Latest news with #ShirleyRobinson
CBC
25-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Smoke from out-of-control wildfires force 100s out of their homes in Pimicikamak Cree Nation
More than 300 people living in Pimicikamak Cree Nation have been forced out of their homes this weekend as smoke from an active wildfire threatens the health of vulnerable residents. The First Nation has made arrangements to evacuate high-priority residents, which includes the elderly and people with respiratory issues. Five planes have taken evacuees out of the First Nation as of Saturday night, Chief David Monias told CBC. At least 216 people were taken to Winnipeg, which is about 530 kilometres south of the First Nation, while 86 evacuees went to Thompson, Chief David Monias said in a statement posted to Facebook on Saturday. "We're trying to get these people out as fast as possible before the wind changes," Monias said. An out-of-control wildfire burning a few kilometres southwest of Pimicikamak has reached 1,500 hectares in size, the most recent fire status report from the province showed Friday. A five-hectare wildfire, also considered to be out of control, is burning about 50 kilometres southwest of the First Nation. Shirley Robinson, an executive council member at Pimicikamak, said the wildfires are encroaching on the community from both sides. "People are anxious, they are afraid, they are worried," she said. A few years ago, a wildfire in Manitoba's Cross Lake region forced everyone out of Pimicikamak, Robinson said, but the evacuation had to be completed in just under three hours. Now, "some people really wanted to self-evacuate because of all the worry." Two of Robinson's grandchildren and her daughter are among the evacuees. "My mind has been with my twins," she said. Both were born with respiratory issues, and one of them was recently discharged from hospital. As a grandmother she is worried, but she choosing to staying in the community at the front lines, helping get the word out about the evacuations. "We have to keep doing what we need to do," she said. "Our community citizens are my first priority." Chief Monias said the evacuation was a precautionary measure for now to protect vulnerable people, given winds were blowing away from the First Nation on Saturday night and there were concerns about the health impact of heavy wildfire smoke. He said two people died during the last evacuation because of the smoke, and many others got sick. "They know that the vulnerable people need to be taken care of first, and that's the shared responsibility we have with our members," Monias said. "They want their kids to be going out. They want their elders to be going out. They want the people who are sick to be going out first." 'Bureaucratic' and 'bottlenecked' evacuation system But as many as 80 evacuees were left waiting to leave on Saturday. Monias said the Red Cross is using a "bottlenecked" system to try and get people into hotels in Winnipeg and Thompson. "While we are able to get people out, it's really hard to get people into the hotels because the system that the Red Cross has is very bureaucratic," he said. The process has been time consuming because each evacuee is registered individually, which can take up to 30 minutes per person, Monias said. Some have to repeat the process multiple times before they can get assigned to a hotel. The wait has amounted to up to nine hours for some, including evacuees in wheelchairs and with amputations. "They have to have a say in who is getting approved to stay in the hotel … rather [than] decentralizing that authority, decision-making power to the people that are on site here," Monias said of the Red Cross. He said he has also been calling hotels directly and is offering to pay for rooms himself, but he has been told the Red Cross has to authorize it. And the hotels that they are at — the Hilton and Country Inn in Winnipeg — are not accessible enough, he said. "It may seem minor to some people, but when you're handicapped and wheelchair-bound, these are big obstacles for people," Monias said.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WVU Faculty Senate alarmed by House bill to strip faculty, staff, student BOG reps of voting power
Mar. 11—MORGANTOWN — WVU Faculty Senate raised the alarm during its Monday meeting over a bill introduced in the House of Delegates and on the agenda of the Higher Education Subcommittee Tuesday afternoon. HB 3279's stated purpose is "to require one person of the West Virginia University Board of Governors and of the West Virginia State University Board of Governors with a background in agriculture or in an agricultural field." The bill raises the BOG membership from 17 to 19 members. But what stirred the alarm was the provisions stripping the two faculty representatives, the classified staff representative and the student body representative of their voting rights. The bill adds to each of their descriptions: "who shall serve as a nonvoting, advisory member." Faculty Senate chair Diana Davis opened the meeting commenting on the bill, which was introduced on Monday. "Faculty staff and student voices are critical in providing broad and comprehensive input into the governing process for this university. The introduction of this bill is disappointing at best." WVU Staff Council chair Shirley Robinson said the council was very disturbed by the bill. "Our staff would not be in favor of this bill. It takes away our rights. It takes away us having a voice, " she said. "We're not a dictatorship at West Virginia University. All of our opinions matter." Previous Faculty Senate chair Frankie Tack said, "Not having a voting right for staff and students and faculty would diminish our voice." The four representatives are full board members, she said. "That has been very impactful along the way in many ways. ... We live here, we work here, we are served here, and we serve here and that voice must be potent on the board of governors." Under the new House committee process, the bill was set for subcommittee hearing on Tuesday — essentially an overview of the bill. Markup and passage would come at a subsequent meeting, followed by reporting to the full Education Committee. From there, if approved, it would go to the House floor. Research funding Interim Provost Paul Kreider fielded a question about word circulating of certain graduate program admissions being rescinded because of budgetary challenges. Kreider didn't have much information on the topic because it dealt with Health Sciences, but WVU had previously answered a question about this from The Dominion Post. Our question came following a forwarded email indicating a student's admission to the biomedical sciences graduate program had been rescinded. We had previously reported that on Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health announced that it will reduce indirect cost recovery at research institutions to a flat 15 % from any previously negotiated rates. This affects new grants, as well as existing grants, WVU said then. Direct research costs cover researcher salaries, student stipends, supplies and some equipment. Indirect costs cover the university's expenses for heat and air, building maintenance, chemical and radiation safety and disposal, library access, IT access, cybersecurity, human subjects and animal welfare support, centralized research facilities, and the administration and oversight of awards to ensure that funds are spent appropriately and responsibly. WVU projected it would lose about $12 million in research dollars. In response to our question, WVU said its Health Sciences Office of Research and Graduate Education "is limiting admission to its PhD programs due to the unforeseen budgetary challenges resulting from proposed cuts to federal research funding. We've met with the students and faculty in the affected areas, and we will continue to support our existing students, faculty and staff and current ongoing research initiatives. If circumstances change in the future, admission to these PhD programs will be reevaluated. "Our leadership teams continue to work with key constituents and policymakers to seek reconsideration of these proposed federal cuts, " WVU said. "Indirect costs are partial reimbursements for real costs essential to support human and physical infrastructure required for university research programs. Without support for these costs, our nation's research universities cannot maintain research programs essential for continued national prosperity." Academic freedom resolution In light of federal and state measures to curb DEI initiatives — and WVU's recent closure of its DEI office — senators adopted a resolution on "Academic Freedom, Inclusion, and Advocacy." In view of uncertainties brought about by a shifting political and legal landscape, the resolution says, the Senate asserts the need for a safe academic environment, and values free speech and expression and academic freedom. Every person has the right to pursue knowledge, it says, and faculty have the right to discuss such topics as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender. Therefore, the Senate "reaffirms its commitment to academic freedom, inclusion, and the support of all faculty, students, and staff in their pursuit of knowledge and personal growth." And the Senate "strongly urges the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Governor Morrisey, and the West Virginia Legislature to work collaboratively to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives serve their intended purpose: to enrich educational experiences for all students and create pathways for success throughout our state and university."
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WVU Faculty Senate alarmed by House bill to strip faculty, staff, student BOG reps of voting power
Mar. 11—MORGANTOWN — WVU Faculty Senate raised the alarm during its Monday meeting over a bill introduced in the House of Delegates and on the agenda of the Higher Education Subcommittee Tuesday afternoon. HB 3279's stated purpose is "to require one person of the West Virginia University Board of Governors and of the West Virginia State University Board of Governors with a background in agriculture or in an agricultural field." The bill raises the BOG membership from 17 to 19 members. But what stirred the alarm was the provisions stripping the two faculty representatives, the classified staff representative and the student body representative of their voting rights. The bill adds to each of their descriptions: "who shall serve as a nonvoting, advisory member." Faculty Senate chair Diana Davis opened the meeting commenting on the bill, which was introduced on Monday. "Faculty staff and student voices are critical in providing broad and comprehensive input into the governing process for this university. The introduction of this bill is disappointing at best." WVU Staff Council chair Shirley Robinson said the council was very disturbed by the bill. "Our staff would not be in favor of this bill. It takes away our rights. It takes away us having a voice, " she said. "We're not a dictatorship at West Virginia University. All of our opinions matter." Previous Faculty Senate chair Frankie Tack said, "Not having a voting right for staff and students and faculty would diminish our voice." The four representatives are full board members, she said. "That has been very impactful along the way in many ways. ... We live here, we work here, we are served here, and we serve here and that voice must be potent on the board of governors." Under the new House committee process, the bill was set for subcommittee hearing on Tuesday — essentially an overview of the bill. Markup and passage would come at a subsequent meeting, followed by reporting to the full Education Committee. From there, if approved, it would go to the House floor. Research funding Interim Provost Paul Kreider fielded a question about word circulating of certain graduate program admissions being rescinded because of budgetary challenges. Kreider didn't have much information on the topic because it dealt with Health Sciences, but WVU had previously answered a question about this from The Dominion Post. Our question came following a forwarded email indicating a student's admission to the biomedical sciences graduate program had been rescinded. We had previously reported that on Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health announced that it will reduce indirect cost recovery at research institutions to a flat 15 % from any previously negotiated rates. This affects new grants, as well as existing grants, WVU said then. Direct research costs cover researcher salaries, student stipends, supplies and some equipment. Indirect costs cover the university's expenses for heat and air, building maintenance, chemical and radiation safety and disposal, library access, IT access, cybersecurity, human subjects and animal welfare support, centralized research facilities, and the administration and oversight of awards to ensure that funds are spent appropriately and responsibly. WVU projected it would lose about $12 million in research dollars. In response to our question, WVU said its Health Sciences Office of Research and Graduate Education "is limiting admission to its PhD programs due to the unforeseen budgetary challenges resulting from proposed cuts to federal research funding. We've met with the students and faculty in the affected areas, and we will continue to support our existing students, faculty and staff and current ongoing research initiatives. If circumstances change in the future, admission to these PhD programs will be reevaluated. "Our leadership teams continue to work with key constituents and policymakers to seek reconsideration of these proposed federal cuts, " WVU said. "Indirect costs are partial reimbursements for real costs essential to support human and physical infrastructure required for university research programs. Without support for these costs, our nation's research universities cannot maintain research programs essential for continued national prosperity." Academic freedom resolution In light of federal and state measures to curb DEI initiatives — and WVU's recent closure of its DEI office — senators adopted a resolution on "Academic Freedom, Inclusion, and Advocacy." In view of uncertainties brought about by a shifting political and legal landscape, the resolution says, the Senate asserts the need for a safe academic environment, and values free speech and expression and academic freedom. Every person has the right to pursue knowledge, it says, and faculty have the right to discuss such topics as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender. Therefore, the Senate "reaffirms its commitment to academic freedom, inclusion, and the support of all faculty, students, and staff in their pursuit of knowledge and personal growth." And the Senate "strongly urges the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Governor Morrisey, and the West Virginia Legislature to work collaboratively to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives serve their intended purpose: to enrich educational experiences for all students and create pathways for success throughout our state and university."
