Latest news with #Wigginton
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'We recognise how important it is to residents' - revamp for York village asset
A MUCH-LOVED village pond is set to get a makeover. Wigginton Parish Council says work will soon begin on a major renovation project at Wigginton Pond. They say the pond will be carefully restored and improved in a scheme designed to increase biodiversity and ensure it remains healthy and sustainable for many years to come. Recommended reading: Fish and chips attracts crowds at community event 'His work touched so many lives' - tributes to Covid-19 envoy with York links Woman steals from gift shop in North Yorkshire Cllr John Gates, chair of Wigginton Parish Council, said: "We recognise how important the pond is to residents and local wildlife. "This renovation is not just about preserving a community feature but about enhancing it so that future generations can enjoy it too. "We're committed to working in an environmentally responsible way and have consulted with a local specialist company and other experts to ensure the best outcomes for biodiversity. "This project marks a positive step towards improving green spaces in Wigginton and ensuring they continue to benefit both people and nature." Wigginton pond is set to be revamped (Image: Supplied) Following an ecological survey commissioned by the parish council, it was found that the current condition of the pond lacks the necessary habitats to support a thriving aquatic ecosystem. The survey identified poor water quality, limited aquatic vegetation, and eroded pond banks as key challenges that need addressing. In response, the parish council has developed a comprehensive renovation plan. The project will involve temporarily draining the pond to allow essential structural work to be carried out. The banks will be reinforced to prevent future erosion and improve stability, creating a safer and more sustainable environment for wildlife and visitors alike. Once the structural improvements are complete, the pond will be gradually refilled and carefully replanted with a range of native aquatic and marginal plants. These have been selected to encourage a diverse array of wildlife, including amphibians, insects, and birds, helping to restore the pond's role as a vital local habitat. The council says work is expected to begin later this month and will take several weeks to complete. The parish council say they welcome community involvement and will be looking for volunteers to help with planting and educational events following the restoration. An artist's impression painted by local watercolour artist Sue Clayton of what the new-look pond will be like (Image: Sue Clayton)
Edmonton Journal
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Lowering Canada's voting age to 16 is her 'top parliamentary priority,' senator says
Article content Britain's voting age last fell in 1969, when the U.K. became one of the first major democracies to lower it from 21 to 18. Many other countries quickly followed suit; Canada lowered its voting age to 18 in 1970. Article content Several countries already have a voting age of 16, including Austria, Brazil and Ecuador. Scotland and Wales allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local and regional elections. Article content Michael Wigginton, a post-doctoral fellow in political science at Carleton University, said the U.K. government's decision represents a 'fairly natural progression,' coming a decade after Scotland started allowing 16-year-olds to vote for members of the Scottish Parliament and in municipal elections. Article content 'Having that sort of local example to point to makes it easier for both politicians and the public at large to feel comfortable that the reform can work for the U.K. Parliament and not have negative effects,' said Wigginton. Article content Article content Efforts are being made across Canada to lower the voting age. Article content In 2021, young Canadians filed an application at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to challenge the voting age, arguing that the Canada Elections Act is in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is unconstitutional. Article content Toronto recently passed a motion allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in polls at the neighbourhood level on planning and policy issues. And a provincial committee looking at ways to boost democratic engagement in B.C. is examining a lower voting age. Article content Wigginton said that while he doesn't expect Canada to immediately adopt a voting age of 16, having the U.K. as an example will 'definitely push the issue into the spotlight more and increase the chances of it happening it the future.' Article content 'What I see is most likely is that one or more provinces will adopt a lower voting age first and then the federal government may eventually follow suit,' he said.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UT Dallas breakthrough medical study could revolutionize spinal cord recovery
The Brief Researchers at UT Dallas have miniaturized an implantable device for spinal cord injury recovery. Paired with physical therapy, the device has shown significant improvement, with potential even for patients injured decades ago. The breakthrough challenges long-held medical beliefs, offering new hope for those with chronic spinal cord injuries to their neck. DALLAS - Researchers at UT Dallas say they've made a historic breakthrough in spinal cord injury recovery with a recent implant study. According to a Nature paper released on Wednesday by the researchers, a minuscule new implantable device paired with physical therapy has achieved significant recovery in clinical trial patients, including one 45 years post-injury. The groundbreaking technology is the next generation of Vagus Nerve Stimuli (VNS), which the UT Dallas Nature study says is 50 times smaller than traditional devices. The tiny implantable device, pictured below sitting on a penny, is used for a neurorehabilitation process called "Closed-Loop Vagus Nerve Stimulation," or CLV. The first in-human study of the treatment took place in North Texas. The researchers say their new VNS, when used in tandem with targeted physical therapy, led to significant recovery of hand and arm function in people with chronic spinal cord injuries in their neck. One participant included in the study sustained their injury over 45 years ago, they say. Participants in the study who received the miniaturized VNS were reportedly found to have a dose-dependent improvement in their recovery, meaning the more therapy given, the better. In addition, the researchers have found no ceiling to the recovery potential. The paper says clinical measures in the trial also improved identically to real-world function for the participants. Why you should care According to a Wednesday release from Dr. Jane G. Wigginton, emergency medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer for the Texas Biomedical Device Center at the University of Texas at Dallas, the discoveries laid out in the new paper challenge long-held medical beliefs. Wigginton says the study's findings show that recovery is possible for spinal cord injury patients even decades after losing motor function; a discovery that defies "medical dogma." Wigginton notes the North Texas achievement is a scientific success and a beacon of hope for patients all over the world. What they're saying "We're not just seeing gains on clinical tests — we're seeing patients fasten their own necklaces, zip jackets in seconds instead of minutes, and throw balls for their dogs again. These are the moments that change lives," Wigginton said. The Source Information in this article came from a UT Dallas Nature paper and UT Dallas' Dr. Jane Wigginton.
News.com.au
27-04-2025
- News.com.au
Cafeteria worker allegedly had sex with student
A married Alabama lunch lady was reportedly sacked from her job after she was busted for — and later confessed to – allegedly having sex with a teen student whom she brought to her home on two occasions. Amy Nicole Wigginton, 41, lost her cafeteria position at Lauderdale County High School in Rogersville after a unanimous vote by the district's Board of Education on Wednesday, according to Times Daily. The depraved worker was initially placed on administrative leave following her April 4 arrest, where she waived her rights and fessed up to the sick acts, WAAY TV reported. Lauderdale County School District did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Wigginton, who is married with children according to her Facebook, told police she had sex with the male student on March 7 and 31, court documents obtained by the news outlet showed, New York Post reported. The alleged sexual tryst took place at her family home in Rogersville, Times Daily reported, which also cited her as working in the school's child nutrition program. Authorities did not specify the student's age but noted in court documents that he is younger than 19. The age of consent is 16 in the Heart of Dixie. She was charged with two counts of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student. The alleged predator was booked at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $100,000 ($156,000) bond that she posted shortly after her arrest, court documents showed. Wigginton is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 23, the outlet reported.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
1 in 4 eligible voters in Alberta cast ballot at advance polling stations, data shows
One in four voters in Alberta went to the polls ahead of federal election day, and a Calgary riding saw one of the highest turnouts in the country, Elections Canada data shows. More than 815,000 Albertans cast their ballot at advance polling stations last weekend, about 169,000 more people than in the last federal election in 2021, according to preliminary counts from Elections Canada, the independent agency that conducts the federal-level votes, released this week. But the reason behind the increase — and whether it foreshadows a higher voter turnout overall this election — is still unclear. "There does seem to be a trend among Canadians toward voting in advance, which does make it different to read the tea leaves right now," said Michael Wigginton, a political science postdoctoral fellow at Carleton University in Ottawa. "It's very hard to say, when looking at the advance voter numbers, if they're reflective of election day turnout, or if they're just reflective of people wanting to vote as early as possible." Only certain voters were allowed to cast advance ballots from 1920 to 1993, but now advance polls are open to all eligible voters, according to Elections Canada's website. An agency spokesperson told CBC News that the turnouts at advance polls have increased each election. Noting that trend, the agency increased the number of voting tables and workers at advance polls for this election, the spokesperson said. More people may have showed up to advance polling stations this election because they were open throughout Easter weekend, the spokesperson said. But they noted that timing was a coincidence: the Canada Elections Act states that advance polling stations must only be open from Friday to Monday, on the second-last weekend before election day. Calgary Crowfoot saw 4th-most advance voters in Canada Elections Canada reported nearly 7.3 million advanced voters this writ period — a new record. Data shows more than 33,700 of those voters were from the Calgary Crowfoot riding, in the city's northwest. That electoral district saw the highest turnout in Alberta, and fourth-highest across Canada's 343 ridings. The St. Albert-Sturgeon River and Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan ridings were also among the 19 ridings across the country that each reported more than 30,000 voters at their advance polling stations, data shows. The Lakeland riding, meanwhile, had one of the country's lowest advance turnouts, ahead of only the Northwest Territories, Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, Labrador and Nunavut constituencies. Within Alberta, the southern parts of the province — particularly in Calgary — saw higher turnouts. Ridings in more urban areas tended to see more advance voters too, which Wigginton called counterintuitive. People in rural Alberta might live further from their polling station, making it less accessible and harder to stop by on voting day, he said. Federal electoral district boundaries were redrawn in 2023 to adjust for the country's population growth, so it's not possible to accurately compare turnouts in each riding to those of the previous election. Competitive race a factor? In past elections, Wigginton noted, advance voter turnout has not always led to higher voter turnout overall. Data shows that fewer Canadians voted in 2021 than in 2019, for example. As of Friday morning, the CBC poll tracker suggested the Liberals are ahead of the Conservatives by less than four per cent. The NDP are trying to maintain official party status. People may be inspired to get their ballot in when there is a tight race, Wigginton said. "Voters, generally, have a sense of how competitive they're riding is. So from a pure rational-choice perspective, they realize, 'Oh, my vote actually might be more decisive than usual this election. I should really turn out and vote'," he said. Monday is election day and polls are 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
