Latest news with #Wranglers
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
Family sues Stellantis over Toledo Jeep plant death: 'The worst news ever'
The wife of the 53-year-old man who was fatally crushed at Toledo, Ohio's Jeep plant a year ago sued Stellantis NV on Monday, alleging the automaker didn't have adequate safety guards in place that could have prevented his death. Toledo resident Antonio Gaston, the father of three adult children and a teenager, died Aug. 21 while working in the Jeep Gladiator portion of the Toledo Assembly Complex. It was the first of two workplace fatalities reported inside U.S. Stellantis plants over the last year, with the other occurring in April at the Dundee Engine Plant in Monroe County, Michigan. The lawsuit filed by Renita Shores-Gaston in Ohio's Lucas County Court of Common Pleas says Stellantis didn't have sufficient guarding around the plant's conveyor system, which ultimately caught Gaston before he was pinned and crushed by a vehicle chassis. The complaint, which mentions the automaker and 10 other unnamed people, says critical safety features were either removed or were designed without crucial features to prevent workers from being snagged. "I never thought that him going to work at a factory would cause him to lose his life," Shores-Gaston told The Detroit News on Monday. Antonio Gaston, whose job was to deliver parts to the assembly line, had transferred in late 2021 to the Jeep plant, which builds Gladiators and Wranglers, after his home Stellantis factory in Illinois, the Belvidere Assembly Plant, underwent layoffs and eventually closed. Shores-Gaston said she remained based in Rockford, Illinois, after her husband was forced to follow his job to Toledo, but they often visited each other for days at a time. The Lucas County Coroner found Antonio Gaston's cause of death was crushing injuries to his torso and determined it was not instantaneous. A report from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said he had reached across the conveyor line to retrieve materials when the line activated, catching him. The agency issued Stellantis a "serious" violation after an inspection, flagging a lack of machine guarding that could create hazards, and fined the automaker about $16,000. The automaker is contesting the fine. "We extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Antonio Gaston," Stellantis said in a statement from spokeswoman Jodi Tinson. "There is nothing we take more seriously than the safety of our employees. We don't comment on ongoing litigation." Shores-Gaston's attorney, L. Chris Stewart, said Monday that his firm is still seeking details on exactly what happened - including whether Antonio Gaston may have been in fact working on the vehicle itself when the incident occurred, and why the safety guarding wasn't in place at the time. He said attorneys also were exploring whether understaffing at the plant could have been a factor. The lawsuit states that Stellantis and other individuals should have known that "operating the Conveyor System in the manner they did constituted a dangerous process, procedure, and/or instrumentality" at the plant. Court documents also point to potential issues with the original designer and producer of the conveyor system used inside the facility. The suit seeks at least $25,000 and other damages. Shores-Gaston said her husband was a jokester who liked to fish and work out at the YMCA with his children: "A great dad, very involved with the kids' lives." She had been in Toledo the day of her husband's death. Incomplete information that something bad had happened at the plant slowly trickled in to her phone, first from her sister, then from United Auto Workers officials. A sense of horror grew, Shores-Gaston said, as she frantically called her husband that afternoon. But there was no response. A good friend was the first to say it looked like he was dead; then union and automaker officials confirmed it. "I was lost, and I had to call my kids, and tell them," she recalled. "It was the worst news ever to tell them, that he was gone." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Connor Zary's Next Deal a Priority for Flames
Signing Connor Zary should be near the top of Flames' GM Craig Conroy's to-do list. The 23-year-old forward is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), and while his numbers don't scream 'super star' just yet— 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points in 53 games last season—there's no mistaking the upside. Zary showed flashes of top-six potential before two fluke injuries derailed his year: first, a knee-on-knee collision in Anaheim and then an awkward fall after being hauled down against Dallas. Still, when he's healthy, Zary drives play and creates dynamic offence. A full season could see him push 25 goals and 50 points. His scoring touch showed in 2022–23 with the AHL's Wranglers, where he played all 72 games and racked up 21 goals and 58 points. He also has the potential to slide from wing to centre, which would give the Flames much needed stability down the middle. Zary can be streaky at times, but his game is still maturing. If he finds another level of consistency, he becomes a key piece in Calgary's forward group. Drafted 24th overall in 2020, Zary is coming off a three-year entry-level deal with a modest $863,334 cap hit. The Flames are in a great spot to sign him at value. The production may not match the ceiling just yet—but it's coming. Zary isn't just part of the future—he's shown he can make an impact now. © Tim Fuller-Imagn Images © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ottawa Citizen
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sam Morton's eventful year continues after re-upping with Flames
Article content Sam Morton has had a great couple of months. Article content That's probably understating it a bit. Article content Back in April, he scored in his first NHL game for the Calgary Flames. A milestone every young hockey player dreams of hitting. Article content About a week ago, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Ellie, and she said yes. Article content Then, on Wednesday morning, the 25-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Calgary Flames that comes with a cap-hit of US$775,000. Article content Article content 'I said to my fiancee, Ellie, 'How are we going to top this next year?' ' Morton said on Wednesday afternoon. 'Hopefully with a wedding and some more NHL games under the belt, but as we were talking about, you've got to put the work in and the work that you put in is what makes it so rewarding.' Article content Article content There's never been any question about Morton's work ethic, and it's the major reason why he's one of the most intriguing players in the Flames system heading into training camp in September. He earned his call-up for the final game of the regular season through his performances with a Wranglers team that was snake-bitten by injury all year. Morton scored 20 goals for the team – including four game-winners – and was fifth on the team with 45 points. Article content Remember that it was his first season as a pro, too, after signing as a free-agent following a standout NCAA career with Minnesota State University. Article content Article content That should all put him right in the mix for a job as the Flames' fourth-line centre this fall, especially because Justin Kirkland can be moved to the wing if necessary. Article content With that in mind, while it's been an amazing spring and start to the summer for Morton, he's making sure not to get too comfortable. Article content '(This summer) feels different in that I'm more familiar with the staff and the players that are around and just kind of the culture of this organization,' Morton explained. 'In that regard, I'd say it's more familiar, but every year the pressure grows. Article content 'Last year, it was do as well as I can in the AHL and hope to get an NHL game and that happened. Now, it's like 'Alright, how many more can we get? How can we get to that league and stick in that league?' Every year, the pressure stays the same or grows because if you do well, the bar gets set higher.' Article content After the high of scoring in his first NHL game, Morton returned to the Wranglers for the AHL playoffs and then took two weeks off to get a break from hockey. Since then, though, the focus has been squarely on getting ready for next season.
Edmonton Journal
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Sam Morton's eventful year continues after re-upping with Flames
Article content Sam Morton has had a great couple of months. Article content That's probably understating it a bit. Article content Back in April, he scored in his first NHL game for the Calgary Flames. A milestone every young hockey player dreams of hitting. Article content About a week ago, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Ellie, and she said yes. Article content Then, on Wednesday morning, the 25-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Calgary Flames that comes with a cap-hit of US$775,000. Article content Article content 'I said to my fiancee, Ellie, 'How are we going to top this next year?' ' Morton said on Wednesday afternoon. 'Hopefully with a wedding and some more NHL games under the belt, but as we were talking about, you've got to put the work in and the work that you put in is what makes it so rewarding.' Article content Article content There's never been any question about Morton's work ethic, and it's the major reason why he's one of the most intriguing players in the Flames system heading into training camp in September. He earned his call-up for the final game of the regular season through his performances with a Wranglers team that was snake-bitten by injury all year. Morton scored 20 goals for the team – including four game-winners – and was fifth on the team with 45 points. Article content Remember that it was his first season as a pro, too, after signing as a free-agent following a standout NCAA career with Minnesota State University. Article content Article content That should all put him right in the mix for a job as the Flames' fourth-line centre this fall, especially because Justin Kirkland can be moved to the wing if necessary. Article content With that in mind, while it's been an amazing spring and start to the summer for Morton, he's making sure not to get too comfortable. Article content '(This summer) feels different in that I'm more familiar with the staff and the players that are around and just kind of the culture of this organization,' Morton explained. 'In that regard, I'd say it's more familiar, but every year the pressure grows. Article content 'Last year, it was do as well as I can in the AHL and hope to get an NHL game and that happened. Now, it's like 'Alright, how many more can we get? How can we get to that league and stick in that league?' Every year, the pressure stays the same or grows because if you do well, the bar gets set higher.' Article content After the high of scoring in his first NHL game, Morton returned to the Wranglers for the AHL playoffs and then took two weeks off to get a break from hockey. Since then, though, the focus has been squarely on getting ready for next season.
Calgary Herald
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Sam Morton's eventful year continues after re-upping with Flames
Article content Sam Morton has had a great couple of months. Article content That's probably understating it a bit. Article content Back in April, he scored in his first NHL game for the Calgary Flames. A milestone every young hockey player dreams of hitting. Article content About a week ago, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Ellie, and she said yes. Article content Then, on Wednesday morning, the 25-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Calgary Flames that comes with a cap-hit of US$775,000. Article content Article content 'I said to my fiancee, Ellie, 'How are we going to top this next year?' ' Morton said on Wednesday afternoon. 'Hopefully with a wedding and some more NHL games under the belt, but as we were talking about, you've got to put the work in and the work that you put in is what makes it so rewarding.' Article content Article content There's never been any question about Morton's work ethic, and it's the major reason why he's one of the most intriguing players in the Flames system heading into training camp in September. He earned his call-up for the final game of the regular season through his performances with a Wranglers team that was snake-bitten by injury all year. Article content Morton scored 20 goals for the team – including four game-winners – and was fifth on the team with 45 points. Article content Remember that it was his first season as a pro, too, after signing as a free-agent following a standout NCAA career with Minnesota State University. Article content Article content That should all put him right in the mix for a job as the Flames' fourth-line centre this fall, especially because Justin Kirkland can be moved to the wing if necessary. Article content With that in mind, while it's been an amazing spring and start to the summer for Morton, he's making sure not to get too comfortable. Article content '(This summer) feels different in that I'm more familiar with the staff and the players that are around and just kind of the culture of this organization,' Morton explained. 'In that regard, I'd say it's more familiar, but every year the pressure grows. Article content 'Last year, it was do as well as I can in the AHL and hope to get an NHL game and that happened. Now, it's like 'Alright, how many more can we get? How can we get to that league and stick in that league?' Every year, the pressure stays the same or grows because if you do well, the bar gets set higher.' Article content After the high of scoring in his first NHL game, Morton returned to the Wranglers for the AHL playoffs and then took two weeks off to get a break from hockey. Since then, though, the focus has been squarely on getting ready for next season.
