Latest news with #Stockman
Press and Journal
11-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeenshire farmer scoops innovation gong at London awards
Entrepreneurial Aberdeenshire beef farmer Jilly Grant has won a prestigious national award for innovation. It recognises her trailblazing achievements as co-founder of agritech firm Herd Advance. She was presented with her National Women in Agriculture (NWA) gong at a ceremony at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Now in their second year, the awards aim to strengthen the network of women in UK agriculture. They also throw a well-deserved spotlight on some of their achievements. Jilly and her husband, Murdoch Duncan, launched Herd Advance in 2018. The business is based on their farm at Newton of Ardoyne, Oyne, near Insch. Its Stockman technology lets farmers monitor livestock in real-time and sort cattle automatically, effectively digitising their herds. Designed and built by the co-founding duo to give farmers better data, Stockman can help with beef farm decision-making. The technology is incorporated into walk-in water station, where cattle go to drink. Livestock are weighed multiple times daily, with the system alerting the farmer if animals fail to appear, either through illness or injury. Paired with a cutting-edge mobile application, the system allows farmers to monitor the statistics and status of their herds around the clock from a smartphone or other device. Jilly's NWA success was in category with a shortlist of three finalists. 'I am deeply honoured,' she said, adding: 'This recognition means so much, not just personally, but for the work we're doing at Herd Advance to drive the transformation of sustainable livestock production. 'My previous roles in data-driven industries made me aware of the significant opportunities available in the beef sector to enhance production efficiencies, profitability and animal welfare through real-time monitoring that supports decision-making. This award is about more than innovation – it's about impact. It's about using technology and insight to drive real, lasting change in agriculture.' Jilly Grant 'We just had to develop a practical solution to deliver this, and that's where Stockman was born. 'For me, this award is about more than innovation – it's about impact. 'It's about using technology and insight to drive real, lasting change in agriculture. 'I hope this recognition inspires others, especially women in agri to keep pushing, questioning, and creating. The future of our industry depends on it.' Herd Advance's systems are built and tested at Oyne. Jilly and Murdoch, chief executive and chief operating officer respectively at the company, are now working on add-on animal health technology. This includes thermal imaging systems which focus on the body temperature of each animal when it comes to drink. This valuable information may indicate when animals are unwell, even before they show physical signs. It may also show when female cattle are most fertile, or when pregnant animals are about to give birth. Simple measures of weight, water intake and temperature provide a strong correlation to health, stress and profitability of the herd. They can be used for suckler and finisher units in enterprises of all sizes.
ITV News
22-04-2025
- General
- ITV News
Presbyterian Minister Steve Stockman recalls his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican
A Presbyterian Minister has recounted his meeting with the late Pope Francis, who died on Monday, aged 88. Rev Steve Stockman, from Fitzroy Presbyterian Church in south Belfast, met Francis in 2022 after being invited to Rome by the papal who had praised Rev Stockman's work at a cross-community festival. Rev Stockman helps organise the 4 Corners Festival with Fr Martin Magill and it was celebrating its 10th anniversary at the time. 'I mean, I'm a Presbyterian from Ballymena, but it seems to me that there's an intrigue about that for me,' Rev Stockman told UTV about when he found out he would be meeting Pope Francis. 'He's not my holy Father and he's not the head of my church, I'm not a Catholic, but, maybe I would say if I was going to meet one pope, this would have been the one I wanted to meet. 'There was something about his papacy up until that point that I was very intrigued with. 'Francis of Assisi, he took the name, he had his charisma I think, and he also seemed as if he was reaching out beyond Catholicism to other denominations and being one of those other denominations that intrigued me. 'If anything, could I suggest quietly that he was doing a reformation within Catholicism as I could see it, so I was intrigued to see what he would be like to meet.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Silver Alert: Olathe police searching for 71-year-old woman
OLATHE, Kan. – Olathe police are asking for the public's help in finding a 71-year-old woman last seen on Sunday morning. Gayl Stockman was last seen leaving the 15800 block of West 150th Terrace on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, 180 pounds and has brown eyes and grey hair. She was last seen wearing a thin, black long-sleeve shirt, blue and white striped shorts, white socks and white tennis shoes. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Stockman is believed to be operating a red 2012 Lincoln MKZ displaying the Kansas license plate number 171PGD. She is also believed to be in the area of Cowgill, Missouri, and has a large Bernese Mountain Dog with her. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Boyz II Men talk death of the love song, why they've endured: 'Love is lengthy'
Boyz II Men talk death of the love song, why they've endured: 'Love is lengthy' With hits like "I'll Make Love to You," and "End of the Road," Boyz II Men made earnest confessionals into a career. Now they're back to school the kids today on how to make love (and love songs.) Show Caption Hide Caption Grammys 2020: Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato top best performances From Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men to Demi Lovato, performances at the 62nd Grammy Awards tugged at our heartstrings. Entertain This!, USA TODAY New York − Young musicians don't make love songs like they used to. At least that's what Nathan Morris, one-third of Boyz II Men, tells me. He's sitting backstage squeezing in a quick dinner before a Tuesday concert in Great Neck, a wealthy enclave on Long Island. I bring up a recent study I saw examining the supposed death of the love song. Before I finish, he interjects with, "I believe that." Seated next to bandmates Wanya Morris (no relation) and Shawn Stockman, he embarks on a soliloquy that is one part "kids these days" and one part earnest concern for the state of modern romance − and its soundtrack. The alleged death of the love song is "why most people don't fall in love anymore, don't want to be in love, or whatever the deal is," Nathan says. "You also have to think about the way the climate of the industry is, and the way that everything is coupled with social media," Wanya adds. "Everything is short, you know what I mean? It's a minute to 30 seconds (on social media). So expressing love in that time, it's kind of hard." "Love is lengthy," Nathan agrees. "Love is looong," Stockman quips, elongating the vowel and dropping his register to demonstrate a sort of cosmic knowingness. The exchange hints at the three (once four) part harmony that forms the backbone of the group's enduring success. Over thirty years after they broke onto the scene and captured hearts with songs like "One Sweet Day," and "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men still make fans swoon. Rising to fame in their early 20s, both Morrises and Stockman were irrefutably boyz at the start. Now, rounding out the predictive metaphor at the heart of their name, they are men. Concertgoers are just as excited to see them as ever. The venues may be more modest than the arenas of their past, but tonight, midway through "On Bended Knee," one of the group's more famous ballads, you'd never know it. Stockman's voice struggles to be heard over a scream-singing crowd and the audience remains on their feet for most of the 90-minute show. In all white with diamond-encrusted accessories, the men offer attendees a version of time travel. Pulling off the same dance moves (Stockman spent much of our interview stretching) and nailing those signature gravity-defying vocal riffs, the group's swagger and "love you down" appeal remains intact. Only now it is adorned with a well-earned wisdom. Once fresh-faced crooners reviving the Motown record label, they are the elder statesmen of R&B. "Intention and articulation of that intention," that's what makes a great love song, Stockman says. "Putting it together in melody and music … It's just one big recipe. But the intention has to be there first. That's why there are certain songs that will last forever." Wanya adds, "It's very important to make sure that with our songs, that we tell stories that invoke thought because those are the types of songs that actually last longer in the hearts of people." They would know. With tracks like "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men have proved themselves capable architects of a timeless tune. Both songs spent over 10 weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts and continue to rake in streams on Spotify. When they appear onstage during this concert, the feeling of communal elation is palpable. Couples who secured a sitter for date night sway back and forth and girl groups a few drinks deep grab each other's arms in excitement. Garrett Meacham 39, and Evay Richardson, 40, had never been to a Boyz show before but were eager to fix that. "I'm very excited to be here," Richardson said. "It's a group that I grew up on, I love their music." "It's timeless," Meacham added. In one sense that's true, but in another, the Boyz might argue they're very much of their time. Could a near-six-minute track as misty-eyed and slow-grooving as "End of the Road" dominate the charts today? "It's hard to cultivate something like love in a world that breeds instant gratification. How can love exist?" Stockman says. "When everything is about now and about fast and about quick … love is not that. It never has been that," he says. "Yet somehow we have managed to beguile the masses that yes, love can come in 90 seconds. Just put it in the microwave and hit. That's crazy. That's why there are no love songs because no one really understands what it is to write a love song. How can you believe in love without love songs?" The love song lives. But the ballad? Not so much There are actually are love songs still. They just look different. It turns out that data I referenced earlier is a bit more complicated than it appeared. The statisticians behind it argue that the "serenade" love songs that hit music charts in the past – the ones that drip with devotion for someone else – are only one type of love song. They argue shifting generational attitudes toward love created subgenres like "it's complicated" ( songs saying "We haven't put a label on it. I wish you would!") and "self-love" (lyrics saying "Forget you, I can buy my own flowers!"), which need to be considered alongside serenades. In actuality, more love songs are topping charts than ever before, the study found. So what actually died? The ballad. Using data spanning from 1958 to September 2023, the model tracked how many Billboard Top 10 hits were ballads or "serenades". The proportion fell from 23% in the 1960s to 12% in the 2020s. When it factored in the new kinds of love songs, the proportion jumped from 62% to 69% over the 65 years. Boyz II Men are balladeers if there ever were any. Singing in the first-person, they lean heavily on the love letter format − making it impossible to tell where they as individuals begin and where their musical personas take over. That narrative structure is part of why they've remained heartthrobs among a loyal fanbase. But the magic trick lies in making that highly individualized format adaptable so would-be-Romeos listening can easily purchase it right off the rack. "Love is one of those things that we all try to find all the answers to, but we're never going to know because everybody's love is personal," Nathan says. "Eventually you get the gist of it, but you got to figure out what really makes you tick in the love that you have… love has always been difficult to pinpoint, but if you can shoot broad enough, you cover enough people that, you know, it works out." For Meacham, that's the allure. "Classics, you know like from back in the day… making songs that relate, making songs that hit you in the heart," he says. But it's buyer beware. "It could be a double-edged sword, you know what I mean? Because the music is so endearing and it embodies so much of a connection that if a man plays it, they don't really have to mean it, it just works for the woman," Wanya says. "So a woman has to be careful. You understand?" "The guy may never be able to live up to that," Nathan jokes. It's in the name: Boyz II Men's lasting impact on masculinity Good guys, bad guys, the ones who haven't yet decided − the Boyz like to think that they've had an impact on the whole bunch. Throughout our conversation, all three members make a point to remind me that Valentine's Day (the timely plug for our interview) and love itself are not just about what a woman wants. "A lot of times, women think that men don't desire to be desired," Wanya says. Centering that desire in their music has given listeners permission to do the same in their own lives, he explains. "We can bear witness to it," Wanya says of the group's larger impact on masculinity. "It's men, manly men, I'm talking about MAGA-supporting men. We've been in barns where we performed for an audience that you would never think that Boyz II Men would be at. We do meet and greets for these things and you see people walk up and those men say, 'Thank you. Thank you because when I couldn't say it, you said it for me. When I couldn't express it, your music expressed it.'" Boyz II Men babies: Music to make love to The live show is rife with sexuality. Wanya's hip thrusting alone is enough to elicit a warning from the FCC. But it's fitting, nay, essential for a group known not just for making love music, but love-making music. "It really with helped with population, you know what I'm saying?" Wanya says of their chart-topping success in the '90s. "We call them Boyz II Men babies. There's a lot of Boyz II Men babies out there," Nathan adds. Then they tell me a story I have to fact-check in the hallway, just to make sure they're not pulling my leg. In 2013, the group was hired by Vladimir Putin to perform a pre-Valentine's Day concert as part of a campaign to boost the country's declining birthrate. While Putin never confirmed the news, leading to doubts about the claim, the group stands by the story. "No bull, that's the reason why," Wanya says. Either way, it seems like it could be true. That's the nature of their music: just hot and heavy enough to warm even the coldest of tundras. Certainly enough to warm a Long Island theater mid-week, as girlz now women and boyz now men embrace their love songs.
