Staff Reporter

How to Know a Tick Carries Disease in KY

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

This is difficult to write, but only because the mere thought of ticks gives me the willies; I was cringing during the entire first part of that sentence, and it continues.

But I’m here to help, so I will get over it.

We’re heading into summertime and ticks will be serious business; good grief, a non-existent one scared my grandmother to death when I was a child. We were eating dinner, and they’d been talking about ticks (what a fun dinner topic) when I shouted, “I got one.” It was a piece of lint; I had no idea what a tick looked like. My grandmother was not pleased.

SKIP THE GUESSING GAME AND SAVE THOSE TICKS

But listen, you don’t need to worry about sending LINT in to have it tested. You can, however, send in your ticks. That’s right. If you discover a tick on your person or on another person’s person or on your pet, try not to panic so much that you immediately flush it. If you are so inclined, you DO have available resources for identifying that horrific little arachnid and learning if it carries disease.

I know plenty of people with Alpha Gal who would love this information. And, of course, you don’t mess around with Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Actually, it’s a never a bad idea to learn as much as possible about ticks.

FINDING OUT IF A TICK IS A DISEASE CARRIER

So yeah, if you discover a tick, carefully remove the heinous little beast with tweezers, place it in alcohol–maybe in an alcohol-soaked cotton ball (just a suggestion)–then seal it up in a something like a Ziploc bag, and mail it to the University of Kentucky’s entomology department. These are the instructions of department head Professor Reddy Palli.

Here also is some helpful information from Johns Hopkins University.

To find out the exact address you’ll need, contact your local University of Kentucky extension office. In Daviess County, it’s located inside the main campus of Owensboro Community and Technical College on New Hartford Road. The phone number is 270-685-8480.

In the meantime, it’s good to learn how to protect yourself from ticks and what their bites look like.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU SEND IN YOUR TICK

Professor Palli says the individual who mails the specimen will be contacted if a pathogen of any kind is detected. You’d then be given instructions regarding what to do next.

Summertime is great, but it ain’t all swimming pools, cardinals, and backyard cookouts. Ticks are serious business, and we should get just a serious when we find them.

Kentucky Creepy-Crawlies — the Beautiful, the Weird, and the Ugly

I’ve run across some peculiar insects in Kentucky. Some beautiful, some NOT beautiful. And now I know what they all are.

KEEP READING: See 25 natural ways to boost your immune system

Originally Appeared Here

Pamplin Media Group – Warm Springs creates water out of thin air

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

New solar system provides much-needed drinking water for people on the Reservation

Warner Williams Jr. cannot drink the water delivered to his house by the Warm Springs utilities.

“There have been reports of bad algae in the water system,” says Williams. “They tried filter systems, but the algae would clog the filters.”

Williams resorted to buying cases of water for his family.

For the last three weeks, though, Williams uses solar power to turn the moisture in the air into pure drinking water.

“It tastes really good!” says Williams. He especially likes that he doesn’t have to plug anything in. The sun powers the panel that generates the water and the pump that sends the water to a special faucet in his house.

His solar panels deliver about one to two gallons a day. “If it’s super cloudy, it might not produce as much,” says Williams.

The Warm Springs Reservation has had long-term, stubborn water issues. This latest solution comes as a collaboration between the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and SOURCE Global, a company that designs off-grid water systems throughout the world.

“Right now, this community has some pretty significant needs,” says Jim Souers, chief executive officer of the Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation.

The project provides panels for 36 households who get the water piped right into their homes. May 22, they turned on an array of 200 panels that generates 150 gallons a day.

“This is where the special magic’s happening,” says Souers, pointing to the mechanics inside a panel. “Because it’s hot on one side and it’s cooler on the other side, this panel slowly collects droplets of water.”

Essentially, the system uses solar power to distill the moisture in the air into pure water. Too pure, in fact, according to Souers. He says minerals make the water healthier.

“It takes the pure water molecule and there’s a mineralization packet the water flows through to make it what we think is normal drinking water,” says Souers. The mineral recipe for this water combines the profiles of water at Opal Springs and Rattle Snake Springs, a place many reservation residents get their drinking water.

People who don’t have panels at their homes come to the solar array on Mondays to pick up their drinking water in 2-gallon jugs.

Souers says they plan to build out the array, so it produces 750 gallons a day and ultimately provides 6,000 gallons of water storage for the community.

The system doesn’t work when temperatures drop below 37 degrees, so it’s not a constant water supply, but a dependable and important supplement for a community that needs drinking water.

Each of the 200 solar panels cost $2,000. A private donor paid the $400,000 for the original field. The project used some COVID relief funding. The CTWS will fund expanding the project.

Williams and everyone else get their water for free.

Williams also has a personal investment in the project. “I worked with SOURCE in the hydro-panel field.” He set up the frames, learned how to install the firmware, and he now maintains his own panels and for other customers.

His favorite part is seeing his community benefit. “Every Monday, I see a bunch of people there picking up water.”

You count on us to stay informed and we depend on you to fund our efforts. Quality local journalism takes time and money. Please support us to protect the future of community journalism.

Originally Appeared Here

Food Safety: How To Avoid Cross-Contamination

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Every year, approximately 600 million people worldwide contract foodborne illnesses. According to the CDC, 48 million people in the United States become ill each year as a result of eating contaminated food.

Cross-contamination is one of the many ways that food can become contaminated and cause food poisoning. While most foodborne illness outbreaks are traced back to retail food establishments, they can also occur at home.

Fortunately, you can avoid cross-contamination by following the proper food safety precautions. This article will walk you through everything you need to know about preventing cross-contamination.

What Is Cross-Contamination?

Cross-contamination is the unintentional transfer of pathogens from one surface or food to another. It usually happens when Potentially Hazardous Foods (or PHFs) come into contact with uncontaminated ready-to-eat food. PHFs are more likely to harbor and support the growth of harmful microorganisms. Examples of PHFs include raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leafy greens, and unpasteurized dairy products.

There are three major types of bacterial cross-contamination:

Food to food – when contaminated food comes into contact with uncontaminated food
Equipment-to-food – when the different equipment that comes into contact with food, for instance, utensils, harbor harmful bacteria, and other microorganisms
People-to-food – when the person handling food at different stages—production, transportation, prepping, cooking, storing, etc.—unknowingly transfers harmful pathogens to food.

Cross-contamination can occur during shopping and check-out if food is not handled with care. Here are some of the ways you can avoid cross-contamination when shopping:

Separate raw foods (especially raw meat, poultry, and seafood) from other foods in your shopping trolley or basket
Use separate shopping bags to pack raw foods and other foods at check-out
Designate some shopping bags for placing raw foods if you use reusable shopping bags
Pack food separately from other household items
Place raw foods in plastic bags if you must pack them together with other foods. This will prevent chances of the juices dripping to other foods in the bag
Replace old plastic bags often

When shopping, try to avoid damaged packages, including a dented can.

Wash Your Hands When Handling or Prepping Food

Washing your hands properly before, during, and after prepping any food is vital in preventing cross-contamination. If your hands come into contact with some germs, you can easily spread them to foods and around the kitchen.

According to a study done by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS):

Most participants did not wash their hands 97% of the time, they should have
48% cross-contaminated spice containers
5% spread bacteria to the salads they prepared

To prevent cross-contamination around the kitchen, always wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 2o minutes after:

Handling food, especially raw meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, and vegetables
Touching garbage
Coughing or sneezing onto your hands
Using your mobile phone and any other unsanitized item

After washing your hands, use a single-use paper towel to wipe your hands. Avoid wiping your hands with an apron or a used towel.

It’s easy to cross-contaminate when using the same utensils when prepping food. Here are some proper food safety practices you can follow when prepping food:

Invest in at least two chopping boards – one for raw meats and another for fresh produce
Don’t use the same chopping boards and utensils for both cooked and raw foods
Wash chopping boards, knives, and other utensils with warm soapy water after placing raw foods on them

Disinfect Kitchen Surfaces Regularly

If a kitchen surface is contaminated unknowingly and not cleaned properly, it’s possible to transfer harmful bacteria to food. These bacteria can survive for extended periods of time on surfaces such as countertops. Bacterial cross-contamination in the kitchen can occur when you place unwashed produce on countertops, prep food, or wash raw meat and its juices splash onto the sink area and other surfaces. A study by the national sanitization Foundation (NSF) found sinks to be the second germiest place in the household.

Below are tips for disinfecting kitchen surfaces to prevent cross-contamination:

Don’t wash raw meat
Use hot soapy water and clean cloths to wipe kitchen surfaces, especially after handling raw meat
Wash the prep sink and work area with hot soapy water after preparing any food item and before proceeding to another. You should also disinfect the sink area, including sink strainers, once or twice every week with a disinfecting cleaner
Sanitize the surfaces that are touched most in the kitchen, such as refrigerator handles or cabinet knobs, or pulls

Prepare and Serve Food Hygienically

How do you avoid cross-contamination when preparing and serving food? Here are some tips:

Replace excessively scratched or worn chopping boards
Avoid leaving cut fruits and vegetables at room temperature for long
Don’t serve cooked food on the same plate or cutting boards that you’d placed raw foods on
Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before peeling, cutting them, or cutting away damaged parts
Thoroughly cleanse utensils, including chopping boards, before reusing them, especially if they’ve previously held raw meat
Discard sauces and marinades that have come into contact with raw meat juices, as they may transfer germs to cooked foods
Don’t touch the food contact surfaces of dishes and utensils
Don’t touch and serve ready-to-eat foods with bare hands when serving others

Store and Preserve Food Safely

How can cross-contamination be prevented in storage? Where and how you store food is vital in preventing cross-contamination. Whether you’re storing food on a shelf or in a refrigerator, it’s important to follow food safety practices.

Here are some of the ways you can avoid cross-contamination when storing foods:

Keep raw and ready to eat foods separate
Place raw meat, poultry, and fish in covered containers or sealed plastic bags and store them on the bottom shelf of your fridge. It prevents raw juices from dripping onto other foods in the fridge
Refrigerate eggs as soon as possible
Place meat that you aren’t using in the next few days in a freezer
Don’t place raw meat and ready to eat food on the same fridge shelf or next to each other
Eat leftovers within three to four days. If you mix refrigerated leftovers with other foods, don’t store them as leftovers again. Leftovers kept in the fridge for an extended period of time can cause bacterial overgrowth
Wrap or cover food before storing it in a refrigerator
Refrigerate cut vegetables like tomatoes and leafy greens at 41°F (5°C) or lower
Move your shopping to the right storage place immediately
Store food and food equipment a few inches off the ground to avoid splash

Clean Dishrags or Kitchen Sponges Thoroughly

A study conducted by the National Sanitization Foundation (NSF) found that the sponges and dishrags used to wash utensils and kitchen counters to be the germiest in most homes. The kitchen sponges or dishcloths easily pick up bacteria during the cleaning process. If not properly sanitized, they can promote the growth and spread of the bacteria.

To prevent cross-contamination, clean the wet sponges frequently by placing them in a microwave when wet for two minutes. If you use dishcloths, towels, and rags, you can wash them in the hot cycle of your washing machine or boil them for 15 mins to remove any pathogens. Be sure to replace washable linens frequently, preferably after a day or two.

Store Utensils and Kitchen Equipment Properly

Utensils must be stored correctly to prevent cross-contamination. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to keep your utensils and non-food items like knives correctly:

Store utensils that carry food some inches off the floor (about six inches) to prevent splashes and spills
Store cups and glasses upside down on sanitized utensil holders or surfaces
Store items with handles up to prevent anyone from touching the food contact surface

Summary

Cross-contamination is a leading cause of food poisoning, but it can be prevented by following proper food safety advice. It’s always a good idea to separate raw food, particularly Potentially Hazardous Foods (or PHFs) such as unpasteurized milk and raw meats, from ready-to-eat foods.

While anyone can get sick due to cross-contamination, certain groups are at a higher risk and should always observe food safety practices. These groups include people with weakened immune systems, people above 65 years, pregnant women, and children.

Originally Appeared Here

Pollen seasons are becoming longer and more extreme | Opinion

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

This is a wonderful time of year for most people. Days are warmer. Evenings are longer. and the trees and flowers are growing again.

But for those who suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever and sometimes simply called allergies, this time of year can be challenging.

Pollen, Allergies, and Allergens

Pollen is a powdery substance created by certain plants as part of their reproductive process. It’s generated by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer, and flowers (weeds) in the fall. It’s also one of the most common triggers of seasonal allergies. In fact, when inhaled, airborne pollen causes sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and other cold-like symptoms in as many as one in six Americans, myself included.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pollen exposure can also trigger symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the lining of the eye (conjunctiva). CDC maintains that allergic conjunctivitis is found in as many as 7 out of 10 patients with hay fever. Symptoms include red, watery, and/or itchy eyes. CDC warns too, that exposure to pollen has been linked to asthma attacks and increases in hospital admissions for respiratory illness.

Medical costs linked to pollen exposure exceed $3-billion annually, with almost half of those costs linked to prescription medications.

Allergies are among the most common chronic health conditions in the world. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), more than 50 million Americans suffer with some type of allergy.

In people with pollen allergies, the immune system, which normally defends the body against attack by harmful intruders (e.g. infectious bacteria, viruses), mistakenly identifies harmless pollen as potentially lethal and overreacts, producing antibodies intended to defend the body from the innocuous pollen. This is called an allergic reaction, and the pollens that cause it are called allergens. Dust, pet hair, mold, and cigarette smoke are also allergens.

Longer Pollen Seasons; Higher pollen Counts

A study published last year in the journal, the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, determined that the pollen season now starts about 20 days earlier than it did in 1990 and that seasonal pollen loads are around 21% higher than 1990 levels. A more recent article, Projected climate-driven changes in pollen emission season length and magnitude over the continental United States (Zhang, Y. M., Steiner, A. M.), published in the journal, Nature Communications, projects that as the planet’s temperature rises and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations increase, the pollen season will continue to lengthen and pollen counts will continue to rise.

Using computer simulations, climate scientists were able to predict that, because of changing temperature, the pollen season in the United States will start up to 40 days earlier and end 19 days or more later, by the end of this century. The article also predicts that annual total pollen emissions will increase by 16% – 40% in the United States for 13 of the most prevalent airborne plant pollens, and that in some areas, pollen concentrations could increase by three times their current levels.

According to CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons can make susceptible individuals even more sensitive to allergens that can trigger flare-ups; potentially resulting in diminished productivity and attendance at school and work.

How long does allergic rhinitis last?

Allergic rhinitis isn’t a dangerous medical condition. Normally, there are no serious side effects. But if left untreated, symptoms will persist, potentially making you miserable for as long as you’re exposed to the irritating allergen, often several weeks, which can certainly have an impact on your quality of life, before it resolves on its own.

Cornell Health (health.cornell.edu) recommends the following self-care measures

• Use oral antihistamines containing cetirizine, loratadine, or fexofenadine for runny nose, itching, and sneezing. Brand names include Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra.

• Use non-prescription corticosteroid nasal sprays (e.g. Flonase, Nasacort), which are most effective when used daily.

• Use a product with a decongestant such as pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine for nasal congestion. (Check with a pharmacist before using decongestants if you take stimulant medications and/or have a history of significant anxiety.)

• Avoid known allergens.

• Stay indoors on dry, windy days.

• Remove clothes worn outside and shower to remove pollen from hair and skin.

• Use an air conditioner when possible.

• Use a dehumidifier to keep indoor air dry.

• Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

When to see a medical provider

• If you’re having any signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of the throat, loss of consciousness, dizziness (or lightheadedness), shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, skin rash, or a rapid or weak pulse

• If you would like to be evaluated for allergies or get a prescription for allergy shots

One last thought: The facemasks we’ve been using to protect against COVID-19 can also work as barriers against pollen. The better the mask; the better the protection. and wearing glasses or sunglasses (or eye-protecting safety glasses when daily pollen counts are extremely high) can help with keeping pollen away from your eyes.

— Richard L. Gast, Extension Program Educator II: Horticulture, Natural Resources, Energy; Agriculture Programs Assistant (retired); Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County. 355 West Main St., Suite 150, Malone, 12953. Call 483-7403, fax 483-6214 or email [email protected]

Originally Appeared Here

Council Bluffs, Iowa, Selected to Receive $500K as Biden Administration Announces $254 Million to Tackle Polluted Brownfield Sites

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

EPA announces selection of 265 communities to receive Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup, and Revolving Loan Fund Grants to help build a better America while advancing environmental justice

May 16, 2022

LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 16, 2022) – The Biden administration, through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced that Council Bluffs, Iowa, was selected to receive $500,000 of the $254.5 million in Brownfields grants for 265 selected communities.

Council Bluffs was selected for cleanup of the Former Reliance Battery Site. These grants are supported by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties.

Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses, such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms.

The Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40% of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86% of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today’s announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.

“With today’s announcement, we’re turning blight into might for communities across America,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “EPA’s Brownfields program breathes new life into communities by helping to turn contaminated and potentially dangerous sites into productive economic contributors. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are significantly ramping up our investments in communities, with the bulk of our funding going to places that have been overburdened and underserved for far too long.”

“EPA Region 7 is proud to announce the selection of the city of Council Bluffs for a Brownfields grant,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “The Brownfields program has a proven record of empowering communities through benefits ranging from local job creation to increased property values. This investment will uplift Council Bluffs and provide measurable and meaningful change to those who live in the community.”

“The city of Council Bluffs is honored to be a recipient of an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant,” said Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh. “This is a highly competitive, regional grant that we worked hard to obtain. This grant will have a positive impact on our community by transforming sites from hazardous to redevelopment assets that will enhance existing neighborhoods and improve the quality of life and attractiveness of Council Bluffs.”

“A former battery plant site in Council Bluffs contaminated with lead and other hazardous materials will now be cleaned up with grant money I helped secure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law late last year,” said U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (Iowa). “This kind of project to support redevelopment and clean up our environment at the same time is exactly why I was proud to vote for the infrastructure bill, and I am pleased to see this money continue to be used right here in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.”

EPA’s Brownfields grants and other technical assistance programs, like the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative, are also helping to build the clean energy economy. Today’s announcement includes a former coal mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania, that will become a 10-megawatt solar farm, and a former dump site in the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana that will be converted to a solar farm, saving local residents an estimated $2.8 million in energy costs over 25 years, among many others.

Today’s announcement includes approximately $180 million from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth and job creation, along with over $75 million from fiscal year 2022 appropriations.

The funding includes:

$112.8 million for 183 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
$18.2 million for 36 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.
$16.3 million for 17 selectees for Revolving Loan Fund Grants, which will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
$107 million for 39 high-performing Revolving Loan Fund Grant recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work.

The list of selected applicants is available online.

Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s investments in brownfield sites have leveraged over $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example:

To date, this funding has led to over 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction and redevelopment, and over 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.
Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities.
Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup – two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those Brownfields sites.

“EPA’s Brownfields program is the true embodiment of turning adversity into opportunity – it takes contaminated and potentially hazardous places and turns them into thriving generators of economic prosperity,” said Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chairman Tom Carper. “Today’s announcement is great news for the nation, as we unveil vital investments from our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help more communities benefit from this transformative program.”

“Today’s announcement is welcome news for the 149 million Americans who live within 3 miles of a brownfield site,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone. “These funds, predominantly from our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will allow families across the country to rest a little easier, knowing that some of the most contaminated sites in their area will soon be cleaned up, revitalized, and generating new jobs and economic opportunities. I’m grateful to Administrator Regan and the Biden administration for working so closely with Congress to prioritize the Brownfields program, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure every community – particularly those that have been historically overlooked and underserved – receives the resources they need.”

“Last year, President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, which provided once-in-a-lifetime investment that is fundamentally transforming our critical infrastructure,” said House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio. “This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also included significant funding to EPA’s Brownfields program for the cleanup of legacy toxic contamination that scars our communities with hazardous, blighted, or underutilized properties and threatens the health of our families and our environment. The grants being announced today continue the successful tradition of the Brownfields remediation program, while targeting resources to those communities, both urban and rural, that haven’t been able to participate in the program due to lack of local-technical capacity or lack of local matching resources.”

Additional Background

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held August 16-19, 2022, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open online.

Learn more about Brownfields grants. Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

Originally Appeared Here

Evidence of Foul Play in Death of Woman on Billings South Side

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Detectives from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a suspicious death that was discovered over the weekend on Billings’ south side.

According to the press release from Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder, an adult woman was found deceased in a residence located in the 3200 block of Stone Street just after 9 pm on Saturday (5/14).

After responding and processing the scene of the death, YCSO deputies determined there was “evidence of foul play at the scene.”

YCSO detectives are following leads about the death as the investigation is ongoing, with more information about the autopsy expected to be released today (Monday 5/16).

Yellowstone County Sheriff’s are asking for anyone who may have been near the 3200 block of Stone Street on Saturday (5/14) to call the Sheriff’s office at 406-256-2929 with information about the incident.

No further details are being released at this time, according to the YCSO press release.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

KEEP READING: 15 Natural Ways to Improve Your Sleep

KEEP READING: See 25 natural ways to boost your immune system

Originally Appeared Here

New Zealand’s highest rooftop bar opening in June at Voco Auckland City Centre

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

“We are hugely proud to be partnering with Wyld Bikes, who share our mission to create a positive impact in working toward a more sustainable future,” said Dean Jones, vice president of commercial, IHG Australasia, Pacific and Japan.

“As we grow our Pacific footprint with these new voco Hotel openings, there’s no better time to add new, eco-conscious initiatives that meet our guests’ needs.”

To promote the initiative, Voco brand ambassadors are riding around Auckland on Wyld Bikes on Tuesday. People who spot them, take a photo and post it on social media with the right hashtags go into a draw to win prizes including free nights at the hotel.

Also as part of its sustainability initiatives, Voco Auckland City Centre is using ventilation air heat recovery as part of its HVAC system to reuse excess heat before it leaves the hotel, a system designed to maximise energy use efficiency and improve indoor air quality.

Originally Appeared Here

EPA Seeks Input from Small Businesses on Potential Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles for Model Years 2027 and Later

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

May 16, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. This Panel will focus on the agency’s development of a rule that would propose to reduce air pollutant emissions, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and criteria air pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter) from light-duty (LD) vehicles and medium-duty (MD) vehicles. As with other EPA motor vehicle regulatory programs, these standards would affect companies that manufacture or sell passenger cars and light trucks (LD vehicles) and certain larger pickups, vans, and trucks (MD vehicles).

There is a need for deeper emission reductions from the LD and MD vehicle sectors to protect public health and welfare. EPA recently finalized more stringent GHG emission standards for LD vehicles through model year 2026. That action serves as an important launch point for this new rulemaking addressing model year 2027 and later. EPA is taking this action under its authority under the Clean Air Act, and it is also responsive to Executive Order 14037.

Three categories of small entities may be affected by the proposed new emission standards.

Small entities that seek EPA Certificates of Conformity in order to sell new light-duty and medium-duty vehicles in the U.S. This includes companies that produce and sell vehicles directly (Small-Entity LD/MD Vehicle Manufacturers) and those that import vehicles from outside the U.S. and adapt them to meet EPA emission standards (Small-Entity LD/MD Independent Commercial Importers).
Small entities that convert previously certified vehicles to operate partially or fully on alternative fuels (Small-Entity LD/MD Alternative Fuel Converters).

The Panel will include federal representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA. The Panel members will ask a selected group of SERs to provide advice and recommendations on behalf of their company to inform the Panel members about the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities.

EPA seeks self-nominations directly from the small businesses that may be subject to the rule requirements. Other representatives, such as trade associations that exclusively or at least primarily represent potentially regulated small businesses, may also serve as SERs.

Self-nominations may be submitted through the link below and must be received by May 31.

Nominate yourself as a SER: https://www.epa.gov/reg-flex/potential-sbar-panel-multi-pollutant-emissions-standards-model-years-2027-and-later-light

Originally Appeared Here

Airthings releases the Breathe Better Report: Airthings Sustainability Journey 2021

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

(Oslo, Norway – May 16, 2022) Airthings (AIRX), the global leader in air quality
monitoring and energy-saving solutions, today releases its “Breathe Better
Report: Airthings Sustainability Journey 2021”.

The report includes Communication on Progress (COP) for the period of March 2021
– March 2022 as part of the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and has been prepared in
accordance with the principles of the UNGC and in line with the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).

Airthings uses the SDGs as a framework for its ESG actions and has prioritized
six SDGs where the company can contribute directly and indirectly: 3 – Health
and wellbeing, 4 – quality education, 8 – decent work and economic growth, 11 –
sustainable cities and communities, 12 – responsible consumption and production,
and 13 – climate action.

The 2021 report lists fifteen sustainability highlights. Among these, the
company reports that they educated over 500 000 people about air quality last
year, launched a child-focused education program called Air for Kids, completed
product lifecycle assessments, and quantified scope one, two, and three
emissions for the company.

“As leaders in indoor air quality monitoring and focused on the health and
wellbeing of people, sustainability is close to our hearts and fundamental to
our core values. We remain fully committed to the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), and strongly believe that our solutions have the potential to
improve many of the environmental and societal challenges we face. At Airthings
we believe a sustainable business is a good business,” says CEO Øyvind Birkenes.

In February 2022, Airthings was awarded a Silver Sustainability Rating from
EcoVadis, being ranked in the top 25% of all companies evaluated and higher than
78% of its peers. The company has also been dedicated to enabling real estate
owners and facility managers to reduce their energy usage. In February,
Airthings reported that they had saved their customers more CO2e emissions in
2021 than the company themselves had emitted in operations.

Please also see www.airthings.com/sustainability.

For questions or interview/meeting requests, please contact:

Øyvind Birkenes – CEO
T: +47 922 43 551
E: [email protected]

Jeremy Gerst – CFO
T: +47 455 11 103
E: [email protected]

About Airthings:
Airthings is a global technology company and producer of award-winning radon and
indoor air quality monitors for homeowners, businesses, and professionals.
Founded in 2008, Airthings is on a mission to ensure that people around the
world recognize the impact of indoor air quality and take control of their
health through simple, affordable, and accurate technology solutions while
optimizing energy consumption in buildings. Airthings’ products have made radon
detection and indoor air quality monitoring easy to deploy, accurate, and user
friendly, and have received several accolades including the TIME’s Best
Inventions award and CES Innovation Award Honors. Headquartered in the heart of
Oslo, Norway, and with offices in the US and Sweden the company has over 140
employees from more than 30 nationalities-and counting. To see the full range of
Airthings indoor air quality monitors and radon detectors or to learn more about
the importance of continuous air quality monitoring, please visit airthings.com

Click here for more information

Originally Appeared Here

SAMUEL MCLELLAND: Burdens we face

May 16, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Gas prices are up and morale is down. Gas prices are rising as a direct result of a few things: Russia’s war on Ukraine, inflation, and the lack of energy diversification. This is raw capitalism playing out in the marketplace. Morale is down as most Arkansawyers figure that they have to just suck it up and figure out how to get by on $4 gas until global leaders figure out energy supplies and domestic leaders get inflation under control.

But that isn’t completely true. There is something we, ordinary Arkansawyers, can do to ease the burden of rising gas prices: Work from home.

Do you remember March and April of 2020? It was scary. Hospitals in New York were overwhelmed, we didn’t completely understand how covid-19 worked, and people were scrambling to make ends meet. Some of us were also disinfecting our groceries. Wild times.

But if you drove anywhere during that time, you may also remember how empty the roads were, how little you spent on gas, and maybe you remember how crude oil prices went negative on the stock exchange due to the lack of demand. I personally remember traveling from downtown to west Little Rock on Interstate 630 at 5:30 one afternoon and it taking me eight minutes, without speeding.

Why was that possible? Because so many people were working from their homes and weren’t on the roads for rush hour.

It’s time we got back to a little more work from home, at least for the short term. Working from home removes the daily need to commute to work by car. Removing that commute helps lessen the effect gas prices are having on people’s pocketbook.

Here’s why: Not commuting to work means less miles driven, less gas consumed, less money spent on gas in a given week, and less spending on gas eases the burden of sky-high gas prices.

But what about folks who can’t work from home? I hear you, but not all hope is lost. If more people worked from home, then fewer people would be on the road for mundane travel and lessen the amount of traffic. Less traffic means you don’t waste gas by sitting in stand-still traffic or going 20 mph due to congestion on the roads (similar to how I was able to get from downtown to west Little Rock in eight minutes). Although that benefit is kind of indirect, it would likely help.

But there’s a more direct benefit that helps non-remote workers and remote-able workers.

If more people worked from home, not just in Arkansas but all over the country, then that would lower the overall demand for gas. Lower demand for gas could help lower crude oil prices (like we saw in 2020 with negative prices). Lower crude oil prices would translate to lower prices at the pump, or at least keep them from going any higher, which helps everyone weather this storm.

Now, you can probably already feel the criticism coming from your boss: “But what about productivity? We’re more productive in the office. Sorry, Charlie.”

Sure, that is a real concern; can’t have people goofing off at home. But they can’t deny that for six or so months in 2020, you and your fellow employees kept that business afloat by working from home. That’s a fact, Jack. And when the winter storm happened in February, I am sure you didn’t get a “snow day,” but were instead asked to work remotely. Why can’t you work from home on a beautiful day when gas is $4 a gallon?

Productivity is important, but it’s not everything. Putting productivity above people can be disastrous for a business’ longevity. Why? Well, because happy employees tend to make better employees, and better employees tend to make a better business.

Some may argue that happiness can’t be bought. Certainly true. But how much happier would you be if you were able to pay for day care, or continue to save for a house, or make ends meet each month despite inflation, without having to stress yourself out over a $500-a-month gas bill? You aren’t asking for a company paid vacation, you’re asking for some help to keep up a basic standard of living.

We all get it: These are strange and tough times. We’re all just trying to do our best. But it’s time we stop kidding ourselves and begin to look at what we can do to help ease all the burdens we face, especially now. And a big burden right now for many folks is gas prices. Working from home is a way to combat its effect on our wallets, and we need to seriously consider it once again.

Samuel McLelland is a lifelong Arkansawyer, graduate of Emory Law School, and practicing attorney in Little Rock. The views in this article are his alone.

Originally Appeared Here