Latest news with #Pitcairn
The Sun
14-07-2025
- The Sun
The world's ‘most remote island' is 336 miles away from neighbours, has 2 languages, a volcano & home to Brits
THE world's 'most remote island' is home to just 35 people, and is 336 miles away from the nearest inhabited location. There is no airport on the island, which can only be reached by a two day boat trip. 6 6 Pitcairn, is the only inhabited part of the Pitcairn islands, which also consists of islands named Henderson, Ducie and Oeno. The island was formed from a volcano, with the island's main settlement, Adamstown, lying within the volcanic basin. Population descended from British mutineers Those who live on the island are descended from nine British HMS Bounty Mutineers and 12 Tahitian women. The island is a British Overseas Territory, meaning that King Charles III is the monarch, despite the UK being 8,942 miles away. Neither the King or his mother, the late Queen, have ever visited the island; however, Prince Philip stopped at the tiny settlement in 1971 whilst voyaging on the royal yacht Britannia. Members of the community rely on making money from honey, tourism and agriculture, with the New Zealand dollar used as the main currency. Four times a year, supply ships arrive from New Zealand, which 3,106 miles away from New Zealand from the islands. World heritage site In 1988, the island was, which is home to a wide variety of birds nad marine life, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Polynesians were the first to settle on the islands, but they had abandoned them by the time Europeans arrived in the 1600s. Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós was the first European to discover the island in 1606. Remote paradise island where you could move for free but Brit colony comes with dark past and is almost impossible to find It was then discovered again by a 15-year-old crew member of the British warship HMS Swallow in 1767, Robert Pitcairn, whom the islands are named after. In 1790, nine mutineers from HMS Bounty and 17 native Tahitians set fire to the boat and settled on the islands. The boat can still be seen underwater in Bounty Bay, and these are the settlers that today's residents are all descended from. They lived in isolation on the island for 20 years, until Pitcairn was discovered by American whalers in 1808. 6 Smallest territory in the world Soon after this, other ships arrived on the island, and brought the settlers supplies from Britain. During this period, the population began to grow, with ships travelling between the US and Australia using the island as a port call. Pitcairn saw a peak population of 233, but this has declined over time, with many choosing to migrate to New Zealand. As of 2023, there were just 35 residents on the island, making it the the smallest territory in the world in terms of permanent resident population. There are two official languages spoken in Pitcairn, English and Piktern, which is a mix of English and Tahitian. Despite its tiny population, the island still has a church, a tennis court and a museum, which displays artefacts from the HMS Bounty. Cruise ships often visit the island, which today is governed by Ioan Thomas, Britain's High Commissioner to New Zealand. Life on Pitcairn may sound peaceful, but the island's immigration website reveals: "Life on Pitcairn will not be for everyone. "The island's isolation and small size at times make life on Pitcairn physically demanding and challenging. "Residents need to be able to turn their hand to a wide range of tasks, and handle difficulties with pragmatism and creativity." 6 6
CBS News
26-06-2025
- CBS News
2 juveniles shot, killed in Pitcairn
Two juveniles were shot and killed in Pitcairn on Thursday afternoon, authorities said. In a news release, the Allegheny County Police Department said officers were called to Shaw Alley near Wood Street for a report of a shooting around 3 p.m. At the scene, first responders found two victims who had been shot, Allegheny County police said. The two victims, who police believe are juvenile males, were taken to a local hospital, where they died. Several neighbors told KDKA they heard at least five shots. The two victims' ages and identities were not immediately released on Thursday evening. It is unclear if there are any suspects or arrests, and the details surrounding what led up to the shooting are unknown. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- CBS News
After a human skull was found in a Pitcairn home, neighbors recall an unsolved case
A mystery is unfolding in Pitcairn after what appears to be a human skull was found at a home there. The house on Seventh Street is in the process of being renovated. One of the crew members said when they started working in the basement on Wednesday, they stumbled upon what appeared to be a human skull. "We did not expect this. It was very strange," neighbor Theo MacConnell said. When MacConnell heard sirens and saw the flashing lights of police cars rush down his typically quiet Pitcairn street Wednesday evening, he wondered what was going on. When MacConnell found out why, he was not only shocked, but alarmed. "There were families there who probably had no idea, so, yeah, go with that, think about that," MacConnell said. Tragedy struck home's former occupants As MacConnell and several of his other neighbors reflect on the discovery, he says they can't help but think of the family who used to live in the home on Seventh Street. Charles Beltz, who lived there with his wife, vanished while on a hunting trip nearly 20 years ago. Beltz never returned home and was reported missing two days later. He has never been found. Tragedy struck the family again when the couple's son died by suicide. While authorities have not made a connection to Beltz's disappearance, MacConnell feels it's a viable theory. "He went missing and they found the truck. So did they find the body, did they bring the head back as a tribute? Why would they treat it with such irreverence?" County police investigating Detectives with the Allegheny County police are working with the medical examiner's office on confirmation and identification. Neighbors say they hope authorities can bring closure to this person's family and they can finally rest in peace. "The biggest curiosity is where's the rest of the body? Is that yet to be discovered?" MacConnell said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
A (Little League) field day to reflect Harrisville's community spirit
May 9—HARRISVILLE — Since Harrisville Little League was founded 35 years ago, community spirit and commitment has enabled youth in the program to continue swinging for the fences. On Saturday, that spirit will be on display again when a new field in the Little League program is dedicated to a Harrisville couple credited with making the program what it is today. Advertisement A new sign at Chapman Park, town of Pitcairn, where Little Leaguers play, proudly displays the legacy of that couple on the home team dugout: "Dedicated in honor of Rick and Julie Chartrand, whose unwavering commitment, love, and decades of service have shaped the heart of Harrisville Little League. For over 30 years, Rick and Julie, alongside their devoted family, poured their time, energy, and care into this program, keeping the fields green and the spirit of youth baseball alive. This field stands as a lasting tribute to their legacy, a place where generations will continue to play, grow, and dream — just as the Chartrands always envisioned." Rick started Harrisville Little League in the spring of 1990 with one bat, a few baseballs, no uniforms, but with some very excited kids, Julie recalled. They played at a Harrisville Central School. "There wasn't anyone else in mind to dedicate that field to than Rick and Julie, which is our plan on Saturday," said Jessica Frerichs, one of four people who lead the local Little League. "We'll dedicate the field and have our opening day games." Advertisement It all begins at 10 a.m. After the National Anthem, there will be speeches and the official dedication. "All the teams will be dressed, ready to cheer, as we dedicate this new field to the Chartrands," Frerichs said. Rick retired in 2023 as buildings and grounds superintendent at Harrisville Central School. Julie works as guidance office secretary at the district. "They started the program at a small baseball field at the school with just a few teams," Frerichs said. "They ran this program through their children, their grandchildren and then some. About five years ago, their grandkids were playing modified and varsity sports, and they were ready to be at the field watching their grandkids, versus running the Little League. They are ready to retire from it. There's a few of us who stepped up." Now leading the program is Frerichs, her husband, Cody and another couple — Jason and Chelsea Thomas. Between them, they have five Little League players in the program. Advertisement Last year, the program received a grant of approximately $18,000 from the Pratt Northam Foundation. The private nonprofit seeks to be a catalyst to projects that improve the quality of life in the communities of the Black River Valley, from Boonville to Carthage. "The Chartrand family pretty much ran fundraising and volunteers," Frerichs said. "We've been very fortunate the past couple of years, where we've acquired some grants and funding from the town of Pitcairn and town of Diana that allows us to start off every year with a little bit of money to put into equipment, our concession stand and to replace anything that's broken." This year, funding, especially from the foundation, allowed Harrisville Little League to open a second field. It's next to the current field and had been a little-used practice site. Pierce's Trucking and Excavating did the field work and provided the bid that helped the program win the grant with Pratt Northam. Matt Pierce and his two sons, Rhyan and Nick Pierce, performed the work. With two fields, the program is better equipped to handle its growth. This year, there's approximately 80 players enrolled. "When we first started off, we were at about 50," Frerichs said. "Within the last few years, we brought T-ball back. That helped us in that 4-to-6-age range to get them integrated into Little League." Advertisement Field 1 legacy The Little League fields are at Chapman Park, named for T.W. Chapman who donated the land for the fields. The original field is dedicated to Fred E. Vallencour, who died in 2005 at the age of 76. "The land was acquired by T.W. Chapman in 2004, essentially through Fred's efforts," Frerichs said. "Fred was instrumental in convincing Mr. Chapman to donate the field to Harrisville Little League," Julie said. "With the help of the community, and a $10,000 grant from Northern New York Community Foundation, we were able to make Rick's 'Field of Dreams' a reality. In the spring of 2007, we had our opening day in Chapman Park." Advertisement Julie said that there have been many volunteers over the years who have made Harrisville Little League a great success. "It's way too many to name, but they know who they are, and we are forever grateful to those Little League volunteers who made a positive impact on the youth of our community." After 31 years of running the Little League program, Rick turned the reins over to the town of Pitcairn Parks & Recreation. "We are very grateful to Jessica and Cody Frerichs and Jason and Chelsea Thomas, who through Pitcairn Parks and Recreation are running the Harrisville Little League Baseball and softball programming, and doing a fine job," Julie said. The program, she added, has come a long way since its first game in 1990 against a well-established Little League team. Advertisement "Our kids' faces fell when the opposing team walked on the field all suited up with uniforms, many coaches and great equipment," Julie said. "When our kids mentioned, 'We don't have uniforms,' Coach Rick said, 'Uniforms don't make a baseball team. We have heart and we're going to win.' In the back of his mind, he felt the same way as the kids, but the only thing he would show to the kids was a positive attitude and great belief in his team. That day, our team walked away with not only a big win but huge grins and determination." When the first pitch is thrown on Saturday and the sun, forecast to come out after a long, soggy week, Frerichs will be among those on the fields who will realize Little League is about more than baseball. "It's having something for these kids to do and to have them in the right direction as they go into their middle and high school ages," she said. "It's laying the foundation of teamwork, hard work, sportsmanship and leadership. It all starts at this age level."
