Kimberly-Clark Offers Comfort With 58 Straight Years Of Dividend GrowthUPPER Hunter residents are pushing back on council plans for an outside provider to lease, operate, or potentially buy community-based aged care facility, Gummun Place Hostel . Login or signup to continue reading Gummun Place was 'built by the people, for the people' critics say and it was 'unconscionable' for the council to consider a sale. There have been several meetings to discuss the issue since the Upper Hunter Shire Council announced on November 7 it was issuing an expression of interest. The details were contained in a letter from Mayor Maurice Collison to the Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler. It focused on the council's request for "immediate and ongoing assistance" to prevent further closures and financial losses in rural aged care. Merriwa District Progress Association secretary Liz Griffiths said the massive piece of land the hostel is built on was a donation. On top of the land, the community raised money to build it. "I think the real fear is that the facility would be sold and money that this district raised would go into the coffers of the council and we wouldn't see the money," Ms Griffiths said. "It's understandable why they want to divest themselves of running the facility, but the idea that it would be sold-off would just almost be the straw that broke the camel's back out here." Association President Stephen Gowlland said the community saw a need for a hostel like Gumman Place and it was a community effort. "The surrounding farmers all donated a beast at about $1000 a head, and I understand there was probably some government grants as well," Mr Gowlland said. "It was placed in the safe hands of the then Merriwa Shire Council as a trustee , no one foresaw the amalgamation of Scone and Murrurundi." "We need to retain that hostel in Merriwa, it is owned by the people not the council. I don't know who the title of the land is with, but it belongs to the people." There were gaps so far in the information available about the facility such as a breakdown of costs, including the cost of accommodation for the out-of-town chef and nurses flying in from Queensland and Sydney, one critic said. Councillor Troy Stolz, who attended a meeting where the issue was discussed, said the last thing the community wanted was for the facility to close. The Progress Association will be running a survey to get a feel for what the rest of the community, and people across the district, want at the site. Councillor Collison said in his letter to the federal government that small councils were in an unsustainable position, he said, operating aged care facilities like Gummun Place Hostel, a 16-bed facility which serves an average of 14 residents. The council was currently absorbing an annual loss exceeding $400,000 to keep the hostel operational, he said. "We simply cannot continue to subsidise this facility at such a high cost while still providing essential services like libraries, swimming pools, and sports facilities that our community relies on for health and wellbeing," said Councillor Collison. "The Federal Government has been lax in its support for councils running aged care services. Without urgent assistance, Gummun Place and similar facilities face an uncertain future." Community health & welfare, social justice, investigations, general news.Gabriel.Fowler@newcastleherald.com.au Community health & welfare, social justice, investigations, general news.Gabriel.Fowler@newcastleherald.com.au DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!
Obi Asika: Nafest 2024 Aims to Showcase Nigeria’s ‘Unity in Diversity’ Through Art and CultureDENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA) Shares Bought by J.W. Cole Advisors Inc.Netanyahu: Israel to resume its sacred mission after peace deal with Hezbollah
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