Latest news with #petition
CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Petition calls for Pennsylvania high school to remove Benjamin Netanyahu from Hall of Fame
A petition is calling for Cheltenham High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, to remove Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from its Hall of Fame. The petition, which the Cheltenham High School Alumni Association started, says, "Benjamin Netanyahu's presence in Cheltenham's Hall of Fame sends the wrong message to current students — many of whom have spoken out against his continued recognition." "Netanyahu has been indicted on corruption charges and now faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza," the petition reads. "These are not credentials that belong in a school hallway." Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv, but he also spent time growing up in the United States. He graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1967. Brian W. Scriven, the superintendent of schools in the Cheltenham School District, said in a statement that "no decision" has been made regarding Netanyahu's status in the school's hall of fame after he met with officials from the alumni association on Monday. "We understand that this is a topic of deep concern to some members of our diverse school community as well as the broader public. Given the complexities involved and the heightened public discourse, we must proceed in a deliberate manner," Scriven said in part. "At this time, as the alumni association prepares to induct a new class of hall of fame members, the district is focused on ensuring all internal processes — from selection committee meetings to candidate evaluation criteria — are conducted fairly and consistently and with collaboration among all constituents," he added.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
More than 1,500 people sign petition against Southampton Airport plans to fell trees
More than 1,500 people have signed a petition against Southampton Airports plans to fell trees at a Southampton cemetery. The petition opposes plans to fell 19 trees in South Stoneham Cemetery - which have been identified by the Civil Aviation Authority as a hazard to flight safety at nearby Southampton Airport. Campaigners say the trees are "living memorials" and vital to the character of the cemetery. Trees at South Stoneham Cemetery (Image: NQ) The petition reads: "The trees are more than just part of the landscape—they are living memorials, silent witnesses to the lives commemorated here. "Their loss would not only diminish the visual and ecological richness of the area, but also undermine the very character that makes the cemetery a haven of peace and remembrance." Southampton Airport has applied to Southampton City Council - which the council granted on July 16. READ MORE: Southampton Airport given permission to chop down 19 cemetery trees A spokesman for Southampton Airport said: "We are legally obliged to maintain a clear and safe airspace for the aircraft that fly to and from our airport. "Our application related to 29 trees that were identified by the Civil Aviation Authority as presenting a hazard and we are therefore required to have a management plan in place. "We presented a range of measures for officials to consider that would allow us to remove the risk presented by the trees while also enhancing the biodiversity of the local area. "This included a comprehensive replanting scheme both within South Stoneham Cemetery and across Southampton, as well as the creation of new hedgerows and a meadow. "It is important we work in partnership with the council and we look forward to working with officials to agree the final details of the tree management plan." Campaigners argue that the environmental impact of removing mature trees cannot be offset by new planting, as young trees would take decades to reach similar ecological value. Stoneham Cemetery is home to wildlife including kestrels, owls, bats, and woodpeckers. Bats would lose crucial roosting sites, and campaigners warn that increased light pollution could further harm the area's biodiversity. The petition continues: "We urge Southampton Airport to reconsider its plans and explore alternative solutions that do not encroach upon this deeply valued and ecologically significant site."
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Campaigners submit petition against Sowerby Bridge incinerator
A petition bearing 2,400 signatures has been submitted against long-running proposals to build an incinerator in a West Yorkshire in Sowerby Bridge have opposed the plans for a waste plant - which Calderdale Council approved an environmental permit for at the end of Wednesday, some of those involved in the campaign gathered outside Halifax Town Hall and chanted "they don't care about our air", before handing a petition to elected members calling for the permit to be local authority has previously said its officers found the incinerator to be legal and therefore the permit would not be rescinded. In February, campaigners raised £10,000 to launch a legal challenge against the decision, but the High Court later refused one of them, Malcolm Powell, permission to apply for a judicial Powell is planning to appeal against that ruling, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said. Formally presenting the petition, Sowerby Bridge Labour councillor Simon Ashton said the uncertainty around the situation was affecting residents and cited air quality and health impacts as being among the main objections to the incinerator. "Constituents have raised their voice and I urge this council to listen – please heed this petition and consider rescinding the permit," Ashton told the Council initially rejected a first application from Calder Valley Skip Hire (CVSH) to run the incinerator at its Rochdale Road site, before that decision was overturned on appeal. A public inquiry later effectively backed the council's original position, however. CVSH then submitted a second application, which was granted by the local authority alongside conditions, one of which would require continuous monitoring of air quality in the opponents' grievances is the fact the second application was decided by officers, rather than debated by councillors in Council leader Jane Scullion told Wednesday's meeting that potential changes to the authority's planning system, which would mean councillors have the final say on such proposals, would be considered at the council's next Cabinet meeting. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Mum issues chilling warning after her ‘gorgeous' daughter, 15, died of an accidental paracetamol overdose
ALICE Clark was like any other 15-year-old girl - excited for her prom, a lover of animals, Christmas and her family. But in December 2024, after being off school sick for two days, with her mum Joanne Garcia-Dios watching over her, she died of a paracetamol overdose. When Joanne, 43, found her daughter incoherent in her bedroom, she discovered from friends that Alice had taken a fatal dose of the painkiller days before. Joanne and her family, from West Parley, near Bournmouth, Dorset, do not believe Alice meant to end her life, and are petitioning for the law to change regarding the sale of paracetamol. Here, she tells her story and makes a plea to all parents... IT was a summer's day, but as I walked into the kitchen, it smelt like Christmas. As 'Merry Christmas Everyone' blasted from the speakers, my daughter Alice, then 11, turned to me, flour dusted on her cheeks. 'What do you think, Mum?' she said, pulling out a tray of gingerbread men. 'They're perfect, sweetheart, but it's only August!' I chuckled. 'You know Christmas is my favourite time of year,' she grinned. 'I couldn't wait!' Alice was always making me, her stepdad Rudi and brother Jake, 17, laugh. Jake and Alice were each other's worlds. Alongside Christmas, Alice adored animals and enjoyed collecting snails and woodlice from the garden, making them her pets. Scientists discover that even really low doses of paracetamol could damage your heart She was family-orientated too, and loved spending time with my parents – who she called Nanny and Bop-Bop – and her dad, Rob. Before I knew it, my little girl had turned 15. Her GCSEs were her next big exams and after that, her prom. Alice had sent me photos of prom dresses she liked, all in her favourite shade, baby blue. I knew she would look like a princess, with her blonde hair and model looks. At Christmas, she had a tree up in her room, decorated with Jellycat teddies. It was a December morning when I went into her bedroom, but she didn't seem herself. 'I've got a funny tummy,' she said. 'Don't worry about school today,' I told her. I was working from home so I could keep an eye on her. She spent the day on the sofa, but later, seemed to rally. She went to her orthodontist appointment and was her normal chatty self. But the next morning, she texted me from her room. 10 10 'I've been sick and my tummy hurts,' she wrote. Alice was sick a few more times that day, but she was also laughing and joking. 'I'm popping out for a bit,' I said to Alice later. 'Do you need anything?' But when she replied, she wasn't making sense and slurring her words. What Alice's friend told me left me reeling Mothers' instinct kicked in - could it be a stroke, I thought? 'What's your brother called?' I asked. 'I don't have a brother,' she replied. I asked her what month it was, thinking she had to know with the Christmas tree right beside her. But to my shock, she was stumped. 'I'm ringing 999,' I said to Rudi. As we waited for paramedics, Alice's phone didn't stop ringing. 'Alice is really poorly and can't talk now,' I told her friend. But what he said sent me reeling. He told me my girl had taken an overdose of paracetamol two days ago. 'No way,' I said, not believing it. But the first thing I did was tell the paramedics. 'This isn't my daughter, but I'm relaying what I've been told,' I said. Alice was so sensible, and had seemed absolutely fine. She was rushed to hospital, where they ran tests all night. Rudi, Rob and I were beside ourselves. Alice was falling in and out of consciousness and so confused, as we stayed by her side all night. The next morning, the doctor came to see us. 'Alice has acute liver failure,' he said. They believed it was caused by taking too many paracetamol tablets. Alice was given dialysis treatment, but wasn't improving. We were told that Alice would need to be put into an induced coma and moved to a specialist hospital in London. 'It'll give her brain the best chance of survival,' the doctor said. 10 10 While Alice was transferred by ambulance, I picked up Jake. Back at hospital, doctors told us the next few days were critical. As the hours passed, we held Alice's hands and stroked her hair. Heartbreaking goodbyes By 10pm, we hadn't slept for so long, so we decided to go and get some rest. 'Good night, Alice,' I said, kissing her forehead, before Jake and I went to the family accommodation. Only 10 minutes later, Rob called me. 'You need to get back now,' he said. Jake and I ran to her ward. Rudi and one of my sisters had just been driving home, but they turned back too. 'I'm so sorry, but Alice isn't responding to treatment,' the doctor said. Then suddenly she went into cardiac arrest. After 25 minutes, she came round, but moments later, they were working on her again. Jake was too upset and waited in the family room with his auntie, my sister, while Rob and my husband tried to shield me from what was happening. But despite trying for another half an hour, they couldn't save Alice. I let out a cry of pain as Rudi held me. I'd never believed she wouldn't make it, never thought I'd need to say 'I love you'. The loss was excruciating. We were allowed some time with Alice, and Jake helped the nurse take Alice's hand and footprints. Searching for answers The next days sped by in a blur of grief and confusion. I just couldn't understand why Alice had taken the pills and how she'd deteriorated so quickly. The police took her phone to glean clues from her messages. In time, we held Alice's funeral, where everyone wore a splash of baby blue. Car-loving Alice would have been thrilled to be escorted to her prom in a supercar, but she'd never get that chance, so my son-in-law contacted three supercar owners to accompany her on her final journey. As her coffin was carried out of the car, the drivers of the cars, including a Lamborghini and Ferrari, revved their engines. My eulogy, which was read out by the priest, talked of her love for her family, Jellycats, cars and loud music. 'Alice left this world far too soon, leaving behind so many people who absolutely adored her,' he said. 'She leaves a huge emptiness in the hearts of everyone who loved her.' After police returned Alice's phone and I'd spoken to her friends, I pieced together, as best as I could, what had happened before she died. My beautiful, smiley Alice never appeared to be in a dark place and her struggles with mental health escalated so quickly, it came as a horrendous shock to us all. Joanne Snapchat and TikTok messages from Alice showed she had taken several paracetamol tablets in one go over several hours. She'd received harassing, then nasty messages from school pupils and also had the stress of looming exams. Although she'd told several of her peers she had taken the pills, none of them had told an adult. I learnt that if caught early, doctors could have pumped her stomach and even 24 hours later, they could have given her medicine that reversed the effects. If only someone had said something, I thought, desperately. We don't believe Alice realised the severity of what she'd done, or that taking that many paracetamol could kill her. We believe that Alice thought that by being sick she was getting them out of her system. 'I've done something silly' By the time any of us, including her, realised something serious was wrong, she wasn't talking properly or making any sense. Even in those conscious moments, she still didn't tell us what she'd done. She told one of her boy friends, "I've done something silly" - we don't believe she meant to end her life. As time went on, I did more research and was shocked. People saw paracetamol as harmless and readily available, but thousands were admitted to hospital with overdoses every year. I wanted everyone to know the dangers, that medicines should be locked away, even if parents thought they had sensible children. I've started a petition to call for the medication to be taken from supermarket shelves and placed behind the counter at a pharmacy, where it can be dispensed by a pharmacist. I also want to raise awareness of the symptoms and the importance of speaking up if you know someone has taken too many tablets, even if it feels as if you're betraying their trust. My beautiful, smiley Alice never appeared to be in a dark place and her struggles with mental health escalated so quickly, it came as a horrendous shock to us all. My life's purpose now is to raise awareness of her death and prevent this from happening to anyone else. In the name of my gorgeous girl, I'm determined to save others. 10 10
CTV News
6 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Population growth puts pressure on Halifax sports fields, parent says
Athletes find themselves on the sidelines as the competition for sports facilities grows. Athletes find themselves on the sidelines as the competition for sports facilities grows. First at Five: A Place To Play Halifax's population passed the half-a-million mark last year, putting pressure on health care, housing and even the summer sports scene. Mike Burgess, a minor baseball parent in Dartmouth, says the shortage of baseball diamonds, paired with an outdated booking system for teams, leaves little time to play and practice. 'It's frustrating and disappointing,' said Burgess. 'You pay and you want your kids to develop, and they are just not getting the time to be able to get on the fields, to grow, develop and hang with their friends.' Burgess has launched a petition online to address the lack of playing fields and what he calls a scheduling nightmare. 'Teams aren't allowed to go onto an open field if they haven't paid and rented it,' said Burgess. 'What I've done is taken some of the kids to random green spaces to work on our pitching, to work on our fielding, but it's not the same experience and it's not the full team.' Burgess says once his petition hits 1,000, he'll take it to Halifax council, but he says the scheduling issues could be fixed easily with more advanced software. 'All teams need to be able have visibility (in scheduling) and to see when fields are open,' said Burgess. Mike Burgess Parent Mike Burgess has started a petition to call on Halifax to address the shortage of baseball diamonds and what he calls an outdated field booking system. (Source: Jesse Thomas/CTV News Atlantic) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
