Insect Farms are Scaling Upand Crossing the Atlanticin a Play ... Civil Eats
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Insect Farms are Scaling Upand Crossing the Atlanticin a Play ... - Civil Eats
Category: Co-location
Maps and money dominated the broadband discourse in 2022 FierceTelecom
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Maps and money dominated the broadband discourse in 2022 - FierceTelecom
SCOTT SHENKThe (Fredericksburg) Free LanceStar
On New Years weekend a year ago, the weather was springlike, with a high of 71 degrees on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
But storms were brewing and they would come fast and pound Northern Virginias regional transportation system into submission.
That Sunday was also mild, but rain started to fall. Then the temperature plummeted from the mid-60s that afternoon to 33 that night, and the forecast called for wet snow. More than 1,000 airplane flights were canceled due to the weather and COVID-19-related staffing shortages.
Alerts were issued by the National Weather Service as well as state agencies, including the Virginia Department of Transportation, State Police and the Department of Emergency Management. Travelers were warned to avoid driving if possible.
But drivers decided to head onto the interstate anyway.
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Rain, and the temperature, continued falling early Monday, Jan. 3, making the pavement slick.
At 4 a.m., the first in a cascade of crashes happened when a tractor-trailer jackknifed on Interstate 95 near the State Route 610 exit in Stafford County.
A heavy, wet snow soon started to fall, and was accumulating at a high rate. Power lines and trees started to fall, knocking out electricity in the region and blocking some emergency responders and tow trucks from reaching the interstate. Communications also were impacted.
Snow plows couldnt keep up with the fast-falling snow, and the traffic compressed the wet snow covering the pavement. By 3 p.m. the snow stopped falling, but there was more than a foot blanketing the region.
The interstate and area roads were coated with thick, wet snow. Crashes and stranded vehicles crippled the interstate between Richmond and Washington.
As crews tried to clear wrecked and stalled vehicles from the interstate, night fell, and the snow turned to ice. Hundreds of travelers were stranded in their vehicles in freezing temperatures. Many would be stuck for more than 24 hours.
At 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, the state closed access to I-95 along a 48-mile stretch between Caroline and Prince William counties before eventually digging out stranded travelers and clearing the roads.
State agencies took a lot of heat for the response. An audit by the Office of the State Inspector General found that the agencies lost situational awareness, among other issues.
The audit highlighted a range of items, across state agencies, including the lack of a plan for such a major event as well as too few contractors to clear roads. Poor communication was cited as a contributing factor in the storm response. The audit also laid out various steps to improve responses to future storms.
Since the January storm, state agencies have made changes.
The commonwealth successfully navigated multiple winter weather events including three declared states of emergency after the Jan. 3 event without major disruptions to the traveling public, VDOT communications manager Kelly Hannon said in an email.
She noted that VDOT, state police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the National Guard were ready and coordinated for the storms, setting up staging areas and mobilizing staff ahead of time.
Since then, VDOT also has undertaken a major review of its strategies during inclement weather, said in an email. She added that VDOT is working in with the emergency management department and state police to address the items noted in the Office of the State Inspector Generals corrective action plan to help us meet our agencys mission.
VDOT expects to complete its report to OSIG by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, VDOT has continued implementing various changes to its storm response.
One approach involves staff training geared specifically to major event response, including FEMA Emergency Management Institute courses.
VDOT also has established a long-term road closure plan, which will be continuously improved by the department, along with the emergency management department and state police.
The plan includes approaches to keeping vehicles from becoming trapped as they did in the January storm. If that fails, the plan calls for on-site responders to handle wellness checks and a wireless emergency alert system to communicate with stranded travelers.
Various agencies and first responders informally set up in some areas prior to the January storm, but not all of them did. That co-location approach has since become part of the states formal response to major storms.
VDOT will establish command centers in its districts when major weather hits, something aimed at improving local and statewide communications. VDOTs Fredericksburg districts will set up a local command center when a forecast calls for more than an inch of snow or more than 1/10-inch of ice.
VDOT said it also has identified more areas to set up wreckers and plows for storms, if necessary, with a particular focus on work zones.
In an effort to supplement its traffic cameras which went dark in the January storm after power was knocked out VDOT will have staff drive routes to report on road conditions. The agency is also exploring back-up power options.
Hannon pointed out that VDOT will soon implement some new tools to respond to emergency situations: a new two-way communications system between drivers and VDOT in defined geographicgeo-fencedareas; and in-cab safety alerts for drivers clearing roads during significant storms.
VDOT also is working with the traffic app WAZE to provide emergency updates.
Hannon said VDOT also is developing the next generation of our 511 system, which is expected to be complete in mid-2023.
In a news release, VDOT said it has improved its efforts to fill contractor and equipment shortages as well as its communications and command structure for better internal and interagency cooperation during crisis events.
The department also reviewed its strategies to inform the public and made various adjustments, highlighted by what is calls a more aggressive messaging encouraging motorists to avoid travel when those conditions warrant.
The messages also will be sent across a range of platforms, from VDOTs 511 system to local news, social media, VDOTs customer service center and digital signs along the interstate.
VDOT is a member of the multi-state Eastern Transportation Coalition, which shares information and messaging during storms like the one that hit last January.
Coalition states can use that information to spread the word about major traffic disruptions to travelers long before they reach a situation like the I-95 shutdown.
State agencies havent yet been challenged like they were last winter, but they got a chance for a test run in mid-December when there was potential for winter weather.
The storm didnt spawn any major road issues, but Hannon said Fredericksburg District snow removal contractors rehearsed plow train techniques on I95.
The real challenge could come any time now, as winter has set in with this weeks weather proving eerily similar to a year ago: warmer-than-expected temperatures followed by rain and bitter cold.
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State transportation system learned the hard way from icy I-95 ... - Roanoke Times
Rosenwald Schools: A blueprint for community schools in the Deep South
Community school strategies are starting to flourish in the Deep South, jumpstarting a powerful, equitable, and community-informed educational approach that lays the foundation for teaching and learning. The basis for community schools in the South has historic roots that offer ways to practice democracy and build a shared future in the present day.
Sara Sneed, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation, says that some of the first community schools in the U.S. came in the form of Rosenwald Schools of the South. These were community-driven, high-quality schools that served more than one-third of African-American children across the South by 1928initiated by Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck. The legacy of these schools influences how education leaders like Sneed are bringing communities together for educational opportunities for residents of the Deep South, and particularly to improve access and education justice for Black children.
Community schools in the Deep South are making space for people to co-create that future by building relationships, trust, and authentic communication.
Today, over one-third of all K-12 students and 56 percent of Black children reside in the South. Meanwhile, education spending per pupil, teacher salaries, college matriculation and completion rates, and math and reading scores are typically below national averages in most southern states. Despite all this being true, only 3 percent of philanthropic investment nation-wide is directed towards the South.
Today, education leaders are working to address these educational conditions that persist throughout the Deep South through community school strategies. The NEA Foundation has made preliminary investments in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi community schools with quarterly convenings for grantees, who have named themselves the Southern Regional Alliance for Community Schools. Sneed sees this investment as a way for philanthropies to demonstrate what is truly valued and supported when it comes to equity in education.
The NEA Foundation has a four-pronged approach to supporting community schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi: grants, technical assistance, convenings, and policy change. They make grants that begin with year-long planningfocusing on building relationships that go deep rather than widewhich is why they have grantees in three target states.
When the NEA Foundation launched their Community Schools Initiative (CSI) in 2020, following more than a year of preplanning with people and organizations throughout the region and nationally, to the best of their knowledge there were no community schools in Arkansas or Mississippi, and only one in Louisiana. There are now 16 established and formally named community schools; 13 schools that are under development or slated for transformation into community schools; and seven school districts at a visioning stage that have expressed interest or are developing the community schools strategy. According to Sneed, Ample research points to up to $15 in social value and economic benefit for every dollar spent in developing a community school.
The Foundation sets up grantees with technical assistance and coaching that is not prescriptive, so each site can pursue its self-determined priorities and preferred courses of action. The set goals for grantees are to establish or expand a team or coalition to develop strategy and deepen that teams understanding of community schools strategies; conduct local needs and interests assessments and an environmental scan to assess capacity; and create a work plan for implementation of the community school(s). Hands-on support comes from the Institute for Educational Leadership Coalition for Community Schools, Harvard Graduate School of Educations EdRedesign Lab, FourPoint Education Partners, and others.
State and local policies can also create the conditions that enable partners or services, such as school-based health centers, to operate in schools. Consequently, the NEA Foundation partners with local, state, and federal actors to create policies related to financing, implementing, and/or securing technical support for community schools.
Far from community school strategies focusing purely on resource provision, or wraparound services, Sneed prioritizes instruction: Community schools are first and foremost schools, so focusing on the instructional core is key. Services cant compensate for that core, they can only enhance that. We know that co-location of resources in schools can have benefits, but its only when they are aligned into a comprehensive and synergistic whole towards clearly defined goals that you begin to see impact and advancement.
For example, the Batesville School District in Arkansas is collaborating with a local manufacturing business to create an engineering pathway for high school students. Laura Howard, the districts lead and coordinator for community school strategies and an educator of 32 years, says, Community schools strategies offer innovative ways of connecting with local businesses to create immersive experiences so students can take what they have learned in their class and apply it to real world situations with actual engineers.
When Howard does professional development training for districts that are considering community schools strategies, she often tells them that they may be implementing some aspects of the strategy already, but the framework is helpful for understanding best practices and creating ways to innovate that put students first. She says, Community schools strategies put students first. But that doesnt mean that the strategy is the same from district to district. Howard also says, If youve seen one community school, youve seen one community school. Each one is different.
The practice of building trust and partnership takes a lot of time and patience in the process of growing community school strategies. In the Deep South, complex power dynamics exist between institutions like education and community-based organizations. But community school leaders have seen the benefits outweigh the obstacles time and time again, not just for individual students, but for their future contributions to the well-being of their communities and society as a whole.
Senator Robert L Jackson, CEO of Quitman County Development Organization, Inc. has described how Quitman Countys residents, school leaders, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and others readily came to the table to explore and implement the community school strategy together under the leadership of its superintendent, Dr. Fredrick Robinson. They were able to do this through what he describes as a democratic process in which all voices are genuinely honored and respected.
Jackson says, Cultivating community schools creates new opportunities, not only for communities to determine what each wants for itself, for its children, and others, it relies on those essential commitments that advance democracy everyone contributing their best critical thinking, sense of self-efficacy, and the desire to participate in decisionmaking processes that directly and indirectly affect everyone.
Sneed says, The community school strategy offers so many benefits, from academic to social and emotional well-being, but also allows us a way to practice the idea of democracy because they offer a pragmatic, focused way for people in communities to come together and imagine a future together. Community schools in the Deep South are making space for people to co-create that future by building relationships, trust, and authentic communication.
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3 states in the Deep South are collaborating to advance community schools - Brookings Institution
Published 5:23 pm Monday, December 26, 2022
None of Smithfields Town Council members have gone on record as to who theyll back as the towns next mayor, but some say they dont want the job.
Mayor Carter Williams, whos held the position since 2012, received the fewest votes out of five candidates seeking four available council seats in the Nov. 8 election, and as such, will be leaving office on Dec. 31.
At the Jan. 3 Town Council meeting, the remaining five sitting members and two newcomers who won seats in November will be tasked with naming Williams successor. In Smithfield, the mayor is not elected directly by voters, but by a majority vote of sitting council members.
Former Smithfield Police Chief Steve Bowman, who was the highest vote-getter in November among the council candidates, said he is not actively seeking the office and would respect and support the councils decision.
Council member Wayne Hall, who was reelected to a new four-year term in November and secured the highest vote total among the three incumbent candidates, told The Smithfield Times on Dec. 26 that hes thought about becoming a candidate for mayor, but hadnt discussed the idea with his fellow council members.
Council member Renee Rountree, who was elected in 2020, said she intends to run for the District 1 seat on Isle of Wight Countys Board of Supervisors in November 2023, and would step down from Town Council if elected at the county level. As such, I will not be running for a leadership position this year, Rountree said.
Councilman Randy Pack has his own reasons for not wanting to take Williams place as mayor.
Pack had pledged earlier in 2022 that he would recuse himself from any upcoming vote on former Smithfield Foods Chairman Joseph W. Luter IIIs Grange at 10Main development, named for its proposed location at Main Street and Route 10 at the edge of the towns historic district. The 56.8-acre development would include a mix of residential and commercial buildings, including a restaurant, which Pack has expressed interest in running. Pack and his brother, Randy, co-own and operate the Smithfield Station restaurant, hotel and marina, a similar establishment in Surry County named the Surry Seafood Co., and are in the process of developing a third named 37 North at Fort Monroe in the city of Hampton.
If I were mayor, it would appear there is some conflict of interest, Pack said.
Council member Valerie Butler and member-elect Jeff Brooks have also said they arent interested in the job.
Council member Mike Smith, who currently serves as vice mayor, did not respond to the Times inquiry by deadline as to whether he was interested in the mayor position or whom he would support.
Smithfields current method of selecting its mayor dates to 1978. That year, much like 2022, voters were asked to choose from five candidates for four available seats. The late James Chapman made history that year by becoming the first African American elected to Smithfields Town Council.
According to past reporting by the Times, Chapmans vote total surpassed the number of votes the late Mayor Carl Beale Jr. had received, which would have qualified Chapman to succeed Beale as mayor under the councils previous method of automatically naming the highest vote-getter as mayor. But sitting council members changed their procedure that same year to require a majority vote among themselves, which remains in effect to this day. Chapman did eventually become Smithfields first Black mayor in 1990, and the Town Council chamber is now named for him.
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Who will be Smithfield's next mayor? - Smithfield Times - Smithfield Times
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) voted to institute an investigation of certain location-sharing systems, related software, components thereof, and products containing same. The products at issue in the investigation are described in the Commissions notice of investigation.
The investigation is based on a complaint filed by Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. of Jupiter, FL and AGIS Software Development LLC of Marshall, TX on November 16, 2022, as supplemented on December 13, 2022. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain location-sharing systems, related software, components thereof, and products containing same that infringe a patent asserted by the complainants. The complainants request that the USITC issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders.
The USITC has identified following respondents in this investigation:
Google LLC of Mountain View, CA;Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd. of Suwon, South Korea;Samsung Electronics America, Inc. of Ridgefield Park, NJ;OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. of Guangdong, China;TCL Technology Group Corporation of Guangdong, China;TCL Electronics Holdings Limited of Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong;TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited of Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong;TCT Mobile (US) Inc. of Irvine, CA;Lenovo Group Ltd. of Beijing, China;Lenovo (United States) Inc. of Morrisville, NC;Motorola Mobility LLC of Chicago, IL;HMD Global of Espoo, Finland;HMD Global OY of Espoo, Finland;HMD America, Inc. of Miami, FL;Sony Corporation of Tokyo, Japan;Sony Mobile Communications, Inc. of Tokyo, Japan;ASUSTek Computer Inc. of Taipei, Taiwan;ASUS Computer International of Fremont, CA;BLU Products of Doral, FL;Panasonic Corporation of Osaka, Japan;Panasonic Corporation of North America of Secaucus, NJ;Kyocera Corporation of Kyoto, Japan;Xiaomi Corporation of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands;Xiaomi H.K. Ltd. of Kowloon City, Hong Kong;Xiaomi Communications Co., Ltd. of Beijing, China; andXiaomi Inc. of Beijing, China.
By instituting this investigation (337-TA-1347), the USITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. The USITCs Chief Administrative Law Judge will assign the case to one of the USITCs administrative law judges (ALJ), who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The ALJ will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.
The USITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the USITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. USITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period.
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USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Location ... - USITC
Strengths and opportunities of the German colocation market DatacenterDynamics
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Strengths and opportunities of the German colocation market - DatacenterDynamics
The wait is over. On Thursday, December 8, Isla & Co. officially opened its doors to the city of Atlanta. This Buckhead restaurant from NYC-based Parched Hospitality Group has brunch, a unique variety of coffee, cocktails, and dinner, mixing Australian-inspired cuisine with the flavors of Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean and seating up to 110 people in its intimate, greenery-forward dining room, front bar, and cozy outdoor patio.
Atlanta has an amazing culinary and bar scene, and we are so excited for Isla & Co. to become a part of that hospitality community and to bring our culture to the city, says PHG president and co-owner, David Orr. We wanted to find a neighborhood that would embrace the Australian experience and where we would feel at home delivering it, and Buckhead gave us just what we were looking for. With a second lease just signed in the Midtown neighborhood, Isla & Co. is looking forward to making our home in Atlanta and growing our presence in the years to come.
Helmed by executive chef Matthew Foley and local Atlanta chef Kate Huang, the menu features excellent cuts of meat paired with bright flavors, alongside vegetable-focused dishes filled with fresh, local produce. In another nod to Australian caf culture, a carefully curated specialty coffee program features PHG coffee brand Hole In The Wall with two signature house blends originating from the Americas and Ethiopia.
For the brunch enthusiasts out there, breakfast is served until 4 pm, with menu options such as the Brekkie Roll, Brioche French Toast, or the Sambal Scramble, which is soft-beaten eggs, a house-made chili sambal sauce, green harissa, and parmesan with sourdough and choice of bacon or avocado. Lunch is spearheaded by Fish & Chips, and the dinner list includes the Braised Lamb Shoulder, Spicy Thai Green Curry, or the sharable oysters for the table.
Isla & Co.s has a comprehensive list of wines, craft beers, and creative cocktails, including a Buckhead exclusive: the What the Buck, featuring rye whiskey, mint, lemon, maple, and ginger beer.
Isla & Co is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm for brunch, and 5 pm to 10 pm for dinner. Dine-in is extended an extra hour on Fridays and Saturdays; with the restaurant closing its doors at 11 pm. Walk-ins are welcome, and reservations are now open through Resy.
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Isla & Co. Debuts in Buckhead with a Menu of Australian Inspired ... - Thrillist
Arlington, VA --
Connect to Care is a new approach to providing support for Airmen, Guardians, and their families in which all providers, regardless of area of responsibility, will personally guide each individual or group to the support services they need. This new approach is in response to the 2021 Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and its recommendation to prioritize the needs of individuals seeking care and support by ensuring seamless coordination between helping agencies known as a warm handoff within the IRC.
The Pacific Air Forces Integrated Resilience team was among the first to receive training in Connect to Care. Drew Kadokowa, PACAFs Community Support Program Manager and Community Action Team Chair, said the new approach formalizes a process that was, for the most part, already being carried out.
I feel like most of our providers and supervisors are already doing this. This [Connect to Care] is a utilization reporting system and training to make sure we are doing it right and in the most efficient way possible, Kadokawa said.
The utilization reporting system will capture the total number of referrals and the specific agencies that receive those referrals. Service provider offices, squadrons, and First Sergeants will capture data from their respective encounters with an individual or group, and the agency to which they were referred.
Kadokawas team was one of the first to take the Connect to Care training, which is the beginning of a months-long, but thorough process to train DAF personnel. This training will assist those who may be able to give referrals to Airmen and Guardians for other helping agencies.
Its a four-phased approach and the first phase was to train the trainer, which Air Force Personnel Center conducted. The next phase of it, parts two and three, is the rollout to the installation command teams and the service providers, Kadokawa said.
In the final phase, training facilitators will educate all front-line supervisors. Each phase of the training is slightly different with direct providers, such as Chaplains, or Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC), having longer, more detailed instruction. Kadokawa said that is because the providers are more likely to have Airmen, Guardians, and family members come to them directly for help with an issue.So, we need to make sure they understand what each agency does and how to account for referrals through Connect to Care, and that were sending them to the right places to get the help they need, Kadokawa said.The Connect to Care approach is the foundation of a one-stop shop concept. For example, if a spouse who was the victim of domestic violence sought help from a SARC, they would then guide the spouse to a Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate (DAVA) by contacting the DAVA directly, with the spouses permission. Kadokawa said that creates a reliable and person-centered experience for Airmen, Guardians and DAF family members who choose to explore support options.
Kadokawa said, For someone who is requesting serious, immediate assistance, if you refer them to the wrong agency, or just give them the information and send them out the door, they may not reach out again.
Connect to Care aims to ensure no individual or group encounters an obstacle to the support they need, and to provide seamless coordination among helping resources.
Kadokawa said providers can make a referral three different ways: by picking up the phone and calling the next provider, personally walking the individual(s) to another providers location, or contacting the other provider virtually from a computer.
Referrals are up to the individual(s) seeking information or support and only with their consent. Progress and success of the Connect to Care approach will be measured by feedback from the individuals served, and through installation commanders who will capture the total number of connections and agencies that receive the referrals. The metrics will not include any personal identifiable information.
The intention of the Connect to Care approach is the same as the Co-Location pilot, which places helping agencies within the same location. Both prioritize the needs of Airmen, Guardians, and their family members by ensuring providers refer those requesting help are personally directed to the support they need. Connect to Care makes it possible to guide them to the right resource regardless of where the helping agency or provider is located.
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Connecting Airmen, Guardians, family members to care ... - resilience.af.mil
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