Latest news with #Whitfield
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Cypress parent speaks out after daughter allegedly bullied and exploited at daycare
The Brief A Cypress mother claims her daughter was bullied and coerced into taking explicit photos at a daycare, leading to an investigation after the images were shared on Snapchat. Attorney Tasha Ricks asserts that KinderCare is responsible for the incident, while KinderCare's internal investigation found no fault with their staff. The Harris County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the case. CYPRESS, Texas - A Cypress mother is speaking out after discovering her daughter was allegedly bullied and coerced into taking explicit photos at a local daycare. The incident has sparked an investigation, leaving the parent shocked and concerned. What they're saying Tenesha Whitfield, a concerned parent, expressed her dismay after learning that explicit photos of her daughter were being shared and sold on Snapchat. Her daughter, who was 7-years-old at the time, was one of three minors involved, alongside two others aged nine and eleven. "It's disheartening. Disappointing. It also gives me a feeling of disgust that a person would do this, especially with children," Whitfield said. Whitfield explained that investigators found the photos circulating on Snapchat, leading to an active investigation. "Very shocking. I was confused and it made me anxious. I was calm enough to hear what they had to say. I didn't take it very lightly," she added. Whitfield shared her daughter's emotional struggle, saying, "She thought she was the one in the wrong. After thoroughly explaining to her what took place, I had to let her know you were victimized. I feel like my daughter was handpicked because my daughter is very sweet. She's non-confrontational. And she lacks in the self-defense department, so I know she's not going to stir up anything or put herself in a predicament." Attorney Tasha Ricks stated, "As I understand it, there is a pending criminal investigation against the adult who solicited the photos." When asked about accountability, Ricks pointed to KinderCare, saying, "KinderCare because they had full possession of our client's child at the time the incident occurred. They also were the first reporting agency." The other side FOX 26 reached out to KinderCare, which stated that their internal investigation found no fault with their staff regarding the incident. "Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of children in our care. As soon as we were made aware of these concerns in June 2023, we immediately self-reported to state licensing, Child Protective Services, and local law enforcement. We also conducted our own internal investigation. State licensing informed us in July 2023 that their investigation found nothing to support any claims that a lack of supervision led to this incident." What's next The Harris County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the case. The Source FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with the victim's mother, Tenesha Whitfield, the attorney representing the family, Tasha Ricks, and confirmed with the HCSO that there is an investigation. KinderCare sent FOX 26 a statement.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Funding secured to buy land for new hospital
The chief executive of an NHS trust has said she is "delighted" that it will be able to purchase land for a new hospital. Alex Whitfield, the head of Hampshire Hospitals, confirmed it has been allocated funding to buy a site near junction seven of the M3 for a new facility in Basingstoke. In January she expressed "disappointment" with the government decision to delay construction until 2037. She said there was no update on the date of the build, but being able to buy the land this financial year does "at least feel like progress". Hampshire Hospitals is expected to receive at least £2bn of funding as part of the Government's New Hospital programme. But it is part of the third wave of the scheme, meaning work will not begin on the new building for at least 12 years. Ms Whitfield said they needed to secure the land near the M3 so that the option "doesn't disappear on us". She admitted this did not guarantee that the hospital would be built at the site. "It is entirely possible that in a decade's time the world might have changed a bit," she said. "It's very clear that Basingstoke needs a new hospital and it will happen." She said Health Minister Karin Smyth visited the trust recently and confirmed it "will get built". Roy Lilley, a former NHS trust boss, who is now an independent health commentator, is less optimistic and does not think the hospital will be built. "It's just totally and utterly bonkers," he said, adding that the government and economy could change by 2037. "The money that we are spending at the moment to prop these places up, we could actually use that money to build new hospitals," Mr Lilley said. Kit Malthouse, Conservative MP for North West Hampshire said: "Waiting until 2037 is not just unacceptable — it's senseless. "Forecasting that far ahead is unreliable; by then we'll have had three general elections and a completely different spending landscape. Delaying now risks killing the project entirely. "Our population has grown and will grow further. Our existing hospital buildings at Basingstoke are outdated and under strain. "Other communities in the national programme are seeing their hospitals delivered much sooner — why not ours?" A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: "The New Hospital Programme we inherited was undeliverable, with funding due to run out in March. "This government has confirmed a funding plan and an honest, realistic timetable to put us on track to deliver the rebuild of Hampshire Hospital, and we will work closely with the trust as we progress through our delivery plan. "We have also allocated £1bn to address the backlog of critical NHS maintenance and repairs to help ensure hospitals are safe and sustainable." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Host of hospital builds delayed by up to 14 years New hospital build delay 'really disappointing' Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Hamilton Spectator
20-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Ona Mae Allen was first Black nurse at Hamilton General Hospital
Ona Mae Allen was a trailblazer and a beloved member of Stewart Memorial Church, built by runaway slaves before the U.S. Civil War. Allen — who died April 17 at age 99, just shy of her 100th birthday — made history when she became the first Black nurse in Hamilton in 1952. She worked at Hamilton General Hospital and was known as a 'floater,' meaning she moved between different departments and wards. She became an institution at HGH — when she retired in 1989, the hospital threw a huge retirement party for her, inviting everyone who worked at the hospital to come by. Ontario Lt-Gov. Lincoln Alexander, Canada's first Black MP and cabinet minister, dropped by with his wife, Yvonne. 'She was just a lovely lady,' said Mary Whitfield, her longtime friend and retired nurse. 'She had a great face. You knew she was on your floor because as she was going down the corridor, she was singing a hymn.' Allen did face bouts of discrimination throughout her life. A descendant of slaves, she endured not being allowed into restaurants or dances when she was growing up. After she became a nurse, she told The Spec in 1999, 'I had patients say 'Keep your Black hands off me' — but there were far more of the other kind of people who would accept you.' Ona Mae Allen in her 1951 graduation photo from the Public General Hospital Nursing Class. She believed her past helped her deal with discrimination. It 'made a strong person of me. I never let it hold me down.' Allen was proud of what she accomplished and the barriers she knocked down for Black health-care workers who came after her. 'We had to pave the sidewalks for them to walk on,' she told The Spec in 2007. 'I didn't want them to feel trampled on because I knew what that meant.' Whitfield, who worked in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), said she and Allen became closer friends after Allen retired. Each January, she would get together for dinner with Allen and her husband Alfonso to mark his and Whitfield's birthdays. 'She never missed calling me and wishing me a happy birthday, even this year, her 99th year,' said Whitfield, recalling Allen always hosted a party at her Burlington home each August to mark her own birthday. Allen was a parishioner at Stewart Memorial on John Street North for decades and was treated like royalty. She sang in the choir and served on the stewardship committee. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and received a lifetime membership from the fraternal organization in 2018. On social media, colleague Jeannie Hope said Allen was a pleasure to be around. 'Her smiling face would always cheer everyone whenever she arrived on your ward,' she said. 'You knew it would be a good day.' Carol Fulthorpe said, 'Ona Mae guided us through our student years with kindness and humour. (She's) treasured by all who knew her.' Ona Mae Morris was born Aug. 7, 1925, and grew up on a farm outside North Buxton, near Chatham. It was a settlement built by slaves who arrived in Canada on the Underground Railroad. Allen's great-great-great-grandfather came to Canada through Fort Erie and her great-great-great grandmother arrived through Windsor. She graduated from a business college in Chatham, but couldn't land a job. She worked in a tomato canning plant. She made her way to Hamilton and Whitfield said she worked as an aide at the former Mountain Sanatorium. She said Dr. John Holbrook, who developed and built the sanatorium, recognized her abilities and encouraged her to become a nurse. Allen, Cora Prince and Marion Johnson were the first Black women to graduate from the Public General Hospital Nursing Class in 1951. Allen is survived by her niece, Trinia Griffith Williams, and nephews, Stacy and Curtis Griffith. She was predeceased by her son, Benjamin Paul, and her husband, Alfonso Jesse.
Boston Globe
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Late Boston rock critic Steve Morse to be honored with tribute concert
Steve Morse, the 'He was a wonderful man,' said Jessa Piaia, Morse's fiancée at the time of his death, in a recent phone conversation. He treated everyone well, she said: 'He was a good listener.' That was the job description for Morse's career. As the Globe's chief rock critic from 1978-2005, Morse attended thousands of concerts, championed hundreds of Boston-based musicians, and interviewed many of the best-known rock stars on the planet. On May 22, Sally O'Brien's will host a tribute to Morse featuring one of his favorite bands, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages. Proceeds will benefit Advertisement Morse 'knew everyone, and everyone knew him,' said Frank Coakley, the talent booker at Sally O'Brien's. They first met years ago, when Coakley was working as a soundman for musicians — Dennis Brennan, Tim Gearan, David Johnston — that Morse admired. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'He and Nick used to sit right behind me' at the sound booth, he said. It was Coakley who approached Piaia about organizing a night to honor Morse. She knew that her fiancé would have wanted the Savages to play, and the band said yes immediately. 'He always supported, from day one, what we did,' said Whitfield, adding that Morse brought 'his tall self' to as many of Whitfield's gigs as he could get to. (The writer stood at least 6-foot-5.) 'I still have some articles he wrote early on,' Whitfield said. 'He'd demand people — 'You gotta see this band. It's your duty to see some real rock 'n' roll.'' Advertisement Whitfield and Savages bassist Phil Lenker often spent time at Morse's place watching basketball games. After Morse's wife, Nell Rotow Morse, died from complications of diabetes in 2001, Whitfield sang at her memorial service. 'We were so lucky to have him,' Whitfield said. 'I can't think of anybody else who did so much for the music scene in Boston.' Morse served on the nominating committee for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where he advocated in vain for the inclusion of the 'He really wanted them in the Hall of Fame, and I think we should put them in,' said Whitfield. Savages guitarist Peter Greenberg, who will travel to Boston from his home in Washington D.C. for the benefit, recalled a trip to the long-gone Trader Alan's Truck Stop in Amesbury sometime in the 1970s. Morse knew that Greenberg, then a member of DMZ alongside Jeff 'Monoman' Conolly, loved rockabilly, so he drove them to see the canyon-voiced former Sun Records recording artist Sleepy LaBeef. 'Steve introduced us, and he invited us up to play some Bo Diddley songs,' Greenberg remembered. 'Jeff played maracas.' Morse liked to say that he attended at least 250 live events each year. On one of Piaia's first dates with Morse, they saw the Duppy Conquerors, a Bob Marley tribute band, at the Burren. Morse took her to many shows, she said, including twice to see Bonnie Raitt. Advertisement Piaia, who is a performer herself — she created a series of monologues to portray 'I knew Nick from when he was a little kid,' said Whitfield. 'He developed a wonderful talent. Steve was very proud of his son. He supported him 100 percent.' Piaia, who was a neighbor of Morse's years ago, had reconnected with him after she signed up for his online course on rock history at Berklee College of Music. The section she was assigned was taught by Jim Horan, but Piaia made it known she was acquainted with Morse, who authored the class. 'Steve is a local treasure,' she recalls Horan saying. 'He's a raconteur.' Morse had, he said, 'lived this life.' James Sullivan can be reached at . A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO STEVE MORSE FEATURING BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES 7:30 p.m. May 22 at Sally O'Brien's, 335 Somerville Ave., Somerville. $20.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Hornets executive joins lobbying firm with Trump ties
Former Charlotte Hornets President Fred Whitfield is going back to work. Not in pro sports, though. Instead, he's joined forces with a man described this week by the Wall Street Journal as the ringleader of the 'MAGA lobbyists upending Washington.' Whitfield has joined Winston-Salem-based Checkmate Government Relations, a lobbying firm founded in December 2023 by Ches McDowell, the firm's 35-year-old managing partner. Whitfield's title is senior strategic advisor. READ: 9 Investigates: Charlotte City Council votes to not settle potential lawsuit from CMPD chief McDowell and Whitfield, in a joint interview with CBJ on May 1, said Whitfield will continue to live in Charlotte and consult with clients here while also leading business development, primarily for the firm's first office in Washington, D.C., newly opened on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the White House. The Wall Street Journal attributed McDowell's rise to lobbying prominence in Washington to an unorthodox approach that included a falconry outing with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last fall — months before Kennedy became a Cabinet member in the second Trump administration. The main photo accompanying the story shows McDowell in khakis and a blazer standing next to a taxidermied bear. Read more here. WATCH: 9 Investigates: Charlotte City Council votes to not settle potential lawsuit from CMPD chief
