Latest news with #Stingrays
North Wales Live
01-08-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Live
How mixed ability rugby has been life-changing for player with autism
A young man with autism has spoken movingly about how a mixed ability rugby club in North Wales has totally transformed his life. After joining the Colwyn Bay Stingrays Dylan Evans made new friends, starred in a TV series with a rugby legend and secured employment with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). Dylan, 23, of Waunfaur near Caernarfon, told his inspirational story at the presentation of a £1,500 grant from the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) using money seized from criminals. PACT's main focus is to provide funding to community and voluntary groups for schemes that improve people's quality of life by reducing crime or the fear of crime. Over 3,500 projects across communities in every single county in North Wales have benefited from funding from the organisation in the last 25 years. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Until now the Stingrays, whose 39 members come from a wide area stretching from Dolgellau to Deeside, didn't have a kit but that's been put right thanks to the donation which was also used to buy rugby boots and waterproof jackets. The team is run by volunteers and is affiliated to Colwyn Bay Rugby club, training and playing at their ground in Rhos-on-Sea.. According to Dylan, he had always been keen on sport but being autistic had hindered his confidence and he had been reluctant to play team games. But, after hearing about the Stingrays, he decided it was a good way to keep fit. "I found I was good at rugby and was making new friends and I enjoyed going to matches," he said. His abilities attracted producers of S4C programme Stryd i'r Sgrym (Street to Scrum), a series which followed former Wales and Llanelli star Scott Quinnell as he create a new team from scratch. "During the filming we met some of the Wales players, like former Wales and Llanelli Scarlets player Ken Owens, and even former coach Warren Gatland while training with the Wales team. We played in London and won which was great," said Dylan. In the past few months Dylan has been assisting weekly sports activity sessions at Canolfan Addysg y Bont in Llangefni and at RGC home matches at Parc Eirias. Dylan's mum, Jackie, is happy to see the change in her son. "He's always been very sporty but was also quite reserved and so being connected with the Stingrays has been fantastic for him," she said. PACT Chair Ashley Rogers, who presented the cheque to club officials, said: "The Stingrays were the first mixed-ability team in North Wales and we're very proud to support them. "They are very inclusive and it's very important that all members of the community can access sport and PACT is very proud to be part of that. 'Hearing about the real difference it is making to the lives of the players underlines the importance of supporting the Stingrays. Dylan and all the other players are an absolute inspiration – they are people we can all learn from.' News of the grant was also welcomed fellow player Lowri Evans-Hughes, 30, from Mochdre, near Colwyn Bay. She is already an experienced player having played several times for the MARI's (Mixed Ability Rugby Invitational) and the Merched Cymru (Wales ladies) teams. In June she was included in the Merched Cymru squad which took part in a festival in Pamplona, Spain. "It was great fun. We played five games in six days and won nearly all of them," she said. Lowri was accompanied on the trip by her mum, Debbie, who was also in the playing squad. "Representing Colwyn Bay and Wales internationally was a massive moment for Lowri, made possible by the support of the Stingrays," said Debbie. "And my own rugby journey just got unforgettable - representing Wales alongside Lowri. We played against teams from Canada, Spain, Ireland and the USA and were pipped at the post in the final match against a team from Italy. It was a great tournament and a wonderful experience for all of us," said Debbie. Isaac Jones, who lives in Rhuallt, near St Asaph, added: "I enjoy playing rugby and I think I'm quite good. It's great playing matches and going to new places.' Stingrays team manager Dafydd Curry, a serving officer with North Wales Police, said the club was formed about six years ago. "We're a mixed bunch of people. There are those, like me, who might be called veterans but who don't want to hang up their boots. There are some who are over 60 years of age. Then there are those who are homeless or unemployed and those who are living with conditions such as Down's Syndrome, autism and ADHD. They're all welcome here," he said. "We play full contact rugby for 80 minutes against the other teams in Wales and those across the border in North West England. 'That means lengthy trips in mini-buses but we don't put too much emphasis on the results as the travel adds to the feeling of belonging and integrating amongst the players. The cameraderie is there for all to see and it's great to see how the personalities of each player develops the longer they are with us," he said. The grant is the second time PACT has supported the Colwyn Bay Stingrays. PCSO Naomi Hill, who supported the latest bid for funding, said: "This club is an important resource for young adults with disabilities who may find it difficult to engage in other social activities. "It offers a safe and supportive environment that is valuable for young people facing challenges such as behavioural or mental health issues - individuals who might otherwise be vulnerable to involvement in anti-social behaviour or more serious criminal activity.'
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MQ-25 Stingray Carrier-Based Uncrewed Tanker Ground Testing Now Underway
Ground testing has begun on the production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy. This comes ahead of an expected first flight before the end of this year, a goal the Navy has previously said will require 'a ton of work' to achieve. Manufacturer Boeing disclosed the start of ground testing of the production representative MQ-25 during a quarterly earnings call today. For years now, the company has been using a flying MQ-25 demonstrator, also known as T1, to support work on the Stingray, but that test article is not fully reflective of the production-standard configuration. Boeing announced the delivery of the first of nine pre-production MQ-25s to the Navy last year. Four of those drones will be Engineering Development Models (EMD), while the other five will be System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTAs) to be used for fatigue and other static testing work. The Navy's plan remains to eventually acquire a total of 76 Stingrays. In its 2026 Fiscal Year budget request, the service is asking for funds to buy its first three production MQ-25s at a cost of approximately $161.51 million each. The Navy is currently hoping to reach initial operational capability (IOC) with the MQ-25 in Fiscal Year 2027. When Boeing won the Navy's Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) competition in 2018, the IOC target date was in 2024. The schedule subsequently slipped multiple times, due to technical issues and other factors, including downstream impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stingray program has also seen significant cost growth as a result. As noted, a production representative MQ-25 still has yet to fly, and the Navy itself has raised questions about the presently stated flight testing schedule. 'There's a lot of confidence in MQ-25 and [20]25. There is a ton of work to get MQ-25 and '25,' Navy Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, head of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), said during a panel discussion at the Navy League's annual Sea Air Space exhibition in April. '70% of the capability that we deliver, [that] industry delivers to us, is late. So we're pushing hard.' 'We're going to fly this thing [Stingray] this year,' he added at that time. 'There's a lot of work right now. A lot of tough discussions are going to have to happen over the next couple months for us to fly that thing in 2025.' 'MQ-25 will fly this year because the airplane's telling us it's ready to go fly, and airplanes will tell you when they're ready to go fly, and this one is certainly ready to do that,' Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Air Dominance at Boeing, said while speaking at the same panel as Chebi. #MQ25 on the move!The first @USNavy MQ-25 Stingray recently moved off the production line to our static test facility. This is the first of nine Stingrays to be put through static, fatigue and flight tests to ensure durability and airworthiness. — Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) September 14, 2023 'MQ-25 has had some challenges along the way,' he also acknowledged, but expressed further confidence in the current first flight schedule. 'We have our first airplane that's going to go fly this year over at our facility in MidAmerica [Airport outside of St. Louis, Missouri], brand new facility. We're really excited about it, and the program is building momentum each and every day. And when we fly this airplane later this year, it will be the safest, best unmanned airplane that we've ever produced.' As Gillian noted, initial flight testing is expected to occur at MidAmerica. The Navy does not presently expect to begin flight testing from an actual aircraft carrier until next year. Boeing and the Navy have previously conducted deck handling and other tests using the T1 craned aboard the Nimitz class carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), but that drone has never launched from or recovered on a flattop. Last year, George H.W. Bush also became the first Navy supercarrier to receive a dedicated drone control center. Issues with the MQ-25 program notwithstanding, the Navy continues to describe the Stingray as a critical element of its planned future carrier air wings. 'MQ-25, plus long-range weapons and kill chains, plus a robust command and control, and platforms that can gain access to contested environments, are the vision and the key to the future of the carrier air wing to be able to operate out in the Pacific,' Capt. Lew Callaway, head of the Strike Aircraft and Weapons Branch within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations' Air Warfare Division, said during a panel discussion at the WEST 2025 conference in January. 'I want to pivot to the MQ-25 because it's the nearest, most important capability that we're going to field in order to extend the range and the persistence of the carrier air wing.' Extending the reach of the carrier air wing, together with eliminating the need to use crewed F/A-18F Super Hornets in the tanker role, are the Navy's stated primary reasons for acquiring the MQ-25. The drones will also have a secondary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. TWZ has previously explored in detail how the MQ-25's design also offers a clear path for the Navy to employ the drones in a much wider array of roles, including as a long-range strike platform, in the future. Navy officials also regularly describe the MQ-25 as the central 'pathfinder' in the service's broader efforts to integrate more uncrewed capabilities into future carrier air wings. The Navy has a long-standing goal to eventually see 60 percent or more of the aircraft embarked on its carriers be pilotless. At the same time, the service has made no secret that its main focus now is on getting the MQ-25 into service, and that it is taking a back seat to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps when it comes to future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drones. 'The United States Navy is in a tri-service memorandum of agreement and understanding with our sister services, the U.S. Air Force, as well as the Marine Corps, and we are developing that [CCA] capability together. Each of us are focused on a different aspect of that,' Navy Rear Adm. Michael 'Buzz' Donnelly, director of the Air Warfare Division (N98) within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, also said at this year's Sea Air Space exhibition. 'The Air Force is leading and very forward leaning in the development of the actual air vehicle and the autonomy that goes in those for execution of mission. Marine Corps is working closely to develop manned-unmanned teaming between platforms such as the F-35, the F-35B being the baseline for their aviation capability right now. And the United States Navy is working based on our pathway of unmanned into the fleet with MQ-25.' 'As we work together for the United States Navy, I will tell you that we are definitely in the follow of those three services,' he added. It's also worth noting that the Navy's broader future carrier air wing plans have been upset recently by the decision to effectively shelve work on a new sixth-generation carrier-based stealth combat jet, commonly referred to as F/A-XX. The Pentagon has said this decision was made in order to focus resources on the Air Force's F-47 program, and that America's industrial base cannot support two sixth-generation fighter programs simultaneously. Boeing, the prime contractor for the F-47 and a contender for the F/A-XX contract, has notably pushed back on that assertion. 'Nothing in the Joint Force projects combat power from the sea as a Carrier Strike Group, which at the heart has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN). To maintain this striking power, the CVN must have an air wing that is comprised of the most advanced strike fighters,' Adm. Daryl Caudle, the current nominee to become the next Chief of Naval Operations, wrote in response to a question about F/A-XX ahead of his confirmation hearing last week. 'Therefore, the ability to maintain air superiority against peer competitors will be put at risk if the Navy is unable to field a 6th Generation strike fighter on a relevant timeline. Without a replacement for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler, the Navy will be forced to retrofit 4th generation aircraft and increase procurement of 5th generation aircraft to attempt to compete with the new 6th generation aircraft that the threat is already flying.' 'The Navy has a validated requirement for carrier-based 6th generation aircraft, and it is critical that we field that capability as quickly as possible to give our warfighters the capabilities they need to win against a myriad of emerging threats,' he added. In the meantime, with ground testing now underway, Boeing and the Navy are still pushing forward toward a first flight for the production representative MQ-25 configuration, an important step toward finally getting the Stingray into operational service. Contact the author: joe@ Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Seacrest volleyball star Alexa Haley talks about winning four state championships
Haley was the starting Libero on the four Stingrays FHSAA state title teams from 2021-24. She signed to play at UCF.
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Forbes
Google's Next Pixel Update—Apple's iPhone Falls Behind
Apple has some catching up to do. Smartphones are now under threat from malicious text messages, attacks that come courtesy of China's organized criminal gangs. Whether its an unpaid toll or a DMV traffic offense or even an undelivered package, the threat is the same. Google warns that these dangerous texts can be sent directly to your phone rather than via a mobile network, and that users should disable 2G networks to stay safe. Those so-called SMS-blaster attacks trick your phone into connecting to a malicious device, thinking it's a legitimate cellular access point. That same kind of trickery can do more than just blast texts, it can actually intercept all traffic to and from the phone. You'll have heard of police use of so-called Stingrays — that's what this is. Network defense at work. Not only does Google enable 2G connections to be disabled where iPhone does not, but the Android-maker is now also launching a defense against these rogue cellular connections, warning when there's any unencrypted connection or when a network is repeatedly pinging a phone for its identifiers. Again, iPhone cannot do the same. I've reported on this before, but with the release of Android 16 it's now imminent — with a catch. As Android Authority points out, 'it's unlikely that any current devices will be updated to support the notifications feature. We will most likely have to wait for upcoming devices that launch with Android 16, such as the Pixel 10 series.' That's because this only works through an interface between the cellular modem and the phone's Android OS, and that's not expected to be available as an aftermarket upgrade. It also requires new modems capable of running the interface software. iPhones, by contrast, have to rely on filtering texts from unknown senders. Network defense at work. Android users with the right hardware — as and when it's available — should enable this protection. They should also disable 2G network connections and also enable Android 16's new Advanced Protection Mode, which — not be accident — disables 2G by default. With the network defense and Advanced Protection Mode upgrades, Google is seriously raising the bar for Android users. Apple's iPhone is materially behind when it comes to network protection, albeit remains ahead when it comes to phone lockdowns, malware defenses, sandboxing apps and policing data harvesting permissions. The gap between the two operating systems has never been narrower. A current Android phone with these protections enabled gives iPhone a run for its money for the first time. At least as regards external threats. You still need to be comfortable with Google's own tracking and data harvesting, and its expansive use of Gemini.
Edinburgh Reporter
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Podium place for Ruby cheerleaders in Florida
Black Diamonds cheerleaders' Ruby group (aged 12-16) have returned in triumph from the prestigious Summit competition in Florida where they finished in bronze medal position. Just ahead of the Musselburgh-based outfit were England's Top Gun organisation and Stingrays from the host nation. Gillian Samuel, who coached the Rubies along with her daughter, Natalie, was overwhelmed by the success, saying: 'After twice finishing in the top 10 we finally made it on to the podium which was the culmination of nine months putting together routines and fund raising with projects such as supermarket bag-packing. 'To reach these heights out group of 18 had to see off competition from Japan, Germany, Canada, Ireland and Mexico.' It was a costly exercise with each girl having to raise a four figure sum just to get on the plane and Gillian paid tribute to a string of sponsors who assisted. Sponsors included Bold Autos, Artemis, East Coast Scaffolding, TCM Conservation and Masonry, WB Joinery Ltd and Howdens. Based at Musselburgh East Community Learning Centre, Gillian says that as word of the club's success spreads – they cleaned up in the six UK competitions entered to have their bid accepted for the Florida event which is one step below world championship level – bigger premises may soon be required. Settled accomodation has been a struggle for Black Diamonds in recent years but priority will be returning to the Summit competition next year to try to improve on third place. Clearly there will be no sitting on any laurels. The successful Ruby contingent comprised: Ella Lockett, captain, Casey Harcus, vice captain, Poppy Welsh, Isla McKenzie, Myla Mcveigh, Rhia Jude, Evie Dickson, Tillie Allison, Macy Harper, Harper McMillan, Charlotte Burden, Lexi Gardiner, Harmony Froude, Brookly Lye, Harmoni Gray, Elly Menshi, Maia Dickson, Rumeur White. Coaches – Gillian and Natalie Samuel. The Ruby group who did Black Diamonds cheerleading proud in Florida. Like this: Like Related
