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Eastern Florida State College Women’s Golf Team Heads to Kansas for National Title Hopeful
NJCAA Division I National Tournament begins Monday, May 12 in Kansas

East Florida State College’s Golf Titans Gear Up for National Fun

Next week, the Eastern Florida State College women’s golf team is heading to the Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, Kansas for the big NJCAA Division I National Tournament. The Titans just rocked the Southeast District Championship – snagging 2nd place to secure their spot.

Why 2nd Place Matters
- It’s the second time in three seasons the Titans finish as runner‑up at the region.
- The result guarantees a chance at the national title on the air‑softy greens of Kansas.
Inside the Team’s Thought Process

“We’ve got confidence on our side,” sophomore Emma Parker says. “We played consistently—if we keep that streak alive, we’ll be just fine.”

Coach Jamie Howell notes, “Buffalo Dunes is a nice course. The grass is softer, mostly blue‑grass and bent‑grass. That’s a learning curve, but we’re ready to adapt.”

Course Dynamics & Strategy

“The terrain has elevation changes—ups, downs, you name it. The goal is to learn as much as possible without overcomplicating things. Just play straight at your best and let the day decide the outcome,” Coach Howell adds.

And the 2023 Memes:

Only two years back, the Titans finished 8th overall at the same venue. It’s a heck of a reminder that winners aren’t born; they’re shaped by guts, grind and a bit of well‑timed luck.

With the National Tournament starting Monday, May 12th, the Titans are set to bring the ball home—no pressure, just plenty of swing, eh?

Eastern Hills: A Weekend of Greens, Giggles, and Girl Power

What the Course is Like, According to Coach Howell

Coach Jamie Howell dropped this gem after the first week’s practice: “It’s a solid golf spot, but the grass is a bit of a rebel. It’s soft‑feel, blue‑green, bent, and the ladies are still getting used to the dance floor.”

The Game Plan

The national showdown runs four full days of rain‑taming fun. Each team hits 18 holes a day, and there are 16 teams battling it out.
- Day 1: Warm‑up & triples.
- Day 2: Condense the leads.
- Day 3: Accumulate points.
- Day 4 (Final): May 15 – the climax.
Who’s a Sun‑daring Favorite?

Defending champs Daytona State College led the pack after wrapping up a district win. Listen up: they’re practically riding on a coasting speedboat.

Jenna Barnett—The “Second‑Year Hero”

Half‑backed sophomore Jenna Barnett is a familiar face in the national tournament scene. “We’re just here to soak it up,” she said. “Picture? Steps in the field, sighing rich muscle, and making it feel like a bright tide.”

She cracked a tie for third in the district round – a shade like the chartreuse of the course marker. She is one of three consistently returning players in the national event too.

From the Titans’ Past Performance

The Titans trended 8th place at last year’s national run at the Duran Golf Club. It’s almost like a roller‑coaster – the stakes are high, but there’s no rush.

Coach Howell’s Last Words

“You may not be heading back for a national title next year, so let your tolerance flag rest,” Howell advised. “That’s what you earned, so live it out.”

As a truth check, the final door shuts on Thursday, May 15, hosting one last interference … (phony, my accent is definitely not from the natives.)

I’m ready to give it a fresh spin! Could you share the full text of the article you’d like rewritten? Once I have it, I’ll transform it into a lively, engaging version that reads like an original piece—complete with headings, lists, and a dash of humor.
2025-09-20
Top things to consider when employing an apprentice

This only serves to highlight the fact that apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly popular career route for school leavers over the past few years.

In an increasingly competitive labour market, apprenticeships play a vital role in equipping young people with the skills they need to succeed in the labour market, helping them get their foot on that all important first rung of the career ladder.

What’s more their popularity looks only set to continue with the school leavers now having to remain in education or training until 18.

Employing an apprentice can be a great way of boosting your business; 96% of employers who take on an apprentice report benefits to their business whilst 72% report improved productivity as a direct result of employing an apprentice.

However like any other employee there are some important things to be clear on when taking on apprentice.

Key things tips to consider when you are considering taking on an apprentice include:

Be clear on pay and hours

An apprentice will normally work a minimum of 30 hours per week and should receive a minimum wage that is determined by their age and programme.

If you take on an apprentice as an employer you must ensure you have an apprenticeship contract drawn up and signed by both parties. Otherwise you will be legally obliged to pay the national minimum wage rate, rather than the £2.68 an hour 2013/14 apprenticeship rate.

As with other members of staff failure to pay the correct minimum wage could result in a fine of £20,000 and being publicly named and shamed.

Details on wage rates for apprentices can be found on the National Apprenticeship Service website.

Be clear on your obligations

It is important to realise that once to choose to take on an apprentice you are committed to provide them with employment for as long as it takes to complete their programme or a minimum of 12 months, whichever is greater, subject to satisfactory performance.

You can only terminate an apprenticeship early in very rare cases and not simply because you are unhappy with their performance. Also, you cannot make an apprentice redundant unless the workplace is closing. If an apprentice has their contract terminated unfairly, they can receive significantly higher than normal damages for wrongful dismissal to compensate them for loss of wages, loss of training and loss of status. If they have the required qualifying service, they can also claim compensation for unfair dismissal.

As with other employees, apprentices must receive a minimum 20 days holiday per year plus bank holidays.

If in doubt get advice

As with all employment matters it is important to seek advice if needs be. The Forum’s business advice team can provide advice on all employment related issues including apprenticeships. For further information visit www.fpb.org

Image: Apprentice via Shutterstock

2025-09-11
Springfield’s Secret Pension Burden: The Huge Lie That Binds Chicago
What’s Really Going On with Chicago’s Pension Crisis?

Picture this: Gov. JB Pritzker signs a bill that boosts benefits for Chicago’s police and fire pensions, and one day later the city is looking at a $11 billion hole in its budgeting books. That’s the headline and the punchline.

Why the Numbers Sound Like a Bad Joke
- The actuarial review says the new benefits will double the city’s pension liabilities.
- Funding levels for both the Police and Fire funds will tumble below 18%.
- They already had only 25% of the money required to pay out retirees’ earned benefits—a figure that puts them behind even the nation’s top municipal pension plans.
So Poor That It’s the Fourth-Worst in the U.S.

Combined unfunded liabilities are now larger than those of 43 states—yes, that includes New York, Michigan, and Florida. Think of it as a “Big League” of states that are basically drowning in pension debt.

In Other Words

If nothing changes, Chicago’s pension mess could turn the city into the next Detroit. That isn’t just a scary thought; it’s a warning that has been pinging the city’s CFO’s desk for months.

We’ve Broke the Law, So What Now?
- State law says we can “enrich” the city’s Tier 2 pensions to meet federal Social‑Security style benefits.
- But where’s the money? The city is slated to cover $60 million extra in 2027, ramping up to $753 million by 2055.
- And here’s the kicker: the state didn’t even run its own actuarial report to check the math.
Why Would the State Do This?

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Robert Martwick, pitched it as a “necessary upgrade” to keep Chicago’s pensions in line with federal law. Governor Pritzker jumped in, signing the act with a smile, as if it were a quick fix.

Bottom Line

We’re good with our lofty promises, but our pockets are shrieking. It’s a classic “payments (bold) first, balance (bold) later” scenario. Whether it’s a grand lie or a lazy excuse, one thing is clear: The city’s pension policies are out of sync with the money it actually has—big time.

Behind the State’s Pension Pitch: An Unpacked Take

Governors, senators, and pension perplexities – it’s a tall order, but let’s break it down.

What the Governor’s Press Team Claims
- “The bill is a wrap‑up of adjustments Chicago has done for years to tackle pension headaches.”
- It’s touted as a “proactive step” to avoid “big financial or legal headaches” in the future.
Sounds solid, right? Not exactly.

What’s Really Meant (And Where the Misfire Is)

The whole drama is all about a so-called “Tier 2” issue that supposedly is tucked into federal law. The Governor’s team is basically saying:
- “If our pensioners’ benefits fall short of federal requirements, we might panic and add money.”
- But: No pensioner in Illinois actually needs that boost – the problem is theoretical and only pops up “in the future.”
So the state’s budget is being shoved to pay for a thing that may never happen. That’s a lot of money for a gamble.

Why the State’s Own Plan Would Be Clearer (and Cheaper)

Illinois already put a $75 million reserve fund in place for exactly this scenario: to cover any possible benefit shortfalls.
That’s a lightweight plank compared to the new bill’s weight.

If you read the academic arguments we’ve written, you’ll see we’ve long argued for a similar, no‑surprise “safety net.” The original measure has an appealingly common‑sense rhythm that our state should have gone for.

Outsiders Warned Us – And They Did
- Civic Federation – “Why not veto?”
- Commercial Club – “Too early for this.”
- Better Government Association – “Unfunded mandate alert!”
- Chicago Tribune Editorial Board – “Wrong move.”
Even folks who might normally side with the Governor—like Comptroller Susanna Mendoza—could not stay silent. And it’s not just the vote. Finance chief Jill Jaworski slammed it as an “unfunded mandate” thrown at the mayor’s doorstep.

Why This Is a Burden, Not a Benefit

The bill’s official rationale: “Keep the two Chicago pension plans level with downtown police & fire bonuses.” Sounds equitable. But in reality it’s the kind of “one-size-fits-all” that leaves Chicago with a hollow chest.

Chicago’s money’s tighter than a hermit crab’s shell. Asking for cheaper, safer solutions is like asking the city to ask for a discount on a tariff the government’s already paying.

Our Suggested Watch‑List

To get the full picture, we’d love to see the state leaders pull together “the perfect clip” of a financial adviser demystifying a trust‑fund scenario to Wally Matthau’s character in A New Leaf.

The lesson: even if you’re a figment of the state’s bureaucracy, you really want to understand how “no money” constrains your choices.

Bottom Line: The State Should Remain On Its Own, Safer Path

So if Gov. Pritzker and the rest of the legislature will do as they now do—reserve a big pot of money for a theoretical future—it’s probably best to let Chicago keep its priorities untouched. The new bill is picking something that seems far more like a science fiction plot than today’s budget reality.
2024-11-21
As India bans real-money games, Dream Sports, MPL start pulling the plug

Top Indian startups in the real-money gaming space have begun shutting down operations after New Delhi effectively banned the sector through new legislation that’s now on the verge of becoming law.

On Thursday, the upper house of the Indian Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 — proposing to completely ban real-money gaming while aiming to promote casual online games and esports. The vote came just a day after the bill cleared the lower house, leaving only presidential assent before it becomes law — a formality expected to happen soon.

Shortly after the bill passed in Parliament, Indian unicorns Dream Sports and Mobile Premier League (MPL) — along with other startups like Gameskraft, Probo, and Zupee — began shutting down their real-money gaming operations. Some of these companies informed employees of their decision following the bill’s passage in the lower house on Wednesday, while others began notifying users directly through their apps.

Dream Sports, which counts investors including Tiger Global, Multiples, Alpha Wave Global, and TCV, has shut down its recently launched quick-play fantasy gaming app, Dream Picks. Its other apps involving real-money transactions, including the widely-popular Dream11 and Dream Play, were still operational at the time of filing. However, TechCrunch has learned that the Mumbai-based startup plans to shut down its real-money gaming business entirely once the legislation comes into effect.

At its town hall meeting on Wednesday, the startup informed its employees about the implications of the law, a person familiar with the matter told TechCrunch, requesting anonymity as the meeting was internal. Indian site Entrackr reported some details about the meeting earlier.

Dream Sports was planning to expand outside India, two people privy to the information informed TechCrunch, on condition of sharing it anonymously, as the plan was not public.

The startup also had some partnership talks for its Indian real-money business earlier this week that were about to be finalized, an investor source told TechCrunch.

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A Dream Sports spokesperson declined to comment.

Similar to Dream Sports, MPL, backed by investors including Peak XV, Times Internet, MSA Novo, and Crown Capital, has suspended all real-money games and is no longer taking deposits.

“Deposit cash (minus GST) will be available for withdrawal from 22 Aug. 2025,” a notification on the MPL app reads.MPL app showing a notice saying “Deposits are no longer available”Image Credits:MPL (Screenshot)

Zupee, backed by investors including WestCap Group, Tomales Bay Capital, Nepean Capital, AJ Capital, and Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India), has also shut down real-money games with immediate effect.

“In line with the new Online Gaming Bill 2025, we are discontinuing paid games, but our hugely popular free titles like Ludo Supreme, Ludo Turbo, Snakes & Ladders, and Trump Card Mania will continue to be available for all users for free,” a Zupee spokesperson said in a statement.

Probo, another Peak XV-backed startup, which also counts Elevation Capital and The Fundamentum Partnership among its key investors, stopped its real-money gaming operations after Parliament greenlit the legislation.

“As unfortunate as it is, we respect the government of India’s latest Online Gaming bill. In light of this development, Probo has decided to discontinue its real-money gaming (RMG) operations with immediate effect until further notice,” the Gurugram-based startup said.

Bootstrapped startup Gameskraft has also stopped accepting money on its rummy apps as a result of the legislation. Similarly, Times Internet-owned fantasy cricket game Cricbuzz11 has discontinued its operations.

“Deposits (net of GST) will be refunded to bank account within 30 days,” the app says on a notice to users.

In addition to the shutdown of real-money gaming operations, many employees at these startups have begun searching for new jobs, with hundreds posting about their job hunt on social media.

“We no longer have a secure job, as these companies are expected to cut some roles in the coming days to sustain their business and satisfy investors,” one employee, who requested anonymity for fear of jeopardizing future opportunities, told TechCrunch.

Even though these startups could challenge the law in the Indian Supreme Court once it comes into effect, most have chosen not to pursue that route.

“This assessment is accurate — they will have a tough fight in the Supreme Court,” a public policy expert working with some of these real-money gaming startups told TechCrunch, requesting anonymity for fear of losing clients.

Real-money gaming startups in India have a combined enterprise valuation of ₹2 trillion (approximately $23 billion), generate cumulative revenues of ₹310 billion (around $3.6 billion), and contribute ₹200 billion (roughly $2.29 billion) annually in direct and indirect taxes, per estimates cited by industry bodies in their letters to the Indian Prime Minister and Home Minister earlier this week. They also project a 28% compound annual growth rate that would double the industry’s size by 2028.

This Bill, passed by both Houses of Parliament, highlights our commitment towards making India a hub for gaming, innovation and creativity. It will encourage e-sports and online social games. At the same time, it will save our society from the harmful effects of online money… https://t.co/t1iUuH9JP1— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2025

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2024-01-30
EU's AI Code ready for companies to sign next week

Both the member states and the European Commission need to formally give the green light to the Code, which helps providers of AI systems comply with the EU’s AI Act.

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Member states’ formal approval of the Code of Practice for General Purpose AI (GPAI) could come as early as 22 July, paving the way for providers of AI systems to sign up, sources familiar with the matter told Euronews.
It will be just days before the entry into force of the AI Act’s provisions affecting GPAI systems, on 2 August.

The European Commission last week presented the Code, a voluntary set of rules drafted by experts appointed by the EU executive, aiming to help providers of AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini comply with the AI Act. Companies that sign up are expected to be compliant with the AI Act and are expected to have more legal certainty, others will face more inspections.
The Code requires a sign off by EU member states, which are represented in a subgroup of the AI Board, as well as by the Commission’s own AI Office.
The 27 EU countries are expected to finalise assessment of the Code next week and if the Commission also completes its assessment by then too, the providers can formally sign up.
The document, which was supposed to come out in May, faced delays and heavy criticism. Tech giants as well as publishers and rights-holders are concerned that the rules violate the EU’s Copyright laws, and restrict innovation.
The EU’s AI Act, that regulates AI systems according to the risk they pose to society and is coming into force in stages beginning in August last year.

Mixed reactions

In the meantime, OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, has said it will sign up to the code once its ready.
“The Code of Practice opens the door for Europe to move forward with the EU AI Continent Action Plan that was announced in April—and to build on the impact of AI that is already felt today,” the statement said.
The publication drew mixed reactions, with consumer group BEUC and Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) hesitant about the final version of the code.
BEUC Senior Legal Officer, Cláudio Teixeira called the development a “step in the right direction”, but underlined that voluntary initiatives like the Code of Practice “can be no substitute for binding EU legislation: they must complement and reinforce, not dilute, the law’s core protections for consumers.”

CDT Europe’s Laura Lazaro Cabrera said the final draft “stops short of requiring their in-depth assessment and mitigation in all cases.”
“The incentive for providers to robustly identify these risks will only be as strong as the AI Office’s commitment to enforce a comprehensive, good-faith approach,” she said.

2023-11-25
How to tighten up your Timing

So to the final section of the puzzle in our updated SWOT…
(And in case you missed some here are the earlier parts by hyperlink – just click)

How to get the best out of your staff – part one – Staffing
How to get the best from your staff – part two – Workflow
How to get the best from your staff – part three – How to be Organised

We have looked at ‘Staffing’ and how critical it is to have the right people in the right roles with the right skills. We then went onto the ‘Workflows’ of the business and how a root to branch review of the key workflows could make your company more streamlined, efficient, and cost effective. Last week we discussed ‘Organisation’ and how taking time to consider your planning and preparation will get you organised to benefit your business. Now we need to consider…

Timing – by undertaking the other three elements listed above, and should you wish using a traditional SWOT in addition (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), you need to ascertain and commit to the when, the how long and the how often.

Knowing what staff you have, what workflows you need to operate and then organising the actions will go a very long way to identifying these. It’s time to have a frank talk with the interested parties, the key stakeholders, and the staff involved to agree and work towards the new strategy and direction you have clarified or created.

Going through any review of a business can be an exhilarating thing. It can bring back a positive buzz to you, your managers and the staff alike. But not setting clear target dates, not following up on the actions you have set and not sharing your results can destroy all the hard work and commitments you have made. It’s back to setting traditional SMART objectives – making the actions ‘time framed’.

There’s nothing worse than setting off on a project to review your workflows, all steam ahead than getting sidetracked and without a target date having nothing to bring you back in. So many projects fall by the wayside like that. By ensuring a time and date it helps focus you and commits everyone to the task at hand.

One word of caution however – please don’t let the excitement of the process carry you away. Remember to be realistic. Commit to a tangible timeframe by articulating what you really mean and ensuring it is possible the timeframe becomes solid, real and valid.

I’m not providing solutions in this updated SWOT, rather giving you food for thought and a new means in which to question your business and seek answers.

At Threedom Solutions we like to use this to start the conversations, to guide the company we are helping through the discussions and to help identify and solidify an outcome.

We use various tools with this – such as a Future Wheel and our Motivation Quiz to help, but more of those another time. Your business is unique to you, with so many variations so why not use this updated SWOT to get your bespoke answers.

2022-05-14