Latest news with #Zanoni
The National
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Aberdeen farmhouse bags title of Scottish Home of the Year
Hilltop House, built atop a farm near Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire, was featured in the second episode and took home the top prize in the 2025 series of Scotland's Home of the Year, beating out competitors in Edinburgh, Giffnock, Broughty Ferry, the Isle of Skye and Dalbeattie. The home, designed and owned by artist couple Jessica Zanoni and Chris Labrooy, blends styles like California Cool and mid-century modern, and was selected as the winner by top architects and interior designers. READ MORE: BrewDog news, interviews and updates on Scottish pub chain Zanoni said: 'It has been such a lovely experience all around, and to win it has been fantastic. After watching the shows and getting to see our competition in detail, it really must have been a hard decision to make.' Labrooy added: 'It's great to win. The house is a reflection of our tastes and personalities and we are proud of what we have created.' The couple met with other contestants and the judges in Glasgow's House for an Art Lover — designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh — for the finale, where their home won the top prize for its colourful interiors and sustainability-based design choices. The judging panel consisted of interior designers Anna Campbell Jones and Banjo Beale, alongside architect Danny Campbell. Isle of Mull-based Beale called the farmstead "unforgettable", saying: 'Hilltop House just felt alive. The home had been brought back to life in the most bold and beautiful way." The couple received high praise from the judges for the pops of colour incorporated throughout the house (Image: Kirsty Anderson)Jones added: 'I love to see an old building brought back to life, recycled into something new that will last for generations. 'Hilltop House was a brilliant example of finding that balance between history and modernity whilst honouring its necessary function as a country home.' READ MORE: UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines and invest £15bn in warheads Zanoni, originally from California, called meeting the other finalists a 'whirlwind' and said her and husband Labooy's artistic backgrounds were what helped their architectural vision come to life and bag them the top prize. She said: 'Every home is distinctive and unique because of the people that live there. So, our home is different because we are different. With me being from California and Chris being an artist, I think our tastes are just naturally a little bit unique. 'There isn't really anything in our house that we found at shops near us. Everything was specially sourced in a way. '[The view] was the reason we bought the plot and we have really used it almost as a piece of art. It definitely adds to the interior and it changes every day.' Filming for the next series of Scotland's Home of the Year will take place in June, and this season is available to view now on iPlayer.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City, Del Mar College say Corpus Christi Housing Authority plan may cost them tax revenue
Local officials are enlisting attorneys to look into tax exemptions for apartment properties acquired by the Corpus Christi Housing Authority — a program housing authority officials say will make more housing affordable, but a move taxing entities say will make big dents in their budgets. In all, appraised values for the 13 apartment complexes acquired by the housing authority total at least $330 million, according to Nueces County Appraisal District records — meaning that if the property exemptions stand as proposed, that taxable value would be taken off the rolls. City staff is estimating that the housing authority's property tax exemptions will amount to $3.5 million in lost ad valorem taxes, said City Manager Peter Zanoni, addressing the council in its May 13 meeting. It could be as much as $7 million, he added, should there be additional acquisitions. 'That's a lot of money — $3.5 million, up to $7 million — out of the general fund,' Zanoni said. 'It's a tremendous financial impact; it's not a rounding error. It's big money, and real money.' The city had previously been facing a projected deficit of about $7 million for the 2026 fiscal year, according to officials. When taking into account the possibility of additional property tax losses, estimates would push that number to more than $10 million. Corpus Christi Housing Authority CEO Gary Allsup said May 14 that acquiring the apartment complexes makes room for direly needed workforce housing — homes for people with moderate incomes too high to qualify for low-income housing but not high enough to afford market-rate prices. 'We have so many folks that are what we call 'caught in the middle,'' he said. On its website, the housing authority describes how 'many local families are paying more than 30% of their income on rent, making them 'rent burdened' and limiting their ability to afford other necessities or save. 'The (Workforce Housing Opportunities) Program addresses this by partnering with market-rate rental properties to create mixed-income developments,' it states. The housing authority acquires the apartment complex properties without monetary purchase, Allsup said, becoming an owner of the property grounds and also a 'small-portion owner in the actual improvements to the property.' The housing authority's ownership makes the properties tax-exempt for apartment complexes' management companies — what is considered compensation for an agreement that requires apartment complex management to make half of their units available for workforce housing, he said. Of those workforce housing units, 40% are intended for households bringing in 80% or less of the area median income, and 10% are earmarked for households earning 60% or less of the area median income, he said. The rental cost of the units reserved for workforce housing is dropped to a price that is considered affordable for those income brackets. The housing authority will garner some money from annual payments related to the land leases, Allsup said. The exact amounts were not immediately available May 14, but 'the housing authority is not getting rich off that,' he said, adding that any revenue will go toward other affordable housing programs. Several transactions for additional acquisitions are pending, Allsup said, which would bring the total number of acquired apartment complex properties approved by a past board to about 20. The acquisitions of the apartment complexes, should the proposed property tax exemptions stand, are expected to affect multiple taxing entities. May 13, Del Mar College Chief Financial Officer Raul Garcia told the college Board of Regents that the conversion of the private properties could impact the 2025-26 budget. "The combined appraised value of these properties represents a reduction in the college property tax revenue of approximately $1.1 million, which would offset tax revenues from other properties in our district," Garcia said. City officials in late April broke the news publicly that there would likely be a budget deficit in the upcoming year, at the time projected to be about $7 million. That figure had been landed on with the assumptions that the City Council would not raise the tax rate — currently about 60 cents per $100 appraised value — and by comparing forecast revenue to anticipated funding mandates, staff has said. At the time, Zanoni told the council that $7 million may not sound significant when accounting for the entirety of the budget, but to put it in perspective, the full budgets of some singular departments such as libraries, animal care services and code compliance are about $5 million each. It's believed now that the deficit may be closer to $10 million or higher, based on the housing authority's property acquisitions and prospective acquisitions, according to staff. Although housing authority representatives didn't reach out to taxing entities, the decision to acquire the properties was done not in secret but instead in a public meeting, Allsup said. Properties coming off the tax rolls will affect local entities' revenue, Allsup said, but he doesn't believe the $7 million cited by the city's staff is accurate. He suggested in an earlier interview that the impact would likely be around 1% of overall budgets. 'In order to make a huge impact in our community, in providing thousands of affordable housing opportunities, it seems like a reasonable expenditure to have that kind of impact,' Allsup said. 'This is for the public good,' he said. 'I really think that's where we should focus our attention here is, 'Does Corpus Christi need workforce housing?' And if the answer to that is yes, then we've helped with that. If the answer's no, then I think they're seeing different … needs than I see because I hear constantly that we have a huge need for affordable and workforce housing.' Questions about legality and impropriety have been raised. Following a closed-door session, the Del Mar College Board of Regents unanimously approved authorizing college leaders and legal experts to take the 'necessary and appropriate action, including the engagement of outside counsel, to protect and pursue the college's legal status and potential claims.' The City Council, subsequent to its executive session on the same day, issued a resolution that among other items authorized city management to 'to use all administrative, legal, and legislative means to prevent the improper and/or illegal use of property tax exemptions by the Corpus Christi Housing Authority, affiliates, and entities connected thereto.' The housing authority's actions 'may be illegal — we're looking into that — but it's definitely improper,' said City Attorney Miles Risley, responding to questions raised by City Councilman Gil Hernandez about using verbiage that includes the word 'illegal.' 'I agree that it's improper, maybe unsavory,' Hernandez said. 'I don't know if it's 'and/or illegal.'' Allsup, responding to the resolution adopted by the council, said he believes 'there continues to be a misunderstanding of what the law is and under what programs that this is done for.' 'There's certainly not anything that's improper, and nothing illegal, in the way that these deals have been done,' he said. 'It's been very transparent.' A new majority of board members who oversee the Corpus Christi Housing Authority were selected by Mayor Paulette Guajardo this week. The board of directors comprises five members who serve in two-year terms. Two new appointees replaced sitting board members whose terms had recently expired and who had been seeking reappointment, while another new appointee filled an open seat vacated by a former member who had moved, officials said. Dated March 14, a letter addressed to Allsup shows the new appointees as former mayor Joe McComb, former councilman Greg Smith and Judith Gonzalez-Rodriguez, a school counselor at West Oso Independent School District. The terms of Smith and Rodriguez-Gonzalez are shown as ending in April 2027. McComb is slated to serve a partial term that will expire in April 2026. Officials identified the two sitting board members who were not reappointed as Curtis Clark, shown on the housing authority's site as an assistant vice president at IBC Bank, and Christine Belin, who was serving a partial term. Allsup said May 15 that he was disappointed by the decision, adding that he believed the members who were not reappointed had 'done a great job.' 'I think the board has been effective,' he said, noting that the positions are held by volunteers. 'I think the board has demonstrated an excitement and a care for the citizens of Corpus Christi.' Guajardo asserted that there hasn't been adequate explanation about the recent housing deals, saying that greater oversight is needed for the housing authority to 'ensure that transparency (and) accountability are in place because these are public funds.' She praised the new appointees. 'I think the three of them together bring new leadership that's going to provide greater direction and transparency to the housing authority, and they're outstanding community volunteers. … They're going to be great assets,' Guajardo said. Caller-Times reporter Olivia Garrett contributed to this story. (This story was updated to add new information.) More: Here are some plans for the former Lozano Elementary School property More: City of Corpus Christi may need to make $7 million in cuts this year. What will it mean? This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi, Del Mar College oppose housing authority program
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Jr. Accused Of Killing Protected Bird During Illegal Hunt
Donald Trump Jr. has been accused of killing a protected duck while on a hunt in Italy that may not have even been legal to begin with. Italian officials began speaking out about the incident Tuesday after obtaining hunting footage produced for an outdoor lifestyle brand Trump co-founded that was taken at the Venice Lagoon. 'This is actually a rather uncommon duck for the area. Not even sure what it is in English, but incredible shoot,' he can be heard saying in the video as he singles out a vibrant orange bird among the several he shot down. Speaking with the Italian press, Andrea Zanoni, a regional councillor in Italy's Veneto region, identified the bird as the 'protected' ruddy shelduck. 'It is a species protected throughout Europe by the EU Birds Directive and by Italian law, which criminalizes its killing and possession,' Zanoni said, as translated into English. There's also no possibility that Trump was legally permitted to hunt in Italy, Zanoni added. 'Like any foreigner, in Italy he was not allowed to hunt by law,' Zanoni said. 'In fact, in our country, only residents of one of the Italian regions can hunt. You need a hunting license issued by the police headquarters, but above all you need a hunting license issued only and exclusively to residents of one of the Italian regions ― a mandatory document where you can note the date, place of hunting and quantity of animals killed.' Zanoni wouldn't tell The New York Times how he acquired the footage, which has been reposted by The Guardian. Field Ethos, the lifestyle brand co-founded by Trump, shared a since-deleted trailer for the lagoon footage on Dec. 31, but it does not include scenes of him shooting the ruddy shelduck. It's unclear when the footage was filmed. Zanoni shared on social media that he has reported the incident to the Venice police in charge of wildlife. Luana Zanella, a lawmaker in Italy's parliament, echoed the outrage. 'It is morally despicable,' she told the Times. 'And it's a crime.' Trump is no stranger to hunting scandals. In 2019, a hunting trip he took to Mongolia to kill endangered sheep was estimated to cost American taxpayers around $75,000 in U.S. Secret Service costs ― about $60,000 more than his father's first administration had previously disclosed. Other photos surfaced during that administration that showed Donald Trump's eldest son holding a dead cheetah and a bloody, detached tail of an elephant. During his first term, Donald Trump also reneged on his promise to uphold a ban on elephant trophy imports from Zimbabwe and Zambia. Donald Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent to him through the Trump Organization. Danish Prime Minister Says Greenland Is 'Not For Sale' As Trump Jr. Visits Donald Trump Jr. Reacts To Kimberly Guilfoyle Ambassador News Amid Breakup Rumors Donald Trump Reportedly Dissed Kristi Noem By Comparing Her With Donald Trump Jr.
Sky News
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Donald Trump Junior accused of killing protected species of duck on hunt in Venice lagoon
An Italian politician has told Sky News he's filed a criminal complaint after Donald Trump Junior allegedly killing a protected species of duck while on a hunting trip in the Venice lagoon. Andrea Zanoni, from the Green Europe party, said he had notified the Carabinieri environmental crime unit in Mestre. He claimed Mr Trump hunted and killed protected species of birds in Campagna Lupia, a town in the province of Venice, last December. "The US president's son killed a protected species in a protected natural area, and this is a serious criminal offence," Mr Zanoni said. "No one should be above the law." Mr Zanoni is currently serving as president of the region of Veneto's justice commission. A spokesman for Mr Trump said his party had permits and were in a legally allowed area. A video posted online and reported by Italian media outlets appears to show Mr Trump Jr shooting at ducks inside a special conservation area south of Venice, and then addressing the camera and pointing to an orange-brown duck among at least six other dead waterfowl around him. The dead birds allegedly included a ruddy shelduck, which is protected by the EU Birds Directive and Italian wildlife protection legislation. In addition, it is thought Mr Trump needed to reside in an Italian region in order to be granted a hunting permit. Veneto imposes a different hunting calendar for each species. Mr Zanoni said he was "100% sure" the Venice Public Prosecutor's Office will soon open a probe into the case. If so, it is thought Donald Trump Jr could face both a jail sentence and a fine. A source close to the investigation told Sky News they are "evaluating" possible crimes following Mr Zanoni's complaint. Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto said he was "waiting for a report". Sergio Costa, a former Italian environment minister, told Sky News he was "horrified" by the case. "It's as if Italy became Trump Junior's backyard," Mr Costa said. "I'll ask the government to report on this and I'm going to file a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office," he added. An animal rights NGO, LAV, expressed indignation along with other Italian political parties. Veneto governor Luca Zaia refused to comment on the case. A spokesman for Mr Trump said "there were countless other hunting groups present" while the hunting party had permits and were in a legally allowed area. Andy Surabian added: "While it's unclear whether this single duck was unintentionally shot by someone in Don's hunting group, another hunting group, or killed in a different manner and retrieved by the group's hunting dog, Don takes following all rules, regulations and conservation on his hunts very seriously and plans on fully cooperating with any investigation."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Jr. accused of hunting protected duck in Italy: ‘It's a crime'
Donald Trump Jr., President Trump's adult son, and a group he was with have been accused of hunting a protected duck in Italy. Andrea Zanoni, an Italian politician, said in a post on Facebook this week that he observed a video from the Venetian Lagoon in which Trump Jr., as part of a recent hunt, pointed to a deceased duck among a pile of others. 'The video shows some people, including Donald Trump Junior, killing several ducks,' Zanoni said in the post. 'Only residents of one of the Italian regions can hunt in Italy because you need to have a hunting card, which is issued by law by the region of residence of the applicant,' he added. The bird in question is a ruddy shelduck, 'a very rare duck in all of Europe,' Zanoni said. It's not known if Trump himself or another person killed the protected bird. In the video clip, reviewed by The New York Times, Trump, an avid game hunter, hid among tall grasses beside a pile of dead ducks. 'This is a rather uncommon duck for the area,' he said in the video, pointing to the copper-colored dead bird next to him. 'Not even sure what it is in English.' The ruddy shelduck, or Tadorna ferruginea, is also known in India as the Brahminy duck, according to The Guardian, which reports the bird winters in southern Asia but breeds in Europe. It is not considered endangered, but it protected by both the European Union and Italy. 'It is morally despicable,' Luana Zanella, another Italian lawmaker, said, according to the Times. 'And it's a crime.' In his post, Zanoni said the killing or detention of the ruddy shelduck is 'criminally sanctioned and therefore according to Italian law, it constitutes a precise crime of the judiciary's competence.' 'Veneto and Italy are not the property of the USA,' his post concluded. A spokesperson for Trump Jr., Andy Surabian, said in a statement to The Hill that it was 'unclear whether this single duck was unintentionally shot by someone in Don's hunting group, another hunting group or killed in a different manner and retrieved by the groups hunting dog.' Surabian added that Trump Jr. 'takes following all rules, regulations and conservation on his hunts very seriously and plans on fully cooperating with any investigation.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
