Latest news with #Wells
BBC News
8 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Ukrainian refugee in Wells supporting other displaced people
A women who fled Ukraine three years ago said she is helping to support other displaced people feel welcome in the Prykhodko moved to Wells in Somerset in 2022 as part of the homes for Ukraine programme and now teaches English to other has been speaking at a new exhibition for World Refugee Day at Wells Cathedral, describing what it is like to be as a displaced Prykhodko told BBC Radio Somerset: "I was trying to start my life from scratch but I also wanted to help others to navigate a new country as I knew the English language. It's been very rewarding." She said: "When I came here to Wells, my life has changed considerably and trying to help others has helped ease that pain of fleeing my home country. "The UK and Ukraine life is really similar but the cuisine is quite different."Sunday Roast is something we don't have in Ukraine and that's such a wonderful tradition with spending time with family and eating amazing food." She now works with the Wells Welcome Hub which aims to create a safe space for anyone who is Prykhodko said: "We try to promote British values through volunteering and participating in events. It's about getting them into the community."I want to show people that are displaced that learning a new language and integrating with the local community can be so beneficial."
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Wife predicts lottery win — then lands $200K-winning ticket in NC. ‘I told you'
A North Carolina woman may be questioning her psychic abilities after her lottery prediction came true. Sylvia Wells, of Hubert, told her husband she believed she would win the lottery, according to a June 19 news release from the N.C. Education Lottery. The couple traveled to a Handy Mart in Jacksonville on June 17 to test their luck, officials said. 'We bought his favorite ticket and my favorite ticket,' Wells told officials. The two left the store, then scratched off their $5 Diamond 10X tickets — and her husband's ticket won $200,000. 'We just kept looking at each other,' Wells said. 'It was overwhelming.' Wells' husband's ticket hit one of four top prizes, lottery officials said. After taxes, they will take home $143,501. The woman told officials she plans to use the money to buy land. 'I was like, 'I told you we were going to do it,' Wells said she told her husband. 'We did it.' One top prize remains in the Diamond 10X game, lottery officials said. The couple lives in Hubert, about a 65-mile drive northeast from Wilmington in southeastern North Carolina.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Serial woman beater left ex with a bleed on her brain
Bully dragged his girlfriend into the bathroom and beat her repeatedly Simon Wells became one of the first offenders to be charged under new laws around non-fatal strangulation A serial woman-beating thug who left an ex with a bleed on her brain could be going back to jail for breaching his Violent Offences Prevention Order. Pictured here for the first time Antrim bully boy Simon Wells will find out on Tuesday if he is going back to prison after he admitted the breach the terms of his VOPO of which he has been subject to for six years and has four more to run. Wells was previously jailed after he dragged his then girlfriend into a bathroom where he proceeded to punch her repeatedly in the head. And in a separate subsequent attack Wells became one of the first offenders to be charged under new laws around non-fatal strangulation – however the charge was left on the books when he pleaded guilty to assault. Court News NI reported Wells, who has a string of domestic abuse convictions against him, appeared this week convicted of having an 'unapproved' overnight stay in Antrim on April 27. Serial woman-beating thug Simon Wells Sentencing will take place next month at Antrim Magistrates' Court when the 30-year-old now with an address of Inverary Avenue, Belfast, will discover if he's going back to prison following a pre-sentence report. In Northern Ireland, a Violent Offences Prevention Order (VOPO) is a civil order made by a court to protect the public from an offender who poses a risk of serious violent harm. It's not part of a sentence and is a risk management tool, not automatically applied to all violent offenders – only those repeat offenders who have been before the courts several times. Wells has shocking history of attacking women. In 2019 he was jailed for three years after he attacked his ex, committing grievous bodily harm in a prolonged assault that left his victim with a broken nose, broken teeth and a bleed on the brain. On that occasion Wells told cops afterwards, 'If a woman is big enough to hit, she is big enough to be hit back'. Wells barrister told Antrim Crown Court 'in the cold clear light of day' his 24-year-old client was 'disgusted with his behaviour'. Crown barrister Michael Chambers told the court six years ago Wells and his partner went to the flat of another man in Antrim, and that all three consumed drink and drugs. Mr Chambers said that after an otherwise pleasant evening, Wells couldn't find his phone and that an argument broke out between him and his girlfriend. When she located his phone and gave it gave it back to him, the row escalated. Mr Chambers said that while Wells accused his partner of having his phone, he then smashed her two phones. She became angry at this, she shouted at him then the couple started pushing and shoving each other. The prosecutor said at this point the 'physically much stronger' Wells grabbed his girlfriend and dragged her to the bathroom where he got her on the floor. The thug then punched her repeatedly and banged her head off the floor. Mr Chambers said the occupant of the flat was aware of what was happening, and when he opened the bathroom door, he saw Wells 'straddling her and punching her about the face... he thought she was going to be killed'. Simon Wells became one of the first offenders to be charged under new laws around non-fatal strangulation News in 90 Seconds - June 18th He intervened, the police were called to the flat, and when they arrived the saw a woman in a physically distressed state with a bruised and bloodied face. She was taken to hospital and treated for a broken nose and extensive bruising to her face. She also sustained a bleed to the brain and broken teeth in the assault. When Wells, who's originally from Antrim, was arrested, he told police 'if a woman is big enough to hit, she is big enough to be hit back'. At the time, he was also in breach of a suspended sentence. He later admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, and causing criminal damage to her phones. Defence barrister Neil Moore said it was accepted by Wells that domestic violence was 'abhorrent', that he was 'disgusted' by his own behaviour and that 'he has had the opportunity to think very long and very hard about how he reacted that evening'. Pointing out that in the year Wells has spent in custody he has 'embraced all the help forthcoming to him', Mr Moore revealed this has included attending a victim awareness course. Simon Wells The defence barrister told Judge Kevin Finnegan QC that while an ongoing issue with Wells is drugs and alcohol misuse, he has passed all drugs tests in prison. Judge Finnegan handed Wells a three-year sentence which was divided into a year in custody and two years on licence – meaning he will be released this week. As part of his licence, Wells will have to participate in courses recommended by his Designated Risk Manager. Wells was also made the subject of a five-year Violent Offences Prevention Order, and the conditions of this include him being forbidden into entering a relationship without disclosing his previous offending, and not communicating directly or indirectly with his ex-girlfriend. But despite his claims that he was getting help to stop him from attacking women Wells was back in court in July 2023 for similar offences. He was charged at Ballymena Magistrates Court with strangling a female with intent to affect her ability to breathe or the flow of blood to her brain. He was also charged of assaulting and threatening to kill her and damaging fixtures and fittings in her home. Wells pleaded guilty to the criminal damage charge and the assault offence with the other charges 'left on the book'. He was jailed for 22 months with half of that to be in custody and the other half on licence.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Homebuilder sentiment in USA skids to two and half years low in June: NAHB
A gauge of U.S. homebuilder sentiment slid unexpectedly to its lowest level in two and a half years in June, with more than a third of residential construction firms cutting prices to lure buyers sidelined by high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty due to President Donald Trump's tariffs. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell to 32, the lowest reading since December 2022, from 34 in May. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the sentiment score to improve to 36. Measures of current sales conditions, future sales expectations and buyer foot traffic all fell. On a regional basis, the Northeast posted a small rise while the South, Midwest and West all declined. "Rising inventory levels and prospective home buyers who are on hold waiting for affordability conditions to improve are resulting in weakening price growth in most markets and generating price declines for resales in a growing number of markets," Robert Dietz, NAHB 's chief economist, said in a statement. "Given current market conditions, NAHB is forecasting a decline in single-family starts for 2025." Mortgage rates remain elevated. The average rate on the most popular home loan, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, was 6.84% last week, according to home finance firm Freddie Mac, squarely in the middle of the 6.60% to 7.04% range over the past six months. "Buyers are increasingly moving to the sidelines due to elevated mortgage rates and tariff and economic uncertainty," said NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes, a home builder and developer based in Lexington, North Carolina. "To help address affordability concerns and bring hesitant buyers off the fence, a growing number of builders are moving to cut prices." The survey showed 37% of builders were cutting prices in June, the highest percentage since NAHB began tracking the metric on a monthly basis in 2022. That figure was up from 34% in May and 29% in April, while the average price cut held steady at 5%. The use of any kind of incentive ticked up a point to 62%.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU Community Mourns the Loss of Track & Field Icon
The HBCU community is mourning the loss of a legend. Morehouse College has announced the passing of Thomas Wells, affectionately known as T.J., a longtime assistant coach and proud alumnus. Wells was a key figure in the success of Morehouse's track and field and cross-country programs for nearly 40 years. Coach Wells graduated from Morehouse in 1974. He was a two-sport athlete who played football and ran track. In 1987, he returned to campus as a coach. His energy, passion, and leadership helped shape generations of Maroon Tigers. Coach Wells worked closely with Head Coach Willie Hill to build one of the most dominant programs in HBCU history. Together, they led Morehouse to 38 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) championships. These titles spanned cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track and field. Wells' most recent achievement came in February 2025. The Maroon Tigers won the first-ever SIAC Indoor Track & Field Championship. That victory followed the 2024 SIAC Cross Country title. Under his leadership, Morehouse produced numerous All-SIAC athletes, NCAA qualifiers, and student leaders. "T.J. Wells was more than a coach-he was a cornerstone of our program," said Athletic Director Harold Ellis. "He shared a vision for excellence that went beyond medals and trophies." Coach Willie Hill added, "Anybody can live. No one can live giving like Coach Wells. He was a true giver of life." Wells mentored young men with discipline, love, and purpose. His impact reached beyond athletics. He built a culture rooted in integrity, teamwork, and service. That culture still defines Morehouse athletics today. In addition to coaching, Wells served his community. From 1973 to 1998, he worked as a Center Director for the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation. He also volunteered with Scouting America, mentoring youth across Atlanta. Coach Wells lived with humility, dedication, and a belief in the power of education and sport. His commitment to Morehouse and the HBCU tradition was unmatched. Wells gave 38 years to Morehouse. In that time, he touched thousands of lives. His players remember him not just for wins, but for wisdom and heart. Morehouse College will announce memorial details in the coming days. The community extends its deepest condolences to the Wells family, former athletes, and all who knew him. Thomas Wells was a leader, a mentor, and a proud Morehouse Man. His legacy will live on through every athlete he inspired-and through every HBCU program that strives for excellence. The post HBCU Community Mourns the Loss of Track & Field Icon appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
