Latest news with #RebeccaEdwards
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
These Louisiana cities are the safest: report
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Do you feel safe where you live? A new report identifies which cities in Louisiana are the safest for 2025. A report released by SafeWise named Addis in West Baton Rouge Parish as the safest city in the state for a second year. Harahan, Rayne, Patterson, and Covington followed behind as the safest. The City of Baker ranked number ten on the list. 'Violent crime experiences remain high across Louisiana, but some of the state's safest cities are showing encouraging signs of progress. Addis cut violent crime by 80% in one year, and four cities—including Harahan and Broussard—saw declines in both violent and property crime,' SafeWise Managing Editor and Safety Expert Rebecca Edwards said. Findings from a survey with Louisiana residents showed a decrease in worries about crime compared to last year's results. Daily safety concerns dropped from 69% to 56%, and gun violence concerns decreased from 72% to 66%. Survey results showed that 36% of people in the state feel safe, lower than the national average of 48%. According to the survey, residents are most concerned about violent crime, property crime, gun violence, and package theft. Results show people prefer to protect their homes with security cameras, firearms, and security systems. Residents also arm themselves with pocket knives, firearms, and pepper spray. See the top 10 safest Louisiana cities: Addis Harahan Rayne Patterson Covington Mandeville DeRidder Broussard Tallulah Baker Survey: New Orleans to Baton Rouge is one of the top ultimate family road trip routes Several states call for tighter restrictions on SNAP benefits These Louisiana cities are the safest: report 'M*A*S*H' actress Loretta Swit dies at 87 President Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office send-off I-110 to close in both directions after train derails on bridge above interstate Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Long-Standing Nelson Tenths Case Back In Court
Article – RNZ In the 1830s, the Crown made a promise to Mori in Te Tauihu. The legal battle is still going. Samantha Gee, Nelson Marlborough / Te Tauihu reporter The descendants of customary landowners across the top of the South Island remain hopeful of resolving a long-standing legal battle over land across Nelson and Tasman, outside of court. A date has been set in the Court of Appeal for a week-long hearing next April, after the Crown appealed a recent High Court ruling that found customary landowners – Ngā Uri – were entitled to thousands of hectares of Crown land and millions of dollars in compensation. In the 1830s, the Crown promised Māori in Te Tauihu (the top of the South Island) that if they sold 151,100 acres of land to the New Zealand Company – they'd be able to keep one-tenth. Instead, they got less than 3000 acres, now known as the Nelson Tenths Reserves. Making the Tenths Whole (Te Here-ā-Nuku) project lead Kerensa Johnston said it was disappointing to be heading back to court, given the High Court had agreed with almost all of the evidence it put forward at the 10-week hearing in August 2023 'Our request to the Attorney-General still stands – to step outside the courtroom to resolve this with us kanohi ki te kanohi.' In the High Court, Justice Rebecca Edwards largely sided with kaumātua Rore Stafford, who sued the Crown in 2010 on behalf of ngā uri, the descendants of the tūpuna named in the 1893 Native Land Court list and the descendants of specific Kurahaupō tūpuna. The decision reaffirmed what the Supreme Court ruled in 2017, that the government must honour the land deal between the New Zealand Company and Māori. Johnston said following the recent appeal, an application was made to 'leapfrog' the Court of Appeal and have the case heard in the Supreme Court but it was dismissed, on the grounds the issues were factually and legally complex, with its resolution meriting full consideration in the Court of Appeal. 'From our perspective, it was really an attempt to deal with this matter as efficiently and practically as we can, given that we've now been in litigation with the Crown for almost 16 years.' In the interim High Court decision released last year, Justice Rebecca Edwards sought further submissions to settle the issue of relief, which she said was likely to be less than a $1 billion, before interest. Johnston said those submissions had been filed and the final High Court decision is expected to be released shortly. She said the descendants remained hopeful of reaching a resolution outside court had made multiple requests to meet with the Crown and the Attorney-General over the last 16 years, to resolve the case. 'We've been really clear that our strong preference is not to engage in further protracted litigation that's very costly for both parties and for the taxpayer. 'That's always been our intention and our hope that we can sit down and practically work through the solution to this.' A Crown Law spokesperson said the Attorney-General had not received a recent request to meet with Stafford, but acknowledged the Attorney and Stafford had been communicating, most recently in December. Johnston said given the case had succeeded in court a number of times, the group did not think there was any benefit to more litigation and it also believed there was an economic imperative to resolve the case, as the future use of land across Te Tauihu in limbo until it was resolved. 'There are significant areas of land that are subject to the proceedings and the proceedings need to be resolved before there can be further development on that land. 'Our whānau, hapu and iwi as a collective, and of course the beneficiaries of this trust in particular, are really well placed to drive that economic development, whether it's in housing or commercial development or whatever it might look like across our region, we've proven that through our different incorporations and other entities over the years.' Johnston said there were also government initiatives that could not be progressed in Te Tauihu until the case was resolved. Since the Supreme Court ruling, Stafford, on behalf of the descendants, had taken steps to ensure Tenths and occupation lands that remained in Crown ownership were not sold until the case was resolved. Court action was taken in 2018 to prevent the sale of a commercial property – Morrison Square – owned by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) in Nelson, as it was part of land the Crown failed to reserve under the Nelson Tenths agreement, but the appeal was unsuccessful. More than 20 retailers and commercial tenants were forced to vacate the Morrison Square shopping complex last year after engineering assessments revealed issues with the building's cladding system, and it was then earmarked for demolition. Originally named Fashion Island, the site at 244 Hardy Street was purchased by ACC for $22.7 million in 2008. It has since been sold by ACC to Nelson-owned business, Scott Construction, who have plans to redevelop the site.
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Long-Standing Nelson Tenths Case Back In Court
Samantha Gee, Nelson Marlborough / Te Tauihu reporter The descendants of customary landowners across the top of the South Island remain hopeful of resolving a long-standing legal battle over land across Nelson and Tasman, outside of court. A date has been set in the Court of Appeal for a week-long hearing next April, after the Crown appealed a recent High Court ruling that found customary landowners - Ngā Uri - were entitled to thousands of hectares of Crown land and millions of dollars in compensation. In the 1830s, the Crown promised Māori in Te Tauihu (the top of the South Island) that if they sold 151,100 acres of land to the New Zealand Company - they'd be able to keep one-tenth. Instead, they got less than 3000 acres, now known as the Nelson Tenths Reserves. Making the Tenths Whole (Te Here-ā-Nuku) project lead Kerensa Johnston said it was disappointing to be heading back to court, given the High Court had agreed with almost all of the evidence it put forward at the 10-week hearing in August 2023 "Our request to the Attorney-General still stands - to step outside the courtroom to resolve this with us kanohi ki te kanohi." In the High Court, Justice Rebecca Edwards largely sided with kaumātua Rore Stafford, who sued the Crown in 2010 on behalf of ngā uri, the descendants of the tūpuna named in the 1893 Native Land Court list and the descendants of specific Kurahaupō tūpuna. The decision reaffirmed what the Supreme Court ruled in 2017, that the government must honour the land deal between the New Zealand Company and Māori. Johnston said following the recent appeal, an application was made to "leapfrog" the Court of Appeal and have the case heard in the Supreme Court but it was dismissed, on the grounds the issues were factually and legally complex, with its resolution meriting full consideration in the Court of Appeal. "From our perspective, it was really an attempt to deal with this matter as efficiently and practically as we can, given that we've now been in litigation with the Crown for almost 16 years." In the interim High Court decision released last year, Justice Rebecca Edwards sought further submissions to settle the issue of relief, which she said was likely to be less than a $1 billion, before interest. Johnston said those submissions had been filed and the final High Court decision is expected to be released shortly. She said the descendants remained hopeful of reaching a resolution outside court had made multiple requests to meet with the Crown and the Attorney-General over the last 16 years, to resolve the case. "We've been really clear that our strong preference is not to engage in further protracted litigation that's very costly for both parties and for the taxpayer. "That's always been our intention and our hope that we can sit down and practically work through the solution to this." A Crown Law spokesperson said the Attorney-General had not received a recent request to meet with Stafford, but acknowledged the Attorney and Stafford had been communicating, most recently in December. Johnston said given the case had succeeded in court a number of times, the group did not think there was any benefit to more litigation and it also believed there was an economic imperative to resolve the case, as the future use of land across Te Tauihu in limbo until it was resolved. "There are significant areas of land that are subject to the proceedings and the proceedings need to be resolved before there can be further development on that land. "Our whānau, hapu and iwi as a collective, and of course the beneficiaries of this trust in particular, are really well placed to drive that economic development, whether it's in housing or commercial development or whatever it might look like across our region, we've proven that through our different incorporations and other entities over the years." Johnston said there were also government initiatives that could not be progressed in Te Tauihu until the case was resolved. Since the Supreme Court ruling, Stafford, on behalf of the descendants, had taken steps to ensure Tenths and occupation lands that remained in Crown ownership were not sold until the case was resolved. Court action was taken in 2018 to prevent the sale of a commercial property - Morrison Square - owned by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) in Nelson, as it was part of land the Crown failed to reserve under the Nelson Tenths agreement, but the appeal was unsuccessful. More than 20 retailers and commercial tenants were forced to vacate the Morrison Square shopping complex last year after engineering assessments revealed issues with the building's cladding system, and it was then earmarked for demolition. Originally named Fashion Island, the site at 244 Hardy Street was purchased by ACC for $22.7 million in 2008. It has since been sold by ACC to Nelson-owned business, Scott Construction, who have plans to redevelop the site.
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Brexit Britain appears powerless to stem the flow of illegal immigration
SIR – A third of those who voted for Brexit did so because they felt that the legal immigration of largely European citizens was out of control. Yet here we are, five years after leaving the EU, overwhelmed by illegal migrants from elsewhere in the world – with little or no documentation as to who they are – and we are unable to stop them because, having left the EU, we can't obtain important intelligence on the people smugglers (report, May 8). Gary Spring Ringwood, Hampshire SIR – Last year, the cost of asylum accommodation was £1.67 billion (report, May 8). It has now risen to approximately £4.6 million a day. Would the electorate prefer this money to be spent on education, the NHS – maybe even helping pensioners? No wonder Reform UK did so well in the elections. Voters are disillusioned. Rebecca Edwards St Neots, Cambridgeshire SIR – I'm surely not alone in being angered by the Government's use of the term 'irregular migration' to describe illegal Channel crossings (report, May 6). This attempt to deflect criticism of its ineffectual policy is shameful and deceitful. Is it any wonder that immigration is the major political issue for so many voters – one that the Prime Minister would rather sweep under the carpet? Peter Williman Chatteris, Cambridgeshire SIR – I am sorry that it seems even slightly scandalous that a fellowship associated with Sir Winston Churchill may be helping to support London's fledgling Migration Museum (' Churchill legacy funds migrant 'propaganda' ', Arts, May 7). As a trustee of the enterprise, I ought to point out that Churchill is not likely to be turning in his grave. If anything, he is one of our inspirations. His own mother was an immigrant from America, and in a leaflet published 1904 in The Manchester Guardian, expressing opposition to the Aliens Act then going through Parliament, he wrote that he saw no reason to abandon 'the old tolerant and generous practice of free entry and asylum to which this country has so long adhered, and from which it has so greatly gained'. As for the notion, attributed to Lee Anderson MP, that the museum is a 'transparent propaganda outfit', I can only say that, since Britain has museums dedicated to toy cars, matchbooks, fans, pencils, wool, butterflies and other marvellous things, the idea is merely to provide an attraction devoted to a subject of enormous national interest, which Mr Anderson himself admits is 'consistently a top issue for voters'. Perhaps he thinks that museums should be limited to matters of only minor importance. Surely not.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Pregnant smokers in Frimley get support to save babies' lives
Women who smoke during pregnancy will be supported by new advisers in a bid to protect the health of mothers and Health Foundation Trust (FHFT) has recruited three specialist maternity tobacco dependency advisors (MTDAs) to help reduce smoking in pregnancy and will make mothers-to-be aware of the risks of pre-term birth, having a smaller than expected baby, and comes as the national Saving Babies' Lives campaign, which targets stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates, has recommended maternity services provide in-house smoking cessation services. Pregnant patients who book in with FHFT for antenatal care will now receive an evidence-based combination of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and behavioural support from one of their specifically trained Rebecca Edwards, consultant midwife and professional midwifery advocate, said: "Being 'in-house', our maternity clinical teams anticipate working closely with the MTDAs to provide personalised and holistic care to each individual needing stop smoking support."She added that the team would work across both Frimley Park and Wexham Park hospitals, "providing tailored support from our existing maternity hubs". "As of today, midwives will be able to advise and then refer patients to MDTAs from their first midwifery appointment," she said.
