Latest news with #Worst
Daily Record
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Erin Cuthbert teams up with Specsavers to launch Best Worst Pitch campaign to help grassroots clubs
The Scotland star is bidding to help with the new campaign. Irvine footballer Erin Cuthbert has teamed up with Scotland team-mate Kirsty Smith in a new partnership with Specsavers. The initiative, called Best Worst Pitch, aims to provide 50 teams who are most in need of a helping hand with things like professional line painting equipment and GPS pitch mapping, pitch maintenance equipment, as well as maintenance training to help them maintain their pitches through the next season and beyond. The announcement comes as UK football governing bodies have recently highlighted that maintaining grassroots pitches across the UK is one of the main issues facing the sport. With councils stretched for funding, the responsibility for maintaining club pitches, often falls on dedicated members of the grassroots football community. It's a challenge Specsavers has seen up close, having renewed its sponsorship deal with the Scottish FA, to become the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner. The deal will see the 24-year partnership continue for the rest of the season as Specsavers strives to support the growth of Scottish football in both the men's and women's game. Erin, who is coming off a sixth successive Women's Super League title with Chelsea, said: 'I called my papa 'Net Man'. He's no longer with us but he was always there, two hours early putting the nets up and sorting the pitch out. 'It's little efforts like that that keep grassroots football alive. It's absolutely vital that we get it right at this level so that young players can improve and have a better chance of succeeding in the sport.' Scotland team-mate Kirsty, who plays club football for West Ham United, added: 'Grassroots football is the heart and soul of the game. It's important that we back the communities and dedicated volunteers who keep it running. 'I remember how tough it was playing on a rough pitch, but it didn't hold me back, it just made me realise how important these pitches are. 'This is a campaign I'm really proud of – The Best Worst Pitch initiative will ensure that pitches are in the best condition possible so that everyone can enjoy using them.' In addition to providing equipment, Specsavers is also offering training and education to the selected clubs, aiming to tackle some of the long-term challenges faced by grassroots teams and the volunteers who maintain their pitches.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alabama clinic will neuter a pet in honor of your ex for Valentine's Day
You have an ex and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Sure, you could buy yourself a 'World's Worst Ex' shirt or mug with black roses, a cracked heart, and his or her photo on it. If you don't burn or smash it, odds are it'll sit around your house collecting dust until you finally throw it away. Or you could do something that's both funny and useful for the community, and get a unique keepsake. In honor of February being Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, the Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic, 5316 Atlanta Hwy., Montgomery has a fundraiser campaign: 'Neuter Your Ex: Because Some Things Should Never Breed.' 'It's the second year we've done it,' said Rachel Tears, AAASNC's founder and director. No, this isn't an event you can use to get a personal cat fixed. Tears said it's a fundraiser for the clinic, with tax-deductible donations of $25 requested. If you want to donate more, they'd be grateful. 'For anything that's donated, there can't be goods or services that are given in response,' she said. 'But individuals who make a donation, much like anyone who make a donation to our clinic, receive an acknowledgement card.' The card the clinic sends will say that a procedure was done in honor of your ex, whoever that may be. Your ex doesn't have to be an ex-romantic person. 'It could be an ex-hairdresser who left you with a bad haircut. It could be an ex-boss,' Tears said. In fact, it doesn't have to be someone you know personally at all. 'We've even had requests to neuter some elected officials,' Tears said. 'Elon Musk has been a request. Someone has requested that we neuter a cat in honor of (Sean "P Diddy" Combs, the rapper). It's been very comical, and it's raised a lot of awareness.' You can also donate on behalf of a friend. 'We will send a Happy Valentine's Day card to your friend saying that a cat was neutered in honor of your recent heartbreak,' Tears said. The clinic is hoping to raise $5,000. Tears said the funds will go toward clinic procedures for cats and dogs, male and female. 'Those funds go to our clinic to help keep costs affordable, so more individuals can have their pets spayed or neutered,' Tears said. Similar fundraisers are being used at spay and neuter clinics across the nation, Tears said. Normally, it's $50 to neuter a male cat, and $70 for a female cat. The costs includes surgery, anesthesia, pain medications, antibiotic, and a follow up visit. If your cat isn't current on its rabies vaccination, AAASNC can provide that for $15. 'We already have individuals who have appointments, and those cats are already scheduled to be neutered,' said Tears. However, Tears said most pet owners the clinic deals with are Medicaid or food stamp recipients who are having pets fixed for $10. The donations are especially helpful to keep providing care for low-income pet owners, Tears said, 'We are going on our 18th year of surgeries, and we've done more than 130,000 surgeries,' she said. 'We know that this works. We've got less animals being handed over to the shelters. Less animals being euthanized.' There's a reason male cats are the focus of this fundraiser. The goal is to put an end to pet homelessness and unnecessary euthanasia, Tears said. 'Male cats are the most efficient reproducers,' Tears said. 'They can reproduce multiple times a day, day in and day out. Yet, that surgery is the least demanded surgery for our clinic. Most people are focusing on having their females fixed or their male dogs, long before they think about male cats.' Call 334-239-7387 or visit for more information. 'Anyone who wants to have their pet fixed is welcome to make an appointment,' Tears said. 'Appointments can be made on our website or by calling the clinic.' AAASNC IS not alone in Alabama offering Valentine's Day themed pet events: Montgomery: Puppy Love — The Montgomery Humane Society is offering an adoption special of $75 off puppies under six months old. Adoption fees include spay/neuter, microchip, vaccines, and health exam. Learn more: 334-409-0622, Gadsden: Adopt Your Valentine — Humane Society Pet Rescue & Adoption Center is holding an adoption event through Feb. 15. $50 adoption fees. Spay/neuters, vaccines and microchips included. More info: 256-442-1347, Columbiana: 5th annual Cup of Love — Shelby Humane — Presented by Best Friends of Shelby Humane, on Feb. 14 all the dogs will get a home baked cookie with whipped cream and the cats will get a cup of Churu. If you would like to support this event, $5 treats one shelter pet and $10 treats three. They are also having a Valentine's Day adoption special, with adult dogs and cats for $14, and puppies and kittens 50% off. Learn more: 205-669-3916, Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Valentine's gift: Alabama clinic will neuter a pet in honor of your ex
USA Today
11-02-2025
- USA Today
Memphis food truck employees detained by federal agents, city says. Here's what we know
Memphis food truck employees detained by federal agents, city says. Here's what we know Show Caption Hide Caption US military will fly migrants to Guantanamo Bay for first time U.S. officials say the first military aircraft carrying detained migrants to Guantanamo Bay is expected to depart on Tuesday. Federal agents detained employees of the Memphis food truck chain TACOnganas. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the agents were federal but did not confirm if they were ICE agents. TACOnganas claims the agents did not identify themselves or provide a warrant. Employees of food truck chain TACOnganas were taken from their jobs Monday by federal agents, the City of Memphis confirmed. In a video released Monday by TACOnganas on Instagram, three men in plainclothes walked into the food truck and forced three employees inside to leave. The men did not appear to identify themselves as law enforcement or show a warrant. One can be seen wearing a gaiter mask over his face. TACOnganas said in its post that it was not and has not since been informed what prompted the employees being detained. It said no identifying paperwork was left at the scene. TACOnganas owner Greg Diaz did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday. "We have heard from the employees," the statement reads. "They've been told they're being detained by ICE. We don't know if the men you see in the video work for ICE or for someone else." The City of Memphis confirmed on X late Monday evening in a statement credited to Mayor Paul Young that they reached out to federal authorities to identify the men. Young said Homeland Security Investigations confirmed that federal agents were involved, though did not explicitly say if they were part of the ICE branch of HSI or another agency. HSI did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday. TACOnganas and Diaz came under fire in late 2022 for allegedly recruiting dozens of taco workers from Mexico — possibly illegally — then making them work long hours for low wages. The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division confirmed to The Commercial Appeal in December 2024 that the federal agency was still investigating TACOnganas more than two years after the allegations surfaced. TACOnganas has eight locations across the Memphis area. It was unclear which location the employees were detained at. The raid comes after President Donald Trump swiftly ordered a crackdown on illegal immigration across the country. The president has repeatedly emphasized that the deportations will first target undocumented immigrants with violent criminal histories. ICE has recently published daily arrest totals — for example, 2,891 arrests were made from Jan. 29 to 31. And though ICE proudly displays examples of "The Worst First" on X, a report by NBC found that nearly half of the people arrested on just one day in January did not have criminal records or were nonviolent offenders. Large deportation numbers are nothing new — President Joe Biden's administration deported more than 271,000 people last year, the largest number since 2014, according to an ICE report. But the new administration has vowed to pursue deportations more aggressively than in the past, including utilizing Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to hold what the administration deems to be the most serious violent offenders. Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering DeSoto County, as well as Dining in the Memphis area. You can reach him at
