Latest news with #Rance
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Flute teacher to appeal WRC ruling he was not a whistleblower
A flute teacher who claimed he was penalised for blowing the whistle on an alleged misuse of public funds at a State-backed music school intends to appeal a tribunal ruling that complaints he raised did not amount to a protected disclosure. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has rejected a claim under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 by Hugh Rance, a long-serving music teacher at the Cork Education and Training Board School of Music. The tribunal has dismissed Mr Rance's case with a ruling that his claims alleging "waste and misuse of public funds" by the management of the school in late 2023, due to the level of vacant teaching hours, did not amount to a protected act. Mr Rance, who appeared before the WRC last year as a lay litigant, said today that he was taking legal advice and intended to appeal the ruling to the Labour Court. At a hearing last August at the WRC's offices on Eglinton Street in Cork, Mr Rance claimed that he and some of his colleagues had been paid for an "enormous number" of teaching hours with student vacancies over the preceding five years. He said the problem had been building up since 2011, when responsibility for recruiting new students passed from the music teachers themselves to staff at Cork ETB School of Music's main office. He told the Commission he calculated that his own teaching hours were 63% vacant, costing the State in the region of €50,000 a year - calling it a "waste and misuse of public funds" and "gross mismanagement". Mr Rance said that having discussed the matter with his colleagues, he discovered that 18 music teachers at the school had "excess vacant hours for a number of years" - their rates of unutilised teaching hours ranging from 35% to 70% in one case. In a September 2023 email, Mr Rance wrote to a manager referring to "serious implications of fiscal irresponsibility" and an "ineffective recruitment strategy". He said this had resulted in a situation where "a teacher ends up, as is now the case, with 11 students instead of between 30 and 40 students". "This has resulted in only having enough students to teach for nine hours a week, instead of the contracted 22 hours for which they are paid," Mr Rance's email added. He said "all the flute teachers" had student vacancies in October 2024 and he was aware that 18 music teachers had "excess vacant hours for a number of years". The email "bounced back" as that manager "no longer worked" at the organisation, the tribunal heard. Mr Rance then emailed Denis Leamy, the chief executive of the Cork ETB, on 2 October, with a copy of the September 30 letter. The complainant asked the CEO to: "personally review the email and letter and let me know what your intentions are in resolving the issues referred to". He denied a suggestion that he bears a "personal vendetta" against the school principal Carol Daly - and insists he just wanted to see the school "back on track". The chief executive, Mr Leamy, said of the October 2 email: "It was not new news. We knew about vacancies." He said Mr Rance had caused "a good deal of upset to staff" with "a continuum of threats… on Freedom of Information, Protected Disclosure and data access deadlines", which had taken "thousands of hours" for administrators to address. He said CETB had determined that the 2 October 2023 email from Mr Rance was "not found to constitute a protected disclosure", and denied any penalisation. Giving evidence, Ms Daly told the WRC she knew nothing of Mr Rance's original email until June 2024, after his WRC complaint was filed, and "denied gross mismanagement", the WRC noted. Flute lessons were "not popular" following the Covid-19 pandemic, she told the commission, referring to the sharing of instruments. Ms Daly said she was "flabbergasted" by his allegations, denied the School of Music was "stagnant" and said it was "re-energising through promotional videos and external public relations". Enda McWeeney, CETB's finance director, carried out a review of Mr Rance's correspondence, but ultimately concluded that the material put in front of him was "a bare allegation, and not a protected disclosure". He said there had been five teachers "underutilised" at the School of Music, according to attendance records, but that he did not think a financial audit was necessary. In her decision, adjudication officer Patsy Doyle wrote: "What occurred in this case amounted to a matter of interpersonal grievance exclusively affecting the complainant and his line manager". "The complainant had a different opinion in how the school was progressing and somehow could not find a platform to express these views through individual or collect[ive] grievances," the adjudication officer said. "I find I cannot elevate these grievances to what the law requires in a protected disclosure," Ms Doyle added, dismissing the penalisation complaint.
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Rance lining up for her 27th go at tourney
Otago bowlers (from left) Amanda Katipa, Lyn Rance and Poppy-Jade Katipa are ready for the Southern Zone women's eights tournament this afternoon. PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON Lyn Rance keeps rolling on. The Green Island bowler is the only player to have been involved in the Southern zone women's eights tournament since its inception in 1998 and this weekend will be no different. Rance is lining up for her 27th tournament with the Otago team at the Dunedin Indoor Bowls Stadium. "I was the original one. I'm the only one that's played right through," Rance said. "I just so enjoy meeting the people that you've met over the years. You make a lot of friends and it's just a great competition among ladies — it's just brilliant." The annual tournament features teams from Otago, South Canterbury, North Otago, South Otago, Central Otago and Southland, and is returning to Dunedin for the first time in six years. Southland have been the leaders through the years, notching 12 wins and winning the tournament for the past three years. Otago, who have won the tournament seven times and last held the trophy in 2019, are packed with talent. Keri Te Tamaki, who captained the South Island team last year, is suiting up alongside fellow South Island representative Tracey Van Tuel. Van Tuel is also playing alongside her sister, Amanda Kapita, and Kapita's daughter, Poppy, 18, is also in the team. There is power across all the teams including former South Island representatives Alanna Moffitt, from South Otago, and Suzanne Mackie, from Southland, who is also a former national representative. Each district has eight players split into two teams of four. Each player plays five games of singles, pairs, and fours across the two days. At the end, the points for both teams of fours are combined and the district with the most points is the winner. Play gets under way at 8.30am today and the final games should be finished by mid-afternoon tomorrow.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Chasyn Rance Arrested For Violating Terms Of Sex Offender Registry
Pro wrestler Chasyn Rance was arrested on April 2, 2025, for violating his sex offender registration terms, according to a recent user spotting the news on social media. Rance was recently booked into the Orange County Jail, after reportedly failing to report a change in vehicle ownership, failing to report an internet ID or app name twice, and providing false registration info three different times. Prior to his arrest, Chasyn Rance was registered with the Florida Sex Offender Registry for over a decade, dating back to 2014. Rance's initial incident that landed him on the registry stems from a 2011 incident, which led to him being convicted for Lewd and Lascivious Battery of a victim between the ages of 12-15. It's unclear exactly what the fallout from Rance's violations will lead to, but he is currently booked in jail. Rance previously wrestled for a variety of organizations, including American Wrestling Association Superstars of Wrestling, Atomic Wrestling Entertainment, IWA Puerto Rico, and Southern Championship Wrestling Florida. Despite not appearing in the ring for some time, Rance still remains involved in the world of wrestling and trains at Team Vision Dojo. READ MORE: The post Chasyn Rance Arrested For Violating Terms Of Sex Offender Registry appeared first on Wrestlezone.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Take a look inside Silvertown tunnel before next week's opening
The new Silvertown Tunnel is due to open next week, with the introduction of tolls for using this river crossing as well as the existing Blackwall tunnel. Transport for London (TfL) says it will improve the air quality and reliability of the Blackwall tunnel, which currently closes about 700 times a year. But campaigners have claimed congestion and pollution will is what it's like inside the widest tunnel in the UK (as the engineers told me). The first thing you notice when you go into the new, controversial, Silvertown tunnel is its size - it is any controversies to one side, it is undoubtedly a magnificent piece of there is a lot of opposition about the plans to let large HGVs use the bus lane through the Rance, a campaigner from Stop Silvertown Tunnel Traffic and Pollution, said it was "going to bring huge juggernauts" through Greenwich into Newham."These are things that we've never seen before, past thousands of kids at schools - how can we be doing this in 2025?"Independent Greenwich councillor, Magella Anning said the tunnel "invites thousands of the biggest trucks and juggernauts" to go through will cost £4 to drive a car at peak times through each of the is also opposition to the tolls in a cost of living crisis. Local councils say it creates a "two-tier London" as drivers living in 12 east London boroughs or the City of London will have a 50% will be free shuttle bus for cyclists, discounts for low income families and people in receipt of certain benefits. TfL said the toll would control the pollution and congestion and described it as a "green" Harvey from TfL said the fee is "necessary to control congestion and make sure we deal with the environmental commitments we've made in building this tunnel. "If we didn't charge, we'd undoubtedly see more traffic coming into the area, [with the associated pollution]."The tolls will work by cameras checking registration plates, giving motorists three days to pay via online or take advantage of off-peak charges, cars must be registered for TfL autopay. Drivers could be fined up to £180 for failure to pay. Silvertown tunnel opens on Monday 7 April - and tolls are payable from that day onwards.
Associated Press
05-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Genesis Rail Company Welcomes Rance Randle as CEO to Drive Market Growth and Operational Excellence
ROANOKE, Va., Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesis Rail Company, part of the Auxo Investment Partners family of companies, is proud to announce the appointment of Rance Randle as its CEO. With over two decades of experience in railroad operations, logistics and intermodal transportation, Rance will be instrumental in strengthening Genesis' market position, enhancing safety and operational efficiency, delivering exceptional customer value. Rance's distinguished career includes leadership roles at industry giants like BNSF Railway, CN and Cathcart Rail. His leadership philosophy—grounded in servant leadership, mentoring talent, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement—has earned him recognition as an innovative change agent and a results-driven leader. 'We are thrilled to have Rance join Genesis Rail Services,' said Jeff Helminski, General Partner at Auxo Investment Partners. 'His expertise in driving operational excellence and his ability to inspire high-performing teams will be invaluable as we work to deliver exceptional service to our customers while navigating the evolving demands of the rail industry.' Rance's leadership has consistently produced tangible results, including operational safety improvements, revenue growth, and innovative process enhancements. His vision aligns seamlessly with Genesis' commitment to optimizing efficiencies, elevating customer satisfaction, and achieving sustainable growth. 'I am excited to join Genesis Rail Services team and contribute to its mission of delivering best-in-class solutions in the rail industry,' said Rance Randle. 'I look forward to leveraging my experience and the talented team at Genesis to drive innovation, strengthen partnerships, and support the incredible team at Genesis as we help the rail industry realize its tremendous potential.' Rance holds a proven track record of leading organizations to exceed expectations, thanks to his critical thinking, data-driven decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities. His appointment reflects Genesis Rail Services' dedication to attracting top talent to meet its ambitious goals. A Long-Term, Collaborative Approach Auxo was named after the ancient Greek goddess of growth, and the firm seeks to partner with companies that meet the following investment criteria: North America-based Manufacturing, industrial, value-added distribution or business services industries EBITDA (cash flow) of $2-$20 million Owner-operators seeking retirement, family succession planning solutions, or existing teams seeking to grow their businesses Prefer majority-control investments but will consider select minority-partner opportunities About Auxo Investment Partners Auxo Investment Partners is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based private investment firm that partners with owners and management teams of companies at transition points in their history. Auxo's flexible capital model allows for long-term, growth-oriented decision-making without artificial deadlines. The structure was specifically designed for family businesses facing a generational transition or management teams seeking a partner to fuel growth and achieve their full potential with a long-term investment approach. Auxo's unique philosophy aligns the interests of its companies, their employees, the communities in which they are located and its investors to achieve optimal outcomes for all. As our name reflects, we are not merely investors, but partners. For more information, please visit
