Latest news with #Shanks
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
SQA invigilator wins tribunal over unpaid holiday
The ruling could prove costly. According to the SQA's website, around 5,000 invigilators are employed for each exam diet, in addition to 8,000 markers and approximately 1,500 principal assessors and verifiers. In a statement, the SQA said it was considering the implications of the decision. READ MORE: During the hearing, the SQA argued that Ms Shanks, who retired from Police Scotland after 30 years of service in 2021, was neither a worker nor an employee and likened her status to that of a self-employed contractor. They also claimed that as many invigilators were retired they were "not in need of the usual statutory protections." This was rejected by the judge, who noted that invigilators 'come from all stages of life and include for example students and others with several other jobs'. Ms Shanks worked as both an invigilator and later a chief invigilator at Cumbernauld Academy. She brought the case to claim holiday pay for her work in 2023 and 2024, as well as unpaid hours linked to an administrative fee in 2024. Employment Judge Robison, in her written decision, outlined three conditions for meeting the statutory definition of a worker: 'There must be a contract to perform work or services; there must be a requirement for the individual to undertake that work or services personally; and the other party to the contract must not be a client or customer of the claimant.' The tribunal found that there was a contract between Ms Shanks and the SQA for short-term, fixed-task roles. A key point in the ruling was whether Ms Shanks had to carry out the work personally. While the SQA claimed invigilators could swap shifts or appoint substitutes — implying a lack of personal service — Ms Shanks successfully argued that any such right was limited. Substitutes were only allowed in cases of illness or emergency, had to be drawn from the same SQA-vetted centre pool, and were required to have completed SQA training. This level of restriction, the judge concluded, supported the requirement for personal service. Other key factors highlighted by the Judge included the high level of control exercised by the SQA, such as the use of detailed handbooks and policies. They also pointed out that Ms Shanks did not issue invoices, which would typically be expected if the SQA were a client. The SQA also admitted it was not a client or customer of Ms Shanks' business. The judge noted that awarding bodies, including the SQA, were required to auto-enrol eligible invigilators into pension schemes following guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions. Taking all this into account — and recognising that the threshold for establishing worker status is lower than for employee status — the tribunal concluded that Ms Shanks was a worker in both of her SQA roles. The SQA was ordered to pay her £348.18. This included holiday pay based on hourly invigilation work and pay relating to her pre-examination duties as a chief invigilator. READ MORE Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs said: 'This is just the latest example of the SQA's failure to get its house in order. Yet ministers have been trying to push through a set of cosmetic changes before they have been agreed or even properly examined. 'That would have included the power to hire staff before the structure of the SQA's replacement was even set out, when this case shows they are not even clear on who they currently employ. 'Scotland's qualifications system needs total reorganisation after a string of scandals, but so far Jenny Gilruth has only offered the most vague plans. The staff and students in Scotland's schools are being badly let down by the current shambolic set-up.' Scottish Labour Education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy said 'This is an embarrassing slap-down for the SQA. 'The SQA has shown time and time again that it is out of touch with the views of staff and the reality of our education system. 'The SNP has failed to deliver the genuine reform our education system needs, but Scottish Labour will continue to work to make sure the upcoming Education Bill replaces the SQA with a body that is fit for purpose.' The EIS said: 'While the EIS does not represent SQA invigilators, there should be a clear expectation that the SQA, as a public body, should comply with all relevant statute when entering into contracts with those acting as invigilators. "Having signed up to the Scottish Government's Fair Work framework, it is also incumbent on the SQA to adhere to the principles of Fair Work in both policy and practice.' – EIS spokesperson An SQA spokesperson said: 'We have received the tribunal ruling relating to the employment status of Invigilators and Chief Invigilators and are considering its implications and next steps.'
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
One Piece creator confirms big plans for Shanks in the final saga
One Piece, the famous world-conquering manga and anime juggernaut from Eiichiro Oda, is moving into its final climactic Final Saga. As the series begins to wrap up after more than 25 years, Oda has gone on record to confirm what Long Ring Long Land fans have been hoping for all along —Shanks, the red-haired swashbuckler who launched Luffy's adventure, will be a central, pivotal player in the saga's last arc. This announcement has sparked new global enthusiasm, particularly for the old-school fans that have been waiting decades to finally see Shanks in action. For returnees, it's an excellent opportunity to delve into one of the most groundbreaking tales in anime history. Who exactly is Shanks in One Piece the mysterious pirate who inspired Luffy's dream Shanks is one of the most important and enigmatic characters in all of One Piece. He's the pirate who, through his adventures, inspired a young Monkey D. Luffy to pursue his own dream of becoming the Pirate King. Shanks is responsible for giving Luffy his signature straw hat—the very same hat previously owned by the infamous Gol D. Roger. For all of his pivotal role in the story, Shanks has only appeared sporadically over the course of the narrative. A founding member of the Yonko, the four most powerful pirates in the world, Shanks is characterized by his easy-go-lucky attitude, overwhelming strength, and mysterious intentions. Fans have long argued over which side they should take: is Shanks the washed-up hero, the fateful guardian figure, or the creepy predator? Eiichiro Oda says it loud and clear: Shanks will dominate the final saga In a recently resurfaced 1998 quote, Oda stated: 'When Shanks appears frequently in the manga, you can assume that One Piece has entered the Final Saga.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Entrevista exclusiva: a verdade sobre o magnésio que ninguém te contou AlwaysFit Undo Certainly, that prophecy has come true. In the last few chapters, Shanks has appeared in consecutive chapters, proving Oda's decade-plus plan true. The red-haired pirate isn't just back — he's front and center . As far as Oda's concerned, Shanks has been one of the biggest players pushing the story's action forward and he'll play a direct role when it comes time to clash over the One Piece treasure, the Void Century's secrets and perhaps the world's fate. Shanks was always waiting—for Nika , for Luffy, and for the new era Throughout the Wano arc, fans discovered that Luffy's Devil Fruit was not the Gomu Gomu no Mi—it was the Mythical Zoan Fruit, which is related to the Sun God Nika, a freedom-loving warrior of legend. In retrospect, it is now obvious that Shanks was aware of Nika the whole time. From his mysterious dealings with the Five Elders to his knowing smile at Luffy awakening his full powers, Shanks's every action indicates that he's been biding his time—for Nika, and for Luffy—to free the world. Shanks is not just an ally—He may be Luffy's biggest rival We've seen Oda develop Shanks for more than the purpose of simply being this mentor archetype, rather one of the final big challenges—or allies—that Luffy will encounter. Some diehard fans think Shanks is protecting the last island, Laugh Tale, while others think he'll confront Luffy and try to halt his progress to save the balance of the world. There are even fan theories that Shanks is actually working for the World Government, which would make him not only a hero, but one of the most dangerous characters in the series. Might he be the final obstacle standing between the Pirate King and the throne? All of this will be disclosed in the Final Saga. Egghead arc confirms Shanks's role among the 'main players' In this most recent arc on Egghead Island, it was Dr. Vegapunk's transmission to the world that set off a chain reaction around the globe. Shortly after his announcement, the manga introduced the main characters of the Final Saga—Luffy, Blackbeard, the Revolutionary Army, the World Government, and Shanks. This eventual visual confirmation raises Shanks to a joint level of importance with the protagonist himself. Oda is sending a message loud and clear here: Shanks will not merely serve as a moral lodestar for the story. He will define it. Beyond everything outside the four seas: Shanks's history is key to the endgame Shanks was originally an apprentice on Gol D. Roger's ship, which would mean he has direct knowledge of the One Piece treasure and the world's hidden secrets. He might already have an idea of what's on Laugh Tale, the last island. Armed with that wisdom, and with his recent machinations in the ongoing story, fans are convinced Shanks will either lead that new era—or prevent it from coming about prematurely. When does the next chapter of One Piece come out One Piece Chapter 1148 has now come to a conclusion, altogether paving the way for the next chapter, One Piece Chapter 1149, which will be officially available on Sunday, May 25, 2025, for the majority of readers around the world. Japanese fans will be receiving it at midnight on Monday, May 26th. Currently, you can read the most recent chapters for free and legally on Manga Plus or the Shonen Jump app. The era of Shanks begins now For too long, and after decades in the shadowsAfter over a decade of speculation surrounding his role, Red-Haired Shanks is finally taking center stage, for better or worse. Eiichiro Oda has made it very clear that he's no side character, he's one of the main focal points to One Piece's monumental conclusion. Whatever role he plays, friend or foe, one thing is clear. Shanks is about to shake up the world of One Piece for good. If you've ever wanted to discover what makes One Piece so special, now is the perfect chance to head aboard and find out. The original pirate that started it all is back — and the end is finally in sight. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
A missing bench comes to symbolize missing solutions to homelessness
John Paul Shanks sits for a photo outside the Central Inn in Central City, April 27, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony) This is the final story in a Lantern series about homelessness in Western Kentucky. Read the earlier articles here. CENTRAL CITY — Sitting on his bed at the Central Inn on a bitterly cold January day, John Paul Shanks had already handwashed his clothes, after pre-soaking them in Gain detergent, and hung them to dry. Living outdoors in this Western Kentucky town has given him a lot of experience in making do. 'I'm probably one of the only people you'll see that can just sit there and lay on a piece of concrete with a pillow or nothing and go to bed,' Shanks said. 'That hardens you up.' Gwen Clements is why 41-year-old Shanks, his red beard long and his head shaved, had a motel room that day. Clements also knows about making do. She's a leader in a loose coalition of the compassionate, working to help her homeless neighbors in a place that offers them few formal resources. She met Shanks years before when she took a job at the Perdue Farms poultry processing plant in Ohio County around the time of the Great Recession. He was a production line leader. It's unclear to Clements what put Shanks on the path to what she describes as being 'chronically homeless.' But as she began seeing him walk the streets she started checking in with him and asking if he needed anything. On days when she wanted to find Shanks, she would make sure to get up early to drive around town and check a few of his haunts. Outside the Central Inn. Inside the local Wendy's. On a bench next to a local bank where people driving by gave him money, food and sometimes clothing. 'The only people that know him are the people who stop and talk to him, people that know him from the past,' Clements said in January. With deadly cold in the forecast that January week, Clements, through a Facebook group she started in early 2024 focused on homelessness, had urged her neighbors to send her money so that she could put people up in the motel and keep them safe overnight. Finding Shanks during severe weather and making sure he had shelter had become a priority for her. It was easy for Clements to check Shanks into a motel room for the night. Finding help for his deeper issues is not. Clements said that's true of other people she helps, some of them grappling with what seem to be untreated mental illness and addiction and living without permanent shelter. 'People like John Paul, there's no help for them. You can make all the appointments you want for him. He's not going to go,' Clements said. 'He doesn't have transportation if he did decide to go.' Shanks said he injured his back years ago when on the drive to work the vehicle he was in hit a patch of black ice that 'flipped the car.' The nerve pain was so intense, he said, it could take him 30 minutes to dress. In the motel room, he also described grappling with addiction and using prescription opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine. According to court records, Shanks has been arrested a number of times. Once he was screaming and throwing rocks from a train track. Shanks told police he hadn't realized one of the rocks had almost hit a woman. Another time he was arrested for disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling obscenities at a local IGA grocery store. In 2022, a Central City police officer and Chief Jason Lindsey found Shanks at a strip mall where Shanks had previously trespassed, according to an incident report. Shanks had allegedly told a minor 'he would take him out back and beat his brains out.' Shanks told law enforcement the minor 'had said things to him about him being homeless and getting a job.' Shanks was arrested and banned from entering the strip mall property. Tammy Piper, the director of business development for the city, told the Lantern last year the city had tried to help Shanks multiple times by putting him in a hotel room or offering work. Piper said in one instance, Chief Lindsey drove Shanks to live with family members several counties over and had secured a job for Shanks, only for Shanks to return to the Central City streets. In the fall of 2024, the city removed the bench next to a local bank where Shanks often sat, sometimes dozing or asking passing drivers for money. The move sparked debate on social media and made television news in Evansville, Indiana. Central City Mayor Tony Armour told the Evansville station the bench was removed because Shanks made people uncomfortable. The mayor also said the city has tried to offer Shanks work. Shanks, in the motel room in January, disputed that the city had offered him a job. The bench took on larger significance for some, including Clements, who saw its removal as a symbol of apathy and, at times, disregard by local officials and police for people who are unsheltered and struggling. 'That was just a small part of how our homeless are treated in this county and this city,' said Clements. Clements said Shanks and other people dealing with homelessness need more than a bench where they can spend their days or even a roof over their heads. She sees a need for mobile mental health services that can meet people where they're living outside, considering that homelessness can deteriorate mental health. 'He's suffered a lot of trauma from being unhoused. I don't think people understand that,' Clements said about Shanks. 'They just want to think that, 'He's lazy and a druggie, and he needs to get a job, get off drugs and he'll be fine.' It's much more than that. 'The warming shelters and stuff is the 'more.' John Paul needing mobile crisis mental health — that's part of the 'more.' It's just so much more than the bench being removed,' Clements said. When Shanks was asked in the motel room if he believed others in Central City cared about people experiencing homelessness, he said: 'I think they worry about others. I think there's just a lot to worry about.' Clements replied to Shanks: 'The problem is too big, and they don't know how to handle it.' Paramount among the needs is more housing and temporary shelter, according to Clements and others in the band of helpers pushing to address homelessness in Muhlenberg County. The Muhlenberg County Economic Growth Alliance, the economic development arm for county government, retained an Ohio-based housing research firm in November 2023 to better understand the local housing market. The study found a need for more than 300 additional rental units and more than 700 additional owner-occupied homes through 2029. The report noted the need for affordable rental units would continue because of persistent poverty in the county. But the path for creating more housing or even temporary shelter remains unclear. Kelsey Rolley, who has helped the loose coalition at times through her work at Pennyrile Allied Community Services, said some of the divisions among the community spring from fear of the unknown. She imagines questions from local 'higher ups,' such as who else might come into the county to seek shelter if more were available and whether it might attract more crime. When Armour, the mayor, raised concerns about a church's plans to turn the Central Inn into efficiency apartments to help homeless people transition into something more permanent, he worried his community could be 'destroyed' by an influx of people drawn by the assistance. 'It's going to take a village, and until that village can be formed, created and run properly, all of us work together — I feel like it's just going to keep us stuck,' Rolley said. The loose coalition is persisting, though. Clements and others recently visited Somerset to see how a nonprofit shelter and resource hub were started just a couple years ago, and Clements has been considering buildings to potentially start her own version of that nonprofit in Muhlenberg. The way forward to stable housing remains strewn with challenges and struggles for the people who talked about their experiences of being homeless in this series. Shanks remained on the concrete stoop of the Central Inn in May, waving at passing cars. He mentioned he needed a shower, a pair of socks and maybe another stay in a motel room. 'You gotta appreciate everything about everything,' he said. Courtney Phillips, who slept outside the Abundant Life Church for weeks, is still piecing together what she wants her life to be. The church has provided her a room to sleep in. At her nursing home job, she's working long hours and building relationships with residents who deal with mental health disorders including dementia. She wants to save money for a car — what she calls a 'baby step' toward where she wants to be. She made it to the top of a waiting list for a rapid rehousing program and hopes it will help her find an apartment soon. She's also been carrying on without her dog, Joker, who cuddled with her while she was sleeping outside. Joker died earlier this year; a wooden urn with Joker's ashes sits in her room at the church, and Joker's bed is still beside her bed. 'It's real different, but he's still with me,' Phillips said. Mallie Luken, who slept in the church parking lot before Clements helped her find housing, was anxious for weeks leading up to a hearing on her possible eviction from the apartment Clements had helped her find. After police left Luken in her wheelchair outside the Abundant Life Church on a stormy night in September, Clements came to her aid, helping her secure an apartment at the Greenville Housing Authority. But her housing situation was uncertain yet again by this month. Luken, 70, was served an eviction notice because of alleged complaints from neighbors about her behavior and inappropriate language that they said was directed at them. Clements, who admits Luken can be her own 'worst enemy,' also said the housing authority alleged Luken hadn't paid rent, something she said wasn't true. The stress of her predicament had Luken exhausted and apprehensive. 'Somehow or another I keep falling through the system,' Luken said weeks before the hearing. Earlier in May, in front of a district court judge, Luken with the help of a Kentucky Legal Aid attorney was able to come to an agreement with the housing authority: She can stay in her apartment until another apartment opens up at a housing authority in Beaver Dam, next door in Ohio County where Luken previously lived. Clements said Luken has friends near there, potentially a support system. In Muhlenberg County, Clements played a large role in Luken's support system. Their relationship has grown over the months they've been together. 'I can't imagine what she's done for other people,' Luken said in praise of Clements' generosity. Leaving Luken's apartment earlier this year, Clements told Luken she loved her. Out on the sidewalk, Clements, in a voice choked with emotion, said, 'I can't imagine my mother being in that predicament. I just can't.' Introduction Part 1: Homeless often means 'invisible,' but not to everyone in this small Kentucky town Part 2: After living outdoors for weeks, she got a place to sleep, a shower — and a job Part 3: A church called its vision for housing a 'Beacon of Hope.' The mayor had concerns.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
A missing bench comes to symbolize missing solutions to homelessness
John Paul Shanks sits for a photo outside the Central Inn in Central City, April 27, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony) This is the final story in a Lantern series about homelessness in Western Kentucky. Read the earlier articles here. CENTRAL CITY — Sitting on his bed at the Central Inn on a bitterly cold January day, John Paul Shanks had already handwashed his clothes, after pre-soaking them in Gain detergent, and hung them to dry. Living outdoors in this Western Kentucky town has given him a lot of experience in making do. 'I'm probably one of the only people you'll see that can just sit there and lay on a piece of concrete with a pillow or nothing and go to bed,' Shanks said. 'That hardens you up.' Gwen Clements is why 41-year-old Shanks, his red beard long and his head shaved, had a motel room that day. Clements also knows about making do. She's a leader in a loose coalition of the compassionate, working to help her homeless neighbors in a place that offers them few formal resources. She met Shanks years before when she took a job at the Perdue Farms poultry processing plant in Ohio County around the time of the Great Recession. He was a production line leader. It's unclear to Clements what put Shanks on the path to what she describes as being 'chronically homeless.' But as she began seeing him walk the streets she started checking in with him and asking if he needed anything. On days when she wanted to find Shanks, she would make sure to get up early to drive around town and check a few of his haunts. Outside the Central Inn. Inside the local Wendy's. On a bench next to a local bank where people driving by gave him money, food and sometimes clothing. 'The only people that know him are the people who stop and talk to him, people that know him from the past,' Clements said in January. With deadly cold in the forecast that January week, Clements, through a Facebook group she started in early 2024 focused on homelessness, had urged her neighbors to send her money so that she could put people up in the motel and keep them safe overnight. Finding Shanks during severe weather and making sure he had shelter had become a priority for her. It was easy for Clements to check Shanks into a motel room for the night. Finding help for his deeper issues is not. Clements said that's true of other people she helps, some of them grappling with what seem to be untreated mental illness and addiction and living without permanent shelter. 'People like John Paul, there's no help for them. You can make all the appointments you want for him. He's not going to go,' Clements said. 'He doesn't have transportation if he did decide to go.' Shanks said he injured his back years ago when on the drive to work the vehicle he was in hit a patch of black ice that 'flipped the car.' The nerve pain was so intense, he said, it could take him 30 minutes to dress. In the motel room, he also described grappling with addiction and using prescription opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine. According to court records, Shanks has been arrested a number of times. Once he was screaming and throwing rocks from a train track. Shanks told police he hadn't realized one of the rocks had almost hit a woman. Another time he was arrested for disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling obscenities at a local IGA grocery store. In 2022, a Central City police officer and Chief Jason Lindsey found Shanks at a strip mall where Shanks had previously trespassed, according to an incident report. Shanks had allegedly told a minor 'he would take him out back and beat his brains out.' Shanks told law enforcement the minor 'had said things to him about him being homeless and getting a job.' Shanks was arrested and banned from entering the strip mall property. Tammy Piper, the director of business development for the city, told the Lantern last year the city had tried to help Shanks multiple times by putting him in a hotel room or offering work. Piper said in one instance, Chief Lindsey drove Shanks to live with family members several counties over and had secured a job for Shanks, only for Shanks to return to the Central City streets. In the fall of 2024, the city removed the bench next to a local bank where Shanks often sat, sometimes dozing or asking passing drivers for money. The move sparked debate on social media and made television news in Evansville, Indiana. Central City Mayor Tony Armour told the Evansville station the bench was removed because Shanks made people uncomfortable. The mayor also said the city has tried to offer Shanks work. Shanks, in the motel room in January, disputed that the city had offered him a job. The bench took on larger significance for some, including Clements, who saw its removal as a symbol of apathy and, at times, disregard by local officials and police for people who are unsheltered and struggling. 'That was just a small part of how our homeless are treated in this county and this city,' said Clements. Clements said Shanks and other people dealing with homelessness need more than a bench where they can spend their days or even a roof over their heads. She sees a need for mobile mental health services that can meet people where they're living outside, considering that homelessness can deteriorate mental health. 'He's suffered a lot of trauma from being unhoused. I don't think people understand that,' Clements said about Shanks. 'They just want to think that, 'He's lazy and a druggie, and he needs to get a job, get off drugs and he'll be fine.' It's much more than that. 'The warming shelters and stuff is the 'more.' John Paul needing mobile crisis mental health — that's part of the 'more.' It's just so much more than the bench being removed,' Clements said. When Shanks was asked in the motel room if he believed others in Central City cared about people experiencing homelessness, he said: 'I think they worry about others. I think there's just a lot to worry about.' Clements replied to Shanks: 'The problem is too big, and they don't know how to handle it.' Paramount among the needs is more housing and temporary shelter, according to Clements and others in the band of helpers pushing to address homelessness in Muhlenberg County. The Muhlenberg County Economic Growth Alliance, the economic development arm for county government, retained an Ohio-based housing research firm in November 2023 to better understand the local housing market. The study found a need for more than 300 additional rental units and more than 700 additional owner-occupied homes through 2029. The report noted the need for affordable rental units would continue because of persistent poverty in the county. But the path for creating more housing or even temporary shelter remains unclear. Kelsey Rolley, who has helped the loose coalition at times through her work at Pennyrile Allied Community Services, said some of the divisions among the community spring from fear of the unknown. She imagines questions from local 'higher ups,' such as who else might come into the county to seek shelter if more were available and whether it might attract more crime. When Armour, the mayor, raised concerns about a church's plans to turn the Central Inn into efficiency apartments to help homeless people transition into something more permanent, he worried his community could be 'destroyed' by an influx of people drawn by the assistance. 'It's going to take a village, and until that village can be formed, created and run properly, all of us work together — I feel like it's just going to keep us stuck,' Rolley said. The loose coalition is persisting, though. Clements and others recently visited Somerset to see how a nonprofit shelter and resource hub were started just a couple years ago, and Clements has been considering buildings to potentially start her own version of that nonprofit in Muhlenberg. The way forward to stable housing remains strewn with challenges and struggles for the people who talked about their experiences of being homeless in this series. Shanks remained on the concrete stoop of the Central Inn in May, waving at passing cars. He mentioned he needed a shower, a pair of socks and maybe another stay in a motel room. 'You gotta appreciate everything about everything,' he said. Courtney Phillips, who slept outside the Abundant Life Church for weeks, is still piecing together what she wants her life to be. The church has provided her a room to sleep in. At her nursing home job, she's working long hours and building relationships with residents who deal with mental health disorders including dementia. She wants to save money for a car — what she calls a 'baby step' toward where she wants to be. She made it to the top of a waiting list for a rapid rehousing program and hopes it will help her find an apartment soon. She's also been carrying on without her dog, Joker, who cuddled with her while she was sleeping outside. Joker died earlier this year; a wooden urn with Joker's ashes sits in her room at the church, and Joker's bed is still beside her bed. 'It's real different, but he's still with me,' Phillips said. Mallie Luken, who slept in the church parking lot before Clements helped her find housing, was anxious for weeks leading up to a hearing on her possible eviction from the apartment Clements had helped her find. After police left Luken in her wheelchair outside the Abundant Life Church on a stormy night in September, Clements came to her aid, helping her secure an apartment at the Greenville Housing Authority. But her housing situation was uncertain yet again by this month. Luken, 70, was served an eviction notice because of alleged complaints from neighbors about her behavior and inappropriate language that they said was directed at them. Clements, who admits Luken can be her own 'worst enemy,' also said the housing authority alleged Luken hadn't paid rent, something she said wasn't true. The stress of her predicament had Luken exhausted and apprehensive. 'Somehow or another I keep falling through the system,' Luken said weeks before the hearing. Earlier in May, in front of a district court judge, Luken with the help of a Kentucky Legal Aid attorney was able to come to an agreement with the housing authority: She can stay in her apartment until another apartment opens up at a housing authority in Beaver Dam, next door in Ohio County where Luken previously lived. Clements said Luken has friends near there, potentially a support system. In Muhlenberg County, Clements played a large role in Luken's support system. Their relationship has grown over the months they've been together. 'I can't imagine what she's done for other people,' Luken said in praise of Clements' generosity. Leaving Luken's apartment earlier this year, Clements told Luken she loved her. Out on the sidewalk, Clements, in a voice choked with emotion, said, 'I can't imagine my mother being in that predicament. I just can't.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The National
22-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Labour admit 'not a penny' of £200m Grangemouth rescue fund spent
Energy Minister Michael Shanks revealed that none of the fund had been released under questioning by Holyrood's Economy Committee. When the National Wealth Fund cash was announced in February, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray claimed the UK Government was 'working at speed to ensure a long-term future for Grangemouth'. But Shanks's admission in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday was seized on as evidence Labour were failing to treat Grangemouth with urgency. READ MORE: SNP and Scottish Labour unite to condemn 'blatantly racist' Reform UK advert Speaking during the committee hearing, SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald asked the minister about the National Wealth Fund cash. He said: 'How much of it has been released so far?' Shanks (below) replied: 'It's dependent on propositions coming forward, as I've said, so it won't release funding until there is a viable investment proposition on the table. I think that's quite important, actually, is because what we don't want do is pour money into something that we don't think is a viable long-term opportunity.' Camilla Pierry, deputy director of energy security at UK Government, a civil servant, added: 'The nature of the National Wealth Fund funding is that it won't come in until projects are quite mature proposals and this is part of the way we're working with the Scottish Government, who announced £25m in the short-term, which is much more readily available for seed funding.' Earlier, Shanks said that the money would help companies who 'might consider' investing in Grangemouth at a future date. READ MORE: Man dies after emergency services called to Devil's Pulpit beauty spot MacDonald said: 'Michael Shanks confirmed what many of us had suspected – not a penny of the UK Government's promised £200m for Grangemouth has materialised. 'While I understand the need for private investment, the UK Government is putting Grangemouth in a chicken and egg style situation – private investors need certainty – and that certainty only comes when the Government steps in and invests in the first place. 'If Westminster can find millions to nationalise British Steel, and billions for carbon capture projects in England – then surely it can also deliver on its promise to Grangemouth.'
