Latest news with #Towne
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Dirco confirms death of SA citizen in West Virginia, US
South Africa's embassy in Washington is providing full consular assistance to the family Government has confirmed that a South African citizen has died in the United States (US). International Relations Department (Dirco) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the individual passed away in West Virginia. 'The government of the Republic of South Africa confirms with deep sadness the tragic passing of a South African citizen in West Virginia, United States of America. 'The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, has extended condolences to the bereaved family during this profoundly difficult time,' Phiri said. Consular assistance Phiri added that South Africa's embassy in Washington, D.C., is providing full consular assistance to the family. 'The circumstances surrounding this tragic death remain under active investigation by the relevant United States authorities. 'Out of respect for the ongoing investigative process, the sensitivity of the matter, and the privacy of the grieving family, the South African Government will not be providing further detailed commentary at this time,' Phiri said. ALSO READ: KZN man working in US arrested for allegedly distributing child porn Murder According to Women for Change, the person has been identified as 32-year-old Kim White Towne. Towne was allegedly murdered by her husband, Alexander Towne, in their home in Chantilly, Virginia, United States, on 24 May 2025. In 2023, Towne, originally from Cape Town, moved to the United States with Alexander, a US citizen and military veteran. Argument On 24 May 2025, just two hours before her death, Towne reportedly called a family member, expressing fear and distress over her violent marriage. The family member urged her to contact the police. It is alleged that the argument between Kim and Alexander escalated, and he fatally strangled her. After the alleged brutal murder, the husband reportedly called the police and confessed to assaulting and killing his wife. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Towne's lifeless body. Arrest Alexander was arrested, charged with second-degree murder, and is currently being held without bail. It is reported that their three-year-old child was inside the home when the incident occurred. In 2024, Towne had reportedly obtained a protection order against her husband, which led to his removal from their home. She stayed with a family member for some time, but a few months later, the couple reconciled. ALSO READ: Afrikaners who accepted Trump's refugee offer 'know there's no persecution in SA' – expert
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canton Central superintendent candidates make pitches
Mar. 20—CANTON — Nearly 100 people attended presentations from two candidates for Canton Central School Superintendent Thursday evening in the Hugh C. Williams High School Auditorium. BOCES Superintendent Thomas Burns, who has been helping the school board search for a new superintendent, hosted the event. The two candidates, Potsdam High School Principal Kristin Towne and Canton Middle School Principal Joseph McDonough, gave short presentations on their backgrounds and visions. Then, they faced questions from an audience of district residents, faculty and staff. Towne was first on stage. "This is a great turnout," the Star Lake native said as she picked up the microphone and started her slide show presentation. Towne graduated from Clifton-Fine and earned her bachelor's degree in art education at SUNY Potsdam. She holds leadership certificates from St. Lawrence University and a Master of Science Education in instructional technology. Towne has 28 years of experience in education, with the past eight years in leadership roles. Her experience includes 16 years of teaching art at Brasher Falls and serving as high school assistant principal at Salmon River Central School District and PK-12 building principal at Hammond Central School District. She has been at Potsdam for the last four years. She said that Canton Central has a tradition of excellence, a strong reputation and community values that she admires. If she gets the job, she will begin by listening to the school community and the community at large. "It is all about building relationships," she said. Towne was asked about a poor report the school received in 2022 that indicated that hate speech was routine and consequences were inconsistent. "You have to face that head-on," she said. Students must follow a code of conduct, but they should also be educated about the impact of their behavior. "They are kids," she said. "They make mistakes." The community needs to be educated as well, she said. "All students should feel welcome," she said. When Towne was asked what qualities she needed to make and deliver hard decisions, she mentioned being let go after 16 years at Brasher Falls due to a staffing cut. She said a superintendent needs to do what needs to be done, with compassion. After a short break, McDonough made his presentation. McDonough is from Maine but has lived in the Canton community for 20 years, 17 of which were spent at Canton Central. He is the middle school principal at J.M. McKenney Middle School in the Canton Central School District. He has 25 years of experience as an educator and 15 years in leadership positions. He has served as dean of students at Potsdam Central School, dean of students at Canton Central School,St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES regional summer school principal and elementary principal at Canton's F.S. Banford Elementary School He holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of New England, a Certificate of Advanced Study and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from St. Lawrence University, and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and classics from Saint Michael's College in Vermont. McDonough used two symbols in his presentation. The first was an aerial photo of the entire middle school faculty, staff, and students spelling out the word "BEARS" on the school's athletics field. He said everyone is separate on the field but coming together to achieve a goal. He also described the school with a three-legged stool analogy. The stool is only firm when each leg is strong. The three legs, he said, are relationships, systems and leadership. Relationships build trust and morale and give people a voice. Systems provide predictability and consistency; leadership needs to be steady, decisive and transparent. Between faculty, staff and students, "It's a human-heavy industry," he said. McDonough faced many of the same questions as Towne. He answered each by reaching back to his three-legged stool analogy. He said hate language is a problem that has not been solved at Canton, but it is a problem that exists beyond the school's walls. By building trust and giving people voices, they can make some changes. Hard decisions are not hard if you are predictable and have systems people know and understand. he said. "If you don't remember everything I said," McDonough said, harkening back to the aerial photo of the middle school spelling out Bears on the soccer field, "remember I said, 'together.'"
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rural ambulance service to build new facility with $300,000 federal grant
GOWRIE, Iowa — Federal funding will help expand emergency medical services in a rural community in Webster County. The Southwest Webster Ambulance Service in Gowrie is in desperate need of an upgrade. EMT Terry Towne said they outgrew the building 15 years ago. 'When I started 30 years ago, all of our supplies were in the bay with the ambulance, but now very little of them are because there's no room,' Towne said. To save space, they started storing equipment inside their meeting room instead. The bay now only stores their two ambulances. One is nine-years-old and the other is 16-years-old. There's a cabinet inside the bay that opens directly onto one of the vehicles. According to Towne, newer ambulances are getting larger and wider, so while they're tight for space now, it may be worse in the future. However, federal funding will now help them create a new building. Senator Chuck Grassley announced $2.3 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Grant Program. The money was awarded to five communities, and Gowrie was one of them. 'Many Iowans call rural communities home, and they deserve our support and investment. These federal dollars will upgrade critical infrastructure, promote economic development, and boost health and safety initiatives throughout rural Iowa,' said Grassley. None of this would've been possible without the help of one local Gowrie business. Marcie Boerner is the CEO and General Manager for the Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association. She applied for the grant on behalf of the Southwest Webster Ambulance Service. Webster-Calhoun has a revolving loan fund, which means they're able to make 0% loans to businesses and organizations within their community to support economic growth. Scholastic Spotlight: National excellence for Iowa teachers in math and science She found out earlier this year they were awarded $300,000 for the project. The ambulance service will provide a 20% match. 'It's actually a program that's a win-win for the both of us. So, its adding $360,000 to our revolving loan fund but as they pay it back to us, we're able to continue to reloan it to other businesses and organizations throughout our service area,' said Boerner. The partnership with the medical services crew was an easy decision for Boerner. 'There's three [hospitals] but they're 30 minutes away, and so it's really important and really fortunate as a citizen and resident in Gowrie that we have the Southwest Webster Ambulance crew here in town,' she said. Towne describes this loan as a dream come true. 'It's still very emotional when I think about it, because we've been trying to work on an ambulance but fundraisers only go so far and the cost of the buildings keep going up, even more than our fundraising has been going up. So, this is not anything we could've reached without this loan that we're getting from them,' she said. The new building will be constructed in between the current facility and the town's fire department. The City of Gowrie already voted to buy the current facility to use it as a police station. The new facility is projected to be completed by the fall. Towne also said they will use part of the grant to employ a paramedic. The Southwest Webster Ambulance is ran by volunteers. Employing a paramedic will ensure the station has someone available to better assist residents around the clock. Currently, the police and fire departments are funded by property tax, but EMT is not. As a result, Webster County is also holding a special election on March 4th to change this. If approved, the county will dedicate a tax of 75-cents per $1,000 of taxable property. They expect this to raise around $200,000 annually for the ambulance service. Iowa News: Marshalltown skimming suspect charged in Newton case Rural ambulance service to build new facility with $300,000 federal grant Families explore thousands of reptiles at Iowa Reptile Show Armed barricaded individual in Storm Lake, police on scene IDP Chair talks 2026 plan, state and federal economic policy Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
