cardinals and three other teams through 1997. Brian Milne arrived as a free-agent addition in 2000, which would turn out to be his only year with the team and last of a five-year NFL career. Milne split time at fullback during the 2000 season, rushing for one score, and was also a strong special teams performer. It was there that he was part of one of the most iconic plays in franchise history. The Saints were holding onto a thin 31-28 lead over the St. Louis Rams in a 2000 wild-card playoff game. Milne would recover a fumbled punt late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory, the first postseason win in New Orleans history. Mel Mitchell was a fifth-round choice by the Saints in the 2002 NFL draft. More notably, Mitchell is the only player to wear No. 40 with the Saints for more than two years, suiting up for three years and 44 games as primarily a special teams contributor. Of the nine offensive players to wear No. 40 for New Orleans, none wore it for longer than one season. Running back Mike Bell had a strong 2009 in the backfield rotation during the team's Super Bowl XLIV title run, finishing second in rushing yardage. He wore No. 21 that season, only wearing 40 for four games after being signed late in 2008. The story of Delvin Breaux is one of courage and resilience. A star at McDonogh 35, Breaux broke his neck during a game and was unable to play collegiately at LSU. Instead, he'd rehabilitate his injury and starred for the Louisiana Bayou Vipers before going on to be one of the best players in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. From there, Breaux's unlikely journey to the NFL continued when signed by the Saints in 2015. Breaux instantly earned a starting job and started all 16 contests that year. He was a standout corner on an otherwise bad defense, shutting down some of the league's finest receivers and leading the Saints with 3 interceptions and 19 passes broken up. A broken leg that was misdiagnosed by team doctors in 2016 limited Breaux to only six games and hastened the end of his NFL career the following year. He'd return to the CFL as an all-star but would have undoubtedly had a longer stint as a standout with his hometown Saints if not for the blunders of the medical staff. Since Delvin Breaux, only two players have worn No. 40 for New Orleans in the last eight seasons, doing so for a combined 11 contests. Fadil Diggs now gets his shot at an edge rusher spot where the Saints are desperate for talent and production.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Work to cut traffic on major road given go-ahead
Work to improve congestion issues on parts of the A38 in Somerset have been approved. North Somerset and Somerset Council said the project would see work take place at nine locations along the A38 running between Barrow Street junction at Barrow Tanks, and the Edithmead roundabout. The Department for Transport, which funds the Major Road Network (MRN), supported proposed improvements and construction. Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council's lead member for transport and waste services, said: "It's great to get this confirmation of funding, we have lobbied hard to secure the money to improve a busy and vital stretch of the A38 in Somerset." Plans for a new rail station in Wellington have also been approved. North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said: "The A38 MRN will improve capacity on our roads, making journeys smoother, safer and more reliable. "The scheme also includes sustainable options for getting around such as the widening of walking and cycling paths and new crossings for the Strawberry Line." Some key areas in Somerset which are set to be updated are Edithmead roundabout, which authorities said would get a "through-about" option and the creation of a staggered junction at Cross. For North Somerset, traffic signalling software has been proposed for Barrow Street Junction, and there are to be improvements at various points on the airport terminal roundabout. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset North Somerset Council Somerset Council Drivers warned over two months of gas upgrade work Plans to improve A38 at major motorway roundabout Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
The Province
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Point Roberts festival organizers sing worried tune amid Canadian border boycotts
Canadian musicians who put on Point Roberts festival say their home is a 'ghost town.' The Whiskeydicks have performed at the strings and things festival in Point Roberts. Mike Bell Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The organizers behind a small music festival in Washington state are worried by Canadians boycotting travel to the U.S. The Point Roberts Strings and Things International Music Festival, which is set to take place on July 12, sold out its inaugural 600-person capacity event in 2024. Organized by Point Roberts-based accounts manager Breeda Desmond and musician Mike Bell, the first year of the self-funded festival featured a dozen musicians. Eleven of those artists, including Bell, were Canadian. 'We managed to get four acts out of 11 musicians and it went great,' said Bell. 'We began working on Year 2 right after and were contacted by the local chamber of commerce who were really interested in getting something going. Given its unique location locked behind the Canadian border, we really feel that this close-knit community may be the most welcoming to Canadians in the U.S.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Following the success of last year's event, Bell and Desmond secured US$30,000 funding from Whatcom Country Tourism, as well as four other sponsors, to expand the event to accommodate 2,000-plus attendees. Twenty-five musicians performing in six different acts, including Juno Award-winners the Paperboys, are secured for this year's roster. The festival also increased its staffing and infrastructure in anticipation for a larger event. 'We had a good idea of how to get those numbers and where to get them, but the shift in rhetoric from the Trump administration really led to palpable shifts in the area,' Desmond says. Although they sold the same amount of tickets via an early bird presale as the total ticket sales for last year's event, organizers say they registered a 'noticeable dip' in interest when the 51st state rhetoric began. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We had targeted advertising in places like Tsawwassen getting results, but recently we have heard from people concerned about the border crossing, fearing being detained and so on,' Desmond says. 'We haven't heard of that happening at our border crossing, but we also can't make any assurances either.' A 'uniquely vulnerable' destination that's only accessible by land through Canada, Point Roberts has been the subject of much conversation amid the tariff turmoil. The New York Times published a feature on the town on June 15 headlined How a Tiny Community Got Caught Up in Trump's Attacks on Canada. Noting that the previously busy area has seen an almost 30 per cent drop in entry from the previous year, with businesses such as the local supermarket reporting a 20 per cent drop in sales, the NYT article featured some regular visitors who stated they will not return until there is a regime change in the White House. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. These aren't the kinds of words local retailers, or the Strings and Things festival organizers, want to hear. Desmond, who is originally from Ireland, and Bell, who was born in Prince Rupert, were previously working and living in Los Angeles. Bell is a member of the well-established touring Vancouver folk act the Whiskeydicks, as well as fronting prog rockers the Living Orchestra. The Living Orchestra includes Mike Bell, left. Judy Chee 'Moving to Point Bob was a kind of hack for us to get closer to one set of family, as well as for Mike to stay connected to the Vancouver music scene he has been so entrenched in,' said Desmond. 'Putting together the festival followed a market test during COVID where Mike met the other members of the Whiskeydicks who came to the Tsawwassen side of the border and they did a gig outside. Locals were totally stoked, so we did that for three years in a row.' Having built up this tradition, the idea of creating a festival with the Whiskeydicks and the Living Orchestra came up. A reported 70 per cent Canadian ownership of homes in Point Roberts and many nearby communities lacking a music festival reinforced the idea. Neither Desmond nor Bell think that this year's event won't happen as ticket sales are steady enough to insure a break-even. But the future remains uncertain. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This year isn't at stake, but our long-term plans to extend it over two days and make it more of a Canadian-American event is at stake,' said Desmond. 'Even with the funding, the investment in a bigger infrastructure is something we have to take into account for future events.' U.S. government support for arts events is another lingering question, they note. 'There is concern about the cutting in funding across the board for blue states and how that could impact us,' said Bell. 'The local chamber of commerce has also raised concerns about this moving forward. It all comes down to whether the Canadians who come down here for the summer arrive as usual.' This year's lineup includes the Paperboys, the Whiskeydicks, the Living Orchestra, Gabriel (The Red Fiddler)' Wheaton, Canadian/American bluegrass crew Bordergrass Alliance, and banjo ace Quattlebaum. The festival runs July 12 from 2 to 10 p.m. at Point Roberts Marina and tickets start at $37.25. For more information, visit stringsandthingsmusicfestival. sderdeyn@ Read More Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Opinion Local News News
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Weston's Birnbeck Pier plan 'in jeopardy' as RNLI pulls out
Plans to restore a historic pier are "in jeopardy" after key partner the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) pulled out of the Somerset Council confirmed it would have to delay the process of appointing contractors to renovate the current plans, the RNLI would have established a new base on the pier and was committed to raising £5m towards the cost, according to the Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council, said: "I want to reassure residents that the council, along with our funding partners, remain committed to saving Birnbeck Pier."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Plans to transform former seafront lido approved
A former seafront lido in Weston-super-Mare is to be given a multi-million pound revamp. The Tropicana was shut down 25 years ago and left to fall into disrepair until graffiti artist Banksy transformed the derelict site into his Dismaland bemusement park in 2015. Since then, the 1930s building has been hired out for events but now councillors have approved plans for it to be transformed into a "nationally significant" venue hosting crowds of up to 5,000 people. North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said it was a "really exciting" scheme which the council is "absolutely going to deliver - unlike all the failed schemes of the past". More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset The new scheme will see the existing 1980s building demolished and replaced by a new purpose-built indoor venue, while the 1930s frontage on the promenade will be restored. At a planning committee meeting on Wednesday, Alan Rice from the Weston Civic Society warned adding a "large, monolithic building" to the centre of the seafront would "obstruct and significantly harm the iconic view". Councillor Tim Snaden described the proposed building as "architectural vandalism". But councillor John Crockford-Hawley said although the new building was an "awkwardly built bulky slab" the benefits to the town were outweighed by the harm to the Tropicana. Councillor Terry Porter said it may not be the "best bit of design" but added delaying a decision could jeopardise the funding. The committee approved the plans and Mr Bell said he was "absolutely delighted". "People can look forward to it opening next year," he said. Councillor Mike Solomon said the venue will not only "attract the best operator" but "take the venue into the future". "With the planning application now approved, it's full steam ahead to reinvent the Tropicana, a key destination at the heart of Weston's seafront," he said. Construction is due to begin this summer and be complete by summer 2026. The work is being funded by £8.7m from the government's Levelling Up Fund, which may be withdrawn if not used by March 2026, according to the the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Planned Tropicana revamp expected to get go-ahead Tropicana partially closes ahead of £8.7m revamp North Somerset Council Local Democracy Reporting Service
