Latest news with #SteveRice
Western Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Cardigan Memorial Pool reopening pleas fall 'on deaf ears'
Members of Cardigan Pool Revival, who attended Tuesday night's town council meeting at Ty Cadwgan told members that Ceredigion County Council chief executive Eifion Evans had not responded to their emails. 'Ceredigion County Council have totally ignored our requests so the question now is how can we take this forward?' CPR spokesperson Steve Rice told councillors. 'Council officers have not included a pool in their plans for the Well-Being Centre (earmarked for the Fairfield site). I have written to Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake, but have yet to receive a response from MS Elin Jones.' Fellow CPR member Sarah Austin said many people had 'put in a lot of work' to try and get the facility re-opened following its closure in March 2024. 'We've also encouraged people to write to the county council – trying to bring the pool back to life is certainly not for want of trying,' she added. Other courses of action included setting up a petition, erecting a 'Save Our Pool' banner at appropriate locations and seeking support from locals schools, Poppit Sands Surf & Lifesaving Club and Cardigan Sub Aqua Club. The council agreed to write a formal letter of support for the ongoing campaign. A spokesperson for Ceredigion County Council said: 'This statement is factually incorrect. The council has assessed the initial business case, and it fails to satisfy the due diligence thresholds applied in relation to the financial element. 'The chief executive has made it clear to the group that this element of the business case needs significant strengthening before any further communications will be considered.'
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
A man charged in a 2013 Pennsylvania campus sex assault hires a lawyer to review possible plea deal
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — An American who was extradited from France this year to face allegations of a 2013 campus sexual assault after the accuser went public with her story hired a private lawyer to review a potential plea deal, lawyers in the case said in court Thursday. Ian Cleary, 32, of Saratoga, California, made his first in-person court appearance in Adams County, a half-mile from where the encounter occurred at Gettysburg College. A plea had been in the works, according to Assistant Public Defender Joshua Neiderhiser, who has represented Cleary since he was brought back to the U.S. However, after speaking with his parents, Cleary agreed to hire a lawyer to review the case, delaying a possible deal. 'The initial purpose of my involvement is for a second opinion,' lawyer Steve Rice told Judge Kevin Hess, who was brought in from Cumberland County because an Adams County judge was the district attorney who declined to file charges when victim Shannon Keeler first went to authorities. Keeler, in interviews with The Associated Press, described her decade-long efforts to persuade authorities to pursue charges, starting hours after Cleary, a third-year student, allegedly sneaked into her first-year dorm on the eve of winter break. She renewed the quest in 2021, after finding a series of disturbing Facebook messages from his account that said, 'So I raped you.' Keeler did not attend Thursday's hearing, but her lawyer, Andrea Levy, said she remains ready to see the case through to the end. 'It has been 11 1/2 years Shannon has waited for this defendant to make an appearance in a Gettysburg courtroom face to face with a judge in this criminal charge, so this is an important day and a step forward in the process,' Levy said. Cleary has been in custody since his arrest on minor, unrelated charges in Metz, France, in April 2024. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the sexual assault charge. He declined the opportunity to speak to the judge Thursday. Family members have declined to comment on the case, and none appeared in court for the hearing. The next hearing is set for July 17. Cleary, who grew up in Silicon Valley, left Gettysburg College after the alleged assault there and finished college near home. He then got a master's degree and worked for Tesla before moving overseas, where he spent time writing medieval fiction, according to his online posts. The AP published an investigation on the case and on the broader reluctance among prosecutors to pursue campus sex assault charges in May 2021. An indictment followed weeks later. Authorities in the U.S. and Europe had been trying to track Cleary down until his capture in France. The AP does not typically identify sexual assault victims without their permission, which Keeler has granted.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS in-patient addiction unit set to close
The only NHS-run inpatient drug and alcohol unit in the west is to close despite a campaign to save it. The Acer Unit, based in the grounds of Southmead Hospital in Bristol, will close its doors at the end of June this year. Avon and Wiltshire NHS Mental Health Partnership (AWMHP), which runs the unit, said a fall in patient numbers due to a shift to community-based treatment meant it was no longer financially viable. The AWMHP board made the decision to close the unit on Wednesday, noting only 45% of its beds are in regular use. More news stories for Bristol Watch the latest Points West Listen to the latest news for Bristol The meeting heard the trust has so far financed a £1.3m budget shortfall, but that this sum is due to reach £1.7m in the next financial year. The unit was initially due to close at the end of March, but this was delayed following a campaign by a the Save the Acer group. In an online petition, it described the Acer as "a vital cog in the wheel of recovery from addiction". The group raised concerns that there are currently no plans to open an equivalent in-patient unit in the region. In 2024, Bristol City Council had re-tendered its community drug and alcohol service and national provider Turning Point was awarded the contract. Turning Point has now launched its "Horizons" programme in partnership with several local organisations to offer services including assessment, interventions, drug prescription and recovery support. It will also offer alternative routes to accessing inpatient detox services when necessary. In a statement, AWMHP said: "There will be no impact on current patients who are all scheduled to complete their treatment prior to the unit closing. "We are also working closely with Turning Point as part of Horizons, the new community drug and alcohol services provider in Bristol from April 1, to continue supporting a safe transfer of those services." Steve Rice, founder of the Save the Acer campaign, struggled with heroine addiction for 20 years, and has now been in recovery for 34 years. He was sceptical about the efficacy of community-based treatments, adding that in his experience they were rarely successful for long-term addicts. He told the BBC he feared for people aged in their 50s and 60s, often facing multiple health conditions, who will not be able to pay for private treatment. "If you've got money you can get a detox but the people who go to the Acer, they are the little coins at the funfair machine that pushes coins backwards and forwards," he said. "They are the people right at the edge. Their next stop is to fall off. These are the people that get treated in NHS detoxes." A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: "We are grateful to AWP for the provision of this service to date and thank staff at the Acer Unit for their passion and commitment. "Bristol's new Horizons Drug and Alcohol service are working closely with the Acer Unit to ensure safe closure of the service. "Bristol clients will have treatment options, including inpatient detox, put in place according to assessed clinical and other needs." Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Closure of NHS detox unit delayed after campaign Petition launched to keep city's detox unit open Music offers healing at addicts' support group AWMHP Bristol City Council
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New business aims to protect what matters
May 4—From wildfires to floods to break-ins, Steve Rice prides himself on being prepared for anything. Now, with the official opening of Mountain Pass Safes and Coins, he aims to extend that expertise to others and help Flathead Valley residents protect what matters to them. "You buy insurance for the what if. You wear a seatbelt for the what if," said Rice. "A safe is no different. You're buying time." For Rice and his wife, Kelly, the need for greater security became apparent when their eldest son began to walk. The couple, who were then living in northern Arizona, wanted to ensure their guns were well out of reach of the curious toddler. "It was about protecting what was outside the safe," said Rice. He started his search for a kid-proof gun safe at some of the area's big box stores, but he struggled to find something that matched his rigorous quality standards. Then, one afternoon after a long day at the insurance office where he worked, Rice walked into a local store specializing in safes manufactured by Champion Safe Company. Rice was instantly locked in. Unlike the flimsy safes he had perused before, the Champion-brand safes were hefty. According to the manufacturer, each one is hand-built with multiple layers of American-made steel and includes several other features that prevent damage during natural disasters and break-ins. After learning that the owner planned to sell the shop, Rice joked that he drove home to tell his wife that he wasn't buying one safe — he wanted to buy them all. "I had a feeling, and it just sounded like a really cool interesting business," he said. The couple bought the store and eventually grew the business into the largest safe store in northern Arizona. When the family moved to the Flathead Valley in August of 2024, they brought the business with them. The showroom, located at the corner of U.S. 2 and Reserve Street in Evergreen, features over a dozen Champion safes. Rice pulled open the 800-pound door of a silver model to demonstrate some of its many safety features. He pointed first to what looked like a strip of rubber running along the perimeter of the doorframe, explaining that the material expanded under extreme heat to create a foolproof seal in the event of a fire. Several "relockers" would activate if the main lock was tampered with and a plate of diamond-infused steel further ensured the safe remained secure from would-be thieves. Rice recalled an instance a few years ago when this system was put to the test. A customer called Rice after their home was broken into. While a safe they purchased from Rice's store bore pry marks, the customer reported that the safe was still safely sealed when they returned home and the valuables inside were untouched. The story is one example of why Rice believes everyone can benefit from a high-quality safe. "Even if you don't have a gun, everyone has something to lock up," he said. And, if you don't, Mountain Pass Guns and Safes can help you with that as well. Rice buys and sells precious metals such as gold and silver and stocks several other products related to home security and disaster preparedness at the store. Current offerings include a pepper launcher that offers a nonlethal alternative to more traditional firearms. "I like to find niche products that no one else in the area has," said Rice, adding that he often gets ideas for new products to sell from customer suggestions. With the family's move to the Flathead Valley, Rice said he is excited to explore new ways to help customers maximize their home security. With the new store came the need for a new motto. After much deliberation, Rice settled on the perfect phrase to summarize his approach to business: Protect what matters. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433. Safes at Mountain Pass Safes and Coins in Evergreen on Thursday, April 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider A Superior Safe Master Series SM-50 at Mountain Pass Safes and Coins in Evergreen on Thursday, April 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Byrna Technologies less-lethal self-defense products at Mountain Pass Safes and Coins in Evergreen on Thursday, April 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New business aims to protect what matters
May 4—From wildfires to floods to break-ins, Steve Rice prides himself on being prepared for anything. Now, with the official opening of Mountain Pass Safes and Coins, he aims to extend that expertise to others and help Flathead Valley residents protect what matters to them. "You buy insurance for the what if. You wear a seatbelt for the what if," said Rice. "A safe is no different. You're buying time." For Rice and his wife, Kelly, the need for greater security became apparent when their eldest son began to walk. The couple, who were then living in northern Arizona, wanted to ensure their guns were well out of reach of the curious toddler. "It was about protecting what was outside the safe," said Rice. He started his search for a kid-proof gun safe at some of the area's big box stores, but he struggled to find something that matched his rigorous quality standards. Then, one afternoon after a long day at the insurance office where he worked, Rice walked into a local store specializing in safes manufactured by Champion Safe Company. Rice was instantly locked in. Unlike the flimsy safes he had perused before, the Champion-brand safes were hefty. According to the manufacturer, each one is hand-built with multiple layers of American-made steel and includes several other features that prevent damage during natural disasters and break-ins. After learning that the owner planned to sell the shop, Rice joked that he drove home to tell his wife that he wasn't buying one safe — he wanted to buy them all. "I had a feeling, and it just sounded like a really cool interesting business," he said. The couple bought the store and eventually grew the business into the largest safe store in northern Arizona. When the family moved to the Flathead Valley in August of 2024, they brought the business with them. The showroom, located at the corner of U.S. 2 and Reserve Street in Evergreen, features over a dozen Champion safes. Rice pulled open the 800-pound door of a silver model to demonstrate some of its many safety features. He pointed first to what looked like a strip of rubber running along the perimeter of the doorframe, explaining that the material expanded under extreme heat to create a foolproof seal in the event of a fire. Several "relockers" would activate if the main lock was tampered with and a plate of diamond-infused steel further ensured the safe remained secure from would-be thieves. Rice recalled an instance a few years ago when this system was put to the test. A customer called Rice after their home was broken into. While a safe they purchased from Rice's store bore pry marks, the customer reported that the safe was still safely sealed when they returned home and the valuables inside were untouched. The story is one example of why Rice believes everyone can benefit from a high-quality safe. "Even if you don't have a gun, everyone has something to lock up," he said. And, if you don't, Mountain Pass Guns and Safes can help you with that as well. Rice buys and sells precious metals such as gold and silver and stocks several other products related to home security and disaster preparedness at the store. Current offerings include a pepper launcher that offers a nonlethal alternative to more traditional firearms. "I like to find niche products that no one else in the area has," said Rice, adding that he often gets ideas for new products to sell from customer suggestions. With the family's move to the Flathead Valley, Rice said he is excited to explore new ways to help customers maximize their home security. With the new store came the need for a new motto. After much deliberation, Rice settled on the perfect phrase to summarize his approach to business: Protect what matters. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or 758-4433. Safes at Mountain Pass Safes and Coins in Evergreen on Thursday, April 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider A Superior Safe Master Series SM-50 at Mountain Pass Safes and Coins in Evergreen on Thursday, April 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Byrna Technologies less-lethal self-defense products at Mountain Pass Safes and Coins in Evergreen on Thursday, April 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider
