Hannah Nicole Simon, 25, of Wanchese, died May 6, 2020.

Born in Slidell, La. on June 29, 1994, Hannah is the daughter of Amy Creef Daniels (John Whaley III) of Wanchese and Thad Simon of Kaplan, La.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by two daughters; sister Cassie Daniels; brother Aaron Simon (Laura); grandmothers Anne Davis Creef and Thelma Simon; along with many aunts, uncles, cousins and a niece and nephew.

Hannah was preceded in death by Austin Boyd, who she loved dearly, and her grandfathers Charles Creef and Horace Simon.

Hannah was a bright and outgoing young lady with a huge heart and a smile that would light up any room. Hannah loved her family and friends dearly. She enjoyed kayaking behind her grandmothers home, going to the beach, fishing, hunting, and of course muddin. Hannah loved the Lord and surrounded herself with reminders of Gods goodness daily.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family will be having a private service. A public gathering to celebrate Hannahs life will be held at a later date.

Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories can be shared at http://www.TwifordFH.com.

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Hannah Nicole Simon - The Coastland Times - The Coastland Times

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns learned this the hard way in 2019: you can truly never have enough quality lineman in your organization.

While the interior of the Browns offensive line was never a serious focal point in the build-up to the 2020 NFL Draft, the possibility remained plausible for an addition if the organization gained some picks through a trade.

Some thought moving back from pick 10 was most likely, but the right offensive tackle presented itself and the rest is history. However, it was a different story early on day two. With a bevy of safety choices sitting in front of their face, and an organization hungry for a feature running back calling to move up, the Browns pulled the trigger on a deal that ultimately led to a young center out of Washington University.

The Browns picked Nick Harris with the 160th selection in the draft while adding the pick for simply moving down three selections in Round 2 from 41 to 44 and still getting their safety of choice. I mean, everyone loves free picks, but Harris has the potential to be much more than a bargain bin player.

Background

Undersized coming out of high school, Harris made up for it with technique and skill. He was a three star prospect in 2016 and ESPN's No. 13 center prospect in the country.

Harris fully expected to redshirt his freshman season at Washington as he was just 17 years old, but poor depth forced the young Harris into playing quickly. He played a majority of his first two seasons, earning the starting role as a sophomore, as a guard. He struggled in pass protection especially. Harris made the final switch of his career prior to 2018 when he took over the center role and anchored the position for the past two seasons. His play grades drastically improved and he turned himself into and NFL prospect thriving in the middle.

Harris won't limit himself to just one position if given the opportunity. After his selection at pick 160 he talked about his comfort and potential in both roles with the media: "...just because I played center last few years, I feel comfortable there, but I also feel comfortable at guard. Wherever I can get on the field the fastest and contribute will be good for me because I have those two years playing guard. Anywhere I could just start playing football will be good.

Athletic Testing

Height: 6'1

Weight: 302 lbs

Arms: 32 1/8"

Hands: 9 3/4"

40 Yard: 5.1s

Vertical Jump: 29.5"

Broad Jump 8-07

Bench Press: 20 reps

Harris checking in at over 300 pounds with the movement skills, including a quality 40-yard dash, helped his stock at the combine. His explosion jumps were competitive with the rest of the class, but his issues in play strength show up with just 20 bench reps. Here's a look at his comparisons across combine history.

Harris' closest comparison as a player, in term of athletic ability and measurements, is Brian Allen out of Michigan State. Allen spent time starting at center for the Rams last year before an injury sidelined him for the year. Far from the prototype offensive lineman of the modern NFL, Harris will have to overcome some of his physical shortcomings with technique and athleticism.

Let's check the tape for what Harris will bring to Cleveland.

Movement Skills

The offense new head coach Kevin Stefanski brings to Cleveland will require his offensive lineman to be effective movement players. They have to be able to perform the rip/run in the wide zone scheme, and have enough foot speed to fight around pursuing players, cut off second-level defenders, and get out and run in screen game to pick up defensive backs and linebackers.

Washington ran wide zone, but from the deep back and JET sweeps, that gave Harris the opportunity to show how well he can move in space and climb for second-level defenders. It is rare to catch him taking a poor angle or missing his assignment at either level. For a man his size, his ability to run pops on film.

He just has that innate ability to feel the correct timing and running back cut in the scheme and there is no doubt this is a key aspect of Harris' game that caught the Browns scouting eye.

Browns college scout Adam Al-Khayyal noted the movement with Harris right away. "Probably it varies when you are talking scheme to scheme, but certainly, for what we are trying to do in a wide zone system, Nick is a guy with really good feet, good quickness and really good range in terms of getting out in space and getting to the second level. A guy who really there is not a block he doesnt think he can make, and quite often, he makes them.

The quality footwork and running ability also flashed when Washington would pull the young center in pin/pull schemes or sweep concepts. He will be asked to do this if uncovered at the NFL level.

The same positive movement traits also appeared for Harris when the screen game was used by the Huskies, and they did it often. Stefanski is an avid screen game user to punish aggressive defenses and Harris will fit in well when asked to get out and form an alley.

Awareness/Processing

The leader of most any offensive line is the center. They will usually be tasked with handling identifications of the opposing MIKE linebacker, setting protection direction, and being the anchor to the group helping in both directions. Harris was able to do that at Washington and certainly had the leadership role you want to see.

Al-Khayyal noted this for Harris was a big positive in his scouting profile of the young player. He was a team captain, and when you talk to people around the program, they say he is one of the best leaders they have. I think it is sort of a combination of everything. I think he really does bring a lot to the team and for them as a program. He was a guy that played a lot, and he did it with his actions, but he also did it with his words.

This will be a strength for Harris if he is able to adapt to his new playbook as quickly as he did at Washington as a freshman. He has a great feel for stunts and twists up front from opposing defensive lineman, and he handled quick gap-shooting linebackers well on tape. He also did well with initial double-teams before climbing for second-level defenders. This ability to quickly adapt within any play is a huge positive for a young offensive lineman.

Harris also displayed an ability to handle speed rushers who threatened him laterally. He has the type of quick feet to handle A-gap rushing linebackers and safeties at the NFL level and he rarely struggled with this in his 2019 tape.

Functional Strength

For Harris, the lack of high-end size and strength shows up on film far more often than you'd like to see. His worst marks as a blocker came in gap schemes which call for the strength to move opposing interior defensive lineman through drive techniques. Harris showed a lack of desire to make heavy impact hits on these plays and often would stop his feet before contact.

He would also be thrown off his spot by defensive lineman who were much stronger at the point of contact. When this would happen Harris would then resort to grabbing and trying to fight to save the block. This issue resulted in holding penalties.

Another big play strength issue Harris struggled with was the ability to anchor in the bull rush. Many teams would use a shade alignment on him, and then occasionally he would deal with a head-up nose tackle who would try to drive to the quarterback right through Harris' torso. The base would get far too wide on him and he would be caught hopping backward trying to re-anchor.

You can see how Harris would have both feet leave the ground when trying to quickly regain his anchor (seen below, in front of the quarterback). He would do this hopping technique several times within a single rep if being moved off his spot by a bull rush.

This issue is something the Browns, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan, will have to attack and improve through increased functional strength and technique tweaks.

Harris was able to manage this issue at the college level, but when he faces the best of the best that inhabit the NFL, this issue could be one that defenses consistently attack and force him to deal with this weakness and his offensive line teammates to provide him with help.

Harris did improve his play strength from 2018 to 2019 and it showed on film in some situations. There is no doubt there was an improvement.

The question for his simply boils down to how often he can handle the one-on-one assignments and if he can improve his strength over the course of his NFL career. The 20 bench reps don't tell the whole story but they do tell us Harris is simply not as strong as they need him to be right away to contribute along the starting group.

Final Thoughts

The future for Harris lies solely at center. He doesn't have the necessary strength and length to play guard at the NFL level, and he needs time to come along in the system and strength program to be a positive contributor. If he is linked to the right guard battle and somehow won that job for 2020, I would be rather surprised.

This is not meant to knock Harris, though. He has some fantastic traits for the offense he will be arriving in and a path to eventually starting at center in his rookie contract is more than plausible. He has some traits you can't coach in the movement skills, and when you put those in the right offense, it can eventually work.

Harris is far from weak and his propensity to pick the right angle and technique serve him very well. He will be a favorite of Callahan and this offensive line during his time in Cleveland at some point and his shorter stature could end up being beneficial to Baker Mayfield's vision as well.

If Harris finds a way to keep adding strength to his frame, and works into handling those interior NFL defensive lineman, he can become a nice part of thee future in Cleveland. If he fails to improve his play strength and is inconsistent with his performance at the point-of-attack it will cut his NFL career short.

For now, he provides nice stability at the backup center role with experience to play guard if the Browns are in a crunch with injuries. The goal will be for Harris to improve and be ready to step into the role when J.C. Tretter's contract expires. An eye on the current, and future. Something this front office has done a nice job handling since their arrival.

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Film Room: How Nick Harris can fit the Browns offensive scheme - 247Sports

by Nick Pasculli | May 08, 2020

These have been a long six weeks. With all my employees working from home, it has certainly challenged my leadership skills. Now more than ever, I am so grateful I graduated from the California Agricultural Leadership Program (albeit 20 years ago) and the Cornell University Executive Leadership Program as I believe I gained important skills that I am relying on to guide my company and my team.

While sugar coating things is never very useful from a business perspective, the tone to strike during a crisis is one of optimism balanced with realism. It does not matter if you lead a small team of five or a large team of 500, we are all facing challenges that are unique to this crisis. With most of our state, country and world sheltering-in- place, this is a rare moment when the entire planet is having a collective shared experience.

Here are some ideas that you may find helpful in adjusting to a new normal as we find ourselves leading from our living rooms, kitchens or home offices.

At this moment in our collective history, blind optimism is irresponsible, as is heavy negativity. The tone to strike with our teams during the crisis is one of optimism balanced with realism. This situation we find ourselves in will greatly change strategies and plans to protect our people and business. It may be hard to see, but there will be silver linings in our present crisis. Perhaps we will see healthier policies, new societal values, new ways of working and a renewed emphasis on innovation. It is most important to be clear, direct and transparent with your team as they ask hard questions about the impact to the business. Remember the best leaders are often forged in fire.

I pray that we will come through this crisis stronger, more resilient and more innovative. I am also hopeful that we will emerge more compassionate and empathic. We can strive to engage with positive energy, lend a helping hand to others who may need it, and ensure that your leadership teams have the information they need to make wise decisions.

(Nick Pasculli is the president & CEO of TMD Creative)

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Industry Viewpoint: Leading from the living room - The Produce News

Oregon head football coach Mario Cristobal did a Livestream interview with school reporter Rob Moseley on May 7th, and during that interview, he spoke on the record for the first time about the addition of graduate transfer quarterback Anthony Brown.

Brown made an unofficial visit during one of Oregon's four spring practices during the middle of March and then committed to Oregon a few weeks later. Nearly two months later Cristobal explained why he added a graduate-quarterback to the roster for the 2020 season.

"It's my job first and foremost to make sure that we provide as much opportunity and experience at every position group, competition, to make sure that we are in a position and a situation that if we are in a certain situation that we can respond. I love the way the young guys are developing," said Cristobal.

The Ducks lost out on 11 spring football practices, including the team's spring game during March and April. Cristobal said those lost practice dates were going to be critical to the development of the quarterback room, as well as the rest of the program's other position groups. Prior to Brown's commitment, the Ducks had one sophomore and three freshmen on the roster for the 2020 football season, and no quarterback behind Shough had played a snap of college football.

Enter Brown, who has started over 20 games as a quarterback at a Power 5 school. Brown comes to Eugene with the intention of winning the starting job behind his three-years of starting experience at Boston College. Cristobal said his experience will be valuable for Oregon's other quarterbacks on the roster to observe and learn from.

"I love the fact that we are bringing in an experienced guy also in, in Anthony Brown," said Cristobal. "To bring some experience into that room, and to increase competition."

Cristobal endorsed Shough as the team's No. 1 quarterback leaving spring football."Without a doubt he entered spring as a starter, left spring as the starter, and we're going to always present him and the rest of the team with competition. I can't say enough of how pleased we are with his progression and approach to the game."

Cristobal also noted he wouldn't be doing his job as head coach if he wasn't trying to improve the program any way possible. Thus, he's adding Brown into the mix for the quarterback battle and to ramp up the competition.

"I don't think you can stress that enough, that you can't provide enough competition," said Cristobal. "I think that in this day and age, as it relates to all of us, coaches, players, you have got to make sure you do everything you can to keep everyone on edge of being the best they can be and this is another way to do it."

Read more:
Addition of QB Anthony Brown meant to increase competition - 247Sports

In this time of COVID-19 with many businesses sadly failing, residential real estate, though slowing down, is still moving. Case in point is this John Staub beauty in River Oaks that just closed for a generous $5.5 million.

And at that price, tearing it down to make way for a McMansion would be a fools errand. Interestingly, the house was previously on the market for $6.1 million. But when the price was dropped to $5.5 million, the house sold within days.

The beautiful, New Orleans-influenced dwelling was built in 1937 when Houstons premier architect was designing his signature graceful mansions for leading citizenry, not the least of whom was Ima Hogg whose Bayou Bend mansion became a house museum of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. One can see similarities between the two homes.

The house at 3015 Inwood is one of Staubs most graceful at 6,256 square feet with four/five bedrooms, four full and two half baths. A 1957 addition, also designed by Staub, contributed to the modern day appeal.

The dwelling is replete with handsome architectural detailing including four marble fireplaces, a Jacobean walnut paneled library, a bright sun room, an octagonal dinning room and full quarters over the garage.

The one-acre lot shrouded in oaks and laced with azaleas includes a large swimming pool and pool house that echoes the architecture of the main dwelling.

In short, the house represents a gracious style of living that was celebrated in the 1930s through the 60s after which Staub and his cohorts in Houstons grand residential architecture William Ward Watkin and Birdsall Briscoe had passed on.

In recent decades, a number the grand old mansions designed by this trio have been, with little or no consideration to the past, torn down to make way for contemporary dwellings.

When this sale was completed, the home was listed with Nan & Company Properties, Christies International Real Estate.

Click thru the photo gallery below for a look inside this Staub stunner:

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Historic River Oaks Mansion That Dates Back to 1937 Sells at a Price That Should Forbid a Teardown - PaperCity Magazine

Theres no place like home. Thats never been truer than it is today, with most of us spending the lions share of our time there.

But what makes a home feel comfortable and comforting? What makes it function smoothly and efficiently? Which features attract the eye and lift the spirit?

The answers are as varied as the people who seek to create their ideal home. For one young urban couple, it was remodeling their single-bedroom warehouse loft to make room for a baby. For an architect and his wife, it was creating a new modern home designed to make the most of lakeshore living on an island, while designing for aging in place and sustainability.

These homes and more are among this years Home of the Month selected projects. Twelve designs by AIA Minnesota (American Institute of Architects) professionals were chosen from 38 submissions.

Starting in June, youll get an inside look at these dozen homes on the first Sunday of every month in the Homes section and at startribune.com. Youll hear from the homeowners and architects involved, and see plenty of photos to inspire your own building or remodeling plans.

Here's a preview of the next 12 homes:

1. Waterfront Stone and Glass

Design team: Leffert Tigelaar, Charlie Witzke and Tyler Nelson, TEA2 Architects

On a northern Minnesota lake, a new home blends modern and traditional elements to create a tranquil retreat with multiple outdoor rooms, including an entry courtyard. An open bridge separates sleeping areas for adults and children.

2. Warehouse Loft Remodeling

Design team: Todd Hansen, Jenny Seim and Katie Loecken, Albertsson Hansen Architecture

A young couple expecting a baby remodeled their single-bedroom loft-style condo to create a nursery, an improved kitchen and better flow throughout. Unused space under the staircase now contains wine storage, pantry pullouts and a built-in dog kennel.

3. Box Camp

Design team: David OBrien Wagner, Caitlin Dippo and Katie Leaf, SALA Architects

In the North Woods of Wisconsin, a low-slung new lake home is modern, while evoking a camp-like arrangement of gathering and sleeping spaces. The heart of the camp is a central gathering box with a fireplace, tall ceilings and windows facing the lake.

4. Nenookaasi

Design team: Meghan Kell Cornell, Dan Wallace and Kelly Kraemer, Kell Architects

Set on a sliver of peninsula on a lake in Crow Wing County, a new family getaway home blends with its wooded surroundings while creating spaces for extended family members to enjoy. Theres a great room with a hearth and reading nooks, a main-level owners suite and lower-level spaces for grown children and future grandchildren to sleep and play.

5. Deephaven Up/Down

Design team: Todd Hansen and Amanda Chial, Albertsson Hansen Architecture

A split-level rambler in suburbia was completely reconfigured to meet the needs of an active family, including an updated kitchen, a new mudroom and a rear addition that creates a seamless transition to the patio and captures views of a hidden pond.

6. Jewel Box Cabin

Design team: Sara Imhoff, Imprint Architecture and Design

A small 900 square feet two-story cabin was designed to be efficient and environmentally friendly, with minimal impact on its lakeside site in northern Minnesota.

7. Caliente

Design team: Christopher Strom and Theodore Grothe, Christopher Strom Architects

A growing young family living in a modest Minneapolis bungalow expanded their living space with an accessory dwelling unit in their backyard that serves as both a home office and a space for movie or game nights.

8. Shady Island Summer Home

Design team: Charles Stinson, Chuck Thiss and Kim Streeter, Charles R. Stinson Architecture + Design

An architects Lake Minnetonka home was designed for four-season family living, aging in place and sustainability. The modern home is connected to the outdoors by its west-facing sunroom and triple-pane windows overlooking the lake.

9. Norfolk Scandi

Design team: Kari Nelson, K|Nelson Architects

After living in Denmark for several years, a family returned to their St. Paul rambler. The family had doubled in size and needed more space, so they re-created the rambler as a two-story home, incorporating the Danish modern aesthetic they had come to appreciate.

10. Mahtomedi Modern

Design team: Mark Stankey and Matthew Byers, PLAAD

A new modern family oasis on White Bear Lake was designed to facilitate indoor/outdoor living. The home has a quiet one-level presence on the street side, opening up to a walkout with sweeping views of the lake.

11. Edmund Residence

Design team: Lars Peterssen and Andrew Edwins, Peterssen/Keller Architecture

Set on a narrow, deep city lot, a new modern home creates a strong indoor-outdoor connection, maximizing river views. The homes design includes space for the owners to spend time with grown children and grandchildren, and features a craft room that can be converted into a main-floor master suite in the future.

12. Modest Mid-Century Remodeling

Design team: Christine Albertsson, Michael Burgoyne and Abigail Merlis, Albertsson Hansen Architecture

A 1960s suburban two-story home with small disconnected rooms was opened up to create an appealing modern home, without expanding the footprint. The formal dining room was repurposed to create space for a mudroom and pantry, improving livability.

Original post:
First peek at upcoming Home of the Month projects - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Note: The Kentucky Standard is making all of its COVID-19 coverage and its impact on our community free on our website. The news operation is largely funded by reader subscriptions. To support local news about your community, please considerbecoming a subscriber.

These days, many concepts and methods long taken for granted are being redefined, and one of the chief ones among them is the phrase business as usual.

Its different, said Chris Simpson, a manager at Joe Hills Powersports & Equipment. The business traffic hasnt changed much, but the way it and most all other businesses conduct daily activities has been altered.

Weve got our sneeze guards up, he said, as well as markers posted in the showroom to encourage social distancing. It takes a lot of time to clean things every day. Its a pain in the butt.

But to observe federal, state and local guidelines to keep the business open, its a necessity.

Businesses deemed essential have been able to remain open during the pandemic, and more will be phased back in over the course of the next few weeks as owners and operators are asked to implement methods designed to keep employees and customers safe and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Car dealerships have kept their parts and service departments open, but on Monday, showrooms can reopen as well, in addition to other businesses such as construction firms and office-based businesses.

Adam Roll, manager at Franklin Family Chevrolet, said it has led to a number of changes in how they do things at the dealership. In the parts and service department, theyve set up tape and tables at the check-in counters to give employees and customers a buffer zone, and theyre limiting how many people can be in the waiting room at one time. On Friday, Jeff Perkins, coordinator of the parts and service department, could be found sanitizing chairs in the waiting room. The same will go on in the showroom when it opens back up.

If you want to adapt to it, adjust to it, it will work, Roll said. He said despite the showroom being closed, the dealership still sold nearly 100 vehicles last month. Thats down some from their usual numbers, but online sales have helped, and if someone wants to test-drive a vehicle, Franklin has taken steps to make that process as contactless as possible, with customers arranging times and dropoff points so it can be done without an employee in the vehicle with them.

Susan Elmore, owner of Buzick Home Center, opened her doors again last Monday after having the sales floor closed and curbside pickup only during the weeks prior to that. There are signs posted at the door requiring all customers to wear masks while inside, and her employees have to wear masks while on the job. Its not mandated until Monday, but she decided to get a jump-start on it.

Were doing this for (the safety of) the employees and the customers, Elmore said, in addition to constructing plexiglass windows at checkout counters.

She said there has been some pushback from customers who dont want to wear masks while in the store Youre always going to have that but most people have been nice about it.

If you dont have one, we can give you one, Elmore said, and if the customer doesnt want to play by the rules laid out by the state, curbside pickup is always available.

Many professional services such as law offices and accountants have been able to remain open, but by appointment only in most cases.

Jason Floyd, an attorney at Fulton, Hubbard & Hubbard, said that while courthouses are closed to the public, some matters cant wait, such as custody disputes, child support and other family court matters. But in many other cases, people are waiting to seek out legal services until after things somewhat get back to normal. Some potential clients are out of work or operating on reduced income, making hiring a lawyer cost-prohibitive. Much of the rest of the time is spent working on wills and estates, and doing as much prep work as possible, he said. That, and trying to keep the calendar straight for when the courthouse does reopen the beginning of June.

Its exciting times in the court system, he chuckled, noting that district court Judge Jack Kelley will have his work cut out for him with an overstuffed docket when court reopens. Floyd said they had their first motion day via Skype last week, which was new, and they are electronically filing documents with the clerks office, or using drop-boxes for hard copies of documents.

Hair salons and other personal grooming businesses are scheduled to reopen May 25, but customers will be required to wait outside until time for their appointments, and they will be required to wear masks while inside. Workers will have to wear masks and gloves as well, which will slow down the process for hairstylists such as Rachel Vittitow Cissell, owner of Hair Studio in Bardstown.

Its definitely gonna be out of our norm, and probably aggravating at times, but at this point Im just ready to go back to work! she said.

When that does happen, she and other hairstylists figure to be very busy, with many people by that point not having had a cut in two months, and the first week back will feature rescheduled appointments that had to be canceled when the shutdown started.

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Nelson ready to reopen | KYStandard.com - KYStandard.com

The following message was sent to faculty and professional staff on Friday, May 8.

Dear Colleagues,

As the University has taken unprecedented measures over the past several weeks to continue its mission of teaching, research and service while ensuring the health and safety of everyone in the Drexel community, I know that you have been anxious about the financial impact on Drexel of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, I want to share my assessment of where we stand, the hurdles and uncertainties that remain, and the plans we are formulating to keep the University on strong financial footing.

First, I want to reiterate how proud and grateful I am for Drexels faculty and professional staff, who have met the challenges of the past two months with remarkable skill, dedication and resilience. Each week, we see the impressive results: more than 3,200 courses and lab sessions being held remotely, core University functions fully operational while most employees work from home, and our facultys powerful research directed toward protecting vulnerable populations from COVID-19 and helping alleviate suffering for those impacted by this disease. Of course, we are also grateful to the health care workers on our faculty and professional staff, who have been serving at the front lines of care for COVID-19 patients and other patients at this critical time.

Even so, this pandemic has taught us the hard lesson that no individual, no sector of the economy, and no organization will emerge unscathed. For higher education, quite broadly, and for Drexel, in particular, the financial impact of COVID-19 has been immediate and sweeping, and we expect it to be compounded by what could be a longer-term downturn in the global economy. We must work together to strengthen Drexels financial capacity in the face of these daunting economic conditions.

Although the near-term financial outlook is very serious, and we will need to enact painful cost-reduction measures, I want to assure you that these steps are necessary to secure Drexels future. We entered this pandemic in good financial health, and I am confident that we will come out of this period even stronger and more resilient, just as we have done upon navigating other crises, such as the abrupt closure of Hahnemann University Hospital last summer.

Now that the May 1 deposit deadline for newly admitted students has passed and we have an initial understanding of fall undergraduate enrollment, the Universitys financial outlook is coming into focus, although much uncertainty remains. Taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on this fiscal year (19-20) and next (20-21), the University needs to reduce its expenses by $90 million, which includes a 25 percent contingency factor. The budget gap is due to a range of causes, most of them traceable to the pandemic.

Much of the shortfall stems directly and indirectly from COVID-related costs, particularly the unexpected expenditures needed to close down the campus in March and ramp up remote learning. This includes the loss of expected revenues from room and board for the spring term, which is approximately $11 million; loss of income from cancelled summer camps, programs and conferences; and disruption to other campus operations. In addition, revenue from room and board for fiscal year 20-21 could be reduced by half from current levels, as more students may choose to live at home.

Of greatest concern going forward are both the significant drop in enrollment expected for the first-year incoming class, and also lagging enrollment in graduate programs. We anticipate having approximately 600 fewer students in the incoming first-year class in September. That decrease mirrors national trends, where one out of every six high school graduates say they may postpone college. For a tuition-driven institution like Drexel, the impact of a smaller first-year class is particularly acute.

Graduate education revenue lags by over $8 million for this fiscal year. Now, new enrollment is trailing projections and undoubtedly will be limited by the fact that international students may face continued travel restrictions.

Faced with an uncertain higher education landscape, we have built a significant contingency factor into the budget, understanding that the situation remains volatile and these projections may change.

We have weathered challenging times before, and we will weather this one, however unprecedented it might be. But it will require some decisive and difficult actions. Before I outline the specific steps we are taking, I want to set out the principles by which we move ahead to bring expenses in line with revenues and build for Drexels future.

Our plan for Drexel University, which includes both personnel and program measures, is as follows. These plans are being developed and will be implemented in close collaboration with all academic and administrative unit leaders, as well as the Academy of Natural Sciences. Details on many aspects of these measures are being developed and will be subsequently communicated to the Drexel community.

Non-personnel Savings Through Operating Budget Reductions

As always, we will prioritize non-personnel savings whenever possible to limit the effects on our people. However, the majority of our costs are tied to personnel. We have already suspended the P-Card program, which has resulted in the reduction of nonessential spending by $5 million during the pandemic, as well as reduced our requisition activity by approximately $6 million. We will continue to look for savings of this kind. Other expense reductions in this category will include renegotiating contracts, reviewing leases, eliminating travel, and reducing spending on supplies, dues, memberships, printing and mailing.All units will be asked to examine their operations and identify opportunities for savings and efficiencies.

Personnel-Related Savings to Balance the Budget

The following steps are being taken:

Additional Budget Reduction Options Under Review

CARES Act Relief

In addition, we will utilize more than $6.5 million in federal CARES Act funding allocated for necessary University expenses (the remainder of University CARES Act funds are allocated toward student relief).

Delaying Capital Projects to Increase Liquidity

Non-essential, University-funded capital projects that have not already begun have been put on hold and will continue to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Delaying capital projects does not help balance the operating budget, but it does help with cash flow. Projects being funded through our external partnerships (Drexel Academic Tower, Powel Elementary/Science Leadership Academy, Schuylkill Yards, College of Medicine at West Reading) are proceeding now that government restrictions have been eased.

These steps will represent the first part of a phased approach to addressing this challenge. In the second phase, beginning this month, we will develop revised budget plans for the University and every college, school and administrative unit. In the third phase, beginning this fall, we will assess and adjust as needed. The COVID-19 crisis has introduced many uncertainties over the coming months and years to an already uncertain higher education landscape. We will need to be prepared for further action, depending on how scenarios play out, in public health, in our sector, and in our University.

At the same time as we implement immediate measures to secure Drexels financial position, we will focus on a long-term strategy to strengthen the Universitys competitive position. A number of the steps being taken now are temporary solutions, while we continue to explore ways to reduce structural costs and operate more efficiently in the years to come. And although our current focus is addressing and resolving this situation, we are also thinking about the long-term by moving ahead in developing a new strategic plan to guide Drexel over the next decade.

Most importantly, we will stabilize and eventually grow enrollment with a range of initiatives, including:

These are extraordinary times, and the challenges we face as a University are just as unprecedented. But Drexel has faced adversity many times in the past and overcome every obstacle to achieve success. We have been battle-tested again and again, in recent years successfully working through budget disruptions related to transforming our enrollment strategy and the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital. We have worked together to find ways to adapt with incredible flexibility then and will do so again.

When this pandemic hit, we pivoted in countless ways. Public Safety and Student Life saw to it that our students reached home safely. Faculty and professional staff quickly moved us toward becoming a hybrid university. The Office of Research and Innovation kept scientific inquiry thriving. The SteinbrightCareer Development Center helped to ensure that 78 percent of students on co-ops this spring and summer are working remotely or will have a delayed start. Around the University, students, faculty and professional staff are working collaboratively, changing the way Drexel works for the better. Our community members have already shown each other and me that we are prepared to step up and that we will emerge from this historic moment stronger.

Our 129-year history of scholarship, innovation and service to community should give us great confidence in what we can achieve when we work together.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. And thank you for all that you are doing to sustain and advance our University. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and each other.

Sincerely,

John FryPresident

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Drexel's Response to the Financial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic - DrexelNow - Drexel Now

Weeks into one of the greatest crises the nation has faced in generations, we are all learning much about the importance of the resilience of our nations utilities.The work of countless control room operators, line workers and power plant engineers, to name just a few, has been heroic during the COVID-19 pandemic.Energy keeps our health care facilities powered and enables telework for other sectors of the economy.Reliable energy delivery is foundational to modern society.

Those that oversee our energy companies are also meeting the moment.From the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the reliability of the bulk power system, to state public utility commissions, which have responsibility for the direct interface between utilities and their customers, regulators are finding themselves in a critical position.

In the succeeding months, these critical infrastructure companies must have the wherewithal to keep the lights on and energy flowing to hospitals, homes and stores.For the near term, close to half the states have required, and all investor-owned utilities have voluntarily offered, a halt to utility disconnections.In addition, state utility commissions around the country have begun proceedings to proactively address questions related to recovering costs associated with the crisis, including how to account for things such as higher bad debt expense due to customers inability to pay for energy.

In the longer term, we should expect a renewed focus on regulatory mechanisms to ensure the viability of an essential industry that has high fixed costs but falling volumetric usage, as industrial and commercial demand plummets.These reforms will be important to both mitigating the effects of this crisis and positioning utilities to successfully meet the next one.

The good news is that well-understood regulatory tools exist to address these challenges.The key for regulators will be to consider both sides of the ledger.They will need to ensure compassionate policies exist to protect customers hurting financially, while seeing to the continued viability of companies that are delivering electricity and natural gas where and when it is needed the most.

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During the pandemic, don't adopt policies that make it harder to keep the lights on - Roll Call

A season ago, the Baltimore Ravens rushed into the record books.

Led by NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson's fleet feet along with the straight-ahead surge of tailback Mark Ingram, the Ravens collected an NFL-record 3,296 yards on the ground.

And they just added J.K. Dobbins, an Ohio State product fresh off a 2,000-yard season with the Buckeyes who they scooped up in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Looking anything but concerned about Baltimore adding another stud to the stable, Ingram -- along with his ever-present grin -- told NFL Network's Colleen Wolfe on Thursday's NFL Schedule Release '20 that he's excited about what Dobbins will add and their shared aspirations.

"I like his mindset, I like his attitude, I like the way he run the ball. Just bring him and his talents to our room that's already special; our backfield is gonna be the best in the league for sure," Ingram said Thursday. "We're all looking forward to it, being playmakers for the team and help us win the championship."

Despite the Ravens running roughshod en route to an AFC North crown and top seed in the AFC bracket of the playoffs, Baltimore was upset by the Titans and their one-man gang known as Derrick Henry.

The objective of winning a Super Bowl most certainly remains, and that was the message from Ingram when he first heard from Dobbins.

"He reached out to me," Ingram said. "Right after he got drafted, just shot me his number, said he was looking forward to getting to work. I told him let's go get a ring."

The Ravens' running game saw Ingram and Jackson become just the second RB-QB tandem to topple the 1,000-yard mark in the same season last year (only Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick had done it previously). It didn't stop there, though, as Gus Edwards eclipsed 700 yards and Justice Hill flashed promise.

As acclaimed and talented as the Ravens backfield is, it's also crowded. Still, Ingram is excited about Dobbins' prospects and hasn't shown any reason not to be excited about what he can still do.

The 30-year-old Ingram, who will turn 31 during the season, ran for 1,018 yards in 2019, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career, all of them coming over the past four campaigns. He doesn't appear to be slowing down. And, with the addition of Dobbins, the Ravens don't appear to be either.

"I like the young bull," Ingram said. "I've been following his game, for a while. I like the way he totes the rock for sure."

Excerpt from:
Ingram: With Dobbins, backfield will be best in NFL - NFL.com