"In a stunning political turnabout, the House voted Tuesday to end a long-standing ban on new offshore oil drilling as part of an energy bill aimed at rebutting Republican election-year attacks that the Democratic majority wasn't doing enough to try to ease the public's pain at the pump," writes Richard Simon of the Los Angles Times. Adds Simon, "The measure would let states decide whether to permit energy exploration 50 to 100 miles off their coasts." There has been a concern that new drilling sites could impact rural communities on the coasts, but at such distances there appears to be little chance for a significant impact.
"The bill includes a number of Democratic priorities, including repealing $18 billion in oil industry tax breaks and using the money to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency," adds Simon. "It would require utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity by 2020 from cleaner sources, such as the sun and wind. And it would force oil companies to pay additional royalties for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico," which already has many oil drilling platforms -- though not in Florida, where opposition to offshore drilling is stout.
The bill has drawn criticism from President Bush and members of the Republican minority in Congress, who say it does not do enough to increase domestic oil production. Writes Simon, "With Congress set to adjourn before the end of the month -- and partisan tensions growing as election day nears -- there may not be enough time for the House and the Senate to reconcile any differences."
Many people living in rural communities have expressed support for offshore drilling as a means of controlling rising energy costs. Rural communities have been harder hit by the recent spike in energy costs because they typically have longer commutes and no public transportation. (Read more)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Major coal companies' credit ratings improve
Despite proposed greenhouse-gas legislation and an increased interest in alternative, clean fuels, Wall Street is projecting that the coal industry is going to do well for at least the next two years. After a review of the industry in general, Standard & Poor's Rating Service increased the credit ratings of five major U.S. coal companies, bringing them one step closer to investment-grade status.
"S&P noted coal is likely to remain the dominant fuel for the foreseeable future and long-term industry fundamentals remain positive as North American coal prices have increased substantially over the past several quarters." Lauren Pollack writes for Dow Jones Newswires. "The agency added that a number of companies have contracted for improved prices for a high percentage of their 2009 and 2010 planned production. If that production falls in line, S&P expects the companies to see improved cash flow and reduced leverage."
However, the industry's susceptibility to changes in pricing and operational problems are so far keeping the credit ratings from reaching investment-grade status. Companies are wary at locking in multi-year contracts, leading to shorter contract periods and increased price renegotiation. (Read more; subscription may be required)Congressional Democrats voice concern about supply of consumer coupons for digital TV switch
The cost of equipment needed to make the transition from analog to digital television. a major concern in rural areas, has been eased by government coupons which cover most of the price. However, senior House Democrats say they are worried some people who need the coupons won't get them because the program has unexpected adminstrative costs.
The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which runs the coupon program, asked for permission to use $7 million of the money set aside to subsidize digital converter boxes for administrative activities if needed. Democrats worry that the request could result in fewer coupons being available.
Fawn Johnson of Dow Jones Newswires writes, "In a letter sent Monday to the NTIA, Energy and Commerce [Committee] Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., and Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., asked how many converter box coupons that $7 million would fund." The representatives "also asked why the NTIA officials hadn't come forward earlier to tell Congress that the agency might need more money to run the coupon program."
NTIA said that the request does not necessarily mean the money will be used for administration, only that it has the flexibility to divert funds if needed. "We are being prudent and forward thinking," said NTIA spokesmans Todd Sedmak about the draft bill. "Congress goes out soon and won't return for a while, maybe not until 2009, so we want to have flexibility if needed." (Read more; subscription may be required)
The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which runs the coupon program, asked for permission to use $7 million of the money set aside to subsidize digital converter boxes for administrative activities if needed. Democrats worry that the request could result in fewer coupons being available.
Fawn Johnson of Dow Jones Newswires writes, "In a letter sent Monday to the NTIA, Energy and Commerce [Committee] Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., and Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., asked how many converter box coupons that $7 million would fund." The representatives "also asked why the NTIA officials hadn't come forward earlier to tell Congress that the agency might need more money to run the coupon program."
NTIA said that the request does not necessarily mean the money will be used for administration, only that it has the flexibility to divert funds if needed. "We are being prudent and forward thinking," said NTIA spokesmans Todd Sedmak about the draft bill. "Congress goes out soon and won't return for a while, maybe not until 2009, so we want to have flexibility if needed." (Read more; subscription may be required)
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Newspaper Week, Oct. 5-11: never more relevant
For most newspapers, National Newspaper Week has been a ho-hum activity, often if not usually ignored. Now, with the future of newspapers in doubt, the annual observance has never been more relevant. The theme this year is somewhat narrow, but still important: the need for paid publication of legal notices in print, as opposed to free and online.
Materials such as house ads, logos, editorial columns and cartoons, as well as a crossword puzzle, are available to all newspapers here on the Kentucky Press Association Web site. Here's an excerpt from an editorial by Donnis Baggett, editor-in-chief of The Bryan College Station Eagle, titled “Public Notice: Taxpayers have a right to know”:
"Most newspaper Web sites are the stars of the online market in their respective communities. Almost without exception, newspaper Web sites have more traffic than any other local or regional sites. Any “notice” that is posted independently online by a governmental entity or a vendor is likely to be read only by those who have a vested interest and are searching for notices of that sort. A published newspaper notice, on the other hand, is right there in black and white for anyone who reads the classified ads ... and, in most cases, online as well."
The other editorial also comes from Texas, and Bob Buckel of The Azle News, an excellent weekly. He writes: Public notice should be out there for everyone to browse, notice and read. It should be available to all. Anything that takes away control from the people — anything that pulls an item off the smorgasbord of information — is something we should resist.
We encourage newspapers to fly the flag for public notice, but also to remind readers of the societal value of a local newspaper, something the writers of the Bill of Rights had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment.
Materials such as house ads, logos, editorial columns and cartoons, as well as a crossword puzzle, are available to all newspapers here on the Kentucky Press Association Web site. Here's an excerpt from an editorial by Donnis Baggett, editor-in-chief of The Bryan College Station Eagle, titled “Public Notice: Taxpayers have a right to know”:
"Most newspaper Web sites are the stars of the online market in their respective communities. Almost without exception, newspaper Web sites have more traffic than any other local or regional sites. Any “notice” that is posted independently online by a governmental entity or a vendor is likely to be read only by those who have a vested interest and are searching for notices of that sort. A published newspaper notice, on the other hand, is right there in black and white for anyone who reads the classified ads ... and, in most cases, online as well."
The other editorial also comes from Texas, and Bob Buckel of The Azle News, an excellent weekly. He writes: Public notice should be out there for everyone to browse, notice and read. It should be available to all. Anything that takes away control from the people — anything that pulls an item off the smorgasbord of information — is something we should resist.
We encourage newspapers to fly the flag for public notice, but also to remind readers of the societal value of a local newspaper, something the writers of the Bill of Rights had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment.
Expert calls Agriprocessors abbatoirs 'sloppy'
On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, slaughterhouse expert Dr. Temple Grandin toured the Agriprocessors plants in Postville, Iowa, and Gordon, Neb., and deemed the facilities "sloppy" in an article written by Lynda Waddington for The Iowa Independent. Waddington did not say if PETA paid Grandin.
Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, is well-known for her extensive research of animal behavior, particularly in slaughterhouses. She claims her experience has taught her about three categories of facilities. "About 20 percent do things right nearly all the time. There is a large percentage that do things right most of the time, and there's also about 20 percent that tend to do things wrong, but will clean up their act when they are being audited," she said. "Within that bottom 20 percent, however, there is a very bottom 10 percent that has the most blatant problems and violations. That's where Agriprocessors is -- in that bottom 10 percent." The plant was the site of a huge immigration raid this year and is the largest kosher meat plant in the nation.
As a result of her findings, Grandin thinks all Agriprocessors facilities should be equipped with cameras to hold plant administration and personnel accountable for their treatment of animals. "We have management at Agriprocessors that has been reapeat offenders and have given us proof that they will not only behave when they know they are being watched," she said. Read the rest of the story here; for PETA's report, click here.
Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, is well-known for her extensive research of animal behavior, particularly in slaughterhouses. She claims her experience has taught her about three categories of facilities. "About 20 percent do things right nearly all the time. There is a large percentage that do things right most of the time, and there's also about 20 percent that tend to do things wrong, but will clean up their act when they are being audited," she said. "Within that bottom 20 percent, however, there is a very bottom 10 percent that has the most blatant problems and violations. That's where Agriprocessors is -- in that bottom 10 percent." The plant was the site of a huge immigration raid this year and is the largest kosher meat plant in the nation.
As a result of her findings, Grandin thinks all Agriprocessors facilities should be equipped with cameras to hold plant administration and personnel accountable for their treatment of animals. "We have management at Agriprocessors that has been reapeat offenders and have given us proof that they will not only behave when they know they are being watched," she said. Read the rest of the story here; for PETA's report, click here.
Only half of eligible high-school freshmen in W.Ky. county sign up for two years of free college tuition
Only half the eligible students in a southwestern Kentucky high school have signed up for a pilot program offering two years of free college tuition. Freshmen at Christian County High are the first students eligible for a program which would allow them to attend Hopkinsville Community and Technical College at no charge for the first two years after graduation.
To enroll in the Rotary Scholars program, sponsored by HCC and the Hopkinsville Rotary Club to increase the percentage of college graduates in Christian County (2000 population 72,000) students must attend an orientation meeting with their parents during their freshman year. There are only two sessions left, and only 250 of 492 have attended, Laura Coleman Noeth writes in the Kentucky New Era.
Michelle Fioretti has triplets -- two sons and a daughter -- who are freshmen at the school. In four years, they will be in college along with two older sisters. She says the program "will offer my family a little breathing room. ... It will give us a little more time to get the money together to let them go to the school of their choice when they're done with Hopkinsville Community College, and it will allow the triplets time to adjust to the workload and college atmosphere." (Read more)
As we've noted here before, the program is unusual in that most students are eligible. The required grade point average is a minimum of 2.5, the equivalent of a C average.
To enroll in the Rotary Scholars program, sponsored by HCC and the Hopkinsville Rotary Club to increase the percentage of college graduates in Christian County (2000 population 72,000) students must attend an orientation meeting with their parents during their freshman year. There are only two sessions left, and only 250 of 492 have attended, Laura Coleman Noeth writes in the Kentucky New Era.
Michelle Fioretti has triplets -- two sons and a daughter -- who are freshmen at the school. In four years, they will be in college along with two older sisters. She says the program "will offer my family a little breathing room. ... It will give us a little more time to get the money together to let them go to the school of their choice when they're done with Hopkinsville Community College, and it will allow the triplets time to adjust to the workload and college atmosphere." (Read more)
As we've noted here before, the program is unusual in that most students are eligible. The required grade point average is a minimum of 2.5, the equivalent of a C average.
Coal-plant protesters arrested in southwest Va.
Protesters were arrested yesterday at the construction site of controversial power plant previously covered on The Rural Blog, the Virgina Hybrid Energy Center, a $1.8 billion coal-fired plant in the Appalachian town of St. Paul, Va. Opponents say the plant will harm air quality in the Shenandoah National Forest and want the state to instead focus on renewable clean energies.
Keith Strange of The Coalfield Progress in Norton writes that 11 of the 36 protesters "entered the construction site and chained themselves to steel drums at two gates at the plant, according to the Virginia State Police. Two of those drums featured solar panels that powered a sign reading 'renewable jobs to renew Appalachia.'" They were "charged with unlawful assembly and criminal trespassing, both misdemeanors, ... participating in an unlawful assembly and obstructing justice." Two face additional charges of instigating trespassing.
Construction workers shouted opposition to the protesters, calling them "out-of state treehuggers," and many protesters took umbrage. “It’s not only treehuggers, it’s local people," Jane Branham, a protestor who was not charged, told Strange. "These are the people who live here and we have continually spoken out at Board of Supervisors meetings about the plant." (Read more)
Keith Strange of The Coalfield Progress in Norton writes that 11 of the 36 protesters "entered the construction site and chained themselves to steel drums at two gates at the plant, according to the Virginia State Police. Two of those drums featured solar panels that powered a sign reading 'renewable jobs to renew Appalachia.'" They were "charged with unlawful assembly and criminal trespassing, both misdemeanors, ... participating in an unlawful assembly and obstructing justice." Two face additional charges of instigating trespassing.
Construction workers shouted opposition to the protesters, calling them "out-of state treehuggers," and many protesters took umbrage. “It’s not only treehuggers, it’s local people," Jane Branham, a protestor who was not charged, told Strange. "These are the people who live here and we have continually spoken out at Board of Supervisors meetings about the plant." (Read more)
Wind power, like ethanol, faces pitfalls as it grows
Is wind power the new ethanol? Both experienced periods of exponential growth, aided by hype as the next clean energy and promoted through federal subsidies. An article in the October issue of The Atlantic asks whether wind power will experience the same fall from grace. Matthew Quirk says ethanol is "now viewed almost universally as a disaster," contributing to the global food crisis. While wind power is unlikely to have an effect on that scale, other problems associated with the energy source may result in a similar "blowback."
The two primary problems Quirk cites are transmission and variability. Most of the wind power comes from Western states with low population, while most of it is used in larger population centers on the East Coast. The cost of building new transmission lines could cost between $3 billion and $6 billion. At the same time, "wind farms tend to produce the most energy when it’s not needed—at night and in the spring and fall, when demand is low." Similarly, unexpected weather changes could leave power plants without backup energy sources, causing energy shortages at random. (Read more)
Lisa Linowes, executive director of the Industrial Wind Action Group, told Mark Svengold for his story in The New York Times Magazine that there is no effective utility-scale mechanism for storing off-peak wind power. "Eric Rosenbloom, president of National Wind Watch, a Massachusetts-based group, adds that wind power’s inherent unreliability requires that backup natural-gas power plants be built alongside wind plants, and that this 'increases, rather than decreases, both the overall expense of wind power and its carbon footprint'," Svengold writes. (Read more)
The two primary problems Quirk cites are transmission and variability. Most of the wind power comes from Western states with low population, while most of it is used in larger population centers on the East Coast. The cost of building new transmission lines could cost between $3 billion and $6 billion. At the same time, "wind farms tend to produce the most energy when it’s not needed—at night and in the spring and fall, when demand is low." Similarly, unexpected weather changes could leave power plants without backup energy sources, causing energy shortages at random. (Read more)
Lisa Linowes, executive director of the Industrial Wind Action Group, told Mark Svengold for his story in The New York Times Magazine that there is no effective utility-scale mechanism for storing off-peak wind power. "Eric Rosenbloom, president of National Wind Watch, a Massachusetts-based group, adds that wind power’s inherent unreliability requires that backup natural-gas power plants be built alongside wind plants, and that this 'increases, rather than decreases, both the overall expense of wind power and its carbon footprint'," Svengold writes. (Read more)
As luck would have it, the greatest concentrations of wind plants are in the Upper Midwest, also the area when ethanol plants are most concentrated. The map below, from The Atlantic, shows average wind speed, wind plants and proposed plants. (Click here or on map to view larger version)
Conservative writers disagree on qualifications of Palin; story says she tried to help dairy farmers
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "is the ultimate small-town renegade rising from the frontier to do battle with the corrupt establishment," David Brooks writes in The New York Times. "Her followers take pride in the way she has aroused fear, hatred and panic in the minds of the liberal elite. The feminists declare that she’s not a real woman because she doesn’t hew to their rigid categories. People who’ve never been in a Wal-Mart think she is parochial because she has never summered in Tuscany. Look at the condescension and snobbery oozing from elite quarters, her backers say."
Those views support a serious argument that "regular people need to take control," Brooks says, but he takes issue with the populist streak that drives modern conservastism. "For those in this school, book knowledge is suspect but practical knowledge is respected," he writes. "The city is corrupting and the universities are kindergartens for overeducated fools." And he joins some other conservative commentators, whom he names, in suggesting that the former council member and mayor from a town of fewer than 10,000 is not qualified for national office because she lacks the prudence born of experience.
"Sarah Palin has many virtues," Brooks writes. "If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness. The idea that “the people” will take on and destroy “the establishment” is a utopian fantasy that corrupted the left before it corrupted the right. Surely the response to the current crisis of authority is not to throw away standards of experience and prudence, but to select leaders who have those qualities but not the smug condescension that has so marked the reaction to the Palin nomination in the first place." (Read more)
A different view is expressed in the editorial section of The Wall Street Journal, in Bret Stephens' "Global View" column and by Cathy Young, contributing editor at Reason magazine, who writes about why feminists hate Palin: "There are legitimate questions about Mrs. Palin's qualifications. And yet, like millions of American women -- and men -- I find her can-do feminism infinitely more liberated than the what-can-the-government-do-for-me brand espoused by the sisterhood." (Read more)
In the Journal's news pages this morning is a story by Jim Carlton about how Palin took the side of dairy farmers in their battle to keep open the state-operated, money-losing Matanuska Maid creamery in her home borough. She replaced the state board that ordered the creamery closed, but the new board had to close it again after the losses continued. "The candidate's handling of the matter has been fodder for some critics challenging her credentials as a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative," Carlton writes. "Supporters of Gov. Palin say she was motivated primarily by a desire to save the creamery's 70 jobs and help the handful of local farmers reliant on it. They say she helped keep the small dairy industry from collapsing by giving the farmers time to find new places to sell their products." (Read more)
Those views support a serious argument that "regular people need to take control," Brooks says, but he takes issue with the populist streak that drives modern conservastism. "For those in this school, book knowledge is suspect but practical knowledge is respected," he writes. "The city is corrupting and the universities are kindergartens for overeducated fools." And he joins some other conservative commentators, whom he names, in suggesting that the former council member and mayor from a town of fewer than 10,000 is not qualified for national office because she lacks the prudence born of experience.
"Sarah Palin has many virtues," Brooks writes. "If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness. The idea that “the people” will take on and destroy “the establishment” is a utopian fantasy that corrupted the left before it corrupted the right. Surely the response to the current crisis of authority is not to throw away standards of experience and prudence, but to select leaders who have those qualities but not the smug condescension that has so marked the reaction to the Palin nomination in the first place." (Read more)
A different view is expressed in the editorial section of The Wall Street Journal, in Bret Stephens' "Global View" column and by Cathy Young, contributing editor at Reason magazine, who writes about why feminists hate Palin: "There are legitimate questions about Mrs. Palin's qualifications. And yet, like millions of American women -- and men -- I find her can-do feminism infinitely more liberated than the what-can-the-government-do-for-me brand espoused by the sisterhood." (Read more)
In the Journal's news pages this morning is a story by Jim Carlton about how Palin took the side of dairy farmers in their battle to keep open the state-operated, money-losing Matanuska Maid creamery in her home borough. She replaced the state board that ordered the creamery closed, but the new board had to close it again after the losses continued. "The candidate's handling of the matter has been fodder for some critics challenging her credentials as a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative," Carlton writes. "Supporters of Gov. Palin say she was motivated primarily by a desire to save the creamery's 70 jobs and help the handful of local farmers reliant on it. They say she helped keep the small dairy industry from collapsing by giving the farmers time to find new places to sell their products." (Read more)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Good investments: Small, local media companies with digital components, banker and publisher say
Jeanne Straus, right, the president of Monroe, N.Y.-based Straus Newspapers, had a question for her fellow publishers in the New York Press Association when she took over as president on Friday: "What do Rupert Murdoch of News Corp., Roger Ailes of Fox News and Strauss Zelnick, the investment banker, all have in common?"I said, "They're all rural publishers," thinking that Zelnick might be one. Two out of three wasn't bad. As Straus noted and we reported, Ailes recently bought the Putnam County News and Recorder in Cold Spring, N.Y. And she noted that News Corp. recently bought weeklies in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. She could have also noted that Murdoch decided not to sell Ottaway Newspapers, a former Dow Jones subsidiary that has a large rural clientele.
Answering her own question, Straus said the three men "are all headed our way – to the local community newspaper business. Strauss Zelnick said in January of this year that he wanted to invest more in 'smaller businesses … that have digital components.' And apparently he believes in old line media companies because he thinks although we don’t currently have the answer yet on the digital business – we will eventually," Straus said. "So my talk to you today is really a pep talk. Some pretty savvy media watchers think you – and I – are perfectly positioned for the future – small, local media companies with a digital component." For her full remarks, click here.
The digital component was my topic the next day, at a presentation arguing that weekly newspapers need to enter the 24/7 world: "For decades now, Americans have grown more accustomed to getting their news for free: First from radio, then TV, then from the Internet. (I say people get news free from the Internet, because while they pay for Internet access, there are plenty of free news sites.) Now, on top of the phenomenon of news for free, is the phenomenon that is already changing weekly newspapering: Americans are increasingly expecting to get their news immediately. Increasingly, your readers simply will not understand why they have to wait several days to read in your newspaper the local news that they heard about at the grocery, the post office, the bar or the coffee shop. There will be a demand for immediate local news, in the form of text, and someone will fill it." (Read more)
Also at the conference, the publishers voted to add this to the NYPA by-laws: "NYPA members are urged to conduct business with high ethical standards and practice good journalism ethics as exemplified by the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics."
The digital component was my topic the next day, at a presentation arguing that weekly newspapers need to enter the 24/7 world: "For decades now, Americans have grown more accustomed to getting their news for free: First from radio, then TV, then from the Internet. (I say people get news free from the Internet, because while they pay for Internet access, there are plenty of free news sites.) Now, on top of the phenomenon of news for free, is the phenomenon that is already changing weekly newspapering: Americans are increasingly expecting to get their news immediately. Increasingly, your readers simply will not understand why they have to wait several days to read in your newspaper the local news that they heard about at the grocery, the post office, the bar or the coffee shop. There will be a demand for immediate local news, in the form of text, and someone will fill it." (Read more)
Also at the conference, the publishers voted to add this to the NYPA by-laws: "NYPA members are urged to conduct business with high ethical standards and practice good journalism ethics as exemplified by the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics."
Ky. coal mine to pay big fine for May 2006 blast
After initially challenging the citations, the Kentucky Darby LLC coal company will pay $342,000 for safety violations and fines two years after an explosion that killed five men, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. "The company is under court order to pay by Oct. 19," MSHA spokeswoman Amy Louviere told reporters.
The explosion occurred in May 2006 "as two miners used an acetylene torch to cut a metal roof strap above a seal blocking off an unused part of the mine ... which ignited methane gas leaking from the seal," writes Bill Estep for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Those two men died instantly, while three others died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation as they tried to escape. The only survivor, miner Paul Ledford, suffered serious lung damage.
Representing four of the five widows and Ledford, attorney Tony Oppegard said MSHA should give the money to the families of the victims. Some survivors scoff at the amount of the fines to be paid by Kentucky Darby, which closed in April 2007. "It's a joke," said Melissa Lee, widow of 33 year-old Jimmy Lee, told James Carroll for the The Courier-Journal. "Five men died - c'mon. That's a little bitty bit to pay for the men that are gone."
The surviving victim and the families of the deceased are in the process of a wrongful-death suit against Jericol Mining Inc., which provided management and other services for the mine, writes Estep. Read the Herald-Leader's story here and The Courier-Journal's story here.
The explosion occurred in May 2006 "as two miners used an acetylene torch to cut a metal roof strap above a seal blocking off an unused part of the mine ... which ignited methane gas leaking from the seal," writes Bill Estep for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Those two men died instantly, while three others died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation as they tried to escape. The only survivor, miner Paul Ledford, suffered serious lung damage.
Representing four of the five widows and Ledford, attorney Tony Oppegard said MSHA should give the money to the families of the victims. Some survivors scoff at the amount of the fines to be paid by Kentucky Darby, which closed in April 2007. "It's a joke," said Melissa Lee, widow of 33 year-old Jimmy Lee, told James Carroll for the The Courier-Journal. "Five men died - c'mon. That's a little bitty bit to pay for the men that are gone."
The surviving victim and the families of the deceased are in the process of a wrongful-death suit against Jericol Mining Inc., which provided management and other services for the mine, writes Estep. Read the Herald-Leader's story here and The Courier-Journal's story here.
Army fights to keep Asian carp from Great Lakes
In an attempt to stop the spread of the Asian carp, an invasive species, into the waters of Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expanding an underwater electric barrier north of Joliet, Ill. "The system, whose projected total cost is $36.5 million, emits electrical currents to dissuade the carp — and all other fish — from making their way to the lake," writes Dan Barry of The New York Times. "The project’s name conveys its gravity: the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier." Or CSSCANSDB, huh? Times photo by Angel Franco shows carp jumping from the water, as they often do; fishermen are sometimes injured.An 80-mile stretch of the Illinois River may now have the world's largest population of Asian carp. "In 2006, the researchers caught around 500 silver carp," writes Barry. "In 2007, around 10,000. So far this year, with only two-thirds of the sampling complete, they have caught nearly 80,000 silver carp that now compete in an eating contest with native fish for the river’s algae and zooplankton. The carp often win."
The Asian carp was introduced in the U.S. in the early 70's to eat algae in southern fish farms. Floods allowed the fish to escape from their controlled environment. Kevin Irons, a researcher who studies the Asian carp population in the Illinois, adds "Someday, perhaps, someone will develop a lemonade-from-lemons plan for these fish — a commercially viable way to use them as fertilizer, or to export them to China and other countries, where they are a common food source."(Read more)
Solar power will help treat rural town's sewage
As energy prices keep climbing, the Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs is looking to renewable energy. The office recently gave $488,714 to Lometa, a town of about 800 people, "to install solar panels to help power the plant that treats its sewage," writes Asher Price of the Austin American-Statesman. While many have been skeptical about the high prices often associated with renewable energy, the Lometa example may lessen that skepticism."The renewable energy project comes as rising energy costs have hit rural communities especially hard; residents often have lower incomes and longer drives to community services and work," Price writes. The solar panels in Lometa are supposed to generate roughly half the power required to run the sewer plant, save the town around $6,000 annually and avoid increases in sewer bills. The town can use the help; its median household income is little more than half the national average. Its population is about one-third Hispanic.
Other Texas communities are becoming interested in similar projects but state funding is limited; Lometa's grant is only the second from the rural office. "The state of Texas just doesn't have a lot of money for these projects," adds Travis Brown, the office's renewable-energy program manager. (Read more)
NBC reports on programs to get more rural doctors by placing medical students at rural hospitals
As the lack of rural doctors becomes an increasingly serious concern, programs allowing medical students to spend their third year in rural hospitals provides hope that they will practice in such areas. "The goal is to hook them on rural health care helping them develop their sense of self sufficiency to meet the challenges of working outside a large city," reports NBC News, using as an example the Albany Medical College program that places students at rural Bassett Hospital in upstate New York.
There are 45 such programs in the U.S., with the same goal of showing students the benefits of becoming doctors in rural communities. The students are taught to become well versed in different areas of medicine and to take a greater interest in their patients' long-term needs. "The traditional way of medical school is you do a few months of everything, a few months of surgery, a few months of medicine," adds Bruna Babic, a third year medical student enrolled in the program. "Here we do it in a few weeks and then for seven months consecutively we have clinics or we’re doing different things in the morning or different things in the afternoon and the whole point of it is really to follow the patients we’ve met along the way.”
The program is competitive, having to turn down interested students each year. These programs give hope to rural communities that have struggled to attract doctors. While the students have just started the program while "a career outside a big city is already on their radar," NBC adds. (Read more)
Almond growers fight USDA pasteurization rule
Almond growers in California are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over a ruling they say has unnecessarily cost them a place in the raw-foods market. Last year, USDA ruled that U.S.-grown almonds must be pasteurized, following a salmonella outbreak was traced to the nuts.
The suit "contends that handlers who paid a premium for raw almonds have been paying as much as 40 percent less for the pasteurized variety, or rejecting them altogether," says Erica Werner of The Associated Press. "They argue that the rule was imposed without the proper rule-making process, didn't take key issues into account and should be thrown out."
According to the lawsuit, the Almond Board of California found that the quality of almonds were not affected by pasteurization, but almond producers have lost customers who are interested in untreated food and have received complaints from consumers. (Read more)
The suit "contends that handlers who paid a premium for raw almonds have been paying as much as 40 percent less for the pasteurized variety, or rejecting them altogether," says Erica Werner of The Associated Press. "They argue that the rule was imposed without the proper rule-making process, didn't take key issues into account and should be thrown out."
According to the lawsuit, the Almond Board of California found that the quality of almonds were not affected by pasteurization, but almond producers have lost customers who are interested in untreated food and have received complaints from consumers. (Read more)
New conservation programs, unlike many current ones, lack set-asides for women farmers
The new Farm Bill provides many benefits for "socially disadvantaged" farmers, but some critics say the bill doesn't go far enough in saying who exactly meets this criteria. While female farmers are considered "socially disadvantaged" in getting rural development assistance and farm loans, they are not eligible for new benefits in major conservation programs.
"Five percent of the money in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and 5 percent of the acreage in the Conservation Stewardship Program is reserved for socially disadvantaged farmers," writes Philip Brasher in The Des Moines Register. "Both are complementary programs that help farmers offset the cost of preventing pollution and improving soil, water and energy conservation." Why were women eligible for the loan and rural development assistance, but not conservation benefits? Kate Cyrul, spokeswoman for the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that "limited funding required that farm bill writers restrict this definition."
April Hennes, a farmer since the 1980s, tells Brasher, "Anything that encourages the young farmers and the women or the socially disadvantaged to get into farming is a good thing." While she says she no longer has to worry about the economic challenges added in being a female in a male-dominated career, other women do: "There's still some stigma out there." (Read more)
"Five percent of the money in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and 5 percent of the acreage in the Conservation Stewardship Program is reserved for socially disadvantaged farmers," writes Philip Brasher in The Des Moines Register. "Both are complementary programs that help farmers offset the cost of preventing pollution and improving soil, water and energy conservation." Why were women eligible for the loan and rural development assistance, but not conservation benefits? Kate Cyrul, spokeswoman for the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that "limited funding required that farm bill writers restrict this definition."
April Hennes, a farmer since the 1980s, tells Brasher, "Anything that encourages the young farmers and the women or the socially disadvantaged to get into farming is a good thing." While she says she no longer has to worry about the economic challenges added in being a female in a male-dominated career, other women do: "There's still some stigma out there." (Read more)
Palin pick solidifies McCain base in rural areas
Sen. John McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate has solidified his support in battleground states and "especially in rural areas, where she has made a very positive first impression," Dan Balz and Peter Slevin of The Washington Post report this morning, quoting an unnamed McCain adviser. "If that holds, it could complicate Obama's hopes of picking off Ohio or Missouri. He won the latter in the primaries, but it voted for Bush in the past two elections." So did Ohio, which is probably once again the top battleground. (Map from Stateline.org)
Obama strategist David Axelrod said McCain's firming up has largely been limited to states that voted for President Bush, and deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said Obama would still try to take away some of those states, such as Georgia, North Carolina, Indiana, Montana and North Dakota. But Democratic strategist Tad Devine told the Post that the Electoral College map "is going to look a lot like 2000 and 2004."
Balz and Slevin report, "Five states that went for President Bush in 2004 are now high on the list of potential Obama states: Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Virginia. Two states that went for Sen. John F. Kerry are top targets of McCain's campaign: Wisconsin and New Hampshire. ... Kerry won 252 electoral votes in 2004, so Obama needs to pick off some Bush states to win the election. The two likeliest are Iowa and New Mexico, although that would still leave him six short of 270." Palin "makes an authentic rural connection," former Iowa U.S. Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot told Douglas Burns of The Iowa Independent.
The Post says "McCain has fewer opportunities for switching states, but his first priority is to hold onto the two big battlegrounds of Florida and Ohio. His campaign has growing confidence that Florida will remain in their column. One Obama adviser, who declined to be identified in order to speak candidly, expressed pessimism about Florida but said the longer the Democrats can keep the state competitive, the more McCain may be forced to spend to defend it. Ohio remains competitive because of the economy, but there are signs that Palin could help boost the vote in rural areas, where Obama was very weak in the primaries." (Read more)
For an interactive battleground map, with state-by-state polls, from The New York Times, click here.
Iowa town more diverse after big immigration raid
An unexpected result of the immigration raid on a Postville, Iowa, processing plant in May is that the town has become more diverse, Lynda Waddington reports for The Iowa Independent. After more than 300 workers, mostly from Guatemala, were arrested for working with false documentation, the town saw an influx of immigrants from a variety of countries seeking to fill the vacated jobs.
Waddington describes this new Postville, with new residents from countries from Russia to Somalia: "The once thriving Hispanic grocery store ... has downsized and reduced its hours of operation." She interviewed a few young men from Palau, who asked not to be named though the country's status as a former U.S. territory eases immigration. "The men are quick to point out that they are legal employees, that they have gone through proper channels to come and work here," Waddington writes. "They’ve heard news reports about the immigration raid and how those employees have described their treatment at Agriprocessors. 'When you don’t have the right papers, employers think they can do whatever they want,” said a 20-something man.'" (Read more)
Waddington describes this new Postville, with new residents from countries from Russia to Somalia: "The once thriving Hispanic grocery store ... has downsized and reduced its hours of operation." She interviewed a few young men from Palau, who asked not to be named though the country's status as a former U.S. territory eases immigration. "The men are quick to point out that they are legal employees, that they have gone through proper channels to come and work here," Waddington writes. "They’ve heard news reports about the immigration raid and how those employees have described their treatment at Agriprocessors. 'When you don’t have the right papers, employers think they can do whatever they want,” said a 20-something man.'" (Read more)
Burning coal in the ground to create gas looks promising to India, China; several pitfalls remain
Underground coal gasification, or burning coal in the ground to produce natural gas, "has the potential to tap enormous and otherwise inaccessible coal reserves -- and to slow the speed of climate change," David Winning reports in The Wall Street Journal. India and China "are investigating large-scale commercial projects ... building on pilot projects in the U.S. and elsewhere," writes Winn, the Beijing editor of Dow Jones Newswires. "The two countries are also looking at the possibility of capturing and permanently storing underground the gases produced, like carbon dioxide, which scientists believe cause global warming."
The Soviet Union pioneered the technology in the 1930s, and a power plant in Uzbekistan still uses it. "Now, thanks to higher oil and gas prices, underground coal gasification has again become cost-competitive," Winning reports. "Advances in the technology also make the practice more attractive. ... Underground gasification also presents an attractive alternative because it produces no sulfur oxide or nitrogen oxide, there are lower levels of mercury and particulates, and the ash stays underground. Experts say the technology is especially suitable for low-rank coals like lignites and sub-bituminous coal, which produce less heat when burned due to their high ash content, and are highly polluting."
There are, of course, major concerns about water pollution or land subsidence caused by "cavities created when the coal seams are drilled and burned out," Winning writes. Advocates say water can be protected by managing pressures in the coal seam, and subsidence can be avoided by choosing a site with strong rock layers. And what about the main concern about coal projects? "A large-scale project that includes carbon capture and sequestration ... is still years away," Winning reports. "The big hope is that carbon dioxide produced in the process can be pumped back into the void left by the combustion of the coal underground, and permanently sequestered from the atmosphere, helping to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. But ... carbon capture would likely make underground gasification more expensive." (Read more)
The Soviet Union pioneered the technology in the 1930s, and a power plant in Uzbekistan still uses it. "Now, thanks to higher oil and gas prices, underground coal gasification has again become cost-competitive," Winning reports. "Advances in the technology also make the practice more attractive. ... Underground gasification also presents an attractive alternative because it produces no sulfur oxide or nitrogen oxide, there are lower levels of mercury and particulates, and the ash stays underground. Experts say the technology is especially suitable for low-rank coals like lignites and sub-bituminous coal, which produce less heat when burned due to their high ash content, and are highly polluting."There are, of course, major concerns about water pollution or land subsidence caused by "cavities created when the coal seams are drilled and burned out," Winning writes. Advocates say water can be protected by managing pressures in the coal seam, and subsidence can be avoided by choosing a site with strong rock layers. And what about the main concern about coal projects? "A large-scale project that includes carbon capture and sequestration ... is still years away," Winning reports. "The big hope is that carbon dioxide produced in the process can be pumped back into the void left by the combustion of the coal underground, and permanently sequestered from the atmosphere, helping to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. But ... carbon capture would likely make underground gasification more expensive." (Read more)
Friday, September 12, 2008
More than 50 million Americans have pre-diabetes
Early detection can make all the difference. In cancer and heart disease, for example, early diagnosis means early intervention and an increased likelihood of recovery. For those at risk of diabetes, the gray area between healthy and sick is an ideal place to change habits and redirect the future.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 57 million Americans 21 and older have blood glucose levels considered above normal but below what qualifies as "diabetic." That is twice as many Americans who have been formally diagnosed with diabetes.
The good news is that, while pre-diabetes is a danger zone, the diagnosis offers a chance to readjust lifestyle and ward off the development of full-blown diabetes. "People with pre-diabetes already have a 50 percent higher risk of heart disease and stroke," writes Dr.Valerie Ulene for the Los Angeles Times. Add to that the fact that 25 percent of those with pre-diabetes will develop diabetes within three to five years, and that diabetes symptoms -- cardiovascular, kidney and eye disease -- often begin during this precursor stage and the gray area becomes even more significant.
Unlike the permanent effects of diabetes, simple lifestyle changes for people with pre-diabetes can literally turn the progress of the disease around. Losing a small amount of weight, getting moderate daily exercise - approximately 150 minutes per week - and improving one's diet may be enough to stop the disease in its tracks, if not just delay the condition from worsening.
"If pre-diabetes is allowed to progress, it's very hard to treat effectively," said Dr. Yehuda Handelsman, co-chairman of the American College of Endocrinology's task force on the management of pre-diabetes. "The earlier we intervene, the better." Read the rest of the article here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 57 million Americans 21 and older have blood glucose levels considered above normal but below what qualifies as "diabetic." That is twice as many Americans who have been formally diagnosed with diabetes.
The good news is that, while pre-diabetes is a danger zone, the diagnosis offers a chance to readjust lifestyle and ward off the development of full-blown diabetes. "People with pre-diabetes already have a 50 percent higher risk of heart disease and stroke," writes Dr.Valerie Ulene for the Los Angeles Times. Add to that the fact that 25 percent of those with pre-diabetes will develop diabetes within three to five years, and that diabetes symptoms -- cardiovascular, kidney and eye disease -- often begin during this precursor stage and the gray area becomes even more significant.
Unlike the permanent effects of diabetes, simple lifestyle changes for people with pre-diabetes can literally turn the progress of the disease around. Losing a small amount of weight, getting moderate daily exercise - approximately 150 minutes per week - and improving one's diet may be enough to stop the disease in its tracks, if not just delay the condition from worsening.
"If pre-diabetes is allowed to progress, it's very hard to treat effectively," said Dr. Yehuda Handelsman, co-chairman of the American College of Endocrinology's task force on the management of pre-diabetes. "The earlier we intervene, the better." Read the rest of the article here.
Study faults rural medical referral system in Ind.
A new study at the University of Indiana points to significant problems with the state's rural medical referral system. "The findings of this study demonstrate inefficiencies in our public health care system and our inability to link people easily to a range of health care providers in rural areas," said Michael Reece, lead investigator in the study and director of The Center for Sexual Health Promotion in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
"This also has an important economic impact given that our investments in the public health system may not be achieving the outcomes we need, such as improvements in health status," Reece says. The study is also significant because, he adds, "As the incidence of new HIV infections continues to increase in more diverse areas of the country, researchers can make incredible contributions to public health by focusing some of their attention to what is happening in the backyards of their own universities."(Read more)
"This also has an important economic impact given that our investments in the public health system may not be achieving the outcomes we need, such as improvements in health status," Reece says. The study is also significant because, he adds, "As the incidence of new HIV infections continues to increase in more diverse areas of the country, researchers can make incredible contributions to public health by focusing some of their attention to what is happening in the backyards of their own universities."(Read more)
Strip-mine permit application conflicts with desire for adventure tourism in Ky., mine opponents say
As state officials in Kentucky push for more adventure tourism in the state, some citizens say one popular destination is being threatened by the coal industry. Cassondra Kirby-Mullins of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes, "On Thursday, more than two dozen nature enthusiasts and Letcher County residents gathered to contest a permit sought by Cumberland River Coal Co. to strip mine a few miles upstream, which they say will harm the river and nearby areas."
Debris from strip mining often goes down the mountain filling, in the hollows and burying streams below. "Cumberland River is planning three hollow-fills, totaling more than 102 acres, and five sediment ponds covering more than 24 acres," Kirby-Mullins reports. "If this mining is allowed, we are going to bury one of the prime tourist destinations in the state. This stream will die," adds Tim Guilfoile, vice president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen. "I can't believe the administration is going to promote Eastern Kentucky as a tourist destination and at the same time destroy one of the few Class 1 steams in the state. That wouldn't make sense."(Read more)
UPDATE, Sept. 15: In today's Herald-Leader, Gov. Steve Beshear and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, the leading advocate of adventure tourism in the state, reply to a cautionary Aug. 22 editorial on the subject: "In seeking to encourage exploration of Kentucky's beauty, we must not destroy it. ... Some people have misinterpreted our enthusiasm. They hypothesize that we intend unrestrained ATV use in even delicate environments and at the expense of other activities. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our administration shares concerns about the unauthorized use of ATVs and believes we must strengthen the enforcement of laws protecting sensitive areas. We now lack resources to do so. As a result, public and private lands have been damaged. In addition, riders have been injured and killed because they don't use ATVs properly. We are undertaking a study to determine where ATV trespassing is a problem, how we can prevent it and how we can strengthen enforcement." (Read more)
Debris from strip mining often goes down the mountain filling, in the hollows and burying streams below. "Cumberland River is planning three hollow-fills, totaling more than 102 acres, and five sediment ponds covering more than 24 acres," Kirby-Mullins reports. "If this mining is allowed, we are going to bury one of the prime tourist destinations in the state. This stream will die," adds Tim Guilfoile, vice president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen. "I can't believe the administration is going to promote Eastern Kentucky as a tourist destination and at the same time destroy one of the few Class 1 steams in the state. That wouldn't make sense."(Read more)
UPDATE, Sept. 15: In today's Herald-Leader, Gov. Steve Beshear and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, the leading advocate of adventure tourism in the state, reply to a cautionary Aug. 22 editorial on the subject: "In seeking to encourage exploration of Kentucky's beauty, we must not destroy it. ... Some people have misinterpreted our enthusiasm. They hypothesize that we intend unrestrained ATV use in even delicate environments and at the expense of other activities. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our administration shares concerns about the unauthorized use of ATVs and believes we must strengthen the enforcement of laws protecting sensitive areas. We now lack resources to do so. As a result, public and private lands have been damaged. In addition, riders have been injured and killed because they don't use ATVs properly. We are undertaking a study to determine where ATV trespassing is a problem, how we can prevent it and how we can strengthen enforcement." (Read more)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Muslims walk out, get fired in religious-rights flap
More than 100 Muslim workers were fired from a Colorado beef processing plant Wednesday, almost a week after 250 walked off the job mid-shift over a debate on religious accommodation.
Last Friday, workers at Greeley-based JBS Swift & Co. said the company violated an agreement to accommodate their religious practices during the holy month of Ramadan. The workers claim that last Thursday, officials agreed to move their 9:30 p.m. break to 7:30 p.m., when many ended daytime fasts, but the break was cancelled without notice. Managers then worked to block restrooms and break rooms at 7:30 and harassed those who tried to take the scheduled break. The company employs hundreds of Muslim workers, mostly immigrants from Somalia.
Chris Casey of the Greeley Tribune writes, "Muslim workers said during Ramadan they fast starting at sunrise, so by 7:30 p.m., they have gone about 14-1/2 hours without food or water. A union representative said the company did not provide enough notice that those who didn't return to work by Wednesday would be fired. He said the union will file a grievance for any worker who wants to return to the plant. JBS Swift's spokeswoman said the walkout violated a collective bargaining agreement, and that the company works with the union and its workers to "accommodate religious practices in a reasonable, safe and fair manner." (Read more)
Earlier this year, Muslim workers successfully negotiateed with a Tyson processing plant in Shelbyville, Tenn., to make Eid-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, a paid holiday off. (Read more)
Last Friday, workers at Greeley-based JBS Swift & Co. said the company violated an agreement to accommodate their religious practices during the holy month of Ramadan. The workers claim that last Thursday, officials agreed to move their 9:30 p.m. break to 7:30 p.m., when many ended daytime fasts, but the break was cancelled without notice. Managers then worked to block restrooms and break rooms at 7:30 and harassed those who tried to take the scheduled break. The company employs hundreds of Muslim workers, mostly immigrants from Somalia.
Chris Casey of the Greeley Tribune writes, "Muslim workers said during Ramadan they fast starting at sunrise, so by 7:30 p.m., they have gone about 14-1/2 hours without food or water. A union representative said the company did not provide enough notice that those who didn't return to work by Wednesday would be fired. He said the union will file a grievance for any worker who wants to return to the plant. JBS Swift's spokeswoman said the walkout violated a collective bargaining agreement, and that the company works with the union and its workers to "accommodate religious practices in a reasonable, safe and fair manner." (Read more)
Earlier this year, Muslim workers successfully negotiateed with a Tyson processing plant in Shelbyville, Tenn., to make Eid-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, a paid holiday off. (Read more)
Chain starts Web-only news outlet in city where the newspaper has virtually no Web presence
Here's a shot across the bow of rural newspapers that aren't effectively on the Web: GateHouse Media has started a Web-only news outlet in Batavia, N.Y., where The Daily News site offers only subscription information and sales of archived news stories. The Batavian started quietly in April. "The strategy is to launch an innovative news and community site that will eat the lunch of an incumbent newspaper that has ignored the Web," writes Scott Karp of Publishing 2.0, which is advised by GateHouse online director Howard Owens.
"The Batavian practices what Howard preaches," Karp writes. "The site is anchored by a blog and has a full suite of community features (powered by Drupal), including blogs for registered users. The homepage features blog posts from community members. Many posts have generated lively discussions in comments." (Read more)
On The Batavian, Owens wrote in May about the depth and richness of journalism and interaction that are available online, using as an example concerns about decline of the city of 16,000. "A clearer picture emerges of the goals and aspiration of the City Council to clean up the city before things get too far gone," Owens wrote. "Traditional, print journalism could never achieve this depth of coverage of a single issue. By offering a method and manner to discuss choices, consequences and conditions in Batavia, The Batavian hopes to help make Batavia a stronger community." For The Batavian's birth announcement, click here and go to the bottom.
Owens writes on his own site, "We wanted to go to a town where we didn’t have a newspaper so that we could have the freedom to experiment without concerns about disrupting one of our own publications. We picked Batavia because it’s a neat, vibrant town; it’s close to our home office; and the daily newspaper there was doing nothing on the Web. ... The site is still very young, still under development (we’re working on a new design and adding additional features as we speak), but the local reception has been pleasantly strong so far."
The Daily News, which has a circulation of 12,500, serves three counties between Buffalo and Rochester. Its home Genesee County has a population of 60,000; the other two, shown in map from Daily News Web site, each have about 44,000 people.
Daily News Publisher Tom Turnbull told us in an e-mail that the newspaper's Web site, "a source of frustration for our entire staff," will be expanded "very soon" and "has been delayed for a variety of reasons." He wrote, "The Daily News has committed to bringing a first-class local news web site to our market for some time now, long before The Batavian made its debut. ... I am confident that the combination of our unique local content, the local knowledge and experience of our professional staff and our well-branded image will very quickly make the Daily News Web site the number one local news web site in our market."
Turnbull questioned whether The Batavian is a viable business enterprise, and said, "Incredibly, despite all the talk about The Batavian on the Web recently, you are the first and only member of the web community that has even attempted to contact us. And web bloggers wonder why they get no respect from the journalism community." He concluded, "I’m sure my comments will open up a firestorm of indignant responses from the Web blogging community. I don’t plan on answering any of them. I’m too busy running a news business." Turnbull's full e-mail appears as a comment below.
"The Batavian practices what Howard preaches," Karp writes. "The site is anchored by a blog and has a full suite of community features (powered by Drupal), including blogs for registered users. The homepage features blog posts from community members. Many posts have generated lively discussions in comments." (Read more)
On The Batavian, Owens wrote in May about the depth and richness of journalism and interaction that are available online, using as an example concerns about decline of the city of 16,000. "A clearer picture emerges of the goals and aspiration of the City Council to clean up the city before things get too far gone," Owens wrote. "Traditional, print journalism could never achieve this depth of coverage of a single issue. By offering a method and manner to discuss choices, consequences and conditions in Batavia, The Batavian hopes to help make Batavia a stronger community." For The Batavian's birth announcement, click here and go to the bottom.
Owens writes on his own site, "We wanted to go to a town where we didn’t have a newspaper so that we could have the freedom to experiment without concerns about disrupting one of our own publications. We picked Batavia because it’s a neat, vibrant town; it’s close to our home office; and the daily newspaper there was doing nothing on the Web. ... The site is still very young, still under development (we’re working on a new design and adding additional features as we speak), but the local reception has been pleasantly strong so far."
The Daily News, which has a circulation of 12,500, serves three counties between Buffalo and Rochester. Its home Genesee County has a population of 60,000; the other two, shown in map from Daily News Web site, each have about 44,000 people.
Daily News Publisher Tom Turnbull told us in an e-mail that the newspaper's Web site, "a source of frustration for our entire staff," will be expanded "very soon" and "has been delayed for a variety of reasons." He wrote, "The Daily News has committed to bringing a first-class local news web site to our market for some time now, long before The Batavian made its debut. ... I am confident that the combination of our unique local content, the local knowledge and experience of our professional staff and our well-branded image will very quickly make the Daily News Web site the number one local news web site in our market."
Turnbull questioned whether The Batavian is a viable business enterprise, and said, "Incredibly, despite all the talk about The Batavian on the Web recently, you are the first and only member of the web community that has even attempted to contact us. And web bloggers wonder why they get no respect from the journalism community." He concluded, "I’m sure my comments will open up a firestorm of indignant responses from the Web blogging community. I don’t plan on answering any of them. I’m too busy running a news business." Turnbull's full e-mail appears as a comment below.
Exports provide economic boost to some ruralites
In the midst of difficult economic times, there is a bright spot in some smaller cities and surrounding rural areas. U.S. exports have boomed as the weakened dollar make U.S. products more competitive worldwide, and many products sent overseas are produced by rural Americans.
"Exports are impacting, in a positive manner, virtually every industry and every state," Daniel J. Meckstroth, an economist at the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a public-policy and research group, tells Timothy Aeppel of The Wall Street Journal. Exports now make up the highest percentage of the gross domestic product since World War II. Farming, energy and aerospace are some of the greatest contributors to this growth, but the demand for American exports affects manufacturers producing items from violin strings to airplane parts.
The data supporting the article come from metropolitan areas, but Aeppel notes smaller communities such as Columbus, Ind., Kingsport, Tenn., and Waterloo, Iowa "have become trade hot spots." Such places provide employment for many rural commuters; a majority of Americans living in rural areas live in counties that are adjacent to metro areas. Many bigger cities have a large number of exports, "but their shipments to foreign customers are dwarfed by their domestic-oriented economies," Aeppel reports. (Read more)
"Exports are impacting, in a positive manner, virtually every industry and every state," Daniel J. Meckstroth, an economist at the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a public-policy and research group, tells Timothy Aeppel of The Wall Street Journal. Exports now make up the highest percentage of the gross domestic product since World War II. Farming, energy and aerospace are some of the greatest contributors to this growth, but the demand for American exports affects manufacturers producing items from violin strings to airplane parts.
The data supporting the article come from metropolitan areas, but Aeppel notes smaller communities such as Columbus, Ind., Kingsport, Tenn., and Waterloo, Iowa "have become trade hot spots." Such places provide employment for many rural commuters; a majority of Americans living in rural areas live in counties that are adjacent to metro areas. Many bigger cities have a large number of exports, "but their shipments to foreign customers are dwarfed by their domestic-oriented economies," Aeppel reports. (Read more)
Coal company loses water contamination suit
Several families in Eastern Kentucky have been awarded a $650,000 settlement after a jury determined that a coal company had contributed to the contamination of their water supplies. An underground coal mine in the vicinity of the families' homes caused the contamination.
Cassondra Kirby-Mullins of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes, "The families, who live in Camp Branch in Letcher County, filed the lawsuit after a two-year state investigation concluded that the mine, operated by Golden Oak Mining Company, did not cause the contamination. Golden Oak closed the mine in 1997 and filed for protection under 1bankruptcy laws."
Kirby-Mullins adds, "In all, the water supplies of 100 families were affected by the mine. Other lawsuits have been settled privately or are pending." (Read more)
Cassondra Kirby-Mullins of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes, "The families, who live in Camp Branch in Letcher County, filed the lawsuit after a two-year state investigation concluded that the mine, operated by Golden Oak Mining Company, did not cause the contamination. Golden Oak closed the mine in 1997 and filed for protection under 1bankruptcy laws."
Kirby-Mullins adds, "In all, the water supplies of 100 families were affected by the mine. Other lawsuits have been settled privately or are pending." (Read more)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Ads defend high fructose corn syrup from worries that it promotes obesity, diabetes, other problems
High fructose corn syrup, a subject of nutritional controversy and agricultural profit, is getting the wrappings of a makeover with two new television commercials released by the Corn Refiners Association. The ads say HFCS is “All natural, made from corn and full of naturally occurring enzymes and is as safe as sugar. . . . and, like real sugar, fine in moderation.” Click here to view the first ad, here to view the second, or check out the Web site, sweetsurprise.com.
While questions still linger about the nutritional value and negative effects of HFCS, public consensus, science and informal statements from the Food and Drug Administration conclude that high fructose corn syrup is neither as safe as sugar, or natural, broadly defined. The synthesizing process changes the chemical makeup of corn, and studies have noted issues regarding insulin absorption and fat conversion, as well as high levels of HFCS in processed foods.
Though http://www.hfcsfacts.com/ argues the product is “all-natural,” in April 2008, FDA’s Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements informally ruled that HFCS should not be labeled "natural," granting the pleas of anti-HFCS groups like the Sugar Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Read the article here. Synthesized by enzymatic conversion of glucose, a natural sugar, HFCS is manufactured by breaking and rearranging chemical bonds and thus is “not consistent with our […] policy regarding the use of the term ‘natural’,” said Geraldine June, an FDA supervisor. Table sugar, sucrose, is made up of glucose and crystallized fructose, the natural sugar in fruit.
In the 1970s, corn production skyrocketed as a result of government subsidies, and manufactured fructose, or HFCS, debuted. With its cheap manufacturing costs and highly preservative nature, HFCS has become a staple in processed foods, appearing in everything from sports drinks and ketchup to bread and cough drops. From 1970 to 1997, U.S. consumption of soft drinks – one of the biggest users of HFCS – increased from 22 to 41 gallons per person per year. On average, teenage boys and girls consume two to three cans per day. A typical 20-ounce Coke contains no fat, no protein and more than 65 grams of carbohydrates, usually in the form of HFCS.
HFCS’s publicized drawbacks include its abnormally high levels of chemically altered fructose, which has contributed to speculation about the relationship between HFCS and increasing cases of obesity and diabetes. Unlike glucose, which can be absorbed and broken down by any cell in the body, fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar and can only be metabolized by the liver. Some critics see it as the “the newest health villain,” writes Datamonitor, a business industry analyst company in New York. Organic grocery chains in Seattle and North Carolina have already eliminated HFCS products from their stores, and a spokesperson for national Whole Foods Markets said, “Products [containing HFCS are] the exception rather than the norm as in conventional markets.”
Studies have shown that HFCS increases insulin levels of women taking oral contraceptives. Nutrition consultant Bill Sanda says, “Fructose reduces the affinity of insulin for its receptor, which is the hallmark of type-2 diabetes,” and clinical nutritionist Nancy Appleton writes, “Fructose ingestion in humans results in increases in blood lactic acid, especially in patients with preexisting acidotic conditions such as diabetes, postoperative stress or uremia.”
First charges, alleging child-labor violations, levied against meatpacker caught in immigration raid
Iowa officials have filed child-labor charges against the owner and four executives of the Postville, Iowa, processing plant where almost 400 workers were arrested in May on suspicion of illegal immigration. Each was charged with 9,311 violations of child-labor laws. Two of the executives, human resource employees, were also charged with falsifying paperwork for people they allegedly knew were in the country illegally. These are the first charges faced for leaders of Agriprocessors. The charges involve 32 minors, seven of whom were under 16. They allegedly operated dangerous equipment and were exposed to dangerous chemicals. A company spokesman said the workers lied about their age and produced false paperwork.
Julia Preston of The New York Times reports, "The complaint also charges that under-age workers were not paid for all the overtime they worked and were forced to work before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m., a violation of child labor laws." Preston writes. "Many of the young workers are illegal immigrants who are seeking special visas, known as U-visas, to remain in the United States to cooperate with the investigation."
Over the past few months, many have questioned why only the workers have faced charges after the May raid. Tony Leys and Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register cite Delia Junach, a worker whose husband was arrested in the May raid: "She has nothing against plant managers personally. They gave her and her husband jobs that weren't available elsewhere, and she still appreciates it. But she said if Agriprocessors' workers had to face charges, so should the bosses. 'It's fair,' she said in Spanish." (Read more)
The Rural Blog's previous coverage of the Postville raid: Hundreds of immigrants arrested in raid on Iowa meatpacking plant; largest ever at a single site (May 14) Criminal prosecutions in largest-ever raid signal feds' tougher attitude toward illegal immigration (May 24) Raided meatpacker was repeatedly notified that workers were using bogus Social Security numbers (May 25) Feds arrest two Hispanic supervisors of Iowa plant that was scene of largest immigration raid yet (July 4) In wake of record raid, more information emerging about Iowa (July 28) Iowa governor blasts packer hit by nation's largest immigration raid; state alleges safety violations (Aug. 25)
Julia Preston of The New York Times reports, "The complaint also charges that under-age workers were not paid for all the overtime they worked and were forced to work before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m., a violation of child labor laws." Preston writes. "Many of the young workers are illegal immigrants who are seeking special visas, known as U-visas, to remain in the United States to cooperate with the investigation."
Over the past few months, many have questioned why only the workers have faced charges after the May raid. Tony Leys and Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register cite Delia Junach, a worker whose husband was arrested in the May raid: "She has nothing against plant managers personally. They gave her and her husband jobs that weren't available elsewhere, and she still appreciates it. But she said if Agriprocessors' workers had to face charges, so should the bosses. 'It's fair,' she said in Spanish." (Read more)
The Rural Blog's previous coverage of the Postville raid: Hundreds of immigrants arrested in raid on Iowa meatpacking plant; largest ever at a single site (May 14) Criminal prosecutions in largest-ever raid signal feds' tougher attitude toward illegal immigration (May 24) Raided meatpacker was repeatedly notified that workers were using bogus Social Security numbers (May 25) Feds arrest two Hispanic supervisors of Iowa plant that was scene of largest immigration raid yet (July 4) In wake of record raid, more information emerging about Iowa (July 28) Iowa governor blasts packer hit by nation's largest immigration raid; state alleges safety violations (Aug. 25)
At home in North Dakota, Agriculture Secretary Schafer hears farmers' fears of a cost crunch
Chuck Haga of the Grand Forks Herald reports on the visit to the Big Iron agricultural expo in West Fargo by former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer, now secretary of agriculture: "When he first attended Big Iron [ag expo] as a candidate for governor in 1992, corn was bringing $2.16 a bushel, soybeans $5.36 and wheat $3.20. Each has more than doubled in price, he said. But the costs of fuel, fertilizer, seed and land have risen, too."There is fear among North Dakota farmers that if crop prices level off there could be serious economic distress. “You’re always optimistic if you’re a farmer,” Tom Voller, who is one, told Haga. "But you’re cautious, too. The input costs are catching up so fast, and the prices are stabilizing. It could get ugly if that continues.” Increasing the use of renewable energy could help farmers with their bottom line by alleviating their dependence on costly fossil fuels. (Read more)
Learn about government transparency from Iowa, Okla., Washington officials in webinar Thursday
Local news media that don't have reporters in state capitals, but want and need to cover state agencies and glean data from them, could benefit from a webinar on transparency in state government, to be held from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT tomorrow.
The Webinar is sponsored by the National Association of Chief State Information Officers and will be moderated by Mark Stencel, editor and deputy publisher of Governing magazine, who says, "New technologies are changing the way government and citizens communicate and interact, creating opportunities for unprecedented levels of transparency. But there also are new risks and new challenges."
The webinar will feature presentations from Steve Maslikowski of the Performance Results Division, Department of Management, State of Iowa; Lisa McKeithan, Office of State Finance, State of Oklahoma; and a representative from the Government Management Accountability & Performance unit of the Washington Governor's Office. They will discuss what they are doing in the field of transparency, what prompted them to move in the direction of transparency, and lessons they learned that might help other states as they move towards a more open government.
The webinar will include time for questions. Participants must pre-register, by clicking here. For more information, contact Shawn Karrick at skarrick@amrms.com or 859-514-9156.
The Webinar is sponsored by the National Association of Chief State Information Officers and will be moderated by Mark Stencel, editor and deputy publisher of Governing magazine, who says, "New technologies are changing the way government and citizens communicate and interact, creating opportunities for unprecedented levels of transparency. But there also are new risks and new challenges."
The webinar will feature presentations from Steve Maslikowski of the Performance Results Division, Department of Management, State of Iowa; Lisa McKeithan, Office of State Finance, State of Oklahoma; and a representative from the Government Management Accountability & Performance unit of the Washington Governor's Office. They will discuss what they are doing in the field of transparency, what prompted them to move in the direction of transparency, and lessons they learned that might help other states as they move towards a more open government.
The webinar will include time for questions. Participants must pre-register, by clicking here. For more information, contact Shawn Karrick at skarrick@amrms.com or 859-514-9156.
Western Colorado counties are an example of regional cooperation for rural development
Experts agree that the three-legged stool for rural economic development is: Build on your best assets; encourage entrepreneurship; and cooperate across political boundaries. The latter is often difficult; it's human nature to look for advantage in relationships, and rural jurisdictions often compete politically and in other ways. When you spend much of Friday night cheering for your team to beat the other county's brains out, it can be harder to cooperate on Monday morning.
There are "darn few successful examples" of regional cooperation, Bill Bishop writes today in the Daily Yonder, but cites an important one: Club 20, a longstanding organization of the 20 Colorado counties on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, founded in 1953 by Preston Walker, who was publisher of The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, the rural region's largest city. Their first success was lobbying jointly in Denver for road money. The group now has 22 counties and the Ute tribe, all with an equal vote. Most work is done in committees on tourism, public lands, energy, education, water and health care. It also holds political forums; photo by Bishop shows Democratic U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar praising the group and urging it to stay bipartisan.
"There have been some ideological dust-ups as the issues have gone beyond roads and water. There are also constant reminders throughout the day that Club 20 has survived by finding issues that cross political boundaries," Bishop writes. "Club 20 has been successful enough that two other groups of counties in Colorado have copied the Western Slope coalition. There is now Action 22, made up of counties in southeast Colorado. And Progressive 15 is a coalition of rural counties in the far northeastern corner of the state." (Read more)
There are "darn few successful examples" of regional cooperation, Bill Bishop writes today in the Daily Yonder, but cites an important one: Club 20, a longstanding organization of the 20 Colorado counties on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, founded in 1953 by Preston Walker, who was publisher of The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, the rural region's largest city. Their first success was lobbying jointly in Denver for road money. The group now has 22 counties and the Ute tribe, all with an equal vote. Most work is done in committees on tourism, public lands, energy, education, water and health care. It also holds political forums; photo by Bishop shows Democratic U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar praising the group and urging it to stay bipartisan."There have been some ideological dust-ups as the issues have gone beyond roads and water. There are also constant reminders throughout the day that Club 20 has survived by finding issues that cross political boundaries," Bishop writes. "Club 20 has been successful enough that two other groups of counties in Colorado have copied the Western Slope coalition. There is now Action 22, made up of counties in southeast Colorado. And Progressive 15 is a coalition of rural counties in the far northeastern corner of the state." (Read more)
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Brushy Fork Institute builds leaders, communities; will manage ARC grants to distressed Appalachia
For 20 years, the Brushy Fork Institute has worked to develop leadership in Appalachian communities. Tonight at Berea College in Kentucky, home of the Institute, its leaders, friends and clients celebrated its success with testimonies from a national expert on rural community development and two women who helped start or revive chambers of commerce in their small, rural counties with training from the Institute.
Vaughn Grisham, right, director of the George McLean Institute at the University of Mississippi, told a packed dining room at the Boone Tavern Hotel that Brushy Fork not only teaches leadership in classic fashion, "They show you how to do it with their behavior," including trusting people "to transform their own lives." Grisham turned over the microphone for two stories of transformation, from the smallest county in Tennessee and one of the smallest in Kentucky, both along the rugged but scenic edge of the Cumberland Plateau.
"It changed our county," Gail Mills said of the training she and others from Menifee County, Ky., received at the Brushy Fork Annual Institute, the latest edition of which is going on this week. As a result, the county of 6,800 not only has a chamber of commerce, but a community center, a learning center and a food pantry. "We were going nowhere, but since the Chamber of Commerce came into being it had broadened our outlook," Mills said.
Deborah Garrett of Pickett County, Tenn., population 5,000, said likewise. "We made tourism a bigger money-maker than farming . . . and that all comes from Brushy Fork," she said. Our guess is that the leadership training also had something to do with Garrett being twice elected a county commissioner. For the county's Web site, click here. Menifee County's is here.
Wednesday, Brushy Fork will announce a new partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and Kentucky's Department for Local Government. Brushy Fork will provide training for community leaders and administer ARC Flex-E-Grants for projects in distressed ARC counties. "When you combine training with funding you get more out of both," Brushy Fork Director Peter Hille says. The first grants will go to communities that have teams at this year's Annual Institute this year. The second round, next spring, will be open to all of distressed ARC counties in Kentucky. Communities funded in the second round will be encouraged to send teams to next year's Institute.
Vaughn Grisham, right, director of the George McLean Institute at the University of Mississippi, told a packed dining room at the Boone Tavern Hotel that Brushy Fork not only teaches leadership in classic fashion, "They show you how to do it with their behavior," including trusting people "to transform their own lives." Grisham turned over the microphone for two stories of transformation, from the smallest county in Tennessee and one of the smallest in Kentucky, both along the rugged but scenic edge of the Cumberland Plateau."It changed our county," Gail Mills said of the training she and others from Menifee County, Ky., received at the Brushy Fork Annual Institute, the latest edition of which is going on this week. As a result, the county of 6,800 not only has a chamber of commerce, but a community center, a learning center and a food pantry. "We were going nowhere, but since the Chamber of Commerce came into being it had broadened our outlook," Mills said.
Deborah Garrett of Pickett County, Tenn., population 5,000, said likewise. "We made tourism a bigger money-maker than farming . . . and that all comes from Brushy Fork," she said. Our guess is that the leadership training also had something to do with Garrett being twice elected a county commissioner. For the county's Web site, click here. Menifee County's is here.
Wednesday, Brushy Fork will announce a new partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and Kentucky's Department for Local Government. Brushy Fork will provide training for community leaders and administer ARC Flex-E-Grants for projects in distressed ARC counties. "When you combine training with funding you get more out of both," Brushy Fork Director Peter Hille says. The first grants will go to communities that have teams at this year's Annual Institute this year. The second round, next spring, will be open to all of distressed ARC counties in Kentucky. Communities funded in the second round will be encouraged to send teams to next year's Institute.
McCain, Obama visit 2 Lebanons, one really rural
Both major presidential candidates were in Lebanon today -- not the country, but the towns, in Virginia and Ohio. In some ways they were near opposite ends of the vast spectrum that is rural America; the Ohio town and surrounding Warren County are largely suburbanized, though much farmland remains; the other town is something of an oasis in largely distressed southwest Virginia; it has managed to move away from coal mining as its principal source of income by attracting high-tech industries.
"Lebanon's success at attracting high-tech industry has landed it in the Democrats' campaign spotlight," Sue Lindsey of The Associated Press reported in an advance story. (Read more) To win a state that hasn't voted Democratic since 1964, the Obama campaign sees rural voters as the key. Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher told Daniel Gilbert of the Bristol Herald-Courier, “The candidate who is here the most frequently, who communicates about Southwest Virginia needs and concerns most directly, will be the candidate who wins over large numbers of those voters.” (Read more) Boucher's 9th District was the only one Hillary Clinton carried in Virginia's primary.
Boucher told the Lebanon crowd that Obama is a "friend of coal," reports Jodi Deal of The Coalfield Progress in Norton: "Obama pointed to carbon sequestration research and clean coal technology as an integral part of his plan to end dependence on foreign oil. It shouldn’t be too hard to find ways to make alternative energy sources viable if funding and brain power are thrown at the problems."
Deal adds, "In response to a question from a teenage girl about what he plans to do to alleviate poverty in rural America," Obama "pointed to new energy efforts and infrastructure improvements. ... One questioner pointed out that a lot of rural Americans are afraid Obama will 'take their guns away'." Obama replied, “I want to be absolutely clear — I believe in the Second Amendment. I will not take away your shotgun, I will not take away your rifle and I will not take away your handgun.” Deal adds, "Obama added that he believes in 'common-sense gun safety laws,' including background checks and closer tracking of firearms."
Obama still has work to do in the region, based on Deal's interview of Larry Counts, a Dickenson County native who lives in Glade Spring, outside the coalfield. "Counts said many people in the community don’t like the candidate because they think he’s a Muslim, or are afraid of his stance on gun control. 'And I hate to say this, but I think race has a little bit to do with it, too,' Counts said slowly, after a lengthy pause." (Read more; subscription may be required)
UPDATES
Sept. 12: For Deal's follow-up story, with interviews of Obama supporters, click here.
Sept. 10: For the McCain campaign and the national media, the news from Obama's stop was his comment that McCain and Sarah Palin running as the candidates of change is like putting lipstick on a pig. That was part of Nicki Mayo's four-minute report on TriCities.com, the Media General Web site for the Herald-Courier and WJHL-TV. Reporting from the other Lebanon, Ben Fischer of The Cincinnati Enquirer writes, "If there were any doubt remaining about the Republican base, it died during Tuesday's brief morning rally in Lebanon, the beating heart of Ohio Republicanism." (Read more) For a perceptive, thoughtful and funny take on Republicans' small-town theme and Democrats' reactions, from Julie Ardery in the Daily Yonder, click here.
Online media examine Palin's religious beliefs
The blogosphere is abuzz over the religious beliefs of Sarah Palin, who once attended the Assemblies of God church in Wasilla, Alaska, and now attends the non-denominational Wasilla Bible Church.
Shortly after Sen. John McCain named Palin his running mate, a video of the Alaska governor speaking at her church about the Iraq War began to circulate. Palin asked the audience to pray "that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." Just what she meant, and how she mixes her faith and her politics, are sparking much debate.
Neither complete rejection or complete acceptance of Palin's approach to faith and politics is completely justified, writes Beliefnet editor Steve Waldman. To help draw a dividing line, he has a list of "What's scary, what's not" on his online religion forum. What's not scary, Waldman says, are those aspects of Palin's religion which she uses to develop personal character, but that they get scary when combined with public policy. But he does find scary her plea to "a group of young church leaders to pray for a gas pipeline because it was God's will. ... Saying a particular public policy is God's will is far over the line ..." (Read more)
Jeff Sharlet of The Revealer, an online review of religious news, finds Waldman's piece helpful in its parsing of language, noting that "Palin didn't declare the Iraq War 'God's plan' but rather hoped that the war to which she is sending her son is God's plan." However, the post criticizes Waldman for "setting his perspective up as the standard of reason ... the reasonable center Waldman upholds is an assertion, not a fact." (Read more)
Dan Kennedy of Media Nation agrees that Palin's comments about Iraq might have been misconstrued, although he finds a quote on National Public Radio article by a Pentecostal scholar who says that one could interpret Palin's remarks as calling for a holy war. Kennedy goes on to cite a comprehensive Anchorage Daily News article about Palin's religion.
Shortly after Sen. John McCain named Palin his running mate, a video of the Alaska governor speaking at her church about the Iraq War began to circulate. Palin asked the audience to pray "that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." Just what she meant, and how she mixes her faith and her politics, are sparking much debate.
Neither complete rejection or complete acceptance of Palin's approach to faith and politics is completely justified, writes Beliefnet editor Steve Waldman. To help draw a dividing line, he has a list of "What's scary, what's not" on his online religion forum. What's not scary, Waldman says, are those aspects of Palin's religion which she uses to develop personal character, but that they get scary when combined with public policy. But he does find scary her plea to "a group of young church leaders to pray for a gas pipeline because it was God's will. ... Saying a particular public policy is God's will is far over the line ..." (Read more)
Jeff Sharlet of The Revealer, an online review of religious news, finds Waldman's piece helpful in its parsing of language, noting that "Palin didn't declare the Iraq War 'God's plan' but rather hoped that the war to which she is sending her son is God's plan." However, the post criticizes Waldman for "setting his perspective up as the standard of reason ... the reasonable center Waldman upholds is an assertion, not a fact." (Read more)
Dan Kennedy of Media Nation agrees that Palin's comments about Iraq might have been misconstrued, although he finds a quote on National Public Radio article by a Pentecostal scholar who says that one could interpret Palin's remarks as calling for a holy war. Kennedy goes on to cite a comprehensive Anchorage Daily News article about Palin's religion.
Ky. environmental lawyer gets big foundation prize
For more than three decades, Louisville lawyer Tom FitzGerald, right, has fought battles for environmental protection and rural people in Kentucky. In honor of that work, he is the recipient of the 14th annual Heinz Award for the Environment from the Heinz Family Foundation, which puts its money where its mouth is with a $250,000 prize."FitzGerald's name is synonymous with environmental protection in Kentucky" and a natiuonal authority on the 1977 federal strip-mine law, writes Jack Brammer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "He's probably done more to protect the environment of Kentucky than any other individual," LaJuana S. Wilcher, who held Kentucky's top environmental post under a Republican governor and headed the water division of the Environmental Protection Agency, told Jim Bruggers of The Courier-Journal.
FitzGerald, a native of Queens, N.Y., told Bruggers that he came to Kentucky in the early 1970s "after eading Harry M. Caudill's Night Comes to the Cumberlands, a 1963 book that described corporate plunder of mineral wealth in Eastern Kentucky. He said he was inspired by people 'who had the courage to stand up against the ravages of strip mining.'"
Since 1984, FitzGerald, 53, has run the Kentucky Resources Council, "which provides free legal, strategic and policy assistance on environmental matters to individuals, organizations and communities," Bruggers writes. "With a budget last year of about $230,000, it has just two paid staff members, FitzGerald and an office manager, along with a stable of technical experts hired on a contract basis." (Read more)
Brammer writes, "Money from the Heinz award will 'be nice,' but the "most rewarding" part of his career, FitzGerald said, is 'the wonderful people I've met.' He mentioned the late citizen-activist Hazel King of Harlan County, who 'stood up to renegade elements of the coal industry,' and 'the thousands of people the council has represented, and my hero and mentor, John Rosenberg, and so many, many others." (Read more) Rosenberg is founding director of the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, for which FitzGerald worked.
The Heinz Foundation will also announce today similar awards in arts and humanities, the human condition, public policy, and technology, the economy and employment. The foundation is headed by Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. Its awards are in memory of her first husband, the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania. She called FitzGerald "a thoughtful and courageous voice on behalf of many communities, families and individuals whose environmental health would have otherwise been at risk," and "a ubiquitous and persistent leader" who has "tirelessly shouldered the causes of those without the resources or expertise to fend for themselves." For the foundation's page on the award, click here.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Palin fought with her local paper, which now voices pride in her candidacy for vice president
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin got off to a rocky start as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, with her subordinates, some citizens and the local newspaper, The Frontiersman, Ken Armstrong and Hal Bernton report in The Seattle Times today.
Palin's firing of the police chief "was only part of the drama that unfolded in her first months as mayor" in late 1996 and early 1997, Armstrong and Bernton write. "The Frontiersman and Anchorage Daily News wrote one story after another about the turmoil. After notifying the librarian that she was fired, Palin backtracked and decided to keep her on. Palin had twice asked this librarian what she thought about banning books, to which the librarian responded it was a lousy idea, one she wouldn't go along with. Later, Palin told the local paper that any questions she'd raised about censorship were only 'rhetorical.' Palin put in place what the local paper called a gag order, prohibiting top city employees from talking to reporters unless she cleared it first."
After Palin tried to fill two city-council vacancies without the authority to do so, "The Frontiersman ran blistering editorials," the Times reports, saying Palin's operating philosophy was "either we are with her or against her. ... Palin promised to change the status quo, but at every turn we find hints of cronyism and political maneuvering. We see a woman who has long since surrendered her ideals to a political machine."
But Palin gradually "won folks over" and was re-elected, Armstrong and Bernton write. "Vicki Naegele, the former managing editor who wrote the editorial, defended Palin: "As a community newspaper, we held her feet to the fire. ... The need for such harsh words diminished as the months wore on." At the time, Palin said, "If nothing else, the old Frontiersman editorial points out the importance of administrative experience at the chief executive level. I grew tremendously in my early months as mayor, managing the fastest-growing city in the state, and I turned my critics around." (Read more)
Because of widespread interest in the book-banning discussions, The Frontiersman retyped its December 1996 story on the subject and posted it on its Web site, where it reports that many in the Wasilla area "are experiencing an influx of revenue from local efforts of national media" to research Palin. "The take-out business seems to be exploding as reporters eat while they work in their hotel rooms," writes reporter Michael Rovito.
In an editorial titled "We know Sarah Palin," The Frontiersman says, "We’ve known her as a governor tough enough to successfully take on the Last Frontier’s good old boy network" and voices hope that her nomination could turn attention from a rash of government scandals in the state. "Truth and transparency have been bywords for Palin. As she enters the national arena where she’ll be tugged and tormented, vilified and denigrated, we hope she sticks to her guns — metaphorically and literally. Because no matter the politics, for Wasilla, Alaska, to send its commercial-fishing, gun-toting, hockey-mom former mayor toward the White House, that’s history. And we’re proud of it." (Read more)
The nomination is obviously driving traffic to the Web site of the paper, a thrice-weekly. An unscientific, self-selected "reader's poll" asking whether Palin was a good choice for Sen. John McCain's running mate had gleaned more than 5,000 replies as of 4 p.m. Monday. There was no was for us to tell where the votes were coming from, but the results were Yes, 2,894; No, 2,403; and "Too early to tell," 291.
Palin's firing of the police chief "was only part of the drama that unfolded in her first months as mayor" in late 1996 and early 1997, Armstrong and Bernton write. "The Frontiersman and Anchorage Daily News wrote one story after another about the turmoil. After notifying the librarian that she was fired, Palin backtracked and decided to keep her on. Palin had twice asked this librarian what she thought about banning books, to which the librarian responded it was a lousy idea, one she wouldn't go along with. Later, Palin told the local paper that any questions she'd raised about censorship were only 'rhetorical.' Palin put in place what the local paper called a gag order, prohibiting top city employees from talking to reporters unless she cleared it first."
After Palin tried to fill two city-council vacancies without the authority to do so, "The Frontiersman ran blistering editorials," the Times reports, saying Palin's operating philosophy was "either we are with her or against her. ... Palin promised to change the status quo, but at every turn we find hints of cronyism and political maneuvering. We see a woman who has long since surrendered her ideals to a political machine."
But Palin gradually "won folks over" and was re-elected, Armstrong and Bernton write. "Vicki Naegele, the former managing editor who wrote the editorial, defended Palin: "As a community newspaper, we held her feet to the fire. ... The need for such harsh words diminished as the months wore on." At the time, Palin said, "If nothing else, the old Frontiersman editorial points out the importance of administrative experience at the chief executive level. I grew tremendously in my early months as mayor, managing the fastest-growing city in the state, and I turned my critics around." (Read more)
Because of widespread interest in the book-banning discussions, The Frontiersman retyped its December 1996 story on the subject and posted it on its Web site, where it reports that many in the Wasilla area "are experiencing an influx of revenue from local efforts of national media" to research Palin. "The take-out business seems to be exploding as reporters eat while they work in their hotel rooms," writes reporter Michael Rovito.
In an editorial titled "We know Sarah Palin," The Frontiersman says, "We’ve known her as a governor tough enough to successfully take on the Last Frontier’s good old boy network" and voices hope that her nomination could turn attention from a rash of government scandals in the state. "Truth and transparency have been bywords for Palin. As she enters the national arena where she’ll be tugged and tormented, vilified and denigrated, we hope she sticks to her guns — metaphorically and literally. Because no matter the politics, for Wasilla, Alaska, to send its commercial-fishing, gun-toting, hockey-mom former mayor toward the White House, that’s history. And we’re proud of it." (Read more)
The nomination is obviously driving traffic to the Web site of the paper, a thrice-weekly. An unscientific, self-selected "reader's poll" asking whether Palin was a good choice for Sen. John McCain's running mate had gleaned more than 5,000 replies as of 4 p.m. Monday. There was no was for us to tell where the votes were coming from, but the results were Yes, 2,894; No, 2,403; and "Too early to tell," 291.
Outside loans bring credit crunch to rural banks
As the credit crunch worsens nationwide rural banks are being hurt. Although less likely to be big mortgage lenders, regional banks have invested outside their communities in order to boost their volume of loans. As Jack Armstrong of The Times-Union in Jacksonville writes,"Known as participation loans, these investments allow smaller, often rural banks to supplement low demand for loans in their areas by taking on loans from banks in more rapidly growing regions."
Many rural banks are feeling the effects of bad loans. "The trickle-down from bad participation loans is causing rural bank officials to take second looks, especially those loans tied to real estate and residential construction," Armstrong reports. Still, the downturn is not thought to be detrimental to rural banks' long term stability."Although it's a problem, it's not likely to lead to many small bank failures," Armstrong reports. "Participation loans rarely make up a large percentage of a rural bank's loan portfolio."
It is difficult to estimate how many bad participation loans a particular bank holds, because financial reports do not separate them out. Even if the economy continues to worsen participation loans should not have any major repercussions on the longterm stability of rural banks. But it's a question enterprising rural journalists should ask their local banks. (Read more)
Many rural banks are feeling the effects of bad loans. "The trickle-down from bad participation loans is causing rural bank officials to take second looks, especially those loans tied to real estate and residential construction," Armstrong reports. Still, the downturn is not thought to be detrimental to rural banks' long term stability."Although it's a problem, it's not likely to lead to many small bank failures," Armstrong reports. "Participation loans rarely make up a large percentage of a rural bank's loan portfolio."
It is difficult to estimate how many bad participation loans a particular bank holds, because financial reports do not separate them out. Even if the economy continues to worsen participation loans should not have any major repercussions on the longterm stability of rural banks. But it's a question enterprising rural journalists should ask their local banks. (Read more)
Group challenges ban on pulpit endorsements
Any pastor who makes political endorsements from the pulpit risks losing their church's tax-exempt status, but a conservative legal group is looking for pastors who will endorse candidates anyway. The Alliance Defense Fund argues that the 54-year-old ban in federal law violates churches' First Amendment freedom of religion. It is recruiting pastors to break the ban by preaching explicitly political sermons on Sept. 28, with plans to mount a legal challenge to the expected investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.
"It is the job of the pastors of America to debate the proper role of church in society," says ADF attorney Erik Stanley. "It's not for the government to mandate the role of church in society." But Peter Slevin reports in The Washington Post that the planned action has already drawn criticism from other religious leaders. A group of Christian and Jewish clergy will ask the IRS to investigate whether ADF has violated its own tax-exempt status.
Former IRS lawyer Marcus S. Owens says that, in all probability, ADF's legal strategy will not work because the U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld the 1954 law. He criticizes the legal group for encouraging illegal behavior. ADF argues that it is doing no such thing. Stanley told Slevin, "We're not encouraging any congregation to violate the law. . . . What we're encouraging them to do is exercise their constitutional right in the face of an unconstitutional law." (Read more)
"It is the job of the pastors of America to debate the proper role of church in society," says ADF attorney Erik Stanley. "It's not for the government to mandate the role of church in society." But Peter Slevin reports in The Washington Post that the planned action has already drawn criticism from other religious leaders. A group of Christian and Jewish clergy will ask the IRS to investigate whether ADF has violated its own tax-exempt status.
Former IRS lawyer Marcus S. Owens says that, in all probability, ADF's legal strategy will not work because the U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld the 1954 law. He criticizes the legal group for encouraging illegal behavior. ADF argues that it is doing no such thing. Stanley told Slevin, "We're not encouraging any congregation to violate the law. . . . What we're encouraging them to do is exercise their constitutional right in the face of an unconstitutional law." (Read more)
N.C. woman takes on military recruiters in school
As manufacturing jobs dwindle in rural areas and the economy remains stagnant the lack of opportunities for high school graduates has made them important targets for military recruiters. In Wilkesboro, N.C., Sally Ferrell has been trying to inform students about alternative careers outside the military. Now she has to do that away from the local high school, because school officials who see her efforts as unpatriotic have stopped her visits.
Writes Mitch Weiss of The Associated Press, "For three years, Ferrell has asked permission to distribute pamphlets and other materials that warn students to think twice before joining the military." Such counter-recruiting groups "say recruiters have given young people misleading information about military service and often target high schools in poor and rural areas where options for graduating students are limited; the activists want students to know they have prospects besides the military."
Typically, military recruiters are given complete access to high schools, and that was the case in Wilkesboro, until the controversy arose. "Now, they can only visit twice a semester," Weiss reports. "And when they do, they have to stand at a table outside the cafeterias. They can't sit down and talk with students while they're eating lunch." (Read more)
Writes Mitch Weiss of The Associated Press, "For three years, Ferrell has asked permission to distribute pamphlets and other materials that warn students to think twice before joining the military." Such counter-recruiting groups "say recruiters have given young people misleading information about military service and often target high schools in poor and rural areas where options for graduating students are limited; the activists want students to know they have prospects besides the military."
Typically, military recruiters are given complete access to high schools, and that was the case in Wilkesboro, until the controversy arose. "Now, they can only visit twice a semester," Weiss reports. "And when they do, they have to stand at a table outside the cafeterias. They can't sit down and talk with students while they're eating lunch." (Read more)
Kentucky courthouse building program questioned
A Kentucky initiative to build large judicial centers in many rural counties leaves many wondering if the construction is the best use of tax dollars. In a series of articles in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Linda Blackford points out that some of the courthouses in smaller counties are about the same size as those in counties with four times the population.
In 1998, Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert, who recently retired, started a project to build "a new or renovated justice center in every county in the state that needed one." With 120 counties, Kentucky has more counties per capita than any state but Nebraska, and more in actual number than any but Georgia and Texas. Some are losing population; a Herald-Leader headine reads, "Grandeur comes as populations fall."
Supporters of the project say that it is necessary in order to bring much needed space, security and technology to the justice system, as well as promoting regard for the system. But others say it is poor stewardship. The average courthouse in more-populated areas has between 1 to 2 square feet for each resident in its jurisdiction. The planned Carlisle County Judicial Center in far Western Kentucky averages 7 square feet per person, at a cost to the state of $2,500 per resident.
The state builds the centers for counties and provides rent money to pay off bonds. "If something jeopardized state funding, the counties would ultimately be on the hook for something many of them could not afford," Blackford writes. "In Wolfe County, for example, loss of the $1 million paid annually by the state for use of the justice center would wipe out half of the county's annual budget." (Read more: Part 1 and Part 2 of the series)
In 1998, Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert, who recently retired, started a project to build "a new or renovated justice center in every county in the state that needed one." With 120 counties, Kentucky has more counties per capita than any state but Nebraska, and more in actual number than any but Georgia and Texas. Some are losing population; a Herald-Leader headine reads, "Grandeur comes as populations fall."
Supporters of the project say that it is necessary in order to bring much needed space, security and technology to the justice system, as well as promoting regard for the system. But others say it is poor stewardship. The average courthouse in more-populated areas has between 1 to 2 square feet for each resident in its jurisdiction. The planned Carlisle County Judicial Center in far Western Kentucky averages 7 square feet per person, at a cost to the state of $2,500 per resident.
The state builds the centers for counties and provides rent money to pay off bonds. "If something jeopardized state funding, the counties would ultimately be on the hook for something many of them could not afford," Blackford writes. "In Wolfe County, for example, loss of the $1 million paid annually by the state for use of the justice center would wipe out half of the county's annual budget." (Read more: Part 1 and Part 2 of the series)
Veterinarian who is fighting the horse crisis says education is needed to prevent overbreeding
The solution to the horse crisis can be found in the current approach to cats and dogs, according to the chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition. "Rather than breeding your mare, buy a horse. Rather than buy a horse, adopt one. Rather than discarding your horse, euthanize it," says Tom Lenz, who has also been an equine veterinarian for 35 years.
"Along with the economic crunch, removing slaughterhouses also removed the base price for a horse" Joe Scott of Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis writes, leading "to a glut of low- to mid-price-range horses that owners are trying to get rid of." The result is often abandonment for the animals. Lenz says that the problem requires an approach similar to that taken with household pets, in which preventing overbreeding is the primary focus of education and awareness campaigns.
The article provides a good overview of factors leading to the crisis: the rising prices of grain and feed, alongside the growing price of fuel; financial pressures faced from a rough economy; overpopulation after the closing of the only U.S. horse slaughterhouses; the higher transportation costs involved in transporting horses to slaughterhouses outside the U.S.; and legislation based on a "romanticized" view of horses rather than the horse industry. (Read more)
"Along with the economic crunch, removing slaughterhouses also removed the base price for a horse" Joe Scott of Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis writes, leading "to a glut of low- to mid-price-range horses that owners are trying to get rid of." The result is often abandonment for the animals. Lenz says that the problem requires an approach similar to that taken with household pets, in which preventing overbreeding is the primary focus of education and awareness campaigns.
The article provides a good overview of factors leading to the crisis: the rising prices of grain and feed, alongside the growing price of fuel; financial pressures faced from a rough economy; overpopulation after the closing of the only U.S. horse slaughterhouses; the higher transportation costs involved in transporting horses to slaughterhouses outside the U.S.; and legislation based on a "romanticized" view of horses rather than the horse industry. (Read more)
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Electric co-op's members keep fighting managers
Because suburbs have expanded into the territories rural electric cooperatives established before World War II, many co-ops now serve primarily suburban customers. But they are still governed as cooperatives, and sometimes members revolt against management, as those of Cobb Electric Membership Corp. north of Atlanta did at its annual membership meeting Thursday night, attended by more than 850.
After the usual "balloons, hot dogs and a cheerful teenage chorus . . . the mood quickly turned as angry Cobb EMC members demanded the board’s ouster and called on the utility’s executives and officers to sever all financial ties with for-profit operating affiliate Cobb Energy, wrote Margaret Newkirk and Jeremy Redmon of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "To loud cheers, Cobb EMC members also passed a motion reversing a recent board decision allowing Cobb Energy to collect an 11 percent markup for operating the nonprofit cooperative."
It was the latest skirmish in a war: "The actions were the most public display yet in a year-long battle between co-op executives and members that has mostly been fought in court. The central issue has been whether Cobb Energy has siphoned co-op assets," the reporters wrote. "A judge in that case barred the co-op from holding planned board of director elections at Thursday’s meeting, but allowed the meeting to go forward. . . . Co-op supporters spoke, too, praising Cobb EMC’s service, technology and response to customers in storms." (Read more)
The latter point can be crucial; when a Louisiana electric co-op was slow to fix storm damage a few years ago, members disbanded it and sold out to an investor-owned electric company.
After the usual "balloons, hot dogs and a cheerful teenage chorus . . . the mood quickly turned as angry Cobb EMC members demanded the board’s ouster and called on the utility’s executives and officers to sever all financial ties with for-profit operating affiliate Cobb Energy, wrote Margaret Newkirk and Jeremy Redmon of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "To loud cheers, Cobb EMC members also passed a motion reversing a recent board decision allowing Cobb Energy to collect an 11 percent markup for operating the nonprofit cooperative."
It was the latest skirmish in a war: "The actions were the most public display yet in a year-long battle between co-op executives and members that has mostly been fought in court. The central issue has been whether Cobb Energy has siphoned co-op assets," the reporters wrote. "A judge in that case barred the co-op from holding planned board of director elections at Thursday’s meeting, but allowed the meeting to go forward. . . . Co-op supporters spoke, too, praising Cobb EMC’s service, technology and response to customers in storms." (Read more)
The latter point can be crucial; when a Louisiana electric co-op was slow to fix storm damage a few years ago, members disbanded it and sold out to an investor-owned electric company.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)