Drought intensifies
By David Emory StooksburyUniversity ofGeorgiaModerate agricultural drought now covers most of the state asmild agricultural drought spreads into all of north Georgia. Onlysoutheast Georgia now has near-normal soil moisture conditionsfor mid-to-late June.Mild to moderate agricultural drought generally exists north andwest of a line from Brooks to Coffee to Toombs to Lincolncounties.Moderate agricultural drought exists north and west of a linefrom Thomas to Crisp to Toombs to Washington to Elbert countiesand south of a line from Floyd to Lumpkin to Stephens counties.In the mild agricultural drought regions, soil moisture loss overthe past 30 days has been between 4 and 5 inches. In the moderateagricultural drought regions, 30-day soil moisture loss has beenbetween 5 and 7 inches.Drying outContinued high water use by plants, high evaporation rates andlittle rain have caused soils to dry very quickly across thestate. In regions not getting rain, soil moisture loss over thepast seven days has been between 1.3 and 1.5 inches.While tropical storm Alberto brought beneficial rains to extremesouth central, southeast and coastal Georgia, most of rest of thestate had little if any rainfall over the past week.During the past 30 days, the following University of Georgiaautomated weather stations have recorded less than 1 inch ofrain: Alpharetta, Bledsoe Experiment Farm, Byromville, Byron,Pine Mountain, Cordele, Covington, Dallas, Dawson, Duluth,Dunwoody, Eatonton, Fort Valley, Griffin, Jeffersonville, Sasserand Watkinsville.U.S. Geological Survey stream gauges are showing low flows acrossthe entire state. Many streams are near the 10th percentile forthe date.At the 10th percentile, we expect the stream flow to be greaterthan the current value in 90 years out of 100 for the currentdate.Groundwater, tooGroundwater levels are below normal statewide and are dropping.Water releases combined with below-normal inflows have led thestate’s major reservoirs to drop below normal summer pool overthe past several weeks. Farm ponds are showing the impacts of thedry, hot weather.The normal recharge season for streams, groundwater andreservoirs is over. Stream, groundwater and reservoir levels areexpected to keep dropping through summer into fall if the statecontinues to have dry or normal weather.The most likely source of widespread drought relief this summerand fall will come from the tropics. If Georgia doesn’t have anymore tropical activity this summer, then the summer will probablybe hot and dry.Comprehensive drought information, including current statewideoutdoor watering use schedules, may be found at www.georgiadrought.org.Real-time weather and climate conditions, including soil moisturebalance, may be found at www.georgiaweather.net.(David Emory Stooksbury is the state climatologist and aprofessor of engineering and atmospheric sciences in theUniversity of Georgia College of Agricultural and EnvironmentalSciences.)
US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive $4,068,000 for several adult and youth workforce development programs across the state. Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funds in the annual appropriations bill passed by the Congress signed into law by President Obama earlier this month.Leahy said, Training and practical experience can turn the liability of unemployment and underemployment into assets, turning lives around and planting the seeds for the economic future we want for our state. With the economy in peril and joblessness on the rise, there is even greater urgency in training Vermont s youth and retraining underemployed workers for the jobs of tomorrow. These investments will support organizations around Vermont that have been forward thinking about our state s workforce development needs, training Vermonters for solid job opportunities right here at home.[Project details and local contacts, below]Burlington Technical Center to expand the aviation training program — $1 million –This project will upgrade and improve the post-secondary aviation program at the Burlington Technical Center. The program, which currently leads to FAA Airframe and Powerplant licenses for the tech center students, is only able to serve 12 students at a time. Since these high-skills, high-wage jobs are in great demand in Vermont and across the nation, additional funding would allow the tech center to expand its current curriculum, faculty, training equipment, and facilities. Over the next 20 years, an estimated $225 million in new federal, state, local, and private investment is expected to be made at the Burlington International Airport, creating 365 new jobs at the airport and 500 indirect jobs elsewhere in the Vermont. Since this tech center program is the only one of its type in Vermont, the center s expansion project will increase its capacity to train Vermonters for high-skill, high-wage jobs, which will help keep Vermont s bright, young technicians contributing to the Vermont economy. Contact: Richard Sylvester, Director of Aviation Technology, 802-864-8447Vermont HITEC to conduct health care and advanced manufacturing job training — $951,000 –Vermont HITEC will train Vermonters with aptitudes and strong interest in information technology positions in the healthcare and advanced manufacturing fields. Vermont HITEC will identify a pool of unemployed and underemployed Vermonters and develop education and training curricula leading directly to filling vacant positions with pre-selected employers. This is an ongoing collaborative project among educators, employers and economic development partners at the federal, state, and local levels of Vermont. Employers providing strong support include Fletcher Allen Heath Care of Burlington; NSA Industries of Lyndonville; Weidmann Electrical Technology of St. Johnsbury; Vermont Mold & Tool of Barnet; Precision Composites of Vermont in Lyndon Center; North East Precision of St. Johnsbury; and North Hartland Tool of North Hartland.Contact: Gerry Ghazi, President, 802-872-0660Vermont Agency of Human Services to develop a comprehensive employment-focused neuro-resource facilitation system — $951,000 –The Vermont Agency of Human Services will establish a statewide Neuro-Resource Facilitation (NRF) System to support the employment and independence of Vermont’s veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neuro-Resource Facilitation is an approach that will help veterans with TBI/PTSD and their families access information, community resources and benefits. With oversight provided by the Brain Injury Association of Vermont (BIA-VT), Vermont s NRF system will include partnerships with the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the State TBI program, the Aging Disability and Resource Centers (ADRC), and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Services will also be established in collaboration with a wide variety of veterans services including the National Guard and the Veterans Administration. Vermont s NRF system is unique in its focus on employment and will provide education and support to Vermont businesses on the issues facing veterans with disabilities and about the valuable human resource they represent. Education, as well as placement support, will be provided by the Vermont Association for Business, Industry, and Rehabilitation (VABIR). Contact: Glen McClintock, Vermont Agency of Human Services, 802-241-3719Linking Learning to Life to provide job training and internship opportunities to Vermont youth — $500,000 –This project will help Linking Learning to Life expand and replicate two vital programs that encourage at-risk, high school age Vermont youths to stay in school and prepare for successful employment and post-secondary education. Linking Learning to Life will be working with schools, communities and Workforce Investment Boards throughout Vermont on these programs.The Training Interns and Partnering for Success (TIPS) Program is designed to transition students with limited employability skills through three stages of preparation leading to successful unsubsidized employment: (1) 20 hours of pre-employment skills training; (2) 40 hours of on-site internship training; and (3) competitive employment with the internship host employer during the summer following the internship. The College Connections Program offers at-risk sophomores, juniors, and seniors from high schools and young people from alternative programs options for exploring post-secondary education prior to graduation. Students can take classes at any of six area colleges and earn both high school and college credit for successful completion. The program targets students meeting one or more of the following criteria: first generation college goers, English as a Second Language learners, minority students, those from low-income families, and students with identified disabilities. Contact: Rich Tulikangas, Executive Director, 802-951-8850ReCycle North to expand its green construction training and expand its weatherization program — $476,000 –ReCycle North s YouthBuild program trains 16- to 24-year-old youths who are economically disadvantaged, have dropped out of high school, and need comprehensive development and job training opportunities. To meet the growing demand for workers trained in green construction and weatherization and provide weatherization services to low- and moderate-income Vermonters, ReCycle North will expand its apprentice-style, green construction and weatherization training. ReCycle North s weatherization service contracts currently with Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity to complete weatherization services in Chittenden County and expects to begin contracting with Central Vermont Community Action to complete weatherization work in Central Vermont. Through training in Energy Star construction and weatherization techniques, several students each year will be able to fill the growing demand for professionals in the weatherization field. Through ReCycle North s new Green Construction Training and Weatherization Service Program, at least 15 buildings in year one, 18 buildings in year two, and 30 buildings in year three will become significantly more comfortable, affordable, and efficient in terms of energy consumed and carbon emitted. In addition, ReCycle North will expand its YouthBuild and apprentice-style training programs to include HVAC services and apprentice-style training in deconstruction and Waste-Not-Products. The Deconstruction Service is a viable alternative to traditional demolition methods and creates jobs and training opportunities, harvests reusable building materials, and diverts from the waste stream unusable but recyclable materials such as metal and concrete into environmentally friendly channels. Waste-Not-Products is a growing enterprise that creates social and financial value from material resources that are otherwise wasted. Training people to design, manufacture, and market attractive new products from construction waste leverages existing assets, relationships, and capabilities and prepares students for skilled jobs. Contact: Thomas Longstreth, Executive Director, 802-658-4143 x14Vermont Association of Business, Industry & Rehabilitation to support youth and offender reentry employment programs — $190,000 –The Vermont Association of Business, Industry & Rehabilitation (VABIR) is a statewide non-profit agency that provides employment services to people with barriers to employment including persons with disabilities, youths and other at-risk workforce populations. VABIR also provides free consultation services to businesses. Since studies have shown that finding a job is often the key to a person’s ability to maintain a place in the community, the VABIR project will support youth and offender reentry workers in locating, obtaining, and maintaining employment, by providing direct and support services that will network with local businesses to secure employment opportunities. VABIR will partner with local and state agencies to work together in this project, including VocRehab Vermont, the Vermont Department of Corrections, and local community justice centers. Participants in the program will gain work experience through VABIR direct job placement and support in a variety of areas, including mentoring opportunities, job shadows, job tours, short-term work experiences, volunteer work, and ultimately in successfully obtaining employment.Contact: Christine McCarthy, Executive Director, 802-878-1107(TUESDAY, March 31) —
3SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr by: Georgann SmithThe reporters, bloggers and media representatives in your community are charged with a specific task when they are assigned to cover a major retail data breach – they need to localize the story. Community financial institutions (FIs) that make their job easier often establish themselves as a credible, accessible local source. If leveraged properly, the relationship can be mutually beneficial well into the future.How to effectively and appropriately interact with media during a data breach incident should be an important consideration for credit unions and community banks.Below are five tips to ensure your FI is prepared to work with media when your customers’ data is compromised.Always return media calls. Even if you are not prepared to share all the details, call or email media back to let them know the status of your response to their inquiry or to set up a time to talk.Share what you can. At a minimum, you can explain what your customers have been advised to do in response to the breach. This is often great insight for them, as it extends to the customers of many FIs in the area. continue reading »
The University of Wisconsin set a record time for men’s basketball student season ticket sales after all 2,100 available sold out in three minutes early Thursday morning.Yet, for most students who are even the slightest bit familiar with UW basketball over the last few years, this kind of anticipation may not have come as a surprise.Men’s basketball: Badgers breaking recruiting trend, adding big-time talentBy the looks of the 2017-18 University of Wisconsin men’s basketball recruiting class, UW’s recruiting identity appears due for a Read…Wisconsin is returning 99.8 percent of the team’s scoring from last season, and the Badgers were ranked No. 8 in ESPN’s “Way-Too-Early Top-25” poll over the summer.Headlined by star forward Nigel Hayes’ decision to return for his senior season, the Badgers have high expectations for the upcoming season. Thursday morning’s sellout was a strong indication that the student body does too.Hayes: In ‘one-and-done’ era, Nigel Hayes’ return isn’t so simpleThere is no doubt Nigel Hayes’ decision to return for his senior season was one the best outcomes for the Read…Thursday morning’s frenzy was the twelfth time in the last 15 seasons that the Kohl Center’s student section has been completely sold out.UW’s 2016 men’s basketball season tips off Oct. 30 when the Badgers host UW-Platteville at the Kohl Center.