Latest news with #Norfolk-based
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Norfolk-based USS Gravely captures hundreds of pounds of cocaine worth over $13 million
The Norfolk-based USS Gravely last week seized more than 850 pounds of narcotics while in the Caribbean Sea. The ship's search and seizure team had boarded a 'vessel of interest' on May 25 and found 19 bales of cocaine, according to a news release from the Navy. A spokesperson for the Navy said the drugs had a street value of $13.6 million. 'Seamless integration of U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard maritime assets (are) integral to border protection — this is an excellent example of that teamwork,' said Vice Adm. Doug Perry, commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet. 'Border security is national security.' The USS Gravely has been in the gulf since March 15 and works with Coast Guard personnel to target drug trafficking, illegal immigration and transnational crime.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
USNS Comfort to deploy for three-month humanitarian mission in Latin America
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Norfolk-based USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is set to begin a three-month deployment on Friday morning as part of the U.S. Navy's Continuing Promise 2025. The Mercy-class hospital ship will provide humanitarian and medical aid in mission visits to Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Dominion Republic. This marks the U.S. Navy's 16th mission to the region since 2007 and the eight aboard the USNS Comfort. The medical units that will be on board for this mission will have various skillsets, including dental, family medicine, internal medicine, optometry, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical repair, lab, radiology, X-ray, veterinary medicine and global health engagement. The USNS Comfort has one of the largest trauma facilities in the world and when activated, can transition to full operating status in five days. Full operating status includes the crew of civil service mariners and Navy medical personnel. The USNS Comfort has additionally provided relief after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Maria. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Controversial podcaster will not speak at veterans' group convention in Norfolk
Stew Peters, the controversial podcast host who had been slated to speak at an upcoming veterans reunion in Norfolk, reportedly will not appear at the event. The Liberty Veterans' Association will hold its annual reunion on the anniversary of the USS Liberty bombing from June 6-9 at the Sheraton Waterside Norfolk Hotel. Peters, whom the Anti-Defamation League has described as an anti-Semite, was named as a speaker, in an unconfirmed social media post that quickly drew attention to the event and the hotel. The LVA confirmed Peters was scheduled to speak at the event, but said the other two men aren't speaking and aren't registered to attend. WTKR reported on Tuesday that Marriott, the owner of the Sheraton Waterside Norfolk Hotel, banned Peters. WTKR's report quoted an association spokesperson as saying that Peters was banned from 'entering their property and has advised us he is not to speak.' The spokesman, veteran's association board member John Dixon, declined to comment about Peters' status to The Virginian-Pilot on Tuesday. The association's annual event is meant to honor the survivors of Israel's bombing of the USS Liberty bombing in 1967, which killed 34 sailors and injured 170 others. Israel has maintained that the attack was a mistake, but many members of the Norfolk-based Liberty Veterans' Association believe it was intentional. The LVA's leadership has attempted to distance themselves from accusations of antisemitism, saying in an email to The Pilot that they don't share all the 'views, beliefs, or behavior' of their supporters, 'but … we stand and defend all Americans constitutional rights including the first amendment.' The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4809 is hosting a memorial service at the USS Liberty Monument at their post on June 8 as part of the LVA's reunion festivities, according to the LVA's website and the official flyer for the reunion. Eric Mallett, incoming commander of Post 4809, said in a statement in response to the reported speakers that 'white supremacy and antisemitism have no place in the VFW.' Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806,
Wales Online
23-05-2025
- Science
- Wales Online
Space Age arrives in Wales as rocket launched from new testing facility
Space Age arrives in Wales as rocket launched from new testing facility A high-altitude balloon was also dispatched to the edge of space The airfield's new Space Test & Training Centre (STTC) blasts off in style (Image: Snowdonia Aerospace Centre ) The Space Age has officially arrived in north Wales following the formal opening of cutting-edge testing facilities in Eryri (Snowdonia). Excitement soared at Llanbedr, Gwynedd, during the grand opening of the Space Test and Training Centre (STTC), with a rocket launch among the displays on show. A host of demonstrations featuring state-of-the-art equipment left dignitaries in awe, with the UK Space Agency's launch director Matt Archer, hailing the STTC as a "significant step forward for the UK's space capabilities". The STTC proudly showcased its impressive arsenal of tools for space exploration including a centrifuge and a vibration table. The newly built centre also has a sophisticated thermal-cycling vacuum chamber among other cutting-edge utilities geared to ensure that Britain's space-bound tech can endure the harsh climes of space environments. With both vertical and horizontal launch options thanks to its versatile rail launchers, the centre is geared up for an array of space missions. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Preparing for lift-off (Image: Snowdonia Aerospace Centre ) In celebration of this significant milestone, Norfolk-based company Launch Access impressed attendees with a live rocket firing show, while a high-altitude balloon ascended into the sky, by Sent Into Space from Sheffield. Article continues below Visitors to the newly-launched space centre were thrilled by the ability to track a CubeSat nanosatellite's journey towards the brink of space from the comfort of the STTC mission control room, reports North Wales Live. The state-of-the-art facility is the result of a collaboration between the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre and Newton Launch Systems. Its establishment was bolstered by £820,000 funding from the UK Space Agency, contributing to over £1.3 million in overall funding. Novel space and near-space technology will be developed at the new testing centre (Image: Snowdonia Aerospace Centre ) UK telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant heralded the Llanbedr site as a pivotal step for Britain's "space superpower". He said: "The opening of the Snowdonia Space Centre cements our commitment to building a space ecosystem right across the UK. "The centre will not only drive economic growth in North Wales but also inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers through its outstanding educational facilities, strengthening Britain's position as a space superpower." The new centre presents companies with affordable entry to high-grade testing grounds, fostering hopes that it will enable the innovation and creation of new tech and products. Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Evans expressed her delight at attending the official opening of a new centre, describing it as a "real privilege". Alongside representatives from Space Wales, she remarked: "This is a landmark moment not only for the local community – bringing new opportunities, skills, and investment to the region – but also for the wider UK space sector. "Facilities like this will play a crucial role in delivering our National Space Strategy for Wales, strengthening Wales' position as a hub for innovation and helping drive forward the UK's space ambitions." The Snowdonia Aerospace Centre (SAC), situated at the former Llanbedr Airfield, already provides access to Special Use Airspace (SUA) for the development of innovative aerospace systems in the UK, with approval from the Civil Aviation Authority. The SUA has been expanded over Cardigan Bay to support the centre's space testing programme, which includes a larger area for various activities. Additionally, the SAC boasts a flight test range that caters to different aspects of space flight, including rocket-powered vehicles, near-space scientific flights, microgravity research, and trials for re-entry vehicles and payload recovery systems. The centre also plays a vital role in education, offering facilities to support university-level research and STEM learning for primary and secondary students. It has already hosted numerous events focused on rocketry and cansat projects for Welsh pupils. Jeremy Howitt, SAC's technical director, expressed his hopes for the centre by saying: "As well as providing much needed testing facilities to the UK space industry, we hope the centre will help to stimulate local and national interest in the space industry and inspire more young people to engage in a career in the space industry." Article continues below Plans for expanding educational facilities are also on the cards, with ambitions to eventually introduce a new Space Discovery Centre that would include observatories and a planetarium, aimed at boosting astrotourism. Lee Paul, SAC's CEO, enthused about the location's potential: "We are in one of the most accessible and spectacular Dark Skies settings in the world!"
ITV News
23-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Why actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones wants to preserve a Norfolk Kwik Fit garage
"Once it's gone, it's gone forever": Russell Hookey met with the great-granddaughter of the architect behind the building The actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones is warning that one of the oldest reinforced concrete buildings in Britain is under threat unless it is better protected. The building, 33-39 St James Street in King's Lynn, is currently a Kwik Fit garage and has been added to this year's Top Ten Endangered Buildings List, which highlights buildings under threat. According to the Victorian Society, the building is an "extraordinary example of modernist design and concrete construction". The society's president Griff Rhys Jones said, "It's extraordinary, it's a very early modernist building, and as such it might be of European significance." The Grade II-listed building, built in 1908, was designed by Norfolk-based architect A.F. Scott. It was listed in 2019 on the advice of Historic England and because of its clean lines and lack of decoration, it is considered a precursor to the post-First World War European Functionalism movement. Scott had already designed the now-demolished Chamberlin's factory in Norwich in 1903, which was the first reinforced concrete building in East Anglia. His great-granddaughter, Judith Merrill said that Scott was "very much one of his kind." "He was an individualist" she said. "He rode a bicycle - it's said he had the first pneumatic tyres in Norwich and cycled miles around Norfolk in them. "He was well ahead of his time, and it needs preserving, because once it's gone, it's gone forever." The St James Street building is now leased by Kwik Fit, although according to the Victorian Society a large part of the building is in long-term disuse and deterioration. The society is now urging the investment company which owns the building to take action to protect it. 'This bold and brilliant building is an unheralded but pioneering example of early modernism" said the society's director, James Hughes. "It deserves urgent attention, not just to preserve its fabric, but to celebrate its place in European architectural history," he added. A spokesperson for Kwik Fit said the building is "structurally sound" based on inspections which are carried out at least once a month. "Naturally we would prefer the property to be fully utilised, but our operations don't require the entire building," they added. "We have attempted to let out the space we do not use.
