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FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL) (TollBrothers.com), the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, today announced results for its fourth quarter ended October 31, 2024. FY 2024’s Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights (Compared to FY 2023’s Fourth Quarter): Full FY 2024 Financial Highlights (Compared to Full FY 2023): Douglas C. Yearley, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, stated: “I am very pleased with our fourth quarter results, which cap the strongest year ever for Toll Brothers. For the full year, we generated a record $10.6 billion of home sales revenue, earned $15.01 per diluted share and grew contracts by 27% in both units and dollars. In the fourth quarter, we delivered 3,431 homes and generated $3.3 billion in home sales revenues, up 25% in units and 10% in dollars compared to last year’s fourth quarter. Our fourth quarter adjusted gross margin was 27.9%, beating guidance by 40 basis points, and our SG&A expense was 8.3% of home sales revenues, or 30 basis points better than guidance. Our strong margin performance and better than projected home sales revenues drove earnings of $4.63 per diluted share in the quarter, up 13% compared to last year. We also signed 2,658 net contracts at an average price of $1,000,000, up 30% in units and 32% in dollars compared to last year’s fourth quarter. Our performance this year and in the fourth quarter demonstrates the power of our luxury brand, the financial strength of our buyers, and the success of our strategies of increasing our spec home production and widening our geographies, price points and product lines. “Since the start of our fiscal 2025 six weeks ago we have seen strong demand, which is encouraging as we approach the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. We are well positioned with communities in over 60 markets across 24 states featuring the widest offering of luxury homes and serving the most affluent customers in our industry. Last year, we increased community count by 10% and are targeting a similar increase in fiscal 2025. We also owned or controlled approximately 74,700 lots at year end, providing sufficient land for further growth in fiscal 2026 and beyond. “In fiscal 2024, we generated a return on beginning equity of 23.1%, driven by our record earnings and strong cash flows that allowed us to return approximately $720 million of capital to shareholders. Our healthy balance sheet, low leverage, and ample liquidity, including significant projected cash flows from operations in fiscal 2025, should allow us to continue investing in our business while returning cash to shareholders well into the future.” Additional Information: (1) See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures” below for more information on the calculation of the Company’s net debt-to-capital ratio. Toll Brothers will be broadcasting live via the Investor Relations section of its website, investors.TollBrothers.com , a conference call hosted by chairman and chief executive officer Douglas C. Yearley, Jr. at 8:30 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, December 10, 2024, to discuss these results and its outlook for the first quarter and FY 2025. To access the call, enter the Toll Brothers website, click on the Investor Relations page, and select “Events & Presentations.” Participants are encouraged to log on at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the presentation to register and download any necessary software. The call can be heard live with an online replay which will follow. ABOUT TOLL BROTHERS Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 57 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TOL.” The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington, as well as in the District of Columbia. The Company operates its own architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, land development, insurance, smart home technology, and landscape subsidiaries. The Company also develops master-planned and golf course communities as well as operates its own lumber distribution, house component assembly, and manufacturing operations. In 2024, Toll Brothers marked 10 years in a row being named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired CompaniesTM list and the Company’s Chairman and CEO Douglas C. Yearley, Jr. was named one of 25 Top CEOs by Barron’s magazine. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com . Toll Brothers discloses information about its business and financial performance and other matters, and provides links to its securities filings, notices of investor events, and earnings and other news releases, on the Investor Relations section of its website (investors.TollBrothers.com). From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Information presented herein for the fourth quarter ended October 31, 2024 is subject to finalization of the Company’s regulatory filings, related financial and accounting reporting procedures and external auditor procedures. This release contains or may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. One can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate to matters of a strictly historical or factual nature and generally discuss or relate to future events. These statements contain words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “may,” “can,” “could,” “might,” “should,” “likely,” “will,” and other words or phrases of similar meaning. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding: expectations regarding inflation and interest rates; the markets in which we operate or may operate; our strategic priorities; our land acquisition, land development and capital allocation priorities; market conditions; demand for our homes; our build-to-order and spec home strategy; anticipated operating results and guidance; home deliveries; financial resources and condition; changes in revenues; changes in profitability; changes in margins; changes in accounting treatment; cost of revenues, including expected labor and material costs; selling, general, and administrative expenses; interest expense; inventory write-downs; home warranty and construction defect claims; unrecognized tax benefits; anticipated tax refunds; sales paces and prices; effects of home buyer cancellations; growth and expansion; joint ventures in which we are involved; anticipated results from our investments in unconsolidated entities; our ability to acquire or dispose of land and pursue real estate opportunities; our ability to gain approvals and open new communities; our ability to market, construct and sell homes and properties; our ability to deliver homes from backlog; our ability to secure materials and subcontractors; our ability to produce the liquidity and capital necessary to conduct normal business operations or to expand and take advantage of opportunities; and the outcome of legal proceedings, investigations, and claims. Any or all of the forward-looking statements included in this release are not guarantees of future performance and may turn out to be inaccurate. This can occur as a result of incorrect assumptions or as a consequence of known or unknown risks and uncertainties. The major risks and uncertainties – and assumptions that are made – that affect our business and may cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: Many of the factors mentioned above or in other reports or public statements made by us will be important in determining our future performance. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from those that might be anticipated from our forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. For a further discussion of factors that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results, see the information under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. This discussion is provided as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and all of our forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referenced in this section. Inventory at October 31, 2024 and October 31, 2023 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands): (1) Includes the allocated land and land development costs associated with each of our model homes in operation. Toll Brothers operates in the following five geographic segments, with operations generally located in the states listed below: Note: Due to rounding, amounts may not add. Unconsolidated entities: Information related to revenues and contracts of entities in which we have an interest for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, and for backlog at October 31, 2024 and 2023 is as follows: RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES This press release contains, and Company management’s discussion of the results presented in this press release may include, information about the Company’s adjusted home sales gross margin, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share and the Company’s net debt-to-capital ratio. These four measures are non-GAAP financial measures which are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the comparable GAAP financial measures, and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies in the home building business. The Company’s management considers these non-GAAP financial measures as we make operating and strategic decisions and evaluate our performance, including against other home builders that may use similar non-GAAP financial measures. The Company’s management believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in understanding our operations and leverage and may be helpful in comparing the Company to other home builders to the extent they provide similar information. Adjusted Home Sales Gross Margin The following table reconciles the Company’s home sales gross margin as a percentage of home sales revenues (calculated in accordance with GAAP) to the Company’s adjusted home sales gross margin (a non-GAAP financial measure). Adjusted home sales gross margin is calculated as (i) home sales gross margin plus interest recognized in home sales cost of revenues plus inventory write-downs recognized in home sales cost of revenues divided by (ii) home sales revenues. The Company’s management believes adjusted home sales gross margin is a useful financial measure to investors because it allows them to evaluate the performance of our home building operations without the often varying effects of capitalized interest costs and inventory impairments. The use of adjusted home sales gross margin also assists the Company’s management in assessing the profitability of our home building operations and making strategic decisions regarding community location and product mix. Forward-looking Adjusted Home Sales Gross Margin The Company has not provided projected first quarter and full FY 2025 home sales gross margin or a GAAP reconciliation for forward-looking adjusted home sales gross margin because such measure cannot be provided without unreasonable efforts on a forward-looking basis, since inventory write-downs are based on future activity and observation and therefore cannot be projected for the first quarter and full FY 2025. The variability of these charges may have a potentially unpredictable, and potentially significant, impact on our first quarter and full FY 2025 home sales gross margin. Adjusted Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share Reconciliation The following table reconciles the Company’s net income and earnings per share (calculated in accordance with GAAP) to the Company’s adjusted net income and diluted earnings per share (a non-GAAP financial measure). Net Debt-to-Capital Ratio The following table reconciles the Company’s ratio of debt to capital (calculated in accordance with GAAP) to the Company’s net debt-to-capital ratio (a non-GAAP financial measure). The net debt-to-capital ratio is calculated as (i) total debt minus mortgage warehouse loans minus cash and cash equivalents divided by (ii) total debt minus mortgage warehouse loans minus cash and cash equivalents plus stockholders’ equity. The Company’s management uses the net debt-to-capital ratio as an indicator of its overall leverage and believes it is a useful financial measure to investors in understanding the leverage employed in the Company’s operations. CONTACT: Gregg Ziegler (215) 478-3820 gziegler@tollbrothers.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a0456db-a1d7-41b3-b790-3e0a1448ad2b( MENAFN - IANS) Washington, Dec 28 (IANS) US President-elect Donald trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay the TikTok ban in order to allow time for a negotiated solution, according to a legal document. The document was filed on Friday by John Sauer, whom Trump nominated to serve as Solicitor General, a position typically responsible for representing the US government in appellate courts such as the Supreme Court. The document states that Trump opposes the immediate ban of TikTok in the United States and hopes to resolve the issue through Political means after taking office. Trump is skilled in negotiation and has the political will to reach a solution through talks, one that would address the government's national security concerns while saving the platform. Trump has recently suggested that he may allow TikTok to continue operations in the United States, Xinhua news agency reported. At an event hosted by the conservative organisation Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, Trump said that the popular video-sharing app may have helped reach some key voters in the presidential election and expressed the possibility of keeping TikTok around "for a little while." In April, US President Joe Biden enacted the law that gives ByteDance only 270 days to sell TikTok, citing unfounded national security concerns. If the company fails to comply, the law will require app store operators such as Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their platforms. In May, TikTok sued the US government to block the potential ban, which has drawn widespread criticism. In early December, the US Court of Appeals in Washington dismissed TikTok's claim that the ban was unconstitutional. On December 16, TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, asked the Supreme Court to pause the law temporarily. TikTok argued that the potential ban would shutter one of America's most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration and "silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern." On December 18, the Supreme Court agreed to review a request from TikTok and ByteDance to block the law. MENAFN27122024000231011071ID1109036180 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Peter Blottman Photography/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Introduction Deere & Company ( NYSE: DE ) reported Q4 and FY 2024 earnings last week. The market liked these quite a bit, and the stock shot up significantly. Deere was up more than 10% during the week; the Best Anchor Stocks helps you find the best quality stocks to outperform the market with the lowest volatility/growth ratio . We look for top-notch quality compounders, with solid growth and lower volatility than you would expect. Best Anchor Stocks picks have a track record of revenue growth combined with below-average volatility . Since the inception in January 2022, our portfolio has significantly beaten both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. There's a 2-week free trial, so don't hesitate to join Best Anchor Stocks now ! Best Anchor Stocks is a research team consisting of Leandro, an economist with a specialization in finance and Kris, an investing groups veteran who also runs the investing group Potential Multibaggers and focuses on long investments with greater potential for high upside. Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of DE either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.That dictate sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term.Heroes of the Redwoods | Now taking nominations for your hometown heroesPolice searching for man who allegedly groped 5-year-old near New York migrant shelter

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US News Today Live Updates: In today’s dynamic landscape, staying updated on the latest developments across the United States is essential. US News delivers the most impactful and current stories from coast to coast, covering a broad spectrum of topics, including politics, economic trends, healthcare, social issues, and cultural shifts. From significant government actions and economic shifts to breakthroughs in technology and the latest social debates, we provide real-time updates and thoughtful analysis to keep you informed. Our goal is to keep you connected to the stories that shape American life, ensuring you’re always in the know on the news that matters. US News Today Live: US to scrap country quota for H-1B visas? Here's how Indian professionals are likely to be affectedCounterfeit drugs seized after firm sources it from another, labels it as own before exportAfter years in the works, Japanese steakhouse/sushi bar chain Wu’s House has opened a new location in Naperville. But it’s not the only new addition to the city’s restaurant scene. An Indiana-based coffee shop is settling into town after opening a Naperville cafe earlier this fall while Lisle has welcomed a new sandwich spot. Wu’s House has opened at 2703 Beebe Drive. The Japanese restaurant chain, which also has locations in Orland Park, Evergreen Park, Mokena, Palos Park and Merrillville, Indiana, officially launched its first Naperville location on Dec. 13, according to owner Michael Wu. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers a wide-ranging menu. Patrons can order everything from Hibachi-style meals and sushi rolls to noodles and fried rice. Wu’s House started seeking city approvals to expand into Naperville just over two years ago . It broke ground on Beebe Drive in 2023, Wu said. Its hours are 11:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. MOTW Coffee & Pastries is nearly two and a half months into launching a Naperville franchise at 4931 Route 59. So far, the shop has exceeded expectations, company owner Sajjad Shah said. “Naperville is obviously a very affluent and diverse community,” he said Thursday. “There’s a lot of different people that live there, so there’s this nice little melting pot of customers.” Shah, 33, launched MOTW Coffee & Pastries in Indianapolis in 2021. After opening three more locations in Indiana, MOTW Coffee began to expand into Illinois earlier this year, starting with a location in Lombard . Naperville is MOTW Coffee’s second Illinois cafe. Two more are planned for Skokie and Schaumburg, Shah said. The former is expected to open early next year, while the latter should open in about three to four months, Shah said. The company stems from an Instagram page that Shah started in the wake of 9/11 called “Muslims of the World.” Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of New York,” Shah’s page was created to combat Islamophobia by sharing the personal stories of Muslim people on social media, he said. His page grew to amass hundreds of thousands of followers and even landed Shah a book deal. But there was more Shah wanted to do, he said. The missing piece was a physical component to the brand he’d built. So MOTW Coffee & Pastries was born. It serves specialty lattes — biscoff, vanilla coconut, peanut butter and cardamom, for instance — as well as traditional lattes, refreshers, espresso, hot tea and chai. MOTW Coffee’s Naperville cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays. Gourmet sandwich shop SubKO is now serving up Philly cheesesteaks, meatball subs and other savory selections at 1600 Maple Ave. in Lisle. SubKO officially opened on Dec. 20. Its operating hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. tkenny@chicagotribune.com

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The hydrofoil vessels will launch in the new year after a successful funding bid by Belfast-based Artemis Technologies. to the the UK Government’s Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure Fund for £15.5 million. The fund is aimed at decarbonising the maritime sector. The ferries are described as floating as their hulls sit above water. One of the ferries can carry 12 passengers and the other can carry 50 as well as some cargo. They will travel between Kirkwall (below), Shapinsay, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. The charging infrastructure is set to be installed over the winter, and passengers will embark on journey come April. Transportation service manager Laura Cromarty, said: “Two electric ferries will be trialled in Orkney following a funding bid submitted to the UK Government’s Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) Fund, which aims to boost the country’s decarbonisation efforts. “The bid, submitted by Orkney Ferries Limited, Artemis Technologies and EMEC, will trial electric vessels using hydrofoil technology, which lifts the hull out of the water to navigate above the waves. “The trial will be a test of zero emission technology in some of the harshest of environments, with the aim to show proof of concept. The benefit to the communities involved is improved connectivity to the islands, extending the length of operating day where possible. “The first vessel, for up to 12 passengers, is due to be delivered to Orkney in January 2025. During January to March, the vessel will be tested by local crew in Orkney waters to help establish what can be achieved from a timetable perspective. “If it proves suitable for the conditions, it is anticipated the vessel will come into service in April 2025 operating between Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre and Shapinsay to Kirkwall. “As this is a trial service, it should be noted that there will be no impact to the existing scheduled service during the project period. “The ‘Electric Orkney’ project will provide additional services to the community over and above the existing backbone operation by Orkney Ferries Limited. Continuation of the service beyond the trial period will be subject to demand, proof of concept and budget.” READ MORE: Scots to pay '£1.5m every day for 30 years' towards Trident renewal Orkney Council is running a consultation until the end of January to allow residents and regular travellers to Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre and Shapinsay to shape a timetable that will run in addition to the existing scheduled ferry service already in operation. Cromarty added: “At this stage, it would be useful to understand what passengers would like to see from the trial service if the vessel proves suitable for the conditions. “For example, early morning connectivity to meet external transport links or evening services for social and leisure purposes and on what days of the week people are most likely to travel. “Following consideration of the survey responses and vessel testing, a draft timetable will be circulated for further consideration by the communities via the Community Councils. Updates of the Electric Orkney project will be provided to communities via their elected Transport Representatives.”

For more than a century, Atlanta beverage giant Coca-Cola has released holiday ads that have closely shaped much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Think Santa Claus and polar bears. This year, some of Coca-Cola’s holiday ads airing on TV look a little different. They’re generated by artificial intelligence. In what is the company’s largest push into using AI in advertising, Coca-Cola partnered with generative AI companies to make new iterations of its classic 1995 ad “Holidays Are Coming.” Shots of lighted Coca-Cola trucks on snowy roads and mountains, smiling townspeople and Christmas trees rising above an idyllic village, among other familiar holiday imagery, were all rendered using AI models. ‘Always exploring’ In a statement, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola said the company is “always exploring new ways to connect with fans and experiment with different approaches” and dedicated to “creating the highest level of work at the intersection of human creativity and technology.” Silverside AI, one of the firms commissioned by Coke, provided further detail about the project on their website. A project of the same scale as the holiday ad would typically take more than 12 months, Silverside wrote on its website. But using both proprietary technology and market AI tools, Silverside produced the ad in two months with a team of 40 people, “showcasing that AI, combined with human creativity, can elevate storytelling to new heights.” The campaign immediately received backlash, with critics saying the ad deceives consumers and strips the holiday campaign of its creativity. On the other side of the spectrum, some called it a bold innovation and a new approach to visual storytelling. The controversy indicates that the argument over advertisers incorporating AI into campaigns is far from settled. Violation of brand promise Tim Halloran, a professor at Georgia Tech who spent 10 years working with Coca-Cola’s brand management division, said the new ad campaign was a violation of Coca-Cola’s brand promise. “As a brand, you always want to establish a relationship with consumers built on authenticity and realness and being true. That’s where the fallacy of this is, especially for a brand like Coca-Cola. For years, a core crux of that brand has been the idea of authenticity. After all, Coke was ‘The Real Thing,’” Halloran said, referring to the brand’s iconic campaign from the 1970s. To keep up with the pace of innovation in an ever-changing advertising market, Coca-Cola, along with thousands of other companies, are reckoning with the fast-improving technology. Generative AI can automate time-consuming or labor-intensive tasks involved in producing ads, cutting down on time and costs. But there are concerns it has the potential to limit the need for human workers involved in the craft. In a study gauging awareness and acceptance of AI within the advertising industry by Yahoo and public relations company Publicis Media from earlier this year, about 77% of surveyed advertisers had a positive sentiment toward AI. Consumers only had a 38% positive sentiment. The holiday ads are not Coca-Cola’s first foray into using generative AI. In 2023, the company debuted a tool built partly by OpenAI that generates artwork from imagery within its archives. Later that year, it allowed users to generate holiday cards. To the untrained eye, the computer-generated graphics may look identical to real images. But it has the uncanny look of much of the AI-generated content that has flooded the internet in recent years. Halloran, who played the ad in front of his graduate students not long after it had released, said it looked like a poorly done version of the 2004 animated film “The Polar Express,” which was the first film shot entirely using motion capture technology. Can’t replicate human emotion The problem with AI, Halloran said, is that it can’t replicate human emotion, an element that makes so many advertising campaigns successful, Coca-Cola’s holiday ads included. Consumers typically look forward to Coca-Cola’s yearly ads and think back to older campaigns with nostalgia. To use this campaign as its largest-scale experimentation with AI yet seems to be a statement, Halloran said. “A brand like Coke needs to have one foot in being technologically savvy and understanding how technology is changing,” Halloran said. “You don’t want to seem baked in the past, but you have to stay true to what the brand means to people.”Residents of the town of Fort Frances will be paying more for services and seeing higher water and sewer rates next year as the town works to establish its various budgets for 2025. The rates were discussed and approved at Monday night’s meeting of town council, where administration presented two reports detailing the planned increase. The reports proposed that most user fees would see an increase of 2.1 percent, while residential sewer and water rates would receive an increase at 2.25 percent, and institutional rates would be increased by 3.25. When discussing next year’s user fees within the Town of Fort Frances, the report prepared by Town Treasurer Dawn Galusha notes that not every fee charged by the town would increase, but some of the fees that will see an increase in 2025 include business licenses (e.g. hairstyling shop increasing to $55.75 from $54.60), letters of compliance or approval for properties ($88.30 from $86.50), building/demolition permits (e.g. Residential construction – new and/or addition – Main Floor increasing to $1.00 per square foot from $0.95 per square foot), some landfill rates (e.g. rate per tonne when scale is in operation increasing to $84.55 from $82.79), and community services like Memorial Sports Centre ice rental rates. Discussion also turned to non-resident rates for town facilities, which were once in place but were removed during the previous council’s term. Coun. Mike Behan, responding to a comment from coun. Wendy Brunetta around the possibility of revisiting those rates in order to drive revenue for the town, noted that as a member of the committee that made the decision, the rates were in fact removed for exactly that purpose. “My reasoning for supporting at the time was to actually increase revenue because of the law diminishing returns,” Behan said. “The more expensive something gets, you don’t necessarily get that back, and it might actually lose revenue. So the thought process, to me, was if more non-residents joined the Sportsplex as members, or whichever, we actually might raise more money, which in turn would actually reduce the amount that taxpayer had to subsidize these programs and facilities. That was my thinking, it was sort of outside the box at the time, but we wanted to see if there was some way to raise revenue, not decrease revenue.” Behan noted that the idea was presented as something of a pilot project, though it was complicated by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that he was open to looking at the revenue generated now without the non-resident fees to see if that idea had borne fruit. Coun. Steve Maki echoed Behan’s point, saying he would also be in favour of extending the non-resident fee removal as a pilot project to determine its impact on facility revenue, to which Brunetta agreed. “That’s basically the point I was trying to make is that I’d like to see some facts and figures,” she said. “I’d like to know if it did, in fact, increase our membership, and I accept the fact that COVID put a real dent into what information we could collect. If we’re not going to look at it this budget cycle, I’d like to at least have some information in the next budget cycle so we can actually use facts to support our decision.” Galusha noted there might be some challenge in pulling data that will be useful, as outdated usage numbers from 2019 would be difficult to compare to today’s or even next year’s fees, though Fort Frances mayor Andrew Hallikas expressed his confidence in administrations capabilities. Council requested a report on the non-resident user fees be prepared for Q2 2025. As discussion turned to water and sewer rates in Fort Frances, council reviewed a report from operations and facilities manager Travis Rob that recommended the aforementioned changes to the fee structure, noting the increase would see a 2.24 rate increase for flat rate residential customers that would bring the 2025 total to $1149 for the year, up from $1123.80 per year in 2024, which would equate to an increase of $25.50 per year or $2.10 per month. The fee updates would also set the volumetric rate at $3.89 per cubic meter, or a 3.77 percent increase for Industrial / Commercial class. Overall, the proposed changes would see an increase of $178,197.78 in revenue for the town compared to the 2024 forecasted revenue “which results in a deficit of $11.22 from the forecasted revenue of $6,239,162.00 given the forecasted 2024 consumption,” according to Rob’s report. Speaking to council, the operations and facilities manager noted much of the difficulty in setting these rates comes down to trying to estimate what the annual consumption is going to be, which changes from year to year, especially when trying to plan for saving money in the respective reserve funds. “We use the previous year’s consumption as kind of a guide for us moving forward,” Rob explained. “So we really lean back heavily on our financial plan, and our financial plan does take into account not only the assets that we have, the value of those assets, the age of those assets, and the conditions of those assets. So the financial plan is really establishing that percentage increase or that revenue component with contemplated large capital works in mind. We talked a little bit about it at the capital budget meeting. All of our infrastructure, you know, linear and otherwise is old. It’s reaching end of life... But we fully acknowledge that this is a big year in terms of capital cost. Does that mean we need to try and recuperate some of that reserve contribution this year? I mean, that’s really up to the will of Council. We do still have fairly healthy sewer and water reserves, even with the expenditures that we have.” Rob noted the town has worked to put away roughly $25,000 per year in extra money to help support the reserves, and thus any future projects that may be larger and more costly in scope. It has also been working to incrementally close the gap between the residential and ICI (industrial, commercial and institutional) water and wastewater rates. Council ultimately approved the recommended water and sewer fee changes, with all approved rate and fee changes expected to come into effect January 1, 2025. The complete reports detailing all proposed user fee and water and sewer rate changes can be viewed on the Town of Fort Frances’ website included on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting.

Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.6% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 8pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.It’s Thursday, December 26, and the Houston Rockets (20-9) and New Orleans Pelicans (5-25) are all set to square off from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Rockets are currently 9-5 on the road with a point differential of +7, while the Pelicans have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts. Game details & how to watch Rockets vs. Pelicans live today Date: Thursday, December 26, 2024 Time: 8:00 pm EST Site: Smoothie King Center City: New Orleans, LA Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page , along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game. Game odds for Rockets vs. Pelicans The latest odds as of Thursday: Odds: Rockets (-336), Pelicans (+264) Spread: Rockets -8 Over/Under: 221.5 points That gives the Rockets an implied team point total of 113.83, and the Pelicans 109.65. Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more! Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s Rockets vs. Pelicans’ game Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals. Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Rockets & Pelicans game: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New Orleans Pelicans at +8. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 221.5. Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar! Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Rockets vs. Pelicans on Thursday · The Rockets have won 4 of their last 5 away games against teams with losing records · The OVER is 4-1 in the Pelicans’ last 5 division matchups · The Rockets have covered in 4 of their last 5 games against divisional opponents If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: - Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)Arizona trending towards roster overhaul after first day of transfer portal period