Watermelon wilt
By Brad HaireUniversity of GeorgiaGeorgia farmers mostly grow seedless watermelons now because folks don’t like to spit seeds anymore. But this has allowed an old, deadly plant disease to make a comeback, says a University of Georgia specialist. “I think watermelon growers are unfortunately planting themselves into a corner,” says David Langston, a plant pathologist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.The problem is a fungal disease commonly called fusarium wilt that can live in the soil for years, he said. It’s now popping up more frequently in Georgia watermelon fields, attacking the vascular systems of infected melon vines, choking off water and nutrients and eventually killing the plants.Some growers have had to destroy entire fields due to the disease, he said. “Once a melon gets fusarium wilt it can’t be cured.”The first documented case of fusarium wilt in watermelons was in Georgia around the turn of the 20th century. Over the years, the industry developed varieties with resistance to the disease, he said. But all of these varieties have seeds. The disease could still cause isolated problems and was a threat, but it was controllable.But watermelon eaters now demand melons without seeds. Seedless watermelon varieties have been around for many years, but over the past five years they’ve become the most widely grown melon type in Georgia and in other watermelon-growing states like Florida and Texas.But along with the increase of seedless watermelon growing has come an increase in fusarium wilt, he said.”We’ve seen a considerable increase in calls and plant samples that have been diagnosed as fusarium wilt,” Langston said. “They come in every day, several times a day. It is always the same story, only seedless are affected.”Every watermelon-growing county in Georgia has had reports of the disease in seedless melons, he said. Most Georgia melons are grown in the south-central part of the state.”Growers should be very concerned if they want to grow seedless melons in the future,” he said. “We haven’t seen any widespread significant yield losses yet. But we will, as long as we continue to grow seedless melons with no resistance.”A few seedless watermelon varieties have resistance to the disease. But they aren’t popular to grow, he said.Growers could lower their risk for the disease by planting a field in watermelons only every eight years. But growers, due to limited land, usually plant watermelons back to back each year in the same fields. Or they skip only one year.This compounds the problem, Langston said, because fusarium wilt can live and build up in fields that are planted in watermelons each year.There is an alternative. In Japan and in some European countries where land is limited, watermelons are grafted onto squash, pumpkin and gourd vines which are resistant to fusarium wilt. But the process is labor-intensive and costly for farmers. It costs consumers, too. One watermelon in Japan can cost as much as $25.Georgia growers will soon start harvesting the first of this year’s crop. Most Georgia melons are grown to target that quintessential watermelon-eating holiday: the Fourth of July.Despite the looming threat of this disease, Georgia’s watermelon crop is expected to be a good one this year. A dry spring could hurt overall yields, Langston said, but it has kept other diseases like gummy stem blight and downy mildew to a minimum.Georgia is a close second to Florida in overall watermelon production, growing about 25,000 to 26,000 acres annually.
Georgia will likely experience a warmer-than-normal and drier-than-normal winter and early spring. Heating demand for this winter should be much less than last winter. Unfortunately, recharge of soil moisture, groundwater, streams and reservoirs will probably also be less than normal. Climatological winter begins Dec. 1. Climatological spring begins March 1.El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, ocean-atmosphere patterns have a major impact on Georgia’s winter and spring climate. ENSO has three modes of variation. Best known is the El Niño, which typically brings Georgia a cold and wet winter and early spring. Last winter’s and early spring’s climate was typical of an El Niño pattern with cold and wet conditions. The other two modes are La Niña and neutral.This year the climate pattern is La Niña. With a La Niña pattern, south Georgia has a high probability of experiencing a winter and early spring with above-normal temperatures and below-normal rain. Across north Georgia, the expected winter and early spring conditions depend on the strength of the La Niña pattern. A strong La Niña pattern increases the likelihood that north Georgia will have a warmer-than-normal and drier-than-normal winter and early spring. A weak La Niña pattern typically means that north Georgia will be wetter than normal during the winter and early spring.Currently, the La Niña pattern is very strong. There is a high probability that all of Georgia will experience a warmer-than-normal and drier-than-normal winter and early spring.Though Georgians can expect a warmer and drier cool season, it doesn’t mean there will not be periods of cold, wet weather. It is winter, and the state will have some cold, wet weather. The winter and early spring weather outlook is based on the most likely outcome. There is still a chance the winter could average colder than normal and/or wetter than normal. However, these are relatively low probabilities. Up-to-date information on dry conditions across Georgia can be found at www.georgiadrought.org. Updated weather conditions can be found at www.georgiaweather.net.
BURLINGTON, Vt.–The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has awarded Champlain College a $185,000 grant, which will be used to further develop the college’s Computer & Digital Forensics program and promote it as the national educational model to help fight electronic crime and cyber terrorism.Realizing that the United States is facing increasing incidents of electronic crime and terrorism and a lack of trained professionals to investigate these crimes, the NIJ has been charged with fostering educational programs in this field. According to Martin Novak, program manager at National Institute of Justice, there are very few college-level programs in computer forensics in existence, and the NIJ is looking to Champlain’s program to help create a workforce within the law enforcement and business communities to combat electronic crime.Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced the grant on the Champlain College campus on October 21. Once again Champlain College is ahead of the curve. When National Institute of Justice officials were scouting for a cyber crime education program to match the needs they identified within the law enforcement community, they found Champlain College, he said. What they discovered at Champlain College was a nearly completed and effective cyber forensic education program, well-grounded in the expertise of Vermonts law enforcement, cyber security and education communities.This program will bring real value to law enforcement practitioners across the country in countering the cyber criminals of today and tomorrow, Leahy said.Champlain College President Roger H. Perry said, We appreciate the support of Senator Leahy — our nations cyber senator — as we advance educational initiatives that not only make a difference in Vermont and the Northeast, but also have a national and global impact.Today, computers often play a key role in the commission of crimes, as in financial fraud and identity theft, while at other times they serve as record-keepers of conversations and incriminating data. White-collar crooks, international terrorists and common criminals using computers to plan and execute crimes, and Champlain’s program trains professionals to apprehend these criminals. Students learn to examine computers and pull relevant evidence from them, which can then be used in court.The professional computer forensics examiner needs to understand the law, the technology and the investigative process,” said Gary Kessler, director of Champlains program.Champlain’s program–which includes professional certificate, associate’s and bachelor’s degree options–was instituted a year ago. It was the first bachelor’s degree of its kind in New England. This fall Champlain has launched the program online and it’s the first online degree of its kind in the nation.”We are fortunate to have strong digital forensics expertise in the Vermont law enforcement community and that the College has a good relationship with that community, Kessler said. The advice and support from local experts has been critical in the success of the definition and rollout of this program.The $185,000 grant will fund further refinement and expansion of Champlain’s major, including preparing additional courses for online delivery. The grant also supports the promotion of Champlains program to law enforcement groups and other organizations that NIJ and ECPI identifies as significant to their education mission.The College hosted an early-September meeting of the Electronic Crime Partnership Initiative, a 40-person NIJ group charged with tasks that include developing and fostering standards, technology, education, training and certification to increase the nation’s capacity to combat electronic crime.I want to congratulate Champlain College for being proactive and ahead of the field in the development of a digital forensics curriculum, said John Morgan, assistant director of the National Institute of Justice, while on campus in September. This will be groundbreaking for the field.I think digital forensics is the most pressing need in law enforcement, Morgan said. We must have a much stronger, proactive capacity in federal, state and local law enforcement to deal with this.Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a private, career-oriented institution offering professional certificates, associates, bachelors and masters degrees in 26 fields of business, technology and human services. Champlain educates approximately 1,675 full-time students and 900 part-time students.
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享New York Times:The final text of the Republican tax bill made public Friday largely preserves key tax credits for wind and solar power and electric vehicles, reversing language in earlier versions that could have slowed the growth of renewable energy across the United States.The last-minute changes, made as lawmakers reconciled the House and Senate versions of the tax legislation, reflect the growing political clout of the wind and solar industries, which now provide more than 7 percent of the nation’s electricity and are two of the fastest-growing energy sources.“As wind and solar projects have soared in the U.S., in both red and blue states, so has the industry’s influence in Washington, D.C., on both sides of the aisle,” said Dan W. Reicher, director of the Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford.While some industry groups said they still had concerns about a technical change in the final bill that could negatively affect a key financing tool used for wind and solar projects, they expressed relief that most of the major incentives for renewable energy had survived the negotiations.For years, Congress has offered tax credits for wind and solar projects that can offset 30 percent or more of the total costs. When combined with the falling costs of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, these incentives can make new wind and solar even cheaper than running existing fossil-fuel plants in parts of the country.The initial version of the House tax bill, passed in November, would have scaled back tax credits for wind and solar power, as well as those for electric vehicles. The wind industry had warned that those proposed changes would have eliminated over half of the new wind farms planned in the United States.But those rollbacks were removed from the final legislation. Several Republican senators, including Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Dean Heller of Nevada, had opposed the House bill’s changes. Wind turbines now provide more than one-third of Iowa’s electricity, and Mr. Grassley, who has expressed doubt about global warming, has nonetheless emerged as a staunch defender of wind power. Tesla is building a major battery factory in Nevada, and Mr. Heller has argued that the electric-vehicle credits are needed to support a fledgling industry.With only a slim majority in the Senate, Republican leaders could not afford to alienate lawmakers in their own party who favored these clean energy provisions.More: Tax Bill Largely Preserves Incentives for Wind and Solar Power Republicans Who Favor Renewables Save Wind and Solar From U.S. Tax Rewrite Damage
Foundation awards children’s services grants Foundation awards children’s services grants Mark D. Killian Managing Editor The Florida Bar Foundation has provided more than $700,000 in children’s legal services grants to 15 legal assistance providers across the state.These grants are special project funding and seek to improve the protection of children, their access to needed services, and improvement of such services, according to Tallahassee’s William H. Davis, chair of the Foundation’s Legal Assistance to the Poor Grant Committee.“This is an area The Florida Bar Foundation is very interested in funding and in encouraging innovation and cooperation among legal assistance programs,” Davis said. “This year we were able to actually increase funding in this area thanks in part to the leadership of Florida Bar President Miles McGrane, who encouraged lawyers to check the box on their dues statement to make a donation to the Foundation as part of his Lawyers’ Challenge for Children campaign.”This year, Florida lawyers contributed $160,610 through the fees statement for the Foundation’s children’s services grants.“Miles, in his effort, was responsible for a tremendous increase in response to the dues check off option and that is going to make a real impact on the lives of children,” he said.The number of children living in poverty is increasing, Davis said, and the impact not only diminishes their young lives but it also damages their futures and the future of our society.“It is a serious problem for all of us when children do not receive the educational and health services to which they are entitled and which so many of them desperately need,” he said.In recognition of this, Davis said, the Foundation, with the support of The Florida Bar, has targeted the particular needs of children for special emphasis through the grants.Grants were awarded to: • Bay Area Legal Services/Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers’ Pro Bono Kinship Care Project, which provides service and referral for kinship caregivers, $1,000. • Central Florida Legal Services for its Special Education Advocacy Project, which provides representation for children with special education needs, $47,000. • Dade County Bar Association Legal Aid/Lawyers for Children America for its Teen Legal Collaborative, which provides legal representation to dependent children ages 12 to 21 through pro bono and staff attorneys, $50,000. • Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center for its Unaccompanied Minors Project, which provides representation and legal education for unaccompanied immigrant children detained by the Department of Homeland Security (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service), $15,000. • Florida Legal Services for its Children’s Education and Health Collaborative Advocacy and Policy Project, which provides impact advocacy including foster care litigation and education capacity building, including homeless children, $65,395. • Florida’s Children First!, for its Children First Collaboration — representation of dependent and immigrant children and support of children’s advocacy through training and developing attorneys, $205,000. • Florida State University College of Law Children’s Advocacy Center for its Special Education/Health Care Access Project — representation of children in civil and delinquency cases, $55,000. • Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Child Survivors Project to provide legal advocacy for unrepresented children impacted by domestic violence or high conflict custody proceedings, $15,000. • Legal Aid Service of Broward County’s Education Legal Rights Project —to ensure that the legal rights of children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are being implemented, $25,000. • Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association’s Guardian Ad Litem Project — attorney and non-attorney support services to pro bono Guardians Ad Litem for children in juvenile actions, $35,000. • Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County for its Educational Advocacy Project — to provide legal support and educational advocacy for at-risk school children, $25,000. • Legal Services of Greater Miami for its Special Education Advocacy Project — to enforce the educational legal rights of children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, $25,000. • Legal Services of North Florida/Northwest Florida Legal Services for their Education Equals Progress Project — education advocacy for disabled students and teen parents in Gadsden and Jefferson counties, $15,000. • Southern Legal Counsel for its Education Advocacy Project — to develop and implement strategies to systemically impact the provision of educational legal services to low- income students and to provide statewide support for other Foundation grantees in education advocacy, $100,000. • Three Rivers Legal Services for its Special Education Project — parent training, outreach, advocacy and community education for at-risk children, with focus on minority children placed in Exceptional Student Education classes, $25,000.
January 15, 2004 Managing Editor Regular News
continue reading » ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr As technology becomes more sophisticated and continues to influence the way organizations conduct business, the need for efficient and dependable watch list screening increases exponentially. For companies caught dealing with a blocked entity on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, the financial penalty now often reaches into the millions. In fact, OFAC alone imposed $4.37 billion in fines between 2006 and 2018.Watch List Screening Gets More ComplexThe purpose of OFAC’s SDN List has not changed: to prevent U.S. citizens and companies from engaging in business with potential terrorists, money launderers and any other persons or entities deemed enemies of the United States.However, since the turn of this century, several factors have vastly increased the complexity of watch list screening:
The move comes at a moment of crisis in the White House, with Trump being treated for a Covid-19 infection that sent him to the hospital for three nights. The 74-year-old leader has fired off a stream of erratic tweets this week and raised eyebrows with a stream-of-consciousness interview early Thursday on Fox Business in which he said he beat the coronavirus because “I am a perfect physical specimen and I’m extremely young.”Pelosi warned Trump is suffering from a “disassociation from reality (that) would be funny if it weren’t so deadly.”The Pelosi effort would renew debate about what steps might be taken in the event the president becomes disabled to such a degree he cannot fulfill his responsibilities. US Democrats on Thursday proposed a commission to investigate whether Donald Trump is mentally fit for office – and look at the constitutional options for his removal if necessary.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told reporters that on Friday she and other Democrats would introduce a measure relating to the US Constitution’s 25th Amendment, which allows for the vice president to take over should it be determined that the president “is unable” to fulfill his duties.Pelosi’s office said Friday’s bill would “help ensure effective and uninterrupted leadership in the highest office in the executive branch of government.” But she received scathing criticism from Trump and other Republicans.”Crazy Nancy is the one who should be under observation. They don’t call her Crazy for nothing!” Trump boomed on Twitter.House Republican Mark Green used particularly blunt language. “I wouldn’t put it past @SpeakerPelosi to stage a coup,” the first-term congressman tweeted. “She has already weaponized impeachment, what’s to keep her from weaponizing the 25th amendment?”Pelosi’s action is unlikely to bring about a transition of power in the White House, as Vice President Mike Pence, a Trump loyalist, would be required to sign off on such a declaration.Pelosi on Thursday directly questioned Trump’s health status and his claim to be rapidly recovering from Covid-19.”I think that the public needs to know the health condition of the president,” she said.”Mr. President: When was the last time you had a negative test before you tested positive?” she asked.”Why is the White House not telling the country that important fact?”Topics :
November 06, 2017 SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Governor Wolf Announces Expansion of Highwood USA, Creation of 58 New Jobs
Economy, Jobs That Pay Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that Highwood USA, a manufacturer of low-maintenance synthetic wood components, will be expanding its operations into Hazleton, Luzerne County, and will create 58 new Pennsylvania jobs.“This expansion represents more than just the creation of 58 family-sustaining jobs in Hazleton,” said Governor Wolf. “It also signals the growth and evolution of manufacturing in the commonwealth. Since day one, my administration has been focused on building our manufacturing sector, and Highwood’s expansion shows that Pennsylvania manufacturing is strong – and only growing stronger.”Highwood purchased an existing 146,000 square-foot building in Hazleton City. The company will move its fabrication and supply chain units to the new facility while maintaining its 93,000 square-foot headquarters in Rush Township, Schuylkill County. Highwood will invest at least $7.4 million into the project, which includes acquiring and renovating its new facility as well as upgrading its current facility. The project will create a total of 58 new jobs over the next three years and retain 132 more.“We are thrilled to add a second location so close to our current production facility,” said John Quarmley, CEO of Highwood. “With the support of Governor Wolf and the Department of Community and Economic Development, we can stay in Pennsylvania and retain all the fantastic and dedicated employees who build our outdoor furniture. With the state’s assistance, Highwood won’t miss a beat during the ramp-up of this new plant, and we will continue to draw on our neighborhood for more skilled people as we grow our business.”Highwood USA received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for a $116,000 Pennsylvania First grant and $116,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs.The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Greater Hazleton CAN DO, the Hazleton area’s local economic development organization.“Highwood’s expansion into a vacant industrial building within the City of Hazleton should bolster the city’s tax base through the creation of 58 jobs and an investment of more than $7 million,” CAN DO president Kevin O’Donnell said. “CAN DO is proud to have played a role in assisting Highwood in locating to Greater Hazleton, but specifically, being able to work with the city to help drive economic growth at this time is especially rewarding.”Founded in 2003, Highwood USA produces next-generation, ultra-low maintenance, made-in-USA synthetic materials for OEM projects and outdoor furniture. The company’s goal is to produce eco-friendly materials that mimic the look of nature’s finest materials and provide years and years of durability with minimal maintenance.For more information about the Governor’s Action Team or DCED, visit dced.pa.gov, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Gov. Wolf Issues Statement in Support of Allegheny County COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts Announced Today Press Release, Public Health Governor Tom Wolf today commended the Allegheny County Executive and Health Department for the additional mitigations the county is putting in place in response to significant COVID-19 case increases over the past few days, emphasizing that the situation in Allegheny County is a reminder for the entire state to follow mask-wearing and other mitigation requirements. The majority of new cases in Allegheny County are in people age 19-49 with an average age of 27.“I commend Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Health Department Director Dr. Debra Bogen for the decision to shut down bars and restaurants for on-premises alcohol sales in Allegheny County effective June 30. This was the right move to work to stop the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in its tracks and to remind all residents and businesses that the best defense we have in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping Pennsylvanians safe is to continue to follow the mask-wearing requirement, practice social distancing, and follow safety guidelines even and especially during the green phase of reopening. We cannot become complacent in practicing the measures we know can protect everyone from the spread of this very contagious virus.“It is my hope that swift action on the part of the county results in swift containment and the return to an increased commitment to protect all residents, especially those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and that this action sets an example for the rest of the state to continue to follow mitigation efforts put in place to protect lives and livelihoods.“Mitigation efforts statewide include the requirement to wear a mask when in businesses, following occupancy limits in all businesses and gatherings, practicing social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing surfaces – these simple practices can make a huge difference in protecting ourselves, our seniors, our neighbors and our communities. Even if you believe you will not get sick, you can, and you can spread the virus to someone who may not be able to recover as easily.”Ver esta página en español.
June 28, 2020
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter September 22, 2020 Wolf Administration Launches COVID Alert PA App, Encourage PA to Unite to Stop the Spread
Press Release, Public Health Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of the Department of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today launched the COVID-19 exposure notification mobile app, COVID Alert PA, to help fight the spread of the virus.Available now free to smartphone users as a download from the Apple App store or Google Play store, COVID Alert PA is available in English and Spanish.“The last seven months have shown that we are most successful when we unite against COVID-19 and work together for the common good, and I am proud to be here with Dr. Levine to announce an important new technology that will allow us to do just that,” Gov. Wolf said. “Today, we are launching the COVID Alert PA mobile app. This app is a simple tool you can use to help fight COVID-19 every day, everywhere you go. I encourage you to visit your app store and download it for free today.”“We all play a part in stopping the spread of COVID-19, which is why I am encouraging every Pennsylvanian to add their phone to the fight and download COVID Alert PA today,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “By utilizing this technology, we can quickly notify more people who have been exposed to COVID-19. This innovative solution will enhance our COVID-19 response and give residents another tool to stay calm, stay alert and stay safe all in the palm of their hands.”COVID Alert PA uses Exposure Notification System technology developed by Apple and Google. The app can detect if you have been in close contact with another user who later tested positive for COVID-19 and will send a notification to your phone called a “COVID-19 Exposure Alert”. If you tap on the notification, you will be given public health guidance on what to do next.In addition, the app will provide users with the latest information on COVID-19 in Pennsylvania from the department’s COVID-19 data dashboard.The app does not enable any location services or tracks anyone and is designed to be completely anonymous. The Exposure Notification System works by using Bluetooth Low Energy, which allows phones with the app to recognize when it is close to another phone. Proximity is the only thing measured between phones, not location.“We are very committed to and conscious of protecting the privacy and security of all Pennsylvanians,” Dr. Levine said. “COVID Alert PA will not track your location or collect any personal information from you—it is simply an exposure notification tool. The app uses Bluetooth technology to send a notification if someone has been in close contact with an individual who later tested positive for COVID-19. This is the same technology that your smartphone uses to connect to your wireless Bluetooth headphones, or your car. The app will never ask you to turn on your location.”Gov. Wolf and Dr. Levine were joined at the announcement in Franklin Square by Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley and Governor Wolf’s Advisory Commission for Latino Affairs Executive Director Luz Colon.“Philadelphia has made great progress against COVID-19, but the pandemic isn’t over yet,” said Dr. Farley. “We need every tool available to control it. COVID Alert PA can help fill in the gaps in our investigations, but it only works to the extent that people use it. So, download it and activate it and help protect you and your family.”“The biggest challenge since the pandemic has been keeping every resident of the commonwealth safe and informed,” said Colon. “That’s why we’re proud that this app is available in Spanish, so that we can extend our reach to the Latino communities through the robust translations service it provides. I strongly encourage the Latino Community to download this app and take an active role in helping protect you and your loved one during this pandemic.”Pennsylvania has used contact tracing as a tool to stop the spread of infectious diseases for decades. COVID Alert PA app helps support traditional contact tracing processes. When the health department contacts the COVID-19 positive individual to discuss their diagnosis, learn how they are feeling and understand who may have been exposed to them, the public health representative will provide with a unique six-digit validation code to the individual to enter into the app. Once this step is completed, the app will be able to alert other app users who have been in close contact with the COVID-19 positive individual. This Exposure Alert does not reveal the identity of the COVID-19 positive individual or their whereabouts.It is important to remember that the Department of Health also does not know the identity of app users who receive alerts—the department will only see the number of exposure notifications generated on any given date.You can find the COVID Alert PA app in the Google Play store or Apple App store for free. COVID Alert PA is available in English and Spanish. This app is voluntary, but the more Pennsylvanians age 18 and older who adopt the app, the more successful efforts can be.COVID Alert PA is a partnership between Pennsylvania and Delaware, along with NearForm, University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Internet Privacy Research Institute.