High-speed fiber-optic internet is finally making its way to a remote northeast Nevada community — brought by a company that delivered telegraph service to the area in 1889 and telephone seven years later.
CC Communications started the project July 28 to supply broadband to Spring Creek.
“We know all of the people we’ve talked to are excited,” Jay Lingenfelter, company operations supervisor, said.
Elko County Commission Chairman Jon Karr called internet service a necessity.
“We’ve all struggled with extremely slow and unreliable internet,” he said. “Now internet is kind of like natural gas, electricity. It’s more of a utility now.”
CC Communications was Churchill County Telephone when it entered the cellular market in 1990.
Five years later, it adapted for internet and changed its name.
It is teaming for the Spring Creek project with NNE Construction of Elko to install large, orange conduit carrying fiber-optic service to four Spring Creek Association subdivisions and Pleasant Valley Estates southeast of Elko.
The company will partner with Elko County to apply for a fixed broadband service grant that would pay CC Communications about $7 million, or 40% of the $18 million project cost.
The rest of the funding will be shouldered by the broadband provider.
Nearly two dozen clean energy companies and researchers around Massachusetts are sharing more than $2.6 million in grants to support clean energy innovation and technology development, according to the governor’s office.The funding is provided through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Catalyst Program.“Massachusetts continues to drive decarbonization in both the commonwealth and nationally through its robust clean energy innovation sector,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.“These projects will assist in solving technical barriers, while creating jobs and strengthening local economies throughout the Commonwealth.”Among the projects to benefit from the latest round of grants are a company developing an automated solar panel cleaning product that will increase the output of solar panels; a researcher developing an electric vehicle battery that offers a high-energy density, fast charging rate and long lifecycle; and a scientist developing a wave energy stabilizer for floating offshore wind turbine substructures.Since launching in 2010, the catalyst program has awarded $7.2 million to 138 new companies and research teams.
Sugar growers in Florida are suing the U.S, Army Corps of Engineers over proposed reservoir water levels they say will be far too low.
The federal lawsuits filed this week by Florida Crystals’ Okeelanta Corp., U.S. Sugar and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative say the current Corps plan won’t supply enough water for their fields.
“Farmers need a secure supply of water, and all farmers need certainty as we plan and manage our planting schedules and crop rotation,” said Jaime Vega, vice president of agriculture at Florida Crystals.
Jacksonville Commander Col. Andrew Kelly defended the Corps’ work, saying the agency will balance water supply for both the environment and farmers.
“We go through a very, very deliberate process, not only with our (environmental) analysis, but with all of the analysis it takes to figure out the best infrastructure to be put in the ground in the right place,” he said. “So we’re pretty confident that the infrastructure plan that we have going forward is a good one.”
The project in question is the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir intended to cleanse tainted water so more can flow south as crucially needed toward Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.
In the lawsuits, Sugar Growers say the still-under-construction reservoir should be kept at higher water levels than what is currently envisioned in a Corps of Engineers plan.
Everglades restoration advocates say the growers are simply putting their priorities ahead of others.
“They have always been at the front of the line and now they are not happy with how the lake and the reservoir will be operated in a more equitable way,” said Eric Eikenberg, chief executive officer at the Everglades Foundation.
The lawsuits are pending in West Palm Beach federal court.
They ask a judge to order the Corps to return to a reservoir plan guaranteeing a greater water supply.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) says it has commenced investigation to ascertain the cause of the pipeline leaks in the Ikotun area of Lagos metropolis.
The agency’s Director General, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, made this known to journalists during an on-the-spot assessment of the leakage which occurred at Omoboriowo Street, Ikotun.
He said that the Ministry of The Environment, the Physical Planning Department and the Alimosho Local Government Council would all be involved in the investigation and analysis.
“We will look at it holistically and come out with a permanent solution. I assure you we are going to work on this judiciously.
“We are here to do vulnerability analysis and comprehensive risk assessment. Our mission is to safeguard lives and property,” he said.
He assured the people of Lagos State to always “remain cool and calm“.
“Whenever there are emergencies or life threatening issues, you can call us on 112 or 767 and I assure you we will be right there promptly and effectively.
“We are going to do a lot of work. We are going to look at the buildings in the area.
“When this incident occurred, there was a voluminous injection of petroleum product that spread everywhere.
“We had to neutralise it with our chemicals so investigation has commenced,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that emergency responders on Friday averted a fire outbreak in the aftermath of the pipeline leaks.
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and an environmental rights group have disagreed on remediation of oil spill sites at Ikarama community in Bayelsa State.
While the rights group, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has alleged improper clean-up and remediation of spill sites by SPDC and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), SPDC has, however, denied the allegation.
NAOC, on its part, declined to comment on the claim by the environmental advocacy organisation when contacted.
Both SPDC and NAOC operate oil fields at Ikarama, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
ERA/FoEN made its allegations in a field report, entitled, “Shell’s Improper Clean-up and Remediation of Spill Sites Exposed”, where it indicated that “crude oil was found at depths of one meter and above in the ground” at impacted sites the SPDC and NAOC claimed to have remediated”.
According to the report, signed by Alagoa Morris, Head of Field Operations at ERA/FoEN office in Yenagoa, and his Assistant, Akpotu Ziworitin, the organisation visited Ikarama on Aug. 20.
The environmental rights group explained that the visit followed information, including photos, it received from the community claiming that crude oil was found in the ground in an area previously impacted by oil spills.
“On getting to the environment of interest, ERA/FoEN field monitors demanded that an entirely fresh spot be cleared and dug.
“It was eventually confirmed that crude oil was found in the dug area in the depth of more than one meter,” the report said.
It added that the organisation’s field monitors had visited the particular site several times since 2007.
The environmental rights group observed that “most of the oil spills have occurred within the immediate community environment close to residential buildings and farmlands.
“Over the years, ERA/FoEN has documented testimonies from community folks indicating improper clean-up of spill sites by SPDC.
“Oil spill sites go up in flames most often and areas where clean-up was attempted are often delayed before it is acted upon.
“This allows for percolation or leaching of crude oil into the ground.
The fact that majority of the oil spills are recorded as third-party interference is also well known, even though community folks dispute some of the claims.
“However, community leaders/folks have alleged that some of the third-party oil spills in the community environment are instigated or sponsored by some staff or contractors of SPDC.
“Not only have these allegations been documented in field reports over 10 years ago, but a recent research also pointed to the fact.
“This latest revelation has confirmed ERA/FoEN’s position over the years in monitoring and reporting the Ikarama environment that Shell has not been doing proper clean-up and remediation of oil spilled impacted sites.
“This is the situation in all other communities in Bayelsa. Apart from the allegation of setting oil spill sites ablaze, Shell and Agip have not carried out proper clean-up and remediation of oil spill impacted environment,” ERA/FoEN stated.
ERA/FoEN has called on relevant government authorities to ensure that the SPDC and Agip committed themselves to operating in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The non-governmental organisation therefore urged the oil companies to get back to all spilled sites in Bayelsa and carry out proper clean-up and remediation in the interest of the people.
Reacting, SPDC’s Media Relations Manager, Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, who denied the allegations, maintained that the oil firm cleaned up spill sites in accordance with standards set by the industry regulators.
He said: “The SPDC uses primarily remediation by Enhanced Natural Attenuation (bioremediation) to clean up, a process believed to be the best for the soil and climate conditions of the hot and humid Niger Delta.
“Our clean-up and remediation are done under the regulatory oversight of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and in line with a DPR-approved Remedial Action Plan (RAP).
“All our remediation practices are aimed to be compliant with the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria (EGASPIN).”
The National Park Service (NPS) says it is working with other security agencies and local vigilante groups to ensure that the plants and animals in protected areas are secured.
The Conservator-General, National Parks Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Goni
Dr Ibrahim Goni, Conservator General of the NPS, announced this in Abuja during a press briefing on the outcome of its recent joint patrol at the Kainji Lake National Park.
According to him, plants and animals constitute the ecology which need to be protected for healthy ecosystem.
He said that in the effort to protect the ecology, the service rangers in collaboration with security agencies and local vigilante groups carried out a successful routine joint patrol at the parks between Aug. 12 and Aug.13.
He added that the trespassers would be prosecuted in according to the laws of the land.
Goni noted that the collaborative efforts paid off and would effectively degrade the activities of bandits and other criminal elements within the Parks and the surrounding communities.
“The management of the Park is fully aware of the security situation of the areas within our legal jurisdiction; we are joining forces with relevant stakeholders to curb the daunting challenges.
“These collaborations, which are a continuing exercise, would help to speedily restore peace and stability at our Parks, the host communities and Nigeria as a whole.
“It is worthy to note that this operation was successful because of the vital information shared to the Service which is a crucial role every person in Nigeria should play.
“ We will always evaluate, re-strategise and reinvigorate our ongoing operations to stem the tide of growing security threats around the Parks and adjoining communities.
“I appreciate the Army, Police, DSS, Civil Defence, the vigilante and indeed the people of Borgu Emirate for their support and cooperation.
“I thank them all for their sacrifices and dedication toward curtailing banditry and other security challenges bedeviling our Parks,’’ the Conservator-General said.
Goni called for continuous support from Nigerians in the fight against illegal activities at the Parks, stressing the Service would strive hard to keep the sanity and integrity of the parks.
189 Third Crusade: the Crusaders begin the Siege of Acre under Guy of Lusignan
1609 English explorer Henry Hudson, discovers and explores Delaware Bay
1830 1st American built locomotive, “Tom Thumb” races a horse-drawn car from Stockton and Stokes stagecoach company from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills. Let history record that due to mechanical problems the horse won!
1845 Scientific American magazine publishes its first issue
1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I have a dream” speech addressing the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom civil rights march at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
Aug 28 in Film & TV 1956 17th Venice Film Festival opens. No Golden Lion awarded
Aug 28 in Music 1965 Bob Dylan booed for playing electric guitar at a concert in New York’s Forest Hills
Aug 28 in Sport 1972 Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut becomes media darling at the Munich Olympics; wins gold in the teams all-round ; follows with 2 gold and a silver
Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?
Pharmacists John Lea & William Perrins manufacture Worcestershire Sauce
Qatar has rejected an Amnesty International report in which the rights group calls on the 2022 World Cup host to do more to investigate worker deaths, alleging that a string of labourer fatalities had gone unexplained.
In the report, published on Thursday, Amnesty accuses the Qatari authorities of failing to investigate the deaths of migrant workers, “despite evidence of links between premature deaths and unsafe working conditions”.
The report, In the Prime of their Lives (PDF), states that “Qatar routinely issues death certificates for migrant workers without conducting adequate investigations, instead attributing deaths to ‘natural causes’ or vaguely defined cardiac failures”.
These certifications rule out the possibility of compensation for bereaved families, according to Amnesty.
The rights group highlighted the risks posed to workers by Qatar’s extreme climate, especially when combined with excessive and physically strenuous working hours.
In its report, Amnesty reviewed 18 migrant workers’ death certificates issued by Qatar between 2017 and 2021. Fifteen provided no information about underlying causes, instead using terms such as “acute heart failure natural causes”, “heart failure unspecified” and “acute respiratory failure due to natural causes”, the rights group stated.
According to Amnesty’s analysis of Qatar’s deaths data, migrant worker deaths are going unexplained on a large scale.
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has sacked all his ministers, his office said, days after he criticised some of their performances as below par and weeks after officials said they had thwarted a plot to kill the former coup leader.
Rajoelina’s office gave no reason for the dismissals in a statement issued late on Wednesday but on Sunday, Rajoelina said the performance of some ministers was unsatisfactory.
In comments broadcast on national television, he said: “Like in a football team, you have to change when there are failures in government. There will be a change and this concerns those who do not carry out the work entrusted to them.”
Last week, a senior prosecutor said Madagascar had arrested 21 more suspects, including 12 military personnel, in connection with a plot to kill Rajoelina and topple the government.
Six people, one of them a French citizen, were arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in the plot, after what officials said was a months-long investigation in the Indian Ocean island.
Madagascar, an impoverished former French colony of 26 million, has a history of political violence and instability. Rajoelina, 44, was sworn in as president in 2019 after a hotly contested election and a constitutional court challenge from his rival.
Too little is known about melted fuel inside damaged reactors at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, to be able to tell if its decommissioning can be finished by 2051 as planned.
This is according to Christophe Xerri, head of an International Atomic Energy Agency team reviewing progress in the plant’s cleanup, who urged Japan to speed up studies of the reactors to achieve a better long-term understanding of the decommissioning process.
A massive earthquake and a tsunami in March 2011 destroyed cooling systems at the Fukushima plant in northeastern Japan, triggering meltdowns in three reactors in the worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
Japanese government and utility officials say they hope to finish its decommissioning within 30 years, though some experts say that’s overly optimistic, even if a full decommissioning is possible at all.
The biggest challenge is removing and managing highly radioactive fuel debris from the three damaged reactors, said Xerri, the director of IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology.
Addressing reporters he said more information needs to be gathered on the fuel debris and more experience on the retrieval of the fuel debris to know if the plan can be completed as expected in the next 30 years.
The IAEA team’s review, the fifth since the disaster, was mostly conducted online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only Xerri and another team member visited the plant this week before compiling and submitting a report to Japan’s government on Friday.
In the report, the team noted progress in a number of areas since its last review in 2018, including the removal of spent fuel from a storage pool at one of the damaged reactors, as well as a decision to start discharging massive amounts of treated but still radioactive water stored at the plant into the ocean in 2023.
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“These projects will assist in solving technical barriers, while creating jobs and strengthening local economies throughout the Commonwealth.”Among the projects to benefit from the latest round of grants are a company developing an automated solar panel cleaning product that will increase the output of solar panels; a researcher developing an electric vehicle battery that offers a high-energy density, fast charging rate and long lifecycle; and a scientist developing a wave energy stabilizer for floating offshore wind turbine substructures.Since launching in 2010, the catalyst program has awarded $7.2 million to 138 new companies and research teams.
