Latest news with #Watlington
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect in 'sexual assault' investigation unexpectedly found in car park
A 'suspect in a sexual assault' investigation has been unexpectedly found in an Oxfordshire car park. Early this morning (Saturday, August 9) Thames Valley Police's Rural Crime Taskforce was patrolling South Oxfordshire. Near historic market town Watlington, they checked a vehicle in a rural car park which turned out to be owned by 'a suspect in a sexual assault allegation'. A spokesperson for the police said: 'PC's Dollery and Woolley checked a vehicle parked in a rural car park near Watlington in the early hours of this morning. 'Checks showed the male was a suspect in a sexual assault allegation which was reported on the 8th of August.' The spokesperson added that 'the male has been arrested and taken to custody'. In addition, police added that his vehicle has been 'seized for a forensic examination'.
BBC News
09-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Watlington relief road saga sees new consultation delay to scheme
The debate whether to build a relief road around a small market town, that first began more than 50 years ago, is continuing to rumble on - with plans currently out for another public County Council first made a planning application for the route around Watlington in 2022, with work designed to be concluded by the proposals have been delayed by consistent objections - on grounds ranging from requirement to footfall - raised during periods of public consultation, which in turn must be addressed by the latest consultation on the proposals runs until the middle of August, with the authority saying it "anticipates a planning decision in late Summer 2025". But those opposed to the proposal have labelled it as "not needed".Following the most recent delay, a spokesperson for Oxfordshire Roads Action Alliance (ORAA), said: "The scheme is not needed for housing planned in the area.""Developers have agreed to implement, at their cost, off-site highway improvements and traffic management that will improve journeys for many people, without the need to build the road," the group added. The ORAA has raised dozens of individual objections to the proposals over the past few years - including concerns that the development goes against the council's net-zero including the implementation on ANPR cameras in Watlington to prevent HGV traffic, and that the council should instead spend the funds encouraging people to use greener transport have also been put forward by the businesses in Watlington have also objected to the proposals, saying the relief road would decrease footfall in the town. The south Oxfordshire town is less than three miles from Junction 6 of the M40, which it is connected to by the B4009 - which in turn leads-on to the much bigger towns of Benson and Wallingford, and to the busy traffic has to pass through the centre of Watlington - which, at points, is only wide enough to allow one vehicle at a proposed relief road would provide access to the B4009 from either side of the town, and is generally popular with resident previously told the BBC that the lack of a ring road was "killing the town", adding the current situation was "like a war zone".Another said: "The traffic's an issue - it's a great market town, I've lived here for 20 plus years and it's got busier tenfold so something needs to be done about it."He added that if the relief road was not built, then it would "destroy" the council says the route aims to "alleviate congestion, noise and air pollution in the town centre", whilst "enabling future housing developments, by offering more sustainable modes of transport including cycling and walking".Although the relief road was first suggested in the 1970s, the hundreds of new homes built in Watlington in recent years has provided the authority with the funding, and motivation, to implement the scheme. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
£10k fund launched to support local groups and good causes
A housebuilder has launched a £10,000 community fund to support small groups and good causes. Redrow South Midlands, which is currently building at The Steeples in Headington, Hampden Meadows in Watlington and The Maltings in Thame, is inviting applications from organisations, groups and individuals across Oxfordshire who need financial support for projects big or small. Andrew Newman, sales director at Redrow South Midlands, said: "We're proud to be building on the success of our previous community funds with a new £10,000 pot. 'We're asking local groups, charities and volunteers to tell us exactly what would make a difference to them – whether that's art supplies for creative workshops, outdoor gear for youth groups or tools for a community garden. "This fund will allow us to support even more brilliant causes in and around our developments and play our part in creating thriving communities." The annual scheme, which began in 2019, provides targeted donations to help groups continue their work. To date, Redrow South Midlands has donated £52,000 to a range of organisations. Mr Newman said the scheme is designed to offer "meaningful support" by responding to the specific needs of applicants. He said: "We're excited to hear from people across Oxfordshire and can't wait to see the incredible projects this year's fund will help bring to life." The fund is open for applications until midnight on Friday, September 18. To apply, email redrow@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Charlotte City Council member alleges corruption amid reported CMPD settlement
Charlotte City Council member Victoria Watlington alleged corruption within city government in an email to supporters Tuesday night amid reports of a settlement with the city's police chief. The email, sent from her campaign account, begins with the words 'Power Corrupts' and says she's 'extremely concerned with the level of unethical, immoral, and frankly, illegal activities occurring within City government.' The email also contains a 'contribute to the cause' link that typically appears on top of Watlington's campaign messages and directs to an ActBlue donation page for her council campaign. 'I have seen enough. Over the last five and a half years, I have witnessed the brazen disregard for dissenting opinions and the rule of law. Never, however, have I seen such an egregious example as what has occurred in the last week,' the email continues. 'It is time for a change.' The email did not specify what Watlington was referring to. But it was sent the same day WSOC and WFAE reported the City Council agreed in closed session to a settlement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings to prevent a potential lawsuit over now former-Council member Tariq Bokhari's push to get new bulletproof vests for police officers. WSOC, The Charlotte Observer's news partner, reported council members voted during a closed session April 28 on a potential settlement but failed to meet the threshold for approval with multiple members absent from the meeting. During another closed session Monday, the previous vote was deemed to meet the six-member threshold under council rules because of a council member who left the meeting without being formally excused, according to WSOC. The potential lawsuit reportedly stemmed from friction between Bokhari and Jennings over outer-carrier vests for police, including heated text messages previously reported by WFAE. Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Watlington's statement was 'not based in reality, political rhetoric at best.' In a statement posted to social media Tuesday night, The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police said Charlotteans 'should be outraged' over the reported settlement. The organization supported Bokhari in his push to get outer carrier vests for officers. 'While the city is negotiating paying out over hurt feelings, many Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers who are physically suffering feel the city pays no attention to them,' the FOP's statement said. Charlotte NAACP President Corine Mack confirmed to the Observer she filed an ethics complaint against Bokhari in January over the issue, claiming he and the FOP 'began a crusade against' Jennings. WSOC reported two top Jennings aides advised her on her complaint, which Mack said was dismissed by interim City Attorney Anthony Fox for insufficient evidence. Multiple City Council members declined to speak with an Observer reporter about a settlement deal. Bokhari, who now works for the Federal Transit Administration, also declined to comment. Watlington did not immediately respond to a call from an Observer reporter Tuesday night about her email. First elected in 2019 to represent District 3, Watlington is now an at-large council member and unsuccessfully sought mayor pro tem in 2023. She leads the city's Housing, Safety and Community Committee and was the top vote-getter among council candidates in the last municipal election.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Philadelphia Schools Could Start Before Labor Day for the Next 2 Years
This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. Philadelphia students could head back to classes before Labor Day for the next two years, according to proposed academic calendars the district released Tuesday. The pre-Labor Day start for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 calendars will allow for longer spring and winter recesses as well as additional cultural and religious holidays throughout the year, district officials said this week. Superintendent Tony Watlington also confirmed Tuesday that district schools and offices will be closed on Friday for the Philadelphia Eagles celebratory Super Bowl parade. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter 'We look forward to celebrating the Eagles' victory as a community, and we hope that our students, staff and families will do so safely and responsibly,' Watlington said in a statement. The question of whether to start before or after Labor Day has rankled families and district leaders in recent years, in part because many Philly schools do not have adequate air conditioning. That has forced some buildings to close or dismiss students early due to excessive heat in the first week back. This school year, the first day back landed before Labor Day, and 63 schools without air conditioning dismissed students early, during the first week of classes. However, school started after Labor Day in 2023-24, and heat closures still impacted students' learning time that first week. Watlington said at his state of the schools address this year that over the past three school years, the number of schools without air conditioning has shrunk from 118 to 57 thanks in part to a donation from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Shakeera Warthen-Canty, assistant superintendent of school operations and management at the district, said their academic calendar recommendations this year are built off of a survey and several in-person feedback sessions. The majority of parents and caregivers who responded preferred a post-Labor Day start, the survey found. But students, teachers, school staff, and community members reported they overwhelmingly preferred starting the school year before Labor Day. Some 16,400 parents, students, school staff, principals, and community members responded to the survey the district sent out last September, Warthen-Canty said. Respondents also said they wanted more frequent breaks for longer durations to accommodate family vacations, as well as time to rest, support mental health, and prevent staff burnout. State law says districts must have a minimum of 180 student days, or a minimum of 900 instructional hours for elementary school students and 990 hours for middle and high school students. The district's collective bargaining agreement with the teachers union also requires 188 teacher work days, as well as a minimum of 28 professional development hours. The district officials' calendar recommendations will go to the school board for a vote before they are enacted. If approved, winter recess would be seven days in 2025-26 and eight days in 2026-27, while spring break would be five days both years. In addition to the five state and national holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day), Philadelphia school district school holidays in 2025-26 and 2026-27 would include: Labor Day Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Indigenous Peoples Day Veterans Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day Presidents Day Lunar New Year Eid al-Fitr Good Friday Eid al-Adha Juneteenth This school year, both Indigenous Peoples Day and Veterans Day were school days. As for how the new calendar may interact with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker's commitment to 'extended-day, extended-year' school: Deputy Superintendent Jermaine Dawson said this week the district has ensured any expansion of that program will work 'alongside our calendar of school days.' This story was originally published at Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
