Latest news with #PolarVortex
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Fairmont Arts & Humanities Commission awards to be presented Sunday
FAIRMONT — Each year, the Fairmont Arts & Humanities Commission recognizes students and adults in Marion County who are committed to growing, supporting and participating in the fine arts. The awards will be presented Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 1640 Big Tree Dr., Fairmont. The event is free and is open to the public. Here is a look at this year's honorees. Colton Daft, a 2024 graduate of Fairmont State University who studied English creative writing and theatre, currently teaches English and theatre at Trinity Christian School. He joined theatre at North Marion High his freshman year, and immediately fell in love with the art. Over the last 10 years, he has been involved in over 40 productions and 27 theatrical competition festivals, ranging from acting, to design, stage management, and directing. After high school graduation, he returned as an assistant director to North Marion, has been involved in several productions through Fairmont State Masquers, Town and Gown and The Academy for the Arts. Daft is passionate about theatre, and inspiring young minds to allow them to become their best selves through their craft. Rachel Ellis, grew up in Rivesville, where teachers showed her the power of story and how it can change students' lives. A 2011 graduate of Trinity Christian School and 2015 graduate of Evangel University where she majored in English, Ellis returned home to Fairmont with her husband Michael after college. Through her time home raising two kids, she has worked to increase an appreciation for the arts in education. She founded History in Skirts in 2021 to teach students about famous women in history. She currently teaches theatre at Fairmont Catholic School and helps other local schools with their costuming and theatre productions. She and her husband founded Emerge, a creative studio for arts education, in Fairmont. Samantha Lilly, currently in her third year as choir director at West Fairmont Middle School, teaches 5th and 6th grade general music and leads the 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade choirs as well as the after-school, contemporary pop a cappella ensemble, Polar Vortex. In her tenure at WFMS, the choral program has more than tripled in size, and was the only middle school from Marion County to have singers participate in the American Choral Directors Association Middle School All-State Choir. Polar Vortex students have sung the national anthem at Fairmont State and WVU sporting events, participated in the Nordonia A Cappella Festival in Macedonia, Ohio, recorded a two-song EP with WVU's Blues Alley Studios, and performed with Metropolitan Opera Soprano, Maureen McKay and the American Pops Orchestra under the direction of maestro Luke Frazier in Washington, D.C. Prior to returning home to Lilly had a storied career in music education in Louisville, Kentucky. Cathy O'Dell, a Fairmont native, has an undergraduate degree in theatre from Fairmont State University, and a master of fine arts degree in acting from West Virginia University. She is a certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov acting technique, where she trained under actor and Broadway Casting Director Joanna Merlin, among others. Currently, O'Dell is a professor at West Virginia University's School of Theatre and Dance where she teaches acting, vocal technique, and introduction to the theatre. She is author of the e-textbook, 'Introduction to Theatre' and portrays Helen Vicks on season four of the HBO/Max series, 'Banshee.' She has also directed and acted at West Virginia Public Theatre, M.T. Pockets Theatre, Fairmont State Town & Gown Players, West Virginia University and Fairmont State. Dr. Stan Swihart, is a retired physician who is a passionate patron of the arts whose life has been influenced by music and creativity. From his early years singing in the Children's Choir at First Presbyterian Church to his involvement with various musical groups, including the Fairmont Senior High Choraliers and the University Choir at WVU, Swihart's love for the arts has been a constant thread throughout his life. His musical journey continued as a member of the First Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir and the Naples Philharmonic Chorus in Florida, and later, as a member of Fairmont's Vocal Tapestry. His contributions to the arts extend beyond his personal involvement, as he has been a vocal advocate for arts education, emphasizing its importance in shaping the hearts and minds of future generations. Lydia Warren, who has served as director of the Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State since 2022, has fostered the University's connection to local and regional arts by hosting events by and for community members, such as jams, dances, concerts and grant-funded arts exhibitions. Her goal is to create free opportunities for the community to participate in the arts while ensuring that local artists are featured and paid fairly. Lydia is a board member of the Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the West Virginia Humanities Council and she has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, the commission honors a number of students for their advancement and participation in the arts. Here are this year's honorees. East Fairmont High student Emma Wright is a member of the Elizabethan Chamber Choir, Busy Bee Band, and MCPARC Community Band. She has also had the honor to serve as first chair flutist for the Gold and Blue Bands at WVU Honors Band in 2024 and 2025 as well as serve as a member of the All-State Chorus in 2024. Emma has also gained experience in leadership by being section leader for the flutes at EFHS for three years and band commander of the Busy Bee Band in 2024-25. Her musical experiences have opened her eyes to the beauty of the arts and have inspired her to become a music educator. Emma has been accepted to WVU's College of Creative Arts where she plans to pursue a degree in music education starting this fall. Fairmont Senior High honors graduate Lillian Tomana has a passion for creative expression after four years of art studies in high schools. In her young career Lillian's art has gained regional notoriety. Two of Lillian's pieces — a silk batik replica of Monet's The Artist's Garden at Vétheuil and an acrylic painting of Montel Fish — were recently showcased at the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling as part of the Oglebay Institute's Regional Art Exhibition. Her silk batik piece earned second place in the exhibition and was met with high praise, and led to an invitation for a portfolio review at West Virginia University. Lillian was awarded a Creative Arts Scholarship and will continue her academic journey at WVU to pursue degrees in art therapy and nursing. North Marion High student Lydia Hatten, joined the Fairmont State Academy for the Arts when she was four and is still with them. Lydia's favorites roles have been Mrs. Potts from 'Beauty and the Beast Jr.' and Jojo from 'Seussical Jr.' Her current role for her senior show is Mary Poppins from 'Mary Poppins the Musical Jr.' She has been a member of the North Marion Theater Troupe 4145 for all four years of high school. Her favorite roles from there have been Elise from Moliere's 'The Miser' and Bottom from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' She is currently senior director of the Notables Soundstation where she has been a four-year member. This year's Youth in the Community award winner goes to homeschool senior Aidan Gross, who has been playing piano for 11 years. He also plays bass guitar and lends his talent to the MCPARC Community Band in several concerts throughout the year. He has been an active member of the Fairmont State Academy of the Arts Improv Team. Aidan became a valuable player to the team as he honed his skills. He has performed with the team at various venues including Barrackville Covered Bridge Festival, Fairmont Tomato Festival, Feast of the Seven Fishes, Halloween shows at Short Story Brewing Co., Marion County Public Library and Fairmont State. Luke Elam, a musician and music educator from Clarksburg, is this year's winner of the Marian Satterfield Award. A graduate of Robert C. Byrd High, Elam obtained his undergraduate degrees in music education from Fairmont State University. While at Fairmont State, Elam served as principal alto saxophone in the wind ensemble, marching band, and jazz band, and as the field commander of the Falcons Marching Band. In 2022 and 2023, he was selected for the Fairmont Concert Association Scholarship, an auditioned scholarship which is awarded to high-achieving music students at Fairmont State University. He currently teaches private music lessons at the Fairmont State Academy for the Arts and at Bandland LLC. FAIRMONT — Each year, the Fairmont Arts & Humanities Commission recognizes students and adults in Marion County who are committed to growing, supporting and participating in the fine arts. The awards will be presented Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 1640 Big Tree Dr., Fairmont. The event is free and is open to the public. Here is a look at this year's honorees.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aldi brings in change across all UK stores after successful 'trial'
Aldi is removing the protective sleeves over corks of its own-label wines in a UK supermarket first. Aldi trialled the move in stores back in March 2024, with the packaging change now set to be rolled out to all own-labelled corked wines by the end of 2025. Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: 'We know that sustainability is a priority for our customers, and we're always looking for new ways to reduce packaging and offer more sustainable choices. 'Launching wines with naked corks is a step in the right direction, and we're proud to be the first supermarket to introduce this change across our entire range of own-brand quality corked wines.' READ MORE: Warning issued for UK households who have washing up liquid by sink READ MORE: Next's £32 floaty dress is 'great for holidays' and 'very slimming' READ MORE Met Office issues stark Polar Vortex warning which could hit UK 'within fortnight' It comes hot off the back of Aldi is tapping into the growing world of social media wine enthusiasts with the launch of its Winefluencer Club – an initiative that makes wine tasting more accessible and fun. Aldi is embracing this shift with its Winefluencer Club, a program designed to give passionate wine lovers the chance to share their reviews of Aldi's latest Spring Summer wine range on social media. The supermarket is looking for ten wine connoisseurs to join the club, where they will receive free bottles from Aldi's award-winning wine range in exchange for authentic social media reviews. Over three months, members will uncover gems from Aldi's new collection and provide valuable feedback that will help shape future wine selections. To guide these aspiring winefluencers, Aldi has teamed up with Liam D'Arcy, AKA @thewinewally – a popular content creator with 104k Instagram followers – who has built a community around demystifying wine and making it more accessible to a wider audience. Liam D'Arcy says: 'This is a fantastic opportunity for wine lovers – not only to taste Aldi's amazing wine for free, but to develop their skills, grow their audience and help others discover top picks from the latest range.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors warn incurable brain condition set to rise 112% and hit 25 million people
The cases of a debilitating and incurable brain condition are forecast to rise 112% and hit 25million by 2050. 25 million people across the world will be living with a debilitating brain condition by 2050, scientists have warned. Cases of the progressive disease are set to surge by 112 per cent on numbers recorded in 2021, a study published to the BMJ predicts. An ageing population is set to drive the surge in cases of Parkinson's disease over the next 25 years, medics have said. Chinese scientists predicted that there will be 25.2 million people worldwide with Parkinson's disease and their analysis showed that the number of cases per 100,000 people is expected to increase by 76 per cent from 2021. READ MORE: Met Office warns rare weather phenomenon begins in eight parts of England today READ MORE: Birmingham man murdered girlfriend then confessed 'I'm a king I can't live without my queen' READ MORE Met Office issues stark Polar Vortex warning which could hit UK 'within fortnight' They said: 'An urgent need exists for future research to focus on the development of novel drugs, gene engineering techniques, and cell replacement therapies that are aimed at modifying the course of the disease and improving patients' quality of life." "Projecting the future number of people with Parkinson's disease is important for several reasons. Accurate projections enable appropriate allocation of healthcare resources and a better understanding of demand for specialists, drug treatments, rehabilitation, and long term care, preventing shortages that could lead to delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment choices, and diminished health related quality of life for patients," they wrote in an editorial published to BMJ. "Projections also inform targeted interventions, early diagnosis efforts, and public health prevention and management strategies," they added. "Understanding the growing prevalence of Parkinson's disease underscores the need for continued research into its causes, treatments, and potential cures, guiding funding towards the most promising areas. "Projected increases in Parkinson's disease prevalence provide quantifiable data to support advocacy efforts, securing greater attention and resources for research, care, and support services including better funding. "By understanding the future burden of Parkinson's disease, we can better prepare to meet the challenges ahead and improve outcomes for people affected by this debilitating disease."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Vermont Mutual Insurance Company and Its Subsidiaries
OLDWICK, N.J., March 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to "a+" (Excellent) from "aa-" (Superior) of Vermont Mutual Insurance Company and its fully reinsured subsidiaries, Northern Security Insurance Company, Inc., and Granite Security Insurance Company (formerly Granite Mutual Insurance Company). These companies are domiciled in Montpelier, VT and are members of Vermont Mutual Group (Vermont Mutual). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) has been revised to stable from negative. The ratings reflect Vermont Mutual's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The downgrading of the ratings is based on a strategic shift in Vermont Mutual's management of its risk-adjusted capitalization. With it resolved, AM Best has determined that the risk-adjusted capitalization has settled into the strong position as opposed to very strong as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Considering potential volatility in tail periods and restrictive reinsurance pricing, management elected to shift its target level of risk-adjusted capitalization to a level commensurate of a balance sheet strength assessment of strong. Coinciding with this shift, Vermont Mutual has been diligent in addressing insurance to value within its portfolio amid the inflationary environment, and actions resulted in a material increase in modeled probable maximum losses. Despite increased catastrophe reinsurance purchases annually, increases in capacity did not keep pace with increases in modeled losses from a return period coverage perspective. Vermont Mutual reported a return to strong operating performance in 2024, following deterioration in its underwriting results in 2022 and 2023, due to rising inflationary trends, and increased freeze losses caused by an historic Polar Vortex that impacted the Northeast in 2023. Strong underwriting results and growing investment income in 2024, coupled with capital gains from favorable equity market conditions, resulted in record net earnings and surplus growth for the year. Consequently, Vermont Mutual's operating performance assessment of strong continues to align with strong assessed rating units within its industry composite, on both a five- and 10-year average basis. While Vermont Mutual has geographic and product concentrations, its effective risk selection and pricing strategies have benefited results, which along with its strong market position, supports its business profile assessment of favorable. Vermont Mutual utilizes a comprehensive and formalized ERM process, which is appropriate for its risk profile. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on Contacts Kenneth Tappen Senior Financial Analyst +1 908 882 2389 Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 Christopher Draghi Director +1 908 882 1749 Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
04-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Polar Vortex collapse set to send temperatures plunging in the US and Canada
A polar vortex collapse is expected over the next two weeks, causing extreme winter weather and travel disruption across North America. The weather phenomenon is expected to develop in mid-March, bringing severe cold temperatures across parts of Canada and the United States. It may also impact the UK and Europe. A polar vortex collapse occurs when the layer between 10 and 50km above Earth's surface warms up to 50 degrees in just two days - known as sudden stratospheric warming (SSW). This warming can weaken the polar vortex, causing cold Arctic air to move southwards and can lead to extreme weather conditions. The polar vortex collapse will be the second in 2025, after a collapse last month caused deep freezes and travel havoc in North America. Snow, storms, and sub-zero temperatures impacted millions of Americans and the majority of the country in February. If the upcoming vortex disruption weakens the jet stream, it may release cold air from polar regions into North America or Eurasia. 'We are predicting a displacement of the polar vortex on the Europe and eastern Canada side of the polar,' AccuWeather's Lead Meteorologist Paul Pastelok told The Independent. 'When the Polar Vortex is disrupted - whether stretched, displaced, or split - it can, but does not always, impact this polar jet stream. 'The timing is uncertain for North America but could see a change in the pattern for late March into early April.' A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air which rotates around the North and South poles of the Earth and corresponds with the narrow bands of wind 8 to 11 kilometres above Earth's surface, known as the jet stream. When the vortex is weakened, the jet stream can become less stable and lets cold polar air spill southward leading to extreme and unpredictable weather. Mr Pastelok explained that there is a small chance of a 'complete split' in the jet stream pattern, which could last four to seven weeks. But a 'displacement' or a change in the pattern is more likely. Such a change would last less time and would affect Europe and central and eastern North America, Mr Pastelok added. The weather event may also impact the UK, with forecasters warning that temperatures could drop again after a temporary reprieve this week. 'SSWs don't always impact our weather but if they do it can take a few weeks before impacts might be felt on the earth surface,' the UK Met Office told the Independent, adding that the warming is so high up that we don't feel it directly. 'If this happens this would act as a factor in favouring blocked/slowly evolving patterns for the remainder of March and could bring colder weather to the UK.'
