CW senior technical editor emeritus Sara Black wrote about the aviation industry in Spain through her site visits to Airbus’ composites facility in Illescas next-door Tier 1 Aernnova and nearby research organization FIDAMC. In early 2024 CW had the chance to revisit these facilities to see how they — and the industry — have grown in the years since This report covers this recent tour of Airbus Illescas; see CW senior technical editor Ginger Gardiner’s report on Aernnova’s Toledo and Illescas sites CW’s tour of Airbus’ Illescas facility was led by Mónica Álvarez Airbus expert in multifunctional composites It began with a high-level update on Airbus’ composite operations and goals in Spain Airbus operates seven manufacturing sites in Spain — San Pablo Tres Cantos and Getafe — employing more than 14,100 employees The 170,848-square-meter Illescas facility located in the province of Toledo but only a short drive south of Madrid focuses on composites manufacturing of components for the company’s Commercial division and originally manufactured the carbon fiber composite upper and lower wing covers for the Eurofighter and the upper and lower horizontal tail plane (HTP) skins for the A330 building a new space to manufacture the composite Section 19 fuselage sections and skins for lateral boxes for the A380 When the A350 widebody aircraft — which boasts 50% of its primary structures manufactured from composites the most of any Airbus commercial aircraft so far — began production in 2015 the plant began manufacturing its lower wing covers and Section 19 fuselages “and these are our main workload drivers now,” Álvarez says The plant’s manufacturing technologies include automatic tape laying (ATL) All composite parts manufactured at this facility are made from carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg “We consume more than 1 million square meters of CFRP [carbon fiber-reinforced polymer] per year,” Álvarez says the plant’s product portfolio includes the upper and lower HTP skins for the A320/A320neo and A330/A330neo the front and rear spars for the A330/A330neo the lower wing covers (also called wing lower covers front spar and wing tip spar for the EuroFighter-2000 “Our strategy is to work on what we call steps toward more composites within aircraft and the A350 was a big step,” Álvarez explains The impetus for increasing composites use is which leads to less overall fuel consumption by the aircraft. is focused on preparing production capacity for its planned ramp-ups Affecting the Illescas plant are increasing rate targets for the A320 (ramping up from 45 to 75/month in 2027) the A330 (ramping up from 3 to 4/month by the end of 2024) and the A350 (ramping up from 6 to 12/month in 2028) the Illescas plant is “preparing the industrial means and processes to achieve these rates,” Álvarez says the company is also working toward the development of its “next-generation” aircraft increasing productivity of our industrial systems quick ramp-ups and contributing to sustainability.” she explains that the top two priorities for Airbus’ next-generation commercial aircraft designs are replacement of a single-aisle narrowbody aircraft its announced ZEROe short-range hydrogen-fueled electric aircraft we expect to have a high rate of composites content to save weight especially if we want to onboard H2 [hydrogen] tank systems Whether we use H2 or SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] for the narrowbody weight will still be key and composites are likely to be key enablers of the next generation,” Álvarez says The Illescas facility in particular is working on solutions to improve next-generation aircraft efficiency including R&D work on enhanced materials and processes Airbus changed its company motto from “We make it fly” to “We pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world.” “This change to me is a clear signal that we as a company want to join what we are doing in the present with the future,” Álvarez says “We have to lead the ecosystem in not only being the best in what we do in our current and future products but to lead the ecosystem around us with this focus on sustainable aerospace.” The company also supports industry targets such as EU Green Deal objectives for carbon neutrality by 2050 and a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 “Composite materials might be a minor part of our overall carbon footprint today but as we increase composites usage on future aircraft especially as we reduce operation emissions by switching to hydrogen or SAF,” Blanco says “We are fully committed to developing the ecosystem to enable recyclability of composites production scrap and end-of-life parts and to work with suppliers to reduce the emissions of raw materials.” sustainability efforts include working toward greater machine efficiency looking for materials recycling solutions including several ongoing R&D projects and reducing waste which involves the installation of a rainwater recovery system to feed into the cleanroom climate control system and nondestructive testing (NDT) equipment How is the plant working toward greater efficiency “Our ambition is to become a predictive factory,” Álvarez says “We as an industry have a lot of scrap and quality costs because we inspect the product at the end of the manufacturing process but we need better ways to detect and predict defects earlier on when there is still an opportunity to fix the problem.” This includes implementation of various types of sensors on all machines and levels of the manufacturing process provide information for the development of digital twins and ultimately provide “smart alerts” that anticipate any problems or defects and let the operator know so that the process can be stopped and corrected before it goes any further “Building a predictive factory is our ambition it’s like an obsession,” Álvarez says “I prefer to say it’s a ‘data-driven factory’ instead of the word ‘digitalization.’ I don’t just want digital screens in the factory I want a process that uses data to anticipate issues and optimize the process.” Another set of goals Álvarez has for the Illescas facility is growing with plans to grow as aircraft production ramps up The average age for employees is 42 with 14 years of experience Álvarez notes that gender diversity is something they are actively working toward — currently women comprise 21% of the plant’s white collar employees 12% of blue collar employees and 66% of engineering management the overall plant itself is woman-led with Álvarez at the helm The Illescas plant also has what’s called an autonomous production team (APT) which is “a team of blue collars and supervisors that are empowered to make decisions on their own it was one of the biggest cultural transformations here,” Álvarez says “a transformation to take improvement and optimization decisions down to the lowest level.” As the CW tour moves out of the conference room and onto the production floor “Highlights of the plant include ramping up improvement of the products with our steps and also working on R&D projects for the next-generation aircraft This is more or less what we are doing now in the plant.” The Illescas facility comprises two production buildings The first production facility CW had the chance to walk through is the newer 64,988-square-meter building completed in 2011 Each cover comprises a skin reinforced with 17 stringers Álvarez and Blanco lead the CW tour into a massive we walk into a space called the control room where the team holds daily meetings and tracks progress via a SQCDP (safety Álvarez explains that the wing covers measuring 32 meters long and weighing 2,700 kilograms due in part to the large space and large machines and parts there appear to be few people around as we are walking through the cleanroom Álvarez says that this is because the process is highly automated About 50 employees are on the production floor at any given shift most of them operating the automated equipment we first approach three gantry-style MTorres (Torres de Elorz only two of these machines are needed to lay up the WLC’s exterior layer of expanded copper foil for lightning strike protection (LSP) Four gantry-style MTorres AFP machines are then used to lay up the carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg for the skins themselves onto 3D Invar tools Why is ATL used for the LSP but AFP for the skins Álvarez explains that AFP is much faster able to lay down material at a rate of 50 kilograms/hour — versus the ATL’s rate of 20 kilograms/hour — which is more suitable for the skins The current foil used for LSP is also more suited for use with ATL which processes wider tapes up to 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) Airbus has worked on optimizing its AFP process further and is switching its machines from 12.7-millimeter-wide (0.5-inch) tapes to 50.8-millimeter-wide (2-inch) tapes to increase efficiency “Our first step is increasing the width capability of the AFP machines we want to consolidate these processes and use one [AFP] machine with wider and thicker CFRP materials for a higher deposition rate,” Blanco adds the skins are transferred out of the cleanroom for their first autoclave cycle then brought back in for integration with the stringers the stringers are manufactured in a highly automated work cell on the far side of the cleanroom There are 17 T-shaped stringers manufactured per wing skin The 32-meter-long stringer forming cell starts with two cantilever 2D placement Torresfiber AFP machines to lay up tailored blanks for the stringer preforms with trimming done on a nearby Torrespanex cutting system The blanks are then preformed in a hot drape forming (HDF) machine and Robotic arms move the stringers from one position to another Blanco explains the purpose of an extrusion machine seen to one side of the stringer forming cell: Leftover prepreg tape rolls are spliced via a KUKA (Augsburg Germany) robot and then extruded into triangular fillers and noodles that are used to help position the T-stringers onto the skins We watch an AGV train move past carrying a wing skin tool headed toward the exit door toward the adjacent autoclave area where there are two vacuum bagging stations stringer preforms are placed via laser projectors and attached with adhesive to the skin The entire assembly is then vacuum bagged and sent back into the autoclave for its final cure The tour continues from the cleanroom into the autoclave area 7-meter-diameter autoclaves for curing both the skins and final WLC assemblies Beyond these are a series of four trimming stations which employ laser scanners to check for dimensional accuracy as well as assembly stations and two paint booths drilled — 29 manholes must be cut into it for maintenance — assembled with gaskets and supports Airbus also performs visual and C-scan inspection here The final parts are now ready for assembly into the A350 wings How are the 32-meter-long wing components transported to the assembly facility “We can transport them via truck as far as our facility in Getafe,” which is about 15 kilometers away — though she adds “We have to close the road while we’re transporting them so we can only do this at night and everything has to be highly controlled and coordinated ahead of time.” From Getafe the WLCs are loaded onto Airbus’s Beluga transport aircraft to travel to Airbus facilities in Broughton and from there to the Airbus final assembly line (FAL) Blanco adds that they switched from using the standard Beluga — capable of carrying two skins at a time — to the Beluga XL which can carry four skins at a time (two right-hand and two left-hand to help decrease transport costs and associated CO2 emissions The Beluga XL is also designed to run on SAF the tour continues outside and to the nearby Section 19 building moving first into another large cleanroom and into a control room similar to the one in the WLC building “These control rooms are the same in all of our composites production facilities,” Álvarez says She explains that the Section 19 is a fuselage barrel piece measuring 5.7 meters in length and about 4 meters in diameter using 589 kilograms of carbon fiber prepreg to cover 53 square meters of surface area Section 19s are manufactured for the A350-900 and -1000 This is the first composite Section 19 barrel Airbus has produced in one shot and was one of the main goals in the design process — the A380 Section 19 was manufactured in six pieces that were joined together Another design challenge was that this part of the fuselage has to handle complex loads from the HTP and vertical tail plane (VTP) which led to the materials choice of carbon fiber composites The core processes for manufacturing this Section 19 have been automated about 60% so far Outside the control room are two ATL machines and a Torrespanex cutting machine These are used to lay up 42 omega-shaped stringers per Section 19 again made from Hexcel carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg the stringer plies are transferred to one of two nearby HDF machines for forming into the 6 × 2-inch-wide stringers An autonomous AGV can be seen driving past delivering the omega stringers across the room to one of two vertical storage warehouses The process is similar to the WLC stringer forming process albeit differently shaped tools and stringers; however Beside the HDF lines and in the far corner of the space are two AFP stations — one by MAG (now owned by Fives) and one by Fives (Paris France) — which lay up the skin onto an aluminum barrel mandrel designed by Airbus and manufactured by an external supplier The skin is also transferred to the integration station where stringers are pulled out of the storage warehouses and fitted by hand into specially designed channels in the mandrel The entire assembly is then vacuum bagged for curing following the process to the autoclave area which contains one autoclave and one demolding station The sheer size of the parts is on full display here with a row of finished Section 19 barrels seen on the far side of the space Álvarez notes that the demolding process is “tricky,” requiring a specially designed process and controlled cooling for removing the part without damage “The part keeps the same size after cure while the mandrel shrinks during cooldown That makes it possible to separate the part from the tooling,” she explains Six carbon fiber composite caul plates are used per mandrel to maintain outer surface dimension control To the left of the demolding area is a dust-controlled room where holes for attaching frames and hardware during the assembly process are drilled via a waterjet trimming station Álvarez notes that the facility is looking for solutions with local partners for reuse of the trimming scrap The tour also enters the operator control area of a PAR Systems (Saint Paul Italy) robot that uses a diamond-coated tool to precisely cut holes into the stringers where fuselage frames will be attached with clips Each completed Section 19 is inspected in a two-step process automatic phased-array ultrasonic NDT cell Non-accessible areas are inspected manually via pulse echo ultrasonic testing (UT) In the second step within an adjacent manual inspection cell the entire jig rotates around the person doing a visual inspection for better ergonomics the parts are ready for transport and final assembly Álvarez emphasizes the ways both the WLC and Section 19 processes we witnessed circle back to Airbus’ larger goals and those of the Illescas plant in particular we’re implementing predictive sensors because this data is how we’ll make our processes more efficient and meet both our sustainability and rate targets we’re aiming for diversity and empowerment We’re constantly reevaluating and improving the automation you see across the factory It’s all about improving what we have now and preparing for what comes next.” Airbus’ composites production facility in Illescas features high levels of automation to produce carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg parts for a variety of commercial aircraft notably the A350 lower wing covers and Section 19 fuselage barrels The plant’s manufacturing technologies include automatic tape laying (ATL), automatic fiber placement (AFP), autoclave cure, trimming and automatic inspection. All composite parts manufactured at this facility are made from carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg, mostly supplied by Hexcel (Stamford The Illescas plant is working toward increasing production efficiency for Airbus’ planned ramp-ups including an expected doubling of production for the A350 by 2028 For more details on the company’s sustainability initiatives, see companion article, “Airbus works to improve the lifecycle of composites in future aircraft.” The wing lower cover (WLC) cleanroom showcases automated processes in action Shown on the right side of the first image and in the close-up photo a series of gantry-style ATL and AFP machines lay up copper foil LSP and CFRP lower wing skins stringers are laid up and preformed via hot drape forming (HDF) Leaving the control room, we first approach three gantry-style MTorres (Torres de Elorz Airbus is working on optimizing its four MTorres AFP machines for faster layup to meet production ramp-up goals This includes replacing one of its fiber placement heads to lay down wider tapes and R&D efforts to combine skins and LSP into one multifunctional material which would reduce materials and process steps Blanco explains the purpose of an extrusion machine seen to one side of the stringer forming cell: Leftover prepreg tape rolls are spliced via a KUKA (Augsburg an autonomous AGV transports a vacuum-bagged wing lower cover tool and preform into one of two brightly painted autoclaves (bottom) painted and inspected here before transport to their final assembly facilities The Section 19 cleanroom features two specially configured AFP machines (pictured left and back) for laying up the part on 5.7-meter-long Beside the HDF lines and in the far corner of the space are two AFP stations — one by MAG (now owned by Fives) and one by Fives (Paris A vacuum bagged Section 19 with pre-placed stringers The tour also enters the operator control area of a PAR Systems (Saint Paul, Minn., U.S.) robotic cell, where we can see a Comau (Grugliasco each Section 19 is inspected first by ultrasonic scanner then visually while mounted in a rotating jig The page you’re on features premium CW editorial content videos and podcasts from the CW editorial team we ask all new website users to provide some information about themselves before they are provided free access to the content We thank you for your continued interest in and support of CW By 2025-04-01T17:40:00+01:00 Airbus believes there will be no impact on A350 aircraft deliveries after a fire damaged equipment at its Illescas plant south of Madrid The fire broke out on 25 March in one of the production halls FlightGlobal understands that the blaze affected an autoclave in the area of section 19 manufacture for the A350 Section 19 is part of the aft fuselage which interfaces with the tail cone Airbus believes A350 deliveries will not be affected despite the fire at the Spanish production site it will not be possible to resume production in the affected area in the short term,” says an Airbus spokesperson But the airframer insists that there is “no estimated impact on deliveries” because it has “sufficient reserve capacity” With no feasible immediate alternatives to restore production the manufacturer is having to implement a temporary redundancy plan which will affect the section 19 workforce FlightGlobal understands this process will remain in effect until mid-May Section 19 of the A350 is located aft of the main fuselage barrel and interfaces with the tail cone extraordinary measure due to a supervening situation that temporarily makes it impossible to work in the affected production area,” says the spokesperson “The aim is to guarantee stability and minimise the impact on our teams We are working to manage the situation in the best possible way and we are confident of a speedy recovery.” No-one required medical attention as a result of the incident Investigation is underway with initial suspicion centred on a possible autoclave heating system malfunction Airbus also manufactures section 19 for the A350 at its Spanish facility in Getafe Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flynas is to proceed with an initial public offering under which it will sell shares representing 30% of its capital Flynas secured approval for the offering from the kingdom’s Capital Market Authority at the end of March The airline intends to sell 33.8 million existing shares .. Boeing 747 operators are being instructed to carry out prompt elevator checks after a 747-8 freighter was flown without balance weights after maintenance The US FAA states that the 747-8F was flown with a right-hand outboard elevator which had been received and installed without the weights Italian carrier ITA Airways has edged into full-year operating profit with a surplus of €3 million ($3.4 million) a performance which it claims is ahead of schedule While ITA also posted a net loss of €227 million it states that it achieved the positive operating result even before the intervention .. Lilium’s collapse has claimed another victim with German battery supplier CustomCells – which had pledged to fund the electric air taxi developer’s revival – now itself facing insolvency AALTO has claimed a new stratospheric flight record with its Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station with one of its vehicles having remained airborne for more than two months Qatar Airways’ cargo division is to be the launch customer for the Boeing 777-200LR freighter conversion programme established by US-based Mammoth Freighters The disclosure follows the initial test flight of the prototype converted aircraft (N705DN) following its modification at Aspire MRO in Fort Worth FlightGlobal is the global aviation community’s primary source of news analytics and advisory services to connect the aviation community globally and help organisations shape their business strategies identify new opportunities and make better decisions faster Site powered by Webvision Cloud member-first insights and commentary on the global aviation industry Ecuador’s mineral exports could fall by some 20% year-on-year mining vice-minister Rebeca Illescas told an industry conference on Tuesday as power cuts and delays in giving export licenses hit output Ecuador’s worst drought in over 60 years has plunged the hydropower-dependent country into an energy crisis as diminished reservoirs leave hydroelectric dams offline pushing the government to impose power cuts “There will be a fall,” Illescas said “I expect it will be at least 20% compared to last year.” Mining exports were worth $3.3 billion for Ecuador in 2023 The Mirador copper mine is operating at about half of its capacity Mirador’s operator said in August they expect to invest about $650 million into the second phase of the project over three years “Mirador has had energy problems for more than 30 days and since about 10 days ago they are at half capacity,” Illescas said a unit of Chinese consortium CRCC-Tongguan Investment Co Ltd did not immediately respond to a request for comment Canadian miner Lumina Gold will develop a gold project in the coastal province of El Oro (By Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb) and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Gruyere gold mine joint venture partners Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources reach agreement on a friendly deal to consolidate ownership. The initiative will be delivered through the regional joint venture established by Fleet Space Technologies and Tahreez. The US central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady in this meeting. Romania has major reserves of rare earths, gold and copper, which have attracted interest from Canadian and American firms. Spain) is a leading Tier 1 aerostructures supplier with 5,442 employees in 16 locations across eight countries supporting 30 different aircraft programs services and metallic components businesses Aernnova Composites is a key part of the group’s integrated aerostructures capability and comprises six plants with 1,343 employees in Spain Aernnova is a company committed to sustainability technological development and digitization vice president of technology development for Aernnova testing and certification to production.” The industry’s respect for this full capability and decades of expertise can be seen in contracts awarded by Heart Aerospace to co-design the airframe of the ES-19 electric aircraft ailerons and spoilers for the Echelon HA-480 Aernnova is currently working with Boom Supersonic to design and develop the composite wing for Overture as well as with air mobility company Lilium developing the composite wing and nacelles for the Lilium Jet this aircraft uses vectored thrust from 30 electric engines,” explains Enrique Sanchez director of composites manufacturing engineering for the Aernnova plants in Spain “We are developing the articulated nacelles that enable this ducted fan propulsion.” Aernnova has also developed a strategic partnership with Embraer acquiring the Brazilian OEM’s two facilities in Evora Portugal — one for metallics and one for composites — and is increasing production to support current and future single-aisle aircraft It also acquired Hamble Aerostructures in Southampton this facility produces the large fixed trailing edge for the Airbus A350 wing Of the remaining four composites sites in Spain the Orense and Álava plants in the north are dedicated mostly to parts made using hand layup (HLU) processes CW’s tour focused on the ICSA facility in Toledo well-known for its serial production using resin transfer molding (RTM) which uses automated tape laying (ATL) and fiber placement (AFP) to produce the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) leading edge (LE) and other components for the Airbus A350 horizontal tail plane (HTP) The latter also serves as Aernnova Composites’ headquarters and is located adjacent to the Airbus Illescas composites plant outside of Madrid R&D and innovation are part of Aernnova’s DNA Aernnova is a founding member of the Clean Sky/Clean Aviation program and also participates in regional and customer-focused R&D projects This has enabled Aernnova to mature a wide range of composite technologies and manufacturing to demonstration/high technology readiness levels (TRL These range from high temperature-resistant composites in the SuCoHS project to thermoplastic composite (TPC) wingbox covers and fuselage components in Clean Sky 2 projects to the 2023 JEC Innovation Award finalist all-CFRP railcar with OEM Talgo saving 25% weight and reaching TRL 6/7 Castillo notes this started with stamp forming via work with the composites R&D center FIDAMC (Getafe “But now we want to bring that in-house and industrialize it,” says Castillo “We also produced parts for the Clean Sky 2 MFFD and ARE projects and have worked with Cetma’s [Brindisi Italy] technologies for continuous compression molding [CCM] and induction welding We will mature a range of these technologies to TRL 6 by the end of 2025 for elementary parts and then continue to mature our welding capabilities with partners.” including patented designs for multi-flange fuselage frames and CFRP struts with an integrated metallic insert for attachment “The one-shot wingbox skin we made with Airbus in the APOLO project,” says Castillo “was similar to the 7-meter IIAMS demonstrator by MTorres at 3 meters.” Other RTM achievements include: Aernnova also completed the ATEA-AERO project to develop a new generation landing gear door for next generation conventional aircraft “This is a high-curvature part where drape-formed spars are integrated as a single part with the skin in an RTM process,” says Castillo He notes Aernnova is in the third year of a digitalization program called Zero Latency “We are changing our enterprise systems and connecting these to production data It will change the whole way we work and include AI support More than 80% of our operations will be covered this year.” Aernnova is also advancing robotics for improved assembly processes including more flexible systems that are able to handle a wide variety of parts for more resilient and adaptable production lines (ICSA) has more than 30 years of experience in composites production and was acquired by Aernnova in 2003 Our tour is led by Sanchez and Carlos Torollo We enter a lobby filled with examples of production parts including empennage fairings for the Airbus A380 and the A350 HTP LE as well as the RTM structural grids for the A350 passenger (pax) door which are made in this plant large freezer on the right stores rolls of prepreg and kits of cut prepreg plies “We test incoming prepreg and can do chemical and mechanical testing as needed to support programs,” says Torollo He notes the production floor flow is like a “C” cutting and hand layup at the entry where we are assembly and nondestructive testing (NDT)/inspection in the middle before curving back to the right for RTM production where two automated cutters from Lectra (Paris Laser projectors in this HLU area are supplied by Virtek (Waterloo Germany).“We are the single source for the A320 elevator composite parts, which are very high-rate HLU components,” says Torollo Fixed HLU stations are mixed with “pop-up” stations moved as required for ramps/changes in production rates A vacuum table along the wall is used for compacting layups. We see an A350 HTP fairing leading edge extension (LEX) in progress as well as rounded triangular LE ribs which are vacuum bagged on small tools as is a layup on a larger metal tool for the A220 auxiliary power unit (APU) door Quite a bit of production uses reusable bags Aernnova also makes the cockpit dashboard panel for the Airbus Helicopters H160 for which ICSA makes more than 3,000 skins/year We also see honeycomb-cored components for the A330 elevators and a Kuzan K-30 laser projection system on wheels which can be used to aid HLU where needed We exit the cleanroom into a curing area with three autoclaves supplied by TEICE (Spain), IROP (Italy) and Maschinenbau Scholz (Coesfeld 14 × 4 meters and 3 × 1.8 meters in diameter — and a 12 × 3.5 × 3-meter oven with an adjacent room for tool storage we walk into the main production hall which stretches the length of the building One is an ultrasound testing (UT) cell on rails with dual water squirters that uses through-transmission (TTU) for larger Just beyond are several stations where technicians perform hand UT scans of areas highlighted for further inspection Spain) immersion tank that can perform single-side and TTU C-scans The third cell by Tecnatom (Madrid) is the newest Y-axis (toward or away from the part) and Z-axis (height) we see completed skins for the A320 and A330 elevators featuring a blue film containing lightning strike protection (LSP).  In an adjacent assembly area technicians are attaching metal anti-erosion plates to an A350 HTP LE. We also see work on A320 elevators persons) station for tracking and reviewing key production indicators (KPIs) “These stations share statistical process control data and other relevant production and quality indicators with the production floor in all our factories,” notes Sanchez We leave the main production hall and enter the RTM production area filled with a Lectra cutter and numerous racks with stacked kits We then enter a large cleanroom with a layup area to our left a technician has a workstation dashboard screen suspended in his cell He speaks to the system as he completes each ply and it checks it off in the workflow software Just beyond these layup areas is a large hot drape forming (HDF) machine made by Serra a sister Aernnova company in Barcelona and Romania Layups are heated to 90°C for 3 hours to melt the binder and compact them into a shaped preform that will be placed into an RTM mold set The machine uses a single HDF top unit — equipped with infrared lamps for heating and forced air for cooling — with two tables for layups While one is in the HDF processing preforms There are also two small Multitherm HDF tables from Elkom (Postfach “We then assemble these preforms like puzzle pieces into the RTM tools to  enable larger integrated structures,” says Sanchez To our right are twin vertical storage systems by Hänel Lean Life (Bad Friedrichshall Germany) used for the various production programs’ preforming tools self-heated steel RTM molds — wrapped in thermal insulation blankets to hold heat inside — await injection/cure cycle or have just finished and will move next to demolding “We have two strategies for RTM production here,” says Sanchez “The first are these self-heated matched tools After we place the preforms and tooling inserts inside we close and clamp top and bottom tools and connect them to injection units and then the tools ramp down/cool before they are disconnected and moved to the demolding area Some of these are heated using electrical resistance and some use heated oil Our second approach is to use hot plate presses which heat tools by conduction from the platens.” There are two injection/cure stations for the self-heated tools used for producing the inner structural grids that will be mated with prepreg skins at Aeronnova Illescas for the A350 pax doors and two stations for the A350 HTP LE we watch a technician assemble a multipiece tool at a station for the A350 HTP trailing edge ribs made using a hot platen press “We make the A350 HTP LE in one shot integrating the skin with ribs,” says Sanchez “One big challenge was to maintain temperature of such massive molds at ±5°C and we changed our control system strategy to achieve this We deliver eight sections per plane.” Finished sets are shipped to Airbus Getafe for assembly of the HTP which resembles a mini wing set with a 19-meter span Airbus has said A350 production will increase from 6 aircraft/month in 2023 to 10 aircraft/month in 2026.  We exit the cure room into the demolding and NDI area There is a robot trimming cell for deburring the edges of dry preforms. We see a base and top for the RTM tool used to produce the A350 pax door inner structure An overhead crane is used to lift the mold top from the base “This is a very controlled process in order to remove the part without any damage,” notes Torollo The base of the two-part tool for the A350 HTP LE is also here and we can see the slots where rib preforms are placed but also the whole piece removed from it as an integrated structure The resin flash will be trimmed off and then it will undergo final quality control inspection head of manufacturing engineering for the Aernnova Illescas site which has 300 employees on the production floor Signs throughout the engineering offices confirm that diversification is an ongoing effort but Martinez says it is still challenging to hire women technicians here two of the five C-suite directors for this site and 26% of the overall Aernnova Illescas workforce are women This plant was built initially for production of the composite components and assemblies for the A350 HTP “We won this through a competitive process with other manufacturers,” explains Sanchez the process and the production facility to support the production rate needed We started prototype activities in 2010 and then fitted the line with automation the same year as Airbus Illescas next door.” Other parts in production here include the A350 #2 and #4 pax doors “The #1 and #3 doors are made by Airbus Helicopters in Donauwörth “We make the outer prepreg skin here and then integrate the RTM inner structure from ICSA along with other components in one specific assembly cell.” Finished doors are sent to Donauwörth for attaching door mechanisms Aernnova Illescas also makes the upper spar for the engine pylons on the A350-1000 and its main landing gear bay (MLGB) bulkhead which separates the unpressurized storage area for the landing gear wheels from the pressurized cargo hold This part is sent to Airbus Atlantic in Rochefort “We’re also developing the 4.5 × 4-meter cargo door for the A350 freighter,” says Martinez “The skin will be made by Airbus Illescas and we will produce the internal structure which comprises more than 500 parts including 12 frames plus stiffeners We are starting to make the tooling for this now.” “We also make the Boeing 787 aft pressure bulkhead [APB],” says Martinez demands a high level of quality and we had to demonstrate the ability to ramp to rate 14 in just 3 months But we delivered on-quality and on-time to the 787 assembly line in Charleston with the first part perfect — drop-in ready with no issues The program VP there had all the production workers sign a banner thanking us for such a good job We still have that banner on our production floor.” we make the vertical stabilizer skins and spars which are then assembled at Leonardo’s Foggia plant,” he continues “We also make the A220 center wingbox which is assembled in Aernnova’s Berantevilla plant using a completely robotic process. We also make the wing spars for the Dassault Falcon 10X; Dassault makes the skins and assembles the all-CFRP wings.” Aernnova is relied on not just for structural engineering but also manufacturing engineering “We developed the industrialized production for the A350 elevator and rudder but then this became part of a transfer to Airbus China,” says Sanchez “The rudder and elevators were industrialized here and then transferred completely to be produced at Harbin.” The Illescas facility tour begins in its 14,000-square-meter cleanroom There are not many workers in this highly automated production area ATL and AFP machines fill the room to the left and right of us and also straight ahead across the main aisle that splits the room into two sections but each is specialized for production of different parts,” notes Martinez producing blanks that are then shaped in the HDF machines and three are ATL cells that lay onto slightly curved curing tools We also have monotape machines that load one roll of 300 meters and multitape machines that load two or four 150-meter rolls at the same time.” He explains differences between ATL and AFP: “ATL systems can make any kind of layup pattern but are limited to shallow curvatures You need to know about ATL in order to use it efficiently which results in steps at the edges instead of an angled line and AFP systems can handle very complex geometry but they require more maintenance.” Regarding speed Martinez adds that the early AFP systems were slow but now AFP has become a very fast process The ATL to our left is a gantry system on rails laying onto a curved cure tool That tool starts in an HLU station just beyond this ATL cell where a ply of glass fiber prepreg with copper mesh for LSP is applied There are two tall towers with Virtek laser projectors The tool is then moved to the ATL cell for the CFRP prepreg tape layup It then returns to the HLU station for a final ply of glass fiber prepreg that serves as an isolation layer to prevent galvanic corrosion with aluminum fittings This ply also helps to prevent flacking — delamination that occurs on the back side of holes when drilling the finished part precured stringers will be located onto this skin and applied with adhesive The assembly is then vacuum bagged and cured in the autoclave We also see HLU of splice straps used to join fuselage sections for the A350 These are delivered to Premium Aerotec Group in Augsburg across the aisle from each other, fill out that end of the cleanroom They are laying blanks for stringers and stiffeners onto 35-meter-long flat tables “All ATL machines that lay on flat tables have a TorresLayup head to lay tape and a TorresPanex head to cut the blanks,” explains Sanchez “We make several parts at the same time and then cut the blanks to be formed in the HDF machine The laying and cutting heads can cross so that we’re running both at the same time —laying first at the beginning of the table and then swapping to lay at the end of the table We never stop the ATL head — the goal is to keep it laying as much as possible.” We walk to the main aisle in the cleanroom and turn right Beyond the two large ATL flat table cells is a large prepreg freezer There is also a cutting room with a Lectra automated cutter and a machine for cutting noodles used to fill the triangular hole between T-stringers and skins This hole results when two “L” stringer pieces are butted back-to-back to form the “T” — but this leaves an area between the skin and the L’s that needs to be filled This is standard procedure globally in CFRP skin-stringer production — although every facility has a different approach to making the noodles “We make ATL laminates and cut triangular sections for the noodles,” says Martinez “We then locate these as we mate the stringers to the skin we made fillers by hand-rolling prepreg into long snakes and then HDF formed them into noodles But now we have developed a specific machine for cutting the prepreg into shape.” The cut plies are manually removed from the Lectra cutter but the business case wasn’t there,” he explains We exit the cutting room and proceed back through the large cleanroom past a team vacuum bagging a finished layup “because there are a lot of pleats needed and the reusable bags are too expensive but again couldn’t make the business case we do use reusable bags for the 787 APB.” We pass ATL #5 on our right “We didn’t need such a big machine for these parts and so were able to use a more cost-effective cell.” we stop to look at tools that will go into the HDF machine on our left They feature male tooling inserts and are loaded with eight blanks that will be preformed into L’s which will later be combined to make four T-stringers. The vacuum bagged blanks on the tool are placed in the HDF machine and heated to 60°C after which vacuum is applied to shape the blanks while the prepreg remains uncured “We move the resulting preforms to a curing tool to form the final geometry,” says Martinez “Preforming is just to create the shape to locate the layups on the curing tools You would get wrinkles if you put flat blanks directly onto tooling inserts in the curing tools.” “We make these stringers net shape — no trimming,” he continues but we completed an internal project to improve this We had to demonstrate that the net-shape product was the same quality including making tests and micrographs to show cross-sections and properties We have also developed an alternative process where to produce the spars for the Dassault F10X wings.” As we continue to move through the cleanroom Sanchez explains there are three main processes here The first is co-curing — uncured stiffeners are mated to an uncured skin and autoclave cured together The second is co-bonding where precured stiffeners are mated to an uncured skin with adhesive and then autoclave cured — this is used in the HTP skins are bonded to a cured structure using adhesive and cured in an autoclave In the left rear corner from where we entered the cleanroom is an area for preparing A350 HTP components for co-bonding “We don’t need tooling for this bonding of stiffeners to ribs because the dimensions are already set,” notes Martinez a turning rack locates stringers into a curved jig and then flips this to place them onto the skin for the A220 center wingbox skins The assembly is then bagged and autoclave cured We walk across the aisle to a large AFP machine in the right rear corner of the cleanroom passing large tools for the Boeing 787 APB we have two areas in the bed for two of the APB tools,” says Sanchez “We lay on one while we inspect the other and vice versa The cell has an automated head changer to swap the head loaded with 16 spools of 1/2-inch-wide tape with the head carrying eight spools of 1/8-inch-wide tape Both are needed to complete the layup.” We then walk back to the central aisle and exit the cleanroom into the autoclave area Spain) autoclaves measure 14 × 5 meters 13 × 5 meters and 13 × 5.5 meters in diameter “We can cure every product we make in all of these,” says Martinez In front of each autoclave is a double-length of rail to fit two rack carts for faster changeout — one can be removed and then pushed sideways by AGVs while the second is then loaded into the autoclave We pass skins for the A220 center wingbox on racks Sanchez notes that Aernnova continues to align with Airbus ramps in production rates Airbus is targeting 14 aircraft/month by 2026 As we walk away from the autoclaves toward the NDT area we pass skins for the A350 HTP on tools after curing an upper spar for the A350-1000 engine pylon and three racks of net-shape stringers for the A350 HTP as well as outer skins for a dozen A350 pax doors The NDT area features a large squirter UT cell by GE and a robotic UT cell by Tecnatom that has two sections: one for a jig that can use a water squirter on the left and an immersion tank on the right “We use the GE squirter cell for larger parts because they must be inspected one by one,” says Sanchez so certain parts are specified to be inspected with it it’s better to inspect small parts in the Tecnatom immersion tank.” He notes the GE machine can do pulse-echo but not TTU a scanning fixture can be rolled into the left section and inspected with the robot using a water squirter an overhead crane lowers a fixture that is loaded with many parts — e.g. 15 ribs or two spars — into the immersion tank we are preparing the load in the non-immersion side next door,” says Martinez “We then move the robot over to do the non-immersion scanning while we remove scanned parts and reload the tank We are using phased array UT with 128 transducers so we can cover a large area quickly we must debubble the water in the tank in order to get an accurate image.” as every part produced here is 100% inspected “We also have stations where manual UT inspections are completed to review areas flagged for anomalies.” He adds that all areas of every part must be scanned because most of these parts are structural and considered flight- and/or safety-critical We walk past a 787 APB sitting ready to be scanned There are also racks of A350 MLGB bulkheads we see 787 APBs being assembled and the banner on the wall from Boeing Charleston Titanium fittings are attached all the way around the 4.2-meter-diameter bulkhead which requires stacked drilling of titanium/CFRP/titanium “We drill this in one shot with an automatic drilling machine,” says Sanchez Racks of finished A220 center wingbox skins sit next to A350 HTP and MLGB bulkhead assemblies the latter a large semicircle with stiffeners We pass a small cell that Sanchez describes as a development to automate the previously manual job of sealant application this took a lot of time,” he explains “It also required skilled artisans because the sealing is functional but the application must also be very neat to provide a high-quality finish and automation will improve efficiency to meet higher production rates.” We see fittings being installed in spars for the A350 HTP Martinez explains that while some are mechanically attached others are bonded and so receive four chicken rivets We exit this area back into the offices and main lobby Every composites manufacturer has a personality It pursues new technologies and automation but as a means to achieve improved practical way with a view to actual production “We have no room for less-than-optimal processes and operations.” And yet it is obvious that engineering and engineers form the spine of the company “The industry has changed,” notes Castillo making decisions of where to go is much more challenging and we continue to mature automation and new technologies across all our composites sites press forming and other out-of-autoclave processes We will launch thermoplastic composites in 2024-25 we will push to meet the demands of increased A320 he adds that Aernnova Composites sites have capacity for growth and will continue to diversify within the company’s aerospace focus “We have decades of expertise in engineering and production combined with a wide range of capabilities that provides real benefits in producing lighter higher performance and high-rate structures for all types of future aircraft.”  The ICSA facility in Toledo (top) produces complex RTM parts while Illescas (inset) specializes in AFP/ATL of large structures such as the Airbus A350 horizontal tail plane (HTP) and the Boeing 787 aft pressure bulkhead (APB) Aernnova Composites has decades of expertise in forming complex integrated RTM structures such as the upper shell demonstrator for a rear fuselage with patented multi-flange RTM frames (top) and this structural grid for A350 passenger doors (bottom). Source | CW We enter the cleanroom, where two automated cutters from Lectra (Paris, France) are used to prepare prepreg kits. Laser projectors in this HLU area are supplied by Virtek (Waterloo In this small corner of the ICSA cleanroom are (left to right) machined core for A220 APU doors vacuum bagged A320 elevator leading edge (LE) ribs and an auxiliary power unit (APU) door layup tool; the black lid of a vacuum table is seen in the rear corner We exit the cleanroom into a curing area with three autoclaves supplied by TEICE (Spain), IROP (Italy) and Maschinenbau Scholz (Coesfeld This Tecnatom UT cell is scanning four A220 APU doors The next NDT cell is a Tecnitest (Madrid, Spain) immersion tank that can perform single-side and TTU C-scans. The third cell by Tecnatom (Madrid) is the newest Bindered dry fabric plies are cut and kitted (top) and then hand laid into blanks that are converted into preforms using HDF machines (center) These preforms are then RTM’d into small parts or assembled into complex preforms and then RTM’d into large Parts in production at Aernnova Composites ICSA and Illescas Seen from a stairway above the cutting room and prepreg freezer area one of two ATL 35-meter-long flat table machines can be seen at front with a hand layup (HLU) station beyond featuring two large skin tools with pink bagging film The aisle splitting the cleanroom into two sections can be seen at right “We have six ATL machines, all made by MTorres [Torres de Elorz ATL #4 laying onto a curved cure tool with hot drape forming (HDF) cell to the right ATL#3 features a 35-meter-long table where a TorresLayup head at back lays the blanks and a TorresPanex head at front cuts the blanks Two tools are used to alternate AFP layup and inspection to meet rate for Boeing 787 APBs. Source | Aernnova We then walk back to the central aisle and exit the cleanroom into the autoclave area. Three Olmar (Gijón For the A350 main landing gear bay (MLGB) bulkhead preforms them into stringers using HDF and co-bonds stringers to ATL prepreg skin in the autoclave homes around Spain are filled with many decorations such as lights but among one of the more natural ones is the poinsettia plant it "can be kept in perfect condition all year round" The colourful plant has come a long way since its origins in Mexico The Aztecs revered it for its beauty and medicinal properties the Franciscan monks introduced it to Europe Its striking red colour and star-like shape made it associated with the star of Bethlehem horticulturist Angel Illescas offers us several tips for maintaining these flowers and three key tips to keeping poinsettias vibrant and healthy His approach focuses on simplicity and constants Before delving into his recommendations in more detail that the mesh that comes with the poinsettia should not be removed "as its branches are very soft they are supported by the plastic so that they do not break" offers three fundamental tips to keep poinsettias in optimum condition for the months beyond Christmas With these simple tricks "we can enjoy its beauty for much longer" who has thousands of followers who view his videos online As for the mistakes we make at home with poinsettias Illescas pointed out that the most common one is "overdoing it" with water "It's just as bad to over-water it as it is to under-water it The horticulturist also pointed out that the sooner we have the plant the better it will look at Christmas time as "it needs to acclimatise" "Perseverance will be the success of your plants," he added Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados Latin American Corporate Counsel Association Paola Illescas has led the legal departments of some of the largest multinationals operating in Mexico most recently taking the helm at the local arm of Keurig Dr Pepper the lawyer tells LACCA as part of its International Women’s Day series about how gender bias continues to hamper the progress of many women lawyers and why exposure to a range of industries has fostered her creativity and adaptability expert analysis and essential resources from the Latin Lawyer experts Copyright © Law Business ResearchCompany Number: 03281866 VAT: GB 160 7529 10 Get more from LLSign up to our daily email alert Unlock unlimited access to all Latin Lawyer content Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here 2020 – Amazon moves forward with its investment in the province of Toledo by announcing a future fulfillment center in the area The company today confirmed its commitment to the region of Castilla-La Mancha with the arrival of what will become Amazon’s second facility in the region joining a fulfillment center for Big & Bulky customer items launched in 2019 in the same logistics area the future site will be located in the municipality of Illescas serving the wider Spanish and European Amazon Operations network and supporting small independent sellers The company has confirmed that this fulfillment center which will be used by Amazon to stock and manage sortable products will create new 1,200 permanent jobs in a three years term Amazon – which has been recognized with the Top Employer 2021 certification - is creating new career opportunities that support communities all across Spain the company announced the creation of another 1,200 permanent jobs in three years in Corvera These figures will add to the 12,000 permanent jobs currently existing in Spain Amazon created more than 5,000 jobs in the country These jobs support communities of all sizes from large cities like Toledo to small towns like Illescas “Since the arrival of our first fulfillment center in Castilla-La Mancha the town of Illescas has become a referent in Logistics showing the Amazon driver effect on local economy and job creation This second facility is another proof of our firm commitment towards the province of Toledo and the region of Castilla-La Mancha” Director of Amazon Customer Fulfillment in France expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of this new Amazon infrastructure as an example of the good collaboration that exists between the City Council and the multinational "It is always good news that Amazon chooses Illescas to launch another project that will mean the creation of wealth and employment for the local community," he said associate at Amazon fulfillment center in Illescas highlighted that: “Amazon is a place where you are treated with respect and integrity no matter who you are or where you come from It´s a company that goes far and beyond for the safety and well-being of its employees You can tell employees are proud to work here and be part of the company I have learned many different processes that made me grow professionally while I enjoyed each one of them always working daily with a wonderful team Compared to other work experiences I had in the past the opportunities to grow inside and the treatment received are definitely some things I would highlight Amazon believes in its employees as they are part of the company” Working at AmazonAmazon is a great place to work with highly competitive pay training programs and industry-leading benefits from day one for its workers Among some of these benefits is the Career Choice program through which the company supports employees in accessing adult training in their field of choice financing 95% of tuition and associated fees up to an amount of €8,000 over four years The company prioritizes the health and safety of all its employees and is constantly looking for ways to further improve safety measures in its buildings Amazon committed $11.5 billion in 2020 on COVID-related initiatives to help keep its employees globally safe and to get items to customers This includes an investment of over $1.2 billion on measures like temperature checks since the beginning of the pandemic Amazon has purchased more than 39 million pairs of gloves over 74 million units of disinfectant wipes and 12,7 a million liters of hands’ disinfectant bottles Amazon’s support to local SMEsAmazon is further expanding the size of its Spanish fulfillment center network to increase capacity and better support small independent small businesses (SMEs) using Fulfillment by Amazon warehousing and delivery There are more than 9,000 SMEs based in Spain that sell on Amazon these SMEs exceeded 450 million euros in exports which is an increase compared to 400 million euros the previous year Only in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha there are more than 400 SMEs selling on Amazon that exported more than 10 million euros in 2019 Investing in SpainAmazon’s Operations network in Spain started with the San Fernando de Henares (Madrid) Fulfilment Center which started operations in 2012 – a year after the launch of Amazon.es the company has opened Fulfillment Centers in El Prat (Barcelona) and the recently announced Robotics FC in Corvera (Murcia) Amazon also has three urban fulfillment centers in Madrid and Barcelona ​​which provide fast deliveries to its customers in these cities through the Amazon Fresh service located in Getafe (Madrid) and Barberá del Vallés (Barcelona) and sixteen Delivery Stations located throughout the country to strengthen their delivery services for the benefit of customers and sellers Amazon has invested 6.8 billion euros between 2011 and 2021 in its Spanish infrastructure Amazon invested 2.5 billion euros and created more than 5,000 jobs increasing its workforce to 12,000 permanent employees in Spain Amazon onboarded 7,000 people to support its Operations across the country during the last Christmas season Spark the scientific breakthroughs that innovate treatments to improve the lives of patients Call (877) 272-6226, email info@pancan.org or Foundation for a Better World President Beatriz Illescas Beatriz Illescas never imagined she would be a philanthropist but she has always led her life in service to others An educator who taught at both the university and preschool level she also served as Consul General in the United States Beatriz is the President of Atlanta-based Foundation for a Better World She and husband Tom Claugus began the Foundation with a mission to support healthcare causes and research (a key focus area is pancreatic cancer); quality education; and global development initiatives in the developing world Pancreatic cancer is deeply personal to Beatriz She lost two of her three sisters to the disease. The first, Sylvia, died two months after her diagnosis Ana Maria passed away of pancreatic cancer who have been always very close,” Beatriz said “We tried to do whatever we could to save her but there was really nothing we could do.” she knew right away that she might be facing the beginning of pancreatic cancer When the Foundation made the decision to begin supporting organizations that fund medical research “I told Tom that I really wanted to make a difference for people impacted by pancreatic cancer,” Beatriz said I know of a lot of people in Guatemala who have been affected by the disease.” “I know the disease is a challenging one,” Beatriz said “but if there’s a chance for somebody else to survive I want to help do that – to give somebody what my sisters didn’t have passed away of pancreatic cancer and so did sister Ana Maria Sylvia with her mother and her grandchildren Beatriz learned about PanCAN when she was searching online for organizations that fund pancreatic cancer research. She could see that PanCAN’s mission aligned with Foundation for a Better World’s goal of conquering diseases that have been difficult to make progress in but what matters is that we are trying to make a difference That we are working to pave the road for people who will be diagnosed 10 years from now “It’s important for the Hispanic population to get the information they need and for them to be supported through pancreatic cancer,” she said “It’s very valuable for them to talk to people like them who have been in the same situation.” Beatriz remembers reading a book called “Dying Well” when one of her sisters was battling pancreatic cancer shares how to be there for someone who is facing death The book was so helpful to her and made such an impact that she wrote a note to the author to let him know “When you get support from people who have been through something similar there is a peace that comes along with that You realize just how much goodness there is in the world,” she said 7 Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms and Signs You Should Know FDA Approves New First-line Treatment Option for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: What You Need to Know The Current State of Federal Funding for Pancreatic Cancer Research: A Call to Action 11 Easy-to-Digest Foods Your Quick Guide to Itching and Pancreatic Cancer Letter to Congress from PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman in Response to President Trump's Proposed Budget Cuts to the National Institutes of Health The Current State of Federal Funding for Pancreatic Cancer Research: A Call to Action Personal Values and Treatment Decisions: Questions to Ask PanCAN PurpleStride 2025 Highlights Strength of Community PurpleStride NYC Premier Sponsor Just Salad is Committed to Health, Sustainability and PanCAN You can expect a response within 3 business days If you would like to speak with a Case Manager directly please call (877) 272-6226 for more immediate assistance 2101 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 3200 El Segundo, CA 90245 - Map Email: info@pancan.org accessories and more to show off your purple pride ©2025 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy News Ismael Illescas grew up admiring the graffiti around his neighborhood in Los Angeles He had migrated to the city with his mother and brother from Ecuador in the 1990s as part of a large Latin American diaspora They were written on walls and scrawled daringly across billboards he began to understand the meanings behind some of these messages but he never lost his initial sense of curiosity and admiration as a doctoral candidate in Latin American and Latino Studies his dissertation research has taken him back to Los Angeles where he gathered insights from current and former graffiti writers about how their work connects with concepts of art graffiti is an expression of identity and an outlet for creativity Some of the most popular graffiti yards in Los Angeles are abandoned spaces in communities of color that neither the economy nor the city has been willing to invest in But graffiti allows Black and Latino young men to transform these areas into spaces of congregation and empowerment.  “In a city where these youth are marginalised graffiti is a way for them to become visible,” Illescas said “They feel that the system is against them and upward social mobility is limited for them so putting their names up around the city is a way for them to achieve respect from their peers and assert their dignity and that doesn’t come easily from other places and institutions in society.” Graffiti also offers what Illescas calls an “illicit cartography,” meaning that it can be read like a cultural map of the city reflect Mexican-American artistic influence that began with Pachuco counterculture in the 1940s including “placas,” or tags that list a writer’s stylized signature and “barrio calligraphy,” which blends rolling scripts with Old English lettering those traditions then incorporated colorful “The result is that Los Angeles has a really unique graffiti style,” Illescas said “Although outsiders might not necessarily notice it you can easily see the Mexican-American artistic influence in the aesthetics and that has become associated with Latinx urban identities.” Graffiti is a multiracial and multi-ethnic subculture and Illescas says his research aims to recognize the specific contributions of Black and Latinx communities He’s also critically examining the subculture’s hypermasculinity and how that may limit its transformative potential.  And he’s particularly interested in shedding light on how race may affect public perceptions of graffiti graffiti can either be publicly admired as “street art”—and valued up to millions of dollars—or it can be criminalized at levels ranging up to felony charges and years of jail time a city which many researchers consider to be highly racially segregated like South Central Los Angeles and East Los Angeles are the places where graffiti is most likely to be severely criminalized and lumped together with gang activity Illescas says street art is more likely to be recognized as such within arts districts where officially sanctioned “beautification” projects use public art to attract more business and new residents which can contribute to gentrification issues And some of the most famous street artists are actually white men who have each attained international recognition for the artistic value of their illegal works.  “This is where systemic racism occurs,” Illescas said “You have some people who are more prone to being criminalized and severely punished for a very similar act and that punishment falls mainly on young Black and Latino men.” Illescas has found that many graffiti writers of color have mixed feelings about the growing public appreciation for street art.  it’s a capitalistic appropriation of transgressive graffiti into commercialized street art,” Illescas said “But it also ties into the efforts of graffiti writers who have been pushing for years to decriminalize their art and demonstrate its artistic and social value and the types of knowledge that it brings with it.” already brought opportunities for some veteran Black and Latino graffiti writers who told Illescas they had recently been commissioned for their art or had found jobs as tour guides in arts districts But each of these artists got their start creating illegal graffiti tags Illescas believes that decriminalization will ultimately require transforming public appreciation of street art into a deeper understanding of the expressive value of other forms of graffiti And he hopes his research might aid in that process.   “The graffiti that we see up in the streets may seem like an insignificant tag or scribble to some people but there’s a lot of meaning behind it,” he said “There needs to be a recognition that graffiti is actually a visual representation of someone’s identity and it’s also potentially their starting point to a very meaningful artistic career.”  All News FIDE News Chess News Top Top Federations Main Page / Search Tournaments Titles Transfers Calculators Download FIDE Circuit Women's Events '24-'25 Open Cycle 2025-2026 Women’s Cycle 2025-2026 Women’s Cycle 2023-2025 All Tournaments Main Events About FIDE Handbook Documents Financial Reports Officials Commissions & Committees Federations Affiliated Organizations Affiliated Members Honourable Dignitaries Chart © 2025 FIDE International Chess Federation stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of FIDE International Chess Federation Appeals FOIL Immigration Specialist LEOW Civic Awareness Community Engagement Office of Immigrant Affairs Youth Empowerment Criminal Court Intake and Assessments Rehabilitation Programs and Restorative Services Frauds Housing and Worker Protection Human Trafficking Crime Strategies & Intelligence Bureau Major Economic Crimes Public Corruption Violent Criminal Enterprises Career Criminal/Major Crimes Bureau Forensic Science Hate Crimes Homicide Animal Cruelty Prosecution Unit Domestic Violence Bureau Juvenile Prosecution Unit Special Victims Bureau Felony Operations Felony Trial Bureaus Legal Training Hotlines Bureau Emails and Phone Numbers Press Releases Recent Findings & Reports Upcoming Cases Weekly Newsletters Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Julio Fernando Pina-Illescas was sentenced to 17.5 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting a child relative over the course of 10 years Pina-Illescas has been charged with abusing two other pre-teen girls District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant used his access and authority to prey on an innocent child While we cannot take away the trauma caused by his acts I hope the prison sentence provides a measure of closure to the young victim who bravely stepped forward to tell us about the horrors she was forced to endure My office will pursue full accountability in the separate indictment against the defendant.” was convicted last month by a jury on charges of predatory sexual assault of a child and endangering the welfare of a child Kirschner to sentence him to 17.5 years to life in prison to be followed by five years post-release supervision Pina-Illescas will also be required to register as a sex offender According to the charges and trial testimony: Pina-Illescas was indicted in 2020 on two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for abusing another child relative and other young girl Assistant District Attorney Lauren Parson of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Eric C and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Special Prosecutions Division Joyce A To learn more about the full range of services available to you, visit the resources section Disclaimer To learn more about the QCDA Website Accessibility Statement, visit the accessibility page The medical examiner said the investigation is ongoing and the ruling could change The family of Gianlukas Illescas had said he killed himself because of bullying His family blamed the school district for not responding to requests for help On Tuesday, Illescas' father, Christian Illescas, joined dozens of others protesting during the school board meeting They blamed the school district for not responding to requests for help the school district and Peekskill police had not responded to the medical examiner's ruling as of Thursday night Christian Illescas spoke out at the board meeting and so did Superintendent David Mauricio who held a moment of silence he was crying he was so scared to go to school," Christian Illescas said Mauricio said the district is reviewing records communications and interactions to ensure allegations of misconduct are responded to properly and in a timely manner An online fundraiser for the Illescas family exceeded its goal of $10,000 There will be another "Stop the Bullying" rally scheduled for Monday night outside of City Hall. 16 Mar 2025 10:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Illescas won 2–1 over CD Atletico Paso on Sun This is 27 of the Segunda Federacion - Group 5 Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Illescas 0 win(s) Haven't scored in their last 2 matches Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between Illescas and CD Atletico Paso on Sun 16 Mar 2025 10:30:00 GMT?Illescas won 2–1 over CD Atletico Paso on Sun 16 Mar 2025 10:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches Illescas is playing home against CD Atletico Paso on Sun alone on the top of a mountain in Zion National Park I had an almost mystical experience that immediately transported me to the Illescas Peninsula a California Condor appeared with a number written on a plastic plate attached to its wing it is a very rare species which “miraculously” was saved from extinction Illescas and I were directly involved with its survival mission It was as if that condor had come to greet me … and whisper something in my ear it was clear that the California Condor was on its way to disappearing The annual censuses showed a significant drop in numbers there was a bitter discussion about what to do believed that they could be saved and that it was necessary to act quickly and radically flying freely in the skies of North America (in addition to some in captivity) Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decided to act the Illescas peninsula was one of those almost inaccessible places It was the only known site on the coast where the Andean Condor nested from that point of the northern coast where the Humboldt current flows away from the mainland in the direction to the Galapagos Islands there were no towns or roads to or from the nearest city Just a stretch of 200 kilometers of a completely pristine beach To get there you had to be very well equipped rising at the edge of a sea with colonies of sea lions and whale bones stranded in time in the middle of a desert full of attractive animals such as the tiny Sechura foxes and coral snakes beyond being the largest North American bird has a religious and magical significance for the ancestral and modern cultures of its country The idea of catching them seemed risky and bold The plan was to reproduce the California Condor in captivity and while the causes that led to their near extinction were corrected they would be re-introduced into the wild to repopulate their original territories Those biologists were literally putting their necks on the line but they did have high hopes and an appropriate budget Though captive breeding techniques had already been developed reintroducing birds to the wild was more difficult even more so for a bird of that size and wide flight range Experimenting with the techniques this endeavor demanded was a great challenge and such a limited number of California Condors could not be put at risk in testing them The Andean Condor is the closest and most similar relative to that of the California Condor The plan also needed a safe place where it could be carried out one with wild condors and free from human interference And this is how we got to the Illescas Peninsula in Peru An existing captive population of Andean Condors in the United States born and cared for in captivity at the San Diego Zoo were fed for more than a year with puppets in the same way as their parents would (even imitating their caring sounds) and totally isolated so that they would not get imprinted with people Can you imagine the patience of the technicians Something like this can only be done with a lot of love and dedication and carefully taken to the Illescas peninsula Such an important cargo demanded major efforts without making it news to anyone They were released in places that may once have been nests and then monitored around the clock several wild Illescas condors were caught and tagged to monitor the local population and to learn about their social life carried on its wing an individual identification these carried a small solar panel that powered the devices Those were the beginnings of a satellite tracking technique widely used today The condors were permanently followed to find out about their movements The experience of living 24 hours a day for months wandering with a telescope through the desert and the mountains and in special dune buggies for the program I remember being awakened at night – from the holes I made in the sand to sleep – by feral donkeys who were more surprised than I by the encounter While sometimes my only entry for the day was that “at 3:42 pm one of them had scratched its butt,” it was never boring Other times I witnessed wild condors — adults totally alien to the Peruvian-North American chicks – coming to feed them as adoptive parents That time was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular in my life techniques were developed that later were used to save the California Condor scientists learned (and put into practice) what was the proper care to be taken about the sociability of these wonderful animals it is a tremendous joy that that place where all this happened is about to be declared as the “Illescas National Reserve.” This beautiful place is finally being categorized and protected for its own biological and geological attributes It is one of the westernmost continental points of Peru with the last remnant (to the north) of the old coastal Cordillera (mountain range) These conditions created the environment where species unique to Illescas flourished and a mixture of warm and cold environments as well as a healthy population of the endangered Andean Condor All this thanks to SERNANP (the Peruvian Park Service) already recovered from the encounter with the wild Condor in Utah and he probably thought I was under the influence of a hallucinogen the California Condors were reintroduced to the wild in various places in the United States and today there is a growing population of about 350 flying freely They were spared from joining the list of confirmed extinct species which includes the massive Ivory-billed Woodpecker Thanks to the Andean Condor and the future Illescas National Reserve The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] A man who shot at law enforcement officers Saturday and barricaded himself inside a Fort Myers McDonald's has been identified 41, is facing seven counts of aggravated assault on a police officer one count of resisting arrest with violence and two weapons charges including shooting into a building or vehicle He remained in Lee County Jail Sunday with a $475,000 bond and is awaiting a Nov During the time he barricaded himself inside the restaurant on Palm Beach Boulevard the Lee County Sheriff's Office said Illescas also attempted to set the fast food building on fire using toilet paper and a garbage can Illescas is listed in his jail booking record as a transient but has several other arrest reports listing Cape Coral addresses The initial call that drew police to the area was about a suspicious man with a handgun at the Popeyes restaurant on Palm Beach Boulevard around 11 a.m Original story: Man barricades inside McDonald's freezer in Fort Myers; after shooting at police Press conference: Lee County Sheriff discusses deputy involved shooting Suspect in custody: Standoff ends, suspect barricaded inside McDonald's freezer in Fort Myers taken to hospital Sheriff's deputies working with Fort Myers Police Department officers tried to detain Illescas but he refused to cooperate and began pointing a handgun directly at several deputies and officers Deputies used several rounds of less lethal ammunition in order to disarm him but he continued to flee and entered the McDonald's where he shot several rounds at officers The fast food restaurant was full of employees but Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said deputies safety evacuated everyone.  Marceno said that after Illescas was arrested he was taken to a hospital to be checked out but didn’t appear injured other than being teargassed His jail mugshot shows him with a bandage over a portion of his face Onlookers nearby watched Saturday as the sheriff's office and a SWAT team surrounded the McDonald's announcing their presence and demanding the suspect come out with his hands up A loud bang was heard and a puff of smoke was seen as deputies sent tear gas into the McDonald's.  Along with Sheriff's Office Special Operations Unit other responding units included the Bomb Squad Electronic Surveillance Unit and the Violent Crimes Unit Illescas has several previous arrest and citations in Lee County mainly for misdemeanor infractions and minor traffic incidents Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.  Many questions remain surrounding the death of 10-year old Gianlukas “Lukas” Illescas Lukas’ parents say that their son committed suicide; the Westchester Medical Examiner determined that Lukas died of accidental asphyxia Lukas was a student at Hillcrest Elementary School in Peekskill Lukas was the victim of relentless bullying and that is the reason that he took his own life and a number of family members and supporters attended a Peekskill School Board meeting on June 6 to claim that nothing was done to protect Lukas from the bullying They say they can’t help me because they’re too busy all I want now is justice for other kids.” Christian Illescas added that his sone was so scared of the bullying that he begged his family to let him stay home Other parents at the meeting said that their children were the victims of bullying and demanded that the school district take action Negligence was also alleged against the school district A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family with Lukas’ funeral costs. The page (gofund.me/69c3accf) reads “Please let us show a unified front to protect our children from senseless neglect from school administration Our children deserve to feel safe and heard at school! Bullying is responsible for the death of a 10-year-old child He will never get to graduate with his friends and have a life full of choices and adventure His family and friends are heartbroken and beyond devastated Please show your support by making a small donation to help with the funeral cost and anything else the family needs to get back on their feet Or you can also help by simply sharing Lukas’s story How many more children need to suffer for there to be change?” Members of the Latino community in Peekskill have been among the most vocal after Lukas’ death and in claiming that nothing was done to prevent his death Is it time to stop coddling those in our society who are abusing us?” We all know that bullying is a national problem a national nonprofit organization formed following the May 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting & dedicated to ending school violence has announced that it has received numerous requests for assistance as well as an independent review of the recent bullying related suicide death of 10 year old student Lukas Illescas; a former student at Hillcrest Elementary school Foundation officials noted in the release that numerous reports have already been documented on bullying incidents at the school have charged the school with failing to intervene on behalf of the student & others over a period of months and even years The foundation noted that it will begin to interview students and parents independently regarding concerns The foundation noted it is extending resources to the school community; including a 24 hour student bullying support line & mental health resources stating that it hopes to serve as a third party intermediary between school and district administration & the family of the student and those also expressing similar concerns Anyone who wishes to contact The Uvalde Foundation For Kids can call About one in five high school students reported being bullied on school property and more than one in six high school students reported being bullied online in the last year Nearly 14% of public schools report that bullying is a discipline problem occurring daily or at least once a week The federal government provided resources for parents, victims and school districts on stopbullying.gov “When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable,” the website states “Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.” If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK 8255 or text Crisis Text Line at 741741 My journey as a UN volunteer started when I arrived in Laos in May 2016 The idea of me moving to a small developing country in Southeast Asia to help the World Health Organization fight against HIV tuberculosis and malaria was not exactly shocking to my friends They had seen me volunteer for various projects in Nicaragua before Nicaragua suffered a terrible civil war in the 1980s The city where I was born was one of the main centres of the conflict Consequently, I grew up amidst political instability and economic hardship Witnessing the vast unmet needs of our population inspired me to volunteer for several projects committed to improving health and sanitation in remote communities of Nicaragua I serve as a UN Volunteer in Laos focusing on public health issues I work towards ending three diseases that can have fatal outcomes for the people of Laos Malaria and tuberculosis pose a big challenge to Laos especially for poor people living in remote areas with the majority of people living with HIV not understanding the risks belated treatment As a Health Advocacy and Coordination Officer I help to oversee the implementation of the grants provided by the Global Fund to Laos My task is to coordinate contributions from various organizations civil society and communities living with the diseases to ensure that everyone’s views are heard and that we work together to ensure a healthy life for all citizens of Lao PDR I get immense joy out of my work; the most rewarding part being encounters with local people and visits to the provinces most affected by these three diseases I have had a chance to meet with members of some of the most vulnerable groups in the country although they experience devastating effects of these diseases When I hear stories of their hard-fought struggles and triumphs I cannot help but be inspired by their strength I have had the opportunity to visit most of the Lao provinces where breathtakingly beautiful nature is often paired with terrible poverty While migration is not itself a risk factor for HIV accommodation and work associated with migration increase the risk of infection Lack of access to important health information low awareness and language barriers are the main challenges in reaching and treating these population groups In Phongsaly I had the wonderful experience to deliver polio vaccines to families from Khmu Tai Lue and Hor communities and teach them about malaria By living in Laos and working with Lao people I have had the opportunity to experience Lao culture celebrate Lao New Year and take part in spiritual ceremonies located exactly on the opposite side of the world I have realized how similar Nicaraguans are to Lao people We find happiness in simplicity and we always find the time to share meaningful moments with family and friends My wish today is that both my first home Nicaragua This will not happen unless our people are able to lead a healthy life As a Nicaraguan wisdom says: “He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything” I hope I have been able to spark and further this hope through my work UNV Scam Alert UNV Privacy Policy UNV Website Terms of Use An Elmsford construction worker who sexually assaulted four women was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years to life in prison even as he left the court repeatedly saying that he is innocent pleaded guilty in January to four felonies after a string of rapes of prostitutes early last year that highlighted the dangers of the profession He also sexually assaulted at least one stranger a woman whom he ordered into his car in 2011 before choking and assaulting her behind a Home Depot in Yonkers But Illescas said Tuesday in Westchester County Court that he wanted to withdraw his plea and get a new lawyer Judge Barbara Zambelli was having none of it Illescas denied in court that he assaulted the women and prosecutors have said that he sexually assaulted three prostitutes in February and March of 2012 at hotels in Greenburgh and Tarrytown The fourth woman was walking near Massaro Park in Elmsford about 9 p.m grabbed her purse and threatened to kill her He then drove her to a secluded area near Austin Avenue and Sprain Road and assaulted her Illescas was linked to that assault through a national DNA database The three prostitutes — from Washington state California and Pennsylvania — all advertised their services on backpage.com Illescas reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in January that saw him admit to two counts of predatory sexual assault But he claimed Tuesday that he was coerced into that plea Zambelli denied his application to withdraw it Illescas has been held without bail since March 4 Twitter: @erikshilling There are 230 pigs rooting around a 3-acre property near Cedar Creek Under the supervision of the Central Texas Pig Rescue play and live their lives on their own accord The majority of the pigs were rescued after a 2018 animal cruelty case in Lockhart, where a breeder was accused of starving and neglecting 133 pot-bellied pigs for the sake of keeping their diminutive size to market as a “teacup” pig variety One was rescued from euthanasia after being discarded from an animal testing facility Dan Illescas and Tracey Stabile have been nurturing and rehabilitating hundreds of malnourished and abused pigs after they are seized and rescued by law enforcement they’re looking to move from their 3-acre property to a place where their drove of pigs can better stretch their legs Last month, the rescue group set up a GoFundMe page through which people can pitch in to help make some pig dreams come true Stabile and Managing Member Shanda Harris are envisioning a 20- to 40-acre ranch that more closely resembles wild pigs’ natural environment with natural water sources beneath a shady canopy that may drop acorn and pecan delicacies But the project goes beyond 230 creatures’ comfort They want to change the way people think about pigs and the public’s pork-consciousness “We can do a lot of good with the lives in our care but the way we can do more good on a more transcendent scale is by allowing people to experience pigs,” Stabile said adding that they hope to build a bed and breakfast on the new site “When a pig comes up to you like a dog seeking your attention and lays down at your feet wanting a belly rub that’s a memory that sticks with people,” she said “Most people are never going to be able to adopt a pig; many many people will become vegan or vegetarian after meeting the pigs.” Illescas and Stabile have already been doing this kind of work through events like the annual Pig Pageant in Austin dressed-up porkers before a sea of onlookers designed to dispel the myth of the “teacup” or “micro” pig breed that ill-intentioned breeders market to unsuspecting buyers “When their bodies are manipulated by breeders by starving them their organs and skeletons grow disproportionately and they have serious health issues.” The rescue group spends $30,000 a year at Texas A&M for veterinary costs on top of the $3,000 to $4,000 spent per month on food All funds are sourced from the rescue group’s donor base in Austin which is why the next location must be close to the metro area The new property would also transition the organization from a rescue group to a sanctuary where abused or neglected pigs will spend the rest of their lives without the possibility of being adopted where the group thoroughly vets a potential owner through several site visits “We don’t let people pick a pig based on color or perceived breed or other vanity reasons “It can take two or three visits (to the sanctuary) to get the right match there’s a visit to their home to see what their family is like All of these steps turn into weeks and weeks of effort Then there’re months to years of followup for each pig that gets adopted out.” the harder it is to transition them to a new home because of how bonded they are with their pig family here so we are focusing on giving them the life that they deserve under our direct control,” she said Pig adoptions will instead become more of a crowdsourcing operation Owners of pigs that need new homes can post to an online rehoming group that Illescas The expanded property is not a place they want to fill up with hundreds of more pigs “Our goal is to be able to assist a few pigs a year,” Stabile said “We want to focus future intakes on those really unique situations where pigs are desperately out of options.” You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Amy Illescas stands outside Total Care 280 each morning in full protective gear hoping to avoid catching the novel coronavirus that is sweeping across the nation while still testing people in an effort to stop that spread Many health care facilities are hoping to avoid visits from people with COVID-19 but Illescas and her staff have set up a system to deliver hundreds of tests while keeping themselves and their other patients safe “We are not advertising and touting that we are doing this,” Illescas said “I just want it to be available to anybody who is scared and doesn’t know where to go go to the ER,’ it made me feel terrible to know that there’s so much fear out there.” So Illescas swabs noses beginning at 6:30 a.m until “we fall over dead from exhaustion”—at least 1 p.m. The same swabs that are used for throat cultures are instead used nasally to test for the coronavirus The samples are placed in a tube with liquid in the bottom that preserves the mucus which uses chemicals to break down the material and identify molecular markers that are unique to the virus testing was only recommended for people who had symptoms such as fever and cough—a difficult standard because half of those with coronavirus do not show symptoms in the first week of the illness very difficult pattern to establish whether a person was worthy or not worthy,” Illescas said “We need a screening test and not a diagnostic test.” testers were asked to also test for flu to ensure the person did not have a more common illness officials said testing could be performed on any patient the doctor deemed had reason to be tested About 200 tests have been conducted at Total Care 280 with results back on about a third of those—and two confirmed positives Some results have come back as quickly as 24 hours; some samples are going on a week with no results “Which lab is running them and how inundated they are determines when we get them back,” she said Every precaution is being taken at Total Care 280 to prevent the spread of the virus: The tests are conducted curbside—patients are swabbed without leaving their vehicles Only Illesca handles the actual swabbing; an assistant stands behind her and does not come near the patient More phone visits have been conducted so those who do not have COVID-19 can receive the help they need without having to actually go in to the office Though it has been a sacrifice in many ways including having to exercise extra caution around her children Illesca said she thought it was important to offer testing “I saw an email from another practice asking patients not to come in if they are sick so we decided to try to forge a new path while still giving good care to people,” she said the doctor said she hopes an important lesson can be learned: the importance of washing hands and other steps to avoid the spread of disease “We have to remember because we don’t know when the next superbug is going to come,” Illesca said “This is just a glimpse of what the future could look like as the world keeps getting smaller.” Just one AAC game is on Monday’s college basketball schedule That contest is the Wichita State Shockers squaring… The Memphis Grizzlies (38-22) face the Atlanta Hawks (27-33) as 8.5-point favorites on Monday take on the Brooklyn Nets (21-39).… The Wichita State Shockers versus the North Texas Mean Green is a game to catch on the Monday… The Monday college basketball slate has plenty of exciting matchups in store Our computer model has suggested picks… What would make you consider a digital subscription to Shelby County Reporter View Results general director of AQ Acentor -partner company of Aquila Capital for real estate development in Spain- and Ricardo Álvarez inaugurated this morning the warehouse of about 68,000 square meters in which about 580 DIA employees will work on and that has meant an investment of around 50 million for Aquila Capital The new facility will serve DIA stores in the Community of Madrid Castilla-La Mancha and part of Castilla y León and represents its main logistics center nationwide The delivery of the warehouse to Dia Group is the first of the construction milestones of the Illescas Green Logistics Park by Aquila Capital project which includes five other logistics developments a development area for the logistics business of Aquila Capital in Spain and Europe a leading network in proximity supermarkets have been protagonists of the delivery ceremony of the first warehouse built by Green Logistics by Aquila Capital for the food chain in Illescas The meeting was attended by the mayor of Illescas Mr Business and Employment of the Junta in Toledo José Manuel Tofiño for his part recalled that “just a few months ago I remember being in this same place presenting this project that is already a reality A project that will help the growth of the logistics fabric of Illescas which has included an official visit to the facilities had a formal act of “inaugural ribbon cutting” by the mayor of Illescas and the directors of the companies The warehouse delivered to DIA is part of the Illescas Green Logistics Parks project a logistics development of 472,878 square meters spread over six plots within the Iberum Central Platform The warehouse has a total area of 68,000 square meters and sustainability standards such as BREEAM qualification and solar panels on the roof The total investment of the project is close to 50 million euros The new logistics center of Dia Group in Illescas is It is not just the key point of preparation and distribution in the downtown area but it is also formed as a central warehouse for the entire network of DIA stores existing in Spain this logistics center of Dia Group in Illescas will help the company to optimize the logistics process providing important improvements in the main areas of the warehouse (reception these facilities are adapted to the needs of the collaborators and suppliers of the distribution company pointed out during the opening ceremony the pride and gratitude of the chain with the town of Toledo and stressed that “the logistics center of Illescas is the first milestone of the new generation of DIA Spain warehouses specially created to adapt to the current and future needs we have as a company At DIA we are in the process of transformation of the way of doing and understanding the relationships a milestone that allows us to continue promoting the company’s evolution to fulfill our purpose of being CLOSER EVERY DAY making DIA the preferred experience of proximity shopping and being a leading operator in the distribution of food in the geographies in which we operate” real estate development partner of Aquila Capital in Spain: “The delivery of the warehouse to Dia Group is a great milestone for the company as it is the first project we completed by Green Logistics in Spain Illescas Green Logistics Park is a key development within the company’s expansion strategy in the logistics sector not just because of its size but also for its excellent location within a logistics hub as important as Illescas I thank the commitment of those who have made this project possible with whom we hope to continue collaborating in future projects” About Green LogisticsGreen Logistics by Aquila Capital is the company’s logistics business line Aquila Capital has extensive experience in the logistics sector with projects in several European countries since 2012 It currently develops and manages assets in Germany the Group’s business line specialized in the logistics sector has an accumulated investment of more than 729 million euros with a total leasable area managed of more than 879 thousand square meters In the Iberian Peninsula Aquila Capital currently has more than 750,000 square meters of logistics area All Green Logistics projects are developed under the standards of energy efficiency and sustainability in the supply chain thus contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions About Aquila CapitalAquila Capital is an investment and asset development company focused on the generation and management of essential assets on behalf of its clients Through investment in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure Aquila Capital contributes to the global energy transition and strengthens the infrastructure network worldwide and manages these essential assets throughout the entire value chain and their useful life Aquila Capital manages around 14 billion euros on behalf of institutional investors around the world solar and hydropower assets with a capacity of around 12 GW and has completed or under development more than 1.8 million square meters of sustainable real estate and green logistics projects The company has around 600 employees of 48 different nationalities and operates in 16 offices in 15 countries around the world Every day closerDistribuidora Internacional de Alimentación is a leading network in local supermarkets with nearly 6,000 own stores and franchises in Spain With the commitment of its more than 38,000 employees worldwide and its mainly local suppliers DIA offers the best offer and the best service to its more than 20 million customers Search‘Perverts’: Woman charged with vandalizing Florida church with graffiti Log InSubscribeThe Christian Post To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Please click here to learn how You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience was arrested in June 2023 for allegedly vandalizing St | Screengrab: miamidadefl.mugshots.zoneA woman who spray-painted hateful messages on the walls of a Florida church and damaged one of the altars has been arrested and charged with vandalism was arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department Timothy Catholic Church of Miami last Saturday Illescas was seen on video surveillance walking through one of the church’s gates and spray-painting walls with words like “perverts” and “pigs,” and kicking over trash cans She also allegedly damaged an altar dedicated to a saint "Places of worship are a staple of our community where many go to pray and practice their religious beliefs," said Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Freddy Ramirez III in a statement released Sunday "I am very proud of the tenacity and hard work of our Homeland Security Bureau investigators to arrest the individual responsible for this pointless crime." Illescas is facing charges of criminal mischief in a place of worship, reported the Miami-based WSVN and is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade on a $6,000 bond the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami released a statement in which it explained that parents of the parish school helped to clean the walls on Sunday “This is a tragedy, that a sacred place like a Catholic school and church property is vandalized. It's a hate crime,” stated the Archdiocese, as quoted by NBC Miami “I'm concerned but I don't think I'm surprised,” said one woman “Because Christians are under attack and you see it all over the world.” According to the church’s website the congregation was founded in 1960 and initially held worship services at the auditorium of Southwest Miami High School The church eventually got its own building and also opened a school that enrolls students from pre-kindergarten to the eighth grade According to a report by the Family Research Council released in April attacks on churches in the United States “have been steadily on the rise for the past several years and the first quarter of 2023 has continued the upward trend.” “The first three months of 2023 saw approximately three times the number of acts of hostility perpetrated against churches in the same timeframe last year,” wrote Arielle Del Turco director of the FRC Center for Religious Liberty Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage. the former military police specialist found herself at a loss for how to stay active "I was so used to how we did nutrition and fitness in the Army that I didn't know how to do it on my own," Wiuff-McGee said Complicating the problem were injuries Wiuff-McGee said she sustained while on a 15-month deployment to Iraq in 2006-07 and I needed help with how to be physically fit," she said Wiuff-McGee said she found that help at YMCA of the Sandhills through a program the Y offers in conjunction with the Wounded Warrior Project The YMCA has a partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project in which the Y provides disabled veterans referred by the project with a free one-year membership and 90 days of work with the gym's personal trainers Wounded Warrior Project is a nationwide charity with a mission to help disabled veterans become successful and well-adjusted through a number of programs YMCA of the Sandhills has three locations - on Fort Bragg Road Ramsey Street and Ellison Street in Hope Mills Wiuff-McGee and Richard Kurr are two Army veterans who joined the Y through the Wounded Warrior Project's partnership Both said the experience has guided them toward better physical and emotional health She said she visits the YMCA North on Ramsey Street where she works closely with trainer Gus Illescas Illescas is one of five trainers who work with Wounded Warriors Illescas said the program is designed to take a holistic approach to each veteran's well-being Sometimes Alison and I go for runs on the weekends or go and get a cup of coffee." Keeping those connections is part of the reason Illescas said he became a trainer with the Y four years ago "For me to be able to show somebody a healthy lifestyle not only does it make me feel better but it lets me connect with different types of people," Illescas said Wiuff-McGee has lost 40 pounds since she started training at the Y in November She said the emotional benefits have been greater than the physical ones I'm able to do more things physically," Wiuff-McGee said Richard Kurr was an Army intelligence staff sergeant He said he joined the Y's Wounded Warrior plan to help establish goals something he was lacking after his 15-year military career ended because of injuries "When you lose your ability to do your job "Your identity for so many years is to be a soldier and do what you do I wanted something that would give me some aim." He said in the few months between leaving the Army and joining the Y and he felt depressed about his change in lifestyle The physical programs have presented him with a challenge which is completely understandable," Kurr said "But you kind of reach that point where you have to decide whether you're going to let life take you along or whether you're going to take charge of your life." Staff writer Jaclyn Shambaugh can be reached at shambaughj@fayobserver.com or 609-0651 DIA joins forces with Aquila Capital and Cushman & Wakefield in an investment that totals over €50 million With operations set to start during the first quarter of 2022 the new logistics platform will be the company’s largest with a surface area of 127,000 m2 Dia Group has reached an agreement to build a logistics platform in Illescas The facilities will boast a total surface area that spans 127,000 m² the platform will constitute DIA’s largest premises in Spain supplying around 500 shops located throughout the Community of Madrid which is expected to run for at least 15 years is launched in collaboration with Aquila Capital landowner and head of the warehouse construction project in line with DIA specifications; the real estate specialists Cushman & Wakefield providing key advice in this operation; Tewis Smart a firm specialised in refrigeration installation; and The logistics block – the DIA warehouse – will form part of the Illescas Green Logistics Park This project was funded by Aquila Capital in the second phase of Spain’s first eco-industrial park The warehouse will be constructed following strict environmental standards and the installation of solar panels will ensure it is energy self-sufficient “This project constitutes a huge challenge for all those involved for various reasons In addition to finding a plot of land of significant dimensions and with a suitable location in a strategic area to supply shops efficiently our priority was also finding partners who share our future vision to embark on this project together Specialised in the fields of town planning our partners have joined forces at a crucial moment in the transformation of DIA adding new impetus to this process of change” This project represents an essential step in the DIA transformation process it is essential for the company to establish a solid logistics network that is adapted to its current and future needs it will supply shops to meet customer needs in an efficient and rigorous manner The production carried out in the company’s warehouses in Arroyomolinos and Mejorada del Campo in the province of Madrid the employees at the three warehouses are expected to transfer to this logistics platform with a total workforce of around 500 employees in place for the launch Construction work is set to start this summer and operations are expected to begin at this new warehouse in the first quarter of 2022 Lionel Messi met privately with Augustin Illescas, the Guatemalan boy who Messi ignored in a pre-match moment that went totally viral: Augustin's image became famous after the Argentine star walked past him without greeting the boy before the game between Argentina and Bosnia The incident occurred on Sunday when Augustin who traveled to Brazil after winning a sponsorship contest approached the Argentine and held out his hand UPDATE: Lionel Messi Has Not Met With Child He Ignored, Father Of Agustín Illescas Confirms [VIDEO] Lionel Messi had to clarify in a later interview that he was unaware of the child's presence and apologized, "I would not do that to a kid," he said. Yesterday, various social media accounts posted a photo of Augustin with Messi who gave the young fan an autographed Argentinian team shirt another video has surfaced which shows that Messi was indeed willing to shake a youngsters hand but was distracted by the referees first - young Agustin then left but the boy behind him got to shake 'La Pulga's hand © 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It is common, with the influx of new residents in Florida, for a high school team to get a few movers. But George Jenkins swimming Coach Terri Walker was one of the last to find out about the jewel who transferred to her school, just in time for the 2002 season. "I didn't know anything about her," Walker said. "She was just a new girl who came out for the team." It didn't take long for the Eagles -- and the rest of Florida -- to find out about Jennifer Illescas. The sophomore transfer from New York City won everything she entered in Polk County. At the Florida High School Activities Association 2A State Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Illescas won a silver medal in the 200-yard freestyle, the fastest 200 in state history. She also won a silver in the 500 freestyle, an event she had entered only twice during the regular season. She is The Ledger's Swimmer of the Year in girls' swimming for 2002. "She has a very efficient stroke," Walker said. "She already had it when she came here. Obviously, she has had some outstanding training." Cathy Cameron, who began her swimming career in Polk County, first with the Bartow Imperial Flyers under the late Sam Griner, and then with Winter Haven High School, moved into coaching as the varsity girls' coach at Lake Region. Her Thunder squad won county and district championships this season and earned her Coach of the Year honors. "I've had other coaches to help me in the last eight years and they were all good ones, but Cathy is the best," said Lake Region boys' Coach Gene Moore. Illescas and Lakeland freshman Amanda Cokee burst upon the swimming scene and raised the standards. Both have been under county records, especially in the postseason. Sometimes they competed against each other, mostly as anchor swimmers on relay teams and in the 200 individual medley. Cokee won the consolation finals in the Class 3A state meet and placed seventh in the 100 freestyle. Polk County records can be set only in the county swimming and diving championships. Most of them are in danger from Illescas and Cokee in 2003. In the finals of the 200 free, Rhi Jeffrey of Delray Beach Atlantic set a national high school record of 1:45.49. "I just waved bye-bye to her," Illescas said after the race." But her second-place time of 1:51.61 would have broken the Polk record of 1:53.21 set in 1978 by Annie Lett of Bartow. Illescas finished second in the 500 free in 4:58.48, which would have broken the county mark she set earlier this year. Her best time in 200 IM, a split time in the 100 free and her time in a regular-season meet in the 100 butterfly are also at or below county records. Cokee's seventh place time in the 100 free at the state meet of 53.43 is within reach of the county record. Her time in the 200 IM of 2:12.64 is lower than the county mark of 2:12.74. The two lead The Ledger's All-County team. To get the most out of our content, including fees, please confirm your age The username can only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Username can only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Length between 4-16 characters. Registration has been successfully completed. Make a new account if you don't have one yet Puedes ver la versión Española de BeSoccer.com. You can see the English version of BeSoccer.com. Vous pouvez voir la version French de BeSoccer.com. Puoi vedere la versione Italian su BeSoccer.com. Você pode ver a versão Brasileira de BeSoccer.com. All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueFollowing a lengthy audition process have been named the four winners of Wagga City Council's anthem competition The talented youngsters were chosen from a pool of hundreds and will take to the stage at the Civic Theatre before the Australia Day award ceremony on January 25 and at the official community event in the Victory Memorial Gardens on January 26 Picture: Monty JackaThe quartet said they were excited to be the one's selected and would be spending the lead up to the events regularly rehearsing for their performance Sofia Vargas Illescas said the honour placed a big responsibility on the childrens' shoulders considering how much Australia Day means to many residents "The anthem is very meaningful to Australia because it's saying who Australians are and that there are people from other different countries who come here who are also Australian so I try and sing it with meaning," the 11-year-old said the group will also be performing I am Australian by The Seekers Wagga mayor Dallas Tout was introduced to the four competition winners on Monday and said he was looking forward to the continuation of a beloved tradition seeing the children who have come from their schools auditioned and been selected to sing the national anthem," Cr Tout said "The pride they have on their faces is amazing to watch." Our journalists work hard to provide local This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: He can be reached at m.jacka@austcommunitymedia.com.au Monty is a journalist at The Daily Advertiser in Wagga Today's top stories curated by our news team Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert Your digital replica of Today's Paper Test your skills with interactive crosswords