Latest news with #Shepley
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Veteran with 21 contracts, just 16 games looks to continue improbable career with Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys used to have depth issues on the interior, but no more. Several years dedicated to improving the talent pool has gotten the club to the point they can actually withstand the retirement of a future Hall of Famer. Zack Martin won't be manning the right guard spot for the first time in over a decade, but the Cowboys quickly moved to ensure they had starting quality veteran depth, and then used their first-round pick on the role as well. The result? For the veterans who formerly were the backup depth, a longer road to making the 2025 roster. That group includes Dakoda Shepley, a journeyman who has been with the club for three years after spending time in several other NFL cities. Rundown Position: Offensive Guard Age: 31 (Week 1 age) Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 290 pounds Hometown: Windsor, Canada High School: Holy Names College: British Columbia (Film Study Video) Draft: 2018 UDFA Acquired: 2022 Practice Squad signing Contract: Two-year contract (2025), $2.3 million 2025 Base Salary: $1.1 million Career Earnings: $1.7 million (per Over The Cap) Profile Each time a player is released back to a practice squad, they have to sign a new contract. Shepley has signed 21 NFL contracts before the age of 31. That's five more contracts than games played. Originally a UDFA of the Jets, he's spent time with San Francisco (1 game), Seattle (8 games) and in between two different stretches with the Cowboys (7 games), Indianapolis. Shepley hasn't yet started a game in his career, and faces competition from Brock Hoffman, a teammate since 2022 who has started more games (9) than Shepley has appeared in. Also part of the challenge are the newly signed Robert Jones, Hakeem Adejini and Saahdiq Charles. All of those players have more starting experience than Hoffman, which crystalizes just how difficult it will be for Shepley to make the 2025 squad out of training camp. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Business News Wales
13-06-2025
- General
- Business News Wales
Public Map Platform Project Exhibits at International Architecture Exhibition
A Wrexham University Arts Professor is exhibiting in Italy this summer as part of a project aimed at creating a mapping tool for communities. Alec Shepley, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Art and Society, is co-leading the Public Map Platform (PMP) project, which is being led by Professor Flora Samuel from the University of Cambridge's Department of Architecture and Professor Scott Orford of Cardiff University. The PMP is piloting an online map to help local authorities and their communities picture what is happening in a place, as a basis for informed decision making. It has been developed in response to the Welsh Government's need to operationalise the Future Generations Wales Act (FGA), as well as the Isle of Anglesey County Council's need to align its activities and performance with the FGA. The project aims to help Anglesey achieve and evidence its progress towards its wellbeing objectives surrounding children and young people, net zero carbon and poverty. To showcase the progress made through the project so far the project team's work is being exhibited in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia until November. The exhibit has been put together by Professor Shepley; Professor Samuel; Dr Irit Catz, Dr Caitlin Shepherd from Cambridge University; and Piers Taylor, from Invisible Studio. Professor Shepley said: 'It's a huge honour that the PMP project is now showing in Italy, as part of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, which is centred around architecture being a response to the climate and how human design has been led by the need for shelter and survival. 'Our PMP exhibit features photographic panels, which demonstrate what we have achieved as a collective so far, which has mostly been a creative journey around the isle of Anglesey with Gillian Brownson, Lisa Hudson and Rhys Trimble – three multitalented bards, who have worked with children and young people, with the aim of co-creating narratives about a sense of place, imagining their ideal future on the island through poetry, visual arts and creative writing. 'The research has been live and applied, and has seen us collect rich cultural and environmental data from the island's children and young people themselves to help us inform the map. 'This project embodies what Wrexham research is all about – it's about bringing about positive changes, co-created with the community, with the aim of making things better for them. 'Although this project has been taking place in Anglesey, it's a model that can be carried out for any local authority across the UK.' The International Architecture Exhibition is an international exhibition of architecture from nations around the world and held in Venice biennially. This year's exhibition is titled, 'Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.' and will be open to the public until November 23.
Boston Globe
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Why do those groups care about our local elections?' In Andover, MTA and MassGOP enter electoral fray.
That growing influx of outside money and support is not only unusual for a municipal race but is a potential harbinger of what's to come across the state as groups, such as the MTA, expand their influence into what once were hyperlocal affairs. 'This is a logical extension of the great political and electoral work we've done,' said Max Page, president of the 117,000-member MTA, which in recent years put tens of millions of dollars behind efforts to Advertisement This spring alone, Page said the MTA is helping organize in roughly 20 towns where residents are weighing whether to The moves follow a swell of activism among teachers, who in recent years have launched strikes in several communities — and incurred But the decision to actually spend money in local races is relatively new. The Advertisement Where the MTA funnels money and support depends on which local affiliates ask, said Page, who declined to detail in which communities the union is backing candidates this year. 'Across our entire union, more and more of our locals are becoming much more active,' he said. That includes in Andover, where in 2023 teachers Last spring, the local union endorsed two school committee candidates — a former and current teacher — and the MTA's super PAC followed by spending $15,000 backing them and two others running for the town's select board, including covering the cost of a mobile billboard in town. Three of the four candidates won, including both who ran to be on the school committee. This year, the local teachers union again endorsed two school committee candidates, Advertisement Late last week, the MTA's super PAC While it's a mere fraction of the amounts the MTA has spent on statewide ballot questions, even a few thousands dollars goes far in municipal races. For example, as of last week none of Andover's school committee candidates reported raising more than roughly $3,600 this year, meaning the MTA's super PAC may ultimately spend more than anyone actually running. The MassGOP also offered a hand to Shepley, a 19-year-old running for the second time in as many years for a school committee seat. His campaign paid the party nearly $1,500 to cover the costs of a mailer, which the party sent out on his behalf, using its discounted rate on postage. Amy Carnevale, the MassGOP chair, said the party typically uses those so-called coordinated campaign mailers for legislative candidates. But she said the party is focused on 'building our bench,' including through local seats that can provide a feeder system for higher office. (Shepley did not respond to a request for comment.) 'Candidly we don't have the financial resources to compete with the MTA on direct support for local candidates, so it's been really focused on the technical support,' Carnevale said, adding that the party has held trainings around the state for those interested in seeking office. She declined to say where else the party is actively backing local candidates. 'Sometimes they prefer that the party itself don't do an endorsement' in a nonpartisan race, she said. 'But we may be helping them behind the scenes.' Advertisement The presence of the MTA and MassGOP has only inflamed tensions in Andover, where incumbents have questioned their interest in the race and the push by the unions to replace them. 'You need to ask yourself, why do those groups care about our local elections? What do they stand to gain or lose if certain candidates are elected?' DiCesaro said. 'School committee members need to represent the citizens of Andover and make decisions in the students' best interests, not in the best interests of the teacher union.' Wright, the other incumbent running, suggested that the MTA's financial backing creates the appearance of a 'quid pro quo,' given the committee will be responsible for bargaining a new contract with the union. The Andover Education Association, the local union, has also explored pursuing a union-run 'Our local election process has historically been focused on the local needs of Andover,' Wright said. 'When you have that outside influence, that changes the landscape.' Matt Bach, president of the local teachers' union, rejected that the MTA's support creates any type of conflict of interest. He also said a potential innovation school is only a 'concept' and is not a motivating factor for the union to get involved in the race because 'educators would be working for positive change on the School Committee whether we were exploring that idea or not.' 'The 'outside' groups referred to here are the Educators the community sends their children to everyday,' Bach said in an email. 'Educators, hundreds of which are Andover residents, should be involved in shaping the success of their schools. We know the problems in our schools better than almost anyone else.' Advertisement Tamarkin noted that legally he has no input on the MTA's super PAC decision to support him. To critics of the outside spending, he added: 'Hate the game, not the player.' 'If you don't like these rules, then change them,' he said in a phone interview. 'They're saying, 'Jake is not independent, therefore he's going to give away the farm.' I'm saying, 'They're bad strategists and they already gave away the farm [in the last contract].' I say we get closer to the union so they stop robbing us.' Matt Stout can be reached at
