Latest news with #Sergeant
Leader Live
4 days ago
- General
- Leader Live
MS Jack Sargeant celebrates volunteers during special week
Mr Sergeant has visited two Deeside-based, volunteer-run sports clubs, the North Wales Crusaders Rugby League & Disability Sports Club and the Deeside Ice Skating Club. Both clubs have received funding from the Sport Wales' Be Active Wales Fund, which awarded a total of £151,266 in Welsh Government funding to Alyn and Deeside for the 2023/24 financial year. READ MORE: Shotton: Iceland set to shut up shop later this month Planning application submitted for 900 new homes in Wrexham Mr Sergeant said: "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank volunteers across Alyn and Deeside for all they do for our local community. "Whether it's running sports clubs like those I visited, supporting those in need, or raising money for charity, volunteers make a huge contribution to our society." Volunteers' Week began in 1984. To find out more, visit
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man pulled over after driving through active school zone while on his phone
A man was pulled over in Dayton after he drove through an active school zone while on his phone. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A Sergeant with the Dayton Police Department pulled over a man after he spotted him driving in an active school zone while on his phone, according to a video on the department's YouTube. TRENDING STORIES: Local spa accused of operating as brothel; 2 arrested Ohio contractor allegedly abandons concrete jobs, costing clients nearly $70,000 4 houses catch fire near Indian Lake, 2 a complete loss There were students present in the school zone when the traffic stop occurred, according to the video. The man was on his phone while also not wearing a seatbelt. He was cited for both offenses, according to the video. 'You're actually in an active school zone with school flashing lights and children leaving school while you were on the cell phone, so that enhances that even more,' the Sergeant exlpained in the video. 'It doesn't enhance the penalty, per se, just the seriousness of the violation.' [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Months after fish died near Alaska mine, regulators and mine owner still don't know what killed them
An aerial view of part of Southeast Alaska's Kensington gold mine. (Photo by James Brooks) In August, roughly 100 fish turned up dead in a creek below the large Kensington gold mine north of Juneau. Seven months later, state regulators and Coeur Mining, the multinational company that owns and operates the mine, still haven't determined what killed them. Samples taken from mine wastewater and Sherman Creek, where the dead fish were found, showed no obvious signs of pollution. That's according to a technical memo that Coeur submitted to state regulators in November, which Northern Journal obtained through a public records request. 'Based on the findings of the investigation, the event remains inconclusive,' wrote Pete Strow, an environmental manager at Coeur in Juneau. His comments came in a note added to the company's analysis, which was conducted for Coeur by WSP, a global environmental consulting group. The lingering uncertainty reveals just how hard it can be to determine the cause of sudden fish die-offs, and it 'typifies the importance' of frequent water sampling near mines, said Chris Sergeant, a watershed ecologist at the University of Washington who studies impacts from mining. It's possible that pollution killed the fish and then quickly flushed through the creek before it could be detected, said Sergeant, who reviewed the memo submitted to regulators by Coeur. A state official previously suggested that the die-off stemmed from a mine-related water quality problem. 'It is very easy to miss measurements during acute toxic events,' Sergeant said in an email. Coeur acknowledged a potential link to an explosive used at the mine the day before the fish were found, according to their consultants' report — though Strow also raised the possibility of 'naturally occurring toxicity events.' Neither regulators nor Coeur have provided a detailed theory about how the fish died. In the months following the discovery, state regulators asked Coeur for extensive data and an explanation for the incident. They now say their focus has shifted to working with the company to prevent future incidents. 'Everybody who's involved in this is always interested in trying to find out: 'How did this happen? What was it that we didn't anticipate?' So we can anticipate it better,' said Gene McCabe, the director of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's water division, which oversees the state's wastewater discharge permitting. 'But we don't want to spin our wheels too long.' He added, 'Sometimes, you're just never going to have data that says, 'Yes, that's what it was.'' State biologists found the dead Dolly Varden char, slimy sculpin and one pink salmon in Sherman Creek during a routine inspection Aug. 9. The biologists observed hemorrhaging on multiple dead Dolly Varden and 'no obvious body decomposition or cloudiness in the eyes, suggesting recent death,' according to their September report. They found the dead fish downstream of the mine's wastewater treatment plant, including at the spot where the mine discharges treated water into the creek and at other locations more than a mile downstream, near where the creek flows into the ocean. Upstream of the treatment plant, the biologists saw live Dolly Varden. A state pathologist later wrote that the circumstances — dead fish below the treatment plant but not above — 'strongly suggest water quality or toxic issues' stemming from Coeur's operation. He ruled out infection as a cause of death. The scientists hired by Coeur said that ongoing monitoring of the creek supports the state's conclusion that the die-off was tied to 'a rapid event which passed quickly.' But, the scientists added, Coeur's field monitoring, surface water analysis, and other observations did not detect any 'suboptimal or acutely toxic water quality before, during, or following' the day the dead fish were discovered. The state biologists reported finding the fish during a survey that started at 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 9. Coeur took several water samples that day, according to lab reports included in the company's memo to regulators. Mine staff sampled mine wastewater at 9:00 a.m. and at a few spots in the creek between 2:15 p.m. and 4:20 p.m, the documents showed. Strow, with Coeur, said the analysis suggests the die-off 'may not be associated' with discharge from the treatment plant. A company spokeswoman, Rochelle Lindley, declined to elaborate or answer questions about the incident. 'Coeur Alaska is committed to continuous improvement, and our team continues to work with state regulatory agencies on best practices for our operation,' she said in a statement. 'At this time, we don't have any publicly available updates beyond what has already been provided.' The investigation into the die-off scrutinized an explosive called RocKracker, according to documents reviewed by Northern Journal. The product is 'acutely toxic to some marine organisms' and generally shouldn't be placed in bodies of water, according to its safety information. Mine workers used the explosive the day before the dead fish were discovered, according to the consultants hired by Coeur. They said the company described 'the potential for wastewater containing the explosive to reach the treatment plant discharging' into Sherman Creek. A federal official, in a report to a local tribe obtained by Northern Journal, described the use of an 'unapproved' explosive at Kensington on Aug. 8. Coeur, in documents submitted to the state, acknowledged having used RocKracker on a 'one-time' basis. Potentially toxic compounds from the product weren't detected in the water samples taken from the creek the day the dead fish were found, according to Coeur's report. Allan Nakanishi, a state engineer and regulator who works with McCabe, said his office would forward information about the die-off, including Coeur's use of RocKracker, to state compliance officers 'to determine if further action is needed.' Regulators say Coeur was compliant with the sampling requirements of its federal Clean Water Act permit. The permit calls for weekly tests for pollutants in the treated wastewater that the company releases directly into Sherman Creek. In general, Coeur's sampling program 'is adequate to detect pollution,' said McCabe, the regulator. But he wouldn't rule out the possibility that pollution had occurred, undetected, between sampling times. 'What can always happen is something completely unexpected. The unpredictable, unaccounted-for event is always a factor,' McCabe said. 'To build a program to operate every day of its life expecting the unexpected creates an unmanageable amount of data.' In December, McCabe's division asked for additional information from Coeur. Among the requests: an alternative explanation if the die-off was not conclusively related to the mine, a description of pollutants that could have killed the fish, and a diagram showing how those pollutants could have ended up in the creek. Regulators also asked the company to suggest improvements to its wastewater treatment plant and monitoring program to ensure that it's 'capable of detecting potential releases in the future.' And they asked Coeur to discuss limitations of the data they collected. Strow, in his letter, said the analysis 'did not consider all potential environmental factors, such as naturally occurring toxicity events,' and he added that 'some of the compounds tested during the investigation are not routine, and therefore we do not have baseline results for all parameters.' Lindley, from Coeur, would not elaborate on what 'naturally occurring' events might have killed the fish. The company has already taken a number of steps in response to the incident, according to a preliminary document shared with DEC in February. Those include stopping the use of RocKracker, fine-tuning their water sampling, and creating a new position to oversee blasting operations at Kensington. McCabe said Coeur has worked 'very well' with regulators. Northern Journal contributor Max Graham can be reached at max@ He's interested in any and all mining related stories, as well as introductory meetings with people in and around the industry. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Nathaniel Herz. Subscribe at this link. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: Driver ends chase with GA deputies next to backyard pool
A police chase that began on a highway ended in a neighbor's backyard, according to Georgia deputies. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Just before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jones County Lt. Kasey Carr spotted a car failing to maintain its lane on Joycliff Road. That's when Carr activated his blue lights and tried to conduct a traffic stop. Deputies said the driver, later identified as Christopher Sergeant, began speeding down Joycliff Road to try to get away. Dashcam video shows Sergeant making a right turn on Gray Highway, reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour. The sheriff's office said at one point, Carr saw a bag being thrown from the car. TRENDING STORIES: Man held captive by stepmother sets fire to escape, police say Judge orders Trump to reinstate probationary workers let go in mass firings across multiple agencies Roswell police charge youth pastor with possession of child sexual abuse materials Sergeant continued traveling onto Graham Road and Huckabee Road. The JCSO said the driver traveled onto Highway 18 West, then continued driving towards the Gray Bypass. Deputies set up spike strips in front of Oakview Drive. The driver turned onto Oakview Drive and ended up at the dead-end of Crestview Trace. With nowhere to go, Sergeant drove behind a house before getting stuck. Video shows Sergeant hopping out of the car and running toward the woods. After a short foot chase, deputies were able to arrest Sergeant and the passenger, Kayla Zarecky. Authorities later learned Sergeant was wanted for parole violation out of Ohio. Deputies said the pair was found with marijuana, THC oil and suboxone. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Sergeant is facing several charges related to fleeting, while both will face multiple drug charges related to the incident. The pair is behind bars at the Jones County Jail.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
10 Commandments in schools bill passes House panel
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A bill that would require all South Dakota classrooms to display the Ten Commandments is one step closer to becoming law. After nearly two hours of testimony and debate, the House Education Committee voted 8-7 to pass Senate Bill 51. It will now move to the House floor and if passed, be sent to Gov. Larry Rhoden's desk. Immigration bill is Rhoden's first new law as governor 'When you think about the overall corrosion of our kids and society's issues that they're dealing with… I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to start having conversations with kids about their moral stance and where that could help guide them in the future,' Republican Rep. Tesa Schwans said. 'I think we should give it a chance and at least give it a shot.' The bill would require every classroom in South Dakota to display an 8 by 14 inch poster with the Ten Commandments on it, along with another document that explains other circumstances where the decalogue was present in schools. Curriculum on the subject must be taught at least three times; once in elementary, middle and high school. Supporters maintain the bill isn't aimed at religious indoctrination, but rather to highlight the historical significance the Ten Commandments had on the foundation of America. 'We based all of our laws (on it), the Supreme Court has it on the wall. I think that it would not hurt anything to have this in our schools,' Republican Rep. Travis Ismay added. Grace Sergeant, a college student in Brookings, agreed. During her proponent testimony, Sergeant said she would have liked to have been taught about the Ten Commandments in her history class when she was in school. 'I see the Ten Commandments as a moral framework for the laws we have today and see their display and teaching to be nothing but a reminder of simple morals that are nothing but beneficial for us as humans to remember,' Sergeant said. In a committee hearing earlier in the session, lawmakers questioned how and who would pay for the displays in every single South Dakota classroom. One of the bill's prime sponsors, Republican Sen. John Carley, explained on Friday both in-state and out-of-state organizations have offered to pay for all the displays. When asked by Republican Rep. Lana Greenfield who the donors were, Carley said they wished to remain anonymous, to which Greenfield said would 'cause a problem.' Greenfield also expressed her frustrations for school districts consistently taking the blame and responsibility for student behavior and 'failing kids.' 'When the students have no food, somebody always comes in and helps pay for it,' she said. 'Now, when the students are not properly taught by their parents any kind of religious instruction, now the schools have to take over. I mean, where does it end?' Also in opposition was Republican Rep. Mike Stevens, who was worried about the state stepping over local control. 'We're trying to be the school board of South Dakota here in Pierre by once again mandating things to our schools that are not necessary, that they can decide themselves,' Stevens said. Multiple pastors also spoke out against the bill, asserting that the Ten Commandments are religious moral guidelines and not historical documents. Concerns about mature subject matter like adultery and murder being present in elementary classrooms was a prominent point of discussion. 'Why is my daughter in kindergarten having the word adultery put on her classroom wall? Why is the word murder on her classroom wall,' questioned Sam Nelson, a lobbyist for the Sioux Falls School District. 'That's a 'me' thing to talk about, and I'd like you to keep it that way.' Carley argued young children are already exposed to those themes on the school bus with older kids and in the media they watch. He said the Ten Commandments in classrooms would provide an outlet for teachers and students to discuss those topics in an age-appropriate way. A similar bill was passed in Louisiana last year and contested in court. Although the Louisiana Attorney General gave the OK for schools to display the signs, the case is still tied up in the 5th Circuit Court for a few schools. Those in opposition believe the case will inevitably be brought to the U.S. Supreme Court and are worried about passing a similar bill in South Dakota that would open the state up for potential legal battles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
