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The fire began on Thursday morning among piles of plastic and cardboard. Smoke quickly engulfed the densely populated area with ash reported falling 15 kilometres away from the blaze. Residents were not told to evacuate until several hours after the fire began. This was the third blaze this year at the facility.
Firefighting authorities said that although the fire was brought under control on Saturday, it was “deep-seated,” and clean-up operations would involve splitting apart compacted cardboard. Unless this occurred, the blaze would smoulder indefinitely.
Five people, including one child, were hospitalised on Thursday night with smoke-induced conditions. Another eight people were treated by paramedics for asthma at a local sports and leisure facility which was turned into an evacuation centre. Residents told the media that their children felt unwell, with some vomiting. Others experienced tightness in the chest and throat with their breathing.
While the local Hume Council told residents that it was “safe” to return to their homes at 5 p.m. on Friday, many questions remain unanswered. These include ongoing environmental safety violations by the company and the long-term impact of the toxic fumes on residents.
The EPA and the local Hume Council also claim that SKM Recycling may be operating within official guidelines and said that residents should wait for the results of official investigations and future legislative changes.
But like the Grenfell Tower fire disaster in London, profit interests are paramount with the health and safety of the working class regarded as expendable (see: “Social inequality and the Grenfell Tower inferno”).
Coolaroo, which is part of the Broadmeadows area, is one the most oppressed working class suburbs in Australia. With the active support of the Labor Party and the unions, job destruction has devastated the auto, car-parts, rubber and other manufacturing industries over the past two decades. Last year, the Ford plant in Broadmeadows closed resulting in the destruction of 1,000 jobs. Official unemployment is now over 24 percent, and the area has one of the lowest median family incomes in Victoria.
Last Thursday’s fire at SKM is the result of the systematic gutting of environmental health and safety regulations, as well as town planning and construction guidelines, by Liberal and Labor governments alike. In line with the profit demands of manufacturers and real estate developers, new homes have been permitted in areas close to industrial sites.
SKM Recycling has repeatedly violated safety regulations over the last two decades.
A work safety inspection in 2005 revealed numerous safety infringements in the day-to-day operation of the plant. This year, the company failed to respond on three occasions to infringement notices from WorkSafe.
One of these involved the storage of an unsecured gas cylinder located close to dangerous goods. The company was eventually taken to court for its failure to comply with numerous improvement notices from WorkSafe.
In 2008, SKM Recycling was fined $25,000, after it pleaded guilty to two charges for failing to comply with an improvement notice when a worker seriously injured his hand. Two years later in 2010, a fire virtually destroyed the entire plant. The company is currently involved in legal action following a safety incident in 2014 when a worker lost his hand.
In February and March this year, SKM was instructed to remove toxic water, the result of previous fires at its Coolaroo premises. It was fined $1,500 for its failure to report back to the EPA.
A fire at the plant in February sent smoke drifting over nearby suburbs and took 130 firemen to bring it under control. In June, plastic pellets caught alight requiring 65 firefighters to extinguish the blaze. In both these cases, the local community was warned not to go outdoors to avoid contaminated air.
While SKM Recycling is a small player in the industry, earning about $150 million each year, the recycling industry is big business paying around $500 million in annual tax to the Victorian government.
Formed in 1999, SKM Recycling underwent a rapid expansion after winning a tender to collect recyclable material from nine Melbourne councils. The deal reportedly saved local councils $2.8 million per year and was hailed by the EPA as a “pretty attractive outcome.” The company currently services 30 councils, processing 500 tonnes of paper, glass and plastic each day.
A slump in oil prices, however, has made manufactured plastics cheaper compared to recycled goods and has impacted on profits. This has led to recyclers storing larger quantities of combustible materials on their sites.
In other words, recycling plants are becoming virtual time bombs as huge amounts of inflammable materials accumulate and endanger the health and lives of working-class families.
Turns out that in addition to sucking up dust bunnies and dog hair, your Roomba can be used to turn your house into hell on earth. A devilishly clever hack lets you import the robot vacuum's mapping data to create a custom demon-infested level of Doom.
The name of the hack? Doomba.
Game developer Rich Whitehouse discovered that the Roomba 980 recorded fairly detailed information about the interior dimensions of his house, and, using Noesis, created a script that converts that data into a Doom level.
After downloading Noesis to your PC, the program will look for Roombas on your local network, and then record the data it collects as it goes about its business cleaning your home. You can then customize the number of weapons, enemies, and objects in the level.
Whitehouse said that he has only tested Doomba with the now-discontinued Roomba 980, but it presumably should work with the company's other advanced mapping robot vacuums, such as the Roomba i7+.
If you don't have a robot vacuum, the Doomba script will also work with image files, according to Whitehouse. But for those who a tidy home as much as they do blowing away demons, it's a fun way to celebrate Doom's 25th anniversary.
Zero-turn mowers are catching on among homeowners because of their uncanny ability to quickly cut long straight rows or pivot around obstacles. We gathered six homeowner-grade mowers and tested them for cut quality, speed, hill climbing, and handling.
Zero-turn mowers, the go-to machines of the landscape industry, are catching on among homeowners because of their uncanny ability to quickly cut long straight rows or pivot around obstacles. We gathered six homeowner-grade mowers and tested them for cut quality, speed, hill climbing, and handling. You can't go wrong with any of them, yet the differences will help to show which is the best fit for you.
Likes: The Ariens is a polite suburban machine, but it cuts aggressively. Because it's lighter than other mowers, it zips right along, sending a thick stream of grass clippings out its discharge chute, which is the largest on any of the six mowers. We also liked its heavy steel foot pedal that helps you lift and lower the deck, and the fact that the deck has four gauge wheels (two at the front and two at the back) and an easy-reading deck height gauge in inches. All in all, an outstanding mower.
Dislikes: Not a big deal, but you have to look below the edge of the seat to check the gas level. The gauge is located behind the operator's left calf. Not an intuitive location. Other machines have a fuel window on the side.
Likes: The only mower with a steering wheel, the Cub is astonishingly maneuverable, fast, and powerful, and clings to a hill like a mountain goat thanks to better weight distribution than you normally find on these mowers. And it's comfortable to operate. "I can stay on this thing all day," commented Bristol, Penn., landscape contractor Mark George, who's used to driving commercial zero-turn mowers with high-back seats and all the trimmings.
Dislikes: The Cub was the only machine that didn't cut in reverse. It's so agile that we didn't need it, but you might not feel likewise.
Likes: The Deere's strong suits are smooth, predictable steering and excellent cut quality. We also liked that its platform and footrest are heavily perforated, which helps to rid the surface of moisture, dirt, and grass clippings.
Dislikes: There's no fuel window for the gas tank. And its filler neck is recessed in a black plastic well, making it difficult to see the gas level as you pour, increasing the likelihood that you'll overfill the tank. We also felt the machine could use a bit more torque for cutting in tall, moist grass.
Likes: The Husqvarna was easily the most heavily built, complete with beefy wrap-around metal tubing to act as a rub rail on the deck. Its construction, combined with plentiful grease fittings, should contribute to the product's durability. It also improved cutting performance, minimizing rattles and giving the mower an increased feel of stability. We also liked its large side-mounted fuel window.
Dislikes: Could use a bit more space between its lap bars and the levers for the parking brake and deck height adjustment.
Likes: A good machine that offers no-frills mowing. We do have to commend it for one luxury: its push-button deck height adjustment.
Dislikes: The Snapper could use a fuel window and better visibility down the black plastic filler neck to reduce the chance of overfilling. It also needs a raised footrest to improve comfort and operator stability for downhill mowing.
Likes: The Toro's two defining traits are high-speed cutting with good cut quality and control. George summarized, "Timecutter, that about says it all." We also liked its stocky construction and the fact that the parking brake sets automatically whenever you push the lap bars to the side.
Dislikes: Could use a fuel window and gauge wheels at the back of the deck.
EU states that refuse to accept migrants should face financial penalties, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, prompting a furious response from Rome on the eve of an emergency mini-summit in Brussels about the escalating crisis dividing Europe.
Mr Macron's comments came after Italy's new populist government declared that its ports were closed to foreign-flagged rescue ships, after accusing fellow EU members of failing to share the burden of arrivals.
The French president, speaking after talks in Paris with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said member states that benefit from EU cooperation but "claim national self-interest when it comes to the issue of migrants" should have sanctions imposed on them.
Mr Macron's comments drew a scathing response from Italy's new populist government.
Far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini denounced Mr Macron's "arrogance" over the migrant issue.
"Six-hundred-and-fifty thousand landings in four years, 430,000 applications..., 170,000 apparent refugees currently housed in hotels, buildings and apartments at a cost exceeding five billion euros.
"If for the arrogant President Macron this is not a problem, we invite him to stop the insults and to demonstrate generosity by opening the many French ports and ceasing to push back women, children and men" at the flashpoint Italian border town of Ventimiglia.
"The Lifeline, an illegal ship with 239 immigrants on board, is in Maltese waters," Mr Salvini wrote on Facebook.
"These boats can forget about reaching Italy, I want to stop the business of trafficking and mafia," said Mr Salvini, whose country is on the frontline of the migrant crisis.
Mr Salvini's tough talk came on the eve of an informal mini-summit of 16 leaders in Brussels to address how the EU can tackle the renewed influx of migrants and refugees seeking a new life in Europe.
Underscoring the divisions, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – which reject any suggestion of mandatory refugee resettlement among EU members – said they would boycott the meeting.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis on Saturday said the timing of the mini-summit was "unfortunate" and that a real European solution should come through a full EU summit.
The crisis has also caused anger in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing a rebellion from her coalition allies over her policies.
Earlier this month, Mr Salvini started an EU-wide row when he barred the French charity-run Aquarius rescue ship, carrying 630 migrants, from docking in Italy. The move was echoed by nearby Malta and the ship was later received by Spain.
The neighbours, who are close to the search and rescue zones of ships, squabbled again over the latest rescue vessel Lifeline on Friday, when Salvini said Malta should open its ports.
But Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the Lifeline "broke rules" by ignoring Italy's directions and should move towards its original destination "to prevent escalation".
The Italian government has said both the Lifeline, run by German NGO Mission Lifeline, and another ship Seefuchs, run by German charity Sea-Eye, would be seized and directed to Italian ports for investigation "into their legal status".
More than 400 migrants were also rescued in three operations off the coast of Spain on Saturday, days after Madrid took in the more than 600 rejected by Italy and Malta.
"The European Union must place the preservation and protection of people in distress before any other political considerations," European NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Saturday.
Italy hardline stance comes at a time of great EU tensions on immigration.
Sunday's mini-summit is supposed to prepare for a full summit next week, where 28 EU leaders will discuss plans to overhaul the bloc's asylum system, which has been under severe pressure since the migration crisis exploded in 2015.
Mrs Merkel – facing a political backlash for letting in more than one million asylum seekers into the country with Europe's biggest economy – played down expectations of a quick solution.
"We know that no solution will be reached on Thursday and Friday at the level of the 28 member states... on the overall issue of migration," she said on a visit to Lebanon.
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has given Mrs Merkel a fortnight to find a European deal to curb arrival numbers, failing which he has vowed to order border police to turn back migrants.
Mr Babis said on Friday he was also ready to start turning away migrants if Berlin and Vienna did so.
Purba Kalita is the co-founder of Salebhai.com – an e-commerce marketplace that enables people to order a range of items directly from their hometowns and discover regional specialities from across India. Besides her primary responsibility of handling the company’s communication, content development, and PR activity, she also scouts for unique and authentic products and their sellers from different regions to fulfil the needs of migrant communities.
As chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian says, the elephant in the room in relation to women issues is our cultural norms and patriarchy.
The mindset has to change. What I find most worrying is that we still feel a woman’s inclusion in formal economy is an option and not a necessity. It isn’t about money alone, but a whole lot of dynamics at play — self-reliance allows a woman to own her life and be responsible for it. Yet we continue to stress on man being the primary breadwinner and groom women to play second fiddle. As chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian says, the elephant in the room in relation to women issues is our cultural norms and patriarchy.
The concept of right to work must be included as part of life skills education to get women to take charge of their lives, play a greater role in decision-making, fight back domestic violence, and contribute efficiently to the country’s economic growth. Currently, it’s a dismal scenario with a McKinsey study putting Indian women’s contribution to national GDP at 17%, which is less than half the global average of 37%. Inculcating right thinking from an impressionable age can lead to desired results and help one move on in life following unfortunate incidents.
Imagine a scenario without domestic help! Life would come to a standstill given our dependence on them. Yet we continue to neglect this significant workforce, mostly comprising women, in the absence of effective rules to safeguard their rights and dignity. While many of us may already be contributing individually to uplift their lot, we must push for changes at societal level with measures such as adequate pay, financial security, leave, medical reimbursement, bonuses, and notice period to accord them the respect they deserve.
This age of social selling is a boon for homepreneurs. I have met women who’ve given up high-paying coveted professions to follow their passions and run businesses from home. That is definitely empowering. But there are thousands of others who are queens of opulent cakes, custom jewellery, homemade spices, unique paintings, home decor, and authentic weaving in every corner of our country but without access to technology and customers. E-commerce enterprises can play a major in mainstreaming homepreneurs by giving them a platform to sell their products along with access to experts in areas such as IT, content, marketing, logistics, and customer support.
A man is preferred for a sales job in companies that are unable to provide transport or security; a woman is denied a raise because her husband earns; the position offered to her is lower than what she deserves — these are a few chunks in the huge stumbling block on a woman’s employment way. This also explains why men have more jobs even as Census figures shows 116% increase in women graduates compared with 65% for men. The plot will be different when more companies start rating merit over gender and take considerate steps to allow women reach their full potential alongside fulfilling family aspirations.
For a society to be truly egalitarian, women must come under the ambit of formal economy that offers equal opportunities and protects their rights. And for things to move in the right direction, concerted efforts are required from all sections of society and at all levels. It starts with you and me.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- In a story Monday about the Liberty Bowl, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Oklahoma State set a Liberty Bowl record by gaining 637 total yards. Missouri gained 637 total yards to set the record.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Oklahoma State hung on for dear life to win a Big 12-style Liberty Bowl against its former conference rival.
Her victory is being celebrated by Michiganders who also attended the University of Michigan.
Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, made history Tuesday as she prepares to become the first African-American woman and first openly gay person to serve as Chicago’s mayor.
Her victory also is being celebrated by Michiganders who also attended the University of Michigan, where Lightfoot graduated with honors with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1984.
"I saw her picture in the Wall Street Journal this morning, and I'm like O.M.G.," said Donna Duffield, a U-M classmate who now lives in Birmingham. "That's Lori Lightfoot from South Quad!"
The South Quadrangle residence hall, where they both lived, also was a temporary home to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Duffield recalled. Duggan earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from U-M.
"South Quad RULES!! How many major metro mayors have come out of West Quad?!" Harlene Ellin posted on a Facebook page for alumni who lived in the residence hall. "We now can claim TWO!"
As one of the nation's top public universities, U-M certainly has a long list of famous graduates, including those who have held high office in government, including a former U.S. president, Gerald Ford.
But Ellin, 55, of Chicago said that it wasn't just the university that helped make a difference to their education, but also the dorm they lived in.
"The University of Michigan is proud of our tradition of preparing students to be engaged public citizens," said Michael Barr, the dean of U-M's school of public policy. "Lori Lightfoot follows in the footsteps of President Gerald R. Ford and many others who dedicated themselves to working for the public good."
Another famous U-M classmate and now a U-M professor, Barbara McQuade, the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, also tweeted her support for Lightfoot.
Just before Tuesday's election, McQuade had said she has "known and respected" Lightfoot since she was a resident assistant, a peer-trained leader in resident halls, in Bursley Hall.
"Bravo, Chicago!" McQuade tweeted after the election was called. "Great choice."
On Wednesday, McQuade added that in college, Lightfoot was "a calming presence and creative problem solver," and "has great integrity, works hard and understands the importance of engaging people in the work of tackling problems."
Before being elected, Lightfoot worked as an attorney and held government positions but not elective office. The Democrat is an Ohio native, who graduated from high school in Massillon, Ohio.
In her victory speech on Tuesday, she said, "You did more than make history. You created a movement for change," adding that her aim was to make "Chicago a place where your ZIP code doesn’t determine your destiny."
Duffield, 58, said, Lightfoot's election isn't surprising.
"She was a spitfire back then," she said, recalling that Lightfoot was short, athletic and full of energy. "She seemed very goal centered, even back then. She's a memorable person."
Urbana FFA had a fun day at Maple Lane Farm.
Farm Day was hosted by the Urbana FFA on May 8 at Maple Lane Farm, owned by Tim and Staci Weller. Farm Day is an educational day for all of Urbana City School 1st graders to experience a day on the farm and the different aspects of agriculture. The first half of the 1st graders came at 9 a.m. They spent two-and-a-half hours going to nine different stations to be educated by FFA members, alumni and advisors.The different stations were: plant a seed, how to make ice cream, hay ride, goats, beef cattle, how to milk a cow, chickens & ducks, rabbits, and lastly horse rides. At 11:30 the group broke for lunch as the second half of the first graders arrived. After lunch the 2nd group went through the stations. The 1st graders, parents and teachers all learned a lot and had a great time! Thanks to all the FFA supporters for helping with the event by providing the site, animals, education, food, donations for resources and helping hands. The 1st graders will remember their day on the farm for many years to come!
The Backyard Belles and Boys 4-H Club held a meeting on Sunday, June 25, at the home of Zoey and Grady Underwood. The meeting was called to order by President Oliver McGuire. Lauren Underwood led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Tyler Snyder led the 4-H Pledge. Attendance was taken and it was reported that we collected $93.00 at Button Day for Champaign County 4-H. In old business, Oliver McGuire shared that the canoes were reserved for July 15, 2017 at 12:30. Everyone is to meet at the Birch Bark Canoe Livery at 12:00 PM. Everyone was reminded to continue to work on project books. In new business, skill-a-thon dates were given and plans were made to begin working on our club booth for the fair. We then practiced for skill-a-thons. Jackson Underwood motioned to adjourn the meeting, and Essie McGuire seconded it. Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2017, at 6:30 PM, at the home of Andrew and Sarah Lewis. Everyone is to bring a covered dish and his/her project book(s).
A slew of new Samsung Galaxy KitKat update release details have emerged today and they point to a number of upcoming Samsung Galaxy Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates including upgrades to the Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2, and more.
Since January, Samsung has been delivering Android 4.4.2 KitKat updates to select devices in the United States and abroad. We’ve seen updates push out to the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 2, and even the aging Samsung Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy Android 4.4.2 KitKat update, as many Galaxy device owners know, brings new features and bug fixes.
Android 4.4.2 KitKat isn’t the only KitKat update that Samsung’s delivering to its Galaxy users. The company is also in the midst of an Android 4.4.4 KitKat roll out for a number of devices including the Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4, and more. Android 4.4.4 KitKat is Google’s current version of KitKat and it’s an update that comes packed with fixes and security patches. It’s a key update ahead of Google’s Android L release, KitKat’s replacement that’s expected to arrive later on this year.
While Samsung has remained mum about Android 4.4.4 KitKat, we’ve seen a number of details leak in recent days though nothing compared to the avalanche of Android 4.4.4 KitKat details that have emerged today. Not only is a new Samsung Galaxy Android 4.4.4 KitKat update rolling out, a leaked chart puts a number of Android 4.4.4 KitKat release dates on display.
We recently noticed a listing for the Sprint Galaxy Mega Android 4.4.4 KitKat update on Samsung’s website. The listing seemed to confirm an upcoming update though up until today, the update hadn’t rolled out. Today, Sprint and Samsung have pushed out the Galaxy Mega 6.3 Android 4.4.4 KitKat update. The update isn’t rolling out OTA yet though it is available through SamMobile’s firmware section for those that want to get their hands on it early. The update contains enhancements and fixes.
That’s not the only Android 4.4.4 KitKat detail that’s popped up on our radar today. A leak courtesy of JustAboutPhones shows off a number of supposed release dates for Samsung’s Android 4.4.4 KitKat update. The chart, which likely comes from someone inside Samsung India, lists off a number of Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates including several unannounced upgrades. And while the information here hasn’t been confirmed, it does align with some of the KitKat details we’ve seen in recent days.
First, it appears that the Galaxy S5 Android 4.4.4 KitKat update has been completed for both international models. What this means is that a roll out could be imminent. The chart lists off a release in October though it doesn’t get into specifics. The Galaxy S5 Android 4.4.4 KitKat update has already hit numerous devices including the Verizon Galaxy S5 in the U.S.

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