Latest news with #Nutmeg
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Heartless Florida man accused of strangling puppy to death, burying corpse in backyard: cops
She wasn't this man's best friend. A 55-year-old Florida man allegedly strangled a 15-month-old pit bull/Labrador Retriever mix in a heartless fit of rage — then buried the pooch in his backyard. Howard Blair was busted on animal cruelty charges last week for the alleged heinous assault after his pup 'Nutmeg' bit one of his other dogs during a feeding in January, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a release Monday. Advertisement Blair then wrapped Nutmeg in a blanket, put her body in a plastic bin and buried it in his backyard, according to the sheriff's office. Howard Blair, 55, is charged with strangling his 15-month-old pit bull/Labrador puppy to death, police said. Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility Deputies were summoned to the Gulf Coast home on Jan. 25 on an animal complaint when they were told that one of Blair's five dogs — ill-fated Nutmeg — had died the night before. Advertisement The department launched an investigation and, on May 27, issued an arrest warrant for Blair. He was picked up on the warrant on Saturday. 'I commend our deputies for thoroughly investigating this case,' Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. 'If you hurt or kill an innocent animal, we will find you and put you in the Green Roof Inn where you belong.' Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said his department has no patience for animal abuse o his turf in Florida. First Coast News Advertisement The Green Roof Inn is the tongue-in-cheek nickname for the Flagler County Jail. Blair was transported to the facility but was later released on a $2,500 bond, the sheriff said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man from Palm Coast arrested after burying dog in backyard, deputies say
Earlier this week, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office made an arrest on a warrant for aggravated animal cruelty, stemming from the death of a 15-month-old American Bulldog/Labrador Retriever mix named Nutmeg. Howard Blair was arrested on Thursday and transported to an inmate detention facility, where he was released on a $2,500 bond. Deputies responded to a Palm Coast residence for an animal complaint. They discovered that Nutmeg, one of five dogs in the home, had died the night before. While investigating the animal's death, deputies learned that Blair had strangled Nutmeg to death after she bit one of the other dogs during feeding. Blair then wrapped Nutmeg in a blanket, placed her in a plastic bin, and buried her in the backyard. The evidence obtained from the investigation of Nutmeg's death allowed deputies to obtain a warrant for Blair's arrest. 'I commend our deputies for thoroughly investigating this case,' said Sheriff Rick Staly. 'If you hurt or kill an innocent animal, we will find you and put you in the Green Roof Inn where you belong.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Palm Coast man facing felony after choking one of his dogs to death, report says
A Palm Coast man was arrested after he choked on his dogs to death after it attacked one of his chihuahuas. The man had completed an anger management class in a previous case in which he reportedly punched a neighbor who had agitated his dogs. Howard Taft Blair, 55, was charged with felony cruelty to animals, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Blair was booked into the Flagler County jail on Thursday where he remained Saturday on $2,500 bond, according to online jail records. The investigation began after Blair's wife called the sheriff's office asking for a deputy to stand by at the home while she picked up her belongings Jan. 24. The wife said she was leaving Blair after what happened the night before. While the deputy stood by, Blair, who smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes, began speaking, the affidavit stated. He told the deputy that he and his wife owned five dogs which all lived inside the house. He said one of the dogs, Nutmeg, was a 60-pound mix between an American bulldog and a Labrador. Blair also said they had three teacup chihuahuas named Jackson, Pico and Squirrel and another small mixed-breed dog. Blair said after he and his wife finished dinner, he put his plate on the floor so the dogs could finish the gravy. But then Jackson, the chihuahua, growled at 60-pound Nutmeg, causing Nutmeg to attack Jackson. The chihuahua suffered fatal injuries, according to the affidavit. Blair said Nutmeg had 'gotten ahold' of Jackson once before, but had not caused as much damage as this time. Blair said he separated Nutmeg from Jackson and then chased Nutmeg back into the living room. Blair then choked Nutmeg to death, the affidavit stated. Then he buried her under a slab in the backyard. Blair said about Nutmeg, 'there was no spanking her and putting her in the crate, it was that moment emotion,' the affidavit stated. Blair said his wife had asked why he didn't instead put Nutmeg in a crate. Blair said he had contacted a vet about 'behavioral euthanasia' but due to the violence, he could not wait to take her to a vet, the affidavit stated. The report noted that Blair had separated Nutmeg and she was no longer a threat to Jackson or any of the other dogs but Blair still choked her to death next to her crate. Deputies asked the wife if Blair had 'violent tendencies' and she said told them 'typically he does not and he is a very loving person, but this was cruel and sick.' The dog's body was not retrieved, the affidavit stated. Blair was arrested in 2019 on a less serious misdemeanor charge. In that case, a neighbor said Blair "sucker punched" him during a disagreement over the neighbor's mother-in-law, according to a charging affidavit. The neighbor "admitted to purposely agitating" Blair's dogs, the affidavit stated. He said Blair told him to leave and as he did, Blair struck him in the face, the affidavit stated. Blair told police that the neighbor had been stirring up and making gestures at his dogs, causing them to bark, the affidavit stated. Blair admitted to hitting the neighbor. Blair entered a deferred prosecution agreement in which he successfully completed an eight-hour anger management class. Prosecutors then dropped the battery charge against him. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida man kills his dog after it attacks his chihuahua, report says
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lifetime Isas: What they are and how they work
Lifetime Isas or 'Lisas' were first introduced in April 2017, as then-chancellor George Osborne's offering to help first-time buyers and future retirees grow a tax-free nest egg in one fell swoop. It was a clever move, offering help to both young people who needed help to get onto the housing ladder, and offering an alternative to a pension to those saving for the longer-term. Here, Telegraph Money explains how Lifetime Isas work, and what you need to know about the withdrawal penalty. What is a Lifetime Isa and who can open one? How does the Lifetime Isa bonus work? How does the withdrawal penalty work? How to use a Lifetime Isa to buy your first home Lifetime Isas vs pensions – which is better for retirement? Lifetime Isa FAQs A Lifetime Isa (Lisa) is a particular type of Isa (Individual Savings Account) available in the UK, specifically designed to help younger people save for one of two main goals: Buying their first home Saving for retirement Savers aged 18-39 are able to open a Lifetime Isa, where money can be held as cash or invested in stocks and shares. You can deposit up to £4,000 in each tax year – what you pay in will come out of your £20,000 Isa allowance – and the big incentive is the Government adds a 25pc bonus up to a maximum £1,000 a year. You can carry on saving money until you turn 50. Money can only be withdrawn either to buy your first home, or to use in retirement after the age of 60. Taking money out for any other reason (other than being diagnosed with a terminal illness) will trigger a withdrawal penalty, which not only removes the government bonus, but some of your own cash, too. Cash Lisas work in the same way as other cash Isas: you'll earn a variable rate of interest that remains tax-free while it's held within an Isa. If you're planning to save money held in a Lisa for a longer period of time – at least five years – an investment account might be more suitable and could see you make bigger returns (although this isn't guaranteed). Some investment Lisas, such those offered by Nutmeg and Moneybox, have the option to put your money into a ready-made portfolio. This means that the platform selects what you invest in, so you don't have to. Given there's more input from the provider, these accounts can come with more fees. Nutmeg fees, for example, are 0.75pc up to £100,000, with 0.35pc on anything over. Fully managed fund costs are 0.19pc, and there's a market spread fee of 0.04p. If you prefer a more DIY approach, providers such as AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown give you the flexibility to choose for yourself. Our calculator below can give you an idea of how much you could save. Our guide to the best lifetime Isas can reveal the top rates, and further fee information. For each £1 you pay into a Lisa, you'll get 25p 'free' from the Government. That's in addition to any savings interest or investment growth. The government bonus is 25pc of what you pay in, up to £4,000 The bonus is tax-free You'll lose the bonus – and 6.25pc of your own money – if you make a withdrawal that qualifies for the penalty. If you make a withdrawal from a Lisa for a reason other than buying your first home, or to buy a home over the limit, when you're over 60, or if you have a terminal illness, then the withdrawal penalty will be applied. This is 25pc of the amount being withdrawn. This not only removes the 25pc government bonus, but also 6.25pc of your own money. The penalty was temporarily reduced to 20pc during the pandemic, when large numbers of savers sought to access their savings. This meant only the government bonus was deducted, and there were calls to keep the penalty as it was. However, the original penalty rules were reintroduced in April 2021. If you want to buy your first home, your Lisa savings can be used to go towards purchasing a residential property in Britain with a value up to £450,000. For two people purchasing their first property together, each person can hold their own Lisa, and pool the money from both accounts to buy the same property. When you're ready to buy, you'll need to ask your solicitor or conveyancer to contact your Lisa provider to request the money you require to buy your home. Your solicitor will usually ask you to fill out a form to give details of the Lisa's details, and specifying the amount you want to withdraw. If you're intending to withdraw the full amount, you may be required to close the Lisa afterwards. The full amount may also be pending interest your provider owes – your solicitor can confirm the final amount after it has been transferred. Some providers stipulate a certain timescale for sending the money to your solicitor, so you'll need to make sure you allow enough time for the funds to be sent, or it could delay your exchange or completion dates. However, don't go too early. The property purchase must complete within 90 days of the transfer taking place; if it falls through, the funds should be restored to your account, without any penalty being deducted. Your solicitor will detail the amount you've agreed to pay as a deposit for the property, as well as fees for their services, property searches and any other fees you have incurred. These should be detailed, along with the payments you have made and the money received from your Lisa provider. Check this over carefully, making sure your Lisa savings have been correctly set against what you owe. Note that you will not be considered a first-time buyer for the purposes of Lisa rules if you've inherited or partly owned a property in the past, even if the property is not in the UK. When considering Lifetime Isas for pensions, there are multiple things you need to consider: Investment limits Capital access Inheritance tax Opening the account When you pay tax The most that can be paid into your Lisa each year is £5,000, made up of £4,000 from you and £1,000 in government bonuses. At most, this amount can be paid in each year between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning up to £155,000 can be deposited in total. This is not including savings interest or investment growth, which will continue to accumulate while the account is open. While this is not an insignificant amount, it's nothing compared to what you could save with a pension – this savings vehicle could even see you become a pension millionaire. Pensions can grow over a much longer period of time. Accounts can be opened for children, and paid into even beyond retirement age. While you're still working, and before any withdrawals have been made, you can pay in up to £60,000 a year or up to 100pc of your annual salary – whichever is less. Your Lifetime Isa savings can be accessed any time after you turn 60, for whatever you like. You can make partial withdrawals, or withdraw it all – although it will fail to be tax-free if you then pay it into a different account. By contrast, you'll need to wait until you reach retirement age to access your pension savings, which is currently 66. Under pension freedom rules, you can access defined contribution pension savings at age 55 (increasing to 57 in April 2028). Lisa savings form part of your estate, and therefore come within the scope of inheritance tax. Pension savings haven't historically been considered part of someone's estate, but they are due to be brought within the scope of inheritance tax from April 2027. Given that the cost of retirement is on the rise, a Lisa can offer a way to save for when you're over the age of 60. It could be used as well as, or instead of a private pension, but there are some key differences to be aware of. Parents can open pensions for their children, and other people – such as grandparents – can pay into the account. Lisas, on the other hand, can only be opened by the saver, and they're also the only ones who can make deposits. For parents or grandparents wanting to help their younger relatives save for the future, they can only give money and assume it will be transferred into the account. The money you pay into a Lisa will have already been taxed (unless you're not a taxpayer). While money is held within the Lisa, any growth will be free from tax. This includes a cash Isa's savings interest, which could otherwise be liable for income tax, and a stocks and shares Isa's investment growth, which could otherwise trigger capital gains tax and dividend tax. Tax benefits for pension savings come when you pay in the money, thanks to pension tax relief. However, the funds become taxable when you come to draw down the money. A pension can be more lucrative, thanks to the tax relief paid on your contributions – this is based on the highest rate of income tax you pay, meaning basic-rate taxpayers get 20pc tax relief, and those who pay higher-rate tax get 40pc. It means contributing £100 to your pension only costs you £80 as a basic-rate taxpayer, but for a higher-rate earner it would only cost you £60 to contribute that amount. For a basic-rate taxpayer the 'free' money is the same in a Lisa or a pension. But once you become a higher or top-rate taxpayer, a pension will win out. Employees will benefit even more. Under auto-enrolment rules, employers must contribute at least 3pc to employees' pensions – many will pay in more, and match or even exceed your contribution. What's more, if you pay in via a salary sacrifice scheme, you'll also get National Insurance relief, in addition to income tax relief. You have to hold a Lisa for at least a year before you can withdraw the funds to use towards your first home, otherwise you'll pay the withdrawal penalty. If you're looking to buy a home sooner, a different type of savings account would likely suit you more – although you will miss out on the government bonus. As Isa providers have to submit savings information to HMRC each year, the taxman will find out if you exceed the deposit limit. If it thinks you paid in more by accident, it will usually get in touch to explain what you need to do to correct the error (by transferring the excess to a different account, for example), and the extra money will lose its tax-free status, so there might be tax to pay on any growth. If you have more than £4,000 to save, you can either save into a different type of Isa, or a non-Isa savings or investment account. Some providers will have automatic mechanisms in place to make sure you don't exceed the deposit limit. For example, Nutmeg says any money from direct debit payments exceeding £4,000 will be automatically sent to its 'Unallocated Cash' pot. It won't be invested, but instead held until you give further instructions. The Help to Buy scheme closed to new entrants on November 30 2019. You can keep saving into an account if you opened one before this date and it can be used in conjunction with a Lifetime Isa. You can continue to save into a Help to Buy Isa until November 30 2029; the final deadline for claiming a Help to Buy Isa bonus is December 1 2030. However, you won't be able to get the Help to Buy Isa bonus, a maximum of £3,000, if you save the full £12,000 and also use the Lifetime Isa. Overall, the Lifetime Isa is a better account for buying a home. Sign in to access your portfolio
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Supermarket giant launches bank holiday garden furniture sale with savings of up to £110 on essentials
Scroll to see which items are on sale GARDEN BARGAIN Supermarket giant launches bank holiday garden furniture sale with savings of up to £110 on essentials AHEAD of the May Bank Holiday, a major supermarket is slashing prices on garden furniture - with discounts of up to 22 percent. Morrisons has unveiled a new wave of sales across its garden range, including outdoor seating and BBQs, helping shoppers get ready for the warmer weather. 4 Morrisons has released deals on summer garden furniture for the bank holiday weekend Credit: Morrisons 4 This barbecue is down 14 percent Credit: Morrisons 4 This Hanging Egg Chair is up to £110 cheaper than high street rivals Credit: Morrissons One of the standout items in the promotion is the Nutmeg Hanging Egg Chair, priced at £140. This popular garden feature is said to be up to £110 cheaper than similar models on the high street. Here are some of the other items on sale: Woven Wooden Low Accent Chair - £35, down from £45 (discount of 22%) Metal Bistro Set - £35, down from £45 (discount of 22%) Nutmeg 6 Piece Folding Patio Set - £55, down from £70 (discount of 21%) Hozelock Compact Reel & Hose Kit - £24, down from £30 (discount of 20%) Emma Corner 5 Seater Lounge Set With Storage Table - £225, down from £275 (discount of 18%) Textilene Conversation Set - £40, down from £50 (discount of 20%) 57cm Round Kettle BBQ - £30, down from £35 (discount of 14%) Nutmeg Hanging Egg Chair - £140 It comes as supermarkets across the country have started to reveal their opening hours ahead of the May Day Bank Holiday on Monday. B&Q will be open over the bank holiday, as Brits often use the extra day off to do some much needed DIY. Local stores may adjust their opening hours, so it would be wise to ask for more details in store. All of John Lewis' stores will be open as normal on Monday. No rain forecast as Met Eireann pinpoint exactly where warmest temps to hit over the bank holiday weekend However, the opening times vary across the shops. Anyone planning to visit their bank or building society over the bank holiday weekend should double-check opening times. All banks should be closed on Monday, May 5 and will resume operating as usual the next day. According to the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, any financial dealings must be suspended during bank holidays. However, Saturday is not a bank holiday, which means certain banks might still be open. Ikea normally opens on bank holiday but does operate under reduced hours. To celebrate their new store opening and May bank holiday, the Swedish retailer is selling their iconic meatballs for just £1. Royal Mail says that it delivers on most days of the year, including Saturdays but that there are no deliveries or collections on Bank Holidays. That means services will be paused this coming Monday.
