Youths start fire at York nature reserve
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service say they were called at 8.39pm on Wednesday (July 30) to Clifton Backies in Clifton.
A service spokesperson said: 'Crew from Acomb responded to a fire in woodland started by youths.
'They used a knapsack sprayer to extinguish a small fire consisting of leaves and branches.'
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Suit alleges fraud on Oklahoma's $2.5B Disney-sized theme park
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. The sole investor in the $2.5 billion American Heartland theme park and resort that failed to launch in Vinita, Oklahoma, has alleged fraud and psychological abuse from the developers, according to a lawsuit filed July 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. In the suit, 91-year-old Gene Bicknell, who once owned a large chain of Pizza Hut franchises, alleges that promoters Richard M. Silanskas Jr., Larry K. Wilhite and Stephen D. Hedrick of Mansion Entertainment Group stole $60 million and caused him severe distress that led to a stroke last year. The suit, which asks for the investment back along with other fees, includes texts and emails from Silanskas and Wilhite impersonating messages from God. 'Silanskas and Wilhite executed a predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation — convincing Gene, through fraud and impersonation, that God himself was commanding him both to finance the park's construction and to grant Silanskas and Wilhite two-thirds ownership over the completed venture,' the lawsuit reads. Developer Mansion Entertainment Group announced in July 2023 designs for the 1,000-acre Americana-themed development, including roller coasters, an indoor water park, a 300-room hotel and an RV park. The footprint of the 125-acre theme portion would rival Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, or Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, in size. At the time, Hedrick commented publicly that Bicknell was the sole financial backer, per the suit. 'The plan was to use Gene's money to build the American Heartland Project and then steal it, paying themselves handsomely along the way,' the suit reads. 'Silanskas already had a record of involvement in failed theme park projects that left empty-handed investors in their wake.' The RV area was originally scheduled to open in spring 2025, followed by the theme park and resort in fall 2026. Indeed, the RV area broke ground in 2023 but nothing more has been built besides a fence and a gravel road, according to the suit. Developers claimed that their design team includes former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers, but that was also a lie, the suit alleges. 'The groundbreaking was essentially the beginning and the end of the construction work on the entire Project,' the lawsuit reads. 'Innocent people lost money by buying up land near Vinita with property values inflated by news of a theme park that would never exist.' This is not the first time the project has been sued. Canadian design firm Forrec and Columbus, Kansas-based Crossland Construction both filed claims in May 2024 alleging that they were not paid for their work. At least five lawsuits or arbitrations have been filed by vendors, according to Bicknell's suit. Mansion Entertainment Group did not respond to Construction Dive's request for comment on the lawsuit. Recommended Reading $2B Disney-sized theme park set to break ground in Oklahoma
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Fact Check: President Trump Did NOT Name Former Trump Org CFO Allen Wiesselberg To Be Bureau Of Labor Statistics Director
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Woman Suffers a Cardiac Arrest While Taking the Bar Exam — and Proctors Allegedly Didn't Stop to Provide Help
"The exam never stopped. Everyone just … kept going. Or at least tried to," one eyewitness recalledNEED TO KNOW A woman suffered a cardiac arrest while taking the bar exam at a Long Island college, and administrators of the test allegedly didn't stop to help her "The exam never stopped. Everyone just … kept going. Or at least tried to," one eyewitness recalled The test determines competency to practice lawA test taker suffered a cardiac arrest while taking the bar exam — and proctors administering the evaluation allegedly did not stop in order to provide an assist. The incident occurred on July 30, as the New York State Board of Law Examiners (NYSBOLE) was administering the New York State Bar Examination at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., a spokesperson for the college told PEOPLE. According to the representative, the individual — whom local outlet Newsday identified as a woman — "collapsed shortly before the scheduled lunch break and fell from their chair." "Hofstra Public Safety officers immediately provided life-saving emergency care, including CPR and defibrillation, until paramedics arrived and transported the individual to a local hospital," the spokesperson for the Long Island-based college continued. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The woman was not a Hofstra University graduate, according to the representative for the school. "Our thoughts are with them and their loved ones, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery. Further details about Bar Exam protocols should be directed to the NYSBOLE," the spokesperson added. In a statement to PEOPLE, Joseph Landau, the Dean of Fordham Law School, confirmed the woman is a graduate of their New York City-based school. "We were saddened to learn of what happened to one of our graduates during the New York Bar Exam this week and have been in touch with the family to monitor the graduate's health," Landau said. "Our thoughts are with the graduate and the family, and out of respect for their privacy, we do not have any further comment." In a Reddit post, one fellow test taker claimed that the woman was never attended to during the medical ordeal. "She collapsed onto the floor and was making gurgling sounds, clearly in serious distress. For what felt like a long time, no one reacted until a few people began calling for help and making a scene," the Redditor wrote. "The exam never stopped. Everyone just … kept going. Or at least tried to," the unnamed user continued. They added: "I understand that emergencies are unpredictable and that there might not be much flexibility built into bar exam procedures — but this felt wrong." Newsday reported that test takers returned to complete the exam after a lunch break, and no announcement was made about the ordeal. The outlet added that the woman was taken by ambulance to Nassau University Medical Center for care. Another person who was taking the test, which determines competency to practice law, told Newsday, "That's a real person who could be dying right in front of us, and we're still being expected to continue to finish our questions for this exam." "From a purely human standpoint, that's another human being in distress, and that's not something that you could just flip to the back of your mind immediately — at least for me," the individual continued. The Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) and Nassau University Medical Center did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, nor did the NYSBOLE or the National Conference of Bar Examiners, which provides services to Bar applicants. Read the original article on People
