Twenty years ago, when Rebecca Thomas joined the UConn School of Social Work, she didn’t consider herself someone who specialized in global human rights – let alone someone who’d become an expert in the subject matter.
“I was just Rebecca, born and raised in another country, sensitive to issues of global concerns,” she says.
Then Thomas met colleague Lynne Healey, now a professor emeritus from UConn, who became a mentor, friend, and colleague. Together, they coupled on many projects, including the literal writing of their widely recognized textbook, “International Social Work.”
Thomas says her professional development as an international social worker helped shape her sense of self. And soon, “just Rebecca,” became chair of the Council on Social Work Education’s Global Commission, a current board member on the Katherine Kendall Institute of Council of Social Work Education, a Fulbright Scholar, and a representative of the International Association of the Schools of Social Work on the NGO Committee on Migration at the United Nations.
Now, she’s a 2024 PIE Award winner from the Council on Social Work Education, a prestigious honor given annually to a trio of winners – individual, organization, and student – for their innovative work and dedication to international social work.
The Partners in International Education awards precede the Hokenstad International Lecture at the 2024 CSWE Annual Program Meeting in late October.
“I vacillate between feeling like I have a strong knowledge base and being humbled by the vast body of knowledge of colleagues,” says Thomas, a UConn professor and director of the Center for International Social Work Studies, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. “I recently was with the Southeast Europe Academic Women’s Leadership Network, for instance, and these women were from all over the Balkans and talking about their global perspective on social work. The adage applies, ‘The more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know.’”
Thomas has just returned from her Fulbright in Bulgaria where she and graduate assistant Fizza Saghir completed 30 interviews with displaced persons, many from Ukraine, and 20 interviews with service providers as part of a study that’s similar to one she did in Armenia.
She says she connected with Yerevan State University in Armenia years ago when UConn helped the school develop its Master of Social Work policy program. Now, Thomas directs a joint academic exchange between UConn and Yerevan.
Despite the leadership opportunities and accolades she’s earned, working with students is perhaps one of the things she’s most proud of, she says.
“I’m passionate about teaching. I get excited about the exchange of ideas,” Thomas says. “Helping students to see the interconnectedness of global issues and the local issues they are trying to address here in Connecticut is so important. Yesterday, I was talking to a doctoral student about a paper we’re writing together, and our discussion was so interesting because we each had different perspectives. Engaging in a dialogue, having off-the-cuff conversations has been meaningful to me.”
She adds that students need to understand they don’t have to spend time overseas to do international global work. Change can happen right here, like when a former student, who was a refugee from Albania via Greece, was in kindergarten and the school saw her struggling because of the language barrier. Her elementary teacher got someone to translate, and her learning exploded.
“As Americans, we see migrants in every sphere of our lives. They are in our classrooms. They are in our health systems. Our NESW code of ethics requires that we understand the perspectives of those who are living together here in community,” Thomas says. “We need to be sensitive to issues of immigration, like for my former student. These are not isolated situations.”
A decade ago, Sercan Canbolat ’17 MA ’23 Ph.D. was a graduate student in his home country of Turkey. His focus was studying the political psychology of leaders.
What makes them think?
How do they make decisions?
What influences them in their decision making?
His particular focus was on political leaders in the Middle East, where he had grown up and completed his undergraduate degrees.
But as a master’s student at Bilkent University in Turkey’s capital city of Ankara, he knew first-hand some of the challenges he would face as he tried to present his research to a broader, international audience.
“I’m from Turkey,” Canbolat says, “and I know in the broader Middle East and North Africa regions, we don’t have a lot of opportunities to get our work published, to present our work to top scholars in the field, and to get good feedback – to learn and acquire the best research skills and presentation skills.”
Sercan Canbolat ’17 MA ’23 Ph.D. at the ISA International Conference 2017 in Hong Kong. (Contributed photo)
It was during his master’s studies that his advisor, Özgür Özdamar, first introduced him to the International Studies Association, or ISA – one of the oldest interdisciplinary organizations dedicated to understanding international, transnational, and global affairs.
“I was writing my MA thesis with him,” Canbolat explains, “and he offered for me to write a paper that we could present at ISA. But I couldn’t get a visa. So, my advisor went to the conference instead, and he presented our paper.”
The following year, though – in 2014 – Canbolat was able to travel to the ISA conference in Toronto, where he put himself in front of a global audience for the first time to present his research.
“I got some feedback from the chair and from the audience, and it was great,” he says. “It helped me to build self-confidence, and actually, through ISA, I met many scholars based in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe. Those connections helped me to apply for and receive a Fulbright scholarship to come to the U.S. for my Ph.D.”
That Fulbright Ph.D. grant led Canbolat to UConn in 2014, where he started his doctoral studies in political science.
And in 2015, the organization that helped Canbolat make those connections and first share his research on a global stage – the International Studies Association – also came to UConn.
Best-Kept Secret
Founded in 1959, the ISA has long served as a central hub for the exchange of ideas, for networking, and for programmatic initiatives among those involved in the study, teaching, and practice of international studies.
Through its international and regional conferences and its academic journals, the organization works to promote rigorous discussion, research, and writing on a broad range of topics, including foreign policy, environmental studies, global health, diplomacy, human rights, peace studies, law, and religion.
ISA has been headquartered at UConn since 2015. Under agreements with UConn’s Office of Global Affairs, it will remain in residence at UConn until at least 2030.
Sarah Dorr, Ph.D., ISA director of professional development (Contributed photo)
From 2015 to 2024, ISA was under the leadership of Mark Boyer, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UConn. As of July 1, 2024, Mike Bosia, professor of political science and international relations and director of gender and sexuality studies at Saint Michael’s College, took over the role of ISA’s executive director.
“ISA is a hidden gem – one of the best kept secrets at UConn,” says Sarah Dorr, the ISA’s director of professional development. “We have over 7,000 members in 120 countries.”
UConn and ISA are a good fit for each other, says Daniel Weiner, a professor of geography and UConn’s vice president for global affairs, because both the organization and the University share similar missions to foster a sense of global-mindedness and facilitate life-transformative educational and research experiences.
“ISA is really a success story about the positive impact of international collaboration,” Weiner says. “One of our major goals in Global Affairs is to support interdisciplinary research and engagement on issues of worldwide importance and impact, so partnership with ISA here at UConn is really a natural pairing.”
Evolving and Growing
In a complex and ever-changing world, adapting to the needs of the time is important for any organization – ISA included.
“Our organization is constantly evolving and growing,” says Dorr, “and we offer different levels of interaction to help people make connections and foster dialogue – something that we feel is particularly critical at this point in time in our increasingly polarized world.”
The ISA publishes seven academic journals, co-sponsors an eighth, and partners with Oxford University Press to publish the International Studies Encyclopedia, the most comprehensive reference work of its kind for the fields of international studies and international relations.
The organization has steadily grown its online and social media presence and, in response to the pandemic in 2020, launched a roster of unique virtual programs to broaden its reach to scholars who might not otherwise have the ability to take part in global opportunities.
Not all students and academics have access to the same resources at their institution. ISA’s virtual initiative provides these programs to level the playing field and create community whilst doing so. — Sarah Dorr, ISA’s director of professional development
“Not all students and academics have access to the same resources at their institution,” says Dorr, who curates virtual programming as part of her role at ISA. “ISA’s virtual initiative provides these programs to level the playing field and create community whilst doing so. Virtual programming allows people to interact with the association throughout the year, and it widens participation and increases accessibility to ISA’s pedagogical and research communities.”
ISA’s virtual programming is available to all members of the UConn community, regardless of membership. To date in 2024, ISA has produced more than 30 programs, with additional virtual events scheduled for the remainder of the calendar year on topics including banal nationalism, Fulbright scholar opportunities, and the impending results of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
But what ISA has historically been known for are its national and regional conferences – gatherings where scholars from all walks of life and levels of experience come together to share their research, build new networks, and contribute to scholarship on a global level.
An Academic Home
Canbolat’s first ISA conference was in Toronto, but in the years since, ISA has taken him to San Francisco, Nashville, Atlanta, and even Hong Kong.
“It was a great experience; my first time in that part of the world,” he recalls about the 2017 Hong Kong conference. “It was amazing. I really enjoyed it.”
ISA supported Canbolat’s travel to its conferences through a grant program that assists junior scholars, senior graduate students, and scholars from low-income countries in attending conferences that would otherwise be out of reach.
“Grad students don’t have a great budget to go to conferences, and it’s expensive,” Canbolat says. “Travel, accommodations – ISA is really great at providing financial help, especially to students and junior scholars. I benefitted a lot from my ISA travel grants. It really helped make it happen, to go and attend the conferences.”
While on those trips, Canbolat says he had opportunities to meet eminent scholars in his field, network and build relationships with them, attend panel discussions, and meet and workshop with both journal editors and book publishers.
UConn President Radenka Maric delivers remarks at the ISA International Conference 2024 at the University of Rijeka in Croatia. (Photo Courtesy of UNIRI)
“Even if you don’t present, it’s still a great experience to go to panels, listen to state-of-the-art research being presented by both prominent scholars and rising scholars,” he says. “I’ve really enjoyed meeting top scholars, prominent scholars, in a personal setting – not in a panel or in a workshop, but at a reception, and to really make personal connections. Tell them about my family. Tell them about my background. Tell them about my plans. And they were very helpful, listening and giving great feedback.
“I think that stands out, meeting those big names. We always read their books, their articles, but it’s something else to meet them, especially in a personal setting, a relaxed environment. Having a coffee with them. That stands out,” he says.
ISA holds a series of regional conferences throughout each year as well as an annual convention, which will be held in Chicago in 2025.
“One of the major benefits of attending ISA regional conferences is they become a source of intellectual community,” says Dorr. “But ISA’s annual convention is where people go to find their ‘academic home.’”
In June 2024, the ISA built on its long-standing collaboration with the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association, or CEEISA, to host a joint international conference at the University of Rijeka in Croatia.
Focused on “Knowing the Global-Local: Imagining Pasts, Debating Futures,” the conference hosted 800 participants – including Weiner and UConn President Radenka Maric – from 65 countries to discuss global and local political science and international relations.
The conference marked the largest gathering of experts in international relations in Croatia to date.
Full Circle
Canbolat wasn’t able to travel to Croatia in June, but earlier this year, he attended an ISA conference in San Francisco – to accept the ISA Foreign Policy Analysis Section Best Book Award for 2024.
In 2023, Canbolat and his co-author, Özdamar, published their book, Leaders in the Middle East and North Africa: How Ideology Shapes Foreign Policy, through Cambridge University Press in 2023.
The book is based on the initial research that Canbolat presented at his very first ISA conference in Toronto in 2014.
Co-authors Sercan Canbolat ’17 MA ’23 Ph.D. (center) and Özgür Özdamar, professor of international relations at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, (right) — with Danielle Lupton, associate professor of political science at Colgate University (left) — accept the 2024 ISA Best Book in Foreign Policy Analysis Award at the ISA 2024 Annual Convention in San Francisco. (Contributed photo)
“We published it as a journal article first,” he says. “After I presented at ISA, I got feedback. We published it in a good journal. It was well-received, and we got great feedback. And then, we discussed and decided to turn it into a book, into a larger project, and we worked on it for like five, six years. It was a blast, because it kept giving.”
Also in 2023, Canbolat completed his Ph.D. at UConn. He’s now serving as the inaugural director of Abrahamic Programs at UConn Global Affairs, and he’s teaching as a postdoctoral lecturer in the Department of Political Science.
He says he tells all his students about ISA – how it’s headquartered at UConn and how they can access the programs and opportunities ISA has to offer.
And he tells other faculty at UConn as well.
“I was surprised that some faculty don’t know that ISA is here at UConn,” Canbolat says. “I strongly suggest for anyone to try and at least give ISA a shot. Attend one year, and actually, they will be hooked.”
To learn more about or connect with the International Studies Association, headquartered at UConn Storrs, visitisanet.org. To stay up-to-date on the latest ISA virtual programs, sign up for ISA Connected atisanet.org/Programs/Virtual-Programs/ISA-Connected.
For more information about global learning, research, and entrepreneurship opportunities available through UConn’s Office of Global Affairs, visitglobal.uconn.edu.
The Albanese government on Wednesday will introduce legislation to ensure the NBN remains in government ownership.
The move is designed to set up a test for the Coalition, putting pressure on the opposition ahead of the election to declare whether it would try to privatise the NBN.
The government said in a statement from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland: “The Coalition rushed to declare the NBN ‘complete’ so they could put it on the block for sale – selling out Australian consumers and regional communities.
“The Albanese government won’t let that happen. This legislation will ensure the NBN is owned by who it belongs to – the Australian people.”
The upgrades the government had undertaken “are already making a real difference in the lives of Australians through faster, more reliable internet access. Keeping the NBN in public hands will lock in affordable and accessible high speed internet for all Australians for generations to come.”
Albanese said:“The Coalition made a mess of the NBN – my government is getting on with the job of fixing it and making sure it stays in public hands, where it belongs.”
Rowland said: “Australians don’t trust the Coalition not to flog off the NBN just like they did with Telstra, resulting in higher prices and poorer services, especially in the regions.”
Downgraded
The Rudd Labor government announced what was to be a predominantly fibre-to-the-home wholesale network in 2009, promising it would cost $43 billion and later be privatised to claw back the expense.
In 2010 Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said Labor “remained firmly committed to selling its stake in NBN Co after the network was fully built and operational, subject to market conditions and security considerations”.
By 2020 the government was estimated to have spent $51 billion on a scaled-down version of the project completed using a mix of technologies.
In June that year a review by the Parliamentary Budget Office put its fair value at $8.7 billion.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iLearningEngines, Inc. (Nasdaq: AILE) (“iLearningEngines” or “the Company”), a leader in AI-powered learning and work automation, today announced the launch of its Insurtech Enterprise AI Knowledge Cloud and hyper apps aiming to serve the European Insurtech industry. iLearningEngines aims to help private insurers and their industry associations adopt and scale their AI projects, particularly where telematics application development can be accelerated and hyper-automated. This will be achieved by leveraging Generative AI partners such as Genlab Venture Studio, a founding member of CoSAI (Coalition for Safe AI), and global cloud service providers, global systems integrators, assurance and audit partners.
The decision to serve the European Insurtech market builds on the capabilities of the ILE’s Telematics Hyper-App, a cloud marketplace application that is now a cornerstone of the ILE Hyper-App portfolio. The company aims to introduce ILE’s Knowledge Cloud service to insurers across Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the UK – markets known for their mature digital ecosystems.
Harish Chidambaran, CEO of iLearningEngines, commented: “The European Insurtech industry can now leverage iLearningEngines’ expertise in hyper-automation, AIOps, and AI model development to drive innovation and operational efficiency. Our AI solutions, which include telematics for industrial fleets and claims automation, can help insurers fast-track their digital transformation and deliver enhanced value to their customers.”
Balakrishnan Arackal, President of iLearningEngines, added: “We are excited to formally introduce the iLearningEngines offering to Europe. Our strong digital transformation team, led by experts from leading tech companies, combined with our AI platform and marketplace partnerships, positions us uniquely to accelerate the hyper-automation journey of Europe’s top insurers.”
About iLearningEngines
iLearningEngines (Nasdaq: AILE) is a leading Applied AI platform for learning and work automation. iLearningEngines enables Enterprises to rapidly productize and deploy a wide range of AI applications and use cases (AI Engines) at scale.
iLearningEngines is powered by proprietary vertical specific AI models and data with a flexible No Code AI canvas to drive rapid out-of-the-box deployment while offering low latency and high levels of data security and compliance. Serving over 1,000 enterprise end customers, iLearningEngines is deployed globally into some of the most demanding vertical markets including Healthcare, Education, Insurance, Retail, Energy, Manufacturing and Public Sector to achieve mission critical outcomes.
GenLab Studio is a venture studio focused on business models that leverage the impact, application, and growth of generative AI. By focusing on solid design principles and engaging a diverse community, GenLab Studio aims to create groundbreaking products that help build a more robust AI ecosystem. GenLab is also a founding sponsor of CoSAI.
Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the Business Combination. Forward looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will, “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend”, “expect”, “should”, “would”, “plan”, “predict”, “potential”, “seem”, “seek”, “future”, “outlook”, the negative forms of these words and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the ability of iLearningEngines to help private insurers and their industry associations adopt and scale their AI projects and hyper-automate and scale their AI DevSecOps best practices; the ability of iLearningEngines’ and GenLab Ventures’ alliance to help to scale model development, AIOps, governance, risk management, and compliance; the potential benefits that iLearningEngines’ digital transformation expertise can provide to private European insurers and their industry association partners, including their ability to accelerate their most critical transformation initiatives, particularly in telematics for global industrial fleets, asset management and claims automation; iLearningEngines’ ability to help the European Insurtech industry achieve operational excellence across the region; and iLearningEngines’ ability to address market opportunities across artificial intelligence. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of the iLearningEngines’ management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions this press release relies on. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of iLearningEngines. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political, and legal conditions; the outcome and findings of the ongoing special committee investigation of allegations raised by a recent short-seller report; iLearningEngines’ failure to realize the anticipated benefits of its recently completed business combination with Arrowroot Acquisition Corp.; risks related to the rollout of iLearningEngines’ business and the timing of expected business milestones; iLearningEngines’ dependence on a limited number of customers and partners; iLearningEngines’ ability to obtain sufficient financing to pay its expenses incurred in connection with the closing of the business combination; the ability of iLearningEngines to issue equity or equity-linked securities or obtain debt financing in the future; risks related to iLearningEngines’ need for substantial additional financing to implement its operating plans, which financing it may be unable to obtain, or unable to obtain on acceptable terms; iLearningEngines’ ability to maintain the listing of its securities on Nasdaq or another national securities exchange; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations of iLearningEngines; the effects of competition on iLearningEngines’ future business and the ability of iLearningEngines to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; risks related to political and macroeconomic uncertainty; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against iLearningEngines or any of their respective directors or officers, including litigation related to the business combination; the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on any of the foregoing risks; and those risks and uncertainties identified in the “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2024, and its other subsequent filings with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that iLearningEngines does not presently know, or that iLearningEngines does not currently believe are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect iLearningEngines’ expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. iLearningEngines anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause iLearningEngines’ assessments to change. However, while iLearningEngines may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, iLearningEngines specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing iLearningEngines’ assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.
Positive Aging Afternoon Tea Dance Armagh City Hotel Armagh 3 October 2024 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
As part of the Positive Ageing Month celebrations, a Tea Dance was recently held at Armagh City Hotel – and over 70 residents came along to dance the afternoon away!
And when a little breather was needed, comfy chairs, tea and treats were on hand!
A number of information stands from a variety of agencies were also on site giving out advice and information.
Tea Dances are an invaluable form of exercise and socialisation, with so many health benefits both physically and mentally.
A wonderful time was had by all who came along – with plenty of smiles on faces by the end of the day.
This event was supported by Triangle Housing, Ark Housing and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11)
Dear enewsletter.salutation_for_merging.merge,
Here’s to hope: 6,586 people have been rescued, evacuated or assisted by search and rescue teams since Hurricane Helene hit, including 39 survivors being rescued on Saturday, October 5, over eight full days into rescue efforts.
More than 4,000 first responders, national guardsmen, and active-duty military are in Western North Carolina looking for your friends, your family, or if you’re still stranded waiting for help – they’re looking for you. And they won’t stop until every missing person is accounted for.
I’m sure many of you have heard that there is a second hurricane brewing on the coast of Florida. It is not expected to hit Western North Carolina, but if it maintains it’s intensity as a Category 4 hurricane, it is expected to be catastrophic. I’m here to tell you that we will support Florida in any way we can, but I am also committed to making sure Western North Carolina does not get left behind in place of the newest natural disaster.
The resources and help I have listed over the last nine days are here to stay.
Today is update number 10 and includes details on where to find critical health care services including orthopedic care, dialysis treatments, and oxygen tanks, and an updated timeline on power restoration for individuals in the hardest hit areas. More information is to come in the following days.
As always, please make sure to read everything and share it with your friends and family.
Supplying drinkable water remains a top priority for emergency crews.
84 water systems are on a boil advisory.
24 treatment plants have reported having no power and 33 systems are out of water.
Water restoration trends continue to move in a positive direction.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has promised 120 truckloads a day of food and water with no specified end date.
FEMA has shipped 13 million meals and 13 million liters of water utilizing the $20 billion in funds that I helped to draft and pass for disaster relief just two days before Hurricane Helene hit.
Of the shipped food and water, more than 6 million liters of water and 4 million individual meals have already been delivered to Western NC communities.
Walmart is hosting activities at the following locations:
Serving hot meals at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily
Arden, NC Store 1179
60 Airport Rd., Arden, NC 28704
Portable restrooms
Laundry
Showers
Wi-fi hotspot and charging stations
Buncombe County
Buncombe County has begun water distribution at multiple sites. Each will be available daily from 1:00 -7:00 p.m.:
Pack Square Park – you MUST bring your own container for this site
80 Court Plz., Asheville, NC 28801
William W. Estes Elementary School
275 Overlook Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Sand Hill-Venable Elementary
154 Sand Hill School Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
20 Doan Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787
Fairview Elementary
1355 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
The following major feeding site is available in Buncombe County, where citizens can access food, water and other basic necessities:
Biltmore Baptist Church
35 Clayton Rd., Arden, NC 28704
Distribution and bulk pickup for volunteers looking to take bulk loads of supplies to in-need community members
Saturday hours: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Community drive-thru for anyone in the community needing supplies
Saturday hours: 3:00-6:00 p.m.
First Baptist Church – Weaverville
63 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
Hot showers available from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Unlimited clean drinking water is available, bring your own container.
Supplies and bottled water.
Hot lunch served at 1:30 p.m.
Food and drinking water are available from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily at the following locations:
Asheville Middle School
211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
Ingles
550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
This location also has handwashing stations and portable restrooms
Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
121 Shiloh Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Lucy Herring Elementary
98 Sulphur Springs Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Oakley Elementary School
753 Fairvew Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Haywood County
The following locations are providing community members with essential resources such as but not limited to, food, water, cleaning products, baby formula, and pet food, Monday through Fridays:
Fines Creek Community Center
190 Fines Creek Rd., Clyde, NC 28721
Open every day until 6:00 p.m.
Pigeon Community Center
450 Pigeon St., Waynesville, NC 28786
Also offering hot meals every day at 2:00 p.m.
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cruso Community Center
13186 Cruso Rd., Canton, NC 28716
Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, NC 28786
Includes shower access.
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Maggie Valley Pavilion
3935 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Woodland Baptist Church
545 Crabtree Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Bethel Elementary School
4700 Old River Rd., Canton, NC 28716
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Jonathan Valley Elementary School
410 Hall Dr., Waynesville, NC 28786
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church – in the Parish Hall
234 Church St., Waynesville, NC 28786
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday to Friday
Hot food available from 4:00 p.m. to 7 :00 p.m. daily.
St. Barnabas Catholic Church
109 Crescent Hill Rd., Arden, NC 28704
Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Reynolds Baptist Church – Family Life Center
520 Rose Hill Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This location also has potable water available to residents who bring their own vessels to fill.
The following location offers hot meals daily:
Maggie Valley Fire Department
2901 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
The following location offers showers daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.:
Calvary Baptist Church
2701 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
Henderson County
Henderson County has stood up Resource Hub locations for water distribution and other supplies as they become available.
Distribution will be taking place daily from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 at the following locations:
Etowah Elementary: 320 Etowah School Rd., Etowah, NC 28729
East Henderson High School: 150 Eagle Pride Dr., East Flat Rock, NC 28726
North Henderson High School: 35 Fruitland Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
Mills River Town Hall: 124 Town Center Dr., Mills River, NC 28759
Fletcher Town Hall: 300 Old Cane Creek Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
Each family unit will be provided supplies for one day’s meal and water as available.
Individuals are asked to enter the drive-through and remain in your car unless otherwise instructed by volunteers to ensure an efficient process.
Jackson County
In partnership with the Red Cross, the following is available for citizens of Jackson County:
The Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau are providing shelf-stable meals at the following location:
558 Frank Allen Rd., Cashiers, NC 28717
Hours of operation to come.
The Canada Fire Department is distributing emergency supplies at the following location:
149 Charleys Creek Rd., Tuckasegee, NC 28783
Hours of operation to come.
Madison County
The following locations are offering food, water, and some supply distribution in Madison County:
Beech Glen Community Center
2936 Beech Glen Rd., Mars Hill, 28754
Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
Center Community Center
1300 Grapevine Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Ebbs Chapel Community Center
281 Laurel Valley Rd., Mars Hill, NC 28754
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Enon Baptist Church
174 Ammons Branch Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Open Sunday 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Freedom Christian Church
7350 US 25/70 Bypass, Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This location offers additional resources such as hygiene products, blankets, clothes, cleaning supplies, diapers, pet food, etc.
Laurel Community Center – also has supplies
4100 NC 212 Hwy., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Revere-Rice Community Center
3980 Revere Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Mon-Sat)
Spring Creek Community Center
13075 NC 209 Hwy., Hot Springs, NC 28743
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This location also has additional resources such as pet food, livestock feed and hay.
Walnut Community Center – also has supplies
46 School Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
N.C. Cooperative Extension – Madison County Center
258 Carolina Ln., Marshall, NC 28753
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
This location is offering drive-thru food distribution only.
McDowell County
McDowell County has established multiple points of distribution that are open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m., depending on supply levels.
Distribution takes place daily at the following locations:
Former TJ’s Discounts – North Cove
8153 US 221 N., Marion, NC 28752
Old Fort Town Hall
38 Catawba Ave., Old Fort, NC 28762
New Manna Baptist Church
225 E. Court St., Marion, NC 28752
Solid Rock Free Will Baptist Church – Dysartsville
7860 NC 226 S., Nebo, NC 28761
Zion Hill Baptist Church
1036 Zion Hill Rd., Marion, NC 28752
Hot meals are also being provided at the following location:
Grace Community Church
5182 US 70 W., Marion, NC 28752
Lunch is served every day from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Dinner is available from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church of Marion is offering hot showers, air conditioning, and areas to charge devices.
Current hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
Polk County
The following locations are offering food and water distribution for residents in need from 1:00-5:00 p.m.:
Mill Spring/Green Creek Community
25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
Columbus Community
95 Walker St., Columbus, NC 28722
Saluda Community Bus Parking Lot
214 E. Main St., Saluda, NC 28773
Tryon Community
301 N. Trade St., Tryon, NC 28782
Sunny View
86 Sunny View School Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
Rutherford County
The following locations are open from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for citizens to get food and emergency supplies:
Thomas Jefferson High School
2527 US-221A Hwy., Mooresboro, NC 28114
Florence Baptist Church
201 S. Broadway St., Forest City, NC 28043
Rutherford County Health Department
221 Callahan Koon Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
Gilkey Church of God
255 Oak Springs Rd., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Parks, Recreation, & Lake Office
658 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
Lake Lure Baptist Church
6837 US-74 ALT, Lake Lure, NC 28746
Ingles at Lake Lure – meals only
276 NC-9, Lake Lure, NC 28746
Offers hot meals at 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Also offers showers, restrooms, a mobile health van, a tool trailer, a charging station (please bring your own charging cord), and wi-fi.
Father’s Vineyard – also has shower and charging stations
724 Oakland Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
Spencer Baptist Church – water distribution only
187 N Oak St., Spindale, NC 28160
United Way of Rutherford County – water distribution and charging stations only
668 Withrow Rd., Forest City, NC 28043
The Church at Sapphire – through October 10
620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
Daily hours: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Little River Baptist Church – through October 11
51 Little River Church Rd., Penrose, NC 28766
Breakfast hours: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Lunch hours: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Dinner hours: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Transylvania County
The following locations are providing hot meals to county residents:
The Church at Sapphire – through October 10
620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
Daily hours: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Little River Baptist Church – through October 11
51 Little River Church Rd., Penrose, NC 28766
Breakfast hours: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Lunch hours: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Dinner hours: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Cedar Mountain Community Center
10635 Greenville Hwy., Cedar Mountain, NC 28718
Breakfast hours: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Lunch hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Dinner hours: 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Balsam Grove Community Center – daily until power is fully restored
8732 Parkway Rd., Balsam Grove, NC 28708
Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Resource pick-up locations are listed below by county. As I learn more, I will keep you posted:
Bottled water is available daily at local fire departments and 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Anchor Baptist Church located at:
3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Water filling stations can be found at the following locations:
City Sports Complex
824 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Cedar Mountain Outpost
8431 Greenville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
No posted daily hours.
Territory Brevard
43 S. Broad St, Brevard, NC 28712
No posted daily hours.
DD Bullwinkles
60 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
No posted daily hours.
First United Methodist Church
325 N. Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Pisgah Forest Baptist Church
494 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Newfound Artisan
22 W. Jordan St., Brevard, NC 28712
Through today, October 6.
Hours: 12:00-5:00 p.m.
Food, water, and other supplies such as hygiene products are being distributed at the following locations:
Anchor Baptist Church
3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Church at Sapphire
620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
Through October 10.
Daily hours: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Yancey County
Yancey County has transitioned to one centralized distribution site for water, food and ice located at the following address:
Altec
150 Altec Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
Mobile laundry facilities are available in the GO Grocery parking lot located at the following address:
631 W Hwy. 19E Bypass, Burnsville, NC 28714
Additionally, the following counties have resources for where to take debris waste.
Buncombe
Curbside collection will begin Monday for City of Asheville sanitation customers.
There will be no recycling pick up until the recycling plant is operational.
Residents can use both recycling and trash carts for household waste.
The following materials cannot be collected at this time: Mud, construction debris, concrete and other bulky or hazardous items.
Debris collection is estimated to start in mid-October.
The Town of Black Mountain Public Works Department has secured four 15-yard dumpsters located in two sites for Black Mountain residents to throw away household trash ONLY:
Tractor Supply: 125 Old US Hwy. 70 E., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Ingles: 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Please Note: Yard waste, bulk item, separate recycling and debris collection are not available at this time.
Waste Pro collection service will resume today, October 7, for regular Monday route customers.
Recycling services are currently suspending while repair work is underway at the recycling process facility.
Haywood
Household waste will be accepted at the Materials Recovery Facility at 247 Recycle Rd., Clyde and at Convenience Centers at Jonathan Creek, Beaverdam, Bethel, Hazelwood, Mauney Cove, Jones Cove and Highway 110.
White Oak Landfill has reopened.
Henderson
Henderson County Transfer Station is open and accepting storm debris with normal fees.
Henderson County has begun curbside storm debris removal to county residents as a free service.
The county will pick up storm debris for free if it is pushed to the right of way of a property.
Storm debris includes tree branches, leaves, logs, building materials, furniture, paint etc.
Please be patient.
The county will pick up storm debris for free as quickly as possible.
Madison
The Hot Springs collection center is operating on normal hours for household trash ONLY:
Monday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Hot Springs trash pickup is returning to Mondays like usual.
Please only use this pickup service if you cannot bring it to the collection center yourself.
The pickup service is being led by volunteers at this time.
Polk
The Polk County landfill is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
322 Landfill Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
The service fee is waived through October 8.
Beginning on October 9, drop off of residential trash will be $10.
GFL trash services will continue on the regular schedule. However, certain areas may be inaccessible due to ongoing power outages from Hurricane Helene.
Two dumpsters are located on Gibson Street for immediate trash disposal due to road inaccessibility.
Transylvania
The City of Brevard has resumed regular trash pickup.
Yancey
The Riverside and East Yancey Recycling Centers were expected to resume operations by yesterday, October 5.
No update has been published, but I will keep you posted once I have received confirmation that the facilities have been reopened.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has provided pertinent information and recommendations for voters in the Helene disaster area during the 2024 general election.
To review information on voting in the 2024 general election after Hurricane Helene, you can follow this link.
The site provides information on absentee voting, how to change your polling location, county board of elections, office closures and more.
For any additional questions on voting post-hurricane, please contact your county Board of Elections.
Please note: Your county Board of Elections is the best place to get any questions answered.
I have been permitted to share the above, nonpartisan information but am prohibited from answering any questions related to the 2024 general election.
USPS anticipates continued improvement of mail delivery operations with local recovery efforts, to include power, connectivity, and roads.
There are some facilities unable to provide full retail and mail delivery due to road closures and current conditions.
No drop shipments will be accepted at any of the locations listed below.
The following sites are closed with no retail or delivery:
Barnardsville – 28709
Cedar Mountain – 28718
Hot Springs – 28743
Rosman – 28772
Swannanoa – 28778
The following site is closed with no retail, but delivery is being attempted where it is safe to do so:
Newland – 28657
The following sites are closed with alternative facilities listed:
Alexander – 28701
Alternative location: 270 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
Daily hours M-F: 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Bat Cave – 28710
Alternative location: 1800 Four Season Blvd., Ste. 11, Hendersonville, NC 28739
Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Chimney Rock – 28720
Alternative location: 2432 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
Alternative location: 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Ste. 11, Hendersonville, NC 28739
Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Gerton – 28735
Alternative location: 1352 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
Daily Hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Green Mountain – 28740
Alternative location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Marshall – 28753
Alternative Location: 270 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
Daily hours M-F: 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Micaville – 28755
Alternative location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Montreat – 28757
Alternative location: 2 Tucker Rd., Ridgecrest, NC 28770
Daily hours M-F: 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Penland – 28765
Alternative location: 899 Oak Ave., Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
All remaining locations are attempting delivery where it is safe to do so.
Due to internet outages and connectivity issues, the following sites are providing retail services with cash only, PO Box only:
Dana – 28724
Enka – 28728
Flat Rock – 28731
Hendersonville MPO – 28739
Lake Lure (OIC) – 28746
Little Switzerland – 28749
Mountain Home – 28758
Naples – 28760
Pisgah Forest – 28768
Ridgecrest – 28770
Skyland – 28776
Zirconia – 28790
Bostic – 28018
Multiple United Parcel Service (UPS) sites continue to be affected by power, flooding, and downed trees/power and lines/storm related obstacles.
The Hendersonville and Asheville UPS buildings in North Carolina are currently operational and are being powered by portable generators.
Delivery of packages in these areas is increasing as road conditions improve daily.
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response under the Department of Health and Human Services has activated the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) for North Carolinians as of Friday, October 4.
The EPAP program helps uninsured residents replace prescription medication or certain medical equipment lost or damaged during Hurricane Helene.
Through the program, uninsured residents can:
Request a free 30-day supply of certain prescription medications at any EPAP-participating pharmacy which can be renewed every 30 days while the EPAP is active.
Replace certain medical equipment and supplies such as canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, blood sugar meters and blood sugar test strips for diabetics.
Uninsured North Carolina residents affected by the recent hurricane can call the EPAP hotline, 855-793-7470, or visit the EPAP website to check their eligibility, determine if their medications or medical equipment are covered, or locate a participating pharmacy.
Prescription Pad is open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and filling prescriptions for Yancey County residents at the following location:
730 E. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
For individuals able to safely travel to fill a prescription, CVS at the following locations are actively open as of October 2:
324 Long Shoals Rd., Arden, NC 28704
505 Smokey Park Hwy., Asheville, NC 28806
371 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
3450 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
1605 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
2001 Spartanburg Hwy., Hendersonville, NC 28792
111 S Main St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
773 Russ Ave., Waynesville, NC 28786
You can also use this link to locate non-CVS pharmacy locations open to the public by county.
How to Acquire a Prescription:
If a store is closed, you can still call the number and the pharmacy’s phone lines have been rerouted to a nearby CVS Pharmacy that is open to help patients access their prescriptions.
Patients can visit any CVS Pharmacy for assistance with immediate prescription needs.
There is a field hospital with physicians, nurses and paramedics who can treat patients at the Burnsville Fire Department. The address is as follows:
305 Pineola St., Burnsville, NC 28714
The following urgent cares are open and accessible for community members with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries:
Locations open between 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.:
Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville
61 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC 28787
Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville
1201 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
Mercy Urgent Care Waynesville
120 Frazier St., Ste. 6, Waynesville, NC 28786
Locations open between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:
Mercy Urgent Care Brevard
22 Trust Ln., Brevard, NC 28712
Locations open between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:
Mercy Urgent Care Columbus
140 West Mills St., Columbus, NC 28722
Locations open between 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.:
Mobile Urgent Care Clinic
12 Florida Ave., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Mental Health & Basic Medical Support Center
130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Pardee Urgent Care
45 Hendersonville Hwy., Ste. A, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
Locations open from 12:00-5:00 p.m.
Hot Springs Elementary School – Art Room (mental health services only)
63 N. Serpentine Ave., Hot Springs, NC 28743
The following emergency orthopedic offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily:
800 Fleming St., Hendersonville, NC 28791
2585 Hendersonville Rd., Arden, NC 28704
9 Haywood Office Park, Ste. 102 and 103, Waynesville, NC 28785
Please Note: Emergency orthopedic phone services are down so patients will be seen on a walk-in basis without appointment.
The following location is open and available for dialysis treatments in NC-11:
Pardee Hospital
800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville, NC 28791
This location can dialyze 30 patients a day.
DaVita Kidney Care nurses are reaching out to their patients to coordinate treatment, but the following DaVita locations are available:
DaVita Greer South Dialysis
3254 Brushy Greek Rd., Greer, SC 29650
Contact Number: (864) 801-2065
DaVita Saluda River Dialysis
8080 Augusta Rd., Piedmont, SC 29673
Contact Number: (833) 378-2702
DaVita Wofford at Home
8024 White Ave., Spartanburg, SC 29303
Contact Number: (864) 583-4788
DaVita Boiling Springs Dialysis
196 Sloane Garden Rd., Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Contact Number: (833) 458-4809
Hendersonville High School
1 Bearcat Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28791
Must be assessed through Pardee Hospital.
Lincare is only serving established patients.
Patients must bring in empty tanks to one of the following locations:
Asheville Lincare
103 Elk Park Dr., Asheville, NC 28804
Fax number: (866) 234-6698
Greenville Lincare
355 Woodruff Rd., Ste. 204 and 205, Greenville, SC 29607
Fax Number: (864) 288-0339
The following locations are available for oxygen refills, but patients must bring their own oxygen equipment – fire departments are available 24/7:
Boiling Springs Fire Department
186 Rainbow Lake Rd., Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Reidville Fire Department
7450 Reidville Rd., Woodruff, SC 29388
Inman City Fire Department
6 Humphrey St., Inman, SC 29349
First Presbyterian Church
393 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302
Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Greer Relief Indigo Hope Neighborhood Impact Center
113C Berry Ave., Greer, SC 29651
Daily hours: 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Croft Fire Department
370 Cedar Springs Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29302
Arkwright Fire Department
1070 Southport Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29306
Roebuck Fire Department
2639 Stone Station Rd., Roebuck, SC 29376
North Spartanburg Fire Department
8767 Asheville Hwy., Spartanburg, SC 29316
Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion members and Legion Posts that have been displaced from their primary residence due to damage sustained during Hurricane Helene may be eligible for financial assistance through the American Legion.
Legionnaires and Sons of the American Legion members may be eligible for up to $3,000.
Legion Posts may be eligible for up to $10,000.
To learn more or to request assistance, please use this link.
Applications must be submitted within 90 days of the disaster: Dec. 26, 2024.
The Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville and Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic in Forest City are open for essential and emergency services.
Veterans can:
Visit the Asheville VA Hospital pharmacy for medication refills or:
Call the Regional Clinical Contact Center at (855) 679-0074 and press 1 for pharmacy representatives.
Local pharmacies in the VA’s community care network will also fill written prescriptions, or prescriptions as they appear on an active VA prescription bottle that is not older than six months and has available refills, to provide a 30-day supply.
Hickory and Franklin outpatient VA clinics are now operating regularly.
Due to the damage and personal losses caused by Hurricane Helene to the staff of the VA, it will take some time to bring staffing to full capacity.
Please be patient as the VA works to rebuild their workforce.
The United States Department of Agriculture is beginning to put together a list of resources for farmers and other agricultural industry members.
If your agricultural operation has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, you can review this link, farmers.gov, for emergency and disaster assistance programs.
About 117,000 customers remain without power in Western North Carolina.
Customers whose properties are inaccessible or not able to receive power may be without electricity for an extended period of time as Duke Energy works to rebuild critical infrastructure.
Restoration of service for all other customers in the heavily impacted areas is anticipated within a week, by Sunday, October 13.
Crews are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible.
As work on substations conclude, Duke Energy is moving personnel to work on the power grid’s thousands of miles of lines and poles that serve individual homes and businesses.
This work can feel slower because the same amount of work restores fewer customers.
For more information on Duke Energy’s power restoration efforts, you can review the following links:
A “DO NOT DRIVE” message remains in place from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for most of Western North Carolina.
Unless it is an emergency, please do not travel to the hardest hit communities.
Cherokee, Graham, Clay and Swain counties ARE FULLY OPEN to people who can access them through safe routes.
Please DO NOT try to visit or travel through the areas hardest hit by the storm such as Henderson and Buncombe counties.
USDOT approved an initial $100 million in Emergency Repair funds to NCDOT.
Damage to our mountain roads exceeds $100 million but USDOT’s investment is a significant and most welcome start.
A total of 2,050 DOT employees are working to restore and repair road access in WNC.
NCDOT also has:
DOT also has:
1,100 pieces of heavy equipment for debris clearance and road repairs in affected areas, including dump trucks, backhoes, loaders, graders, etc.
More than 50 personnel from neighboring states on the ground providing assistance.
NCDOT is reporting about 650 road closures, 106 of which are to primary routes.
Now that communications have been largely restored, NCDOT has a more comprehensive picture of debris blocking roadways, road damage, and necessary repairs in our mountains.
At least 100 bridges are irreparable and will require replacement.
All roadways in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, and Wilkes counties are accessible, although some are requiring four-wheel drive.
While none of the above-listed counties are in NC-11, they are a welcome sign of what’s to come.
Progress has been made on NCDOT and Tennessee DOT’s plans for reconstruction of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge.
Bids for stabilization of the westbound lanes of I-40 where the eastbound lanes no longer exist will be opening today, October 7.
A contract will be awarded shortly after the bid closes.
NCDOT is working to expedite the necessary repairs to restore mobility to the area as soon as possible.
Air traffic has sustained at 300 percent above pre-hurricane levels in Western NC.
NCDOT’s aviation division continue to work to make sure flight operations are safe coming into and out of airports, including by:
Scheduling landing/unloading times and aircraft parking so aircraft are spaced out and to reduce the risk of incidents.
Establishing a first of its kind “corridors in the sky” to separate civilian and military aircraft in the air.
Having search and rescue partners use short, time and location specific restrictions on air operations to enhance safety when multiple helicopters are engaged in search and rescue efforts.
The state of North Carolina is NOT turning away civil aviation support so long as it has been coordinated through the proper channels with NC Emergency Management.
If you or someone you know is interested in providing civil aviation support and don’t know where to coordinate your efforts, please call my office and we will help you get in touch with the right folks.
NCDOT has launched a detour map to show motorists how to get around closures on I-26 and I-40 at the Tennessee border.
You can access the map here.
Internet providers are working with local energy and cell providers to restore service for customers across Western North Carolina.
Restoration timelines are not available at this time.
Internet providers including Optimum and Spectrum are working around the clock to restore service for customers. However, part of the network’s infrastructure was destroyed by mudslides and collapsed bridges making restoration a lengthy process.
As a result, some impacted areas will require a rebuild of the network from scratch.
To mitigate the lack of service, Optimum, formerly Altice USA, has set up an Optimum Wi-Fi Trailer that is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following locations:
717 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
The following locations are offering free public wi-fi:
First Baptist Church – Weaverville
63 N. Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787
Downtown Franklin
The Town of Franklin has free wi-fi on the town hill area in downtown.
Transylvania County Library – 24/7
212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, NC 28712
Newfound Artison through today, October 6
High-speed internet and charging outlets
Available 12:00-5:00 p.m.
The Yard Brevard
284 Railroad Ave., Brevard, NC 28712
Brevard Visitor Center
175 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
Available daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Communications in the region are improving rapidly.
Cell service providers reported significant gains in service coverage on Sunday, October 6.
Roughly 80 percent of access to cell service has been restored in Western North Carolina.
More than 100 temporary network assets have been deployed across all service providers in NC-11 to assist with service quality.
Cell service providers have implemented disaster roaming for any phone located in Western North Carolina to maximize phone service for all users.
Disaster roaming allows users to connect to any mobile network during a disaster when other networks are down.
This allows users to access emergency services, such as 911, even when their own network is out.
If you have service one moment, but experience a reduction in service the next, try restarting your phone to jumpstart disaster roaming again.
UpCycle Tech in Transylvania County is offering free computers and phones for use at the following location:
470 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
AT&T has deployed its Mobile Connectivity Center to the following location:
Sam’s Club: 645 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
The Mobile Connectivity Center is an air-conditioned mobile unit open to the public, equipped with laptops, charging stations and wi-fi.
The public can use the center for various needs including contacting your insurance company, filling out paperwork or connecting with loved ones.
Verizon has deployed Wireless Emergency Communication Centers to help hurricane survivors stay connected to their friends, family and other important contacts.
Wireless Emergency Communication Centers are generator-powered mobile units that have device charging and computer workstations, along with wireless phones, tablets, and other devices available for use.
Verizon’s Wireless Emergency Communication Centers have been set up at the following locations:
A-B Technical Community College
340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
Asheville YMCA
30 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
Family Justice Center
35 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
Groce United Methodist Church
954 Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
Verizon also has charging stations at the following locations:
YMCA of Western North Carolina
348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
Two charging stations at this location
WNC Agricultural Center
761 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher, NC 28732
Three charging stations at this location
A-B Technical Community College
340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
One charging station at this location
T-Mobile has set up satellite cellular on light trucks (SatCOLTs), providing cellular voice and data along with wi-fi and charging stations at the following locations:
Asheville Middle School
211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
285 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801
First Baptist Church
130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
Additional T-Mobile satellite cell on trucks are located in Hendersonville and at a Tractor Supply Co. in Asheville, with others planned for Mission Hospital in Asheville, Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center in Murphy, and in Cherokee.
Almost 1,800 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed to provide support to Western North Carolina so far.
The total number of deployed guardsmen will continue to increase over the coming days.
The National Guard has more than 700 vehicles and 50 helicopters from six states and two active-duty units in Western NC for rescue and recovery, debris clearing, and other missions.
So far, the National Guard has:
Delivered more than 2,614 tons of commodities to affected areas
Cleared 1,052 obstacles
Rescued nearly 1,000 individuals
The Guard’s key tasks continue to be search and rescue of impacted civilian personnel, followed by:
Delivery of essential relief supplies to points of need
Clearing of routes to gain access to isolated communities
Although airspace is limited due to ongoing missions by the National Guard and Department of Defense, a process has been established for private pilots seeking to fly in humanitarian relief to coordinate with local authorities.
If you are looking to fly in resources and don’t know where to turn, call my office and we will get you in contact with the right coordinators.
On October 2, the Secretary of Defense authorized the movement of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers, including soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division from Ft. Liberty (formerly Ft. Bragg).
Nearly all 1,000 of the authorized active-duty soldiers have been mobilized to support the residents and affect counties devastated by Hurricane Helene in Western NC.
These soldiers are providing additional manpower and logistics capabilities to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.
In addition to the 1,000 previously authorized soldiers, another 500 troops with advanced technological assets were approved for deployment to Western NC to provide greater situational awareness on the ground.
These troops are not yet in NC-11, but coordination is taking place for rapid deployment over the coming days.
The Department of Defense has also committed 22 helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.
Here are a few key phone numbers from the NCNG:
HOTLINE: 888-892-1162
Emergency management watch: 919-733-3300
Donated goods: 919-825-2474
These lines have very high call volumes. If you do not get through the first try, keep calling.
Asheville Regional Airport closed mid-day on Friday, September 27, due to risk of flooding.
Commercial flights at Asheville Regional Airport have resumed.
If you parked your car in an Asheville Regional Airport lot and could not retrieve the vehicle due to the storm, great news – none of the airport’s lots flooded and all cars are fine.
Stay safe and pick up your car when you are able.
PLEASE NOTE:
No general aviation pilots are allowed to land at Asheville Regional Airport without prior clearance from FEMA to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel.
Supply deliveries by civilian pilots ARE permitted to land at Asheville Regional Airport so long as they have prior clearance from FEMA.
FEMA is not turning away any pilot that has gone through the proper channels to coordinate delivery and ensure the safety of his fellow aircraft and personnel.
Federal Nutrition Programs
SNAP
North Carolina was granted a waiver for the 10-day reporting requirement for the replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits lost because of the hurricane.
This waiver provides additional time beyond the standard 10-day time frame for households to report food losses and receive replacement benefits for food that was destroyed and previously purchased with SNAP benefits.
Child Nutrition
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was approved for a waiver pertaining to the child nutrition programs.
Under the waiver approval, NCDPI’s local program operators may:
Serve meals in a non-congregate setting
Adjust the time of meal service
Allow parent pick-up
Allow service of meals at school sites
Food and Nutrition Services Program
People and families in North Carolina who are enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services program can now use their EBT card to purchase hot food.
This flexibility will remain in effect until November 3.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
Families participating in WIC who may have relocated to a new area can go to any NC WIC agency to:
Have a new eWIC card issued
Request replacement breastfeeding supplies or breast pumps
Request replacement food that was purchased with current WIC benefits and lost due to Hurricane Helene
If you own a medical practice in NC-11 and are experiencing financial hardship due to Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Medical Society will be reactivating its Financial Recovery Program (FRP) to help you recover and open your doors again.
The FRP will be back online to provide much needed assistance soon.
More information to follow.
The Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available:
Accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers affected by Hurricane Helene
Advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene
For county leaders: This is a reminder to make sure your Emergency Operation Center has submitted the request for gasoline, food, water, cell service deployables, etc. with North Carolina Emergency Management to have your request processed and resources delivered.
My office stands ready to assist with checking the status of your request if the county or municipality has not heard back from NC Emergency Management within 24 hours.
North Carolina received a Major Disaster Declaration for the following counties: Buncombe, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in one of the above-listed counties should apply for Individual Assistance through FEMA, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.
Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.
Individual Assistance provides financial aid and services to eligible individuals and households that have been affected by a disaster to assist with the recovery process. Individuals can officially begin applying for Individual Assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling the application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. EST.
To date, FEMA has paid out more than $30 million in housing and other types of assistance and more than 96,000 Western North Carolinians have registered for Individual Assistance.
Residents trying to connect with family members may call NC 211 (or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state) to report missing loved ones or request a welfare check.
People in the impacted areas can indicate that they are safe by reporting themselves safe through Red Cross Reunification by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Please only use 911 for life-threatening emergencies so the lines remain open for critical situations.
If you are still trying to locate a friend or family member, please complete this form to notify local officials of their missing status.
The form was created by Buncombe County but information is being shared amongst all counties.
Regardless of which county your loved one was last known to be in, you can still submit the form.
Buncombe County will share the information with the appropriate officials to initiate search and rescue efforts.
United Way is also fielding missing person/welfare check requests.
Text PERSON to 40403 to add a loved one to search and rescue efforts or fill out this form.
For information on the status of utilities, debris sites, etc., we want to share the following resources. As communications are restored and more information becomes available, these sites will continue to be updated.
Filing FEMA claims and appeals (a process which can be overwhelmingly bureaucratic and burdensome)
Replacement of lost or destroyed legal and government documents, including driver’s licenses and identification cards
Medical and insurance claims
Home repair contracts
Utility disputes related to restoration of services
Consumer protection issues like construction fraud, price-gouging on repairs and identity theft
Housing issues such as unlawful eviction and foreclosures
Bankruptcy
Probate and clearing title for survivors living in generational homes without a clear title
Family law cases and children in need of services (unfortunately, domestic violence tends to rise following a natural disaster)
If you need civil legal assistance, please contact Legal Aid of North Carolina via the following toll-free hotline:
(866) 219-LANC or (866) 219-5262
The hotline is available from:
8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday and Thursdays.
Constituents can also apply online at legalaidnc.org/get-help/ between 1:00-4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday.
IRS has extended various filing deadlines for taxpayers in impacted areas, including 2024 individual/business returns, certain quarterly estimated income tax payments, and certain payroll/excise taxes.
Tax relief for qualified payments, disaster-related losses:
IRS released provided guidance to taxpayers on how to address disaster-related losses in their 2024 tax return, as well as providing guidance on how qualified disaster relief payments – like government assistance payments – are generally excluded from gross income.
For those unable to evacuate to a safe location or in need of a place to go, the following shelters are currently open and available as of October 5:
Buncombe
A-B Technical Community College
340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
Gold’s Gym
801 Fairview Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
WNC Agricultural Center
1301 Fanning Bridge Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
Haywood
Haywood County Government Armory
285 Armory Dr., Clyde, NC 28781
Henderson
Edneyville Elementary School
2875 Pace Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
Henderson County Recreation Center
708 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
Madison
Madison Early College High School
5374 US Hwy 25-70, Marshall, NC 28755
McDowell
Glenwood Baptist Church
1550 Glenwood Baptist Church Rd., Marion, NC 29640
NEW YORK, Oct. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guggenheim Securities, the investment banking and capital markets division of Guggenheim Partners, announced today that Jeff Cohen has joined the firm as a Senior Managing Director. Mr. Cohen brings more than 30 years of investment banking experience to Guggenheim, where he joins the firm’s Consumer & Retail investment banking practice.
Mr. Cohen most recently served as a Senior Advisor at UBS in the Retail Investment Banking group. Prior to his time at UBS, Mr. Cohen served as Vice Chairman of the Global Retail Investment Banking group at Credit Suisse. He previously held the position of Global Head of Retail Investment Banking at Lazard, UBS, and Wasserstein Perella/Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. Mr. Cohen began his career as an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
“We are excited to welcome Jeff to Guggenheim,” said Mark Van Lith, CEO of Guggenheim Securities. “Jeff is a longstanding advisor to some the largest and most influential retail companies globally. His impressive track-record of industry-transforming transactions and deep sector expertise will enhance our ability to deliver world-class solutions to our clients. We look forward to his contributions to the firm.”
Mr. Cohen earned his B.A. and B.S. in economics (Wharton School) from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
About Guggenheim Securities
Guggenheim Securities is the investment banking and capital markets business of Guggenheim Partners, a global investment and advisory firm. Guggenheim Securities offers services that fall into four broad categories: Advisory, Financing, Sales and Trading, and Research. Guggenheim Securities is headquartered in New York, with additional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, London, Menlo Park, and San Francisco. For more information, please visit GuggenheimSecurities.com, follow us on LinkedIn or contact us at GSinfo@GuggenheimPartners.com or 212.518.9200.
About Guggenheim Partners
Guggenheim Partners is a diversified financial services firm that delivers value to its clients through two primary businesses: Guggenheim Investments, a premier global asset manager and investment advisor, and Guggenheim Securities, a leading investment banking and capital markets business. Guggenheim’s professionals are based in offices around the world, and our commitment is to deliver long-term results with excellence and integrity while advancing the strategic interests of our clients. Learn more at GuggenheimPartners.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @GuggenheimPtnrs.
H.R. 736 would require public elementary and secondary schools that receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or their sex-based accommodations, such as locker rooms or bathrooms. The requirements would apply only to students through grade eight.
CBO expects that schools will comply with the new requirements. As a result, CBO estimates enacting the bill would have no effect on federal spending for grants to elementary and secondary schools.
Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that the costs to the Department of Education to implement H.R. 736 would be insignificant; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13)
WASHINGTON, DC — Last week, Representative Ronny Jackson (TX-13) introduced legislation to rename the U.S. Post Office in downtown Amarillo, Texas as the “Mayor Jerry H. Hodge Post Office Building” to honor the life and legacy of Jerry Hodge. Jerry Hodge was a businessman, rancher, and philanthropist who died peacefully in Amarillo, TX at the age of 81 on July 25, 2024.
Jackson said: “Jerry Hodge’s legacy is a testament to his remarkable journey. His dedication and passion for Amarillo was unparalleled. From being elected as the youngest mayor in Amarillo’s history, to turning Maxor Drug into a national leader in pharmacy services, to playing a crucial role in bringing the Sod Poodles, the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy, and the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine to Amarillo, Jerry Hodge’s leadership and vision left a permanent mark on the city. Beyond his professional achievements, Jerry cared deeply for his wife Margaret, his family, friends, and community, and I am proud to have called him a friend. His generosity and commitment to excellence were evident to all, which is why I am honored to introduce this legislation to rename the downtown post office as the “Mayor Jerry H. Hodge Post Office Building.”
Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System said: “Jerry was an extraordinary leader, businessman, and philanthropist who made an incredible impact on the people of Amarillo and the surrounding area. A true trailblazer, he took risks and never hesitated to stand tall for the causes he believed in. Jerry and his wife, Margaret, have been instrumental supporters of the Texas Tech University System and our universities. Without the Hodges, Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center would not have such a crucial presence in Amarillo today. I want to thank Congressman Jackson for his efforts to recognize Jerry’s tremendous contributions to this community.”
Vance Reed, Chairman of Reed Beverage said: “Jerry Hodge was a man of many facets – a lover of land and longhorns, an admirer of good horses, and above all, a person with sincere devotion to mankind. His legacy is etched not only in the businesses he built, but also in the lives he touched. The impact of Jerry and his wife Margaret’s generosity is visible across Amarillo and the states of Texas and Oklahoma, with numerous buildings bearing their names. In a fitting tribute, thanks to District 13 Congressman Ronny Jackson, there are plans to rename the Downtown Post Office in Jerry’s honor. This gesture will serve as a lasting reminder of Jerry Hodge’s contributions and his choice to call Amarillo, Texas his home.”
Alex Fairly, Executive CEO of the Fairly Group said: “Jerry Hodge was an extraordinary human being. He loved his community and he shared his time, influence, and wealth in a passionate pursuit of improving it. Amarillo is better because of Jerry’s unselfish leadership and generosity, and Congressman Jackson is right to mark Jerry’s impact on our community with this honor so that we do not forget his example and impact.”
Richard Ware, Chairman of Amarillo National Bank said: “Amarillo has been blessed and honored to have Jerry Hodge as our leading citizen since the inception of the town. Jerry has served successfully in more positions than anyone – each of these bringing growth and advancement to Amarillo. He was a man of his word and a true friend to many. The Post Office would be a fitting memorial to all that Jerry has done for Amarillo and West Texas.”
The legislation can be found here.
Biography of Jerry H. Hodge: Jerry Hodge was born onSeptember 7, 1942, in Carnegie, OK. His family moved to Amarillo in 1957 where he went on to graduate from Tascosa High School in 1960. He earned a pharmacy degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1965. At 23, he purchased Maxor Drug, over the next 49 years, he grew Maxor from a single downtown location in Amarillo to a nationwide producer of pharmacy services across the country. At 30, Jerry was elected to the Amarillo City Commission and served two terms. At 34, he was elected as the youngest Mayor of Amarillo in 1977 and later won reelection by one of the most substantial total votes in the history of the city.
In 1991, Jerry met Margaret, the love of his life. Jerry persuaded Margaret to move to Texas following their marriage on July 29, 1994. With Margaret by his side for nearly 30 years, they were an unstoppable team positively influencing the City of Amarillo. Jerry’s passions also included ranching, owning High Card Ranch in Clarendon, TX and Dos Rios Ranch outside of Springer, NM. Jerry was involved in the Coors Ranch Rodeo since it first began in 1988, and the High Card Ranch competes in the Coors Ranch Rodeo to this day.
After 49 years, Jerry retired as CEO of Maxor in 2016 but continued to serve on the board for an additional 7 years. In 2019, he fulfilled a longtime passion by leading the effort to bring minor league baseball to Amarillo, resulting in the creation of Hodgetown Stadium, named in his honor. In Amarillo, Jerry also played a key role in establishing the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, which is named in his honor, as well as the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, he published his memoir, You’re On, Cowboy, in which he shared life lessons both good and bad with honesty and humor.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Margaret Hodge, stepmother, Dolores Hodge, his children Heath Hodge (Donna), Ryan Hodge (Kim), Sunny Hodge-Campbell (Michael Flowers), Angela Serio Harney (Seth), former son-in-law Andrew Campbell, grandchildren Jerry Heath, Jordan, and Jacob Hodge; Josh Hodge; Ellen Campbell; Imogene, Geneva, and Violet Harney, and great-grandchildren Hollis, Lawrence, Cecille, Lola, Jett, Jayton, and River.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL)
Hurricane Milton Emergency Resources And Declarations
Naples, Fla., October 7, 2024
NAPLES, Fla. – This Wednesday morning, Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall in Southwest Florida as a major hurricane.
The office of Congressman Byron Donalds is closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and is actively coordinating storm preparations alongside federal, state, and local partners. The Congressman and his team stand ready to support our Southwest Florida community and ensure all necessary resources are available. Please see below for the latest emergency resources and declarations:
Sand Available (Please Bring Your Own Bags & Shovels In Case of Run-Out):
Fort Myers Beach Town Hall Beginning at 11:30 AM – 27310 Oak Street, Fort Myers Beach, Florida, 33931
Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District – 5700 Pine Island Rd, Bokeelia, Florida, 33922
South Fort Myers Fire Station #63 – 5531 Halifax Avenue, South Fort Myers, 33912
San Carlos Park Fire and Rescue District – 16900 Oriole Road, Fort Myers, Florida, 33912
Sanibel Fire & Rescue District – 2401 Library Way, Sanibel, Florida, 33917
Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park Beginning at 10:00 AM – 810 39th Ave. NE, Naples, Florida, 34120, by the pickleball courts
North Collier Regional Park Beginning at 10:00 AM – 15000 Livingston Road, Naples, Florida, 34109, in the Sun-N-Fun Lagoon parking lot
Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park Beginning at 10:00 AM – 11565 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, Florida 34113, in the grassy area between the parking lots
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Ms Libby Green has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador.
Ms Libby Green
Ms Libby Green has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador in succession to Mr Christopher Campbell who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Green will take up her appointment during August 2025.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: Elisabeth Clare Green
2022 to Present
New Delhi, Head of Climate and Energy
2017 to 2020
FCO, Deputy Head of Department, Asia Pacific Directorate
2015 to 2017
Department of Health, Head of Department
2012 to 2015
Beijing, First Secretary Health
2010 to 2012
Beijing, First Secretary Climate and Energy
2008 to 2010
Copenhagen, Deputy Head of Mission
2007 to 2008
Copenhagen, Second Secretary
2006 to 2007
Pre-posting training (including Danish language training
NEW YORK, Oct. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Guggenheim Securities, the investment banking and capital markets division of Guggenheim Partners, announced today that Jeff Cohen has joined the firm as a Senior Managing Director. Mr. Cohen brings more than 30 years of investment banking experience to Guggenheim, where he joins the firm’s Consumer & Retail investment banking practice.
Mr. Cohen most recently served as a Senior Advisor at UBS in the Retail Investment Banking group. Prior to his time at UBS, Mr. Cohen served as Vice Chairman of the Global Retail Investment Banking group at Credit Suisse. He previously held the position of Global Head of Retail Investment Banking at Lazard, UBS, and Wasserstein Perella/Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. Mr. Cohen began his career as an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
“We are excited to welcome Jeff to Guggenheim,” said Mark Van Lith, CEO of Guggenheim Securities. “Jeff is a longstanding advisor to some the largest and most influential retail companies globally. His impressive track-record of industry-transforming transactions and deep sector expertise will enhance our ability to deliver world-class solutions to our clients. We look forward to his contributions to the firm.”
Mr. Cohen earned his B.A. and B.S. in economics (Wharton School) from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
About Guggenheim Securities
Guggenheim Securities is the investment banking and capital markets business of Guggenheim Partners, a global investment and advisory firm. Guggenheim Securities offers services that fall into four broad categories: Advisory, Financing, Sales and Trading, and Research. Guggenheim Securities is headquartered in New York, with additional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, London, Menlo Park, and San Francisco. For more information, please visit GuggenheimSecurities.com, follow us on LinkedIn or contact us at GSinfo@GuggenheimPartners.com or 212.518.9200.
About Guggenheim Partners
Guggenheim Partners is a diversified financial services firm that delivers value to its clients through two primary businesses: Guggenheim Investments, a premier global asset manager and investment advisor, and Guggenheim Securities, a leading investment banking and capital markets business. Guggenheim’s professionals are based in offices around the world, and our commitment is to deliver long-term results with excellence and integrity while advancing the strategic interests of our clients. Learn more at GuggenheimPartners.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @GuggenheimPtnrs.
ATLANTA (October 7, 2024) — On September 25, Sen. Billy Hickman (R–Statesboro), Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on the Preservation of Georgia’s Farmlands, led the committee’s third meeting at the Sunbelt Agriculture Expo Center in Moultrie, Georgia.
Committee members heard updates on Georgia’s farming sectors from representatives of the Georgia Milk Producers and the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association. The committee also examined alternatives to solar siting, with insights from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division. Additionally, a community discussion on Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) issues included presentations from local stakeholders, highlighting concerns about farmland preservation and rural development. The meeting concluded with a public comment session, allowing community members to share their perspectives and suggestions on preserving Georgia’s farmlands.
Sen. Hickman expressed his gratitude to Sen. Sam Watson (R–Moultrie) for hosting the committee in his hometown, stating, “I want to personally thank Sen. Watson for welcoming us to Moultrie and allowing us to hear directly from those who know our farmlands best. As a farmer himself, his insights are invaluable, and his commitment to Georgia’s agricultural heritage is evident. This meeting has given us a clearer understanding of the challenges facing Georgia’s farming communities, reaffirming our dedication to preserving the agricultural lands vital to our state’s economy and way of life.”
The Senate Study Committee on the Preservation of Georgia’s Farmlands will meet again on Monday, October 28, at Cedartown High School College and Career Academy. Further details will be shared in the coming weeks. More information about the committee can be found here.
# # # #
Sen. Billy Hickman serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education. He represents the 4th Senate District which includes Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, and a small portion of Chatham County. He may be reached at 404.463.1371 or via email atbilly.hickman@senate.ga.gov
Microbial communities – vast ecosystems teeming with millions of different cells from different species – play a fundamental role in life on Earth, from producing oxygen to aiding digestion. Despite their importance, it has been a challenge for scientists to fully understand how these intricate communities form and function.
But in a new study, my colleagues and I have developed a new mathematical framework aimed at explaining how microbial relationships emerge. By better understanding these communities, we could better protect and manage them, which could have profound implications for the health of our planet.
Most of our understanding of microbiomes – the collections of thousands of microbes that inhabit different environments and organisms – has come from studies on the differences between them. Researchers often investigate the ecological and evolutionary factors that appear to shape these microbial communities.
But it has been hard to determine whether these factors are actually causing the differences or are merely coincidental. This is why understanding the true drivers behind microbiome formation is so important. It helps us see why these communities exist and how they function.
If, like me, you’ve ever marvelled at the plants and animals thriving in nature, you’ve seen ecological and evolutionary forces in action, just as Charles Darwin did during the 19th century. The same principles that govern these larger ecosystems also apply to the microbial world.
So, for our research, my colleagues and I took a leaf out of Darwin’s book. We examined the ecological and evolutionary factors that could lead to the formation of such diverse microbiomes across many multicellular organisms. These included marine sponges, insects, humans and squid. What we found was striking. Despite the vast differences between species, the same basic rules apply to their microbiomes.
For example, the ability of microbes to move between environments and their rapid rate of evolution are important factors in determining where they live, whether in a plant’s roots or an animal’s gut. There are, of course, exceptions. In giant and red pandas, for instance, diet plays a vital role in shaping gut microbes, while certain plants, like the small brassica Arabidopsis, control their root microbiomes through chemical defences.
Once we had identified these mechanisms, the challenge was to organise our insights into a coherent framework. This is similar to what Darwin did with his theory of evolution by natural selection. And this is where maths came into play.
Maths is essential to our understanding of the world around us, whether we’re talking about quantum mechanics or the complexities of life itself. By applying mathematical models, we could make sense of the complex factors that shape microbiomes.
A new model for microbial ecosystems
Our framework helps explain puzzling observations, such as why some marine sponges are teeming with microbes while others harbour just a few. Our study is unique because it allows us, for the first time, to think about these intricate symbiotic relationships holistically. It integrates both ecological and evolutionary ways of thinking. We hope our framework will form the basis of future studies investigating other microbial ecosystems.
We’re currently expanding our research into marine sponges by exploring how the exchange of metabolic products (like vitamins and amino acids) between microbes, affects their community structure. The flexibility of our framework means it can be adapted to study different systems. It could help provide a deeper understanding of the interactions between microbes and their hosts.
This type of quantitative approach is crucial as humans continue to affect our natural ecosystems. It could help us come up with solutions to those problems.
Better understanding microbial communities could help us better protect the natural world. Damsea/Shutterstock
For example, we recently demonstrated how microbiome studies can improve coral reef conservation efforts by examining the microbial networks that support coral settlement. By manipulating these networks, we could help to restore coral populations more effectively.
Of course, challenges remain. For example, we still don’t understand microbial dormancy, which is a strategy some microbes adopt when under stress. They reduce their activity while at the same time increasing resistance to harsh external conditions. It’s a bit like bears hibernating to avoid the winter.
In spite of issues like those, we’re optimistic that mathematical frameworks like ours will pave the way for future discoveries. It could advance our understanding of ecosystems both large and small – from microbiomes to large ecosystems involving plants and animals. This in turn could help to unlock the secrets of the natural world. That knowledge could be used to preserve biodiversity for future generations.
Miguel Lurgi receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust under Research Project Grant # RPG-2022-114
Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch recently caused controversy by claiming that while she was born to a middle-class family, she “became working class” when working in McDonald’s to earn money while she was in college. In fairness to Badenoch, having a diversity of experience is an admirable attribute for an MP – something you wouldn’t associate with someone like recently deposed Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg for example.
Badenoch, who was born in the UK but spent the first part of her life in Nigeria before returning as a teenager, said her time at the fast food chain helped her understand the life of “single mothers” struggling to make ends meet – insight that might have made her object to the policies enacted by her government that made life harder for the working classes. She said of the job:
There’s a humility there as well. You had to wash toilets, there were no special cleaners coming in. You had to wash toilets, you had to flip burgers, you had to handle money.
Badenoch’s assertion – during her bid to become leader of the Conservative party – raises several interesting questions, not least whether you can “become working class”. Part of the issue is that class is increasingly hard to define in 2024.
Is class subjective and something that we feel (as Badenoch’s claim suggests) or is it something objective that we can measure? This is a question that has been troubling sociologists – and others – for years.
Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.
In social sciences, the most widely used measure of social class is the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) national statistics socioeconomic classification (NS-SEC). It is also the measure used by the UK government, most notably to measure social mobility – the movement of people between classes.
The NS-SEC defines class by placing individuals in one of eight different classes according to their occupation. The scales runs from one (for higher managerial and professional positions) to eight (long-term unemployed).
The classes are further simplified into three categories of professional/managerial (1 and 2), intermediate (3 and 4) and working class (5 to 7). It’s a hierarchy but it also shows that there is no easily identifiable dividing line between classes. Examples of those in professional/managerial would include directors of major companies, those teaching in higher education and journalists. Those in intermediate professions include travel agents, police officers (sergeant and below) and hotel managers. Those in the working class would include farm workers, building site labourers and workers in the service industry, such as in McDonald’s.
Using the NS-SEC occupational coding tool, we can place both Badenoch’s parents (a GP and a professor) in social class 1. While she acknowledges that she is from a middle-class background, it is clear that both her parents occupy positions at the top of the social class hierarchy. As an MP, Badenoch herself is now also clearly social class 1. Her previous roles before entering politics, as a digital director for The Spectator and associate director at private bank Coutts return class 2 and 1 respectively. It is evident that Badenoch has lived, and continues to live, a very privileged, and middle-class, life. Given this, why would she claim to be working class?
The first thing to note is that Badenoch is not unique in citing a working-class identity of some kind. The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is by now notorious for his frequent references to his father’s job as a toolmaker. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is also regularly photographed in pubs while drinking a pint and smoking a cigarette – something that sociologist Pierre Bourdieu would define as him attempting to evidence a working-class habitus, those tastes and behaviours that we typically associated with members of a particular social class.
The rationale for this is that Britain is quite unique in its perspective on class. People will often claim they are working class, or have working-class roots. This would be unheard of in other parts of the world, where claiming to be middle class is aspirational.
People in Britain will continue to claim they are working class even when evidence indicates that they are, and have been, middle class for several generations. This largely seems to be an inheritance of Britain’s history as an industrial country and the national obsession with “getting on” as well as a the country having a reputation for being particularly divided by social class. British people want to prove that they have been successful on merit rather than because of unearned privilege.
Large fries and a majority in 2029?
Britain’s changing political landscape is also an important part of the picture, as we look back at Badenoch’s McDonald’s career.
Throughout the 20th century the dividing line between political parties was evident. The working classes typically voted for the Labour party and the middle classes typically voted for the Conservative party. The dividing lines between political parties have become more complicated in the 21st century, particularly in the post-Brexit years; notably evidenced by Boris Johnson’s 2019 election win and the crumbling of the red wall.
This helps us understand why Badenoch would want to find a way to show that she is in touch with working-class people – and how she was able to do it, at least according to her own reasoning.
Votes are always on a politician’s mind – and the increasing willingness of voters to switch allegiances means more votes than ever are up for grabs. The nebulous nature of class and the difficulty we have in defining it, becomes the vehicle for appealing for those votes.
Badenoch’s claim that she became working class appears to be a longer-term strategy. She is looking ahead to the next election. Nevertheless, it seems difficult to argue that a short period working in McDonald’s made Badenoch working class. An adulthood of privilege also makes her claim rather insulting to those who, in her own words, struggle to make ends meet.
Michael Rees does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Imagine this: you’re lounging on the beach, waves crashing in the background. A laptop sits on the table next to your iced coffee. In between meetings, you dip into the ocean or explore a hiking trail. This is the ideal vision of “workations” – a blend of work and vacation that is gaining popularity worldwide.
A workation allows employees to work remotely from a holiday spot, and is part of a larger shift towards more flexible working arrangements, accelerated by the COVID pandemic and the rise of digital technology. Workations can last from a few days to several weeks.
The concept can be appealing to both employees and companies, but there are challenges too. So, understanding its benefits and limitations is important for workers and employers alike.
The most obvious benefit for employees is enjoying a new environment while staying productive. The typical work environment can become monotonous, potentially leading to burnout, decreased creativity and dissatisfaction.
A workation offers an escape from this day-to-day grind, providing a refreshing change of scenery. It combines the mental break of a vacation with the flexibility of working remotely, allowing workers to balance their professional and personal lives and enhance their creativity. This flexibility may be particularly beneficial for those with high workloads or tight schedules, as they no longer need to sacrifice time away from work to relax.
And companies can also reap rewards from approving workations among their staff. One of the most significant advantages is employee retention. Flexible work arrangements are among the top priorities for employees in today’s job market, helping to reduce staff turnover.
Offering the option of a workation could also make a company more attractive to prospective employees. And workers who are free to work from inspiring locations may return to their tasks less stressed, and more motivated and engaged. Studies show that remote workers often demonstrate increased organisational commitment.
Another advantage is the potential for cost savings. With more employees working remotely, companies may reduce their need for large office spaces or the expensive perks offered in corporate environments such as gyms, canteens and the staffing that goes with them.
But there can be challenges too. The boundary between work and leisure can become blurred, and some employees may find it hard to disconnect from work – defeating the object of travelling to a different workplace. The allure of finishing “just one more task” can prevent employees from truly enjoying their surroundings, potentially leading to exhaustion instead of rejuvenation.
Time zone differences can also be a challenge. Juggling meetings and collaborating with colleagues in different time zones can lead to irregular work hours that make it hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Distractions are another concern. Beaches, tourist attractions or even the simple novelty of being in a new place can make it difficult to focus on work tasks. Employees need to have a strong sense of discipline to remain productive.
For companies, one of the primary challenges is ensuring that employees remain productive. Monitoring performance without feeling intrusive can be a tricky balance for managers to strike.
Security is another major concern. Remote work often involves accessing company networks and handling sensitive information. When employees work from unfamiliar locations – particularly in public spaces such as cafes – there may be increased risks related to cybersecurity. Ensuring that employees follow security protocols, use secure wifi and protect sensitive data is crucial.
Lastly, workations might not be feasible for all roles. This can lead to disparities in who can take advantage of the opportunity, potentially leading to bad feeling among other staff.
For the concept of workations to succeed, both employees and employers should set clear expectations, establish boundaries, and focus on maintaining productivity while allowing time for relaxation. But, if managed properly, they could become a staple of modern work culture. In a world where flexibility and wellbeing are increasingly valued, workations offer a unique opportunity to blend productivity with personal fulfilment, reshaping how we think about work and leisure.
Nine tips for having a successful workation
1. Choose the right destination
Opt for a location with reliable internet access and where the time difference between colleagues and clients is manageable.
2. Set clear boundaries
Establish dividing lines between your work and vacation time, and communicate these boundaries with your employer and colleagues.
3. Ensure you have the right tech set-up
Bring all the necessary equipment, including noise-cancelling headphones. Double-check that you have remote access to all necessary material before leaving.
4. Plan for cybersecurity
Use a secure virtual private network (VPN) to protect company data, and follow your company’s cybersecurity policies to the letter.
5. Understand your company’s remote work policy
Read up on things like flexibility in terms of location, time zones, working hours and refunds for co-working spaces or tech tools.
6. Set realistic expectations
Don’t expect your workation to feel like a full vacation. Plan your leisure activities around your work schedule. Be prepared to work longer or odd hours if your company operates in a different time zone.
7. Consider the local infrastructure
Research amenities such as medical services, food delivery and transport. These might be important if you stay in a more remote or unfamiliar area. Have a contingency plan for health emergencies and check visa requirements.
8. Prepare for flexibility
Be ready for unexpected issues like slow internet or disruptions due to local events. Back-up plans, such as access to a co-working space or alternative accommodation, can save you from unnecessary stress.
9. Stay organised
Keep a work schedule and a checklist of tasks to ensure that you remain as productive as you are in your regular work environment.
Mariachiara Barzotto does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Football seems to have a problem with referees. Barely a weekend goes by without someone – a manager, a player, a pundit – making it abundantly clear that many of those who officiate are (apparently) not very good at their jobs.
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, for example, was furious with referee Michael Oliver for sending off Leandro Trossard during his side’s top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City on September 22. He described it as “really, really worrying” that referees were giving out cards for what Arteta seemed to regard as trivial offences.
In this case it was Oliver’s decision to award a yellow card to Trossard after the Belgian booted the ball away to stop City taking a quick free kick. On top of a yellow card Trossard had already earned for a foul earlier in the game, the second offence, bringing a second yellow card, added up to a red card, meaning Trossard had to be sent off. Arteta’s criticism came even though it’s crystal clear that such offences merit exactly the punishments that were being meted out.
The previous week, referee Anthony Taylor was the man in the firing line. He dished out 14 yellow cards (a premier league record) for a range of offences committed during the Chelsea v Bournemouth game on 14 September. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a whole host of self-appointed social media experts were quick to express their dissatisfaction with Taylor’s officiating. As a result, the Premier League is currently investigating a number of those social media posts for allegedly making threats against Taylor and his family.
A significant part of the story in both of these cases concerns dissent and player petulance. Taylor, in particular, wasn’t standing for any of that, yellow-carding four players for inappropriately chatting back to the referee and one for excessive celebrations following a goal.
The story, or so one of the narratives around poor referring would have it, is officials are being over-zealous. The players themselves seem to have no agency in this. It’s the referees that are the problem.
If football is going to stop looking like a game primed for spoilt, stroppy schoolboys, then it’s precisely that narrative that needs to change. As I argue in a new book on integrity and football, there are three dimensions to cases like these.
Firstly, players continue – again and again, and at all levels of the game – to think that verbally abusing the referee when they make decisions that the player doesn’t like is part and parcel of football. “Shithousery”, to use the contemporary parlance, is frequently seen as a virtue. It shouldn’t be. Players push and push the rules to their limits and yet when they are called out the instinct is often to whine and bleat about how unfair it all is.
Football doesn’t have to look far to see how this can be done differently. Rugby referees have broadly similar sets of tools at their disposal and yet rugby players treat officials very differently. Diving about to win a free kick, for example, is not just frowned upon in rugby union, players trying it on are openly ridiculed. There is certainly bad behaviour in rugby, but you only very rarely see any players disrespecting the officials.
One way of shifting the balance is by doing what Taylor did in the Chelsea v Bournemouth fixture, which is to pull players up immediately on what he saw as disrespectful behaviour. A few months of rugby-style refereeing and football will be much the better for it.
Secondly, fans need to understand not just how difficult a referee’s job is but also to appreciate that regardless of whether referees get decisions right or wrong they, the fans, need to deal with it. Abusing officials and players is now a depressingly predictable part of football’s story.
And, as the pleayers themselves will tell you, it’s not just the referees who are singled out for abuse. Research by Ofcom and the Alan Turing Institute in 2022 showed that, 34% of all tweets directed at Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark in the first five months of the 2021-22 season were deemed “offensive” by OfCom. OfCom further claimed that an offensive tweet was sent to a premier league footballer once every four minutes across that same time period. Players getting things wrong is part and parcel of the game – verbally abusing them for it should not be.
Finally, the administrators have a role to play in pushing stakeholders (fans, players, analysts) to show just a bit more spine. The FA needs to come out and explain that football will no longer stand for many of the antics that we currently see on the field. At the beginning of 2023-24 referees started giving yellow cards when players kicked the ball away to stop free kicks being taken. The result was that players for the most part simply stopped doing it. Sadly, no one appeared to tell Trossard.
The FA has long argued that those within football need to show the game more respect. Yet the FA itself needs to show the backbone to stand up and defend, openly and forcefully, those who try to practically implement all these nice words.
Whether Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor thought they were fighting for the game’s integrity is largely irrelevant. They were just doing their job by interpreting the rules as they saw them. But there is something about the reaction of players, fans and indeed the FA that says that too many people still don’t really get it. Integrity matters. And it really is about time that they all start to take it seriously.
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Daniel Hough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Rwanda is in the midst of its first outbreak of Marburg virus – an often fatal disease with symptoms similar to Ebola. So far, 46 cases have been recorded and 12 deaths. The source of the outbreak is still not known.
Seven hundred doses of an experimental vaccine against the virus have just been shipped from the US to Rwanda. The vaccine is currently being administered, largely to healthcare workers, who have made up the bulk of the victims so far.
The roll out is part of a clinical trial, so it will be a while before the vaccine’s efficacy is known.
Marburg virus is named after the town in Germany where it first emerged. In 1967, there were simultaneous outbreaks at laboratories in Marburg and Belgrade in Serbia (then part of Yugoslavia). The outbreak was caused by African green monkeys imported from Uganda for use in experiments. Seven people died.
Since then, there have been several Marburg virus outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa, including in countries bordering Rwanda.
Previous outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. The most recent outbreaks were reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania between February and June 2023, where nine cases were reported and six deaths.
Other countries that previously reported outbreaks include Angola, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya and South Africa. The outbreak in Angola in 2005 killed 300 people.
Outbreaks typically occur when people come in contact with infected green monkeys, pigs or Egyptian rousette bats (a type of Old World fruit bat) – a common carrier of the virus. These bats are often found in mines and caves. Once the disease jumps from an infected animal to a human – so-called zoonotic spillover – it can spread from person to person through bodily fluids or by contact with contaminated surfaces, such as bedding.
There are no antiviral drugs to treat patients. People infected with Marburg virus are kept hydrated and any blood loss is replaced through transfusion.
The incubation period, which is the time between the exposure to Marburg virus and the start of symptoms, is five to ten days. Symptoms of Marburg virus disease can appear suddenly and include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea and vomiting.
The virus damages blood vessels and interferes with the ability of blood to clot, which can lead to uncontrolled bleeding from the nose, eyes, gums, rectum and, in women, the vagina. The disease has a very high “case fatality rate”. Between 24 and 88% of people infected with Marburg virus die – usually through extreme blood loss and shock.
Marburg virus disease is not an airborne illness and is not thought to be contagious before symptoms appear. However, people can remain infectious for months after they have recovered, and pass the disease on through bodily fluids. Men are advised to wear a condom for a year after symptoms first appear.
Looking for clues
The Rwandan authorities are working to identify the source of the outbreak, how far it has spread and when the first case occurred.
Although Marburg virus disease has been reported in seven of 30 districts in the east African nation, the readiness of unaffected districts is also being ensured to mitigate the spread and quickly identify any spillover.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with Rwanda’s neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, to review their readiness to respond to the outbreak.
The WHO assesses the risk of the Marburg virus outbreak as “very high” at the national level and “high” at the regional level. However, at a global level, the risk remains low.
Manal Mohammed does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
After years of negotiations and legal pressure, the UK and the Republic of Mauritius have agreed that Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago.
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of seven coral atolls which comprise more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean. In 1965, as part of negotiations leading to Mauritian independence, the UK government excised the Chagos Archipelago from colonial Mauritius. The UK kept the islands, which are in a globally strategic location, to make the island of Diego Garcia available to the US military for 50 years, later extended by 20 years.
The islands have been the subject of a diplomatic dispute for decades, with Mauritius maintaining its sovereignty and arguing it was illegally forced to give the archipelago away in exchange for independence.
Under the new political agreement, the UK will provide financial support to Mauritius, including a new trust fund for displaced Chagossians. Mauritius will be able to resettle the Chagos islands, other than Diego Garcia. This island will remain the site of a US-UK military facility for at least 99 years.
This is a significant moment for decolonisation (albeit incomplete), and potentially a landmark moment for the displaced Chagossian community. Decades after being forcibly exiled, they may finally be able to resettle on some of the Chagos islands.
Who are the Chagossians?
The Chagos Archipelago was unpopulated before European expansion in the Indian Ocean, when it was administered as a dependency of colonial Mauritius. French, and later British, colonists populated the islands. This took place first with enslaved labourers, mostly from east Africa and Madagascar via Mauritius, and later with contract workers, mostly from India via Mauritius.
The economy relied on coconut plantations, which became central to Chagossian culture. Coconut features in Chagossian cuisine, handicrafts and song.
The population of the Chagos islands rose over the 19th century. It hovered around 1,000 in the first half of the 20th century.
At the request of the US, the UK authorities depopulated the Chagos Archipelago to make way for the military base. From 1967 to 1973, they forcibly evicted more than 1,500 islanders to Mauritius and Seychelles.
They did this first by preventing the return of islanders who had gone on trips to Mauritius and Seychelles. Later, they restricted supplies and wound down work on coconut plantations. Finally, they coerced the remaining islanders onto crowded ships.
By 1973, between 1,328 and 1,522 Chagos islanders had been relocated to Mauritius, and 232 to Seychelles. Their forced displacement led to further economic, psychological and cultural harms.
The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 awarded UK citizenship to Chagos islanders and their descendants born in exile. Today, several thousand members of the extended Chagossian community live in the UK, while many still live in Mauritius and Seychelles.
Since 2002, I have conducted anthropological research with the extended and geographically dispersed Chagossian communities. I have witnessed their chronic marginalisation firsthand.
My research has studied how members of this dispersed and fractured community have sustained their relationships to Chagos through shared cultural practices.
One example of this is through music. Chagossian sega songs composed on Chagos paint a nuanced picture of the complexities and turbulence of colonial plantation life. Lyrics protest unfavourable social, political, and economic conditions. They lament personal suffering, depict joyful occasions, or jest via suggestive double entendres.
Meanwhile, sega songs are now also composed in exile. They contrast depictions of the island as an idyllic paradise, with the community’s subsequent experiences of displacement, dislocation and loss.
These cultural practices have brought the exiled Chagossian community together, and served as a vehicle for cultural and political mobilisation. They have also, I argue, drawn attention to the Chagossian cause from outside communities.
Resettlement
Chagossian activists have long campaigned for compensation for their forcible displacement and their legal right of return. They secured limited compensation from the UK government in 1978 and 1982. But they have not yet achieved resettlement in practice.
It is not yet clear whether displaced Chagossians will be able to return to the islands under the new agreement.
Members of the Chagossian community hold differing opinions about resettlement and sovereignty. Some are hopeful that the Mauritian government will facilitate resettlement: something the UK refused to do.
Some Mauritian citizens and Chagos islanders from Diego Garcia are critical of the exclusion of Diego Garcia from the agreement. And many Chagossians are worried that Mauritius might prioritise the interests of Mauritian citizens over non-citizens, or that it might prioritise its economic and military interests over resettlement.
Many Chagossians are concerned
that the negotiations involved representatives of the two governments, but not of the displaced Chagossian community.
The political agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty and supporting legal documents. This means there is still time for the governments to involve Chagossians in the conversation.
Laura Jeffery has previously received funding for Chagos research from the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
A number of Strategic Innovation Centers are designed to support R&D, innovation or entrepreneurship
One of the recurring themes throughout Gov. Phil Murphy’s time in office has been an emphasis on building out what he calls the innovation economy with programs overseen by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. At the core of that strategy has been a focus on assembling public-private partners from industry, academia and other stakeholders to collaborate and help catalyze economic growth.
That effort has taken shape in a number of Strategic Innovation Centers, facilities that either directly support research and development, innovation or entrepreneurship. They can also help solve specific problems in new and innovative ways through a combination of services such as mentorship, networking opportunities, hands-on training, business support services, education opportunities and/or access to testing, fabrication, or manufacturing facilities and equipment.
According to the NJEDA, the SICs can be accelerators, incubators or research centers – stressing that having a physical location where entrepreneurs can collaborate will help support new, diverse innovators as well as help drive long-term economic growth.
A June report analyzed the impact of innovation centers and incubators, finding that the New Jersey BioScience Center Incubator – the largest incubator in the state dedicated to life sciences and biotechnology companies – supported companies that created an average of 2,744 jobs per year. In 2023, resident companies generated $32 million in state and local tax revenue.
Situated on Route 1, that North Brunswick incubator is part of the 50-acre research park known as the New Jersey Bioscience Center, offering lab space and much more. “Located alongside New Jersey’s Route 1 Research Corridor, the Incubator at the New Jersey Bioscience Center leverages it close proximity to leading universities and corporations to attract, retain, and grow companies of the future that fuel our highly talented workforce,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “Since taking office, Gov. Phil Murphy has been committed to creating resources for biotech startups to help bring life-saving products to market, and further New Jersey’s legacy as a leader in innovation, especially within the life sciences sector.”
“The BCI is one of many ways the NJEDA is supporting biotech and life sciences businesses and startups by providing them with the space and resources to grow their companies, while encouraging collaboration among like-minded entrepreneurs,” said NJEDA Chief Economic Transformation Officer Kathleen Coviello. “This report shows that New Jersey has what it takes to remain at the forefront of innovation.”
Some examples of recent and impending SICs NJEDA has partnered or invested in include HAX, a Newark hard tech startup accelerator; the New Jersey Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX) in New Brunswick; the NJ Fintech Accelerator at Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ FAST) in Hoboken; SciTech Scity on the Liberty Science campus in Jersey City; and the recently announced Aerospace Innovation Center in Egg Harbor Township.
‘We’ve got a lot to do’
NJBIZ recently spoke with Coviello, who joined the agency in 2005 and is central to the state’s innovation economy efforts and ambitions. “Usually, a governor this late in his term, we start to soften the pace a little bit,” she said. “But that’s not the case here. It’s rush, rush – we’ve got a lot to do, before the end of the term.”
Coviello noted that she has worked under several different administrations, stressing that there is a lot happening at NJEDA in a number of sectors — from the broader innovation efforts to clean energy/offshore wind, manufacturing, film and television, tech, life sciences and more.
“The organization has put together tremendous toolkits – when you look at each of these segments of the economy that we are supporting, in response to really what we’ve heard from the market,” she explained. “I think, in general, most of what we’ve done has been really well-received. And, if and when needed, we’ll go back and tweak it and get it right. So, yeah, lots of activity.”
Through the first six months of the year, New Jersey hit a major milestone in the innovation/startup space with a $9.8 billion investment in venture capital money, ranking as the No. 3 state in the nation during that stretch, according to PitchBook.
“Timing is right for New Jersey. Some of the major hubs that you think of for innovation are struggling a bit more,” said Coviello. “We’ve got the talent. Certainly, when we talk about those Strategic Innovation Centers, we have the locations. When we think about life science, a lot is location-based. Particularly, we saw it during COVID and coming out of COVID. You can’t do genome predicting and drug discovery in your basement. So having all that lab space and all the talent in New Jersey is critical to that industry. We’re seeing it in film as a new resurgence of another innovation economy in the State of New Jersey. I think that the data around venture capital in New Jersey shows that we’re a good value for investors.”
She said that some of the markets, such as the West Coast, Boston and New York, have “very frothy” deal terms that are overpriced. “But what we find traditionally in New Jersey is you get good value for your investment,” said Coviello. “And we have a lot of investors starting to see that. Of course, the Evergreen Fund, has attracted a lot of national attention. We have investors from California, New York. We just approved an investor from Mexico. Folks are saying – this is a tremendous opportunity to partner with the state and put more capital to work in New Jersey. The Angel Investor Tax Credit program continues to break all kinds of records. Lots and lots of great things going on anywhere you look in the state.”
Growing life science companies
Discussing the SICs, Coviello cited the Bioscience Center Incubator, which she described as the NJEDA’s first SCI – before that term was coined – and almost a proof of concept for the current efforts and projects.
Since 2002, BCI companies have generated over $9 billion in total output and $4 billion in total labor income in the state, according to the recent study. “We’ve had the ability to really prove it out. And that facility came about because the life science industry in the state couldn’t invest in real estate,” she explained. “What I think we’ve proven out there – is the collision that happens when you bring like-minded, innovation-focused, smart people under one roof is really important.
“We kind of took that and said – that’s a great anchor in the state to point to of where and how we grow life science companies in the state,” said Coviello.
She reflected on when Murphy first ran for governor and noted that the state sits between two major metropolitan areas. “It’s the great thing about New Jersey – you have access to New York and the investors, and you have access to Philadelphia and D.C.,” she recounted. “But sometimes we get carved out as suburbs of those locations. And if we want to have our own identity, we need to put these pins in a map where we point to: This is where innovation happens in this part of our economy. What we have found as we have built these out is we really want to make sure we have an academic partner, a corporate partner and we have government. So, it’s all about this public-private partnership. And then part of the sauce, as well, is bringing in an activator – someone who’s going to pull all these pieces together; make sure that folks aren’t working in silos; make sure that there is collaboration.”
Each of the SICs takes on their own identity, Coviello emphasized. “We’ve been very mindful about making sure we play to the strengths of that region,” she added.
Coviello stressed there has been a deliberate process and focus behind the SICs and their different components and partners. “And that’s the only way it’s going to work. Each one has a very unique structure,” she explained. “Each one has very unique purposely articulated and curated partners – each one has a different focus.”
Partners on these ventures include heavy hitters such as Nokia Bell Labs, Rutgers University, Hackensack Meridian Health, DEVCO, Plug and Play, Prudential Financial, Stevens, SOSV, RWJBarnabas Health, Bristol Myers Squibb, EY, Sheba Medical Center and others.
She spoke about the power of partnerships – especially for ventures and initiatives such as these.
“First off, we don’t have big enough pockets in government to do it alone – and it just wouldn’t be smart to do it alone,” said Coviello. “We don’t do everything. And adding that value in experience of the private sector is critical.”
Recently, the first phase of HELIX reached a milestone with a topping off ceremony and NJ FAST held a launch event.
As for other areas of emphasis and focus for Coviello and NJEDA, she pointed to life sciences continuing to be one of the leading sectors as well as technology, especially with Bell Labs at HELIX, and the resurgence of manufacturing. “I think the sky’s the limit. But again, playing to our strengths – fintech, aviation, life sciences, manufacturing,” she said. “And you’ll certainly hear announcements in the next six months about a few more of these centers. We’ve got, I think, 15 months left in the Murphy administration. The total funding pool for innovation centers was $250 million with all of the different appropriations over the years.”
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Major General John D. Haas Adjutant General of Florida, Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue at the State Emergency Operations Center to provide updates on preparedness efforts for Hurricane Milton.
As of 11 a.m. ET, Hurricane Milton is located about 720 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. Milton is forecast to move near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula today and Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of Florida by Wednesday.
Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-215, amending EO 24-214 and declaring a state of emergency for 51 counties.
To learn more about navigating hurricane season, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide. For updates on county resources available visit FloridaDisaster.org/Counties for a list of all 67 county emergency management contacts.
State Preparedness Efforts
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 1 since Tuesday, September 24, for Hurricane Helene, and is at a Level 1 for Hurricane Milton as of October 6, leading coordination efforts for the State Emergency Response Team.
The State Emergency Response Team is engaged in over 600 missions to assist counties in their preparedness efforts. These missions accomplish vital tasks like staging resources to deploy for immediate response as soon as it is safe to do so, protecting critical infrastructure facilities like hospitals and utility stations, and coordinating personnel statewide.
FDEM is establishing a 10,000-person base camp at Tropicana Field to support ongoing debris operations and post-landfall responders.
FDEM is coordinating the deployment of fuel and EV chargers to pre-stage along evacuation routes to support evacuations.
The Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs (FDVA) storm preparations are underway at all State Veterans’ Nursing Homes in anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
All outpatient appointments on Monday will be converted to virtual or rescheduled for the C. W. “Bill” Young VA Medical Center in Bay Pines. The VA Regional Office in St. Petersburg is also closed Monday.
The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is operational 24/7/365 for virtual care and tele-emergency care to support Florida Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care. Call 1-877-741-3400.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Regional Law Enforcement Coordination Teams (RLECT) are operational in Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers.
FDLE aviation assets are prepositioned ahead of the storm.
The FDLE Sworn Training Unit cut team is on stand-by and ready to deploy. The team helps make temporary, emergency repairs to the homes of first responders so they can quickly get back to work after a storm.
Maintenance is complete on all equipment used during Hurricane Helene and Operation Blue Ridge. The equipment, including command buses, sleeping quarters and generators, is ready for deployment.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has readied high-water vehicles and all other storm response resources statewide so they may be rapidly deployed to assist Floridians in need in the event of damage or flooding. Contingency plans based on forecasted landfall locations have been developed and remain flexible based on the storm’s projected path.
In addition to local officers, approximately 75, FWC officers are ready to deploy and respond with a variety of specialized equipment as necessary, such as:
Airboats
Shallow draft boats
ATVs/Side-by-sides
Larger platform vessels
Four-wheel vehicles
Specialized high water vehicles
FWC Special Operations Group (SOG) teams will serve as reconnaissance units for the state and report on damage after the storm has made landfall.
FWC Aviation Section has been placed on standby and has readied all appropriate aircraft for potential deployment for aerial assistance, reconnaissance, and post-storm damage assessments when needed.
Health and Human Services
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) deployed nearly 600 emergency response vehicles on the I-4 Corridor in preparation for the storm.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has initiated an event in the Health Facility Reporting System (HFRS). Health care providers in the have been requested to provide information on census, available beds, evacuation status, accepting evacuees and generator needs from counties declared under EO-24-114. This information allows AHCA to assist health care providers in transferring patients if needed and ensure that health care providers in impacted areas have the necessary resources and adequate power.
64 health care facilities have reported evacuations. This includes:
21 assisted living facilities
4 Hospitals
33 nursing home
1 residential treatment centers for Children and Adolescents
4 residential treatment centers
1 Hospice
AHCA is conducting daily calls with the Florida Hospital Association and Florida Healthcare Association to ensure nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals are prepared and have their needs met ahead of Hurricane Milton.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is working with Florida’s ports and fuel industry partners to ensure adequate fuel supplies are available, and with Florida’s agricultural partners so producers have adequate resources.
The Florida Forest Service is staging equipment, like high-water vehicles, dump trucks, bulldozers, and front-end loaders to assist with road clearing.
The Florida Forest Service and the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement are supporting efforts to expedite debris removal in the Tampa Bay region.
Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has approved an emergency order temporarily suspending the intrastate movement requirements for the transportation of animals and livestock fleeing Hurricane Milton. In addition, the following states have waived their interstate import requirements for Florida pets, horses and livestock leaving the state: Alabama, Georgia (does not include livestock), Mississippi, and North Carolina.
The Department is working to connect evacuating horse owners with open public and private facilities across the state.
The Florida State Fairgrounds has opened the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center on a first come first serve basis for horse owners that are in the direct path of Hurricane Milton. To learn more and reserve a spot, visit floridastatefair.com/equestrian.
The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) is contacting all our Area Agencies on Aging partners to receive updates on their ongoing preparation efforts and gather the status of any unmet needs.
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) continues response and pre-landfall protocols and communication with APD-operated facilities, regions, and providers to provide updates on Hurricane Milton and check the status of clients and residents, while simultaneously anticipating unmet needs in potentially affected areas.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is preparing for Hurricane Milton and ensuring providers in potentially impacted areas have the resources they need for the storm.
The Department has secured supplies to ensure readiness in the event the Hope Bus is needed for deployment after landfall.
The State Mental Health Treatment Facilities have activated their disaster preparation plans and are assessing facility readiness.
DCF has begun contacting foster families, adult protective services clients, and licensed providers in the storm’s path to ensure preparedness.
DCF is making preliminary preparations for staffing shelters, delivering emergency supplies, and directing generators to critical human services infrastructure.
DCF has instructed all contracted vendors to deploy their Disaster Preparedness Plan.
DCF is providing information about Hope Florida to storm shelters, domestic violence shelters, and Continuums of Care ahead of the storm.
Infrastructure, Roads and State Closures
The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Hurricane Milton statewide preparedness efforts include clearing shoulders in preparation for potential Emergency Should Use (ESU):
Currently analyzing flooding vulnerabilities for major roadways and bridges.
Inspecting and clearing drainage systems, monitoring flood-prone and currently saturated areas, and pre-positioning pumps as appropriate.
Monitoring interstate traffic speeds and levels for the potential implementation of Emergency Should Use (ESU) to assist with evacuations if necessary.
Securing high mast lighting, maintenance yards, active construction projects, rest areas/welcome centers, service plazas, and weigh stations that had returned to normal since Hurricane Helene.
Barges at the Howard Frankland Bridge project is being secured.
FDOT has suspended construction projects with lane closures within all counties statewide located on all interstates and Florida Turnpike facilities.
Replenishing fuel reserves, checking generator readiness, and pre-positioning assets as appropriate.
Completing repairs on malfunctioning vehicles and equipment in preparation for deployment.
Initiated communication with modal partners – seaports, airports, railroads, transit, and spaceports. All partners are currently in monitoring posture.
Staging ITS trailers, as well as drone teams and equipment are being prepped and ready to deploy as needed.
Expanded Road Ranger Service across the impact zones.
Resources prepped and staged strategically (close to the projected path for quick implementation)
Cut & Toss Ops = 328 team members on standby
Over 1,015 generators
Over 350 pieces of heavy equipment and trucks
67 pumps pre-positioned
Satellite internet equipment= 58 Starlink devices
Over 1,900 team members on standby for various emergency response efforts, including, damage assessment, flooding, traffic signals outages, etc.
FDOT has 20 drone pilots on standby
8 ITS trailers staged
Over 150 bridge inspectors on standby
FDOT has removed 139,718 cubic yards of debris statewide (66,278 from state roads and 73,440 from local roads).
FDOT is supporting our local communities with supplemental sand and debris removal from local roads on the barrier islands in Pinellas and Manatee counties.
At the direction of Gov. DeSantis, FDOT is coordinating debris removal assignments for the Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Agriculture, amongst others, who have activated available state personnel and resources to clear and haul remaining debris.
Approximately 450 truckloads and 8,100 cubic yards of debris have been removed from Pinellas barrier islands.
FDOT encourages drivers to download the FL511 app or visit FL511.com for road/bridge closures and potential detours that may be activated. Remember to always follow the direction of local law enforcement and emergency personnel.
Transportation Modes:
Seaports, Airports, Rail, and Transit partners are monitoring storm conditions.
Please check with your airline or transportation service provider directly about potential service impacts.
Transit agencies in the impacted area are offering evacuation transportation to shelters. Please check with your local transit provider for schedules.
SunRail operations will be suspended starting Tuesday, October 8
Following the issuance of the Governor’s Executive Order, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an Emergency Final Order allowing for the activation of disaster debris management sites to store and process storm generated solid waste and debris.
DEP’s Emergency Final Order also removes barriers for expediting necessary repair, replacement and restoration of structures, including coastal structures, equipment, surface water management systems, works and other systems that may be damaged by the storm.
DEP is coordinating with Landfill Strike Teams to assess Disaster Debris Management Sites (DDMS) operating as a result of Hurricane Helene.
For counties and local governments in need of additional debris disposal locations, especially ahead of Hurricane Milton, DEP has approved all pending DDMS site activation requests and stands ready to approve the activation of any additional pre-authorized or new DDMSs that may be needed.
Currently, 193 DDMS have been authorized to operate.
Hurricane Helene kicked up significant amounts of sediment and sand along the coastlines in and along its path. DEP is working with local governments to manage the excess sand and continue removal efforts.
For sand that has accumulated on private properties, residents should return it to the beach if it appears clean, smells fresh and is free of debris. If the sand contains debris, residents should contact their local government to find the nearest disposal site. DEP has worked with counties to establish temporary staging areas to properly screen the sand before it is returned to the beach.
DEP is working with Florida’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN), the Florida Rural Water Association and other response agencies to ensure preparations are underway to support drinking and wastewater facilities ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Florida’s water management districts are engaging local governments and drainage operators throughout the state and are available to provide technical and other support, including deploying temporary pumps to alleviate localized flooding. As part of standard operations, DEP and Florida’s water management districts continue to monitor water systems and river levels as the storm develops.
DEP published a storm updates webpage to keep state park visitors updated of closures: FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has staged high-water rescue vehicles in preparation for landfall of Hurricane Milton.
FHP is mobilizing 74 Quick Response Force (QRF) Troopers to stage in preparation for the incoming storm.
FHP is providing security at the Pinellas County Landfill and assisting with traffic entering and exiting.
All FHP Troops statewide will be going to Alpha/Bravo shifts effective Tuesday., October 8 (Troop C-Tampa area will begin this on 10/7/24 at 6 a.m.). All days off will be canceled.
FHP will be assisting with debris cleanup in the Tampa area.
FHP is working with its partners at FDOT to prepare and implement the Emergency Shoulder Use (ESU) plan for evacuations in the Tampa area.
FHP is assisting with traffic control in Taylor County and outside Tropicana Field for debris cleanup crews.
FHP is providing security at multiple fuel sites across the state.
FHP is assisting with community patrols in Taylor County.
FHP air support and drone assets are staged and prepared to deploy when needed.
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is actively preparing mitigation measures by deploying evacuation assets and identifying areas of evacuation. Updates will be made available to the public at http://www.fdc.myflorida.com/weather-updates.
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) is actively monitoring Hurricane Milton and is working with school districts as they begin preparation efforts. The Department is also in close contact with districts that have been impacted by Hurricane Helene and will assist them with addressing critical needs ahead of the storm. Updates on school closures can be found at FLDOE.org/storminfo.
Resources for Employees, Businesses and Consumers
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is staging assets and personnel across 13 offices statewide and is prepared to surge resources to areas impacted by Hurricane Helene that receive a second impact from Hurricane Milton.
Updates on business closures and business resources are consistently being updated at FloridaDisaster.biz.
FloridaCommerce activated the private sector hotline at (850) 815-4925, open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
FloridaCommerce is hosting daily private sector coordination calls. Briefings will be provided by Emergency Support Functions and private sector partners. For call information email ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
VISIT FLORIDA Emergency Accommodation Modules on Expedia, Priceline and Booking.com will remain available to provide real-time hotel availability and lodging resources for impacted Floridians and visitors.
The Florida Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC) has pulled their Helene Mobile Assistance Centers from the field and will redeploy once storm conditions have passed.
The Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) issued a proclamation to financial institutions and securities professionals. In addition, the OFR offers online resources to Floridians who may need help finding information about their financial services provider(s), including state-chartered banks and credit unions, mortgage servicers, and other financial businesses and professionals.
OIR, in coordination with the Florida Department of Health (DOH), sent information regarding early prescription refills permitted under Executive Order 24-215. This information was sent to the public, health insurers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacy chains, and health care providers. Information can be found here.
For previous updates see below: 10/6/2024 (1) 10/6/2024 (2)
Follow FDEM on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates and visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for information relating to Hurricane Milton.
National Manufacturing Week runs from October 4–11, 2024.
CT State Middlesex student Bethany Crum was born in Jackson, Michigan, but spent her high school years at Middletown High School. Focused on her future after graduation, Bethany chose to take a year off from school to work full-time and learn how to manage living independently.
Bethany was inspired by her father’s advice about the stability of a career in CNC machining. Encouraged by her grandmother, Donna Crum, who is the program director of the radiology program at Middlesex—along with guidance counselors—Bethany enrolled in the college’s Machine Manufacturing Technology program.
Juggling full-time work and part-time classes, Bethany excelled, especially in the Precision Machining class with professor Joseph Duhaine, whose hands-on teaching gave Bethany the foundational skills she needed.
“I loved this course because it was my first time being able to get my hands on a machine and Joseph gave me the foundation that I needed to spend years cutting metal. He was very thorough in his education, making sure we could manually turn/mill down to tight tolerances, while also maintaining patience and understanding for those of us who had no prior experience,” said Bethany.
After earning a Machine Manufacturing Technology Certificate from CT State Middlesex with honors in 2023, Bethany is pursuing an A.S. in Manufacturing Machine Technology and aiming for a four-year degree in mechanical engineering.
Networking during college led her to a job at The Lee Company, where she manufactures microhydraulic components for aerospace applications.
“My current title is CNC machinist IV, working for the Chek Valve group manufacturing microhydraulic components for aerospace applications. My responsibilities include the setup, loading and operation of two high-tech machines to perform operations that include drilling, milling, turning, grinding and facing. I work from blueprints with tolerances as tight as +/- 0.00025” and frequently have the need to read through and interpret G-Code. I perform weekly preventative maintenance on the machines to ensure that they are long lived,” Bethany explained.
Looking to the future, Bethany plans to further her education and join The Lee Company’s engineering department, believing her practical experience would help improve processes.
She advises prospective students to explore all of CT State Middlesex’s opportunities, emphasizing the support and resources available to help them succeed.
“It’s a place with several opportunities for growth, and provides students with many assistance programs. I have been fortunate enough to not pay for my tuition the past few years because of scholarships from the Middlesex Community College Foundation,” Bethany added. “The school offers free semester rentals of Wi-Fi hotspots, computers and advanced calculators for students who are unable to acquire their own. The college even offers free tutoring for students who want to study more effectively. Middlesex is a place that will truly work to help students succeed so they can open more doors in their future.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The UK Ministry of Defence and Cranfield University will deliver a one-week Strategic Leadership Programme.
Representatives of the Armed forces and civil ministries of Guatemala will attend the course at the Higher Command of Army Education (COSEDE), starting today 7 October.
Participants will develop key strategic leadership skills including decision making under pressure, long-term planning and personal development. The course will also address influencing and motivation and building effective relationships within teams. Participants will also discuss strategic leadership as a tool to understand defence capabilities and the challenges faced by leaders in this arena.
Training will conclude with a certificate presentation by the British Defence Attaché for Mexico and Guatemala, Aviator Colonel Simon Stewart and the British Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Paul Huggins.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
10.07.24
Senator Working to Establish UND as Leader in New Initiative, Coordinate with FAA on Site Visit to Ensure Timely Program Implementation
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the University of North Dakota (UND) submitted its application to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program. Hoeven has been working to secure the aviation school’s role in the new program, part of his broader efforts to address the air traffic controller (ATC) shortage. Specifically, this effort will allow UND’s ATC program graduates to move directly into the workforce rather than attending the FAA’s ATC Academy in Oklahoma:
This builds upon UND’s current role as an AT-CTI program, which allows graduates to skip the first five weeks of initial qualification training at the FAA Academy.
Under the enhanced program, UND will offer the same curriculum provided by the FAA Academy, making graduates immediately eligible for hire and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility.
Graduates will still be required to pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam and meet medical and security requirements.
UND is aiming to start the Enhanced AT-CTI program in the spring 2025 semester, being one of the first schools in the nation to offer this opportunity to students.
To advance UND’s application, Hoeven made the case to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker for UND to lead the way in this initiative.
The senator stressed the university’s position as a world leader in aviation research, education and training.
This comes in addition to measures Hoeven worked to include in the FAA Reauthorization Bill passed by Congress earlier this year to improve ATC hiring and retention.
With the application submitted, the FAA will begin the review process, which includes a site visit in Grand Forks in the coming months.
The site visit will involve an inspection of UND’s classes, curriculum, equipment and other aspects essential to the Enhanced AT-CTI program.
Hoeven’s office continues working with the FAA to coordinate these next steps in the application process.
“Air traffic controllers are an essential part of our nation’s ability to provide safe, timely air service, and the ongoing labor shortages in this area constrain the operations of airports across the country. The good news is that we have a world-class aviation school at UND, which is primed and ready to tackle this demand for a qualified ATC workforce. As an existing AT-CTI school, UND is well-positioned to move into this new enhanced training initiative, which is a great opportunity for its students to get into the workforce more quickly, bypassing the need to go the ATC Academy in Oklahoma,” said Senator Hoeven. “That’s why we’ve been working to secure UND’s leadership in this program, having raised this priority with both the Transportation Secretary and the FAA Administrator. With the school’s application now submitted to the FAA, we continue our efforts to move this process forward, and ensure the site visit and all required steps are successfully completed in time to begin this program at UND in 2025.”
“We are looking forward to working with the FAA in getting our program approved and graduating Enhanced AT-CTI students to help alleviate the controller shortage,” said Craig Carlson, Associate Professor of Aviation, who has been leading the application efforts at UND. “We appreciate Senator Hoeven and his team for working with us to make this opportunity a reality, which leverages UND’s expertise in aviation to provide a great career opportunity to North Dakota students, while addressing a critical national need.”
Addressing the ATC Shortage
The FAA reauthorization bill includes legislation Hoeven cosponsored that requires the FAA to use a more accurate staffing model developed by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. The bill also sets an updated minimum hiring target for new air traffic controllers.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)
Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the most senior Jewish Member of the House of Representatives, issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the horrific October 7th attacks in Israel:
“One year ago, the Jewish people experienced the deadliest day in our history since the Holocaust. Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists streamed over the border killing over 1200 innocent Israelis and taking an additional 251 hostage. Today, we remember all those who were murdered on that day, recommit ourselves to the fight for all those who remain in captivity, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with all those impacted by the events of that dreadful day.
“As a Zionist and a deeply committed Jew, the events of October 7th and the ensuing war are never far from my mind. There are still nearly 100 hostages who excruciatingly remain in Gaza. We have heard testimony of the atrocious conditions under which they are being held and the unfathomable levels of brutality to which they have been subjected. I continue to do everything in my power to help bring them home, now.
“On this day I am also grateful for the historic leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration. In the past year the Biden-Harris Administration has taken unprecedented steps to support Israel’s necessary increased security needs and to protect all innocent civilians in the region. President Biden visited Israel immediately after the horrific October 7th terrorist attacks, becoming the first sitting President to visit Israel in a time of war. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to send generous amounts of military assistance and deploy American military assets to aid in Israel’s defense. The Administration also continues to rally the international community to ensure Israel’s protection from Iranian attacks, having done so as recently as this past week.
“I share and affirm the Biden-Harris Administration’s total commitment to Israel’s right to defend themselves and I also share their belief that it matters how. Israel must have the capacity and support to pursue its military objectives in the region and simultaneously must protect innocent civilians. I am grateful that Israel has accomplished much of its military objective in Gaza, but, like the Biden-Harris Administration, I refuse to ignore that too many innocent Palestinians have been killed in the past year, more humanitarian assistance must reach Palestinian civilians, and that achieving a negotiated ceasefire and, ultimately, a two-state solution is necessary to move the region forward.
“Today’s anniversary also reminds us of the increased hatred and bigotry the Jewish community has experienced at home over the past year. In 2023, the ADL recorded a 321% increase on college and university campuses and a 135% increase in antisemitic incidents at K–12 schools over the previous year, with most occurring after October 7th. Congress has a critical role to play in helping to stem the tide of this insidious hatred. Congress must pass the Countering Antisemitism Act, which funds Biden-Harris Administration’s first-of-its-kind National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and adequately fund the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to help protect American students and campuses. I call on all my colleagues to come together to pass these critical priorities and do our part.
“I am particularly disturbed by New Yorkers and Americans who are using this sacred anniversary to take to the streets in support of Hamas and the horrific terrorist acts that took place one year ago. I will always champion First Amendment rights, but there is no place in modern society for support for terrorism. I also wonder if our society would be less tolerant of these positions if it were not Jews but another group whose murders were being celebrated.
“October 7th will always be a day of mourning and sadness. This week Jews around the world will observe Yom Kippur. Known as “the day of atonement,” Jews who have lost a family member traditionally pray a special set of Yizkor (remembrance) prayers. This Yom Kippur I will also be remembering the many members of our larger Jewish family who were ruthlessly murdered by terrorists one year ago today. We will remember them, and I pray that we may all heed the lesson Psalm 34 teaches us, to “seek peace and pursue it.”
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U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler represents New York’s 12th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan, and serves as the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Global warming has the potential to reshuffle the spaces used by life on Earth, across all ecosystems. And our new research shows whale sharks – the world’s largest fish – could be at risk, as warming oceans may force them into busy human shipping lanes.
More than 12,000 marine species are expected to redistribute in future as seas warm up. Those animals that are unable to move to remain within suitable environments risk being wiped out entirely.
But things are different for larger and highly mobile animals that can move freely to find conditions that suit their needs. For them, changing ocean conditions may not be such a huge threat in isolation, as they can migrate to cooler seas. Rather, shifting conditions may force species into new and more dangerous areas where they come into contact with ship propellers and other direct human threats.
We fear this will happen with whale sharks. These huge sharks can reach up to 18 metres – about four cars end to end – but despite their size and robust appearance, their numbers have already declined by over 50% in the last 75 years.
Whale sharks are big and slow (and are sharks not whales). Sean Steininger / shutterstock
In previous research we discovered this decline may be partly due to collisions with large ships. Whale sharks are particularly vulnerable as they cruise around feeding on plankton and other tiny organisms, rarely needing to swim faster than human walking pace. While spending long periods moving slowly near the surface, they’re often struck by ships and killed.
Our new research builds on this previous work. We find that climate change will put these docile giants in even greater danger as their preferred habitats move in into new areas with heavy ship traffic.
An uncertain future
The research was carried out by an international team of over 50 scientists from 18 countries involved in the Global Shark Movement Project, using 15 years’ worth of satellite tracking data from almost 350 individually tagged whale sharks.
Movement tracks were matched to temperature, salinity and other environmental conditions at the time to determine what sort of habitat the sharks preferred. These relationships were then projected forward in time based on climate models (powerful computer programmes that simulate the climate) to reveal which parts of the ocean may in future have similar conditions to those used by the species today.
Our state-of-the-art approach uncovered totally new areas that may be able to support whale sharks in future, such as US waters in the Pacific in the region of the California bight, Japanese waters in the eastern China Sea and the Atlantic waters of many west African countries. We quickly realised that these regions are home to some of the world’s busiest sea ports and shipping highways, so we overlaid our maps of habitat preference with those of global shipping to determine sharks are expected to run into ships.
The world’s main shipping lanes, with the busiest lanes coloured yellow. Areas C (US west coast), D (west Africa) and E (east Asia) are expected to become more suitable for whale sharks as the oceans warm. Womersley et al / Nature Climate Change, CC BY-SA
Through this we project that co-occurrence between sharks and ships will be be 15,000 times greater by the end of this century if we continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels, compared to only 20 times greater if we follow a sustainable development scenario.
This does not mean that collisions will increase by 15,000 times, or even by 20 times, as we can only predict where whale sharks will be in future and the precise number of ships will vary. However, if the sharks do move into these new areas and their busy shipping lanes, increased mortality is a very real possibility.
We’ve already recorded shark-attached satellite tags abruptly stopping transmissions in shipping lanes, with depth-recording tags showing the sharks slowly sinking – likely dead – to the seafloor.
Changing tack
Our results are alarming but highlight that we do have the capacity to change the population trajectory for whale sharks. In this case, through mitigating climate change, we can also indirectly ensure that the ocean is a safer place for some of its largest residents.
We already know which strategies to trial for limiting collisions between ships and sharks. In February 2024 a meeting of signatories to the UN’s convention on the conservation of migratory species put forward a series of recommendations with specific focus on whale sharks. These include slowing speeds and re-routing around key sites, and setting up a collision-reporting network. It is now up to individual governments to take action.
It’s possible that other species will experience similar pressures as a result of climate change. For example, heat waves in the oceans may force other sharks into cooler surface waters which are being exploited by longline fisheries, or into deeper depths where there is less oxygen.
It’s time to shift our focus on to these interacting stressors in future, so that we can start to quantify the mosaic of threats that marine animals must endure in the oceans of tomorrow and protect those most at risk.
Freya Womersley receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through a University of Southampton INSPIRE DTP PhD Studentship. She is affiliated with the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in Plymouth, UK and the Global Shark Movement Project, which is based at the MBA.
David Sims receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the European Research Council (ERC), and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. He is affiliated with the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in Plymouth, UK, and the Global Shark Movement Project, which is based at the MBA.
If you’re offered a free cookie, you might say yes. But if you’re paid to eat a free cookie, would your response be the same?
In our new research, twice as many people were willing to eat a cookie when they weren’t offered payment compared with when they were.
From a purely economic perspective, our findings reflect irrational decision making. Objectively, a cookie plus money is better than just a cookie.
But people aren’t purely economic. They’re social animals with a tendency to look for hidden reasons behind other people’s behaviours.
In the case of overly generous deals, people are expecting a “phantom cost” – one hidden in the initial offer. And this expectation influences their decision to accept something or not.
Research participants who were offered a free cookie plus payment thought maybe the cookies were poisoned. Or maybe someone spat on them. Or they expected they would then owe a favour to the person handing out the treats once the cookie was eaten.
Too good to be true
Our cookies study was just one of ten experiments involving 4,205 participants in the United States and Iran.
We tested how phantom costs influenced people’s choices to accept or reject overly generous economic offers.
Each study gave people an offer. They had to decide whether to accept or not, and then explain why.
One study asked participants to imagine they were a truck driver and looking online for a job. All the jobs were described the same way, but we varied the wage. People offered the normal US$15 per hour were perfectly willing to take the job.
Others were offered more than the normal wage. The participants in this group imagined phantom costs. And the higher the wage they were offered, the worse the costs they imagined.
When offered $20 or $25 per hour, participants imagined the role involved more responsibilities or harder work. But they considered this to be worth it. Most people preferred a job that paid a bit more than normal, despite the expectation of phantom costs.
However, when we offered way too much money – more than $900 per hour – most people rejected the job they were willing to do for $15.
Why? They imagined far worse phantom costs: driving for the mob, carrying dangerous radioactive waste or smuggling drugs across the border. A suspiciously high hourly rate or wage can end up putting people off.
Suspicion is global
We repeated this experiment with different jobs, different normal wages, and in different countries.
In both the US and Iran, despite very different types of economy, people showed the same pattern of suspicion and rejected very high wages. The only difference was that in Iran the expected wages were lower, so the wages didn’t have to be high by US standards to become suspicious.
Another experiment tested how phantom costs could affect purchases of plane tickets involving a hypothetical choice between three flights.
One cost $235, another $275. When the third option was $205, most people chose that. However, if the third option was $15, hardly anyone chose the cheapest flight. They rejected it because they imagined horrible phantom costs such as terrorists and plane crashes.
However, when we provided a reason for the low price – very uncomfortable seats – most people preferred the $15 flight. Uncomfortable seats are not usually a selling point. But they explained the cheap price, so people didn’t search for other, dangerous explanations.
Sufficient explanations for something being a great deal remove people’s tendency to imagine phantom costs.
A good offer, not a suspicious one
Businesses face a balancing act when it comes to offering customers a good deal.
On the one hand, the expectation of phantom costs decreases interest in the offer. On the other hand, price-sensitive consumers are often looking for ways to get the best deal.
To avoid the pitfalls of phantom costs, businesses need to communicate their reasons for offering a particularly good deal. A “holiday sale” or “end-of-season sale”, for example, may explain why items are discounted.
In the job market, identifying “good performance” as a reason for an employee’s pay raise can sidestep the expectation of hidden downsides – such as an increased workload.
It’s clear people are not merely self-interested economic beings. We’re savvy, psychological beings capable of reading into the motivations of others to protect ourselves from offers that seem too good to be true.
Andrew Vonasch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
Funding comes from the Department of Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grant Program
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed over $1.6 million in federal funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for eight Colorado organizations that offer adaptive sports, recreational activities, and equine therapy for veterans and service members living with disabilities. The funding comes from the VA’s’ Adaptive Sports Grant Program, which supports more opportunities for disabled veterans to play recreational sports and activities customized to better fit their needs.
“Adaptive sports give our wounded veterans a community and outlet for mental health,” said Hickenlooper. “This funding makes it easier for our disabled vets to hit the slopes and enjoy all the outdoor activities that make Colorado special.”
“Our veterans have sacrificed so much to keep our country safe, and we owe them our support after they have served. Colorado veterans deserve to live a full and independent life, and this funding will help wounded heroes access athletics and other recreational activities,” said Bennet.
“These grants give Veterans life-changing opportunities to participate in adaptive sports in the communities where they live all across the country,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “We know adaptive sports and recreational activities can be transformational for Veterans living with disabilities, improving their overall physical and mental health, and also giving them important community with fellow heroes who served.”
VA has awarded over $119 million in grants through the Adaptive Sports Grant Program during the last nine years. This program is one of VA’s many initiatives dedicated to improving the lives of those who have served.
A full list of selected organizations is below:
Location
Project Name
Amount Awarded
Sports
Westminster
Adaptive Adventures
$748,510
Alpine Skiing, Climbing, Cycling, Dragon Boat, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Snowboarding
Snowmass Village
Challenge Aspen
$230,100
Alpine Skiing, Archery, Biking, Fly Fishing, Snowboarding
Denver
National Sports Center for the Disabled
$145,394
Air Gun, Alpine Skiing, Archery, Biking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing, Hiking, Nordic Skiing, Rafting, Snowboarding
Vail
Vail Veterans Foundation, Inc.
$72,515
Alpine Skiing, Fly Fishing, Horseback Riding, Rafting, Rock Climbing, Snowboarding, Ziplining
Crested Butte
Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte, Inc.
$180,320
Alpine Skiing, Backpacking, Biking, Canoeing, Climbing, Cycling, Kayaking, Nordic Skiing, Paddleboarding, Rafting, Snowshoeing
Breckenridge
Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center
$105,637
Air Rifle, Archery, Boccia, Cycling, Golf, Kayaking, Powerlifting, Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball
Colorado Springs
Archery School of the Rockies Inc.
$94,416
Archery
Fruita
Harmony Acres Equestrian Center
$67,201
Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)
CHARLOTTE – Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) welcomed Vice President Kamala D. Harris to Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, as she arrived at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) to survey the damage wrought by Tropical Storm Helene.
“I spoke with Vice President Harris, and she is committed to providing whatever resources are required to help the people of North Carolina recover from Helene,” said Rep. Adams. “I am thankful to her and to President Biden for all the work they’re doing behind the scenes to help our state.”
Rep. Adams, who represents northern Charlotte and some surrounding towns, joined the Vice President on the tarmac at CLT, to welcome her to the region. CLT has benefited from over $200 million in federal funds supporting its expansion and modernization, thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed under the Biden-Harris Administration.
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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.
