Latest news with #Steen
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio lawmakers consider change to teacher pension fund
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are considering a sweeping change to the make up of Ohio's teacher pension fund that could force retirees and teachers off their own board. The State's Teachers Retirement System (STRS) has been embroiled in controversy of late, with retirees saying they've been denied promised cost of living increases while investment staff gets bonuses despite losing billions of dollars. Currently, a legislative subcommittee is reviewing pension boards around the country that could possibly change who sits on the STRS board. Over the past few years, teachers and retirees have worked to get 'reformers' elected to the board. These reformers won a majority of the seats of the 11-member board but retirees said multiple Ohio government officials are working to strip their power away. 'Everybody gets rich at STRS, our consultants get rich. Our investors get rich, our STRS management get rich,' said Robin Rayfield, the CEO of the Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association. 'The only people who don't get rich are the people who put the money in, and that is the teachers.' A manual outlining benefits was given to tens of thousands of Ohio teachers when they were hired, which says they are promised pension with a cost of living increase of 3% annually. Nearly a decade ago, STRS took that away and since 2020, retirees said they have lost 23% of their buying power. 'So we have teachers that are, you know, trying to live on 40, $50,000 I mean, they have roofs on their house that need to be replaced. They need to buy cars. I mean, how do you have an investment like that?' said Dean Dennis of a retiree watchdog group. FTC, FBI issue warnings about 'deals' that sound too good to be true This watchdog group has worked to get reformers elected that demand investment transparency and an end to lavish bonuses for investment staff members. Some of these bonuses are as high as $300,000. The group said they are receiving push back, first from Gov. Mike DeWine. A board member Wade Steen was previously kicked from the board by Gov. DeWine, before appointing G. Brent Bishop to replace him. But at the beginning of 2024, an appeals court determined DeWine overstepped his authority in removing Steen from the position. The governor called for an investigation into the board, claiming there is a hostile takeover by private interests at STRS. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost obliged, and called for the removal of Steen and Rudy Fichtenbaum from the board in May of 2024. Retirees said Steen and Fichtenbaum were targeted because they backed reform. 'The people that we have elected want the most basic, simple things. They want transparency and accountability,' said Dennis. 'That's all we're looking for, because without accountability and transparency, you can't fix a broken pension system.' The Republican controlled Ohio Retirement Study Council is looking into changes to the make-up of the board. Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma), a retired teacher, serves on the bipartisan legislative subcommittee and is keeping an open mind. 'I've always believed in looking for best practices,' said Brennan. 'So if there is something that we could be doing in Ohio that's better than what we're doing now, then why not take a look at it? And as retirees, we paid in and have very much a vested interest in the future of the system. And I think we we are required to have a voice, and entitled to a voice.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Letters, May 20
Opinion Re: Carberry residents not convinced of province's highway safety plan (May 16) This delay of improved safety at the intersection of Hwy. 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway is atrocious! The tragic accident took place almost two years ago and we still have ditherers arguing how to improve the site. It's all well and good that Premier Wab Kinew wants to hear from residents, but I suspect most have no apparent traffic design qualifications under their belts. This is not rocket science! Does the highways department have no road design engineers, nor any external consultants, who have actually driven outside of North America and recognized the safety and efficiency of roundabouts as used all over the globe? As Ms. Steen mentioned in the article, with the RCUT design, there will be still be a need to have vehicles queuing to make a U-turn involving crossing the route of other vehicles. Bonkers, I say. As an internationally experienced driver, I do know that because of the geometry of a roundabout, drivers are forced to slow down (unless they're asleep or impaired) plus any unfortunate collisions tend to be slower speed glancing blows rather than high speed t-bones. Just build a 100- to 200-metre diameter roundabout with correctly angled approach and exit lanes that large vehicles can safely navigate without fear of crossing traffic or causing anything more than a glancing blow in an altercation. We have ample space in Manitoba to accommodate them. Manitobans deserve no less. Bob Sales Winnipeg It is not only Winnipeggers who are in for a property tax shock. Many homeowners throughout Manitoba are similarly affected and will see huge increases in property and education taxes. It is indeed caused by current NDP policy that affects both assessments, education tax levy and education tax credits. The NDP has removed spending cap for school divisions, they have also fixed the Manitoba School Tax Rebate at $1,500 instead of a percentage calculation, and have skewed property tax assessments by some odd market value calculation for 2025. I cannot determine if the property tax credit advance of $350 is still in place, but for the moment I will assume it has not changed. The municipality has done its job in holding the budget and calculating the required mil rate. For my rural subdivision, with no property improvements and no municipal improvements, the assessment has gone up 29 per cent, municipal taxes have gone up 13 per cent, and the Manitoba school tax has gone up a whopping 50 per cent for an overall increase of 25 per cent which equates to about a $1,000 on 35-year-old properties. Note that because there were no changes to the property and the assessment increase was solely due to 'market value,' there was no ability to appeal. Further, the assessment was done six months prior to the establishment of the mil rates for property and education tax, so the impact of the assessment increase was totally unknown until now when the municipality established the mil rates. This is tough to deal with and is exacerbated by a 30 per cent increase in home insurance, a 10 per cent increase in auto insurance, and an ever-escalating increase in electricity, gas and water utilities. Never mind how hard it is to afford a first home, it is equally hard to afford the one you are currently living in. Something needs to change, and the current provincial government is at the root these unfair increases. They broke it, they have to fix it. Maybe read the 1994 Norrie Report on schools for starters. Gerry Shuster Selkirk Re: 'International example' (Letters, May 16) Kudos to the writer who praised Finland's success in eliminating homelessness. It's refreshing — and frustrating — to see this kind of admiration expressed, once again, in a letter to the editor. Why does it always stop there? When are we going to wake up? Scandinavian countries continue to offer Canada clear, proven alternatives: comprehensive health care that includes vision, dental, and hearing; high-quality elder care; tuition-free post-secondary education; and a robust network of social supports that foster both security and opportunity. These aren't Utopian fantasies — they are functioning, successful systems. Yes, critics will point to high tax rates. But let's be honest: the return on that public investment is staggering. In exchange, citizens enjoy stability, equity, and peace of mind — something far too many Canadians now lack. The benefits of a well-funded, well-planned public sector are simply too great to ignore. It's time for Canadian governments — federal, provincial, and municipal — to actively pursue closer ties with our Nordic counterparts. Learn from them. Adapt their ideas. Build a better, fairer future. There is much to gain, and even more to lose by staying the course. Robert Milan Victoria, B.C. Re: Treating heart failure to help heal health system (Think Tank, May 13) The article written by Dr. Shelley Zieroth, I swear, was written for me. Unfortunately, I am a Manitoban living with heart failure. I have recently been diagnosed with heart failure. My initial journey, with a concern that something was wrong with my heart, began in February at my family physician's office. My wonderful doctor put me on heart medication and started the ball rolling with referrals for cardiac testing and a referral to a cardiologist. Unfortunately, a few days later, my wife called 911 as I knew I was in trouble. Firefighters and paramedics arrived and took me to St. Boniface Hospital's emergency department on Feb. 22, as I was in AFIB and atrial flutter. I described this as 28 hours of hell. I was discharged the same way I came in, with the exception of a referral to a cardiologist. Countless calls and visits to the family physician adjusted my medications to keep me afloat until I could be seen by a cardiologist. On March 5, I collapsed, and my wife called 911. I refused to go to St. Boniface because of my previous experience; I said I'd rather die at home. On March 6, I collapsed again, and my wife called 911. They took me to Concordia Urgent Care, where I was stabilized and kept for three days. A consult was made with internal medicine and a cardiologist while I was in the hospital. I was discharged from Urgent Care with no mention of getting a Holter monitor or an echocardiogram, which are essential for properly diagnosing heart failure and the ejection fraction of my heart. Finally, on March 12, I visited the Asper Institute to meet with a nurse practitioner. I asked for a Holter monitor, only to be told, 'We know you are in AFIB.' Finally, on April 12, I was seen by a cardiologist who ordered an echocardiogram and Holter monitoring. A month passed between my visit with the nurse practitioner and the time I was seen by the cardiologist for diagnostic testing. No echocardiograms or Holter monitoring were done by two hospitals or the Asper Institute. Ironically, I was sent to the Asper Institute for 24-hour Holter monitoring. A miscommunication regarding when to start a blood thinner and antiarrhythmic again delayed my treatment. Finally, on April 22, my body had enough, and I was taken back to St. Boniface emergency, where treatment was given, and I spent a week in the hospital. I will say the care was excellent. Thousands of dollars' worth of diagnostic testing was done on me, with the exception of the initial essential echocardiogram and Holter Monitoring. On May 9, I received a referral to MyCardia for a Treadmill Stress Test on July 17, with a followup on Sept. 3; clearly, I cancelled this appointment. So, I am pleading with Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara to listen very carefully to what Dr. Zieroth is telling our government about establishing a provincewide cardiac hub. Bill Worthington Winnipeg
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
RTB warns of 'concerning trends' of high rents in Galway
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has warned of "concerning trends" of rental inflation in Galway that need further investigation. The RTB said that after eight consecutive quarters of high growth in new tenancy rent levels in Galway, it will engage directly with renters, landlords and other rental sector stakeholders in the county this June to investigate the trend further. The board said it will also host a forum to address rental law compliance. According to the latest RTB/ESRI Rent Index, the average rent for new tenancies in Galway City was €1,730 in the fourth quarter of the year. On a county basis, rent for new tenancies was highest in Dublin at €2,117 per month and lowest in Donegal at €987 per month. The figures show that the average rent for new tenancies nationally rose by 5.5% year-on-year to €1,680 in the fourth quarter of last year. It rose by 4.6% year-on-year for existing tenancies nationally to €1,440. The RTB said this marks a moderation on the rates of rental inflation seen earlier in 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, registered private tenancies rose by 4.6% annually to 240,604 but fell by 360 tenancies or 0.15% from the fourth quarter of 2024. Landlords associated with registered private tenancies increased by 1.4% annually to 104,470 in the first quarter of this year but fell by 1,124 landlords or 1% from the fourth quarter of 2024. Approved Housing Body registered tenancies grew by 11% annually to 51,230. The RTB received 4,693 Notices of Termination in the first three months of 2025. This is a decrease of 2.4% from the same period last year. The RTB today published 36 sanctions against landlords with a total value of €102,490 for serious breaches of rental law. The board has announced a new four-year partnership with Fexco to run the RTB's outsourced customer service centre from July 2025. The RTB has also announced that it will release a pilot of its new online Dispute Resolution Centre for final testing by stakeholders in May. "Our update today highlights our ongoing commitment to driving compliance with rental law," said RTB Director Rosemary Steen. "The new Rent Index data has flagged unusual patterns of rental inflation in Galway that we are engaging directly with stakeholders in the county to address," Ms Steen said. Dr Rachel Slaymaker, Research Officer with the ESRI said the latest data shows a clear moderation in the rate of rental price inflation throughout 2024. "Despite falling rental inflation for new tenancies nationally though, price rises do remain persistently high in certain counties," Dr Slaymaker said.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Tuttle Creek music, camping festival to be smaller than Country Stampede
Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan were among performers in 2008 and 2012, respectively, at the Kicker Country Stampede music and camping festival held from 1996 to 2018 at Manhattan's Tuttle Creek State Park. That event tended to draw 100,000 music fans a year. It moved in 2019 to Topeka, then in 2024 to Bonner Springs. The new Rock the Plains country music and camping festival — taking place Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 at Tuttle Creek State Park — will start smaller, with attendance being capped at 10,000 for this year's first version, said founder Brandyn Steen. Steen said April 30 that he hopes the festival gives Manhattan an economic boost like it got from Country Stampede. He hopes to make Rock the Plains an annual event. "Rock the Plains is more than just a music festival — it's a celebration of the heartland's spirit, set in the vibrant town of Manhattan, Kansas," said the event's website. Rock the Plains is not aimed at replacing Country Stampede, said Stein, who is based in Nashville. He said he twice attended the latter event while taking graduate courses about 15 years ago at Kansas State University. "We just want to provide the community with another environment similar to that to go out and listen to some live music by the lake and make some awesome memories like we all had the chance to do," he told The Capital-Journal. This year's festival will feature performers from the genres of Texas country, red dirt country and Americana music, Steen said. The Randy Rogers Band will be the headliner Aug. 8, with that day's other performers being Aaron Watson, Braxton Keith, Kaitlin Butts, Curtis Grimes, Jenna Paulette, Clay Aery and DJ DU. Casey Donahew will headline the Aug. 9 performance. That day's other acts will be the Josh Abbott Band, Pat Green, Logan Mize, Adam Hood, Kat Hasty, Clay Aery and DJ DU. Tickets can be purchased on the event website at They cost $129 for a two-day pass and $465 for a package containing four two-day passes. A VIP upgrade for each two-day ticket will be available for $250. A two-day parking pass is available for $20. Campsites range in cost from $200 to $500 and will be available from noon Aug. 7 to noon Aug. 10. The event will be cashless, its website said. Organizers currently are selling only two-day passes but could begin selling one-day passes a few weeks before the festival, if necessary, Steen said. He suggested this year's 10,000-person attendance cap would help organizers gauge what the community wants while enabling them to still make concert goers happy. Allowing more than 10,000 people could result in crowd control becoming a problem and "not everyone having a good time," he said. Steen, 38, is involved with artist management, artist development, booking, event production, consulting and label services. His co-executives for the event are Coleman Younger and Richard Jones, both fellow K-State alumni, he said. Steen recalled having attended the Country Stampede twice while he was in graduate school. "It was awesome," he said. "I remember the heat. I remember the rain. I remember good energy and good fun. That's kind of what we want to recreate with Rock the Plains." Rock the Plains will be more "community-oriented" than Country Stampede, Steen said. While Country Stampede has typically been held in June or July, Steen said Rock the Plains is taking place in August, which means it will face less competition from other Kansas summer festivals. August also tends to see less rain than June and July, he said. Steen added that while Kansas State University students have generally been out of town when Country Stampede has been held, he hopes many return to Manhattan before school starts each August so they can attend Rock the Plains. Fall semester classes this year begin Aug. 25 at K-State. Steen added that he likes holding Rock the Plains in early- to mid-August because that means it won't have to compete for attention with college football games. Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@ or 785-213-5934. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Tuttle Creek State Park hosts Rock the Plains music, camping festival
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet the 'new kids on the block' who bought Detroit's Pages Bookshop
It's the next chapter for a beloved bookstore in Detroit's Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood — and the new owners say the space will offer more than just books. The Steen Foundation, a Detroit-based and youth-led organization focused on workforce development, purchased Pages Bookshop after former owner Susan Murphy decided to retire. She had planned to close its doors by the end of January after a decade-long run — unless someone bought the store. It turns out the Steen Foundation, led by 23-year-old Jeremiah Steen, came knocking. The foundation partnered with the nonprofit think tank, Black Marriage Movement, to purchase the business, including the naming rights, logo and website. The new owners envision a community hub with books, art for sale and a podcast studio, and want to inspire young people to read, write and engage with books. The grand opening is later in April. The new owners plan to venture outside the walls of the shop, too, with a free traveling book fair at Detroit schools. When customers buy certain books at the store, a portion of the proceeds will go toward a scholarship fund providing $1,000 to Detroit Public Schools Community District students. The fund is named after Murphy and Pages' former resident cat, Pip. "We're the new kids on the block and so we want to ensure that we're maintaining the same quality that Susan was able to do for the last 10 years," Steen, executive director and founder of the Steen Foundation, told the Free Press. His organization, founded in 2018, provides grants to youth-based programs and initiatives. They might be the new owners but they're not new to Detroit. Steen was born and raised on the east side of the city and now lives downtown. Jelani Stowers, vice president of narrative and research for the Steen Foundation, is a Grandmont Rosedale resident. For Stowers, running Pages is personal. The 24-year-old visited the neighborhood bookstore with his family over the years and even hosted an author talk there. So, in January, after he learned the store was closing, he had to do something about it. He went to Steen and Murphy about buying the store. Now, Stowers is Pages' general manager and views the role as a huge responsibility. "When I'm curating the books, I am servicing the community," he said, by choosing titles neighbors want but also ones that pique his interest. He wants to live up to the expectations of the community that supported Pages for a decade and sell books customers want, cultivate a space where people feel like they belong and get youths to read, he said. More: After a decade, Pages Bookshop in Detroit's historic Rosedale Park is closing More: Downtown Detroit's Skillman library to reopen after renovations The new Pages will have a community advisory board made up of Detroiters who will inform programming, book selections and the daily operations. The Steen Foundation bought the business with a grant from the Black Marriage Movement but Steen declined to publicly share the purchase price. Steen isn't alone in purchasing a local bookstore. New businesses have cropped up over the past few years, in East English Village and southwest Detroit, often combining bookselling with events. Over on the west side, Detroiter Jerjuan Howard plans to open a bookshop, community space and coffee shop, Howard Family Bookstore, in June. Pages Bookshop — one of Detroit's dozen or so indie bookstores — began as a pop-up in 2014 and opened its brick and mortar location the following year along Grand River Avenue. The Pages name and logo will remain the same, but customers may find more youth authors on the shelves. "The goal is to ensure that the next generation has all the tools and resources necessary for them to achieve their aspirations and if we're producing young folks who are not literate, then they're not able to find decent jobs. ... Pages wants to be that beacon for literacy, for workforce development, and then for retaining and attracting talent in Detroit and Michigan," Steen said. That's something that Michael Randall, executive director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp., which owns the Pages building, found so thrilling. "They're young, they're ambitious, they're full of energy and they have tremendous ideas about how to activate the space all around literacy and ... being a young organization led by young individuals is very exciting, knowing that they're going to take this thing to the next level," Randall said. His nonprofit is leasing Pages' building to the Steen Foundation, and had rented it out to the previous owner, too. Pages has been a staple for Grandmont Rosedale communities and so the new ownership is welcome, he said. "Bookstores are somewhat a thing of the past. They're a relic of a time, of a more simple time, where you can just go to a local bookstore and purchase a book and maybe sit and begin to read that book and connect with friends and whatnot," he said. "Bookstores being a hallmark of a community, and being a cornerstone of community, just really says a lot about the fabric of that community, and these are the type of businesses that we want to keep in Grandmont Rosedale." Pages was known for its black-and-white resident cat. The question remains: Will the shop still have a furry friend lurking between its shelves? That's up in the air. But if Steen were to bring in an animal, it'd be his pet parakeet, Indigo. Pages will hold a grand opening at 11 a.m. April 26 with community speakers, student performances and book giveaways. The store is collecting donations for its scholarship fund: Address and hours (after April 26): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday, 19560 Grand River Ave., Detroit. Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@ Follow her on X: @NushratR. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Meet the 'new kids on the block' who bought Detroit's Pages Bookshop
