Latest news with #Zentner
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Confirmed lineups: Mainz vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Sitting in sixth place, Mainz head into the final matchday of the season against dethroned champions Bayer Leverkusen with the aim of securing a European spot. With just about an hour to go before kick-off at MEWA Arena, the lineups have been announced and can be seen below. Confirmed Mainz vs. Bayer Leverkusen lineups: Mainz: Zentner – da Costa, Bell, Hanche-Olsen – Caci, Kaishu, Amiri, Mwene – Nebel, Burkardt, Lee. Bayern Leverkusen: Hrádecký – Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié – Tella, Palacios, Aleix García, Grimaldo – Hofmann, Schick, Wirtz
Winnipeg Free Press
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Crowns to get training to help prosecute hate crimes
Manitoba Crown attorneys will receive enhanced training on the prosecution of hate crimes as part of a national effort to crack down on racism, discrimination and violence against marginalized groups. The federal and provincial governments are providing $95,000 for the program, which follows the recent arrests of two Winnipeg men charged with separate hate-related offences. 'Hate crimes have devastating impacts on victims and communities, and prosecuting these cases can be complex,' Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in a news release Thursday. 'Hate crimes have devastating impacts on victims and communities, and prosecuting these cases can be complex,' said Justice Minister Matt Wiebe in a news release Thursday. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) 'This specialized training will enhance the knowledge of prosecutors so that they can continue to serve the public interest by effectively prosecuting hate-motivated crimes and holding offenders accountable for the serious harm they cause.' The money will allow Crown attorneys to learn directly from experts who study hate crimes to give them a deeper understanding of their impact on victims and cultural communities. It includes funding for an educational conference, which is to be held in Winnipeg in December, the release said. Manitoba is working with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg to co-ordinate and support the training, which aligns with Canada's action plan to combat hate. The plan, which was released in the fall, earmarked $273.6 million over the next six years. Sean Fraser, the federal justice minister, said he's 'very pleased' to spend some of the money in Manitoba. 'We know that hate crimes have risen in recent years, and they have had an impact on public safety and social cohesion,' he said in the release. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has worked with Manitoba Justice and law enforcement officials to co-ordinate the Manitoba Prosecution Service hate crime working group, which was announced in January. 'We've been working… to ensure that when hate crimes occur, charges are laid and every legal avenue is pursued,' vice-president Gustavo Zentner said. In a separate statement, Zentner responded to the arrest of a 23-year-old Winnipeg man accused of hate offences. On Wednesday, police announced Donovan Ballingall had been charged with four counts of the willful promotion of hatred. He's alleged to have targeted the Jewish, Muslim and LGBTTQ+ communities, as well as visible minorities, in online posts. Ballingall was arrested April 29 and remains in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. Court records show he has a court appearance May 26. 'We appreciate the RCMP for handling this case with the seriousness it warrants,' Zentner said in his statement. 'This case is a powerful reminder that hate knows no boundaries.' The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Ballingall is the first person in Manitoba to be charged with wilfully promoting hate. The Free Press was unable to independently verify that information. Manitoba RCMP deferred comment to its national headquarters in Ottawa, which did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday and Thursday. Police did not provide further details about the offences Ballingall is accused of committing, or confirm whether he acted alone or as part of a group. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. In March, the RCMP announced it upgraded charges against another Winnipeg man who was in custody for hate-related offences. Nevin Thunder Young, 19, was charged with two counts of commission of an offence for a terrorist group, and single counts of participation in the activity of a terrorist group and facilitating terrorist activity. The charges are in addition to 26 counts of mischief under $5,000 for incidents in Charleswood from Sept. 28 to Dec. 31, 2024. Investigators linked Young to an international violent extremist group known as M.K.Y., police said at the time. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kona HOA to pay $162,500 for Fair Housing Act violations
The U.S. Department of Justice secured a $162, 500 settlement for a man living with paraplegia who was discriminated against by a Kona homeowners association to the point he canceled a condo sale and moved out. Gerritt Schaffer, who is paraplegic, tried to buy and live at a unit in Kailua Village Condominiums, 75-5766 Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona. His condition was caused by injuries 'resulting from an accident in 2016, ' according to the federal civil complaint filed Aug. 19. He is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair. Paraplegia is an injury in the lower spinal cord affecting the lower body and legs, according to the National Institute of Health. In August 2021, while living in Oregon, Schaffer visited Hawaii and 'instantly noticed that the warmer water and milder climate ' here helped alleviate his pain. He began looking for a condominium or house that was affordable, accessible and close to the ocean to facilitate his physical training for an Ironman triathlon. The Kailua Village Condominium Association, managing agent Associa Hawaii, the sellers of a Kailua Village condominium unit and the sellers' Realtor 'unlawfully denied ' Schaffer's requests for an accessible parking space, a temporary ramp to access his condominium unit and installation of an accessible toilet at his own expense. On Oct. 19, 2021, the day he moved into Unit 205, Schaffer went to Lowes to buy materials for a temporary ramp for the four steps to access the unit, where he was living for $75 a day under an early-occupancy agreement during the escrow period. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. When Schaffer was attempting to set up the temporary ramp needed to access Unit 205, he was approached by Ron Zentner, property manager of Kailua Village at the time. Zentner allegedly made 'several concerning statements ' to Schaffer, like federal accessibility laws are 'bulls—rules ' and expressing the 'belief that Kailua Village did not need to comply ' with federal accessibility laws, as it was 'grandfathered in.' Zentner also reportedly told Schaffer that 'people in wheelchairs ' had previously considered moving to Kailua Village but ultimately decided not to. After the exchange, Zentner emailed an employee of the management company, Benjamin Willoughby, who worked for Associa as its director of operations for Hawaii County, and other KVCA board members and was told that any requests for modifications needed to be made in writing with a form prepared by the association's attorney. KVCA member Susan Winn, who also expressed concern about the liability of the temporary ramp, responded, suggesting that they serve the 'prospective new owner with the legal opinion and try to discourage the sale.' On Oct. 24, 2021, Schaffer emailed his written requests for a temporary ramp and accessible parking spot to the condo's owners, Bruce and Deborah Stern, who forwarded his requests to Winn. That same day, KVCA member Stephanie Smedes emailed other members of the board and Willoughby suggesting that Schaffer be told of an expensive upcoming plumbing project. 'Perhaps if (Mr. Schaffer ) knows that (the project ) is coming up … he may be more reluctant to purchase here. However, by the sound of his last letter, I could see him construing this as not just appropriate information, but as a fabrication to stop him from moving in. So, not 100 % sure how to present this, but do wonder if he knows this, and if it might impact current decision making on his part, ' read the email. The Sterns told Schaffer he could not install a special toilet he needs until a month and a half after the sale closed. 'After living in Unit 205 for approximately nine days, Mr. Schaffer concluded that Kailua Village would not provide him with an accessible residence, ' read the civil complaint. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 makes it 'unlawful to discriminate in the terms and conditions ' of the sale or rental of, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling based on the prospective buyer or renter's disability, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The FHA also requires that 'reasonable accommodations ' in rules, policies, practices and services be provided when necessary to 'afford equal housing opportunities to persons with disabilities.' An investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that 'reasonable cause existed to believe that illegal discriminatory housing practices had occurred.' The case was resolved by two consent decrees approved by the federal district court in October and January. The named defendants will pay Schaffer $162, 500 in damages and are required to complete FHA training. Additionally, Kailua Village is required to adopt a U.S. Department of Justice-approved 'reasonable accommodation and modification ' policy, and for a period of two years, Kailua Village and Associa Hawaii must comply with certain record-keeping and reporting requirements to ensure FHA compliance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sydney Spector and Dana Barbata handled the civil action. Anyone who believes they have been victims of housing discrimination can submit a report online at civil or contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 800-669-9777 or
