Latest news with #WesleySmith
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Permian Basin Veterans Honored in D.C.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) —Nearly 100 West Texas veterans recently traveled to Washington, D.C., on a three-day journey to visit the memorials built in their honor — a trip filled with reflection, remembrance and healing, made possible by the nonprofit Permian Basin Honor Flight. The organization, based in West Texas, provides all-expenses-paid trips to Washington for local veterans to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, and other sites of national significance. Veterans visited a total of 14 memorials and museums over the course of the trip. Wesley Smith, who took over as flight director in 2023, said the program's goal is simple: to give these heroes the recognition and gratitude they deserve while there's still time. 'The Honor Flight is for us to bring those war heroes to this memorial, to the Korean Memorial, to the Vietnam Memorial before it's too late — to honor them and serve them and show them the respect that they so deserve, and to show them the world is changing,' Smith said. 'It's not going to be the same world these Vietnam vets came home to. And to show the Korean War vets they're never going to be forgotten. The history books tell them it's the 'forgotten war,' but it's not…' Smith has been involved with the Honor Flight team since 2015 and served as board president from 2018 to 2019. 'absolutely love getting to lead men and women heroes to care for them and honor them with the upmost respect that they deserve,' he said. The trip is made possible entirely through community fundraising and sponsorships. Each veteran's flight, lodging, meals, and transportation cost about $2,000 — none of which is charged to the veteran. 'So we have to raise that money all year long or these vets don't get to come up here,' Smith said. 'The last thing we want to do is say, 'Hey, you've been selected for a beautiful trip, but you owe us money.' And we're not going to do that. So it takes a community — it takes all community efforts to bring this together and make this happen The emotional impact of the trip was evident in conversations with veterans and their guardians. 'Going through this and being out here and how therapeutic it is — and getting to kinda rehash some of the things and let some of the emotions out that maybe you've held up a long time — is great,' said Danny Davis of Midland, who volunteered as a guardian for the trip. 'To the workers, I would say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm so grateful I was chosen for this flight, and I've enjoyed it,' said Trinand, a Vietnam veteran on the trip. 'The personnel, the people — our friends. They are my friends. We're brothers because of the war, but now we're friends because we have met.' For some, the visit to the memorials brought back powerful memories — and a sense of closure. 'I would suggest that they all come here and visit the memorials,' said Vietnam veteran William Tolbert. 'I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and I wouldn't want to come here in the summertime, but it's really impressive.' 'Oh man, this trip has been awesome — just honoring our vets that set the pace for us, you know, led the way,' said Army veteran Manuel Payan. 'It's an honor just to be around them. And it's great to just make new friends, especially with people like that that served.' In addition to moments of solemn reflection, the trip also included time for connection and celebration — from dancing to storytelling — as veterans connected and made new memories together. The Permian Basin Honor Flight continues its mission through year-round fundraising to ensure future generations of veterans receive the honor and healing they've earned. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Amanzimtoti one step closer to inclusion with sign language lessons
CLASS is in session at Amanzimtoti Main Beach, where the KZN Blind and Deaf Society (KZNBDS) are teaching lifeguards and establishments South African Sign Language at the Amanzimtoti Surf Lifesaving Club. Also read: Umkhomazi water tender sparks legal battle Making good on his ambitious plans to make Amanzimtoti an inclusive and accommodating haven for disabled individuals is Wheels on Waves founder, Wesley Smith, the facilitator of the project. 'Deaf people live in a silent prison and I want to bridge the divide so that they can come around and make friends. It's a battle when they can only communicate with people who know sign language. This forms part of the foundation of future plans to start inviting local schools for the hearing impaired to have fun days on the beach surfing, fishing, learning a bit of life saving and playing games on the beach,' said Smith. KZNBDS instructors, Khanyisile Nzimande and Thembeka Chili, recapped previous lessons to bring a new learner, Matthew Kearns, up to speed and refresh the memory of the other learners. Nzimande's energy was infectious and she passionately taught the learners. The jovial lesson was fully practical and interactive, with participants signing along. The learners each have a practical use for sign language, from assisting lifesavers carry out their duties to service staff being equipped to assist customers more inclusively. As such, the lessons progressed from basic greetings, questions and answers, to signs specific to lifeguarding and assisting customers. Sign language is deeply expressive and in many ways, can be seen as simplified English. Your body as a whole is used to communicate, including your fingers, hands, arms, head and chest. It leverages how people think about things, for example, to sign 'deaf', you would use two fingers and gesture towards your ear. Beach superintendent, Jace Govender, said the project is a collaborative effort among the businesses along Amanzimtoti Main Beach, including Thirsty Whale, Spur, The Surfing Bean and Amanzimtoti Surf Lifesaving Club. 'The people that are here for seven days a week will now hopefully have basic knowledge of South African Sign Language. When a person with a disability comes around, sometimes they can feel totally lost and cannot find their way around. Now, hopefully everyone learning will have the basics down to be able to assist beachgoers with disabilities. I think this sort of project should be rolled out to all public areas. It's a fantastic bit of progress towards inclusivity in Amanzimtoti. Thanks to all the partners who have come together to learn, and to Amanzimtoti Surf Lifesaving Club for the venue,' said Govender. Smith will be providing free sign language lessons based on everything he learns from KZNBDS to everyone interested every Monday at The Surfing Bean from 13:00 until 15:00. For more information, contact Smith on 082 802 1349. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Axios
13-03-2025
- General
- Axios
Tennessee sees decrease in pedestrian deaths, but more progress needed
Pedestrian deaths are ticking down in Nashville and across Tennessee, although numbers remain far higher than they were a decade ago. Why it matters: There are measures that experts agree make pedestrians safer. Incremental progress in recent years could be a sign some improvements are working. Advocates and government agencies say doubling down on those strategies could help prevent more pedestrian deaths in the future. The latest: A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows Tennessee making significant strides toward improving pedestrian safety. By the numbers: Tennessee saw 63 pedestrian deaths during the first half of 2024, according to the report. That is a 30% drop compared with the same period in 2023. The national report singled out our state's trend as particularly promising because of our "historically higher fatality counts." Zoom in: More recent numbers from Nashville show that trend extending further. Metro police reported that 33 pedestrians were killed in Davidson County in 2024. That's down from 39 in 2023. Yes, but: It's far too soon for a victory lap. That is still far more than the 18 pedestrian deaths Nashville logged in 2014. What they're saying: Wesley Smith of the advocacy group Walk Bike Nashville tells Axios the city must continue investments. For instance, Nashville Electric Service is in the midst of updating streetlights. But Smith urged officials to push upgrades to Murfreesboro Pike to the top of the list. He says that was the most dangerous road for pedestrians in 2024, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 fatal pedestrian crashes. State of play: The Nashville Department of Transportation has several ongoing projects aimed at improving pedestrian safety. The agency is conducting studies on major roads to determine whether speed limits should be lower. (Sections of Dickerson and Lebanon pikes have already gotten lower speed limits, NDOT spokesperson Cortnye Stone says.) What's next: The first wave of Mayor Freddie O'Connell's Choose How You Move transportation plan will fund additional projects, including the beginning of a redesign for a high-traffic stretch of Gallatin Pike/Main Street in East Nashville.
