Latest news with #Higham
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Higham campaigners hope 10-year NHS plan will save GP surgery
Campaigners fighting to save their local GP surgery believe the government's 10-year plan for the NHS will help them Medical Practice in north Kent has applied to close one of the four sites it operates from, in Higham, which it said is financially unsustainable.A campaign and petition have been launched to save practice said closing one surgery was the only way to safeguard its three other sites. On 2 July Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer launched a series of wide ranging reforms to the NHS, to be carried out over the next Angell, who started the petition to save Higham surgery, said: "It mentions communities and villages having direct access to care."I'm hopeful that means, whether the surgery does or does not close, there will be a replacement service." The application to close the surgery will now be considered by the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB).Ms Angell said she and fellow campaigners would be lobbying the board."I'm hopeful" she said, "the fight isn't over."I just hope the ICB give us the time we need to be able to express our concerns and take them on board."Highparks also runs surgeries in Cliffe Woods, Cliffe and Wainscott. 'Struggled with challenges' A spokesperson for Highparks Medical Practice said: "All four sites work together as a single practice serving over 15,000 patients, who can be seen at any location regardless of which site is nearest their home."Both this government and the previous one have prioritised general practice at scale. The latest plans focus on large health hubs like the Healthy Living Centres in Medway but do not address how to sustain small rural surgeries like ours."As a partnership, we have struggled with these challenges for years and are saddened by the need to close one site. Despite extensive discussions with the local Integrated Care Board and political representatives, no alternative has been found."Unless the government addresses rural primary care challenges, practices like ours will continue to face difficult decisions. This decision safeguards the future of the practice and the care of over 15,000 patients."
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Beware of scammers posing as City health inspectors in Lentegeur
Scammers posing as City health inspectors are once again targeting businesses, demanding payment for fake "health certificates". Image: Supplied Scammers posing as City health inspectors are once again targeting businesses, demanding payment for fake "health certificates". The City said businesses in the Lentegeur area have reported that individuals posing as health officials are visiting shops and demanding certificates. The imposters then attempt to charge for issuing the certificates and threaten shop operators with violence if they ask for proof of identification. "The City would like to again inform the public that there is no charge associated with the processing or issuing of a Certificate of Acceptability (COA). "In order to avoid being conned, business owners need to be aware that a COA that was issued since the updated regulations were published in 2018, remain valid unless the premises has a change in management, is sold, physical changes are made to the premises and/or to the scope of operations. "Only the City of Cape Town Health Department has the legal mandate to issue COAs to food premises which, when issued, are printed on specifically manufactured paper with a holographic City logo that prevents it from being replicated," the City said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Mayco member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, said scams are a serious threat to the small business community. "Pretending to be City officials is an old trick and businesses are urged to be vigilant. I want to encourage anyone who has been conned or threatened in this manner to please report it to the police and provide as much information as possible so that those responsible can be brought to book," said Higham. The City said when starting a business or considering any amendments to conditions of trade, business owners should rather consult the local Environmental Health office or the City's website to determine how to apply for it and what costs are applicable, if any. "If you're approached or anyone visits your premises and demands payment or any type of reward for any type of inspection or documentation, insist on checking their credentials and verifying their story with the local Environmental Health office. Business owners can also check the legitimacy of any documentation provided by a third party with their EHPs," Higham said. To find your local Environmental Health office, visit the City's website at Owners of premises who are concerned that persons may be fraudulently representing themselves as City Health officials or that the documentation issued to them may be fraudulent, are encouraged to engage City Health at
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maybe drive to a fork in the road? Idaho reintroduces ‘famous' license plate
Idaho is going retro. The state is bringing back its 1950s-era 'World Famous Potatoes' license plate, in part to help promote agriculture programs. Sleek in its black-and-white design, this plate gives Idahoans the option to personalize their vehicle while supporting the Idaho Potato Commission and highway infrastructure. The plate will cost $70, in addition to any registration fees for its initial issuance. Of this, $45 is allocated to state highway infrastructure and $25 to agricultural promotions through the commission, according to its president and CEO, Jamey Higham. It will be available to purchase starting June 18, according to a press release. 'It's a little more expensive than the usual plate that you get,' Higham said. 'The money to help with roads and stuff through the transportation department, and some of the money will also go to helping promote research for potatoes in our industry within the commission.' The bill to reboot the plate was sponsored by Rep. Douglas Pickett, an Oakley Republican and rancher, and was introduced on Feb. 11. It passed the House and Senate with no opposition. 'It was really easy to actually build a consensus for it, and kind of exciting to see such widespread support for something like that,' Pickett told the Idaho Statesman. Demand for a black license plate has been high in Idaho, according to Pickett and Higham, and they both said they've received good feedback regarding the resurgence of the 'World Famous Potatoes' plate. 'We've been thinking about it for a couple of years, and we actually had quite a few requests to have a black license plate because it's starting to be popular all over the West,' Higham said. Pickett said there was 'a lot of demand' to have a black plate. 'People like to personalize their vehicle, it's sort of a personal expression,' he said. Higham says he has gotten 'overwhelmingly positive' comments about the license plate. Pickett said there could be some apprehension to purchase it because Idahoans believe that areas funded by the other available plates could lose money when they drop those. 'There was a little concern about competition with the Idaho heritage plate. ... But at the end of the day, it boiled down to what people actually want, and people actually decided to have an alternative, and so I think it's important to give people those options,' Pickett said. The plate for the Idaho Heritage Trust helps support historic preservation efforts in the state. Pickett and Higham both said the 'World Famous Potatoes' license plate is what Idaho is all about. 'Our population is increasingly urban, but yet our interest in our identity as the home of the world famous Idaho potatoes remains intact, and people still identify with that as Idahoans,' Pickett said. 'It's just something that I think is kind of nostalgic for Idahoans to reflect back on a plate from the past.' Both men said they think it will be well-received. 'We have a lot of other great industries in Idaho, we really do, but somehow the potatoes have been kind of the iconic one that people recognize us for,' Higham said.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Network Rail ‘devastated' valley by felling more than 100 oaks
Network Rail has been accused of 'devastating' a valley by felling hundreds of trees, including ancient oaks. Contractors were brought in to clear vegetation across the Midland Mainline near Higham, Derbyshire, but have been accused of causing widespread destruction. Distraught residents questioned why healthy oak and birch trees had been chopped down during nesting season, and described the 'heartbreaking' scene of watching birds returning to nests that lay in piles of logs on the ground. The taxpayer-funded company has been accused of illegally felling without an ecologist on site, before putting the remains through a chipper in an effort to remove evidence. In September, a handful of residents were said to have received correspondence from Network Rail outlining plans for 'vegetation management' between November and March. It said the work was designed to 'remove or reduce trees and vegetation that could disrupt railway operations' and laid out plans to 'clear all vegetation within 6.5 metres of the tracks'. But this was extended to include overnight work during weekends in May, as horrified locals awoke to the sound of chainsaws. They found hundreds of trees, including more than 100 oaks, felled along a three-mile stretch of the line between South Wingfield and Ogston Bridge, near Higham. Devastated residents said the stacked piles of trunks and branches – containing nests to which birds still returned – were then put through a large chipper. Cllr Heather Liggett said the work had devastated the area, a unique area of greenery that had remained mostly untouched aside from when the train line was built in 1840. She added: 'Some of those oaks will have been there before the train line was even built. The residents have been woken up by the chainsaws overnight. To know what is happening and be able to hear it makes it even worse. 'They took out every single tree that was in front of them, even if they were healthy.' Workers initially took out hawthorn trees, but soon reached mature oaks that were home to many birds. Cllr Liggett accused the train company of operating illegally because it did not have an ecologist on site and questioned how it could justify such sweeping removals on health and safety grounds. The local community has shared its distress, confronting workers and vowing to tie themselves to trees to try and stop the contractors. Sarah McRow, 56, who co-owns a nearby alpaca farm, said: 'What they are doing is bordering on corporate malfeasance. Nobody in the valley can believe it, it's truly horrifying. 'I was devastated beyond belief. I actually burst into tears. This is hundreds of trees and thousands of years of tree heritage wiped out in a couple of nights.' She said the trees up to 6.5m did not need to be felled as that was only for electrified lines. Ms McRow added that the biggest cause of cancellations had been industrial action and nothing to do with trees or overhanging vegetation, making it even more 'appalling'. A Network Rail spokesman said: 'Our railway lines are important corridors for wildlife and biodiversity, but safety comes first, and we sometimes must remove trees. 'There are strict rules around undertaking essential vegetation management during the bird nesting season. 'That's why we have a qualified ecologist who works closely with us to ensure that our teams on site are carefully briefed on the rules and follow them.'
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Cape Town Libraries launch exciting writing competition for young authors
Cape Town libraries invite young writers to explore their imaginations in exciting new competition Image: Supplied The City of Cape Town's Library and Information Services is excited to announce the return of its much-anticipated writing competition for children aged nine to 13. Following the success of last year's competition, which focused on environmental awareness and received entries from over 100 talented young writers, the City is once again inviting primary schools, book clubs, and aspiring authors to participate. This year, the winners will be celebrated at the Open Book Festival on 6 September 2025. The theme for this year's competition promises to spark curiosity and creativity among participants. Entrants are asked to imagine a scenario where they stumble upon a mysterious box hidden between the shelves of their school or local library. This box, adorned with strange symbols and emitting a faint humming sound, is the starting point for a magical adventure that contestants will describe in their short stories. Participants will be challenged to explore what happens when they finally open this enigmatic box, allowing their imaginations to run wild. "Writing provides a creative outlet and helps children to organise their thoughts and emotions," said Francine Higham, the Mayco Member for Community Services and Health. "By putting pen to paper, they learn a new way to communicate and express themselves. Our children are creative, with vivid imaginations, and I'm sure the judges will have a hard time picking a winner. I want to encourage all our learners to participate, as they could very well write their way to a future as authors." Entries will be open from Monday, 5 May until Friday, 8 August 2025. Competition submissions must adhere to a set of criteria designed to inspire originality and creativity: Word limit: Between 500 and 1,500 words Must be an original story—no AI-generated stories will be accepted Entries must be submitted in handwritten form. Stories can take the form of a picture book, short/long story, or graphic novel Encouragement for drawings and illustrations throughout the work Key elements to include in the stories are: A mysterious box in a library setting A magical adventure A relatable main character or object Entrants are reminded to unleash their imagination and creativity while keeping their work original. Points will be awarded for artistic presentations, including illustrations and drawings. 'Most importantly—have fun.' Higham said, adding a supportive nudge to budding writers. Students interested in participating can submit their stories via email to or drop them off at their nearest library. As young authors prepare to embark on this literary journey, the City of Cape Town is eager to witness the incredible imaginations that will unfold through their words.
