FOR BLASTING ON THE N2 BETWEEN MOUNT FRERE AND MOUNT AYLIFF 24th March 2025: The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) would like to notify travellers that blasting is scheduled to take place on the N2 between Mount Frere and Mount Ayliff on the 26th of March 2025 at approximately 11h00 The road will be closed during the blast for a maximum of 30 Minutes The blasting will take place approximately 1,9 KM from Mount Frere when travelling towards Mount Ayliff Motorists travelling From Kokstad towards Mthatha may consider the following alternative routes:- Alternative route no 1 – N2 at Matatiele to Mount Fletcher route Lusikisiki to Port St Johns via the R61 and then re-join the N2 in Mthatha The shortest alternative route is 69 kilometres longer and may add approximately 50 minutes to your trip between Mthatha and Kokstad “Motorists are asked to plan their trips accordingly to consider alternative routes and to use caution when making use of the road,” said Andrew Van Gruting SANRAL’s Eastern Cape Acting Provincial Head SANRAL apologises for any inconvenience caused By Lulamile Feni For more than a century Mount Fletcher residents have had to travel 130km to Maclear and back to access private pharmaceutical services – but that is now a thing of the past The only available pharmaceutics service in Mount Fletcher was the local public hospital which was strictly restricted to patients University of Western Cape pharmacy graduate Mzinzi Mzinzi graduated in 2010 and worked as a pharmacist at Nelson Mandela Central Hospital in Mthatha before he decided to open his own business in Mount Fletcher “I decided to take a risk and open the pharmacy here and realised that there has never in history been a pharmacy in this town “ I travelled to all the towns of [the former] Transkei and found Mount Fletcher a suitable place to run this business “So far my business is doing well and it has a promising future,” said Mzinzi By opening the pharmacy and saving its residents R70 a round trip to Maclear the Ngcobo-born pharmacist has also created employment for eight villagers Mzinzi had to conduct extensive research before deciding to grab the opportunity The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) helped him draw up his business plan and armed him with the information he needed to approach other financial institutions Mzinzi said although the ECDC could not help him with finances when he need close to R1-million to open the business he appreciated the corporation’s support in making a business plan “The business plan helped me because it opened doors for me to approach other funders,” a proud Mzinzi said villagers rejoiced to have medicines and other items so close at hand King Sabata Dalindyebo councillor and religious leader Archbishop Tshepo Machaea described the opening of Ithalomso Pharmacy as a relief for residents “People of Mount Fletcher get sick like people of any other area They would go to doctors who sometimes only write them a prescription,” said Machaea “People had to travel about 140km to and from Matatiele or 130km to and from Maclear “Now that a pharmacy has been opened right here in town residents will save a lot of money and time,” said Machaea and website in this browser for the next time I comment Recaptcha Change Image Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" South Africa – Thembisile Ralarala’s company INCREW (Innovators Create Wealth) is a retail nursery also offering florist and is now establishing a botanical garden as a tourism destination and events venue She said she was inspired to change the face of Mount Fletcher – “where nothing catches the visitor’s eye or makes them want to stop” – and at the same time develop a profitable business and eco-tourism attraction that would make “maximum use of the local assets” of land and people to create employment and economic development Her innovative approach and growth in her business skills earned Ms Ralarala the Top Student award in the Small Business Academy (SBA) programme presented by the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) in partnership with the Joe Gqabi Economic Development Agency (JoGEDA) in the Eastern Cape She was one of 20 small business owners who recently completed the annual programme which provides sponsored business tuition and mentorship from USB academic staff and alumni to empower entrepreneurs to grow sustainable businesses in the Eastern Cape’s northernmost district The mostly rural Joe Gqabi district includes Aliwal North she said: “Building up our nursery into a botanical garden will become a unique tourism destination in this poor rural community and create a venue for weddings We will also enter agro-processing and produce added-value products such as perfumes thereby creating employment and enabling people to be active participants in the sustainable economic development of this area.” Although Mount Fletcher is in one of the most remote rural and poverty-affected areas of the country she said the business had a strategic advantage in being located on the R56 the shortest route between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and hence it’s potential to attract tourism and other business She said the SBA programme had been especially beneficial in helping her to formulate a business plan and I see it as the key that will open doors to greater business opportunities and the SBA programme provided all of that,” she said This was the third year of the JoGEDA partnership with the USB Small Business Academy to bring their development programme – specifically designed for historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in low-income areas – to the district and sponsor participation by selected local entrepreneurs JoGEDA chief executive Ayanda Gqoboka said that results for the more than 60 businesses that have now been through the programme had been “outstanding” in enabling entrepreneurs to structure He said that empowering small businesses to move out of survivalist mode and become sustainable engines of economic growth and employment creation was part of JoGEDA’S strategy to diversify economic activity in the district unlock the potential for growth in sectors such as agro-processing and manufacturing and create local employment opportunities that would retain young people in the district SBA head Dr Marietjie Theron-Wepener said the programme was developed and first rolled out in the townships of Cape Town in response to the high failure rate of small businesses and she was delighted with the positive results seen in its extension to the Eastern Cape “Our vision is to make a difference in the lives and businesses of small business owners in low-income communities building sustainability and eventually supporting them in such a way that they can play a vital role in alleviating poverty by creating employment,” she said Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a2b8c7631185db4f9b38881fb899e72c" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" Would you like to receive truly phenomenal inspirational and good thing stories right to your inbox Then subscribe to our weekly GoodThingsGuy newsletter today I accept GTG’s Privacy Policy GoodThingsGuy is the home of everything good and those are the things that really matter We believe that there is good news all around us and over 1 million readers a month agree with us GoodThingsGuy was officially launched on the 1 August 2015 in order to only promote good news inspirational stories and promote only positive multi-platform media company that distills unique content across multiple media platforms We consider individual and corporate contributions through the website or mail us directly here. Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio On Saturday a strict warning was sent to residents in eight towns in the Eastern Cape – Aliwal North Burgersdorp and Maclear – not to drink the water supplied by the municipality without boiling it first In an official notice, the municipal manager for the Joe Gqabi Municipality, Zolile Williams, added that residents must add a teaspoon of bleach to every 25 litres of drinking water to make it safe.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “We can no longer guarantee the quality of the drinking water supplied by the municipality,” the notice reads The Eastern Cape Treasury has allocated R120-million in drought relief to the province after the publication of a notice to declare a drought disaster An increasing number of towns are running out of drinking water Ten out of 13 towns in the Joe Gqabi District municipality now have level three water restrictions meaning water is only available for a few hours every day or every second day The Eastern Cape Treasury late last week allocated R120-million in drought relief to the province following the publication of a notice to declare a drought disaster – as an increasing number of towns are running out of drinking water Spokesperson for the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mamnkeli Ngam said they were awaiting applications for drought relief “We have received business plans for funding to mitigate against drought from the province’s two metros,” Ngam said.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads He said the money was also intended for municipalities in crisis where communities have no more drinking water “Even my own village has not had water for a while,” Ngam said He said the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is calling on communities to assume responsibility for the water infrastructure in their towns and protect it from vandalism According to figures released last week by the Department of Water and Sanitation the province’s combined dam levels have dropped to 50.7 % of available capacity Several of the province’s big dams are empty The Buffalo City Metro implemented level two water restrictions from November 1 as its dams dropped to below 40% of capacity This restricts residents from watering their gardens topping up swimming pools without permission Williams this week issued a notice to residents of Aliwal North stating that the Chiapinnisklip Dam has run dry and the JL De Bruin Dam had less than 10% of useable water left The Aucamp Dam in the district is also running dry Williams stated in this notice that the town’s seven boreholes can only supply 40% of capacity. The notice asked owners of private boreholes to make their water available as a temporary measure.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Aliwal North suffered a 24-hour complete water outage after the Orange River stopped flowing.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Water rationing has also been implemented in Burgersdorp, Mount Fletcher, Maclear and Ugie, with residents only receiving water every second day for seven hours. The small town of Rossouw has no water left and water is carted from Barkley East. Other towns such as Aliwal North are experiencing water-shedding, with water only being available for a few hours every day. MC ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " After playing well against both Fulham and Brighton in a new system under Erik ten Hag, once again Mason Mount found himself out through injury However, if Ten Hag looks to the academy, he could find himself with a luxury of options to choose from, but there is one who has taken U21 football by storm for Manchester United Having cost £55 million last summer Mount has so far been a complete flop considering he has made just 23 appearances so far for United With this in mind, and that he’s already facing weeks on the sideline, Ineos may soon grow weary and in that event, there is a 17-year-old talent who is knocking on the door with Erik ten Hag looking to fast-track him Jack Fletcher has had a simply phenomenal start to life with the U21s this season, one year after he joined for £613k (£1.25m total) from Manchester City alongside his twin brother Tyler – who has also been impressive this season but for the U18s Fletcher bagged a brace against senior EFL side Barnsley in the EFL Trophy – despite playing just 33 minutes – with one goal being a world-class strike from range Wand of a left footpic.twitter.com/ijSeWo3Qop Fletcher has also been on the winning side in both of his Premier League 2 appearances so far with a goal against Stoke and two assists against Blackburn Due to this form, Erik ten Hag has had Fletcher already training with the first-team this season which places him well for an appearance this season – perhaps even a cameo in the Europa League he is rarely bad and it almost seems as though with a run of games he could be a really important member of this team the issue which is becoming more and more prominent is that Mount does not seem capable of getting a run of games in before he picks up another injury This is a problem for Manchester United and while the club will be desperate for him to work, another season like 2023/24 could see Ineos with a big decision over whether to cut their losses already. Mount could be a key part of this team, but he must first prove himself capable of staying fit, otherwise, Fletcher’s chance could come even sooner than expected. At this rate, the 17-year-old will make his debut this season, it’s just a matter of if not when. But his promotion could signal the end for Mount. Give agencies a clear challenge to see how quickly they ideate and how well they collaborate Spare agencies the agony of a prolonged pitch and save yourself time and money Leave full-funnel capabilities to case studies and if it turns out the agency you hire can’t deliver sue them for false advertising.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SYXLFKR37VDE3LIWF5X5AKMF6U","content":"Speed is also a test for seasoned talent because only someone who knows your category and has cracked similar problems can land a winning idea in days while anyone with a laptop can generate an idea eventually given weeks of research and paint-by-numbers pitch theater Choose experience and expertise if you really want to grow your business.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZMHPTLQF2FEAZBGOZIC4CKIVUU","content":"Act like you’re already working together","level":4,"type":"header"},{"_id":"WQCF5XF5KVDVRMWWZ7RXSZMDJI","content":"All too often clients severely limit the amount of contact between their team and each agency The notion is to determine how agencies think in isolation but this ignores the basis for a healthy relationship—an ongoing collaboration between like-minded people working around a shared ambition which only happens when two parties interact let your hair down and work through the problem together.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EIRVWOAP3NDVJJTOLHYPUJKDOQ","content":"Savvy clients are not buying a campaign it takes two to tango.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U24XPCL7UFCFDML6UKA2BT72JY","content":"Treat each other like partners not prospects","level":4,"type":"header"},{"_id":"2OFUPDR5AVHYHLGMVS527NH2ZY","content":"Yes but that doesn’t mean they should be taken for granted It’s appalling how many agencies have been ghosted after a pitch I have equal sympathy for clients and agencies in most matters any client that ghosts an agency should be publicly shamed with fines paid to an industry organization like the 4A’s as penance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IB74SH37HJGDTEIJFGY3FPZ4XE","content":"Similarly clients are under insane pressure from management so agencies must respect that a pitch is a business challenge a real-world problem in need of a creative solution It’s not an opportunity created for agencies to trick a desperate client into tomfoolery if someone is trusting you with the future of their business pitches often occur because the incumbent agency became tone-deaf Bring some humility to every meeting and you might bring back some great ideas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MB3NLRHC6NE7DAAZSEZKVSOVR4","content":"New business should be a thrilling competition not an obstacle course you run blindfolded a pitch is a microcosm of everything that’s chaotic and creative about our business So regardless of which side of the table you’re sitting keep it simple and make it fun.\nIf that’s what you throw out into the world then yours will be a pitch worth chasing.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"digital"},"created_date":"2025-01-23T09:35:15.284Z","credits":{"by":[{"_id":"mt-fletcher","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"M.T Fletcher","type":"author","twitter":"","linkedin":"","facebook":"","instagram":"","division":"","longBio":"M.T can be found wandering the hallways of corporate America and commiserating\r\nwith ex-colleagues on Madison Avenue He previously covered the private equity industry as a reporter for PEI Media Lindsay Rittenhouse is a senior reporter for Ad Age covering broad advertising industry trends He was previously a freelance journalist and podcaster covering pop culture and entertainment as well as a Pilates instructor and a professional dancer the “Scream” franchise and Halloween costumes covers household and personal-care marketers He's based near Cincinnati and has previously written for the Atlanta Journal Constitution woodworking and graphic design industries and worked in corporate communications for the E.W Gillian Follett is a general assignment reporter for Ad Age. She writes about a variety of topics including social media influencer marketing and the creator economy Gillian graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I He previously covered corporate communications and public relations agencies as a reporter at PRWeek Jon Springer covers sports marketing and beverage marketing He formerly covered the food retail industry for Winsight and Supermarket News and is a former sports and features writer for The Cecil Whig He has worked in newspapers from Albany to New York City He has also worked at every advertising industry trade publication that matters and he once visited Guatemala and once rode the Budapest Metro Adrianne Pasquarelli is a senior reporter at Ad Age She is also a host of the Marketer’s Brief podcast and spearheads special reports including 40 Under 40 and Hottest Brands Pasquarelli joined Ad Age in 2015 after writing for Crain's New York Business where she also focused on the retail industry.  Bradley Johnson is Ad Age's director of data analytics Johnson focuses on data and financial topics related to marketing Los Angeles and New York including editor at large overseeing breaking news and daily coverage He also contributes reporting on the beverage automotive and sports marketing industries He is a former reporter for McClatchy newspapers where he covered business and state government and politics Jones Krahl is U.S. head of creative and creative fellow at Deloitte Digital Vida M. Cornelious is senior VP of creative and strategy of New York Times Advertising Gianmaria Schonlieb is group creative director at Mojo Supermarket Jodi Heelan is the president and partner at The Variable The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has on Thursday welcomed the sentencing of a young man who pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a donkey in Mount Fletcher 23-year-old Ntando Thembalethu Mankungwini said that he had sex with the animal because his traditional healer told him that it would make him a stronger man You have selected an article from the AllAfrica archive, which requires a subscription. You can subscribe by visiting our subscription page. Or for more information about becoming a subscriber, you can read our subscription and contribution overview You can also freely access - without a subscription - hundreds of today's top Africa stories and thousands of recent news articles from our home page » AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals representing a diversity of positions on every topic We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you There was a problem processing your submission Alecia Sterling is almost at breaking point The 28-year-old mother lives in the hilly reaches of Mavis Bank where two of her three children attend Mount Fletcher Primary School in rural St Andrew Though Sterling has received a tablet from the school the device has never been used because it is an expensive gamble to purchase data living in an area with patchy Internet coverage “Mi log on one time in the beginning and see dem a give work but me nuh buy no book,” she told The Gleaner on Wednesday “Mi can’t mek dem turn dunce bat so mi give dem book fi read and mek dem do work out of dem textbooks from last year.” like thousands of parents in households in Jamaica’s hinterlands or in remote hillside districts is grappling with the inherent disadvantage that the coronavirus pandemic has resented since the shuttering of schools in March Even though the Jamaican Government is distributing 40,000 tablets to students across the country that represents about a tenth of the potential 400,000 who do not have a device or who are unable to tap Internet connectivity That deficit has exacerbated fears that the vacuum of learning threatens long-term academic outcomes that could have generational consequences Teachers at Mount Fletcher are hopeful that the home-learning kits delivered by the Ministry of Education in association with The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited will present a turnaround in fortunes and press the reset button on academic life The learning kits were designed to engage the students with little or no need for parents’ assistance and business basics activities for grades one through to six One hundred and fifty kits were handed over at Mount Fletcher on Wednesday Mavis Bank and other communities such as Guava Ridge sometimes lose electricity weeks at a time – another handicap that makes online learning miserable and near impossible is home to several students of Mount Fletcher Primary The access road to the community has been ramshackle for years with the commute made worse by storm-related rains that battered eastern Jamaica in October and November Householders have been sending the children’s books down to the school with the bus driver for the work to be marked The bus only leaves Westphalia in the early morning the driver picks up the books and the worksheets students from Westphalia and Hall’s Delight only had the challenge of crossing the bridge when it rained Grade five teacher Nyla Louza is quite concerned about the learning curve of her students because those at primary schools in more developed areas are more likely to advance on the curriculum she reported that only eight have come online since the term began in October Louza said that Internet connectivity has always been extremely poor for students and teachers living in remote areas we come to school and space out and have one central point with hotspot,” she said jonielle.daley@gleanerjm.com View the discussion thread. based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page "I think it was a big field then," she said apetty@herald-review.com|421-6986 Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account "It's still not too late to chance some of that," he said Ingwe TVET College is a leading technical and vocational education institution in South Africa, offering many courses. The college has five campuses located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This guide covers everything about Ingwe TVET College courses Read also Universities with low entry requirements in South Africa (2025) Whether you are looking for courses or artisan trade test programs Ingwe TVET offers a wide variety of programs to accommodate students with different interests and abilities The institution's five campuses each offer specific courses. Individuals interested in joining the institution are advised to take note of the offered courses in 2025 and the requirements Ingwe TVET College engineering students during a project Photo: @Ingwe TVET College (modified by author)Source: InstagramIngwe TVET college NATED courseIngwe TVET College offers NATED (National Accredited Technical Education Diploma) courses They are designed to provide theoretical and practical training in various fields These courses are structured in levels (N4 to N6) and require 18 months of theoretical studies followed by 18 months of workplace experience to qualify for a National Diploma. The following are NATED Courses at Ingwe TVET College; Read also Top 16 teaching colleges in Durban 2025: where can you study teaching Ingwe TVET College offers a wide range of National Certificate Vocational (NCV) and NATED (Report 191) courses across various fields of study These courses are designed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skills for employment and further education The qualifications for TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) courses vary based on the program type and institution. However, here are the general courses and requirements; Read also Grade R: Everything you need to know about South Africa's reception year Focus: Industry-specific vocational training with both theoretical and practical components. Read also Revealed: Top 20 marketable short courses in Botswana 2021 Ingwe TVET College offers an online application process for students interested in enrolling in various NATED and NCV courses Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you complete the online application for 2025; Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply at Ingwe TVET College. Read also To find information on courses and fees at Ingwe TVET College A CV must accompany all application forms for Ingwe TVET College vacancies Although requirements may differ depending on the post you will need a certified copy of your identification document a certified copy of your driver's license It is important to note that the TVET college prides itself on being an affirmative action employer with a no-appointment reservation. Any application that goes beyond one month of the closing date without a response should be considered unsuccessful. Read also Full list of University of Botswana courses and requirements All applications should be hand delivered to Ingwe TVET College, administration block, Cancel Road, Mount Frere, 5090 or forwarded to: Note: Email or fax copies are not acceptable. Ingwe TVET College offers internship opportunities to potential employees, especially graduate or undergraduate students, working for up to four months to gain research or practical work-related experience. The internship program is open throughout the year in South Africa. Check out institution internships on the Ingwe TVET College student portal. Ingwe TVET College students at Ngqungqushe campus. Photo: @ITVET (modified by author)Source: TwitterThe Ingwe TVET College prospectus provides all the necessary information needed for a student to be fully admitted. This information includes the fee structure, brochure, course duration, tenders, handbook, and course outline. You can access, download, and print the Ingwe TVET College prospectus online in PDF. Read also Makwarela TVET college online application 2025-2026: Dates The Ingwe TVET College prospectus will help you confirm all the information you have about short courses, diplomas, distance learning, certificates, bachelor's degrees, and undergraduate online application or admission for the academic year. Also included in the fee structure are payment procedures, student fees, finance booklet, fee statements, class fees, residential fees, examination fees, registration fees, fees booklet, tuition, loans, and bursaries. You can reach specific campuses through the following contacts: Read also The Free State province has several public TVET colleges that offer a variety of vocational and technical courses Here’s a list of TVET colleges in the Free State: Your quest and pursuit of higher education should not be a daunting task anymore Set yourself up from the crowd with the above Ingwe TVET College courses with easy-to-follow application procedures and contacts Briefly.co.za published about Goldfields TVET College This institution has proven to be suitable for the South African labour market It has been offering skill-based learning since 2002 across its four campuses The institution offers a wide range of programmes that are in tune with the skills sought by employers Anyone who is above the age of 16 years and has a minimum Grade 9 pass can enrol at the Goldfields TVET College Maitlyn Fletcher chatted about her new film “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” and the digital age How was “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” for you shooting “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” was surreal After nine months of living and breathing this project it was mind blowing to see the world I created come to life Through this campy-comedic tale (where on a trip to Mount Rushmore a teenage girl’s plan to lose her virginity is complicated by her lust for her boyfriend’s sister and her boyfriend’s recently realized George Washington fetish) I wanted to explore the common and hilarious “failing” aspect of young queerness Although starting to navigate sexual activity is awkward for most their first encounter is often an incredible failure– especially because these sexual encounters are often with people they are not truly attracted to In “MOUNTING RUSHMORE,” I wanted to convey the common fantastical and failing qualities of queer people’s first sexual experiences I’m so incredibly happy to say that our actors (Alina Foley and Dave Foley) did an incredible job of conveying this awkward and hilarious stage of coming to terms with your queerness I am so proud of the performances and stunning footage and cannot wait to continue with post-production What was your favorite part about this experience My favorite part of this experience was having so many queer individuals working on set tell me how seen they felt by this project While the tone and plot of “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” is campy and exaggerated it’s meant to reflect a very real and common queer experience I loved hearing people laugh and say “that was literally me at eighteen.” How does it feel to be an artist and storyteller in the digital age The emergence of generative AI is unnerving to any writer New technologies generally tend to diminish the “human touch” to art so the digital age seems to threaten my involvement in the artistic process artists do have more personal agency than ever in particular) to self-distribute in an unprecedented way I am grateful to have grown up in the digital age I aim to utilize the opportunities of the digital age more by writing and releasing sketches that in any other era would not have a proper home I just recently posted my first sketch (co-created by Alina Foley) I’m currently editing “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” with my lead editor writing a TV pilot about a Palm Springs retirement community and am writing a romantic-comedy feature with my girlfriend I will continue creating vibrant comedies but I’m also excited about the idea of exploring the horror space What is your advice for young and aspiring creatives My advice to other young creatives: create without fear of judgment or failure there were so many zany scenes and stories I wanted to write but I was too afraid to take a risk my scenes often fell flat and lacked personality success can only happen when you’re okay with failing Were there any moments in your career that have helped define you the moment that comes to mind is the one that motivated me to pursue writing and directing comedy I often would wake up at 5am on weekdays so I could squeeze in a couple hours of Cartoon Network before school I credit my cartoon overload to my sense of humor and view of the world I often remember people and events in an exaggerated and vibrant light shortly after overcoming debilitating shyness I learned how engaging this cartoon memory could be I was retelling some wild story from high school to a group of friends and I soon realized almost every nearby table was listening I felt inspired to stand on top of the table I narrated and acted out the scene and to my surprise The next year I took a screenwriting class and wrote my first comedy feature but it was a first step in exploring comedy and my cartoonish view to me success is the ability to joyfully create in the wake of criticism or failure If a project doesn’t turn out the way you envisioned or if an audience doesn’t react as well as you anticipated your next move might be to anxiously create something “better” just to prove you can do it or I think success is the ability to receive critique or even fail and not let it affect your enthusiasm surrounding the artistic process As long as I’m continuing to write and direct from a joyful place What would you like to tell our readers about “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it) I hope that “MOUNTING RUSHMORE” can fill a much needed representation gap in queer stories be useful to both those currently closeted and cathartic for those who can relate from past experience closet-case narrative played out much more for strictly gay men in the media we rarely see it effectively done for young queer women and bisexual men a closeted lesbian and an unknowingly closeted bisexual man reinvent the classic closet-case narrative– I hope you all find it hilarious To learn more about Maitlyn Fletcher, follow her on Instagram Image: ©AFPUS President Donald Trump said Sunday he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the United States Oil prices slumped on Monday after eight OPEC+ members announced a sharp increase in production Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals one Rome tailor has been making the white cassock new popes don immediately after election Open in NewsBreak|Sign inChoose your location Mount Airy senior Fletcher Gallimore signed his NCAA National Letter of Intent to play college football at Winston-Salem State University “It is like a dream come true,” Gallimore said To me it’s not just about signing a piece of paper It’s about everything that led to that moment — the countless early mornings It’s a symbol of all the sacrifices I’ve made and the people who’ve supported me along the way While he didn’t follow the traditional path of becoming a college football player only playing one year of little league and one year in middle school Gallimore overcame the learning curve with hard work “I am proud of the work Fletcher has done to get this opportunity to play at the next level,” said Mount Airy coach Austin Taylor “Fletcher is a person who has worked his way up through our program and continued to show up through all the adversity he faced He was a player who bought into our program and wanted to be someone we could count on Ended up being our punter is where he shined most for us being a consistent advantage to our football team all season long “He was determined to better himself and to get a chance to play college football Gallimore grew up playing basketball and baseball He said it was always his goal to play a sport in college but wasn’t sure which route he wanted to pursue The one sport that never crossed his mind in elementary and middle school was “I only played one year of little league and then I quit after because I did not like it,” Gallimore said “I also played only one year in middle school I never went to any camps until Landon forced me to go to two camps with him in the summer of my senior year.” signed his NCAA National Letter of Intent to play college football at Emory & Henry University the same day The cousins often connected on the field as Landon played long snapper and Fletcher was the Bears’ punter Gallimore started punting for the Granite Bears’ JV football team He said he didn’t take the sport very seriously as an underclassman then when he moved to varsity as a junior he played behind Walker Stroup — a multi-year starter that went on to be named Northwest 1A Conference Specialist of the Year in 2023 Gallimore was part of two all-time great teams on both the football field and baseball field during his junior year Mount Airy’s football team won the NW1A Conference Championship 1A West Regional Championship and 1A State Championship with a 16-0 record Mount Airy’s baseball team finished 1A West Regional Runner-up with a 26-3 record The 2024 Bears broke the school record for wins in a season which was originally set in 1931 and tied in 1939 and tied a school record with 25-consecutive victories that was originally set across the 1938-40 seasons The Bears also won their first conference title since 1968 (via Mount Airy sports historian Doug McDaniel) Gallimore looked to uphold the Granite Bears’ tradition of excellence as he entered his senior year “The summer of my senior year is when I really started to take everything serious because I thought about how it was just going to be one more year and I was done,” Gallimore said Taylor added: “It started in the weight room for Fletcher in the summer where you could spot a change Another level of focus and determination to being a player we can count on he took pride in it and continued that momentum into getting multiple offers.” Mount Airy won its fourth-consecutive NW1A Conference Championship in 2024 The Granite Bears finished 13-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play The team reached the 1A West Regional Semifinals before falling 14-7 to the eventual 1A State Runner-up Gallimore averaged 33.6 yards per punt as a senior He hit his stride as conference play began and had a stellar performance against Starmount where he punted five times for 178 yards (35.6 average) Gallimore averaged at least 37 yards per punt in three games including 41 yards per punt against North Stokes “My senior year we were hungry to win,” Gallimore said and nobody except the coaches and players expected us to go as far as we did due to the coaching change and the quality of players that graduated “I don’t even know how to put being a Bear into words There is no school around here that can say they compare to us Mount Airy is a very special place for football.” Gallimore said he didn’t realize he could play college football until the middle of his senior season He got in contact with a few colleges which ultimately led him to Winston-Salem State it felt like they made it known that I was needed at WSSU,” Gallimore said “The combination of a strong football program and a welcoming campus environment made WSSU the right choice for continuing my athletic and academic journey all the sacrifices they have made to take me to where I needed to be I can’t thank my teammates enough for being with me and being my brothers for life I want to thank all the coaches I have had for pushing me in the weight room and on the field and I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else as my coach my senior year.” best known for his big-screen debut in the critically acclaimed box office hit all quotes that appear in this article are from interviews conducted by the author with those mentioned.] best known from TV's iconic programs like Father Knows Best With more than 110 different character portrayals Donahue has also made her mark in pop-culture history with legendary guest appearances on TV shows like Star Trek The Original Series (as it's now known) The legendary performer died from pneumonia at Jefferson Abington Hospital a mere three weeks before what would have been his 80th birthday a dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts affectionately known as "Belle." This young approximately 1 to 2-year-old dog weighing around 13 pounds has quickly captured hearts with her endearing personality known as 'Belle' to her foster mom and new friends is a petite cuddle bug with the softest poodle/doodle fur & big Disney-princess eyes that just might convince you to do anything she asks," shares the nonprofit rescue the lives of former child stars do not always end well The tragic existence of iconic actor Carl Dean Switzer best known as Alfalfa from the Our Gang/Little Rascalsclassic film shorts Switzer failed to get acting jobs in Hollywood but found employment as a bartender he was shot dead during an argument over money his brother Harold Switzer also met a tragic end Emmy-winning actress Marcia Wallace died at only 70 years old from breast cancer complications (pneumonia and sepsis) Best known as Carol Kester from TV's classic sitcom Wallace was also known for The Simpsons animated series (Fox for which offered her vocal talents as Edna Krabapple Wallace suffered a challenging childhood littered with alcoholic parents who physically abused her she struggled for years with issues of self-esteem and weight of Massachusetts is helping write a new chapter in the life of a friendly young dog named Roxanne distinguished by her striking mismatched eyes - one brown and one light blue - exemplifies both the harsh realities faced by abandoned animals and the transformative power of compassion.