Latest news with #Waldron
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Oklahoma Democratic party launches new state platform
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma Democrats adopted a new state platform over the weekend introducing a bold vision alongside electing new leaders at this years 2025 State convention. Democratic leadership election results are as follows: State Representative John Waldron of Tulsa was elected to Chair the party for the next two years Small business owner and former candidate for State Senate, Erin Brewer of Oklahoma City as Vice Chair Engineer and community organizer, Alberto Alonso-Sandoval of Oklahoma City as Treasurer Chickasaw citizen and genealogist, Kati Cain of Lone Grove as Secretary 'There is renewed energy within the Oklahoma Democratic Party. We are united in our resolve to see more good-paying jobs created, keep rural hospitals open, fully fund our public schools, hold government accountable to the people, and ensure every Oklahoman can pursue the American dream,' Rep. Waldron said. Outlaw Music Festival's 10th Anniversary concert canceled, Event officials say The Oklahoma Democratic Party Platform of 2025 highlights include: Supporting secure, efficient and accessible voting Protecting the initiative petition process Investing properly in infrastructure, education, transportation, mental health, Medicaid, and public safety Opposing income tax reductions without equitable and stable replacement funding sources Opposing public dollars for private school vouchers, tax credits, and religious charter schools Growing our economy through innovation and diverse industries Leading in renewable energy sources as well as oil & gas production Raising the minimum wage Recognizing the sovereignty of our 39 Tribal Nations Allowing patients and doctors the autonomy to make individual medical decisions Valuing knowledge, critical thinking, and age-appropriate learning through public schools, libraries, and broadcasting 'We created a platform that succinctly positions the Oklahoma Democratic Party on the issues confronting our state,' explained Waldron. 'This is what we're fighting for right here in Oklahoma.' To read the innovative platform in its entirety click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Otago Daily Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Central farmer wins ultra-fine award
Central Otago sheep farmer John Waldron was "surprised and humbled" to win the ultra-fine category at the 2025 Otago Merino Association fleece competition. "It was a great honour because there is a lot of great wool throughout Otago. I was very pleased." He knew the fleece from his ewe was special as soon as sunlight hit it in the shearing shed on his farm Ithiel in Springvale, near Alexandra, in August last year. "You could see it was very well defined and very fine." Before winning the category for 15.9-micron and finer, the same fleece placed second at the 127th Central Otago A&P Show in Omakau, scoring 95.5 points out of 100. The 13.6-micron fleece had a 2.6kg greasy weight and a 1.9kg clean weight. He ran a small flock of merino sheep, and targets breeding a sheep which grows ultra-fine wool. "It is a very fickle market but if you can get it right, it is quite lucrative." He sold his wool at auction on the open market. "The auction is a very good way of selling elite, ultra-fine wool." Depending on the year, auction prices for 13-micron wool ranges between $25 per kg and $250 per kg. Buyers were often clothing manufacturers in Italy and Japan. He had signed contracts with international clothing manufacturers before, which had certain conditions to meet. "You have to hit the lengths and the strengths." Ithiel was about 40ha of flat to rolling land. He leased about half of the land, including flats near Manuherikia River, to a dairy farmer to grow his heifers. On the remaining land he ran a merino flock — about 160 ewes, 126 hoggets, 30 wethers and four rams. "I have have been increasing numbers because the ultra-fine market has strengthened over the last wee while, and I hope it continues because it is such a cool product." He aims to maximise the return per sheep on his farm. "When you're running a small number of sheep, it is more efficient to grow something more valuable." All of Ithiel had K-line irrigation. His sheep were fed grass and hay. Genetics played a part in producing a winning fleece, including those from "11-micron rams" he bought from Earnscleugh Station. Mr Waldron is the oldest of five children raised on family farm 8500ha Michael Peak Station in St Bathans. The livestock run by his late parents Val and Vera included about 12,000 merino sheep. He left working on the station and moved to Ithiel in 2006, following most of the station being sold to the Department of Conservation, after a Crown Pastoral Tenure Review. The flats and the terraces of the station were now leased and his brother Tom Waldron, of the Styx, had recently signed a deal to run a merino flock on the home block. "That's quite cool," John said. Some of the genetics from the Ithiel flock were from Michael Peak Station. He wanted to thank the association and sponsors, including merino clothing manufacturer Nikke and all the companies which bought New Zealand fine wool, and the people who wore the clothing made from a renewable and sustainable, natural and quality fibre. At an award ceremony in Alexandra last month, the Heather Perriam Memorial Award for outstanding service to the merino industry was presented to to Allan Paterson, of Armidale merino stud in Gimmerburn. An auction at the awards night raised more than $10,000 for the Child Cancer Foundation. Competition results Overall winner: Shane Sanders (Little Valley Station). 15.9 micron and finer: John Waldron (Ithiel) 1; Lindon Sanders (Little Valley Station) 2; Garth Sanders (Little Valley Station) 3. 16.0 to 16.9 micron: Shane Sanders (Little Valley Station) 1; Hugh, Joe and Philippa Cameron (Otematata Station) 2; Don Malcolm (Mt St Bathans Station) 3. 17.0 to 17.9 micron: Trent Spittle (Quailburn Downs) 1; John and Mary-Liz Sanders and family (M/2 Hearts Matangi) 2; Andrew and Deidre Sutherland, Bill and Kate Sutherland (Ahuriri Downs) 3. 18.0 micron and coarser: Bill and Kate Sutherland, Andrew and Deidre Sutherland (Benmore) 1; David and Judy Andrew (Tiroiti Farm) 2; Allan, Eris, Simon and Sarah Paterson (Armidale) 3.
Otago Daily Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Waldron humbled by award
Central Otago sheep farmer John Waldron was "surprised and humbled" to win the ultra-fine category at the 2025 Otago Merino Association fleece competition. "It was a great honour because there is a lot of great wool throughout Otago. I was very pleased." He knew the fleece from his ewe was special as soon as sunlight hit it in the shearing shed on his farm, Ithiel, in Springvale, near Alexandra, in August last year. "You could see it was very well defined and very fine," he said. Before winning the category for 15.9-micron and finer, the same fleece placed second at the 127th Central Otago A&P Show in Omakau, scoring 95.5 points out of 100. The 13.6-micron fleece had a 2.6kg greasy weight and a 1.9kg clean weight. He runs a small flock of merino sheep, and targets breeding a sheep which grows ultra-fine wool. "It is a very fickle market but if you can get it right, it is quite lucrative." He sells his wool at auction on the open market. "The auction is a very good way of selling elite, ultra-fine wool." Depending on the year, auction prices for 13-micron wool ranges between $25 per kg and $250 per kg. Buyers were often clothing manufacturers in Italy and Japan, he said. He had signed contracts with international clothing manufacturers before, which had certain conditions. "You have to hit the lengths and the strengths." Ithiel was about 40ha of flat to rolling land. He leases about half of the land, including flats near Manuherikia River, to a dairy farmer to grow his heifers. On the remaining land he runs a merino flock — about 160 ewes, 126 hoggets, 30 wethers and four rams. "I have have been increasing numbers because the ultra-fine market has strengthened over the last wee while, and I hope it continues because it is such a cool product." He aims to maximise the return per sheep on his farm. "When you're running a small number of sheep, it is more efficient to grow something more valuable." All of Ithiel had K-line irrigation. His sheep were fed grass and hay. Genetics played a part in producing a winning fleece, including those from "11-micron rams" he bought from Earnscleugh Station. Mr Waldron is the oldest of five children raised on family farm 8500ha Michael Peak Station in St Bathans. The livestock run by his late parents Val and Vera included about 12,000 merino sheep. He left the station and moved to Ithiel in 2006, following most of the station being sold to the Department of Conservation, after a Crown Pastoral Tenure Review. The flats and the terraces of the station were now leased and his brother, Tom Waldron, of the Styx, had recently signed a deal to run a merino flock on the home block. "That's quite cool," John said. Some of the genetics from the Ithiel flock were from Michael Peak Station. He wanted to thank the association and sponsors, including merino clothing manufacturer Nikke and all the companies which bought New Zealand fine wool, and the people who wore the clothing made from a renewable and sustainable, natural and quality fibre. At an award ceremony in Alexandra last month, the Heather Perriam Memorial Award for outstanding service to the merino industry was presented to Allan Paterson, of Armidale merino stud in Gimmerburn. An auction at the awards night raised more than $10,000 for the Child Cancer Foundation. Competition results Overall winner: Shane Sanders (Little Valley Station). • 15.9 micron and finer: John Waldron (Ithiel) 1; Lindon Sanders (Little Valley Station) 2; Garth Sanders (Little Valley Station) 3. • 16.0 to 16.9 micron: Shane Sanders (Little Valley Station) 1; Hugh, Joe and Philippa Cameron (Otematata Station) 2; Don Malcolm (Mt St Bathans Station) 3. • 17.0 to 17.9 micron: Trent Spittle (Quailburn Downs) 1; John and Mary-Liz Sanders and family (M/2 Hearts Matangi) 2; Andrew and Deidre Sutherland, Bill and Kate Sutherland (Ahuriri Downs) 3. • 18.0 micron and coarser: Bill and Kate Sutherland, Andrew and Deidre Sutherland (Benmore) 1; David and Judy Andrew (Tiroiti Farm) 2; Allan, Eris, Simon and Sarah Paterson (Armidale) 3.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Cape Cod family pushing for mandatory short-term rental inspections following Airbnb tragedy
A Cape Cod family is pushing for mandatory inspections of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors after a devastating tragedy at an Airbnb in New York. 35-year-old Shannon Hubbard and her 1-year-old daughter, Maggie Hubbard, were killed in a fire at that rental in Clinton, NY, last October. The homeowners, Dennis and Meredith Darcy, have been charged with second-degree manslaughter for allegedly lying about the presence of smoke detectors in the Airbnb listing. Tim Waldron, of Orleans, told Boston 25 News the deaths of his daughter and granddaughter have prompted him to advocate for the safety of other families. Waldron recently testified about his heartbreak and urgent concern for others at a State House hearing for the Maggie Hubbard Safety Act. It would require that all short-term rentals in Massachusetts are inspected for compliance with approved smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within one year before renting. 'I realized every single one of the towns had different laws, so it was very much patchwork regulations,' said Waldron. Waldron sat down with Boston 25 News on what would've been his daughter's 36th birthday. The Chatham Elementary teacher and her infant daughter died after what had been a beautiful family weekend in the short-term rental. It took a heartbreaking turn after Waldron left on Sunday afternoon. That night, Waldron's son-in-law, a Dennis Police officer, put a log in the wood stove and then went out into the hot tub with Shannon. 'They were out there for about 20, 30 minutes, just really enjoying the night while the kids were in. After about 20 or 30 minutes, they smelled smoke,' said Waldron. Shannon rushed into the room where their infant daughter was sleeping and got trapped inside. Her husband and their three-year-old son escaped, but firefighters were not able to save Shannon and Maggie in time. Fire investigators later determined that the home had no working fire alarms, contrary to what the Airbnb listing stated. 'If smoke detectors had gone off that evening, they would have heard them 20 or 30 minutes before they smell the smoke, and it would been no issue,' he said. Waldron is now determined to expose what he calls an unregulated self-reporting system of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in short-term rentals. He believes travelers can't trust what the Airbnb and VRBO listing says because there aren't inspections to prove it. 'We're talking about something that could prevent a death,' explained Waldron. 'You should have to have some level of an inspection done by a fire safety individual.' Orleans State Representative Hadley Luddy filed the Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act in the House of Representatives, and Cape Senator Julian Cyr filed it in the Senate. 'The safety measures just really are not monitored at a level that's actually ensuring that we can go into buildings or rental situations and know that we're safe,' said Rep. Luddy with the 4th Barnstable district. Rep. Luddy's district stretches from Harwich to Provincetown, where the number of short-term rentals has increased by thousands in recent years. She said a large percentage of them aren't registered with towns. 'We don't want to see any more unnecessary deaths like the two lives lost here,' said the first-time legislator. 'If I could be a part of knowing that there would be more preventable situations like this in the future, it would mean a lot to me personally.' Rep. Luddy is working with fire departments and town managers on the Cape to determine who would do these inspections. She told Boston 25 News that it may vary in each community and would likely involve a fee for those listing short-term rentals. The State Fire Marshal's Office issued the following statement to Boston 25 News in support of the legislation: 'Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have prevented countless tragedies in Massachusetts and around the world. They are vital life safety tools and should be installed on every level of every living space, whether it's short-term, long-term, or permanent.' 'It reminds them that there are steps you need to take, that you need dot your I's and cross your T's to make sure the home you're renting to people is as safe as it could possibly be,' said Waldron. Waldron said this law would also mean that his daughter's legacy and granddaughter's name live on eternally by protecting others. 'My granddaughter was perfect, right? She had the beautiful smile. She had the best giggle. If you saw or heard either one of them, you'd never forget it,' he added. 'It's a loss that I'll carry with me every day.' Boston 25 News reached out to Airbnb and VRBO for comment and have not heard back. The owners of the New York Airbnb rental have pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Reuters
05-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Goldman Sachs pares risk after tariff move, braces for more uncertainty
NEW YORK, June 5 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs (GS.N), opens new tab has moderated its risk-taking since U.S. President Donald Trump's April tariff announcement, and the Wall Street bank is braced for more uncertainty, a top executive said. "We have moderated our risk positioning since April 2nd - I think that's a sensible thing for us to do," Goldman President John Waldron said in a podcast, opens new tab released by the investment bank on Thursday. "We're absorbing a lot of risk from our clients. We want to continue to do that, but we also, where we can, we (pare) our risk and stay a little bit closer to home." Goldman is readying for continued uncertainty in the coming months, which means keeping a greater liquidity cushion, he said. Financial markets have been turbulent since Trump's so-called "Liberation Day," when he announced plans to increase tariffs on trading partners. Waldron, who is widely seen as the likely successor to Goldman CEO David Solomon, said the tariff move was "very, very disruptive." Some companies are now starting to make business decisions based on assumptions that tariffs will be raised to a range of 10% to 15%, he said. "We're moving into now an adjustment phase, and you'll see, I think, some more decision-making on capital spend, M&A transactions, capital return, stock buybacks," Waldron said. The U.S. economy is still strong, backed by a solid labor market and consumer spending, he said. "All those factors in the U.S. to me lead to a likely scenario where we don't have a recession," he said. Meanwhile, Waldron warned investors were getting concerned about an unsustainable U.S. fiscal deficit. "The bond market is starting to be heard, and I hope that gets some attention in the halls of Congress," he said. Rating agency Moody's cut the pristine U.S. sovereign credit rating by one notch last month, the last of the major ratings agencies to downgrade the country, citing concerns about the nation's growing $36 trillion debt pile. The biggest question for markets is the path of interest rates, particularly in the long term, Waldron said. "We're seeing a lot of increase in duration in the rate curves in the United States and Japan and many other countries - and I think that could be a brake on economic growth," he said.
