Water represents the lifeblood of many industries, but especially agriculture. Agricultural success is highly dependent on irrigation that covers approximately 9.6 million acres with roughly 34 million acre-feet of water during an average year. In years of droughts, the agricultural industry is severely impacted, and so growers worldwide are taking necessary steps toward innovations and technology to maximize the water they have and sustain agriculture.

For the U.S., the question is, will innovation happen fast enough to sustain growers through seasons with the greatest droughts, while still meeting the most stringent regulatory restrictions?

The pressure to find innovative ways to maximize available water is especially acute in California since the agriculture industry accounts for almost 80% of all the water used in the state. For example, the California drought that occurred from 2014 to 2016 resulted in statewide economic losses of approximately $3.8 billion. So, if droughts have highlighted anything, it is the importance of embracing new technologies that help to optimize water management and mitigate the risks of any future disasters.

We spoke with Jared Hutchings, agronomist and consultant for Sentry Ag Services, LLC, who has a keen understanding of the water issues specific to California. Born and raised around agronomy, he is passionate about how to optimize the use of water in farming, delivering the best possible value at the highest efficiency.

The California drought opened the eyes of many people, forcing them to ask the hard questions on whether they are doing everything they can to be more water efficient. We are entering a period where being water deficient will be a reality. Attention must therefore focus on how to manage it right, he said.

Of course, complicating matters is that there is no universal solution to the problem. Every farm is different, and depending on their means and motivation, some farmers are more progressive than others. The drought has pushed even the most conservative farmers to look at ways to innovate further. Today, there is an increased awareness of water use and how implementing something as straightforward as flow meters on wells will make a massive difference, said Hutchings. He believes that introducing flow meters are the primary and most effective way of bringing awareness into how much water farmers are and should use. Additionally, Jared noted that soil surfactants have always played an important role in reducing crop physiological stresses, and will now be even more in the spotlight.

More farmers will start experimenting with this type of technology to improve their water efficiency, says Hutchings. The first to use soil surfactants have been farmers with high value crops. They have more flexibility with their sprinkler systems and typically have more money to experiment. These farmers can water to the exact specifications of what their crop requires and are not reliant on a more typical flood system.

The introduction of Californias Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will also help water efficiency, but at the same time apply pressure to many small growers without the means or know-how to adapt to these restrictions. Even though it was enacted in 2014, the learning process has only really started kicking in now with growers trying to figure out how to best implement changes to meet the requirements. To this end, the state is already one year into a five-year information gathering exercise about water usage. Once completed, regulation will then be enforced, with growers getting an allocation of how much water they can pump out of the ground.

Hutchings explains, While [growers] provided some input on the legislation, they could have been more aggressive in doing so. Unfortunately, getting [growers] to agree on anything is extremely hard as historically everybody does things their way. The industry predicts that 30% of farmable acres will be taken out when SGMA is fully implemented, which will have a significant impact.

According to Hutchings, those farmers not in irrigation districts with two sources of water will be in trouble and potentially need to shut down full farming operations. In general, the closer to the mountains you are, the better off you will be. The further west your farm is, the more you should be concerned. When the regulation combines with a lack of education from the non-agronomic community who does not understand the issues well enough, the situation can become dire. So many livelihoods are impacted by water and the public [does] not fully appreciate it. Some people do not see the value of farmers, believing produce just magically appears in stores.

Growers need water. The reality is that they will need to focus on achieving efficiency in water usage for the rest of their careers. Those who embrace technological innovation and harness it now will be able to sustain their passion for farming.

Tom Wood is GM of Belchim Crop Protection USA. He can be reached at [emailprotected] See all author stories here.

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Rock and a Hard Place: Constrained U.S. Growers See Future in Water Innovation - Agribusiness Global

Melinda Hill| Wayne County Extension

Wayne County Fall is really a beautiful time of year, the warm glowing colors, the crisp mornings and in our case, baby calves to watch run and jump in the fields.

Its been a long time for me since science class so I found the following information a great reminder when it showed up in my email this week. Why do leaves fall? If they stayed on the tree it wouldnt be good for the tree.

When cold weather comes, the cells in the leaves would rupture, making them useless for photosynthesis, in which light energy is converted to chemical energy and keeps them alive. If the leaves didnt fall, they would increase the stress on the trees limbs when snows come, causing many of the limbs to break.

So we get the color in the leaves as the weather begins to cool and the chlorophyll production stops, revealing the reds and yellows that have been there all along. Then we get to enjoy the colors as we travel with the realization that next spring we will see the blossoms and leaves begin the cycle once again.

While I love the colors of the season, the falling of the leaves prompts me to think about the clean up around the home that needs to be done. Heres a few items that might need to have attention if you are a homeowner this fall.

Have your furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company. The guidance is every year for an oil furnace and every other year for gas furnace. Change the filter before turning on the heat, order new ones if needed so you have a supply to change according to your owners guide. Make sure all vents/registers, in the home are clear and clean. Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.

If you have a chimney, with a working fireplace or woodstove, its also time to have it cleaned and inspected for safety.

Cleaning out the gutters is essential after the leaves come down so the weight doesnt cause damage to them through the winter snows.

Check the downspouts and splash blocks, water should flow freely away from the home, no ponding or erosion around the foundation.

Check the smoke alarm and carbon-monoxide detector and replace batteries

Weatherize with caulking, weather stripping, or sealing around windows, doors, etc.

Remove screens, and if they need cleaning or repairing do it now so they will be ready in the spring.

Check your sump pump and make sure its in working condition

Take a walk around the house and make sure siding is in good condition, caulk or repair as needed.

Unhook water hoses from outside faucets and drain sprinkler systems. Wrap pipes with heat tape if pipes are exposed to winter weather.

Vacuum radiator grills on refrigerators and freezers for them to work efficiently.

Check basement drains or outside entrance to be free from debris.

Clean and put away patio furniture and grills

Seal decks or other wooden structures, inspect for damage or rot to repair

Check exterior lights and replace as needed.

Your home is an investment and taking care of the little things will help to prevent the big expenses in the future. Take a walk and do an inspection with a list to follow up on, you will be happy you did in the long run.

If owning a home has been a goal for you and your family I would like to let you know that we will be having a series of classes beginning in November (10, 17, 24 and Dec 1) at 5:30 p.m.to share information on becoming a home owner. If you would like to know more details, contact the office at 330-264-8722 or my email at hill.14@osu.edu.

Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722.

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There is a science to why leaves fall in the fall - Wooster Daily Record

Honoring Columbus Day and American tradition

By Ray Hanania

Monday is "Columbus Day," although given the wave of reverse racism and anti-mainstream hatred sweeping America these days, you would not have known.

The protestors assert Columbus was a racist foreign colonial settler, and that America was already discovered. Therefore Columbus should not be honored with the thousands of statues that have been erected in his honor since the United States was founded in the mid-18th Century.

None of the mainstream news media, the TV news broadcasts, the Left or even the City of Chicago acknowledged Columbus Day. I'm not surprised about Chicago which is turning into a real-life version of the 1981 Hollywood movie "Escape from New York" Chicago has become a self-imposed maximum "insecurity" prison for law-abiding citizens imprisoned by growing lawlessness, looting and street gang violence that neither Mayor Lori Lightfoot or the Black Lives Matter protestors care to stop.

Bashing Columbus is just the frontline of this new wave of racist hatred spreading across America that is directed against anyone who is "mainstream," or not a flaming leftwing reverse racist, the country's new movement of intolerance that has disguised itself as seeking "diversity" and "justice."

They anti-Columbus haters hide behind racist slogans like "White silence is violence" and "No justice, no peace."

It's not justice when you claim you have been left out of a system an exaggeration by the way and then you respond by excluding and marginalizing those you disagree with. The voices of the protestors have been almost inaudible in denouncing the looters and violence that has accompanied their protests and the tearing down of the statues.

The protestors are also demanding the removal of statues of George Washington, America's first president and not because he told a lie when he was young. Henry Lee, the father of General Robert E. Lee and the author of the resolution honoring Washington after his death, declared Washington was, "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Not anymore, clearly. Protestors are tearing down both Columbus statues and Washington statues and they are doing it illegally without going through the Democratic process they claim they support but in reality do not.

For me, this year, it isn't just Columbus Day. It is Columbus Week. The hypocrisy of the anti-Columbus Day and anti-Washington protesters is glaring.

They dislike Columbus because they claim America was already "discovered." Yes, by a nation of Native Americans, who by the way violently and brutally wiped out and even enslaved the people who were here before them.

They complain Washington was a "slave holder." According to the protestors, only White Americans had slaves but that's not true, either. Many of the slaves brought to America from Africa were sold to European slavers by African tribes and profiteers. Yes, African tribes and powers enslaved people, too.

In fact, I would argue there has been slavery and racism in every society, not just here in America.

I sympathize with the Native Americans who suffered at the hands of our government from the time the Spaniards arrived until slavery was abolished by a White man named Abraham Lincoln. They have been abused and mistreated.

America also fought a war in part to end slavery. And 100 years later, African Americans were given equal rights and benefits to assist them to evolve in society along with everyone else. Yet, Lincoln's statue was toppled, too.

To me, Columbus is an icon. His discovery of America for the Europeans was a major event. History is replete with people who are brutalized and subjugated. It happens all the time. But some political opportunists seem to pick and choose who to champion and who to demonize. I think the picking and choosing less to do with justice and morality, and more to do with selfish politics.

I don't hear the protestors speaking about their history of violence, how their side coddled and embraced violence against the people who were here before them. Most of the Native Americans migrated to the Americas from Asia, wiping out people who were in their way.

I will continue to celebrate Columbus Day, which is held on Oct. 12, the day the Columbus arrived in the Americas, and was later designated as a national holiday celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October.

If we really want to honor the first people who lived in America, celebrating "Indigenous Day" is as much a lie as celebrating Columbus Day.

Maybe we should erect a statue of the Neanderthals, because they were here even before the Native Americas and were wiped out without any sympathy at all.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2129042-first-americans-may-have-been-neanderthals-130000-years-ago/

ORLAND PARK'S PETTY PEKAU

A couple of readers sent me the audio they received of an anonymous robocall that criticizes Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau's turbulent and unproductive first term in office.

The robocall was stupid, although it included many facts. The voice was obviously computer-generated. No one claimed credit for it. Clearly if someone wanted to undermine and raise concerns about Pekau's tyrannical rule, the robocall doesn't even come close.

Pekau has called these anonymous robocalls "vicious" and a part of a political campaign to challenge his fairy tale myth that he has been a good mayor. He hasn't been a good mayor at all.

I hope the Justice Department investigates these anonymous robocalls and determines who is doing them because they are illegal. They are far from wrong but Pekau has cited them as evidence of how he has been unfairly criticized.

That's the real tragedy because Pekau has been more vicious and has made more personal attacks against others than the robocalls have made about him.

Pekau has attacked pretty much every person who holds public office who has ever disagreed with him.

He rules the village like a Soviet Era tyrant, something anyone can see by watching the board meeting broadcasts online. Pekau constantly bullies elected officials on the board who try to challenge his ruthless and wrong policies, like Dan Calandriello and Jim Dodge. And, he bullies them and others in his weekly eNewsletters, twisting and distorting facts to make himself look like he is the victim when he is not.

In 45 years of covering politics and government, in my opinion, Pekau is the worst elected official. What makes him the worst public official is not based on the issues he says he supports. It's based on his clear hypocrisy. Like when Calandriello asked the board in April to explore ways to help local businesses suffering because of the Coronavirus. Instead of embracing the idea, Pekau attacked and bullied Calandriello, and called him a political grandstander. One month later, however, Pekau did exactly what Calandriello suggested, claiming to want to help the businesses in Orland Park. The real issue? Pekau wanted the credit for himself, not Calandriello. He can't stand anyone who outshines him, which is pretty easy to do.

Too little, too late, Mayor!

Pekau has attacked me repeatedly -- like when I do what he fails to do, provide Orland Park residents data on how many people have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Where is that information on the Village website, by the way? Anywhere?

The daily data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows COVID-19 infections continue to rise in erratic spikes. They rose 50 percent in July, maintained a threatening rate in August and spiked during the last few weeks of September.

Pekau says the infection rate in August was 9.6 a day and was "only" 9.1 in September. "Puh-lease," Mayor. You are so irresponsible. The daily infection numbers jumped high in the final week of September. It should be troubling for any responsible public leader. Nine Orland Park residents are infected EVERY DAY ... that should be troubling, not a political weapon in your ruthless arsenal of denial.

The steadily rising infection rate is troubling enough. The fact Pekau doesn't seem to care is worse.

(Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. He writes on mainstream issues for several Southwest regional newspapers and for the Patch each week. He also covers Middle East issues for the Arab News which has bureaus in Riyadh, Dubai, Japan, France, Pakistan, London, New York and Chicago. Reach him on his website at http://www.Hanania.com. And, he does government media consulting work.)

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Honoring Columbus Day and American tradition - Patch.com

The Listing of the Week is a two-story home with open-concept living space in the gated, English garden-style Edinburgh addition.

The 3,232-square-foot home at 3040 NW 160 has three bedrooms, three baths, two living areas, two dining areas and an attached two-car garage.

The main living area has a floor-to-ceiling fireplace flanked with built-in bookshelves, and a ceiling fan. The kitchen has eating space, an island and pantry. The master bedroom has a ceiling fan, walk-in closet and full bath with double vanities, shower and whirlpool tub. The oversize laundry room has a walk-in closet for seasonal storage.

Upstairs, a guest bedroom has a walk-in closet and shares a Jack-and-Jill bath with bonus space that could be media-hobby space or a fourth bedroom.

The home has a covered porch, covered patio, security system and underground sprinkler system. Annual homeowners association dues of $2,150 cover front yard and common area maintenance, and access to the neighborhood clubhouse, trails, ponds and swimming pool.

The home, built in 2003, is listed for $390,000 with Jordan Stephens, of 1st United Oklahoma Realtors. For more information, call 615-5623.

Nominations for Listing of the Week are welcome. With Listing of the Week in the subject line, email a link to the full MLS information sheet on a single-family home to rmize@oklahoman.com .

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The Oklahoman's Listing of the Week for Oct. 10, 2020 - Oklahoman.com

October 9, 2020 | 12:42pm

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Stephen Yang

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G.N. Miller

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Matthew McDermott

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J.C. Rice

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Christopher Sadowski

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Christopher Sadowski

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James Keivom

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G.N. Miller

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Matthew McDermott

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Christopher Sadowski

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Matthew McDermott

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Charles Wenzelberg

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Helayne Seidman

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William Farrington

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Stephen Yang

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Rashid Umar Abbasi

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Christopher Sadowski

Original post:
Autumn is in the air, COVID-19 cases in NYC continue to rise: The Post's week in photos - New York Post

Paul Sullivan, Special to the Advertiser Published 9:12 a.m. CT Oct. 9, 2020

Open house on Oct. 18; A Pebble Creek resident can walk to the post office, YMCA, nearby churches, several dining options, and accompany a student on their walk to elementary school.

A home located at 1676 Pebble Creek Drive in Prattville is for sale for $389,900. An open house will be held at the property on Oct. 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The stunning four bedroom and two and a half bath home includes more than 3,300 square feet of living space within two stories.(Photo: Contributed)

Pebble Creek Drive features patio and spacious family homes tucked off the north side of busy Cobbs Ford Road in east Prattville.

The property is in an ideal location.

A Pebble Creek resident can walk to the post office, YMCA, nearby churches, several dining options, and accompany a student on their walk to elementary school.

Pebble Creek is one light from popular Daniel Pratt Elementary School located off Shelia Boulevard.

Pebble Creek Drive is a short street with several cul-de-sacs, Realtor Lisa Lynn said. It is common to see families out walking and riding bikes.

Pebble Creek Drive also is just 15 minutes from Maxwell AFB as well as jobs in downtown Montgomery.

A large cluster of patio homes lines the east side of Pebble Creek Drive, as well as an adjoining cul-de-sac. The one-story designs offer smaller yards, less maintenance and driveways which serve the back of the homes.

The newer family homes across Greystone Way on the west side of Pebble Creek Drive also feature smaller yards than normally accompany such roomy homes.

A home located at 1676 Pebble Creek Drive is for sale for $389,900. An open house will be held at the property on Oct. 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Lynn said.

The stunning four bedroom and two and a half bath home includes more than 3,300 square feet of living space within two stories.

The home is beautifully landscaped and includes a two-car garage. The home was built in 2015.

The home is just like new, Lynn said. The kitchen features a gas range with a griddle, a huge eat-on bar, new dishwasher and walk-in pantry.

A separate dining room has attractive wood floors and pine ceilings, she said.

Double French doors open to the beautiful sunroom, Lynn said, adding that the laundry room includes a chute from the upstairs. The master bath has a huge walk-in, two-head shower.

A covered deck provides peaceful views and relaxing moments outside. A storage shed and sprinkler system add to the value of the property.

* Close to golf course, YMCA, churches

*Popular elementary school nearby

*Family, patio homes

* Newer construction

*Limited pass-through traffic

* At least five homes have been sold in the past year

* The homes were sold in a price range from about $275,000 to about $365,000

* At least one home is for sale

* The home is priced at $389,900

* Home for sale measures more than 3,300 square feet

*To view properties or to inquire about any future open house dates and times, contact Realtor Lisa Lynn at 334-657-9596.

Directions: From downtown Montgomery, travel north on Interstate 65. Take the first Prattville exit and take a left on to Cobbs Ford Road. Travel east on Cobbs Ford past Larry Puckett Chevrolet and take a right on to Greystone Way. Pebble Creek Drive will be on the left and right just past the post office.

Source: Realtor Lisa Lynn

Read or Share this story: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/10/09/life-within-walking-distance-pebble-creek/5925613002/

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Life within walking distance at Pebble Creek - Montgomery Advertiser

But the club has been closed since March due to the pandemic, and its not clear when the state will allow it to reopen, says owner Phil Rizzo. Though his landlord has given him a temporary reprieve from rent, which costs $23,000 a month, that wont continue forever.

Rizzo is devising a business planto reopen, pending approval and guidelines from the state. The cost of doing so will be significant $40,000 to $60,000 to start and theres no guarantee anyone will come. His worst fear is that he opens and has to close down again, as some movie theaters and restaurants have had to do this year. That would be a death blow.

Im nervous about the future, nervous about the comeback of Manhattan, Rizzo said on a recent Friday from his home in Pennsylvania. Its not like the business took a dive; the business is gone.

Rizzo is one of thousands of club owners pleading with Congress for a financial lifeline to help them to hold outuntil they can welcome music fans back whenever that is. A bipartisan group of senators hassponsored the Save Our Stages act, which would provide six months of financial support to venues. Rather than offering the reliefas a loan, which venues would need to repay, the bill would providegrants.

Yet bailing out strugglingbusinesses has been held up by gridlock. While the House of Representatives has passed a new coronavirus recovery act that includes provisions from Save Our Stages, itremains at odds with the Senate over the size of the bailout. The Senate has said its waiting on direction from the president, who is busy with hisre-election campaign and pushing for a new nominee to the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, President Trump said hewouldnt negotiate a recovery bill until after the election, though he later softened his stance.

Meanwhile,more owners are giving up altogether. Hundreds of establishmentshave already called it quits, and about 90% of independent venues say they will be forced to close without government intervention, according to AudreySchaefer, spokesperson for the National Independent Venues Association.

Havingto wait until after the election would bedevastating, Schaefer said. Businesses are folding every day as they wait.

And venues are taking on more and more debt. Theyve signed personal guarantees, Schaefer said. These music venues arent like coffee shops and restaurants that you see open and open. Once these are gone, they are gone.

Few industries have suffered more during the last year than live music, which was among the first sectors to close and will be among the last to reopen. Live music thrives on the very situations a large group of people, possibly drunk, packed together deemed least safe by doctors during the pandemic.

While outdoor activities like theme parks and sporting events are resuming in many states, major concert promoters have said they dont expect live music to pick up again until next spring or summer at the earliest. Major music acts wont tour until they can put together multiple shows in numerous states or countries. In the meantime, agencies, management companies, promoters, ticket sellers and venues have all had to fire staff or close up shop because of the pandemic.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc., the worlds largest concert promoter,has access to enough capital to ride it out. Artists can make money from their recordingsor brand deals.But independent music clubs have few alternatives. Like restaurants, they operate on smallprofit margins. They dont collect much of the ticket revenue from a concert, instead relying on selling alcohol and merchandise.

Yet while restaurants can deliver their food at home and offer outdoor seating, most music clubs cant replicate the live experience at home. Selling tickets to online livestreams isnt a sustainable business model for thousands of venues.

The streaming thing is very cool, Rizzo said, but if you are a live-music person, a stream just doesnt do it.

Venues, promoters and artists have tried to come up with alternatives. Some are staging socially distanced shows. Others are giving up on music altogether at least for now and converting to a bar and restaurant.

But these options arentpossible for manyvenues, said Farid Nouri, the owner of the Eighteenth Street Loungein Washington. The spacehasno kitchen, and he cant rely on alcohol alone to fill a 10,000-square-foot venue with a capacity of 499 people.

Nouri opened the club in his adopted home city 25 years ago to promote electronic music at a time whenfew venues offeredit. Nouri DJs in his spare time, and has programmed a wide range of music at his club, including jazz, reggae and salsa.

But after a few months of waiting for the chance to reopen, Nouri realized he might not be able to do so anytime soon. Most clubs cant open fully until a vaccine is available, so Nouri decided to close the club for good.

My landlord was breathing down my neck for full rent.I had IOUs from vendors and staff waiting to get paid, he said. I didnt see any kind of revenue for I dont know how long.

Rob Mercurio is hoping to avoid a similar fate. Mercurio is the bassist in Galactic, a jam band,and the co-owner of Tipitinas, one of New Orleanss most famous clubs. He and his bandmates bought the club in 2018 after years of performing as its house band. Their group had formed in New Orleans, and they were upset seeingthe place sufferfrom years of neglect under previous ownership.The bandtook a small-business loan to make a number of investments.

The venue was eking out a profit before the pandemic, but now Mercurio is at the mercy of banks.

Werereaching the end of our rope, Mercurio said. The venue, which holds 800 people, is too large to function as just a bar. The bankhas allowed Mercurio and his partners to defer payments that have helped him keep his full-time staff, which includes a general manager and a talent buyer.But the money they received as part of the Paycheck Protection Program an earlier federal relief effort has been depleted.Real costs are about to hit, he said.

Business at the Bitter End was slowing down before the coronavirus due to the emergence of an entertainment scene in Brooklyn, said Rizzo, who started working at the clubin 1991 after bartending down the block. He became a manager at the Bitter Endand acquired a small stakein 1993. A few years ago, the clubs majority owner, Paul Colby, sold his stake to Rizzo.

The Bitter End has been luckier than most because of its history. Rizzo has raised close to $100,000 from two campaigns on GoFundMe. The first $12,000 was for his staff, which he had to let go, and the second campaign, which has raisedmore than$85,000, is for reopening costs.

But all of that money will go to paying insurance, maintain a sprinkler system and restocking liquor. The club relies on young college students, working professionals and tourists visiting New York. Its not clear when people will return to the office en masse, or how long it will take for travel to pick up again. For now, a lot of smaller clubs will need money from the federal government to get back open and stay open.

Even 9/11 we jump-started everything pretty quick, Rizzo said. But this time I dont know if the public will be ready and willing to come back fully.

Read more:
The Bitter End and other concert venues say they won't survive without a bailout - Crain's New York Business

CONNECTICUT - Residents are going through a period of extraordinarily high water high usage, and there is a significant lack of rain in the forecast. The State Department of Public Health said Wednesday that things are about to get ugly, especially in southwest Fairfield County.

On Monday, the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup announced a Stage 3 drought for Hartford, Tolland, Windham, and New London counties. A Stage 3 drought is an "emerging drought event potentially impacting water supplies, agriculture, or natural ecosystems."

Now, a couple of days later, DPH is calling out residents of lower Fairfield County specifically those living in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, and Westport to reduce their water usage by 20 percent due to drought conditions as well.

Fairfield county as well as the entire state of Connecticut was placed on a Stage 1 drought declaration in June. While Fairfield County remains in Stage 1 drought, water conservation measures are critical to reduce usage of the drinking water supplies that supply the southwest portion of the state.

"Connecticut has been in a drought for some time, and every resident especially those in lower Fairfield County can do their part to reduce demand on some of the public water systems and conserve this vital resource," said acting DPH Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford. "We are experiencing a combination of dry weather, lower than normal precipitation this summer, and likely because of that higher than normal demand for water due to outdoor water use."

Taking simple actions to reduce demand on the public water supply in the region could help stabilize the reservoirs that feed into the regional water system, according to a news release from the DPH. Regional water supplier Aquarion is asking customers to reduce nonessential water usage by 20 percent in addition to its mandatory, twice-weekly irrigation schedule.

The DPH has put forth the following guidelines it says could help in preventing a third drought trigger being hit, and further watering restrictions from being enacted:

Read this article:
CTs Gone Bone Dry: Heres What You Can Do About It - Patch.com

By Jack Mayne

The City of Burien will be getting $780,000 from the state, with $380,000 earmarked for small Burien businesses as relief from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

Burien City Manager Brian Wilson told the Council at its regular virtual session on Monday night (Oct. 5) that the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, has provided the city, via the state, with a second round of money.

Direct economic helpThis federal legislation was passed to provide fast and direct economic assistance for American workers and families, small businesses, and preserves jobs for American industries The CARES Act provides fast and direct economic assistance for American workers, families, and small businesses, and preserve jobs for our American industries.

Burien businesses to get the grants must be commercial enterprises with a Burien city business license, 10 or fewer employees, have been a for-profit business for 12 months or longer, and have a 25 percent or larger drop in their revenue. Grants up to $5,000 are available, said Wilson.

Ventures Nonprofit of Seattle will administer the funds, and this will be the second round, Wilson said. Ventures says it builds businesses and changes lives by equipping low-income entrepreneurs with training, support and access to capital.

The application period started Oct. 2, and will close on Oct. 15, 2020.

Wilson said there was an earlier grant of $385,000 directed to human services, with a good percentage of that (for) human services.

Vacated Annex hit by copper wire thiefThere has been extreme damage done to the Annex building, now closed and awaiting to be demolished, said Wilson.

There have been real problems with theft and with burglary inside that building to the point where the whole electrical system was compromised. That turned out to be an extreme safety concern, he said. We also had the fire sprinkler system and the water access damaged to the point where we had severe flooding that occurred within there and we have had continued problems.

Wilson said the Burien Police have identified a suspect in the act at the Annex on Sunday night and that person is in custody for burglary.

The burglars intent, said Wilson, was to get copper wire for sale.

Photos courtesy Burien Police / King County Sheriffs Office

Burien Police said that over the last week, they had received complaints of someone breaking into the Annex building and stealing copper from pipes and wiring.

Burien Police/King County Sheriffs Office Special Emphasis Team (SET) detectives monitored the property on Sunday, Oct. 4 then caught the burglar in the act cutting fences, breaking doors and digging up underground utilities in his search for copper.

He was arrested and booked into jail for burglary.

Face masks donated to Highline Public SchoolsIn other business, The city manager told Council the city has donated 5,000 face masks to the Highline School District for their students. The masks were donated to the city and we are happy to redistribute those masks to the Highline School District.

Three citizens honoredThree local people were unanimously proclaimed 2019 Citizens of the Year, an honor usually awarded earlier in the year, and a proclamation, both postponed from May due to the pandemic. The awards were cited by Mayor Jimmy Matta and City Manager Brian Wilson.

The first was for Grace Stiller who is a longtime board member and current interim board president for the Burien Arts Association whose mission is to enrich Burien with arts and culture.

Stiller founded the nonprofit organization Weed Warriors (now known as Nature Stewards) in 2008 as as a way to help youth enrolled in Highline area schools complete their community service requirements through projects that connected them to the natural world; and Stiller and her organization Nature Stewards is involved in the establishment and operations of two community edible gardens in Burien.

Pastors honoredThe two women honored together were Pastors Jenny Partch and Lina Thompson continue to advocate for the most vulnerable in our community, The two Pastors Jenny Partch and Lina Thompson worked with the Ecumenical Leadership Circle to organize emergency financial support for residents of the Fox Cove Apartments, who faced displacement because the building was being sold; and Pastors Jenny Partch and Lina Thompson witnessed the hardship suffered by people experiencing homelessness and those living at risk of losing their housing and felt called to action and organized a diverse coalition of community members and leaders to advocate for renter protections in Burien.

Council followed with a proclamation also originally slated for May but postponed because of the onset of the pandemic. The original Affordable Housing Week Proclamation noted the city found 1,115 people in southwest King County sleeping outdoors without shelter in January of this year, and two in five households in Burien are considered cost-burdened, because they were spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many existing financial constraints for low- and moderate-income households.

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City of Burien to get federal pandemic funds to aid local businesses; copper thief arrested at Annex - The - The B-Town Blog

The fire was started in the back west corner of the store and spread very quickly

by: Joe Gorman

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Fire investigators say a young child is responsible for a fire last month that destroyed a Mahoning Avenue dollar store.

Capt. Kurt Wright of the Youngstown Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit said the child set fire to wrapping paper and gift bags in the back corner of the store.

The blaze at the 3003 Mahoning Ave. store that broke out about 1:30 p.m. Sept. 24 heavily damaged the store. Heavy smoke flowed from the back west corner of the store, where the fire was set, out the front door. Firefighters had to call in an excavator to knock the back walls down so they could get to spots in the ceiling where it was hard to get water into to put the flames out.

The store is expected to be demolished at some point.

Wright said the fire caught very quickly because the materials that were set afire are very flammable and the store did not have a sprinkler system because of its size. Once the fire spread to the ceiling, it was out of control.

No charges are expected to be filed, Wright said.

Wright said the child set the fire with a lighter they got off of one of their parents. Both of the childs parents smoke, Wright said.

No one was injured in the fire, but the thick smoke, heat and the fact that some of the flames were inaccessible until the excavator was called in caused a second alarm to be put in.

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Investigators say child started fire that destroyed Dollar Tree on Mahoning Avenue - WKBN.com