Latest news with #Feeley
Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Popular Wexford beach to play host to New Ross Guitar Festival
During the festival weekend, the peaceful village, known for its golden beach, coastal walks, and historic fort, will pulse with melody from a soul-stirring classical concert to a joyful outdoor showcase that welcomes all ages. The music starts in beautiful Killesk Church, the intimate setting for Ireland's leading classical guitarist, John Feeley who will perform a rare solo concert at 1 p.m. Often described as 'a guitarist of profound lyricism and impeccable technique', Feeley's music has graced venues from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. His performance in this acoustically rich, rural church offers a chance to hear the guitar at its most refined – close, warm, and deeply moving. Later in the afternoon, the energy shifts to family-friendly fun, with the open-air Busking on the Beach, beginning at 2.30 p.m. where music lovers, and seaside wanderers will experience a unique blend of local, national, and international talent in one of Wexford's most beautiful coastal settings. Among the featured performers is Dan Larkin, a soulful singer-songwriter originally from Philadelphia and now based in Georgia. With roots in punk and a heart steeped in alt-country, Dan's music blends raw honesty with tender storytelling. A seasoned performer and philosophy professor by day, his influences range from James Taylor and Ray LaMontagne to Tyler Childers. His vibrant presence and powerful voice are sure to make waves. Also performing is Terry Christian, from Downpatrick, County Down. With seven albums available on iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp, including his 2024 release Songs and Stories, Terry's heartfelt lyrics and fingerstyle guitar are the perfect match for a summer afternoon by the sea. His storytelling style, shaped by life and work in Jamaica, Japan, and beyond, infuses his music with an authentic, lived-in feel that resonates deeply. Busking on the Beach also shines a light on the next generation of local talent, with remarkable young musicians bringing fresh energy and diverse influences to the stage. From the psychedelic rock sounds of 17-year-old Jack Michael Cloke and the bluesy finesse of bassist Connor Lee Carr, to the genre-crossing versatility of Tomás Hynes and the soul-infused blues-rock of 15-year-old Ruben Meadows, these emerging artists reflect the vibrant musical spirit growing in County Wexford. With roots in everything from jazz and punk to classic rock and blues, their performances promise raw authenticity, youthful fire, and a glimpse into the future of Irish music. Hailing from "the middle of nowhere" in rural Wexford, Izzy Moran, also known as Saturn Park, is a young singer-songwriter from rural Wexford. Izzy grew up steeped in music as she was raised on 70s legends like Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles, with her sound shaped by the haunting depth of Jeff Buckley, the honesty of Elliott Smith, and the flair of Ryan Ross. Her guitar-driven set offers a fresh, poetic voice for a new generation of Irish music on the beach in Duncannon. Adding a heartfelt local touch to the event, Duncannon's own Dermot Galvin and his niece Laura Doyle will take to the shoreline stage with a soulful set of vocals, guitar, and bass. Having recently returned to the village after performing in Dublin, Las Vegas, and beyond, Dermot brings decades of musical experience home to the community he now calls home. Laura, a gifted singer now living in nearby Arthurstown, brings warmth and harmony to this family duo, making their appearance a special hometown highlight of the afternoon. These performances promise shared moments of creativity, inspiration, and connection in one of Ireland's most picturesque coastal villages. Whether you're a long-time resident or just visiting for the weekend, Duncannon is the place to be on Sunday, July 20 and it's advised that audience members bring their picnic blankets along as they're bound to be captivated by the sounds throughout the afternoon. For more information and the full festival programme, visit
Boston Globe
25-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Mass. EMS bills a first step to speed up ambulances and save lives
'The EMS system in our state is broken,' Feeley testified Wednesday at a hearing on the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health. 'Unfortunately, I witnessed its failures firsthand.' An EMT at the hearing teared up listening to Feeley's testimony during the hearing that addressed several pending bills related to local public health and emergency services. Advertisement Some municipalities, such as Boston, are large enough that they operate their own EMS services. However, around 80 percent of the state's licensed ambulances are operated by private companies that bid for the right to serve each town's population, the Globe Those private companies have not been able to hire and maintain adequate staff, which has led to ambulance delays, according to the Globe's coverage. The state also doesn't have a centralized system to coordinate ambulances and send them to another town in case of a shortage. A slate of bills intends to address the delays, most notably by designating EMS as an Advertisement Other legislation would set up a Other bills discussed at the hearing propose requiring that all 911 dispatchers in the state be trained to instruct people how to do CPR over the phone and creating a database that lists defibrillators across the state. The bill to make EMS an essential service proposes creating a fund to support EMS agencies and pay for things such as training, equipment, vehicles, and personnel salaries. Representative Leigh Davis, a Democrat of Great Barrington, who sponsored the bill said that for too long, EMS has been underfunded and is not always covered by patients' insurance. 'In 1973, the federal EMS Act left it up to the states to fund EMS, never recognizing it as an essential service,' Davis said. 'Unlike police and fire, there's no guaranteed funding, just donations, inconsistent local budgets, and low insurance reimbursement rates.' Mike Woronka, chief executive officer of Action Ambulance, a private company, said that as baby boomers retire, his company has found it difficult to fill EMS positions, making existing employees' jobs harder. 'We are beyond the crisis stage, it is affecting our staff, and it's affecting the residents of this Commonwealth,' Woronka said. Tina Dixson, an advanced EMT who has worked for 27 years in the Central Massachusetts towns of Hubbardston and Holden said she supports the bill to create a special commission on EMS. Advertisement 'If you pictured an EMT in a neatly pressed uniform, working … with the calmness and precision of a NASCAR pit crew, but with the bedside manner of Mr. Rogers, that isn't always the case,' Dixson said, 'We need a lot of assistance with some of the things in these bills.' Dixson also spoke in favor of bills creating a database for defibrillators so that people can locate one close to them in cases of emergency. Matt Zavadsky, a past president of the National Association of EMTs, said he supports the designation of EMS as an essential service, but noted the bill does not identify a funding source. Zavadsky said that it would be better for the state to designate EMS an essential service, and require localities to fund operations based on their own needs. 'Should the state set a standard that in rural areas in the Berkshires the response time should be 12 minutes?' Zavadsky said. 'And do they pick the provider they're going to contract with to provide that service? … It [should be] up to the local community to decide that.' For the bill proposing a pilot program for EMS workers to treat people 'in place,' Zavadsky said there needs to be an emphasis requiring insurers pay for treatment in place as opposed to only covering transportation to a hospital. 'Treatment in place is already proven, there's enough data out there to show that it's safe and it saves money,' he said. 'Payment models drive clinical practice, so we need the bill to require that insurers pay for treatment in place.' Angela Mathew can be reached at
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
2025 hurricane season prep: How to safely install shutters, tips on maintenance
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 with the peak of the season on Sept. 10. The most activity happens between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center. The key to getting through storm season is being prepared. Here are some important tips on hurricane shutters: Do a trial run now to make sure your shutter system is functioning properly. If you have removable panels, get them out to see if any are missing or bent. Make sure you have enough mounting fasteners. If not, hardware stores often carry extras. Make sure mounting tracks are clean and debris-free. Apply some light machine oil to lubricate parts and deter rust. Permanently applied shutter systems, such as roll-up, Bahama or accordion shutters should be serviced yearly (twice yearly, if you live on the beach) by a professional, especially if the system is motorized. If rollers are accessible, they can be sprayed with aerosol 'white grease,' according to Bill Feeley, president of the International Hurricane Protection Association. All motors should be professionally serviced. Owners of newly built homes with shutter systems should make sure their builder demonstrates how to use the system and that all parts are provided before moving in. Missing or wrong-sized components are common, according to Feeley. 'The homeowner assumes they fit and then when the storm is bearing down, they find out they don't,' he said. International Hurricane Protection Association: (844) 516-4472, American Shutter Systems Association: (800) 432-2204, Shutter orders and backlogs rise near the height of storm season. So the time to choose your coverings, if you haven't already, is now. The least expensive option is plywood. Plywood does not meet Florida Building Code specifications unless it's installed according to code; however, plywood does not meet building codes in most Palm Beach County jurisdictions. However, if a storm is close and survival is the goal, follow instructions in the accompanying graphic for correct installation. Plywood comes in 4-by-8-foot sheets. Measure windows and doors, adding 8 inches to each measurement for a 4-inch overhang. (If your window has an exterior sill, rest the plywood on the sill and add 4 inches to the other 3 sides.) Make your shutters now, before a storm approaches. Label them, for example 'east dining room' and waterproof with sealant or paint. Store plywood off the ground. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers weather, real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism; subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hurricane season 2025: Tips installing shutters, accordion on windows
04-06-2025
- Business
Trump administration signals it will slash funds for long-delayed California high-speed rail project
LOS ANGELES -- The Trump administration signaled Wednesday that it intends to cut off federal funding for a long-delayed California high-speed rail project plagued by multibillion-dollar cost overruns, following the release of a scathing federal report that concluded there is 'no viable path' to complete even a partial section of the line. Voters first authorized $10 billion in borrowed funds in 2008 to cover about a third of the estimated cost, with a promise the train would be up and running by 2020. Five years beyond that deadline, no tracks have been laid and its estimated price tag has ballooned to over $100 billion. In a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which oversees the project, Federal Railroad Administration acting Administrator Drew Feeley wrote that what was envisioned as an 800-mile system connecting the state's major cities has been reduced to a blueprint for 'a 119-mile track to nowhere.' After a $4 billion federal investment, the California agency 'has conned the taxpayer ... with no viable plan to deliver even that partial segment on time,' Feeley wrote. State officials defended what's known as the nation's largest infrastructure project and said they remain committed to construction, though it's not clear what funding would replace the federal support if it's withdrawn. Feeley noted the FRA could seek repayment of the federal funds but is not proposing to claw back those dollars at this time. Carol Dahmen, the state authority's chief of strategic communications, said in a statement that the federal conclusions are misguided and 'do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.' Dahmen noted that the majority of the funding for the line has been provided by the state and that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal would extend at least $1 billion a year for 20 years to complete an initial segment of the line. State officials are focused on a stretch connecting the Central Valley cities of Bakersfield and Merced, which is set to be operating by 2033. The state agency has about a month to formally respond to the FRA, after which the grants could be terminated. State Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican from Huntington Beach who is vice chair of the Transportation Committee, said that 'commonsense has prevailed" and urged the Legislature's dominant Democrats to redirect the funds from the rail line to lowering gas prices or investing in viable construction projects. 'Let's stop wasting California's hard-earned taxpayer dollars,' Strickland said. There is no known source for the billions of dollars that would be needed to complete the line. California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri suggested in April that private investors could step in and fill the funding gap for the project that promised nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours. At the time, he acknowledged that even if funding is secured, it might take nearly two more decades to complete most of that segment. President Donald Trump — who canceled nearly $1 billion in federal dollars for the project in his first term — said in May that his administration will not continue to fund the line. 'That train is the worst cost overrun I've ever seen,' Trump told reporters at the time, calling it "totally out of control.' California Democratic U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff called the administration's announcement a 'devastating' blow for 21st century transportation and an effort to punish a heavily Democratic state that didn't support the Republican president in the election. 'High-speed rail is the future of transportation with the potential to bring customers to new businesses, businesses to new employees and to connect communities hundreds of miles away with affordable and faster transit,' they said in a joint statement.
Winnipeg Free Press
04-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump administration signals it will slash funds for long-delayed California high-speed rail project
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Trump administration signaled Wednesday that it intends to cut off federal funding for a long-delayed California high-speed rail project plagued by multibillion-dollar cost overruns, following the release of a scathing federal report that concluded there is 'no viable path' to complete even a partial section of the line. Voters first authorized $10 billion in borrowed funds in 2008 to cover about a third of the estimated cost, with a promise the train would be up and running by 2020. Five years beyond that deadline, no tracks have been laid and its estimated price tag has ballooned to over $100 billion. In a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which oversees the project, Federal Railroad Administration acting Administrator Drew Feeley wrote that what was envisioned as an 800-mile system connecting the state's major cities has been reduced to a blueprint for 'a 119-mile track to nowhere.' After a $4 billion federal investment, the California agency 'has conned the taxpayer … with no viable plan to deliver even that partial segment on time,' Feeley wrote. State officials defended what's known as the nation's largest infrastructure project and said they remain committed to construction, though it's not clear what funding would replace the federal support if it's withdrawn. Feeley noted the FRA could seek repayment of the federal funds but is not proposing to claw back those dollars at this time. Carol Dahmen, the state authority's chief of strategic communications, said in a statement that the federal conclusions are misguided and 'do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.' Dahmen noted that the majority of the funding for the line has been provided by the state and that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal would extend at least $1 billion a year for 20 years to complete an initial segment of the line. State officials are focused on a stretch connecting the Central Valley cities of Bakersfield and Merced, which is set to be operating by 2033. The state agency has about a month to formally respond to the FRA, after which the grants could be terminated. State Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican from Huntington Beach who is vice chair of the Transportation Committee, said that 'commonsense has prevailed' and urged the Legislature's dominant Democrats to redirect the funds from the rail line to lowering gas prices or investing in viable construction projects. 'Let's stop wasting California's hard-earned taxpayer dollars,' Strickland said. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. There is no known source for the billions of dollars that would be needed to complete the line. California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri suggested in April that private investors could step in and fill the funding gap for the project that promised nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours. At the time, he acknowledged that even if funding is secured, it might take nearly two more decades to complete most of that segment. President Donald Trump — who canceled nearly $1 billion in federal dollars for the project in his first term — said in May that his administration will not continue to fund the line. 'That train is the worst cost overrun I've ever seen,' Trump told reporters at the time, calling it 'totally out of control.' California Democratic U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff called the administration's announcement a 'devastating' blow for 21st century transportation and an effort to punish a heavily Democratic state that didn't support the Republican president in the election. 'High-speed rail is the future of transportation with the potential to bring customers to new businesses, businesses to new employees and to connect communities hundreds of miles away with affordable and faster transit,' they said in a joint statement.
