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Human-driven climate change is expected to cause about 110 trillion tons of ice to melt off Greenland’s ice shield — and even the most drastic preventive measures can’t stop it, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change this week.
The result of the melt could be up to a foot of global sea level rise, which would have severe global consequences on both coastal and inland regions.
David Bahr is a glaciologist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He joins Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd to talk about the study and the consequences of its findings.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/110-trillion-tons-of-ice-projected-to-melt-in-greenland-and-its-too-late-to-do-a-thing-about-it | 2022-08-31T18:06:32Z |
A long, intense wave of excessive heat is hitting much of the Western United States for the next week.
The region should anticipate "a prolonged and possibly record breaking heat wave," with little relief overnight, the National Weather Service says. Heat watches and advisories stretch from Arizona to Washington state.
"In addition, the warmth combined with very little moisture and low relative humidities, will contribute to an elevated wildfire risk across parts of the northern Great Basin and northern High Plains," the agency said.
Across California, temperatures are expected to be more than 10 degrees above normal, warns the organization that manages the flow of much of the state's electricity.
The California Independent System Operator expects that demand on Labor Day will reach the highest point so far this year, and that it will ask Californians to take energy conservations steps.
"During a Flex Alert, consumers are urged to reduce energy use from 4-9 p.m. when the system is most stressed because demand for electricity remains high and there is less solar energy available," the organization said. "The top three conservation actions are to set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, avoid using large appliances and charging electric vehicles, and turn off unnecessary lights."
Lowering the strain on the grid will help hold off more drastic measures, the organization said, including the possibility of rotating blackouts.
Las Vegas is projected to see a week of high temperatures at or near 110 degrees, with nighttime "lows" of 85 degrees or higher. Both are more than 10 degrees above the city's average September weather.
In response to the heat wave, the city of Los Angeles is opening nine cooling centers for extended hours, and encouraging residents to exercise caution when outside and to keep a close eye on the health of their children, pets and neighbors. Governments across the region are taking similar steps.
"Take this heat seriously, even if you're healthy, because the predicted temperatures are nothing to take lightly," Dr. Geoffrey Leung, the public health officer of nearby Riverside County, said in a statement. "Even remaining outdoors for short periods of time can impact your health."
LAist has an extensive list of tips for keeping safe in hot weather, and for spotting the symptoms of heat illnesses.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/a-weeklong-heat-wave-in-california-and-other-western-states-will-test-the-power-grid | 2022-08-31T18:06:39Z |
Mikhail Gorbachev — the last leader of the Soviet Union and Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped bring an end to the Cold War — has died at age 91. The Russia where he died is a very different place from the Soviet Union where Gorbachev grew up and became president.
William Taubman is a biographer, professor emeritus at Amherst College and author of “Gorbachev: His Life and Times.” He talks with Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/mikhail-gorbachev-the-last-leader-of-the-soviet-union-remembered | 2022-08-31T18:06:46Z |
Pakistan is on the long road to recovery after catastrophic flooding. Nearly a million people need shelter. More than a thousand are dead.
Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd gets the latest from NPR’s Diaa Hadid.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/pakistan-on-the-road-to-recovery-after-severe-flooding | 2022-08-31T18:06:52Z |
Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Jerry Mitchell, founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, about its reporting that led to the firing of Lexington, Mississippi, Police Chief Sam Dobbins.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/tensions-are-high-in-mississippi-town-that-fired-police-chief-with-history-of-racist-abuse | 2022-08-31T18:06:58Z |
Health officials in Texas reported the death of a person with monkeypox Tuesday in what appears to be the first fatal case of the disease in the U.S. The person was a “severely immunocompromised” adult, according to the state health department.
Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins speaks with Andrew Joseph, a reporter for STAT.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/texas-reports-first-u-s-death-linked-to-monkeypox | 2022-08-31T18:07:05Z |
The data are stark: the typical American diet is shortening the lives of many Americans. Diet-related deaths outrank deaths from smoking, and about half of U.S. deaths from heart disease – nearly 900 deaths a day – are linked to poor diet. The pandemic highlighted the problem, with much worse outcomes for people with obesity and other diet-related diseases.
"We're really in a nutrition crisis in this country." says Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
Now, there's growing momentum to tackle this problem. The Biden administration will hold the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on September 28th, and will announce a new national strategy. This comes more than 50 years after a landmark White House conference which helped launch today's major federal food assistance programs.
"The 1969 conference was transformative," Mozaffarian says. The programs it ushered in, like the WIC program, have helped feed millions of low-income families.
But this hasn't been enough to solve the dual problems of food insecurity and diet-related disease. Food policy leaders say it's time to think anew and build on what we've learned. The U.S. can't "fix" hunger by just feeding people cheap, high-calorie, processed foods – the food that's so abundant in our food supply, they say. Instead, it's got to find ways to nourish people with healthy, nutrient-dense foods.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm and thinking about food more broadly and how we can fix this crisis," Mozaffarian told NPR. He's co-chair of an independent task force that includes doctors, chefs, food policy and business experts, as well as farming and health advocates, who are helping form the agenda at upcoming the White House conference.
In a new report, they've proposed a wide-ranging set of recommendations to end hunger, advance nutrition and improve health. Here are seven big ideas they're excited about.
1. Treat food as medicine
There's a growing movement to integrate food and nutrition into health care, by providing healthy meals and groceries to patients to help prevent or manage diet-related illness.The task force wants to see this kind of work expand.
"We should pay for food-based interventions that are effective," Mozaffarian says.
For example, there's mounting evidence that providing prescriptions for fruit and vegetables can spur people to eat better and manage weight and blood sugar. The idea is for health care systems or insurers to provide or pay for healthy groceries, combined with nutrition education, to help patients change their eating habits. It is being piloted around the country.
"Produce prescription programs help improve diet quality and food security," says task force member Dr. Hilary Seligman, a food insecurity expert and professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco, noting that they can help with diet-related diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Another idea is to offer medically tailored meals aimed at helping people who are already sick reverse chronic disease. Currently the federal government is running pilot programs that let Medicaid or Medicare pay for the meals in several states.
2. Focus on quality of calories, not just quantity
The U.S. food supply is awash in cheap calories. And when you're on a tight budget or relying on benefits like SNAP (food stamps), processed foods like chips and soda can set you back less than fresh produce. Of course, eating processed foods also contributes to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, warns Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
Brown says federal food assistance programs have helped to address hunger. "However, many U.S. food policies and programs focus on improving access to sufficient quantities of food," she says. Instead, it's time to modernize these policies and focus on the quality of food, "so people have access to enough nutritious food."
The task force wants to see food programs redesigned to nudge people towards healthier options. The report points to the GusNIP nutrition incentive program – which, in select communities – gives SNAP participants more money to buy fruit and vegetables. It's a similar concept to the Double Bucks program which doubles the value of SNAP benefits when used to buy produce at farmers markets and other venues.
"It is important to scale up these efforts to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food options," says task force member Angela Odoms-Young, a nutrition professor at Cornell University.
The task force recommends that Congress establish a nationwide produce incentive program for all SNAP participants. "These types of programs can help promote equity," Odoms-Young says, noting that people of color disproportionately suffer from chronic illnesses.
3. Expand access to dietary and lifestyle counseling
The Affordable Care Act mandates that diet counseling be covered by insurers as a preventive care benefit for those at higher risk of chronic disease. The exact details of who is eligible for which services are left up to an advisory group of doctors and health care providers, as well as insurers, and many patients who would benefit may not have access to this service.
"The vast majority of Americans should be getting preventative behavioral lifestyle treatment," Mozaffarian says. Too often, he says, doctors prescribe drugs for conditions before recommending or trying lifestyle changes. "Doctors go right to the drug," he says. "I think that's a big problem."
The task force recommends that Congress expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for medical nutrition therapy to people with high blood pressure, prediabetes, celiac disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other diet-related conditions. It also calls for expanded coverage of cooking classes and nutrition assistance, as well as coverage of the Diabetes Prevention Program, delivered by telehealth. This behavior-change program has been shown to be more effective than medicine in reducing the onset of Type 2 diabetes among people at high risk.
4. Support food entrepreneurs
People who start food businesses can help nourish their communities and create jobs. The task force calls on the federal government to pass policies that boost new healthy food enterprises, including providing new loans and grants to food and nutrition-related companies centered on health, equity, and sustainability. The idea is to focus especially on businesses owned by people of color and other marginalized groups.
"We don't need more businesses creating diabetes and obesity," says Tambra Raye Stevenson, who runs Wanda, a non-profit group that aims to build a pipeline and platform for a million Black women and girls to become local food leaders. "We need entrepreneurs that provide teaching kitchens, community gardens, healthy food retails, wellness studios, nutrition services, healthy consumer products, and urban agricultural centers," she says.
She points to food entrepreneurs like Amanda Stephenson who opened a specialty food market in an underserved neighborhood in Washington, DC, Fresh Food Factory, and Mary Blackford of Market 7 who is planning a food hall that features Black-owned food and lifestyle businesses. "They are our food she-roes making a positive impact and providing healthy food access for our children and other women," says Stevenson.
In the lead up to next month's White House conference, groups like Food Tank, a food think tank, have organized listening sessions with food researchers and entrepreneurs. "For food to be more accessible and affordable, we need entrepreneurs that use science and technology," says Danielle Nierenberg of Food Tank. She points to innovators like Journey Foods which is helping entrepreneurs bring nutritious foods and snacks to market.
5. Increase the number of new farmers growing healthy foods using regenerative farming techniques
If all Americans began to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables each day, there would be shortages. That's because corn and soybeans are grown on most cropland in the U.S.. Now, there's growing recognition of the need for more specialty crops - including fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
The task force recommends that Congress create a Farmer Corps to support new farmers, building on the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program. The idea is to provide new farmers with paid internships and apprenticeships to learn about sustainable farming, and funding to cover a living wage and housing. It also is pushing for loans to go to farmers growing with sustainable practices.
Growing the same crop, season after season, as many farmers do, can make lands less productive over time, and deplete nutrients from the soil."The unfortunate reality is that today we subsidize conventional practices that degrade the soil,"says David Montgomery, a professor at the University of Washington and the author of What Your Food Atewho attended a listening session.
"What we need to sustain agriculture is to incentivize restoring healthy soils and train more farmers to be successful doing that," he says.
6. Make school meals free for all students
School meals have been a fixture in U.S. schools ever since President Harry Truman signed the National School Lunch Act back in 1946. For decades, the federal government has reimbursed schools for meals they serve, and low-income students can qualify for free or reduced priced meals. Research has shown that low-income children who participate have better health.
Yet, many families who are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals may not receive them, sometimes due to the paperwork, bureaucracy or stigma of participating or enrolling. Amid the pandemic, school meals have been offered for free to all students. Now, the task force says this should be a permanent change.
"Without access to free meals at school, many children go without food at all during the day, and many more do not have access to the nutritious foods they need to thrive,' says Seligman, of UC, San Francisco. She notes that school meals help not only with kids' nutrition, but they also reduce absenteeism and improve academic outcomes.
7. Establish a federal 'food czar'
In order to turn ideas like these into action, the task force recommends the creation of a new role in the federal government, a national director of food and nutrition, a food czar figure, if you will. The new director would help streamline and coordinate the many disparate efforts already underway. The U.S. government spends more than $150 billion each year on food and nutrition related programs, and the health care system also spends billions on treatment of diet related diseases.
"This spending is fragmented across 200 separate actions and 21 different departments and agencies without harmonization or synergy," the task force concludes. Now, they conclude, it's time for a new approach.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/the-u-s-diet-is-deadly-here-are-7-ideas-to-get-americans-eating-healthier | 2022-08-31T18:07:11Z |
Hole Food Rescue in Jackson has diverted over 2 million pounds of food from the landfill. According to the Jackson Hole News and Guide, the nonprofit is celebrating with a head to head competition - five chefs will prepare meals with three whole pigs and participants will be able to vote on the best. Leftover food will be donated to people in the valley the following day.
The Wheatland Golf Club recently held their first ever Junior Golf Championship. The Guernsey Gazette reports the junior golf clinic that takes place in June has had high participation rates the past few years, but no culminating event for the kids. This year, the free championship 36 kids between the ages of 7 and 14 competed. The top three in each age group received trophies.
Since mid-July, the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Trout Unlimited have been working on restoration on the North Fork of Tincup Creek. The Buckrail reports the area is inaccessible by roads, so the organizations are using draft horses and hand crews to install log structures to improve stream health, floodplain connectivity and habitat for native fish species. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/wednesday-august-31 | 2022-08-31T18:07:17Z |
Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins talks with the Washington Post’s Ishaan Tharoor about the debate over fascism in the U.S.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins talks with the Washington Post’s Ishaan Tharoor about the debate over fascism in the U.S.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/whats-sparking-debate-about-fascism-in-the-u-s | 2022-08-31T18:07:24Z |
Andy Statman is well known as a clarinet player in the Klezmer and jazz circuit. But decades ago, he was wowing musicians and audiences alike by playing bluegrass mandolin.
Early this year, a 22-year-old bluegrass guitar player named Jake Eddy contacted Statman and asked him if he’d like to play bluegrass together.
Jon Kalish has this story about the unlikely collaboration.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/young-and-old-bluegrass-virtuosos-join-forces | 2022-08-31T18:07:31Z |
The new climate bill raises the tax credits on solar panels to 30%, which means millions of Americans could be motivated to get them for their home.
Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Vikram Aggarwal, CEO and founder of EnergySage, an online solar marketplace.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-31/your-rooftop-solar-questions-answered | 2022-08-31T18:07:37Z |
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Birthdays: 8.30.22
Happy Birthday to all who celebrate on this day!!
By
Joshua Bolden
Updated: Aug. 30, 2022 at 1:58 PM EDT
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Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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Latest News
Birthdays: 8.31.22
Interview @ Noon: 30th Annual Coal Miners’ Reunion
Birthdays: 8.29.22
Traffic Alert: Road closure in Mabscott due to broken power pole | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/30/birthdays-83022/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:10Z |
Atlanta skyscraper fire sends smoke billowing from rooftop
ATLANTA (AP) — A fire broke out on the rooftop of a skyscraper under construction in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday, bringing dozens of firefighters and police officers to the site near Centennial Olympic Park.
Flames were visible on the roof of the 32-story tower, sending a dark column of smoke into the sky. Construction workers spilled out of the building before firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Called The Metropolitan at Atlanta, the tower is slated to be an 835-bed, 265-unit residence, aimed at Georgia State University students. Permits filed in 2021 when construction began valued the work at $56 million.
The building is supposed to be completed in August 2023. While its steel and concrete structure has been erected, the interiors remain unfinished.
The building’s developer and contractor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/atlanta-skyscraper-fire-sends-smoke-billowing-rooftop/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:16Z |
Baggage handler killed in belt loader entanglement at New Orleans airport
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - An airport worker is dead after her hair was caught in a belt loader at the New Orleans airport, officials say.
The 26-year-old, identified by the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office as Jermani Thompson, was injured Tuesday at around 10 p.m on the apron, an area where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, boarded and maintained, the director of communications for Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport said.
A spokesperson for GAT Airline Ground Support, where Thompson was employed, said she was working to offload a plane that had landed, WVUE reported. They say her hair got tangled in a belt loader.
“We are heartbroken and are supporting her family and her friends as best as we are able. Please send your well wishes to everyone at our New Orleans station during this very difficult time,” the CEO of GAT Airline Ground Support said.
Thompson was taken to a hospital, where she died.
“We extend our deepest condolences following the tragic death of a team member of our ground handling business partner at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time,” a spokesperson for Frontier Airlines said in a statement.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/baggage-handler-killed-belt-loader-entanglement-new-orleans-airport/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:23Z |
Crist leaving US House to focus on Florida governor race
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist submitted his resignation from Congress on Wednesday to focus on his gubernatorial campaign against Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Crist said in a phone interview Wednesday that his resignation would be effective at the end of the day. He noted that he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before making the decision.
“She said, ‘I understand, but it looks like we’re in good shape, so you need to do what you need to do and you need to win this election. It’s very important and you don’t have a lot of time,’” Crist said.
Crist served as Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. He later switched parties, challenging and losing to Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. He was elected to the St. Petersburg-area congressional seat in 2016.
“I’m going to work hard, get all over the state and win this thing. That’s the plan,” Crist said. “I’ve loved representing my home town and my home county. They’re wonderful people and I look forward to the race ahead and representing them in the governor’s office.”
Crist won the Democratic nomination for governor last week and has named United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernandez as his pick for lieutenant governor.
DeSantis also stepped down from Congress early after winning the Republican nomination in 2018.
Crist appended his resignation announcement with a pitch to voters this fall.
“The choice is crystal clear here. If you want a women’s right to choose to be protected, you vote for Charlie Crist; if you want to make sure your vote counts, particularly for African-Americans, you vote for Charlie Crist; if you want the education system to get the support it deserves, you vote for Charlie Crist,” he said.
Republican Anna Paulina Luna will face Democrat Eric Lynn, who worked in President Barack Obama’s administration, for Crist’s vacant seat in November.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/crist-leaving-us-house-focus-florida-governor-race/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:30Z |
Interview @ Noon: 30th Annual Coal Miners’ Reunion
Registration begins at 9 AM on Labor Day -- the event celebrates coal miners & railroad workers
Coming up this Labor Day in the Town of Pocahontas, VA--residents and the community at large celebrate the 30th Annual Coal Miners Reunion.
Northern District Supervisior, Maggie Asbury and Historic Pocahontas Inc.’s Melissa Gibson stopped by WVVA @ Noon with Joshua Bolden to discuss the upcoming educational and fun event for the whole family. Prize drawings will also be given out during the event.
Below is a scheduled list of events. See more in the interview above.
9 - 11 AM Registration (at the park)
9:30 - 11 AM Activities including Scavenger Hunt & Corn Hole.
11 AM - Parade Line Up
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM Coal Miners’ Reunion Parade
Noon - Lunch served by Ole No. 3 Restaurant
Musical performances from Makenzie Phipps, Bill Archer and Calvary’s Hill Church.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/interview-noon-30th-annual-coal-miners-reunion/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:38Z |
IRS revokes tax-exempt status of North Carolina NAACP
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s influential state chapter of the NAACP has lost its federal tax-exempt status for failing to file tax returns for three years, according to the federal government.
The Internal Revenue Service stripped the civil rights organization’s state chapter of its tax-exempt status May 15 under a process that automatically revokes the designation for nonprofits that fail to file federal tax returns for three consecutive years, according to a post on the IRS site. The status change was made public this month.
The state chapter has been a prominent voice in decrying the policies of the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, including challenging voter access laws in recent years. Earlier this month, the civil rights group scored a victory when the state Supreme Court ruled a lower court must consider nullifying a voter ID mandate approved by citizens in 2018.
The loss of federal tax-exempt status was first reported by The News & Observer in Raleigh. The newspaper reports that experts on charitable giving say losing the status could hinder fundraising efforts and potentially drain the organization’s resources through taxes on donations and fines.
The newspaper also reported that the national NAACP intervened in 2019 to place the state chapter under a punitive administratorship, giving the national organization more input in how the state branch is staffed and operated. The state and national organizations are working to restore the branch’s tax-exempt status.
Da’Quan Love was recently appointed by the national organization to serve as executive director of the North Carolina NAACP. He told WRAL-TV he views his role as a consultant to help the state chapter shore up its finances as the national organization performs a multi-year audit of its finances. He previously served as a leader of the Virginia branch of the NAACP.
“The national NAACP has launched a financial audit, a full financial, multi-year audit of the state conference as well as all the branches in the state of North Carolina to rectify these issues and get to the bottom of these challenges and ensure that this does not happen again and we’re in good financial standing,” Love told WRAL.
He said the national organization will provide the state chapter with resources and support so it can continue its civil rights work including get-out-the-vote efforts ahead of the November election.
The loss of tax-exempt status became public weeks after former state chapter president The Rev. T. Anthony Spearman was found dead in his home. A cause of death has not been released. Spearman, who lost a bid in 2021 for reelection to lead the state chapter, had filed a lawsuit against state and national NAACP officials accusing them of defaming him and conspiring to remove him from the presidency.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/irs-revokes-tax-exempt-status-north-carolina-naacp/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:44Z |
Judge nixes no-prison deal in 2018 limo crash that killed 20
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — A judge rejected a plea agreement that would have meant no prison time for the operator of a limousine company involved in a crash that killed 20 people in upstate New York, drawing applause and tears Wednesday from victims’ relatives who packed the court.
Judge Peter Lynch, who was not presiding over the case when the deal was reached a year ago in Nauman Hussain’s case, called the agreement “fundamentally flawed.”
It would have spared Hussain prison time, angering the families of the people killed when brake failure sent a stretch limo full of birthday revelers hurtling down a hill in 2018.
The judge’s rejection appeared to catch lawyers and relatives off-guard.
“I can’t even put into words how I feel. Totally unexpected. Thank God,” said Jill Richardson-Perez, the mother of limo crash victim Matthew Coons. “I’m in a better place now.”
Kevin Cushing, who lost his son Patrick in the crash, said the families “have a hope for a bit of justice to be served in the future, where we didn’t have any justice served in the past.”
Hussain, who operated Prestige Limousine, had been charged with 20 counts each of criminally negligent homicide and second-degree manslaughter in what was the deadliest U.S. transportation disaster in a decade.
The agreement had called for Hussain to plead guilty only to the homicide counts, resulting five years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. Lawyers for both sides said last year the plea agreement assured a resolution in a case that would have faced an uncertain outcome if presented to a jury.
While the National Transportation Safety Board concluded the crash was likely caused by Prestige Limousine’s “egregious disregard for safety” that resulted in brake failure, the board said ineffective state oversight contributed.
Lee Kindlon, an attorney for Hussain, has said his client tried to maintain the limousine and relied on what he was told by state officials and a repair shop that inspected it.
Axel Steenburg rented the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine for wife Amy’s 30th birthday on Oct. 6, 2018. The party group, ranging in age from 24 to 34, included Axel’s brother, Amy’s three sisters and two of their husbands, and close friends.
En route to a brewery, the limo’s brakes failed on a downhill stretch of road in Schoharie, west of Albany. The vehicle blew through a stop sign at over 100 mph (160 kph) and crashed into a small ravine.
The crash killed the limo driver, 17 passengers, and two bystanders outside the store.
Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery’s office has said Hussain allowed passengers to ride in the limo despite having received “multiple notices of violations” from the state and having been told repairs were inadequate. State police said the vehicle should have been taken out of service because of brake problems identified in an inspection a month before the crash.
Lynch noted that a state Department of Transportation out-of-service sticker had been placed on the limousine a month before the crash. State police recovered the sticker from Hussain’s car after his arrest. Prosecutors have argued that Hussain took the sticker off the limo’s windshield so that he could rent it for more jobs.
To the judge, Hussain’s actions showed he knew the risk of putting the limousine on the road the day of the crash, and a guilty plea to only criminally negligent homicide does not reflect that. Lynch called the deal “completely disingenuous and unacceptable to this court.”
Under New York law, second-degree manslaughter entails conduct that “creates or contributes to a substantial and unjustifiable risk that another person’s death will occur” — a risk that the perpetrator consciously disregards. Criminally negligent homicide, on the other hand, involves failing to perceive such a risk, the judge noted.
Lynch gave Hussain’s lawyers the choice of accepting a sentence of 1 1/3 to four years in prison or withdrawing his guilty plea. They chose the latter.
The next court date has been set for Sept. 14. Hussain, who had been on interim probation, will go out on bail and be subject to GPS monitoring.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/judge-nixes-no-prison-deal-2018-limo-crash-that-killed-20/ | 2022-08-31T18:08:50Z |
K-9 who escaped backyard found shot; had to be euthanized
ATLANTA (WGCL/Gray News) – A K-9 in Georgia who went missing from his backyard was later found shot and had to be euthanized.
K-9 Perro with the Lithonia Police Department disappeared Sunday afternoon after digging a hole in his handler’s backyard and climbing under the fence.
“He dug a hole in the yard and put a hole through the fence and got out,” J. Patterson, Perro’s handler, said.
The next day, following an expanded search, K-9 Perro was spotted. He was picked up by DeKalb County Animal Control and was suffering from a gunshot wound.
The bullet caused significant damage, and an emergency decision was made to put K-9 Perro down.
Patterson said this was the first time the dog escaped the backyard in the nearly four years he has been Perro’s handler.
The Lithonia Police Department is asking for privacy to grieve after Officer Perro’s death.
“At this time, we would ask for privacy for our K-9 handler Major Patterson and his family as they grieve not only for the loss of Major Patterson’s partner but a true friend and family member within his family,” the department said in a statement.
The police department did not provide details on any leads to find out who shot Perro.
Copyright 2022 WGCL via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/k-9-who-escaped-backyard-found-shot-had-be-euthanized/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:02Z |
Some women say they’re having trouble getting prescriptions filled because of Georgia abortion law
ATLANTA (WGCL/Gray News) - Some Georgian residents are having trouble picking up medication that’s been prescribed to them by licensed doctors. It’s a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, and is complicating access to essential drugs.
Atlanta resident Cindi Gatton takes Misoprostol to prevent stomach ulcers, which can be caused by the long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for her arthritis.
“After my second ulcer, I had asked my primary care doctor if he would be comfortable prescribing this drug,” Gatton said. “He did, and and I’ve taken it daily pretty much ever since.”
Gatton never had a problem filling her prescription at her Publix pharmacy in Decatur until a few weeks ago.
“The pharmacy tech said we have to get additional information from your doctor,” Gatton said, “And that’s when he told me we need the doctor to tell us the diagnosis that they’re prescribing for.”
In addition to preventing stomach ulcers, Misoprostol can also be used to complete miscarriages or induce abortions.
Because of Georgia’s controversial “heartbeat bill,” most abortions are now banned in the state at roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Gatton, however, said she’s past child-bearing age, and even if she wasn’t, she believes her privacy has been invaded.
“If a licensed physician writes a prescription, a pharmacy can and should fill it,” she said. “That’s the obligation of the pharmacist.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mississippi’s abortion law that bans the procedure after 15 weeks. That decision, announced June 24, essentially overturns Roe v. Wade, the court’s landmark 1973 ruling which ruled a pregnant woman has the right to choose to an abortion without excessive government restriction.
Now it seems pharmacists, who have liability for the prescriptions they fill, are scrambling.
According to patient advocacy groups like the Global Healthy Living Foundation, dozens of women are also having problems getting Methotrexate - another drug which treats arthritis but can also be used to end a pregnancy - at pharmacies.
Zoe Rothblatt with the Global Healthy Living Foundation said, “Many of our members – only women -- have been asked to validate their diagnosis, particularly in states with anti-abortion trigger laws, despite having prescriptions written by their health care providers. Our members are fearful that they won’t be able to get their medications, and even a small delay can cause harm.”
Some Atlanta OB/GYN’s believe Georgia’s abortion law will delay patients from seeking care. “So we are, under this law, unable to take care of those patients, and that’s really egregious,” Dr. Megan Cohen explained.
At a recent panel sponsored by the Democratic Party of Georgia, Cohen talked about the restrictions Georgia’s abortion ban could create for women experiencing miscarriages.
“The medications we use to treat a miscarriage are exactly the same that we use for a medication abortion, so not only is it going to delay people from coming in, but it’s also going to restrict our ability to treat people who are in the midst of a miscarriage,” she added.
“We’re going to see communities that are already disenfranchised and already having issues with access to care having more issues and that gap becoming wider with these restrictions,” Dr. Tiffany Hailstorks said. “We’re going to see poorer health outcomes for mothers and for babies.”
“It’s unfortunate that it’s being misunderstood in such a way as to scare women,” said Sue Liebel, state policy director at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Anti-abortion activists like Liebel said they disagree, and said doctors should not be worried about prescribing these medications as long as they’re not doing so to induce an abortion.
“This is not intended to impact drugs that are used for other purposes. This is intended to impact drugs that are used to cause an abortion,” Liebel added.
But Gatton said she believes doctors’ and patients’ concerns are valid, and she said she doesn’t like experiencing politics at the pharmacy.
“This just seems like a burden on an important part of the health care system that is unnecessary,” she said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently reminded pharmacists they must follow federal civil rights laws when they dispense medication. Refusing to fill a prescription because of its potential to end a pregnancy could violate anti-sex discrimination laws.
CBS46 Investigates sent four emails to Publix asking about new policies following the reversal of Roe v. Wade. All four went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Walgreens and CVS both responded to questions about their policies.
Pharmacists are “caught in the middle on this issue,” said Amy Thibault, CVS Pharmacy spokesperson
“Our highest priority is ensuring safe and timely access to medications for our patients, and we’re committed to supporting women’s health care,” said Amy Thibault, CVS Pharmacy spokesperson.
But laws in some states restrict the dispensing of medications for the purpose of inducing an abortion, she said.
“These laws, some of which include criminal penalties, have forced us to require pharmacists in these states – which does NOT include Georgia – to validate that the intended indication is not to terminate a pregnancy before they can fill a prescription for Methotrexate or Misoprostol,” Thibault said.
She said they encourage providers to include the diagnosis on the prescriptions they write.
Fraser Engerman, a Walgreens spokesperson, blamed “trigger laws in various states,” for the extra steps pharmacies take. “In these states, our pharmacists work closely with prescribers as needed, to fill lawful, clinically appropriate prescriptions.”
Walgreens pharmacists are being providing training and information to keep them up-to-date with the latest requirements, Engerman said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/some-women-say-theyre-having-trouble-getting-prescriptions-filled-because-georgia-abortion-law/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:08Z |
Atlanta skyscraper fire sends smoke billowing from rooftop
ATLANTA (AP) — A fire broke out on the rooftop of a skyscraper under construction in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday, bringing dozens of firefighters and police officers to the site near Centennial Olympic Park.
Flames were visible on the roof of the 32-story tower, sending a dark column of smoke into the sky. Construction workers spilled out of the building before firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Called The Metropolitan at Atlanta, the tower is slated to be an 835-bed, 265-unit residence, aimed at Georgia State University students. Permits filed in 2021 when construction began valued the work at $56 million.
The building is supposed to be completed in August 2023. While its steel and concrete structure has been erected, the interiors remain unfinished.
The building’s developer and contractor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/atlanta-skyscraper-fire-sends-smoke-billowing-rooftop/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:11Z |
VIDEO: Man who fell off scooter gets struck, dragged by hit-and-run driver
LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) – California authorities are searching for a hit-and-run driver who allegedly ran over a scooter rider and dragged him for 25 feet before driving away from the area on Saturday.
In the video, Luis Lopez, seen lying on the ground, is run over by a van and dragged down the road.
His wife, Fatima Garcia, said she was afraid she had lost him.
“The driver had a good gap of distance to see him. Why did he still run over him?” she questioned.
Police said Lopez was riding a friend’s electric scooter when he cut the corner, turned left and swerved to avoid hitting a car.
Detective Juan Campos with the L.A. Police Department said it appeared Lopez lost his balance and fell off the scooter.
“He hit his head and knocked himself out,” he said.
Before anyone could help him, a white van pulled up and ran Lopez over, not even bothering to break before it happened.
“He looks like he stops briefly, as you see the brakes get illuminated, and should have noticed he ran over somebody,” Campos said.
Fortunately, Lopez survived. He has numerous injuries, however, and now the self-employed handyman is looking at a long recovery and an inability to work and provide for his family.
“He’s a father of a 7-year-old, a hard worker, as well as a really good husband,” Garcia said.
The family is pleading for help from the community to identify the driver of the van.
“If he would have helped him, it would have been something different, but he just left him there like nothing,” Garcia said.
Detectives have said they have no reason to believe the driver of the white van was speeding. They said the driver may not have even committed a crime when they struck Lopez. That changed when they chose to drive away from the scene.
“Thank God he’s alive because the way he dragged him is really rough to watch in the video,” Garcia said.
Lopez’s family said finding the driver and getting justice will help ease their pain.
“It’s going to be a slow recovery, but thank God he’ll recover from it,” Garcia said.
Copyright 2022 KCAL,KCBS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/video-man-who-fell-off-scooter-gets-struck-dragged-by-hit-and-run-driver/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:15Z |
Baggage handler killed in belt loader entanglement at New Orleans airport
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - An airport worker is dead after her hair was caught in a belt loader at the New Orleans airport, officials say.
The 26-year-old, identified by the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office as Jermani Thompson, was injured Tuesday at around 10 p.m on the apron, an area where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, boarded and maintained, the director of communications for Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport said.
A spokesperson for GAT Airline Ground Support, where Thompson was employed, said she was working to offload a plane that had landed, WVUE reported. They say her hair got tangled in a belt loader.
“We are heartbroken and are supporting her family and her friends as best as we are able. Please send your well wishes to everyone at our New Orleans station during this very difficult time,” the CEO of GAT Airline Ground Support said.
Thompson was taken to a hospital, where she died.
“We extend our deepest condolences following the tragic death of a team member of our ground handling business partner at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time,” a spokesperson for Frontier Airlines said in a statement.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/baggage-handler-killed-belt-loader-entanglement-new-orleans-airport/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:22Z |
Comfortable with lower humidity
Plenty of sunshine through the end of the week
WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy at times for the afternoon and still warm. A beautiful day and comfortable with highs in the low 80s. Breezy at times.
A pleasant and comfortable evening with temperatures falling into the 70s. Clear skies for the evening and overnight and crisp with overnight lows in the low to mid 50s.
THURSDAY: Plenty of sunshine to start the day and a refreshing start with temperatures rising into the 60s. Lots of sun throughout the day and warm. A beautiful day and very pleasant with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and low humidity. A pleasant evening with temperatures falling into the 70s under clear skies. A beautiful and clear night, pleasant with lows in the mid to upper 50s.
FRIDAY: Plenty of sunshine to start the day and mild with temperatures rising into the 60s. Turning partly cloudy. A pleasant and beautiful day. Warm with highs in the low to mid 80s. Partly cloudy for the evening and overnight with lows in the upper 50s to around 60.
SATURDAY: A mix of sun and clouds to start the day and warm with temperatures in the 60s. A slight increase in humidity. Partly sunny and warm for the afternoon with an isolated shower, but most stay dry. Highs in the mid to upper 80s. Overnight lows in the low to mid 60s.
SUNDAY: A mild start with temperatures in the 60s and more clouds than sun. Staying mostly cloudy for the day and very warm with highs in the mid to upper 80s, slightly humid. A few showers and storms in the afternoon but not widespread. A very warm evening with temperatures still in the 80s, and overnight lows in the low to mid 60s.
MONDAY: More clouds than sun to start and warm with temperatures in the 60s. Staying mostly cloudy for the afternoon and very warm with highs in the mid 80s. A few showers and storms in the afternoon but not widespread. A very warm evening with temperatures in the 80s and mild overnight with lows in the upper 50s to low 60s.
TUESDAY: A mix of sun and clouds to start the day and warm with temperatures in the 60s. Partly cloudy for the day and warm with highs in the mid to upper 70s. A warm evening with temperatures in the 70s and a few clouds overnight, comfortable with lows in the mid to upper 50s.
As always, you can get the latest updates by downloading and checking the WHSV Weather App.
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/comfortable-with-lower-humidity/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:29Z |
WHO: New COVID cases, deaths keep falling nearly everywhere
GENEVA (AP) — The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported globally continued to fall nearly everywhere in the world in what the World Health Organization described as a “welcome decline” at a media briefing on Wednesday.
The U.N. health agency said there were 4.5 million new COVID-19 cases reported last week, a 16% drop from the previous week. Deaths were also down by 13%, with about 13,500 fatalities. WHO said COVID-19 infections dropped everywhere in the world while deaths decreased everywhere except for Southeast Asia, where they climbed by 15% and in the Western Pacific, where they rose by 3%.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that with the coming onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the possible emergence of a more dangerous new COVID-19 variant, experts expect to see a spike in hospitalizations and deaths. Tedros said vaccination rates, even in rich countries, were still too low, noting that 30% of health workers and 20% of older people remain unimmunized.
“These vaccination gaps pose a risk to all of us,” he said. “Please get vaccinated if you are not and a booster if it’s recommended that you have one.”
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration cleared its first update to COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, booster doses that target today’s most common omicron strain. Authorities said shots could begin within days.
Until now, COVID-19 vaccines have targeted the original coronavirus strain, even as wildly different mutants emerged. The new U.S. boosters are combination, or “bivalent,” shots. They contain half that original vaccine recipe and half protection against the newest omicron versions, called BA.4 and BA.5, which are considered the most contagious yet.
Earlier this month, Britain decided it would offer adults 50 and over a different booster option from Moderna, a combo shot targeting that initial BA.1 omicron strain.
On Friday, the European Medicines Agency will consider whether to authorize the combination COVID-19 vaccine including BA.1 made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Another version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine incorporating the BA.5 subvariant of omicron is also under review by the EU regulator.
___
Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/31/who-new-covid-cases-deaths-keep-falling-nearly-everywhere/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:26Z |
Crist leaving US House to focus on Florida governor race
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist submitted his resignation from Congress on Wednesday to focus on his gubernatorial campaign against Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Crist said in a phone interview Wednesday that his resignation would be effective at the end of the day. He noted that he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before making the decision.
“She said, ‘I understand, but it looks like we’re in good shape, so you need to do what you need to do and you need to win this election. It’s very important and you don’t have a lot of time,’” Crist said.
Crist served as Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. He later switched parties, challenging and losing to Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. He was elected to the St. Petersburg-area congressional seat in 2016.
“I’m going to work hard, get all over the state and win this thing. That’s the plan,” Crist said. “I’ve loved representing my home town and my home county. They’re wonderful people and I look forward to the race ahead and representing them in the governor’s office.”
Crist won the Democratic nomination for governor last week and has named United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernandez as his pick for lieutenant governor.
DeSantis also stepped down from Congress early after winning the Republican nomination in 2018.
Crist appended his resignation announcement with a pitch to voters this fall.
“The choice is crystal clear here. If you want a women’s right to choose to be protected, you vote for Charlie Crist; if you want to make sure your vote counts, particularly for African-Americans, you vote for Charlie Crist; if you want the education system to get the support it deserves, you vote for Charlie Crist,” he said.
Republican Anna Paulina Luna will face Democrat Eric Lynn, who worked in President Barack Obama’s administration, for Crist’s vacant seat in November.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/crist-leaving-us-house-focus-florida-governor-race/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:35Z |
IRS revokes tax-exempt status of North Carolina NAACP
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s influential state chapter of the NAACP has lost its federal tax-exempt status for failing to file tax returns for three years, according to the federal government.
The Internal Revenue Service stripped the civil rights organization’s state chapter of its tax-exempt status May 15 under a process that automatically revokes the designation for nonprofits that fail to file federal tax returns for three consecutive years, according to a post on the IRS site. The status change was made public this month.
The state chapter has been a prominent voice in decrying the policies of the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, including challenging voter access laws in recent years. Earlier this month, the civil rights group scored a victory when the state Supreme Court ruled a lower court must consider nullifying a voter ID mandate approved by citizens in 2018.
The loss of federal tax-exempt status was first reported by The News & Observer in Raleigh. The newspaper reports that experts on charitable giving say losing the status could hinder fundraising efforts and potentially drain the organization’s resources through taxes on donations and fines.
The newspaper also reported that the national NAACP intervened in 2019 to place the state chapter under a punitive administratorship, giving the national organization more input in how the state branch is staffed and operated. The state and national organizations are working to restore the branch’s tax-exempt status.
Da’Quan Love was recently appointed by the national organization to serve as executive director of the North Carolina NAACP. He told WRAL-TV he views his role as a consultant to help the state chapter shore up its finances as the national organization performs a multi-year audit of its finances. He previously served as a leader of the Virginia branch of the NAACP.
“The national NAACP has launched a financial audit, a full financial, multi-year audit of the state conference as well as all the branches in the state of North Carolina to rectify these issues and get to the bottom of these challenges and ensure that this does not happen again and we’re in good financial standing,” Love told WRAL.
He said the national organization will provide the state chapter with resources and support so it can continue its civil rights work including get-out-the-vote efforts ahead of the November election.
The loss of tax-exempt status became public weeks after former state chapter president The Rev. T. Anthony Spearman was found dead in his home. A cause of death has not been released. Spearman, who lost a bid in 2021 for reelection to lead the state chapter, had filed a lawsuit against state and national NAACP officials accusing them of defaming him and conspiring to remove him from the presidency.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/irs-revokes-tax-exempt-status-north-carolina-naacp/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:42Z |
Judge nixes no-prison deal in 2018 limo crash that killed 20
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — A judge rejected a plea agreement that would have meant no prison time for the operator of a limousine company involved in a crash that killed 20 people in upstate New York, drawing applause and tears Wednesday from victims’ relatives who packed the court.
Judge Peter Lynch, who was not presiding over the case when the deal was reached a year ago in Nauman Hussain’s case, called the agreement “fundamentally flawed.”
It would have spared Hussain prison time, angering the families of the people killed when brake failure sent a stretch limo full of birthday revelers hurtling down a hill in 2018.
The judge’s rejection appeared to catch lawyers and relatives off-guard.
“I can’t even put into words how I feel. Totally unexpected. Thank God,” said Jill Richardson-Perez, the mother of limo crash victim Matthew Coons. “I’m in a better place now.”
Kevin Cushing, who lost his son Patrick in the crash, said the families “have a hope for a bit of justice to be served in the future, where we didn’t have any justice served in the past.”
Hussain, who operated Prestige Limousine, had been charged with 20 counts each of criminally negligent homicide and second-degree manslaughter in what was the deadliest U.S. transportation disaster in a decade.
The agreement had called for Hussain to plead guilty only to the homicide counts, resulting five years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. Lawyers for both sides said last year the plea agreement assured a resolution in a case that would have faced an uncertain outcome if presented to a jury.
While the National Transportation Safety Board concluded the crash was likely caused by Prestige Limousine’s “egregious disregard for safety” that resulted in brake failure, the board said ineffective state oversight contributed.
Lee Kindlon, an attorney for Hussain, has said his client tried to maintain the limousine and relied on what he was told by state officials and a repair shop that inspected it.
Axel Steenburg rented the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine for wife Amy’s 30th birthday on Oct. 6, 2018. The party group, ranging in age from 24 to 34, included Axel’s brother, Amy’s three sisters and two of their husbands, and close friends.
En route to a brewery, the limo’s brakes failed on a downhill stretch of road in Schoharie, west of Albany. The vehicle blew through a stop sign at over 100 mph (160 kph) and crashed into a small ravine.
The crash killed the limo driver, 17 passengers, and two bystanders outside the store.
Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery’s office has said Hussain allowed passengers to ride in the limo despite having received “multiple notices of violations” from the state and having been told repairs were inadequate. State police said the vehicle should have been taken out of service because of brake problems identified in an inspection a month before the crash.
Lynch noted that a state Department of Transportation out-of-service sticker had been placed on the limousine a month before the crash. State police recovered the sticker from Hussain’s car after his arrest. Prosecutors have argued that Hussain took the sticker off the limo’s windshield so that he could rent it for more jobs.
To the judge, Hussain’s actions showed he knew the risk of putting the limousine on the road the day of the crash, and a guilty plea to only criminally negligent homicide does not reflect that. Lynch called the deal “completely disingenuous and unacceptable to this court.”
Under New York law, second-degree manslaughter entails conduct that “creates or contributes to a substantial and unjustifiable risk that another person’s death will occur” — a risk that the perpetrator consciously disregards. Criminally negligent homicide, on the other hand, involves failing to perceive such a risk, the judge noted.
Lynch gave Hussain’s lawyers the choice of accepting a sentence of 1 1/3 to four years in prison or withdrawing his guilty plea. They chose the latter.
The next court date has been set for Sept. 14. Hussain, who had been on interim probation, will go out on bail and be subject to GPS monitoring.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/judge-nixes-no-prison-deal-2018-limo-crash-that-killed-20/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:48Z |
K-9 who escaped backyard found shot; had to be euthanized
ATLANTA (WGCL/Gray News) – A K-9 in Georgia who went missing from his backyard was later found shot and had to be euthanized.
K-9 Perro with the Lithonia Police Department disappeared Sunday afternoon after digging a hole in his handler’s backyard and climbing under the fence.
“He dug a hole in the yard and put a hole through the fence and got out,” J. Patterson, Perro’s handler, said.
The next day, following an expanded search, K-9 Perro was spotted. He was picked up by DeKalb County Animal Control and was suffering from a gunshot wound.
The bullet caused significant damage, and an emergency decision was made to put K-9 Perro down.
Patterson said this was the first time the dog escaped the backyard in the nearly four years he has been Perro’s handler.
The Lithonia Police Department is asking for privacy to grieve after Officer Perro’s death.
“At this time, we would ask for privacy for our K-9 handler Major Patterson and his family as they grieve not only for the loss of Major Patterson’s partner but a true friend and family member within his family,” the department said in a statement.
The police department did not provide details on any leads to find out who shot Perro.
Copyright 2022 WGCL via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/k-9-who-escaped-backyard-found-shot-had-be-euthanized/ | 2022-08-31T18:09:56Z |
VIDEO: Man who fell off scooter gets struck, dragged by hit-and-run driver
LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) – California authorities are searching for a hit-and-run driver who allegedly ran over a scooter rider and dragged him for 25 feet before driving away from the area on Saturday.
In the video, Luis Lopez, seen lying on the ground, is run over by a van and dragged down the road.
His wife, Fatima Garcia, said she was afraid she had lost him.
“The driver had a good gap of distance to see him. Why did he still run over him?” she questioned.
Police said Lopez was riding a friend’s electric scooter when he cut the corner, turned left and swerved to avoid hitting a car.
Detective Juan Campos with the L.A. Police Department said it appeared Lopez lost his balance and fell off the scooter.
“He hit his head and knocked himself out,” he said.
Before anyone could help him, a white van pulled up and ran Lopez over, not even bothering to break before it happened.
“He looks like he stops briefly, as you see the brakes get illuminated, and should have noticed he ran over somebody,” Campos said.
Fortunately, Lopez survived. He has numerous injuries, however, and now the self-employed handyman is looking at a long recovery and an inability to work and provide for his family.
“He’s a father of a 7-year-old, a hard worker, as well as a really good husband,” Garcia said.
The family is pleading for help from the community to identify the driver of the van.
“If he would have helped him, it would have been something different, but he just left him there like nothing,” Garcia said.
Detectives have said they have no reason to believe the driver of the white van was speeding. They said the driver may not have even committed a crime when they struck Lopez. That changed when they chose to drive away from the scene.
“Thank God he’s alive because the way he dragged him is really rough to watch in the video,” Garcia said.
Lopez’s family said finding the driver and getting justice will help ease their pain.
“It’s going to be a slow recovery, but thank God he’ll recover from it,” Garcia said.
Copyright 2022 KCAL,KCBS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/video-man-who-fell-off-scooter-gets-struck-dragged-by-hit-and-run-driver/ | 2022-08-31T18:10:02Z |
WHO: New COVID cases, deaths keep falling nearly everywhere
GENEVA (AP) — The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported globally continued to fall nearly everywhere in the world in what the World Health Organization described as a “welcome decline” at a media briefing on Wednesday.
The U.N. health agency said there were 4.5 million new COVID-19 cases reported last week, a 16% drop from the previous week. Deaths were also down by 13%, with about 13,500 fatalities. WHO said COVID-19 infections dropped everywhere in the world while deaths decreased everywhere except for Southeast Asia, where they climbed by 15% and in the Western Pacific, where they rose by 3%.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that with the coming onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the possible emergence of a more dangerous new COVID-19 variant, experts expect to see a spike in hospitalizations and deaths. Tedros said vaccination rates, even in rich countries, were still too low, noting that 30% of health workers and 20% of older people remain unimmunized.
“These vaccination gaps pose a risk to all of us,” he said. “Please get vaccinated if you are not and a booster if it’s recommended that you have one.”
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration cleared its first update to COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, booster doses that target today’s most common omicron strain. Authorities said shots could begin within days.
Until now, COVID-19 vaccines have targeted the original coronavirus strain, even as wildly different mutants emerged. The new U.S. boosters are combination, or “bivalent,” shots. They contain half that original vaccine recipe and half protection against the newest omicron versions, called BA.4 and BA.5, which are considered the most contagious yet.
Earlier this month, Britain decided it would offer adults 50 and over a different booster option from Moderna, a combo shot targeting that initial BA.1 omicron strain.
On Friday, the European Medicines Agency will consider whether to authorize the combination COVID-19 vaccine including BA.1 made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Another version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine incorporating the BA.5 subvariant of omicron is also under review by the EU regulator.
___
Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/who-new-covid-cases-deaths-keep-falling-nearly-everywhere/ | 2022-08-31T18:10:08Z |
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, Sublette County Public Health and Wyoming Highway Patrol have had a partnership to host free child safety seat inspections.
SHERIDAN – Legislation designed to increase child safety on Wyoming roads is being considered by the Wyoming Legislature’s Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs committee this interim session.
Proposed legislation 23-LSO-0025 would require all children younger than the age of 2 to be placed in a rear-facing safety restraint system and increases the fine for failing to ensure young children are in the proper restraint system.
All who do not comply with this requirement would face a fine of no more than $100 for the first offense and no more than $200 for the second offense, according to the proposed legislation. The $100 fee for a first offense can be waived upon providing proof of the purchase and installation of a proper child safety restraint.
Existing Wyoming law requires children younger than 9 years of age to be “properly secured in a child safety restraint system in a seat of the vehicle other than the front seat” but does not require children younger than 2 to be restrained in a rear-facing car seat. Currently, fines for improperly restrained children are set at $50 for a first offense and $100 for a second offense.
Car crashes remain one of the most common sources of death for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2019, 608 child passengers died in motor vehicle crashes and more than 91,000 were injured.
Always buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats and seat belts reduces death and serious injuries by up to 80%, the CDC said. For those younger than age 2, the CDC recommends the use of rear-facing car seats as a way to absorb most of the crash forces and support the baby’s head, neck and spine in the event of a crash. When young children ride forward-facing, their heads are thrown forward, which could potentially result in spine and head injuries.
Currently, 16 states – plus the District of Columbia – require rear-facing seats for passengers younger than age 2.
The proposed changes to the child restraint legislation are not new to the Wyoming Legislature.
During the 2021 general session, the legislature considered an identical bill known as House Bill 23. While the bill failed to pass the House during third reading with a vote of 26-34, many legislators, including Rep. Kevin O’Hearn, R-Mills, expressed support for the bill at the time.
{div class=”subscriber-only”}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}“This bill is very important, not only to Wyoming, but to the United States, as more kids are killed and severely injured in vehicle accidents than in any other matter,” O’Hearn said.{/span}{/div}
{div class=”subscriber-only”}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}23-LSO-004 was scheduled to be considered and discussed by the transportation committee during their meeting in Rock Springs this week. Due to a busy schedule, the committee postponed their consideration until the committee’s next meeting, which will be held from Nov. 3-4 in Cheyenne.{/span}{/div}
{div class=”subscriber-only”}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}If the bill draft is approved during that meeting, it could proceed to the 2023 general session this spring.{/span}{/div} | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/car-seat-legislation-could-be-returning-to-wyoming-legislature/article_d2064cc4-28b3-11ed-94d9-cba68ea5ae72.html | 2022-08-31T18:23:57Z |
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The National Elk Refuge has received a diesel-fueled crematory in which it plans to incinerate the carcasses of elk possibly infected with chronic wasting disease.
Officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reserve in Jackson have applied for a permit from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to operate the “mobile crematory for ungulates.”
The state agency regulates emissions from engines like the one to be used in the crematory and is scrutinizing the application.
The crematory recently arrived at the 24,700-acre reserve on a semi-trailer. It will be installed at a maintenance facility at the north end of the refuge, a site generally off-limits to the public.
The DEQ permit would allow emissions from the crematory chimney, none of which are expected to include the CWD infecting agent — malformed proteins called prions. Incineration is one of the few known methods of eliminating the prions, which can otherwise linger in the environment, including in plants and soil, for years.
CWD is a nervous system disorder similar to mad cow disease that withers animals before their inevitable death. Infected animals shed the misshapen proteins through bodily fluids, feces and decomposing tissue.
Infected elk usually don’t show symptoms during the first year of infection and can spread prions during that time. They usually die within two years of infection, according to refuge documents.
Any infection would threaten the refuge and the 11,000 or so elk in the Jackson Elk Herd, part of which inhabits the reserve in winter.
“Based on the contract standards, it’s not possible for those prions to go airborne,” Eric Cole, senior wildlife biologist at the refuge, said. No smoke will be visible from the incinerator chimney, according to the refuge’s application to the DEQ.
The crematory will reduce a carcass weight by 95% and ashes “will be sterile and biologically inert,” the DEQ application states.
“Carcass incineration is part of the approved CWD response strategy,” signed in April 2021, Cole said. “Any elk exhibiting CWD symptoms will be euthanized, sampled and the carcass will be incinerated.”
A hunter in Grand Teton National Park’s elk reduction program in 2020 killed a cow elk just north of the refuge that tested positive for CWD. With that, the Jackson Elk Herd was officially deemed infected.
Although CWD has not been detected within the refuge itself, wildlife managers are fearful it will arrive there and spread among animals concentrated on supplemental feed doled out in the winter.
“Somewhat surprisingly,” there have been no discoveries of CWD-infected elk in the Jackson herd since the one found in 2020, Cole said.
“Most likely CWD is only at trace levels within the bounds of the Jackson Elk Herd,” he said.
That’s based on a robust sampling of elk that die on the refuge during winter, elk killed by hunters on the refuge, elk that are killed or die in Grand Teton National Park and hunter-killed elk sampled by Wyoming Game and Fish Department in other parts of the herd’s habitat. About 7,000 elk spend time on the refuge during the winter while the rest of the 11,000-strong herd winters on a couple of Wyoming Game and Fish feedgrounds in the Gros Ventre River drainage or on other lands, mostly north of Jackson.
Each year the agencies — Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Game and Fish Department — collect between 300-400 lymph node samples from dead elk to analyze. That collection allows biologists to surmise, with 95% confidence, that the infection rate in the herd hovers at or below 1%, Cole said.
Under the CWD strategy, refuge workers will kill elk that look to be infected and dying of CWD. Symptoms include lethargy, excessive salivation, a drooped head and other similar signs of a deteriorating central nervous system.
There’s no practical way to test a living elk for CWD.
“Based on past experience, any elk that is exhibiting CWD symptoms is unlikely to survive for long,” Cole wrote in an email. “Euthanizing animals exhibiting CWD symptoms is an important way to reduce disease transmission to other animals and help ensure the health of the Jackson Elk Herd.”
“This [euthanasia and incineration] is likely one of the most effective ways we can do that,” he said of maintaining herd health. “This is the strategy we’re committed to.”
Refuge workers will incinerate all suspect carcasses, he said, without waiting for the results of CWD tests, which can take weeks to receive.
Elk that die for reasons other than suspected CWD — those that are killed by predators, for example — will be left for a period for scavengers to exploit. “After they are scavenged, the remaining bones will be collected and incinerated,” Cole said.
Annual elk antler collection by Boy Scouts would not be affected unless science emerges that shows antlers can transmit the disease, Elk Refuge Manager Frank Durbian said.
The plan calls for incinerating only elk carcasses from the refuge. Even though it is called a mobile crematory, it will be used in one location only, under current plans. Once the crematory is operating, suspect carcasses will be moved directly to the incinerator using a front-end loader or other dedicated machine.
Carcasses will be loaded through a door at the top of the incineration chamber. They will burn at between 1,600-1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
The crematory and trailer weigh about 33 tons. The assembly cost $486,526, not including the air permit and consultant support, refuge officials said.
The crematory could be used up to 500 hours a year and can incinerate up to 1,000 pounds of carcass an hour, according to its specifications. An average mature elk weighs between 700 and 1,100 pounds, according to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, suggesting that the crematory could incinerate up to about 550 elk a year.
There is no firm evidence that CWD prions can infect people. But experiments show the cousin of the human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease can move from ungulates to primates — specifically macaque monkeys — even through the ingestion of muscle meat.The Centers for Disease Control and other agencies recommend not consuming meat from an animal infected with CWD. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/elk-refuge-gets-crematory-for-cwd-infected-animals/article_15a674cc-27a1-11ed-affc-cf75e60966d2.html | 2022-08-31T18:24:09Z |
CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon has announced that Wyoming is taking legal action to "protect the oil and gas industry."
To do that, the state has filed a motion to intervene in a pair of cases that were filed by a coalition of advocacy groups seeking to challenge the June 2022 Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sale. Wyoming is joining the BLM and other states to defend the lease sale.
The coalition of advocacy groups allege that the Bureau’s lease sale violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). In its opposition filings, Wyoming challenged the groups’ claims, and asked the court to allow it to intervene because the state’s sovereign and economic interests will be adversely affected were the lawsuit to succeed.
“Wyoming is committed to defending her interests and her industries in the courts when they are threatened,” Gordon said in a Tuesday news release. “It is sad that every lease sale now leads to a challenge, and that NEPA has become little more than a meal ticket for litigious special interest groups.”
The state argues in both briefings that it has a legally protected economic interest in the outcome of this case, and the legal challenge threatens the state’s interest. The filings note that the oil and gas lease sale collected over $13 million in bonus bids, entitling the state to more than $6 million in revenue. In addition, if the lawsuits are successful, Wyoming will not receive its share of rentals and federal mineral royalties from the leased parcels.
In the second case, Wyoming has joined Montana, Oklahoma and Utah to argue it would suffer harm if the suit were successful. In addition to citing its financial interest, Wyoming notes that 123 of the 173 federal parcels challenged in the suit are located in Wyoming. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/governor-wyoming-files-court-challenges-of-june-oil-and-gas-lease-sale/article_da4b5188-2951-11ed-8aa8-0709d2e9a5bd.html | 2022-08-31T18:24:15Z |
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The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, Sublette County Public Health and Wyoming Highway Patrol have had a partnership to host free child safety seat inspections.
SHERIDAN – Legislation designed to increase child safety on Wyoming roads is being considered by the Wyoming Legislature’s Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs committee this interim session.
Proposed legislation 23-LSO-0025 would require all children younger than the age of 2 to be placed in a rear-facing safety restraint system and increases the fine for failing to ensure young children are in the proper restraint system.
All who do not comply with this requirement would face a fine of no more than $100 for the first offense and no more than $200 for the second offense, according to the proposed legislation. The $100 fee for a first offense can be waived upon providing proof of the purchase and installation of a proper child safety restraint.
Existing Wyoming law requires children younger than 9 years of age to be “properly secured in a child safety restraint system in a seat of the vehicle other than the front seat” but does not require children younger than 2 to be restrained in a rear-facing car seat. Currently, fines for improperly restrained children are set at $50 for a first offense and $100 for a second offense.
Car crashes remain one of the most common sources of death for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2019, 608 child passengers died in motor vehicle crashes and more than 91,000 were injured.
Always buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats and seat belts reduces death and serious injuries by up to 80%, the CDC said. For those younger than age 2, the CDC recommends the use of rear-facing car seats as a way to absorb most of the crash forces and support the baby’s head, neck and spine in the event of a crash. When young children ride forward-facing, their heads are thrown forward, which could potentially result in spine and head injuries.
Currently, 16 states – plus the District of Columbia – require rear-facing seats for passengers younger than age 2.
The proposed changes to the child restraint legislation are not new to the Wyoming Legislature.
During the 2021 general session, the legislature considered an identical bill known as House Bill 23. While the bill failed to pass the House during third reading with a vote of 26-34, many legislators, including Rep. Kevin O’Hearn, R-Mills, expressed support for the bill at the time.
{div class=”subscriber-only”}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}“This bill is very important, not only to Wyoming, but to the United States, as more kids are killed and severely injured in vehicle accidents than in any other matter,” O’Hearn said.{/span}{/div}
{div class=”subscriber-only”}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}23-LSO-004 was scheduled to be considered and discussed by the transportation committee during their meeting in Rock Springs this week. Due to a busy schedule, the committee postponed their consideration until the committee’s next meeting, which will be held from Nov. 3-4 in Cheyenne.{/span}{/div}
{div class=”subscriber-only”}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}If the bill draft is approved during that meeting, it could proceed to the 2023 general session this spring.{/span}{/div} | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/car-seat-legislation-could-be-returning-to-wyoming-legislature/article_f41f8944-2951-11ed-a265-03dc6b6d528e.html | 2022-08-31T18:24:28Z |
A self-described "showgirl at its finest," Lizzo initially thought she'd be a classical flautist. Though rap and pop won out, she still brings the flute into her music. Originally broadcast in 2019.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
A self-described "showgirl at its finest," Lizzo initially thought she'd be a classical flautist. Though rap and pop won out, she still brings the flute into her music. Originally broadcast in 2019.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-31/fresh-airs-summer-music-interviews-lizzo | 2022-08-31T18:28:17Z |
In 2010, Jay-Z reflected on growing up in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs and violence. "One day, your best friend could be killed. The day before, you could be celebrating him getting a brand-new bike."
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
In 2010, Jay-Z reflected on growing up in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs and violence. "One day, your best friend could be killed. The day before, you could be celebrating him getting a brand-new bike."
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-31/fresh-airs-summer-music-interviews-rap-icon-jay-z | 2022-08-31T18:28:24Z |
Ali Appointed to La. State Board of Medical Examiners
NEW ORLEANS – Gov. John Bel Edwards has appointed Dr. Juzar Ali, professor of medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, to a four-year term as a member of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
The board works to protect and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana through licensing, regulation, research and discipline of physicians and allied health professionals.
Ali is an academic clinician, clinical educator and researcher in the section of pulmonary/critical care. He has also worked in health and hospital administration as chief medical officer and chief executive officer through his tenure. He has practice experience in Pakistan, India, Kenya, the United States and Turkey. He has worked nationally and internationally in the field of tuberculosis and has developed programs that contribute to the education of medical students, trainees, allied health professionals, and the community. His clinical, academic, and research interests include the diagnosis and management of tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease and related co-morbidities in pulmonary medicine, especially Bronchiectasis.
Ali has participated in various multi-center studies and trials of tuberculosis and non-TB mycobacteria and has co-authored a textbook, “Pulmonary Pathophysiology,” a symptom-based clinical and pathophysiologic review of lung diseases. He has also developed a chest radiology pre-test series for medical students and residents.
Ali is a recipient of numerous teaching awards at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine over the last two decades. He is also the Spirit of Charity Awardee for 2022. This award is for his academic, patient care, research, teaching and administrative services in the Charity Hospital system over the last 40 years. He has been consistently recognized as a member of the Best Doctors in America. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/ali-appointed-to-la-state-board-of-medical-examiners/ | 2022-08-31T19:00:24Z |
Dedication Ceremony for Joseph C. Moscona School
METAIRIE — Jefferson Parish Schools recently hosted a school dedication ceremony for Joseph C. Moscona Elementary. Superintendent Dr. James Gray, School Board members, family members of Joseph Moscona and local officials were onsite to celebrate the renaming of Ella Dolhonde Elementary to Joseph C. Moscona School. The PK-8 school is named after the late Joseph C. Moscona, who was the principal of Ella Dolhonde Elementary School for 26 years. The school was renamed beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.
Moscona was an employee of Jefferson Parish Schools for 37 years. A 1971 graduate of the University of New Orleans, he was voted as Student Teacher of the Year and was also a member of Phi Delta Kappa Honor fraternity. He was a former fifth grade teacher at J. C. Ellis Elementary School and was appointed an administrative assistant at Ella Dolhonde Elementary School, Airline Park Elementary School and Metairie Grammar School. In 2001, he was cited as Principal of the Year in Jefferson Parish. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/dedication-ceremony-for-joseph-c-moscona-school/ | 2022-08-31T19:00:30Z |
Ehrhardt Group Promotes Dominique Ellis Falcon
NEW ORLEANS – The Ehrhardt Group, a public relations firm with clients across the Gulf South, has announced the appointment of Dominique Ellis Falcon to vice president of account services. In her new role, Ellis will foster new opportunities for agency growth and continue to guide TEG staff in client development and agency operations.
“Dominique has few peers in how she builds relationships. As important, she is an exceptional leader at TEG, providing solutions and fortifying relationships for two of our most valuable assets – our clients and our team,” said Marc Ehrhardt, president of the Ehrhardt Group. “Her propensity for creating the best path forward, not always the most traveled, will enable us to continue growing as one of the most distinctive firms of the Gulf South.”
“Working with and helping grow the top-notch team we have here has been a highlight of my professional life,” said Ellis. “TEG continues to be at the forefront of public relations and affairs work that is consistently impacting the people of the Gulf South, our friends and neighbors.”
With more than a decade of experience in public relations, marketing, communications and business development, Ellis is able to strategically develop and implement customized campaigns for her clients while working to build teams and internal processes. She has overseen award-winning public affairs, corporate communication, media relation, issues management and crisis management campaigns with local, national and international clients. Throughout her career, she has represented Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, coalitions and startups in a variety of industries, including education, lifestyle, tourism, hospitality, conservation, governmental relations, health and technology.
Prior to joining the Ehrhardt Group, Ellis owned a boutique PR and marketing firm and served as marketing and communications director for companies and firms in New Orleans and New York. She received her B.A. from Loyola University New Orleans. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/ehrhardt-group-promotes-dominique-ellis-falcon/ | 2022-08-31T19:00:37Z |
Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails Reopens in French Quarter
NEW ORLEANS — Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails has reopened its French Quarter location. The dining room is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and will be open on Labor Day with the same hours. Happy hour is 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Thursday and Friday.
Sample menu items include Louisiana crab cake, fried green tomatoes and shrimp remoulade, and cracklin nachos. Featured salads and sandwiches include grilled shrimp Caesar, Southern fried chicken sandwich, Kingfish cheeseburger, grilled chicken Cobb, and fried barbecue Gulf shrimp poboy. Entrees are Gulf shrimp and grits, red beans and rice and Southern fried chicken, pepper crusted filet mignon, blackened Louisiana Gulf fish, New Orleans barbecued scallop fettuccine, and crispy Southern-fried chicken with bacon-braised collard greens. For dessert, the kitchen presents warm bourbon pecan pie and big brulée cheesecake.
For more information, please visit www.kingfishneworleans.com. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/kingfish-kitchen-cocktails-reopens-in-french-quarter/ | 2022-08-31T19:00:43Z |
Lion Elastomers Announces $22M Expansion of Geismar Plant
GEISMAR, La. – From Louisiana Economic Development:
Synthetic rubber manufacturer Lion Elastomers has invested $22 million to construct a new multi-level production building housing two new finishing lines at its manufacturing facility in Ascension Parish.
The expansion will increase production capacity at the plant, which supports the supply chains of automobile tire manufacturers and production of a broad range of other rubber goods. With the reinvestment in its Geismar plant, Lion Elastomers will retain 176 Capital Region jobs.
“Lion’s Geismar manufacturing facility has provided jobs for Louisiana’s skilled workers for nearly 60 years,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “The company’s commitment to update and expand its operation ensures that those jobs will remain in Ascension Parish for many years to come. Once again, we see the strength of Louisiana’s manufacturing sector, and the important role our state plays in the manufacture of consumer goods used around the world.”
The Geismar facility began operations in 1964 as the United States Rubber Company, later becoming Uniroyal Chemical Company and then Chemtura. Lion Elastomers, which also has manufacturing facilities in Port Neches and Orange, Texas, purchased the site in 2007.
“Louisiana and Ascension Parish are favorable locations for investment due to a strong workforce, availability of raw materials and utilities, and central location to distribute products to North American and international markets,” said Steve Isaacs, director of process technology and optimization. “This project will strengthen Lion Elastomers’ manufacturing position, enhance quality and service for EPDM consumers, and protect and/or expand jobs at the Geismar site.”
Lion Elastomers began construction on the new 8,405-square-foot structure in Q3 2021. The company says it has achieved substantial completion and is in the commissioning phase, with full commercial production to follow before the end of the year.
To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered Lion Elastomers an incentive package that includes a performance-based $375,000 Retention and Modernization grant.
“The importance of the Highway 30 corridor cannot be overstated,” said Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment. “By investing in its Geismar facility and sustaining the local workforce, Lion ensures continued growth in a thriving industrial area supported by the parish, region and state.” | https://www.bizneworleans.com/lion-elastomers-announces-22m-expansion-of-geismar-plant/ | 2022-08-31T19:00:49Z |
Nonprofit to Help Seniors and Families Sign Up for SNAP
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – On Sept. 1, Sankofa Community Development Corporation will launch its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Enrollment Project. This project, funded by a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, will help 100 eligible seniors and food insecure families in Greater New Orleans enroll in SNAP. Many that the project will help have been discouraged from applying — usually because the process is too complicated, or they lack Internet or transportation.
“This grant will help us deploy Community Health Ambassadors to give personal assistance and walk people through enrollment,” said Rashida Ferdinand, founder and CEO of Sankofa Community Development Corporation. “Sankofa’s programs strive to combat systematic barriers that cause social and health disparities. We address the social determinants of health, particularly community health, food security and environmental stability. Our goal is to ensure that people who need it most in Greater New Orleans will have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food.”
The 2022 New Orleans Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) reported that New Orleans is ranked second among US cities for highest rates of food insecurity, and nearly one in four New Orleans residents live in poverty. Black households are nearly three times more likely to live in poverty.
Seniors and low-income families are statistically more likely than other demographic cohorts to have barriers to reliable wifi access, computer equipment, computer literacy and proficient reading skills. These assets are vital to access SNAP and the food security it helps provide. Through Sankofa’s SNAP Enrollment Project these barriers will be alleviated. The following are ways that Sankofa’s Snap Enrollment Program seeks to mitigate these barriers:
- Provide Snap eligible seniors and families targeted assistance to the SNAP application and follow-up process
- Engage peer-led SNAP education programs from Community Health Ambassadors that live in the community
- Resolve participants’ transportation barriers by providing program services at designated community sites on a rotating basis
- Resolve participants’ literacy and technology barriers through the use of Community Health Ambassadors’ laptops and hotspots
“We are excited to partner with Sankofa to combat food insecurities in the Greater New Orleans area,” said Michael Tipton, president of the Blue Cross Foundation. “Ensuring that eligible seniors and families can access benefits helps those most vulnerable and creates a pathway to increased food access and improved overall community health.”
For more information about Sankofa’s SNAP Enrollment Project please call (504) 872-9214 or visit, https://sankofanola.org. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/nonprofit-to-help-seniors-and-families-sign-up-for-snap/ | 2022-08-31T19:00:55Z |
Prospect New Orleans Names Ebony G. Patterson Co-Artistic Director
NEW ORLEANS — Prospect New Orleans announced the appointment of Ebony G. Patterson as the Susan Brennan co-artistic director of the upcoming Prospect.6 art event. Patterson will collaborate with co-artistic director Miranda Lash to conceptualize and curate the sixth edition of Prospect New Orleans, which is slated to open in fall 2024.
Patterson has a long history with Prospect New Orleans. She was a participating artist in P.3: Notes for Now, curated by Franklin Sirmans, and was a curatorial council member for P.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp, working with Artistic Director Trevor Schoonmaker to bring the triennial to life. As an artist, her expansive practice addresses visibility and invisibility through explorations of class, race, gender, youth culture, pageantry and acts of violence in the context of “postcolonial” spaces. She works across multiple media, including tapestry, photography, video, sculpture, drawing and installation, united by her consistent visual language and intention.
Her work has been exhibited widely nationally and internationally, with notable past solo and group exhibitions at Pérez Art Museum Miami, Speed Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Liverpool Biennial, São Paulo Art Biennial, the National Gallery of Jamaica, MCA Chicago, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. Currently, Patterson is preparing for several major shows including solo exhibitions in 2023 at the New York Botanical Garden, and in 2025 at Arnolfini, Bristol’s International Center for Contemporary Arts in the UK. Several other upcoming group exhibitions include the MCA Chicago and the Whitney in 2022, the Frist and ICA Boston in 2023, where she currently has a monumental installation at their Watershed space. Prospect.6 is her first major curatorial project.
“I am greatly looking forward to bringing our collective curatorial vision to life for Prospect.6,” said Patterson in a press release. “I have always been moved by the history and culture of New Orleans, and how it occupies a unique space in the US, as a much closer reflection of the richness of the global majority. There are so many practices that knit New Orleans together that generate and reflect both local specificity and global concerns. Through bringing my artistic background and perspective to the role and our collaborations with artists, I plan to center the value of the artist.” | https://www.bizneworleans.com/prospect-new-orleans-names-ebony-g-patterson-co-artistic-director/ | 2022-08-31T19:01:01Z |
Prytania to Celebrate National Cinema Day with $3 Movies
NEW ORLEANS — On Sept. 3, the Prytania Theatre will partner with the Cinema Foundation to help moviegoers celebrate National Cinema Day.
The Uptown and downtown locations of the independent theater will be participating in the one-day event, which will offer screenings with exclusive previews and special in-theater promotions at a discounted admission of no more than $3.
National Cinema Day “celebrates a summer of record-breaking moviegoing” with movies and a special sneak peek of upcoming titles from A24, Amazon Studios, Disney, Focus Features, Lionsgate, Neon, Paramount, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony, United Artists Releasing, Universal and Warner Bros.
For more details, visit the National Cinema Day website. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/prytania-to-celebrate-national-cinema-day-with-3-movies/ | 2022-08-31T19:01:07Z |
Weekly Art Event Returns to St. Roch Market
NEW ORLEANS — The seasonal “Sundays at St. Roch” art market will resume on Sept. 4 at the St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave. The weekly event, which features art-focused vendors, will continue on Sundays through spring 2023. Tables are free for vendors and the event is open to the public. Events hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Musical guest Semaj and Dorise – The Blues Experiment will perform from noon to 3:30 p.m. Vendors can apply here. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/weekly-art-event-returns-to-st-roch-market/ | 2022-08-31T19:01:13Z |
7-year-old accused of bringing two guns, ammo to school, deputies say
COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News) – A 7-year-old boy in Arizona is accused of bringing two guns and ammunition to school Monday, according to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the elementary school after someone reported a second-grade student had a weapon in his backpack.
The sheriff’s office said deputies found a gun and ammo inside the student’s bag. Ultimately, a second gun was discovered as well.
Authorities called his parents and ultimately referred him to juvenile court.
The 7-year-old will face one count of misconduct with a weapon and one count of a minor in possession of a firearm.
The sheriff’s office did not say how the boy got the guns.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/7-year-old-accused-bringing-two-guns-ammo-school-deputies-say/ | 2022-08-31T19:22:28Z |
The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized updated Covid-19 vaccine booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer. This is the first time updated Covid-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorization in the United States.
Both are bivalent vaccines that combine the companies' original vaccine with one that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages. Both companies submitted applications to the FDA for emergency use authorization for their updated vaccines last week.
Pfizer's updated vaccine is a 30-microgram dose authorized for people age 12 and older. Moderna's updated vaccine is a 50-microgram dose authorized for people age 18 and older.
The shots can be administered after they're recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC's vaccine advisory group is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to support recommending the boosters for use. Then, the CDC director must sign off on the recommendation.
The moves signal updated boosters could be administered within days.
Booster shift
The updated vaccines do not replace shots for the primary series, but they do replace the booster people older than 12 receive.
"With today's authorization, the monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not authorized as booster doses for individuals 12 years of age and older," the FDA said.
Individuals ages 12 and up are eligible for the Pfizer bivalent booster if they have received their primary series and it has been at least two months since their last vaccine dose. Individuals ages 18 and up are eligible for Moderna boosters on the same schedule.
People too young to receive an updated booster can still be boosted with the earlier vaccine.
The FDA said it will "work quickly" to evaluate future submissions for authorization of bivalent boosters for younger people. Pfizer said in a news release it expects to submit an application for authorization of its updated booster for children ages 5 through 11 in early October, and it's working to prepare an application for children ages 6 months through 4 years.
"We want to make sure that adults and the adolescents covered by this authorization are able to get the most up-to-date version of a booster vaccine, and that's why we are no longer authorizing the monovalent -- the original -- booster for administration as a booster dose to those populations," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said during a news briefing.
About two-thirds of the total US population is vaccinated against Covid-19 with an initial series, according to data from the CDC. But less than half of those with their initial series -- and less than a third of the total population -- has also gotten a booster.
There's no plan yet to phase out the earlier vaccines used in the primary series, Marks said, but this is a "transitional year," when people need to make sure they have a "good base upon which we build ... which will help protect us against the unknown."
"If you've not yet received a booster dose, or it's been several months since your last booster dose, now's the time to consider getting one," Marks said.
Officials defend swift authorization
On Wednesday, FDA officials defended their swift emergency use authorization of the updated Covid vaccine booster. Pfizer and Moderna submitted for authorization last week.
"The public can rest assured that a great deal of care has been taken by the FDA to ensure that these updated boosters meet our rigorous safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality standards for emergency use authorization," Marks said.
The agency has authorized these boosters after studies in mice, but ahead of the results of clinical trials in humans.
This is similar to the way annual flu vaccines are tested each year, but it's a first for Covid-19 vaccines. The approach has generated some controversy among vaccine experts. In making the authorization, the agency did not call a new meeting of its independent vaccine advisers, who often weigh in on vaccine changes; the advisory group had offered its insight on updating the original vaccine in meetings over the summer.
"We have been planning for and gathering input on our approach to updated boosters since earlier this year," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said during the news briefing. "The FDA has extensive experience with evaluating strain changes for influenza vaccines and is confident in the data supporting these latest booster authorizations."
In addition to the animal data, the FDA said it was basing its decision on more than a year of experience with hundreds of millions of doses of mRNA vaccines given around the globe. They are also relying on human clinical trials of different bivalent vaccines that target the original Omicron strain. That vaccine has been authorized in the UK, but will not be available in the US. More than 1,400 participants were enrolled in clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines against BA.1.
Human studies of the bivalent boosters, which combine the companies' original vaccine with one that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages, have started, Marks said on Wednesday. Data from those studies is expected in another month or two.
Vaccine milestone
"America is the first country in the world that has authorized a bivalent vaccine where the bivalent vaccine targets the viruses out there," Dr. Ashish Jha, who is leading the White House Covid-19 response, said in a phone interview with CNN on Wednesday.
"We try to do this every year for the flu. We almost never hit it on the mark. This has taken a lot of work by FDA. It's been about leaning into the science, leaning into some very good modeling. And then really demanding from the companies that they produce vaccines that are going to be that are going to be matched."
The Omicron BA.5 subvariant has dominated transmission in the United States for more than two months. Last week, it caused 89% -- nearly 9 out of 10 -- new Covid infections in this country, according to the latest estimates from the CDC.
A recent offshoot of the BA.4 variant, BA.4.6, has slowly grown in prevalence to claim second place. Across the country, it caused about 8% of new infections last week, but it has taken off more in the Midwest -- Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska -- causing an estimated 17% of new infections there.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/fda-authorizes-pfizer-and-modernas-updated-covid-19-boosters/article_99086ea2-03da-5a41-99ec-a941ffe96b3a.html | 2022-08-31T19:22:35Z |
Beto O’Rourke resuming campaign stops in Texas after illness
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Democrat Beto O’Rourke said Wednesday that he will resume campaigning in his race for Texas governor after pausing his schedule last weekend and canceling events because of an unspecified bacterial infection.
O’Rourke said he will return to the road Friday in Laredo and continue with events throughout the weekend along the Texas-Mexico border in his underdog challenge against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
O’Rourke returned home to El Paso last week after seeking treatment at a San Antonio hospital and receiving antibiotics. He appeared on camera for virtual campaign events earlier this week but had not been traveling.
The former presidential candidate is a relentless campaigner who visited each of Texas’ 254 counties during his failed run for U.S. Senate in 2018.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/beto-orourke-resuming-campaign-stops-texas-after-illness/ | 2022-08-31T19:22:35Z |
US government documents were "likely concealed and removed" from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to "obstruct" the FBI's investigation into former President Donald Trump's potential mishandling of classified materials, the Justice Department said in a blockbuster court filing Tuesday night.
More than 320 classified documents have now been recovered from Mar-a-Lago, the Justice Department said, including more than 100 in the FBI search earlier this month.
Tuesday's filing represents the Justice Department's strongest case to date that Trump concealed classified material he was keeping at Mar-a-Lago in an attempt to obstruct the FBI's investigation into the potential mishandling of classified material.
The Justice Department revealed the startling new details as part of its move to oppose Trump's effort to intervene in the federal investigation that led to the search of his Florida resort and his desire for a "special master" to be appointed to the case.
Trump has pushed an "incomplete and inaccurate narrative" in his recent court filings about the Mar-a-Lago search, the Justice Department said.
"The government provides below a detailed recitation of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff's filings," prosecutors wrote.
It presents a strong rebuttal of the criticisms of the FBI's unprecedented search of a former President's residence, laying out clearly how Trump had failed to return dozens of classified documents even after his lawyer attested that he had provided all classified material in his possession.
A picture on the final page of the filing showing classified documents arrayed on the floor of Trump's office -- full of highly classified markings like "HCS," meaning human intelligence sources -- hammered home how sensitive the material Trump had taken was.
At issue is Trump's compliance with a grand jury subpoena, issued in May, demanding that he turn over classified documents from Mar-a-Lago. Prosecutors said Tuesday that some documents were likely removed from a storage room before Trump's lawyers examined the area, while they were trying to comply with the subpoena. The timeline is essential, because Trump's lawyers later told investigators that they searched the storage area and that all classified documents were accounted for.
"The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government's investigation," prosecutors wrote. "This included evidence indicating that boxes formerly in the Storage Room were not returned prior to counsel's review."
The allegations came after the DOJ's filing went into specific detail about actions from Trump's team that the department implies were obstructive to its probe.
In the filing opposing Trump's request, DOJ argues that the former president lacks standing over presidential records "because those records do not belong to him," as presidential records are considered property of the government.
The Presidential Records Act makes clear that "[t]he United States" has "complete ownership, possession, and control of them," the DOJ filing states.
Trump has argued that his constitutional rights have been violated and that some of the documents seized earlier this month contain material covered by privilege -- particularly executive privilege.
The Justice Department was ordered to submit the filing by Judge Aileen Cannon, who has already indicated she is inclined to grant Trump's request for third party oversight of documents the FBI seized Mar-a-Lago.
The role of a special master is to filter out any materials seized in a search that don't belong in the hands of investigators because of a privilege. Special masters have been used in high-profile cases before, but usually in cases where the FBI has searched an attorney's office or home and there is a need to filter out materials concerning attorney-client privilege. Trump's request has centered on the need to protect documents concerning executive privilege from his conduct as president.
Signals from Cannon, a Trump appointee, that she is leaning toward appointing a special master in the Mar-a-Lago search have raised eyebrows among legal observers. For one, Trump filed his request for the appointment two weeks after the search of his Florida home, risking the potential that the Justice Department is already done with the bulk of its review. Secondly, Trump and the judge alike have pointed to civil rules concerning special master appointments, when the search warrant is arising in a criminal context.
Since the August 8 search, a number of previously secret court filings the DOJ submitted to obtain the warrant have been made partially public in part because of a bid for transparency filed in court by several media organizations, including CNN.
Those redacted documents have revealed that the search was connected to a DOJ investigation into alleged violations of the Espionage Act, criminal mishandling of government documents and obstruction of justice. According to an FBI affidavit that was released last week, an FBI review of 15 boxes retrieved by the National Archives from Mar-a-Lago in January found 184 documents bearing classification markings -- some of them identified as particularly sensitive government documents.
Trump, in seeking the special master, has stressed in court filings the lack of criminal enforcement in the Presidential Records Act, a Watergate-era law laying out the process for preserving presidential records. He did not mention the three criminal statutes the DOJ cited in its warrant documents. Trump's lawyers have also emphasized his supposedly unfettered ability when he was president to declassify documents, though the statutes in question don't require that the materials be classified.
Wednesday morning, Trump posted on his social media platform on Truth Social for the first time since the Justice Department filing and once again claimed to have declassified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
In one of his most recent posts, Trump appeared to comment on the photo of top-secret documents laid out on the floor, saying, "Terrible the way the FBI... threw documents haphazardly all over the floor," and, "Lucky I Declassified!"
In other posts, he attacked the FBI and DOJ generally and said, "This is the time, after many years of lawbreaking & unfairness, to clean things up. All things for a reason. DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!" He repeated his false claims of a stolen election and said, "Our Country is going to hell!" He also claimed crowds are "already forming" for his rally on Saturday.
Trump's attorney limited what DOJ could look at during June visit
A top Justice Department official contends that federal investigators were limited in what they could look through when visiting the resort in June -- contrary to the Trump team's narrative of total cooperation.
Trump's lawyer requested that the FBI come to the resort to pick up the documents after the Trump team had received a grand jury subpoena in May seeking any materials marked classified, according to the Justice Department.
DOJ's account also undermined claims by Trump and his allies that the former President had declassified the materials in question.
"When producing the documents, neither counsel nor the custodian asserted that the former President had declassified the documents or asserted any claim of executive privilege," the filing said. "Instead, counsel handled them in a manner that suggested counsel believed that the documents were classified: the production included a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the document."
In the DOJ's account, Trump's lawyer said that all the remaining documents from Trump's White House were being kept in the storage at Mar-a-Lago. "Counsel further represented that there were no other records stored in any private office space or other location at the Premises and that all available boxes were searched," the filing said.
Prosecutors confirmed Trump's assertion that the visiting DOJ and FBI officials were then allowed to visit the storage area.
"Critically, however, the former President's counsel explicitly prohibited government personnel from opening or looking inside any of the boxes that remained in the storage room, giving no opportunity for the government to confirm that no documents with classification markings remained," the DOJ said.
DOJ reveals grand jury proceedings related to Mar-a-Lago search happening in DC
The Justice Department confirmed that grand jury subpoenas had been issued in its probe, and that the grand jury that issued them had been empaneled in DC. The department included a copy of a May 11 subpoena for government records at Mar-a-Lago marked as classified that indicated the existence of the DC federal grand jury. Before making the subpoena public, the department on Monday got permission to do so from Chief Judge Beryl Howell in the DC District Court, according to a footnote in its brief.
The reference to Howell suggests that in addition to Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart and Cannon in Florida, a third judge is now involved in the DOJ's probe.
This story has been updated with additional details.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/justice-department-says-classified-documents-at-mar-a-lago-were-likely-concealed-and-removed-to/article_79df502f-6dd2-5b3d-8766-69f52d16d117.html | 2022-08-31T19:22:41Z |
Box of reptiles mailed to the wrong address in New York
Published: Aug. 31, 2022 at 2:57 PM EDT|Updated: 23 minutes ago
PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Several live lizards were wrongly delivered to a residence in a village north of New York City.
“Needless to say the addressee was quite startled when they opened the box,” Port Chester police wrote on Facebook.
Police received the call about the reptiles just after noon on Saturday. They posted a picture on Sunday of three dark-colored lizards held in a large white container. It was not immediately clear whether there were more reptiles not pictured.
“If you lost your lizards and iguanas we have them at the police department,” police wrote.
They said they held the animals until a local animal sanctuary could pick them up for safekeeping.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/box-reptiles-mailed-wrong-address-new-york/ | 2022-08-31T19:22:42Z |
Donald Trump is considering waiting until after the November midterms to launch a third presidential campaign as he navigates a widening array of legal troubles and mounting concerns that some of his hand-picked Senate candidates may be weaker than he once thought, sources familiar with his thinking tell CNN.
After months of eyeing Labor Day weekend as the target launch date for a 2024 campaign, Trump has spent the past few weeks backing away from that timeline following the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and an increased panic among Republicans that the party may not be in for the red wave it has long anticipated this November.
While his timeline could shift again between now and November, the onslaught of political and legal concerns has the former President feeling nervous about prematurely diving into the 2024 primary, according to nine former and current Trump aides and allies who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.
The arguments from advisers wanting him to take his time with a campaign announcement have varied. Believing he will be the undisputed front-runner regardless of when he announces, some have said that if he launches another White House bid too early, he will run out of money around the time Republicans host their nominating convention, leaving him cash-strapped and vulnerable during the general election.
Better to address the legal fallout from the FBI search first, other advisers have told Trump and his team.
"Everyone was operating under the assumption that shortly after Labor Day would be the best possible time to launch, but that has changed and he's being told to deal with the FBI stuff first," said a Trump adviser.
Otherwise, advisers say, the former President is more likely to be blamed for potential losses in the midterms if he becomes a candidate for president before November and his legal troubles distract from the bread-and-butter issues most Republicans -- but especially those running in competitive races -- would prefer to focus on.
As Trump-backed Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Arizona struggle to eclipse their opponents in fundraising and recent polls, a growing number of Trump confidants have shared concerns with him that a pre-midterm announcement would be weaponized by Democrats, who remain eager to distract from inflation and rising crime and are well-versed already in using Trump as a campaign foil.
"There is a direct tie if Trump becomes a campaign ad in November and Republicans lose the Senate, and the last thing he wants is to be blamed," said a former Trump campaign aide.
Trump himself has started complaining in private about Mehmet Oz's performance in the Pennsylvania Senate contest and a spate of bad press that Georgia Senate hopeful Herschel Walker generated earlier this summer when it became public that he had fathered several children out of wedlock despite routinely criticizing absentee fathers, this aide said.
In the days after federal investigators searched his waterfront residence in early August, Trump was inundated with calls from allies urging him to announce his bid for president immediately.
"It was so hot," said one Trump ally, describing the surging support Trump encountered among both grassroots supporters and top Republicans after he revealed the FBI had searched his home.
But as the legal battle over records seized during the search continues to play out and new details emerge about the sheer volume of classified records Trump was apparently storing haphazardly at Mar-a-Lago, others in Trump's orbit have urged him to put any campaign announcement on hold until he addresses his legal woes. The FBI warrant unsealed earlier this month revealed three possible federal crimes as reason for the search: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. In a late Tuesday court filing, the Justice Department said documents were "likely concealed and removed" from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to "obstruct" the FBI's investigation. Trump, who has not been charged with a crime, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing while boasting that the FBI search has buoyed his 2024 prospects and sent a jolt of energy through his political base.
Another Trump adviser who had previously pushed for a pre-November campaign announcement has since recanted, joining those who believe that waiting until after the midterms is a more prudent approach.
"There's no urgency because he's not going to be outshined by someone else," said former Trump campaign aide Bryan Lanza, pointing to the crowd of potential 2024 rivals who rushed to Trump's defense -- or lobbed sharp criticism at the Justice Department -- after learning that federal investigators had executed a search warrant at his home.
"I personally feel like it's a sign of weakness if he announces before the midterm," said Matt Schlapp, a top Trump ally who chairs the American Conservative Union. Trump had previously considered a pre-midterm announcement as one way to clear the field of prospective challengers, something that Schlapp and others now say he no longer needs to worry about.
Some in Trump world still want him to announce now
Despite Trump being counseled by a growing number of advisers to delay his campaign announcement until later this fall or winter, not everyone in his inner circle has been convinced that that's the right move.
One source close to Trump dismissed the escalating political and legal concerns as "excuses," arguing that the former President is already being blamed for the shifting midterm forecast and putting off a presidential campaign launch is unlikely to inoculate him from further criticism among Republicans if the party either fails to win the Senate or disappoints in its overall gains.
"They are going to blame him no matter what, so he should just announce," this person said.
People familiar with Trump's thinking said he has been more receptive to postponing his campaign announcement until after the midterms in part because of the way Republicans rallied behind him following the FBI search. The former President has recently told allies he doesn't think he will face a formidable challenger in the 2024 GOP primary, according to three people familiar with his comments, one of whom said Trump has been quick to point out how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis compared the FBI search to "Banana Republic" tactics. DeSantis is widely expected to be a top primary rival if he runs for the nomination against Trump.
"He's up to his eyeballs in legal troubles but that hasn't stopped him from totally relishing this," said a second person close to the former President, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
So far, the consensus among Republican operatives two years out from the 2024 election is that Trump is unlikely to face a real primary threat even though he is widely expected to field challenges from a handful of GOP hopefuls. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are some of the likeliest rivals Trump could face if he does run again.
Schlapp, who believes Trump will indeed attract primary competitors, said none would be "serious in terms of being able to win the nomination." He added that Trump's outrage over the FBI search will give him something to tap into if and when he does announce a third presidential campaign.
"Sometimes I think he's better the more acrimonious he gets," Schlapp said, claiming that Trump's early August appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas was a turning point for some Republicans who were previously on the fence about his desire to mount a comeback bid after losing to Joe Biden in 2020.
Two days before federal investigators conducted their search of Mar-a-Lago, Trump used the speech to complain that he is "always being persecuted."
One of the Trump advisers took it a step further, suggesting that an indictment of Trump by the Biden administration "would be beneficial" to the former President at this juncture.
"It would just appear too partisan at this point," this adviser said.
Biden, who has insisted he had no advance warning of the search, has stressed the independence of the Justice Department. But Trump has frequently taken to his social media platform to blast what he's called a politically motivated "witch hunt" and railed against the FBI and Biden, including in a frenzy of posts on Truth Social on Tuesday alone.
Prioritizing his legal fights
While Trump hasn't made a firm timing decision yet as he mulls a 2024 bid, his lack of planning for a campaign rollout has signaled to those around him that he wants to bide his time.
Until adding former Florida Solicitor General Chris Kise to his legal defense team on Tuesday, Trump had been struggling to navigate the legal jeopardy he finds himself in as federal investigators sift through the classified documents they seized from his residence -- possibly building a criminal case in the process.
Those around him say Trump appears to be putting his political ambitions on the backburner -- if only temporarily -- to give his legal team space to operate and strategize without the time constraints that a presidential campaign would demand. The former President has spent the three weeks since the FBI conducted its search at Mar-a-Lago trying to capitalize on the moment politically, while his attorneys have meanwhile struggled to develop a clear strategy. His legal team waited until weeks after the search, for example, to file a so-called special master request for an independent review of the materials taken from his home, which is the subject of a hearing this week.
"Right now, it's a question of whether he wants to turn everything political or gain some legal stability to make sure everything turns out OK before taking that next step," said one of the Trump advisers.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/trump-weighs-delaying-2024-decision-as-political-and-legal-troubles-grow/article_7330b84d-e1d0-51ac-a4bf-804f5930fc4e.html | 2022-08-31T19:22:47Z |
EARLY YEARS: New data show drop in sports injuries among young athletes
According to QuoteWizard, the number of sports-related injuries has dropped by about 10% since 2017
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - When it comes to youth injuries on the field, the numbers are encouraging.
“We looked back to sports-related serious injuries going all the way back to 2007. And what we found is since 2017, the number of sports-related injuries has dropped by about 10 percent,” says Nick VinZant, Senior Research Analyst, QuoteWizard.
What’s changed in recent years, he says, is the growth of safety culture.
“Whereas before, I think the idea of rub some dirt in it and get back out there, talk your way through it. That used to be predominate,” says VinZant.
When it comes to youth sports injuries, VinZant says football is still leading the pack.
“When we look at football, it still accounts for the highest number of injuries for children under the age of 14. Football has gotten a lot safer in the last couple of years,” says VinZant.
According to QuoteWizard, about 40,000 fewer children are being injured playing football, thanks largely to more efforts to prevent head injuries.
“If you look at youth football now, there’s less tackling. They’re being taught to tackle correctly. They’re much more focused on preventing concussions and taking steps to make sure the children are able to participate safely,” says VinZant.
Injuries are also on a downward slide in many other sports.
“Baseball is down 16%. Basketball is down 20. Boxing down 10. Football down 15. Hockey down 20. Soccer is down 14,” he says.
VinZant says the only sport seeing an increase in injuries is skateboarding-- by 51%.
When it comes to choosing the right sport for your child, it’s crucial for parents to get the facts.
“That’s why I think it’s important for families to get together, talk to the coaches. If you’re comfortable with it, it’s going to be okay. I think you just have to make sure that those appropriate procedures and safety protocols are in place,” says VinZant.
You can read more about sports injury trends on QuoteWizard’s website.
Copyright 2022 WDBJ. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/early-years-new-data-show-drop-sports-injuries-among-young-athletes/ | 2022-08-31T19:22:48Z |
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First Responders First: Danielle Wren
By
Jordan Wood
Published: Aug. 31, 2022 at 3:17 PM EDT
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Morning Weather Forecast July 27th | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/first-responders-first-danielle-wren/ | 2022-08-31T19:22:55Z |
LOOK: Police officer helps free hawk from car’s grill
Published: Aug. 31, 2022 at 2:27 PM EDT|Updated: 55 minutes ago
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (Gray News) – A police officer in Virginia is being praised for helping a hawk caught in a car’s grill get free.
The Fairfax County Police Department posted photos on their Facebook page detailing Officer McLemore’s efforts.
They said she was called to an area of an interstate highway after a driver realized there was a hawk in their car’s grill.
McLemore helped free the hawk and had it taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/look-police-officer-helps-free-hawk-cars-grill/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:01Z |
Snapchat’s parent company cutting 20% of staff as ad sales continue to dry up
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The parent company of social media platform Snapchat said Wednesday that it is letting go of 20% of its staff as it reorganizes and tries to reduce costs in the face of declining ad sales.
In a letter to staff posted on Snap Inc.’s website, CEO Evan Spiegel said sales were not keeping up with earlier projections.
“Unfortunately, given our current lower rate of revenue growth, it has become clear that we must reduce our cost structure to avoid incurring significant ongoing losses,” Spiegel wrote.
Spiegel said Snap was restructuring its business to focus on community growth, revenue growth and augmented reality. Anything that doesn’t contribute to those three areas “will be discontinued or receive substantially reduced investment,” Spiegel said.
Last fall, Snap said its ad sales were being hurt by a privacy crackdown that rolled out on Apple’s iPhones, which raised investor fears about the app’s potential for growth. Most social media platforms rely heavily on advertising revenue, one reason that Facebook has been an outspoken critic of Apple’s recent changes to privacy controls.
Since Snap posted its first profitable quarter in the last quarter of 2021, there has been little good news from the company.
On May 24, Snap shares lost nearly half their value, falling 43% after the company said in an SEC filing that the “macroeconomic environment has deteriorated further and faster than anticipated” and that it would not meet its own sales and profit targets in the period. Shares tumbled another 39% on July 22, a day after Snap posted quarterly results that fell short of projections.
Snap’s staff has grown to more than 5,600 employees in recent years, and the company said even after laying off more than 1,000 people, its staff will be larger than it was a year ago.
Snapchat is a video messaging platform best known for a feature that automatically deletes messages after they’ve been viewed by recipients. It now offers other forms of video content as well.
Like most other social media companies, Snap boomed during the pandemic when workers and students spent longer hours online at home. Snap shares peaked in late September of 2021 at more than $83 per share.
Snap shares gained about 10% on Wednesday, to $11 per share, after the layoffs were reported.
Snap said it was halting investment in Snap Originals, Minis, Games, Pixy, and other segments. It also said it is “winding down” the standalone apps Zenly and Voisey.
Santa Monica, California-based Snapchat also announced the promotion of Jerry Hunter to chief operating officer effective immediately, as well as other regional leadership changes.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/31/snapchats-parent-company-cutting-20-staff-ad-sales-continue-dry-up/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:08Z |
SOMERVILLE, Mass., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alloy Enterprises, the world's first Digital Aluminum Fab, announces the completion of a $3M SAFE financing round. This latest funding brings the total raised to over $10M for the two year old company.
The SAFE round was led by Lockheed Martin Ventures (LMV), who was joined by existing investors, including Congruent Ventures. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) is a global company that solves complex challenges, advances scientific discovery and delivers innovative solutions to help keep people safe.
With Alloy's novel technology, components are produced with high-strength aluminum alloys, such as 6061, with superior mechanical properties to traditionally cast parts in a fraction of the time. As manufacturers continue the decades-long struggle with a volatile supply chain and unpredictable lead times, Alloy provides a reliable solution enabling true aluminum production at scale, simultaneously allowing for development quantities.
"We are excited to join the impressive portfolio under Lockheed Martin Ventures. Their support for our mission and technology validates that we are addressing customer needs. This funding allowed the acceleration of Alloy's commercialization as the supply chain continues to hinder manufacturers' innovation ability," says CEO, Alison Forsyth. "As Lockheed Martin endeavors to create an even more resilient, agile, efficient and cost effective supply chain, we see the unique additive metal process Alloy is developing as an enabling technology," says Chris Moran, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Ventures. "We have several use-cases for Alloy's capability and we want to see this technology succeed."
Alloy Enterprises was founded in early 2020 by three startup veterans who recognized a supply chain problem and saw an opportunity that matched their unparalleled expertise. Within a year of invention, the company was making parts using their novel additive manufacturing system that provides high throughput of fully-dense aluminum parts, enabling manufacturers to scale from prototyping to production. To learn more about Alloy Enterprises, visit https://www.alloyenterprises.co/
Lockheed Martin Ventures makes strategic investments in companies that are developing cutting edge technologies in core businesses and new markets important to Lockheed Martin.
More than a source of capital, Lockheed Martin Ventures provides portfolio companies with access to our world-class engineering talent, state-of-the-art technologies, and research and access to the company's international business relationships and supply chain. For more information visit: www.lockheedmartinventures.com
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SOURCE Alloy Enterprises | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/alloy-enterprises-secures-3m-safe-funding-led-by-lockheed-martin/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:15Z |
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Healthcare REIT, Inc., a self-managed, publicly registered, real estate investment trust, announced today the appointment of Scott A. Estes to the company's board of directors, effective August 30, 2022. Estes will serve as one of the company's independent directors and as a member of the audit committee. Following the appointment of Estes, the company's board of directors will be comprised of 10 directors, seven of whom are independent.
"We are pleased to welcome Scott Estes to the American Healthcare REIT board," said Danny Prosky, president, chief executive officer and director. "Scott's extensive experience in the healthcare real estate space as the former chief financial officer of Welltower, the largest publicly traded healthcare REIT in the country, as well as his lengthy service as a member of the boards of two other NYSE-listed real estate investment trusts will prove invaluable to American Healthcare REIT as we grow our business and pursue our strategic plan on behalf of our fellow stockholders."
Estes served as chief financial officer of Welltower Inc., an S&P 500 constituent real estate investment trust focused on healthcare infrastructure, for more than a decade, from March 2006 to October 2017. His 14-year tenure with the company began in 2003 as vice president of finance. Estes was significantly involved in the management of capital allocation in support of Welltower's rapid growth, with direct oversight of capital markets transactions which raised more than $14 billion of equity capital and $10 billion of unsecured debt capital.
Prior to joining Welltower, Estes served as a senior equity research analyst and vice president with Deutsche Bank Securities, a leading financial services firm, with primary coverage of the healthcare REIT and healthcare services industry sub-sectors. Additionally, Estes served as a vice president in Bank of America Securities' equity research department from January 1998 through December 1999, covering the healthcare REIT and seniors housing sectors, as well as an associate analyst and assistant vice president in Morgan Stanley's equity research department from March 1994 through December 1997, covering the healthcare REIT and healthcare services industry sub-sectors.
Since July 2017, Estes has served as a member of the board of trustees and audit committee chairman of JBG SMITH Properties, an NYSE-listed REIT that owns, operates, invests in and develops a dynamic portfolio of mixed-use properties in the high growth and high barrier-to-entry submarkets in and around Washington. D.C. Additionally, since June 2018, he has served as an independent director and audit committee chairman of Essential Properties Realty Trust, an NYSE-listed REIT that acquires, owns and manages a portfolio primarily comprised of single-tenant properties that are net leased on a long-term basis to companies operating service-oriented or experience-based businesses.
"Our board selected Scott to serve as a director based on his impressive financial and business expertise, particularly in his capacity as chief financial officer of one of the largest publicly traded healthcare REITs in the world," said Jeff Hanson, chairman of the board. "We believe his experience in the oversight of financial reporting, capital markets and capital raising, corporate finance and accounting, treasury, tax and audit functions, as well as his previous service on the boards of directors of two other NYSE-listed REITs, will deliver significant value to our company and stockholders, particularly in his role as a member of our audit committee."
American Healthcare REIT, Inc., a self-managed, publicly registered, healthcare real estate investment trust, owns and manages a diverse portfolio of healthcare real estate assets totaling approximately 19.5 million square feet, with a gross investment value of approximately $4.3 billion. As of June 30, 2022, this international portfolio includes 313 buildings comprised of medical office buildings, senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, and other real estate-related investments across 36 states, the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. For more information, please visit www.AmericanHealthcareREIT.com.
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SOURCE American Healthcare REIT, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/american-healthcare-reit-appoints-former-welltower-chief-financial-officer-scott-estes-board-directors/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:21Z |
Home services provider partners with insurance agencies to offer their subscription-based protection plans and an unmatched technology-driven customer experience to homeowners nationwide
CLARKSVILLE, Ind., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Armadillo, a technology-based home services company providing subscription plans that cover the cost and coordination of repairs and replacements for breakdowns of major home systems and appliances, announced they have expanded their coverage to partner with 100 independent insurance agencies nationwide.
"Insurance is a natural fit for our product. Our tech-forward solution gives insurance partners ranging from local agencies to large digital brokerages a tool to support their homeowner clients and build out their real estate offering," said Liv Coffman, Armadillo VP of Insurance and Partnerships. "Paired with home insurance, our warranty solution covers systems and appliances to ensure that clients have minimal gaps in coverage."
Historically, home insurance and home warranty have not partnered due to the lack of transparency in traditional warranty products. Armadillo was founded in 2021 by seasoned insurance executives Matan Slagter and Lansdon Robbins who saw a gap to provide an innovative solution with robust coverage that insurance agents could stand behind.
"We are the first home warranty company to design our product from the ground up to fit insurance agents and their clients' needs," said Matan Slagter, Armadillo CEO. "We've found an exciting high-growth niche among innovative insurance partners – particularly in the insurtech space – looking to build a new revenue stream and provide a valuable modern coverage solution to their clients."
"Insurance brokers who are looking to offer highly relevant risk management tools that complement homeowner's insurance and create more frequent touch-points with their clients can benefit from partnering with Armadillo," said Coffman.
Armadillo is a technology-based home services company providing subscription plans that cover the cost and coordination of repairs and replacements for breakdowns of major home systems and appliances. Founded in 2021 by Matan Slagter and Lansdon Robbins, Armadillo's mission is to provide a hassle-free homeownership experience. Armadillo plans are available nationwide. Learn more by visiting https://www.armadillo.one/partners/insurance-agents/.
Media Contact:
Rachel Weber
rachel@armadillo.one
Partnerships Contact:
Liv Coffman
liv@armadillo.one
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SOURCE Armadillo | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/armadillo-home-solutions-partners-with-100th-insurance-partner-blazing-new-trail-home-warranty-space/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:28Z |
More than 80 businesses and enterprises are already using Authenticate.com to stop cyber crime worldwide.
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Authenticate.com (https://authenticate.com/), a leading provider of information verification technology for governments, corporations, institutions and individuals to prove identity and prevent fraud worldwide has launched their Identity Verification Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Now through platforms such as Shopify, Hostaway, Guesty and more, customers of Authenticate.com can verify users to stop fraud without a single line of code.
Newly released data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that U.S. consumers reported losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud in 2021, an increase of more than 70 percent over the previous year. Because the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people shopped and transferred money, many criminals targeted digital wallets, apps, sites and services that rely on often irreversible or indisputable peer-to-peer payment methods such as Apple Pay and Zelle. About 18 million victims fell prey to scams through these means and methods last year, according to the 2021 Identify Fraud by Javelin Strategy & Research.
Authenticate.com offers worldwide photo ID and passport authentication, optional facial recognition and liveness detection, knowledge quizzes, background checks, continuous monitoring and more, all "out-of-the-box". Voluntarily audited and independently certified as SOC 2 Type II compliant Authenticate.com adheres to the highest cybersecurity standards. The company is now in the process of obtaining a formal opinion letter that it meets the rigorous framework published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in their Special Publication 800-53, an exhaustive list of security and privacy protocols necessary for any vendor to be eligible for use in a federal information system. "Identity fraud is by far and away the number one source of cybercrime worldwide," said Steve Ward, Founder & CEO of Authenticate.com. "By offering Identity Verification Infrastructure as a Service, we are doing the difficult work of collecting sensitive personal data, processing it with the utmost integrity, and ensuring it is protected with best-in-class security. While our customers focus on building their business, we provide the picks and shovels they need to dig their moats."
"Our company's mission is to eliminate the dependency of the fee gouging delivery apps," said Andy Kaminski, Founder & CEO of RunnerCity. "In order to launch our app, we needed to execute background checks for our roster of 3,000 runners (gig workers). Earlier this month we decided on a soft launch to test our integration with Authenticate.com to ensure it would be an easy and seamless process for our users. And it was! We invited hundreds of runners to sign up and submit to background checks and so far we've been very pleased with the results."
"We require a trusted and responsive vendor to handle secure and sensitive assets," said Terry L. Robinson, CEO of NotaryHub.com by Everything Legal. "Authenticate.com's hosted solution for UI helped us go to market quickly. As a cloud-based remote online notary solution that requires authenticating constituents, Authenticate.com hits the mark. We've appreciated our partnership with the team and look forward to continued success."
Authenticate.com has already scaled rapidly in 2022, growing its customer base from 12 beta customers in January 2021 to more than 80 credentialed customers today. The company continues to gain momentum with more than $1 million in revenue YTD, which is up 20x YoY.
Authenticating.com LLC d/b/a Authenticate.com provides developer tools for identity verification and fraud prevention through the use of several sources of truth and a proprietary data enrichment framework so their customers can create their own trust policies for peer-to-peer exchanges, two-sided marketplaces, online communities and more through the use of Authenticate.com APIs and SDKs.
Media Contact:
Casey Stickles
Stickles Public Relations
casey@sticklespr.com
(845) 235-2089
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SOURCE Authenticate | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/authenticatecom-launches-its-identity-verification-infrastructure-service-iaas-platforms-increase-trust-online/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:35Z |
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
- 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee is second of seven Dodge special-edition "Last Call" models; first special-edition model, the 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown, was announced on Aug. 24
- 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee carries on tradition of original Super Bee by offering a vehicle at home both on the street and the strip
- 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee is the highest performance Charger Super Bee model ever produced and features standard drag radials that help the Super Bee fly to low quarter-mile ETs
- Additional performance features include adaptive damping suspension with Drag Mode, SRT hood with functional scoop, dual heat extractors and SRT black exhaust tips
- Special Super Bee badging and graphics dress up the hive
- Only 1,000 Dodge Charger Super Bee models will be produced: 500 Scat Pack vehicles (in B5 Blue) and 500 Scat Pack Widebody vehicles (in Plum Crazy)
- Six special-edition Dodge Challenger and Charger models will be revealed through Sept. 21, 2022, with the next two models to be announced on Sept. 7
- Seventh and final 2023 Dodge model — the very last of its kind — will be revealed at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, scheduled for Nov. 1-4, 2022
- Like all 2023 Dodge Challenger and Charger models, 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee vehicles will carry a commemorative "Last Call" underhood plaque
- Details and specific information on the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee available at Dodge.com
- Information on the Never Lift 24-month road map to the Dodge brand's future is available at DodgeGarage.com
Dodge is continuing its rollout of the brand's "Last Call" lineup, announcing the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee, the second of seven special-edition "Last Call" models and one that honors a vehicle that has brought "buzz" to the Dodge brand for decades.
The Dodge Super Bee, first introduced in 1968 and as a Charger model for 1971, reached legendary status in its brief original four-year run by giving customers an ultra-high-performance vehicle that could serve as both a daily driver and a weekend warrior at the track or drag strip. The 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee aims to carry on that legacy by offering the highest-performance Charger Super Bee model ever produced, with standard drag radials that help the Super Bee fly to low quarter-mile ETs and special Super Bee badging and graphics that dress up the hive.
The 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee follows last week's introduction of the special-edition 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown. Dodge "Last Call" special-edition models celebrate the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger, which in their current form are coming to an end. Six Challenger and Charger models will be revealed through September 21, 2022. The seventh and final 2023 Dodge model — the very last of its kind — will be revealed at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, scheduled for Nov. 1-4, 2022.
"The Dodge Super Bee is more than commemorative of a cool heritage name — it is also a Charger variant of the Challenger 1320 grassroots race package," said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis. "The special-edition 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee once again offers a Dodge vehicle that is equally at home on the street or on the drag strip."
2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee
A limited number of 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bees will populate the hive. The special-edition vehicle will see a production run of only 1,000, with 500 Charger Scat Pack (in B5 Blue) and 500 Charger Scat Pack Widebody (in Plum Crazy) vehicles planned for production.
In addition to Plus Group and Carbon/Suede Package content, the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee special-edition model showcases a swarm of unique features, including:
- Super Bee exterior badging on the grille and front fenders
- Super Bee exterior graphics on the functional hood scoop and rear fenders (blue graphics with B5 Blue, white graphics with Plum Crazy)
- 20-by-9.5-inch knurled wheels with 275 drag radials (Scat Pack)
- 18-by-11-inch drag wheels with 315 drag radials (Scat Pack Widebody)
- Adaptive damping suspension with Drag Mode
- Black Mopar hood pin kit
- SRT hood with functional scoop and dual heat extractors
- SRT black exhaust tips
- Red four-piston Brembo brake system
- Super Bee interior instrument panel badge
- Super Bee seat back logos
Dodge Charger Super Bee models, as with all seven of the "Last Call" special-edition models, will be allocated to specific dealerships, with pricing and dealer information shared on DodgeGarage.com when vehicle ordering opens later this fall.
Details on the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee are available at Dodge.com. The next Dodge "Last Call" models will be announced on September 7, 2022. Information on the Never Lift 24-month road map to the Dodge brand's future is available at DodgeGarage.com.
"Last Call" Highlights
In addition to the seven "Last Call" special-edition models, Dodge brand will also celebrate its 2023 model lineup by bringing back three beloved heritage exterior colors: B5 Blue, Plum Crazy purple and Sublime green. One popular modern color, Destroyer Grey, also returns to the fold. Charger and Challenger will each offer 14 total 2023 exterior color options. 2023 Charger and Challenger R/T models will also feature new "345" fender badging, a callout to the 345-cubic-inch HEMI® engine under the hood.
All 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger models will also carry a special commemorative "Last Call" underhood plaque, making every 2023 Charger and Challenger especially desirable. The brushed aluminum underhood "Last Call" plaque features the vehicle name and a vehicle silhouette, as well as "Designed in Auburn Hills" and "Assembled in Brampton" to proclaim each vehicle's origin.
The brand is also expanding the reach of its popular SRT Jailbreak models, which were introduced earlier this year for the Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, unlocking color combination ordering restrictions and exclusive content. For 2023 model year, Jailbreak models will also be available for the 717-horsepower Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat, providing even more owners the option of building their own one-of-a-kind muscle car.
Dodge is taking a new approach in getting the Charger and Challenger in the hands of its enthusiasts. The entire 2023 Charger and Challenger model-year run will be allocated to dealerships all at once, helping customers to identify and secure their dream cars more easily. Dodge will provide customers a guide for locating their desired Charger or Challenger at DodgeGarage.com, which will include information on all 2023 Charger and Challenger inventory at each Dodge dealership.
Ordering information for the 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger will be announced fall 2022.
Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.
Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and Dodge Durango, as well as an R/T plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet, representing the brand's first-ever electrified performance vehicle. Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock; the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world; and the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever; and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet. Combined, these four muscle vehicles make Dodge the industry's most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.
In 2022, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so three years in a row. In 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS).
Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.
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Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dodge and @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA
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SOURCE Stellantis | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/bee-lieve-it-2023-dodge-charger-super-bee-announces-no-2-7-dodge-special-edition-last-call-models/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:41Z |
Justin Reinke will help to expand Beko's profile in the U.S., and grow its Healthy Kitchen initiative
Versatile appliance marketer brings 14 years of industry experience plus direct dealer and sales channel relationships
BOLINGBROOK, Ill., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A self-proclaimed kitchen appliance lover with big-brand, product launch and direct dealer and sales channel experience has taken over the marketing reigns at Beko Home Appliances, the fast-growing American subsidiary of Arçelik, one of the world's largest home appliance manufacturers.
Justin Reinke, a 22-year integrated marketing veteran, has been named to fill the newly created position of vice president of marketing for Beko U.S., reporting to President Zach Elkin who today announced an expansion and reorganization of the Beko marketing department to allow for continued product development and sales success.
Introduced to U.S. homeowners in 2016 following a 67-year history as one of the top appliance brands in Europe, and the most sustainable brand globally, Beko specializes in cooking, cooling and cleaning appliances equipped with proprietary technologies that empower customers to live healthier, more sustainable lives.
Reinke will assume the lead for consumer and industry marketing duties from Beko Vice President of Product Management Salih (Sazi) Bugay. Working with Elkin, U.S. Brand Manager Yaprak Barut and Senior Channel and Product Marketing Manager Julie Howerter, Reinke will be responsible for all facets of marketing, including advertising, consumer and industry communications, PR, social media and CRM, and will direct Beko's creative, PR and media agencies tasked with launching the Beko brand in the U.S.
Reinke will also work with Beko Vice President of Sales Peter Blackwell as the company aggressively expands its U.S. dealer and retailer network.
"Still new to many U.S. homeowners, Beko is at a crucial stage in its domestic growth," said Elkin. "We need a versatile appliance expert with both classic brand-building experience and the relationships and track record to help grow our dealer and retailer network," said Elkin. "Justin delivers on this and yet still remains familiar with the needs of the trade and the end user – which is an exceedingly rare combination in this business."
Reinke comes to Beko from TruGreen, the country's largest lawn and yard care provider, where he led integrated marketing efforts as vice president of product management, brand marketing and PR. Previously, as director of brand and product marketing for Bridgestone, he helped grow the Bridgestone and Firestone brands through new marketing campaigns and innovative product launches.
Before that, Reinke spent 14 years in the appliance industry, most recently at Samsung Electronics, where he was director of product marketing for Samsung's U.S. refrigeration category. He also led refrigeration marketing and sales at Whirlpool Corporation for more than a decade, starting as a senior buyer and working his way up to become refrigeration product and category director.
"It's not often that you get the chance to grow a brand that has the global pedigree and technological expertise to legitimately shake up the industry," said Reinke. "Beko committed itself to health and sustainability in the appliance space long before it was trendy, and is backed by a leadership team in the U.S. and Europe that is dedicated to a larger purpose. I love appliances, and this is an appliance story that deserves to be told."
Reinke received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. A resident of Brentwood, Tenn., he will split his time between the Nashville area and Beko's recently expanded U.S. headquarters, warehouse and parts inventory complex in Bolingbrook, Ill.
For more information on the Beko product line and the Beko Healthy Kitchen, the company's industry-leading commitment to health, wellness and sustainability, visit https://www.beko.com/us-en.
Beko U.S., Inc., part of the Arçelik family, is the American subsidiary of the leading freestanding appliance brand in Europe, with a presence in more than 400 million homes in more than 140 countries. Committed to the premise that healthy living is only possible on a healthy planet, Beko specializes in cooking, cooling and cleaning products that empower homeowners to live healthier, more sustainable lives. The brand has received numerous accolades for protecting the environment including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s highest honor for energy efficiency each of the past six years, and four consecutive ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Awards, and a Good Housekeeping 2021 Sustainable Innovation Award in the Smart Sustainable Home Appliance category. For more information, visit www.beko.com/us-en. Media are encouraged to visit the Beko Press Room at www.beko.com/us-en/kbis/#press.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bob Ochsner or Dan Nasitka
Truth for Beko U.S., Inc.
(714) 694-7195
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SOURCE Beko Home Appliances U.S. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/beko-fills-new-vp-marketing-position-with-appliance-brand-product-veteran/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:48Z |
Now made with real fruit juice, new campaign features fruit flies as unexpected stars to illustrate portfolio optimization
BOSTON, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Truly Hard Seltzer, a leader and innovator in the hard seltzer category, today announced the rollout of a sweeping product optimization of its entire portfolio, making its best flavors even better with the addition of real fruit juice. With more than 30 unique flavors, Truly has more flavors now made with real fruit juice than any other hard seltzer on the market.
Optimized over a year-long research and development process to increase sessionability for a cleaner, more refreshing taste profile, Truly original mix packs including Citrus, Berry, and Tropical made with real fruit juice are rolling out now. The effort is on par with Truly's successful reformulation in late 2019 which contributed to more than two years of share gains.
A new multi-channel campaign from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners includes "Our Best Flavors," a splashy, catchy spot featuring flavors from each pack, a trending track, and of course, real fruit, to queue fun and refreshment in the 15-second spot to air on linear TV nationally starting August 22. Out-of-home, social, influencer, and digital extensions will be live through the fall.
A complementary, 30-second online video disturbingly romanticizes the newest fans of Truly now made with real fruit juice: fruit flies. The twisted, tasty film and a behind-the-scenes video is available online at trulyhardseltzer.com/realfruitjuice.
"Truly fans crave easy-drinking hard seltzers to match the flavorful lives they live," says Matt Withington, Sr. Director of Marketing, Truly Hard Seltzer. "To capture the flavor optimization, we wanted to highlight Truly bursting with real fruit juice in a bold – and yes – buzzy way."
A love story between a fruit fly and Truly made with real fruit juice? It's bold all right. In a behind-the-scenes video from the campaign shoot, Truly highlights the realness of the fruit fly's attraction to the optimized flavors. With the addition of real fruit to every can, not even fruit flies can resist the refreshing taste of Truly. Don't believe us? Just ask professional fruit fly wrangler, Tyler DeTrude. "Fruit flies live to consume and break down fruit," says DeTrude. "That's why you find them in your kitchen every once in a while. And so, with Truly using real fruit juice, it was fun to watch the fruit flies become fans of Truly."
"Truly told us their hard seltzer is now made with real fruit juice. So we said: let's prove it!," said Jeff Goodby, Co-Chairman and Partner of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. "We released dozens of real fruit flies around Truly and watched them with a microscopic lens. Think the flies had the best day of their very short lives. The result is a little gross but 100% authentic! Doesn't get any more real than that."
Truly original mix packs now made with real fruit juice from concentrate (Citrus, Berry, and Tropical) have a hint of flavor, an all-new look, and new flavors rolling out now including Watermelon Breeze and Strawberry Lime. Truly's bold, flavorful favorite packs like Lemonade, Margarita, Punch, and Tea have always included real fruit juice but have been improved to give drinkers the juicy, refreshing experience they're looking for.
"Constantly innovating, we've proven that hard seltzer drinkers react favorably to product improvements," says Lesya Lysyj, Chief Marketing Officer, Boston Beer Company. "With this rollout of even better-tasting flavors, we're reminding consumers why they came to hard seltzers in the first place – for a refreshing, easy drinking, variety-filled and fun experience that few other alcoholic beverages can provide."
To see what the buzz is all about and find optimized Truly near you, visit trulyhardseltzer.com/realfruitjuice.
Since its inception in 2016, Truly has been the most innovative brand in the category, breaking the boundaries of what consumers expect from hard seltzer. Truly believes no one is just one flavor, which is why it is available in 31 total flavors: 12 delicious original flavors, plus five flavors of Truly Lemonade, four flavors of Truly Iced Tea, four flavors of Truly Punch, two flavors of Truly Extra and now four flavors of Truly Margarita. At just 100 calories and 5% ABV, Truly is perfect for any occasion from beach days to backyard barbecues and beyond. To learn more about Truly, visit www.trulyhardseltzer.com.
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SOURCE Truly Hard Seltzer | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/believe-buzz-truly-hard-seltzers-best-flavors-just-got-better/ | 2022-08-31T19:23:55Z |
LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BIOTRONIK's LiveSupport feature has been successfully used to remotely support Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) clinics. This new technology enables BIOTRONIK representatives to provide programmer support from remote locations, allowing for faster support for clinics and addressing concerns around in-person contact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients with newer BIOTRONIK pacemakers and ICDs are able to take advantage of the MRI AutoDetect feature, which only requires a single on-site visit to turn on. For 14 days following activation, the device will automatically switch to MRI mode when magnetic field is detected. LiveSupport eliminates the need for the representative to be on-site and allows them to provide the programming support remotely with much shorter notice.
"BIOTRONIK always strives to improve clinic efficiency and provide better care to our patients," says Ryan Walters, President, BIOTRONIK, Inc. "We are pleased to offer LiveSupport as a technological solution to minimize response times for both our patients and customers."
LiveSupport opens the door for a variety of remote programming and troubleshooting possibilities. "For BIOTRONIK device patients who need to undergo complex EP ablation procedures or even during routine follow-ups, the ability to quickly ask a representative to remotely log onto the programmer for troubleshooting help is tremendously valuable for me and my staff," says cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. James Stone, Tupelo, MS.
LiveSupport is welcome news for practitioners working in remote areas. For interventional cardiologist Dr. Aaron Earles, Corinth, MS, the possibilities for remote MRI programming in his rural practice are most exciting. "Prior to having this feature, sending device patients to get an MRI scan could create delays or cause scheduling difficulties. Being able to work with a representative remotely vastly improves the workflow of our MRI department and allows me to provide better and faster patient care."
The new feature has already been used in a unique situation. On July 9, David Pace, BIOTRONIK's territory manager in Mississippi, was attending training meetings in Germany when he received a service request to turn on MRI mode for a patient in the U.S. Within minutes, Pace was able to use LiveSupport to activate the MRI AutoDectect feature to allow the patient to receive the MRI scan. "This use case exemplified the strength of this technology, and it's truly a game changer for us," says interventional cardiologist Dr. Kerry Morgan, Corinth, MS.
Having a BIOTRONIK representative on-site will continue to be standard business practice, with LiveSupport available as an option when needed or preferred by a physician. LiveSupport is available in select centers today, with broad market availability throughout the United States expected in the coming months.
-END-
For more information, visit:
www.biotronik.com
BIOTRONIK is a leading medical device company that has been developing trusted and innovative cardiovascular and endovascular solutions for more than 50 years. Driven by a purpose to perfectly match technology with the human body, BIOTRONIK innovations deliver care that saves and improves the lives of millions diagnosed with heart and blood vessel diseases every year. BIOTRONIK is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and represented in over 100 countries.
Follow us on:
- Twitter: @BIOTRONIK_US
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/biotronik
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/BIOTRONIKUS
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SOURCE BIOTRONIK | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/biotronik-livesupport-increases-efficiency-remote-cardiac-clinics/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:04Z |
Partnership Further Strengthens the Brand's Relationship with Seattle Community
SEATTLE, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Browne Family Vineyards announced today it is continuing its relationship with Husky Athletics as a proud partner for the duration of the 2022 University of Washington football season. This partnership further reinforces the brand's support for its Pacific Northwest roots, joining the Seattle Mariners, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Symphony and a number of other proud local partners.
"At Browne Family, we strive to support our local athletes and community, making this continued collaboration with my alma mater and beloved huskies a dream come true," said proprietor Andrew Browne. Browne Family Vineyards was created by Andrew as a tribute to his family. As one of the leading producers of premium Washington State wine, the world-class winemaking team primarily sources grapes from estate vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley.
Pours of the Northwest's highest rated and best-selling Browne Family Vineyards' wines will be available in select areas throughout the stadium:
- Bitner Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
- Bitner Estate Chardonnay
- Bitner Estate Grenache Rose
- Bitner Estate Sauvignon Blanc
- Brut Rose
- Heritage Chardonnay
- Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon
- Heritage Pinot Noir
- Tribute Red Blend
Those attending Husky Stadium are encouraged to celebrate the start of the season at the Browne Family Vineyard's tasting rooms in Seattle, Tacoma and Walla Walla. Now through the end of September, visit one of Browne Family's tasting rooms and mention Husky Athletics to receive a complimentary flight with any purchase of a full price one.
Browne Family Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to world-class wine production in the heart of Walla Walla, Washington. Inspired by the greatness of one man, William Bitner Browne, late grandfather of proprietor Andrew Browne, the winery is a dream that has been many years in the making. Every decision made — from the vineyard to the bottle — reflects a commitment to premium Washington State wine of exceptional quality and assures cellar-worthy vintages that stand the test of time.
Browne Family Vineyards is dedicated to building meaningful relationships with our customers and partners through innovative new wines, exciting collaborations, and customer nirvana. Visit www.brownefamilyvineyards.com or follow them on Instagram @brownefamilyvineyards.
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SOURCE Browne Family Vineyards | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/browne-family-vineyards-continues-relationship-with-husky-athletics-2022-proud-partner-husky-football/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:11Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Community Foundation (CCF) has named 12 Los Angeles County artists as recipients of the CCF Fellowship for Visual Artists (FVA), totaling $480,000 in unrestricted grants. The announcement comes after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Fellows will each receive an unrestricted grant of $40,000, which is an investment in the artist's career rather than a singular project. They also receive access to career development support and networking opportunities.
"If ever there was a time when we needed the arts to help us collectively heal after all we have endured, this is the time," said Antonia Hernández, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. "CCF is proud to support our Fellowship for Visual Artists fellows in their artistic careers and we celebrate their commitment to transforming communities through their work. Each of our fellows embody the future of arts in LA."
FVA is one of the most prestigious arts fellowships in the region, which helps artists build successful, sustainable careers that support the thriving Los Angeles arts scene. The grants are often used to develop new work and fund exhibits, travel or general expenses. This year, 512 applications were received in a wide range of visual arts disciplines and reviewed by a panel of five distinguished artists and art professionals. The panel considered the artist's entire career and future promise in the selection of this year's fellows.
The 2022 FVA fellows are: April Banks (Interdisciplinary-Mixed Media); Nao Bustamante (Interdisciplinary-Mixed Media); Enrique Castrejon (Installation); Patty Chang (Interdisciplinary-Mixed Media); June Edmonds (Painting); Reanne Estrada (Interdisciplinary-Mixed Media); Asher Hartman (Installation and Experimental Film and Video); Iris Yirei Hu (Installation); Phung Huynh (Painting); Young Joon Kwak (Interdisciplinary-Mixed Media); Sandra Low (Painting); and Suné Woods (Experimental Film and Video).
"As a Southeast Asian refugee, artist, educator, community advocate and single parent, I persist in integrating the most significant aspects of my life," said 2022 FVA fellow Phung Huynh. "I learn to situate my art in community spaces and look at narratives that are not fully represented. The greatest challenge is time and funding to support my work. The CCF Fellowship for Visual Artists will significantly impact what I do, deepen my artistic practice, and afford me the opportunity for community-based projects I have been dreaming to make. I appreciate how this fellowship demonstrates the need to value artists as essential cultural builders."
FVA was officially launched in 1988 through a gift from the J. Paul Getty Trust to create a Fund for visual artists to recognize the outstanding talent of Los Angeles-based visual artists and arts organizations. Over the last 34 years, FVA has given more than $6 million in unrestricted funds to over 300 artists. Past recipients include distinguished artists, Carolina Caycedo, Beatriz Cortez, Rosten Woo, Mark Greenfield, and Andrea Bowers, among others.
"We need to help our artists thrive if Los Angeles wants to remain one of the world's great creative cities," says Joan Weinstein, director of the Getty Foundation. "Getty is grateful for the opportunity to have seeded FVA, which has nurtured so many outstanding, diverse artists who call Southern California home. We congratulate this year's fellows, and we can't wait to see their artistic visions continue to develop and grow."
This effort has been supported through the continued generosity of the J. Paul Getty Trust Fund for the Visual Arts and sustaining contributions from, the Brody Arts Fund, the T.M. and R.W. Brown Fund, the Jennie Strong Memorial Fund, the Joan Palevsky Endowment for the Future of Los Angeles, the Rose Anne Rice Charitable Fund and other CCF funds.
The California Community Foundation (CCF) has served as a public, charitable organization for Los Angeles County since 1915. Its mission is to lead positive systemic change that strengthens Los Angeles communities. CCF stewards $2.5 billion in assets and manages 1,800 charitable foundations, funds and legacies. For more information, please visit calfund.org.
For more information about the FVA fellows and to view their galleries please click here.
To find out how you can support FVA, please visit us here. One-hundred percent of contributions to the FVA go directly to artists.
Contact: Paula Valle Castanon, pvalle@calfund.org
(213) 452-6233, (323) 253-6431(cell)
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SOURCE California Community Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/california-community-foundation-announces-2022-fellowship-visual-artist-fellows/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:17Z |
Careers on the Suncoast features a series of job experiences and opportunities in Sarasota County, Florida, as told by its residents.
Work for Sarasota County's Public Works Department
SARASOTA, Fla., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It's not uncommon for Sarasota natives to move back to the region and settle down. Upon seeing what other cities across the United States have to offer, the many benefits of Sarasota County continue to attract not just people from other states, but also those who originate from the area.
This is the case with Paula Wiggins. Born in Sarasota but raised between Tampa and Miami, Paula frequented Sarasota County so much to the point that she considered it a second home growing up. In 1998, upon receiving a degree in Civil Engineering from Florida State University (and before later earning an MBA from Webster University), Paula decided it was time to relocate back to Sarasota County and make it a permanent place to stay.
The summer before graduating from FSU, Paula landed an internship with the Sarasota County Government. Following the completion of her internship, she was able to join the county's Professional Engineer Development Program to support her career as an engineer.
Paula began working for the Sarasota County Government's Public Works department and has moved up the leadership ranks ever since. By 2006, after receiving her Professional Engineering license, Paula was promoted to her current role as Transportation Planning Manager leading on projects that determine the future of Sarasota County's infrastructure.
"I remember when University Parkway used to be a simple two-lane county road. Now we have a world class rowing facility," Paula tells us. "It's exciting to see where things are going. Sarasota is a slice of heaven, and it's no wonder why people want to live here."
By partnering with municipalities, regional metropolitan planning organizations, and state partners, Paula weighs in on jurisdictions for existing and future plans around the county. Given that Sarasota was ranked as number nine on U.S. News & World Report's list of Best Places to Live in the U.S., the infrastructure has to be ready to accommodate the needs of its growing, vibrant community and population.
Through her position serving Sarasota County's Public Works division, Paula plays a critical role mapping out the future of Sarasota County's infrastructure. In fact, she is one of the first to know what the community might look like years before new projects even transpire.
What's more, the sense of community is what truly keeps Paula from ever wanting to leave. While she's away from the office, you can find her with family or spending time with members of her local church.
Sarasota County Government is currently hiring across all locations, departments, and services. To view current openings, visit the job search board on their website.
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SOURCE Visit Sarasota County | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/careers-suncoast-what-its-like-work-where-you-want-live/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:23Z |
Joining the World's First Culture Agency are Industry Veterans Eric Erickson as Chief Operating Officer and Rebecca Williams as Vice President, Group Creative Director; Head of People & Culture Aisha Bean Promoted to Chief Diversity Officer, Celeste Bazán Promoted to Vice President of People & Culture
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cashmere Agency today announced new additions to its leadership team with the appointment of Eric Erickson as Chief Operating Officer and creative veteran Rebecca Williams as Vice President, Group Creative Director. The agency also announced the promotion of Aisha Bean to Chief Diversity Officer and Celeste Bazán as Vice President of People & Culture. These moves follow the agency's meteoric rise in the industry and a surge in demand for the company's culturally aware and diverse, differentiated service offerings.
"We're continuing to grow as an agency because we are engineered differently to help our clients navigate through The Culture in real time. This leadership and infrastructure allow us to continue to evolve with our clients' ambitions and resonance in Culture," said Ryan Ford, President & Chief Creative Officer, Cashmere. "I could not be more inspired by the intentionality and commitment that Eric, Rebecca, Aisha and Celeste bring to their respective new roles at Cashmere."
Erickson brings significant experience to the position with over 20 years driving operational excellence and executing strategic programs with clients such as Samsung, SC Johnson, UPS, Intel, and Honda/Acura. As Chief Operating Officer, he will be responsible for overseeing business operations of the company and working with Executive leadership and department leads to support the agency and clients. Erickson will report to Seung Chung, Co-Founder and CEO, Cashmere Agency.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Williams most recently spent over nine years at Burrell Communications leading the vision and development of national campaigns for QSR giant, McDonald's. Prior to Burrell, as Senior Vice President, Chief Creative Officer, she managed the overall creative direction of Uniworld Group and shaped campaigns for clients including Burger King, Ford Motor Company, Pillsbury, the United States Marine Corps, M&M Mars, Avon, and Walt Disney World. Williams has also worked and created dynamic campaigns for Coca-Cola, Fox Sports, Carson Products, and Bally Total Fitness. In her new role as Vice President, Group Creative Director, Williams will be responsible for driving Cultural strategy across entertainment and brand clients. Williams will report to President & Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Ford.
Bean joined Cashmere in 2017 to build and oversee the execution of all Human Resources activities including Talent Discovery, the oversight of staffing Cashmere's premier accounts, Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging, Employee Retention, Workforce Planning, Employee Relations, Professional Development, and Team Building. In her new role, Bean who considers herself, "a culture evangelist," will be focused on continuing to drive diversity, equity and inclusion offerings for employee and client initiatives through original programs at Cashmere and serves as an Executive Sponsor for Cashmere's #OneOpp Coalition against Police Brutality. Prior to Cashmere, she grew her career of over 16 years in Human Resources working in Federal Government and various Silicon Beach tech companies such as Experian Interactive Media, Core Digital Media, (mt) Media Temple and Godaddy. Bean will report to President & Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Ford.
Bazán came to Cashmere nearly one year ago from Hitco Entertainment where she was selected by music moguls LA Reid and Charles Goldstuck to establish the human resources function in their record label start-up. An alum of WPP and Omnicom where she developed a strategic business partner practice focused on employee relations, performance management, employee retention, professional development, employee satisfaction and company culture. Bazán brings over 15 years of strategic resources expertise tapping into a diverse background of industries ranging from theater, media, advertising, and recorded music. In her new role as Vice President of People & Culture, Bazán will be responsible for Human Resources Compliance, Benefits Administration, Employee Relations, Professional Development, and Performance Management.
Earlier this summer, Cashmere promoted five senior executives across multiple divisions including Cameron Crane to Chief Growth Officer; Joey Furutani to Chief of Staff; Sandy Song to Chief Client Officer; Brianne Pins to Senior Vice President of Public Relations; and Jesse Nicely, to Senior Vice President of Cultural Strategy.
Cashmere is an award-winning lifestyle-marketing company composed of a diverse collective of minds from the worlds of entertainment, advertising, and new media. Cashmere identifies trends to create and execute campaigns that resonate drive culture. Cashmere utilizes social media, creative strategy, digital trends, experiential, influencer and public relations strategies to provide full-service support for campaigns and brands. Cashmere builds brands who truly matter in culture.
Cashmere's diverse client roster includes top brands and entertainment companies, including: Google, Instagram, Facebook, BMW of North America, Taco Bell, Danone North America, Heineken, DoorDash, adidas, Warner Media, Amazon, Hulu, Disney, AppleTV+, Netflix, Universal Pictures, FX, CBS, Snoop Dogg and more. Cashmere has been recognized as a leading force within the creative industry and a recipient of multiple awards, which include: Ad Age's 2021 A-List Standout Agency, Ad Age's 2020 A-List Agencies to Watch, and Ad Age's 2019 Multicultural Agency of the Year; being named the 28th Fastest Growing Agency in the world by AdWeek, Clios, PRNews Agency Elite Top100 Winner, 2019 Cannes Lions Creative Award, and more.
In September 2021, Cashmere joined forces with Media.Monks ( S4Capital (SFOR.L), the tech-led, new age/new era digital advertising and marketing services company, to significantly expand the capabilities of both its content practice in the USA and global cultural strategy.
For more information about Cashmere, please visit www.cashmereagency.com or follow us on Instagram,
Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn @cashmereagency.
Media Contacts:
Brianne Pins
Cashmere Agency
Brianne@cashmereagency.com
Lindsay Colker
Elevate Communications
lindsay@elevateprco.com
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SOURCE Cashmere Agency | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/cashmere-rounds-out-leadership-team-with-new-hires-promotions/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:30Z |
DENVER, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Community College of Denver (CCD) and Green Flower, the leader in cannabis education, have partnered to provide students with career opportunities in cannabis, one of the fastest growing industries in America.
Through this new partnership, CCD will add three cannabis certificates to provide job skills training for those pursuing a cannabis career. The curriculum includes advanced dispensary associate, manufacturing agent, and cultivation technician skill training. CCD launched its Cannabis Science and Operations BAS degree in November 2021.
"We pride ourselves on refuting the traditional stereotype that colleges are slow to adapt," said CCD President Marielena P. DeSanctis, Ph.D. "Our partnership with Green Flower demonstrates how CCD leads in creating innovative, high demand programs. We look forward to providing students and adult learners in the Denver community with the opportunity to enter this growing industry."
Each certificate program takes eight weeks to complete and is offered fully online. Students can start registering on August 30, 2022 and begin courses at any time. Upon completion, graduates will also have access to Green Flower's employer network.
"Green Flower is honored to be partnering with the Community College of Denver. With the cannabis industry in Colorado continuing to grow at a record pace, the ability to help people train to work in cannabis retail, manufacturing and agriculture environments continues to be vital," said Green Flower's Vice President of University Partnerships, Daniel Kalef. "Like other highly regulated industries, the need to have expertise in material handling, quality control, patient care, security, transportation, horticulture and more, is vital to the success of the industry and all things people will learn in these programs."
In addition to Green Flower, CCD has previously partnered with such entities as "Jobs for the Future" and Verizon to introduce an IT support and Junior Full-Stack developer certificate program, as well as the Hispanic Restaurant Association to provide contextualized ESL courses for the restaurant industry. As the country continues to call with immediate job market needs, CCD consistently answers this call with their programs to not only meet, but exceed the demands of these industries.
To learn more about Community College of Denver's certificate programs, visit https://cannabiseducation.ccd.edu.
Community College of Denver (CCD) is a leading point of entry to higher education for the city and county of Denver. CCD provides cost-effective, high-quality college education, along with access and opportunity for non-traditional students, workforce development, training resources for local organizations, and community partnerships. CCD is a federally funded Hispanic Serving and designated Military Friendly Institution. Learn more at ccd.edu.
Founded in 2014, Green Flower is the industry leader in cannabis education, empowering thousands of consumers, regulators, and professionals with the knowledge they need to succeed in the emerging cannabis industry today. Green Flower's content and technology platform powers the cannabis programs of top universities and colleges across the country, provides customized learning and compliance solutions for cannabis businesses of all sizes, and equips individuals with the skills and credentials necessary to make an impact in the modern cannabis industry.
CONTACT:
Lesli Franco/Arielle Roth
O'Connell & Goldberg, Inc.
(954) 964-9098
lfranco@oandgpr.com / aroth@oandgpr.com
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SOURCE Green Flower | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/community-college-denver-announces-partnership-with-green-flower-provide-opportunities-rapidly-growing-cannabis-industry/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:37Z |
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the beginning of August 2022, Stena Polaris participated in US Air Force's annual re-supply mission Pacer Goose. The purpose of the mission is to re-supply the US Thule Air Base in the northwest corner of Greenland with life-sustaining supplies, i.e. fuels, building materials, vehicles and other types of heavier supplies. The operation is carried out every year in July or August, the only time of year weather conditions permit and when the ice is at its thinnest.
The Thule Air Base is operated by the US Air Force Space Command. The base was established in the 1940s and houses around 600 military personnel.
The Stena Polaris was used for the transport of 230,000 barrels of jet fuel. The journey from the port in Athens, Greece, through the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic and up through the Labrador Sea went well. The weather was good and the sea mostly ice-free. Stena Polaris was escorted into port by the two icebreakers Des Groseilliers and Ocean Gladiator.
Stena Polaris is since the beginning of 2022 contracted by Crowley Government Services Inc. Crowley in turn leases the vessel to the US Military Sealift Command, who use her for transportation of fuels to bases around the globe.
The Stena Polaris has been converted to meet requirements posed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Among other things, the ship has received equipment for bunkering military ships while at sea. Stena Polaris sails under the flag of United States and is manned by an American crew.
About Stena Polaris
Behind the concept, which was developed together with close partners Stena Bulk and Stena Teknik, is a need to operate in shallow waters and ports with more cargo than corresponding vessels of the same size class. To make this possible, the P-MAX tankers are considerably wider than traditional MR tankers. The increased volume means that they are able to transport up to 30 percent more cargo.
The P-MAX concept takes safety into a new dimension. The vessels are built with double systems for propulsion and manoeuvring, engines, shafts, generators, control and fuel systems, rudders and propellers. The engine rooms are separated by fireproof and watertight bulkheads and the bridge is equipped with a co-pilot system.
Stena Polaris is built with the second highest ice classification, 1A. The enhanced ice capacity enables transport in seas with difficult ice conditions. In 2013, for example, she sailed the Northeast Passage, the sea route north of Europe and Asia.
Technical facts:
183 m LOA, 40 m beam, Ice class 1A, buildt 2010 Split, DWT 65,200
For more information, please contact:
Erik Lewenhaupt CEO, Concordia Maritime AB
+46 704 855 188
erik.lewenhaupt@concordiamaritime.com
Concordia Maritime is an international tanker shipping company. We focus on safe, sustainable, and reliable transportation of refined oil products, chemicals, and vegetable oils. The Company's B shares were first listed on Nasdaq Stockholm in 1984.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE Concordia Maritime | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/concordia-maritimes-stena-polaris-supports-operation-pacer-goose-greenland/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:43Z |
State Master Plan Ignores Costs of Electric Conversions and Limits Choices
TRENTON, N.J., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New Jersey consumers deserve to know what electric conversion mandates will cost them under the State's Energy Master Plan and other related energy programs, according to regulatory comments filed by the New Jersey Propane Gas Association (NJPGA).
Although the Master Plan was updated in 2019, incomplete cost estimates were only disclosed Aug. 17 by the State Board of Public Utilities (BPU), without addressing the largest prospective cost categories that consumers will face. The cost estimates are also fraught with pricing forecasts and other assumptions with little or no supporting documentation.
In addition to hiding prospective costs to consumers, the Energy Master Plan would prevent consumers from choosing an energy source that best fits their needs---and budgets. The Plan would force consumers to go all-electric for their homes and businesses while incurring operating costs four to five times greater than propane, natural gas or fuel oil. New equipment and retrofitting would incur thousands more for each electric conversion, a cost category ignored by the BPU's cost estimates.
In its comments about the State Clean Energy Program and its New Construction component, NJPGA objected "to the inherent bias described in the New Construction Program's repeated references to electrification of new and existing structures. Despite the Clean Energy Program's stated goals of energy efficiency, the proposed updates ignore the significant costs and tradeoffs implicit for electrification.
"There appears to be no hint, let alone discussion or analyses of the costs of equipment, conversion and operating costs.."
NJPGA continued, "The New Construction Program's objectives discourage investigation of energy options, including propane, which are safe and often more cost-effective than electrification, with environmental advantages."
According to publicly available statistics, using propane produces 43 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using an equivalent amount of electricity generated from the U.S. grid. And, next to solar and wind, propane is one of the cleanest renewable fuels approved under the (federal) Clean Air Act.
NJPGA said, "Everyone wants a clean environment. Everyone likewise needs to know the full costs of the State's planned energy transition, and how that transition will dictate enormous costs to consumers compared to the energy choices they currently enjoy."
NJPGA (www.njpga.org) is the statewide trade association representing propane distribution and service companies serving more than 120,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers who rely on propane for their energy needs including space heating, water heating, cooking, recreational uses, manufacturing processes and transportation.
Contact:
David Klucsik
Princeton Strategic Communications
david@princetonsc.com
609-516-6764
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SOURCE NJ Propane Gas Association | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/consumers-deserve-know-full-costs-energy-plan-mandates-according-new-jersey-propane-suppliers/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:49Z |
LEBANON, Tenn., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. ("Cracker Barrel" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CBRL) will provide a real-time webcast and rebroadcast of its fourth quarter earnings conference call on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Company management will discuss financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year ended July 29, 2022.
The live broadcast of Cracker Barrel's quarterly conference call will be available to the public online in the Events and Presentations section on the Company's website at investor.crackerbarrel.com on September 27, 2022 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. An online replay will be available at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and continue through October 11, 2022.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates more than 660 Cracker Barrel locations and owns the fast-casual Maple Street Biscuit Company.
CBRL - F
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SOURCE Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/cracker-barrel-fiscal-2022-fourth-quarter-conference-call-internet/ | 2022-08-31T19:24:55Z |
HERNDON, Va., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deltek, the leading global provider of software and solutions for project-based businesses, announced that Deltek CEO Mike Corkery has been named to the Virginia 500 The 2022 Power List, which recognizes the state's most powerful and influential leaders by sector. Published by Virginia Business Magazine, this is the third annual edition of the Virginia 500 Power List and Corkery's second time receiving the honor. Virginia Business is the only publication dedicated to covering economic activity in every sector and every region of the state.
The Virginia 500 Award honors the most powerful and influential leaders across 20 major sectors ranging from real estate and manufacturing to higher education and government. In assembling the Virginia 500 2022 Power list, Virginia Business considers an array of factors, including revenue, the number of employees a leader oversees, the scope of their responsibilities, how newsworthy the executive is, and how prominent they are within their industry and/or community.
"It's an honor to be recognized alongside many of Deltek's customers and partners, as well as the other accomplished firms and executives in Virginia. I am are very proud of Deltek's continued growth and ability to hire and retain top talent that helps make our company such a great place to work," said Mike Corkery, Deltek president and CEO. "Congratulations to all of the leaders in our community who were included on this year's list."
Corkery serves as a board member for the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) and the ACEC Research Institute, where he also serves as Executive Committee Treasurer. In addition, he is the Vice Chairman of the Board for Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va. Most recently, Mike joined the President's Innovation Advisory Council at George Mason University and has become involved with the D.C. Chapter of Conscious Capitalism.
Virginia Business recognized executives across 20 categories. Mike Corkery is one of 60 executives included in the Federal Contractors & Technology category. See the full list here.
Better software means better projects. Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for project-based businesses. More than 30,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek for superior levels of project intelligence, management, and collaboration. Our industry-focused expertise powers project success by helping firms achieve performance that maximizes productivity and revenue. www.deltek.com
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SOURCE Deltek | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/deltek-ceo-mike-corkery-named-virginia-business-2022-power-500-list/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:02Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, September 1, at 2:00 PM EST, Blue Star Families, a national non-profit dedicated to supporting military families and strengthening communities, will convene a Blue Star Tips virtual town hall entitled "Be Healthy and Thrive this Fall '22".
Dr. Fauci announced last week that he will be stepping down from his leadership role in the presidential administration and as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Since the beginning of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Fauci has been the leading voice on response and public education.
This panel will be one of the last opportunities to ask Dr. Fauci and other health experts on the most up to date health information as we head into fall. With the added challenge of possibly changing duty stations or worries about the ongoing health crises, this Blue Star Tips virtual town hall aims to provide information to make sure military families are supported and have the resources needed as they make these changes.
The event is free, and registration is required in advance: https://www.tfaforms.com/4999399
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is the nation's largest grass-roots military family support organization, with a mission to support military families to improve military readiness. Its distinctive approach builds stronger communities around military families through knowledge and programs that address the unique needs of those who serve. Blue Star Families' nationally recognized surveys and analysis give military families an important voice that informs policymakers and its military family programs. It uses the power of its collective resources and cross-sector collaborations to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of members of military families to strengthen the troops, their families, and our nation as a whole. For more information, including the upcoming Blue Star Families Welcome Week events and opportunities to get involved, please visit bluestarfam.org.
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SOURCE Blue Star Families | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/director-national-institute-allergy-infectious-diseases-dr-anthony-fauci-keynote-blue-star-families-town-hall-one-his-last-appearances-national-health-leader/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:09Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WAT Medical is thrilled to introduce its latest innovative technology that would help the millions of people who suffer from nausea and vomiting, the EmeTerm Plus, while also developing an eco-friendly roadmap that would benefit future innovations. The original anti-nausea wristband, EmeTerm, received its FDA clearance in 2018. It has entered the U.S. market for four years as an effective and reliable device to manage nausea-induced vomiting. EmeTerm has also received the iF Design Award for in recognition for its innovative design and usability.
EmeTerm uses neuromodulation, a clinically proven technique to alter the electrical signals within the body. The electric current is sent via the P6 acupuncture point on underside of the wrist. The electric pulses are delivered to targeted areas in the brain and precisely block the signals of nausea and vomiting from brain to stomach.
Focusing on environmental protection, WAT Medical developed EmeTerm PLUS, (pre-order on www.emeterm.com). The new design features enhanced electric pulse transfer from device to skin. No conduct gel is needed, which could improve affordability to consumers.
With an improved battery life of 30+ hours, IP67 waterproof grading, along with a number of other upgrades, EmeTerm PLUS becomes even more user-friendly and effective than its predecessor. Less frequent charging is needed, the wristband is firm and comfortable to wear, and the new electrode material enhances the electrical stimulation. Lastly, EmeTerm PLUS use natural materials and medical silicon rubber to reduce the carbon footprints and will not cause allergy.
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SOURCE WAT Medical Enterpsise Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/eco-friendly-anti-nausea-vomiting-wristband-emeterm-plus/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:15Z |
TORONTO, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Andrew Moor, President and CEO of Equitable Bank, will be participating in a fireside chat at Scotiabank's 23rd Annual Financials Summit on September 7, 2022. Mr. Moor is scheduled to participate from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
A link to the live audio webcast will be available on Equitable Bank's investor relations website at http://eqbank.investorroom.com/events-webcasts and the recording will be available for replay for 90 days.
EQB Inc. trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: EQB) (TSX: EQB.PR.C) and (TSX: EQB.R) and serves more than 360,000 Canadians through its wholly owned subsidiary Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank™. Equitable Bank has a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. Founded over 50 years ago, Equitable Bank provides diversified personal and commercial banking and through its EQ Bank platform (eqbank.ca), it has been named the top Schedule I Bank in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks 2022 and 2021 lists. Please visit equitablebank.ca for details.
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SOURCE EQB Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/equitable-bankeq-banks-andrew-moor-speak-scotiabanks-23rd-annual-financials-summit/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:22Z |
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Partners with FMI Foundation to Spotlight Benefits
ARLINGTON, Va, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing body of published science continues to expound on the mental health benefits of family meals – in addition to the nutrition and physical health advantages. In conjunction with September's National Family Meals Month™, today the FMI Foundation celebrates its groundbreaking partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to shine a spotlight on these benefits.
Family meals provide opportunities to spend time and develop relationships with family and friends, which has been shown to improve mental and physical health. In fact, research shows that family meals are as important to health and well-being as sleep, exercise and food.[i], [ii]
"Since 2015, the Family Meals Movement has promoted the physical health and nutrition benefits of family meals, however, the emotional and mental health benefits are also well-documented," said David Fikes, executive director of the FMI Foundation. "As the relationship between mental health, nutrition, and overall wellness gains recognition, we are delighted to team with NAMI. This partnership will help amplify the positive impact that family meals, however one defines family, have on mental health, physical health and emotional well-being."
- When families eat together, they tend to eat healthier meals, and this improved nutrition supports both the body and the mind. "Repeatedly, studies show that good nutrition plays a vital part in mental health – as do social connections," said Christina Bott, director, Public Safety & Health Care Initiatives at NAMI. "Pairing good nutrition and family meals has protective benefits against a variety of risk factors. NAMI's newest program, NAMI Hearts+Minds, focuses on the evidence-based interconnection of mental and physical health and empowering individuals in all aspects of their well-being. We're pleased to partner with the FMI Foundation to raise awareness for the positive association between family meals and mental health."
- Consumers agree that family meals are worth it – even in this period of high inflation. According to the FMI Foundation's July 2022 "Staying Strong with Family Meals" Barometer, 61% of Americans feel the benefits of family meals outweigh the costs. In fact, among households with children, 67% feel the benefits outweigh the costs. This Barometer is a recurring quantitative study among a nationally representative sample of consumers. It also confirms that Americans are enjoying more meals together than they did before the pandemic. Eighty-nine percent (89%) say they are having the same amount or more in-person family meals and, moving forward, more than 93% of Americans of those sharing more meals with others plan to continue sharing more family meals at home.
The FMI Foundation's website showcases many studies that have shown how family meals result in better nutritional intake, as well as improved physical and mental health. It also features valuable tips and links to numerous partner organizations committed to helping Americans achieve their family meals goals and boost their overall wellness.
Established in 1996, the FMI Foundation seeks to ensure continued quality and efficiency in the food retailing system and is operated for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. To help support the role of food retailing, the FMI Foundation focuses on research, education, and resources in the area of health and well-being, which embraces food safety, nutrition and social responsibility concerns. For information regarding the FMI foundation, visit www.fmifoundation.org. #familymealsmonth; #familymealsmovement
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Join the conversation at nami.org | facebook.com/nami | instagram.com/namicommunicate| twitter.com/namicommunicate #Together4MH
Contact: Heather Garlich, (202) 220-0616
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SOURCE FMI Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/family-meals-promote-mental-health/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:29Z |
SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xenpozyme (Olipudase alfa) for intravenous infusion in pediatric and adult patients with Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency (ASMD), a rare genetic disease that causes premature death. Xenpozyme is the first approved medication to treat symptoms that are not related to the central nervous system in patients with ASMD.
"ASMD has a debilitating effect on people's lives and there is a critical need to increase treatment options for patients who suffer from this rare disease," said Christine Nguyen, M.D., deputy director of the Office of Rare Diseases, Pediatrics, Urologic and Reproductive Medicine in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "The challenges involved with developing treatments for rare diseases are significant and unique. We believe patients who suffer from ASMD, their families and their physicians will welcome this long-awaited advancement."
ASMD is caused by the lack of an enzyme needed to break down a complex lipid, called sphingomyelin, that accumulates in the liver, spleen, lung, and brain. Patients with ASMD have enlarged abdomens that can cause pain, vomiting, feeding difficulties, and falls. They also have abnormal liver and blood tests. The most severely affected patients have profound neurologic symptoms and rarely survive beyond two to three years of age. Other patients may survive into adulthood but die prematurely from respiratory failure.
Xenpozyme is an enzyme replacement therapy that helps reduce sphingomyelin accumulation in the liver, spleen, and lung. The efficacy of Xenpozyme for the treatment of ASMD was demonstrated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 31 patients randomized to take Xenpozyme or placebo. Because the study had the placebo comparator and measured treatment benefits that could be detected during the study's duration, the FDA was able to conclude that Xenpozyme is effective. Overall, treatment with Xenpozyme improved lung function and reduced liver and spleen size.
The most common side effects of Xenpozyme include headache, cough, fever, joint pain, diarrhea, and low blood pressure. Xenpozyme carries a boxed warning for severe hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis. Some patients treated with Xenpozyme developed laboratory test abnormalities, such as abnormal liver blood tests. Routine blood laboratory testing should be obtained periodically. Xenpozyme should not be started during pregnancy due to the potential for fetal harm, which was observed during animal studies. Additionally, in the clinical trials, 75% of pediatric patients and 50% of adult patients experienced reactions including headaches, nausea and vomiting while receiving Xenpozyme through intravenous infusion.
Xenpozyme received fast track, breakthrough therapy, and priority review designations. It also received orphan drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases. The FDA awarded the sponsor a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher, an incentive to encourage development of new drugs and biologics that prevent and treat rare diseases in children.
More than 7,000 rare diseases affect more than 30 million people in the United States. Many rare conditions are life threatening and most do not have treatments. The FDA estimates that half of these serious or life-threatening diseases affect children.
The FDA granted the approval of Xenpozyme to Genzyme.
Additional Resources:
- Office of Rare Diseases, Pediatrics, Urologic and Reproductive Medicine-Division of Rare Diseases and Medical Genetics (DRDMG)
- Medical products for rare diseases and conditions
- CDER's ARC Program
Media Contact: April Grant, 202-657-8179
Consumer Inquiries: Email or 888-INFO-FDA
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/fda-approves-first-treatment-acid-sphingomyelinase-deficiency-rare-genetic-disease/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:35Z |
Annmarie Chavarria is one of 10 appointed by the Governor to address nursing workforce needs.
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Tampa General Hospital's (TGH) chief nursing officer, Annmarie Chavarria, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, to the Florida Center for Nursing Board of Directors.
"Excellent leaders like Annmarie play an important role in driving clinical excellence and innovation by championing a collaborative nursing culture," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. "Her leadership experience and commitment to nursing at one of the largest academic medical centers in the state will add tremendous value to the Nursing Board."
As senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Tampa General, Chavarria is responsible for leading all inpatient nursing services across the academic medical center with a focus on further developing cross-functional collaboration among nursing teams across hospital departments. Chavarria brings extensive leadership skills in strategic planning, budget development, shared governance, and performance improvement to the Florida Center for Nursing Board of Directors. She also has expertise in achieving the rigorous standards of nursing required to earn Magnet recognition, the highest national honor in professional nursing practice and given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Tampa General Hospital has earned five Magnet recognitions.
"I am honored by the appointment and eager to support and further develop the nursing workforce in our state through my service on the Florida Center for Nursing Board," said Chavarria. She joined Tampa General in January 2021 from Abington Jefferson Health, part of the Thomas Jefferson University system in the greater Philadelphia area, where she served as senior vice president and chief nursing officer. Chavarria holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from La Salle University, Philadelphia, a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Health Systems Management from Drexel University, Philadelphia, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Holy Family College, Philadelphia.
The Florida Center for Nursing was established by the Florida Legislature in 2001 to strategically address the issues of nursing supply and demand to meet the needs of health care consumers in Florida.
Chavarria is one of four Tampa General team members to take on leadership roles appointed by the Governor. Senior Director of Patient Safety Nicole Justice was appointed in July to the Florida Board of Medicine. In 2021, Maja Gift, director of Pharmacy Services, was appointed to the Board of Pharmacy, and Dr. Seema Weinstein, manager of Psychology and Neuropsychology, was appointed to the Board of Psychology.
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2020, provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
Media Contact:
Karen Barrera
Assistant Director of Communications & Partnerships
(813) 844-8725 (direct)
(813) 928-1603 (cell)
kbarrera@tgh.org
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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/florida-governor-ron-desantis-appoints-tampa-general-hospitals-chief-nursing-officer-florida-center-nursing-board-directors/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:42Z |
OCALA, Fla., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Auctions held last week through HiBid.com brought in more than $48 million (gross auction proceeds). From August 22nd through the 28th, HiBid.com averaged 1.66 million bids on the site per day, resulting in the sale of over half a million lots. Some of the items currently up for bidding on HiBid.com include fine and costume jewelry, pearls, gemstones, rare coins, gold and silver bullion, restaurant/bar appliances and furniture, big-screen TVs, and neon bar signs. Noteworthy lots include a Maravedis coin, Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags, and diamond watches.
HiBid.com brings buyers and sellers together every day with a wide-ranging selection of items across hundreds of categories that appeal to bidders worldwide. HiBid is fully integrated with Auction Flex 360, providing auctioneers with a comprehensive auction management solution that supports internet-only auctions, webcast auctions, and absentee bidding.
August 22nd-28th HiBid.com Highlights
GAP: $48,190,506
Lots Sold: 562,959
Online-Only Auctions: 1,337
Webcast Auctions: 115
Average Bidders Per Day: 1.02 Million
Average Bids Per Day: 1.66 Million
Current Auctions
The following list includes a small sample from the hundreds of auctions currently open for bidding on HiBid.com. Site visitors can click the Find Auctions menu at the top of the HiBid.com homepage for links to the Featured and Hot auctions, such as those listed below, or use the search box to find auctions nearby.
Gators in the Historic West End, Dallas, Auction
Auction Type: Online-Only
Dates: August 29th-September 4th
Seller: AuctionETX
View Auction Items
Fine Jewelry Plus Gold and Silver Buillon
Auction Type: Online-Only
Dates: August 29th-September 1st
Seller: Assured Asset Exchange
View Auction Items
Collector Sale: Buillon, Coins, Jewelry, Gems, and Relics
Auction Type: Online-Only
Dates: August 17th-September 1st
Seller: Royal Estate Auctions
View Auction Items
If you're looking to sell through HiBid.com, click here to describe what you wish to sell, and a local HiBid auctioneer will help you get started.
Interested in receiving updates from HiBid? Sign up to receive newsletter emails, and follow HiBid Auctions on Facebook and LinkedIn.
About HiBid and Auction Flex 360
HiBid is an online auction platform supporting webcast auctions, internet-only auctions, and internet absentee bidding. It is also available as a private-label solution. HiBid is integrated with Auction Flex 360, the market leader in auction software for live and online auctions, with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, and multi-parcel. HiBid and Auction Flex 360 were built from the ground up to function together seamlessly.
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SOURCE Hibid-AuctionFlex | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/following-48-million-week-hibidcom-auctions-now-feature-jewelry-louis-vuitton-bags-big-screen-tvs-more/ | 2022-08-31T19:25:48Z |
DENVER, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortis, a high-growth commercial bank serving small- to medium-sized privately held businesses in Colorado and Utah, today announced the appointment of Mark Olson to the position of Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Olson brings over 30 years of experience in banking, having served most recently as the Chief Financial Officer of Altabank (NASDAQ: ALTA) in American Fork, UT prior to its sale to Glacier Bancorp in late 2021.
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Mark over the years and am thrilled to welcome him to our team," said Chris Luce, CEO, and Co-Founder of Fortis. "Mark's significant financial leadership and M&A experience will be instrumental to the future growth of Fortis and value creation for our shareholders. His impressive track record of providing financial and strategic leadership to commercial banks, as well as driving profitable growth, will be critical as we execute our strategic growth and development plans. I am proud that Fortis has become a destination-of-choice for top talent in the communities we serve."
As CFO, Mr. Olson's responsibilities will span financial strategy and financial operations, including financial planning, controllership, treasury, corporate development, and investor relations. Mr. Olson has held previous CFO positions at successful banking institutions, including California Republic Bank (OTC: CRPB), Heritage Oaks Bank (NASDAQ: HEOP), and Santa Barbara Bank and Trust (Pacific Capital Bancorp) (NASDAQ: PCBC). Prior to these positions, he served as a member of the senior management team responsible for the governance and oversight of commercial banking activities performed within the legal structure of Goldman Sachs Bank, USA.
"I am excited to take on this opportunity and join the Fortis Leadership team," said Mr. Olson. "I look forward to the strategic partnership I will have with Chris and the Board as we continue to position Fortis for long-term success."
Fortis is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and is a state-chartered bank with offices in the Denver and Salt Lake City metropolitan areas. The bank provides business and personal clients with a full suite of loan, treasury management, and deposit products, with an emphasis on Commercial and Specialty clients. To learn more about Fortis, visit www.fortisprivatebank.com.
Contact
Laura Hildreth, Senior Vice President, Head of Human Resources
lhildreth@fortispb.com
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ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the summer vacation season comes to a close, a large share of workers say they aren't taking vacation time, often due to the high costs. Forty-two percent of U.S. workers report that they have not taken a vacation during the last 12 months. Nearly half of workers (47 percent) say the expense of taking a vacation is the biggest impediment to taking time off, according to Eagle Hill Consulting research.
These findings come as employee burnout remains alarmingly high across the U.S. workforce. About half (49 percent) of American employees say that they are feeling burnout at work.
"Employees really need time to disconnect from work, especially as we continue to see high burnout levels across the U.S. workforce," said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "And ideally, employees should fully disengage from work rather than constantly checking email and responding to messages."
"It's not just employees who benefit from taking time off. When there is time to rest and take a break from job pressures, employers are far more likely to have an engaged workforce at its peak performance. It's incumbent upon employers to create a culture that encourages employees to both regularly take time off and fully unplug from their job while they're away," Jezior explained.
The survey also finds:
- Forty-two percent of workers have not taken time off in the last 12 months, highest among younger workers (50 percent) and lower income employees (56 percent).
- Workers say the impediments to taking a fully unplugged vacation include the expense of taking a vacation (47 percent), self-imposed pressure to stay on top of work (31 percent), a heavy workload (27 percent), no paid time off (25 percent), and no colleagues available to cover their workload (25 percent).
- Many employees are not fully unplugging during time off. While 54 percent say they fully disconnect from work during vacation, 28 percent say they check work email and messages. Six percent say they continue to work during vacation.
The findings are based up a workforce survey from Eagle Hill Consulting conducted by Ipsos from August 11 - 16, 2022. The 2022 Eagle Hill Consulting Workforce Burnout Survey included 1000 respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S and polled respondents about issues related to burnout and vacation.
Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Strategy & Performance, Talent, and Change. The company's expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. A leading authority on employee sentiment, Eagle Hill is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with employees across the U.S. and offices in Boston and Seattle. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.
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SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/forty-two-percent-us-workforce-not-taking-vacation-new-eagle-hill-consulting-research-finds/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:02Z |
MISSOULA, Mont., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Newborns develop Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) when the mother is exposed to opioids and passes exposure to their unborn child. NOWS cases surged from 1.5 per 1,000 hospital births in 2004 to 8 per 1,000 in 2014. Symptoms of NOWS in newborns range from mild and temporary to prolonged hospitalization with complications. Variability in the presentation of signs has led to delayed treatment decisions until the onset of withdrawal symptoms. Yet, delays in pharmacologic interventions lead to the risk of increased infant morbidity.
FYR Diagnostics has partnered with the laboratories of Dr. Rajesh C. Miranda, Ph.D. from Texas A&M College of Medicine, and Dr. Ludmila Bakhireva, MD, Ph.D., MPH from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center to develop a diagnostic test for NOWS. This collaboration will demonstrate the feasibility of a rapid and quantitative tool based on non-invasive microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers in umbilical cord blood that proactively predicts the presence and severity of NOWS before the onset of physical withdrawal symptoms. This test will also differentiate NOWS patients that need immediate pharmacological intervention from those requiring extended hospitalization and monitoring of symptoms, leading to more effective treatments for NOWS patients and increased positive patient outcomes compared to the current standard of care.
"NOWS is a notable example of a burdensome disease with an unmet need for a cutting-edge diagnostic that will improve health outcomes for infants," says Dr. Katie Havranek, a Senior Researcher at FYR Diagnostics. "Our team is excited to advance this promising NOWS diagnostic test."
"It is a privilege to participate in transforming a basic science finding into a clinical diagnostic test that will improve healthcare delivery and the lives of infants," says Dr. Miranda. "My hope is that this novel diagnostic approach will continue to demonstrate high accuracy in rigorous clinical studies we are conducting and be available to clinicians caring for these vulnerable newborns," says Dr. Bakhireva.
This research is funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse through a three-year Fast-Track Phase I/II SBIR award 1R44DA054017-01.
FYR (pronounced "Fire") Diagnostics is a Montana-based company focused on developing, commercializing, and implementing novel technologies for diagnostics and testing in human health. FYR Diagnostics is currently developing non-invasive liquid biopsy diagnostic solutions that utilize innovative classes of biomarkers for an array of diseases with unmet clinical needs, such as cancers and neurological disorders. For more information, visit fyrdiagnostics.com.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
This release is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon to make any investment decision, as it was prepared without regard to any specific objectives, or financial circumstances. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. This release is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for tax, legal, accounting, or investment advice. The forward-looking statements herein constitute an expression of opinion, which may or may not prove to be accurate.
Media Contact
FYR Diagnostics Inc
1121 E Broadway St.
Missoula, MT 59802
press@fyrdiagnostics.com
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SOURCE FYR Diagnostics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/fyr-diagnostics-texas-aampm-university-university-new-mexico-awarded-nih-grant-early-detection-neonatal-opioid-withdrawal-syndrome-nows/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:08Z |
- Girls in Tech is one of the oldest and most successful nonprofits in gender equality and DEI with current membership of 130,000+ women and allies in 38 countries
- Global headquarters moves from Silicon Valley to Nashville in step with tech industry's rapid shift from Bay Area and New York offices to a work from anywhere model
- Girls in Tech's annual conference and 15th anniversary celebration set for Nashville on Sept. 7
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Girls in Tech, a global nonprofit working to erase the gender gap in tech, today announced that it has moved its global headquarters from Silicon Valley to Nashville. The organization was drawn to the fast-growing tech hub's geographical, governmental, economic and social assets that continue to draw big tech companies and a strong talent pool.
Founded in 2007, Girls in Tech has grown into a global leader in the gender equality movement with a membership of 130,000+ women and allies in 50 cities, 38 countries and 6 continents. Along the way, it has become one of the most prominent voices in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) in tech and the business world as more than just something to do because it's right, but because it also drives innovation and enhances a company's bottom-line.
The organization will celebrate its 15th anniversary next week in Nashville at its first annual conference since the pandemic's onset. The Sept. 7th conference features a dynamic selection of speakers with inspiring stories and practical insights to share, including:
- Jill Anderson, Principal, Technology Software Infrastructure at Edward Jones
- Alvina Antar, Chief Information Officer at Okta
- Debika Bhattacharya, Chief Product Officer at Verizon Business
- Latrise Brissett, Managing Director, Global IT, Business Operations at Accenture
- Ruth Davis, Director of Call for Code, Worldwide Ecosystems at IBM
- Wendy Harrington, Executive Vice President, CIO of OCOO & Corporate Technology at TIAA
- Louise McEvoy, Vice President, US Channel Sales at Trend Micro
- Heather Mickman, Chief Information Officer at Gap Inc.
- Rachel V. Smith, Vice President, Strategic Execution & Transformation at McKesson
Nashville Mayor John Cooper will open the conference with welcome remarks.
"Nashville is proud to be the new home of Girls in Tech," said Mayor John Cooper. "There is no more important task than preparing our young people for the jobs of the future -- and doing so in a way that prioritizes equity and inclusion for all. What a fantastic opportunity for Nashville to have an organization doing this kind of meaningful work in our backyard."
"When I started Girls in Tech, I never would have imagined we'd mark our 15th anniversary by moving to the south, but much has changed in tech and society. We've received such a warm welcome from the Mayor and the Nashville business community, and it feels like the perfect place for us as tech evolves away from the ivory towers of San Francisco and into a more diverse world," said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO, Girls in Tech.
Limited tickets are available. A full agenda and registration details for the conference can be found here.
Girls in Tech is a global non-profit that works to erase the gender gap in tech. Today, every industry is a tech industry, with a need for people of all skills and backgrounds. We offer education and experiences to help people discover their unique superpower and hone it. We aim to see every person accepted, confident, and valued in tech—just as they are.
For more information, visit www.GirlsInTech.org or follow on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media Contact
Brad Chase
brad.chase@girlsintech.org
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SOURCE Girls in Tech | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/girls-tech-relocates-global-headquarters-nashville/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:15Z |
- HDT designs, engineers and manufactures advanced thermal management systems in key auto production regions around the world
- John Anselmi will retire Sept. 1 and transition to advisory role and Board Member
- Habel brings previous CFO experience and a track record of success
LIVONIA, Mich., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HDT Automotive Solutions (HDT Automotive), a leading global supplier of fluid-handling systems and precision aluminum parts, today announced the appointment of James Habel as its Chief Financial Officer. Habel will be based at the company's Michigan headquarters and will report to CEO Patrick Paige.
Habel replaces John Anselmi, who, after serving as HDT's CFO for more than four years, will retire effective September 1st. After a smooth transition of responsibilities to Habel, Anselmi will continue to work with HDT Automotive in an advisory role and Vice Chairman. John will also join the HDT Board of Directors.
"After knowing John professionally for more than 12 years, including the last several years as CFO here at HDT, I cannot adequately describe the value he has brought to our business," said CEO Paige. "John is an incredible team member and has worked successfully with all our stakeholders. I know I speak for the entire HDT Automotive team in congratulating John on reaching this retirement milestone, and we look forward to him continuing to guide our company in his new role."
Habel, who has more than two decades of experience in multiple industries including automotive, oil & gas, aerospace, medical and packaging, was most recently CFO for Foam Holdings, Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of custom EPS, EPP and ARCEL foam products. In his role, he was responsible for overseeing Foam Holdings' finance, IT and legal functions across 14 locations in North America.
Prior to joining Foam Holdings, Habel was the CFO at Humanetics Group, where he managed global finance and IT operations for the U.S., Germany, England, Netherlands, Austria, Japan, China, India and Sri Lanka. Habel has a long track record of success via transformation and value creation primarily in the automotive industry, working for global automakers and Tier 1 suppliers including Ford, Visteon, Zeledyne, ZF, PKC Group and TRW. He has spent half his career at publicly traded firms and the other half leading value enhancement in the world of private equity.
"I'm very excited to partner with Patrick and join the HDT team at an important time in the company's evolution. I'm looking forward to building on the company's legacy and leadership in the fluid handling space," said Habel. "This is an exciting time to be coming back into automotive with unprecedented opportunities and challenges as the industry expands into new technologies and capabilities. This industry is central to moving people safely through their daily lives and HDT plays a key role in the vehicle architecture that makes that possible. I would like to thank John Anselmi for his Finance leadership and for Patrick Paige and the Board of Directors for trusting in the passing of the leadership torch from John to myself."
Habel holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan – Dearborn. He also holds certifications as a Public Accountant (CPA), Treasury Professional (CTP), and in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
"Backfilling John as CFO was always going to be a challenge, and after meeting James, the entire HDT leadership team feels confident about the experience, energy and enthusiasm he brings," continued CEO Paige. "We have an exciting period ahead of us and look forward to a seamless transition as James takes on this vital role."
About HDT Automotive Solutions
HDT Automotive Solutions is a leading global supplier of automotive tubular components, with a diverse array of products, new materials capabilities, a worldwide manufacturing footprint, and a well-balanced customer base. Headquartered in Michigan, HDT has ten manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary and China and serves the North American, European and Asian automotive markets.
Media contact:
Scott Worden
Lambert
sworden@lambert.com
248-825-9343
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SOURCE HDT Automotive Solutions LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/hdt-automotive-names-new-cfo-james-habel/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:22Z |
ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Higher Education Servicing Corporation (HESC) is excited to announce the launch of its for-profit subsidiary, HESC Solutions, Inc.
HESC Solutions, Inc. was created to oversee the ongoing development and licensing of the HELIUM Loan Origination and Servicing System, which was first deployed by HESC in 2017, and to provide expanded student loan servicing opportunities with federal student loan contractors.
HELIUM is a state‐of‐the‐art solution capable of originating private student, parent and refinance education loans as well as servicing both FFELP and private education loans. Built with the latest Microsoft technology, HELIUM's modern coding structure and architectural framework provides clients with a rich-UI, web‐based user experience while delivering increased productivity and efficiency, faster turn-around for system development updates, easy connection to ancillary products, and greater control and flexibility of system controls, which are critical for success in an ever-evolving student loan industry. Higher education loan providers and servicers may license HELIUM to manage their own loan origination and/or servicing portfolios or contract directly with HESC to provide third-party loan originations and/or servicing.
HESC Solutions, Inc. also provides subcontracting services for federal student loan servicers including contact center support, back-office processing tasks, and Direct Loan servicing.
"We are excited to launch HESC Solutions, Inc. Now more than ever, we are ready and able to deploy our industry-leading HELIUM software to education loan providers and servicers to help meet the needs of their clients and borrowers. And as a qualified small business with decades of student loan servicing expertise, we are well positioned to serve as a federal student loan subcontractor," said Phillip Wambsganss, President of HESC Solutions, Inc.
For more information, visit www.hescsolutions.com.
Press/Media Contact:
Kevin Montgomery
(817) 265-9158 ext. 4161
info@hescsolutions.com
Higher Education Servicing Corporation ("HESC") is a private, nonprofit student loan servicing organization founded in 1978 to ensure Texas students and families have access to higher education. In 2017, after years of development and testing, HESC launched its own proprietary loan servicing platform known as HELIUM, which it utilizes to service its own portfolio of federal and private education loans. HESC also continues to provide full-service, third-party servicing and administration for federal and private education loan providers as well as offers private student and parent loans to permanent Texas residents through its Texas Extra Credit education loan program.
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SOURCE Higher Education Servicing Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/higher-education-servicing-corporation-announces-launch-hesc-solutions-inc/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:28Z |
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of Hill International, Inc. (NYSE: HIL) to Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Hill will receive only $3.40 for each share of Hill that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company.
If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-hil/ to learn more.
To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com.
Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200
New Orleans, LA 70163
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SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/hill-international-investor-alert-by-former-attorney-general-louisiana-kahn-swick-amp-foti-llc-investigates-adequacy-price-process-proposed-sale-hill-international-inc-hil/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:34Z |
LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Utilizing their conversation level framework, Humanize IT, formerly Managed Services Platform, makes it possible for every account manager to bring vCIO value to their clientele.
In 2013, Managed Services Platform went on a mission to deliver client success by creating a platform to make genuine human connections and empower operations. Four years later, Managed Services Platform partnered with Virtual C to further their clients' success by focusing on building business relationships through coaching and a top-down approach to better client communications. Managed Services Platform is now taking the next step, evolving to become Humanize IT. Humanize IT is the final phase in this metamorphosis, growing from Managed Services Platform and emerging anew.
Humanize IT brings the customer back into focus and increases revenue for MSPs through conversations, not presentations. Participating with Humanize IT coaches and community allows members to become more than vendors to their clients. They become business partners. Within weeks, members can take client engagement to the next level, create business-driven projects, increase customer buy-in, connect with C-suite and elevate their MSPs.
With an emphasis on cultivating personal connections with clients, MSPs are growing by utilizing the tools and resources of Humanize IT.
"We use the Needs Assessment questionnaires and report to differentiate ourselves through the sales process. We have been growing our MSP 20% year to year."
Eric Baryol
CEO - Leverage IT
To provide real support from real people and grow MSPs with a winning framework, Humanize IT offers both monthly and annual multi-tiered plans. Everything from report templates to client engagement strategy is provided with personal 1:1s, regular updates and guided courses. Humanize IT is focused on changing the face of the IT world by bringing MSPs and their clients together.
For more information, visit humanizeit.biz
Contact: info@humanizeit.biz
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SOURCE Humanize IT | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/humanize-it-new-managed-services-platform/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:41Z |
Kristine Wobschall and Sonal Adhav reinforce the agency's Client Experience and Medical Affairs Practices
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imre continues its commitment to excellence in life sciences with the addition of two industry veterans in Kristine Wobschall, Vice President of Client Experience and Sonal Adhav, Senior Director of Medical Affairs. This duo join in an effort to continue shaping agency best practices in the areas of client experience and medical strategy.
Kristine brings more than 15 years of experience across the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries to imre's client experience practice. In this elevated role, Kristine is responsible for client relationship management and overall business portfolio health and will lean into her strong digital background and passion for omnichannel strategy to solve client challenges. Kristine has broad experience on both the brand and agency sides, including FCB Health and GSW. Most recently, Kristine served as Vice President, Management Supervisor at H4B Chelsea, leading strategy, campaign development and launches for AOR relationships with leading brands in the rare disease, HIV, oncology and women's health therapeutic areas.
Integral to solidifying imre's Medical strategy is Sonal Adhav a medical communications veteran who joins imre following 20 years of experience in medical education, pharma advertising and scientific strategy. Sonal most recently served in a medcomms leadership role at Fishawack Health and has a depth of experience in immuno-oncology (prostate cancer/hematological cancers/non-melanoma skin cancer) and rheumatoid arthritis among others therapeutic areas.
"As our healthcare business rapidly expands, we continue to invest in top talent to meet our client's needs," said Anna Kotis, President of imre Health. "We have been so fortunate to find both Sonal and Kristine. They are high impact leaders who have been able to seamlessly plug into the work and make us even stronger, and we're so happy to welcome them."
Imre works with many of the world's leading and high growth brands. Driven by innovation, the agency's integrated suite of marketing communications services include brand strategy, creative, digital marketing, social media, public relations and media, data & analytics. Imre partners with a diversified and growing portfolio of brands including Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bausch & Lomb, GlaxoSmithKline and PTC Therapeutics, among others. The agency maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore and Philadelphia in addition to a growing group of employees who work from anywhere. Imre is an LGBTQ-founded company.
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SOURCE imre | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/imre-bolsters-health-practice-with-addition-two-life-science-industry-veterans/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:47Z |
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Forbes ranked Jeffrey Fratarcangeli, managing principal of Fratarcangeli Wealth Management of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, the No. 32 on its list of America's Top Wealth Advisors, up 31 spots from 2021. This comes on the heels of being named the No. 1 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor in Michigan for Private Wealth by Forbes and 2022 Top 100 Financial Advisor list by Barron's earlier this year.
"Our firm has seen tremendous growth over the last few years with our assets under management more than doubling," said Fratarcangeli. "Being recognized by Forbes among the top wealth advisors in the country is a testament to the work of our firm to deliver personalized, detailed investment strategies that continuously adjust based on market fluctuations and the needs of our clients."
Fratarcangeli manages more $3.52 billion (as of July 1, 2022), and his clients include athletes and entertainers, publicly traded companies, foundations, government agencies, and many other entities. He has received many national accolades, including consistently being recognized among Barron's Top Independent Advisors list, which includes the top 100 advisors in the U.S., and its Top 1200 Financial Advisors ranking.
The firm is comprised of 29 individuals and has four offices across the United States. To learn more about Jeffrey Fratarcangeli and Fratarcangeli Wealth Management, visit www.fratarcangeliwealth.com or call 248.385.5050.
The Forbes America's Top Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year's industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a rating. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.
Private Wealth designates advisors whose account sizes are typically $5mm and above, though may have accounts with lower amounts. Investment performance is not an explicit component. Investment performance is not an explicit component. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.
The Barron's Top 1,200 State By State Advisors and Barron's Top 100 Independent Advisors ratings are based on the previous year's assets under management, revenue generated for the advisors' firms, and the quality of the advisors' practices. Investment performance isn't an explicit factor because clients have varied goals and risk tolerances. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.
About Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network
For 20 years, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, the independent brokerage arm of Wells Fargo & Company, has simplified independence by partnering with successful financial advisors and fostering a mutual passion for doing what's right for clients. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. www.wfafinet.com. Fratarcangeli Wealth Management is a separate entity from Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network.
©2020 Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
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SOURCE Fratarcangeli Wealth Management | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/jeffrey-fratarcangeli-ranked-among-americas-top-wealth-advisors-by-forbes/ | 2022-08-31T19:26:54Z |
BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) will webcast a fireside chat at the Barclays 2022 Global Consumer Staples Conference at 8:15 am EDT, Wednesday, September 7, 2022.
Speaking on behalf of Kellogg Company will be Steve Cahillane, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our beloved brands include Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Special K®, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's Corn Flakes®, Rice Krispies®, Eggo®, Mini-Wheats®, Kashi®, RXBAR®, MorningStar Farms® and more. Net sales in 2021 were nearly $14.2 billion, comprised principally of snacks as well as convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's® Better Days ESG strategy, we're addressing the interconnected issues of wellbeing, climate and food security, creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030. Visit www.KelloggCompany.com.
K-FIN
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SOURCE Kellogg Company | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/kellogg-company-webcast-presentation-barclays-2022-global-consumer-staples-conference/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:05Z |
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Osage Casinos and Quick Custom Intelligence ("QCI") jointly announced that the QCI unified gaming platform has been deployed at the seven Osage Casino locations in Oklahoma. Training will begin soon for their Marketing, Casino Operations and Player Development teams.
"We evaluated several tools and decided on QCI for many reasons. Their AI technology is more advanced than anything else we have seen on the market. Leveraging QCI's platform allows our team to quickly identify revenue opportunities, execute and evaluate campaigns and elevate our player development efforts. And lastly, because we liked the idea of meeting with their team on a weekly basis and having our input drive the development of the tool," said Kimberly Pearson, COO of Osage Casinos.
"We are honored that Osage Casinos chose the QCI Platform. QCI's commitment is to ensure that the team at Osage is empowered by tools running on the finest grain of data to execute their programs with care and precision. Through our ongoing weekly meetings, we look forward to partnering with Osage in their journey to deliver on their brand promise every day," commented Dr. Ralph Thomas, CEO of QCI.
Before 2002, as Indian gaming received federal approval, the Osage Tribal Council created the Osage Tribe Gaming Enterprise Board. This group today provides oversight for the business entity known as Osage Casino Hotel. The Osage Nation uses revenues from the Osage Casinos to Fund tribal government & programs, provide for the general welfare of the tribe and its members, promote tribal economic development, support charitable organizations to help fund operations of local government agencies of the Osage Nation. For more information visit osagecasino.com.
The QCI Platform aligns player development, marketing and gaming with powerful real-time operational tools developed for the gaming and hospitality industries. QCI has installed their ground-breaking, highly configured software in more than 55 casino resorts in North American and over 3,000 sites worldwide. QCI products provide tooling for gaming operators managing over $20 billion in annual gross gaming revenue, these products are built on the QCI Platform, a best-in-class on-premises, hybrid or cloud-based technology that enables fully coordinated activities across gaming or hospitality operations. This data-driven software allows for quick, informed decisions in the ever-changing world of the casino industry and assists casinos in their efforts to optimize resources and profits, manage marketing campaigns and increase customer loyalty. QCI was founded by Dr. Ralph Thomas and Mr. Andrew Cardno. Based in San Diego, QCI also has offices in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas & Phoenix. Main phone number: (858) 299.5715 www.QuickCustomIntelligence.com
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SOURCE Quick Custom Intelligence | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/kimberly-pearson-coo-osage-casinos-we-are-thrilled-begin-using-qci-platform/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:16Z |
CANTON, Ohio, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty, Co. L.P.A. (KWGD), a law firm that represented the Gibson family in the well-known Gibson's Bakery vs. Oberlin College case, today issued the following statement regarding the Ohio Supreme Court's refusal to accept jurisdiction of Oberlin College's most recent appeal.
"In 2019, a Lorain County jury found Oberlin College and its dean of students liable for a devastating smear campaign aimed at the Gibsons and their 135-year-old family business. Following the unanimous verdict, the court entered judgment in favor of the Gibsons in the amount of approximately $36 million, the largest defamation verdict in Ohio history.
It was a monumental victory for small businesses. It also serves as a reminder that the truth still matters and that even those with much power and influence must be held accountable for their conduct.
Much has happened since the verdict, including the tragic deaths of David and Allyn Gibson — neither of whom lived to see the conclusion of Oberlin College's years of appeals.
In March 2022, the Ninth District Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the judgment. Oberlin College then filed another appeal, this time with the Ohio Supreme Court. Earlier this week, the Ohio Supreme Court refused to accept jurisdiction over Oberlin College's appeal.
The Gibson family has worked exhaustively to keep the lights on at Gibson's Bakery in the years since the ruinous defamation, but without the relief awarded by the jury. The Ohio Supreme Court decision delivers final justice, vindication, and that much-deserved relief."
Owen Rarric and Terry Moore
Attorneys at Law
Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty
KWGD Attorneys Rarric, Moore, Matthew Onest, and Jackie Caldwell, along with co-counsel firm Plakas Mannos, made tremendous efforts at trial in obtaining the verdict and on appeal in sustaining it.
Additional information about the case can be found on the Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty website.
About Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co.
Founded by the late Samuel Krugliak in 1958, Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty has grown in time to more than 50 attorneys practicing in more than 25 areas of law. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the firm also has offices in Alliance, Canfield, Hudson, Massillon, New Philadelphia, and Sugarcreek. Once again, this year, the firm was selected as one of the Top Ranked Law Firms in the United States in a special report by LexisNexis, published in U.S. News and World Reports. In addition, lawyers from the firm have been selected to the recent edition of Best Lawyers in America® and to the prestigious list of Ohio Super Lawyers ® and Ohio Rising Stars (young lawyers under 40) for the current year. The Super Lawyers® list comprises the top five percent of the lawyers in Ohio and the Rising Stars list comprises no more than 2.5% of young lawyers in the state.
For additional information, contact:
Jim Cyphert
Director of Public Relations
Innis Maggiore
Ph: 330-501-9886
Email: jim.cyphert@innismaggiore.com
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SOURCE Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/krugliak-wilkins-griffiths-amp-dougherty-issues-statement-about-recent-ohio-supreme-court-decision-gibsons-bakery-vs-oberlin-college-case/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:23Z |
Premium woman-owned salon relocating due to rapid business growth
TEMPE, Ariz, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lacquer Nails & Spa, Tempe's premier salon for professional manicures, pedicures, and spa services, announced today its retail expansion and grand opening of its new Tempe location. Accompanying this expansion will be the recruitment and hiring of incremental workers to meet the growth in demand.
Established in 2020 during the peak of the pandemic, this woman-owned business has experienced significant growth in new clientele, both male and female, seeking a sophisticated, high-quality salon experience. Lacquer Nails & Spa's word of mouth referrals have contributed to a 30% increase in new clients for the company over the past 12 months.
The new location for Lacquer Nails & Spa will be at 930 West Broadway Road, Suite 12, in the same plaza as the current Tempe location. This new facility will be twice the size of the previous space , with more spa stations and greater capacity to serve its growing clientele base. Currently, the salon staffs approximately 20 professional nail technicians, but is actively working to recruit and hire 30% more workers.
"We owe the success of our business to our thousands of amazing clients who have supported us these past two years," said Kristina Huang, founder of Lacquer Nails & Spa. "Every day we strive to deliver comfort, quality, style, and cleanliness so our guests depart from our salon with beautiful nails and a beautiful feeling. Our new Tempe location will deliver that feeling even better."
The new salon will be even more upscale in its design, with modern, high-fashion interior decor, comfortable spa changes, and personal amenities. The grand opening for the new location will be on Tuesday, September 13, from 3pm to 7pm. The VIP event will feature a DJ, complimentary beverages and appetizers, prizes, and a range of discounted spa services to commemorate the special day.
About Lacquer Nails & Spa: Established in 2020, Lacquer Nails & Spa is a growing provider of professional nail and spa services. In addition to its Tempe location, Lacquer's original location remains in Scottsdale. In total, the two locations will staff nearly 50 workers and serve thousands of clients in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Visit Lacquer Nails & Spa
Lacquer Nails & Spa - Tempe
930 W Broadway Rd
Suite 12
Tempe, AZ 85282
Phone: (480) 361-1529
Lacquer Nails & Spa - Scottsdale
8664 E Shea Blvd
Suite 152
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: (480) 809-6434
Media Contact:
David Murphy
NventMarketing
+1-(623)-505-6363
dm@nventmarketing.com
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SOURCE Lacquer Nails & Spa | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/lacquer-nails-amp-spa-expands-new-tempe-location/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:30Z |
WOODBRIDGE, N.J., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Joseph M. Lucosky, founder and managing partner of Lucosky Brookman LLP (www.lucbro.com), a leading corporate finance and securities law firm, has been honored as a "2022 Leader in Law " by NJBIZ.
The "Leader in Law" honor recognizes professionals with substantial expertise and commitment to their profession and community. Chosen by an unbiased panel of independent judges, recipients of this award are selected for their outstanding dedication to their occupation. The award is presented to New Jersey-based law professionals who have demonstrated exceptional overall performance during the past year, as well as exceptional efforts and achievements. The 2022 list of honorees includes other prominent and distinguished New Jersey attorneys.
Partner Seth Brookman commented, "The firm and I congratulate Joe for this tremendous accomplishment. After almost 13 years, we have grown to counsel dozens of NASDAQ and NYSE listed companies, over a dozen investment banks, and hosts of private equity funds and ultra-high net worth investors. This honor could not be more well-deserved. From humble beginnings to now employing over 40 attorneys, the success of the Firm under your leadership is truly remarkable. On behalf of all the attorneys at the Firm, we look forward to the next 13 years and beyond as we help small and medium-sized businesses get to the next level."
Joseph Lucosky remarked, "This recognition is truly an honor, however, this award is not solely my honor. It is earned on behalf of all of our attorneys and staff who work tirelessly on behalf of our clients' day in and day out year after year. Thank you to NJBIZ for the acknowledgement and thank you to all of our clients, colleagues, and friends who nominated us for the award."
Lucosky Brookman is a corporate finance and securities law firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania representing both domestic and international clients in sophisticated corporate and securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, secured and unsecured lending transactions, PIPEs, commercial and securities litigation, intellectual property, insurance coverage and defense, and general corporate matters. The Firm provides a broad range of legal services within each of its Corporate, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Finance, Corporate Tax, Intellectual Property, and Litigation & Arbitration practice areas.
CONTACT
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, New Jersey 08830
Phone: 732 395-4400
Facsimile: 732 395-4401
Email: info@lucbro.com
Web: www.lucbro.com
This press release may be considered advertising under the rules of some states. Prior results cannot and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.
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SOURCE Lucosky Brookman LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/lucosky-brookman-llp-founder-joseph-m-lucosky-honored-with-2022-leader-law-by-njbiz/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:37Z |
CB Top Ten™ Scorecard Ranks MainStreet Bank 29thof 599 Banks with Assets of $1B to $5B
FAIRFAX, Va., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MainStreet Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNSB) (NASDAQ: MNSBP), announced it has earned a second quarter 2022 top ranking from Irvine, California-based CB Resource Risk Management and Planning.
MainStreet Bank ranked No. 29 out of 599 peer group institutions nationally for the period ended June 30, 2022, data from CB Resource showed. These institutions are C corporations with assets between $1 billion and $5 billion. The ranking places MainStreet Bank in the top 10% nationally among this peer group.
CB Resource creates its CB Top Ten™ rankings based on eight key performance indicators: Asset growth, return on average assets, return on average equity, net interest margin, efficiency ratio, nonperforming assets, non-interest-bearing deposits, and non-interest income. CB Resource has published CB Top Ten™ rankings since 2010.
The data, presented as a scorecard, show that MainStreet Bank stood out from its peers in the second quarter by having a brisk annual growth rate of 17.88%, a net interest margin of 4.08, and nonperforming assets totaling zero.
"We are pleased to find ourselves in great company based on a consolidated view of eight metrics that drive shareholder value," said Jeff W. Dick, Chairman and CEO of MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. and MainStreet Bank. "Our strong revenue growth, net interest margin improvements, and innovative strategy reflect our unyielding focus on profitability through excellence."
MainStreet Bank's strategic initiatives include the forthcoming launch of its Banking as a Service platform, Avenu™, which is scheduled to go live in the fourth quarter of 2022. Avenu™ provides a streamlined way for fintechs, including mobile apps, to accept and facilitate transactions and deposits while managing risk and meeting compliance obligations. MainStreet Bank expects to tap into low-cost deposits, fee income, and new markets with the Avenu™ offering, Dick noted.
MainStreet Bank has been committed to innovation from its earliest days, when it established itself as a pioneer of online business banking. Since then, the bank has pursued an environmentally friendly "branch-lite" strategy that gives business customers the ability to Put Our Bank in Your Office® using robust and easy-to-use online business banking technology.
ABOUT MAINSTREET BANK: MainStreet Bank will launch its proprietary Fintech Software as a Service (SaaS) and Banking as a Service (BaaS) solution called Avenu™ later this year to provide a comprehensive solution for the Fintech community. Visit Avenu.bank for more information and to join the queue.
MainStreet operates six branches in Herndon, Fairfax, McLean, Leesburg, Clarendon, and Washington D.C. MainStreet Bank has 55,000 free ATMs and a fully integrated online and mobile banking solution. Its early investment in online banking means the Bank is not restricted by a conventional branching system.
MainStreet Bank has a robust line of business and professional lending products, including government contracting lines of credit, commercial lines and term loans, residential and commercial construction, and commercial real estate. MainStreet also works with the SBA to offer 7A and 504 lending solutions. From sophisticated cash management to enhanced mobile banking and instant-issue Debit Cards, MainStreet Bank is always looking for ways to improve our customer's experience.
MainStreet Bank was also the first bank headquartered in the Commonwealth of Virginia to offer CDARS – a solution that provides multi-million-dollar FDIC insurance. Further information on the Bank can be obtained by visiting its website at MainStreet.bank.
This release may contain forward-looking statements, including our expectations with respect to future events that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "should," "expect," "plan," "project," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "pursuant," "target," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations include: fluctuation in market rates of interest and loan and deposit pricing, adverse changes in the overall national economy as well as adverse economic conditions in our specific market areas, future impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, maintenance and development of well-established and valued client relationships and referral source relationships, and acquisition or loss of key production personnel. We caution readers that the list of factors above is not exclusive. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and we may not undertake steps to update the forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of any circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements are made. In addition, our past results of operations are not necessarily indicative of future performance.
Contact: Debra Cope
(202) 468-3814
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SOURCE MainStreet Bancshares, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mainstreet-bank-recognized-top-10-performance-among-its-peer-group/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:43Z |
High Performance and Reliable Offering for Live IP Broadcast Quality Video
WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zixi, the industry leader for enabling dependable, live broadcast-quality video over any IP network, and provider of the award-winning Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP), today announced a partnership with Marshall Electronics, a leading worldwide provider of professional Broadcast and AV technologies for television production, enterprise AV, UCC, studio, corporate, courtroom and others, who have integrated the SDVP into their lineup of IP cameras.
Globally recognized and an award-winning brand for providing high performance and reliable products for live broadcast TV, integrated AV, and cinema production, Marshall has become a global source for broadcast-quality video cameras in HD, UHD, and 4K resolutions serving a variety of workflow configurations. Serving use cases in entertainment, news reporting, sports, live events, live streaming and house of worship, the cameras deliver premium quality, ease of operation and the flexibility to drive remote productions from anywhere. Marshall Cameras feature PTZ and zoom capability with extended zoom ranges of 20x and 30x optical range, resolutions up to 3840x2160p60 and pristine HEVC video encoding while simultaneously supporting output to 12GSDI and up to three concurrent Zixi feeds over IP. Adopted by some of the largest broadcast television and streaming production companies in the world, Marshall Cameras now include native support for full Zixi-enabled delivery with compatibility extending to all Marshall Broadcast and Pro AV-over-IP solutions.
All standard IP camera versions can be loaded with the Zixi-enabled firmware allowing existing Marshall operators to easily add Zixi support to their cameras, unlocking premium connectivity support and direct integration with the full suite of capabilities in the SDVP. Supported IP camera models include CV355-30X, CV420-30X, CV620, CV730 and the top level CV730-BHN/WHN platforms, allowing users to deliver live video utilizing industry best performance, interoperability, resilience and security that the SDVP enables. Operations teams can flexibly deploy Zixi Broadcasters, which can ingest the Marshall Camera Zixi feed and provide real-time content quality analysis, live impairment detection, and low latency processing including live transcoding and protocol conversion. Zixi also enhances reliable transmission with support for bonded delivery over diverse networks such as 5G, LTE and unmanaged internet and hitless failover that reconstructs a single coherent transport stream from multiple time aligned sources.
The SDVP's Zixi protocol is a resilient congestion and network-aware protocol that adjusts to varying network conditions and employs patented, dynamic Forward Error Correction techniques for error-free video transport over IP with 99.9999% uptime at minimal latency. It provides best-in-class security with DTLS and AES encryption, allows for protected multicast transport, provides bandwidth efficiency, and enables encoder backpressure. The Zixi ZEN Master control plane is also integrated to enable users to manage large-scale configurations and orchestrate, analyze, monitor, and report on live video streams and devices across, and the Zixi Enabled Network of customers, integrated hardware and software applications, platforms and service providers standardized on Zixi. As part of ZEN Master, Zixi's Intelligent Data Platform aggregates 3 billion data points a day from across the Zixi Enabled Network and uses advanced analytics, machine learning, and Zixi's unique video telemetry data to provide alerts based on patterns and insights that help media companies streamline broadcast operations by focusing their resources to fix errors before they occur and reduce costs from root cause analysis.
"Zixi is the leader for IP video delivery in the broadcast community and is requested by some of the industry's largest integrators," said Tod Musgrave, Senior Director Cameras, Marshall Electronics. "With Zixi integrated, Marshall Cameras now have access to the leading performance, efficiency, security and reliability that the SDVP enables."
"We are thrilled for our mutual customers that Marshall has natively integrated Zixi into the IP Camera lineup," said John Wastcoat, SVP Alliances and Marketing, Zixi. "Marshall has an excellent reputation in the broadcast community with their feature rich cameras and we look forward to a fruitful partnership."
Zixi will be exhibiting an integrated Marshall CV630-IP at IBC 2022 in Hall 1, D. 81, for more details and to book a meeting please visit Zixi at IBC 2022. Marshall will also be onsite at IBC 2022 (Stand 11.C23).
Zixi provides a cloud based and on-premises Software-Defined Video Platform that enables reliable broadcast-quality video delivery over any IP network, any protocol, any cloud provider and any edge device. The company offers technologies for broadcasters, enterprises, over-the-top video providers, and mobile service providers around the world. The Zixi Platform makes it easy and economical for media companies to source, manage, localize, and distribute live events and 24/7 live linear channels in broadcast QoS, securely and at scale, using any form of IP network or Hybrid IP environments. Zixi provides enhanced control in large complex networks with ZEN Master, a live video orchestration and telemetry control plane that provides visual tools to configure, orchestrate, and monitor live broadcast channels and events across industry protocols. Over 15 years, the Zixi Enabled Network (ZEN) has grown to over 400+ OEM and service providers and serves well over 700 media customers representing most of the top media brands around the world with 20,000+ channels delivered daily. www.zixi.com
For more information, contact:
Denise Williams, Bubble Agency, (Zixi) +1 (0) 503 806 0755, denisew@bubbleagency.com
Thais Nirascou, Bubble Agency (Zixi) +44(0) 7718 985 232, thaisn@bubbleagency.com
Lauren De Bellis, D. Pagan Communications, (Marshall Electronics) +1 (631) 659-2309, laurend@dpagan.com
For over 40 years, Marshall Electronics has been a leading worldwide provider of professional audio and video technologies for broadcast TV, enterprise AV, unified communications (UCC), studio audio production, and industrial OEM. Marshall continues to incorporate the latest technology sensors and powerful low latency video processors in a variety of camera configurations while adding easy setup, operation, and control from leading soft codecs. Our market collaboration with companies like Zixi is an extension of our commitment to ensure our users have a satisfying compatibility experience while delivering a superior level of video performance
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SOURCE Zixi | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/marshall-camera-integrates-zixi-sdvp-ip-video/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:50Z |
Industry veteran to lead firm's Operational Technology services and advise clients on cybersecurity strategies
PITTSBURGH, Pa. , Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, announced today that Susan Howard, CISSP, has joined the firm as Vice President, National Industrial Control Systems Lead. In this role, Ms. Howard will lead Michael Baker's integrated Operational Technology (OT) and related cybersecurity services across all sectors, markets, disciplines, geographies and project life cycles as part of the company's infrastructure, environmental, community and Federal projects.
"As we Reimagine Michael Baker International and further expand our capabilities to serve our clients, we identified the need for this newly created position, which will play a central role in the strategy and growth of Michael Baker's Industry 4.0 cybersecurity ecosystem," said Niek Veraart, Senior Vice President and National Practice Lead – Planning at Michael Baker International. "The national profile of our Operational Technology services enables us to integrate and optimize our services across our organization and incorporate innovative technologies, while expanding our local, regional, national and international expertise. Leveraging her impressive leadership and experience, Susan will integrate these OT services across markets in a way that is cyber-secure, agile and cost-effective, while contributing to sustainability and resilience for our clients in government and industry."
Ms. Howard brings to her new role more than 30 years of industry experience across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare and health sciences, telemedicine and medical devices, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), light rail systems, autonomous vehicles, semiconductor factory automation, electric utilities, water and wastewater utilities, building automation systems and federal facilities. She has supported private sector clients such as Intel and Microsoft, municipal and state water and transportation agencies and Department of Defense (DoD) clients, including the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC).
Prior to joining Michael Baker, Ms. Howard held business management, technology development and partnership engagement roles at Jacobs, most recently serving as Director ICS Cybersecurity, Federal and Environmental Solutions. She also held private sector roles with PGE, LTK Engineering Services, the University of New Mexico and Intel Corporation, where she was Intel's first External Connectivity Security Services Technology Manager. Ms. Howard served six years in the U.S. Air Force in Cryptography and Telecommunication capacities.
Ms. Howard holds a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications Engineering and Cybersecurity from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification and Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems Quantitative Analysis from Portland State University.
Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services spanning four distinct Verticals: Infrastructure, Design-Build Services, Federal Programs and Services and Consulting and Technology Solutions (CTS). The firm's Practices encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design and civil engineering for diverse bridge, highway, water, rail and transit and aviation projects, as well as planning, architecture, environmental and construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner to clients, providing comprehensive services and solutions, delivering expertise and quality, and embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations – like intelligent transportation, engineered models and public safety software as a service (SaaS).
The firm's more than 3,500 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement while Reimagining Michael Baker to become a full-service engineering and consulting firm over the next five years.
To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/.
julia.covelli@mbakerintl.com
(866) 293-4609
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SOURCE Michael Baker International | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/michael-baker-international-names-susan-howard-cissp-vice-president-national-industrial-control-systems-lead/ | 2022-08-31T19:27:57Z |
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