Driveways Nottingham is offering the lowest priced quote in the Nottinghamshire area for driveways services. Driveways Nottingham is the most professional company in Nottingham for driveway services, taking care of commercial and residential customers.

For every job, Driveways Nottingham ensures the highest quality of work. The team has many years of experience working with a variety of materials like natural stone, tarmac, and much more. You can contact them directly for further information about this.

A few examples of some of their work includes driveways, car parks, patios, and more of which can be found online on their website.

Driveways Nottingham is proud of the top-notch services they provide to residents in the Nottinghamshire area. Driveways Nottingham have a list compiled online of these services, some of which include the following; concrete driveways, resin bonded gravel driveways, driveway surfacing, patterned concrete, gravel driveways, and the rest of their services can be found online.

If you would like to view a sample of their work for one of these services that you may require, or read more about these services, you can find them all on their website.

As mentioned, Driveways Nottingham provide a superb range of services, from driveway design to paving installations. The team is happy to meet and discuss their available services and what they do every week when on a contracting job.

Driveways Nottingham also offer patio enclosure with surfacing in any material listed above. Or if you would like to request a particular material, the team is happy to accommodate you. This is because the team of professionals at Driveways have experience with all types of materials so that you will be in good hands.

Also, Driveways Nottingham offers an Asphalt Contractor, who serves all of NG1 to NG90 Postcodes. With that, it must be mentioned that the driveway company is well known for its excellent work with clients, particularly in these areas, due to their hard work and reliability.

Finally, one other popular service offered by Driveways Nottingham is their bound or bond bonded service. The professionals take care of this by fixing your surface if its not uninformed or if its not attractive, and they do this by using the resin to bound and bond your driveway, whichever service you require, resin Driveways Nottingham can take care of it.

Whats even better about this service, is that Driveways Nottingham offer the lowest priced quotes in Nottingham, so, if you decide to request a quote first before you go ahead with the job, you will be pleasantly surprised with the price. Not only that, but you will end up with a clean and tidy driveway that looks fantastic and is durable too.

Driveways Nottingham have been in the business for 30 years, which is one reason why you should choose them. They do not require a deposit upfront, and they will only request full payment after the work is completed and you approve of the quality of the job done.

So, if youre looking for great prices and a high standard of work in the Nottinghamshire area, then contact Driveways Nottingham today on 0115 697 1400. Driveways Nottingham have a range of all our driveway services to choose from, and if you would like to hear from some of their clients, there are many testimonials online that you can check out. You can find these at https://www.drivewaysnottingham.org.uk and view their superb work.

Source:https://thenewsfront.com/driveways-nottingham-offer-the-lowest-priced-quote-in-the-nottinghamshire-area/

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Driveways Nottingham Offer The Lowest Priced Quote in the Nottinghamshire area - The News Front

Public Affairs show with Gary Rabine, CEO [Rabine Group] airs this week in Chicago, Rockford and Aurora, See airing schedule, below

Jeff Berkowitz: JB [and many of the Dems] want to raise your income tax with the progressive income tax. Property taxes, are they high in IL? Workers' comp. insurance, is that high in IL? Are those the kind of things that might drive you out of IL?

Gary Rabine: You mention are they high? High would be to me, higher than the average... but when you are the highest, that's ridiculous, that's crazy high, that's where we're at in IL, we're off our rockers high!

*********

Gary Rabine [CEO, Rabine Group]: Gov. Pritzker said to me, "Gary, you built all your businesses here, your family is all here, you're never gonna go anywhere, I mean, that's exactly how he said it... and God Bless him, if he really believes that that's the case, but that can't be the case, I can't risk...

*********

Gary Rabine: If I were born with a few billion dollars, I might be the same way as JB Pritzker, I might be trading businesses. Heck, it's a lot cheaper. All my businesses that I have, these small and mid-sized businesses, I am paying income tax for all profit because I am S corp. and LLCs. JB, he's trading businesses, so he's paying capital gains tax, half of what I am.

*************

Tonight's Rockford edition of Public Affairs features Gary Rabine, CEO of the Rabine Group and advocate for Free Enterprise. It airs at 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 17, in Rockford and surrounding suburbs. The program, featuring Rabine and a discussion of growing businesses, IL and Nat'l politics and capitalism, also airs:

--in Chicago this Saturday morning, 10:28 am, Cable Ch. 21 (CAN TV) and Sunday morning, 9:58 am, Cable Ch. 19 (CAN TV)

-- in Aurora this coming Saturday and Monday night, 6 pm, Cable Ch. 10, aka Aurora Community Television and ACTV-10

Rabine discusses with host Jeff Berkowitz how he began, after graduating from high school, a driveway paving business that was transformed, over time, into a group of major companies that have been a source of hope, growth and aopportunity for his employees and improved choices for his customers, both in and out of Illinois.

Rabine and Berkowitz discuss and debate, among other issues, some of Gov. Pritzker fiscal plans, IL pension reform, Pritzker's proposed IL progressive income tax and Democratic Party Presidential Primary candidates and President Trump.

Rabine also discusses what is necessary for IL to become more competitive in business.

You can also watch 24/7 the program featuring Ditch Digger CEO Gary Rabine by clicking here

**************************

Jeff Berkowitz: ...[W]hat's your elevator pitch?

Gary Rabine[CEO, Rabine Group]: One of the most important things ... is how I differentiate myself... So first ... we give away ... the best engineering we can find in the world when it comes to pavement, stormwater and structural engineering for roofing, we... say "Here's our engineers, use them how you like to help you plan your properties"...we did that originally through boots on the ground, but today we do that using drones, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence.

*******

Gary Rabine [CEO, Rabine Group]: Gov. Pritzker said to me, "Gary, you built all your businesses here, your family is all here, you're never gonna go anywhere, I mean, that's exactly how he said it... and God Bless him, if he really believes that that's the case, but that can't be the case, I can't risk the lives & jobs we are talking about, I can't risk all these jobs just because I want to be here- right?

Berkowitz: If you could persuade [those in control of] the IL State Government to change and start going in the other direction: [LEGISLATE] lower property taxes, lower income taxes, [Don't support] a progressive income tax, [ADOPT THE NEEDED REFORMS TO] lower workers compensation rates, would that be Nirvana for you?

From Public Affairs, taped on November 18, 2019 in the Chicago Loop offices of Residco

Filed under: Uncategorized

Tags: Aurora Community television, CAN TV, capitalism, Chicago Access Network TV, competing in a non-union state, Competing in a union state, Ditchdigger CEO, Fixing IL Business Climate, Gary Rabine, Governor Rauner, IL Business Climnate, IL pension reforms, IL progressive income tax, IL taxpayer funded abortion, IL workers' compensation reform, Impact of business regulations on IL job growth, impact of high IL income tax rates on IL jobs, Impact of high property taxes on IL job growth, impact of unions on IL employee welfare, impact of unions on IL job growth, Impact of unions on jobs in IL, Jeanne Ives, Jeff Berkowitz, paving large parking lots across the country, paving parking lots, Public Affairs, Rockford community access TV, SB 40 in Illinois, using drones and satellite imagery, Why IL Governor Rauner lost re-election

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Berkowitz w/CEO Rabine on IL's business environment & how to improve it; Airing in Chicago, Aurora & Rockford, Cable & Web - ChicagoNow

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. City officials do not plan on calling in private contractors to deal with snow this week.

Indianapolis Department of Public Works spokesperson, Ben Easley, says the department discussed the matter. They decided the conditions didnt call for private plow and salt truck drivers.

Our priority with DPW is taking care of those major thoroughfares, secondary streets, especially for emergency services and making sure that city services can continue, Easley said.

The department based the decision on a longstanding city policy that says DPW will call in private contractors if Indianapolis receives six inches of snow in a single weather event. The National Weather Service says Indianapolis received 7.4 inches of snow from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. However, the snow didnt fall all at once.

With this event, weve had two different waves of snow over the past couple days, Easley said. Theyre two different events. And the other thing to remember is pavement temperatures. So if the pavement is really warm, you may see the first couple inches that fall on the streets just melt immediately.

Easley said DPW also considers the conditions in the weather forecast after a snowfall when making the decision.

Because were seeing the sun come through, Easley said. Were seeing an area of dry weather throughout the rest of the week, that we hope that will take care of some of those residential areas and they can look forward to clearer streets in the next couple days here.

The last time Indianapolis called in private contractors for residential streets; about five years ago, it came at a cost of roughly $500,000.

Some neighborhoods hire their own private contractors to salt and plow their residential streets.

In the Irvington area, snow packed down and frozen into a solid layer of ice on the road. Jan Deferbrache, owner of The Magic Candle at the corner of Audubon and Bonner, said the icy streets were hurting her bottom line.

We lose business if they cant get here, Deferbrache said. Especially with senior citizens, and they cant get down through here.

Deferbrache said she wishes DPW would send salt trucks down her street. She and her neighbors understand theyre on their own to handle the slick conditions.

The neighborhood people who shovel, throw salt out and ride our cars back and forth in order to get it down enough so that customers and other people can get through, she said.

Down the street from the shop, Taylor Thornell was struggling to get his car from the icy street onto his driveway. He said he would love to see a city truck or contractor dropping salt near his house.

Makes it pretty tough, Thornell said. I mean the main streets right there, but it takes forever to get out to them.

Easley said they have discussed altering city policy about treating residential streets. For now, hes not able to give specifics.

As of Tuesday, DPW has a full callout of 80 drivers working on primary and secondary streets. Those routes will continue until 11:00 p.m.

After Tuesday, Easley said 24 trucks will continue to watch for trouble spots into Wednesday morning.

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Indy DPW: No plans to call in contractors to treat residential streets this week - FOX 59 Indianapolis

TROY The city of Troy wishes to provide the following guidelines on the citys winter weather treatment policies.

General overview

This information is intended to help residents and drivers understand the citys approach to dealing with typical winter storms. It is a general guideline only because each winter event is unique and must be attacked individually. Pre-treatment, plowing, and salting operations will be evaluated on an event-by-event basis, based on the type, temperature, severity, longevity, and timing of the winter event.

Every road in Troy is classified as either a primary, secondary, or tertiary (local) street. Primaries include main arteries, state routes, hills, bridges, and the streets immediately surrounding schools. Secondary roads connect primary roads to local residential streets. Local streets include residential roads, dead-end streets, and cul-de-sacs.

A map showing the roadway classifications can be found at http://www.troyohio.gov/DocumentCenter/View/737.

When possible, the city will pre-treat the streets with a liquid brine mix. It can only be applied on dry pavement or when the weather forecast does not anticipate rain before snowfall. Brine pre-treatment is only effective before a snow event and only for small storms forecast for one inch or less of accumulation. This treatment will also help alleviate larger snows from bonding to the road making it easier to plow. When the forecast allows, city crews may pre-treat local streets one or two days in advance of the forecasted event. Primaries will be pre-treated as close to the forecasted event as possible, to minimize the elimination of brine by heavy vehicular traffic.

Salting operations

Primary roads are the first priority for salting, which will occur any time the roads become icy and slick and when snow accumulation is less than three inches. Depending upon the road conditions and other factors, secondary and local streets will also be salted, either at the same time or directly after salting of primary roads is completed.

Plowing operations

Plowing may begin once primary roads are generally covered by three or more inches of snow, regardless of the time of day or night of the event. Often, the city plows when there is less than three inches of accumulation due to the weight of the snow, severity of the event, speed at which snow is falling, etc. Please note that in the case of a major event (four or more inches of snow), plowing of local streets may be restricted to providing a single path, in order to provide two-way traffic on these streets.

Troy residents and business owners are reminded that City Codified Ordinances will require all property owners to not blow, shovel, or plow snow into city streets. Violators may receive a ticket and fine.

Property owners are also required to keep their sidewalks free and clear of ice and snow. In doing so, please be sure to do the following:

Shovel snow from driveways and place it to the right side (looking out the driveway to the street) of your driveway. This places the snow past the driveway, so snow plows will not plow the snow back into your driveway. The city cannot come back to plow out driveways.

Push the snow away from any fire hydrants and storm sewercatch basins. Keeping hydrants clear will greatly assist the Fire Department in the case of a fire, and the open catch basins allow melting snow to drain and not flood the streets.

Remove vehicles parked on the streets, so that plow trucks can plow to the curb and vehicles are not plowed in with snow.

For questions or comments regarding snow and ice removal, please contact the city of Troy Central Service and Maintenance Facility at 937-335-1914.

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It's crunch time for Indian Canyon Drive's conversion project in downtown Palm Springs and city staff said last month major road closures were expected this week.

But justa few days ago, they announced plans changedand traffic will now be able to flow through the project site, albeit at a slower pace.

This week's work involves paving and the city originally expected full closures that would change each day and require zero vehicles in areas under construction. Instead, workers will be working lane-by-lane and leave two open for traffic.

The lane closures will likely cover "several blocks at a time," Senior Civil Engineer Donn Uyeno said. The nearest alternate routes to the east are Avenida Caballeros and Sunrise Way.

Access will be available to businesses on Indian Canyon, but driveways will essentially be cut in half and "slightly larger than the width of a car," Uyeno added.

Business owners and their customers should plan ahead and look for other places to park.City staff has been referring everyone to the downtown parking structure or underground garage.

Traffic backs up on northbound Indian Canyon Drive at Alejo Road in Palm Springs on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 as part of a conversation project. The road is being converted to a two-way street and paving is scheduled to last all week on Indian Canyon between Alejo and Camino Parocela.(Photo: Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun)

Traffic news: Ironman La Quinta traffic not as bad as last year

Traffic news: Thanksgiving traffic congests Interstate 10 through San Gorgonio Pass

Paving may be scheduled to last only this week, but Indian Canyon willstill be a one-way road and the final conversion won't happen until the week of Jan. 5.

Twonorthbound lanes are being removed and one will be used for southbound traffic and the other will be converted into a center turnlane. Roadside parking will remain. Sidewalks will be adjusted, and traffic signals will be renovated or replaced as far north as Tachevah Drive so traffic flow can remain steady.

Work is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Jan. 5, and a new section of the road will have two-way traffic by each morning, according to the city. Unless weather causes problems, adjustments are as scheduled:

Holiday travel begins later this week

Travel experts say Friday may be the day everyone begins hittingthe road for the holidays.

The busiest travel days by air are Dec. 21-23, but the entire travel period lasts through Jan. 1, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

With unemployment at record lows and household net worth at record highs, more Americans and Southern Californians are feeling able to afford holiday vacations, said Filomena Andre, the Auto Clubs vice president for travel products and services.

Anaheim is a top destination on a national level, so roads in or near Orange County will likely be congested. Top destinations for Southern Californians include Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast, Grand Canyon and Mexico.

Use that information when deciding where to travel for the rest of the month. You may just want to avoid those areas.

Desert Sun reporter Colin Atagi covers crime, public safetyandroadand highway safety. He can be reached at Colin.Atagi@desertsun.com or follow him at @tdscolinatagi.

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There's major work for Indian Canyon's conversion, but traffic has more room than expected - Desert Sun

"I truly believe the best things in life are a result of being bold and being real. Megan Rapinoe endorsing 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren.by Zinhle Essamuah

Published on 12/14/2019 at 7:00 PM

The House took ahistoric step forwardtoward the impeachment of President Donald Trump today, withthe Judiciary Committee approving the articles of impeachment and sending them to the House floor for a full vote next week. The committee vote took place this morning aftera ridiculous number of hours of debateover the past two days, wherein Republicans introduced a slew of amendments to try and slow the process and kill the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.All of them failed. We know theres been a lot of procedural updates on impeachment that have been a little hard to follow, but this isthe final step before Trump is formally impeached, so its a major one.

The two articles were approved in a 23-17 vote, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans voting against it. Read the articles of impeachment against Trumphere.

Know This:Donald J. Trump is now only the fourth president in U.S. history to face impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged in connection with the murder of 18-year-old Tessa Majors, a student at Barnard College in New York City,according to local news reports. Law enforcement officials sayMajors was walking through a park near campus when a group of boys (four or five, according to witnesses) tried to rob her. She was stabbed at some point during the struggle and died in the hospital. The 13-year-old arrested was charged with second-degree felony murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon, but will not be tried as an adult. His statement to investigators led them totwo other 14-year-old suspects potentially involved in the incident.Majors death has shocked and shaken the community at Barnard, a small, all-womens school in NYCs Morningside Heights neighborhood that is affiliated with Columbia University.The city is offering counseling to students and increasing law enforcement presence near the park.

Know This:Tessa Majors was originally from Virginia and was attending her first year at Barnard College. Students say she was interested in journalism and music.We are devastated by the senseless loss of our beautiful and talented Tess,her family said in a statement. We are thankful for the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from across the country.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association announced big changes to the leagues drug abuse program.Minor league players will now be tested for addictive drugs like opioids and no longer tested for weed. Major league players on a 40-man roster are not tested for weed, but non-40 man roster players in the minor leagues were. The consequences for a positive weed test on a players first offense has been a suspension of 50 games and13 players were suspended in 2019. Now the league istreating cannabis use the same as alcohol use, where players could be disciplined for related misconduct.Opioids and cocaine were among a list of drugs added to the list of banned substances. If a player tests positive for one of these so-called drugs of abuse, they will be referred to a board of experts who will deliver a personalized drug treatment plan a significant shift in drug-testing policy from punishment and isolation to treatment and prevention.Players will also be required to undergo aneducation program on the dangers of opioid pain medications, as well as practical approaches to cannabis use. The new rules will be in effect during 2020 Spring Training."The opioid epidemic in our country is an issue of significant concern to Major League Baseball,"said MLB Deputy Commissioner & Chief Legal Officer Dan Halem. "It is our hope that this agreement which is based on principles of prevention, treatment, awareness and education will help protect the health and safety of our Players."

KnowThis:The change in drug policy comes afterAngels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died in July and was found to have fentanyl and opioids in his system. Fentanyl was not explicitly listed on the MLBs banned substances list at the time.

The Federal Communications Commission hasunanimously approved a planfor a 3-digit suicide prevention number: 988. The number will link callers to a network of already-operating crisis centers around the country. This network isnt new (you can access 100+ call centers by calling 1-800-273-TALK orchatting online), but the FCC says the number will"make it easier for Americans in crisis to access potentially life-saving resources."Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) applauded the FCCs moveon Twitterand urged Congress to move forward on thebipartisan billhe proposed in October, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act. The bill (with the same aim of setting up the 988 hotline) was co-sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The 988 number is not yet operational andwon't be available by text, but Lines for Life offers a text service you can access by texting 273TALK to 839863. All major phone providers have been asked to accommodate the 988 number within 18 months.

Know This:The U.S. suicide rate is up 33% since 1999,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It is the 10th leading cause of death in the country. If you or someone you know is in crisis, there are resources for you: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visitSpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

Tomorrow marks seven years since the heartbreaking shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, in which 26victims were killed: 20 children (all ages 6 or 7) and six educators. The shooter (who also killed his mother before going to the school) carried30-round, high-capacity magazines and shot 154 bullets in less than 5 minutes that day.The tragedy shook the nation. President Barack Obama gave emotional remarks in anational addressfollowing the tragedy."The holidays have never been the same,Mark Barden, the father of one of the young victims, saidin remembrance of his son Daniel. I remember he used to run out onto the driveway, sometimes barefoot on the cold pavement, to give his cousins a big hug when they would arrive for the celebration. He loved his family more than anything. Barden is the founder ofSandy Hook Promise,which trains students and adults to know the signs of gun violence.Though this tragedy happened seven years ago,mass shootings involving high-capacity magazines have continued to plague the country, with gun reform advocates even releasinga 2018 yearbookhighlighting all the students lost to school shootings last year. Since then, survivors and advocates have published powerful PSAs (including a chillingback-to-school essentialsvideo, where kids highlight their bulletproof school items) and have pushed fornew legislation imploring Congress to move gun reform legislation forward. Years later, many parents of the victims remainovercome with palpable grief, andthe community continues to mournthe loss of these young lives. If the Sandy Hook children were alive, theyd be in junior high today.

Know This:Shockingly, thistragedy has been shadowed by far-right conspiracy theories and online trolls. Lenny Pozners 6-year-old son was killed in the shooting, and ever since,hes been the target of death threats fueled by far-right commentator Alex Jones conspiracy theorythat his son's murder was a hoax and that the event was fueled by crisis actors.Pozner and his family have relocated at least seven times as a result of the targeting. Heres what thegrieving father has to say.One last thing:The official UK election results are in,confirmingthat Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won a large majority.The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said late last night that he will resign his position early next year.Thanks for reading. Be kind to yourself this weekend, and well see you next week!

Zinhle Essamuah,KnowThis Host and Correspondent; Sari Soffer, Supervising Producer, NowThis; andVersha Sharma, Senior Correspondent, NowThis

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KnowThis: Why This Sport Won't Test Players For Weed Anymore - NowThis

Vehicles pass through the intersection at Interstate 10 and Baseline Road in Tempe on Dec. 10, 2019.(Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/The Republic)

Over the past few months, The Arizona Republic has revieweddata from numerous Valley cities to assess which intersections have had the most vehicle crashes.

From the West Valley to East Valley, The Republic pinpointedintersections with the highest number of collisions from 2016 through 2018, which for most cities was themost recent complete year of data available. Using those numbers, The Republic identified what could be considered the most dangerous intersections in those cities.

The data shows more than half of the intersection-related collisions across the Valley occurred at or within about a mile of major freeways, where traffic tends to back up.

In several cities, the same major road is tied to multiple intersections that are among the most crash prone among them McDowell and Indian School roads in Phoenix,Bell Road in Surprise, Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale and Rural Road in Tempe.

The Republic's review of Phoenix found intersections where the greatest number of accidents occurred during the period reviewed were on the west side of the city, between Camelback and McDowell roads, and 27th and 75th Avenues in areas not far from major freeways.

"Many of Phoenixs roads carry a high volume of traffic; in fact, it is not uncommon to have 60,000 to 80,000 vehicles per day travel through our major intersections. Additionally, several of our major roads have over five or up to seven lanes of traffic," said Ashley Patton, a city spokeswoman.

Overall, the city has 65,857 intersection-related crashes over the three-year period.

The Republic used the crash data to determine which intersections have been the most dangerous over the three-year period reviewed in major Valley cities. The review relied on overall crashes rather than just fatalities because in most cities, traffic deaths are spread among numerous intersections and locations, whereas numerous crashes can occur at or near a single location.

Here is what the review found, followed by some further explanation and possible solutions:

Between 2016 and 2018, these intersections in the city of Phoenix had the most collisions, according toPatton.

Among those west Phoenixintersections, 51st, 67th and 75th avenues which run in a north-south direction connect to Interstate 10.McDowell Road is less than a quarter-mile north of the freeway, while Indian School is about 2.2 miles north of I-10.In addition,27th Avenue is about a quarter mile west of Interstate 17.

Overall, there were 465 fatal intersection-related collisions in Phoenix during the period, Patton said.

The intersections at27th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, Seventh Street and McDowell Road, 43rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road, Baseline Road andJesse Owens Parkway, 43rdandMissouri avenues, 43rd Avenue andHubbell Street and 83rdandVirginia avenues had the most fatal intersection-related collisions during that time, each totaling three, said Patton.

PEDESTRIAN DEATHS: Phoenix's deadly streets became even deadlier in 2018

From 2016-18, the following intersections in Scottsdale had the most traffic collisions, according toSam Taylor, a traffic engineeringanalystfor the city:

The city had more than 9,300 intersection-related collisions between 2016 and 2018, which includes minor and local intersections, said Taylor. Heexplainedthat Scottsdale classifies all collisions within 100 feet of an intersection as intersection-related.

Among the top 5, the two on Shea Boulevard were close tothe Loop 101 freeway, along with the No. 1 intersection at Frank Lloyd Wright. The other two were in south Scottsdale.

Scottsdale had a total of 21 fatal intersection-related collisions during those three years, according to Taylor. He added thatnone of those collisions occurred at the same intersection during that time.

AAA REPORT:Arizona ranks highest in nation for deadly red-light crashes

InGilbert, Val Vista Drive, a major north-south road that extends northward into Mesa, comes up multiple times among the intersections with the most collisions from2016 to 2018, according to dataprovided to The Republic by Sgt. Mark Marino of the Gilbert Police Department:

Of the 4,870 intersection-related collisions investigated by the city, 21 were fatal collisions that occurred at various locations across the town, according to Marino.He added that Gilbert classifies all collisions within 150 feet of an intersection as intersection-related.

During that same three-year period,the followingintersections in Tempe hadthe most collisions, according to data analyzed by The Republic:

Of approximately6,540 intersection-related collisions between 2016 and 2018, 15 were fatal, the data showed. While two of the fatal collisions occurred at the same intersection ofRural Road and Southern Avenue in 2016 and 2017, the others occurred at various intersections throughout the city.

Tempe has three major freeways that touch the landlocked community: Interstate 10, Loop 101 and Loop 202.

In Mesa, there were approximately8,600intersection-related collisions between 2015 and 2017, according todata analyzed by The Republic. Crash data reports for all of 2018 was not yet available, said Jason Flamofthe Mesa Police Department.

The data showed that the following intersections had the most collisions during the two-year period for which data was available:

In thoseyears, there was a total of 36fatal intersection-related collisions, according to the data.The data provided to The Republic did not specify ifanyintersections experiencedmorefatal collisions than others but Flam said amajority of the city's fatal collisions do not occur at intersections.

In Chandler, the following intersections had the most collisions from 2016 though 2018, according to data provided to The Republic:

The city had a total of 11,329 traffic collisions from 2016 through2018, 32 of which were fatal collisions, according to Seth Tyler, a spokesman for the Chandler Police Department. It's unclear how many of those total collisions and fatalitieswere intersection-related.

According toDebbie Albert, a traffic engineer for Glendale, these intersections had the mostcollisions between 2015 and 2017:

The city had a total of8,348 intersection-related collisions during those three years,29 of which were fatal, said Albert.Two of those fatal collisions occurred at Glendale and 83rd avenues while the rest occurred at various intersections throughout the city, she added.

In Glendale, collisionswithin 300 feet of an intersection are typically classified asintersection-related, according to Albert.

Peoria had approximately 6,400intersection-related collisions,according to 2016-2018data analyzed by The Republic. The data showed the following intersections had the most collisions:

There were 19 fatal intersection-related collisions during that time, none of which occurred at the same intersection, according to the data.

The following intersections in Surprise hadthe most collisions between 2016 and 2018, according to data provided to The Republic:

The data showed that the city had approximately 2,800 traffic collisions during that time, however, it's unclear how many of those were intersection-related.

Additionally, in those three years, Surprisehad a total offour fatal traffic collisions, all of which occurred at separate intersections, according to the data.

AZ DATA CENTRAL: These are the deadliest areas for pedestrians

For some of the cities, failure to yield, speed and disregarding the traffic signal were some of the major factors inmany of theintersection-related collisions.

"Speed too fast" was the highest-ranked violation committed by drivers in allintersection-related collisions in Mesa over the past three years,according to Flam, who added that "speed too fast" does not automatically mean the driver was exceeding the speed limit.

Failure to yield and disregarding thetraffic signal were the highest-rankedviolationsin the city's fatal intersection-related collisions, he added.

The violations were among the top factors in fatal and non-fatal intersection-related collisions in Phoenix, as well, according to Patton.

To improve safety, Phoenix's Street Transportation Departmentupgraded15 traffic signals with left-turn arrows last fiscal year upgrading left-turn arrows to flashing yellow arrows and addingleft-turn arrows orflashing yellow arrows tosignals that didn't have them, according to Patton. Several other Valley cities have adopted that system as well.

Research and studiesshowthat the upgrades could help reduce collisions, with flashing yellow arrows alone reducing collisions by 25%, she said, citingCrash Modification FactorsClearinghouse study published four years ago.

Phoenix also rebuilt 14traffic signals to meet current standards and improve visibility, installed 11 new traffic signals at unsignaled intersections and added advanced detectionto six traffic signals, said Patton.

She explained that advanced detection is atraffic signal technology that waits for a gap in traffic before turning yellow to minimize the number of timesa driver decides between drivingthrough a yellow light or stopping.

In the next three years, the department plans to upgrade more than 100 traffic signals, according to Patton, who also cited a more fundamental solution to reducing crashes.

"The city also encourages the public to obey traffic laws at all times and to stay alert on our roadways," said Patton, adding that the city'ssafety campaign, Heads Up, offers a list of safety tips for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Marino said many of the collisions in Gilbert weredue to "some sort of documented inattention."

"Traffic concentration around a high school, as an example of the intersection of Germann Road and Val Vista Drive, coupled with newer drivers, cellphone usage while driving and other distractions are recipes for collisions on all streets in the Valley," he said.

According to Marino, the townis examining data to determine if any crash trends existnearLoop 202and South Val Vista Drive, which he said is the town's worst intersection, averaging one collision every two weeks or26 collisions per year.

In the meantime, the Gilbert police areoperating an unmarked aggressive driving vehicle throughouttown that aims to enforce traffic laws and correct driving behaviors that have the tendency to cause collisions, said Marino.

An ArizonaGovernor's Office of Highway Safetygrant covered the vehicle's more than $47,000 price tag, according to a Sept. 23 Facebook post from the Gilbert Police Department.

"Drivers tend to drive differently when a fully marked police car or motorcycle is traveling with them in traffic.The (aggressive driving) car is built to blend in with traffic and is targeting drivers that are dangerous to the community and are driving with no regard to your safety," explained Marino.

Similar to Phoenix,the town utilizes "smart intersections" that evaluate traffic volume and lane occupancy and cycles the intersection accordingly to ensure efficiency and safety, according to Marino.

The town has also implemented asafe-driving campaign, "Speed Down. Eyes Up. Drive Safely,"that emphasizes safe driving.

Among the intersections in Glendale with the highest number of collisions over the past three years, 1/3 were rear-end collisions and another 1/3 were left-turn collisions while the remainder were other crash types, Albert said.

In addition to education and enforcementbyGlendale's traffic education team and police, Albert said the city is"working aggressively" to install flashing yellow arrows at all majorintersections because national studies have shown that they are better understood intelling drivers they need to yield.

The flashing yellow arrows will be installed at a total of 45 intersections, with a focus on major intersections such as59th and Glendale avenuesand 51stand Peoria avenues, she added.

She added that median islands are also being installed to limit turning movements at driveways closeto signalized intersections.

"The transportation team will continue to identify locations that need additional improvements and secure funding to implement the enhancements," said Albert. "We also encourage drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be vigilant around traffic. Please put down your phone and obey the traffic signals, signs and pavement markings."

Reach the reporter at chelsea.curtis@arizonarepublic.comor follow her on Twitter@curtis_chels.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2019/12/17/most-dangerous-intersections-phoenix-area-over-past-3-years/3857239002/

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Which intersections are the most dangerous in Valley cities? Here's what we found - AZCentral

The Japanese have a wordkuchisabishiithat describes the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition well. It's best understood as the term for when you eat something not because youre hungry but because your mouth is bored. The Heritage Edition doesnt need to exist, same as Toyota doesnt really need to sell Land Cruisers in America anymore given our paltry share of the international sales pie. Yet it does, and its damn tasty either way.

Thats not to directly compare one of the worlds legendary SUVs with empty calories. As equipped in the American market, the 200 Series Land Cruiser is a fairly brilliant truck, melding its rugged heritage and superlative capability with a sensible approach to modern comfort. Even if an $86,710 sticker price might shock when you step back and see a gussied-up UN vehicle, consider that Mercedes-Benz has been pulling the same thing at twice the price with the G-Wagen and making out like a bandit for decades. Toyotas low-volume Cruiser business here in the States still generates around $279 million in revenue annually, and that's without counting the Lexus LX. If you do count the LX, the revenue total for Toyota was $710 million in 2018. Not exactly peanuts.

Toyota

But given its formulaic, three-squares approach since the 200 Series launched in 2007one trim, one option, no marketingit's easy to see why Toyota whipped up the 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition. It's nominally a minimalist adventurer appearance package accented by bronze BBS wheels and a Yakima MegaWarrior roof basket. More than a decade into the current series (Land Cruiser generations move on geologic time scales), it's also the closest the world's largest automaker has come to a bored-mouth snack involving its most iconic vehicle.

Again, this isn't a bad thing at all. The opposite, in fact. The Heritage Edition looks great, drives great, and is great. It just doesn't feel like it's meeting a vital need the way the regular Land Cruiser does, nor does it scan as a gluttonous blowout truly celebrating its six decades of production ahead of an uncertain future. Kuchisabishii.

Toyota

The Toyota Land Cruiser has changed as much as anyone would over sixty-odd years, and the four-door, roofed 200 Series stands worlds apart from the pokey 1958 FJ25 that Toyota shipped over back then as the first Land Cruiser sold on these shores. (By the way, that two-door convertible model survives in unrestored condition at the excellent Land Cruiser Heritage Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah.) The "base" 2020 truck will look familiar to everyoneits design has gone unchanged since a 2015 facelift, and its profile has been with us since 2007. Good thing it's a handsome, blocky fella, with a drawn-out grille to accentuate its 78-inch width and a noticeably upright greenhouse.

An untrained observer could mistake it for a Toyota Sequoia, that other three-row, V-8, body-on-frame SUV in the American lineup, except the Sequoia is more than ten inches longer, bigger in every dimension, and also it's not a Land Cruiser and never will be. We digress. As mentioned up top, the $2,330 upcharge for the Heritage Edition nets the following exterior tweaks: 18-inch bronze BBS wheels, darkened chrome trim on the grille, deleted running boards, a Yakima roof basket, a sweet retro badge, and a paint choice of Midnight Black Metallic or Blizzard Pearl.

Toyota

Adding the roof rack, removing the running boards, and swapping in smaller wheels make the biggest visual impacts. It's a conservative upfit, no doubt. But the simplicity is still compelling. $87,000 compelling? Different discussion.

Fitting for a truck that's more common in war zones than American driveways, the interior is laid out with dutiful practicality, all straight lines and big buttons and analog gauges. Cabin comfort is one place where we're glad to leave the old Land Cruisers behind, and Toyota relies on materials like wood and semi-aniline leather to soften the UN Peacekeeper experience for domestic buyers, plus extras like heated and ventilated seats and a center console refrigeratorsorry, "cool box."

Toyota

The Heritage Edition comes with black leather, bronze contrast stitching, all-weather floor mats, no third row, and no cool box for maximum storage. (Toyota reasons that you'll bring a real cooler along anyway, what with the 53.5 cubic feet of space back there without the far back seats.) Don't look for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in that nine-inch touchscreen, however.

Toyota

There are typically two complaints lobbed at the Toyota Land Cruiser interior: it's boring, and it's too fancy for what the truck actually is. To the first camp, we'll just point out that the Land Cruiser was not built to impress you. It doesn't have an art degree because its utilitarian buyers around the world still don't care. And to the second critique, the truck as it exists in America 2019 isn't marketed to you. Toyota knows you and a few other ragamuffins want a downmarket Land Cruiser. But that's not what it's trying to do here.

The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition is less about going further off-road than looking better in the process. That's not a problem when the base truck is as otherworldly durable as a 200 Series. When you write a check for $87 grand, what you're paying for is the million-mile engineering needed to take the Land Cruiser safely to the globe's toughest and roughest edges. We're not exaggerating; much of the vehicle is designed for a 25-year service life. Everything from suspension components to window glass is thicker and stronger and utterly overbuilt compared to flimsy modern crossovers or even the full-size pickups we hold dear as Americans.

Toyota

Sheer toughness and a solid rear axle will only get you so farpretty damn far, but there are limitsso the Land Cruiser also has a low-range transfer case with a center differential lock, multi-terrain AWD settings, off-road cruise control, and a system that brakes the inner wheels for an off-road pivot-turn. It runs in a permanent 4HI mode with a 40/60 front-to-back torque split that can vary as needed. Lastly, Toyota's Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System automatically adjusts the sway bars to provide excellent wheel articulation without ruining on-road handling. You can feel the KDSS loosening things up as you bounce off the pavement, shift into low range, and start climbing your first rocky hill.

Toyota

With 8.9 inches of ground clearance and off road angles of 32 approach/21 breakover/24 departure, the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser isn't the most out-and-out capable crawler in the lineup. That honor belongs to the 2020 4Runner TRD Pro, as does woeful technology and a dated five-speed transmission. True to its name, what the Land Cruiser represents is the cushiest, safest way to conquer mountains. It made quick work of both the demonstration off-road course Toyota set up in the hills outside Eagle Mountain, Utah and an extracurricular detour over a challenging rock pile.

Toyota

As the most expensive vehicle Toyota sells in America, though, it had better drive well on the road. The trucky Land Cruiser does what it can. Its 5.7-liter, 381-horsepower V-8 (shared with the Tundra pickup) pulls strong with a decent grumble, though peak torque doesn't hit until 3,600 RPM and you'll notice the delay in higher gears. It doesn't help that the eight-speed transmission sometimes feels like it's taking a wild guess when you put your foot down, dropping too far for having over 400 lb-ft of torque on tap or pausing before slamming into the correct gear with an audible thud.

So, not all roses. But apart from that the 2020 Land Cruiser rides like any other large SUVheavy, tall, and reassuringly softdespite its antediluvian construction. KDSS also works on pavement as a hydraulic stabilizer system to limit body roll, so it's composed in turns and a peaceful long-distance rig overall. The only thing to really warn about for daily driving is the abysmal fuel economy: 14 miles per gallon combined. Even a 24.6 gallon tank feels small.

Even in cases like this, where the historic connection is clear and unbroken, automakers often try to keep a least a little daylight between present-day models and their older counterparts. It makes sense: Old cars are cool, and generally new cars are not. Put them in the lineup, and what should be a proud evolutionary timeline often ends up looking like a March of Progress parody ending in a fat man.

Toyota

That's why it was a surprise when Toyota arranged to borrow five historic Land Cruisers from the Salt Lake City museum collection for us to drive alongside the 2020 Heritage Edition. Sprung for the day was a 1977 FJ40, a 1977 FJ55, a 1984 FJ60, a 1991 FJ80, and a 2004 UJZ100. All stand as key stages in the Land Cruiser's growth from a military runabout to a globe-stomping status symbol.

Toyota

1977 FJ40 Land Cruiser (Production: 1960 - 1983)

Toyota

1977 FJ55 Land Cruiser (Production: 1968 - 1979)

That humble FJ40, even with its unlined interior, barn doors, and scepter of a four-speed shifter, has leather bucket seats and soft springs to deliver a surprisingly comfortable ride. (If you can get past the racket from the 4.2-liter straight six engine at speed, that is.) The "Iron Pig" FJ55 debuted as one of the few four-door family SUVs in 1967, and even if it shared its platform and powertrain with the FJ40, it was still designed to advance the Land Cruiser's mission. Its successor, the FJ60, brought the first fully-insulated and modernized interior, though the SUV market was starting to simmer in the 1980s. So Toyota took a radical leap forward with the 1991 FJ80, adding more luxurious appointments, coil springs, a full-time 4WD system, airbags and ABS, and the streamlined design that signaled the end of sharp corners for the Land Cruiser. Still had a straight-six engine, though.

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1984 FJ60 Land Cruiser (Production: 1980 - 1990)

Toyota

1991 FJ80 Land Cruiser (Production: 1990 - 1997)

Apart from varying levels of comfort and sound deadening, they also all drove remarkably similar on and off the pavement. Extremely slowof the four, only the FJ80 could muscle past 35 mph on an uphill grade at 7,000 feet in the mountainsand very noisy, but endearingly blunt like only an old truck on solid axles can be. We weren't pushing any limits in these museum pieces, but the simple fact that all they needed to drive was a fresh battery and a fluid check speaks to the insane longevity of Land Cruisers.

Toyota

2004 UJZ100 Land Cruiser (Production: 1998 - 2007)

The one truck we haven't touched upon is the 1998-2007 UJZ100, representing the largest leap forward yet. It was the first Land Cruiser with a V-8 engine and independent front suspension, two key departures that make the 100 much closer in feel to the 200 Series than to any of its predecessors. It just drives like a contemporary Toyota, even if the lack of KDSS means body roll can be excessive.

And what did the 200 Series Land Cruiser contribute to its kind? Incremental improvements in power, frame strength, and comfort, all undeniable. But whenever Toyota decides to sunset the current generation, we have a feeling it will be remembered for the off-road tech it introduced to the name. (Unless the rumors of it leaving the North American market in 2022 are true, in which case, yeah, that will be its epitaph.) KDSS is probably the biggest highlight, the way it's produced the most comfortable Land Cruiser while giving up little in capability. Even if we're eons past the FJ40's agricultural-tool approach, the 200 Series is still building on the same reputation, one advancement (or two) at a time.

Toyota

What it won't be remembered for is the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition. Not because it's a silly idea, but because the normal truck is its own heritage edition. Adding a roof rack or a smaller wheel doesn't make it any more connected to its past or give it a sense of vitality. There was room to go all out here in a celebration of spirit, with a lift and a rear locker and real off-road tires, but absent that we're more than happy to enjoy the sustenance of the regular Land Cruiser.

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2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition Review: This Aging Star Still Matters - The Drive

A north wind, skeins of greenheads riding it south, breaking from on high at the cut of your call, and falling into the decoys. Buddies jump up with shotguns pointed at fluttering mallardsthose are mornings every duck hunter lives forMigration Day.

Now reverse that. Mallards headed north on a south wind, racing back to the breeding grounds (so they think), but first they have to make stops along the way to feed, water, and rest. They are incredibly susceptible to being killed during this small window. Hungry and anxious to get home, tough late-season mallards turn into fresh birds.

When to Expect the Reverse Migration

How can you get on a hunt like this? Reverse migrations of mallards and geese can occur just about anywhere you get a hard freeze followed by a quick warm up. If you live in a state where that kind of weather occurs regularly during the season, then you are likely going to see greenheads and geese funnel back from the south. Ive seen it happen from October in South Dakota to January in Kansas. Hell, one of the best Canada goose flights Ive ever witnessed took place during a sunny morning on Long Island, New York, two days after the temperature dipped below freezing and a foot of snow fell.

How to Prepare Your Hunt

The biggest factor in taking advantage of reverse migration days is being ready. Birds are going to be looking for the first open water they see with a pile of ducks sitting on it. Federal and state refuges and cooling ponds (discharge lakes used by power companies) are some places that will be holding birds, but you likely cant hunt, so make sure your set up is south of those areas or the birds will short stop you.

Our biggest reverse migration almost always happens in January, says Kansas hunter Brad Harris. It will get bitter cold and freeze everything up, so most of our birds will go south. Then it thaws and they come back on a south wind and sunshine.

Mallards, lesser Canada geese, snow geese, and specklebellies (well get to the geese later) are the four most common waterfowl species that reverse migrate while fall and winter seasons are still open. Big honkers will too, just not with as much regularity because in most cases it takes more than a quick weather front to get them to move south en masse. And white geese are huntable during the spring conservation season as they chase the snow line back to the tundra, of course. Other species do reverse migrate before the spring rush back north, its just these five seem to do it with more regularity, making them increasingly vulnerable.

Just this last week (in early December), we saw thousands of specks and snows coming out of the south, flying over Champaign, said Illinois biologist and photographer, Ryan Askren, who still had more than six weeks of season left. All waterfowl have an innate drive to want to be as close to the breeding grounds as possible. Specks, in particular, are an early-migrating bird.

Set Big Decoy Spreads for Greenheads

Sometime in early- to mid-January, it will get cold enough to freeze a majority of the open water in central and southeast Kansas. Theres some deeper sand pits and rivers that wont completely lock up, but it forces a majority of the greenheads to move south. It only lasts a few days and when the mallards return, Harris is waiting with open water, dozens of decoys and aggressive calling.

Two days before the thaw, Ill get my ice eaters in and we will open up water, so that when birds are coming back from the south, its the first thing they see, he said.

You can hunt in flooded ag or in dry fields, but Harris best results have come on oxbows and smaller pondstheres more open water thus better visibility for birds returning. He has had some stellar hunts in flooded corn during these times, but on average bigger water is better because it allows for a larger decoy footprint. And when it comes to decoys, you will need to go big. Set goose sleeper shells and mallard and goose full-body field decoys on the ice with mallard floaters on the water.

The key is making the rig look like the refuge, where every duck coming from the south wants to be. And have plenty of good callers wailing away at sky-high migrators. You need to get their attention first, but also, an acre full of fake ducks needs to sound like an acre full of live ones.

We run about 10- to 20-dozen floaters on the water and anywhere from two to four (spinning-wing decoys) as long as the sun is out, which it usually is on a warm up, Harris said. You have about a two- to four-day window to really get after them before its over.

Where to Hunt the Reverse Migration

This phenomenon is not specific to Kansas. Its also common in Oklahoma too, but fair warning, that state is overrun with hunters and wannabee guides posing as legit outfitters. Thats not to say you cant find a good guide in January, just be cautious. I wouldnt advise freelancing down there either. There is some public land, but most of the good duck holes are private and door-knocking is only going to leave you sorely disappointed.

Fact is, the reverse migration will happen just about anywhere there are drastic swings in weather patterns. Here in central Illinois, we see it happening more frequently, mostly in November and early December. You can just about bank on mallards, specks and/or snows showing up after a short cold snap followed by a warm up. Its a tough place to hunt because we dont get the bird numbers we once did, so on the first and second days of the warm up, its game on.

Its hard to get access to private lakes and ponds, and the public ground is very restricted here in terms of when you can go, so leases and handshakes with a landowner are paramount. A lot of the water is deep; old rock quarries that filled over the years. Since it can be tough to throw out a huge spread with decoy lines that might have to be as long as 100 feet, we sometimes set goose and duck decoy rigswith remote spinning-wing decoys (so they can be turned off when geese are around)on a high point in a field close to the quarries. So, if you cant hunt water, get as close to it as possible. Your hope is the birds see the decoys and come in for a look.

If you live in a state where the weather swings arent as wild, reverse migrations are likely not going to happen as often, or at all. For example, if you live in Minnesota or the Dakotas, or Canada, and winter has set in for good, mallards arent likely to funnel back if there is a freak snow melt. They are probably too far south already.

But in states that have more fluctuation in weather patterns, the reverse migration can happen, and it doesnt take much change in tactics from when birds are coming off the refuge as they would on a typical morning.

Id say recently our biggest cold fronts have been in November and then December turns pretty mild, said Tony Vandemore, who co-owns Habitat Flats in north-central Missouri, and has seen an uptick in reverse migration days in recent years. Location wise, we get south of the refuge, and were not going to leave a decoy at home. The birds are up there in the stratosphere and they just drop out of the ozone.

Target Lessers, Snows, and Specks

The Central Flyway is where you will find these three species most commonly bouncing north to south and back again, from north Texas into Oklahoma and Kansas (I highly suggest taking a week to 10 days and completing a three-state goose swing in late January and into February). Just like the mallards, they will go on lockdown, sitting on ice, or bugging out for warmer weather during a deep freeze.

When it warms back up, the birds go insane that first afternoon, flying in every direction imaginable. There is no way to tell what field they will hit, and its also tough to scout them for the next day because they will act completely different in the morning following a calm night on the roost. Your best bet is to just get under them in a traffic field with a high point so they can see the spread.

They can be unpredictable, said Drew Palmer of Mile North Outdoors, who has guided and filmed extensively throughout North America. But then they will go back into a pattern, and thats when you can have a damn good day.

Massive spreads of full-bodies, silhouettes and socks (we are talking a spring snow-goose size rig) with multiple callersthe more the betterlaying in the decoys are key. If its sunny and the wind is blowing 15 miles per hour, it can be downright filthy with massive wads of lessers and specks (sometimes with white geese mixed in) literally landing at your feet.

And when February hits, forget spring snows unless you have a slam-dunk juvie shoot lined up in Arkansas, because thats when you REALLY want to be targeting dark geese. They are in a hurry to get back north, feeding hard and flying hard, and it makes them way more susceptible to being shot.

Some guys only want to come here to kill five greenheads, but if I can get them on one of these goose shoots, theyre hooked, Palmer said.

Chase Big Honkers If You Dare

Even big late-season Canada geese, which are notoriously difficult to hunt throughout the Midwest and East, can fall victim to calls and decoys, particularly over water and half-frozen ponds in early February. One of the most ideal setups is to fill the icy edge with honker sleeper shells and set floaters on open water.

Winter wheat, sod farms or just plain grass (I know a hunter who has permission and targets reverse migrators in the outfield of a baseball diamond just past city limits) are also ideal spots to shoot big geese.

Calling is subjective. Big geese in different locales like to be called at differently. Its also weather dependent. Calm days, typically mean ease off the call. Windy days, go ahead and get aggressive. Good callers have a better handle on how to control honkers and give them notes they want to hear to get and keep their attention. Theres no universal way to land big geese. Youre going to have to tryand failto see what works best. One tip Scott Threinen, a Minnesota honker killer and owner of Molt Gear, has always championed is to get loud when geese are cupped and on approach. He says a lot of hunters will go silent and reach for the guns, which is a mistake. Honkers on the ground or water will get very vocal when other birds are coming in. Its basically to tell them to stay the hell away, that this is my area and you are not welcome.

But its definitely one of the times during the season Canadas are most reckless. Typically, they are an anti-social bird that shortstop decoys and generally frustrate field hunters (at least in the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways). But those habits go out the window this late in the year. Thats not to say they arent still difficult, but now will be the best time to hunt them.

My favorite goose hunting is the reverse migration in late January and into February, Vandemore said. The birds do not have to move far, maybe 40 or 50 miles, and it resets them. It makes a bird that was stale a few days ago as dumb as when it first got here (earlier in the fall).

Continued here:
5 Keys to Killing Reverse Migration Mallards and Geese - Outdoor Life

Its not enough to convince producers to give cover crops a shot there needs to be a game plan.

There are plenty of reasons why. Seed can be expensive, especially if theres no livestock to help recoup that cost through their digestive systems. Many worry the fall seeding window is too narrow to give the crop time to amount to anything, but admit theyve few alternative planting dates to consider.

In some cases experts like Lee Briese, of North Dakotas Centrol Inc., say farmers gave cover crops a shot years ago, and abandoned the practice when it didnt work that year.

Lee Briese of Centrol Inc. discusses the advice he gives cover croppers in North Dakota during the Getting the Most Out of Every Acre event in Brandon in November.photo: Alexis Stockford

A more deliberate approach will shift most of those arguments, Briese says. Many of those unsuccessful cover crops may have been the wrong species mix, planted at the wrong time, or did not have an end goal firmly in mind during the planning stage.

Why it matters: Cover crops can help a farmer accomplish many things, but understanding the end goal is key to the management choices.

Species selection is critically important, he said. So thats the first question for me. If youre planting a warm-season cover crop a little too late, its not going to do well. If youre planting a cool-season cover crop in the heat of the summer, its not going to do well.

The end goal will also be central to species selection, plant timing and seeding rate, he added. A mix tailored to fight erosion will look very different from one planned to fight weeds, increase farm resiliency or improve soil health, he noted.

[AUDIO ABOVE] Joe Gardiner of Clearwater, Man., talks to Alexis Stockford about how he got started with cover crops, what keeps him coming back to the practice and how hes changing up his farm management this year.

Local experts like Yvonne Lawley of the University of Manitoba have echoed the point. Lawley has urged producers to consider the root profile of their cover crop, whether the mix leans to warm or cool season, whether those species fix or scavenge nitrogen, and how they plan to terminate the crop so they are not creating their own weed problem.

The entire process is more art than science, she said, and will be highly individual to a farmers circumstance, equipment, work flow and end goals.

Cover crops have grown incredibly complex on some farms, Briese noted, with some producers putting down something like 30 different species. Thats great for biodiversity, he said, but significantly less so to the producers pocketbook.

Briese advocates the five food groups philosophy, which he says ensures a diverse species mix while potentially balancing seed cost. A balanced cover crop mix includes cool-season grasses, warm-season grasses, both warm- and cool-season broadleafs, and legumes, he said, and the addition of both warm- and cool-season crops helps ensure that something will grow out of the mix, regardless of weather conditions.

A mix of more than five species may start to see diminishing returns on the balance sheet, he noted, particularly for producers just starting out with cover crops.

Its a good strategy, according to Michael Thiele, co-ordinator of Manitobas Ducks Unlimited grazing club and an outspoken advocate of cover crops as a tool for biodiversity.

I think thats simply practical, but think of that: five species versus what has been one for 100 years, he said.

Michael Thiele is among the local experts urging producers to take up cover crops, but also to have a distinct plan before they plant.photo: Alexis Stockford

Joe Gardiner of Clearwater is one of the producers who, self-admittedly, goes crazy, with his mixes. His cover crops run up to 15 species, which he ties to his goals of maximum biodiversity and biomass both for the sake of soil health and forage for his cattle.

At the same time, he noted, his full-season cover crops mitigate the risk of taking on more species compared to an underseeded or post-harvest mix. Farmers who arent doing that are wise to consider less complex mixes, he said.

That makes a lot of sense for a relay crop or a fall-seeded cover, because youre just not getting the return from the biomass to justify the seed cost, and I get that totally and I understand it, he said. From a full-season cover perspective, the goal is to stimulate biology. You cannot stimulate biology with a monoculture.

Joe Gardiner of Clearwater outlines his cover cropping system during an event in Brandon last month.photo: Alexis Stockford

Gardiner also sources much of his seed on his own farm, further reducing cost. His cattle also make that risk more palatable, he acknowledged. He first got into cover crops as a means to increase fall forage.

Kevin Elmy, manager of Cover Crops Canada and a cover crops consultant with Imperial Seed, has a slightly different approach.

Many producers interested in cover crops forget to add in rotation, he said, particularly when it comes to something like tillage radish.

Tillage radish is a well-known compaction buster in the cover crop world. Manitoba experts, however, have recently raised concern that the brassica might create a bridge for pests like flea beetles and disease, given the local popularity of canola.

Its one reason that Elmy has brought sugar beets into his Imperial Seed mixes. Although more expensive, the beets also fill much the same niche as tillage radish.

I have a triangle, so it is grass, legume, broadleaf, he said. If youre looking from a grass to a brassica (in the rotation), which one are you missing? Youre missing a legume, so you want to try and introduce something like subterranean clover or Persian clover.

Kevin Elmy, of Cover Crops Canada, says rotational considerations are too often forgotten.photo: Friendly Acre Seed Farms

That short legume would be underseeded as a relay crop, but remain under the canopy until the cash crop is harvested and then grow through the fall, he said.

That system depends on an early seed date, he noted, giving the legume time to bloom and set nitrogen.

The system is a harder sell for producers without livestock, he acknowledged, but argued that a cover crop that knocks back weeds, saves a fall desiccation, or over the course of years, increases water infiltration and saves a producer from having to install tile drainage, will more than pay for itself.

Once we set goals, then we can pick species, then we can have a strategy on how to get it done, he said.

Soil health advocates may have biodiversity and soil structure top of mind, but Briese says many of his customers are turning to cover crops as weed control, after nothing else has worked.

In some cases, he noted, those producers are attempting to choke out a herbicide-resistant weed a growing concern in both his home North Dakota and Manitoba he said a properly managed cover crop blend may be less expensive than a herbicide pass.

Theyre realizing that this is a potential opportunity for them. Its not incredibly expensive if done well, he said.

Once again, he noted, the goal will underscore the plan of attack. He pointed to one of his clients fighting herbicide-resistant kochia. As such, that customer actually needed his cover crop to overwinter to provide that early-season competition.

Anyone planning for weed control will want to pick species that establish quickly with good ground cover, Lawley advised.

The other thing thats really important to think about for that criteria is which weeds do you need to suppress and what is the biology of when those weeds are growing or establishing themselves, she said.

In the case of a winter annual, she noted, the producer will want a vibrant cover crop post-harvest to interrupt the weeds life cycle.

Cover crops fighting salinity, meanwhile, should get in the soil as early in the season as possible, Lawley noted.

Even your cover crops may not establish where it turns white. You need to work on shrinking that white area by getting a cover crop established in that wet area immediately around it, she said.

In many cases, that cover crop will be broadcast rather than drilling in what is essentially patch seeding, she noted. As such, Lawley advised producers to choose a small-seeded crop or an easily germinated option like barley.

Barley may be among the most common saline-tolerant options, but Lawley argued that there are enough other options for a multi-species cover crop. Sugar beets, camelina and sorghum sudan grass to a certain extent, may also thrive, she said.

Work flow is a challenge, cover crop experts admit, although Lawley pointed out that fall seeding might be done in the morning if a farmer has to wait until the drier afternoon to combine anyway.

Fall seeding is often the easiest to work into a year, Gardiner said, but added that it is also the seeding window most likely to end in failure, since there is little growing time left in the season.

For both Thiele and Briese, the key is both a realistic starting point and commitment.

Cover cropping is a skill and we need to learn it, no different than you would learn to play an instrument, Briese said. You cant play Bach right away. You learn Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star first.

Both Thiele and Briese urge producers to choose a limited number of acres to start, band then attack that cover crop with the best plan possible.

Look, if youre really serious and youre committed, take a field and commit to that field for five years, Thiele said. Youre not going to see the world change in one or two or three years. You need to be committed to this and do it right and be focused and committed and, in five years, youll convince yourself that these systems can work.

Read more:
The learning curve of cover crops - Manitoba Co-operator