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Category: Farming

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: AFCD holds Opening Ceremony of Robin’s Nest Country Park and Launching Ceremony of Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (November 2) held the Opening Ceremony of Robin’s Nest Country Park (RNCP) and Launching Ceremony of Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge, which is also one of the activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
     
         RNCP, located in Sha Tau Kok, Northeastern New Territories, was established in March this year as the 25th country park in Hong Kong, forming an ecological corridor with Shenzhen Wutong Mountain. The AFCD has launched a series of publicity and education activities themed “Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park – The Interconnected Ecology and Landscape”, in which Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge activity was kick-started today. Through promotional videos and the activity, the public is encouraged to explore the rich green tourism resources of Robin’s Nest, which symbolises the ecological integration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, from multiple perspectives.
     
         Officiating at the opening ceremony include the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Chairman of the Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs, Mr Lau Kwok-fan; the Director of the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office, Mr Vic Yau; the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Mickey Lai; the Deputy Secretary-General of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Mr Chan Yaodong; the Second-level Inspector of the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Mr Yang Liqun, and the Deputy Director of the Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Mr Gao Erjian, etc.
     
         In his opening speech, Mr Tse said that RNCP, which is connected to the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain Scenic Area, has beautiful sceneries, rich biodiversity and human history. Its establishment is beneficial for ecological conservation and history revitalisation, marking a significant milestone in the ecological integration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The country has always emphasised on building a beautiful China and a beautiful Hong Kong. In this regard, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has undertaken various initiatives to enhance the beauty of Hong Kong, including establishment of the North Lantau Marine Park, development of the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park and updating of Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. The HKSAR Government will continue to collaborate with all sectors of society to advance ecological civilisation and co-create a greener and more sustainable future.
     
         Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan stated that the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain and Hong Kong RNCP are interconnected by mountain ranges, streams, waterways and cultures are close to each other. RNCP embodies the shared aspiration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen for a beautiful ecological environment, making it highly significant. It is hoped that both sides, being geographically interdependent, will continue to strengthen co-operation in areas such as resilience to climate change, development of Northern Metropolis in Hong Kong, technological innovations in ecology and environment, alignment of ecological and environmental planning and standard, development of the beautiful Loop as well as improvement of urban ecological spaces.
     
         Following the opening ceremony, about 40 nature enthusiasts with extensive hiking experience from Shenzhen and Hong Kong embarked on the first hike of Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge to enhance the exchanges and foster friendship between the two places.
     
         In addition, the public and tourists can participant in the Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge activity from today until February 28 next year. Participants need to register on the Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge website (www.discoveringrncp.hk) and visit the eight designated checkpoints along the two hiking trails in RNCP, the Robin’s Nest Country Trail and Lin Ma Hang Country Trail, scanning QR codes with their smartphones at checkpoints to record their completion. Participants who have completed a designated number of checkpoints during the event will receive themed prizes of RNCP.
     
         The AFCD reminds the public to take into account their physical strength, hiking experience and weather situation in planning a hike. The public are also encouraged to hike in groups and help conserve the countryside by practising proper hiking etiquette, for example by bringing along reusable water bottles and towels, and “Take Your Litter Home”.
     
         Moreover, the AFCD has produced a series of promotional videos titled “Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park” focusing on the natural scenery, biodiversity, and cultural history of Robin’s Nest. The public is welcome to enjoy the videos, which will be gradually uploaded to Hong Kong Country Parks YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@HongKongCountryParks).                  

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Country park opens

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) today held an opening ceremony for Robin’s Nest Country Park (RNCP) and launched a hiking challenge for the park that will also form part of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

    The 25th country park in Hong Kong, RNCP is located at Sha Tau Kok in the northeastern New Territories, and forms an ecological corridor with Shenzhen Wutong Mountain.

    Officiating at the ceremony, Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan highlighted that the RNCP, which connects to the Shenzhen Wutong Mountain Scenic Area, boasts beautiful scenery and rich biodiversity.

    “Its establishment is beneficial for ecological conservation and history revitalisation, marking a significant milestone in the ecological integration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” he added.

    Deputy Secretary-General of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government Chan Yaodong, who also officiated, stated that RNCP embodies the shared aspiration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen for a beautiful ecological environment.

    Mr Chan said he hopes that both places will strengthen co-operation in areas such as resilience to climate change, the development of the Northern Metropolis, technological innovations in ecology and the environment, alignment of ecological and environmental planning and standards, the development of the Loop, and improvements to urban ecological spaces.

    The public and tourists can participate in the Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park Hiking Challenge from today until February 28 next year.

    Participants should register on the dedicated website, then visit eight designated checkpoints along the two hiking trails in RNCP, namely the Robin’s Nest Country Trail and Lin Ma Hang Country Trail. They can scan QR codes with their smartphones at checkpoints to record their progress in the challenge.

    Participants who complete a designated number of checkpoints during the event will receive themed prizes.

    Additionally, the AFCD has produced a series of promotional videos, titled Discovering Robin’s Nest Country Park, and these are being uploaded to the Hong Kong Country Parks YouTube channel.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people (with photos)
    SEE exchanges views on ecological conservation and various environmental issues with young people (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (November 2) attended the Dialogue with the Secretary for Environment and Ecology session on the public day of the 19th Eco Expo Asia to exchange views on the beauty of Hong Kong’s ecology and various environmental matters with some 400 young people from various schools and uniformed groups.      The event began with the screening of an extract of the documentary series “Enchanting China”, produced by the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Education and Communications of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, as well as “Picturesque Bays of Hong Kong”, which is the first episode of the documentary series “Beautiful Hong Kong” produced by the EEB. The documentaries showcase the contributions and achievements made by the country and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in environmental protection and nature conservation.      Through the “Picturesque Bays of Hong Kong” documentary, Mr Tse highlighted that Hong Kong is not only a highly developed city, but is also committed to conserving the natural environment. He said that Hong Kong has a total of 25 country parks, the latest of which is Robin’s Nest Country Park established this year. These country parks cover over 40 per cent of Hong Kong’s land area together with 22 special areas. Hong Kong also possesses a designated internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention and the Hong Kong UNESCO World Geopark, etc. This proportion surpasses many cities with economic developments similar to Hong Kong, making it an important asset.      In terms of sea area, Hong Kong has a coastline of about 1 200 kilometres and a total sea area of more than 1 600 square kilometres. Although it only accounts for less than 1 per cent of the total sea area of the country, it has numerous beautiful bays and a quarter of the country’s marine species. Hong Kong is home to over 80 species of marine stony corals, more than the total sum in the entire Caribbean Sea. The bird species here exceed 580, accounting for about one-third of the country’s total.      Mr Tse said, “I hope that through the ‘Picturesque Bays of Hong Kong’ documentary, we can learn about the beauty of the place where we live, explore and, more importantly, cherish the beauty of Hong Kong’s ecosystems and work together to help conserve nature.”      Young people attending the event were very interested in various environmental topics, and many of them noted the increasing frequency of extreme weather and Hong Kong’s endeavours to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 to combat climate change. Mr Tse said that carbon emissions in Hong Kong already peaked in 2014, and the current carbon emissions have been reduced by about a quarter from the peak. The per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong are one-fourth of those in the United States and six-tenths of those in the European Union, showing that Hong Kong compares well with other regions in carbon reduction. Nevertheless, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is still a great challenge. The Government is leading Hong Kong towards carbon neutrality through a range of measures, such as accelerating green and low-carbon transformation, promoting green transport and cultivating the local practice of waste reduction and recycling, as well as developing new energy sources and green scientific research industries.      Mr Tse said he hopes that through Eco Expo Asia, students can learn more about different environmental issues and integrate environmental concepts into their daily lives to practise low-carbon living, and lead Hong Kong towards a low-carbon future together.      Apart from the Dialogue with the Secretary for Environment and Ecology session, speakers from the Hong Kong Observatory, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the EPD, etc shared their environmental information and knowledge during the green seminars to raise public awareness of environmental protection.      The last day of Eco Expo Asia is a public day, which is open to all free of charge. This year’s public day programme also includes guided tours, green workshops, a green market, green seminars and a free ride experience on a hydrogen fuel cell double-decker.

     
    Ends/Saturday, November 2, 2024Issued at HKT 19:27

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Undoing the ‘deep state’ means Trump would undo over a century of progress in building a federal government for the people and not just for rich white men

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joseph Patrick Kelly, Professor of Literature and Director of Irish and Irish American Studies, College of Charleston

    If elected, Donald Trump has vowed to demolish what he calls the “deep state” – a conspiratorial term for the American federal bureaucracy. A second Trump administration, running mate JD Vance has said, should fire thousands of civil servants and replace them with MAGA loyalists.

    Trump has said he would tap the billionare Elon Musk as the hatchet man to lead his proposed government commission on “efficiency” in government.

    Compared with the other fireworks of the campaign – like Trump’s promise to criminally prosecute his political rivals and suppress news organizations – threats to gut the United States’ vast federal bureaucracy don’t get much attention. But doing so is a big a threat to democracy.

    For years, conservatives have claimed that taking power from government agencies gives it back to the people. Yet while it might seem counterintuitive, Americans actually exercise their sovereignty through the administrative state.

    The American administrative state was established almost 100 years ago by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As a historian of American democracy, I think it’s valuable to remember what the old deal looked like while Trump rails against the New Deal.

    The Gilded Age

    Around 1900, America was not really democratic. The federal government did not rule by the consent of the governed. As historian Heather Cox Richardson recently argued, the American government was an oligarchy.

    Millions of working-class Slavs, Jews, Italians, Asians and Scotch-Irish Appalachians toiled mercilessly in death-trap sweatshops, suffocating mines and fiery steel mills. Cotton farmers in the Black Belt lived like peons.

    These people were America’s “other half,” as the social reformer Jacob Riis called them in 1890. And they were effectively excluded from the social contract.

    Meanwhile, for rich white men like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller it was, as Mark Twain quipped, a “Gilded Age.” Robber barons ran their industrial empires with impunity.

    When their employees tried to organize or protest, industrialists got sheriffs and police to suppress them. Or they hired private armies of “detectives,” like the Pinkertons, as Carnegie did when steelworkers struck in Homestead, Pennsylvania.

    Governors called in the National Guard, as Ephraim Morgan did in 1921 to suppress a labor dispute in West Virginia. Sometimes, it was the regular Army, as in 1919, when soldiers from Camp Pike propped up the peonage system of tenant farming by indiscriminately machine-gunning Black farmers hiding in the woods outside Elaine, Arkansas.

    ‘We stand at Armageddon’

    Forced by popular clamor, Congress decided to act.

    It created the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887 and told its commissioners to compel railroads, which were gouging some customers and favoring others, to charge fair rates to everyone.

    This was the start of federal regulation.

    In 1895, the New York Legislature passed the Bakeshop Act, making it illegal to force an employee to work more than 10 hours a day or 60 hours a week.

    The Supreme Court, however, was still friendly to business. In its 1905 decision in Lochner v. New York, the court ruled against the Bakeshop Act. No one could regulate the workday or work week. The decision stripped Congress and state legislatures of their nascent regulatory powers. That enraged President Teddy Roosevelt.

    “(T)he right of the people to rule,” Roosevelt later thundered, had been usurped by the corporations. With apocalyptic fury he predicted, “We stand at Armageddon!”

    That was in 1912. The Lochner era, as historians call this period when workers and the public had few protections from exploitative businesses, lasted another 20 years.

    Then, in 1929, the U.S. economy collapsed.

    One-quarter of Americans had no work. Starving and desperate migrants wandered across the country. An army of veterans marched on Washington.

    The apocalyptic misery of the Great Depression finally made American oligarchy untenable.

    Liberal democracy

    In 1932, the people rewrote the social contract: They elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal in a landslide.

    It was, in essence, a revolution. After nearly 60 years of corporate domination, the 1932 election would “return America to its own people,” to use Roosevelt’s words.

    Of course, it was not really a “return.” In the precorporation world, most Americans – notably women and Black people – couldn’t participate in their own government. But 1932 was a giant step toward democracy. And the great innovation that would usher in this modern, liberal democracy was the administrative state: a meritocracy of career civil servants dedicated to carrying out the law.

    Have you ever wondered why a green light means “go” in every state? In 1935, the Bureau of Public Roads – now the Federal Highway Administration – wrote and enforced its first Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.

    That’s the administrative state in action. It’s how 122 million people cooperated to make complex, modern society work – without surrendering their sovereignty to some dictator like Benito Mussolini or Josef Stalin.

    But the Supreme Court kept striking down New Deal laws and regulations.

    After a massive electoral victory in 1936, FDR threatened to “pack” the court by raising the number of justices from nine to 15. Finally, the court relented. In a 5-4 decision, it allowed the state of Washington’s Industrial Welfare Committee to establish a minimum wage – $14.50 for a 48-hour work week.

    Most history textbooks don’t mention this milestone, but that’s when liberal democracy was secured.

    To be sure, it would take almost 30 more years before the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s brought democracy to the Jim Crow South. But even that victory depended on the Justice Department’s power to regulate elections in historically white supremacist states.

    The administrative state has been protecting the rights of ordinary Americans and executing the sovereignty of the people for the past 87 years.

    Who grounded Boeing airplanes when a door blew off a 737 in midflight? It was civil servants in the Federal Aviation Administration, a government agency founded by Congress in 1958 “to regulate civil aviation.”

    Why does the U.S. have cleaner air and water today than it did in the 1960s? Because in 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act, and a new Environmental Protection Agency was empowered to write and perpetually rewrite regulations that execute Congress’ antipollution laws.

    The alternative

    This system produces the occasional injustice or overreach.

    A farmer’s puddling acre, for example, might be overregulated as a “wetland.” A fishing company might be ordered to maintain a government-appointed herring counter at a cost of $710 a day.

    But gutting regulatory agencies and replacing a meritocratic bureaucracy with MAGA loyalists won’t help small farmers or family-owned fishing boats. It will empower big corporations to pollute, exploit their workers, price-gouge customers, cut corners on safety – and to corrupt the political system.

    It’s also illegal. Congress has deliberately protected those bureaucrats from the volatility of presidential politics.

    Unlike presidential appointees, who serve at the pleasure of the president, civil servants work for the people. They are empowered by Congress, and the president cannot fire them. At least for now.

    Joseph Patrick Kelly has previously volunteered as an officer at the county and precinct level in the Democratic Party.

    – ref. Undoing the ‘deep state’ means Trump would undo over a century of progress in building a federal government for the people and not just for rich white men – https://theconversation.com/undoing-the-deep-state-means-trump-would-undo-over-a-century-of-progress-in-building-a-federal-government-for-the-people-and-not-just-for-rich-white-men-234421

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Month of Meeting Survivors Where They Are in Virginia

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: One Month of Meeting Survivors Where They Are in Virginia

    One Month of Meeting Survivors Where They Are in Virginia

    BRISTOL, Va.— Yesterday marked one month since the White House declared a major disaster in Virginia for Hurricane Helene. Since then, FEMA and the commonwealth of Virginia, along with other partner agencies, have been working to provide resources to survivors on the road to recovery.16 counties and two independent cities have been designated for Individual Assistance and 36 counties for Public Assistance as of November 1, 2024. The deadline for Individual Assistance is December 2, 2024. To learn more about individual assistance, visit fema.gov/ia.

    Graphic

    FEMA staff have been working to reach the whole community. One part of the community outreach includes Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams, who walk door to door to register survivors and answer questions. Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams have visited over 26,000 homes in Virginia over the last month. FEMA staff have attended community events across the declared counties and independent cities, spreading the word about disaster assistance. Additionally, FEMA has opened eight Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) throughout southwest Virginia, providing in-person assistance to over 2,600 Virginians to date. Staff from federal, commonwealth, and local agencies are at DRCs to help survivors answer questions about FEMA applications as well as access other resources and support.Commonwealth, federal, local and nonprofit agencies have collaborated on Agriculture Recovery Resource Days, where over 15 agencies and organizations shared resources with farmers and agribusinesses impacted by Hurricane Helene. Over 100 households attended the first Agriculture Recovery Resource Day on, October. 29 in Independence, Va. At least two additional Agriculture Recovery Resource Days will be held on Nov. 7 and Nov. 9. To learn more about upcoming agriculture events please visit Hurricane Helene Virginia Agriculture Recovery Resource Day | FEMA.gov.  Below are some pictures of FEMA staff in communities throughout southwest Virginia, meeting survivors where they are:
    View Original’ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56832″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/87e1f2498f8223bafd8bd4fa20534690.jpg?itok=Y1TBFkij” alt=”Caption: Montgomery County, Va. (Oct. 1, 2024) – A resident describes high water from the New River to a Preliminary Damage Assessment team days after it flooded its banks and into his home. The team, comprised of Montgomery County emergency managers, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and FEMA was reviewing Montgomery County properties impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.” class=”image-style-large”>

    Montgomery County, Va. (Oct. 1, 2024) – A resident describes high water from the New River to a Preliminary Damage Assessment team days after it flooded its banks and into his home. The team, comprised of Montgomery County emergency managers, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and FEMA was reviewing Montgomery County properties impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va.— A FEMA specialist helps a survivor apply for federal assistance at the Taylors Valley Community Center in Taylors Valley on Oct. 4, 2024. (Philip Maramba/FEMA)

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va.— FEMA staff assisting Hurricane Helene survivors on opening day of the DRC in Damascus. (Philip Maramba/FEMA)

    GRAYSON COUNTY, Va.— FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists, sharing information about FEMA disaster assistance with a resident in Independence on Oct. 10, 2024. (Nicholas Monteleone/FEMA) 

    View Original’ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56349″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/2b0015dc948c69838efd46bf474e1f96.jpg?itok=hfUraxZP” alt=”Caption: Bland, Va. – FEMA staff talk about disaster assistance with attendees of the Bland County Festival of Leaves at a pop-up FEMA Disaster Recovery Center.” class=”image-style-large”>

    Bland, Va. – FEMA staff talk about disaster assistance with attendees of the Bland County Festival of Leaves at a pop-up FEMA Disaster Recovery Center.

    WYTHE COUNTY, Va.— A FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance specialist, accompanied by FEMA Corps team members, shares application information with a Wythe County resident on Oct. 17. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are making their way through southwest Virginia to help survivors impacted by Helene. (Kelly Magarity/FEMA)

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va.— FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) staff discuss disaster assistance and SBA resources for Helene survivors at a community event on Oct. 19, 2024. (Johannes Webb / FEMA)

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va.— FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance specialist talking to a Helene survivor at a community event on Oct. 19. (Johannes Webb / FEMA)

    WYTHE COUNTY, Va.— FEMA staff member at the Disaster Recovery Center in Wytheville on Oct. 26, sharing information about FEMA programs. (Johannes Webb / FEMA)

    WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – FEMA staff handing out Halloween candy and discussing disaster assistance programs at a community event in Wytheville on Oct. 26. (Johannes Webb /FEMA)

    GRAYSON COUNTY, Va.— FEMA Applicant Service Program specialist assisting a producer at the first Agriculture Recovery Resource Day in Independence on Oct. 29. (Johannes Webb / FEMA)

    FEMA encourages Hurricane Helene survivors who have not applied for assistance to do so before the Individual Assistance deadline on December 2. Impacted individuals in the 16 designated counties and two independent cities can apply today by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, using the FEMA mobile app, calling 1-800-621-3362, or visiting a Disaster Recovery Center. A ninth DRC will open on Saturday, November 2 in Galax, Va. and additional locations will open in the coming weeks. Disaster survivors can visit any DRC to receive assistance. To find the DRC closest to you, including addresses and hours, visit FEMA.gov/drc or text DRC and a ZIP code to 43362.

    Graphic

    FEMA has set up a rumor response webpage to clarify our role in the Helene response. Visit Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response | FEMA.gov. For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov,  the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.  
    mashana.davis
    Sat, 11/02/2024 – 15:23

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Todd McClay to lead large trade mission to China

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will lead a large trade delegation to the 7th annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai next week, followed by a visit to Guangzhou.

    This year, almost 70 New Zealand companies will participate in CIIE, to interact with over 3,400 exhibitors and 410,000 visitors. 

    “This visit is part of the Government delivering on its promise to lead more trade missions than any previous administration during this term of parliament, Mr McClay says. 

    “China is our largest export market accounting for $38 billion in two-way trade. This is a significant economic partnership for both countries. It’s important we continue to invest in this relationship and grow the New Zealand economy by assisting our exporters to sell more,

    “The CIIE will showcase New Zealand’s safe, high-quality and innovative products and our world-leading service sector to China’s growing middle class of over 500 million consumers.”

    While supporting New Zealand exhibitors at the Expo, Minister McClay will also meet with Chinese trade leaders and deliver a keynote address at the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, underscoring New Zealand’s commitment to expanding its trade partnerships and reinforcing the Government’s goal of doubling New Zealand’s exports by value in ten years.

    Following CIIE, Mr McClay will visit Guangzhou, a commercial gateway for New Zealand into southern China where he will engage with Kiwi businesses operating in the region.

    “A strong export sector is part of our plan to grow the economy, lift incomes for kiwis, and create jobs.”

    This will be Mr McClay’s second visit to China this year following political meetings in April.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Brandon Beach, Sen. John Albers and Sen. Matt Brass Demand Transparency From the Fulton County Board of Elections

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (November 2, 2024) — Today, Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism Chairman Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta), Senate Committee on Public Safety Chairman John Albers (R – Roswell) and Senate Committee on Rules Chairman Matt Brass (R – Newnan) issued statements following the decision by unelected and interim Fulton election bureaucrats on opening four election offices for the purpose of collecting absentee ballots and denying election observers and poll watchers.

    “After 19 days of early voting, the Fulton County Board of Elections, without the knowledge of the Secretary of State’s office, violated the spirit of free and fair elections and the will of the General Assembly by opening four government buildings in order to receive absentee ballots,” said Sen. Brandon Beach. “This decision raises serious questions regarding the chain of custody of ballots, posing a threat to transparency in our elections. We must do everything we can to promote trust among the electorate. The recent actions of the Fulton County Board of Elections have eroded that trust.”

    “I am deeply concerned by the recent decisions made by unelected and interim Fulton elections workers. These actions were taken without the approval of the Fulton Elections Board, Fulton County Commissioners or the Secretary of State. These same unelected Fulton elections workers then, in writing, told each other they were not allowed to have observers, clearly subverting the law and removing transparency,” said Sen. John Albers. “When we questioned the interim Elections Director, she misrepresented facts and was uncooperative. We will continue to monitor this ongoing situation and have been in contact with the Secretary of State’s office and legal counsel regarding these issues. It is paramount that we ensure public trust and promote transparency in our election process.”

    “Transparency on the front end of the election process is how to prevent confusion on the back end. Our state laws are designed to do just that and must be followed, Fulton County is no exception,” said Sen. Matt Brass.

    # # # #

    Sen. Brandon Beach serves as the Chairman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee. He represents the 21st Senate District which includes portions of Cherokee and Fulton counties. He may be reached at 404.463.1378 or by email at brandon.beach@senate.ga.gov

    Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56th Senate District which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb and Fulton counties. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov

    Sen. Matt Brass serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules. Sen. Brass represents the 28th Senate District, which includes Coweta and Heard, as well as parts of Douglas and Fulton County. He can be reached by email at matt.brass@senate.ga.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Farmers busy with autumn harvest across China

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Farmers busy with autumn harvest across China

    Updated: November 3, 2024 07:35 Xinhua
    Farmers air corn in Zaozhuang City, east China’s Shandong Province, Nov. 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Farmers harvest ginger in Mazhuang Village of Shanwangzhuang Town in Qinyang, central China’s Henan Province, Nov. 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Farmers harvest sweet potatoes in Jiantou Town of Xintian County, central China’s Hunan Province, Nov. 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 2, 2024 shows a harvester working in a paddy field in Jingtang Village in Zixing, central China’s Hunan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 2, 2024 shows farmers harvesting spinach in Jiangzhuang Town of Gaomi, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Clean & Green Singapore Day 2024: A Celebration Of Public Hygiene And Environmental Stewardship

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    Outstanding individuals recognised with prestigious environmental services awards.

    JOINT NEWS RELEASE BETWEEN NEA, SW CDC, NPARKS AND NUS

    Singapore, 3 November 2024 – The national aspiration for a clean and green Singapore was celebrated and reaffirmed today at Clean & Green Singapore (CGS) Day 2024[1], organised by the National Environment Agency, South West Community Development Council (SW CDC), National Parks Board (NParks), and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat was the Guest-of-Honour.

    2             In support of the ongoing Year of Public Hygiene, CGS Day this year commenced with the opening of a new Public Hygiene Council (PHC) CleanPod at West Coast Park. CleanPods are sheds located across parks, beaches, and housing estates, where the public can access litter-picking tools such as tongs and pails, to organise their own community clean-ups. The new CleanPod brings the total number of CleanPods across Singapore to 21. Together with DPM Heng, residents, local grassroots partners, People’s Association (PA) Youth Movement and NUS student volunteers put the new CleanPod to immediate use, with a community clean-up of the park. The clean-up comes on top of nearly 130 activities organised to date in support of the Year of Public Hygiene, planned by grassroots and corporate partners, NGOs and schools. Progammes ranged from clean-ups to outreach projects, promoting an overall culture of cleanliness. Many of these ground-up efforts have become regular activities, and will be continue into next year and beyond.

     3             DPM Heng then proceeded to NUS University Town, where he joined 160 students and staff in a traditional CGS tree-planting ceremony. The ceremony goes back to 1963, when founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew launched the first nationwide tree-planting campaign in support of Singapore’s greening movement, a legacy that continues to this day. The tree-planting was followed by the presentation of the Environmental Services (ES) Star Awards, as well as the Community in Bloom (CIB) Ambassador Awards by DPM Heng.

     27 Environmental Services Stars Recognised for Outstanding Contributions

     4          The annual ES Star Award recognises the contributions of workers in the Environmental Services industry, whose work at the forefront of upholding good public health and hygiene in Singapore is often taken for granted. The 2024 ES Star Award was presented to 27 frontline, supervisory, and operations support staff[2]. These individuals were nominated for demonstrating service excellence, initiative to continuously upskill, and for their significant contributions to innovation, productivity, and environmental sustainability.

     5          One of the awardees this year is Mr Chua Peng Soo, a Pest Control Technician with more than 30 years of experience. An advocate for environmental sustainability, Mr Chua ensures his clients’ premises are pest-free using eco-friendly pest management solutions. Beyond his professional duties, he also actively encourages his colleagues, friends and family to adopt green practices that protect our natural resources. Another awardee is Mr Noor Azmi Bin Ranai, a Senior Operations Manager. A firm believer in continuous learning, Mr Azmi has inspired his colleagues to upskill, encouraging them to attend courses and further their knowledge. His contributions to process improvement and staff development have made a lasting impact on the company.

     Appointment of Community in Bloom Ambassadors

     6          Seven new Community in Bloom (CIB) Ambassadors[3] were also appointed at this year’s CGS event. The CIB Ambassador Award recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to promote gardening and actively engage with the community to facilitate gardening-based community projects.

     7          One of the recipients, Ms Toh Mei Xuan, wears two hats as a Garden Leader and main programme curator at Geylang East Grove Community Garden which demonstrates her passion for gardening and nature. Ms Toh leads gardening sessions for preschoolers weekly and conducts workshops, garden tours and outreach activities at community events on the benefits of nature. In her own time, she also actively documents and shares about the wide range of biodiversity that can be found in the garden through online videos and educational materials.    

     Tree Planting at NUS University Town

     8          NUS has been organising tree planting activities on campus every year since November 2015 as part of its commitment towards building a Campus in a Tropical Rainforest, one of the focus areas under NUS’ Campus Sustainability Roadmap 2030.

     9          This year’s tree planting holds a special significance, with the planting of the 50,000th tree at NUS UTown today by DPM Heng, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu, Minister of National Development Mr Desmond Lee, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth & Trade and Industry, and Mayor of South West District, Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Dr Amy Khor and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Mr Baey Yam Keng. The event also saw the planting of a total of 50 trees by more than 100 NUS staff and students in support of NParks’ OneMillionTrees movement. This marks the halfway point towards the University’s goal of planting 100,000 trees by 2030, having increased its tree canopy area from 36 percent to 60 percent, that is, over half the campus grounds are covered with trees. The OneMillionTrees movement[4] started in 2020 with the aim to plant one million more trees across Singapore by 2030. To date, more than 700,000 trees have been planted across Singapore.

     10        During a construction project in 2012 at UTown, a national heritage tree – the Margaritaria indica (Airy Shaw) – was discovered on site. To commemorate NUS’ tree-planting milestone, DPM Heng planted a Margaritaria indica sapling, along with other accompanying dignitaries. Other tree species planted at CGS Day 2024 include Rubroshorea pauciflora, Scorodocarpus borneensis, Garcinia celebica and Anthoshorea gratissima, which are native to Singapore.

     Therapeutic Horticulture Programmes available for public to sign up for the first time

     11          Members of the public will be able to sign up for therapeutic horticulture programmes at six therapeutic gardens[5], including the newly opened therapeutic garden at West Coast Park, from December till May 2025 for free. Therapeutic horticulture programmes aim to improve participants’ well-being holistically by promoting low-intensity exercise and improving motor skills, stimulating memory, encouraging positive social interactions and connection with nature and promoting mindfulness. These programmes comprise facilitated nature-related activities such as designing seed mandalas, making of scent bags and creating leaf collages as well as other gardening activities. Interested members of public can find out more through the NParks official website. This is the first time that NParks is offering over 20 therapeutic horticulture sessions at different therapeutic gardens for public to sign up.

     Green efforts by South West Community Development Council  

     12          Aligned with Singapore’s sustainability goals, the South West CDC continues to nurture a community that is environmentally conscious through the Sustainable South West Masterplan[6]. The Masterplan outlines five key goals:

    1. Our Active, Gracious People, aimed at empowering residents with platforms to volunteer and do their part for the environment;
    2. Our Clean, Green Living Spaces, to foster community ties and environmental stewardship through our community gardens;
    3. Our Smart Homes, which promotes green living to reduce carbon footprint and innovating for a sustainable tomorrow;
    4. Our Green Rides, to encourage car-lite communities to transform common spaces into car-free zones and;
    5. Our Zero Waste Journey, where best practices on sustainability are shared with the community to encourage waste minimisation habits.

     13          Focusing on building sustainable habits in the community, the CDC’s programmes involve the collaborative effort of partners, schools, volunteers and residents to realise these goals. The CDC’s flagship recycling programme, Clean Up @ South West encourages residents to take responsibility for their living environment through the exchange of recyclables for groceries. Since its inception in 2006, close to 1,100 tonnes of recyclables have been collected, equivalent to saving over 18,300 trees. In 2023, the CDC launched the Green Innovation Centre, in partnership with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Bukit Batok Grassroots Organisations to transform the existing Cosy Garden in Bukit Batok into a hub to inspire the local community to learn and discover more on sustainable living. The programme, which has brought together close to 30 partners from the local community, Swedish MNCs, and local SMEs, has reached more than 600 residents to date, educating them about intelligent solutions such as AI facial recognition for enhancing security in community gardens.


    [1] For details of more activities under CGS, please refer to Annex A.

    [2] Please refer to Annex B for profiles of more ES Star awardees who are available for interviews.

    [3] Please refer to Annex C for more details on the CIB Ambassador Awards and the Ambassadors who have been appointed this year.

    [4] Please refer to Annex D for more information on the tree species that were planted today and about the OneMillionTrees movement.

    [5] Please refer to Annex E for more details on therapeutic horticulture programmes and therapeutic gardens.

    [6] Please refer to this link for more information on the Sustainable South West Masterplan.

    ~~ End ~~

    For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application. 

    ANNEXES

    Annex A – Factsheet on CGS Experiences and Activities
    Annex B – Factsheet with Profiles of Environmental Services Award Winners
    Annex C – Factsheet on CIB Ambassadors 2024
    Annex D – Factsheet on Tree Species Planted and OneMillionTrees Movement
    Annex E – Factsheet on Therapeutic Horticulture Programmes

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Without a One Health plan, Canada is vulnerable to future pandemics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Dominique Charron, Visiting Scholar in One Health, University of Guelph

    One Health is based on an understanding that our health and that of animals, plants and ecosystems are interdependent.
     (Shutterstock)

    November 3 is World One Health Day. One Health brings all parts of society and governments together to tackle joint problems of human, animal, plant and ecosystem health.

    Canada needs a One Health plan now to better face worsening climate change, accelerating biodiversity loss, pandemic threats, and threats from superbugs resistant to antibiotics. Canada’s actions on these issues are reactive rather than preventive, and aren’t well co-ordinated or funded. This undermines our readiness and response.

    One Health is based on an understanding that our health and that of animals, plants and ecosystems are interdependent. It presents a way to promote the health of all and to navigate the inevitable trade-offs.

    The current avian flu threat

    A look to our southern border highlights the urgency for action. On March 25, a strain of Avian Influenza A:H5N1 virus that had caused outbreaks in wild birds and poultry in Canada and the United States since 2021, suddenly infected dairy cows in Texas.

    The virus had never been reported in cows before. Its detection was slow and too little was done to stop the spread. As of Nov. 1, H5N1 had spread quickly to 404 dairy farms across 14 states, costing millions in lost milk production and spilling back into poultry and wildlife, killing millions more birds.

    It is concerning that H5N1 has also infected at least 39 people, primarily farm workers, fortunately causing only mild symptoms.

    Canada’s response to the outbreak ramped up after H5N1 reports in U.S. dairy cows. No cases of H5N1 have yet been detected in Canadian cows, but there is need for vigilance because of ongoing H5N1 outbreaks across North America. Authorities in both countries have confirmed that pasteurized milk products are safe.



    Read more:
    U.S. has found H5N1 flu virus in milk — here’s why the risk to humans is likely low

    H5N1 is a growing threat because it infects many species, including seals, mink, bears, foxes, coyotes, dogs and cats. Influenza viruses that jump species pose a greater pandemic threat because of the mixing that may occur when different influenza viruses infect the same animal or person. This can produce new, more severe strains of human flu.

    No one wants to face another pandemic. Canada’s actions to keep ahead of this threat would be enhanced by national One Health planning and co-ordination.

    One Health around the world

    National One Health plans of other countries, like Rwanda, Thailand and Bangladesh, have been shown to help prevent human and animal disease outbreaks. Global Affairs Canada and the International Development Research Centre have invested $40 million since 2021 to support One Health internationally, including in hotspots of disease emergence.

    The U.S. has a One Health Act and recently launched its national co-ordination platform. However, Canada has just begun this work at home. Canada created a high level steering committee to oversee the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Time and effort were taken to involve federal, provincial and territorial agencies, Indigenous people, civil society and researchers to arrive at an inclusive framework with the right objectives, responsibilities and outputs. It’s an ideal model for a new Canadian One Health action plan.

    Canada has a mixed track record of working across sectors, whether to fight past outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease, avian or swine flu, or co-ordinating actions by people from different departments and agencies on H5N1 or COVID-19 today. There are problems: nationally, collaboration is informal and focused on single issues, more reactive than preventive, and not supported by any overarching plan, decision-making structure or resources to ensure consistent, ongoing co-operation across threats and issues.

    The risks of not putting these measures in place include information not reaching decision-makers, resources and expertise not being used optimally, trade-offs being misread by other agencies or partners, duplication and gaps, and too little getting done to prevent health threats.

    Implementing One Health

    Without a national One Health plan, Canada risks being vulnerable to new threats, including pandemics.
    (Shutterstock)

    There is guidance. In 2021, the World Health Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Environment, and the World Organisation for Animal Health agreed to work together on a One Health Joint Plan of Action and implementation guidance.

    With gender equality, inclusiveness and equity, and the importance of local and traditional knowledge at the fore, countries should start implementing One Health by assessing capacities and programs already in place, setting up and funding national co-ordination, setting priorities for action, then producing and putting into action their national plan.

    Canada should mirror what it has done to manage antibiotic-resistant microbes by developing and governing our own national One Health action plan, similar to the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

    It needs to engage Indigenous perspectives and knowledge to strengthen One Health prevention, readiness and response capabilities. A national One Health action plan, and the co-ordination and resources to go with it, could help Canada achieve other goals — such as the National Climate Adaptation Strategy, biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Protocol, and the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance — and to collaborate more effectively with other countries on shared issues.

    Without a national One Health plan, Canada risks being vulnerable to new threats (including pandemics), investing too little in prevention and having a suboptimal response. It’s time for Canada’s One Health action plan.

    This article was co-authored by Andrea Ellis, DVM, MSc., a consultant currently supporting One Health work with the World Organisation for Animal Health. She is the former Senior Veterinary Advisor to the Chief Veterinary Officer and World Organisation for Animal Health Delegate for Canada.

    Dominique Charron is affiliated with the McEachran Institute and START.org. She is a member of the One Health High Level Expert Panel that advises the World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Environment, and World Organisation for Animal Health. She is a former Vice-President, Programs and Partnerships, of the International Development Research Centre.

    Cate Dewey is currently working on a community One Health project in Rwanda. The project is managed by Veterinarians without Borders, North America and is funded by Global Affairs Canada

    – ref. Without a One Health plan, Canada is vulnerable to future pandemics – https://theconversation.com/without-a-one-health-plan-canada-is-vulnerable-to-future-pandemics-242378

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville: “Daylight Saving Time should be a thing of the past.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – As Alabamians changed their clocks today, U.S. Senator Tuberville (R-AL) continued his push for Congress to pass the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act to make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent and end the outdated practice of adjusting our clocks twice a year. Senator Tuberville released a video today emphasizing the need to move forward with this legislation and advocating for the many health benefits of “locking the clock.”
    “Alabamians have made it clear that springing forward and falling back should be a thing of the past,” said Senator Tuberville. “Centuries ago, a time change might have made sense, but it doesn’t today. An additional hour of sunshine in the evenings during cold winter months would be welcome news for folks on their way to work and kids on their way home from school. It just makes sense to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, and I will keep fighting to get it across the goal line.”
    Senator Tuberville has helped introduce the Sunshine Protection Act in both Congresses since taking office at the urging of countless Alabamians who are tired of changing their clocks twice a year.  The U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act on March 15, 2022, by unanimous consent, but then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not bring it up for a vote in the House of Representatives before the 117th Congress ended, requiring it to be reintroduced again in the 118th Congress.
    The Alabama Legislature passed a bill to permanently implement DST year-round in 2021, but legislation must first be passed at the federal level in order for the state law to take effect.
    Watch the full video here.
    WATCH:
    Tuberville: Let’s Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
    Tuberville Urges Congress to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
    Tuberville: Daylight Saving Time Bill Passes Senate 
    Tuberville Pushes to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 245-2024: Trial of new community protection profile questions on tariffs 3002.12, 3002.15 and 3822.19

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    4 November 2024

    Who does this notice affect?

    Importers and brokers of commodities lodged in tariffs:

    • 3002.12 – Antisera and other blood fractions
    • 3002.15 – Immunological products, put up in measured doses or in forms or packings for retail sale.
    • 3822.19 – Other diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, prepared diagnostic or laboratory reagents whether or not on a backing, whether or not put up in the form of kits, other than those of 3006;…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 246-2024: Addition of AUST R human vaccines onto the Compliance-Based Intervention Scheme (CBIS)

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    4 November 2024

    Who does this notice affect?

    Importers and brokers of:

    • Australian registered (AUST R) human therapeutics and medicines imported under tariff 3002.41.00.01 — Vaccines for human medicine (AUST R human vaccines).

    What has changed?

    The department is expanding the…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More energy, fewer turbines – modification boosts wind farm capacity

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Published: 3 November 2024

    Released by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

    The NSW Government has approved a modification to a large-scale wind farm in the state’s Central West which will deliver enough energy to the grid to power 730,000 homes.

    The Liverpool Range Wind Farm was approved in 2018 with a modification sought in 2022 to utilise more efficient technology to increase its energy generation with fewer turbines.

    The $2 billion renewable energy project, northeast of Mudgee, will create 550 construction jobs and 47 operational jobs for the Central West economy.

    The local community will also benefit with $35 million to be delivered to local councils through Voluntary Planning Agreements.

    Following consultation with the community the applicant reduced the number of turbines from 267 to 185 to reduce the visual impacts.

    The modification will see an increase in the project’s maximum energy generation capacity by 370 megawatts to 1.3 gigawatts, with capacity to power an additional 200,000 homes across the state.

    Achieving this additional power was made possible through the use of more efficient turbines and increasing the maximum wind turbine height from 165 to 215 metres.

    The project will help prevent 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere across NSW during its first full year of operation.

    This State Significant Development is located within the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which the NSW Government considers a strategic area with strong renewable energy resource potential.

    Projects like this are critical to Labor’s Energy Plan to deliver cleaner, more affordable energy to the grid while creating thousands of jobs and boosting regional economies.

    In its assessment, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) worked closely with the community, councils and government agencies to address visual, biodiversity, traffic and transport impacts.

    The department has set a suite of conditions to make sure any potential impacts are effectively minimised, managed and offset.

    For more information see: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/mod-1-turbine-and-infrastructure-changes

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “NSW is leading a once-in-a-generation upgrade of the electricity network by building the infrastructure we need to power our state into the future.

    “The Liverpool Range Wind Farm will generate jobs during its construction and operational phases, while also providing long-lasting benefits to the local area through community contributions over the life of project.

    “This is a good example of the applicant working with the local community and the final result being material changes to the proposal that address visual impacts.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Young people encouraged to join Youth Council

    Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

    The City of Greater Bendigo is looking for up to 18 young people aged between 14 and 24 who want to have a stronger voice in their community and are interested in being part of the City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council for the next two years.

    Expressions of Interest for positions on the City of Greater Bendigo Youth Council for 2025-2026 are now open and will close on Tuesday November 19, 2024.

    City of Greater Bendigo CEO Andrew Cooney said the Youth Council is an initiative to engage with local young people in the City’s decision-making process for the future.

    “The Youth Council represents the views of young people on City plans and programs that impact them and represents young people at civic and other events and activities,” Mr Cooney said.

    “It also fulfils a key goal of the City’s Council Plan 2021-2025 to ensure young people are supported to explore, engage and be empowered to shape the world they live in.

    “I encourage young people from all backgrounds and walks of life to consider applying for Youth Council so that the voices of all young people can be reflected and heard.”

    2024 Youth Mayor Lilly Correll said the Youth Council is an amazing opportunity for all young people to enhance their skills and give back to the community.

    “Not only do you meet likeminded individuals, you also gain a real insight into the benefits of volunteering, including learning new skills and networking opportunities,” Ms Correll said.

    “Youth Councillors attend and MC events, write letters to Council, and sit on advisory committees and on non-for-profit boards, it’s a great opportunity for local young people to have their voice heard and an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity to make a change.”

    In the six years of the Youth Council, Youth Councillors have providing input into over 50 City plans, strategies, policies, and projects, including the Council Plan 2021-2025, the Zero Emissions Roadmap, the Biodiversity Strategy, the LGBTIQA+ Action Plan, the Fair Access Action Plan, the E-scooter trial, and the Managed Growth Strategy.

    They have also co-designed and overseen the development of the City’s Youth Action Plan 2023-2024 and have represented young people on several advisory committees including the Farming and Agribusiness Advisory Committee, the Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration, the Arts and Creative Industries Advisory Committee, and the Bendigo Regional Manufacturing Group.

    The new Youth Councillors will undertake induction and training in January 2025 and attend their first meeting in February 2025.

    For more information, contact the City’s Youth Team via email or phone:

    [email protected]

    5434 6401

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $12.5 million funding to continue building stronger animal welfare enforcement across NSW

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: $12.5 million funding to continue building stronger animal welfare enforcement across NSW

    Published: 4 November 2024

    Released by: Minister for Agriculture

    The Minns Labor Government today announced two of the state’s key animal welfare organisations, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals NSW (RSPCA) and the Animal Welfare League NSW (AWL), will receive $12.5 million towards their enforcement and compliance activities that provide protection for NSW cats, dogs, livestock and other animals.

    The funding is part of the NSW Government’s election commitments to establish a modern, fit for purpose animal welfare framework.

    As part of the enforcement grants announced today, the RSPCA NSW will receive $11.3 million, and the AWL NSW will receive $1.17 million.

    The funding is substantially higher than any other state or territory has allocated to charitable animal welfare organisations to undertake their compliance and enforcement work.

    The funding will be used to:

    • Fund animal welfare inspectors who play a crucial role in enforcing NSW animal welfare laws
    • Investigate animal cruelty complaints, protecting vulnerable animals from harm or distress
    • Carry out enforcement action on those people doing animals’ harm
    • Provide a one-off upgrade to AWL operating systems for streamlined compliance data and reporting.
    • Cover vehicle operating and legal expenses.

    The announcement follows recent Government animal welfare initiatives including introducing new ‘fit and proper’ laws preventing people who have been convicted of repeat animal cruelty offences from keeping or breeding animals and introducing into Parliament last month a Bill to ban the appalling practice of puppy farming.

    The grant applications and subsequent funding was assessed in accordance the requirements under the NSW Grants Administration Guide and was overseen by an independent panel.

    The purpose of these enforcement grants is to support approved charitable organisations and carry out Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 enforcement and compliance activities for the current 2024/25 financial year.

    Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said:

    “The NSW Government is committed to improving animal welfare standards across our state.

    “We will continue to work with stakeholder, advocates, and the community to improve animal welfare and to build a better and stronger framework of animal protection.

    “We recognise the compliance work the Animal Welfare League and RSPCA do and value the long-standing relationships we have with them to achieve better outcomes for the animals of NSW.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Writing the village as universe

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Wei Sixiao has won the 2024 Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize for his novel Tu Guang Cun Mu (Vast land, Small Tree), beating other four shortlisted writers.

    Cofounded in 2018 by Swiss luxury watch brand Blancpain and Chinese publisher Imaginist, the annual prize was established to shed light on Chinese writers under 45. The winner receives a cash prize of 300,000 yuan ($42,022), and a Blancpain watch.

    The theme of this year’s award was “Where is the originality in literature?” According to Leung Man-tao, chief consultant of Imaginist, with the theme, the award chose to inspire people to explore the experiences and creativity that define us as individuals, especially in the context of being surrounded by the cocoon of information, big data, and artificial intelligence.

    The evaluation committee, which is composed each year of different writers, literary critics, and a celebrity reader from another field, consisted of poet and literary critic Zhang Dinghao, actor-director Joan Chen, writer Shuang Xuetao, who won the award in 2020, Xu Zidong, former director of Department of Chinese at Lingnan University, and writer Luo Yijun.

    Representing the jury, Xu delivered the award speech for the 38-year-old’s winning entry. “Focusing on a village, rather than a single character or event, the book makes use of meticulous realism to carry on the tradition of Sheng Si Chang (The Field of Life and Death, by Xiao Hong).

    “It deepens and develops the mainstream of Chinese rural literature in terms of space. In terms of time, it not only narrates the lives of farmers over the past few decades, as seen in Huo Zhe (To Live, by Yu Hua) and Pingfan De Shijie (Ordinary World, by Lu Yao), but also keeps pace with the times by depicting new rural scenes: tractors harvesting corn, farmers using social media, township elections and nursing homes.

    “Amid the changes to the countryside, it reflects on unchanging aspects, namely the network of interpersonal relationships based on kinship and family ties as described in Fei Xiaotong’s Xiangtu Zhongguo (From the Soil: The Foundations of Chinese Society).”

    However, at the prize-giving event on Oct 22 in Beijing, Zhang Dinghao raised the issue of whether Wei’s work was “repetitive”, suggesting that the structural innovation of the novel was designed to mask the repetition of content. He also raised the question of whether the writer was stuck in a habitual style, saying this was “a matter that Wei might need to reflect on”.

    In response, Wei acknowledged that his limitation was the tendency to repeat themes.

    “Some characters may recur, but it’s inevitable. After living in the countryside for over 30 years, I’ve witnessed the gradual development of many characters each year. So, I want to write coherently,” he says, adding that he tries to present fresh and overlooked elements with each new novel he writes.

    Born in a village in Zibo, Shandong province in 1986, Wei focuses on the village as his subject.

    His recent titles include The Rural Trilogy — Yu Shi Wu Qu (which roughly translates as “don’t do other things than suggested by traditional Chinese almanacs”), Doushi Renmin Qunzhong (The Masses), and Wang Nenghao (the name of the principal character), which was shortlisted for the 2022 Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize.

    After Wang Nenghao, Wei was searching for a new way to write another novel about the village. He says that after the trilogy, there were still a great many things in Xinliu village that he had not written about previously.

    “Even if it’s a small village with only a few hundred households, it’s a very complex little universe, which motivates me to continue writing about it,” he says.

    In the end, he found the answer, to “dissect” the little-known village from different perspectives, as the title of his book indicates.

    “The idea (for the title) is actually quite simple: to deconstruct the two Chinese characters for ‘village’ into four parts, and see how they could be rearranged to sound smoother. I chose this title as the novel seeks to describe different aspects of a village,” Wei says.

    Wanting to break free from the constraints of the traditional novel, Wei made bold structural changes in his latest work.

    The novel is divided into two parts. The first part, Aspects, places specific focus on some of the people, things and places in the village, revealing both the genealogies of characters in Xinliu, and the vicissitudes of life.

    The second part, A Year, takes a nonfictional approach to documenting the events, large and small, such as agricultural work, weddings and funerals, providing a panoramic depiction of the authentic rural landscape of the present.

    In the second part, Wei introduces his own perspective, leading readers through significant events in rural life.

    “It was a bit like making a documentary,” he says.

    Inspired by the writing style of German-English novelist, essayist, poet and scholar W.G. Sebald, which combines elements of memoir, fiction, history and biography, in Tu Guang Cun Mu, Wei explores a style that blurs the boundary between fiction and nonfiction.

    Like scenes from a documentary, the multitude of living beings and everyday life in Xinliu village unfold gradually in the 400-page novel. Over 100 characters, through different festivals and seasons, experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, joy and sorrow, separations and reunions — behind each face is an endless story.

    “Villages may seem similar to one another, and you don’t know how the villagers survive and live. Perhaps after reading my novel, readers may understand how they live and die, which might have been my original intention in writing,” Wei says.

    “The work is vivid and powerful. Wei Sixiao possesses a deep understanding and affection for the land, yet he avoids sentimentality, using the most simple, compassionate and humorous tone to accurately depict the lives of the villagers,” says Joan Chen, commenting on the book.

    “This allows us to feel intense, indescribable emotion and sentiment, reflecting the era and society through a tapestry of lives. I particularly enjoy the dialogues between the first-person narrator ‘I’ and the mother in the book, where they exchange all sorts of gossip about the city, the village, relatives and acquaintances, that bring a smile to the reader’s face.”

    Death is one of the topics Wei often covers in his work, especially rural funerals, which he says are like a festival gathering, attended by a lot of relatives and friends.

    “When faced with death, people often experience poetic moments. My view of funerals has changed over the years. I used to dislike insincerity of the wailing, but now I see it can comfort the deceased person’s close family, even if the tears aren’t real.”

    Opened for entries on April 15, the 2024 Blancpain-Imaginist Literary Prize received 115 works of fiction, a record number of submissions, says Liu Ruilin, founder of Imaginist. Five, including Tong Mo’s novel Dadi Zhongxin De Ren (People at the Center of the Earth), short story collection Guowang De Youxi (The King’s Game) by Datouma, and Laoshi Haoren (Honest, Good People) by Gu Xiang were shortlisted, with the five judges commenting that they “demonstrate the young writers’ keen insight into reality and an impressively expansive view”.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Employment – Nurses stop work across the country

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) employed by Te Whatu Ora are attending a series of 62 meetings across the country over urgent pressing issues.
    These hour-long meetings started today and end on Friday. They aim to allow nurses, midwives, and health care assistants to review Te Whatu Ora’s intention to pause calculations for the Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) safe staffing programme during collective bargaining late last month.
    The employer restricting bargaining parameters to 1% of total employee costs will also be discussed.
    Meeting schedule for Tuesday:
    • Whangārei – Whangārei Hospital 2nd Floor Conference Room – 9.30am-10.30am
    • Kaitāia – Kaitāia Hospital level 3/meeting room 1 – 9.30am-10.30am
    • Dargaville – Dargaville Hospital, Dargaville ward lounge – .30-10.30am
    • Bay of Islands – Old Ward – Meeting Room 2 – 9.30-10.30am
    • Auckland City Hospital, Marion Davis Centre – 9.30-10.30am; 11am-12pm, 1-2pm
    • Auckland – Greenlane Hospital, Building 13, Level 7 – 8.30am-9.30am and 10-11am
    • Auckland – North Shore Hospital – B:HIVE Auditorium, across road from North Shore Hospital, Smales Farm – 2.30pm-3.30pm
    • Auckland – Waitakere Hospital – Manukau Matapo Room -2.45pm-3.45pm 
    • Tauranga – Nikau Room, Tauranga Hospital – 9.30pm-10.30pm
    • Whakatāne – Clinical School Conference Hall, Whakatāne Hospital – 1.30pm-2.30pm
    • Taumarunui – Conference/Library Room Taumarunui Hospital – 11am-12pm
    • Hawera – The Hub Hawera – 1pm-2pm
    • Christchurch – Riccarton Park – Showgate – 1.30-2.30pm
    • Invercargill – Invercargill Working Mens’ Club -1.30pm-2.30pm.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fire restrictions announced in parts of the northeast

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    The Fire Danger Period will commence on November 11

    The Fire Danger Period (FDP) will begin at 01.00am on Monday, November 11, for the following municipalities in CFA’s North East region:

    • Shire of Moira
    • Greater City of Shepparton
    • Shire of Strathbogie

    After a drier-than-average autumn and winter, Victoria’s west and southwest are facing an increased fire risk leading into summer, with substantial amounts of dead and dry plant material in forests making it easier for fires to ignite and spread.

    CFA District 22 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Tony Owen said now is the time for residents to be aware of the conditions around them.

    “While we’ve had a lot of recent rain, it has been fluctuating and soil conditions in the north east are still dry and a lot higher than previous years,” Tony said.

    “There is a great deal of fuel out there and we’re predicting a summer of grassfires.

    “We’re asking people to keep an eye out on the VicEmergency App and CFA website, to be aware of the fire danger ratings and to know what their plan is should a fire event arise.

    “If you can take the time this week to finalise preparing your properties, we strongly suggest you do so, whether that is reducing vegetation around your property or clearing your gutters.”

    Across the rest of the state, a warmer-than-average spring with an uncertain rainfall outlook is expected. While the fire risk in these areas is considered normal, it’s crucial not to be complacent; fires can still occur anytime and anywhere when temperatures rise, and vegetation dries out.

    CFA’s 52,000 members are poised to respond and support communities this bushfire season, they’re urging people to use common sense and take responsibility for preventing fires.

    Residents in these municipalities in the northeast of the state are asked to take this opportunity ahead of the FDP to clean up their properties and for landowners to conduct safe private burn-offs where possible.

    Those conducting burn-offs must notify authorities online at the Fire Permits Victoria website (www.firepermits.vic.gov.au), or by calling ESTA on 1800 668 511.

    By registering your burn-off online, you allow emergency call takers to allocate more of their time taking calls from people who need emergency assistance immediately.

    No burning off is permitted during the FDP without a Permit to Burn, which can be applied for through the Fire Permits Victoria website.

    There are very strict conditions attached to these permits and the liability sits with the permit holder to ensure they always act safely. 

    Fire Danger Period information:

    • A written permit is required to burn off grass, undergrowth, weeds or other vegetation during the FDP. You can apply for a permit at firepermits.vic.gov.au. It can also be issued by the Municipal Fire Prevention Officer or the CFA District Office.
    • Lighting fires in the open without a permit can bring a penalty of more than $21,800 and/or 12 months imprisonment. For a full list of conditions, visit cfa.vic.gov.au/can.
    • Farmers can find legal guidelines and practical advice at cfa.vic.gov.au/farms.
    • More information about FDPs is available online at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/firedangerperiod.
    • To find out what you can and can’t do during FDP, visit  www.cfa.vic.gov.au/can or by calling VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Duarte Introduces the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative John Duarte California (13th District)

    Congressman Duarte Introduces the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act

    Livingston, CA -, October 30, 2024

    Livingston, CA –This week, Congressman John Duarte (CA-13) announced the introduction of the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act. Joined by local elected officials, community members, and advocates, the event underscored the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform and strengthened border security. The bill is the result of over two years of collaboration with Valley leaders from both parties, immigration roundtables, and town halls throughout the district. Congressman John Duarte announced his “1,000 Mayors”campaign to gain nationwide support and feedback from local elected officials

    “Families, workers, and communities throughout the Valley want real immigration solutions, not political grandstanding,” said Rep. Duarte. “This bill protects our immigrant communities and brings them out of the shadows, protects our communities against drug trafficking, and improves our Valley economy. I’m proud to work with my Democrat and Republican friends and local leaders to fix our immigration and border system.”

    To watch the full press conference,click here.

    Press Conference Speakers and Attendees:

    • Maria Pacheco, Kerman Mayor
    • Jose Moran, Livingston Mayor
    • Mike Clauzel, Patterson Mayor, Mike Clauzel’s wife Efigenia Clauzel
    • Javier Lopez, Ceres Mayor
    • Amy Bublak, Turlock Mayor
    • Paul Lanez, Los Banos Mayor
    • Mike Nelson, Atwater Mayor
    • Cece Gallegos, Madera Mayor Pro-Tem
    • Gurpal Samra, Livingston Mayor Pro-Tem
    • Lloyd Pariera, Merced County Supervisor
    • San Joaquin County Farm Bureau, President Les Strojan
    • Madera County Farm Bureau,Christina Beckstead
    • Rodrigo Espinosa, Merced County Supervisor

    Data on Immigration:

    • Ninety-six percent of Republicans and 80% of Democrats polled want stronger border security.
    • Seventy percent of Americans support legal pathways for high-skilled immigrants and international students.
    • The agricultural industry faces critical labor shortages, affecting the Valley’s economy and local farmers.
    • Most Americans support a path to legal status for eligible undocumented immigrants.

    Key Provisions of the Bill:

    • Enhanced Border Security: The bill allocates new resources and technology to complete the southern border wall and expand the Customs and Border Protection force, addressing drug trafficking and unauthorized entry. Note: This provision includes bill text from the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2).
    • Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Eligible individuals—including a permanent fix for Dreamers and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, long-term Valley residents, and those with U.S. citizen spouses or children—can obtain TPS for five years while the government works to secure the border. Note: This bill builds on the Dignity Act, which Congressman Duarte has cosponsored since 2023.
    • Transition to Legal Status: TPS holders will transition to permanent status after five years, if the secure border is secured.
    • Agricultural Workforce Support: Establishes a “blue card” system to protect undocumented agriculture workers and allow them to return to the U.S. if they travel back to their country of origin.
    • To read more about the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rubio, Scott on Communist China’s Inhumane Foreign Adoption Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    Next Week: Rubio Staff Hosts Mobile Office Hours

    Nov 1, 2024 | Press Releases

    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person and virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of…

    read more

    Rubio Demands Biden-harris Admin Stop Importation of Slave-made Pharmaceuticals

    Oct 31, 2024 | Press Releases

    Despite the passage of the Rubio-led Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in 2021, a recent report has revealed that two Xinjiang-based pharmaceutical entities continue to exploit American laws for profit. To uphold the UFLPA, the U.S. Food and Drug…

    read more

    ICYMI: Rubio: Cancel Trade Benefits for Offshoring

    Oct 31, 2024 | Press Releases

    Cancel Trade Benefits for Offshoring U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) October 31, 2024 Newsweek Last month, President Donald Trump made waves by threatening to impose a tariff on John Deere for moving production to Mexico…. [A]s I said in my own letter to John Deere…

    read more

    Rubio, Scott Urge Biden-Harris Admin to Address IV Fluid Shortage

    Oct 31, 2024 | Press Releases

    Hurricane Helene significantly damaged North Carolina’s Baxter International IV fluid manufacturing plant. Baxter is responsible for producing more than half of the country’s IV fluid supply. This closure has strained the medical community, leading to delays in…

    read more

    Rubio, Franklin, Colleagues Demand Compensation for Agricultural Land

    Oct 30, 2024 | Press Releases

    Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought high winds, flooding, and damage across Florida. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates the total crop and infrastructure losses range from $1.5 to $2.5 billion. The State of Florida has requested…

    read more

    Rubio, Scott Support Seminole Tribe’s Major Disaster Request

    Oct 28, 2024 | Press Releases

    Due to Hurricane Milton’s impact on the Seminole Tribe of Florida, their communities, and property, the tribe requested a major disaster declaration to assist in their response and recovery efforts.  U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a…

    read more

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Roundup: November 1, 2024

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    For Immediate Release:

    Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency: 

    • Today, the FDA published the FDA Voices: “FDA Takes Exciting Steps Toward Establishing the Rare Disease Innovation Hub,” by Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). The FDA Rare Disease Innovation Hub (the Hub) is an FDA cross-center program that will act as the single point of engagement and connection with outside parties for drug and biological product development and as a forum for CBER and CDER to collaborate on cross-cutting rare disease-related issues. Through the Hub, we plan to foster a community at the FDA for open dialogue and knowledge sharing to identify new approaches to drug and biologic development and overcome hurdles that have traditionally impeded progress for rare disease treatments.
    • Today, the FDA published a final Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) intended to provide the FDA’s current thinking on the adulteration of fish and fishery products with Scombrotoxin (histamine). The CPG will assist the FDA in addressing adulteration associated with decomposition and histamine identified during surveillance sampling and testing. It also will increase consumer protections related to scombrotoxin (histamine) fish poisoning (SFP) by lowering the levels of histamine in fish at which the FDA indicates that it may take action.
    • On Thursday, the FDA announced it will host a public meeting on Nov. 20, 2024, on recommendations for reauthorization of the OTC Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA). Registration information for this event can be found at the meetings page. The FDA welcomes comments from the public until Dec. 20, 2024. Details on how to submit to the docket can be found at the Federal Register notice. 
    • On Thursday, the FDA announced approval of a modification to the Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (OA REMS). With this approval, companies participating in the OA REMS Program have been notified that they will be required to begin providing pre-paid drug mail-back envelopes upon request to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers of opioid analgesics by March 31, 2025. This approval follows an April 2023 letter FDA sent to manufacturers of opioid analgesics used in outpatient settings, informing them that they were required to submit a proposed modification to the OA REMS within 180 days of the date of the notice.
    • On Wednesday, the FDA’s Human Foods Program (HFP) released its 2025 Priority Deliverables, which highlights activities the HFP plans to focus on during its first year following a reorganization of the program’s design and responsibilities that went into effect on October 1, 2024. These priority deliverables are being shared while the HFP works on a more comprehensive multi-year strategic plan to advance its vision and mission.  
    • On Wednesday, the FDA updated the outbreak advisory for E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to slivered onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. The FDA continues to work with CDC, USDA FSIS, state partners and involved firms to investigate the outbreak. 

      As of Oct. 30, 90 people from 13 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Of 83 people with information available, 27 have been hospitalized, and 2 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado. This person is not one of those who developed HUS. 

      More illnesses have been reported but they are from before McDonald’s and Taylor Farms took action to remove slivered onions from food service locations. Epidemiologic and traceback data show that slivered onions served at affected McDonald’s locations are the likely source of this outbreak. USDA FSIS conducted a thorough investigation in response to this outbreak, including traceback and testing of beef patties served on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s, and evidence does not point to ground beef as the likely source of contamination. Testing on beef patties by the Colorado Department of Agriculture is complete and all samples were found to be negative for E. coli.

      Additionally, the FDA is working with Taylor Farms and their direct customers to determine if additional downstream customer recalls are necessary after Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions that were supplied to McDonald’s and other food service customers on Oct. 22, 2024. According to available information, it is unlikely that recalled yellow onions were sold to grocery stores or directly to consumers. Food service customers who received recalled onions were contacted and should no longer be using or serving recalled onions. In addition to recall activities, the FDA has initiated inspections at a Taylor Farms processing center in Colorado and an onion grower of interest in Washington state. The FDA’s investigation is ongoing.

    • On Wednesday, FDA announced that the agency issued warning letters to nine online retailers and one manufacturer for selling and/or distributing unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes with designs and functionalities that resemble smart technology, including phones and gaming devices. The products cited in the warning letters are advertised as having a variety of designs and functions that may appeal to youth, such as the ability to play games, connect to a smartphone, receive text or call notifications, play music, or personalize products with custom wallpaper. This latest round of warning letters marks another step in FDA’s continued efforts to remove unauthorized e-cigarette products from the market, particularly those that appeal to youth. 
    • On Wednesday, the FDA posted a new video in the “FDA In Your Day” series. In this video, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hilary Marston discusses food safety.
    • On Wednesday, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health published the fall edition of the Digital Health Center of Excellence Newsletter. This edition features the Digital Health Advisory Committee that will hold a meeting on Nov. 20-21, 2024, a Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Glossary, another update to the list of medical devices that incorporate AR/VR or AI/ML, and more.
    • On Tuesday, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Scemblix (asciminib, Novartis AG) for adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase (CP). In the pooled safety population in patients with newly diagnosed and previously treated Ph+ CML in CP, the most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were musculoskeletal pain, rash, fatigue, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The most common laboratory abnormalities (≥40%) in patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in CP were decreased lymphocyte count, decreased leukocyte count, decreased platelet count, decreased neutrophil count and decreased calcium corrected. Full prescribing information for Scemblix will be posted on Drugs@FDA. 

    Related Information

    Related Information

    ###

    Boilerplate

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Inquiries

    Consumer:
    888-INFO-FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Calls on Congressional Leaders to Fully Fund Crime Victims Fund and Support Essential Services for Crime Victims

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Calls on Congressional Leaders to Fully Fund Crime Victims Fund and Support Essential Services for Crime Victims

    Governor Cooper Calls on Congressional Leaders to Fully Fund Crime Victims Fund and Support Essential Services for Crime Victims
    mseets

    This week, Governor Roy Cooper sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging a restoration of full funding for crime victim services. The federal Crime Victims Fund is the primary source of support for millions of crime victims every year and has seen a drastic decline in funding in recent years. This critical funding source supports essential services for crime victims including mental health counseling, legal assistance, replacement of lost wages and temporary housing.

    “Victims and survivors of crime suffer physical, psychological, financial and emotional harm that can severely impact their lives,” said Governor Cooper. “We must ensure full funding of the Crime Victims Fund to provide victims and survivors with essential services.”

    A large portion of funding North Carolina receives from the Crime Victims Fund is administered by the Governor’s Crime Commission. North Carolina received over $100 million in 2018 and is projected to receive less than $5 million for the upcoming funding cycle. This dramatic 95% reduction puts services for crime victims at extreme risk and crime victims will suffer without the help and support they need and deserve.

    “The services we fund through the Crime Victims Fund are essential to helping survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, financial fraud, and homicide,” said Caroline Farmer, Executive Director of the Governor’s Crime Commission. “The decline in funding has already reduced our ability to provide these essential programs in North Carolina, and additional cuts will exacerbate the harm our nonprofits, service providers, and ultimately survivors, are facing.”

    Governor Cooper’s 2024-2025 Recommended Budget included $6 million to ensure crime victims receive the most necessary services such as crisis care and legal assistance despite these federal cuts. However, state funding is not enough to make up for the losses of federal funding and action by Congress is needed. In 2021, Congress passed the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act with bipartisan support. While this law restored some critical funding, it was not sufficient to fully replenish the Crime Victims Fund.

    Read the letter here.

    ###

    Nov 1, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hageman Applauds Lawsuit to Stop Mandatory EID

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

    Washington, DC – Today Congresswoman Harriet Hageman applauded the complaint filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop the implementation of a rule mandating EID eartags for cattle and bison being transported across state lines. The lawsuit argues that USDA does not have the authority to mandate EID eartags or to enforce such a rule, and that USDA failed to properly account for the rule’s impact on small producers, despite being required to do so by federal law.  

    Representative Hageman stated, “USDA simply does not have the authority to mandate the use of EID eartags. This is an unreasonably expensive unfunded mandate that will lead to the elimination of small producers, vertical integration of our livestock and meat supply, put herds and ranches at risk through invasive Freedom of Information Act requests, and imposes an unbearable cost burden on all but the largest corporate producers. I applaud NCLA and the food freedom movement for challenging this unlawful regulation.”

    Background: 

    Rep. Hageman is leading the Congressional effort to support America’s ranchers and block this rule, and has: 

    • Filed an amendment to the FY24 and FY25 USDA spending bills to block federal funds from supporting the rule’s implementation.
    • Argued before the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs prior to the implementation of the final rule. 
    • Written three op-eds describing the threats and consequences of such a mandate and countless radio and television interviews with networks across the country.
    • Most recently, Rep. Hageman introduced a joint resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act which would rescind this awful mandatory EID rule. The resolution has been jointly sponsored in the Senate by Cynthia Lummis. 

    ###

    Contact: Chris Berardi, Sr. Advisor/Communications Director

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Calls on EPA to Ban Use of Paraquat to Protect Farmworkers and Rural Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and his Senate colleagues sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to ban the use of paraquat, a highly toxic pesticide linked to severe health risks, including Parkinson’s disease and various forms of cancer.
    “Paraquat is a highly toxic pesticide whose continued use cannot be justified given its harms to farmworkers and rural communities. We write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of paraquat in the United States,” the Senators wrote. 
    “Paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, thyroid cancer, and other health harms such as kidney, liver, and respiratory damage, and reproductive harm, including neurodevelopmental impact on developing fetuses. In rural areas, exposure to paraquat and other pesticides during pregnancy can increase the risk of leukemia,” the Senators continued.  
    There has been a global movement away from paraquat, with over 70 countries—including China, Brazil, and members of the European Union—banning its use. Additionally, data from the EPA indicates that the majority of U.S. farmers do not rely on paraquat for their crops.
    Given the documented health hazards associated with paraquat, the case for its ban is clear. The EPA must prioritize the safety and well-being of farmworkers and rural communities, who should not be subjected to preventable health harms.
    “We urge you to protect the health of farmworkers and rural residents by banning paraquat,” the Senators concluded. 
    The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
    To read the full text of the letter, click here.
    Earlier this month, 47 Members of Congress sent a letter to the EPA, also urging a ban on paraquat.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden Announce $10.1 Million Federal Investment for Tualatin Mountain Forest Project

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    November 01, 2024
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is awarding $10,180,000 to boost the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Legacy Program.
    This new federal funding from the historic Inflation Reduction Act—the largest investment ever to tackle climate chaos—builds off the $3.63 million award Merkley and Wyden announced for the project earlier this year. The Tualatin Mountain Forest Phase 3 project promotes sustainable forest management, climate resiliency, conservation efforts, watershed health, and recreation activities for this economically and ecologically significant forestland in Multnomah County. 
    “Oregon’s forests must be conserved to ensure our lands remain healthy, well-managed, and accessible to Oregonians, visitors, and future generations,”?said Merkley, who serves as chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Forest Service?and secured these funds in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.?“I’ve long championed the Forest Legacy Program to boost vital conservation activities like the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project. This over $10 million in federal funding is essential to conserving the Tualatin Mountain Forest for generations to come, and I will keep fighting to ensure the federal government does its part to create and conserve healthy, resilient forests across our state and nation.
    “Oregonians treasure our opportunities across the state to enjoy the outdoors, and preserving forests in a balanced fashion plays a pivotal role in that dynamic,” said Wyden. “I’m glad the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project has earned these additional federal investments that I worked to secure. And I’ll keep battling for similar federal resources throughout our state.”
    The latest award to the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project is a part of more than a $265 million investment by the Forest Service to conserve nearly 335,000 acres of ecologically and economically significant forestlands across the nation. This latest round of funding is going toward 21 projects in 17 states to conserve working forests that support rural economies. In 2024 alone, the Forest Service has invested nearly $420 million to conserve more than 500,000 acres through the Forest Legacy Program.
    Information about the Tualatin Mountain Forest Phase 3 award can be found below: 
    Located 17 miles outside Portland, the Tualatin Mountain Forest (TMF) Phase 3 will be managed as a research forest and will benefit nearby disadvantaged communities and Portland Metro Area’s recreation economy by creating new public access to over 20 miles of existing trails. TMF will serve as a national model of an actively managed research forest balancing financial productivity, carbon sequestration, healthy watershed, public access, recreation, and diverse plant and wildlife communities, including Oregon’s diminishing oak woodlands.
    “Through this U.S. Forest Legacy Program grant, we’re one step closer to ensuring that this remarkable landscape remains a resilient and accessible natural resource for all—protecting critical wildlife habitat, water quality, and expanding equitable recreation opportunities,” said Kristin Kovalik, Oregon Program Director for Trust for Public Land. “TPL is grateful for Senators Merkley and Wyden’s continued support in conserving working forests that are essential to the livelihoods of timber-dependent communities and critical for environmental sustainability.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: First National Corporation Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STRASBURG, Va., Nov. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First National Corporation (the “Company” or “First National”) (NASDAQ: FXNC), reported unaudited consolidated net income of $2.2 million and basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.36 for the third quarter of 2024 and adjusted net income(1) of $2.4 million and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per common share(1) of $0.39.

    (Dollars in thousands, except earnings per share)   Three Months Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Net income   $ 2,248     $ 2,442     $ 3,121  
    Basic and diluted earnings per share   $ 0.36     $ 0.39     $ 0.50  
    Return on average assets     0.62 %     0.68 %     0.91 %
    Return on average equity     7.28 %     8.31 %     10.96 %
                             
    Non-GAAP Measures:                        
    Adjusted net income(1)   $ 2,448     $ 3,008     $ 3,121  
    Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share(1)   $ 0.39     $ 0.48     $ 0.50  
    Adjusted return on average assets(1)     0.67 %     0.84 %     0.91 %
    Adjusted return on average equity(1)     7.93 %     10.23 %     10.96 %
    Adjusted pre-provision, pre-tax earnings(1)   $ 4,712     $ 4,092     $ 3,952  
    Adjusted pre-provision, pre-tax return on average assets(1)     1.29 %     1.14 %     1.16 %
    Net interest margin(1)     3.43 %     3.40 %     3.35 %
    Efficiency ratio(1)     67.95 %     70.65 %     70.67 %

    *See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for additional information and detailed calculations of adjustments.

    “During the third quarter the company saw continued improvement in net interest margin thanks to proactive deposit pricing boosted by sticky noninterest-bearing deposits continuing to represent 31% of total deposits,” said Scott C. Harvard, President and CEO. “We also benefited from a 16% increase in ATM and check card fees and an 8% increase in wealth management fees in the quarter. During the quarter loans acquired from third party lenders continued to be a drag on what otherwise was excellent financial performance, with an adjusted pre-provision, pre-tax return on average assets of 1.29% for the period. We continue to be excited about the recent acquisition of Touchstone Bankshares, Inc., which closed on October 1, and look forward to integrating our two companies and building value for our shareholders.”

    THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

    Key highlights of the three months ending September 30, 2024, are as follows. Comparisons are to the three-month period ending June 30, 2024, unless otherwise stated:

      ● Net interest margin(1) continued to improve to 3.43%
      ● Loan balances increased by 2%, annualized
      ● Noninterest-bearing deposits were stable at 31% of total deposits
      ● Noninterest income increased by 19%
      ● Adjusted ROA and ROE(1) of 0.67% and 7.93% respectively
      ● Tangible book value per share(1) increased to $19.37 from $17.38 one year ago


    MERGER WITH TOUCHSTONE BANKSHARES, INC.

    The Company completed the acquisition of Touchstone Bankshares, Inc. (“Touchstone”) with and into the Company, effective October 1, 2024 (the “Merger”). Immediately following the Merger, Touchstone Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of Touchstone, was merged with and into First Bank. Pursuant to the previously announced terms of the Merger, each outstanding share of Touchstone common stock and preferred stock (on an as-converted, one-for-one basis, which shares of preferred stock converted automatically to common stock at the effective time of the Merger) received 0.8122 shares of the Company’s common stock.

    Following the Merger, the former branches of Touchstone Bank assumed in the Merger continued to operate in Virginia as Touchstone Bank, a division of First Bank, and, in North Carolina, as Touchstone Bank, a division of First Bank, Strasburg, Virginia, until the systems integration is completed in February 2025. With the addition of Touchstone, the Company would have had approximately $2.1 billion in assets, $1.5 billion in loans and $1.8 billion in deposits on a combined pro-forma basis as of September 30, 2024. The combined company delivers banking services through thirty-three branch offices in Virginia and North Carolina and three loan production offices, in addition to its full complement of online banking services. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company incurred pre-tax merger costs of approximately $219 thousand related to the Merger. Effective October 1, 2024, common stock outstanding of First National Corporation totaled 8,970,345.

    NET INTEREST INCOME

    Net interest income increased $255 thousand, or 2%, to $11.7 million for the third quarter of 2024 compared to the second quarter of 2024. Total interest income increased by $389 thousand, or 2%, and was partially offset by a $134 thousand, or 2%, increase in total interest expense. The net interest margin(1) increased to 3.43%, up from 3.40% for the second quarter.

    The $389 thousand increase in total interest income was attributable to a $475 thousand increase in interest and fees on loans, which was partially offset by a $43 thousand decrease in interest income on securities and a $41 thousand decrease in interest on deposits in banks. The increase in interest and fees on loans was attributable to a 9-basis point increase in the yield on the loan portfolio and a $9.2 million increase in the average balance of loans. The decrease in interest income on deposits in other banks was attributable to a $2.9 million decrease in average balances. The decrease in interest income on securities was attributable to a $1.7 million decrease in the average balance of total securities and an 8-basis point decrease in yield. The yield on total earning assets increased to 5.08% from 5.03% in the second quarter.

    The $134 thousand increase in total interest expense was primarily attributable to a $138 thousand increase in interest expense on deposits. The increase in interest expense on deposits resulted from a $933 thousand increase in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits and a 4-basis point increase in cost. The total cost of funds was 1.72% for the third quarter of 2024, which was a 3-basis point increase compared to the second quarter of 2024.
      
    NONINTEREST INCOME

    Noninterest income totaled $3.2 million for the third quarter of 2024, which was a $517 thousand, or 19%, increase from the second quarter of 2024 and was attributable to increases in all income categories. ATM and check card fees and fees for other customer services increased $125 thousand and $98 thousand, respectively. There were also increases in wealth management fees, service charges on deposit accounts, and brokered mortgage fees of $73 thousand, $63 thousand, and $60 thousand, respectively.

    NONINTEREST EXPENSE

    Noninterest expense totaled $10.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, which was a decrease of $200 thousand, or 2%, compared to the second quarter of 2024. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $528 thousand decrease in legal and professional fees, which was a result of lower merger-related expenses in the third quarter compared to the prior period. Merger expenses totaled $219 thousand for the third quarter of 2024 compared to $571 thousand in the second quarter of 2024.

    ASSET QUALITY

    Overview

    Loans that were past due greater than 30 days and still accruing interest as a percentage of total loans were 0.24% on September 30, 2024, 0.24% on June 30, 2024, and 0.18% on September 30, 2023. Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”) as a percentage of total assets decreased to 0.41% on September 30, 2024, compared to 0.59% on June 30, 2024, and increased from 0.23% on September 30, 2023. Annualized net charge-offs as a percentage of total loans were 0.63% for the third quarter of 2024, 0.19% for the second quarter of 2024 and 0.03% for the third quarter of 2023. The allowance for credit losses on loans totaled $12.7 million, or 1.28% of total loans on September 30, 2024, $12.6 million, or 1.27% of total loans on June 30, 2024, and $8.9 million, or 0.93% of total loans on September 30, 2023.

    Past Due Loans

    Loans past due greater than 30 days and still accruing interest totaled $2.4 million on September 30, 2024, $2.4 million on June 30, 2024, and $1.8 million on September 30, 2023. There were no loans greater than 90 days past due and still accruing on September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, compared to $370 thousand on September 30, 2023.

    Nonperforming Assets

    NPAs decreased to $6.0 million on September 30, 2024 from $8.5 million on June 30, 2024. NPA’s totaled $3.1 million on September 30, 2023. NPA’s represented 0.41%, 0.59%, and 0.23% of total assets, respectively. The NPAs were primarily comprised of commercial and industrial loans.

    Net Charge-offs

    Net charge-offs totaled $1.6 million for the third quarter of 2024, $482 thousand for the second quarter of 2024, and $83 thousand for the third quarter of 2023.

    Provision for Credit Losses

    The provision for credit losses totaled $1.7 million for the third quarter of 2024, $400 thousand for the second quarter of 2024, and $100 thousand in the third quarter of 2023. The provision in the third quarter of 2024 was comprised of a $1.7 million provision for credit losses on loans, a $5 thousand recovery of credit losses on held-to-maturity securities, and a $17 thousand recovery of credit losses on unfunded commitments. The provision for credit losses on loans in the third quarter of 2024 was primarily attributable to increases in specific reserves on commercial and industrial loans and an increase in the general reserve component of the allowance for credit losses on loans related to an increase in projected losses, which resulted from a higher projected unemployment rate when compared to the prior quarterly period.

    Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans

    The allowance for credit losses on loans totaled $12.7 million on September 30, 2024, $12.6 million on June 30, 2024, and $8.9 million on September 30, 2023. During the third quarter of 2024, the specific reserve component of the allowance decreased by $373 thousand, while the general reserve component of the allowance increased by $524 thousand. Net charge-offs increased in the third quarter and were primarily comprised of commercial and industrial loans with specific reserves that were established in prior periods.

    The following table provides the changes in the allowance for credit losses on loans for the three-month periods ended (dollars in thousands):

        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans, beginning of period   $ 12,553     $ 12,603     $ 8,858  
    Net charge-offs     (1,572 )     (482 )     (83 )
    Provision for credit losses on loans     1,723       432       121  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans, end of period   $ 12,704     $ 12,553     $ 8,896  

    The allowance for credit losses on loans as a percentage of total loans totaled 1.28% on September 30, 2024, 1.27% on June 30, 2024, and 0.93% on September 30, 2023.

     Allowance for Credit Losses on Unfunded Commitments

    The allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments totaled $370 thousand on September 30, 2024, $387 thousand on June 30, 2024 and $189 on September 30, 2023. There was a $17 thousand recovery of credit losses on unfunded commitments in the third quarter of 2024, a $26 thousand recovery of credit losses on unfunded commitments in the second quarter of 2024, and an $8 thousand recovery of credit losses on unfunded commitments in the third quarter of 2023.

    Allowance for Credit Losses on Securities 

    The allowance for credit losses on securities held-to-maturity (“HTM”) totaled $105 thousand on September 30, 2024, compared to $110 thousand on June 30, 2024, and $131 thousand on September 30, 2023. The recovery of credit losses on securities totaled $5 thousand for the third quarter of 2024, $7 thousand for the second quarter of 2024 and $12 thousand for the third quarter of 2023.

    LIQUIDITY

    Liquidity sources available to the Bank, including interest-bearing deposits in banks, unpledged securities available for sale, at fair value, unpledged securities held-to-maturity, at par, that were eligible to be pledged to the Federal Reserve Bank through its Bank Term Funding Program, and available lines of credit totaled $499.1 million on September 30, 2024, $533.3 million on June 30, 2024, and $532.1 million on September 30, 2023.

    The Bank maintains liquidity to fund loan growth and to meet potential demand from deposit customers. The estimated amount of uninsured customer deposits totaled $400.1 million on September 30, 2024, $419.4 million on June 30, 2024, and $346.9 million on September 30, 2023. Excluding municipal deposits, the estimated amount of uninsured customer deposits totaled $322.6 million on September 30, 2024, $324.6 million on June 30, 2024, and $268.4 million on September 30, 2023.

    BALANCE SHEET

    Assets totaled $1.5 billion on September 30, 2024, which was a $6.8 million, or 2% (annualized), decrease from June 30, 2024, and an $84.8 million, or 6%, increase from September 30, 2023. The decrease in total assets from the second quarter of 2024 was primarily due to a $9.1 million decrease in cash and cash equivalents and a $2.2 million decrease in other assets, which was partially offset by a $4.6 million increase in loans, net of allowance for credit losses. Total assets increased from September 30, 2023 primarily from a $76.4 million increase in cash and cash equivalents and a $38.4 million increase in loans, net of the allowance for credit losses on loans, which were partially offset by a $28.5 million decrease in securities held to maturity.

    On September 30, 2024, loans totaled $994.7 million, an increase of $4.7 million or 1.9% (annualized) from $990.0 million, on June 30, 2024. Quarterly average loans totaled $991.2 million, an increase of $9.2 million or 3.8% (annualized) from the second quarter of 2024. On September 30, 2024, loans increased $42.2 million, or 4%, from one year ago, and quarterly average loans increased $68.2 million, or 7%, when comparing the third quarter of 2024 to the same period in 2023.

    On September 30, 2024, securities totaled $269.6 million, a decrease of $875 thousand from June 30, 2024, and a decrease of $30.7 million from September 30, 2023. AFS securities totaled $146.0 million on September 30, 2024, $144.8 million on June 30, 2024, and $148.2 million on September 30, 2023. On September 30, 2024, total net unrealized losses on the AFS securities portfolio were $17.3 million, a decrease of $4.6 million from total net unrealized losses on AFS securities of $21.9 million on June 30, 2024. HTM securities are carried at cost and totaled $121.5 million on September 30, 2024, $123.6 million on June 30, 2024, and $150.0 million on September 30, 2023, and had net unrealized losses of $7.8 million on September 30, 2024, a decrease of $3.6 million compared to the prior quarter.

    On September 30, 2024, total deposits were $1.3 billion, a decrease of $12.5 million or approximately 4% (annualized) from June 30, 2024. Quarterly average deposits decreased from the second quarter of 2024 by $5.3 million or 2% (annualized). Total deposits increased $18.1 million or 1% from September 30, 2023, and quarterly average deposits for the third quarter of 2024 increased $31.2 million or 3% from the third quarter of 2023. Total deposits decreased from the prior quarter due to a $14.4 million decrease in noninterest-bearing deposits and a $1.3 million decrease in interest-bearing demand deposits, which were partially offset by a $3.1 million increase in time deposits.

    On September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, other borrowings totaled $50.0 million and were comprised of funds borrowed from the Federal Reserve Bank through their Bank Term Funding Program. On September 30, 2024, other borrowings had a fixed interest rate of 4.76% and a maturity date of January 15, 2025. The Bank benefited from the borrowings with a reduction in interest rate risk and an increase in net interest income. There were no other borrowings on September 30, 2023.

    The following table provides capital ratios at the periods ended:

        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Total capital ratio(2)     14.29 %     14.13 %     14.80 %
    Tier 1 capital ratio(2)     13.04 %     12.88 %     13.86 %
    Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio(2)     13.04 %     12.88 %     13.86 %
    Leverage ratio(2)     9.23 %     9.17 %     9.96 %
    Common equity to total assets(3)     8.62 %     8.23 %     8.20 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets(1)(3)     8.43 %     8.03 %     8.00 %

    During the third quarter of 2024, the Company declared and paid cash dividends of $0.15 per common share, which was consistent with the second quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2023. 

    NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

    In addition to financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures that the Company’s management believes provide useful information for financial and operational decision making, evaluating trends, and comparing financial results to other financial institutions. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this document include adjusted net income, adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets, adjusted return on average equity, pre-provision pre-tax earnings, adjusted pre-provision pre-tax earnings, fully taxable equivalent interest income, the net interest margin, the efficiency ratio, tangible book value per share, and tangible common equity to tangible assets.

    The Company believes certain non-GAAP financial measures enhance the understanding of its business, performance and financial position. Non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and not a substitute for, or more important than, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may not be comparable to those reported by other financial institutions. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is included at the end of this release.

    ABOUT FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION

    First National Corporation (NASDAQ: FXNC) is the parent company and bank holding company of First Bank (the “Bank”), a community bank that first opened for business in 1907 in Strasburg, Virginia. The Bank offers loan and deposit products and services through its website, www.fbvirginia.com, its mobile banking platform, a network of ATMs located throughout its market area, three loan production offices, a customer service center in a retirement community, and thirty-three bank branch office locations located throughout the Shenandoah Valley, the Roanoke Valley, the central and south-central regions of Virginia, the city of Richmond, and in northern North Carolina. In addition to providing traditional banking services, the Bank operates a wealth management division under the name First Bank Wealth Management. The Bank also owns First Bank Financial Services, Inc., which owns an interest in an entity that provides title insurance services.

     FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Certain information contained in this discussion may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements relate to the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts, and other statements identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,” and “projects,” as well as similar expression. Although the Company believes that its expectations with respect to the forward-looking statements are based upon reliable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results, performance, or achievements will not differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For details on factors that could affect expectations, future events, or results, see the risk factors and other cautionary language included in First National’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

    Additional risks and uncertainties may include, but are not limited to: (1) the risk that the cost savings and any revenue synergies from the Merger may not be realized or take longer than anticipated to be realized, including due to the state of the economy or other competitive factors in the areas in which the parties operate, (2) disruption from the Merger of customer, supplier, employee or other business partner relationships, including diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities due to the Merger, (3) the possibility that the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the Merger may be greater than anticipated, (4) reputational risk and the reaction of each of the parties’ customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners to the Merger, (5) the risks relating to the integration of Touchstone’s operations into the operations of First National, including the risk that such integration will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected, (6) the risk of expansion into new geographic or product markets, (7) the dilution caused by First National’s issuance of additional shares of its common stock in the Merger, and (8) general competitive, economic, political and market conditions. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning First National or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. First National does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

    CONTACTS

    Scott C. Harvard   M. Shane Bell
    President and CEO   Executive Vice President and CFO
    (540) 465-9121   (540) 465-9121
    sharvard@fbvirginia.com   sbell@fbvirginia.com

      
    FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION
    Performance Summary
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
    (unaudited)

          As of or For the Three Months Ended     As of or For the Nine Months Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023     Sept 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Income Statement                                        
    Interest and dividend income                                        
    Interest and fees on loans   $ 14,479     $ 14,004     $ 12,640     $ 41,967     $ 36,038  
    Interest on deposits in banks     1,538       1,579       338       4,405       1,441  
    Taxable interest on securities     1,091       1,134       1,323       3,449       3,968  
    Tax-exempt interest on securities     303       306       304       914       917  
    Dividends     33       32       26       98       81  
    Total interest and dividend income   $ 17,444     $ 17,055     $ 14,631     $ 50,833     $ 42,445  
    Interest expense                                        
    Interest on deposits   $ 4,958     $ 4,820     $ 3,810     $ 14,549     $ 9,428  
    Interest on subordinated debt     69       69       69       207       207  
    Interest on junior subordinated debt     68       66       69       202       203  
    Interest on other borrowings     600       606       —       1,782       3  
    Total interest expense   $ 5,695     $ 5,561     $ 3,948     $ 16,740     $ 9,841  
    Net interest income   $ 11,749     $ 11,494     $ 10,683     $ 34,093     $ 32,604  
    Provision for credit losses     1,700       400       100       3,100       200  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses   $ 10,049     $ 11,094     $ 10,583     $ 30,993     $ 32,404  
    Noninterest income                                        
    Service charges on deposit accounts   $ 675     $ 612     $ 733     $ 1,941     $ 2,062  
    ATM and check card fees     934       809       976       2,513       2,624  
    Wealth management fees     952       879       811       2,714       2,336  
    Fees for other customer services     276       178       122       649       538  
    Brokered mortgage fees     92       32       38       162       73  
    Income from bank owned life insurance     191       149       175       491       459  
    Net gains on securities available for sale     39       —       —       39       —  
    Other operating income     44       27       198       1,427       623  
    Total noninterest income   $ 3,203     $ 2,686     $ 3,053     $ 9,936     $ 8,715  
    Noninterest expense                                        
    Salaries and employee benefits   $ 5,927     $ 5,839     $ 5,505     $ 17,637     $ 16,040  
    Occupancy     585       548       534       1,668       1,586  
    Equipment     726       691       598       2,008       1,756  
    Marketing     262       273       204       730       720  
    Supplies     123       115       128       354       423  
    Legal and professional fees     596       1,124       439       2,172       1,204  
    ATM and check card expense     394       368       440       1,123       1,265  
    FDIC assessment     195       203       161       575       479  
    Bank franchise tax     262       261       262       785       778  
    Data processing expense     290       163       266       699       720  
    Amortization expense     4       5       5       13       14  
    Other real estate owned expense (income), net     10       —       15       10       (201 )
    Net losses on disposal of premises and equipment     2       —       —       50       —  
    Other operating expense     1,083       1,069       1,227       3,181       3,358  
    Total noninterest expense   $ 10,459     $ 10,659     $ 9,784     $ 31,005     $ 28,142  
    Income before income taxes   $ 2,793     $ 3,121     $ 3,852     $ 9,924     $ 12,977  
    Income tax expense     545       679       731       2,025       2,502  
    Net income   $ 2,248     $ 2,442     $ 3,121     $ 7,899     $ 10,475  

      
    FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION
    Performance Summary
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
    (unaudited)

          For the Three Months Ended       For the Nine Months Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023     Sept 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Common Share and Per Common Share Data                                        
    Earnings per common share, basic   $ 0.36     $ 0.39     $ 0.50     $ 1.26     $ 1.67  
    Adjusted earnings per common share, basic (1)   $ 0.39       0.48       0.50     $ 1.38     $ 1.67  
    Weighted average shares, basic     6,287,997       6,278,113       6,256,663       6,278,668       6,266,707  
    Earnings per common share, diluted   $ 0.36     $ 0.39     $ 0.50     $ 1.26     $ 1.67  
    Adjusted earnings per common share, diluted (1)   $ 0.39       0.48       0.50     $ 1.38     $ 1.67  
    Weighted average shares, diluted     6,303,282       6,289,405       6,271,351       6,291,775       6,276,502  
    Shares outstanding at period end     6,296,705       6,280,406       6,260,934       6,296,705       6,260,934  
    Tangible book value per share at period end (1)   $ 19.37     $ 18.59     $ 17.38     $ 19.37     $ 17.38  
    Cash dividends   $ 0.15     $ 0.15     $ 0.15     $ 0.45     $ 0.45  
                                             
    Key Performance Ratios                                        
    Return on average assets     0.62 %     0.68 %     0.91 %     0.73 %     1.03 %
    Adjusted return on average assets (1)     0.67 %     0.84 %     0.91 %     0.80 %     1.03 %
    Return on average equity     7.28 %     8.31 %     10.96 %     8.84 %     12.57 %
    Adjusted return on average equity (1)     7.93 %     10.23 %     10.96 %     9.70 %     12.57 %
    Net interest margin(1)     3.43 %     3.40 %     3.35 %     3.36 %     3.44 %
    Efficiency ratio (1)     67.95 %     70.65 %     70.67 %     68.05 %     68.17 %
                                             
    Average Balances                                        
    Average assets   $ 1,449,185     $ 1,448,478     $ 1,355,113     $ 1,441,965     $ 1,360,154  
    Average earning assets     1,374,566       1,370,187       1,275,111       1,366,639       1,278,135  
    Average shareholders’ equity     122,802       118,255       112,987       119,303       111,460  
                                             
    Asset Quality                                        
    Loan charge-offs   $ 1,667     $ 521     $ 143     $ 2,601     $ 1,228  
    Loan recoveries     95       39       60       185       326  
    Net charge-offs     1,572       482       83       2,416       902  
    Non-accrual loans     5,929       8,549       3,116       5,929       3,116  
    Other real estate owned, net     56       —       —       56       —  
    Nonperforming assets (5)     5,985       8,549       3,116       5,985       3,116  
    Loans 30 to 89 days past due, accruing     2,358       2,399       1,395       2,358       1,395  
    Loans over 90 days past due, accruing     —       —       370       —       370  
    Special mention loans     516       1,380       —       516       —  
    Substandard loans, accruing     1,713       279       1,683       1,713       1,683  
                                             
    Capital Ratios (2)                                        
    Total capital   $ 148,477     $ 147,500     $ 146,163     $ 148,477     $ 146,163  
    Tier 1 capital     135,490       134,451       136,947       135,490       136,947  
    Common equity Tier 1 capital     135,490       134,451       136,947       135,490       136,947  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets     14.29 %     14.13 %     14.80 %     14.29 %     14.80 %
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets     13.04 %     12.88 %     13.86 %     13.04 %     13.86 %
    Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets     13.04 %     12.88 %     13.86 %     13.04 %     13.86 %
    Leverage ratio     9.23 %     9.17 %     9.97 %     9.23 %     9.97 %

      
    FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION
    Performance Summary
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
    (unaudited)

        For the Period Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Mar 31, 2024     Dec 31, 2023     Sept 30, 2023  
    Balance Sheet                                        
    Cash and due from banks   $ 18,197     $ 16,729     $ 14,476     $ 17,194     $ 17,168  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks     108,319       118,906       124,232       69,967       32,931  
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 126,516     $ 135,635     $ 138,708     $ 87,161     $ 50,099  
    Securities available for sale, at fair value     146,013       144,816       147,675       152,857       148,175  
    Securities held to maturity, at amortized cost (net of allowance for credit losses)     121,425       123,497       125,825       148,244       149,948  
    Restricted securities, at cost     2,112       2,112       2,112       2,078       2,077  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses     982,016       977,423       960,371       957,456       943,603  
    Other real estate owned, net     56       —       —       —       —  
    Premises and equipment, net     22,960       22,205       21,993       22,142       21,363  
    Accrued interest receivable     4,794       4,916       4,978       4,655       4,502  
    Bank owned life insurance     24,992       24,802       24,652       24,902       24,734  
    Goodwill     3,030       3,030       3,030       3,030       3,030  
    Core deposit intangibles, net     104       108       113       117       122  
    Other assets     16,698       18,984       17,738       16,653       18,567  
    Total assets   $ 1,450,716     $ 1,457,528     $ 1,447,195     $ 1,419,295     $ 1,366,220  
                                             
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits   $ 383,400     $ 397,770     $ 384,092     $ 379,208     $ 403,774  
    Savings and interest-bearing demand deposits     663,925       665,208       677,458       662,169       646,980  
    Time deposits     205,930       202,818       197,587       192,349       184,419  
    Total deposits   $ 1,253,255     $ 1,265,796     $ 1,259,137     $ 1,233,726     $ 1,235,173  
    Other borrowings     50,000       50,000       50,000       50,000       —  
    Subordinated debt, net     4,999       4,998       4,998       4,997       4,997  
    Junior subordinated debt     9,279       9,279       9,279       9,279       9,279  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities     8,068       7,564       5,965       5,022       4,792  
    Total liabilities   $ 1,325,601     $ 1,337,637     $ 1,329,379     $ 1,303,024     $ 1,254,241  
                                             
    Preferred stock   $ —     $ —     $ —     $ —     $ —  
    Common stock     7,871       7,851       7,847       7,829       7,826  
    Surplus     33,409       33,116       33,021       32,950       32,840  
    Retained earnings     99,270       97,966       96,465       94,198       95,988  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss), net     (15,435 )     (19,042 )     (19,517 )     (18,706 )     (24,675 )
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 125,115     $ 119,891     $ 117,816     $ 116,271     $ 111,979  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,450,716     $ 1,457,528     $ 1,447,195     $ 1,419,295     $ 1,366,220  
                                             
    Loan Data                                        
    Mortgage real estate loans:                                        
    Construction and land development   $ 61,446     $ 60,919     $ 53,364     $ 52,680     $ 50,405  
    Secured by farmland     9,099       8,911       9,079       9,154       7,113  
    Secured by 1-4 family residential     351,004       346,976       347,014       344,369       340,773  
    Other real estate loans     440,648       440,857       436,006       438,118       426,065  
    Loans to farmers (except those secured by real estate)     633       349       332       455       667  
    Commercial and industrial loans (except those secured by real estate)     114,190       115,951       113,230       112,619       116,463  
    Consumer installment loans     5,396       5,068       4,808       4,753       4,596  
    Deposit overdrafts     253       365       251       222       368  
    All other loans     12,051       10,580       8,890       7,060       6,049  
    Total loans   $ 994,720     $ 989,976     $ 972,974     $ 969,430     $ 952,499  
    Allowance for credit losses     (12,704 )     (12,553 )     (12,603 )     (11,974 )     (8,896 )
    Loans, net   $ 982,016     $ 977,423     $ 960,371     $ 957,456     $ 943,603  


      
    FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION
    Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
    (unaudited)

          For the Three Months Ended       For the Nine Months Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     Jun 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023     Sept 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Adjusted Net Income                                        
    Net income (GAAP)   $ 2,248     $ 2,442     $ 3,121     $ 7,899     $ 10,475  
    Add: Merger-related expenses     219       571       —       790       —  
    Subtract: Tax effect of adjustment (4)     (19 )     (5 )     —       (24 )     —  
    Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)   $ 2,448     $ 3,008     $ 3,121     $ 8,665     $ 10,475  
                                             
    Adjusted Earnings Per Share, Basic                                        
    Weighted average shares, basic     6,287,997       6,278,113       6,256,663       6,278,668       6,266,707  
    Basic earnings per share (GAAP)   $ 0.36     $ 0.39     $ 0.50     $ 1.26     $ 1.67  
    Adjusted earnings per share, basic (Non-GAAP)   $ 0.39     $ 0.48     $ 0.50     $ 1.38     $ 1.67  
                                             
    Adjusted Earnings Per Share, Diluted                                        
    Weighted average shares, diluted     6,303,282       6,289,405       6,271,351       6,291,775       6,276,502  
    Diluted earnings per share (GAAP)   $ 0.36     $ 0.39     $ 0.50     $ 1.26     $ 1.67  
    Adjusted diluted earnings per share (Non-GAAP)   $ 0.39     $ 0.48     $ 0.50     $ 1.38     $ 1.67  
                                             
    Adjusted Pre-Provision, Pre-Tax Earnings                                        
    Net interest income   $ 11,749     $ 11,494     $ 10,683     $ 34,093     $ 32,604  
    Total noninterest income     3,203       2,686       3,053       9,936       8,715  
    Net revenue   $ 14,952     $ 14,180     $ 13,736     $ 44,029     $ 41,319  
    Total noninterest expense     10,459       10,659       9,784       31,005       28,142  
    Pre-provision, pre-tax earnings   $ 4,493     $ 3,521     $ 3,952     $ 13,024     $ 13,177  
    Add: Merger expenses     219       571       –       790       –  
    Adjusted pre-provision, pre-tax, earnings   $ 4,712     $ 4,092     $ 3,952     $ 13,814     $ 13,177  
                                             
    Adjusted Performance Ratios                                        
    Average assets   $ 1,449,264     $ 1,448,478     $ 1,355,178     $ 1,441,996     $ 1,360,154  
    Return on average assets (GAAP)     0.62 %     0.68 %     0.91 %     0.73 %     1.03 %
    Adjusted return on average assets (Non-GAAP)     0.67 %     0.84 %     0.91 %     0.80 %     1.03 %
                                             
    Average shareholders’ equity   $ 122,802     $ 118,255       11,309     $ 119,303     $ 111,460  
    Return on average equity (GAAP)     7.28 %     8.31 %     10.96 %     8.87 %     12.57 %
    Adjusted return on average equity (Non-GAAP)     7.93 %     10.23 %     10.96 %     9.70 %     12.57 %
                                             
    Pre-provision, pre-tax return on average assets     1.23 %     0.98 %     1.16 %     1.21 %     1.30 %
    Adjusted pre-provision, pre-tax return on average assets     1.29 %     1.14 %     1.16 %     1.28 %     1.30 %
                                             
    Net Interest Margin                                        
    Tax-equivalent net interest income   $ 11,842     $ 11,587     $ 10,764     $ 34,360     $ 32,848  
    Average earning assets     1,374,566       1,370,187       1,275,111       1,366,639       1,278,136  
    Net interest margin     3.43 %     3.40 %     3.35 %     3.36 %     3.44 %
                                             

      
    FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION
    Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
    (unaudited)

        For the Three Months Ended     For the Nine Months Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     June 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023     Sept 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Efficiency Ratio                                        
    Total noninterest expense   $ 10,459       $ 10,659     $ 9,784     $ 31,005     $ 28,142  
    Add: other real estate owned income, net     (10 )       —       (15 )     (10 )     201  
    Subtract: amortization of intangibles     (4 )       (4 )     (5 )     (13 )     (14 )
    Subtract: loss on disposal of premises and equipment, net     (2 )       —       —       (50 )     —  
    Subtract: merger expenses     (219 )       (571 )     —       (790 )     —  
    Subtotal   $ 10,224       $ 10,084     $ 9,764     $ 30,142     $ 28,329  
    Tax-equivalent net interest income   $ 11,842       $ 11,587     $ 10,764     $ 34,360     $ 32,848  
    Total noninterest income     3,203         2,686       3,053       9,936       8,715  
    Subtotal   $ 15,045       $ 14,273     $ 13,817     $ 44,296     $ 41,563  
                                             
    Efficiency ratio     67.95 %       70.65 %     70.67 %     68.05 %     68.16 %
    Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Income                                        
    GAAP measures:                                        
    Interest income – loans   $ 14,479     $ 14,004     $ 12,640     $ 41,967     $ 36,038  
    Interest income – investments and other     2,965       3,051       1,991       8,866       6,407  
    Interest expense – deposits     (4,958 )     (4,820 )     (3,810 )     (14,549 )     (9,428 )
    Interest expense – subordinated debt     (69 )     (69 )     (69 )     (207 )     (207 )
    Interest expense – junior subordinated debt     (68 )     (66 )     (69 )     (202 )     (203 )
    Interest expense – other borrowings     (600 )     (606 )     –       (1,782 )     (3 )
    Net interest income   $ 11,749     $ 11,494     $ 10,683     $ 34,093     $ 32,604  
    Non-GAAP measures:                                        
    Add: Tax benefit realized on non-taxable interest income – loans (4)   $ 13     $ 12     $ —     $ 25     $ —  
    Add: Tax benefit realized on non-taxable interest income – municipal securities (4)     80       81       81       242       244  
    Tax benefit realized on non-taxable interest income   $ 93     $ 93     $ 81     $ 267     $ 244  
    Tax-equivalent net interest income   $ 11,842     $ 11,587     $ 10,764     $ 34,360     $ 32,848  
                                             
                                             
    Tangible Common Equity and Tangible Assets                                        
    Total assets (GAAP)   $ 1,450,716     $ 1,457,528     $ 1,366,220     $ 1,451,032     $ 1,366,220  
    Subtract: goodwill     (3,030 )     (3,030 )     (3,030 )     (3,030 )     (3,030 )
    Subtract: core deposit intangibles, net     (104 )     (108 )     (122 )     (104 )     (122 )
    Tangible assets (Non-GAAP)   $ 1,447,582     $ 1,454,390     $ 1,363,068     $ 1,447,898     $ 1,363,068  
                                             
    Total shareholders’ equity (GAAP)   $ 125,115     $ 119,891     $ 111,979     $ 125,115     $ 111,979  
    Subtract: goodwill     (3,030 )     (3,030 )     (3,030 )     (3,030 )     (3,030 )
    Subtract: core deposit intangibles, net     (104 )     (108 )     (122 )     (104 )     (122 )
    Tangible common equity (Non-GAAP)   $ 121,981     $ 116,753     $ 108,827     $ 121,981     $ 108,827  
                                             
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio     8.43 %     8.03 %     8.00 %     8.43 %     8.00 %
                                             

      
    FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION
    Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)
    (unaudited)

        For the Three Months Ended     For the Nine Months Ended  
        Sept 30, 2024     June 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023     Sept 30, 2024     Sept 30, 2023  
    Tangible Book Value Per Share                                        
    Tangible common equity   $ 121,981     $ 116,753     $ 108,827     $ 121,981     $ 108,827  
    Common shares outstanding, ending     6,296,705       6,280,406       6,260,934       6,296,705       6,260,934  
    Tangible book value per share   $ 19.37     $ 18.59     $ 17.38     $ 19.37     $ 17.38  
                                             

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for additional information and detailed calculations of adjustments.

    (2) Capital ratios are for First Bank.

    (3) Capital ratios presented are for First National Corporation.

    (4)  The tax rate utilized in calculating the tax benefit is 21%. Certain merger-related expenses are non-deductible.

    (5) Nonperforming assets are comprised of nonaccrual loans and other real estate owned.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Activities of Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare during the last Week of Special Campaign 4.0

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 5:46PM by PIB Delhi

    Special Campaign 4.0 was launched by DARPG for minimizing pendency in Government offices. Special Campaign 4.0 is being implemented in full swing. During the last week of Special Campaign 4.0, a number  of teams were constituted under Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare to visit the offices located in Delhi & NCR viz. Mahalanobis National Crop Forecasting Centre, Pusa, National Seeds Corporation, Pusa, National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming, Ghaziabad, Directorate of Extension, Pusa, Directorate of Wheat Development, Gurugram, Soil and Land Use Survey of India Noida, Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium Houz Khas and Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute, Faridabad to review the progress and the performance of the subordinate / attached office and PSU under the administrative control of this department.

    The team inspected these office premises to review the progress made by these organization during the Special Campaign 4.0.

     

    By the end of last week of Special Campaign 4.0, five PIB Notes have been released and activities have been undertaken on various social media platforms, i.e. more than 234 tweets, 100 Facebook posts, 62 Instagram posts, 26 YouTube posts and 11 posts on Linked in have been made collectively by this department and its attached/subordinate offices and their field offices, etc.

    Progress/achievement of the Department during the last week of Special Campaign 4.0 ending on 31st October 2024 are as under:-

    S.No.

    Activities

    Targets

    Achievement

    1

    No.of cleanliness campaign site

    1791

    1360

    2

    No. of pending references from MPs

    50

    19

    3

    Pending Public Grievances

    22295

    20549

    4

    Pending PG Appeals

    698

    506

    5

    Record Management (Physical files reviewed)

    53660

    47950

    6

    Record Management (Physical files weeded out)

    18959

    18959

    7

    Space freed (area in Sq. ft.)

    53761

    8

    Revenue generated (Amount in Rupees)

    3846455.00

    *****

    SS

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    (Release ID: 2070183) Visitor Counter : 20

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New marine park established

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department today announced the establishment of Hong Kong’s eighth and largest marine park, the 2,400-hectare North Lantau Marine Park (NLMP).

    The NLMP is also one of the measures for mitigating the impacts on Chinese White Dolphins (CWD) and fisheries habitats brought by the construction and operation of the Three-Runway System Project.

    Its establishment increases the area of the city’s protected marine habitat to over 8,500 hectares, which is conducive to the conservation of the CWD and the marine environment and ecosystem in North Lantau waters.

    The NLMP links with the nearby Sha Chau & Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park and The Brothers Marine Park in North Lantau waters to form a matrix of connected marine protected areas totalling about 4,570 hectares.

    The NLMP is also contiguous with the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve established in Guangdong Province, allowing for better protection of core CWD habitats.

    The department pointed out that it is liaising with the relevant Mainland authorities regarding the establishment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong CWD marine protected areas network platform.

    This platform will serve to strengthen co-operation on management and enforcement, ecological monitoring and enhancement as well as education and publicity between the two places, the department added.

    It indicated that it also plans to conduct long-term ecological and water quality monitoring in the marine parks and encourage scientific research in marine parks.

    Furthermore, the NLMP will adopt management measures similar to those of the existing marine parks, such as routine patrols and law enforcement, restricting vessel speed to 10 knots, and accepting NLMP fishing permit applications for local fishing vessels registered under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Urban Agriculture Month in Yarra: Celebrate local food, green spaces and community connections

    Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

    Friday 01 November 2024

    Now in its fourth year, November’s Urban Agriculture Month continues to blossom with a growing number of participants, venues and food-growing showcases across Australia.

    This year, Yarra City Council is proud to feature a calendar of events where residents can learn about and celebrate local food production and the many ways it benefits both people and our local ecosystems. 

    Throughout November, you’ll find a variety of activities across Yarra, from thought-provoking panel discussions to hands-on workshops, all aimed at enhancing our understanding and appreciation of urban agriculture. Check out the details below and take part in these exciting events! 

    Featured events 

    Public Housing Community Gardens Tour – Rollickin’ Richmond  
    Tuesday 12 November, 11am to 12.30pm  
    Lennox Street Community Garden, Cnr Lennox St and Butler St, North Richmond 
    Want to know more about what is growing in our community gardens in North Richmond? Join us for a tour of the Lennox and Highett community gardens! Whether you’re keen to learn about the story behind the plants being grown, or the traditional gardening techniques that are used, this tour is for you. 

    Garden Party and Food Recycling Depot Opening 
    Monday 18 November, 10.30am to 3pm 
    Finbar Neighbourhood House, 143 Kent Street, Richmond 
    Join the celebration of Finbar Neighbourhood House’s newly refurbished Food Recycling Depot! Discover how to recycle your food scraps and learn about composting techniques to enhance your garden. Kath Jones will also host a workshop, “Why Grow Organic?” exploring the benefits and tackling some of the myths surrounding organic gardening. 

    What is the Future of Urban Agriculture in Naarm? 
    Thursday 21 November, 6.30pm to 8pm 
    Bargoonga Nganjin, North Fitzroy Library, 182 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy 
    Join Yarra’s My Smart Garden program and Yarra Libraries for a lively panel discussion led by journalist Sally Warhaft. Hear from local growers at Cultivating Community and the green infrastructure team from the City of Melbourne as they explore the future of urban agriculture in our city. 

    Fitzroy Urban Agriculture Walk 
    Wednesday 27 November, 2.15pm to 3.30pm 
    Fitzroy Learning Network, 198 Napier St, Fitzroy 
    Discover Fitzroy’s vibrant urban agriculture initiatives with Yarra’s My Smart Garden program. Join us for an engaging walk through community gardens, composting sites, and urban farms while meeting the dedicated growers and educators who make it all possible. 

    Organic Pest and Disease Management Workshop 
    Saturday 23 November, 1pm to 2pm 
    Rushall Garden, Rushall Cres, Fitzroy North 
    Explore organic methods for minimising garden pests and disease with Cultivating Community. Learn why chemical fertilizers and insecticides often cause more harm than good and discover simple, eco-friendly solutions you can apply at home. 

    For a complete list of events and activities in and around Yarra, visit the Urban Agriculture Month website. You can even still register to host your own event, whether it’s a garden tour, skill share, crop swap, or communal feast! 

    Learn more about urban agriculture initiatives in Yarra 

    MIL OSI News –