Latest news with #Posthumus
TimesLIVE
14 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Minor in deadly Brakpan crash took parents' car without permission
For three minutes, 16-year-old Antonio Posthumus tried to resuscitate his friend Malcolm Booysens after he was hit by a car driven by a 12-year-old boy in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. Unfortunately, the 14-year-old had already passed on. An ordinary weekend afternoon turned into tragedy when the young boy, who was allegedly driving at high speed, failed to obey a stop sign. That led to Booysens being hit before the car overturned. The victim, who celebrated his 14th birthday last week, died at the scene. The incident on Saturday, on Northdene Street about 800m from the driver's home, has left the community reeling in shock. It is unclear how long the minor had been driving the car before the crash. On Sunday, Posthumus recalled how he tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but Booysens was not responsive. 'My father and I were in our garage fixing something when we heard a loud bang. We ran outside and saw a huge cloud of dust. I saw someone lying on the pavement. When I got closer, I realised it was my friend Malcolm,' he said. 'I started mouth-to-mouth, pumped his chest for about three minutes and checked for a pulse. That's when I realised he had no pulse and called for help from my mother.' My father and I were in our garage fixing something when we heard a loud bang. We ran outside and saw a huge cloud of dust. Antonio Posthumus Posthumus said that while he rushed to Booysens, his father ran towards the smoking car that had crashed into a tree, with the 12-year-old driver trapped inside. Pictures from the crash scene showed the car lying on its side with one wheel snapped off after smashing into a neighbour's front wall. Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said metro police were summoned to an accident that occurred at the corner of Northdene and Madeley streets. 'Officers found the body of a 14-year-old pedestrian who was declared deceased at the scene by paramedics. Also at the scene officers found a Mazda that was driven by a 12-year-old,' Dlamini said. 'It is alleged the 12-year-old disobeyed a stop sign and collided with the pedestrian. The suspect is expected to appear before the Brakpan magistrate's court soon.' Dlamini said the driver was handed to Brakpan police and was in the company of his guardian. Posthumus, who has an interest in emergency services, said this was the third time he had to use his first aid skills and nothing could have prepared him for the loss of a close friend. Quinton Booysens said his son was killed a few minutes after they parted ways. He said they had gone to visit friends on Victoria Street but found no one at home. On their way back, his son asked to skate ahead. 'I said fine. As I turned the corner, I saw a white car flying past a stop sign. A loud bang followed. I rushed ahead and saw his skateboard first, then him lying on the pavement,' Booysens said. He said the teen driver's mother visited them after the crash and told them their son had not been given permission to drive the car. 'But no matter what she says or does, it won't bring Malcolm back,' Booysens said. The grade 6 pupil was being homeschooled and had expressed a desire to become a pastor. 'For the past three months he kept saying he wanted to preach. It hurts. Parents are not supposed to bury their children.' Melinda Janse van Rensburg of EMS Chaplain Trauma Support said the area has seen a disturbing rise in vehicle-related crashes involving pedestrians. 'In the past two weeks, we've responded to four incidents, some involving children. A 10-year-old was hit near the Carnival Mall. Last night, there was another accident in Springs.' Department of transport spokesperson Collen Msibi said: 'If the car was acquired with consent, then yes [the teen driver's parent may face prosecution]. But if not, it will be part of the police investigation because we don't have a clause that says if you take the car keys without permission what does it mean. 'For instance, a gun holder has to put the gun in a safe and if something happens, they can be charged with negligence, but with car keys it is a different case.'
Winnipeg Free Press
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sea Bears to retire Posthumus's No. 33, raise jersey to rafters in season opener
Chad Posthumus proudly spent the last two years of his life as the face of the Winnipeg Sea Bears franchise, a responsibility he embodied on and off the court every day. The pro basketball organization wants to ensure that distinction remains with him forever. Prior to the Sea Bears' season opener against the visiting Edmonton Stingers on May 16, Posthumus's jersey will be raised to the rafters of Canada Life Centre, and his No. 33 will be retired to honour a remarkable career and a life that ended suddenly last year. Winnipeg Sea Bears' Chad Posthumus in a July 2024 game against the against the Calgary Surges. (John Woods/ Free Press files) Posthumus died on Nov. 20 after complications arose while recovering from brain surgery to repair an aneurysm. He was 33. 'For me, I love Chad, and he meant so much to me and so much to the organization,' Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said. 'There's nobody that was more proud to be a Sea Bear, and I think it's one of those things where we're really thankful that he could have the whole honour like this. I think it's a great thing, it's a fitting tribute, and there's no better person that it should happen for.' As a further tribute to the homegrown hoops star, Mayor Scott Gillingham will designate Donald Street between Portage and Graham avenues as 'Chad Posthumus Way.' Sea Bears players will also wear a commemorative '33 Forever' patch on their jerseys this season. 'It shows you the reach of his impact, right?' said Sea Bears owner and chairman David Asper. 'And we think it's worth repeating the honour as a testament to what Chad brought to our team and to the basketball community.' Posthumus, who is widely regarded as one of the best talents to come from the province, was the first player-signing in Sea Bears' franchise history in 2023. His larger-than-life personality quickly captivated fans, especially children, and made him a fan favourite of many. A celebration of life on Dec. 6 saw thousands of Winnipeggers pack Springs Church to pay their respects to the beloved athlete. 'When you go beyond that he was the first player that we signed, and when you go beyond that he was the captain of the team, you really have to get into Chad's personality because not every player is as extroverted and as caring as Chad was,' Asper said. 'He stepped into the role of effectively the face of the franchise immediately. And because he was so big, and because he was such a warm, friendly human being, he made an immediate impact with everybody that he connected with, and especially kids.' Affectionally known as the Beast from River East, where he was a high school hoops legend, Posthumus was actively involved in the community as a KidSport Ambassador, community speaker and advocate for those living with Type 1 diabetes. He was recently a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a recognition awarded to Canadians who have made significant contributions to their communities. 'All those things sort of created this persona,' Asper added. 'It was really quite remarkable. Very quickly, too, like you have to remember it was only two years. So, when somebody does that, and somebody has that 'it' factor and is so instrumental in animating and bringing to life a sports team, then it's worth honour and recognition.' Upwards of 300 seats have been designated for family and friends of Posthumus on opening night. Diana, Chad's mother, wants it to be a night of celebration because 'that's what Chad would've wanted.' Forward Chad Posthumus makes his debut as a Winnipeg Sea Bears player in May 2023. (Brook Jones / Free Press files) 'As a family, we're absolutely ecstatic about the fact that the jersey is going to be raised at the arena and that they're going to retire his number. It just means so much to us, right? We've lost such a big part of our life, and then just to see a little bit of him continuing, and the memory of him continuing, those kinds of things have been really heartwarming for us in lots of ways,' she said. 'There's a saying out there that says, 'When somebody stops saying the person's name or honouring that person after they've passed away, then they kind of pass away again for a second time,' and I'm hoping that with honouring Chad in this way and keeping his memory alive, that that's something that's going to stay with Winnipeg for a long time.' Support for the family has remained strong in the months following Posthumus' death. Diana has lost count on how many stories she's heard about her son, saying she's received calls and messages from former friends, teammates and coaches around the world. Posthumus's 10-year professional career took him to 25 countries, and his family has learned that he had a similar impact on everyone who met him. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'As a parent… it's just comforting to know that there are so many people across the world that have touched base with us and have really taken the time to not just once, not just, 'Here's my condolences,' but many, many people have followed up with, 'Here's what your son did for my child,' or, 'What your son did with me while I was playing,' Diana said. 'I think it's the stories that are so heartwarming.' Tip-off on May 16 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., but fans are encouraged to arrive early to take in the ceremony. 'After Chad had the aneurysm…we talked about living your life not as though it's your last day, but living your life with purpose,' said Asper. 'And I hope that people will take away that this is much more than simply recognizing a guy who was a crucial part to the creation of the Sea Bears and our team and all that kind of stuff, but he was a guy who lived his life with purpose every single day.' Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Republicans stumble on noncitizen voting effort, push forward on sanctuary cities ban
On May 1, 2025, State Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford) testified in support of his House Joint Resolution B, which aims to amend the state constitution to require proof of citizenship for voters. | Kyle Davidson Michigan House Republicans took votes on several policies aligned with President Donald Trump's priorities on Thursday, achieving mixed results on measures to ban sanctuary cities, a proposed constitutional amendment intended to bar noncitizens from voting and legislation they say would end diversity, equity and inclusion practices in hiring. Though House Republicans successfully advanced several policies tied to undocumented immigration, Rep. Bryan Posthumus's House Joint Resolution B, which requires residents to show proof of citizenship when casting their ballot and registering to vote, stalled when put to a vote, failing to reach the two-thirds supermajority needed to advance. However, the effort to amend the state constitution is not quite dead, with Posthumus (R-Rockford) moving to reconsider the vote and tabling the matter for another session. Additionally members of the Board of State Canvassers approved the language and form for a proposal that mirrors the House's resolution, giving supporters 180 days to gather signatures in order to place the matter before voters on the 2026 ballot. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'There's a potential that down the road we bring it back up and see what happens then,' Posthumus told reporters after Thursday's session concluded. 'Whether it is done legislatively, which, while it failed today, that doesn't mean it's dead forever, or whether it's through the petition drive one way or another, I'm going to make sure it's on the ballot,' Posthumus said. Posthumus first offered the effort in 2024 in response to reports of a 19-year-old University of Michigan student from China casting a ballot in Ann Arbor. The Department of State has since identified 15 additional cases of noncitizen voting in the 2024 election out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast. 'This is a serious issue, one we must address with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer,' Benson said in an April 3 statement, noting that only U.S. citizens can legally register and vote in elections. 'Our careful review confirms what we already knew – that this illegal activity is very rare. While we take all violations of election law very seriously, this tiny fraction of potential cases in Michigan and at the national level do not justify recent efforts to pass laws we know would block tens of thousands of Michigan citizens from voting in future elections.' Voting rights advocates have repeatedly warned that Posthumus' proposal would have serious consequences on the ability of married or divorced women who change their names, seniors and low-income voters to cast their ballot. 'This is a poll tax, plain and simple. You have to pay money to produce documents in order to vote. That is a poll tax,' state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) told reporters ahead of Thursday's House session. Though the policy does include a hardship exception to cover the cost for individuals who do not have the necessary documentation, Koleszar questioned whether that would include the middle class. While speaking on the floor, he also pointed to the impact of a similar policy in Kansas, which blocked 31,000 individuals who were otherwise eligible to vote from accessing the ballot. Rep. Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids), the minority vice chair of the election integrity committee, compared the proposal to the Kansas law alongside another policy in Arizona and the SAVE Act proposed in Congress, all of which have drawn criticism for creating barriers to voting. The only substantive difference between these policies is that Posthumus's proposal would leave the implementation details to be hammered out by a future Legislature, Wooden said. Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing), who previously chaired the House Elections Committee pitched several alternatives to the joint resolution. 'How about having our Department of State do more audits before the elections and not after? What about using existing records to check new registrations on a rolling basis? How about adding bold, not-to-be-missed signage at every polling place laying out the consequences of voting as a noncitizen and let's put it in some different languages that reflect the population of the district to avoid any potential language barriers,' Tsernoglou said. Tsernoglou's office later announced a set of three bills sponsored by Wooden, Koleszar and State Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) in cooperation with the Secretary of State's office as part of the first phase of legislation aimed at tightening up Michigan's election security. The proposals include: Requiring the secretary of state to compare driver data to voter registration information to identify records of potential non-citizens that need further review. Giving the secretary of state the ability to remove voters who haven't voted in 20 years from the voter rolls after notice. Requiring the secretary of state to regularly review the instructions on the voter registration form to ensure citizenship eligibility requirements are clearly described. In his own floor speech, Posthumus challenged the arguments put forth by Democrats. While Koleszar noted the number of noncitizens barred from voting by the Kansas law was 'statistically indistinguishable from zero,' Posthumus pointed to the 2000 Presidential election, where former President George Bush defeated Al Gore by a 537-vote margin in Florida. He also pointed to multiple recent elections in the Michigan Legislature that had been decided by double digit margins. Additionally, Michigan has the benefit of being able to learn from Kansas and Arizona's mistakes, Posthumus said before urging a yes vote on the proposal. In the unlikely case that Posthumus' proposal achieves the two-third margin needed to pass the House, it would need to win support from two-thirds of members in the Democratic-led Senate before the matter could be placed on the ballot for a majority of Michiganders to decide in the next general election. Prior to taking a vote on House Joint Resolution B, the chamber cast its first votes of the day on a set of bills banning local and county governments from enacting or enforcing sanctuary city or county policies, ordinances or laws, which typically limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. If the bills become law, any locality with an existing sanctuary policy would have 60 days to eliminate it and comply with state policy. The bills creating this ban, House Bills 4338 and 4339, passed along party lines, with full support from Republicans' 58 member majority. However, House Bill 4342 — which would bar any city or village with a sanctuary policy in place from receiving state revenue sharing funds used to pay for key services like police and fire departments, funding for roads and sewers and garbage collection — did see the dropoff of one Republican, Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond). Another set of bills, House Bills 4340 and 4341, which aim to bar noncitizens from receiving welfare and housing assistance, gained support from Xiong and fellow Democratic Reps. Peter Herzberg (D-Westland), Tullio Liberati (D-Allen Park), Denise Mentzer ( and Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township). However, the bills are unlikely to advance in the Democratic-led Senate, as split control of the Legislature has led to deadlock. In an uncharacteristic show of strong bipartisan support, nearly all members present in the House voted in support of a policy Republicans argue would end diversity, equity and inclusion practices in hiring at state agencies. House Bill 4288, put forth by State Rep. Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) states 'a state agency shall not hire an applicant for unclassified employment unless the state agency bases the hiring on 1 or more objective and merit-based factors that include, but are not limited to, the applicant's relevant education or work experience.' It does not mention diversity, equity or inclusion, or DEI hiring practices. State Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia), who introduced nearly-identical legislation last year, said she was surprised to see Byrnes reintroduce the bill. However, when she began to mention DEI hiring practices, House Minority Floor Leader John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) raised a point of order, noting that 'the speech and debate on the floor of this house must contain and be relevant to the bill itself.' 'I do not find that —in the absence of any diversity, equity or inclusion language included in this bill — that that is relevant or germane to the debate here today,' Fitzgerald said. Rigas was permitted to continue, telling the House 'DEI has left us divided and lowered with lowered standards. H.B. 4288 fixes that by demanding objective, merit-based hiring. Agencies that choose to hire by race, identity or anything other than merit will face a $10,000 fine.' The bill passed with support from 105 members of the 110 member body. State Rep. Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) marked the sole vote against the legislation. While Wegela requested his name be removed as a cosponsor of the bill, Byrnes requested the board be opened for members to join in cosponsoring the bill, with the bill gaining support from 74 members by the time the voting board was closed. Fitzgerald later told reporters the bill was part of a larger pay-equity package, calling Republican's description of the bill as anti-DEI bill as 'a really poor misunderstanding of the legislation.' 'I think that really what we're focused on is trying to make sure that people who are not necessarily relationally, or have a relationship with their workplace, that they're applying to don't get shut out indiscriminately. We want to make sure that people on their merit, on their capability, on their work experience, have the opportunity to do that,' Fitzgerald said.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ballot initiative seeks to require proof of citizenship to vote
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A proposal requiring proof of citizenship to vote in Michigan could end up on the November 2026 ballot. The proposal would mandate that people registering to vote in Michigan must show a birth certificate, passport or other documents to verify their citizenship. When it's time to cast their ballot, they would also have to show voter ID. Currently, Michigan doesn't require proof of citizenship for voter registration and voters don't need a photo ID to vote in person. If people change their name or move to a new address, they would need to reverify their citizenship. The State Board of Canvassers has advanced the proposal by the Committee to Protect Voters' Rights, meaning the group can now start gathering signatures to try to put their question on the ballot. How 5 key demographic groups voted in 2024: AP VoteCast State Rep. Bryan Posthumus, R-Rockford, has been trying to get his fellow lawmakers to place this on the ballot. Posthumus says it's aimed to make sure only U.S. citizens vote. 'My view is it should be easy to vote and difficult to cheat,' he said. A Michigan Department of State audit found that among 5.7 million ballots cast in November 2024, 16 likely non-U.S. citizens voted. 'That's 0.0002%,' Kyle Zawacki, the legislative director for American Civil Liberties Union Michigan, said. 'That's a decimal point and four zeros after it. There's people who broke the law and they will have their day in court, as they should. But we shouldn't be putting roadblocks up and speed bumps along the way for people to access the ballot.' Posthumus questioned the audit's effectiveness in determining only 16 people voted illegally. 'An internal self-review of our state-held databases is insufficient to know for sure,' he said. 'Other states that have done it have worked for Department of Homeland Security and utilized their databases.' Former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer, working for an opposition group called , argues the rule would disenfranchise voters who don't have access to or can't afford the documents to prove citizenship. 'This has real-world harmful effects and will deprive many, many voters of the right to vote,' he said. 'This proposal, like proposals like this is in other states, will disenfranchise millions of Michigan voters, married women who changed their names, rural voters and elderly voters.' Your Local Election Headquarters In response, Posthumus said there would be a financial hardship program covering the cost of citizenship documents for those in need. 'You can still register to vote the same way you do right now,' Posthumus said. 'You just have to provide proof of citizenship, that's it.' Committee to Protect Voters' Rights will need to collect about 440,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan lawmakers clash over push to change voter ID requirements
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — A resolution to change Michigan voter identification requirements was adopted by the Michigan House Election Integrity Committee Tuesday morning, a month and a half after it was introduced. Similar to the federal SAVE Act, the joint resolution, introduced by Rep. Bryan Posthumus, R-Rockford, on Jan 29. proposes an amendment to the state constitution that requires the verification of an elector's U.S. citizenship, and modifies voter identification requirements. 'The goal of the resolution is to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections and photo ID is required when casting your ballot. Eighty-three percent of the population agrees that only U.S. citizens should be able to vote in our elections and 84% of the population agrees that photo ID should be required when voting,' Posthumus told News 8 Tuesday afternoon. Free clinic in Kalamazoo aims to help Michigan residents get their licenses The push for greater election security in Michigan stems, in part, from an , when a 19-year-old Chinese international student from the University of Michigan falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen when he registered to vote and cast his ballot. 'That ballot counted. There was no way of knowing how big of an issue this is. The only reason why we know that happened is because he came forward and admitted to it. We didn't catch him, there's no mechanism in place to catch him,' Posthumus said. 'Remember in 2000, the presidential election was determined by 527 votes. Every single legal vote matters and every single illegal vote should not count.' The student was arrested and charged with attempting to vote as an unauthorized elector and perjury for making a false voter registration. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel previously said, 'Noncitizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event.' International student arrested, charged for voting in Michigan Still, the 6-3 passage of the resolution now paves the way for the House speaker to bring it up for a full vote in the state House, which Posthumus expects will happen in the coming months. Democrats say they plan to do everything they can to make sure the measure does not pass the legislature. During a press conference in Lansing Tuesday morning, around a dozen and a half Democratic lawmakers shared why they believe this proposed requirement would create a barrier for thousands of legal voters in Michigan. 'We must look at this resolution squarely and call it what it is: discriminatory. It is a disproportionate tax and a negative policy on women and especially Black and brown communities at the voting poll. This resolution sends a message to Michigan's Black and brown communities that Republicans do not want you at the voting booth,' said Rep. Tonya Myers Phillips, D-Detroit. Several referred to the bill as a 'poll tax.' 'In our state constitution, we are allowed the right to vote and make sure that that right to vote is not burdened by excessive barriers and requirements and this resolution places those excessive burdens and requirements by forcing folks to produce documented proof of citizenship, whether that be a birth certificate or a passport,' Rep. Stephen Wooden, D-Grand Rapids, told News 8 following the press conference. 'The resolution doesn't enumerate what that proof of citizenship is, they just say it has to be provided.' Which states do not require an ID to vote in-person? In Michigan, a certified copy of a birth certificate costs $34 and a passport is $130. 'Ultimately what we've seen in states that implement laws like this, we've seen thousands of folks being denied the right to vote — 31,000 Kansans denied their legal right to vote, 43,000 Arizonans denied their legal right to vote — and on top of that, there's also no evidence to suggest that this constitutional amendment or proof of citizenship laws like these actually accomplish what they set out to do,' Wooden went on. Posthumus, however, argued legislators still have to iron out the details. 'The legislature will determine what constitutes as proof of citizenship. The legislature will determine to what extent does the state pay for any of these documents that are needed? The legislature can provide to the clerks an administrative stamp that allows counties to provide these documents for citizenship purposes. So again, there's nothing in this constitutional amendment that says people that are serving in the military overseas can't prove their citizenship via email or digitally or via mail, there's nothing in there that says that. So these are some of the points that the Democrats and the opposition are pointing toward because they don't have an actual argument.' Clerk explains how Michigan verifies voter eligibility House Joint Resolution B would need a 2/3 majority to pass, which Wooden said he is 'confident' it will not reach. 'We're going to make sure voters know what this constitutional amendment would do if it passes,' he said. Postumus said there are intentions to create a citizen-led ballot initiative if the measure is not passed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
