Latest news with #safetyimprovements
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
APS board unanimously approves special election for building referendum
Jul. 14—In a unanimous vote, the Austin Public Schools Board on Monday night voted in favor of a two-question special election this November for a referendum to support building upgrades in the district. Voters will head to the ballot to answer the first question of the building referendum, which is not to exceed $54.7 million and that will be spread across eight buildings in the district. This money will go toward upgrades in each building that will include — among other things — safety, security and accessibility improvements. The second question authorizes $12 million for renovation of the 50-year-old Bud Higgins Pool at Ellis Middle School. This second question relies on the passing of the first question. In total, the district is asking voters to approve a total of $66.7 million. "I think if we can proactively take care of our buildings and make them functional and prepared for the next couple of decades, I think that would be a good investment on the community's part," said Board Chair Carolyn Dube. Board member Peggy Young agreed and added that this was the time to do it rather than kicking the can down the road. "The longer we postpone the more expensive it's going to be," Young said. "These are things that keep our buildings together. We have to be really good at telling folks that these repairs have to be done." READ MORE: APS considers possible referendum for November If passed, the impact to an average home worth $200,000 would increase by about $16. While board members were clearly in agreement about the need for the referendum, it didn't mean there weren't concerns ranging from the timing of bringing this election forward this year to how to get the word out. In particular, some board members referenced the current morale issues that have dominated discussions earlier this summer. "My concern is it's been a rough three or four months for the district, the board, the administration," said Board Member Don Leathers. "We need to do our darndest to win over the sliver of people that are a little bit mad at me and a little bit mad at you." Leathers also pushed for a unified effort to get the word out what the district was attempting to do, referencing a survey conducted early in the process that showed a willingness among community members to consider the questions. Cece Kroc on the other hand said she was worried about this being the only ballot item. "It could bring out more people that say, 'I don't want to pay any more,'" Kroc said. "I believe in the needed money, but there are concerns." However, conversations eventually returned to a will of avoiding postponing the referendum on the grounds of changing and likely rising costs of construction as well as a concern of what happens if the referendum doesn't pass. "My concern is if it doesn't pass we don't have $64 million sitting there in our general fund," Dan Zielke said, explaining that difficult discussions could arise in regard to possible cuts within the district. "If we have to spend this money, it comes from a different source." "What happens if this doesn't pass?" he added.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Call for quicker reviews of serious road accidents
Police and council highways officials should speed up how they report and review road collisions to prevent future deaths, a coroner's report has stated. It comes after David Walsh, 40, and his son Cameron, 16, died last year when the car Mr Walsh was test-driving went into Louth Canal close to Tetney Lock, near Grimsby. Published on Monday, the coroner's prevention of future death (PFD) report has been sent to Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Police. It found that crashes involving injuries and deaths that might have been due in part to road conditions were not immediately reported by police to the highways authority. The report by Marianne Johnson, assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, also found that crashes involving injuries or deaths were reviewed by the highways team on only an annual basis. This includes deciding on potential safety improvements to reduce the risk of future incidents. A PFD report is issued when a coroner thinks action is needed to protect lives. Ms Johnson said that not reviewing road traffic collisions more regularly could mean there was a "possibility that other incidents can occur prior to the annual review that could have been prevented" if the report had been made at the time of the crash instead. The council and Lincolnshire Police have been given 56 days to respond to the report with a "timetable for action". Mr Walsh's Mercedes ended up upside down and fully submerged apart from its two rear wheels when it left Tetney Lock Road and went into the canal on 6 January last year. Both he and his son were pronounced dead at the scene. PC Nick Prestwich told the hearing into their deaths there was a sign on that stretch of road warning drivers it was "undulated and uneven". Richard Fenwick, head of highways asset and local management services at the county council, confirmed the car would have driven past a warning sign about 650ft (about 200m) before the scene of the crash. He said the warning signs were "appropriate". The inquest found last month that Mr Walsh and Cameron died in a road traffic collision. Lincolnshire Police has been contacted by the BBC for comment on the PFD report. A council spokesperson said: "We are unable to comment until a response to the coroner has been completed by the deadline date set in the document." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices Tributes to young footballer and dad killed in crash Teen killed in canal crash was youth footballer HM Courts & Tribunals Service Lincolnshire Police Lincolnshire County Council
BBC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Call for quicker reviews of serious Lincolnshire road accidents
Police and council highways officials should speed up how they report and review road collisions to prevent future deaths, a coroner's report has comes after David Walsh, 40, and his son Cameron, 16, died last year when the car Mr Walsh was test-driving went into Louth Canal close to Tetney Lock, near on Monday, the coroner's prevention of future death (PFD) report has been sent to Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire found that crashes involving injuries and deaths that might have been due in part to road conditions were not immediately reported by police to the highways authority. The report by Marianne Johnson, assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, also found that crashes involving injuries or deaths were reviewed by the highways team on only an annual basis. This includes deciding on potential safety improvements to reduce the risk of future incidents.A PFD report is issued when a coroner thinks action is needed to protect Johnson said that not reviewing road traffic collisions more regularly could mean there was a "possibility that other incidents can occur prior to the annual review that could have been prevented" if the report had been made at the time of the crash council and Lincolnshire Police have been given 56 days to respond to the report with a "timetable for action". Mr Walsh's Mercedes ended up upside down and fully submerged apart from its two rear wheels when it left Tetney Lock Road and went into the canal on 6 January last he and his son were pronounced dead at the Nick Prestwich told the hearing into their deaths there was a sign on that stretch of road warning drivers it was "undulated and uneven".Richard Fenwick, head of highways asset and local management services at the county council, confirmed the car would have driven past a warning sign about 650ft (about 200m) before the scene of the crash. He said the warning signs were "appropriate".The inquest found last month that Mr Walsh and Cameron died in a road traffic Police has been contacted by the BBC for comment on the PFD report.A council spokesperson said: "We are unable to comment until a response to the coroner has been completed by the deadline date set in the document." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Solihull Council considers safety improvements on 'hazardous' road
A road near a town centre will be looked at as a "special case" for safety improvements after a crash in which teenagers were senior West Midlands Police officer Mike Doyle urged Solihull Council to take action on Church Hill Road, after previously warning that speeding was so bad residents were selling had been two extremely serious incidents this year alone, said councillor Samantha Gethen, who represents the ward, describing the road as a "hazardous stretch."The authority's head of highways management, Paul Tovey, told a council meeting there was an "emerging trend" in the road which was why action was being considered. Repainting of white lines, new signage and periodic traffic enforcement by police had been welcome steps, but more needed to be done, Gethen response to a question from other councillors about what made Church Hill Road a special case, Tovey said it was partly down to the number of pedestrians in the area heading to school and did not always slow down approaching the two bends, as you would expect, he added, with some driving above 45mph in a 30 member Ken Hawkins, who brought the special case for the road forward, agreed to approve the development of a traffic calming scheme and seek funding for it. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Shropshire maternity campaigner welcomes national inquiry
The announcement of an investigation into maternity care in England has been welcomed by a bereaved mother who has been campaigning for safety improvements for more than a Davies, who lost her daughter Kate in 2009 due to mistakes made by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SATH), said: "It's clear that [Health Secretary] Wes Streeting has listened to the families."But while backing the inquiry, which was announced on Monday, she sounded a note of caution, stating that change must ultimately come from "clinicians on the ground".The probe is to look at some of the the worst-performing maternity and neonatal services, and report back in December. Prior to the announcement, Streeting met parents who lost babies in a series of maternity scandals at various NHS trusts. He said the investigation would "make sure these families get the truth and the accountability they deserve".Ms Davies, who now lives in Hereford, was involved in those discussions last week, and said the proposals he showed to the families then were "very very different" to what emerged on Monday."He clearly listened to us when we told him that what he was proposing was nowhere near enough," she said, adding Streeting was "on the side of" did, though, suggest bereaved parents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were likely to feel disappointed by the focus on Davies's daughter Kate was six hours old when she died. A campaign by Ms Davies and Kate's father Richard Stanton culminated in the Ockenden Review of maternity care at SATH, which concluded catastrophic and repeated failures led to the deaths of more than 200 babies. Making the announcement on Monday, Streeting apologised on behalf of the NHS to those families who had suffered avoidable comes after a series of maternity scandals including those in East Kent, Nottingham and Shrewsbury and inquiry will initially review up to 10 maternity and neonatal units, the identity of which has yet to be decided, although it was confirmed University Hospitals Sussex and Leeds would feature. Ms Davies said that based on discussions, she expected a "national maternity and neonatal taskforce" to be chaired by stated that such development encouraged her that families were being was different, she said, to 2009, when she first started her fight - a campaign which had led to this point, she added. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
