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KYIV, Ukraine, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Belkins, a top-ranked B2B lead generation agency with over 200K appointments delivered and over 990 successful customers, is about to offer a new set of business-boosting services. The company was founded in 2017. In just 5 years, startup grew into a leading digital marketing agency with over 200 people on board and 900+ successful projects behind. Today, with Belkins, your business can get:
- A guaranteed $10 return on every $1 you spend on Belins solutions;
- Avg. 20 appointments scheduled with hot business leads per campaign;
- An average closing rate of 20% from appointment to signed contract across 50 industries;
Now Belkins announces a grand launch of its new Inbound Appointment Setting service to inject more efficiency into your company's marketing strategy.
Taking B2B Lead Generation to the Next Level With Powerful Inbound Appointment Setting Solutions
The core mission of the new service provided by Belkins is to help brands optimize their B2B inbound marketing efforts and convert their inbound leads into clients with ease.
The dedicated team of experts from Belkins aligns with your brand's vision and objectives from the early stage of your cooperation. The agency's pros analyze your current inbound lead generation efforts and help match them to the set goals. They will help you develop a winning strategy for moving your leads through the sales funnel and facilitating different inbound channels like CRM automation, content marketing, SEO, and social media advertising to help you drive even more leads to your pipeline.
With experts from Belkins by your side, you will be able to take your brand out there, in front of your potential customers, and generate their interest in working with you. That's where Inbound Appointment Setting service steps in to ensure conversion.
Fill Your Schedule With Hot Business Leads and Inbound Appointments
With the help of its effective HubSpot lead collection approach and dedicated inbound appointment setters, Belkins can help your business scale and prosper. The agency's experts will save your sales team plenty of time so that your in-house reps could focus on closing deals instead of chasing leads.
At the same time, Belkins minimizes the no-show rate and ensures that you only have appointments with warm leads. And they also take care of the post-sales follow-up process to keep your clients happy and your CRM clean while boosting your sales rate!
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SOURCE Belkins.io | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inbound-appointment-setting-service-now-belkins/ | 2022-04-28T16:31:52Z |
PITTSBURGH, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --"I thought there could be a more comfortable and convenient way to record an activity, outing or other special event," said an inventor, from Auburn, Wash., "so I invented the PHONE POUCH. My design would ensure that both hands remain free while recoding a video with your smartphone."
The patent-pending invention provides a hands-free accessory for taking videos/photos with a smartphone. In doing so, it eliminates the need to constantly hold the phone. As a result, it reduces sore arms and fatigue and it helps to prevent accidental drops and damage. The invention features a lightweight and user-friendly design that is easy to wear and use so it is ideal for the owners of smartphones. Additionally, a prototype model is available upon request.
The original design was submitted to the Seattle sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-FED-2049, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inventhelp-inventor-develops-hands-free-smartphone-holder-fed-2049/ | 2022-04-28T16:31:58Z |
PITTSBURGH , April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create an HVAC system to help combat the presence of pathogens, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," said an inventor, from West Palm Beach, Fla., "so I invented the BREATHE - Z. My design would provide a high flow rate of purified air to prevent pathogens from lingering in a room."
The patent-pending invention offers an improved way to filter and sanitize air within a premises location. In doing so, it provides clean air with positive air pressure. As a result, it eliminates a wide range of airborne pathogen threats and it enhances safety. The invention features an effective design that is easy to operate so it is ideal for commercial and residential use. Additionally, a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-HAD-128, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inventhelp-inventor-develops-hvac-system-help-combat-pathogens-had-128/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:06Z |
PITTSBURGH, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there could be a better ladle for separating liquids from vegetables or other foods," said an inventor, from Philadelphia, Pa., "so I invented the FORDHAM LADLE. My design would increase convenience when cooking and it could help to prevent spills and waste."
The patent-pending invention provides an improved ladle for use in the kitchen. In doing so, it enables the user to separate and drain liquids from food items. As a result, it saves time and effort and it could help to prevent waste during the draining process. The invention features a practical design that is easy to use so it is ideal for households and commercial kitchens. Additionally, it is producible in design variations and a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the Hackettstown sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-HTT-6502, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inventhelp-inventor-develops-improved-ladle-draining-liquids-htt-6502/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:13Z |
PITTSBURGH, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there could be a better way to reduce waste, save money and make desiccant breathers more effective and environmentally friendly," said an inventor, from Cypress, Texas, "so I invented the REGENERATIVE DESICCANT BREATHER. My electrically rechargeable design would eliminate the need to throw a desiccant breather away and replace it with another or refill the desiccant."
The invention provides an effective way to restore and reuse desiccant beads. In doing so, it eliminates the need to constantly replace desiccant breathers or the absorbent beads. As a result, it increases efficiency and it reduces waste. The invention features a cost-effective and environmentally friendly design that is easy to use and electrically rechargeable so it is ideal for industrial applications where desiccant breathers are commonly used such as oil and gas, petrochemical, mobile equipment, renewable energy, pulp and paper, steel mills, mining, blow molding, injection molding, etc.
The original design was submitted to the Houston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-HOF-160, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inventhelp-inventor-develops-regenerative-desiccant-breather-hof-160/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:19Z |
PITTSBURGH, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there could be a more sanitary toilet paper dispenser for private and public bathrooms," said an inventor, from Houston, Texas, "so I invented the AUTOMATIC TOILET PAPER DISPENSER. My design would provide users with peace of mind knowing that the roll is clean and ready for use."
The patent-pending invention provides a touch-free way to dispense toilet paper within a bathroom. In doing so, it eliminates the need to contact the toilet paper dispenser. As a result, it enhances sanitation and convenience and it could help to reduce the spread of germs. The invention features a practical design that is easy to use so it is ideal for households and commercial bathrooms. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Houston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-HOF-177, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inventhelp-inventor-develops-touch-free-way-dispense-toilet-paper-hof-177/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:29Z |
PITTSBURGH, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We wanted to offer bicycle riders a more comfortable alternative to conventional saddle-style bike seats," said one of two inventors, from Detroit, Mich., "so we invented the FLEX AND FLOAT BIKE SEAT. Our design would support a rider's buttocks and lower back while effectively absorbing and redistributing impact when riding on rough or uneven terrain."
The invention provides a more comfortable and supportive seat for a bicycle. In doing so, it helps to reduce stress and strain on delicate parts of the anatomy. As a result, it enhances safety and it could make riding a bicycle more enjoyable. The invention features an ergonomic design that is easy to install and use so it is ideal for male and female riders. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Detroit sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-DTM-144, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/inventhelp-inventors-develop-comfortable-amp-supportive-bicycle-seat-dtm-144/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:36Z |
Status Recognizes Organization for Best Practices & Outcomes; Awarded by Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Iowa Donor Network has been designated a Tier 1 organization — the highest possible rating — for efficiency and optimization by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Of 57 organ donor organizations nationwide, fewer than half (20) have achieved this level of excellence.
"I am incredibly proud of the entire Iowa Donor Network team for their daily work to facilitate the gift of life and to provide comfort and compassionate care to donor families at a difficult time. It is an honor to see the team's efforts rewarded with Tier 1 recognition," said Suzanne Conrad, CEO of Iowa Donor Network.
The designation is based on new measures established by "Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions for Coverage: Revisions to the Outcome Measure Requirements for Organ Procurement Organizations" and used 2020 data, the most recent year available. The regulations were revised in 2021 to provide transparent, reliable and objective outcome measures.
"The dedication to our mission by our team members, board and Medical Advisory Committee played a vital role in this achievement. As an organization, we are committed to maintaining our Tier 1 status moving forward," Conrad said.
Iowa Donor Network has established itself as a role model for best practices and earns consistently high satisfaction scores from donor families and hospitals. And for the past four years running, it has set records for organ donation in Iowa. The organization's goal for 2022 is 400 organs for transplant from 150 donors.
"Together, we have made great strides toward reducing the transplant waiting list, but there are still more than 106,000 people in the United States in need of a life-saving organ transplant," Conrad said, noting that more than 600 of those waiting are Iowans. "We will continue to work tirelessly to save more lives," she said.
Based in North Liberty, Iowa Donor Network is an accredited and federally certified organization serving the state of Iowa as a member of a nationwide organ procurement network.
Its functions are many, including coordination with healthcare professionals, funeral directors and others in the donation process, as well as education and support for grieving donor families. In addition, when a candidate for organ donation becomes available, Iowa Donor Network notifies a central agency, which determines donation recipients based on several factors including tissue type and distance. Iowa Donor Network then facilitates delivery of the donated organs.
Anyone may register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor, regardless of age or medical history. To join the donor registry or to learn more, visit www.IowaDonorNetwork.org, or call (800) 831-4131.
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SOURCE Iowa Donor Network | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/iowa-donor-network-earns-tier-1-designation/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:44Z |
Honoring: Karen Bass, Keith L, Black, Aundrae Russell from KJLH, LA County Sheriff -Eric Strong, Bobby
Dee, Miguel Nunez Jr., Chef Misael Guerrero
GLENDALE, Calif., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 7:00pm - 11:00pm at Stars of Brand located at 417 N. Brand Blvd., confirmed Miki Howard,Chaka Khan, Bobby Brown, Dr. Keith L. Black, Karen Bass, B.Howard, Bobby Dee, Miguel Nunez Jr- with live performances by Crystal Sierra, Brandon Monsalvo, Alli Star, Deonte Baker, Suzann Christine, Dr Michael K. Obeng and Cory Walker, and Andrea Covington, All talent provided by a new Diversity and Inclusion Focused business -AWS Loyalty Group Talent Agency
The grand opening event benefits - Helping Hands of Southern California, a nonprofit 501 (c) 3, that provides 24-hour non-medical care for adults ages 18 through 59. The adult program focuses on helping homeless individuals, veterans, and men and women that are non-violent crime offenders, seeking a structured re-entry program from incarceration that is in a safe environment for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Helping Hands of Southern California also provides minors in our facility with essential skills needed to survive as an adult in our society. We will also provide each minor with specialized training on domestic violence, anger management, teen abuse, and parenting intervention programs. For more information: www.helpinghandsofsocal.org To DonateText:- helpinghands 213-577-1669
For Press/Media/Talent submissions or Sponsorship opportunities: contact Lawrence "LP" Phillips of LP Entertainment Productions at lawrencephillips@lpandassociatesllc.com or 310-619-8048. or dgoodpublicity@gmail.com
#event #inclusion #diversity #talent #talent #aws #artist #helpinghands
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SOURCE Helping Hands of Southern California | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/join-helping-hands-southern-california-our-1st-annual-fundraiser-hosted-by-legendary-jazzrnb-recording-artist-miki-howard/ | 2022-04-28T16:32:51Z |
NORWALK, Conn., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RISMedia, the leading independent source for real estate news and information, is pleased to announce the release of RISMedia's Social Media & Digital Marketing Trends for 2022.
In today's competitive market, a sound social media strategy is a must-have for real estate success. Taking a clear and deliberate approach not only promotes your brand and business, but also expands your entire network, from leads to prospects to professional peers.
In this Premier member-exclusive report, you'll learn how to engage and educate your network, ultimately boosting your reputation as a trusted real estate expert. Social Media & Digital Marketing Trends for 2022 is an unmatched resource that curates trends, tips, tactics and actionable takeaways from many of the top social media leaders in the real estate space. This report is replete with hands-on social media strategies and real-world examples designed to give you a leg up on the competition.
Key takeaways include:
- Learn how to be authentic: How to humanize yourself and your brand in the digital space
- Top-performing social platforms: Tried-and-true performers and up-and-coming channels you must adopt to be successful
- From boomer to Gen Z: Learn how to reach and influence buyers and sellers of all ages
- Budgeting for success: Find out where your social media marketing dollars are best spent
- Actionable takeaways: Winning advice and strategies from the industry's social media experts
To read this report, you must be a member of RISMedia's Premier. RISMedia's Premier offers the exclusive information and insights necessary for real estate professionals to achieve unparalleled success, including investigative journalism, business development strategies, exclusive research and monthly in-depth reports like this one. Gain a deeper understanding of complex industry trends through practical breakdowns and actionable takeaways with RISMedia's Premier Reports.
For more information, visit www.rismedia.com/premier.
About RISMedia
RISMedia was founded in 1980 by CEO and Publisher John E. Featherston as the residential real estate industry's definitive source for news and information for real estate's most profitable and productive professionals. For over 40 years, RISMedia has provided the industry with news, strategies and trends, and premier educational and networking events.
For more information, please visit www.rismedia.com.
Media contact:
Caysey Welton
cwelton@rismedia.com
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SOURCE RISMedia | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/just-released-rismedias-exclusive-report-social-media-amp-digital-marketing-trends-2022/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:00Z |
DAVID ARCHULETA, MORGXN, PARSON JAMES AND SILVER CUP ADDED TO THE LIST OF PERFORMERS
SPEAKERS INCLUDE NASCAR DRIVER DEVON ROUSE
Tickets Are On Sale Now via the LOVELOUD website and Ticketmaster
SALT LAKE CITY, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LOVELOUD Festival (http://loveloudfest.com) is excited to announce new performers and speakers to its all-star lineup. The festival, returning on May 14, 2022 after a two-year hiatus, will be held at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City and is designed to ignite the vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in our communities.
Hosted by Kalen Allen, the festival is going to feature performances by David Archuleta, morgxn, Parson James, Silver Cup and The Encircle Youth Choir. These are in addition to the previously announced performers that include Grammy® Award-winning recording artist Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, WILLOW, Anitta, Neon Trees, The Aces, and Mat & Savanna Shaw.
Among others, speakers at the event will include Devon Rouse, the first openly gay NASCAR driver, who will talk about his personal story and journey.
This year's festival is made possible through LOVELOUD's generous sponsors including Spotify, Domo and Entrata. Charity partners for the event include GLAAD, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Encircle, Equality Utah, the Utah Pride Center and many more. LOVELOUD has also partnered with the NVAK Foundation's Artist Care Program, which helps to create new opportunities for young musicians to express their voices and develop meaningful careers in music. Through the program, LOVELOUD will feature additional performers from the trans community including Jakk Fynn, Zora and Storyboards.
"LOVELOUD not only celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, it provides a safe space for youth and their families to celebrate what it means to be LGBTQ+," said Anthony Allen Ramos, vice president of communications and talent at GLAAD. "The festival is also key to kicking off critical conversations around the challenges LGBTQ+ youth face, and serves as an example of how communities can come together to help the next generation of LGBTQ+ people feel loved, respected, and hopeful."
LOVELOUD tickets are available for purchase HERE. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. and the music begins at 4:00 p.m. The festival will feature food, beverages and various activities for fans of all ages. And to make the festival as inclusive as possible, all volunteers for this year's event will go through cultural competency training with Gender Spectrum. In addition, LOVELOUD has partnered with KultureCity to make sure the festival is Sensory Inclusive™ Certified – sensory bags, designed to help sensory needs in both adults and children, will be available to use and take home at no cost. LOVELOUD is also partnering with Golden Healer Service Dogs to provide a scholarship to a service dog. You can view more information about the partnership, including the scholarship submission process here.
The LOVELOUD Foundation is a catalyst to bring communities and families together to help ignite the vital conversation about what it means to unconditionally love our LGBTQ+ youth. It all begins with talking about, sharing and showing the realities of what LGBTQ+ teens face daily. The LOVELOUD Foundation is a 501(c)(3).
ABOUT LOVELOUD FESTIVAL:
LOVELOUD was founded in 2017 by Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, to help ignite the relevant and vital conversation of what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in an effort to keep families together. LOVELOUD is the catalyst for bringing communities together to start the conversation and celebrate individuality. Talking, sharing and showing the realities of what teens in our society face daily is where it all begins. Find out more at: http://www.loveloudfest.com.
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SOURCE LOVELOUD | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/lgbtq-charity-music-festival-loveloud-announces-additional-performers-speaker-lineup/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:08Z |
World's Youngest Chess Grandmaster Ever, 13-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra, Is "Special Honoree" at May 2 Event; Will Play Speed Chess with 16-year-old Girl from Brooklyn Aiming to Become First Female African-American Chess Master in History
YouTube Superstar and Former LSC Volunteer Marques Brownlee to Receive Strides in STEM Award
JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After Hugh Herr lost both legs below the knees in an accident as a teenager, he decided to devote his life to restoring mobility to the physically challenged. Today, he is considered the "leader of the Bionic Age" for inventing prosthetics that marry human physiology with electromechanics.
Dr. Robert Montgomery has also overcome almost unfathomable adversity and gone on to transform – indeed, save – so many lives. He is a heart transplantee who pioneered both the laparoscopic procedure for live kidney donation and the practice of "domino-paired kidney swaps." He made medical history last year when he performed a pig-to-human kidney transplant using a pig kidney that had been genetically modified so that it would not be immediately rejected.
And Priyamvada Natarajan is a trailblazer in her own right, overcoming racial and gender glass ceilings as a woman and a woman of color to become one of the world's foremost cosmologists and authorities on Black Holes.
On Monday, May 2, at 6 pm, Liberty Science Center will honor them for overcoming enormous challenges and rising to the pinnacle of their respective professions in science, technology, and medicine. Paul Hoffman, the President and CEO of the Center who created the Genius Awards in 2011, will bestow upon each the "Genius Award," the Center's highest honor, at the 10th Annual Genius Gala at the Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City, NJ.
Changing lives—and minds—are the raisons d'etre of the three Genius awardees, explained Hoffman. "They are making the impossible possible; they are making dreams reality; they are shrinking the universe for us to understand and appreciate while also expanding the worlds of individuals, communities, and nations through their inspiring achievements."
This year is the 10th Anniversary of the Genius Gala, an annual celebration of innovation, accomplishment, creativity, science, and technology. Over the years, the Genius Gala has raised nearly $19 million for LSC's STEM education programs, helping to make world-class science learning accessible to students, teachers, and families, including those in high-needs communities. This year's honorees are living proof that—with the right support, education, and motivation—a genius can come from almost anywhere, and overcome almost anything.
The 2022 Genius Awardees are:
- Hugh Herr, who has been called the "Leader of the Bionic Age" by TIME magazine. A double-amputee – he lost both legs below the knees to frostbite after a teenage mountaineering accident – he has devoted his working life to restoring mobility to the physically challenged. As the Co-Director of the Center for Extreme Bionics at the MIT Media Lab, he is a pioneer in "biomechatronics," technology that combines human physiology and electromechanical devices. His research group is building the next generation of smart, microprocessor-laden prosthetic knees, legs, and ankles.
- Priyamvada Natarajan, a professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University, and one of the foremost cosmic cartographers in the world. She specializes in mapping the unseen universe – everything from dark matter and dark energy to black holes. Her work, which utilizes the new ultrapowerful James Webb Space Telescope, will be presented in an immersive, visually stunning show in the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere during the event.
- Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, Chairman and Professor of Surgery at NYU Langone Health and Director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, is a practicing transplant surgeon who himself is the recipient of a heart transplant. He is a pioneer of both the laparoscopic procedure for live kidney donation and the practice of "domino-paired" kidney swaps—group donations that allow incompatible kidney transplant patients to receive the kidneys they need. He is responsible for over 1,000 living donor kidney transplants each year. In 2010, he set the Guinness World Record for the most kidney transplants performed in a single day! He made medical history again in September 2021 when he performed the first successful pig-to-human kidney transplant using a pig that had been genetically modified so that the kidney would not be immediately rejected. (The pig kidney came from a subsidiary of United Therapeutics, a biotech company founded by Martine Rothblatt, a 2019 Genius Award winner who will also be in attendance at this year's event).
They will be recognized in Liberty Science Center's permanent Genius Gallery display along with previous Genius Award recipients Dr. William Conan Davis, Dr. Jennifer A. Lewis, Moshe Safdie, Dr. Katherine Johnson, Ray Kurzweil, Marc Raibert and SpotMini, Frank Gehry, Jack Horner, Ellen Langer, Kip Thorne, Sir Richard Branson, Garry Kasparov, Jane Goodall, Oliver Sacks, Temple Grandin, Dean Kamen, Sylvia Earle, Craig Venter, Cori Bargmann, Ernő Rubik, Jeff Bezos, Vint Cerf, Jill Tarter, Sara Seager, George Church, Vitalik Buterin, Laurie Santos, Chris Messina, Martine Rothblatt, and Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz.
At the gala, LSC will also pay tribute to Abhimanyu Mishra as a "Special Honoree." Mishra made history on June 30, 2021, when he became the youngest chess Grandmaster ever at the age of 12 years, four months, and 25 days. A native of Englishtown, NJ, Mishra learned the rules of chess before he turned three and began playing in tournaments at five years old. In 2015, six-year-old Mishra faced the No. 2 player in the world, Fabiano Caruana, the visiting Grandmaster-In-Residence at Liberty Science Center, which "changed his life," his father said.
During the gala program, Mishra will play Speed Chess against Jessica Hyatt, a 16-year-old from Brooklyn who is aiming to become the first female African-American chess master in history. With an official chess rating of 2095, Hyatt, who attends Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts in Manhattan, currently is only 105 rating points shy of the 2200 needed for the coveted master title.
Hoffman, a chess authority who has provided on-air commentary for World Chess Championships, and Jonathan Corbblah, the prominent "park chess hustler" who is currently one of the trivia experts, or Master Minds, on the Game Show Network's Master Minds, will offer commentary during the lightning-fast match.
LSC will also present its second Strides in STEM Award to YouTube science and technology superstar Marques Brownlee. A former teen volunteer at the Center, he is known professionally as MKBHD. As of April 2022, he has over 15 million subscribers and nearly 3 billion total video views on YouTube. Beyond that, he hosts the popular podcast Waveform. He has been called "the best technology reviewer on the planet right now" by Vic Gundotra, a former Senior Vice President of Google.
The event is attended by hundreds of industry leaders and philanthropists from the NY/NJ metropolitan area. The Corporate Chair is Gary D. St. Hilaire, President and CEO, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
The Innovation Chairs are Jennifer A. Chalsty, Director, Advisory Council, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, John Hopkins University; Ralph Izzo, President, Chairman and CEO, PSEG; and Josh S. Weston, Honorary Chairman, ADP.
The Co-Chairs of the Gala are David Barry, President and CEO, Urby; Sheri B. Bronstein, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bank of America; The Cove JC; Alma DeMetropolis, Managing Director; Market Manager, J.P. Morgan Private Bank; Matthew D. Ellis, EVP and CFO, Verizon Communications; Richard M. Hodosh, MD, Former Medical Director, Atlanta Brain and Spine Institute; Kate and Steve Howe, Retired Chairman, EY; Bruce L. Levy, President and CEO, BMR Energy; Jeffrey M. Mandler, Co-Owner and CEO, Evolve Med Spa; Co-Founder and Past CEO, CarePoint Health; Laura Overdeck, Founder, Bedtime Math; Chirag Patel, Co-CEO and President, Amneal Pharmaceuticals; Al Reba, VP, Worldwide Cardiovascular, Bristol Myers Squibb; Carlos Rodriguez, CEO, ADP; Janet Truncale, Vice Chair and Regional Managing Partner, Americas Financial Services Organization, EY; Gregory Tusar, Head of Institutional Product, Coinbase; and Susan Keating and Norman Worthington III, Chairman, Sangoma Technologies Corporation.
About Liberty Science Center
Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. Before COVID-19, more than 250,000 students visited the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participated in the Center's off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.
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SOURCE Liberty Science Center | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/liberty-science-centers-10th-annual-genius-gala-honor-double-amputee-who-is-leader-bionic-age-pioneering-transplant-surgeon-with-heart-transplant-woman-considered-worlds-foremost-mapper-black-holes/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:15Z |
DALLAS, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Loopback Analytics, a leading provider of data-driven solutions for hospitals and health systems, is thrilled to announce it is collaborating with University of Michigan Health to continue advancing their specialty pharmacy services.
"University of Michigan Health will leverage Loopback's data analytics platform for our growing specialty pharmacy program," says Brandon Harkonen, Assistant Director of Specialty Pharmacy Services at University of Michigan Health. "We plan to use the Loopback platform for access to data insights that will help us improve patient care and access to life-saving medications."
Specialty pharmacy is an increasingly important aspect of health care and academic medical centers such as Michigan Medicine play a significant role in providing effective care and support for their patients. The Loopback platform will enable this effort through its easy-to-use analytics and seamless data integration.
"We are delighted to work alongside a prestigious organization like University of Michigan Health to accelerate their specialty pharmacy growth and patient care with our data analytics," said Neil Smiley, Loopback Analytics CEO.
About Michigan Medicine
At Michigan Medicine, we advance health to serve Michigan and the world. We pursue excellence every day in our five hospitals, 125 clinics and home care operations that handle more than 2.3 million outpatient visits a year, as well as educate the next generation of physicians, health professionals and scientists in our U-M Medical School.
Michigan Medicine includes the top ranked U-M Medical School and University of Michigan Health, which includes the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, University Hospital, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Metro Health and the Rogel Cancer Center. The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research funding of more than $500 million.
More information is available at www.michiganmedicine.org.
Media contact:
JD Smiley
214-552-3023
jdsmiley@loopbackanalytics.com
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SOURCE Loopback Analytics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/loopback-analytics-collaborates-with-university-michigan-health-specialty-pharmacy-initiatives-improve-patient-outcomes/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:21Z |
ORLANDO, Fla., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LSQ, a leading provider of working capital finance and payments solutions, recently funded a $65 million working capital facility for Continuum Global Solutions, a provider of omnichannel contact center services worldwide via voice and non-voice channels such as chat, email, and social media.
Continuum will use LSQ's invoice finance facility to replace an existing line of credit. LSQ will also be providing the company with comprehensive accounts receivable management solutions, including customer credit, risk management, and collections through the LSQ FastTrack® platform.
"This new facility with LSQ allows Continuum to continue our growth plans for the foreseeable future," said Michael Flodin, CEO at Continuum. "The structure of the arrangement also allows us the flexibility needed to achieve these goals"
LSQ worked extensively with strategic partner Skyview Capital to complete the financing for its portfolio company Continuum, according to Miguel Serricchio, LSQ Executive VP of Channel Management and Strategy.
"The company is looking forward to this new relationship and appreciative for the creative structure which allows Continuum to stay on its growth trajectory," said Dean Estrada, Managing Director at Skyview Capital.
"We are extremely appreciative of the opportunity to work with Continuum as they continue to grow their business," said Serricchio. "Working with partners like Skyview is the lifeblood of all that we do to serve clients, and we are honored that they put their trust in us to help further their business relationships."
About LSQ | lsq.com
LSQ is a market leader and pioneer in working capital finance and payments solutions. For more than 25 years, LSQ has leveraged innovative technology, credit and risk expertise, and proprietary data that empowers thousands of businesses to optimize their working capital, automate and accelerate payments, manage collections, and mitigate risk. Every year, we accelerate billions of dollars in payments to businesses and their suppliers through our LSQ FastTrack platform to help them obtain the funds they need to grow and thrive. LSQ is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Learn more at www.lsq.com.
About Continuum Global Solutions | continuumgbl.com
With more than 17,000 employees, Continuum Global Solutions provides omnichannel contact center services worldwide via voice and non-voice channels such as chat, email, and social media. Continuum has a 100-percent focus on customer experience services in which the delivery of flexibility, high employee and customer satisfaction, and reduction of end-to-end costs are central to the organization.
About Skyview Capital | skyviewcapital.com
Skyview Capital LLC is a privately held investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles, operating our worldwide portfolio of assets. We specialize in acquiring and unlocking unrealized potential within market-leading businesses across a variety of sectors. Founded and led by Alex Soltani, our firm combines entrepreneurial acumen with focused expertise and resolve.
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SOURCE LSQ Funding | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/lsq-provides-65-million-working-capital-facility-implements-ar-management-program-continuum-global-solutions/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:28Z |
NEW YORK, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lument recently announced the closing of a $16 million proprietary bridge loan to acquire and renovate The Palazzo, an 92-unit garden-style apartment community in San Antonio, Texas. Lument's Phil Frasca led the transaction.
"It was a pleasure to work with this client to secure the funds to acquire and complete capital improvements on this multi-building complex," said Frasca. "Using this funding, the borrower is able to construct a concise plan to add value to this 2000s vintage property and transform it into a modern 2020s apartment community."
The $16 million bridge loan includes $1.3 million for renovations and features a variable interest rate and a three-year term, with two 12-month extension options. Planned improvements include upgrades to the property's exterior and common areas, as well as repairs to its parking lot, swimming pool, and clubhouse.
The Palazzo was originally constructed as condominiums in 2008, but due to the poor economy at the time, only eight out of 100 units were sold upon completion. The remaining 92 units were converted into rentals and consist of 20 one-bedrooms, 48 two-bedrooms, and 24 three-bedroom floor plans. The community is made up of 10 buildings situated on 4.3 acres. Its amenities include a leasing office, fitness center, business center, and dog park.
About Lument
ORIX Real Estate Capital Holdings, LLC, d/b/a Lument, is a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation USA. Lument is a national leader in commercial real estate finance. As the combined organization of legacy industry experts Hunt Real Estate Capital, Lancaster Pollard, and RED Capital Group, Lument delivers a comprehensive set of capital solutions customized for investors in multifamily, affordable housing, and seniors housing and healthcare real estate. Lument is a Fannie Mae DUS®, Freddie Mac Optigo®, FHA, and USDA lender. In addition, Lument offers a suite of proprietary commercial lending, real estate investment sales, investment banking, and investment management solutions. Lument has approximately 600 employees in over 25 offices across the United States. Securities, investment banking, and advisory services are provided through OREC Securities, LLC, d/b/a Lument Securities, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are provided by OREC Investment Management, LLC, d/b/a Lument Investment Management. OREC Investment Management is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, visit www.lument.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Tyler Howard | Associate Director
513-403-1911 | tyler.howard@lument.com
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SOURCE Lument | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/lument-closes-16-million-bridge-loan-acquisition-renovation-texas-multifamily-community/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:34Z |
Leading Pizza Franchise Adds Expertise at Every Franchisee Decision Point – Financing, Real Estate, Design, Construction
TOLEDO, Ohio, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, reveals major enhancements to its franchise development program set to fuel rapid growth as the 1,000-plus unit brand aims to reach its expansion goal of 1,500 units by the end 2023. Notably, stores continue to open at a rapid rate and the enhancements have provided attractive incentives for multi-unit growth, while making it easier to secure financing from preferred lenders.
With more than 200 stores in development, Marco's is on the fast-track to achieving this growth goal. As franchise development continues to surge, leadership prioritizes investments in new technology, personnel, strategic vendor partnerships, and more to accelerate the brand's growth strategy. With these enhancements, Marco's franchise development support is world-class, creating opportunity for sophisticated entrepreneurs and operators to grow their multi-unit portfolios.
"I've been with Marco's for 11 years and can confidently say that the level of sophistication and detail of the franchise development program has never been stronger," said Area Representative and Franchisee Robert Pina, who just signed a 46-store deal, one of the largest deals in Marco's brand history. "Marco's makes it easy to become an empire builder in the system. If you're looking to grow a robust pizza portfolio, you won't find a more dedicated and supportive team than this. Marco's leadership and devotion to franchise growth and franchisee support is simply unmatched."
Designed to bring ease to the development process, Marco's created enhancements in four critical areas: financing, growth incentives, real estate, design & construction.
- Strategic Support to Secure Financing: Understanding the challenges surrounding lending, Marco's Director of Franchise Financing, Brad Fletcher, and the finance team, have established partnerships with eight preferred banks and lending institutions. Through quarterly meetings, the Marco's finance team provides key updates on the state of the business, growth, and performance. As a result, banks are in a better position to offer favorable lending terms to individual Marco's franchisees. According to FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, Marco's 2021 FUND Score is in the top 1% of all evaluated franchise systems and is among the top three scores for all QSR brands.
- Multi-Unit Growth Incentive: Marco's offers a long-term incentive for multi-unit owners, including franchisee fee discounts, reduced royalties, and growth acceleration bonuses – download the Franchise Information Report for more information.
- Strengthened Real Estate Support Team: Marco's continues to add real estate expertise and support to help accelerate site selection and guide franchisees at key decision points.
- Streamlined Design & Construction Process: Marco's recently formalized a partnership with a single architect to streamline the design process. This partnership has helped shorten the build-out process by approximately two weeks. Furthermore, the architect shepherds the process through permitting on behalf of the franchisee so they do not have to take on additional responsibility with local municipalities. Marco's has also brought in several general contracting experts who will provide franchisees with assistance in reviewing the bid, aligning pricing, conducting a pre-construction meeting, and reviewing schedule for project completion.
"As a result of strategic enhancements, our development team is able to act soundly as consultants to franchisees by providing information, insights, and recommendations at every key decision point and milestone," said Keith Sizemore, Vice President of Development for Marco's Pizza. "This, paired with the fact that several members of our team are also franchisees themselves, brings a unique perspective to the support process. Franchisees are given the confidence that they are making the right decisions."
In addition to its robust franchise development support, Marco's continues to invest in building its brand through a multi-channel national advertising program. This has played a significant role in driving sales as the brand projects to reach $1B in annual systemwide sales in 2022.
"There's never been a more opportune time for both existing and prospective franchisees to grow with Marco's," said Steve Seyferth, SVP and Chief Experience Officer at Marco's Pizza. "With plenty of territories available for growth, our development and performance strategy remain centered on finding multi-unit franchisees who align with our business strategy and culture, while continuing to prioritize innovation and maximize unit-level profitability."
With strong growth and performance, Marco's sets its sights on becoming the No. 4 brand in pizza. The brand experienced an 12.8% increase in year-over-year Average Unit Volume (AUV), and the Top 50% of Marco's franchised stores generated $1,198,201 AUV for 2021*.
For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or call 866-731-8209 to speak with Shannon Iverson, Vice President of Franchise Sales.
ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA
Marco's Pizza is America's Most Loved and Most Trusted Pizza Brand, according to the 2019 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,000 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 2 in the Pizza category on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2022 "Franchise 500" ranking, and No. 4 in the Fastest Growing category on Restaurant Business' 2021 "Top 10 Fastest Growing Chains" ranking. Other recent accolades include a first-time presence on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, ranked No. 42 on QSR's Top 50 and has been featured five consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.
*Based on the Average Unit Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for fiscal year 2021. Based on fiscal year 2021, 146 of 389 Franchised Stores in the category (38%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2022 FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.
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SOURCE Marco's Pizza | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/marcos-pizza-reveals-enhanced-franchise-development-program-fueling-expansion-1500-units-by-end-2023/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:45Z |
ATLANTA, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A world-first interactive virtual-reality (VR) theater is opening in Atlanta, created by new technology company Exploring Digital. The Megaverse™ combines VR headsets and hand controls with a multi-sensory haptic experience unlike anything on the market. With unlimited freedom to move, people physically interact in this VR theater, literally stepping into a metaverse environment.
Megaverse™ is a patented environment for immersive, 4D gaming. Debuting at Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Roswell, Ga., with expansion plans across the country, Megaverse™ is the first product from Exploring Digital, a new company founded by entrepreneurs Dave Walens and Matt Kelly and its recently acquired development team, 3rdRealmCreations of Mobile, Ala.
In Megaverse™, up to six players interact with one another as they roam freely around the rumble floor, walking, jumping, even picking up and moving objects inside this metaverse-inspired VR theater. Players move from one virtual room to another, up and down virtual elevators, and can choose their challenge – paranormal investigator, a spy on the run, or ace gunslinger.
With custom content and an easy-to-configure layout, Megaverse™ truly is 4D, including touch, wind and vibration in addition to the VR challenges. Megaverse™ uses HTC VIVE Focus 3 headsets and controllers for all-in-one VR with 5K resolution and easy input that delivers intuitive and precision controls.
"Megaverse™ is a high-tech gaming experience that is thrilling our Sky Zone members and customers," said Jeff Cole, owner and president of Sky Zone Roswell. "For less than $15, anyone can use state-of-the-art virtual reality headsets and interact with their friends in this totally unique environment."
Atlanta entrepreneurs using VR/AR for more than video games
"Exploring Digital is capitalizing on new opportunities in the VR/AR/FX, gaming, training and other industries, plus we're pursuing emerging opportunities in the non-fungible-tokens (NFT), metaverse and other spaces," said Exploring Digital CEO Dave Walens.
Walens founded another company, Exploring, Inc., in 1999 to serve the South's booming trade show industries. Exploring, Inc. has steadily added companies in fabrication, 3D themed environments and more, building physical worlds for customers around the globe, said Exploring, Inc. President and COO Matt Kelly. "We are using the nearly quarter-century of 2D and 3D artistic experience at Exploring, Inc., and leveraging our construction capabilities for this new company," Kelly said.
For more information, visit www.MegaverseVR.com or www.ExploringDig.com.
Media Contact:
Patrick Hill
Lakehouse Marketing
PatHill@LakehouseMarketing.com
(770) 380-3015
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SOURCE Exploring Digital | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/metaverse-meet-megaverse-tech-startup-exploring-digital-debuts-first-vr-interactive-theater/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:52Z |
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium today announced the four finalists for the 15th Annual MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award. The winner will be announced on May 22, 2022.
For more than a decade, the Award has recognized Chief Information Officers (CIOs) who lead their organizations to deliver exemplary levels of business value through innovative use of IT.
"It is a privilege to announce these four finalists for our MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award," said George Westerman, Award Co-Chair. "The leadership and innovation demonstrated by our finalists will be instrumental in accelerating digitalization and shaping the future of business."
The 2022 MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award finalists are:
- Vagesh Dave, Global VP & CIO at McDermott International, Ltd
- Manoj Kumbhat, CDO & Global CIO, Kimberly-Clark
- Wafaa Mamilli, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Zoetis
- James McGlennon, EVP and CIO, Liberty Mutual Insurance
"I am humbled to have been nominated for this award and this nomination is a testament to the digital transformation and innovation driven at McDermott by a talented technology team and our business partners," said Mr. Dave. "McDermott continues to be a leader in the EPCI industry through innovative use of technology to transform and modernize how we operate with improved safety & productivity and collaborate with our customers to enable transition to sustainable energy solutions."
"I am truly honored to be named a finalist for the MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award and I am extraordinarily proud of the Kimberly-Clark Digital Technology Solutions and business teams for driving digital transformation and creating tremendous value for our global business," said Mr. Kumbhat.
"I am honored by the MIT Sloan CIO leadership recognition. This reflects the impact of my Zoetis colleagues -- including our exceptional technology and digital team who are reimagining animal health through digital and data analytics solutions that power our industry," said Ms. Mamilli. "We are transforming the way Zoetis innovates, operates, and delivers value to customers -- the veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals around the world."
"At Liberty Mutual, our commitment to innovation, collaboration and resiliency has enabled us to stay ahead of technology's pace of acceleration and deliver value for millions of customers worldwide," said Mr. McGlennon. "This honor reinforces our position as a strategic business partner and competitive differentiator as well as the dedication our 5,000 technology employees bring each day to drive transformation across the industry."
After two rounds of extensive review, a panel of judges that includes CIOs, academic researchers and IT professionals selected the Award finalists who exhibit the key traits of a CIO leader in the following areas:
Judging Criteria
Key characteristics of CIO leadership include:
Exceptional Communicator – Articulates a vision for strategic business value from IT and works across the organization to build partnership around this vision. Focuses communications on value and innovation, not technology. Helps all IT staff to understand the business and speak the language of business leaders.
Recognized IT Leader – Clearly demonstrates value-for-money in the management of core IT services – providing the right services at the right price and the right level of quality. Recognized among peers as an effective leader of the IT unit.
Driver of Business Value – Understands the business and needs of the CEO, CFO, Line-of-Business heads and other senior executives. Ensures clear focus on potential and realized value in all IT initiatives. Incorporates IT into business decision-making by participating in key strategic conversations, suggesting innovative uses of IT, and for managing risk.
Trusted Partner – Exercises authority beyond IT itself. Considered a trusted member of the senior executive team, not just a technology leader. Suggests innovative uses of IT to transform the business – and successfully executes the changes. May receive additional non-IT responsibilities such as Chief Operating Officer or VP of Strategy, or strategic temporary roles such as Head of M&A integration.
These criteria are adapted from the award-winning book The Real Business of IT: How CIOs Create and Communicate Value, which draws extensively upon research conducted at MIT Sloan.
To register to attend the MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Symposium, First Hybrid Edition, taking place May 22-23, 2022 visit: mitcio.com/register/.
In person attendees, for the first time this year, will gain access to all the events and networking opportunities taking place the evening before the panels. This includes the Innovation Showcase, highlighting 10 outstanding early-stage companies with cutting-edge solutions that combine both value and innovation to Enterprise IT, and the MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award seated dinner where the 2022 Award Winner will be announced.
About the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium
The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is the premier global conference for CIOs and digital business executives to become more effective leaders. CIOs and senior IT executives explore enterprise technology innovations, business practices and receive actionable information that enables them to meet the challenges of today and the future. The Symposium offers a unique learning environment by bringing together the academic thought leadership of MIT with the in-the-trenches experience of leading global CIOs and industry experts. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is organized and developed by the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association. For more information and to register for this year's Symposium, visit www.mitcio.com.
Editor's Note:
Journalists interested in a press credential should contact Sadie Smith (sadie@warnerpr.com or 717-298-1865), Warner Communications.
Media Contact:
Sadie Smith
Warner Communications
717-298-1865
sadie@warnerpr.com
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SOURCE MIT Sloan CIO Symposium | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/mit-sloan-cio-symposium-announces-leading-chief-information-officers-finalists-2022-cio-leadership-award/ | 2022-04-28T16:33:59Z |
Participants Will Restore Land, Oceans, Waterways by Collecting 1 Million Pieces of Trash
RESTON, Va., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Wildlife Federation, America's largest and most trusted conservation organization, and Johnson Outdoors, a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technology, are teaming up to advance natural resource conservation by creating the Clean Earth Challenge. The Challenge will call on tens of millions of individuals, families, students, teachers, environmentalists and leaders to get outdoors and take simple conservation actions to help improve the health of the planet by collecting 1 million pieces of trash.
"Cleaning up the waste and pollution that has contaminated our precious natural resources is critical to protecting the health of people and wildlife alike," said Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "By taking collective action on such a grand scale, we can work collaboratively to right the mistakes of the past and give wildlife the opportunity to thrive in our rapidly changing world. We are thrilled to be working with Johnson Outdoors and can't wait to see the benefits that this challenge will have on our nation's incredible wildlife and the habitats they call home."
"Our commitment to leaving the planet better than we found it has always been at the core of Johnson Outdoors and our family of brands. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we work together with partners like the National Wildlife Federation as well as our consumers to ensure that our natural spaces are healthy and thriving for us and generations to come," said Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman and CEO of Johnson Outdoors.
The goal of the Clean Earth Challenge is to advance restoration and resilience of the nation's greatest natural resources — the land and water that sustain people, wildlife and the planet. The Challenge inspires collective conservation action to help clean up environmental pollution and improve ecosystem health.
To get Involved:
- Join the Challenge at: www.cleanearthchallenge.com
- Get outside. Clean up waste and debris. Encourage others to participate.
- Track your progress. Measure your impact. Download the Litterati app. Available in the Apple Store, Google Store or at: www.cleanearthchallenge.com
- Keep track of actions and report results at: www.cleanearthchallenge.com
About the National Wildlife Federation
Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation is America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. The Federation's mission is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change. Visit the National Wildlife Federation Media Center at NWF.org/News.
About Johnson Outdoors
JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technologies that inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft Recreation, Fishing, Diving and Camping. Johnson Outdoors' iconic brands include: Old Town® canoes and kayaks; Ocean Kayak™; Carlisle® paddles; Minn Kota® fishing motors, batteries and anchors; Cannon® downriggers; Humminbird® marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO® dive equipment; Jetboil® outdoor cooking systems; and, Eureka!® camping and hiking equipment. For more information, visit: www.johnsonoutdoors.com
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SOURCE National Wildlife Federation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/national-wildlife-federation-johnson-outdoors-clean-earth-challenge-will-inspire-conservation-action-improve-environmental-health/ | 2022-04-28T16:34:07Z |
Fifth annual survey of respondents identifies risks in home purchasing, financial investment, and renovation choices
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Chubb survey explores the attitudes, behaviors, and purchasing decisions of U.S. and Canadian homeowners and renters on their current and future residences and has found that unintentional damage—especially water risk—continues to be an overlooked risk.
According to the fifth annual survey, 44% of U.S. homeowners experienced water damage in their home in the past two years, compared to only 27% in 2020. Non-weather-related water losses continue to be the number one source of property damage as 48% of all interior property damage is caused by water, according to Chubb's internal claims data.
"Water continues to be an overlooked risk, and homeowners and renters should always be prepared for the unexpected as water can accumulate and cause severe damage," said Ana Robic, Division President of Chubb North America Personal Risk Services. "To minimize costly damage, homeowners should consider preemptively installing a flow-based water leak detection device, and for renters and condo owners, water leak sensors to protect their residences before it's too late."
Additional key findings include:
- 53% of U.S. and Canadian homeowners and renters experienced a loss or unintended damage to their home during recent renovations.
- 25.3% of U.S. and Canadian homeowners and renters have purchased a home sight unseen; 20.3% considered purchasing a home sight unseen within the past two years.
- 64.8% of U.S and Canadian homeowners and renters who purchased in the past two years found areas of concern in the home after purchase.
- 50.9% of U.S. and Canadian homeowners surveyed have purchased a home within the past two years, with more than half (54.7%) of those significantly influenced by mortgage/interest rates in the home purchasing decisions.
- 35.2% of U.S. and Canadian homeowners purchased a secondary/vacation home in the past two years, with 77% purchasing for personal pleasure and 21.5% purchasing as an investment vehicle.
- Homeowners and renters in the Southern U.S. (24.3%) and Western U.S. (20%) said the frequency/severity of tornadoes contributed to their decision to sell primary or secondary residence(s). Similarly, 15% of homeowners and renters who lived in the Southern U.S. would consider selling their primary or secondary residence(s) due to the frequency and severity of tropical storms/hurricanes.
"Water damage, along with natural catastrophes and a competitive residential marketplace with constrained availability of homes and supply chain issues, are just a few concerns facing homeowners and renters today," added Robic. "Individuals should work with a knowledgeable agent or broker and carrier to help them prepare and protect their residences."
For more information, download the Chubb 2021 Homeowners Risk Report – Trends in Home Renovations and Water Damage, the Chubb 2021 Homeowners Risk Report – Trends in Purchasing Behavior, and the Chubb 2021 Homeowners Risk Report – Impact of Weather on Property Decisions.
About the Survey
This is the fifth survey by Chubb measuring U.S. and Canadian homeowners' and renters' attitudes and behaviors toward property protection, with a focus on water damage, weather, renovation behaviors, and financial decisions.
Conducted by Dynata, a leading global provider of first-party consumer and professional data, the survey was fielded in the U.S. from 11/4/21-11/19/21 and in Canada from 11/24/21 -12/10/21. The results are based on 1,200 completed interviews in the U.S. and 300 competed interviews in Canada.
About Chubb
Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs more than 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com.
Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver and provides its products and services through licensed insurance brokers across Canada. For additional information, visit: chubb.com/ca.
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SOURCE Chubb | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/new-chubb-survey-measures-ownership-behaviors-attitudes-us-canadian-homeowners-renters/ | 2022-04-28T16:34:14Z |
Latest participant in CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech program recruiting apprentices for 'earn and learn' opportunities in four IT occupations
ANAHEIM, Calif., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New Horizons Learning Group, a leader in technical, application and business skills education and training, has launched a new apprenticeship program in California for aspiring information technology (IT) professionals in collaboration with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and CompTIA.
New Horizons is the latest organization to join CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech, a national initiative to help employers fill current and long-term IT staffing needs through an "earn and learn" apprenticeship program that is also creating employment opportunities for people from a diversity of backgrounds.
"We believe that the timing is perfect to introduce our Information Technology Apprenticeships to businesses in our communities," said Cindy Sutherland, president, New Horizons Learning Group. "Our partnership with AIR and CompTIA will support businesses in California with their hiring needs by supplying them with the skilled and qualified talent they are struggling to find in today's employee driven workforce."
New Horizons is serving as a multi-employer sponsor serving employers and apprentices under a United States Department of Labor (USDOL) standards-based Registered Apprenticeship. The company is currently recruiting apprentices for its first cohort for training in four high-demand IT job roles – tech support specialists, network support specialists, cybersecurity support technicians and tech project coordinators.
"We will be identifying individuals who will benefit from our training and are either new to IT or upskilling to new positions through our apprenticeship program," Sutherland said.
Employers across the United States listed job postings for more than 115,000 open IT positions in the month of April. In California job postings for IT occupations surpassed 54,000.1
Training delivered through the apprenticeship program is based on National Guideline Standards created by CompTIA and approved by the USDOL. These standards detail the competencies in technical and employability skills that apprentices need to join the IT workforce.
"Apprenticeships have long been a proven method for building skills and expanding employment opportunities, and they're gaining traction in the IT workforce as employers seek out new ways to develop tech talent," said Amy Kardel, senior vice president for workforce relationships at CompTIA. "New Horizons has a well-deserved reputation for preparing people for careers in technology. We are pleased to welcome them to our apprenticeship program."
To learn more about CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech visit https://www.comptia.org/content/lp/apprenticeships-for-tech.
About New Horizons Learning Group
New Horizons has been serving businesses and individuals in the Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah communities since 1982. With eleven convenient locations we offer a wide range of technical, application and business skills courses. As the world of computer technology continues to evolve at light speed, New Horizons helps the world's workforce stay proficient with the latest technologies and achieve their career goals. It's what we've been doing better than anyone else for years, and what we plan to do well into the future. https://nhlearninggroup.com/
About CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech
CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech is a national initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to increase the number of skilled technology workers and expand tech career opportunities for diverse populations, including women, individuals with disabilities and people of color. Maher & Maher, an affiliate of the American Institutes for Research and a recognized leader in building innovative and successful apprenticeship initiatives, and CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce, were selected by the USDOL to serve as a national Industry Intermediary for expansion of apprenticeship in tech occupations. built according to the Registered Apprenticeship Program model. For more information visit https://www.comptia.org/content/lp/apprenticeships-for-tech.
Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
630.678.8468
1 CompTIA Tech Jobs Report, April 1, 2022.
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OSLO, Norway, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") of Nordic Nanovector ASA (the "Company") (OSE: NANOV) was held today on 28 April 2022 in Oslo, Norway.
All proposals were resolved by the AGM as presented in the notice convening the AGM distributed on 6 April 2022. The complete minutes of the AGM are attached to this release, and are available on www.nordicnanovector.com.
For further information, please contact:
IR enquiries
Malene Brondberg, CFO
Cell: +44 7561 431 762
Email: ir@nordicnanovector.com
Media Enquiries
Mark Swallow/Frazer Hall (MEDiSTRAVA Consulting)
Tel: +44 203 928 6900
Email: nordicnanovector@medistrava.com
About Nordic Nanovector:
Nordic Nanovector is committed to develop and deliver innovative therapies to patients to address major unmet medical needs and advance cancer care. The Company aspires to become a leader in the development of CD37-targeted therapies for haematological cancers and immune diseases. Nordic Nanovector's lead clinical-stage candidate is Betalutin®, a novel CD37-targeting radioimmunotherapy designed to advance the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). NHL is an indication with substantial unmet medical need, representing a growing market forecast to be worth nearly USD 27 billion by 2029. Nordic Nanovector retains global marketing rights to Betalutin® and intends to actively participate in the commercialisation of Betalutin® in the US and other major markets. Further information can be found at www.nordicnanovector.com.
This information is subject to a duty of disclosure pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Securities Trading Act.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE Nordic Nanovector | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/nordic-nanovector-asa-annual-general-meeting-held/ | 2022-04-28T16:34:36Z |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The results are in and NuSpine Chiropractic achieved substantial growth metrics in the first quarter of 2022. The emerging brand of franchised chiropractic clinics grew its national footprint by 40% in terms of total open units. The brand also awarded 8 new franchise licenses in the first quarter bringing the total to 44 clinics open or in development.
"This solid growth is exciting as we expand NuSpine nationwide," said Marc Ott, CEO of NuSpine Chiropractic. "I am even more excited with our results on internal key performance indicators like new patient visits and conversions choosing ongoing wellness plans. It is due to the hard work of our franchise partners and enhanced training and development processes put in place by our team. Unit level economics is a key priority for us and the results are positive."
NuSpine Franchise owners are equally optimistic about the brand. "We have over 80% conversion and double plus revenue from first store opening!" said Nicole Mackin, Franchisee Partner for the Woodstock, Georgia location that opened in March 2022. "I believe that the new training is leading to much better conversion rates and referrals."
NuSpine projects they will award 40 more licenses in the rest of 2022. NuSpine expects to open 19 more clinics before year end.
About NuSpine Chiropractic
NuSpine Chiropractic was founded in 2013 in Lincoln Nebraska and began franchising in 2019. NuSpine has awarded more than 200 licenses across the country. NuSpine provides chiropractic care and wellness education in a private, personalized, efficient and affordable setting to support a healthy lifestyle. For more information, visit www.nuspinechiropractic.com. To learn about franchise opportunities, visit www.nuspinefranchise.com.
Media Contact:
Dallas Bennewitz
480-721-6280
dbennewitz@nuspinechiropractic.com
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SOURCE NuSpine Franchise Systems, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/nuspine-chiropractic-achieves-40-unit-growth-first-quarter-2022/ | 2022-04-28T16:34:49Z |
GALLIPOLIS, Ohio, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio Valley Banc Corp. (Nasdaq: OVBC) (the "Company") reported consolidated net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, of $4,125,000, an increase of $594,000, or 16.8%, from the same period the prior year. Earnings per share for the first quarter of 2022 was $.87, compared to $.74 for the first quarter of 2021. Return on average assets and return on average equity were 1.34% and 11.78%, respectively, for the first quarter of 2022, versus 1.20% and 10.47%, respectively, for the same period the prior year.
"OVBC has had a successful quarter, and we intend to build on this momentum," said Chairman and CEO Tom Wiseman. "At Ohio Valley Bank, we recently demonstrated this by expanding operating hours and announcing that contactless OVB credit cards are arriving in May. Loan Central has completed another season of tax advance loans and is helping the members of its communities prepare for summer expenses. At Race Day Mortgage, we are pushing out of the starting gate as we have now realized full staffing and are lending in more states with more lead generation partners. All these plans stem from a dedication to enhance the communities we serve. I cannot think of a better way to honor the bank's 150th anniversary year."
For the first quarter of 2022, net interest income decreased $58,000 from the first quarter of 2021. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, average earning assets increased $61 million from the same period the prior year. The increase was due to average securities and average balances maintained at the Federal Reserve, which increased $69 million and $11 million, respectively, from the first quarter of last year in relation to higher average deposit balances. Partially offsetting the growth in these areas was the $18 million decrease in average loan balances. The decrease in average loans was related to SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. As of March 31, 2022, all PPP loans have been paid off. As a result, the average balance of PPP loans decreased $27 million and the corresponding interest and fees on PPP loans decreased $352,000 for the first quarter of 2022, as compared to the same period last year. The earnings contribution from the higher balance of earning assets was offset by a decrease in the net interest margin. For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, the net interest margin was 3.51%, compared to 3.73% for the same period the prior year. The decrease was attributable to the higher relative balances maintained in securities and the Federal Reserve, which generally yield less than loans.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, the provision for loan loss expense was negative $1,126,000, a decrease of $1,074,000 from the first quarter of 2021. The negative provision for loan loss expense for the first quarter of 2022 was primarily related to lower general reserves in association with improved economic risk factors and a decrease in loan balances since December 31, 2021, which was partly offset by quarterly net charge-offs of $88,000. The decrease in general reserves was related to lower criticized and classified loans and the partial release of the COVID reserve for the pandemic environment. Based on positive asset quality trends and low net charge offs, management released $645,000 of the COVID economic risk factor. We will monitor the pandemic environment and asset quality trends moving forward to determine the appropriate level of the COVID economic risk factor, which totaled $1,936,000 at March 31, 2022. The allowance for loan losses was .65% of total loans at March 31, 2022, compared to .78% at December 31, 2021 and .83% at March 31, 2021.
For the first quarter of 2022, noninterest income totaled $3,720,000, an increase of $381,000 from the first quarter of 2021. The increase was related to a $153,000 increase in service charges on deposit accounts, an $85,000 increase in interchange income on debit and credit card transactions, and a $56,000 increase in mortgage banking income in relation to our new mortgage company, Race Day Mortgage.
Noninterest expense totaled $9,788,000 for the first quarter of 2022, an increase of $601,000, or 6.5%, from the same period last year. The Company's largest noninterest expense, salaries and employee benefits, increased $300,000, or 5.7%, from the first quarter of 2021. The increase was primarily related to staffing Race Day Mortgage and to annual merit increases. Further contributing to higher noninterest expense was data processing. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, data processing expense increased $97,000 from the same period last year due to higher credit and debit card transaction volume. Also contributing to higher noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 was a $59,000 increase in professional fees and a $54,000 increase in software expense, as compared to the same period last year.
The Company's total assets at March 31, 2022 were $1.258 billion, an increase of $8 million from December 31, 2021. The increase in assets was related to a $12 million increase in both securities and balances maintained at the Federal Reserve, which was partially offset by a $20 million decrease in loans. The decrease in loans was largely related to the payoff of a limited number of large commercial loans. At March 31, 2022, total deposits increased $15 million and shareholders' equity decreased $5 million from year end 2021. The decrease in shareholders' equity was related to recording the fair value adjustment for securities classified as available-for-sale. Based on the increase in market rates during the first quarter of 2022, the fair value of securities decreased $8 million on an after-tax basis.
Ohio Valley Banc Corp. common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol OVBC. The Company owns The Ohio Valley Bank Company, with 16 offices in Ohio and West Virginia; Loan Central, Inc. with six consumer finance offices in Ohio; and Race Day Mortgage, Inc., an online consumer direct mortgage company. Learn more about Ohio Valley Banc Corp. at www.ovbc.com.
Certain statements contained in this earnings release that are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "appears," "intends," "targeted" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying those statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements because of various factors and possible events, including: (i) impacts from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on our business, operations, customers and capital position; (ii) the impact of COVID-19 on local, national and global economic conditions; unexpected changes in interest rates or disruptions in the mortgage market related to COVID-19 or responses to the health crisis; (iii) changes in political, economic or other factors, such as inflation rates, recessionary or expansive trends, taxes, the effects of implementation of federal legislation with respect to taxes and government spending and the continuing economic uncertainty in various parts of the world; (iv) competitive pressures; (v) fluctuations in interest rates; (vi) the level of defaults and prepayment on loans made by the Company; (vii) unanticipated litigation, claims, or assessments; (viii) fluctuations in the cost of obtaining funds to make loans; (ix) regulatory changes; and (x) other factors that may be described in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made to reflect unanticipated events.
Contact: Scott Shockey, CFO (740) 446-2631
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SOURCE Ohio Valley Banc Corp. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/ohio-valley-banc-corp-reports-1st-quarter-earnings/ | 2022-04-28T16:34:55Z |
Farming of the Future Takes Hold As Businesses Invest in Sustainable Year-Round Farming
AVONDALE, Ariz., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertical farming is revolutionizing traditional agriculture and OnePointOne is taking it one step further as they bring the most technologically advanced strawberry farms direct to businesses in a big way. Today, they are making an industry turning point as they announce IMEX Organics has purchased their first Opollo™ 3 strawberry farms and are committed to build another 12 farms by the end of 2025. This news comes in rapid succession following their partnership with California Giant Berry Farms and signals the first of many such farms and partnerships of this kind.
IMEX Organics will deliver berries to restaurants, resorts, and retailers around the world as they continue to grow and expand. The first three farms will be located in Phoenix, Arizona, adjacent to the current OnePointOne farm. Subsequent IMEX farms are planned in the United States, Europe and Asia. This comes at an important time as investors are seeing the value and benefits of vertical farming to diversify how they provide for consumers year-round while maintaining an incredible product with a smaller farm footprint and drastically higher yield in comparison to traditional farms.
"OnePointOne Opollo 3 farms are the first of their kind and provide something unique to our partners, phenomenal strawberries, yes, but also collaboration with our network of partners and farm owners as well as cutting-edge technical expertise and ongoing support," said Sam Bertram, OnePointOne CEO and Co-founder. "Their success is ours and, at the heart of what we're doing and what we care about is sustainably feeding and nurturing humanity with the best products nature and science can offer delivering food that is better for the consumer and better for the planet. We've experienced a great influx of interest in these farms and are excited to share additional partnerships that are already in motion as we progress further into 2022."
The Opollo 3 system is also more advanced than other types of vertical farming (hydroponic or aquaponic, for example) driving increased quality and reducing cost to consumers. They are also the only company utilizing vertical-plane aeroponics, which allows for the highest level of end-to-end automation in the industry, which saves time, money and labor. Further, the AI components reduce waste with visual inspection and crop monitoring every step of the way. And what's more, aeroponics uses 99 percent less water than traditional farming. For a $2 million dollar investment, businesses can own their own farm, changing the way strawberries are cultivated and harvested as OnePointOne and partners seek to revolutionize how to feed a growing population with this patent pending technology.
The benefits are clear for both businesses and consumers, bringing efficiency, production and consistency to this burgeoning industry. Additionally, Opollo 3 strawberry farms:
- Yield almost 150 times more berries per year than a traditional farm
- Produce over 125,000 pounds of strawberries per year
- Have a 2,000 square-foot farm footprint
- Are scalable and modular
- Enjoy the benefits of California Giant's supply chain
- Can be installed anywhere in the world
- Have a projected two-year return on investment
- Guarantee year-round quality and yield reliability
- Incur zero harm to precious soil
"In our mind, strawberries are just the beginning as we disrupt conventional farming norms and redefine the future of farming," said Asad Ismail, CEO and Cofounder of IMEX Organics. "We're thrilled to join OnePointOne and California Giant Berry Farms in leading the charge to bring fresh, nutrient-dense produce to our buyers in a revolutionary way."
OnePointOne launched in 2017 and has been a trailblazer in vertical farming ever since making waves with continual advancement in technologies and efficiencies throughout their operations. To date, they have raised $60 million and are in the process of closing their Series A financing. Notable investors include: Fred Luddy, Novak Djokovic, Western Tech Investments, Blackhorn Ventures, and Santa Clara University Endowment.
For more information and updates on additional partnerships to be announced later this year, please visit www.onepointone.com.
About OnePointOne
Founded in Silicon Valley, OnePointOne is revolutionizing vertical farming by building the most technologically advanced plant cultivation platform on the planet through innovations in automation, AI and plant science. OnePointOne launched Willo (www.willo.farm) the world's first personalized vertical farming program designed to amplify human health.
About IMEX Organics
Based in Henderson, NV, IMEX organics is an international import-export company providing high-quality, organic goods. Their mission is to become a bridge between the source and the customer to deliver organic goods with care. They value sustainable, ethical farming that helps bring healthy food to the consumer.
About California Giant Berry Farms
California Giant Berry Farms started small. Cousins Pat Riordan and Bill Moncovich teamed up with best friend Frank Saveria to sell strawberries from a simple trailer in Watsonville, CA. Nearly 40 years later, California Giant has grown into a global family of people passionate about delivering the best strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Quality, consistency and community inspire the mission and values. Community, quality, philanthropy, and mutual respect is what continues to sustain us. Because the bigger the smile, the better.
Media Contact:
Courtney Black
Ballantines PR
+1 (512) 619-8851
Courtney@Ballantinespr.com
Willo Farm Sales Contact:
Ryan Lissner
Willo.Farm
+1 (443) 799-2379
hello@willo.farm
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SOURCE OnePointOne | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/onepointone-strawberry-farms-make-market-splash-imex-organics-purchases-first-vertical-farm-with-12-more-horizon/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:02Z |
EDISON, N.J., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orion Innovation ("Orion"), a leading digital transformation and product development services firm, today announced that NJBIZ has named Anoop Gala, Head of Financial Services at Orion, as a Leader in Finance. The award celebrates financial executives in New Jersey who contribute to the success of their company, industry, and community. Gala was selected by a panel of experts for his leadership role in the financial services industry along with his outstanding achievements, energy, and innovative contributions to the sector.
"I'm honored to be recognized by NJBIZ as a leader in finance and want to thank my dedicated team of more than 1200 professionals who are transforming the global financial services and fintech landscape," said Gala. "Our team combines deep domain expertise with digital strategy, experience design, and engineering to help our clients embrace disruption and modernize their businesses. It's an exciting time in financial services and I'm proud to be honored for the contributions our team makes each and every day for our clients."
The global team Gala oversees at Orion plays a critical role in enabling leading financial services and fintech companies to accelerate their digital outcomes and re-imagine their products and services. Through its delivery centers in North America, Europe, India and Latin America, Orion serves clients across financial services and fintech, including banks and credit unions, cards and payments, wealth and asset management, insurance firms, and merchants. Orion leverages emerging technologies like Cloud, AI/ML, intelligent automation, and analytics to help financial institutions increase their revenue and profitably, improve ROI and significantly enhance the overall user experience.
Gala has more than 25 years of experience in the technology and financial services industry, driving strategy, transformation, and growth. He has successfully built start-ups and led global organizations with a unique mix of entrepreneurship and leadership capabilities to deliver large-scale growth.
"Under Anoop's leadership, our financial services team is delivering innovative transformation solutions to leading players in the industry," said Raj Patil, Chief Executive Officer & President of Orion. "He has built a world class team that combines industry experience, design thinking, and engineering capabilities to develop next-generation platforms and products for our financial services and fintech clients. On behalf of everyone at Orion, I want to congratulate Anoop and the team for this recognition."
About Orion Innovation
Orion Innovation ("Orion") is a leading digital transformation and product development services firm. Rooted in engineering and design thinking, along with a unique combination of agility, scale and maturity, its team of over 6,000 associates helps Fortune 1000 companies improve efficiencies, enhance customer experiences, and develop new digital offerings. Through its delivery centers in North America, Europe, India and Latin America, Orion serves clients across Hi-Tech, Telecom, Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Financial Services and Healthcare industries. For more information, visit www.orioninc.com.
Media Contact:
Joe LoBello
LoBello Communications
Joe@LoBelloCommunications.com
516-902-2694
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SOURCE Orion Innovation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/orion-innovations-anoop-gala-recognized-njbiz-leader-finance-2022/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:09Z |
Becoming one of the largest Street-Level OOH Media companies in the US
MONTCLAIR, N.J, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Media, in partnership with Seaport Capital, has acquired LURE Outdoor, making it one of the premier street level Out of Home Media companies in the United States. Based in New York City, LURE Outdoor's OOH mix encompasses over 120 high profile street level billboards, barricades and storefronts throughout New York City, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
In addition, Pearl continues to focus on delivering brands more specific media buys through partnerships with some of the most sought-after mixed-use developments and large format OOH assets in urban core downtown markets around the country. The acquisition enables the Company to provide significant, expanded reach to high impact media within trendsetting hubs of major cities.
"Pearl Media was born in OOH on the street level, pioneering the acceptance of Storefronts into the OOH media mix over a decade ago. Today the business has grown in several directions, however we have never lost our love for the medium and we recognized LURE has done an amazing job building out this high-profile permitted inventory in some of the top neighborhoods and cities in the country. We could not be more thrilled about the opportunity in front of us to continue to build out this portfolio with the expanded team," said Joshua Cohen, CEO of Pearl Media.
"Josh and his team have done an extraordinary job building Pearl into a leader in the OOH space and giving it the competitive edge that it has today. Seaport has invested in OOH companies over the last 25 years, and we believe that the collection of Pearl and LURE assets is extremely unique and attractive in the markets in which they operate," said Bob Tamashunas, Partner at Seaport Capital. "We are excited to further develop the business they have created and partner with the team to help grow Pearl both organically and inorganically."
For the last 8 years, LURE Outdoor has led the way in curating and developing niche "can't miss" eye-level Billboards and in-window displays, capturing consumers' attention with bold and innovative campaigns. LURE's assets have allowed brands to break through the busiest, most desirable streets and neighborhoods to connect with consumers. "With shared values and a shared love for street-level OOH media, joining Pearl is the ideal next step for LURE to grow. We are excited to see Pearl's vision for the combined entity come to fruition", said Jonny Kaloudis, CEO of LURE.
About Pearl Media
Pearl Media develops, manages and sells unique marketing, digital and static media opportunities. Working with best-in-class real estate assets, Pearl develops urban core, mixed-use commercial space, transit centers and transit adjacent properties in top markets with premium place-based static and digital signage. We target and transform premium large format static properties and vacant storefronts into best-in-market out-of-home advertising opportunities. For more information, please visit https://www.pearlmedia.com.
About Seaport Capital
Founded in 1997, Seaport Capital is a lower middle-market buyout firm that invests in communication infrastructure and services, business and information services, and media companies (the "Focus Sectors"). Seaport typically invests $10 to $40 million of equity capital in companies generating EBITDA between $3 and $15 million. Seaport is currently investing through Seaport Capital Partners VI, a 2020 vintage fund. Seaport's substantial industry expertise and investing experience enable it to develop successful strategies in partnership with management teams; its relationships and professionals help achieve them. Nearly all of Seaport's platform investments have been owned by founders or entrepreneurs seeking a collaborative institutional partner to provide the financial and operational resources to grow their businesses and execute on a successful strategic plan. For additional information, visit https://www.seaportcapital.com.
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SOURCE Pearl Media | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/pearl-media-has-acquired-lure-outdoor/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:18Z |
A Faster, More Efficient Queue Will Facilitate Integration of New Generation, Help States Pursue Goals
VALLEY FORGE, Pa., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PJM Interconnection members have overwhelmingly endorsed plans to speed up generation interconnection requests, improve project cost certainty, and significantly improve the process by which new and upgraded generation resources are introduced onto the electrical grid in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The Members Committee on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new process and transition plan expected to go into effect in the last quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023.
The proposals are the result of intensive work over the past year by PJM and a broad group of stakeholders – including renewable resource developers, transmission owners, state and consumer interests, and others – to reach consensus on changes. A record number of companies participated in the stakeholder task force that crafted the proposals.
PJM plans to file the proposal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in May.
"These changes represent a landmark accomplishment for PJM stakeholders and staff that establishes a better process to handle the unprecedented influx of generation interconnection requests and is critical to clearing the backlog of projects," said PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana. "We remain committed to our strategy of facilitating decarbonization policies while preserving reliability and cost-effectiveness and will continue to work on issues raised by stakeholders during deliberations that were not part of the package."
As a result of the rapid growth in renewable generation development, the number of projects entering the New Services Queue has nearly tripled over the past four years. PJM entered 2022 with nearly 2,500 projects under study, with more than 95% of approximately 225,000 proposed megawatts coming from renewable or storage resources or hybrids of those two. PJM studies more projects for interconnection annually than any other grid operator.
PJM's proposal includes a two-year transition to work through the current backlog by prioritizing more than 1,200 projects submitted before 2021. The transition includes a "fast lane," which would prioritize about 450 projects.
Some of the aspects of the new process that are designed to create a faster, more efficient process include:
- Projects will be addressed on a first-ready, first-served basis rather than first come, first served. Improvements to procedures around required permitting and site control will help reduce the current backlog of projects in the queue that may hold up other queued projects.
- PJM is simplifying its analysis of the cost responsibility of individual projects by clustering projects within the same cycle. In addition, improvements have been proposed to reduce the number of restudies for project changes.
- Projects that don't contribute to the need for network upgrades and/or don't need facilities studies will be able to proceed to a final agreement early.
"These improvements are critical to handle the influx of interconnection requests we have seen in recent years and will see for the foreseeable future," said Ken Seiler, Vice President – Planning. "This plan represents a real compromise among many different interests to get renewable and other projects through the queue as fast as possible and give developers a clearer picture of their costs and timelines."
The proposal was first endorsed by the Markets and Reliability Committee Wednesday by a sector-weighted vote of 4.37 out of 5.0 (87% equivalent) and then by 4.52 out of 5.0 (90% equivalent) in the Members Committee. The proposed interconnection process reform plan overview is available at PJM.com.
PJM Interconnection, founded in 1927, ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region's transmission grid, which includes over 85,103 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. PJM's regional grid and market operations produce annual savings of $3.2 billion to $4 billion. For the latest news about PJM, visit PJM Inside Lines at insidelines.pjm.com.
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SOURCE PJM Interconnection | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/pjm-members-endorse-plans-revamp-improve-generation-interconnection-process/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:29Z |
Flume Data Labs Household Water Use Index Reveals Water Use Patterns in Q1 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Flume Data Labs released the Q1 2022 update to the Household Water Use Index, the leading measure of U.S. household water use.
Flume Data Lab's analysis shows that in single-faAmily homes across America, outdoor use is a significant driver of water demand, even in winter months. Flume Data Labs publishes the Household Water Use Index quarterly, regularly assessing water use across the top 15 Metropolitan Service Areas (MSAs). Analysis is based on data from tens of thousands of sensors installed on household water meters across the nation.
Indoor Per Capita Water Use
National indoor water use in Q1 2022 decreased compared to that of Q1 2021. Indoor Household Water Use averaged 41.5 Gallons per Capita per Day (GPCD) in Q1 2022. In Q1 2021, indoor use averaged 47.4 GPCD.
Regionally, indoor water use varies, but in general, indoor water use continues to decrease after the spike in usage following the outbreak of COVID in 2020. On a national scale, the lingering impacts of increased indoor residential use appear to be over and water use has even fallen below pre-COVID averages.
Regional Outdoor Water Use Patterns and Drought
For communities facing drought, knowing where to save water is crucial to water conservation. Appliance and fixture level data from 2021 and Q1 2022 show that the greatest opportunity for water savings is outdoors. Indoor use fluctuates much less across MSAs and seasons than outdoor water use, which varies widely across the United States. In MSAs with snow and freezing temperatures, most outdoor watering disappears in the winter months and rebounds in summer. In MSAs with warm winter weather, outdoor water use remains significant throughout the year.
Flume Data Labs analysis shows that in the summer months of 2021, homes in Phoenix, Riverside, and Los Angeles MSAs watered a median 3-5 days a week. In Miami, Dallas, and Houston MSAs, this number was around 2-3 days a week. However, in all communities, outdoor watering almost completely disappeared during rain events. This data is vital in understanding outdoor watering patterns as many Western States prepare for extreme drought conditions and are considering restricting or reducing the numbers of watering days allowed. To that point, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a regional wholesaler, just released new outdoor watering restrictions for parts of San Bernardino, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties.
Additional water savings opportunities exist in outdoor landscaping. In the San Francisco Bay Area MSA, outdoor water use by people with pools was significantly higher than those without. Additionally, those that use sprinkler systems use significantly more water outdoors than those that use drip irrigation or a garden hose, as shown in Figure 1.
"Outdoor water use offers the greatest opportunity for water savings in regions that are experiencing drought," said Peter Mayer, P.E., Principal of WaterDM, an expert consultant to the water industry for more than 25 years. "This analysis shows that even during winter months, some form of outdoor use remains a factor in many parts of America - especially in warmer climates. Understanding how and where we use water is essential information for homeowners and water utilities seeking to manage limited supplies."
To learn more about the Flume Data Labs Household Water Use Index and the data shared here, visit Flume Data Labs at www.flumedatalabs.com or contact us at info@flumedatalabs.com.
About Flume Data Labs
Flume Data Labs understands the unique challenges faced by organizations that touch water. Flume Data Labs uses real-time data monitoring to collect and understand how residential water is used. Utilizing a nationwide network of data sensors and one-of-a-kind analysis, Flume Data Labs provides a dynamic informed response to changing conditions and local challenges. To date, Flume Data Labs has tens of thousands of devices installed across the United States. Visit us at www.flumedatalabs.com or contact us at info@flumedatalabs.com to learn more.
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SOURCE Flume, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/planning-drought-look-outdoors/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:36Z |
National Battery Retailer Increases Retail Presence in Multiple States, Adds 18 stores to System's Roster in Q1 Alone
HARTLAND, Wis., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a record breaking 2021, Batteries Plus, the nation's largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and phone repair franchise, is seeing exponential growth rates yet again. In the first quarter alone, the retailer has signed on 10 new owners, with 11 new franchise agreements- equating to 18 stores. With 88 signings under their belt last year, Batteries Plus is experiencing impressive interest from a combination of prospective franchisees and organic growth with current franchisees to expand their retail presence across the country.
The powerful brand has set a goal to sign on 60 stores, while opening 55 by the end of 2022. Included in this growth is 18 new stores and seven openings including the brand's first store in Long Island, New York. And in the southeast and southwestern regions of the U.S., multiple stores are slated to open in 2022 in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Virginia. With an impressive start to 2022, Batteries Plus plans to keep the momentum going with target development markets in the U.S. The franchise is focused on growing its presence in Southern California, as well as the Northeast, specifically in the Philadelphia and Boston markets.
"Our focus for 2022 is to increase our multi-unit signings through organic growth with current franchisees," says Joe Malmuth, Vice President of Franchise Development and Relations for Batteries Plus. "It's proving to be an exciting time for owners at Batteries Plus. And our Q1 numbers are resulting in this period of immense growth, furthermore validating the attraction for entrepreneurs to join our brand."
The organic growth can be attributed to the multi-billion dollar markets that the Batteries Plus franchise model is based on. (Batteries, $110B; Bulbs, $118.3B, Device Repair, $4B, Key Fobs, $4.82B, Smart Home Technology $28.86M). Multi-unit owners can especially benefit from this, allowing them to open locations quickly and making business even more efficient. As well as the brand's stable, lucrative business model being a determinant of the continued interest from prospective franchisees who want to make these resources more available in their communities.
"The past two years have brought tremendous adversity due to the COVID-19 pandemic," says Scott Williams, CEO of Batteries Plus. "Our team was proactively working on the logistical solutions to make sure our franchisees were able to meet their customers' expectations through the supply chain shortages. Batteries Plus prides itself on supplying the necessary resources to power communities, and we are looking for tenacious, passionate entrepreneurs who are looking to invest in our strong business model."
With over 800 store locations in operation and development nationwide, Batteries Plus franchise owners are passionate about providing essential products and services for their local communities. Batteries Plus has also carved out a unique niche in the industry with its 'plus' services – including cell phone repair and key fob replacement – capitalizing on both its knowledge and service offerings. Positioned for the battery-powered future, Batteries Plus supplies fundamental products that power people's lives – boats, golf carts, motorcycles, mobility scooters, thermometers, etc.
Batteries Plus was ranked on Franchise Times Top 400 list, coming in at #130 and for the 29th year in a row, the brand ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list, climbing 69 spots over last year's rank.
To learn more about Batteries Plus, including information on the franchise opportunity or tour a store virtually, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com.
ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS:
Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes®' Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman Public Relations, jstevenson@fishmanpr.com or 224-558-2510
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SOURCE Batteries Plus | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/powerful-start-2022-batteries-plus-rapidly-expands-presence-nationwide/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:43Z |
Advances include enhanced ability for large capital groups to deploy capital at scale
AUSTIN, Texas, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Offerd, the Multifamily Acquisitions-as-a-Service pioneer specializing in sourcing large and off-market complexes with predictive analytics, formally announced a series of significant upgrades to its market-leading platform. The technology features huge volumes of data displayed in a visually rich environment, allowing capital groups to target new markets and specific properties. Offerd augments the technology with services such as making offers to property owners on behalf of partner capital groups. New features in the platform include expanded research capabilities, seamless communications to optimize active strategies, and enhanced visibility into ongoing campaigns. The latest advances go further than ever in enabling Offerd to deliver next-generation technologies and services that greatly expand the market for third-party acquisitions.
"Nearly half of all multifamily acquisitions are still made by the same handful of investors with strong acquisition capabilities in-house. Meanwhile, the multifamily market has made it through the pandemic with greater resilience and vitality than every other real estate segment—there's undeniable potential here for investors in every category," said Travis Farese, founder and CEO of Offerd. "Our core mission is to broaden the universe for this critical discipline: The Acquisitions-as-a-Service model gives investors of all types the same level of sourcing, research, marketing, negotiation, transaction and remodel capabilities that are otherwise available only to the largest multifamily operators. We recognize the need for constant progress in this industry, and we're proud to expand our market reach with new offerings to achieve even greater success."
Offerd's full portfolio of services is designed for one specific purpose: to facilitate additional deal flow. The company works with many multifamily operators, some without the resources or capabilities to focus on more than one market at a time. It delivers integrated services that identify prospects fitting specified parameters, conduct research, commence negotiations, facilitate due diligence and financing, and accelerate closing.
Offerd's list of acquisition partners and transactions continues to accelerate at an ever-faster pace and with national coverage. In each case, Offerd helps partners expand their focus with ideal prospects in new markets that would likely not have been found through traditional sourcing campaigns.
The Offerd platform features a unique database with 100,000 multifamily properties around the country, most of them off-market. It includes rich algorithms, data and demographics that encompass rents, valuations, likelihood to transact, occupancy rates, demographic shifts, neighborhood incomes, population forecasts, educational levels and more. There's specific data in 10,000-plus categories, combined with proprietary analytics and software, to evaluate historical, current and forecasted national, market, sub-market and property-level facts and trends. The company blends technology, proprietary information, market expertise and a nationwide network of contacts to execute targeted sourcing campaigns customized to meet each partner's specific acquisition strategies.
The new technology joins a series of milestones in the company's recent history. Among other achievements, Offerd has sourced more than $5 billion in off-market multifamily assets since 2020. There's also been a hiring spree: Industry veterans and innovators added to the team include a new president of acquisitions and president of investments, and more than two dozen experienced professionals have joined its ranks in just the past few months.
About Offerd
Offerd integrates powerful technology, data intelligence and custom services into one innovative multifamily acquisitions platform. The company is based in Austin, Texas.
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SOURCE Offerd | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/proptech-innovator-offerd-unveils-major-upgrades-market-leading-multifamily-acquisitions-platform/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:49Z |
NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO, OR TO ANY PERSON RESIDENT AND/OR LOCATED IN, ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW
JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero) (the "Issuer") announces the Early Expiration and Early Tender Results of the Tender Offer for cash made by BNP Paribas (the "Offeror") for up to U.S.$1,100 million in aggregate principal amount of the Issuer's Existing Notes listed below. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined in this announcement have the meanings given in the Issuer's announcement dated April 13, 2022 (the "Announcement") in relation to the Tender Offer.
** EARLY TENDER RESULTS SUMMARY **
The Early Expiration Deadline in relation to the Tender Offer occurred at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on April 27, 2022.
As of the Early Expiration Deadline, the Offeror has received valid Early Tender Instructions under the Tender Offer as outline below:
Series of Existing Notes / ISINs (RegS;144A) / Aggregate principal amount tendered / Percentage tendered (of the principal amount of the outstanding Notes)
USD 1,000m 6.530% 2028 Notes / USY7140WAC20; US74445PAC68 / U.S.$653,133,000 / 65.31%
USD 750m 6.757% 2048 Notes / USY7140WAD03; US74445PAD42 / U.S.$376,779,000 / 50.24%
USD 1,250m 5.710% 2023 Notes / USY7140WAB47; US74445PAB85 / U.S.$424,932,000 / 63.02%
** FINAL MAXIMUM ACCEPTANCE AMOUNT **
The Offeror further announces that the final Maximum Acceptance Amount in relation to the Tender Offer shall be U.S.$ 1,100 million in aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes. As the aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes in respect of which valid Early Tender Instructions were received as of the Early Expiration Deadline exceeds the final Maximum Acceptance Amount, no Subsequent Tender Instructions received at or prior to the Expiration Deadline will be accepted by the Offeror.
** EXPIRATION DEADLINE AND FINAL RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT **
The Expiration Deadline of the Tender Offer will be 11:59 p.m. (New York City time) on May 11, 2022, unless extended, terminated or withdrawn. The Offeror will announce the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes tendered, whether the conditions to the Tender Offer (including the Financing Condition and the Accounting Condition) have been satisfied or waived, any Scaling Factors, the principal amount of Existing Notes accepted for purchase and the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes that will remain outstanding following completion of the Tender Offer as soon as reasonably practicable following the Expiration Deadline.
** SETTLEMENT **
All Existing Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Offeror will be settled at the Final Settlement Date, which is expected to be on or about May 16, 2022, unless otherwise extended by the Offeror. On or about the Final Settlement Date, Holders of Existing Notes which have been validly tendered at or prior to the Early Expiration Deadline and accepted for purchase will be paid (x) the Early Tender Consideration plus (y) the relevant Accrued Interest.
It is therefore confirmed that all Existing Notes tendered and accepted will be settled on the Final Settlement Date (and with the relevant Accrued Interest being paid to (but excluding) the Final Settlement Date), provided that the conditions to the Tender Offer have been satisfied or waived and subject to the Offeror's right, in its sole discretion, to extend, re-open, amend, waive in whole or in part any condition to the Tender Offer and/or to withdraw or terminate the Tender Offer, subject to applicable law.
** DEALER MANAGERS **
BNP PARIBAS (liability.management@bnpparibas.com; dl.asia.syndicate@asia.bnpparibas.com / +852 2108 5228)
J.P. Morgan (Head_of_EMEA_DCMG@jpmorgan.com)
Mandiri Securities (dcm.group@mandirisek.co.id / +65 6589 3880)
** THE INFORMATION AND TENDER AGENT **
Morrow Sodali Limited (Email: mindid@investor.morrowsodali.com / Tender Offer Website: https://bonds.morrowsodali.com/MindID / +44 20 4513 6933 / + 852 2319 4130 / +1 203 609 4910)
Requests for information in relation to the procedures for tendering Existing Notes and participating in the Tender Offer should be directed to the Information and Tender Agent. Questions and requests for assistance in connection with the Tender Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers.
** DISCLAIMER **
This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Tender Offer Memorandum dated April 13, 2022, prepared by the Issuer. No offer or invitation to acquire or exchange any Existing Notes is being made pursuant to this announcement. This announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer. If any holder of Existing Notes is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it should seek its own legal, tax and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, from its legal, accounting, financial and other advisers. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent (or their respective directors, employees or affiliates) makes any representation or recommendation whatsoever regarding the Tender Offer Memorandum or the Tender Offer, and none of the Issuer, the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent (or their respective directors, employees or affiliates) makes any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender Existing Notes in the Tender Offer. The Information and Tender Agent is the agent of the Issuer and owes no duty to any Holder.
Nothing in this announcement constitutes an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell securities, including any New Notes, in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. The Existing Notes which are the subject of the Tender Offer and any New Notes have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the securities laws of the United States or any State thereof or the applicable laws of any other jurisdiction.
The Tender Offer does not constitute a public offering or private placement in Indonesia under Law No. 8 of 1995 on Capital Market ("Indonesian Capital Markets Law") and its implementing regulations and the Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) Regulation No. 30/POJK.04/2019 on Private Placement of Debt Securities and/or Sukuk Issuance ("OJK Regulation No. 30"). This announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum may not be distributed in Indonesia, to Indonesian citizens, wherever they are domiciled, or to entities, or to Indonesian residents, in a manner which constitutes a public offering or private placement under the Indonesian Capital Markets Law and OJK Regulation No. 30.
NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR THE TENDER OFFER MEMORANDUM NOR ANY RELATED DOCUMENT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, NOR HAS ANY SUCH DOCUMENT BEEN FILED WITH OR REVIEWED BY ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY COUNTRY. NO AUTHORITY HAS PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE TENDER OFFER OR ANY RELATED DOCUMENTS, AND IT MAY BE UNLAWFUL AND A CRIMINAL OFFENCE TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY.
Tenders of Existing Notes in the Tender Offer will not be accepted from Holders in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities or other laws require the Tender Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, any actions in connection with the Tender Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the Offeror by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.
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SOURCE PT INDONESIA ASAHAN ALUMINIUM (PERSERO) | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/pt-indonesia-asahan-aluminium-persero-early-tender-results-announcement/ | 2022-04-28T16:35:55Z |
PRESCOTT, Ariz., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Radio Design Labs ("RDL") announced today an investment in the company from Vopne Capital.
RDL is the leader in the development and production of high-quality audio, video, and control modules used in professional audio-visual systems. RDL produces mission-critical parts that provide its customers with unsurpassed value and performance. RDL is headquartered in Prescott, AZ, where it designs, develops, and manufactures its products for its customers throughout the US and around the world.
RDL was founded in 1986 by its President, Joel Bump, who will remain with the business. "I am enthusiastic about partnering with Vopne as RDL moves toward its next phase. Their history of investing in and growing family-owned businesses made them an ideal partner for us. They share our values and will continue our legacy of focusing on the highest product quality and service for our customers."
Clay Dukes, Principal at Vopne Capital, added, "RDL is the quality and innovation leader in professional audio-visual components. We are excited to partner with RDL and are ready to hit the ground running to drive future growth and continue RDL's leading position."
About Radio Design Labs
Radio Design Labs ("RDL") is a manufacturer of electronic audio, video, and control products headquartered in Prescott, Arizona. Its products are distributed worldwide for use in commercial and residential audio and video installations and in broadcast and recording facilities. The company is known as the pioneer of application-specific electronic modules. The company produces modules in several trademarked product series, including STICK-ON®, RACK-UP®, and FLAT-PAK™.
About Vopne Capital
Vopne Capital is an operationally focused private equity firm investing in the lower middle market. Vopne partners with management teams of growing, profitable businesses manufacturing engineered products and providing differentiated industrial services. Vopne is currently investing its second fund, Vopne Fund II, LP. For more information, visit www.vopne.com.
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SOURCE Vopne Capital; Radio Design Labs | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/radio-design-labs-announces-equity-investment-vopne-capital/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:02Z |
VARMA WON'T SIT DOWN EVEN IF THE DEBATE COMMITTEE WANTS HIM TO
LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rising Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Ramit Varma has spoken out after it was announced that he would not be included in the main mayoral debate occurring on May 1st at California State University Los Angeles.
Meeting with debate organizers, Varma called into question the institute's perspectives on who should be included in the debate itself. Many of the metrics for inclusion are subjective and, in objective measures such as polling and fundraising, Varma emerges at the top of the list.
Of the news that he was not invited to the debate, Varma laid out the criteria for participation.
"Only 1 has any subjectivity to it – and that one has the 4 parts outlined below. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to give you my thoughts on each one…
1 Media Exposure – Media exposure is massively biased toward 'insider candidates'. Using media appearances to determine who gets media appearances is literally the definition of structural bias.The entire foundation of the social justice movement is based on the idea that this kind of reasoning is flawed. (eg- women are underrepresented on corporate boards because they don't have corporate board experience)
2 Fundraising - Including the $2.5M contribution that I will placing, my fundraising total is over $4M. That puts me in second place behind only Caruso. It puts me ahead of Bass and miles ahead of anyone else in the race. The fact that it is a personal contribution shouldn't matter – as it hasn't mattered that Caruso's entire war chest is from his personal contribution.
3 Polling – According to the latest poll (with a +- 3.5 point margin of error) I am statistically dead even with Feuer and Buscaino. So you have Caruso / Bass, a distant third in De Leon, and then everyone else.
4 Endorsements – Firstly, endorsements are another category biased toward the 'insiders'. Of course the entrenched special interests will favor entrenched candidates.
In conclusion, on the only indisputable metric (fundraising) I am number 2. I am statistically even with 2 of the 5 candidates on the other quantitative metric (polling) and I am systemically disadvantaged on the other 2 (media and endorsements). I think this definitely warrants inclusion in the debate. Ultimately, the League of Women Voters was created to help prevent a male dominated hierarchy. I can't imagine their mission is to replace that with another biased system."
Over the weekend, Varma contributed an additional $2.5M to his campaign. The total fundraise is now over $4M. This puts Varma at #2 (in fundraising) with a sizable lead over Bass.
In a further statement, Varma comments: "I want to live in a city, and a country and a society where ideas and energy rule the day – not favoritism and political expediency. I understand that there will be some work to include me in the debate. And I understand that the simplest and most expedient course is to leave the debate as is. But what is the real downside of including me? That 6 candidates will share 90 minutes instead of 5? That's 15 minutes per person on average as opposed to 18. That one more podium would need to be set up on stage? Ultimately, the challenges are relatively trivial compared to the magnitude of the statement that the debate is truly inclusive and fair – that the public would be able to see a candidate who is not a Democrat, who is of a different generation, and who is a true outsider. The committee has the opportunity to do something important and positive for the city, for the electorate and for all those people who are so discouraged by the idea of local politics that they throw up their hands and ask to be left alone."
It remains vital for Varma to be included in this debate in the name of a fair democratic election truly for everyone in Los Angeles.
You might've seen the billboards or advertisements around the city, but you really need to feel Varma's energy when he speaks aloud. Above all, he loves Los Angeles, resides here with his wife and kids, and believes in its potential to be the greatest city in the not only the U.S., but the world.
So, his platform is simple and focused on three core pillars—Homelessness, Affordability, and Public Safety. If elected mayor, Varma will "Reboot LA" by helping people get off the streets, fighting to decrease the cost of living, and holding politicians accountable.
Varma is running as an independent without ties to any political party or special interest as these problems affect everyone and demand a non-partisan solution.
Be sure to meet him at his next event to be announced soon. He's a New Kind of Mayor.
For more information on the #VoteVarma campaign, visit www.votevarma.com.
ABOUT RAMIT VARMA:
As the son of immigrants, the value of opportunity was never lost on Ramit — just as his father came to the US to build a better life for himself and his family, Ramit came to Los Angeles to do the same. After receiving his MBA from UCLA, he co-founded Revolution Prep, an online tutoring platform dedicated to making tutoring more effective and higher education more attainable for America's youth. He built a company from the ground up centered around giving kids and young adults more opportunities to succeed in life.
Ramit is running for Mayor of Los Angeles because he loves this city. He lives here with his wife and kids and knows first-hand its potential as the greatest city in the world. Like every other Angeleno, however, he has seen that potential become clouded by instability and lawlessness. Varma is running as an Independent and is not tied to any political party or any special interest. He believes the issues our city is facing are non partisan and we need a non partisan leader who will approach things with practicality, rationality, and empathy.
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SOURCE Varma for Mayor 2022 | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/rising-los-angeles-mayoral-candidate-ramit-varma-speaks-out-against-debate-exclusion/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:09Z |
NEW YORK, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Grab Holdings Limited f/k/a Altimeter Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: GRAB, GRABW) between November 12, 2021 and March 3, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important May 16, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Grab securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Grab class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3876 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 16, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Grab's driver supply declined during the third quarter; (2) as a result, Grab continued to invest heavily in driver and consumer incentives to "preemptively recalibrate driver supply"; (3) as a result, Grab's financial results would be adversely impacted, including, among other things, a significant decline in revenue; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Grab's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Grab class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3876 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-grab-holdings-limited-fka-altimeter-growth-corp-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-may-16-deadline-securities-class-action-grab-grabw/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:16Z |
- This innovative partnership will secure Louisiana's role in the growing offshore wind industry
- GNO, Inc. will leverage RWE's extensive expertise in offshore wind to develop a path for existing Louisiana companies to become part of a national supply chain
- This groundbreaking initiative will consist of targeted workshops and interviews with the goal of releasing a detailed Louisiana offshore wind supplier database
BOSTON, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RWE Renewables, one of the globally leading companies in offshore wind, will collaborate with Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) and GNOwind Alliance to build a program that will accelerate the engagement of Louisiana's supply chain with offshore wind and benefit all Louisianians.
Over the next six months, GNO, Inc. will host a series of informational workshops and company-specific interviews with the aim of identifying existing Louisiana companies with transferable capabilities for offshore wind. The goal is to provide leading energy companies, like RWE, with actionable supply chain contacts to fulifll their goals of deploying several gigawatts of offshore wind power. Louisiana companies interested in participating in this innovative public-private initiative can register to receive more information at locate.gnoinc.org/wind.
"There is a natural connection between Louisiana's historical strength in offshore oil and gas development and services, and the future needs of offshore wind," said Michael Hecht, President & CEO, Greater New Orleans, Inc. "We are thrilled to partner with RWE Renewables to help Louisiana's companies train their workforce and translate their capacities for enormous opportunity for offshore wind in Louisiana."
According to a recent report by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the demand for offshore wind projects will drive a domestic supply chain with the potential of supporting 65,000 well-paying U.S. jobs. From turbines to foundations manufacturing, reaching the national target of 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 will require a fully-integrated value chain of suppliers and services companies. The Gulf of Mexico, and Louisiana in particular, has the potential to play a disproportionate role in the responding to the needs of the burgeoining U.S. offshore wind industry.
"Louisiana plans are still in preparation, but our team has had very positive experiences developing supply chain 'pathfinder' programs in which we engage with a range of local companies to share information about the specific needs of the offshore wind industry, learn more about their capabilities, and identify new possibilities to bring value to the nascent offshore wind market in the Gulf of Mexico," said Sam Eaton, Executive Vice President Offshore Wind Development, RWE Renewables Americas.
Offshore wind energy is an important component to achieving Louisiana's climate emission reduction plans. In its recently adopted Climate Action Plan, the state proposed a goal of 5GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035. In addition, a legislative measure (HB 165) to expand the size of wind leases in state waters cleared the Louisiana House of Representatives and is expected to pass the Senate in the upcoming weeks – further accelerating the deployment of commercial offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico. Based on RWE Renewables' significant experience working in onshore and offshore wind markets, the biggest challenge is often helping companies throughout all tiers of the supply chain understand how they can fit into the new offshore wind market.
"Rapidly evolving innovations in alternative forms of energy, like offshore wind, have created opportunities for new jobs and commerce here in Louisiana," said Representative Jerome "Zee" Zeringue, of the Louisiana House of Representatives. "In this case, it isn't a matter of choosing between oil and gas or new energy, it's all of the above. This is the time to take advantage of decades of experience our companies have in the field, a world-class infrastructure for energy processing and distribution, and a highly-trained workforce and create an environment where success will not just be a goal, but a sure thing."
"I am excited to see the investment and partnership that RWE and GNO, Inc. are making to accelerate the development of the offshore wind supply chain here in Louisiana," said Gov. John Bel Edwards. "This effort represents another tangible step in the implementation of the state's Climate Action Plan and will help Louisiana businesses capitalize on opportunities in the burgeoning offshore wind industry."
"Louisiana has a distinguished history of providing energy to the region and the nation as a whole, and wind energy will no doubt play a key part in supporting our leadership role in that field as we move forward to a more carbon-aware clean energy future," said Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Tom Harris.
The announcement of the collaboration was made at the Floating Wind Solutions conference in Houston, March 1, where RWE Renewables was a lead sponsor.
RWE Renewables is engaging with economic development agencies across the country to learn how we can support their supply chain development initiatives.
RWE is one of the world's leading companies in offshore wind, active across the entire value chain, from project conception and development to construction as well as operation and maintenance. The unparalleled expertise the company has earned over the last 20 years has resulted in 17 wind farms in operation. The company secured area OCS-A 0539 in the New York Bight offshore lease auction in the U.S. with a potential to host 3 GW of capacity, enough to power 1.1 million U.S. homes. The company also recently finished successfully the installation of all turbines of the 857 MW offshore wind farm Triton Knoll off the English Coast. Two more projects, the 342-megawatt project Kaskasi, off the German island Heligoland, and the 1.4 GW project Sofia, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world, are currently under construction.
Greater New Orleans, Inc. is the regional economic development nonprofit organization serving the 10-parish region of Southeast Louisiana that includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. GNO, Inc. works together with the business community; local, state, and federal governments; and other regional stakeholders to coordinate, consolidate, and catalyze action on key issues and opportunities that maximize job and wealth creation and retention, are relevant to the region as a whole, and create systematic impact.
For more information, go to americas.rwe.com.
RWE
RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With an extensive investment and growth strategy, the company will expand its powerful, green generation capacity to 50 gigawatts internationally by 2030. RWE is investing €50 billion gross for this purpose in this decade. The portfolio is based on offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas.
RWE Supply & Trading provides tailored energy solutions for large customers. RWE has locations in the attractive markets of Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The company is responsibly phasing out nuclear energy and coal. Government-mandated phaseout roadmaps have been defined for both of these energy sources. RWE employs around 19,000 people worldwide and has a clear target: to get to net zero by 2040. On its way there, the company has set itself ambitious targets for all activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative has confirmed that these emission reduction targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. Very much in the spirit of the company's purpose: Our energy for a sustainable life.
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SOURCE RWE Renewables | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/rwe-teams-up-with-greater-new-orleans-inc-engage-louisiana-offshore-supply-chain/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:23Z |
JOHANNESBURG, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasol ecoFT has signed a letter of intent with Sollefteå municipality in collaboration with Sweden's energy company Uniper, to investigate the possibility of establishing an industry-scale production facility for sustainable aviation fuel. Once built, this highly innovative industrial plant, will contribute to the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.
Taking place under the joint venture SkyFuelH2, the ambition is to produce sustainable aviation fuel based on green hydrogen and carbon from biomass using the Fischer-Tropsch process. The process is based on Sasol's world-class proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology.
Långsele in Sollefteå is the natural site selection for SkyFuelH2, not least thanks to the municipality's ambitious growth targets and its supply of renewable electricity, carbon from biomass, and suitable land areas.
"We are excited to leverage our proven Fischer-Tropsch technology and 70 years of experience in running complex, integrated operations to produce and market fuels and chemicals. By applying green hydrogen and sustainable carbon sources as feedstock in our proprietary Power-to-Liquids (PtL) process, we can now produce sustainable fuels, thereby contributing to a thriving planet, our society and enterprises," said Fleetwood Grobler, President and CEO of Sasol Limited.
Swedish Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson said SkyFuelH2 is crucial for the evolution of the aviation industry.
"The joint venture is a great example of how new technology can enable the green transition in the north of Sweden."
Following the letter of intent, work now continues to further evaluate the feasibility to establish SkyFuelH2 in Långsele, Sollefteå.
For more information, please contact:
Ezena Reyneke
Brand and Communications Lead, Sasol ecoFT
Tel: +27 (82) 776 0855
E-Mail: ezena.reyneke@sasol.com
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SOURCE Sasol ecoFT | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/sasol-ecoft-swedens-uniper-partner-produce-sustainable-aviation-fuel-through-skyfuelh2/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:30Z |
Stevie winners will be presented their awards on June 13, 2022
in New York City
AUSTIN, Texas and BOULDER, Colo., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smarter Sorting, a consumer goods data and sustainability company, was today named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award for Achievement in Product Innovation in The 20th Annual American Business Awards®.
The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.'s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.
Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning "crowned," the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Monday, June 13. Tickets are now on sale.
More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Smarter Sorting was nominated in the Achievement in Product Innovation category.
Smarter Sorting's winning award entry highlighted how its unique data lake and proprietary software map the ingredients and chemistry of products, and using computational mathematics, it matches this data to federal and state regulations plus retailers' policies. The Back of Store System (BOSS) taps into this cloud-based decision engine to accurately determine the best way retailers can dispose of unsold or damaged products, or whether they could be donated to charity. And if the retailer partners with US Ecology, the company's Back of Store System (BOSS) syncs with US Ecology trucks so its technicians know exactly when to schedule pick-ups, what waste to pick up and how much to expect.
One of the award judges commented: "This is an excellent solution with a great mission of sustainability, safety and environment. Plus a humanitarian purpose to increase donation capabilities for retailers."
"I'm extremely proud of our team," said Jacqueline Claudia, CEO of Smarter Sorting. "We have shown making better decisions for the environment is just good business. The unique way we use data, science and technology delivers a cost-effective and scalable solution for retailers and brands."
More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners.
"We are so pleased that we will be able to stage our first ABA awards banquet since 2019 and to celebrate, in person, the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations and individuals," said Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards.
Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2022 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.
About Smarter Sorting
Based in Boulder, Colo., Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, Smarter Sorting helps companies make, market and move consumer products better. Its customers include national discount club stores and supermarkets, as well as the brands they sell. The company's customers use its Product Intelligence Platform to gain product insights and identify how to best handle regulated consumer products across the supply chain to remain compliant, avoid fines and reduce their environmental impact. Awards for innovation, impact and employee experience include: Fast Company Most Innovative Companies, Built In Best Place to Work, Real Leader Impact Award and SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award. Smarter Sorting is an Unreasonable Impact company.
About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.
Sponsors of The 2022 American Business Awards include HCL America, John Hancock Financial Services, Melissa Sones Consulting, and SoftPro.
Contact:
Terri Douglas, Catapult
press@smartersorting.com
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SOURCE Smarter Sorting | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/smarter-sorting-honored-gold-stevie-award-winner-2022-american-business-awards/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:39Z |
DARIEN, Conn. , April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile Coffee Werks® proudly announces approval from the Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) to its ever-growing list of environmental certifications. CMA is the national standard in determining how well products break down in actual, large-scale compost manufacturing technologies. It represents the growing partnership of compost manufacturing facilities and product manufacturers collaborating to vet compostables for real-world industrial processes via lab tests, field tests, and practical "continuous improvement" strategies.
Smile Coffee Werks® exclusively produces compostable products and backs them with facts while always providing certifications. Combined with our Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), Carbon Neutral, and USDA Biobased certifications, CMA's composter approved logo is yet another validation that Smile® pods break down in composting. Smile® understands the importance of third-party testing and puts its pods to the test to eliminate consumer and trade confusion while elevating convenience, particularly as state and local laws increase scrutiny of recycling and compostable claims.
No other coffee pod can match our certification. After three years of collaboration with CMA, Smile® adjusted its formula and filters to pass windrow testing. Our plant-based pod's feasibility under windrow composting elevates the environmental convenience of Smile® as many US composting facilities utilize windrow composting.
Co-Founder Frankie Schuster stated, "Our customers are having a hard time keeping up with the everchanging environmental restrictions on a national, state and local level. We make it turn-key for them because all our certifications address these changes. Smile is proud that our entire coffee pod system is the first to be CMA-windrow approved and that we can now show consumers and composters that our packaging is 'composter approved.'"
Janet Thoman, Compliance Director at CMA, stated, "Smile Coffee Werks' commitment to working with compost manufacturers, ASTM labs and product design experts demonstrate their commitment to getting things right at the highest level. They have spent years to achieve this, and I hope others will follow Smile's example to help us make the system work for receiving facilities, product manufacturers and for the planet. The team at Smile is an example of compostables done right!"
To learn more about Smile Coffee Werks®, visit SmileCoffeeWerks.com.
© 2021, Smile Coffee Werks
Smile Coffee Werks and the green coffee pod are U.S. registered trademarks of Smile Beverage Werks, LLC. All rights reserved. Commercial composting facilities may not exist in your area. Visit FindAComposter.com to find a compost facility near you!
About Smile Beverage Werks PBC
Smile Beverage Werks, PBC is a Delaware Public Benefits Corporation with a sustainability mission. We are committed to developing and manufacturing compostable food and beverage packaging including single-use coffee pods, straws, and bags. Founded by serial entrepreneur Michael Sands and green construction expert Frank Schuster, Smile Beverage Werks® produces the only commercially compostable, carbon neutral coffee pods not requiring any additional film for shelf life or a separation of lid, filter, and grounds for disposal. Follow @smilecoffeewerks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram or visit our website SmileCoffeeWerks.com to learn more.
About the Compost Manufacturing Alliance
The Compost Manufacturing Alliance is a nationwide partnership of compost manufacturing facilities providing certification and field disintegration testing of compostable food service products for a growing network of compost facilities across North America. Learn more at www.compostmanufacturingalliance.com.
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SOURCE Smile Beverage Werks PBC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/smile-coffee-werks-pod-is-first-only-achieve-composting-manufacturing-alliance-windrow-certification/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:51Z |
Standard Chartered leverages Saphyre's patented AI platform for the onboarding and maintenance of buy-side funds.
HOBOKEN, N.J., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saphyre, a fintech company using patent-approved AI technology to solve pre-trade setups and post-trade issues, announces that Standard Chartered Capital Markets division has joined the community of financial institutions using the Saphyre platform for new fund onboardings and maintenance.
Standard Chartered has been collaborating with Saphyre on providing straight through processing of account setups to speed the time to market to provide immediate liquidity as well as seamless post-trade allocations and settlement.
Saphyre's automated process reduces risk and inefficiencies by eliminating manual tasks for both buy- and sell-side teams, resulting in greater time efficiencies and cost savings. The Saphyre platform reduces the time to set-up a new fund significantly, while also providing any updated data related to the fund.
Gabino Roche, CEO & Founder at Saphyre shared: "It's exciting to officially announce that Standard Chartered is on the Saphyre endeavor. They adopted our technology early on and since then seen efficiencies for their middle and back office operations during account setups while receiving feedback from their clients on a great experience. By having them as part of the network, buy-side firms gain operational benefits and speed to market."
About Saphyre:
Saphyre leverages patented AI technology to digitize all pre-trade data and activities across multiple counterparties: from asset owners to investment managers, hedge funds to prime brokers, any client firms to broker-dealers and custodians, and much more. Saphyre's platform maintains memory of data and documents, resulting in clients not having to search or resubmit information, and expedites flow in a digitally structured manner so that it can be consumed and understood by any permissioned counterparty in the finance industry. This allows firms not only to assess risk faster, but they can speed their onboarding processes, get real-time ready-to-trade statuses per account, and eliminate 70%-75% of redundant or inefficient post-trade activities. Learn more at https://www.saphyre.com.
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SOURCE Standard Chartered; Saphyre, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/standard-chartered-joins-saphyre-endeavor/ | 2022-04-28T16:36:57Z |
TORONTO, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) will release its first quarter 2022 financial results on Wednesday, May 11, after markets close. Sun Life will hold its earnings conference call and live webcast at 10:00 a.m. ET the following day.
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
To listen to the live webcast and view the presentation slides, visit www.sunlife.com/QuarterlyReports 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation. An archive will be available on the website following the event.
To listen via telephone, please call 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time as follows:
Participant Dial In (Toll Free): 1 (877) 658-9101, conference ID 6588671
Participant Dial In (International): (602) 563-8756, conference ID 6588671
A replay of the conference call will be available from Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 1 p.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 26, 2022 by calling 404-537-3406 or 1-855-859-2056 (toll free within North America) using Conference ID: 6588671.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance, and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.44 trillion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars
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SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/sun-life-hosts-first-quarter-2022-earnings-conference-call/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:04Z |
In a major step towards developing the next generation of inkjet printers, production print workers and designers, thINK and Canon Solutions America have teamed to support Print[ED] in developing and delivering accredited instruction to high school print and graphics programs throughout the USA to develop the future generation workforce.
BOCA RATON, Fla., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America inkjet customers, today announced they have teamed with Canon Solutions America to help the development of the future workforce by supporting the Print[ED] program, which is designed to provide accredited instruction to high school print and graphics programs throughout the United States.
"We couldn't be more excited to team with Print[ED] to launch this very important initiative. Print[ED] is the only high school accreditation program recognized in multiple states across the country. By reaching the next generation of printers, production workers, and designers, we are not only nurturing and setting our youth up for success, but also developing the next generation of talent for the print industry," Todd Roth, thINK Board President said.
The program will feature in-person class learning, online learning, and hands-on training at Canon Solutions America production inkjet customer sites. Details of the initiative will be unveiled at the upcoming thINK Ahead 2022 conference, July 18-20 in Boca Raton, Florida. thINK Ahead 2022 is currently open to all Canon Solutions America production inkjet customers — to register, visit thINKforum.com/attend.
"Print[ED] instructors are role models and influencers to high school students, and with the support of Canon Solutions America and thINK, they will now have unprecedented collaboration and support to set up students for career success while fostering the next generation of workers to become knowledgeable, trained, and ready to enter the workforce and help grow the print industry," Paul Foster, Print[ED] Director said.
"As leaders of the production inkjet industry, Canon Solutions America is pleased to take the lead in collaborating with the Canon customer inkjet user group, thINK, to support Print[ED] by creating inkjet training programs and bringing students together with our inkjet customers to help develop our future workforce," said Tonya Powers, Director of Marketing, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America.
"Bringing together the inkjet expertise and resources of Canon Solutions America and thINK with Print[ED] creates a unique opportunity to provide industry-leading competencies to high school students throughout the country and will ensure that both instructors and students have access to learning the latest advances in our industry," said Francis A. McMahon, Executive Vice President, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America.
This unique Print[ED] program will launch August 2022 and will team online learning and live instruction with local on-site print apprenticeships.
Print[ED] — The Future Starts Here
Print[ED] is the only accreditation program that provides industry-leading print competencies, including inkjet technologies, to high school students throughout the country, reaching the next generation of printers, production workers, and designers to not only nurture and set our youth up for success, but develop the next generation of talent for the print industry. This unique program features in class learning, online learning, and hands-on training at Canon Solutions America production inkjet customer sites. Canon Solutions America and thINK are proud Executive sponsors.
thINK
thINK is an independent community of Canon Solutions America inkjet customers, solution partners, and print industry experts, and Canon Solutions America is a proud executive sponsor. Led by some of the most successful inkjet service providers in the country, it provides a forum for members to network, gain knowledge, discuss common challenges, and share best practices. For more information, visit thinkforum.com.
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SOURCE thINK | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/think-canon-solutions-america-join-forces-support-printed-grow-future-workforce-printing-graphics-industry/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:11Z |
New offering aligns with industry shift towards healthcare consumerism and empowers life science leaders to deliver highly personalized patient support experiences
MORRISVILLE, N.C., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TrialCard Incorporated today announced the launch of PatientLink by TrialCard, its new enterprise SaaS platform designed to simplify patient access and engagement with Patient Support Programs (PSPs) while improving adherence to medications. Through configurable services and multi-system interoperability, PatientLink delivers an omnichannel experience that brings life science leaders one step closer to meeting the needs of today's demanding healthcare marketplace.
The impact of consumerism within the broader healthcare ecosystem is evidenced by the growth of telehealth services, the adoption of self-pay platforms, and the demand for price transparency. Research shows that Americans expect these same user-friendly, technology-centric experiences from life science and pharmaceutical companies.1 PSPs offer a robust suite of services to reduce the administrative barriers commonly associated with accessing and affording specialty healthcare products. These service offerings, when combined with a self-service digital experience, represent one of the most significant opportunities to align with the life science industry's shift toward healthcare consumerism.
"The consumerization of the US healthcare system, a crowded specialty healthcare market, and the rapid proliferation of digital technology have created an urgency to change the way life science companies deliver support and engage with patients," said Scott Dulitz, TrialCard's President and Chief Strategy Officer. "Today, meeting patients where they are is no longer a 'nice to have' – it's an imperative."
Programs delivered through PatientLink are accessible across multiple platforms and communication channels, including mobile, web, SMS text, and email. Through PatientLink, patients can choose from an array of support services, including compliant payment vehicles, click-to-chat capabilities, and dynamically delivered and curated branded content. Online eligibility checks and copay estimator tools help patients understand their insurance coverage and anticipated out-of-pocket costs. Cross-platform interoperability, standard API libraries, and a robust configurability engine expedite time to market while providing a more holistic representation of a patient's longitudinal health journey.
"The integration of digitally enabled communication channels into traditional PSPs can also drive significant operational and cost efficiencies. Over 80% of inbound calls into our Patient Experience Center are related to patient copay card questions," added Joe Abdalla, President and Chief Commercial Officer at TrialCard. "We can now significantly reduce call volume and cost for our clients by making that information available to patients on an on-demand and self-serve basis."
"PatientLink by TrialCard brings next-generation technology empowered patient support to the life sciences industry," said Molly Stallings, Vice President, PatientLink and Patient Experience at TrialCard. "It's exciting that TrialCard is at the forefront, leading our clients through this transitional period."
To learn more, please click here or contact us at sales@trialcard.com for a demonstration of the PatientLink by TrialCard platform.
About TrialCard
TrialCard Incorporated is a full-service life sciences commercialization company that provides comprehensive solutions that span the entire biopharmaceutical value chain. In addition to a foundation of fully integrated, digitally enabled patient support services, its broader offerings include everything from late-stage clinical trial supply management to post-marketing HCP engagement services and proprietary data-as-a-service payer intelligence and insights. Founded in 2000, TrialCard provides commercialization support for more than 400 life science customers and has connected over 36 million patients with more than $22 billion in branded drug savings to date. The company is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. For more information about TrialCard, please visit www.trialcard.com.
Contact:
Landy Townsend
VP, Marketing & Communications
TrialCard Incorporated
ltownsend@trialcard.com
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SOURCE TrialCard Incorporated | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/trialcard-launches-patientlink-digital-patient-support-platform/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:19Z |
New features released provide next-level support for project-based businesses
DULLES, Va., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The first quarter of 2022 further demonstrated Unanet's rapid growth in the ERP and CRM markets for government contractors (GovCons) and architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms, the company announced today. Unanet continued to win over marquee customers in both segments, many of which switched from entrenched software providers in order to benefit from Unanet's purpose-built, modern solutions coupled with industry-leading customer service.
In the first quarter, Unanet won many new customers in the AEC and GovCon industries including:
o Fortune-Johnson o Laine Federal
o J Brown Professional Group o Precis Commissioning
o L. Alan Grinham Architect Inc. o Training Technologies & Support (TTS)
"More than one-third of Unanet's customers come from a competitor because we offer a better option that's purpose-built for their particular businesses," said Craig Halliday, CEO of Unanet. "Our customer-first approach ensures that our software is designed and enhanced with their input and needs in mind, and that we back everything up with the industry's best customer service. All of this is validated by our business growth and independent analysis such as G2 Research. I'm proud of this team that continues to generate this level of success, and we look forward to serving more customers throughout 2022."
In the first quarter, Unanet received numerous third-party accolades that underscore how the company is becoming the market leader. CUSTOMER Magazine named Unanet CRM by Cosential a 2022 Product of the Year, based on the success AEC firms have had with its business development features. Additionally, Unanet was named among the best in the latest rankings from G2 Research. Among all project-based ERP products, Unanet ERP GovCon surpassed entrenched market competitors and was named:
- The best in the "High-Performer" category
- The best for "ease of use"
- The best for "ease of doing business with"
- The best for "quality of support."
Unanet ERP AE, outperformed numerous competitors and ranked:
- The best for "ease of admin"
- The best for "ease of doing business with"
- The best for "ease of setup."
Another critical metric in the G2 report is that 91% of users would recommend Unanet to others, far surpassing the industry standard.
Unanet's customers rank the company so high in part for its modern, purpose-built functionality including industry-leading analytics and dashboards and due to the simplicity of implementation and start-up. In Q1, Unanet rolled out new features that were thoughtfully designed with customers' success in mind, with features that help small, mid-size and enterprise businesses scale seamlessly so they can keep their fast-paced cultures while still having the structure, tools, and insights needed to thrive. Mobile enhancements, invoicing, Gantt charts, workflow features and more advanced analytics were all part of Unanet's Q1 release.
Unanet has already started to build momentum in Q2, with its annual conference, Champions 2022, taking place in Phoenix May 1-3. The event has drawn significant interest among its thriving user community who are eager to connect, share best practices, and engage with the company and their peers.
"Customers are tired of being told how to run their businesses by their technology vendors," continued Halliday. "Our success is due to our ability to listen to customers, understand what they want to make their business thrive, and build technology for them."
About Unanet
Unanet is a leading provider of project-based ERP and CRM solutions purpose-built for Government Contractors, architecture, engineering, construction, and professional services. More than 3,400 project-driven organizations depend on Unanet to turn their information into actionable insights, drive better decision-making, and accelerate business growth. All backed by a people-centered team invested in the success of your projects, people, and financials. For more information, visit www.unanet.com.
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SOURCE Unanet | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/unanet-demonstrates-continued-momentum-first-quarter-winning-erp-crm-market-share-with-innovation-customer-service/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:25Z |
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UnityPoint Health® is one of the top places to work in healthcare in the U.S. according to a national healthcare trade publication.
Becker's Hospital Review included UnityPoint Health on their 2022 list of "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare." The list highlights hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies that promote diversity within the workforce, employee engagement and professional growth.
"I am extremely proud that UnityPoint Health is listed among the '150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare' in the U.S.," said UnityPoint Health President and CEO Clay Holderman. "This recognition is affirmation of the commitment we have to our strong culture and to our team members, showing them just how much they matter to this world."
UnityPoint Health has worked diligently to invest in team members in three key areas:
- Team Member Empowerment – In 2021, we raised minimum pay to $15 per hour and provided all team members with COVID appreciation bonuses. We also updated our onboarding and orientation process to enhance team members' first impression experience to build culture and drive retention.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) – In 2022, we hired a chief diversity officer, who leads our system and regional DEI efforts to focus on ensuring all team members feel like they belong at UnityPoint Health. We have established various focus and employee resource groups where team members can share backgrounds, experiences and discuss strategies to make UnityPoint Health a more inclusive work environment. We also provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ team members to do their best work.
- Leadership Effectiveness – UnityPoint Health offers resources around teambuilding, engagement and retention to help leaders and team members continue to grow in their careers at UnityPoint Health. We also support team members through performance management, merit increases, You Matter Day and offer recognition opportunities like Honoring YOU, where leaders and team members can commend colleagues for accomplishments, big and small.
UnityPoint Health is also investing in mental health support. "The pandemic has taken an enormous toll on all health care workers, and they need time and space to heal," said UnityPoint Health Chief Human Resources Officer Aaron Gillingham. "UnityPoint Health has prioritized mental health and well-being resources for all team members in 2021 and 2022 and encourage those who need help to feel comfortable talking about it."
Mental and Emotional Health Resources offered by UnityPoint Health include:
- Employee Assistance Program – Confidential and compassionate support for team members and their immediate family members offering support for depression, anxiety, marital problems and substance abuse
- HealBright – Accessible self-paced mental and emotional wellness classes
- Well-being Classes – Instructor-led classes that include topics like Change Resilience and Burning Bright Instead of Burning Out
- Wellbeats – Free access to more than 1,000 fitness, nutrition and mindfulness classes for all ages and abilities
- Workplace Violence Prevention – Safety practices are prioritized with de-escalation and problem-solving courses, and are rolled out systemwide
UnityPoint Health is the only health system in Iowa to be named to this year's list and is one of only a handful of health systems in Illinois and Wisconsin to be included.
For individuals interested in joining our team, search the career page on our website: unitypoint.org/joinourteam.
About UnityPoint Health
UnityPoint Health is one of the nation's most integrated health systems, providing care to both metropolitan and rural communities across Iowa, western Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, UnityPoint Health has relationships with more than 450 physician clinics, 20 regional and 19 community network hospitals, 7 community mental health centers, 4 accredited colleges and home care services throughout its 9 regions. UnityPoint Health entities employ more than 33,000 employees who are dedicated to making it easier for people to live well. More at unitypoint.org.
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SOURCE UnityPoint Health | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/unitypoint-health-named-among-150-top-places-work-healthcare/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:35Z |
Gathering of power industry and solar science experts in April focuses on early warning needs and opportunities
LOUISVILLE, Colo., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Often, our electric grid functions at the whim of the natural world's powerful forces – wind, lightning, Sun. As the solar cycle ramps back up in activity, the power grid reawakens to the threat of space weather, which has the potential to push the system beyond its tipping point. Space weather is a global and imminent threat. In 2013 it was estimated to have the same likelihood of occurrence as "pandemic influenza,"1 which we are unfortunately now too familiar with. But society is less prepared for a space weather disaster than we were for a pandemic.
Power grids are complex systems and solar activity resulting in geomagnetic storms can wreak havoc on grid infrastructure. Current ability to predict such storms exists, but is only as mature as weather prediction was 50 years ago. This makes clear communication between scientists, emergency managers, and those in charge of the power grid essential. Such communications are often stymied by lack of common vocabulary and technical focus and understanding between the groups.
Orion Space Solutions' (OSS) Ryan McGranaghan2 and his university and power grid collaborators strive to change this reality through the concept of convergence,3 or a radical merging of innovative ideas, approaches, and technologies from a diverse range of sectors and expertise. Through a National Science Foundation-funded workshop (Award Number: AGS-2131047) and with the understanding that to reimagine grid resilience, data from diverse fields must be open and broadly usable and the traditionally disparate communities must be connected, McGranaghan brought together experts from diverse fields to share expertise and take advantage of the spectrum of innovation, knowledge, and assets available within and across these groups. The group was animated by three questions:
- What are the research and development and operational gaps that emerge from a holistic view of the Sun-to-Power Grid system and what solutions can we imagine to address them?
- What is the composition of the teams that can create these solutions?
- How do we connect these gaps to existing programs and form bridges across them?
"We designed this event based on a convergence approach to Sun-to-Power Grid resilience, recognizing that national-scale societal challenges require transdisciplinary collaboration and novel ways to facilitate it," says Dr. McGranaghan. "So, we created a simulation game enabling individuals from every part of the system to communicate, learn, and understand."
The interactions were facilitated through an extreme space weather simulation game--a table-top exercise coupled with simulation and observational data in an interactive environment designed to reveal novel research and development gaps for the Sun-to-power grid system. The game identified linkages across knowledge areas to better anticipate, understand, and respond to effects of space weather on the nation's power grids.
The three-day workshop generated new understanding about the complex Sun-to-power grid system by converging the range of communities that are involved, identifying research and development and operational gaps, as well as proposing solutions for those gaps. In a close and unique, partnership with RWI Synthetics,4 the group highlighted the human dimension of socio-economic impacts of outage by synthesizing the entire population of Washington DC, including social, economic, and medical details to model individualized impacts of outage on an urban population.
The three days included: the simulation game, synthesizing lessons learned and gaps identified, as well as systems-building, which teamed data scientists and domain scientists and engineers to prototype solutions. Critical outcomes include:
- A "Lessons Learned" database that covers ways to achieve convergent interactions and guidance for future Sun-to-power grid interactions;
- Enumerated and organized R&D gaps to guide the community in setting policy, prioritizing and directing resources, and identifying new research projects; and
- A knowledge base of simulation data, relevant publications, a community exchange platform, and a template for running simulation games.
The workshop is the next step in NSF's successful Convergence Accelerator Project, the "Convergence Hub for the Exploration of Space Science (CHESS),"5 which pioneered the paradigm-shifting convergent approach to Sun-to-power grid research, development, and operations.
"Space weather is about societal resilience, multiphysics, and multiscale. This simulation game embodied all three facets," says Dr. Mangala Sharma, Program Director for Space Weather Research at the NSF.
The community the CHESS project has cultivated, along with existing programs and projects in the field, includes representatives from NSF, NASA, Department of Energy, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, North American Electric Reliability Corporation , United States Geological Survey , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , several national space weather programs, and numerous academic and private institutions.
About Orion Space Solutions: Orion Space Solutions (OSS) was born from the vision to apply fundamental space physics knowledge to real-world problems. Founded in 2005, OSS is a leader in the "New Space" small-satellite industry. We leverage our scientific and engineering expertise to develop unique solutions to address complex space physics disciplines, instrumentation, modeling capabilities, and data analytics; OSS turns science into data, data into knowledge.
Contact: Bill Adams
Phone: 949-547-8554
Email: bill.adams@orionspace.com
www.orionspace.com
_____________________________
1 https://assets.lloyds.com/assets/pdf-solar-storm-risk-to-the-north-american-electric-grid/1/pdf-Solar-Storm-Risk-to-the-North-American-Electric-Grid.pdf
2 http://www.ryanmcgranaghan.com/
3 https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/convergence/index.jsp
4 https://rwisynthetics.com/
5 https://www.chessscience.com/
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SOURCE Orion Space Solutions | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/uptick-solar-activity-parallels-discussion-effects-space-weather-electrical-grid/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:41Z |
Collectors Can Prepare for a Whole New Perspective on the VeVe App this Month
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VeVe, the largest mobile-first digital collectibles platform, has announced a new partnership with legendary 'reverspective' artist Patrick Hughes to bring a series of his famous art pieces to the platform on Saturday, April 30 at 8 a.m. PT for $200.00 each.
Hughes, who is most famous for his reverspective pieces, specializes in optical and visual illusions, the science of perception and the nature of artistic representation. In the initial drop, fans will be able to purchase two of his classic works exclusively through the VeVe app, available to download on the App Store and Google Play.
"Patrick Hughes is one of the most influential artists of this generation and we believe our dedicated community of collectors will love displaying his famed optical illusion pieces as digital works of art in their virtual showrooms," said David Yu, Co-Founder of VeVe. "We believe VeVe is a wonderful way for artists to gain exposure to new audiences and memorialize their works digitally forever."
The collectibles part of the Patrick Hughes Series 1 include:
- Contemplating Venice - Offers six planes in reverse perspective where each window, door, balcony and balustrade in perspective is pointing the way to the horizon even though the structure is going in the reverse direction. The shimmering reflections and shadows in the water help the whole image to move from left to right and up and down.
- Crate Expectations - When viewing from the front, it appears to go away towards infinity, as well as turning and twisting as the reverspective structure is viewed by a moving observer or video camera.
Through the VeVe platform, fans can showcase their digital collections in the app's virtual showrooms as epic 3D dioramas, as well as virtually visit, comment on and like showrooms from other collectors. VeVe also offers an augmented reality (AR) photo mode that allows collectors to interact with every digital collectible in 3D, as well as share their collectibles through VeVe's in-app social feed or on external social platforms. In addition, VeVe uses Ethereum's layer 2 scaling protocol, Immutable X, providing a 99.9% reduction in environmental footprint.
To learn more about the VeVe app, please visit the official website here. Image assets can be found here.
About Patrick Hughes:
Patrick held his first solo show in 1961 at the Portal Gallery, London. It was the first one-man show by a Pop Artist, though they were not even called that then. A few years later, Hughes made two seminal reverse perspective works, Infinity and Sticking-out Room. In the 1970s Hughes' name became synonymous with rainbow paintings, which also became very popular as prints and as postcards; people enjoyed them as decoration, but for Hughes the rainbow represented a solid experience. In the late 1980s Hughes revisited exploiting the difference between perspective and reverspective and solidifying space. For the last 25 years his 3-D reverspective paintings have been hughesually in demand, exhibited around the world and featured in many public collections. The experience of seeing a Patrick Hughes sculptured painting in reality is really to experience unreality and the paradox of illusory space and movement.
About VeVe:
Founded in 2018, VeVe was created by collectors, for collectors to bring premium licensed NFT digital collectibles to the mass market. With over 2.6 million active users and over 4 million NFTs sold, VeVe is the largest mobile-first digital collectibles platform and one of the top grossing Entertainment Apps in the Google Play and Apple stores.
Utilizing both blockchain and augmented reality technologies, VeVe offers premium licensed collectibles from leading brands including DC Comics and Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, tokidoki, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and more. For the first time, these brands can provide customization to collectibles after their initial sale, creating endless revenue possibilities for products both new and previously offered. In addition, VeVe's 3D augmented reality photo mode allows collectors to interact with every digital collectible, as well as share their collectibles through VeVe's in-app social feed, or on external social platforms including Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and more.
In March 2021, VeVe committed to 100% carbon neutral NFTs and provided $7+ million in grants to environmental nonprofits to raise money for causes through NFT promotions. In addition, VeVe uses Ethereum's layer 2 scaling protocol, Immutable X, which provides instant trade confirmation, scalability (over 9,000 trades per second), zero gas fees, and a 99.9% reduction in environmental footprint.
The VeVe Digital Collectible app is available on both iOS and Android.
Learn more: VeVe.me | Twitter | Discord | Facebook | Instagram | Medium
Alex Gonzales
Sr. Marketing Director, VeVe
alexg@veve.me
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SOURCE VeVe | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/veve-reveals-first-reverspective-nft-collectible-through-partnership-with-famed-artist-patrick-hughes/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:48Z |
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading multifamily real estate developer Wood Partners announced today the groundbreaking of its most recent luxury residential community, Alta University Place, located in University Place, an upscale suburb of Tacoma, Washington. The community is scheduled to officially open in September 2023 with pre-leasing expected to begin that summer.
Situated along the I-5 corridor, the community will be centrally located in one of Tacoma's most thriving and sought-after suburbs, within walking distance of nearby restaurants and retailers. The premier location of the community provides direct access to downtown Tacoma and regional transit to nearby Seattle, while embracing the benefits of its immediate surroundings between the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges on the shores of the Puget Sound. University Place is home to Chambers Bay golf course and a variety of other parks and recreational activities and provides easy access to many of the top employers that make the Puget Sound region one of the top growth markets in the country.
"We're excited to continue expanding our footprint in the Pacific Northwest with Alta University Place, which represents our fourth development in the state," said Michael Nagy, Managing Director for Wood Partners. "We look forward to welcoming residents to this top-of-the-line apartment community, where they will enjoy easy access to Seattle while maintaining the comfort of neighborhood living with the community's prime location."
Alta University Place will offer 274 apartment homes including one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans across nine buildings spread over more than eight acres of garden style landscape. Featuring luxurious modern design elements, each apartment comes fully outfitted with high-end finishes to welcome residents home, including sleek quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, wood-style plank flooring, in-unit washer and dryer sets and more. Residents will also enjoy more than 4,000 sq. ft. of high-quality amenities, highlighted by a clubroom, fitness center, resort-style pool, family play areas, an off-leash pet park, and outdoor grills.
About Wood Partners
Wood Partners is a national leader in the development, construction, and management of multifamily communities across the United States. The company has been involved in the acquisition and development of more than 90,000 multifamily homes with a combined capitalization of $17.5 billion. The company currently owns 70 properties across the United States representing more than 20,000 homes. Headquartered in Atlanta, Wood Partners has offices in 22 major markets across 15 states nationwide. The company also operates Wood Residential, an award-winning, full-service property management group that proudly operates both properties developed by Wood Partners and communities owned by third parties. For two years running, Wood Residential has ranked No. 1 nationally for online reputation in the J Turner ORA™ Power Rankings (Division III). For more information, visit woodpartners.com.
Media Contact:
Nick Fischer
Nick.Fischer@bcw-global.com
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SOURCE Wood Partners | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/wood-partners-breaks-ground-alta-university-place-expanding-its-footprint-washington-state/ | 2022-04-28T16:37:55Z |
HERZLIYA, Israel, April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- World Series of Poker®1 (WSOP®), a Playtika® studio and the world's no. 1 play-for-fun poker game2, is launching a pioneering new initiative that will see 14 social media influencers compete to be crowned WSOP® legend.
This brand-new campaign will launch the first of its many phases across the US this week, in which the influencers, split into five teams, will be paired with real life WSOP® mentors to master the game and become poker legends!
The path to becoming a WSOP® legend
In a special one-off event, WSOP® will unveil the identities of the mystery influencers live on Instagram from this week. Viewers will have the unique opportunity to watch as the invited influencers open their secret WSOP® boxes to reveal their competitors, react live to their competition and rate their own poker skills.
The influencers – from a range of content realms including automotives, comedy, gaming, filmmaking, sports and fitness – will be coached by some of the best WSOP® players in the world and strive to learn all the tricks and techniques behind the game. In December, the influencer teams will compete against each other face-to-face at an undisclosed location in the US.
WSOP® will also take poker fans on an amazing #RoadToTheTable with live videos and exciting opportunities to interact with their favourite WSOP® legends and influencers alike. The free-to-play poker game is already loved by millions of players around the world, featuring countless exciting game modes, tournaments and special events.
Commenting on the campaign, General Manager of WSOP® Guy Ceder said: "We are thrilled to be launching this unique 8-month long campaign with 14 popular influencers from a wide range of backgrounds. We really want to bring the love for poker and WSOP® to a wider audience and show people just how much fun playing poker can be. We hope that our loyal WSOP® players are excited for this new adventure and that they will pick up a few new poker skills and tricks from our soon-to-be poker legends".
World Series of Poker® can be downloaded for free on Apple Store and Google Play.
About World Series of Poker®
WSOP® is the official free to play app of the World Series of Poker®, and the world's most downloaded free poker game. Home to millions of poker players across tablets and mobile, the game features countless exciting game modes, tournaments and special events while rewarding its best players with authentic virtual WSOP® prizes and poker-player trophies and glory.
About Playtika®
Playtika® Holding Corp (NASDAQ: PLTK) is a mobile gaming entertainment and technology market leader with a portfolio of multiple game titles. Founded in 2010, Playtika® was among the first to offer free-to-play social games on social networks and, shortly after, on mobile platforms. Headquartered in Herzliya, Israel, and guided by a mission to entertain the world through infinite ways to play, Playtika® has offices worldwide and employs over 4,000 employees.
1 WSOP® and World Series of Poker® are both registered trademarks owned and licensed by Caesars Interactive Entertainment LLC
2 According to Data.ai, World Series of Poker® is the world's most popular free-to-play Poker (Casino) game by worldwide downloads from Jan - Dec 2021 across iOS and Google Play.
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1807165/WSOP_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE Playtika | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/world-series-poker-launches-roadtothetable-tournament-with-14-influencers-battling-become-poker-legends/ | 2022-04-28T16:38:06Z |
XSOLIS will join HonorHealth and Hillcrest Healthcare System at the ACMA 2022 National Conference to explore how AI is reducing administrative burdens between payers and providers
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XSOLIS, the artificial intelligence (AI) company solving operational challenges in healthcare for both providers and payers, announced today that it has grown its payer network by 111% and its hospital partnerships by 44% in the last year. Payers and providers are leveraging XSOLIS' flagship CORTEX® platform for real-time machine learning and predictive intelligence to automate case reviews, creating an objective determination of medical necessity that aligns operational decisions across healthcare.
The growth of XSOLIS' payer-provider network since announcing $75 million in private equity funding in June 2021 underscores the industry's increased demand for automating administrative areas of healthcare and improving payer-provider communication.
"Over the last year, we've been hyper focused on growth and meeting the healthcare industry's needs through our data-driven technology solutions, and we're excited to continue this forward momentum," said Joan Butters, co-founder and CEO at XSOLIS.
XSOLIS and clients HonorHealth and Hillcrest HealthCare System will discuss how AI and a more collaborative payer-provider approach are revolutionizing care delivery operations at the American Case Management Association (ACMA) 2022 National Conference, happening May 1-4 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
- On Monday, May 2, at 12:45 p.m. CT, Michelle Allen, director of case management at Hillcrest HealthCare System will present a session at the XSOLIS booth #301, "MythBusters: Provider | Payer Edition." Allen will pair with XSOLIS' Matt Brink, director of payer business solutions, in a conversational format to dispel some of the biggest myths that are perpetuating data silos and hindering communication between providers and payers.
- Following on May 2, at 3:30 p.m. CT, Heather Bassett, chief medical officer at XSOLIS, will join Pamela Foster, vice president of case coordination at HonorHealth, for a sponsored session, "Healthcare Evolves: Reimbursement, Care Coordination and Artificial Intelligence." This event will take place within Gaylord Hotel at Grapevine C and will also be made available to attendees via live stream, to explore how AI tools and technological advancements can be leveraged to meet the evolving needs of healthcare reimbursement trends and models.
- XSOLIS has additional in-booth promotions and events open to attendees and is a platinum supporter of the 2022 ACMA National Conference and its 2022 ACMA Heroes Award, which recognizes a stellar professional who has faced a life challenge yet continues to deliver exemplary service for patients and families. The winner of this year's ACMA Heroes Award will be announced during the 2022 National Conference.
To learn about additional opportunities to connect with XSOLIS at the ACMA 2022 National conference, visit www.xsolis.com/acma-nat-2022/.
To learn more about XSOLIS' and CORTEX's capabilities, visit www.xsolis.com.
About XSOLIS
XSOLIS is a healthcare technology company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, serving health plans, hospitals and payer organizations nationwide with its utilization review technology, denials management consulting, and physician advisor services. CORTEX®, its AI-driven technology platform, is the first and only solution to use real-time predictive analytics to continuously assign an objective medical necessity score and assess the anticipated level of care for every patient. CORTEX makes review automation possible and creates a clinical source of truth, enabling more efficiency and collaboration for payers and providers to break down silos and build partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem. Learn more about XSOLIS' utilization management technology, denials management consulting and physician advisor services at https://www.xsolis.com.
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SOURCE XSOLIS | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/28/xsolis-grows-payer-network-by-111-hospital-partnerships-by-44-strengthen-its-payer-provider-collaboration-network/ | 2022-04-28T16:38:17Z |
Afton Express seeing record ridership
FISHERSVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Afton Express says it is experiencing record high ridership since it began in September 2021.
Through the first half of April, the bus service has averaged 38 round-trip rides per day.
The Afton Express provides transportation to and from Charlottesville, Waynesboro, and Staunton. Recently, the service updated its evening drop-off times to account for traffic on Interstate 64.
“It helps people be able to expect when they’re going to get back to their cars, what time they could get back to other appointments after work, and it helps us just show more accuracy in our performance,” Paula Melester with the Central Shenandoah Planning District said.
The Afton Express also has a partnership with the University of Virginia, providing discounted fair cards for employees. To buy one, visit UVA Parking and Transportation.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/26/afton-express-seeing-record-ridership/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:06Z |
Mold, major leaks, and other mistreatment detailed in Senate’s military housing report
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released the results of its study on the privatized housing provider Balfour Beatty Communities Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released the results of its 8-month investigation into the mistreatment of military families in privatized housing on Tuesday.
The bipartisan subcommittee investigated complaints of housing hazards including mold, major leaks, and other housing hazards that were allegedly ignored by military contractor Balfour Beatty Communities.
Officials said they conducted dozens of interviews and looked at more than 11,000 pages of data regarding the company’s operations. During a hearing on Capitol Hill, lawmakers detailed the findings; continuing failures within the company, environmental hazards, and falsified records, that they said are putting the health and safety of military families at risk.
Balfour Beatty Communities houses military families on 55 installations across the country. The company pleaded guilty to major fraud following a Department of Justice investigation late last year. The company agreed to pay $65 million for lying and manipulating data from 2013 through 2019.
Subcommittee officials said the company’s poor management persisted following the Department of Justice investigation.
Since 2019, congressional investigators have been looking at housing conditions on Fort Gordon in Georgia and Fort Sheppard in Texas.
As detailed in this report released Tuesday, the subcommittee said they found a “steady stream of new complaints” where Balfour “failed to act.” They also say they uncovered management failures through falsified documents and mislabeled work orders.
Once confronted with the report during a hearing on Capitol Hill, Balfour representatives denied many of the accusations.
Richard C. Taylor, President, Facility Operations, Renovation & Construction for Balfour Beatty Communities said the company has worked to improve since 2019 and now has promising resident survey results.
Following the hearing, a Balfour Beatty Communities spokesperson provided this statement:
“We are disappointed that the PSI’s report does not accurately reflect the company’s level of commitment to its military residents and their families or acknowledge the significant steps that have been taken to address the small number of complaints that were discussed. The report, which was released before the hearing, includes multiple inaccuracies and mischaracterizations, which the company tried to correct before it was issued and will address again following the hearing. While we continually seek to improve, as an operator of 43,000 residences we are inevitably going to have to deal with challenges. The company remains focused on the safety, health and wellbeing of its residents and on providing quality homes supported by prompt and effective customer service and maintenance support.”
Rachel Christian with Armed Forces Housing Advocates said she wants the military to show Balfour Beatty Communities the door.
“The only way forward for military families to feel safe in their homes is for the contracts to be ended with Balfour Beatty,” she said.
She also noted the military housing problems stretch far beyond one single company.
The blame is twofold,” said Christian. “It is the housing companies who are choosing profits over people repeatedly, and it’s the DOD for failing to contribute to any form of oversight that would stop them from committing such heinous acts against their own service members.”
Congress is not a criminal court. Subcommittee officials said they wanted to shine a light on military housing issues.
Military members are not typically required to live in base housing.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/26/mold-major-leaks-other-mistreatment-detailed-senates-military-housing-report/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:06Z |
Anheuser-Busch to brew a Ukrainian beer in the US
Published: Apr. 27, 2022 at 9:47 AM EDT
(CNN) - Anheuser-Busch is bringing Ukraine’s most popular beer to the United States.
Starting in May, Chernigivske, pronounced churnee-iskay, will be brewed in New Jersey. The beer will be sold on draft in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix.
The beer sales will go to Ukrainian relief efforts, and the company will also donate at least $5 million to humanitarian aid and organizations.
The pale golden lager is named after the hard hit Ukrainian city of Chernihiv and has been brewed there since 1988.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/anheuser-busch-brew-ukrainian-beer-us/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:15Z |
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Fight breaks out between parents, referees at youth basketball tournament
NORTHGLENN, Colo. (KUSA) - A youth basketball tournament in Colorado turned to chaos as parents and the referees got into a physical fight.
It happened in early April in Northglenn, Colorado, and now a few of the people involved are talking about what happened.
Jeff Davis and his 15-year-old son Jai Davis were officiating a basketball tournament when some in the crowd didn’t agree with their calls.
Jai Davis gave him a technical foul which meant he had to leave the game.
“Instead of leaving the game he comes up to me, walks up to me, and gets in my face,” he said. “I took two steps back and then it broke out a fight”.
Jai Davis believes he was protecting himself when he swung at the parent, identified as Jamil Taylor. Taylor said he was doing the same.
“He started walking towards me as like you’re about to do something to me or we’re about to have some words,” Taylor said. “So, I got down and I approached that, and we were saying some words and he swung on me.”
Jeff Davis got involved in the fight to protect his son and landed a punch that left Taylor with four stitches on his lip.
Jai Davis walked away with a few cuts on his face.
And Jeff Davis still sits with an array of emotions.
“Hurt. There’s more than one but I’m hurt. I’m really upset about the situation” he said.
Taylor admitted that he should have acted differently.
“I should have went about it a better way instead of yelling and voicing my opinion because I did come off a little aggressive but still it doesn’t give any right to come and swing on me,” he said.
Both Davises, Taylor and another parent were all cited for disorderly conduct for the brawl.
Dozens of kids watched the altercation and for family psychologist Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, that may be the biggest blow.
“What it’s showing kids is that when there’s conflict, one of the ways to resolve it is either verbal abuse or actually physically becoming violent and this is exactly what we’re trying to teach kids not to do,” Ziegler said. “I think there’s huge repercussions all the way around and somehow the system has to change that gives parents the clear message that it will not be tolerated.”
One of the parents involved hopes the league reconsiders having young referees officiate basketball games.
The organization that hosted the tournament has refused to comment.
Copyright 2022 KUSA via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/caught-camera-fight-breaks-out-between-parents-referees-youth-basketball-tournament/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:22Z |
Deputies protect Fla. school shooter after potential juror threat
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Deputies protecting Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz had to pull him aside and surround him Tuesday after a member of a jury pool mouthed possible threats toward him and caused others to become “excited,” leading them to fear a potential brawl, officials said.
A 70-member pool of potential jurors was filing into the courtroom and taking their seats when one of the first to enter, a man in his 30s, began “mouthing expletives” toward Cruz, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer said. Cruz, 23, is facing a possible death sentence for murdering 17 at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
Bailiffs moved in quickly to remove the man, who shook his head vigorously and muttered “that’s horrible” repeatedly as he walked past reporters seated toward the back of the courtroom.
At this point, several other jurors became “excited” and were saying something that could not be heard, Scherer said. The first man then started looking back over his shoulder toward Cruz. The half-dozen armed deputies who always stand just behind Cruz then grabbed and surrounded him, fearing that the first juror was about to run toward them and would be joined by others.
“The sheriff’s office observed all of that and determined they needed to protect Mr. Cruz,” Scherer said.
“One instigates and then there are many followers,” explained Broward Sheriff’s Capt. Osvaldo Tianga, the head of courthouse security.
Melisa McNeill, Cruz’s lead public defender, told Scherer she understands that the deputies’ first priority is to protect Cruz and everyone in the courtroom but didn’t realize that would require him being physically moved.
“I appreciate that is the job. I am not challenging” their actions, McNeill said. But she wondered if the deputies could simply stand between Cruz and the threat if something similar happens again.
Tianga said each situation is different, but he would consider her suggestion.
Cruz pleaded guilty in October. A 12-member, eight-alternate jury is being selected in a two-month, three-step process to decide whether he receives a death sentence or life in prison without parole. More than 1,800 jurors have come through the courtroom, mostly without incident since the process began April 4.
One panel of 60 had to be dismissed on April 12 after eight became obviously emotional upon seeing Cruz, possibly influencing the others. About a dozen others have been quietly removed from various panels because they started crying.
The panels are not told they are being brought up as potential Cruz jurors, although it is widely known throughout South Florida that the process has started. At this point, the potential jurors are only being asked if they could serve from June through September, the trial’s expected length. Those who can will be brought back next month for further questioning.
Tuesday had been a boring, routine day. It was a marked difference from Monday when Scherer announced she was dismissing 250 potential jurors who had passed initial screening because of a possible error she made and starting the selection process over. Two panels of 70 had been brought through with no significant incidents. A few potential jurors had been quietly taken out for crying.
But that changed as the first panel after lunch was brought in. With most eyes focused on the jurors filing in, Cruz’s attorneys got the attention of the bailiffs, pointing them to Juror No. 19. They moved in to remove him, starting the sequence that led to Cruz being pulled aside for protection.
After he left the courtroom, the man told deputies that he wasn’t trying to cause problems but was emotional and wanted to curse out Cruz, using an obscenity to make his point, according to a reporter who was in the hallway.
Inside the courtroom, Scherer and the attorneys quickly conferred and the judge then dismissed the entire panel, who she said became “belligerent” as they waited for the elevator to take them back to the lobby and “got mouthy” toward deputies.
The juror who started it all told the deputies that they — or perhaps the system — had traumatized the potential jurors, according to the reporter.
Scherer said deputies followed the group out of the courthouse to make sure they didn’t say anything to prospective jurors waiting to be brought to her courtroom.
Jury selection will resume Wednesday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/deputies-protect-fla-school-shooter-after-potential-juror-threat/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:30Z |
Earth, Wind and Fire saxophonist Woolfolk dies
(Gray News) - Andrew Woolfolk, the saxophone player for Earth, Wind and Fire, died at 71.
Fellow band member Philip Bailey posted about Woolfolk’s passing on Instagram, with a photo of the two of them. Woolfolk is seen on the right.
Bailey described his bandmate, who he met in high school, as a “great talent. Funny. Competitive. Quick witted. And always styling.”
Woolfolk was ill for more than six years, though Bailey didn’t go into details.
He joined Earth, Wind and Fire in the 1970s, staying with the band on and off until 1993, the band said.
Woolfolk’s saxophone is heard in many of the band’s smash hits, such as “September,” “Shining Star” and “Let’s Groove.”
He also recorded with Phil Collins and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with his fellow original Earth, Wind and Fire members, in 2000.
Woolfolk grew up in Denver, and he and two bandmates were inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/earth-wind-fire-saxophonist-woolfolk-dies/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:39Z |
More than 100 Coachella shuttle drivers sick from food poisoning
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - An investigation continues after more than 100 Coachella shuttle drivers fell ill due to food poisoning.
At least 46 of them were assessed in local hospitals.
“Some of those people who didn’t go to the hospital apparently didn’t feel they needed to, but they probably sought their own medical attention. We want to, we would like to speak to them as well, not just those that were hospitalized,” Riverside County Health spokesperson Jose Arballo said.
Officials say it happened at an off-site dinner for the transportation employees Sunday night.
The exact source of the food poisoning is being investigated however, the county confirmed a pasta dish and pre-packaged salad tossed with other ingredients were served to the drivers.
“We did do some inspections of the facilities when food was served beforehand. As far as I know, everything went well there,” Arballo said.
Officials are actively working with other jurisdictions to speak with as many people as possible with hopes to pinpoint the source.
“Be able to test the food, you know, and without getting too many details, when people get stomach cramps and have diarrhea, that, you know, that would also provide some, if we could get samples there,” Arballo said.
This means that the county will conduct hundred of interviews to narrow down the cause.
Arballo says they are getting a list of all employees and with that information as well as medical records, they will be able to reach many who were at the dinner.
Copyright 2022 KESQ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/more-than-100-coachella-shuttle-drivers-sick-food-poisoning/ | 2022-04-28T16:39:47Z |
Biden taking ‘hard look’ at student loan forgiveness
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he’s “taking a hard look” at canceling additional federal student loan debt and will reach a decision within a month.
“I am considering dealing with some debt reduction,” Biden told reporters in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.
The comments came days after Biden had a private meeting with Democratic lawmakers who pressed him on the issue. One of the lawmakers, Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., said afterwards that Biden disclosed he was exploring the possibility.
However, Biden signaled in his Thursday remarks that he wouldn’t go as far as some activists want, saying $50,000 in debt forgiveness was not under consideration. He did not give a number for what he was considering.
“I’m in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness,” he said. “And I’ll have an answer on that in the next couple of weeks.”
During his campaign, Biden said he wanted to “immediately cancel” at least $10,000 in student debt per person. So far he’s repeatedly extended a pause on requiring borrowers to repay their loans, a moratorium that was put in place under then-President Donald Trump near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although activists have been encouraged by their increasing traction on this issue, some said they were concerned that Biden wouldn’t go far enough.
“President Biden, we agree that we shouldn’t cancel $50,000 in student loan debt. We should cancel all of it,” said Wisdom Cole, national director of the NAACP Youth & College Division. “$50,000 was just the bottom line.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/biden-taking-hard-look-student-loan-forgiveness/ | 2022-04-28T16:47:57Z |
Family awarded $5 million for golf ball damage to home
KINGSTON, Mass. (WCVB) – A family in Massachusetts was awarded nearly $5 million after golf balls caused thousands of dollars in damages to their home.
The family’s attorney says nearly 700 golf balls have landed on their property since 2017, when they moved in.
“There are 26 windows that need to be replaced. The entire siding of the home has to be replaced,” explained Robert Galvin, the family’s attorney.
The Tenczar family loves the golf course view the Indian Pond Country Club provides, but their attorney says the hazards weigh heavily on their hearts.
“This was so extremely upsetting to them, and they were so completely powerless to really fix the problem. The problem has to be fixed from the golf course side,” Galvin said.
Galvin said the potential for damage is a part of the risk of living near the fairway, adding that the club has insurance to fix damage like what’s seen at the Tenczar’s house.
The family’s attorney said they declined that action because they wanted to prevent such a large number of golf balls from entering their property.
“There’s a lot of damage,” Galvin said.
The judge on the case awarded the Tenczar family $100,000 in damages and $3.5 million in emotional distress. Fees and interest bring the total to nearly $5 million.
Galvin said the family didn’t try to sell the home because it would have been too difficult to find a buyer.
“It would be impossible to sell the house with that type of situation,” he explained. “The problem had to be solved.”
The owner of the golf course plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
In the meantime, they’ve changed the hole the Tenczar family lives near as they work to find a positioning that will not lead to as many golf balls hitting their home.
Copyright 2022 WCVB via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/family-awarded-5-million-golf-ball-damage-home/ | 2022-04-28T16:48:05Z |
Oklahoma House sends Texas-style abortion ban to governor
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House gave final approval on Thursday to a Texas-style abortion ban that prohibits the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.
The bill approved by the GOP-led House on a 68-12 vote without discussion or debate now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it within days. The assault on abortion rights is one of several culture-war issues conservatives in GOP-led states have embraced, like restricting LGBTQ rights, that drive the party’s base in an election year.
House members also voted Thursday to adopt new language prohibiting transgender students from using school restrooms that match their current gender identity and requiring parental notification to parents ahead of any classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.
“They’re all concerned about their elections coming up and making sure they have something they can put on a postcard to talk about,” said Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Midwest City.
The abortion bill, dubbed the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortions once cardiac activity can be detected in the fetus, which experts say is roughly six weeks into a pregnancy. A similar bill approved in Texas last year led to a dramatic reduction in the number of abortions performed in that state, sending many women seeking the procedure to Oklahoma and other surrounding states.
Although Stitt already signed a bill earlier this year to make performing an abortion a felony crime in Oklahoma, that measure is not set to take effect until later in the summer and might not withstand a legal challenge.
Because the measure approved Thursday has an “emergency” provision, it takes effect immediately after the governor signs it, and abortion providers say will immediately end most abortions in Oklahoma.
“We are more concerned at this point about these Texas-style bans because they have, at least recently, been able to continue and remain in effect,” said Emily Wales, interim president and CEO at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates two abortion clinics in Oklahoma. “We do intend to challenge those if they’re passed, but because of the emergency clause provisions, there would be at least some period of time when we could not offer care.”
Like Texas, the bill allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000, a mechanism that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed to remain in place. Texas’ new law has led to a huge increase in the number of women from Texas seeking abortions in Oklahoma.
“We’re serving as many Texans as Oklahomans right now, in some cases more Texans than Oklahomans,” Wales said.
Before the Texas ban took effect last year, about 40 women from Texas had abortions performed in Oklahoma each month, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. That number jumped to 222 Texas women in September and 243 in October, the agency reported.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/oklahoma-house-sends-texas-style-abortion-ban-governor/ | 2022-04-28T16:48:15Z |
Supreme Court limits discrimination claims for emotional distress
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a discrimination lawsuit filed by a deaf, legally blind woman against a physical therapy business that wouldn’t provide an American Sign Language interpreter for her appointments.
In a 6-3 ruling with conservatives in the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that businesses that receive federal health care money can’t be sued for discrimination under the Affordable Care Act when the harm alleged is emotional, not financial.
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in dissent that people who suffer discrimination often feel humiliation or embarrassment. “It is difficult to square the Court’s holding with the basic purposes that antidiscrimination laws seek to serve. One such purpose, as I have said, is to vindicate ‘human dignity and not mere economics,’” Breyer wrote, citing an opinion from his onetime boss, Justice Arthur Goldberg, in a key Civil Rights-era case.
Breyer noted in his opinion that some anti-bias laws, including against workplace discrimination, allow for damages for emotional distress.
The current case began when the woman, Jane Cummings, asked for an ASL interpreter for physical therapy appointments to treat chronic back pain with Premier Rehab Keller, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Cummings communicates primarily in ASL. But Premier Rehab said Cummings could “communicate with the therapist using written notes, lip reading, or gesturing,” Roberts wrote.
She went elsewhere, but then sued the business, asking for a court order against Premier Rehab and damages for emotional distress. Lower courts dismissed the lawsuit.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/supreme-court-limits-discrimination-claims-emotional-distress/ | 2022-04-28T16:48:23Z |
Survivors unite to deliver message on Holocaust remembrance
NEW YORK (AP) — Holocaust survivors across the world have united to deliver a message on the dangers of unchecked hate and the importance of remembrance at a time of rising global antisemitism.
In a video released Thursday to mark Yom HaShoah -- Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day -- 100 Holocaust survivors asked people to stand with them and remember the Nazi genocide to avoid repeating the horrors of the past.
The 100 Words project video was released by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference. The group represents the world’s Jews in negotiating for compensation and restitution for victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs, and provides welfare for Holocaust survivors around the globe.
“The world is full of strife – from the pandemic to the crisis happening in Ukraine – on remembrance days like Yom HaShoah, it is so important to stop and reflect,” Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, said in a statement.
“The call to action these survivors put forth today is not only one of remembrance, but one of action, a reminder that we do not have to be bystanders. We can all stand up in our own way and we can choose to not let our collective history repeat itself.”
The project is being released as Russia faces widespread revulsion and accusations of war crimes over attacks on civilians in its invasion of Ukraine. It also comes at a time when Holocaust survivors -- now in their 80s and 90s -- are dying, while studies show that younger generations lack even basic knowledge of the Nazi genocide, in which a third of the world’s Jews were annihilated.
“If we do not remember them, we are murdering them twice because we have forgotten them. And we have forgotten the tragic travesty that was visited upon millions of people,” said Ginger Lane, a Holocaust survivor who along with her siblings was hidden in a fruit orchard near Berlin by non-Jews.
“It is important to remember because it is a part of our heritage and our legacy that we pass on to the younger generation,” said Lane, whose mother was killed at the Auschwitz death camp, and who has made it her lifelong mission to educate others.
“Holocaust denial, we know it has always existed, but it seems to be on the upswing and ... a huge number of young people don’t even know what the word Holocaust means … These young people are eager to move forward with their lives. But their lives today are shaped by the past. And they need to know what happened in the past.”
In a 50-state study of Millennials and Generation Z-age people in the U.S. in 2020, researchers found that 63% of respondents did not know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust and 48% could not name a single death camp or concentration camp.
The 100 Word Project statement by Holocaust survivors says:
“Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day
We all survived the Holocaust
We are here to give voice to the six million Jews who were murdered
We are a reminder unchecked hatred can lead to actions, actions to genocide
Just over 75 years ago, one-third of the world’s Jews were systematically murdered
Among them, over 1.5 million children were killed
in the name of indifference, intolerance, hate
Hatred for what was feared
Hatred for what was different
We must remember the past or it will become our future
On Holocaust Remembrance Day we ask the world to stand with us and remember.”
The annual remembrance known as Yom HaShoah is one of the most solemn on Israel’s calendar, with the nation coming to a standstill during a two-minute siren on Thursday morning. According to the Hebrew calendar, Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising — the most significant act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Although the uprising ultimately failed, it is remembered in Israel as a symbol of strength and the struggle for freedom in the face of annihilation.
It means “resilience, tenacity, strength. It’s the hallmark of being a Holocaust survivor, the very concept of surviving, of everyday problems, of fighting until the end,” said Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference.
“And for some people, unfortunately, the end was the gas chamber. For other people the end was the Warsaw ghetto, where a very small group of people who weren’t well-equipped held out for nearly a month,” Schneider said.
“And that’s why it’s such an important day in Israel, and around the world for the Jewish community because it symbolizes the fight of certainly the Jewish people, but of any people facing this type of incredible adversity.”
The Claims Conference is working with its partners, among them the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC, to get as many Holocaust survivors out of Ukraine as possible. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 5 million have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24.
Holocaust survivors from Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, the United States and Ukraine were part of the video statement.
“Survivors from many different countries and languages who have vastly different persecution experiences -- some were in concentration camps, some were in ghettos, some fled, some were in hiding,” Schneider said.
“And yet they come together to speak in one voice of the hope for the future.”
__
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/survivors-unite-deliver-message-holocaust-remembrance/ | 2022-04-28T16:48:29Z |
Energy Dept OKs Expanded LNG Exports from Texas, Louisiana
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Energy Department on Wednesday authorized additional exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from planned terminals in Texas and Louisiana.
The orders allow Golden Pass LNG Terminal near Port Arthur, Texas, and Magnolia LNG Terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to export additional natural gas as LNG to any country not prohibited by U.S. law or policy.
The $10 billion Golden Pass LNG export project is expected be operational in 2024, with Magnolia coming online by 2026. The two terminals are expected to produce more than 3 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
The approvals come as the United States seeks to boost LNG exports to Europe amid Russia’s war with Ukraine. The Energy Department approved expanded permits for two other LNG terminals in Texas and Louisiana last month.
Cheniere Energy Inc. said its Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana and its Corpus Christi plant in Texas have been improved and are making more gas than covered by previous export permits.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said last month that the U.S. “is exporting every molecule of liquefied natural gas that we can” to help European buyers of Russian fuel.
U.S. LNG exports have reached new highs of about 12 billion cubic feet per day and are expected to grow to more than 13 billion cubic feet by the end of the year, with most going to Europe, the Energy Department said.
The U.S. and its allies also have released oil from their strategic reserves to counter Russia’s aggression. The U.S. has banned imports of Russian oil.
The U.S. and other countries “will act quickly to hedge against energy disruptions,” Granholm said at the International Energy Agency’s ministerial meeting in Paris. “We will not allow Vladimir Putin to wedge our nations apart.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, hailed the new permits Wednesday as “a tremendous victory for Texans, American jobs, trade and our European allies who will now have greater access to our clean natural gas exports.”
A source familiar with his thinking said Cruz planned to release a Senate hold on Brad Crabtree, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be assistant Energy secretary for fossil energy and carbon management.
Golden Pass is jointly owned by ExxonMobil Corporation and Qatar Petroleum International Limited, while Magnolia is owned by the Glenfarne Group LLC.
By AP reporter Matthew Daly | https://www.bizneworleans.com/energy-dept-oks-expanded-lng-exports-from-texas-louisiana/ | 2022-04-28T17:01:14Z |
Groups Host Consumer Packaged Goods Discussion
NEW ORLEANS — Les Dames d’Escoffier International will host a panel discussion for consumer packaged goods entrepreneurs starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10 at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. The event is titled “How to Bring Your Product Idea to Market” and will feature “thought leaders” from some of the city’s CPG companies.
CPG startups and attendees may gain insight into the components of successfully bringing a product to market; the challenges and obstacles to expect; and how to navigate the current waters of the industry. Panel speakers include Christa Cotton/El Guapo; Logan Farley/Brass Roots Foods; Artemis Antippas/Greek Girls Rice Pudding; and Ericka Lassair/Diva Dawg Truck.
Since it was founded in 2017, the New Orleans chapter of LDEI – a nonprofit international women’s culinary organization – has offered support, education and resources for New Orleanians in the food, fine beverage, and hospitality professions.
Tickets are free for LDEI members and $10 for non-members and registration is required at https://www.lesdamesnola.org/cpg-event. Cash bar will be available.
LDEI is an international organization of women leaders who “create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, fine beverage, and hospitality professions.” It boasts more than 2,300 members in 40 chapters. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/groups-host-consumer-packaged-goods-discussion/ | 2022-04-28T17:01:20Z |
Kingsley House Receives Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation Grant
NEW ORLEANS (press release) — Kingsley House has been awarded a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation to oversee a collaborative workforce development initiative to recruit, train and hire 50 job seekers to work in the healthcare industry. Over three years, individuals in the Kingsley House network will be funded to earn multiple healthcare certifications and gain sustainable employment through a Community Health Worker Apprenticeship Program.
The project is spearheaded by the Kingsley Connections Career Pathways Program, which assists individuals in preparing for careers in leading and emerging industries. Last year, Kingsley Connections helped more than 100 participants complete training and earn certifications that led to employment in their chosen field.
“This grant is a win-win and an example of the type of collaboration that will move New Orleans forward, stronger and better. Through this generous funding opportunity from the Blue Cross Foundation, Kingsley House is proud to partner with Ochsner Health and Delgado Community College to build educational and career pathways that lead to economic security for the families we serve,” said Arnel Cosey, Kingsley House strategy and impact officer.
Enrolled apprentices will earn a starting training wage of $15.25 an hour, plus benefits from Ochsner Health, receive progressive wage increases as they advance through the program, and, if interested, be hired by Ochsner Health at $18.75 an hour upon completion and employed as a Community Health Worker.
Community health workers conduct chronic disease care management, offer community health outreach and education, link community members to health and social services, and collaborate both within and between agencies to improve community health outcomes.
“This program is a crucial and powerful step forward in improving both the physical and economic health of our Louisiana communities,” said Missy Sparks, vice president talent management – workforce development, Ochsner Health. “We are proud to play a role in meeting our state’s critical workforce demands while also opening the door to high-wage jobs for so many.”
Ochsner Health’s training partner, Delgado Community College, will provide nationally accredited technical and academic instruction for the 15-month Community Health Worker apprenticeship. DePaul Health Centers, Kingsley House’s partner in its Thriving Families Collaborative, will provide a Community Health Navigator during the training period to address and mitigate barriers to participants’ retention and completion.
“We are grateful to all of the partners in this project for coming together to tackle this shortage in the healthcare workforce,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Blue Cross Foundation. “Kingsley House is demonstrating that collaboration and resourceful thinking can help us make sure there are enough qualified health professionals to provide exceptional healthcare to every Louisianian.”
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates receive a Community Health Worker Certificate of Completion and qualify to test for three nationally recognized certifications: certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA); certified phlebotomy technician (CPT), and American Red Cross – basic life support (BLS). | https://www.bizneworleans.com/kingsley-house-receives-blue-cross-and-blue-shield-foundation-grant/ | 2022-04-28T17:01:27Z |
La. House Passes Constitutional Amendment for Federal Alternative Energy Revenue
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — A constitutional amendment to spell out how Louisiana spends future federal alternative energy revenues from the Outer Continental Shelf was approved by the House.
Members voted 94-3 to approve House Bill 636, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Orgeron, R-Larose, to amend the state constitution to direct federal revenues for energy production from wind, solar, tidal, wave, geothermal “and other alternative or renewable energy production or sources.”
HB “636 is the constitutional amendment bill to dedicate any future offshore alternative energy revenues from the Outer Continental Shelf to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund,” Orgeron said on Tuesday. “And this constitutional amendment will mimic the same dedication that’s already in place for any Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas revenue the state receives, such as from the (Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act) of 2006.”
The bill passed the House without questions or discussion.
As a constitutional amendment, the legislation must gain approval from two-thirds of lawmakers in both chambers, as well as a majority of voters.
The bill includes a yes or no ballot question that will be presented to voters in November, if approved:
“Do you support an amendment to allow federal revenues received by the state generated from Outer Continental Shelf alternative or renewable energy production to be deposited into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund?”
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund is a constitutionally protected trust fund dedicated to projects and programs designed to preserve and restore Louisiana’s coast. The state constitution requires spending from the fund to be consistent with the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan.
Louisiana statute states “such federal revenues shall be used only for the purposes of integrated coastal protection, including but not limited to coastal wetlands conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, or for infrastructure directly impacted by coastal wetlands losses.”
The money spent on infrastructure is limited to no more than 10% of federal revenues.
The fund is run by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
HB 636 was approved by the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure on April 18, when Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, questioned the need for the legislation, noting that it remains unknown whether alternative energy sources will bring revenues in to the state.
Orgeron said the bill would set up a framework to ensure any future revenues from alternative energy from the Outer Continental Shelf is directed into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund, which could be important to keep the fund alive amid a shift away from oil and gas.
Russell Caffery, director of intergovernmental affairs for the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, told committee members Congress is currently reviewing legislation to set up a federal revenue sharing structure for off-shore alternative energy similar to the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act.
Caffery also noted that Louisiana lawmakers approved the constitutional amendment to direct revenues the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act the year before it was approved by Congress. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/la-house-passes-constitutional-amendment-for-federal-alternative-energy-revenue/ | 2022-04-28T17:01:33Z |
These athletes shined with big performances at the Marysville-St. Clair track & field meet
EAST CHINA — The weather was frigid. But when it came time to perform, the cold was merely an afterthought for the Marysville and St. Clair track & field teams.
With temperatures in the low 30s, the Vikings and Saints collided in a dual meet at East China Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. St. Clair won on the boys side, 100-37, while the Marysville girls were victorious, 112-25.
Here are some athletes who impressed, listed alphabetically.
Carter Boullard, St. Clair
Boullard won the boys 400-meter dash with a time of 54 seconds.
"I was just looking towards the finish line and wanted to maintain the lead," Boullard said. "I knew it was going to be cold, but it is what it is. Everyone has to do it (in the cold) so let's just enjoy it while we're out here."
He was also part of the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams, both of which defeated the Vikings.
"It's a big rivalry with Marysville. We wanted to come out firing."
Cody Cain, Marysville
The senior captured the boys 100 meters (11.4 seconds) and the 200 (23.25 seconds), both of which were personal records.
"It was also windy today," Cain said of the weather. "So I really felt like I was able to exert most of my energy and power myself forward. But it definitely does not feel good running in this weather."
Hannah Fisher, Marysville
Fisher comfortably won the girls 1,600 meters (5:21) and the 800 (2:33) by 13 and 18 seconds, respectively. She was also on the 4x400 relay team that beat the Saints.
Reese Powers, Marysville
Powers dominated in the girls 100 meters (12.8 seconds, personal record), 200r (27.39 seconds) and 400 (1:03). Additionally, she was the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay team.
"Pretty much every 400, I try and get out as hard as I can," Powers said. "The first 75 meters is the main part that I focus on to try and break up the stagger. And I do that for almost every single follow through."
Colton Proctor, St. Clair
Proctor won the boys pole vault (11 feet), 110-meter hurdles (15.6 seconds) and 300hurdles (42.75 seconds). He was also part of the 4x100 relay team that defeated the Vikings.
Hunter Richardson, St. Clair
The junior grabbed first place in the boys shot put with a distance of 43.3 feet. Even with the weather hovering around freezing, Richardson still set a personal record with that throw.
"I was feeling better when it was 80 (degrees)," Richardson said. "Today it was snowing during school ... I'm wearing four layers, but I threw a (personal record). So I'm pretty dang happy about that."
Sam Vitale, St. Clair
Vitale won and set personal records in the boys 1,600 meters (4:39) and 3,200 (10:02).
"I wasn't really thinking about (records) during it," Vitale said. "I was just thinking about beating my opponent and giving it my all. I didn't look at my watch but I felt pretty good."
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper. | https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/sports/2022/04/28/these-athletes-impressed-marysville-st-clair-track-meet/9561724002/ | 2022-04-28T17:39:38Z |
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in morning trading on Wall Street Thursday as technology companies clawed back some of the ground they had lost recently.
Major indexes are still headed for weekly losses and a dismal monthly performance after sliding for much of April. This week has been especially turbulent as investors review a heavy batch of corporate earnings from major tech companies, industrial firms and retailers.
The S&P 500 rose 0.7% as of 10:19 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 111 points, or 0.3%, to 33,413 and the Nasdaq rose 0.7%.
Big Tech and communications companies have been behind much of the oscillations in the broader market as their pricey stock values have more force in pushing the major indexes up or down.
Apple, which reports its latest financial results later Thursday, rose 2.7%. Chipmaker Qualcomm jumped 5.8% after easily beating Wall Street’s profit estimates. Facebook’s parent company Meta surged 13.3% after it beat Wall Street’s first-quarter profit forecasts and reported an encouraging increase in daily users.
Encouraging financial reports helped support gains for several other major companies. McDonald’s rose 2.1% following a strong earnings update. Southwest Airlines rose 1.7% after reporting solid revenue and telling investors it expects a profitable year as travel demand returns with the pandemic fading.
Bond yields gained ground. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.86% from 2.81%.
The latest round of corporate report cards are hitting the market as Wall Street tries to figure out how rising inflation is impacting businesses and consumer spending.
Supply chain issues have been crimping business operations in many industries throughout the recovery from the pandemic and Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine has worsened increases for energy and key food commodity prices. Strict COVID-19 lockdown measures in China have added to concerns about slowing growth.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is set to aggressively hike rates as it steps up its fight against inflation. The chair of the Fed has indicated the central bank may hike short-term interest rates by double the usual amount at upcoming meetings, starting next week. It has already raised its key overnight rate once, the first such increase since 2018.
The Commerce Department on Thursday reported that the U.S. economy shrank last quarter for the first time since the pandemic recession struck two years ago. But the report showed that consumers and businesses kept spending, despite rising inflation, in a sign of underlying resilience.
Consumer spending is being closely watched as a gauge for the broader economy, as everything from food to clothing and gas becomes more expensive. Internet retail giant Amazon will report its results later Thursday, giving Wall Street another measure of how retailers and consumers are reacting to higher prices. Investors will also get another update on spending Friday when the Commerce Department releases its personal income and spending report for March. | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/stocks-claw-higher-on-wall-street-as-tech-giants-rebound/article_7d170048-c709-11ec-8f13-0b4bcd5b6e7e.html | 2022-04-28T17:44:56Z |
(CNN) -- President Joe Biden on Thursday asked Congress for a $33 billion supplemental funding bill aimed at supporting Ukraine over the next several months as Russia's brutal and unrelenting war enters a new phase.
In another significant request, Biden outlined a proposal that would further pressure Russian oligarchs over the war in Ukraine, including using money from their seized assets to fund Ukraine's defense.
"The cost of this fight is not cheap, but caving to aggression is going to be more costly if we allow it to happen. We either back Ukrainian people as they defend their country, or we stand by as the Russians continue their atrocities in Ukraine," Biden said.
He added, "We need this bill to support Ukraine in this fight for freedom."
The $33 billion request includes $20.4 billion requested for military and security assistance, including $5 billion in additional drawdown authorities, $6 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and $4 billion for the State Department's Foreign Military Financing Program, a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Biden's remarks.
The President added that the new package would provide more artillery, armored vehicles, anti-armor systems and anti-aircraft capabilities to the Ukrainian military, as well as humanitarian assistance, including food, water, medicine and shelter to Ukrainians displaced by the war.
The goal of the funding is to both address the immediate needs of the Ukrainian military and Ukrainian people as well as help the nation "transition to longer-term security systems," Biden said.
The President said the US was working with other nations -- including Korea, Japan and Qatar -- to support European allies being threatened by Russia "with gas blackmail," in order to help the countries get their energy needs met. Russia has started to suspend natural gas supplies to certain European countries after they rejected Putin's ultimatum to pay in rubles, rather than euros.
"We will not let Russia intimidate or blackmail their way out of these sanctions. We will not allow them to use their oil and gas to avoid consequences for their aggression," Biden said.
Billions in aid for Ukraine's defense
The official said a portion of the $20 billion in military assistance could be used to backfill contributions of munitions and equipment from other countries, allowing those countries to "be able to defend themselves fully."
Also included in the request is $8.5 billion in economic assistance "to help the government of Ukraine respond to the immediate crisis and continue to provide basic services to the Ukrainian people," the official said. A fact sheet from the White House suggested that funding would also help counter Russian disinformation and propaganda narratives and support independent media.
Additional humanitarian assistance and food security funding will be included as well, to the tune of $3 billion, including "wheat and other commodities" for those in need, per the official. Part of that funding will go to job training, mental health services and resources for US school districts to help support Ukrainians arriving in the US and other efforts to support Ukrainian refugees and the countries providing them sanctuary.
It also includes targeted funding "to address economic disruptions at home and around the world due to Putin's aggression," which will help increase US production of food crops like soybeans, as well as funding to allow the use of the Defense Production Act to expand US production of critical reserves of minerals and other materials disrupted by the war.
"It's going to help support American farmers produce more crops like wheat and oil seed, which is good for rural America, good for the American consumer and good for the world," Biden said.
The President announced last week the US would send an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine as Russia refocuses its campaign to seize new territory in the country's eastern region. Biden made the case that Russia's war has entered what he called a "critical window," making western military aid all the more essential.
If approved, the package announced last week would mean the US has committed approximately $3.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine since Russia's invasion began on February 24.
The President said the package announced last week included heavy artillery weapons, dozens of howitzers -- longer-range weapons -- and 144,000 rounds of ammo for those howitzers and more tactical drones.
The US had earlier this month announced another roughly $800 million security assistance package. That package included Mi-17 helicopters, Switchblade drones, protective equipment to guard against chemical attacks, Javelin anti-tank missiles, M113 armored personnel carriers, counter-artillery radars and body armor and helmets.
Holding Russian oligarchs to account
The President said another one of his proposals would strengthen US law enforcement capabilities to seize property linked to Russia's kleptocracy.
"It's going to create new expedited procedures for forfeiture and seizure of these properties and it's going to ensure that when the oligarchs assets are sold off, funds can be used directly to remedy the harm Russia caused and help rebuild Ukraine," Biden said.
The package -- developed through an interagency process including the Treasury Department, Justice Department, State Department and Commerce Department -- will "establish new authorities for the forfeiture of property linked to Russian kleptocracy, allow the government to use the proceeds to support Ukraine and further strengthen related law enforcement tools," the White House said in a fact sheet.
One element of the package would streamline the federal government's efforts for seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs by creating a new administrative process through Treasury and the Justice Department "for the forfeiture of property in the United States that is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs and that has a connection to specified unlawful conduct." It would make it a criminal offense for people to "knowingly or intentionally possess proceeds directly obtained from corrupt dealings with the Russian government."
The proposal would also help direct proceeds from "forfeited funds related to corruption, sanctions and export control violations, and other specified offenses to remediate harms of Russian aggression toward Ukraine," with the Justice Department, Treasury and State working together on these efforts. Earlier this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Biden administration would support legislation allowing for some of the proceeds from assets the DOJ seizes from Russian oligarchs "to go directly to Ukraine."
The proposed package would allow for "forfeiture of property that Russian oligarchs can use to facilitate the evasion of sanctions," a shift from the current US law which only allows for the US to forfeit the proceeds of sanctions violations. It also would categorize sanctions evasion as "racketeering activity," extend the statute of limitations for pursuing money laundering prosecutions based on foreign offense from five to 10 years, and would enhance the US ability to work with allies and partners to recover assets linked to foreign corruption.
Officials said the Department of Justice has the authority to seize assets involved in criminal wrongdoing. They said they were seeking from Congress an "expanded and expedited administrative process" that would allow for the forfeiture of property.
People with an interest in the property will be able to conduct judicial review and other safeguards to ensure due process, but the first official said the administration feels "confident" the set-up will satisfy constitutional requirements.
While members have agreed that more money for Ukraine is necessary, it's still not clear how the supplemental would move swiftly through Congress nor is it clear how quickly this proposal on oligarchs could move. A likely path would be to tie the two pieces of legislation together, but Republican and Democratic leaders are in the early stages of talks on how to pass the broader funding for Ukraine.
Asked whether the Ukraine funding should move alongside new money for the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a second official said, "it certainly makes sense for them to move together," but declined to get ahead of the legislative process. Biden said he doesn't care if his administration's requests for Covid funding and aid to Ukraine are tied together or in separate pieces of legislation as long as Congress approves both.
"I don't care how they tie -- how they do it," Biden told reporters on Thursday. "I'm sending them both up. I mean, I they can do it separately or together, but we need them both."
However, his letter to Congress requesting the Ukraine funding suggested that the Covid assistance and Ukraine support be tied together: "To avoid needless deaths in the United States and around the world, I urge the Congress to include this much needed, life-saving Covid funding as part of this supplemental funding request," the letter states.
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/biden-asks-congress-for-33-billion-in-aid-to-ukraine-as-war-enters-new-phase/article_6beca078-c710-11ec-8951-73fc20635484.html | 2022-04-28T17:45:02Z |
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HONOLULU (KITV4) - High clouds will linger today to create partly to mostly cloudy skies. Scattered windward showers during the day and showers likely at night, isolated showers leeward spots. Highs 80 to 87. Trades 15 to 20 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph by Friday.
Moderate to breezy easterly trade winds will continue into the weekend, with showers favoring windward and mauka locations overnight through the morning periods. Upper clouds moving through from the west will lead to periods with cloudy conditions over the next several days. A transition to a wet pattern with strong trades is possible later in the weekend through early next week as an upper disturbance settles southward into the area and strong high pressure builds to the north.
A series of small northwest swells will move through the islands today through Sunday, keeping small surf in place along north facing shores. Surf will trend up early next week as a new moderate sized long-period northwest swell arrives, with surf potentially flirting with advisory levels Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mainly background south swells will roll through the islands over the next few days, keeping small surf in place along south facing shores. A new long-period south swell will arrive Sunday and build to well above the summertime average Monday through the middle of next week.
East shore surf will remain small through Friday, trend up to near seasonal levels over the weekend, then increase to above normal levels Monday through the middle of next week as the trade winds strengthen over and upstream of the island chain.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/thursday-weather-cloudy-skies-with-scattered-showers-moderate-trades-will-increase-by-tomorrow/article_12a92d34-c700-11ec-a496-9fc258e10530.html | 2022-04-28T17:45:14Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank last quarter for the first time since the pandemic recession struck two years ago, contracting at a 1.4% annual rate, but consumers and businesses kept spending in a sign of economic durability.
The economy’s overall decline in the January-March quarter does not mean a recession is likely in the coming months. Most economists expect a rebound this quarter as solid hiring and wage gains sustain growth.
Instead, the steady spending by households and companies suggests that the economy will likely keep expanding this year even though the Federal Reserve plans to raise rates aggressively to fight the inflation surge. The first quarter was hampered mainly by a slower restocking of goods in stores and warehouses and by a sharp drop in exports.
“The report isn’t as worrisome as it looks,” said Lydia Boussour, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. “The details point to an economy with solid underlying strength that demonstrated resilience in the face of Omicron, lingering supply constraints and high inflation.”
The Commerce Department’s estimate Thursday of the first quarter’s gross domestic product — the nation’s total output of goods and services — fell far below the 6.9% annual growth in the fourth quarter of 2021. And for 2021 as a whole, the economy grew 5.7%, the highest calendar-year expansion since 1984.
In addition to a drop in business inventories and a widening trade deficit, the first quarter’s weak showing also reflected a slowdown from last year’s robust rebound from the pandemic, which was fueled in part by vast government aid and ultra-low interest rates. With stimulus checks and other government supports having ended, consumer spending has slowed from its blistering pace in the first half of last year.
The economy is in an unusual position. Unemployment is near a 50-year low, and wages are rising at a healthy pace. Yet serious threats have emerged from widespread disruptions overseas and rampant inflation, which is eroding consumers’ spending power. Last month, prices jumped 8.5% from a year earlier, the fastest such rise in four decades.
Last quarter’s negative GDP number also undercuts a key political message of President Joe Biden. The president has pointed to rapid growth and strong hiring as a healthy counterpoint to soaring inflation, which is highly unpopular with voters and small businesses.
Compounding Biden’s political difficulties, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising COVID cases overseas are weighing on the economy and heightening inflation pressures. Many companies are also still struggling to obtain the parts and supplies they need from tangled supply chains.
Imports surged in the first quarter, a sign that some of the supply snarls have eased. But ongoing lockdowns in China, including at its largest port, Shanghai, are likely to perpetuate shortages this year. Ford and General Motors have both said this week that they still can’t obtain all the semiconductor chips they need to build vehicles, costing them sales and forcing temporary plant closures.
A broader global slowdown is also expected this year, according to estimates last week by the International Monetary Fund. The 190-nation lending organization now foresees the disruptions of the Ukraine war and COVID slowing global growth to 3.6% this year from 6.1% last year.
Still, the U.S. job market — the most important pillar of the economy — remains robust. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits, a proxy for layoffs, fell to the lowest level since 1970. And in the January-March quarter, businesses and consumers increased their spending at a 3.7% annual rate after adjusting for inflation.
Economists consider that trend a better gauge than overall GDP of the economy’s underlying strength. Most analysts expect the steady pace of spending to sustain the economy’s growth, though the outlook remains highly uncertain.
Last quarter’s slowdown followed vigorous growth in the final quarter of 2021, driven by a surge in inventories as companies restocked in anticipation of holiday season spending.
Imports surged nearly 20% in the January-March quarter as businesses and consumers bought more goods from abroad while U.S. exports fell nearly 6%. That disparity widened the trade deficit and subtracted 3.2 percentage points from the quarter’s growth.
The weakness of the economy’s overall growth rate contrasts with the vitality of the job market. At 3.6%, the unemployment rate is nearly back to the half-century low it reached just before the pandemic. Layoffs have reached historically low levels as employers, plagued by labor shortages, have held tightly onto their workers.
Wages are rising steadily as companies compete to attract and retain workers, a trend that has helped maintain consumers’ ability to spend. At the same time, though, that spending has helped fuel inflation, which reached 8.5% in March compared with 12 months earlier.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has signaled a rapid series of rate increases to combat higher prices. The Fed is set to raise its key short-term rate by a half-percentage point next week, the first hike that large since 2000. At least two more half-point increases – twice the more typical quarter-point hike -- are expected at subsequent Fed meetings. They would amount to one of the fastest series of Fed rate hikes in decades.
Powell is betting that with job openings at near-record levels, consumer spending healthy and unemployment unusually low, the Fed can slow the economy enough to tame inflation without causing a recession. Yet most economists are skeptical that the Fed can achieve that goal with inflation as high as it is. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/us-economy-shrank-by-1-4-in-q1-but-consumers-kept-spending/article_f4476334-c708-11ec-8134-d73483b91498.html | 2022-04-28T17:45:20Z |
Chauvin appeals murder conviction for killing George Floyd
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is appealing his conviction for murder in the killing of George Floyd, arguing that jurors were intimidated by the protests that followed and prejudiced by heavy pretrial publicity.
Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals in a court filing Monday to reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a resentencing.
Last June, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin pinned the Black man to the ground with his knee on his neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds. Floyd had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. Three other fired officers face state trial this summer after being convicted in federal court earlier this year of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Chauvin’s attorney, William Mohrman, laid out a number of challenges to his conviction, including that the trial should not have been held in Hennepin County, where Floyd was killed.
“The overwhelming media coverage exposed the jurors — literally every day — to news demonizing Chauvin and glorifying Floyd which was more than sufficient to presume prejudice,” the brief said.
In the months that followed Floyd’s killing, protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and around the country to protest police brutality and racism. Some of that unrest was violent.
Mohrman said several potential jurors expressed concerns during jury selection that if Chauvin was acquitted they would fear for their personal safety and worried about more violence. He said several of them said they were intimidated by the security measures implemented at the courthouse to protect trial participants from protesters.
The filing also cited the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in nearby Brooklyn Center that sparked mor protests during Chauvin’s trial. It says jurors should have been sequestered after selection to avoid being prejudiced by reports of that slaying. It also cited a $27 million settlement reached between the city and Floyd’s family that was announced during jury selection, saying the timing of that prejudiced jurors in the case.
Mohrman cited several instances of alleged prosecutorial misconduct, claiming untimely sharing of evidence, failure to disclose and document dumping by the government.
The filing also says the judge did not apply the sentencing guidelines correctly and should not have included “abuse of a position of authority” as an aggravating sentencing factor for the former police officer.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has 45 days to respond to Chauvin’s brief.
The appeal came as the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released the results of a nearly two-year investigation launched after Floyd’s slaying. It found the Minneapolis Police Department has engaged in a pattern of race discrimination for at least a decade, including stopping and arresting Black people at a higher rate than white people, using force more often on people of color and maintaining a culture where racist language is tolerated.
___
Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/chauvin-appeals-murder-conviction-killing-george-floyd/ | 2022-04-28T18:19:53Z |
Chipotle wants to thank healthcare heroes with a year of free food
(CNN) - Free Chipotle for a year?
Yes, please!
Chipotle Mexican Grill is thanking healthcare heroes in a big way. The company is giving 2,000 of them free burritos, bowls or whatever else their Chipotle-loving hearts desire for a year.
That’s more than $1 million in free food!
If you know a hero in healthcare, post on Chipotle’s social media and tag your hero.
Make sure to share a little about what they’ve done for you and how they’ve impacted your life.
You’ve got until May 6, which is National Nurses Day, to do it.
After that, Chipotle will randomly select 2,000 people who’ve been tagged, DM them and then give them free Chipotle for a year.
It’s a tasty way to thank the people who spend their lives taking care of others.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/chipotle-wants-thank-healthcare-heroes-with-year-free-food/ | 2022-04-28T18:20:00Z |
Hometown Hero: Pastor Allen Gross & ‘The Least of These’ Ministries
“At the end of our life here on earth when we come before Jesus, He’s not going to say, ‘well done, good and faithful pastor.’ He’s not going to say, ‘good and faithful community leader.’ He’s going to say, ‘good and faithful servant.’ None of it would be possible without our heavenly father.” -- Pastor Allen Gross
CLAYPOOL HILL, .Va. (WVVA) - “I remember back in 2008 I was trying to find something like a service project to get our youth involved to get them to know what it feels like to give back that next day I get a phone call from a lady needed to know if we had funds to help her build a ramp and I go ‘thank you Lord,’” said Pastor Allen Gross of Restart Worship at Claypool Hill Church of Christ.
Pastor Gross the one of the leaders behind ‘The Least of These’ which is a ministry through the church.
At the request of members of our community he and the team travel through the Two Virginias building ramps for the elderly and disabled.
Fast forward 14 years later and Restart Worship’s ‘Least of These Ramp Ministries’ constructed number 83 to make life easier for Destiny Coleman who was injured in an automobile accident in early 2022.
“When she first came home from the hospital they had to carry her up these stairs in her wheelchair. This is the most longest, most difficult ramp we’ve had to put together,” said Gross.
The servants in this ministry range from as young as four all the way into their 80s.
“We came up here looked at it drew it out and thought this is the only way we see how this,” said Gross, “the driveway is extremely steep the hillside is steep however there was a great need and again all glory to the Lord.”
“All the kids that come and even the adults that come they can leave with a different aspect of God’s love,” and this includes members like Josh Price and Chan Smtih.
“The fact of being a disciple we can all do something but this ministry with the ramps it’s such an honor,” said Price.
“It gives you a purpose to come out and actually touch lives. I really have a calling to help people like this.” said Smith.
According to Gross all the ramps built are free-standing. The one they built for Coleman consist of two 16-foot ramps and one 12-ramp joined together.
“We took a picture when we finished this ramp as you can see it’s pretty steep up her drive she came out in her wheel chair and her and her parents were just in tears,” said Gross.
“It is so important as Christians we are called to spread the Gospel. It’s so important to tell people the Gospel but it is just as important to show them the Gospel and this is showing them the Gospel.
It is that showing the Gospel that makes Pastor Allen Gross and the Least of These Ministries at Restart Worship--Hometown Heroes.
Find out more about The Least of These Ministries at Claypool Hill Church of Christ on Facebook by clicking the highlighted links.
Services are also listed below.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday - 09:15 AM
Sunday School: Sunday - 10:00 AM
Morning Worship: Sunday - 11:00AM
Restart Service: Sunday - 11:00AM
Children’s Church: Sunday - 11:00 AM
Evening Worship: Sunday - 6:00 PM
Wednesday Bible Study: Wednesday - 7:00 PM
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/hometown-hero-pastor-allen-gross-least-these-ministries/ | 2022-04-28T18:20:06Z |
Study: Gun violence surged in pandemic’s first year
Published: Apr. 28, 2022 at 1:50 PM EDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
(CNN) - Gun violence in the U.S. rose during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a study published Thursday in JAMA Network Open, there were roughly 4,400 excess deaths linked to firearms between March 2020 and the following February.
There were also more than 10,000 excess nonfatal injuries.
The findings came from data collected by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.
Four states - New York, Illinois, Michigan, and Texas - accounted for most of the shootings.
Researchers can’t say if COVID-19 itself factored into the increase of gun incidents compared to other issues, including civic unrest.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/study-gun-violence-surged-pandemics-first-year/ | 2022-04-28T18:20:18Z |
Deputies arrest mom for repeatedly calling 911 after son brought home girlfriend
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - Deputies said a mother in South Carolina was arrested after repeatedly calling 911 on her son early Wednesday morning.
The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to a home in Inman just before midnight on Tuesday, WHNS reports.
Upon arrival, deputies found the mother, who seemed to be heavily intoxicated, arguing with her son. The mother told deputies her son brought his girlfriend home after she told him not to.
The son said he and his girlfriend only needed to stay there for the night before returning to New York in the morning, according to deputies. Deputies explained to the mother that due to her son living at the home, he had the right to have guests over.
Deputies said they left the scene but were called back to the same house at 12:20 a.m. and 4:12 a.m. in reference to the mother calling 911 on her son. She left the home before deputies arrived the third time.
The mother was placed into custody after returning home a little more than one hour after the final 911 call, the sheriff’s office said.
She was charged with the misuse of 911 and was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/deputies-arrest-mom-repeatedly-calling-911-after-son-brought-home-girlfriend/ | 2022-04-28T18:27:28Z |
Entire third grade class shocked with full-ride college scholarships during assembly
PHOENIX (KPNX) – Parents at an elementary school in Arizona were in for the surprise of their lives when what was thought to be a standard assembly turned into so much more.
During the assembly Monday, school district officials announced that every third grader at Bernard Black Elementary will be receiving a full-ride scholarship to the college of their choice in the future.
Those full rides, provided to 63 students, include tuition, books, and room and board – all completely paid for by the Rosztoczy Foundation and their College Promise program.
“The goal, through the generous officer of this family, is that finances will not be the barrier, that college is an option for every third grader right here at Bernard Black,” Roosevelt School District Superintendent Quintin Boyce said.
Parents in the audience couldn’t contain their cheers and tears of joy at the generous surprise.
“I just couldn’t hold it back because it just means for sure my son is going to college. I don’t have to think about it. He’s going,” Brandon Gailliard said of his son Noah.
Even siblings were in shock.
“My little sister, a 9-year-old, already has four years of college paid off. That’s just shocking,” Aaliyah Warner’s older brother said.
While the third graders still have quite some time before graduating high school, the future is already bright and promising.
This isn’t the first time the Rosztoczy Foundation guaranteed a college future for students in the Phoenix area. In 2012, about 80 third graders at Michael Anderson School in Avondale were gifted the same promise.
Copyright 2022 KPNX via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/entire-third-grade-class-shocked-with-full-ride-college-scholarships-during-assembly/ | 2022-04-28T18:27:36Z |
HCPS nationally recognized for musical excellence for 8th year
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Whether in the band room or on stage, students in the music programs at Harrisonburg City Public Schools are surrounded by constant opportunities to learn.
“You can come in as a ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th grader maybe never having taken a music class and you can start your journey to learn literacy in music and performance in music here and we think that’s one of the most special things we offer,” Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator J.R. Snow said.
Staff like Bethany Houff, who’s been a music educator for almost 20 years, says her students make it easy to love what she does each day.
“I can’t imagine being in any other place. I love having students who are committed to excellence and I’m just so happy to be a part of that,” Harrisonburg High School Choral Director Bethany Houff said.
That excellence was recognized for the eighth time by the National Association of Music Merchants for being the best community for Music Education.
“It speaks to the consistency of music education that we offer K through 12 and the quality that our teachers bring into the classroom for our students,” Snow added.
Students like 11th-grade clarinetist Mikey Paniagua who says music brings camaraderie and sharpens his skills.
“I really like that music kind of offers that, it’s kind of like a thing where you always wanna increase yourself and challenge yourself to do better and I think music does that,” Paniagua said.
In terms of standards, for the eighth year at HCPS for music education, the song remains the same.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/hcps-nationally-recognized-musical-excellence-8th-year/ | 2022-04-28T18:27:42Z |
Lord Fairfax Community College offering engineering degree
WARRENTON, Va. (WHSV) - The commonwealth is home to some of the top engineering schools in the country, between UVA and Virginia Tech.
To better prepare students for these programs, Lord Fairfax Community College campuses in both Middletown and Warrenton recently added a standalone Associate’s degree in Fall 2021.
Students dive into their focuses like mechanical or civil engineering after one year of entry-level courses.
”It pushes them to do well here and to get a good foundation, and then going into their junior year at a four-year school they know they have the skills that they need. It’s really just getting into the higher-level classes,” Engineering Program Lead Liz Palffy said.
Students who maintain a required GPA while earning their Associate’s degree through any Virginia Community College are guaranteed admission to schools like Virginia Tech.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/lord-fairfax-community-college-offering-engineering-degree/ | 2022-04-28T18:27:49Z |
Older people fret less about aging in place: AP-NORC Poll
WASHINGTON (AP) — The older you are, the less you fret about aging in your own home or community.
That’s a key insight from a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, which found that U.S. adults ages 65 or older feel much better prepared to “age in place” than those 50-64, who are mostly still in the final stretches of their working years.
The poll also documented greater insecurity around aging in place for older Black and Latino Americans, the likely result of a deep-rooted wealth gap that markedly favors white people.
Aging in one’s own home, or with family or a close friend, is a widely held aspiration, with 88% of adults 50 and older saying it’s their goal in an earlier AP-NORC poll.
The outlook among those 65 or older is upbeat, with nearly 8 in 10 saying they’re extremely or very prepared to stay in their current home as long as possible.
But doubts creep in for those ages 50-64. Among that group, the majority who rate themselves as extremely or very prepared shrinks to about 6 in 10, according to the poll.
This relatively younger group is especially likely to say their financial situation is the main reason they don’t feel very prepared to age in place. And they’re also more likely to feel anxious about being able to stay in their communities, get care from medical providers and receive backup from family members or close friends, the poll found.
Part of it may be due to fear of the unknown among people who’ve relied on a paycheck all their lives.
“When you’ve never done it before, and you are only going to do it once, you’re sort of flying by the seat of your pants,” said Leigh Gerstenberger, in his late 60s and retired from a career in financial services. “I spent a lot of time talking to people ahead of me in the journey,” says the Pittsburgh-area resident.
Also, people approaching their 60s may question if Social Security and Medicare will truly be there for them. Stacy Wiggins, an addiction medicine nurse who lives near Detroit, figures she’ll probably work at least another 10 years into her late 60s — and maybe part-time after that. Older friends are already collecting Social Security.
“In my group, you wonder if it’s going to be available,” Wiggins said of government programs that support older people. “Maybe it’s not. You will find people who are less apt to have a traditional pension. Those are things that leave you with a lot of trepidation toward the future.”
Some people now in their 50s and early 60s may still be dealing with the overhang of the 2007-09 recession, when unemployment peaked at 10% and foreclosures soared, said Sarah Szanton, dean of the Johns Hopkins University nursing school. For an aging society, the U.S. does relatively little to prepare older adults to navigate the transition to retirement, she observed.
“As Americans, we’ve always idolized youth and we’re notoriously underprepared for thinking about aging,” Szanton said. “It often comes as a surprise to people.” Her involvement with aging-in-place issues started early in her career, when she made house calls to older people.
In the poll, people 50 and older reported that their communities do an uneven job of meeting basic needs. While access to health care, healthy food and high-speed internet were generally rated highly, only 36% said their community does a good job providing affordable housing. Just 44% were satisfied with access to transportation and to services that support older people in their homes.
Kym Harrelson-Pattishall is hoping that as more people retire to her coastal North Carolina community, health care facilities and other services will follow. As it stands now, a major medical issue can involve a car trip of up to an hour to the hospital.
A real estate agent in her early 50s, Pattishall shares the goal of aging at home, but her confidence level is not very high. “I think it would just eat away what savings I have,” she said.
It’s all about adjusting, says another small-town resident, about 20 years older than Pattishall. Shirley Hayden lives in Texas, near the Louisiana border and on the track of hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico. She says she has no investments and only modest savings, but she rates herself as very prepared to continue aging in place.
“You have to learn to live within your means,” Hayden said. “I don’t charge things I can’t afford to pay for.
“My biggest thing I have to work around as far as expenses is insurance,” she added. “I don’t really need any new clothes. In Texas, you live in jeans and T-shirts and they don’t go out of style. Yeah, your shoes wear out, but how often do you buy a pair of shoes?”
Not so easy to work around is the well-documented racial wealth gap that constrains older Black people in particular. A Federal Reserve report notes that on average Black and Latino households own 15% to 20% as much net wealth as white households.
In the poll, 67% of Black Americans and 59% of Latino Americans ages 50 and older said they felt extremely or very prepared to stay in their homes as long as possible, compared with the 73% share of white Americans saying they feel confident.
Wiggins, the Detroit area nurse, is Black and says it’s a pattern she’s familiar with. “Part of it is generational wealth,” she said. “I have friends who are white, whose dad died and left them settled. I have friends who are Black whose parents died, and they left enough to bury them, but nothing substantial.”
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AP Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson and Polling Reporter Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.
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The AP-NORC poll of 1,762 adults age 50 and older was conducted between February 24 - March 1 with funding from The SCAN Foundation. It used a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based Foresight 50+ Panel of adults age 50 or older, which is designed to represent the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/older-people-fret-less-about-aging-place-ap-norc-poll/ | 2022-04-28T18:27:55Z |
One-fifth of reptiles worldwide face risk of extinction
WASHINGTON (AP) — Even the king cobra is “vulnerable.” More than 1 in 5 species of reptiles worldwide are threatened with extinction, according to a comprehensive new assessment of thousands of species published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Of 10,196 reptile species analyzed, 21% percent were classified as endangered, critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction — including the iconic hooded snakes of South and Southeast Asia.
“This work is a very significant achievement — it adds to our knowledge of where threatened species are, and where we must work to protect them,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved in the study.
Similar prior assessments had been conducted for mammals, birds and amphibians, informing government decisions about how to draw boundaries of national parks and allocate environmental funds.
Work on the reptile study – which involved nearly 1,000 scientists and 52 co-authors – started in 2005. The project was slowed by challenges in fundraising, said co-author Bruce Young, a zoologist at the nonprofit science organization NatureServe.
“There’s a lot more focus on furrier, feathery species of vertebrates for conservation,” Young said, lamenting the perceived charisma gap. But reptiles are also fascinating and essential to ecosystems, he said.
The Galapagos marine iguana, the world’s only lizard adapted to marine life, is classified as “vulnerable” to extinction, said co-author Blair Hedges, a biologist at Temple University. It took 5 million years for the lizard to adapt to foraging in the sea, he said, lamenting “how much evolutionary history can be lost if this single species” goes extinct.
Six of the world’s species of sea turtles are threatened. The seventh is likely also in trouble, but scientists lack data to make a classification.
Worldwide, the greatest threat to reptile life is habitat destruction. Hunting, invasive species and climate change also pose threats, said co-author Neil Cox, a manager at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s biodiversity assessment unit.
Reptiles that live in forest areas, such as the king cobra, are more likely to be threatened with extinction than desert-dwellers, in part because forests face greater human disruptions, the study found.
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Follow Christina Larson on Twitter: @larsonchristina
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/one-fifth-reptiles-worldwide-face-risk-extinction/ | 2022-04-28T18:28:06Z |
WWII vet celebrates 105th birthday, says coffee is the key to longevity
PIGEON FALLS, Wis. (WEAU) – Coffee, balloons and friends set the scene as people gathered to celebrate a WWII veteran’s 105th birthday.
Reynolds Tomter is the only surviving member of the Pigeon Falls Lions Club, according to WEAU, and is an avid Packers fan.
Tomter was excited to celebrate his birthday at his favorite local restaurant, My Second Home Bar & Grill.
“It is something I’ll never ever forget,” Tomter said. “It’s unreal. This is what you call a small-town gathering.”
Tomter is enjoying his old age and the perks that come with it.
“Everybody waits on me and comes and greets me with good things to say,” he explained. “So, don’t be afraid, anyone, to get to be real old.”
His daughter, Julie Warner, said Tomter is always finding ways to stay active and busy.
“He said, when my mom passed, he could have been depressed, but he just made up his mind to get out, go to his car every day,” Warner said. “He didn’t know where he was going, but he’d go somewhere for coffee.”
Tomter says the secret to reaching his age is being with friends and drinking lots of coffee.
“I enjoy every day and I am out and about every day,” Tomter said. “And I started out here at this restaurant every morning, that’s seven days a week, I’m here at 7:30 in the morning with the guys and that makes life a lot of fun.”
He encourages the younger generation to get active in the community to help make the world a pleasant place to live.
His family says he is known in the community for his involvement and his positive attitude.
“I always say he is absolutely positive about everything - unless the Packers are losing, that’s the only time I ever hear him say anything negative,” Warner said.
Tomter is looking forward to seeing everyone next year for another birthday celebration.
Copyright 2022 WEAU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/27/wwii-vet-celebrates-105th-birthday-says-coffee-is-key-longevity/ | 2022-04-28T18:28:16Z |
CHEYENNE – If you have spare drugs that at one time were prescribed by a physician and now are going unused, the local sheriff's department is offering to take those potentially dangerous medicines off your hands.
On Saturday, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office will hold a prescription drug take back event. It will take place at both the Laramie County Fire District 1's Station 1, which is at 207 E. Allison Road; and at the Laramie County Fire Authority's Station 1, 5800 N. College Drive. The event at both locations runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"We will take any unwanted, unused, prescription or over-the-counter drugs" during the event, wrote a LCSO representative in an email Monday. "These Drug Take Back Days ... allow citizens to safely dispose of unused or unwanted prescription drugs in an environmentally safe manner and keep those drugs out of the hands of unauthorized persons or juveniles."
Over the time that this program has been offered, it has netted LCSO some 2,300 pounds of "unused and unwanted prescription drugs," according to the email.
Do not bring "illegal drugs, sharps, thermometers, oxygen containers, radioactive materials, pressurized containers, or chemotherapy drugs" to these two drop-offs, LCSO advised.
For other times, the agency noted, there is a MedReturn Drug Take Back bin in the lobby of the sheriff’s Office at 1910 Pioneer Ave. It "will be accessible to the public 24 hours a day." | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/laramie-county-sheriff-s-office-offers-prescription-drug-take-back-saturday/article_f758ddae-95b1-56cf-a694-6c81ffb94b61.html | 2022-04-28T19:20:26Z |
CHEYENNE – Nearly four years after he shot two people, killing one, a local man was sentenced Wednesday in Laramie County District Court.
District Judge Thomas Campbell gave Frank John McHenry 14 to 20 years in prison for shooting and killing Joseph Steven Tortolito, 61, of Cheyenne, and shooting and injuring a woman in May 2018, along with other felonies.
An order from Campbell indicated McHenry appeared “pro se” at his sentencing, meaning he represented himself during the hearing. Up until the sentencing, McHenry had been represented by Cheyenne attorney Cody Jerabek.
In an email to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle after the sentencing, Jerabek said he was prepared to proceed, but that McHenry decided “immediately” before the hearing to represent himself. Jerabek said he sat behind McHenry in the courtroom with Wyoming State Public Defender Diane Lozano.
McHenry pleaded no contest in August to voluntary manslaughter, attempted voluntary manslaughter, two counts of aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon and four counts of interference with a peace officer with injury as part of a plea agreement.
The state, represented in the case by Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove, and McHenry had agreed to argue for a maximum sentence of 14 to 20 years in prison, according to a plea agreement filed Aug. 17.
“I am pleased that the judge determined that the plea agreement that we had previously negotiated was appropriate,” Jerabek told the WTE.
Campbell also ordered McHenry to pay $5,790.75 in restitution. He was given credit for the 1,448 days – close to four years – he spent in the Laramie County jail awaiting disposition, Manlove told the WTE.
The female victim in the case, along with her two sons, gave victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing, as did Tortolito’s sister, Manlove said.
Manlove declined to comment on McHenry’s sentence itself.
Sentencing
The sentencing came after months of controversy.
In November, Manlove challenged Laramie County District Judge Catherine Rogers’ setting of a closed hearing in the case she said had excluded her office. Rogers denied Manlove’s motion, providing no explanation for the decision in her order.
Later that month, the district attorney filed a petition with the Wyoming Supreme Court asking the court to require Rogers to turn over a transcript of the closed Nov. 12 hearing.
In her response to the filing, Rogers said no one from Manlove’s office responded to an email exchange scheduling the closed hearing in the four days before it took place. Copies of the email exchange included in court records show the emails were sent to Manlove’s address.
“Neither Manlove nor any other attorney in her office appeared or attempted to participate in the hearing,” the judge wrote. It was unclear whether Manlove’s office would have been allowed to participate had it attempted to do so.
Manlove’s petition was ultimately dismissed in January by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kate Fox.
Jail calls between McHenry and family members indicated the judge suggested that McHenry withdraw his plea, and that McHenry believed the hearing had stemmed from a conflict between Rogers and Jerabek.
McHenry allegedly told his mother that, if he withdrew his plea, the judge said she would appoint him new counsel from the Office of the State Public Defender, and offered to transfer his case to another judge.
In her response to Manlove’s petition to the Supreme Court, Rogers explained, at least in part, her reasoning for recommending McHenry appoint alternate counsel.
“Long before the events Manlove objects to, Judge Rogers had observed several concerning incidents involving Mr. Cody Jerabek, McHenry’s defense counsel,” she wrote. “Most notably, Mr. Jerabek had failed to address McHenry’s earlier plea of not guilty by reason of mental illness, as the court had ordered. Following a show cause hearing, Rogers found Mr. Jerabek in contempt and formally reprimanded him for this failure to adhere to the court’s orders.”
In a Nov. 18 letter to Rogers’ chambers, Jerabek notified the judge that McHenry had requested a public defender be appointed “as outside counsel to advise him on a temporary basis regarding his case and plea,” according to court documents. Jerabek wrote that public defender Brandon Booth was willing to accept the appointment.
Lawyers
A hearing was set Nov. 22 to address McHenry’s request, but Jerabek continued to represent McHenry through April.
On March 29, Rogers assigned the case to Campbell, according to court documents: “The ends of justice would be best served” by the reassignment.
In a Feb. 9 filing by Jerabek, McHenry asked to withdraw his no-contest plea and have his case set for jury trial. Campbell denied the motion April 14, saying Jerabek and McHenry failed to demonstrate appropriate justification for the request.
McHenry at several instances “reaffirmed his confidence in and desire to be represented” by Jerabek, despite informal meetings with public defenders, Campbell wrote in his April 14 order.
Campbell also wrote in the order that, following a review of the file and review of relevant transcripts, it was his impression that “suspicions or feelings that a judge was somehow ‘signaling’ a problem with the defendant, his plea agreement or even his representation are not supported anywhere in this record.”
A fair reading, Campbell wrote, would be that Rogers “was taking what she viewed as appropriate action to protect, or at least ensure the defendant’s rights were being honored.”
The crime
On May 11, 2018, deputies with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 5000 block of South Greeley Highway after a man reported that his daughter had been shot in the hip. During a search of the area, a detective discovered the body of Joseph Steven Tortolito, 61, of Cheyenne hidden under several pallets.
Shortly after Tortolito’s body was found, a SWAT team made up of officers from the sheriff’s office and the Cheyenne Police Department saw a man, later identified as McHenry, running in and out of a nearby home holding a firearm, according to a later probable cause affidavit. McHenry rummaged through two vehicles before getting into a third and starting it, backing it down the driveway until he was stopped by the SWAT team, where he surrendered without incident.
McHenry was later found to have broken into two homes while armed, having taken a gun.
While being interviewed by law enforcement, McHenry was not cooperative, and at one point attempted to leave the interview room through the ceiling, according to the affidavit. He later injured a detective with a 3-foot piece of metal air duct.
After deputies attempted to restrain him, including with a Taser, McHenry tried to bite and kick them several times.
A pathologist confirmed during an autopsy on May 12, 2018, that Tortolito had died of multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was declared a homicide. The Wyoming State Crime Laboratory later found McHenry’s DNA on some of Tortolito’s clothing and several parts of the rifle, the affidavit said.
McHenry originally faced first-degree murder and attempted murder charges.
Jerabek said at the time of McHenry’s plea that his client would enter no-contest pleas because McHenry was under the influence of methamphetamine.
The state dismissed an additional charge of misdemeanor property destruction at the time of McHenry’s plea.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story's headline said "McHenry gets 14-20 years in prison for murder, other crimes." McHenry pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter, not murder. The WTE regrets the error. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/mchenry-gets-14-20-years-in-prison-for-manslaughter-other-crimes/article_c524affc-348a-5807-825e-43230392af00.html | 2022-04-28T19:20:33Z |
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LARAMIE – When University of Wyoming students return to campus next fall, operations of the College of Arts and Sciences will seem a bit different.
Administrators are reimagining the college’s purpose and have begun a process of consolidating similar subject areas.
By the time the changes are complete, the physical, mathematical and biological sciences, with the exception of psychology, will move from the College of Arts and Sciences to other colleges on campus.
The transition will start in July when the division of mathematics and statistics moves to the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Later on, the physical sciences such as chemistry and physics will end up in the College of Engineering and Applied Science as well. And the biological sciences such as botany and zoology will move to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
While the changes call for a heavy lift from staff and administrators, life for students should remain relatively similar, said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Camellia Okpodu. Aside from some changes to general education requirements that are being considered at the university-wide level, degree tracks and programs shouldn’t change.
While administrative-level changes announced last year are part of a plan to save money during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the reasoning behind re-imagining the College of Arts and Sciences is more practical than financial.
“(There are) some savings in terms of fewer department heads, but it’s not really just a budget reduction exercise,” said UW spokesperson Chad Baldwin. “It’s more about organizing ourselves and schools in the most appropriate way for a modern university.”
These changes could help put the university in a more competitive position when it comes to seeking federal research money, he said.
The plan came as a surprise to Okpodu, who started her position at UW in last July. Since there wasn’t much guidance available about restructuring an entire college, Okpodu has been working with associate deans and staff to brainstorm the best way to implement the changes.
There are 17 systems that the changes will have to work across, and it will take special care to make sure students aren’t frustrated with administrative problems, Okpodu said.
The college held a symposium last week as a way to take scholarly opinions and brainstorm a future vision for the college, which will be focused on the arts, humanities and social sciences.
The process is in the beginning stages. The next steps are deciding on a new name for the college and seeking input on the changes from students and alumni. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/uw-college-of-arts-sciences-to-get-new-structure/article_442691d6-1982-5f47-8669-0651da66d954.html | 2022-04-28T19:20:45Z |
ROCK SPRINGS – The Rock Springs High School Lady Tigers are continuing to make some noise throughout the state and it shows in the latest WyoPreps.com Coaches and Media Soccer Poll.
The Lady Tigers are ranked second in the state and winners of two straight after taking a draw against Kelly Walsh High School on Saturday, April 16. Rock Springs avenged their loss to Jackson Hole High School from earlier in the season by defeating the Lady Broncs at home, 2-0, on Friday, April 22.
On Tuesday, April 26, the Lady Tigers dismantled the Evanston High School Lady Red Devils, 6-1.
On the season, Rock Springs has a record of 7-2-1. On Thursday, April 28, the squad will play its final home game against the Green River High School Lady Wolves at 3 p.m. where the senior class will be recognized.
In this week’s poll, the Lady Tigers totaled 144 points by receiving 10 second-place votes, one first-place vote and another for third.
Thunder Basin High School continues its reign at the top of the rankings, receiving 11 first-place votes and another for second. The Lady Bolts are undefeated this season with a record of 9-0.
Rock Springs last played Thunder Basin on Saturday, March 19, for the first game of the season. The Lady Bolts won the game, 3-0.
Natrona County High School moved up in the rankings this week. The squad went from fourth to third, receiving four third-place votes.
Kelly Walsh High School dropped from third to fourth, while Jackson rounds out the top five by receiving two fifth-place votes.
Editor’s Note: This article was written on Thursday, April 28. Records teams may be different by time of publication on Saturday, April 30. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/lady-tigers-in-championship-form-as-squad-ranks-second-in-latest-poll/article_15b8d6c2-eab1-5d3c-a21d-87af6f1a2757.html | 2022-04-28T19:20:51Z |
...Scattered Showers and Thunderstorms Today...
This is a special weather statement from the National Weather
Service Office in Riverton.
* WHAT...Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some storms may
become strong and produce brief heavy rain, hail around half an
inch, and gusty outflow winds over 40 mph.
* WHERE...Southwest WY into central and north-central WY.
* WHEN...This afternoon through 6 PM.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Marginally severe thunderstorms are
possible today across portions of central Wyoming. Be alert to
potentially rapidly-changing weather conditions.
As the second ever season of Wyoming high school softball begins to wrap up, the Rock Springs High School Lady Tigers and Green River High School are gearing up for the postseason.
SWEETWATER COUNTY – As the second ever season of Wyoming high school softball begins to wrap up, the Rock Springs High School Lady Tigers and Green River High School are gearing up for the postseason.
On Wednesday, April 20, the two squads faced off against each other in Green River for a pair of games.
The Lady Wolves won the first game, 13-8, which was considered the conference match.
The Lady Tigers took the second game, 14-12, with the help of a six-run sixth inning to secure the come-from-behind victory.
The squads will be competing this weekend as well.
Kelly Walsh High School will face the hosting Rock Springs Lady Tigers on Friday, April 29, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The Lady Wolves will host Natrona County High School at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The teams will switch opponents on Saturday, April 30.
The Lady Tigers will play Natrona County at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., while the Lady Wolves will face Kelly Walsh at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Below are the standings entering the weekend.
EAST:
Campbell County 12-4, 8-0
Thunder Basin 14-2, 6-2
Cheyenne Central 12-5, 6-3
Laramie 10-6, 4-3
Cheyenne East 7-6, 3-4
Wheatland 4-17, 2-8
Cheyenne South 1-11, 0-9
WEST:
Cody 9-3, 4-0
Kelly Walsh 10-3, 4-1
Natrona County 5-7, 2-3
Rock Springs 5-8, 2-3
Green River 5-9, 2-3
Worland 0-14, 0-5
Editor’s Note: This article was written on Thursday, April 28. Records teams may be different by time of publication on Saturday, April 30. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/lady-tigers-lady-wolves-look-to-improve-in-softball-standings-in-final-weeks-of-season/article_4113903f-b66b-5393-be0a-a84928bed86b.html | 2022-04-28T19:20:57Z |
FARSON – Sweet Water Smoke is approaching its three-year anniversary on Monday, May 2.
Over the last three years, Chef Parker White has been providing a variety of flavors to patrons who are looking for smoked barbecue to satisfy their taste buds.
“As a chef, it’s fun because I can do whatever I want. With the barbecue, there are a lot of the things I can tie in with it, like you’re doing a fresh mozzarella salad so you got smoked mozzarella. That’s a big reason why I’m called Sweet Water Smoke and not just barbecue because I like to play with the flavor profile of smoke,” White said.
An experienced chef, White has traveled across the country learning different foods and tastes that he has been able to provide at Sweet Water Smoke, which is located at 5 Basco Avenue in Farson.
He has cooked in Colorado, Nevada, Washington D.C. and even Maryland before finding himself in small town Wyoming.
“My last position, I was a regional chef in Denver, helping out with nine different restaurants down there. My dad bought the Eden Saloon and needed some help, so I decided to resign down there and move up here to help out with the bar,” he said.
Sweet Water Smoke provides a rotating menu, meaning that it frequently changes. White said that its purpose is so that locals have something new to try without having to make a lengthy drive to get a different variety.
“The whole purpose of the rotating menu is that everyone in the community has to drive 30-40 miles to get something different. When you have a local restaurant, there isn’t much to choose from. When you do a cookie cutter menu, it’s always the same stuff and so you get burnt out on them. When you create a concept where it’s always changing and it’s always creative, it keeps the locals coming because there’s always a new variety and something new to try,” he said.
Although, White has learned that there some staples on his menu that he cannot take off due to the dish’s popularity, such as his famous carrot cake.
“I have been told the carrot cake is better than grandma’s, but don’t tell her that,” White said as he chuckled.
“It was just one of those items where I took it off the menu once and everybody kept asking me, ‘Where’s the carrot cake? Where’s the carrot cake?’ So, after three years, I’ve learned that I got to keep it on the menu. There’s a lot of items, like the fried brussel sprouts and fried okra, that I can’t get rid of.
“I’m learning what the pallet is of the locals. One thing I was really surprised with was the white truffle parmesan fries. When I first I got up here, I had to educate everyone what white truffle was and now I can’t take those off the menu either, so my options are getting limited, but I still find wiggle room to get new items on the menu.”
White enjoys teaching the local community about different foods and flavors that he has had the opportunity of learning over the span of his 23-year career.
“Stuff like the white truffle is exciting to educate the guests on these new products,” he said. “A couple weeks ago, I did saffron aioli and nobody here has really ever had saffron. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. People handpick tendrils from flowers in Spain and they dry them out. Just little things like that. My brain is so crammed with all of this information.”
Is he stopping with Sweet Water Smoke?
Not a chance.
White hopes to open a variety of different restaurants in the area, which will allow him to expand and showcase his culinary talents.
“I definitely want to open up more restaurants. I have a lot of ideas for different concepts. Being a chef, I’m not stuck to one cuisine. I feel like there’s a lot of opportunity in the area for different food and different cuisines,” he said.
White is currently in the works of opening up a food stand so that people can enjoy his food while on the go. He is also looking to hire help so that he can stay open seven days a week. To apply, please call 307-273-3033. Must be 18 years or older to apply.
Sweet Water Smoke is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., or until the barbecue runs out.
For more information about Sweet Water Smoke, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SWsmoke. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/merchant-of-the-month-sweet-water-smoke-fires-up-your-taste-buds/article_86ca4f17-90fb-5963-b7ef-69930dcf6c40.html | 2022-04-28T19:21:04Z |
...Scattered Showers and Thunderstorms Today...
This is a special weather statement from the National Weather
Service Office in Riverton.
* WHAT...Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some storms may
become strong and produce brief heavy rain, hail around half an
inch, and gusty outflow winds over 40 mph.
* WHERE...Southwest WY into central and north-central WY.
* WHEN...This afternoon through 6 PM.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Marginally severe thunderstorms are
possible today across portions of central Wyoming. Be alert to
potentially rapidly-changing weather conditions.
The Rock Springs High School Tigers and Green River High School Wolves soccer program are catching the attention of people throughout the state. In the seventh WyoPreps.com Coaches and Media Soccer Poll, the Tigers are ranked fifth and the Wolves are ranked just outside the top five.
ROCK SPRINGS – The Rock Springs High School Tigers and Green River High School Wolves soccer program are catching the attention of people throughout the state.
In the seventh WyoPreps.com Coaches and Media Soccer Poll, the Tigers are ranked fifth and the Wolves are ranked just outside the top five.
The Tigers did fall in the rankings, however. Rock Springs was previously ranked fourth, but after going 1-2 over the last couple weeks, the Tigers find themselves just a tad lower.
The Tigers lost at home to Jackson Hole High School on Friday, April 22, 4-0. The squad bounced back and defeated Star Valley High School on the road in overtime, 4-3.
On Tuesday, April 19, Rock Springs lost to Evanston High School, 3-2, giving them an overall record of 7-4 on the season.
The Green River Wolves are not ranked, but they did receive one vote for fourth in this week’s rankings. The Wolves went 1-1-1 over the past week. The squad defeated Natrona County High School, 4-1, at home on April 16. Then they tied Star Valley in Afton, 1-1, in double overtime. On Saturday, April 23, the Wolves lost to Jackson Hole High School 8-0.
Rock Springs and Green River will meet each other one last time in the regular season. The teams will
The Jackson Hole Broncs continue to rank No. 1 in the polls, receiving nine first-place votes.
Kelly Walsh High School ranks second, receiving seven second-place votes and another for first.
Laramie High School is third, while Sheridan High School makes the jump from fifth to fourth.
Editor’s Note: This article was written on Thursday, April 28. Records teams may be different by time of publication on Saturday, April 30. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/tigers-slip-while-wolves-receive-vote-in-latest-rankings/article_dd9454c5-6982-5502-902c-3d1253fd0823.html | 2022-04-28T19:21:10Z |
ROCK SPRINGS – For the past six years, local band Wy5 has gotten residents and visitors off their seats and onto the dance floor. From Katy Perry to Journey and even Beastie Boys, the crowd can be heard singing a block away from the venue.
Lead guitarist Cliff Wittstruck is the Interim Vice President for Student Learning for Western Wyoming Community College. He is also still serving as the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Wittstruck has had the opportunity to perform in many places over the world with Chet Atkins, Bernadette Peters, the Minnesota Orchestra, Jennifer Holliday, Art Garfunkel, and as member of The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band and among others.
“I’ve been really, really lucky,” Wittstruck expressed. “It was quite interesting, especially with Art Garfunkel because there I was just a few feet away from him on the stage, playing “Bridge Over Trouble Water” with him – it was insane.”
When Garfunkel needed a guitarist to fill in for a few shows, it was bassist James Taylor who had suggested Wittstruck should play with them.
“It was really fun!” Wittstruck laughed. “You never know who you’re going to meet.”
Wittstruck believes one’s performance shouldn’t be determined by the size of the crowd.
“I had a crazy week, for instance,” he shared. “I was part of a blues band that opened for James Brown for a while. We started the week doing that then I played with a different group during the Chicago Jazz Fest in the same week. There were about 20,000 people there.”
Later in the week, Wittstruck received a call to fill in for a guitarist at a country bar near the stockyards.
“There were three people there!” he laughed. “I went from performing in front of thousands of screaming people to three but no matter the size of the crowd, we did our very best.”
Wittstruck has been playing for 50 years.
“My mother played up until she was 102 years old,” he revealed. “She passed just this year.”
His mother and grandmother filled their houses with music as he grew up. They played the piano and the organ.
Andres Segovia has made an impression on him.
“He made classical guitar legit,” he pointed out. “There’s different styles of music that makes it enjoyable.”
When Sweetwater County Treasurer Joe Barbuto isn’t at the office, his fingers are frolicking over the piano keys.
He’s had his own little trios throughout college and quartets such as Boomslang, which is a blues band and Blues Nation. Not only is he a keyboardist for Wy5 but he also plays with his band, formerly known as The Joe Barbuto Trio. He renamed his band recently to Joe Barbuto and the Cave Crew. They have already scheduled performances.
He's traveled the Rocky Mountain circuit which includes Missoula, Bozeman, Billings and the Denver area.
“I like to play everything. That’s what I like about playing with Wy5 – we play such a wide genre in just a few sets from blues, jazz, funk to country to pop rock and even rap.”
“We want to make sure there’s something in the show everyone will like.”
Barbuto’s parents and grandparents inspired him to play the piano.
He is a big fan of jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and Cyrus Chestnut. He is also a fan of Jon Batiste and St. Paul and the Broken Bones, a soul band from Alabama.
“Because of their music, it makes me want to do something new and different,” he expressed. “To become a better musician.”
He mentioned that local musicians Michael Weiss and Micah Paisley motivate him too.
“A friend of mine was visiting recently and noticed that area musicians support each other in Sweetwater County,” he shared. “It’s not about competition.”
“It’s great that the local venues here support live music acts,” he noted. “Without them, we couldn’t do it.”
Bassist Dave Jensen has played music for 65 years.
“When I was five, there would be a guitar laying around at my grandpa’s house and I’d grab it and start playing it,” said Jensen. “My mother played the piano, accordion and sang.
“There wasn’t a day without music.”
Jensen admires The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.
“The bass lines are what attract me,” he revealed. “I actually met Carol Kaye who wrote and performed bass lines for Wrecking Crew in L.A, which produced the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher and many movie soundtracks like ‘Mission Impossible’ - she wrote the bass line for that.”
Jensen met Steve Bailey who is head of the bass department at Berkley.
“He was a clinician at a rock school in Jackson and while I was there helping out, he signed one of my bass guitars.”
“Victor Wooten is another bassist I admire,” he added. “I just love them. I could never achieve what they’ve achieved because they’re really great!”
When Jensen isn’t playing at gigs, he’s teaching guitar lessons at Pickin’ Palace in downtown Rock Springs.
“I like to pass on the information I’ve learned as a musician to others,” he expressed. “I think they would advance quicker that way.
“Personal instructors can give you that knowledge in months instead of years.”
Jensen was instrumental in starting the local annual event Blues and Brews at Bunning Park. He not only books bands and performs himself but he also serves as one of the sound engineers from his shop along with his family.
“It’s one of the busiest days of the year for us!”
Drummer Glenn Tremelling found his father’s drum set when he was three years old and has enjoyed it ever since.
“Wy5 band is the first cover band I’ve been in and they’re good people,” he said.
He joined his first band when he was in junior high school, playing mostly original songs.
He was also in local heavy bands such as Break the Fall, Chaos and Wade Wilson Project.
His influences include John Bonham, the drummer for Led Zeppelin, Neil Pert, the drummer for Rush and Danny Carrey, the drummer for Tool.
“They’re not your cookie-cutter drummers, they were really technical and their understanding of timing is insane,” he explained. “It’s really wonderful to hear that. To me that’s a true form of art.
“It’s just not the standard drum beat. They pay attention to phrasing, time signature and where they’re at. I practice that a lot.”
According to Tremelling, one of the most cutting-edge drummers can do is break the rules.
“Nobody ever heard the stuff John Bonham did because he didn’t follow the rules,” he pointed out. “I think that’s where creativity comes true.”
Tremelling believes newcomers to the music scene should always “be teachable.”
“No matter how long you’ve been doing it or how good you are at it, be willing to learn and don’t be afraid to break the rules. Don’t jump into the hard stuff – learn the basics first.”
By day, lead vocalist Jessica Yerkovich is an accountant at Genesis Alkali. She is also a karaoke DJ.
After a tip from his son Todd, Jensen caught her during “karaoke night” at a local lounge and he asked her if she would be interested in joining Wy5.
“We’re a fun cover band that plays music that we hope everyone will enjoy,” she described.
Yerkovich has been singing since she was a child.
“I was in choir all through school but no private lessons.”
Her favorite artists are Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Freddie Mercury and Maynard James Keenan.
She noted that since the musicians have jobs and responsibilities, it can be difficult to plan more shows.
“Our biggest challenge is getting all five of us together for gigs,” she admitted. “We all have busy schedules.”
“I’ve enjoyed hanging out and playing with all of the band members over the years and also our large variety of music,” she shared. “One of my favorite hobbies is karaoke and being able to sing anything and everything, so being able to play with a band that has a large variety of music has been a blast!” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/music-matters-wy5-mixes-it-up-on-stage/article_1876c0e6-c719-11ec-922c-4b4b80704804.html | 2022-04-28T19:21:16Z |
CHEYENNE – As a Wyoming Republican Party Convention decides whether to seat the Laramie County delegation at the state convention, county party leaders warn more than 20,000 party members could be disenfranchised.
The State Credentials Committee will announce its decision at a May 5 meeting, and make a recommendation to be discussed May 7 on the convention floor.
“Following Laramie County leadership’s admission of its failures to follow Bylaws in conducting the election, the State Republican Convention’s Credentials Committee will now review the matter and make a recommendation to the body as to how many delegates from Laramie County will be seated,” Chairman Frank Eathorne said in a new statement.
The motion was called for at the start of April after a complaint by Laramie County precinct committeeman and Central Committee member Ben Hornok. He questioned whether delegates set to attend the state convention had been properly nominated at the Laramie County Convention on March 12.
In his March 28 letter to the Laramie County GOP Executive Committee, he claimed voting procedures for delegates and alternates to serve at the state convention did not follow county and state GOP bylaws. His cited the form of secret ballot, additional delegates being allowed to be nominated from the floor, and the delegate and alternate ranking system.
Response
The State Executive Committee passed a motion requesting Laramie County Chairwoman Dani Olsen respond by April 1. She agreed the concerns were legitimate. She told committee members in a letter that the process used in years past, and in the recent county convention, did not fully follow the rules.
Upon reflection, the Laramie County Executive Committee will recommend a cleanup of some of the ambiguities in the delegate and alternate selection portion of the bylaws, she said.
The local party asked for grace on the error because, according to Robert’s Rules of Order, the election can only be contested by timely raising a point of order.
“We ask there to be assurance from the State Executive Committee that our delegates and alternates who attend the Convention in Sheridan will have the opportunity to participate, as they will be sacrificing time and financial resources to attend the Convention in May,” the letter ended.
Olsen told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wednesday the only flaw in the election process was how alternates were chosen. The nominating committee took the names and added the delegates to a list of people who were confirmed to attend, which was in accordance with local and state party regulations.
But since the state convention was only allowing 350 members to attend, the number of delegates allowed to go was lower. Thirty-seven spots were filled, and there were more than 40 individuals who expressed interest. Members of the nominating committee wanted as many as possible to have the opportunity, so they put the remaining individuals on the alternate list. The slate was presented and approved at the county convention.
The next step was filling the potential alternates. Following the bylaws, Olsen said they took nominations from the floor by voice vote, which is considered a form of secret ballot. The body approved the next slate of alternates, and the complainant Hornok was included.
Olsen said she recognized the issue was that the Laramie County GOP did not rank the alternates based on order of votes received, because they approved them as a whole. But at the time of the vote, she recalled, there were no objections. They instead put them in the order they were nominated.
Possible disenfranchisement
“Election integrity is a top issue among voters after the 2020 elections and has been the number one legislative priority for the Wyoming GOP for the last three years,” the state party said in a statement. “The Wyoming Republican Party is working hard to safeguard its internal activities and maintain the highest standards of transparency and integrity. No other complaints about county conventions have been brought before the State Executive Committee.”
While the Laramie County Republican Party said it is aware of at least eight other counties that have made similar infractions.
“We can only hope that the other counties will be able to hold themselves to the same high standard Laramie County has been held to, and they will come forward with their own admission of errors, as we have done,” the county GOP press release stated. “While Laramie County believes all counties should be seated, if the Credentials Committee does not look equally at violations of all counties, it will show bias and an unfair application of the rules.”
A larger concern shared by Olsen and other county party members is the motivation of the investigation, and the possible disenfranchisement of more than 20,000 Laramie County Republicans.
The county chairwoman said this would happen not only if Laramie County delegates were not allowed to attend and vote on state party leadership, as well as nominations, but in reducing the number of attendees overall. She said it was unprecedented that the number was lowered from 550 to 350, when historically there has always been a set amount, and the venue could accommodate a larger convention.
“It was unusual that they would even reduce their own income potential by having such a low number, but the only justification I could find was to reduce the vote of the larger counties,” she said.
Laramie County GOP member Mike Heath told the WTE he was also worried voices would be lost in the process, and not just in Laramie County. He highlighted the fact that the Natrona County GOP lost delegate representation at the state convention because it did not pay its full share of dues, which he said is difficult for members who fund their own expenses.
Olsen confirmed Natrona County was supposed to have 34 delegates, and was reduced to six.
Divisions in the ranks
The changes within the state convention representation and complaints have stirred Heath’s apprehension. He said he is concerned the divisiveness he is seeing within the party might destroy it, because even members of the local Republican Party have asked for their own delegates not to be seated.
In a letter sent by Laramie County Republican Party members Susan Graham and Fred Schlachter on April 9, they said they did not approve of the method for pre-nominating a slate of people as delegates and alternates.
“We request and support a decision by the Credentialing Committee to not seat this year’s delegates to the Wyoming GOP State Convention from Laramie County,” it stated. “Either we are a nation of laws, and all citizens are equal under the law, or we are not. Let us bring the Rule of Law back to Wyoming, starting with the Wyoming State GOP’s ruling to NOT seat Laramie County’s delegates.”
Graham and Schlachter are alleged to be members of a group called the Conservative Corner, along with Hornok, which has had previous disagreements with the Laramie County Republican Party. Although they remain members of the county delegation, Olsen said the group takes a more divisive approach to government, and is critical of the county party.
She said their largest frustration has been with members not being conservative enough, because the Laramie County GOP is more inclusive of all ranges of Republicanism.
“And because of the fact that we are inclusive, it does tend to cause tension among people who don’t believe we should be as inclusive as we are,” Olsen said.
While she recognized the division among the ranks, she did not confirm whether she thought this was the motivation behind the complaint. Her focus was on which bylaws the Laramie County GOP may have broken, and the possible repercussions. She said she wanted to protect the representation of county Republicans at the state convention moving forward, and disapproved of the process in which the state party made it public.
This was a sentiment shared in the final lines of the statement released by her fellow leadership. (The Wyoming GOP did not comment.)
“It is a shame that the Chairman of the State Party would use his position to spout falsehoods as a means of not seating the largest county in Wyoming, and thereby disenfranchising over 20,000 Republican voices in Laramie County,” it read. “It is further alarming that while the State Executive Committee is passing motions to ‘vigorously enforce Bylaws’ that it has consistently stopped its enforcement efforts with only two counties – Laramie and Natrona counties.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/laramie-county-gop-leadership-warns-of-disenfranchising-local-republicans/article_e51ad638-c718-11ec-a29d-c751a3197273.html | 2022-04-28T19:21:22Z |
Pilots and users of the Laramie Regional Airport have again called the experience and ability of the facility’s management team’s into question.
A group of seven people with ties to the airport authored an open letter outlining concerns about the management and governing board and spoke during the board’s meeting regular meeting last week.
“The management of Laramie Regional Airport has failed this community and its users,” the letter reads. “At the most basic level, an airport manager is responsible for the operations, safety and maintenance of the airport. What we have seen is an intense focus on revenue at the cost of all other duties.”
The letter, which was sent to state and local governments and the Federal Aviation Administration on Easter Sunday, outlines a slate of grievances with the airport, from unexpected fee increases to lack of experience and an alleged failure to follow FAA regulations.
“There’s been some instances where I think power struggles have prevailed over doing the right thing,” said Evan Egenolf, an aircraft and hangar owner who signed onto the letter.
During the meeting, multiple airport users pointed to a tense environment and lack of collaboration from airport management as the root of their concerns.
Flight cancellations
The complaints came toward the end of a week of commercial flights cancellations at the airport following the failure of a crucial piece of weather reporting equipment known as the automated surface observation system.
The letter originally claimed the cancellations were caused by mismanagement of the airport, but the group later rescinded the claim after learning more about the situation.
The FAA restricts the landing of commercial planes without the equipment, which helps pilots understand weather conditions. Airport staff are not allowed to repair the equipment themselves, and the local airport was 15th on the waiting list for repair work, said Airport Director Amy Terrell.
While there is an option to hire a human weather observer who can stand in during equipment failures, there are significant barriers to getting the approvals necessary for the position, she said.
Rules & regulations
The group of airport users stood by their other concerns, which include an increase in hangar rental and fuel prices, new $25 fees to use the water spigot and heater on-site and problems with hangars and snow removal.
“They want money, and I get it. The airport had issues and it needed more money,” said Thomas Bienz, a pilot and orthopedic surgeon at Premier Bone & Joint Centers. “But the way they’re going about it doesn’t include the users … and in many cases actually violates FAA regulations.”
The Laramie Regional Airport relies on state and federal money to operate. It must complete a safety audit and follow a set of regulations known as “grant assurances” to keep its federal appropriations.
Under the previous airport board, accounting and audits hadn’t been conducted for years on end, said current board chair Malea Brown.
Past board members were asked to resign because of a host of FAA compliance issues in what current board member Robert Southard called a “fiscal and regulatory emergency.”
The new airport board was formed in June 2021, and has worked with Terrell, the new manager, to succeed in getting the airport fully compliant with FAA safety regulations, Brown said.
The airport needs a budget of about $2 million to operate, and about $500,000 has gone toward fixing record keeping issues from the past administration, Brown said during a city council meeting. She also mentioned that the majority of rentals at the airport are land leases, which the airport increased from $0.20 per square foot to $0.25 per square foot.
Bienz and a handful of other aviators also raised concerns over what they called “discrimination” in pricing in charging landing fees for certain airport users and not others. There also were concerns about rules such as prohibiting pilots from fueling their own aircraft and other rules.
“It almost seems like the interest of the board is to basically make rules for the sake of making rules and make it difficult to use the airport, which I don’t understand what the advantage would be,” Bienz said.
A representative from the FAA told the Boomerang it was unable to clarify questions about federal regulations, even in a hypothetical nature, unless a complaint has been filed with the agency.
“With respect to allegations concerning federal compliance at the Laramie Regional Airport, we respectfully disagree,” Terrell said in a written statement. “Airport management and staff are proud to provide a safe and federally compliant airport for the general and commercial aviation community.”
Brown said the airport board is working with FAA officials to have an educational meeting with airport users who are unclear on the compliances.
Getting together
Those affiliated with the airport board expressed surprise at the contents of the letter.
“I hope people understand there were some changes that had to be made, and if they did not understand or had concerns they could have taken them to (Terrell) or to theboard,” said Pete Gosar, the Albany County Commission liaison to the airport board. “That’s how you do it in a small town.”
Bienz said he had various meetings with Terrell, but that sometimes when he reached out to Terrell and the airport board citing concerns with specific rules and regulations, the response was akin to “radio silence.”
“They’re not willing to take education, they’re not willing to even consider the options,” Bienz said. “We decided to write a letter because we want to get other people, and mainly the FAA, involved.”
While Brown didn’t mention Bienz specifically, she said some of the issues brought up in the letter were news to her.
“It’s not a lack of communication, it’s an issue of getting together,” Terrell said during the board meeting, explaining that she offered to attend a meeting with some of the complainants from the Laramie Flying Club but was uninvited. “Some of what’s in this letter didn’t give the courtesy of a conversation first.”
During the board meeting, a human resources representative claimed the group of letter writers, who are all male, coordinated an “attack” on Terrell not because of her management style, but because of her gender.
Egenolf and Bienz explained that the only reason they complained about Terrell and not the previous manager was because the prior issues with bookkeeping and FAA compliance weren’t well-known or understood by the public.
“I could call the old management, they’d pull your plane out, they’d fuel it up exactly how you wanted and you’d be on your merry way,” Egenolf said. “Operationally, they did a very good job.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/legal_and_courts/turbulent-relationship-local-aviators-allege-mismanagement-at-airport/article_ffcee528-c718-11ec-b3b1-cb3a08d4c1bc.html | 2022-04-28T19:21:28Z |
‘American Idol’ star says he was ‘tripping’ before deadly crash, solicitor says
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Former “American Idol” contestant Caleb Kennedy appeared before a judge Thursday. It was his fourth hearing since a deadly crash in February.
Kennedy, 17, is charged with DUI in the crash killing 54-year-old Larry Parris on Feb. 8.
Officials say he went 175 yards off the road to a garage where Parris was working when he ran him over.
In previous hearings, the judge did not set a bond as they waited for Kennedy’s toxicology results, WHNS reports.
Ryan Beasley, Kennedy’s attorney, has continually pushed for him to be released on bond.
Solicitor Barry Barnette said during Thursday’s hearing that Kennedy admitted to law enforcement he took a hit off a vape pen and “started tripping” before the crash.
Barnette also said Prozac bottles were found in his truck.
Beasley countered, explaining a doctor recently increased Kennedy’s dose of Prozac.
According to WHNS, toxicology reports showed THC in Kennedy’s system on the day of the crash, although Beasley argued it was a “trace amount.”
Beasley said Kennedy is not a flight risk or danger to the community when he asked a judge to grant bond for the teen.
He said Kennedy remained on the scene after the crash and was holding Parris and crying when first responders arrived.
Beasley said Kennedy has no prior criminal record, calling it a “bizarre and tragic accident.”
Parris’ wife, Donna, spoke at the hearing on Thursday and was very emotional when she asked the judge to deny Kennedy bond.
Circuit Court Judge Grace Knie said she will consider the information and issue a decision in writing within the next few days.
Copyright 2022 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/american-idol-star-says-he-was-tripping-before-deadly-crash-solicitor-says/ | 2022-04-28T19:51:29Z |
‘Exceptionally rare diamond’: World’s largest blue diamond at auction sells for $57.5M
Published: Apr. 28, 2022 at 3:21 PM EDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
(CNN) - They say a diamond is forever, and that’s about how long it would take for most people to pay for this one.
The world’s largest blue diamond ever to come to auction was recently sold for $57.5 million.
The diamond is called “The De Beers Cullinan Blue.” It’s a 15.10-carat gem and it was sold at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong after an eight-minute bidding war among four hopeful buyers.
The diamond was originally estimated to bring in $48 million but an anonymous buyer on the phone raised the price by more than $9 million.
The “exceptionally rare diamond” was found in South Africa’s Cullinan Mine last year and it is said to have the highest rankings that colored diamonds are judged by.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/exceptionally-rare-diamond-worlds-largest-blue-diamond-sells-575m-auction/ | 2022-04-28T19:51:35Z |
Friends of the Library raises money for new bookmobile
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - There is still time to support the Raleigh County Public Library!
Friends of the Library, a group that has been together for more than 25 years, is currently holding its annual book sale. In years past, the group has raised funds to go toward library programming and other needs. This year, they are working to help purchase a $150,000 bookmobile.
The vehicle is being built in Germany and should be delivered this fall.
Joan Tomasek, a Friends of Library member, says books in the sale were either donated by the community or purged from the library’s collection. Hardbacks are priced at $1, and paperbacks are fifty cents.
She said shoppers should have no problem finding books- there’s one for every hobby and in every genre.
“We have a book for everyone,” she shared. “We have books from A to Z. Everything you can think of. Books about West Virginia, and gardening books, handyman books and cookbooks, dictionaries- whatever!”
The book sale, which is being held daily, is located downstairs at the Raleigh County Public Library in Beckley. The event will conclude at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/friends-library-raises-money-new-bookmobile/ | 2022-04-28T19:51:51Z |
Granada Theater Thursday: A Night of Hope (Chosen Road) & Dave Matthews Tribute Band
Live performances are coming to the Granada in May and in June. Watch below for details.
Published: Apr. 28, 2022 at 2:39 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - This week edition of Granada Theater Thursday focuses on live performances coming soon to the historic theater on Commerce Street in heart of downtown Bluefield, WV.
On May 7, 2022 the Bland Ministry Center presents a Night of Hope at the Historic Bluefield Granada. The evening features performances from Mercer County’s own Chosen Road, Jason Crabb and comedian Mickey Bell.
You can purchase tickets here for either VIP or general admission.
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On June 17, 2022 the theater will be hosting the Dave Matthews Tribute Band from 7-9 PM.
Tickets are $25 for DMTB and can be purchased here.
Nicole Thompson the house manager of the Granada discusses what you can expect above.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/granada-theater-thursday-night-hope-chosen-road-dave-matthews-tribute-band/ | 2022-04-28T19:51:58Z |
Juvenile charged with first-degree murder following road rage shooting, police say
BALTIMORE (Gray News) – A juvenile in Maryland has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder following a shooting that police describe as a road rage event.
The Baltimore Police Department said a 17-year-old male, whose name was not released, shot and killed 52-year-old Daniel Pitts on April 14.
Police said they responded to reports of a shooting that afternoon where they found Pitts dead inside a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigation revealed that the victim was “involved in a road rage incident before he was shot,” police said.
Ten days later, on April 24, police arrested the 17-year-old, who they describe as “no stranger” to law enforcement.
Following his arrest, the teen was taken to the Central Booking Intake Facility and charged as an adult with first-degree murder, false statement to officers, handgun on person and loaded handgun in vehicle.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact Baltimore’s homicide detectives at 410-396-2100.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/juvenile-charged-with-first-degree-murder-following-road-rage-shooting-police-say/ | 2022-04-28T19:52:08Z |
Local nursing home undergoes $2.5M renovation
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (WVVA) - The Fayette Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has gotten a facelift!
The facility recently underwent a $2.5 million renovation. Everything from carpets to windows, tables to chairs and beds to artwork was upgraded.
Employees say the project, which was completed during the pandemic, was done to make residents feel more at home.
“It’s so comfortable for them,” said Leslie Leake, Director of Nursing at the Fayette Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “The color scheme, the layout of the building is really accessible to all of our residents, the homelike atmosphere that it created and upgraded: It makes them feel really good.”
Leake says residents are enjoying the upgraded therapy room and their bedrooms the most.
The Fayette Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a 60-bed facility that offers both short-term and long-term care. It is one of 19 American Medical Facilities Management (AMFM) facilities in the state.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/28/local-nursing-home-undergoes-25m-renovation/ | 2022-04-28T19:52:22Z |
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