Latest news with #Tarrant
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Drive Jackson' campaign aims to revitalize the city
JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS)– A new campaign called 'Drive Jackson' is gaining momentum with a clear goal to elevate and revitalize the heart of Mid-Michigan. 'We're going to end up with a really good product here because it's going to be something that comes from the residents of Jackson', said Jackson County Chamber of Commerce President Ryan Tarrant. Tarrant says the biggest goal is to make Jackson a destination for people to grow and families to build. 'It's a public-private partnership with, you know, the city, the county, accelerate Jackson, the community foundation and others really to see where we want our community to go over the next couple of decades', Tarrant says. 'We know our population hasn't been growing as fast as other states here in Jackson. The city has shrunk over the last 60 years and frankly, the county population has started to stagnate a little bit.' Tarrant says he sees an opportunity in Jackson county and points to resources outdoors as well as the quality of life. 'I see there being a lot of opportunity here in Jackson to really do some cool things. You know, the quality of life here. When you start talking about the lakes, the trails, the outdoor amenities we have. I mean, we have parks that are as big as Central Park in New York City,' Tarrant said. The project is scheduled to start at the beginning of next year. 'It's a 9 to 12-month process, and so you know, our goal is really to sort of have a final product that we can roll out at the end of the first quarter of 2026,' Tarrant said. Tarrant says the key leadership committee will be pivotal in the next steps moving forward, and surveys will be out at the beginning of June to begin to gauge the community and opportunities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Western Telegraph
5 days ago
- Western Telegraph
Pembroke Dock drug mule had 12 grams of heroin up his bottom
Prosecutor Caitlin Brazel told Swansea Crown Court that Mark Briskham and another man drove to the Swansea area to pick up a quantity of diamorphine – heroin – at around 9.30am on June 8 last year. Briskham was stopped by police in Llanteg on his way back home that afternoon. No drugs were found in the car or on either of the men, so they were both taken to Withybush Hospital for a scan. The passenger's scan was negative, but Briskham then refused to be examined. For the latest crime and court news for west Wales, you can join our Facebook group here. He was taken to the police station and kept under supervision, until he asked to go to the toilet and expelled a package containing 12.7 grams of diamorphine from his rectum. Ms Brazel said the heroin valued by an expert at £1,590 if sold in street deals. Briskham initially denied a charge of possession with intent to supply heroin, but admitted a charge of possession. However, he pleaded guilty on the morning of trial on a basis which was accepted by the prosecution. The defendant said he only wanted to buy seven grams of heroin for his own personal use. He had agreed to drive to pick the drugs up and bring them back, and would be supplied with seven grams out of the total haul when this was done. 'He's being used as a mule,' Judge Geraint Walters summarised. The court heard 52-year-old Briskham, of Cuckoo Wood in Pembroke Dock, had appeared in court 35 times for 112 offences – including twice for possession of cannabis resin and once for possession with intent to supply MDMA – a Class A drug. 'There has been a significant gap in his offending,' said Jon Tarrant, in mitigation. 'In the last 17 years or so there has been very little which the defendant has troubled the court.' Mr Tarrant said Briskham contacted the health board about his addiction issues following his arrest, and was now drug-free. He said the defendant 'welcomed' his period in custody after pleading guilty, adding that it had been 'a bit of a wake-up call' for him. 'He has other obligations he should be attending to in his life,' Mr Tarrant said. Judge Walters accused Briskham of having 'played cat and mouse' with the police after initially refusing to be examined in hospital and then not pleading guilty to possession with intent until the morning of trial. 'Amongst all Class A drugs, this is the most harmful of them all,' he said. 'Engaging in the activity of supplying it has to be treated as a serious matter.' Briskham was jailed for a total of 16 months.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pembrokeshire drug mule had 12 grams of heroin up his bottom
A DRUG mule who stashed more than 12 grams of heroin up his bum has been jailed. Prosecutor Caitlin Brazel told Swansea Crown Court that Mark Briskham and another man drove to the Swansea area to pick up a quantity of diamorphine – heroin – at around 9.30am on June 8 last year. Briskham was stopped by police in Llanteg on his way back home that afternoon. No drugs were found in the car or on either of the men, so they were both taken to Withybush Hospital for a scan. The passenger's scan was negative, but Briskham then refused to be examined. He was taken to the police station and kept under supervision, until he asked to go to the toilet and expelled a package containing 12.7 grams of diamorphine from his rectum. Ms Brazel said the heroin valued by an expert at £1,590 if sold in street deals. Briskham initially denied a charge of possession with intent to supply heroin, but admitted a charge of possession. However, he pleaded guilty on the morning of trial on a basis which was accepted by the prosecution. The defendant said he only wanted to buy seven grams of heroin for his own personal use. He had agreed to drive to pick the drugs up and bring them back, and would be supplied with seven grams out of the total haul when this was done. 'He's being used as a mule,' Judge Geraint Walters summarised. The court heard 52-year-old Briskham, of Cuckoo Wood in Pembroke Dock, had appeared in court 35 times for 112 offences – including twice for possession of cannabis resin and once for possession with intent to supply MDMA – a Class A drug. 'There has been a significant gap in his offending,' said Jon Tarrant, in mitigation. 'In the last 17 years or so there has been very little which the defendant has troubled the court.' Mr Tarrant said Briskham contacted the health board about his addiction issues following his arrest, and was now drug-free. He said the defendant 'welcomed' his period in custody after pleading guilty, adding that it had been 'a bit of a wake-up call' for him. 'He has other obligations he should be attending to in his life,' Mr Tarrant said. Judge Walters accused Briskham of having 'played cat and mouse' with the police after initially refusing to be examined in hospital and then not pleading guilty to possession with intent until the morning of trial. 'Amongst all Class A drugs, this is the most harmful of them all,' he said. 'Engaging in the activity of supplying it has to be treated as a serious matter.' Briskham was jailed for a total of 16 months.
The Advertiser
11-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Stormy conditions do not deter 'the mullet men'
Every year, when the temperature drops at Easter, hordes of mullet migrate out to sea to spawn - this is the mullet run. Greg Tarrant is a fourth-generation angler who, along with his dad and son, spends six weeks catching the fish by the tonne. There's no fancy equipment and no idle hands. The crew, colloquially called the "mullet men", net the fish by hand and haul them onshore with a ute. Tarrant's crew starts at Stockton and follows the migration up to Fingal Bay. They keep a close eye out for dark patches of fish in the water. Mr Tarrant said it was a basic operation that required hard work and patience. The crew battled head-high waves to net thousands of fish at a time and, when the water was choppy, they often get the "shit belted out of them". "If it was nice and calm, it's a lot easier, but you gotta do what you gotta do," he said. Almost 150 millimetres of rain hit the Hunter at the end of April, which flushed fish from the estuaries earlier than usual. Last week, the crew netted 35 tonnes in one day at Fingal Bay beach. During the catch, they had to cut their nets and cage the fish at the edge of the shoreline before the tide rose. Two sharks were spotted lurking around the catch. Mr Tarrant said it was common to see nurse sharks and bronze whalers, but that they had never had any "dramas" with them. "Touch wood, no one's been bitten," he said. A fishing boat off Port Stephens had a near-miss with a five-metre great white shark in February. The job doesn't come without criticism. Mr Tarrant said people often commented that what he was doing was wrong, and that it was being greedy. "We're not hurting the numbers of them," he said. "These fish have been turning up year after year, for hundreds of years," he said. A NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said the mullet run was "one of Australia's most sustainable" fishing practices. About 3000 tonnes of mullet are caught annually in NSW, and, according to the 2023 NSW Stock Status Summary, the sea mullet numbers are sustainable. "None of the catch is wasted and the extensive value adding that occurs contributes to the state economy, regional employment and the viability of the commercial fishing industry," the spokesperson said. Fishers in the mullet run follow rules set out in NSW Fisheries Management legislation. For Mr Tarrant, this season is shaping up to be much better than past years, and he hopes to get a few hundred tonnes before the run finishes at the end of May. Every year, when the temperature drops at Easter, hordes of mullet migrate out to sea to spawn - this is the mullet run. Greg Tarrant is a fourth-generation angler who, along with his dad and son, spends six weeks catching the fish by the tonne. There's no fancy equipment and no idle hands. The crew, colloquially called the "mullet men", net the fish by hand and haul them onshore with a ute. Tarrant's crew starts at Stockton and follows the migration up to Fingal Bay. They keep a close eye out for dark patches of fish in the water. Mr Tarrant said it was a basic operation that required hard work and patience. The crew battled head-high waves to net thousands of fish at a time and, when the water was choppy, they often get the "shit belted out of them". "If it was nice and calm, it's a lot easier, but you gotta do what you gotta do," he said. Almost 150 millimetres of rain hit the Hunter at the end of April, which flushed fish from the estuaries earlier than usual. Last week, the crew netted 35 tonnes in one day at Fingal Bay beach. During the catch, they had to cut their nets and cage the fish at the edge of the shoreline before the tide rose. Two sharks were spotted lurking around the catch. Mr Tarrant said it was common to see nurse sharks and bronze whalers, but that they had never had any "dramas" with them. "Touch wood, no one's been bitten," he said. A fishing boat off Port Stephens had a near-miss with a five-metre great white shark in February. The job doesn't come without criticism. Mr Tarrant said people often commented that what he was doing was wrong, and that it was being greedy. "We're not hurting the numbers of them," he said. "These fish have been turning up year after year, for hundreds of years," he said. A NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said the mullet run was "one of Australia's most sustainable" fishing practices. About 3000 tonnes of mullet are caught annually in NSW, and, according to the 2023 NSW Stock Status Summary, the sea mullet numbers are sustainable. "None of the catch is wasted and the extensive value adding that occurs contributes to the state economy, regional employment and the viability of the commercial fishing industry," the spokesperson said. Fishers in the mullet run follow rules set out in NSW Fisheries Management legislation. For Mr Tarrant, this season is shaping up to be much better than past years, and he hopes to get a few hundred tonnes before the run finishes at the end of May. Every year, when the temperature drops at Easter, hordes of mullet migrate out to sea to spawn - this is the mullet run. Greg Tarrant is a fourth-generation angler who, along with his dad and son, spends six weeks catching the fish by the tonne. There's no fancy equipment and no idle hands. The crew, colloquially called the "mullet men", net the fish by hand and haul them onshore with a ute. Tarrant's crew starts at Stockton and follows the migration up to Fingal Bay. They keep a close eye out for dark patches of fish in the water. Mr Tarrant said it was a basic operation that required hard work and patience. The crew battled head-high waves to net thousands of fish at a time and, when the water was choppy, they often get the "shit belted out of them". "If it was nice and calm, it's a lot easier, but you gotta do what you gotta do," he said. Almost 150 millimetres of rain hit the Hunter at the end of April, which flushed fish from the estuaries earlier than usual. Last week, the crew netted 35 tonnes in one day at Fingal Bay beach. During the catch, they had to cut their nets and cage the fish at the edge of the shoreline before the tide rose. Two sharks were spotted lurking around the catch. Mr Tarrant said it was common to see nurse sharks and bronze whalers, but that they had never had any "dramas" with them. "Touch wood, no one's been bitten," he said. A fishing boat off Port Stephens had a near-miss with a five-metre great white shark in February. The job doesn't come without criticism. Mr Tarrant said people often commented that what he was doing was wrong, and that it was being greedy. "We're not hurting the numbers of them," he said. "These fish have been turning up year after year, for hundreds of years," he said. A NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said the mullet run was "one of Australia's most sustainable" fishing practices. About 3000 tonnes of mullet are caught annually in NSW, and, according to the 2023 NSW Stock Status Summary, the sea mullet numbers are sustainable. "None of the catch is wasted and the extensive value adding that occurs contributes to the state economy, regional employment and the viability of the commercial fishing industry," the spokesperson said. Fishers in the mullet run follow rules set out in NSW Fisheries Management legislation. For Mr Tarrant, this season is shaping up to be much better than past years, and he hopes to get a few hundred tonnes before the run finishes at the end of May. Every year, when the temperature drops at Easter, hordes of mullet migrate out to sea to spawn - this is the mullet run. Greg Tarrant is a fourth-generation angler who, along with his dad and son, spends six weeks catching the fish by the tonne. There's no fancy equipment and no idle hands. The crew, colloquially called the "mullet men", net the fish by hand and haul them onshore with a ute. Tarrant's crew starts at Stockton and follows the migration up to Fingal Bay. They keep a close eye out for dark patches of fish in the water. Mr Tarrant said it was a basic operation that required hard work and patience. The crew battled head-high waves to net thousands of fish at a time and, when the water was choppy, they often get the "shit belted out of them". "If it was nice and calm, it's a lot easier, but you gotta do what you gotta do," he said. Almost 150 millimetres of rain hit the Hunter at the end of April, which flushed fish from the estuaries earlier than usual. Last week, the crew netted 35 tonnes in one day at Fingal Bay beach. During the catch, they had to cut their nets and cage the fish at the edge of the shoreline before the tide rose. Two sharks were spotted lurking around the catch. Mr Tarrant said it was common to see nurse sharks and bronze whalers, but that they had never had any "dramas" with them. "Touch wood, no one's been bitten," he said. A fishing boat off Port Stephens had a near-miss with a five-metre great white shark in February. The job doesn't come without criticism. Mr Tarrant said people often commented that what he was doing was wrong, and that it was being greedy. "We're not hurting the numbers of them," he said. "These fish have been turning up year after year, for hundreds of years," he said. A NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said the mullet run was "one of Australia's most sustainable" fishing practices. About 3000 tonnes of mullet are caught annually in NSW, and, according to the 2023 NSW Stock Status Summary, the sea mullet numbers are sustainable. "None of the catch is wasted and the extensive value adding that occurs contributes to the state economy, regional employment and the viability of the commercial fishing industry," the spokesperson said. Fishers in the mullet run follow rules set out in NSW Fisheries Management legislation. For Mr Tarrant, this season is shaping up to be much better than past years, and he hopes to get a few hundred tonnes before the run finishes at the end of May.
NZ Herald
10-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Country Life: Muttonbirding - ‘It's a part of who we are'
The tītī, also known as the sooty shearwater, is one of the world's largest migratory birds, and they come down to the islands around Rakiura Stewart Island to nest and lay a single egg around October. 'Rakiura Māori have been harvesting the tītī for nearly half a millennia, so for 500 years and our tikanga is all about sustainable practice and passing down that knowledge,' Tarrant said. 'The focus for me, is to teach the next generation and just purely a food source.' Tarrant said their focus is also on keeping the practice sustainable. They don't use the nanao method of plucking the chicks from underground burrows. 'We're only here for the rama or the torching season, so we don't nanao, which is putting your hands in the hole during the daylight. We just don't feel that this island is sustainable to be able to harvest the birds like that. 'We predominantly bird in the stormy, overcast, rainy nights, and we start around 8 o'clock at night, and we could potentially bird right through the daylight the next day, depending on how we're going. We run around in the dark with torches and we spotlight them with our hands. Everything is done by hand.' For some of the time, the whole whānau including tamariki are involved, living in a small hut. 'My family are a big part of it. I had all the kids here, mokopuna the whole lot, and they jumped off on Anzac Day, so they had the very start of the torching season.' All the processing is done by hand as soon as the birds are caught. When plucking, the children wear hoods to stop fluff, down and feathers getting in their eyes, nose, mouth and ears. 'Everybody hates plucking birds by hand, but it's the place where everyone talks and we talk about the stories of the past that were handed down to us [...] a lot of history and stories are told in the pluck house. 'Instead of just being out there all night, killing and killing, and harvesting the tītī, and then coming back and using a machine, our best practice is to harvest ... what we can, actually work with our hands.' After plucking, the tītī are dipped in wax and then de-waxed to get the skin 'nice and clean, so, when we go to eat them, we're not chewing on feathers'. Tarrant said tītī is a staple food for his family and it will be preserved to be eaten throughout the year. For others, it is brought out at celebrations or tangi. 'My favourite way is just to have a boiled fresh bird with tomato relish on toast for breakfast. Bit of salt. That's it.' He said they might harvest about 1000 birds over the month, all going well. With the family's focus on keeping the island pest free, thousands more grow on and migrate like their mothers, he reckoned. 'This practice absolutely is sustainable in this day and age, especially the way we harvest and we process our birds. 'The majority of the birds will come off, and we will only work what we can kill. So, there'd be times at night where we're walking past birds that will get away and free just purely because we're not out to wreck the island and to devastate the tītī. 'It's about passing on our heritage, our genealogy, and it's a part of who we are.' Their last job is to clear out the burrows after the young birds are gone in preparation for the mothers arriving again in the spring. 'It's really important that we keep it going, because once it's lost, it's lost forever.'
