HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Athletics announced on Monday that thanks to a continued generous corporate commitment from Alabama Credit Union, admission to all UAH regular season events at Charger Park along with volleyball games at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall will be free for all spectators.
This is the second straight year UAH has partnered with ACU to provide free admission to all spectators for volleyball and at Charger Park.
The first opportunities for Charger fans to take advantage of this special offer for the 2022-23 academic year come this week as women’s soccer opens up the home slate on Thursday at Charger Park followed by the men’s soccer home-opener on Sunday.
Women’s soccer welcomes Trevecca Nazarene at 5 p.m. on Thursday, followed by the men’s game on Sunday against North Georgia at 2 p.m. at Charger Park. Volleyball’s first home action will also be the beginning of Gulf South Conference play on Sept. 16 against West Alabama at 6 p.m.
About Alabama Credit Union
Founded in 1956 by people who wanted a cooperative approach to banking, Alabama Credit Union remains a people-driven organization that exists to serve its members, support its employees and their families, and enhance the communities we serve.
We are part of the communities we serve; we work and live where our members work and live and take pride in being “real people who offer real help”. We are here to give our members a hand, make life easier, and share money know-how tips to achieve their goals. “Good enough” isn’t how we do things—at Alabama Credit Union we get it right. We offer everyday banking and “loans for real life” with rates and service that make our members smile. At Alabama Credit Union it is not just about the bottom line—we know that taking care of business means taking care of people.
Shropshire Chamber chief executive Richard Sheehan
Shropshire Chamber chief executive Richard Sheehan said the events are important in not only providing revenue, but also attract thousands of visitors from outside the area.
The Covid pandemic wreaked havoc on the events industry for two years, but this year events in the county are back in full swing.
Shropshire usually hosts a range of major events each year, including the Shropshire County Show, Shrewsbury Flower Show, music concerts as well festivals.
Just weeks after 80s legends Tears for Fears performed a concert at the QEII Arena in Telford Town Park, pop royalty Madness will be performing an outdoor gig in the Quarry Park in Shrewsbury on Friday, July 15.
Mr Sheehan said: “The events industry feeds heavily into the tourism, leisure and hospitality industry which has been hard hit by Covid. These events help market the area. They are enjoyed by people living locally as well as bring people in from outside.
“In the short-term they raise revenue, but they also raise awareness of the beautiful destinations we have got in the county and make people want to come back and visit.
“The diverse events on offer in such a rural county is fantastic.
“We’re in a situation where we recognise our agricultural roots and that will bring people in from that sector. But with events such as the concerts and flower show, they bring a much diverse audience and attract people from further afield who will stay in hotels and spend money in bars and restaurants.
“All these events should continue to be welcomed and supported.”
Shropshire Festivals organises several major events in the county annually, including Shrewsbury Food Festival, Shropshire Oktoberfest, Shropshire Kids Festivals, Shropshire Tasty Trail and Shropshire Party at the Quarry Park, collectively attracting over 90,000 visitors annually.
It has also been enlisted to organise the Queen’s Baton Relay family festival in the Quarry on Monday afternoon and Oakengates Carnival in September.
Owner and creative director, Beth Heath, said: “Local events are incredibly important, not just for our economy, but for strengthening community cohesion. Since the moment Boris announced the first lockdown, we have realised how much we took live events for granted – being immersed in community spirit, supporting local businesses, and having fun with our loved ones with shared experiences.
“It has been brilliant to bring back all of our major events this year, plus we’ve had a new demand for event consultancy with corporate clients – everyone wants to enjoy in person parties again, which is fantastic.
“Away from the big boys like Glastonbury, smaller events and festivals like ours are facing a huge challenge. All of our costs are going up but our customers are battling a cost-of-living crisis. Event organisers can’t put on events which don’t break even, let alone make a profit, but we’re loathed to pass on cost increases to customers who are feeling the strain too. It’s going to make many events become unviable, which is heart-breaking.
“Our festivals are a huge boost to the local tourism sector, with people travelling from outside the county, and even the country to visit us. Local restaurants and hotels get booked out whilst our events are on.
“We give space at our festivals for other events to market themselves, helping to boost visitor return visits.
“We believe our events have a circular economy, they attract local people, who support the local businesses we showcase, who create jobs and opportunities in our local area, and those businesses make our events better. I can’t stress enough how important it is to support local events in the area.”
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The “It’s A Village” events are back for a second summer with a goal to bring the community together at local Madison public parks.
Event organizer and Madison Public Library- Goodman South Teen Services Librarian Will R. Glenn Sr. said the events can connect people to community resources.
”That all adults aren’t mean, the police are human just like we are and that everyone that works in your community is a human being just like you are,” Glenn Sr. said.
The event also featured Dane County Dept. of Waste and Renewables’ Trash Lab.
The Trash Lab is a mobile museum that provides interactive lessons about the way trash cycles through Dane County.
Solid waste engineer Sujata Gautam said the goal is to provide a landfill tour for community members in their area, so they don’t have to travel to the landfill.
”It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to meet those goals of meeting people where they’re at in their spaces and telling them, ‘Hey! You know the trash that you throw away here travels all the way to us,” Gautam said.
Gautam guides families through the immersive, but not smelly or dirty look at where trash goes and how it can be improved.
”I get such a felling of joy that yes! People are making the connection of, ‘Wow. People throw away really all sorts of things that don’t need to be in the trash and why is it that our community and society at large is operating this way?’’ Gautam said. ”Learn that story. Think about that journey and how we can be a little bit more mindful when it comes to what are we consuming and bringing into our lives and what are we trying to get rid of and where does it go?”
Drifting leisurely down the Grand River in canoes and kayaks was a new way to celebrate Pride Month.
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Participants in the Paddle for Pride event on Saturday registered at Chiefswood Park on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, then were taken to the launch point in Onondaga.
“We are huge paddlers, and we do the Two Row (on the Grand) ever year,” said Chiara Williamson of Toronto. “When we saw Paddle for Pride, we decided to come.
“We’re dating,” she said, gesturing to her partner Emma Mutsaers. “So this is our Pride Month, and Sylken (Smith, age 10 of Six Nations) always comes and paddles with us.”
Williamson said they enjoy paddling trips every summer, including the ten-day Two Row on the Grand event from Cambridge to Port Maitland that is scheduled for later in July.
Participants in Paddle for Pride make their way down the Grand River from Onondaga, Ontario heading to Chiefswood Park on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory on Saturday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
“Events like these give chances for youth to connect with their community and to see that love is love, and every type of identity is okay,” Williamson said. “Hopefully it will allow them to be who they are. who they always were and have pride in themselves.”
Jess Hill, one of the Paddle for Pride organizers said participants would be treated to entertainment including a DJ and local musicians, face painting, vendors, food, crafts and the screening of films at the park into Saturday evening.
“It’s a day to celebrate and uplift our community, and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth can see they are loved and can move forward in a good way,” said Hill.
Pride in the Park drew a large crowd to Mohawk Park in Brantford on Saturday afternoon.
Event co-chair Ken Giesen said the turnout, the weather and the energy of the crowd was very good.
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“A lot of people commented they were so glad we could do this, and so glad we got this going again after two years,” he said.
A DJ provided music as people strolled past a vendor market, and community information booths.
“My favourite part is seeing the young people come out, dressed in the rainbow and feeling comfortable: their authentic selves,” Giesen said. “And creating that safe place for them to do that.”
Renu Dhaliwal represented the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant at one of the information booths.
Mabe Kyle (right) of Brant County sports a message-laden jacket while chatting with Renu Dhaliwal of the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant at the Pride in the Park event at Mohawk Park on Saturday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
“It gives everyone a sense of community, and I think because of COVID it’s really important to see people and what they are doing,” she said. “To feel the good energy, love and support, that’s why an event like this is important.”
Abrianna Money of Brantford said she was attending a Pride event for the first time.
“I’ve always wanted to go but haven’t been able to because I haven’t been in Brantford or where ever they’re holding them,” said the former Simcoe resident. “I love the inclusivity. It feels safe.”
Among a large crowd attending Pride in the Park on Saturday at Mohawk Park in Brantford were (front row, from left) Madison Wintemute and Abrianna Money; and (back row) Charlie Taylor, Josephine Hutchings, and Erica Nichol.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
“It’s nice to be able to express yourself, be open and comfortable in the community,” said Erica Nichol of Brantford. “It’s a good place to meet people who are like-minded,” gesturing to newly made friends.
“And now we’re best friends,” said Madison Wintemute of Simcoe. “This is my first Pride and I’m still exploring who I am,” she explained. “Something like this is amazing to me.”
E3 2022, of course, didn’t take place. Instead, we had the third annual Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest and a handful of connected and not-so-connected streams and events from other gaming media outlets and publishers. While we had a full weekend of games on display and more than enough to cover, there’s something about the current setup for the game industry’s biggest info dump of the year that’s leaving me frustrated and unsatisfied. I find myself missing the tight encapsulation of excitement E3 used to provide.
What I’d like to see return next year is the attempt to cram all of the big summer industry news into one week or a timeframe close to it. All the better if these events could coalesce in one general location. We used to have a good seven days or so of events, press conferences, and show floor demos that would provide all sorts of information for the following year of games and beyond. It was usually a mess to cover even when everyone shared a convention show floor, but for fans of games, E3 week was a consistent and structured time where I knew game news was going to happen, and once it was over, I knew that was it until Gamescom. E3 week felt important and was essential viewing. The spread of events has, in some ways, lessened the impact of gaming’s most significant time of year.
My problem with the current event structure is we’re in week three of summer events, and it feels like we’ve only seen 1/3 of the announcements. Whatever we’re calling this pseudo-E3 is stretching on far too long. We’ve had big showcases from PlayStation’s third-party partners, Summer Game Fest, Xbox, and other streams focused on indie games and lesser-known titles peppered throughout. The puzzle feels incomplete even with hours of events over and done with. Sony’s primary showcase hasn’t happened, Nintendo’s anticipated Direct has yet to be penciled into our calendars, and big publishers like Ubisoft, EA, Bandai Namco, and the various Embracer brands have hardly shown up or still have events to come.
To be clear, I’m not advocating for everything to be rerun through the ESA; that organization’s flagship show has been canceled multiple times for more than a global pandemic. At this point, most major publishers are massive media organizations and can handle when and where to show off their games. Just look at the crater of what E3 was, and take parts from it that worked. Bring a bulk of the industry together in one place, and share what everyone is working on in one week or so. Keep it concise and hype so we can get on with our summer and not worry about endless events for weeks.
Travis Scott has announced a new organization to “make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be.”
In the aftermath of the Astroworld tragedy in 2021 which killed 10 people as a crowd crush occurred, the rapper reflected on taking “actionable change.”
“Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community. Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family,” Scott wrote on Instagram.
Scott said he wants to be a “leader in my community” as it is “easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows.”
“My team and I created Project HEAL to take much needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honour the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever,” he wrote.
Scott added, “Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance. This program will be a catalyst to real change and I can’t wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas we’ve been working on.”
The official description of Project HEAL is a “multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities.”
Project HEAL and the Cactus Jack Foundation will provide free mental health resources, scholarships and the “first-ever, tech-driven solution for event safety.”
According to TMZ, Scott is donating $5 million to the causes.
Edmonton-area doctors are calling on the province to release more localized data on overdoses to better address the drug poisoning crisis.
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In a statement Monday, the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association’s Opioid Poisoning Committee (OPC) said they have twice requested the release of local geographical area data for opioid poisoning-related deaths and calls made to emergency medical services on the Alberta’s Substance Use Surveillance System (ASUSS) dashboard.
Between January and October of 2021, there have been 1,372 deaths related to drug poisoning in the province, the latest data shows, and there were 153 EMS responses to opioid-related events between Jan. 24 to Jan. 30.
“ It is imperative that this information be added to the publicly facing dashboard, and by extension that it be provided in a timely manner,” the OPC states.
“This information helps mobilize the resources and efforts in the communities to reduce incidents of harm and death, ensuring that those working on the front lines of this effort can be where they need to be. The information would not impact the privacy of Albertans but would identify and support neighbourhoods that are being most impacted by this crisis.”
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Letters were sent to Health Minister Jason Copping in December and associate minister of mental health and addictions Mike Ellis in January requesting the data, but there has been no response, the OPC said.
Ellis’ press secretary Eric Engler said in a statement the ASUSS is the most comprehensive reporting tool in the country “with respect to addiction-related harms.”
“We continually work to enhance the data available on ASUSS, for example, the recently added ‘location of opioid deaths’ tab,” Engler said.
The location of deaths tab provides statistics on the number of deaths that occurred in private residences lived in and owned by the individual, private residences owned by another individual, the public, hotels, and other facilities. In Q3 2021, 51 per cent of opioid poisonings occurred in private residences owned by the individual who died.
The last time the province publicly provided neighbourhood-level data was in the Q2 2020 opioid surveillance report . Engler did not answer questions on why neighbourhood-level reporting has not been provided since then.
“We will be happy to work with individual stakeholder groups who provide outreach services and help them to focus their efforts,” Engler said.
