Latest news with #Ward3
The Courier
2 days ago
- Health
- The Courier
Daughter remembers Dundee church deacon who baptised his youngest grandchild just 5 days before he died
The daughter of a Dundee church deacon has told how he was able to baptise his youngest grandchild just five days before he died from cancer. Charles Hendry died one day before his 67th birthday on July 4 2024, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The retired nurse, senior lecturer, and deacon was a father of five and had 17 grandchildren. He baptised his youngest grandchild while at Roxburghe House hospice just five days before his death. Now his daughter, Rachel Smith, has remembered Charles as she prepares to honour his memory. Rachel said: 'He kept going, even when his health was failing. 'He had haemochromatosis, diabetes, chronic fatigue, arthritis, yet he still baptised his youngest grandchild just five days before he passed, in the sanctuary room at Roxburgh House hospice. 'He made each of his seventeen grandchildren feel special. 'He was the kind of man who really listened. He was always there for us.' Charles retired early at age 52 due to his health, but remained active in the community and through his work as a deacon at St Peter and Paul's Church in Dundee. Rachel said: 'His faith was so important to him. He loved helping people, whether it was through the church or his work in nursing.' She described how her parents met while working in Ward 3 at Ninewells Hospital. Rachel is also now a nurse, and met her husband on the same ward. She said: 'My dad was a staff nurse, and my mum (Shona) was a student nurse. That's where it all began. 'It's kind of beautiful, really. Nursing is in our blood, you could say.' Charles later earned a PhD and became a senior lecturer of nursing and midwifery at Dundee University. However, Rachel said his proudest achievement was raising his family. His eldest daughter, Sarah, is a head teacher, while his younger children Ruth and Katherine work in education support and cyber security respectively. The youngest in the family, James, is a staff nurse in the emergency department at Ninewells. Rachel said: 'He was so proud of us all. 'Especially when we followed in his footsteps. 'Even if we didn't choose nursing, he saw the values of care and service in all of us. 'Sometimes I can talk about him like it's just a story. 'Like I'm giving a report. Other times, it just hits me out of nowhere and I break down.' Rachel and Ruth are walking more than 80 miles across Scotland in memory of their dad. The sisters will be taking part in all four of this year's Kiltwalk events to raise funds for the charity Pancreatic Cancer Action. Charles received a late diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and died soon after. Rachel said: 'We didn't know what we were facing until it was too late. 'Pancreatic cancer is so hard to diagnose early, and that makes it incredibly cruel. 'We had very little time to prepare or ask questions.' She added: 'We wanted to honour our dad in a way that reflected who he was, someone who never gave up, someone who cared deeply. 'This is our way of keeping his memory alive and making sure other families get the chance we didn't, to catch this disease earlier, to have more time.' Pancreatic Cancer Action says the disease is known as a 'silent killer' due to its easily overlooked symptoms. The charity says 44% of cases are diagnosed in A&E, where it is often too late for curative treatment. Just 10% of patients are diagnosed in time for life-saving surgery. Common symptoms include persistent indigestion or heartburn, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, and jaundice.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hattiesburg, Sumrall and Lumberton election results are in: See won in municipal races
Results for the 2025 municipal elections in Hattiesburg, Lumberton and Sumrall are in, with new leadership in some offices and returning leadership in others. In Hattiesburg, Republican LeAnn Van Slyke Vance won the Ward 3 City Council seat, defeating Democratic candidate Keenon Walker and independent candidate Joe Wiley. Vance pulled in 898 votes or 65% to Walker's 266 votes or 19% and Wiley's 221 votes or 16%. Longtime Ward 3 Councilman Carter Carroll did not see reelection. The remaining mayoral and council seats in Hattiesburg were either unopposed or decided in the primary election since the candidates had no opponents in the general election. In Sumrall, Mayor Joel Lofton easily defeated challenger Dwayne Jones, bringing in 266 votes or 76% of the vote to return for another term. He defeated opponent Dwayne Jones, who had 84 votes or 24%. Alderwoman at Large Brittany Fortenberry received 268 votes or 77% to challenger Trina McLendon's 80 votes or 23%. Ward 1 Alderman Lamar Reed, with 30 votes or 29%, lost to challenger Jeffery Coulter, who had 74 votes or 71%. Lumberton had a full slate, with each alderman and mayoral seat challenged. The aldermen races were close, with some resulting in recounts. Incumbent Mayor Quincy Rogers lost to challenger James Sandifer Jr., who was endorsed by former candidate Kent Crider. Sandifer received 391 votes or 84% to Rogers' 55 votes or 12%. Crider, who gave up his Ward 1 Alderman seat to run for mayor, announced in late May that he was dropping out of the race. He received 19 votes despite dropping out of the race. Ward 1 voters elected a new representative, following Crider's departure to run for mayor. Annette Sandifer won over challenger Tommy Rheams with 67 votes or 53% to Rheams' 59 votes or 47%. It is unclear whether Sandifer is related to the incoming mayor. Incumbent Alderwoman at Large Sandy Kee will return for another term with 165 votes or 35% to former Alderwoman Tina Speights' 157 votes or 34% and Bobby Gibson's 144 votes or 31%. In Ward 2, incumbent Kyle Crider was defeated by challenger Laurie Surla, with only two votes separating the two. Surla won with 32 votes or 52% to Crider's 30 votes or 48%. Former Alderman Jonathan Griffith will return to office in Ward 3 after winning by four votes against incumbent Alderwoman Myrtis Holder. Griffith received 55 votes or 52% to Holder's 51 votes or 48%. Incumbent Ward 4 Alderwoman Jasmin Holder will return to office after defeating former Alderwoman Audrey Davis. Jasmin Holder received 94 votes or 56% to Davis's 75 votes or 44%. All results are unofficial until they are certified. Some of the results do not include affidavit or absentee ballots. Here is the new slate of municipal leaders in Forrest and Lamar County. All new terms begin July 1. Mayor Toby Barker Ward 1 Councilman Jeffrey George Ward 2 Councilman Eric Boney (replacing longtime Councilwoman Deborah Delgado) Ward 3 Councilwoman LeAnn Van Slyke Vance (replacing longtime Councilman Carter Carroll) Ward 4 Councilman Dave Ware Ward 5 Councilman Nicholas Brown Mayor Tony Ducker Alderman at Large Mike Lott Ward 1 Alderman Gerald Steele Ward 2 Alderwoman Kim Stringer Ward 3 Alderman Blake Nobles Ward 4 Alderman Craig Strickland Ward 5 Alderman Drew Brickson Ward 6 Alderman Craig Bullock Mayor Roger Herrin Alderman at Large Wendell Hudson Ward 1 Alderwoman Donna Bielstein Ward 2 Alderman Vernon Hartfield Ward 3 Alderwoman Jerry Smith Ward 4 Alderwoman Deborah Ferrell Mayor Joel Lofton Alderwoman at Large Brittany Fortenberry Ward 1 Alderman Jeffery Coulter Ward 2 Alderwoman Shanna Istre Ward 3 Alderman Pam Birdsong Graves Ward 4 Alderman Darrell Hall Mayor James Sandifer Jr. Alderwoman at Large Sandy Kee Ward 1 Alderwoman Annette Sandifer Ward 2 Alderman Laurie Surla Ward 3 Alderman Jonathan Griffith Ward 4 Alderwoman Jasmin Holder Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Hattiesburg, Sumrall, Lumberton election results: All the winners
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jackson voters bring back familiar faces — and welcome a new one — to City Council
Unofficial results for Jackson's Tuesday, June 3, municipal election are in, with familiar faces returning to the Jackson City Council in three wards and a new face joining them, and one ward still up for grabs. Let's start with the familiar faces. Guess who's back? Longtime Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, a political powerhouse who has served on the council for more than three decades, won a decisive reelection victory. Stokes dominated independent challenger Marques T. Jackson, who received only 20.93% of the vote, or 665 votes. Stokes nearly tripled that total, receiving 77.15% of the vote, or 2,451 votes, according to the unofficial votes. In Ward 2, the newest member of the council, incumbent Councilwoman Tina Clay, retained her seat and will serve her first full-term in office. She was previously elected in October 2024 in a special election after former Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with Jackson's bribery scandal. Clay, a longtime insurance professional, crushed her Republican challenger Bethany Williams-Sherif in the Ward 2 race. Clay earned 91.32%, or 4,082 votes. Williams-Sherif only earned 6.13% of the vote, or 274 votes, according to the unofficial results. And in Ward 5, incumbent Councilman Vernon Hartley was reelected to a second term after defeating independent challenger Raymond McCants III. Hartley received 71.22%, or 1,619 votes, compared to McCants 27.28%, or 620 votes. "I humbly thank all the people of Ward 5. Now WE get to work as a united ward 5 and united Capital City," Hartley posted to his Facebook account after the unofficial results came in. Hartley is a retired U.S. Air Force reservist with a 30-year military career, who also held positions with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and served as Jackson's Solid Waste Manager. Democrat Kevin Parkinson outlasted independent Ron Aldridge in the race for the Ward 7 seat, according to the unofficial election results. Parkinson received 1,697 votes, compared to Aldridge's 1,165 votes. Republican Taylor Turcotte only took home 129 votes. Parkinson, a longtime educator, will replace Ward 7 Councilwoman and Council President Virgi Lindsay, who announced in January she was not seeking reelection. Mississippi law requires that municipal election results be certified within 10 days, so results are all unofficial until then. Jackson election commissioners are still counting affidavit ballots on Wednesday, June 4 and mail-in ballots still have five days to be received from Election Day. Ward 1 remains too close to call with only 25 votes separating incumbent Ashby Foote and two challengers — Grace Green and Jasmine Barnes. All had around 33% of the vote with affidavit and mail-in votes to be counted. Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell retained his seat after the Democratic April 1 primary, defeating challenger Malcolm May. Grizzell is running unopposed in the general election, therefore winning the seat. It will be his second term on the council. Democrat Lashia Brown-Thomas won the April 22 primary runoff election, defeating Emon Thompson. Brown-Thomas will be the Ward 6 representative on the Jackson City Council as she is running unopposed in the general election. She replaces current Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, who decided not to run for reelection. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Who won seats on Jackson MS City Council in 2025 election?
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What to know about elections in Forrest, Lamar counties: Limited choices on June 3 ballots
The municipal election for cities in Forrest and Lamar counties will be far from memorable, considering its relatively few political challenges. The election will be held Tuesday, June 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Turnout at the polls is expected to be light in Hattiesburg. Mayor Toby Barker is unopposed, and only one ward has more than one candidate for a council seat. In Ward 3, longtime Councilman Carter Carroll is not seeking reelection. He was first elected in 1997. Three people are hoping to become the next council member for the district: independent Joe Henry Wiley Sr., Democrat Keenon Walker and Republican LeAnn Van Slyke Vance. In Sumrall, candidates are running as independents. Two races are uncontested. Ward 4 Alderman Darrell Hall will return for another term and Ward 2 candidate Shanna Istre will be sworn into office in July. Incumbent Ward 2 Alderman Lee Granberry did not seek reelection. This year, Mayor Joel Lofton will face challenger Dwayne Jones. Alderwoman at Large Brittany Fortenberry will face Trina McLendon. Ward 1 Alderman Lamar Reed will face Jeffery Coulter. Ward 3 Alderwoman Pam Birdsong Graves will face Amanda C. Whiddon. Lumberton will also hold a general election, with each race challenged in somewhat of a merry-go-round of incumbents and former city leaders. Incumbent Mayor Quincy Rogers will face challengers in Ward 1 Alderman David "Kent" Crider and James Sandifer Jr. Former alderwoman Tina Speights and Bobby Gibson are challenging incumbent Alderwoman at Large Sandy Kee. With Kent Crider running for mayor, Ward 1 voters will elect a new official to serve. Candidates who are seeking the office are Tommy Rheams, Annette Sandifer and Elaine Clark. In Ward 2, incumbent Kyle Crider will face off against Laurie Surla. Incumbent Ward 3 Alderwoman Myrtis Holder will face former alderman Johnathan Griffith. Former alderwoman Audrey Davis is hoping for a return to city government. She is challenging incumbent Ward 4 Alderwoman Jasmin Holder. Petal and Purvis will not hold general elections. Petal's races were decided in the primary election. In Purvis, the incumbents were the only candidates who qualified, so they will remain in office. Below is what each city leadership will look like in July: Mayor Toby Barker Ward 1 Councilman Jeffrey George Ward 2 Councilman Eric Boney (replacing longtime Councilwoman Deborah Delgado) Ward 3 will be represented by independent Joe Henry Wiley Sr., Democrat Keenon Walker or Republican LeAnn Van Slyke Vance Ward 4 Councilman Dave Ware Ward 5 Councilman Nicholas Brown Mayor Tony Ducker Alderman at Large Mike Lott Ward 1 Alderman Gerald Steele Ward 2 Alderwoman Kim Stringer Ward 3 Alderman Blake Nobles Ward 4 Alderman Craig Strickland Ward 5 Alderman Drew Brickson Ward 6 Alderman Craig Bullock Mayor Roger Herrin Alderman at Large Wendell Hudson Ward 1 Alderwoman Donna Bielstein Ward 2 Alderman Vernon Hartfield Ward 3 Alderwoman Jerry Smith Ward 4 Alderwoman Deborah Ferrell Mayor Joel Lofton or challenger Dwayne Jones Alderwoman at Large Brittany Fortenberry or challenger Trina McLendon Ward 1 Alderman Lamar Reed or challenger Jeffery Coulter Ward 2 Alderwoman Shanna Istre Ward 3 Alderman Pam Birdsong Graves or challenger Amanda C. Whiddon Ward 4 Alderman Darrell Hall Mayor Quincy Rogers or one of two challengers, Alderman David "Kent" Crider or James Sandifer Jr. Alderwoman at Large Sandy Kee or one of two challengers, former alderwoman Tina Speights or Bobby Gibson Ward 1 will be represented by Tommy Rheams, Annette Sandifer or Elaine Clark Ward 2 Alderman Kyle Crider or Laurie Surla Ward 3 Alderwoman Myrtis Holder or former Alderman Johnathan Griffith Ward 4 Alderwoman Jasmine Holder or former Alderwoman Audrey Davis Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Hattiesburg, Sumrall, Lumberton hold municipal elections
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trustees criticized for missing school board meetings
Manitoba's education minister is being urged to look into spotty attendance records among school trustees in southeast Winnipeg. Two elected officials in the Louis Riel School Division — both of whom represent residents of Ward 4 — have missed a third or more of all public board meetings in 2024-2025. A parent who lives in the constituency penned a letter to provincial officials on Tuesday to express concerns about 'alarmingly high' absenteeism and call for stronger accountability measures. Free Press Files Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt. 'School staff and administrators are held to strict attendance expectations,' wrote Sia Erlendson, a mother who is raising two children in the ward encompassing Southdale, Island Lakes and surrounding communities. 'Unfortunately, a governance loophole allows trustees to avoid consequences as long as they do not exceed the consecutive absences threshold, enabling some to accumulate high absentee rates while still receiving their indemnities or remunerations.' Meeting minutes show Pamela Kolochuk and Chipalo Simunyola, her two representatives on the nine-seat board, have sent regrets for seven and six meetings, respectively. Ward 1 trustee Cindy Turner and Ward 2 trustee Irene Nordheim have each missed four meetings. Ryan Palmquist, a representative for Ward 3, was absent once. The remaining active board members, Ian Walker, Chris Sigurdson and Sandy Nemeth, have perfect attendance records. There has only been full attendance at three meetings, or 17 per cent of them, since the school year got underway. 'Trustees unwilling or unable to meet their obligations should reconsider their position, step aside, or face termination by the board so that a more dedicated representative can take their place,' Erlendson wrote in her letter to Education Minister Tracy Schmidt and cabinet colleagues. The Public Schools Act requires a board declare a seat vacant only if an elected official is absent from four consecutive regular meetings or for a period of three months without authorization. Erlendson requested the minister's office intervene to ensure trustees are meeting their obligations to constituents and actively engaging in decision-making, be it by introducing legislation to adjust compensation based on attendance or otherwise. LRSD trustees earned a combined $246,883 during the 2023 calendar year. Winnipeg-area school board members are paid about $25,000 annually. Chairpeople and vice-chairpeople receive additional stipends. Schmidt indicated that representatives from her office reached out to division administration Tuesday to followup on attendance concerns. 'We trust school boards and board chairs to govern their boards accordingly, to develop policies and bylaws that would govern these types of concerns,' said the lawyer who practised labour and employment law before entering politics in 2023. The minister added: 'I would caution folks — and I'm putting on my lawyer and employment lawyer hat — that we don't always know why people are absent from their workplace.' Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Simunyola, a rookie trustee and father of four, said public attendance data only sheds partial light on member activities, given the board has many in-camera meetings. The Ward 4 representative has missed recent meetings to care for sick children and do business travel related to his other job, he said. While saying he's proud of his track record as a trustee, Simunyola said he will do some self-reflection. 'You always have to find balance,' he said. Kolochuk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
