Latest news with #Wigginton
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.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Married Alabama Lunch Lady, 41, Fired After She Allegedly Confessed to Sexual Relationship with Student
Amy Nicole Wigginton, a former lunch lady at Lauderdale County High School in Florence, Ala., was terminated from her job after allegedly confessing to having a sexual relationship with a student. The Lauderdale County School Board voted unanimously to fire Wigginton, 41, on Monday, April 21, Times Daily reported, citing Superintendent Jerry Hill. Court documents state that Wigginton, who is married, allegedly waived her Miranda rights when being questioned by police and confessed to having intimate relations with a student "under the age of 19" on school grounds on March 7 and March 31, per local news outlet ABC WAAY 31. According to court documents, Wigginton, who is from Rogersville, Ala., was charged with two counts of a school employee engaging in a sex act on April 4, Fox 34 reported. Related: Teacher Charged with Sex Crimes Allegedly Said She 'Dreamed' of Sex with Students, Then Revealed Bizarre Regret: Police She was previously placed on administrative leave upon her arrest, but has now been officially fired from her post. The age of consent in Alabama is 16, but sexual abuse charges involving victims up to the age of 18 can be filed if the suspect is a school employee, according to Alabama state law. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Wigginton was booked at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond that she posted shortly after her arrest, per the Daily Mail and WAFF. The high school employee is married and has several children whom she often posts on Facebook. 'The Lauderdale County Board of Education is aware of the allegations, and the employee has been placed on administrative leave," the school district said in a statement previously issued to WAFF. "We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials, and have no further comment on this matter.' Related: Texas Teacher Accused of Sex with Male Student After Allegedly Texting Him to Meet Up: Authorities PEOPLE reached out to the Lauderdale County School District for comment on Friday, April 25, but did not receive an immediate response. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People
New York Post
25-04-2025
- New York Post
Married Alabama lunch lady, 41, sacked for having sex with student at her home: report
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. 4 Amy Nicole Wigginton, 41, is accused of having sex with a teenage student at her home. Lauderdale Co. Detention Center 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. 4 Wigginton is married with children, according to her Facebook. Facebook/Amy Wigginton 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. 4 Wigginton lost her cafeteria job following a unanimous vote Wednesday. Lauderdale County High School 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. 4 Wigginton reportedly fessed up to having sex with the student on two occasions in March. Facebook/Amy Wigginton The alleged predator was booked at the Lauderdale County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond that she posted shortly after her arrest, court docs showed. Wigginton is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 23, the outlet reported.
