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UK to tax private schools in £1.5 bn boost to public educationATA Creativity Global ( NASDAQ:AACG – Get Free Report ) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 154,200 shares, a decline of 16.3% from the November 30th total of 184,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 45,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on ATA Creativity Global in a research report on Saturday. They issued a “sell” rating on the stock. Get Our Latest Stock Report on AACG ATA Creativity Global Trading Down 2.2 % ATA Creativity Global Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) ATA Creativity Global, together with its subsidiaries, provides educational services to individual students through its training center network in China and internationally. Its educational services include portfolio training, research-based learning, overseas study counselling, in-school art classes through cooperation with high schools and training organizations, foreign language training services, junior art education, and other related educational services to its students. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for ATA Creativity Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ATA Creativity Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .MITCHELL — Students in the Mitchell School District work hard to see good performance reflected in their regular report cards. That’s equally true for the school district itself, with the annual district report card giving school leaders insight into school statistics, student academic performance and overall system goals, all the while offering perspective on how the district compares to others around the state. Reports are published for districts in the fall of every school year. ADVERTISEMENT Joe Childs, superintendent for the Mitchell School District, gave a brief rundown of some of those figures at a recent meeting of the Mitchell Board of Education. He also recently talked with the Mitchell Republic about some of the highlights of the 2023-24 report for the Mitchell School District, the most recent such report card. With the student body population playing a large role in district funding, school officials keep a close eye on the latest enrollment figures. The district report card shows the Mitchell district with an enrollment of 2,728 for the 2023-24 school year, which was up a few students from the previous year, which logged 2,725 students. The 2021-22 school year saw a higher enrollment at 2,747 and 2020-21 was even higher at 2,802, which marks the high point for the district since at least 2014-15. Overall state enrollment numbers were also up for 2023-24 over 2022-23, with all districts reporting 167,316 students in 2023-24, up from 166,680 the previous year. Childs said the enrollment for this year, which is not reflected in the new report card, is down by 91 students. “The count day is done, but going into the current school year we are down. We did see a decrease in enrollment, and it wasn’t at just one building or one grade level, it was just kind of across the entire district,” Childs said. ADVERTISEMENT There are several factors that can affect enrollment. Overall rural population decline in the state is one contributor, as is some students choosing alternative education options, such as home-schooling. Childs suspects those factors are affecting not just the Mitchell district, but districts around the state. “I think folks are seeing some of this all across the state, for sure. And I know there are statistics that our state is seeing an increase in alternative sources of education,” Childs said. The report includes information on student socioeconomic status within the district, measuring the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunches. According to the report, 40% of elementary students qualify for such discounts, along with 39% of Mitchell Middle School. That number takes a dive when students get to high school, with only 28% qualifying for free and reduced lunches. Childs said that drop off can be partially attributed to the lunch habits of the high school students. ADVERTISEMENT “When you’re an elementary student and often a middle school student, you are at school all day, you get there at 8:15 a.m. and you don’t get out until 3:15 p.m. And if you’re having lunch, you either brought lunch or you ate lunch at school. But in high school, you get a little more mobile,” Childs said. With other lunch options for high schoolers, such as going off-campus for lunch, some families simply don’t fill out the applications to qualify for the reduced meal prices. “I would suspect that because of that, you’re seeing 10% of those families that might be eligible for free and reduced lunches simply aren’t completing the forms,” Childs said. According to the report, the district has 153 students who classify as English language learners (EL), which accounts for about 5% of the total student population. Broken down, the highest percentage of those students are at Rosedale Colony and Rockport Colony, where there are 15 and 4 students classified as EL students, making up about 63% and 40% of their respective school bodies. After the colony schools, the numbers and percentages drop, with L.B. Williams Elementary hosting the highest number of students at 46, or 10% of its student body. Mitchell High School is next with 29 for 3%, followed by Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary with 24, for 6%. Mitchell Middle School counts 19 such students for 3% and Longfellow Elementary comes in with 16, or 5%. Childs said the EL population at the district continues to grow. ADVERTISEMENT “The overall numbers in the grand scheme of the total enrollment of our schools, that number is still low, but it is the fastest growing population of students that we have in the Mitchell School District,” Childs said. Mitchell School District Report Card Full by inforumdocs on Scribd Testing scores tracked by the report card also show the Mitchell School District outperforming their peers at both the state and national level. Statistics show reading and ELA scores at 59% proficiency, compared to 51% for the state average. For math scores, the district logged a 54% proficiency rating compared to 44% for the state averages. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11 are included as part of the survey. All reading and math scores at each grade level rate at above the state average for 2023-24. Mitchell students also tend to outperform their peers in the ACT test. For 2023-24, MItchell students’ average score was 22.3, up from 21.8 in 2022-23 and even with 2021-22. The past three years of state average scores are 21.5 in 2021-22, and 21.1 in 2022-23 and 2023-24. For the national average, scores were 19.8 in 2021-22, 19.5 in 2022-23 and 19.4 in 2023-24. Childs said the ACT test will now be used for state assessment scores for juniors instead of the traditional Smarter Balanced Assessment. Childs expects that change to affect scores as taking the ACT test is optional. ADVERTISEMENT “You don’t have to take the ACT. So when we look at our composite from 2024 and say our composite average is 22.3, that’s the average of those who decided to take the test. So I would imagine we’re going to see that average change, and I have to imagine it’s going to go down,” Childs said. Childs said with ACT taking the place of Smarter Balanced tests for juniors, the state average would also likely see a drop in scores as all the other districts in South Dakota will also be making the switch. The Mitchell School District has made an effort to improve chronic absenteeism in the district, and for the most part, Childs feels those efforts are paying off. Mitchell was one of four South Dakota school districts that were awarded grant money for the Addressing Chronic Absenteeism program from the South Dakota Department of Education in 2023. The district used that funding to hire Aaron Klinger as an attendance liaison and social worker, who began his duties early in 2024. That start date was a little too late to reflect much progress in the 2023-24 report card, but Childs said district statistics suggest overall improvement. “We got him in last year, mid-year, and so he had half a year to work on it, and he hit the ground running for this school year. So we’re hoping to see some improvement moving into next year’s report, and he’s just one component, of course,” Childs said. “(Based on observations) the only place we didn’t make our progress goal was at one of the elementary schools, but the middle school and the other two elementary schools did make some progress toward improving their chronic absenteeism.” The 2023-24 report card shows an attendance rate of 91% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 19%. The state chronic absenteeism rate for that same year is 20.4%. ADVERTISEMENT A priority district goal is the graduation of its students, and Childs noted several statistics show positive performance by students and their instructors. The latest report card shows an on-time graduation rate of 90% for the Mitchell School District, above the 83% state average. The Mitchell district on-time graduation rate has fluctuated between 87% and 93% since 2018. The overall graduation rate for 2023-24 comes in at 93% for Mitchell and 91% for the state average. Those are respectable numbers, but Childs said he was particularly pleased seeing the survey of Mitchell High School graduates’ plans for after graduation. About 76% of graduates are heading off to post-secondary schools, another 21% are entering the workforce and another 2% planned to enter the military. The most popular in-state post-secondary destination for Mitchell students is none other than Mitchell Technical College. “One of the things I get excited about is the graduates’ plans. You can see that 76% of our students are going on to post-secondary, which is the most favorable of the options that they report back to us,” Childs said. “What I think is fun to report is that over 40% of those students are still staying in Mitchell. We have a lot of them that are sticking around here near their South Dakota roots, and we also have students that are kind of going all over the place in some really neat and very prestigious places.” In addition to Mitchell Tech, other common in-state schools picked by Mitchell graduates include South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota and Dakota Wesleyan University. Notable out-of-state schools include Arizona State, Harvard, the University of Iowa, Dordt University and the University of Nebraska. The full 2023-24 report card for the Mitchell School District can be found at the Mitchell School District website.Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has been handed the title of "Olympic Queen" by the Thai Sports Journalists' Association (TSJA). This exercise is a part of the association's annual tradition of giving unique nicknames to notable sports figures and important personalities. For 2024, 12 prominent individuals were named, including Khunying Patama, who is also deputy president of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and president of the Badminton Association of Thailand. Khunying Patama is the sole Thai female IOC member and the fourth Thai to achieve this prestigious position. She earned the title of "Olympic Queen" for her outstanding contributions to international and Thai sports and has been acknowledged by the IOC for her expertise and commitment to sports development. Recently, she was approached to run for the position of IOC president after the end of Thomas Bach's term, but she declined, prioritising her dedication to Thai sports instead. Over her seven years as an IOC member, Khunying Patama has made all-out efforts to promote sports and culture. Known for her generosity and friendly demeanour, she has provided significant financial support to sports federations, contributing over 100 million baht annually. Her charisma extends internationally and has earned her the honorary citizenship of South Korea -- a rare honour for foreigners. Given her extensive network and unifying approach, many in Thailand's sports community see her as a natural candidate to lead the Thai Olympic Committee. Her independence, ability to work across political divides, and passion for developing Thai sports make her a true "Olympic Queen." Other notable nicknames given by the TSJA included former prime minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, who earned the title "Pom Samlucknam" (Pom struggles to stay afloat). It refers to his actual nickname, "Pom," and his defeat in the election for president of the Thailand Aquatics Association. The loss has significantly diminished his chances of vying for a third term as president of the Thai Olympic Committee during the general meeting in March 2025, as he no longer holds the position of president of any national sports association. Nualphan Lamsam, known as Madame Pang, was given the nickname "Pang Yuennueng" (Pang stays No.1"). The title refers to her being elected as the first female president of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) in its 108-year history. She is also the first female president of a football association in Asia. Known for her strong media presence, she consistently stays in the limelight. Pimol Srivikorn, president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, was given "Thongtone Pheuthai" (single gold medal for Thais), celebrating his leadership as the head of the national federation. During his tenure, Panipak Wongpattanakit secured Thailand's only gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games in Tokyo and Paris. Pimol also serves as the head of the sports strategy for the Pheu Thai Party and has overseen initiatives like the "One Sport, One State Enterprise" programme.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's elections board dismissed formal protests Wednesday by several Republican candidates who trailed narrowly in their races last month and had questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast this fall. The State Board of Elections' decisions sided with the Democratic candidates, including those for a state Supreme Court seat and a key General Assembly seat. These matters are now expected to be resolved in the courts. The board voted in favor of denying the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin, who after a recent statewide machine recount trailed Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes from over 5.5 million ballots cast. No additional recounts had been ordered after a partial hand recount completed Tuesday failed to suggest that Griffin could catch up to Riggs. Riggs is one of only two Democrats on the seven-member court, which has been a partisan flash point in the state over the past two years in court battles involving redistricting, photo voter identification and other voting rights. The board on Wednesday considered protests filed by Griffin, a current Court of Appeals judge, and three candidates for the General Assembly covering three categories of voting. Those categories included votes cast by people with voter registration records lacking driver’s licenses or containing partial Social Security numbers; overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. but whose parents were deemed North Carolina residents; and military or overseas voters who did not provide copies of photo identification with their ballots. The board is composed of three Democrats and two Republicans. In three of four dismissal motions Wednesday, the votes were 3-2 along party lines. The vote on the other motion was unanimous. Riggs' campaign has said that she is the winner and that Griffin should concede immediately. Speaking after the hearing, Riggs mentioned that her parents were among the 60,000 voters whose votes were being challenged, and “I can personally attest they are in fact lawful votes." Griffin didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the decisions. State Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said in a news release that the “board’s continued efforts to engineer political outcomes for Democrats is shameful" and suggested appeals could be ahead. Another candidate protester is GOP Rep. Frank Sossamon, who trailed Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn. A Cohn victory would mean Republicans fall one seat short of retaining their current veto-proof majority for the next two-year General Assembly starting next month. The board could have ultimately ordered corrected ballot tallies, more recounts or new elections if it determined the evidence showed election law violations or irregularities called into question the results of the protested elections. Scores of protests filed by Griffin and the legislative candidates are still being considered by county boards. During Wednesday's hearing, Riggs' attorneys urged the state board to throw out the protests. They called that an illegal attempt to change the election rules after votes have been cast and counted and out of line with protest rules. “The voters that protesters are challenging here today unquestionably are eligible voters,” said Will Robertson, an attorney representing the three Democratic legislative candidates and the state Democratic Party. “These protests are not only facially invalid but they’re an affront to democracy and to the rule of law in North Carolina.” Citing the state constitution, attorneys for Griffin argued that elections boards cannot count the ballots of people who have never lived in North Carolina. And they said the state board erred by generating voter registration forms that did not make clear that state law requires an applicant to provide one of the identifying numbers. “We filed these protests because we believe the winners of these elections should be determined by eligible voters and only be eligible voters,” Craig Schauer, an attorney for Griffin and GOP legislative candidates, told the board. In addition to the substance of the protests, Democratic board members also threw out the protests because they determined that voters did not receive appropriate legal notice that their votes were being challenged. Griffin sent postcards to a voter or the “current resident” stating that “your vote may be affected” by a protest, according to legal briefs and evidence. It included a QR code that mobile phone users could visit to obtain information. Democrats said people may have thrown the postcard away or considered it a scam. The state board's decisions came days after the state Democratic Party sued in federal court to block the State Board of Elections from ruling in any way to throw out the disputed ballots. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, state media reported Sunday, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president. Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North’s nuclear program. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say. During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.” Kim said that the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into “a nuclear military bloc for aggression.” “This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim’s speech “clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security. KCNA didn’t elaborate on the anti-U.S. strategy. But it said Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defense technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers. The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim “fell in love.” But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such U.S.-led exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits is its deepening military cooperation with Russia. According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. It was the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties since the North Korean troop deployment to Russia began in October. Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the U.S., have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led pushes to levy more U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats.
With the holiday season upon us, many companies are finding ways to take advantage, whether through deals, promotions, or other campaigns. OpenAI has found a way to participate with its "12 days of OpenAI." On Wednesday, OpenAI announced via an X post that it would be holding 12 days of OpenAI starting on December 5. The event will feature 12 days of live streams and "a bunch of new things, big and small," according to the post. Also: Google's AI video generator rolls out in private preview. Here's who can access OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a bit more details about the event, which begins at 10 a.m. PT on Thursday and, every weekday, will feature a live stream with a launch or demo. 🎄🎅starting tomorrow at 10 am pacific, we are doing 12 days of openai. each weekday, we will have a livestream with a launch or demo, some big ones and some stocking stuffers. we’ve got some great stuff to share, hope you enjoy! merry christmas. Where to access the live stream The live stream will be held on the OpenAI website, and posted immediately after to its YouTube channel. To make access easier, OpenAI also will be posting on its X account a link to the live stream 10 minutes before it starts, which will be at approximately 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET daily. Also: This Gemini update for Android lets you do more without unlocking your phone The releases remain a surprise, but as part of one of the bigger drops, many anticipate the launch of Sora , OpenAI's video model launched initially last February. Since then, the model has been available to a select group of red teamers and testers and was leaked last week by some testers over grievances about "unpaid labor," according to reports . Other rumored releases include a new, fuller version of the company's o1 LLM, with more advanced reasoning capabilities, and a Santa voice for OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode per code spotted by users only a couple of weeks ago under the codename "Straw." Google's new AI tool could be your new favorite learning aid - and it's free The best open-source AI models: All your free-to-use options explained I changed 5 ChatGPT settings and instantly became more productive - here's how The best AI search engines of 2024: Google, Perplexity, and more
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Husband charged with murdering wife after incriminating Google searches revealed sinister plot By ISHITA SRIVASTAVA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:28 GMT, 3 December 2024 | Updated: 21:53 GMT, 3 December 2024 e-mail View comments A Virginia husband has been charged with murder months after his wife disappeared and a shocking amount of blood was found inside their home. Naresh Bhatt, 37, has also been accused of physically defiling a dead body and the concealment of a body four months since wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, a pediatric nurse, was last seen. Mamta, who vanished on July 28 and even missed her daughter's first birthday, is currently presumed dead and her body has not yet been found. Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo noted in a December 3 press conference: 'From the beginning, we believed that she was murdered'. He also told the public that they have found 'a lot of evidence' against the accused in the case. 'I know the crime scene was a big one. The forensic unit at Prince William County said it was one of the worst crime scenes they've seen,' he said. Investigators had conducted their first property search when Naresh was home with the couple's baby and discovered blood in the bedroom as well as the bathroom, Lugo said. He added that evidence shows that Naresh had allegedly cut up his wife's body, which prompted the defiling charge. Furthermore, the Chief clarified that one of the reasons for the new murder charge was due to their success in being able to match Mamta's DNA to the pools of blood found at the couple's home. Naresh Bhatt, 37, has been charged with murder months after his wife disappeared and a shocking amount of blood was found inside their home Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, a pediatric nurse, who vanished July 28 and even missed her daughter's first birthday, is currently presumed dead and her body has not yet been found 'I feel we have a strong case for not having the body,' Lugo said. Holly Wirth, a former hospital co-worker of Mamta and spokesperson for her family, said the family feels 'a sense of relief' that a charge has finally come. 'Their goal has been two things: justice for Mamta and securing a future for her baby. And that's what guides their steps every day. This is not a celebration. We're not here happy,' Wirth said at the latest news conference. Incriminating evidence linking Naresh to the case was also found in late August - weeks after his arrest. According to prosecutors, the accused had searched for 'how long does it take to get married when spouse die' and 'what happen to debt died spouse' in April. He used his work computer to make the searches, and the US Secret Service, to whom he has ties and a security clearance, gave police the search history. Prosecutors also revealed Naresh sold his Tesla days before his arrest on August 22, but police managed to track it down at a local dealership and are searching the car's computer. Naresh also tried to sell the family home, and police found he had packed up their possessions when they arrived, including passports for him and his daughter. Investigators had conducted their first property search when Naresh was home with the couple's baby and discovered blood in the bedroom as well as the bathroom Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo clarified that one of the reasons for the new murder charge was due to their success in being able to match Mamta's DNA to the pools of blood found at the couple's home According to prosecutors, the accused had searched for 'how long does it take to get married when spouse die' and 'what happen to debt died spouse' in April Police used blue light to find bloodstains all over the couple's bedroom and bathroom that had been cleaned and discovered evidence suggesting that a body was dragged through the house. Prince William County prosecutors noted that Mamta's last video call with her mother was on July 29, according to WTOP . The next day, the accused allegedly dropped off their child at a babysitter's house early in the morning and moments later, he was seen dumping multiple trash bags into a dumpster at the caretaker's apartment complex. Senior assistant commonwealth's attorney Sarah Sami also previously revealed that Naresh had reportedly bought a set of knives from Home Depot and Walmart the same morning and a '40-pack of extra strong black trash bags' later in the evening. On July 31 at around 1.30am, Naresh was seen in Falls Church retrieving bags from his Tesla and putting them into a trash compactor on video. Prosecutors noted in court that while his Tesla tracks him to the location, his phone was inactive and not with him at the time. Later that morning, over 150 gallons of water were also used up at the property - a significant increase from its typical three to four gallons usage. While defense lawyers claimed in court the blood found in the house was from a nosebleed, prosecutors argued that the amount discovered instead indicated that the victim had suffered injuries that were not survivable. Bhatt's shock arrest comes days after he made an emotional TV appeal for his wife's safe return While defense lawyers claimed in court the blood found in the house was from a nosebleed, prosecutors argued that the amount discovered instead indicated that the victim had suffered injuries that were not survivable During a welfare check made by the police on August 2, Naresh told them he last saw his wife on July 31 and didn't want to report her missing because she was with family in Texas . However, Mamta, who is of Nepalese descent, has no family in the US, according to prosecutors and friends. Naresh finally reported her missing three days later and made a tearful public appeal for her to come home. But police believe he lied about the timeline and Mamta was already dead by July 31. Furthermore, prosecutors told the court that Mamta had accused Naresh of domestic violence before she went missing. She claimed to Manassas Park Police that Naresh destroyed her phone and refused to hand over her passport and other important documents. Naresh claimed she destroyed her own phone, but prosecutors said it continued receiving messages and and calls until August 1, when it died. The court heard friends told police they saw bruises on her body and offered to help her get out of the allegedly abusive marriage. Officers search the contents of the home and are in the back of he house Social media posts reveal Mamta had pleaded for help from other mothers in the area She asked one of the women in the post that she doesn't have money as he withdrew it all from a joint account In February, Mamta posted in the Facebook group 'Separated, Divorced, Single Moms of Virginia, Maryland and DC' that she has a six-month-old baby and in the process of a separation. 'I work 2 days a week and my husband is not helping to take care of baby. He is saying, that if I leave baby with him he will send child to custody. Is it possible? I need help for child care,' she said. 'I need help from social worker and need some advice.' Robin Kuppusamy, the missing mom's friend, shared in a post on August 12 expressing her concerns for her friend. 'Multiple women and myself have been talking to her on our separation divorce group on Facebook to find her help since she was leaving her spouse until she dropped off the radar,' Kuppusamy wrote. She added, 'she would have never left her daughter behind.' Mamta also shared that her and her husband were still living together but that she no longer has any money. She wrote, in part, 'I don't have money now too he withdraw all money from joint account' Naresh is now scheduled to appear in Prince William Circuit Court on December 4 to be formally charged after a Nepalese interpreter was not available today morning. Share or comment on this article: Husband charged with murdering wife after incriminating Google searches revealed sinister plot e-mail Add comment
UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. LandTrust explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, the number of farms in the U.S. has fallen from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A landmark study published in Science , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than 22% of rural communities lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The USDA's 2024 farm income forecast projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could reduce agricultural productivity by up to 25% over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging gross revenue of $44,000 from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The USDA's Economic Research Service projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. This story was produced by LandTrust and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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