Latest news with #Porteous
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
North Otago organic vege grower in liquidation
A North Otago organic vegetable growing business, recently approached to appear on Country Calendar , has gone into voluntary liquidation owing more than $1million, while a subsidiary company owes more than $300,000. Organic Solutions, which traded as Oamaru Organics, is 53.45% owned by James Porteous — who is also the sole director — and Australian-based Lanson International Holdings Pty Ltd (46.55%). Touted as the largest organic market garden in the South Island, it sold vegetables both at a roadside stall at Totara and through the Otago Farmers Market. In a statement, Mr Porteous said the farm had "long struggled with chronic overstaffing", which significantly increased its financial burden and led to an accumulation of debt with the IRD. He said he stepped in to directly manage farm operations in August, reducing staff numbers from nine to one and introducing mechanisation. He said the farm became compliant with all ongoing tax obligations and began rapidly repaying historic tax arrears. Per-hectare revenue increased 39% and he proposed a "realistic" repayment plan, which was declined by the IRD. The company would continue to operate and supply customers to the best of its ability throughout the farm sale process, he said. Incorporated in 2014, it originally owned Thai restaurants around the South Island and bought the 23ha farm — one of its main suppliers — for $1.7m in 2019 to maintain supply. The deal was later found to have breached the Overseas Investment Act because Lanson International Holdings — whose majority shareholder was Mr Porteous' friend Marc Lanson — owned more than 46%. The rules stated Australians could not have more than a 25% share of any purchase of New Zealand land bigger than 5ha without gaining consent first. Organic Solutions was fined $20,000 and retrospective consent had to be sought. In his first report, liquidator Brenton Hunt, of Insolvency Matters, said the majority of the restaurants were closed due to the outcome of the Covid-19 restrictions. According to Mr Porteous, the business had struggled to be economic for some time. Inland Revenue payments had fallen behind and the IRD had begun recovery action. The last annual accounts completed for the company were in March 2022. Plant and equipment and motor vehicles were to be collected and sold and there was finance owing on vehicles, Mr Hunt said. The land and buildings were also to be listed and sold (first mortgage owing). Under preferential creditors, staff holiday pay was estimated at $10,000 and GST and PAYE were estimated at $900,000. Unsecured creditors were estimated to be owed $1m and the total estimated shortfall to all creditors was estimated at $1,279,500.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hibs transfer news: Porteous permanent Watford exit on cards
Rocky Bushiri contract talks update likely to impact on summer recruitment Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Former Hibs favourite Ryan Porteous in line for permanent move away from Watford this summer, as the ex-Easter Road skipper draws interest from the MLS. And, while David Gray isn't actively pursuing the Scotland defender as a priority target this summer, Hibs would be open to an emotional homecoming for Porteous. A lot may still depend on contract talks with Rocky Bushiri. The Congolese defender, now a free agent, is not short of suitors as he weighs up his next move – but hasn't rule out signing a new deal with Hibs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Porteous has consistently been linked with a return to Hibs, who did try to land him on loan in January, only for the centre-half to opt for a move to Preston North End. Easter Road sporting director Malky Mackay has been keeping tabs on the situation, which may now be complicated – according to a report in The Mirror - by Watford's willingness to sell a player they signed for £450,000 in January of 2023. With two years of his contract remaining, but options to break back into the Watford first team likely to be limited, Porteous is looking for regular game time in an environment likely to earn him a recall to Steve Clarke's Scotland squad ahead of World Cup qualifying kicking off in September. Hibs know that their record of players earning international recognition, with Kieron Bowie's recent Scotland call-up just one example, makes them an attractive proposition for a lot of players. EFL Championship interest in defender - and Sunderland prospect Nectar on MLS radar They're also hoping that's a factor for Bushiri, who is attracting interest from England and the Continent – but is yet to make a final decision on what to do next. The Democratic Republic of Congo centre-half was a huge figure for Hibs last season, with his return to the starting XI sparking their climb from the foot of the table to a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership. The 25-year-old Belgian-born central defender is wanted by a number of EFL Championship clubs, who see him as a future Premier League centre-half in need of a stepping stone to the world's richest league. But Bushiri is extremely happy at Hibs – and sees value in getting guaranteed minutes for a team guaranteed at least a crack at European football next season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Major League Soccer clubs are also among the teams interested, as The Evening News first revealed, in top Hibs transfer target Nectar Triantis. The Socceroos hopeful has two years left on his contract with the Premier League-bound Sunderland but, with chances to break into the first team at the Stadium of Light likely to be limited, other options are being actively explored. After two loan spells at Easter Road, Triantis remains open to the idea of a third stint in the capital. Hibs have been in negotiations with Sunderland, who would expect up to £1 million in compensation for any transfer, about both a permanent move AND the possibility of another season-long loan. Gray remains hopeful that the lure of playing alongside established Socceroos regulars Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller, keeping him very much on Australia boss Tony Popovic's radar, will be the deciding factor for a player who is focused on representing his country in next summer's finals in Canada, Mexico and the USA. With fellow Hibee Jack Iredale also earning his first Australia recognition last season, they've made a strong case for Easter Road as the ideal platform for any World Cup hopeful.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stonewall Columbus Pride March by the numbers: See the 2025 turnout
The 2025 Stonewall Columbus Pride March had fewer marchers than in 2024, but more volunteers, according to Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous. More than 18,000 people marched in the June 14 parade, around 2,000 people fewer than in 2024. At the same time, over 500 people volunteered for the event, around 100 more than did in 2024. All told, over 650,000 people attended the weekend's Pride events, resulting in a $7.6 million economic impact for local businesses, Columbus and Franklin County, Porteous said in a June 16 press release. "This weekend offered more than a festival—it was a statement. A mass declaration that LGBTQ+ lives matter, that we will not stay silent, and that in joy we find our collective strength," Porteous said in the release. Porteous said certain companies backing out as sponsors this year contributed to the drop in marchers, but many of the volunteers were employees of companies that had chosen not to march. Several companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Lowe's, Nissan, and Walmart, backed out of supporting Stonewall Columbus' 2025 pride celebrations amid a national backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion policies (DEI). Retreats from businesses cost Stonewall Columbus around $125,000 in lost donations, about a fifth of its expected costs for Pride Month celebrations. Donations from the Columbus community and other partners filled the financial gap left by the companies, Porteous previously told The Dispatch. The corporate retreat from supporting Pride events comes as the Trump administration has threatened companies that have DEI practices with investigations and prosecutions. DEI practices in the federal government were ended on day one of Trump's second term via an executive order, USA TODAY reported. More: Pride fills streets of Columbus as No Kings rallies draw thousands across Ohio, nationwide Breaking and Trending News Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@ and at @NathanRHart on X and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Pride March: How many people showed up in 2025?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nico Porteous will not defend Olympic halfpipe title, will remain active in skiing
Nico Porteous, one of two New Zealand athletes to win a Winter Olympic gold medal, will not defend his ski halfpipe title from 2022 at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games as he focuses on other parts of his skiing career. 'I've loved representing New Zealand. Wearing the fern and competing for my country has been the most incredible experience and I'm so proud of what I've achieved," Porteous, 23, said in press release. "This wasn't an easy decision to make, but I'm excited to do something new, and I feel like the time is right for me to look for a new challenge and new opportunities.' Advertisement Porteous plans to stay active in skiing through filming, product development and other competitions outside of the halfpipe, such as Natural Selection. "I still love skiing, and I want to keep skiing to the best of my abilities and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the sport," he said. "Ultimately, I'm ready for something new. What that looks like I'm not exactly sure, but over the past few seasons I've enjoyed filming and producing videos, as well as working on gear and product design." In 2018, Porteous took halfpipe bronze in his Olympic debut, becoming at 16 the youngest skier to win an Olympic medal and the youngest New Zealand athlete to win a Winter or Summer Olympic medal. In 2022, he landed back-to-back double cork 1620s on his first of three runs in the Olympic final. His 93-point score held up to take gold over Americans David Wise and Alex Ferreira, who had gone one-two in 2018. Advertisement Earlier in the 2022 Games, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott became the first New Zealand athlete to win a Winter Olympic gold medal, taking the women's snowboard slopestyle event. Porteous last competed at a September 2024 World Cup in New Zealand, placing 31st. He also won X Games Aspen titles in 2021 and 2022 and the World Championships in 2021, also in Aspen. Another man from New Zealand won the world title in ski halfpipe this past March — 18-year-old Finley Melville Ives — ahead of Americans Nick Goepper and Ferreira. FREESTYLE SKIING-CHN David Wise, after two gold medals, gears up for one last Olympic halfpipe bid Two-time Olympic gold medalist David Wise is competing in his last Olympic cycle before retirement.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Porteous going in a new direction
Wanaka wonder Nico Porteous has no regrets as he closes the book on a big chapter in his life. The two-time Winter Olympic medallist announced yesterday he was stepping back from the freeski halfpipe and Olympic competition, as he looked to explore new opportunities including his passion in film. While Porteous — New Zealand's most successful male snow sports athlete and defending Olympic champion — will walk away from the halfpipe, he intends to maintain his level of skiing and explore other avenues, including Natural Selection Ski. The 23-year-old loved representing New Zealand and told the Otago Daily Times he was content with his decision. "I feel really good," he said. "Since making this decision last year it's sort of just been sitting on it and wanted to make sure that it was the right one. "I feel really comfortable around that and it's been nice." Confirming his future eight months out from the 2026 Winter Olympics, Porteous said he had been skiing for more than half his life, having started at 10. "All I've known is competitive skiing. "Naturally over time your views and your goals change ... and that's sort of where I feel I am today. "My competitive passion maybe has changed slightly and my goals are different. "I feel that it was the right time to step away while I was still healthy and able to make that decision on my own terms rather than being forced out." Porteous made history when he won halfpipe gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. It added to the bronze he won as a 16-year-old in PyeongChang in 2018. Among his accolades are two X-Games gold medals, a world championship title and five World Cup medals. Olympic glory was top of the list — "I don't think much can top that" — but Porteous was also proud of the moments that did not result in medals. "One that stands out that wasn't maybe on the results front is ... being able to experience all the times that I got with my brother, Miguel. "Getting to compete alongside him, and being able to share those moments with your family is pretty unique." Having the support of his hometown, Wanaka, had been special and he counted himself lucky to call it home. Alongside skiing, Porteous' other passion lay with filming and producing videos, several of which he has released on YouTube, including Step One last year. It is an area he plans to move into, including working on gear and product design. "That's something that I'm really passionate about." Videos had always been a huge part of snow sports, and they inspired Porteous growing up, he said. "It was just a natural progression to move more into making them myself." Porteous, who has recently been based in Tokyo, will return home next month for the upcoming season.
