Latest news with #Rowe
Eater
3 days ago
- Business
- Eater
This Smash Burger Pioneer Is Leaving Mission Street for Good
A Mission District mainstay for exquisite burgers and even more exquisite vibes is closing. WesBurger 'N' More will shutter on Tuesday, July 15 after 12 years in business. Owner Wes Rowe, who started the business as a pop up in 2012, took to Instagram to share the news, providing the listing agent selling the business's information for any interested takers. 'Unfortunately, some things, even the ones with queso, need to come to an end,' he wrote. Though smash burgers have taken over TikTok algorithms in 2025, Rowe worked that approach into his menus back in 2019. (He told the San Francisco Standard the Marina's Causwells deserves the local credit, though.) The laidback atmosphere paired nicely with Rowe's butter-braised turkey sandwiches and 70s-style faux rock wall. Many late nights ended at Wes Burger, schlepping from Beauty Bar across the street to refuel for the journey home. San Francisco-born Blue Bottle Coffee now bears four local locations with workers seeking to unionize. The San Francisco Chronicle reports staff at the Berkeley shop, the Old Oakland shop, the Piedmont Avenue location, and the location inside the old W.C Morse building on Broadway, have asked the company to voluntarily recognize the Blue Bottle Independent Union by Friday at noon. The move to unionize began in Boston shops. The Middle Eastern cuisine-forward Stereo 41 is set to open in the East Bay this summer. It's a new hi-fi lounge from the restaurateurs behind World Famous Hotboys and LITA. The Mercury News reports Andres Giraldo Flores of Oakland's Snail Bar is consulting on the menu. Oakland-born-and-raised Jonathan De La Torre will serve as executive chef, cutting his teeth at Mourad and Nopa. Kenzie Benesh and Isabella Bertorelli's Yo Tambien Cantina is turning seven. On Saturday, June 28, the wife-and-wife team will celebrate at the Hugo Street business from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The party details are still to come, but there'll be grilled fish sandwiches, ceviche, music from local musicians, birthday cake, and 'endless micheladas.'
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Mike Rowe And PureTalk Team Up On Trades For America's Military Vets
Mike Rowe's new skilled trades partnership is a logical next step in his tireless advocacy for trades careers. Last month the former host of the long-running show 'Dirty Jobs' and CEO of his own trades non-profit, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, announced a partnership with veteran-run Covington, Georgia-based wireless provider PureTalk to promote skilled trades among America's military vets. Why veterans? 'Because they've got the soft skills down,' Rowe told me on my Manufacturing Talks Web Show and Podcast yesterday. 'They're going to show up on time. They're going to stay late if need be. They'll tuck their shirt in. You know, you don't have to worry about so many of the things that employers struggle with beyond the skill itself. They're teachable by and large. But of course, more than that, we kind of owe them, you know?' One practitioner with long experience with veterans and trades training couldn't agree more. Tony Lawrence is the program manager for another partnership in that world, the Academy for Advanced Manufacturing, through which Rockwell Automation and ManpowerGroup provide a free 12-week program in industrial automation for select military veterans. 'I've seen firsthand the extraordinary potential our U.S. veterans bring to the skilled trades,' he told me via email. 'Veterans possess a unique combination of discipline, leadership, and technical aptitude that aligns perfectly with the demands of advanced manufacturing and other high-skill industries. Yet, many transitioning service members face challenges translating their military experience into civilian credentials.' That's where Rowe and the leaders at PureTalk want to help. 'There ought to be a vet-friendly on-ramp into every business as far as I'm concerned, but especially the skilled trades,' said Rowe. The new partnership, which culminated in a $50,000 donation PureTalk made last year to Rowe's mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is something Rowe says developed over the past several years. 'PureTalk was a bit of a surprise, because you don't think of a wireless company as a skilled labor play, right?' he explained. 'But I do this podcast… called 'The Way I Heard It,' and we have all kinds of advertisers who like to come and I'm increasingly focused on only working with companies who make something in America, because I'm passionate about that, or who share my belief that closing the skills gap has become a matter of national security, and just through weird circumstances, these guys at PureTalk, they were advertising on my podcast. And I was in Georgia almost a year ago, and decided to drop in on them, you know, just to say hi and introduce myself. And I met the owner of the company, and I saw the fact that, you know, they've got this great campus down in Covington… They gave me the nickel tour and when I left, I said, 'Look, if there's anything I can ever do with you guys beyond this podcast relationship, let me know.' Like a week later, the owner made a very generous donation to my foundation, and I love that, you know, obviously. And then I look closer and what they're doing with our veterans—America's Warrior Partnership is an incredible foundation, and they're super supportive of that. I just like them.' According to PureTalk's leaders, that feeling is mutual. 'We're proud to partner with Mike Rowe, whose longstanding leadership in advocating for skilled labor and supporting veterans aligns perfectly with PureTalk's mission,' said William Curry, chief strategy officer at PureTalk's parent company Telrite Holdings, via email. 'It's been a great journey so far, from backing Mike's podcast, 'The Way I Heard It,' and the impactful work of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, to now expanding our partnership to help veterans and hardworking Americans find the support and connection they deserve.' That approach rings true for Lawrence. 'That's where programs like ours step in—bridging the gap through intensive training, mentorship, and direct pathways to employment,' he said. 'By investing in our veterans and equipping them with 21st-century skills, we're not just filling a critical workforce gap—we're honoring their service with opportunity. Skilled trades are the backbone of our economy, and empowering veterans to lead in these fields is both a smart business strategy and a national imperative." For Rowe, it's also about just doing the right thing for those of our citizens who have sacrificed so much on our behalf. 'When I think about our vets... I think about what we do to prepare them for the fight,' he said. 'I think about boot camp and basic training. And we're pretty good at getting a citizen ready to be a war fighter, but we're not real good at getting a war fighter ready to transition back into polite society, right? We need a reverse boot camp of some kind, and I'm doing what I can to try and push that boulder up the hill too.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Digging Backwards Through History Lights the Way Forward
'Groundbreaking' archaeological discoveries at W&M provide a deeper understanding and connection to the historic Williamsburg Bray School WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Beneath William & Mary's Robert M. Gates Hall, archaeologists this summer uncovered a remarkable find: the near-complete 18th-century foundation of the Williamsburg Bray School. The Bray School, one of the oldest known institutions in North America dedicated to the education of enslaved and free Black children, operated on the site from 1760 to 1765. Its foundations were thought to be only partially intact. Researchers also discovered a previously undocumented cellar, layered with centuries of artifacts. The discoveries provide a new portal into the site's past, providing a more complete story of the Williamsburg Bray School, its scholars and their impact. "As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, William & Mary is embracing its role as a steward of the nation's origin stories – and as a catalyst for their expansion," said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe. "The discovery of this cellar is thrilling," Rowe added. "The roots of our city and university entwine here. Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century." Layered with history The foundation and cellar discoveries were first made early this spring by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (CWF) archaeologists conducting preliminary investigations for the Gates Hall renovation project. The W&M Real Estate Foundation is managing the renovation and expansion on behalf of the W&M Foundation. Since the spring, the W&M Center for Archaeological Research (the Center), under the leadership of Elizabeth J. Monroe and David Lewes, has expanded the excavation and led artifact recovery. The cellar is sizeable: approximately 36 by 18 feet. Two distinct levels are emerging. The Center team has exposed the bottom of the cellar almost eighteen inches higher than the previous depth found by the CWF team. "It looks like the cellar was a partial cellar, and had different floor levels potentially," said Center Project Archaeologist Tom Higgins. "It's not a brick-lined cellar – it was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid." In addition to the foundation and cellar, their work is revealing a rich archaeological story that stretches from the 18th century to the mid-20th century: jewelry, slate pencil fragments, sherds of pottery and vases, buttons – the stuff of everyday life, the ephemera of history. Each excavated layer reveals more discoveries. Among the recovered items are fragments of colonoware pottery – handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities – as well as sherds of Greek Revival ceramics, glass, and decorative items linked to the women who lived in Brown Hall during the early 1900s. Before it was moved down Prince George Street in 1930, the original Williamsburg Bray School building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary from 1924-1930. These students were among the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. The significance of these discoveries is amplified by the site's connection to the Williamsburg Bray School. A favorite recovery of the team is a sherd of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. The Minerva sherd juxtaposes with a piece of late 19th century or early 20th century flatware, painted with a Greek meandros pattern. "We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms," Michele L. Brumfield, senior researcher at the Center, said. "So maybe they were bringing in things like this." The team is careful not to draw too many conclusions from what they are finding – yet. "It's early days," Monroe added. Once bagged and labeled, artifacts will travel to the lab at the Center for further study. Spaces of engagement Plans are underway to incorporate the archaeological discoveries, as well as photographs and other documents, into a permanent exhibit inside Gates Hall. The exhibit will be co-curated with members of the Williamsburg Bray School Descendant Community and other stakeholders. Their stories – once lost to the recesses of the cellar – will enlighten students and visitors. Other artifacts will be lent to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where they will join additional items connected to the site for display at the Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center, scheduled to open in 2026. At Gates Hall, the intention is to outline the foundation of the original Bray School on the floor and, if possible, excavate a portion for display in the exhibit – reminders of the lives lived on the site. The renovation at Gates Hall, made possible by a $30 million gift from an anonymous alumna, represents William & Mary's commitment to addressing 21st-century challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. The building will house the Global Research Institute, the Institute for Integrative Conservation and the Whole of Government Center of Excellence. Ann Marie Stock, presidential liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships, leads the collaborative efforts related to the exhibit. She envisions a portal which will shed light on those who traversed the site over centuries: "foragers and farmers, singers and soldiers, clerks and clergy, dancers, drummers, weavers, writers, teachers, learners, and so many others, all belonged to this community through the years." Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of the W&M Bray School Lab, part of Strategic Cultural Partnerships, sees new directions for her team's research: "This is exciting," she said. "What else are we about to learn? We are not done understanding the history of the Williamsburg Bray School, the history of Black education. We are not done learning the history of this area, and we are certainly not done learning the history of this country." View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE William & Mary Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Top S.F. burger spot closing after nearly a decade
WesBurger 'N' More, whose burgers the Chronicle once hailed as among the best in the Bay Area, will close its doors at 2240 Mission St. after nearly ten years of business. Owner Wes Rowe announced the closure on Instagram Tuesday, inviting customers to 'have a last burger or five' before the final day of business on July 15. Until then, Rowe is primarily focused on celebrating the legacy of the business. 'I love the city a lot,' Rowe told the Chronicle. 'I don't really want to harp on too many negative things about closure and kind of pile along the same way that I feel like a lot of people do when they close.' Rowe, originally a photographer, started WesBurger in 2013 as a monthly popup. That turned into a weekly occurrence, and in 2016, he opened on Mission Street serving burgers and other items seven days a week. WesBurger is best known for its smashburger, but also offers a menu of fried chicken, mac and cheese (that was featured among the Chronicle's best), beer and a range of sides — with fries notably left off the menu in favor of tater tots. Following the tradition of the Wednesday weekly popup, Rowe will be at the restaurant on Wednesdays leading up to the closure and continue to put out specials for customers. He also envisions a big party in the last few days of the restaurant for the community to 'try all the tots and drink all the beer.' Tuesday's announcement might have felt sudden for the public, but Rowe's decision to shut down had been simmering for a while, he said. Many things have changed for the restaurant since 2016, including the rise of delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats, which decreased their dine-in crowd. Although this iteration of WesBurger is closing down for good, Rowe thinks the brand is strong and may have a future. Since announcing the closure, he has been approached by a few people hoping to take over the business — and for the right person, he might consider. 'For now, I'm gonna let it breathe and go back to normal life for a little bit,' Rowe said, 'but I don't think that this will be the ultimate end of WesBurger.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
New video shows fight before teen was shot and killed in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – New video showed what happened the night a 15-year-old boy was killed at a southeast Albuquerque laundromat. It showed a senseless death after a fight over a washing machine. Story continues below New Mexico News Insiders: The Crew Behind Swift Water & Arroyo Rescues Film: These productions were filmed at Rail Yards. Have you seen them? Trending: New video shows fight before teen was shot and killed in Albuquerque News: VIDEO: Canoeing accident in northern NM leads to dramatic rescue operation What started as a typical Saturday night at the laundromat turned violent in a matter of seconds. Newly obtained surveillance video from XXL Washers on San Mateo Blvd. and Zuni Rd. showed exactly what led up to 15-year-old Michael Rowe being shot and killed back in December. KRQE News 13 spoke to Rowe's sister days after the shooting, and she said what happened was a senseless act of violence. 'There's never anything that anybody can do that should cause you to take another person's life,' said Sarah Rowe in December 2024. Video that night showed Rowe and two girls sitting, waiting for their load to finish up. Moments later, a woman, Jamel Coriz, walks up to the trio. A criminal complaint said that's when an argument begins over the use of a washing machine. Coriz went to punch one of the girls, and for more than five minutes, the group continued to throw punches and kicks, back and forth. Eventually, Coriz walked outside and left, but it didn't end there. Six minutes later, Coriz returned with her boyfriend, Oscar Orozco. Orozco walked inside the laundromat and confronted Rowe, who was now alone, and chased him outside. Orozco chased Rowe around vehicles at the back of the parking lot before he fired a gun at Rowe's back. Video from outside the laundromat picked up Coriz yelling at Rowe for starting it, before Coriz and Orozco got back in the car and took off. Rowe was taken to the hospital but died shortly after. Orozco is behind bars awaiting trial. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
