Photo: District of Peachland Peachland mayor and council Enough is enough. That is the sentiment of Peachland’s mayor, who says political discourse in the community has grown increasingly toxic. “Recently, there have been instances of harassment, intimidation, and vandalism to personal property directed at members of our district council,” said mayor Patrick Van Minsel in a news release Thursday. “This behaviour is not only unacceptable, but it also goes against the very fabric of our community values.” In an interview with Castanet News, Van Minsel says the harassment and intimidation of councillors has been a simmering problem for the “past months ... even year.” Van Minsel says vitriol on social media this week in conversations about local politics was a “drop too much” and “appalling” to him. “I have no problem with people watching their opinion, absolutely not. I encourage them to do that, but in a respectful way,” the mayor continued. Van Minsel said he could not comment on specifics of the vandalism of councillors’ personal property, but said the issue is “being dealt with.” Peachland councillors earn just over $18,000 per year, so while it is not a volunteer position, it is something carried out in service of the community. “I think there should be a certain respect for the office of a council,” Van Minsel said. “They put in, and I can testify to this, countless hours of very hard work and sacrifice of personal time, just to represent our community and their interests.” While social media can be useful for local discussion and engagement, when misused, Van Minsel says “ it can fuel a lot of misunderstandings and erodes trust within the community.” The mayor says any further harassment, intimidation or vandalism directed at council members will be referred to law enforcement. Van Minsel says anyone with concerns or disagreements with council can contact him directly at [email protected] . “I am here to listen, understand, and mediate in order to address any issues constructively and respectfully. Let us continue to foster a community where dialogue, respect, and civility are our guiding principles,” he said in the news release.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes continues to build great chemistry with his tight end — just not the one you might think. Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Noah Gray for the second straight week as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. A week after losing at Buffalo, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) maintained their position atop the AFC. Mahomes completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Gray on the game’s opening possession and found him again for an 11-yard TD in the second quarter. Gray has four touchdown catches in the last two weeks — twice as many as nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce has all season — and has become a weapon in the passing game for the Chiefs, who lost top wide receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Kelce was still a factor Sunday with a team-high six catches for 62 yards, although the four-time All-Pro looked dejected after dropping one easy pass. Kelce has 62 receptions for 507 yards this season, while Gray has 26 catches for 249 yards. But Gray's development is a good sign for the Chiefs — and he's on the same page with Mahomes. On his second TD, Gray said Mahomes “gave me the answer to the test there” before the play. “He told me what coverage it was pre-snap," said Gray, who had four receptions for 66 yards. “That’s just the blessing you have of playing with a quarterback like that. Offensive line did a great job blocking that up and the receivers did a great job running their routes to pop me open. Really just a group effort right there on that touchdown.” Gray said that's nothing new. “Pat’s preparation, his leadership is just something that I’m fortunate enough to play alongside,” Gray said. "I love it. It gets me motivated every time we go out there for a long drive. Having a leader like that, that prepares every single week in-and out, knows defenses, knows the game plans. “I’m just fortunate enough to play alongside a guy like that.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three TDs, and he knew what to do on the second TD to Gray. “It's not just me, it's the quarterback coaches and the players, we go through certain checks you get to versus certain coverages,” Mahomes said. “I was able to see by the way they lined up they were getting into their cover-zero look. I alerted the guys to make sure they saw what I saw and I gave the check at the line of scrimmage.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflThe greatest economy in the world has benefited immeasurably from a kaleidoscope of hard-working people of varied ethnicities, a rich mixture of languages and cultures. “We the people” should demand an immigration policy worthy of such lofty stature, one that pushes back against the demagogic forces of today’s Republican Party.
The three Gardai - Irish police officers - walk down the rows of passengers on the bus, a few kilometres south of the border with Northern Ireland. Observing this is the head of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, Det Ch Supt Aidan Minnock. “If they don't have status to be in Ireland, we bring them to Dublin,” he explains. “They're removed on a ferry back to the UK on the same day.” Asylum applications in Ireland have risen by nearly 300% so far this year compared to the same period five years ago. A spike in arrivals from the UK has been driven by various factors, among these the UK’s tougher stance post-Brexit, including the fear of deportations to Rwanda, as well as Ireland’s relatively healthy economy. Most asylum seekers coming from the UK to the Republic of Ireland enter the country from Northern Ireland, as - unlike the airport or ferry routes - there is no passport control. The Garda checks along the 500km-long (310 miles) border are the only means of stopping illegal entry. Det Ch Supt Minnock told the BBC that 200 people had been returned to the UK this year as a result of these checkpoints, thought to be only a small fraction of those crossing the porous border illegally. More than 2,000 people who arrived in Ireland illegally have been issued deportation orders so far this year, a 156% increase on the same period in 2023. However, only 129 of those people (just over 6%) are confirmed to have since left the state. The government has said it will begin chartered deportation flights in the coming months, and free up more immigration Gardai from desk work. Onboard the coach near the border, the Gardai question a young man about where he lives. He is Algerian - a student, he says. The police are suspicious and he is taken to the detention vehicle while his identity is checked. A veteran of war crimes investigations in post-war Bosnia - as part of an EU police team - Det Ch Supt Minnock knows well the violence and poverty that drives migration. “This is growing at such a scale because of the conflict and instability right across the world,” he says. Public concern over immigration is closely linked to Ireland’s chronic housing problem. The Republic now has the worst record in the EU for housing young people. The CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, Nick Henderson, says the crisis is a “perfect storm”, created in part by the failure to build enough housing stock over decades, and a government unprepared for the upsurge in asylum seekers - known in Ireland as International Protection Applicants (IPAs) - needing help with accommodation. “[The government] is only able to provide accommodation through private contractors. That, coupled with an increase in the number of people seeking protection in Ireland, and against the background of a housing crisis has meant, in effect, that Ireland's asylum reception system has really collapsed.” In nearly three years, the number of asylum seekers accommodated by the state’s International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) has more than quadrupled - from 7,244 to 32,649 people. Over 100,000 Ukrainians, who were given a separate status, also sought refuge in Ireland during that time. Tens of thousands of international protection applicants - some already with asylum status in Ireland, others waiting to be processed - have been sent to communities around the country, accommodated in hotels, former schools, apartments, even large tented camps. Ireland’s housing shortage means that even those granted asylum are struggling to leave the temporary system as others arrive. Nearly 1,000 people are now living in tented accommodation. This makeshift response has generated resentment. In the village of Dundrum, County Tipperary - population 221 - a group of locals attempted to block the arrival of asylum seekers at the gates of a former hotel in August. The proposal to house up to 277 people at Dundrum House, which hasn’t operated as a hotel since 2015, would double the local population. Locals worry that it will be a permanent fixture. “How can our government not engage properly with us?” asks Andrea Crowe, a local teacher and protester who has frequently spoken in public. She cites concerns over housing, health and education provision for the community. Since July, there has been a 24-hour protest outside the hotel. Ms Crowe, whose family once owned the Dundrum House hotel, accuses the government of failing to consult with the community - a common complaint around the country. “How can we not be concerned?” she says. The IPAS community currently living at Dundrum House is made up of about 80 women and children. There is also a separate group of Ukrainian families, welcomed after the Russian invasion in February 2022. Several locals told us they feared that single men - who make up 35% of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland so far this year - would eventually replace the women and children, although there so far is no evidence to suggest this is planned in Dundrum. Local builder, Martin Barry, cites the housing crisis as a key reason for his protest, particularly the plight of his eldest son. “My own young fella, he can't afford a place to rent,” he says. But Martin Barry also speaks to deeper fears of change in some rural communities. The dance hall where he met his wife has closed. The local pub is for sale. There were hopes Dundrum House would be reopened and used by the local community. “It’s just the worry of what's coming down the line,” he says. We meet two South African women given refuge at Dundrum House. Both were sent from their accommodation in Dublin - 180km (110 miles) away - to make way for newer arrivals into the capital, some of whom were sleeping in tents on the streets. The women ask to remain anonymous. “Lerato” had been in Dublin for a year. “I had integrated with society, and made friends. My child was attending school and I was comfortable.” Her friend “Kayla” speaks of being isolated in Dundrum, a farming community with limited transport amenities. Far-right parties show scant support in opinion polls. Immigration worries are likely to be expressed in support for independent candidates. But online, far-right agitators stoke fear. There have been violent riots and arson attacks on sites meant to house, or rumoured to house, asylum seekers, and refugees have been attacked in their tents on Dublin’s streets. A common conspiracy theory is that migrants are being “planted” in Ireland as part of a plot to dominate Irish people and destroy their culture. We saw two posters referring to a “plantation” at the Dundrum House protest. The now-closed online GoFundMe Page for Dundrum referred to Ireland’s “indigenous” population fighting “for our very existence” and the government “flooding communities with asylum seekers”. The page - which raised more than €3,000 (£2,500) - was set up by a local businessman. He turns out to have posted antisemitic, Islamophobic and anti-vaccine conspiracist material on social media. We ask Andrea Crowe, one of the prominent voices of the Dundrum protest, if she is comfortable with such a person being involved? Ms Crowe says she does not “follow social media much” and it is not up to her to manage other people’s reactions. But she says she’s “not comfortable with it”. Others in County Tipperary welcome asylum seekers. Some 17 groups came together under the slogan “Tipperary Welcomes” after the Dundrum protest began. John Browne, a member of the community council, says the issue divides people. “I don’t have a problem with it because we're relatively wealthy, and the situation is pretty bad in parts of Africa and where most of these people are coming from.” But he disagrees strongly with the numbers involved in small places like Dundrum. “It imbalances the community. And it's no good for the people coming in, because there's nothing here for them.” We caught up with Ireland’s Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman, while he was campaigning in Dublin for the General Election, due to be held on 29 November. He now canvasses votes with two police guards after being assaulted by a man protesting against immigration. Mr O’Connor says many areas welcome asylum seekers. “There are communities all over the place who are actually embracing and supporting,” he says. But he accepts some failures. “I recognise in the initial parts of our response, there were times where there wasn't that level of engagement that we need,” he says. There are now Community Engagement Teams responsible for liaising with residents, although the protesters we spoke to in Dundrum say they have had only one meeting with a team and are still no wiser about the long-term plans for the hotel. Official policy is hardening. Ukrainian asylum seekers who arrived amid widespread public sympathy and were given special benefits, recently saw these slashed from €232 (£190) to €38.80 (£32) per week - a cut of 83%. South Africans now need visas to enter the country. A visa loophole which allowed Jordanians - at one point the largest group of asylum seekers in Ireland - to enter from the UK has been closed. Concern over immigration has so far not translated into electoral support for far-right parties. Nick Henderson at the Refugee Council believes this need not be inevitable in Ireland. “Communities want to welcome people, but they need resources. They need communication.” The Republic’s image as a stable and progressive democracy won’t change in this electoral cycle. But the rise in far-right populism internationally is a warning for the future – of how concern over immigration can be made a focus for other discontents and create turbulent politics.Why Subscription Growth Is the Barometer for Major Label Success in 2024Georgia loses QB Carson Beck (arm) during SEC title game
‘I was lied to when I was in dental school’: Dentist says he won’t perform another root canal. Then he says the real reason whySTAMFORD, Conn., Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Star Group, L.P. (the "Company" or "Star") (NYSE:SGU), a home energy distributor and services provider, today announced financial results for its fiscal 2024 fourth quarter and year ended September 30, 2024. Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 For the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter, Star reported a 10.0 percent decrease in total revenue to $240.3 million compared with $266.9 million in the prior-year period, reflecting slightly lower volumes sold and a decrease in selling prices for petroleum products, partially offset by higher service and installation revenue. The volume of home heating oil and propane sold during the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter decreased by 0.3 million gallons, or 1.5 percent, to 18.5 million gallons, as the additional volume provided from acquisitions was more than offset by the impact of net customer attrition and other factors. Star’s net loss increased by $15.4 million in the quarter, to $35.1 million, as a $28.4 million unfavorable change in the fair value of derivative instruments was only partially offset by a $9.1 million increase in income tax benefit, $1.7 million decrease in Adjusted EBITDA loss, $1.1 million decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses, and $1.1 million lower net interest expense. The Company reported a fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA loss (a non-GAAP measure defined below) of $29.7 million, or $1.7 million less than in the prior year period, as higher home heating oil and propane per-gallon margins, an increase in service and installation profitability, and additional EBITDA from acquisitions, more than offset an increase in operating expenses and a decline in home heating oil and propane volume sold. “As we move into the heating season and begin a new fiscal year, it’s a great time to reflect on the past twelve months’ performance,” said Jeff Woosnam, Star Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Temperatures in fiscal 2024 were roughly flat year-over-year, and total revenue fell modestly due to slightly lower volumes and selling prices. However, full year Adjusted EBITDA rose by $14.7 million, reflecting an increase in home heating oil and propane per-gallon margins and higher service and installation profitability. We continue to focus on cost containment and the pursuit of attractive acquisitions. At the same time, we remain vigilant in working to address net customer attrition which, at 4.2% in fiscal 2024, was up slightly year-over-year. As we enter the heating season, we believe the Company is well prepared to respond to anything Mother Nature throws our way, while providing our customers with superior customer service.” Fiscal 2024 Compared to Fiscal 2023 For fiscal 2024, Star reported a 9.6 percent decrease in total revenue to $1.8 billion compared with $2.0 billion in the prior-year period, reflecting a decrease in total volume sold and a decline in selling prices in response to lower wholesale product costs. The volume of home heating oil and propane sold during fiscal 2024 declined by 5.8 million gallons, or 2.2 percent, to 253.4 million gallons as the additional volume provided from acquisitions and other factors was more than offset by net customer attrition. Temperatures in Star’s geographic areas of operation were less than 0.1 percent warmer than during the prior-year period but 15.1 percent warmer than normal, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Star’s net income increased by $3.3 million for fiscal 2024, to $35.2 million, as a $14.7 million increase in Adjusted EBITDA, a $3.9 million decrease in net interest expense, a $0.9 million decrease in depreciation and amortization expenses and a $0.7 million decrease in income tax expense were largely offset by a $17.0 million unfavorable change in the fair value of derivative instruments. Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2024 increased by $14.7 million, to $111.6 million, as an increase in home heating oil and propane per-gallon margins, an increase in service and installation profitability and the additional Adjusted EBITDA from acquisitions more than offset a 10.9 million gallon decrease in home heating oil and propane volume in the base business, a $5.0 million reduction in the Company’s weather hedge benefit and an increase in base business total operating expenses. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP Financial Measures) EBITDA (Earnings from continuing operations before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) and Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings from continuing operations before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, (increase) decrease in the fair value of derivatives, other income (loss), net, multiemployer pension plan withdrawal charge, gain or loss on debt redemption, goodwill impairment, and other non-cash and non-operating charges) are non-GAAP financial measures that are used as supplemental financial measures by management and external users of the Company’s financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks and research analysts, to assess Star’s position with regard to the following: compliance with certain financial covenants included in our debt agreements; financial performance without regard to financing methods, capital structure, income taxes or historical cost basis; operating performance and return on invested capital compared to those of other companies in the retail distribution of refined petroleum products, without regard to financing methods and capital structure; ability to generate cash sufficient to pay interest on our indebtedness and to make distributions to our partners; and the viability of acquisitions, capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return of alternative investment opportunities. The method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA may not be consistent with that of other companies, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA both have limitations, as analytical tools and so should not be viewed in isolation but in conjunction with measurements that are computed in accordance with GAAP. Some of the limitations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are as follows: EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect cash used for capital expenditures; although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated or amortized often will have to be replaced and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash requirements for such replacements; EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital; EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash necessary to make payments of interest or principal on indebtedness; and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash required to pay taxes. REMINDER: Members of Star's management team will host a webcast and conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, December 5, 2024. The webcast will be accessible on the company’s website, at www.stargrouplp.com, and the telephone number for the conference call is 888-346-3470 (or 412-317-5169 for international callers). About Star Group, L.P. Star Group, L.P. is a full service provider specializing in the sale of home heating products and services to residential and commercial customers to heat their homes and buildings. The Company also sells and services heating and air conditioning equipment to its home heating oil and propane customers and, to a lesser extent, provides these offerings to customers outside of its home heating oil and propane customer base. Star also sells diesel, gasoline and home heating oil on a delivery only basis. We believe Star is the nation's largest retail distributor of home heating oil based upon sales volume. Including its propane locations, Star serves customers in the more northern and eastern states within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. regions. Additional information is available by obtaining the Company's SEC filings at www.sec.gov and by visiting Star's website at www.stargrouplp.com , where unit holders may request a hard copy of Star’s complete audited financial statements free of charge. Forward Looking Information This news release includes "forward-looking statements" which represent the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involve risks and uncertainties, including the impact of geopolitical events on wholesale product cost volatility, the price and supply of the products that we sell, our ability to purchase sufficient quantities of product to meet our customer’s needs, rapid increases in levels of inflation, the consumption patterns of our customers, our ability to obtain satisfactory gross profit margins, the effect of weather conditions on our financial performance, our ability to obtain new customers and retain existing customers, our ability to make strategic acquisitions, the impact of litigation, natural gas conversions and electrification of heating systems, global health pandemics, recessionary economic conditions, future union relations and the outcome of current and future union negotiations, the impact of current and future governmental regulations, including climate change, environmental, health, and safety regulations, the ability to attract and retain employees, customer credit worthiness, counterparty credit worthiness, marketing plans, cyber-attacks, global supply chain issues, labor shortages and new technology, including alternative methods for heating and cooling residences. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Report including, without limitation, the statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere herein, are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “seek,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" and "Business Strategy" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Form 10-K") for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations ("Cautionary Statements") are disclosed in this news release and in the Company’s Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements. Unless otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this news release. (financials follow)
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