Latest news with #SouthernCalifornia-based
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. Coast Guard boat shown speeding over whales off California
A Southern California-based photographer on Thursday shared footage showing a U.S Coast Guard boat speeding over two gray whales off Laguna Beach. Mark Girardeau, who has spent countless hours on marine mammal excursions off Orange County, shared the footage to illustrate that vessels of all types pose a threat to whales that feed or migrate in California waters. 'One of the challenges gray whales face is boat traffic, especially along the California coast where there is no shortage of cargo ships, oil tankers, personal yachts, ferries, jet skiers, search & rescue operations, etc.,' Girardeau stated via Instagram. 'All which are not actively watching for whales.' Girardeau explained that in this case, which he described as a close call, the Coast Guard vessel did not strike either of the whales, one of which can be seen diving to avoid being struck. The Coast Guard crew, Girardeau added, had been searching for a swimmer who had been pulled to sea by a current and did not survive. It's likely that the crew did not even see the whales. Girardeau told FTW Outdoors that he captured the footage in 2019 with a drone that he piloted from shore. This article originally appeared on For The Win: U.S. Coast Guard boat shown speeding over whales off California
USA Today
3 days ago
- General
- USA Today
U.S. Coast Guard boat shown speeding over whales off California
U.S. Coast Guard boat shown speeding over whales off California A Southern California-based photographer on Thursday shared footage showing a U.S Coast Guard boat speeding over two gray whales off Laguna Beach. Mark Girardeau, who has spent countless hours on marine mammal excursions off Orange County, shared the footage to illustrate that vessels of all types pose a threat to whales that feed or migrate in California waters. 'One of the challenges gray whales face is boat traffic, especially along the California coast where there is no shortage of cargo ships, oil tankers, personal yachts, ferries, jet skiers, search & rescue operations, etc.,' Girardeau stated via Instagram. 'All which are not actively watching for whales.' Girardeau explained that in this case, which he described as a close call, the Coast Guard vessel did not strike either of the whales, one of which can be seen diving to avoid being struck. The Coast Guard crew, Girardeau added, had been searching for a swimmer who had been pulled to sea by a current and did not survive. It's likely that the crew did not even see the whales. Girardeau told FTW Outdoors that he captured the footage in 2019 with a drone that he piloted from shore.
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Align Capital Partners Plants Roots with Strata Landscape Services
CLEVELAND & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Align Capital Partners ('ACP') is pleased to announce that it completed a growth investment in Strata Landscape Services ('Strata' or the 'Company'), a leading provider of commercial landscape services in the Western United States. Strata's management team is led by industry veterans Jerry DeJournett (CEO), Ben Green (COO) and Justin Crandall (CFO) who founded the Company when they acquired Southern California-based Verdant Landscaping in 2024. Alongside the recapitalization with ACP, Strata also acquired Utah-based Boulder Landscaping. Collectively, Strata is now serving over 350 commercial clients with its full suite of maintenance, enhancement, irrigation and snow services. Strata founders Jerry DeJournett and Ben Green first met while working at ValleyCrest and were inspired by the culture and performance they experienced there. With Strata, they aim to be the trusted partner to landscaping business owners looking to join forces with a team that values their legacy, employees and customers. This shared vision of building the next great commercial landscaping maintenance company was the foundation for partnering with Boulder Landscaping, as owner Wray Dix shared their experience of working in the ValleyCrest culture. 'There has been a lot of consolidation in our industry in recent years, so it was imperative to the long-term success of Boulder that we found the right cultural fit for our team and customers,' said Boulder Owner and CEO Wray Dix. 'I know several owners that have been through frustrating sale processes, so it was refreshing to see the entire Strata and ACP team working so closely together and delivering on their word at each stage of negotiations. Together, Strata and Boulder offer an exciting new platform for growth in our region.' Strata looks to continue scaling its operations by acquiring businesses within its existing markets in California and Utah, while also expanding into neighboring states to build a comprehensive commercial landscaping services platform focused on the Western U.S. 'Having been on both sides of landscaping acquisitions in my career,' said Jerry DeJournett. 'The most important thing is to build trust through transparency, and to deliver on your word. At Strata, our culture is built around that idea of trust and we use it to take care of our people and our customers. In Wray and the individuals at Boulder, we found a like-minded team and we're excited to partner with them in building a great company.' 'We're thrilled to partner with the Strata team to build a standout landscaping organization,' said ACP Managing Partner Rob Langley. 'Jerry, Ben and Justin are seasoned industry veterans with deep expertise in acquiring, integrating and growing landscaping businesses—particularly in the Western U.S. Our partnership with Wray and the acquisition of Boulder Landscaping mark an early success that we are excited to build upon.' Ervin Cash, Dave Modi and Matt Sweet worked alongside Langley on the transaction. About Strata Strata Landscape Services, headquartered near Los Angeles, California, provides a comprehensive suite of landscaping services including maintenance, enhancements, irrigation, construction and snow removal in the Western U.S. The Company serves a diverse range of commercial clients, including class A & B commercial, retail centers, churches, resorts, hospitals, HOAs, assisted living, public works and multi-family properties. For more information, visit About ACP ACP is a growth-oriented private equity firm that partners with business owners and management teams to help create shared success. ACP manages $1.8 billion in committed capital with investment teams in Cleveland and Dallas. ACP brings experience and resources to help lower-middle market companies accelerate their growth, to the benefit of management, employees and the firm's investors. ACP makes control investments in differentiated companies within the business services, technology, specialty manufacturing and distribution sectors. For more information, visit Disclosures: This press release is not an offer to sell securities or interests in any fund managed by ACP. The statements quoted above were made by persons who are not clients of ACP and they have not received compensation for the above statements. These statements are solely their opinion and representative of their experience with ACP.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
InCap Group Congratulates Tufton Capital Management on its Acquisition by Mercer Global Advisors
InCap Group served as exclusive financial advisor to Tufton Capital Management BALTIMORE, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- InCap Group Inc., a premier boutique investment banking firm focused exclusively on the financial services industry, is pleased to have represented Tufton Capital Management in its sale to Mercer Global Advisors. Established in 1995, Tufton Capital Management is a leading independent wealth advisory firm headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Tufton provides comprehensive investment management and financial planning services to high net worth individuals, families, and institutions, with approximately $800 million in assets under management as of the transaction date. When asked about their partnership with Mercer, Chad Meyer, President of Tufton Capital Management, stated: "Partnering with Mercer represents an exciting next chapter for Tufton. From the beginning, it was clear that Mercer shares our core values—putting clients first, fostering a strong internal culture, and delivering outstanding financial advice. We're confident that this partnership will allow us to expand our capabilities and resources while continuing to serve our clients with the same level of dedication they've come to expect." Chad added: "We are incredibly grateful to InCap Group for their expert guidance throughout this process. Their deep knowledge of the wealth management space, steady counsel, and strong commitment to our goals made them the ideal advisor. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and appreciate their role in helping us find a partner that is the right fit for our clients and our team." Commenting on Tufton Capital Management, Jim Tennies, President of InCap Group, said: "Chad and his team have built a highly respected firm with deep relationships in the Mid-Atlantic. We're thrilled to see them join forces with a world-class partner like Mercer." This transaction represents InCap Group's second closed deal this quarter, following its representation of a Southern California-based wealth management firm with approximately $750 million in AUM. About InCap Group, Inc. Founded in 2006, InCap Group, Inc. is a leading boutique investment bank focused on M&A in the financial services industry. We have strong expertise in the asset management, wealth management, securities brokerage and related industries. From our offices in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, we provide top-notch strategic advice to clients at the different inflection points of their life cycle, including M&A advice, divestitures, spinoffs, capital raises, succession plans, recapitalizations, valuations, and other strategic consulting services. Our team is comprised of investment banking professionals with decades of experience in the industry, and who have successfully completed transactions ranging in size from a few million to several hundred million dollars. We pride ourselves in offering a consultative approach that fosters long-term relationships rather than short- term results. We are single-minded in placing our clients' best interest first while providing exceptional, unconflicted advice and creating successful, long-lasting relationships. For additional information, please visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Incap Group Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Separated immigrant families will soon get new lawyers — from Trump's DOJ
Immigrant families separated during President Donald Trump's first term, once a potent symbol of harsh government overreach, are facing new legal obstacles from an emboldened second-term Trump administration. It's an unusual predicament: The same administration that has been trying to deport them is now trying to take over the responsibility for guiding them through complex legal proceedings in immigration court. The Justice Department says it's about efficiency. Advocates and independent lawyers who have worked with the families call it an obvious conflict of interest. The issue will come to a head in a hearing scheduled Friday. The latest clash stems from a 2023 court-approved settlement aimed at supporting the families separated by Trump's immigration policies in 2017 and 2018. The settlement required the administration to provide a wide range of benefits, including government-funded legal services. Until May 1, the families had been receiving legal support from outside groups, led by the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit immigrant legal defense organization. These independent lawyers have helped them navigate the byzantine process of reunifying, applying for temporary legal status and deciphering immigration court — until the Justice Department abruptly declined to renew the contract with Acacia. That decision to move the legal services in-house has left advocates for these separated families alarmed, baffled and warning of an inherent conflict. Not only was the cutoff of Acacia's services abrupt, they say, the administration provided no roadmap for how it will take over the legal cases for up to 8,000 people, some of whom are facing urgent court deadlines and imminent deportation or separation once again. This time, the world isn't watching. Their cases once drew intense national attention and visits from Democratic presidential contenders. But that has subsided as Trump's second-term immigration agenda — including deportations to El Salvador's mega prison and a slew of other legal battles — has overtaken interest in their plight. Advocates worry the diminishing attention will have real-world consequences for families as they attempt to resist new deportation efforts. 'Haven't we put these families through enough?' said Anilú Chadwick, the pro bono director at Together & Free, a group that has worked with separated families. 'I'm taken back to seven years ago when I was holding babies and trying to find their parents. It's just unbelievable.' A DOJ official said in a statement to POLITICO that it's 'insulting to suggest' that the department's immigration office, 'which is comprised of neutral, trained professionals and experts in immigration law, cannot provide services more effectively and efficiently than a self-interested, third-party outside contractor.' The separated families' right to legal aid stems from a 2023 legal settlement overseen by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw. The Southern California-based appointee of George W. Bush approved an agreement requiring the federal government provide a range of services for parents and children separated by the Trump administration in 2017 and 2018, from medical care to housing support. The government also had to help the families work toward reunification and temporary legal status in the U.S., as well as provide legal services to help them navigate the complicated paperwork required to gain temporary legal status and access benefit programs. The settlement required those services to be 'adequately resourced and funded.' The Trump administration contends there has been no lapse in legal services and that replacing the contractors' outside lawyers with its own in-house services satisfies the requirement of the settlement. Justice Department lawyers said the settlement also 'does not require Defendants to provide legal services through the same method for the term of the agreement.' DOJ lawyers also said in court filings that its Executive Office for Immigration Review would provide legal services to 'maximize efficiency' — adding that by May 15, it would 'begin providing regularly scheduled group sessions and self-help workshops' to 'equip them with the knowledge and information to successfully navigate their immigration proceedings.' The department intends to lean on other contractors employed by the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security to fill in other gaps in services. In addition, DOJ's immigration office 'will leverage its existing pro bono network,' to connect 'interested class members with pro bono representatives to provide representation,' the lawyers wrote. Advocates say this puts separated and reunified families in an impossible position: taking legal advice from the very government they are litigating against to obtain benefits. A Tuesday court filing from American Civil Liberties Union lawyers identified 187 class members who could lose their humanitarian parole status and work permits in May, 113 in June and another 142 in July. Advocates are also tracking 114 class members who have active removal orders and who 'urgently need access to legal services to file motions to reopen and dismiss their proceedings.' The immigrant families 'are being told that they have to go to the government, who harmed them and who is going to be adjudicating their cases, for confidential advice about what to do,' said Sara Van Hofwegen, managing director of legal access programs at Acacia. 'There is immediate harm this week and next week, and in the months to come.' Sabraw, so far, is not crying foul. The judge said the concerns about inadequate representation by the government are speculative, and he could intervene in the future if there is evidence that families protected by the settlement are suddenly missing court deadlines or facing other hurdles due to the change in their legal services. He has called a hearing Friday to further air concerns about this new arrangement. Acacia's contract with the Justice Department, which began in May 2024, formed the Legal Access Services for Reunified Families program. The organization has overseen the program since, distributing the funding to subcontractor organizations across the country who have managed thousands of individual cases. Acacia was in active talks to renew the contract with the Trump administration earlier this year, and staff members were stunned by the DOJ's decision, Van Hofwegen said. 'We're having to have conversations letting people know that we will no longer be a provider without being able to tell them about an existing plan,' said Emma Wilson, the program manager at ISLA Immigration, one of the subcontractors that provided legal services under the contract. In court filings, advocates say they are already aware of class members who have been detained, including a separated child and multiple separated parents who have been unable to access legal services. They warn that these families could turn to predatory attorneys charging high fees in return for incomplete, sloppy paperwork. 'All of this is happening at a time of extraordinary immigration enforcement,' said Kelly Kribs, an attorney and co-director of the technical assistance program for the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, a group that has worked with hundreds of separated families since Trump's zero tolerance policy. 'These class members … are very much at risk of detention and potential deportation.'
