washingtontimes--2020-05-01--Editorial Roundup: New England

Editorial Roundup: New England

Connecticut ’ s rainy day fund has a record balance , as Gov .
Ned Lamont and other state officials have been quick to highlight .
However , the coronavirus pandemic may prove devastating for the budget reserve .
This demonstrates , as well as anything does , the need for Capitol policymakers to handle the rainy day fund wisely .
The rainy day fund was in dire straits for years after the 2008-10 Great Recession .
A 2017 law , approved by then-Gov .
Dannel P. Malloy , a Democrat , and a bipartisan group of legislators , injected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This law mandates that certain excess income-tax payments be deposited in the rainy day fund .
It played an outsized role in the reserve achieving the $ 2.5 balance it now has .
When the pandemic hit , it almost was inevitable that the rainy day fund eventually would be tapped .
The pandemic produced economic disarray and dry revenue flows .
In early April , Gov .
Lamont estimated Connecticut ’ s 2019-20 and 2020-21 budgets were in deficit by $ 500 million and $ 1.4 billion , respectively .
The governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close the 2019-20 deficit , the Republican-American reported April 21 .
What is more , Melissa McCaw , Gov .
Lamont ’ s budget director , and state Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo have said it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the rainy day fund will be depleted when fiscal year 2020-21 ends June 30 , 2021 , the Connecticut Mirror reported April 30 .
Hardly anyone will object to tapping the rainy day fund at present .
After all , the pandemic has made for a true “ rainy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past , Capitol policymakers have played games – or attempted to play games – with the reserve .
Two years ago this month , Mr. Malloy and legislators of both parties signed off on skirting the aforementioned 2017 law .
Some excess income-tax payments from FY 2017-18 were spent in FY 2018-19 , instead of being deposited in the rainy day fund , as the law required .
As recently as February , some lawmakers wanted to use the rainy day fund to support their pet projects ; Gov .
Lamont and Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citing economic volatility .
The pandemic demonstrates just how unpredictable the economy and revenue flow can be .
Accordingly , rainy day fund games are unacceptable .
We applaud Gov .
Lamont and Mr. Lembo for calling for the reserve to be used only on a rainy day , and they should continue their hard line .
Using the rainy day fund for its intended purpose only can help Connecticut .
There have been many cries in recent weeks for the easing of some state regulations to keep struggling operations - especially small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic economic uncertainty .
There may be an argument for loosening or delaying some rules , and lawmakers and the Baker administration will have some tough choices to make in the weeks and months ahead .
One easy decision , however , would be to reject calls to delay the state ’ s ban on flavored tobacco products .
The ban on everything from menthol cigarettes to wintergreen tobacco is set to go into effect June 1 .
Mentholated vaping products would be banned as well .
Industry groups representing convenience stores want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying their clients can ’ t afford the lost revenue .
The New England Convenience Stores & Energy Marketers Association says its stores are already hurting , with overall sales down 30 to 50 % , gasoline sales down 60 % and Lottery sales 20 % .
However , it is important to remember Gov .
Charlie Baker and the state Legislature worked together to enact the ban in the middle of an earlier health crisis .
Flavored tobacco and vaping products were clearly being marketed to underage smokers , creating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myriad of related respiratory illnesses that are yet to be fully understood .
It is difficult to understand how anyone would think allowing that damage to continue is a good idea during the COVID-19 crisis .
“ The middle of a lung disease pandemic is absolutely the worst time to delay necessary action to protect our kids from addictive tobacco products that harm the lungs , ” said Matthew Myers , president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids .
He ’ s right .
The evidence is clear that smoking contributes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more deadly .
“ COVID-19 is a lung infection that aggressively attacks the lungs and even leaves lung cells and tissue dead , ” Dr. Albert Rizzo , chief medical officer for the American Lung Association , wrote earlier this month .
“ While it ’ s important to prevent getting COVID-19 in the first place , it ’ s also essential that we do all we can to keep our lungs healthy to avoid the worst effects of the disease.
” On Monday , the Legislative Advisory Committee of the Governor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talked about getting agencies like the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Business and Industry Association involved in helping to evaluate and distribute the more than $ 1.25 billion in CARES act funding received by the Granite State .
Frankly , after the recent dust-up between the governor ’ s office and the Legislature , this is a brilliant idea .
Organizations like the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation are used to dealing with the distribution of funds and the handling of hundreds or thousands of applications .
They know the ins and outs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What is clear , is that action is needed on distributing these fund .
Officials need to come to a concensus and get this all important money into the pockets of those who need it most .
Something very strange has been going on with COVID-19 models that precipitated Rhode Island ’ s drastic response .
Models still posted Thursday on the Rhode Island Department of Health ’ s website showed that the peak need for hospital beds for COVID-19 patients will occur this Sunday , May 3 , with 2,250 beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidently 339 people hospitalized yesterday , though the state seems to be having trouble accurately counting the number .
That is an enormous magnitude of error .
Yet no one has apologized , and Rhode Island has been so lethargic in correcting the error that the clearly faulty model was still up Thursday morning .
Obviously , we will not have a run on hospital beds by May 3 .
According to the state Wednesday , daily new hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Rhode Island had plummeted from a high of 36 on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And some of the terrifying projections in April were even wilder .
The modelers warned that 4,300 people could need hospital beds in Rhode Island on April 27 .
That was almost 13 times greater than the actual number proved to be .
Gov .
Gina Raimondo even said the number could reach a horrifying 6,000 .
As we have noted , no one could have been certain a month ago how the virus would impact Rhode Island ’ s hospitals and mitigation was called for .
But the fast-and-loose nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the more conservative ( though still inflated ) estimate of 2,250 beds was rolled out .
The modelers did not even bother to make their new chart reflect reality .
It over-inflated the number of hospital beds needed in Rhode Island on April 16 by about three times .
You would think the modelers would at least begin their revised chart with an accurate number .
It would be one thing if these models had no public policy implications .
But they formed the entire basis of the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economy in smoldering ruins .
The idea was to “ flatten the curve ” of infections so that hospitals would not be overrun with patients .
The actions taken by Rhode Islanders , in practicing social distancing , must have been helpful in stemming the spread of this scary virus .
But the frightening models are so out of whack that it seems unlikely mitigation efforts alone made the difference .
All of this modeling has been rather cloaked in obscurity .
Legislative leaders this week had no idea who did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jennifer Bogdan , the governor ’ s press secretary , revealed in an email : “ the model was developed collaboratively with the R.I. Department of Health , Brown University and the Brown University Policy Lab based on a framework from Johns Hopkins University.
” “ There are no costs associated with the model , ” she added .
The state certainly got its money ’ s worth .
Though it is important to “ trust the science , ” it is always a good idea to insist on full transparency when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead , as Rhode Island picks up the pieces , we hope the media and the legislature will look into how these models were created and whether we could have done better .
The arrogance is astounding and dumbfounding at the same time .
Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota , an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center ’ s policy requiring them .
Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma , even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one .
He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests .
And Pence was the only participant not to wear a mask during a round-table discussion on Mayo ’ s coronavirus testing and research programs .
All the other participants did , including Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn , top Mayo officials , Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of its mask policy prior to his arrival .
The tweet was later removed .
“ Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP ’ s office , ” the health care system said in its response .
Pence explained his decision by stressing that he has been frequently tested for the virus .
“ As vice president of the United States I ’ m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis , and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus , ” Pence said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which indicate that the mask is good for preventing the spread of the virus by those who have it .
“ And since I don ’ t have the coronavirus , I thought it ’ d be a good opportunity for me to be here , to be able to speak to these researchers , these incredible health care personnel , and look them in the eye and say ‘ thank you.
’ ” Pence is not the only White House official who has shown a reluctance for face masks .
When President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Americans wear face coverings when in public , he immediately said he had no intention of following that advice himself , saying , “ I ’ m choosing not to do it.
” And wearing the mask does not prohibit one from looking someone in the eye , unless you are wearing it improperly .
Pence , who has been put in charge of overseeing the pandemic , does not strike everyone as the media darling his boss is .
But it does appear that he wants to be in maskless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
“ I just don ’ t want to wear one myself , ” President Donald Trump has said .
“ It ’ s a recommendation .
… Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk , the great Resolute Desk , I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents , dictators , kings , queens , I don ’ t know , I don ’ t see it for myself.
” This is not a test of manhood .
It ’ s not a game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a matter of course , leaders who ask the people they lead to do something should probably do the same themselves .
Makes sense .
And now social media is alight with factions defending Pence and the president for not wearing masks , stating it makes them look stronger than COVID-19 .
A virus does not care how much money you have , how big your ego is , or whether you are a pathological liar or not .
It has one purpose : to wreak havoc on your system .
Assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it will simply be beaten like any other foe - sends a horrible message to the world .
It shows a lack of caring , a lack of compassion , a lack of respect for those who are on the front lines , and for those who are sick and especially for those tens of thousands who have died as a result of it .
The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance is that if you have to be in close contact with others in places where social distancing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask , to protect them in case you have it yourself and are asymptomatic .
Put on the mask so we can at least pretend we are not looking you in the eye in utter disdain .
No matter how you look at it , Maine ’ s summer tourism season is full of uncertainty and peril .
In the coming weeks , elected officials , business owners , workers and visitors will make decisions on how to proceed , weighing the economic well-being of the industry , its members and the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect individual and public health .
It ’ s unlike anything the state has faced before , and as of now there are no clearly safe options .
However , there is still time to find some .
The state must use it wisely .
Gov .
Mills this week released her phased economic recovery plan , and it reflects the uncertainty surrounding this summer .
On Friday , a few kinds of businesses that have been closed for the last few weeks will be allowed to reopen .
The second phase is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants can once again serve in-person diners .
Lodgings and campgrounds could reopen then , too , but only for Maine residents and out-of-state visitors who have isolated themselves for 14 days after their arrival here .
From a business perspective , that ’ s untenable .
No one is coming here on vacation only to stay in a hotel room for two weeks .
It ’ s as good as banning out-of-staters outright , and it would mean an end to this year ’ s tourist season .
State officials have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revisit the 14-day requirement in the coming weeks and months .
As with most coronavirus-related decisions , Gov .
Mills should opt for the least-restrictive method that still credibly protects public health , which should remain her priority .
Right now , unfortunately , the only available method is the quarantine , which is a blunt instrument .
But think of how far we ’ ve come in our response to the coronavirus in just the last few weeks .
Perhaps in another month or so , we ’ ll know more about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps we ’ ll finally have the testing capacity we need .
Perhaps a method will emerge that allows visitors to come here as usual , with some modifications .
If so , there is still time to change how the state treats them .
However , there is more to consider .
Even if Maine can allow visitors to come here and enjoy , with physical distancing , what the state has to offer , that in no way ensures a successful tourism season – and the billions of dollars and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After all , there will likely be no festivals or concerts .
With physical distancing , beaches , bars , shops and restaurants won ’ t be the same .
Some business owners will choose not to open , either because they have been knocked down by the swift economic downturn , are uneasy about the health risks , or can ’ t make a go of a restaurant with limited seating .
Some visitors , maybe a lot , will take the year off .
So Maine has to plan for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will come from the COVID-19 hot spots of Massachusetts and New York , without endangering public health .
It has to plan for a summer season that allows as many businesses and workers to do what they do to get by .
And it has to plan for a year in which that ’ s not enough , and Maine loses out on the benefits that the $ 6 billion-a-year tourism industry brings it – regardless of what Mills decides .
Finally , it has to plan for a summer , or fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all the drastic measures abandoned in the next few months must be put back in place rapidly .
It ’ s a healthy lift .
There is a lot in front of us .
The forecast right now for Maine ’ s summer is cloudy .
Let ’ s use the next several weeks to bring it some clarity .

CONNECTICUT
The rainy day has arrived
The Republican American
May 1
Connecticut’s rainy day fund has a record balance, as Gov. Ned Lamont and other state officials have been quick to highlight. However, the coronavirus pandemic may prove devastating for the budget reserve. This demonstrates, as well as anything does, the need for Capitol policymakers to handle the rainy day fund wisely.
The rainy day fund was in dire straits for years after the 2008-10 Great Recession. A 2017 law, approved by then-Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat, and a bipartisan group of legislators, injected new life into the budget reserve.
This law mandates that certain excess income-tax payments be deposited in the rainy day fund. It played an outsized role in the reserve achieving the $2.5 balance it now has.
When the pandemic hit, it almost was inevitable that the rainy day fund eventually would be tapped. The pandemic produced economic disarray and dry revenue flows.
In early April, Gov. Lamont estimated Connecticut’s 2019-20 and 2020-21 budgets were in deficit by $500 million and $1.4 billion, respectively. The governor has announced he will use the reserve to close the 2019-20 deficit, the Republican-American reported April 21.
What is more, Melissa McCaw, Gov. Lamont’s budget director, and state Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo have said it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the rainy day fund will be depleted when fiscal year 2020-21 ends June 30, 2021, the Connecticut Mirror reported April 30.
Hardly anyone will object to tapping the rainy day fund at present. After all, the pandemic has made for a true “rainy day.” However, in the not-so-distant past, Capitol policymakers have played games – or attempted to play games – with the reserve.
Two years ago this month, Mr. Malloy and legislators of both parties signed off on skirting the aforementioned 2017 law. Some excess income-tax payments from FY 2017-18 were spent in FY 2018-19, instead of being deposited in the rainy day fund, as the law required.
As recently as February, some lawmakers wanted to use the rainy day fund to support their pet projects; Gov. Lamont and Mr. Lembo had advised against this course, citing economic volatility.
The pandemic demonstrates just how unpredictable the economy and revenue flow can be. Accordingly, rainy day fund games are unacceptable.
We applaud Gov. Lamont and Mr. Lembo for calling for the reserve to be used only on a rainy day, and they should continue their hard line.
Using the rainy day fund for its intended purpose only can help Connecticut.
Online: https://bit.ly/3aSJXML
___
MASSACHUSETTS
Lifting flavored tobacco ban would be wrong move
The Newburyport Daily News
May 1
There have been many cries in recent weeks for the easing of some state regulations to keep struggling operations - especially small businesses - afloat during a time of historic economic uncertainty.
There may be an argument for loosening or delaying some rules, and lawmakers and the Baker administration will have some tough choices to make in the weeks and months ahead.
One easy decision, however, would be to reject calls to delay the state’s ban on flavored tobacco products.
The ban on everything from menthol cigarettes to wintergreen tobacco is set to go into effect June 1. Mentholated vaping products would be banned as well. Industry groups representing convenience stores want to delay the ban for a year, saying their clients can’t afford the lost revenue.
The New England Convenience Stores & Energy Marketers Association says its stores are already hurting, with overall sales down 30 to 50%, gasoline sales down 60% and Lottery sales 20%.
However, it is important to remember Gov. Charlie Baker and the state Legislature worked together to enact the ban in the middle of an earlier health crisis. Flavored tobacco and vaping products were clearly being marketed to underage smokers, creating a new generation of addicts and spawning a myriad of related respiratory illnesses that are yet to be fully understood.
It is difficult to understand how anyone would think allowing that damage to continue is a good idea during the COVID-19 crisis.
“The middle of a lung disease pandemic is absolutely the worst time to delay necessary action to protect our kids from addictive tobacco products that harm the lungs,” said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
He’s right. The evidence is clear that smoking contributes to the underlying health conditions that make COVID-19 much more deadly.
“COVID-19 is a lung infection that aggressively attacks the lungs and even leaves lung cells and tissue dead,” Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, wrote earlier this month. “While it’s important to prevent getting COVID-19 in the first place, it’s also essential that we do all we can to keep our lungs healthy to avoid the worst effects of the disease.”
Online: https://bit.ly/2Yras9E
___
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Take swift action on distributing funds
Nashua Telegraph
April 28
On Monday, the Legislative Advisory Committee of the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery talked about getting agencies like the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Business and Industry Association involved in helping to evaluate and distribute the more than $1.25 billion in CARES act funding received by the Granite State.
Frankly, after the recent dust-up between the governor’s office and the Legislature, this is a brilliant idea.
Organizations like the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation are used to dealing with the distribution of funds and the handling of hundreds or thousands of applications. They know the ins and outs of these sometimes long and complex precedes.
What is clear, is that action is needed on distributing these fund. Officials need to come to a concensus and get this all important money into the pockets of those who need it most.
Online: https://bit.ly/35pWLZT
___
RHODE ISLAND
Modeling was grossly inaccurate
The Providence Journal
April 30
Something very strange has been going on with COVID-19 models that precipitated Rhode Island’s drastic response.
Models still posted Thursday on the Rhode Island Department of Health’s website showed that the peak need for hospital beds for COVID-19 patients will occur this Sunday, May 3, with 2,250 beds needed.
In truth, there were evidently 339 people hospitalized yesterday, though the state seems to be having trouble accurately counting the number.
That is an enormous magnitude of error. Yet no one has apologized, and Rhode Island has been so lethargic in correcting the error that the clearly faulty model was still up Thursday morning.
Obviously, we will not have a run on hospital beds by May 3. According to the state Wednesday, daily new hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Rhode Island had plummeted from a high of 36 on April 16 to two on April 28.
And some of the terrifying projections in April were even wilder. The modelers warned that 4,300 people could need hospital beds in Rhode Island on April 27. That was almost 13 times greater than the actual number proved to be. Gov. Gina Raimondo even said the number could reach a horrifying 6,000.
As we have noted, no one could have been certain a month ago how the virus would impact Rhode Island’s hospitals and mitigation was called for.
But the fast-and-loose nature of the models was clear on April 16, when the more conservative (though still inflated) estimate of 2,250 beds was rolled out.
The modelers did not even bother to make their new chart reflect reality. It over-inflated the number of hospital beds needed in Rhode Island on April 16 by about three times. You would think the modelers would at least begin their revised chart with an accurate number.
It would be one thing if these models had no public policy implications. But they formed the entire basis of the state’s shutdown, which has left Rhode Island’s economy in smoldering ruins. The idea was to “flatten the curve” of infections so that hospitals would not be overrun with patients.
The actions taken by Rhode Islanders, in practicing social distancing, must have been helpful in stemming the spread of this scary virus. But the frightening models are so out of whack that it seems unlikely mitigation efforts alone made the difference.
All of this modeling has been rather cloaked in obscurity. Legislative leaders this week had no idea who did the modeling and how much it cost. Jennifer Bogdan, the governor’s press secretary, revealed in an email: “the model was developed collaboratively with the R.I. Department of Health, Brown University and the Brown University Policy Lab based on a framework from Johns Hopkins University.”
“There are no costs associated with the model,” she added. The state certainly got its money’s worth.
Though it is important to “trust the science,” it is always a good idea to insist on full transparency when dealing with government. In the months ahead, as Rhode Island picks up the pieces, we hope the media and the legislature will look into how these models were created and whether we could have done better.
Online: https://bit.ly/2VWxEuN
___
VERMONT
Wear the mask
Times Argus
April 29
The arrogance is astounding and dumbfounding at the same time.
Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them.
Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma, even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one. He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests.
And Pence was the only participant not to wear a mask during a round-table discussion on Mayo’s coronavirus testing and research programs. All the other participants did, including Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn, top Mayo officials, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn.
Mayo tweeted that it had informed the vice president of its mask policy prior to his arrival. The tweet was later removed.
“Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP’s office,” the health care system said in its response.
Pence explained his decision by stressing that he has been frequently tested for the virus.
“As vice president of the United States I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” Pence said, adding that he is following CDC guidelines, which indicate that the mask is good for preventing the spread of the virus by those who have it.
“And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say ‘thank you.’”
Pence is not the only White House official who has shown a reluctance for face masks. When President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines recommending that Americans wear face coverings when in public, he immediately said he had no intention of following that advice himself, saying, “I’m choosing not to do it.”
Wear the mask.
It’s common sense. It’s public safety. It’s good leadership.
And wearing the mask does not prohibit one from looking someone in the eye, unless you are wearing it improperly.
Pence, who has been put in charge of overseeing the pandemic, does not strike everyone as the media darling his boss is. But it does appear that he wants to be in maskless, lock step with his boss on this one.
“I just don’t want to wear one myself,” President Donald Trump has said. “It’s a recommendation. … Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, I don’t see it for myself.”
This is not a test of manhood. It’s not a game. It’s not a hoax.
As a matter of course, leaders who ask the people they lead to do something should probably do the same themselves. Makes sense.
And now social media is alight with factions defending Pence and the president for not wearing masks, stating it makes them look stronger than COVID-19.
A virus does not care how much money you have, how big your ego is, or whether you are a pathological liar or not. It has one purpose: to wreak havoc on your system.
Assuming one is above the coronavirus - or that it will simply be beaten like any other foe - sends a horrible message to the world. It shows a lack of caring, a lack of compassion, a lack of respect for those who are on the front lines, and for those who are sick and especially for those tens of thousands who have died as a result of it.
The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance is that if you have to be in close contact with others in places where social distancing is not possible, you should wear a mask, to protect them in case you have it yourself and are asymptomatic.
Put on the mask so we can at least pretend we are not looking you in the eye in utter disdain.
Online: https://bit.ly/2WcAdYA
___
MAINE
Maine summer tourist season full of questions
Portland Press Herald
May 1
No matter how you look at it, Maine’s summer tourism season is full of uncertainty and peril. In the coming weeks, elected officials, business owners, workers and visitors will make decisions on how to proceed, weighing the economic well-being of the industry, its members and the state as a whole against the need to protect individual and public health.
It’s unlike anything the state has faced before, and as of now there are no clearly safe options.
However, there is still time to find some. The state must use it wisely.
Gov. Mills this week released her phased economic recovery plan, and it reflects the uncertainty surrounding this summer.
On Friday, a few kinds of businesses that have been closed for the last few weeks will be allowed to reopen.
The second phase is set to start June 1, when restaurants can once again serve in-person diners. Lodgings and campgrounds could reopen then, too, but only for Maine residents and out-of-state visitors who have isolated themselves for 14 days after their arrival here.
From a business perspective, that’s untenable. No one is coming here on vacation only to stay in a hotel room for two weeks. It’s as good as banning out-of-staters outright, and it would mean an end to this year’s tourist season.
State officials have said as much, and they promise to revisit the 14-day requirement in the coming weeks and months.
As with most coronavirus-related decisions, Gov. Mills should opt for the least-restrictive method that still credibly protects public health, which should remain her priority. Right now, unfortunately, the only available method is the quarantine, which is a blunt instrument.
But think of how far we’ve come in our response to the coronavirus in just the last few weeks. Perhaps in another month or so, we’ll know more about the virus and how it spreads. Perhaps we’ll finally have the testing capacity we need. Perhaps a method will emerge that allows visitors to come here as usual, with some modifications. If so, there is still time to change how the state treats them.
However, there is more to consider. Even if Maine can allow visitors to come here and enjoy, with physical distancing, what the state has to offer, that in no way ensures a successful tourism season – and the billions of dollars and all the jobs that come with it.
After all, there will likely be no festivals or concerts. With physical distancing, beaches, bars, shops and restaurants won’t be the same. Some business owners will choose not to open, either because they have been knocked down by the swift economic downturn, are uneasy about the health risks, or can’t make a go of a restaurant with limited seating. Some visitors, maybe a lot, will take the year off.
So Maine has to plan for a way to allow visitors, many who will come from the COVID-19 hot spots of Massachusetts and New York, without endangering public health. It has to plan for a summer season that allows as many businesses and workers to do what they do to get by.
And it has to plan for a year in which that’s not enough, and Maine loses out on the benefits that the $6 billion-a-year tourism industry brings it – regardless of what Mills decides.
Finally, it has to plan for a summer, or fall, in which an outbreak occurs, and all the drastic measures abandoned in the next few months must be put back in place rapidly.
It’s a healthy lift. There is a lot in front of us.
The forecast right now for Maine’s summer is cloudy. Let’s use the next several weeks to bring it some clarity.
Online: https://bit.ly/2z3tUOY
___


washingtontimes--2020-05-01--Famed Vegas gambler released from prison in COVID-19 program

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - A prominent Las Vegas professional gambler who was convicted and sentenced in New York in a federal insider trading case linked to pro golfer Phil Mickelson and Dallas-based Dean Foods Co. has been released to home confinement in the San Diego area , his attorney said .
William “ Billy ” Walters was released from a federal prison camp in Pensacola , Florida , under a prison coronavirus release program and arrived Friday in California to serve the remainder of his five-year sentence for fraud and conspiracy , attorney Richard Wright said .
Walters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Prisons program to move inmates to avoid the spread of the virus causing the COVID-19 respiratory illness , Wright said in Las Vegas .
Walters , now 73 , was found guilty in 2017 of using information from then-Dean Foods chairman Thomas Davis to amass what prosecutors said amounted to more than $ 40 million in illegal profits during eight years of stock trades .
Davis was convicted in the federal case and sentenced in 2017 to two years in prison .
Michelson , who authorities said had owed gambling debts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settle a federal Securities and Exchange Commission civil case .
He was not charged criminally .
The judge who sentenced Walters also fined him $ 10 million after noting his fame and philanthropy in Las Vegas and ownership of a private plane , a $ 17 million West Coast home and $ 175 million in earnings from 2011 to 2015 .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A prominent Las Vegas professional gambler who was convicted and sentenced in New York in a federal insider trading case linked to pro golfer Phil Mickelson and Dallas-based Dean Foods Co. has been released to home confinement in the San Diego area, his attorney said.
William “Billy” Walters was released from a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, under a prison coronavirus release program and arrived Friday in California to serve the remainder of his five-year sentence for fraud and conspiracy, attorney Richard Wright said.
Walters was classified as at-risk under a Bureau of Prisons program to move inmates to avoid the spread of the virus causing the COVID-19 respiratory illness, Wright said in Las Vegas.
Walters, now 73, was found guilty in 2017 of using information from then-Dean Foods chairman Thomas Davis to amass what prosecutors said amounted to more than $40 million in illegal profits during eight years of stock trades.
Davis was convicted in the federal case and sentenced in 2017 to two years in prison.
Michelson, who authorities said had owed gambling debts to Walters, forfeited $1 million to settle a federal Securities and Exchange Commission civil case. He was not charged criminally.
The judge who sentenced Walters also fined him $10 million after noting his fame and philanthropy in Las Vegas and ownership of a private plane, a $17 million West Coast home and $175 million in earnings from 2011 to 2015.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Interim deal reached in election lawsuit by blind voters

LANSING , Mich. ( AP ) - Michigan election officials have agreed to allow blind voters to use software to @ @ @ @ @ local elections Tuesday .
The deal filed in federal court Friday is a temporary fix @ @ @ @ @ Blind voters will have an opportunity to request an absentee ballot typically reserved for military @ @ @ @ @ out of the country .
The ballots can be completed using electronic reader software , @ @ @ @ @ said .
The ballots still must be delivered to a local election clerk by Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ be picked up or mailed .
They ’ ll count if postmarked by Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ will continue our work to successfully identify and implement a long-term solution as well , @ @ @ @ @ Benson said .
The lawsuit says Michigan is violating federal disabilities law by offering only @ @ @ @ @ voters .

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan election officials have agreed to allow blind voters to use software to complete an absentee ballot in local elections Tuesday.
The deal filed in federal court Friday is a temporary fix in an ongoing lawsuit.
Blind voters will have an opportunity to request an absentee ballot typically reserved for military personnel or citizens who are out of the country. The ballots can be completed using electronic reader software, the Secretary of State office said.
The ballots still must be delivered to a local election clerk by Tuesday night. They can also be picked up or mailed. They’ll count if postmarked by Tuesday.
“I am confident we will continue our work to successfully identify and implement a long-term solution as well,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said.
The lawsuit says Michigan is violating federal disabilities law by offering only traditional paper ballots to blind voters.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Rangers' videos share Yellowstone’s wonders during crisis

BOZEMAN , Mont .
( AP ) - In the middle of the 17th minute of the Facebook Live video , Mark Miller reached for his guitar .
The park ranger , fully clad in green and gray , had been laying out the history of Yellowstone National Park , which he was standing in .
He had talked about the Native American tribes that called the park home , the Lewis and Clark expedition and John Colter , the first European to explore what would become the world ’ s first national park .
Miller had talked about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s stories of the future Yellowstone and how the mountain man was ridiculed .
And Miller had asked the audience - stuck at home all over the world - to contemplate why people explore new places .
Now it was time for a song .
“ Once there was a mountain man with strange stories to tell … , ” Miller sang , beginning a tune he wrote called the “ Mountain Man Tribute Song.
” It ’ s meant to honor the likes of Colter and Jim Bridger and the tribes who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with recognizing the value of Yellowstone .
Two-and-a-half joyful minutes later , he put the guitar down and picked up his history lecture somewhere in the 1860s .
The video , posted to Yellowstone ’ s Facebook page in early April , was the second in a series the park ’ s education rangers have been producing while the park is closed to visitors .
Twice a week , rangers have used the videos to explain complex science and history to people , giving them a window into the park .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wonders of Yellowstone in this time we ’ re all in , ” Miller said .
The series grew out of the ashes of canceled educational programs .
Bob Fuhrmann , supervisor of Yellowstone ’ s youth programs , said 30 school groups were scheduled for programs in the park this spring and would have encountered rangers like Miller .
But with the closure , the programs were all canceled .
So Fuhrmann and the staff who were going to work on those programs had to adapt .
They shifted their focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance learning ” offerings , including live virtual visits with classes on different online platforms and recording some of their programs .
Facebook Live became one of the tools they were using for that .
Fuhrmann said it gets their work in front of more eyes - not just teachers and students .
“ It ’ s a great way to engage with a larger audience in an easy way , ” Fuhrmann said .
The first Facebook Live video featured two rangers standing in the snow outside the Albright Visitor Center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winter .
Since then , rangers have given presentations on birds , geysers , bison , the microbes inside the park ’ s thermal features and more .
A lot of people tune in .
The video of Miller talking and singing through the park ’ s history has been viewed more than 120,000 times , and the comments come from all over the world .
“ Thank you for bringing Yellowstone to Germany !
” wrote another .
“ Your Mom and Dad watched you from Minnesota , Ranger Mark !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yellowstone since 2017 .
He lived a couple different lives before that .
The native Minnesotan first worked in the wood products industry for about a dozen years , then in ministry and Christian music for about a dozen years .
He worked on staff at a few large churches and produced records and wrote songs under the label Vineyard Music .
He and his wife hit “ empty nesthood ” in their 40s and decided to move west .
He picked up seasonal ranger jobs at a few different parks before landing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been here ever since .
He ’ s been stationed at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone the past few summers .
He ’ d been hired as a seasonal education ranger for the spring educational programs , which is how he finds himself in front of the camera for some of the Facebook Live videos .
His songwriting talent has been handy .
He had written part of the “ Mountain Man Tribute Song ” to sing at evening programs at the canyon and developed it further this spring .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” - more than a few Facebook commenters requested that song during his live video .
“ It ’ s part of my creativity , and like all of us education rangers , we ’ re in a period where we ’ re needing to get more and more creative in providing educational opportunities for people all around the planet , ” Miller said .
The sight of a park ranger holding a guitar surely convinces more people to stop scrolling .
At the end of the video , after he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designation as a park in 1872 , Miller was asked what his favorite song is .
He picked the guitar back up and launched into one just about everybody would know .

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - In the middle of the 17th minute of the Facebook Live video, Mark Miller reached for his guitar.
The park ranger, fully clad in green and gray, had been laying out the history of Yellowstone National Park, which he was standing in. He had talked about the Native American tribes that called the park home, the Lewis and Clark expedition and John Colter, the first European to explore what would become the world’s first national park.
Miller had talked about how some didn’t believe Colter’s stories of the future Yellowstone and how the mountain man was ridiculed. And Miller had asked the audience - stuck at home all over the world - to contemplate why people explore new places.
Now it was time for a song.
“Once there was a mountain man with strange stories to tell …,” Miller sang, beginning a tune he wrote called the “Mountain Man Tribute Song.”
It’s meant to honor the likes of Colter and Jim Bridger and the tribes who called the area home first, crediting them with recognizing the value of Yellowstone.
Two-and-a-half joyful minutes later, he put the guitar down and picked up his history lecture somewhere in the 1860s.
The video, posted to Yellowstone’s Facebook page in early April, was the second in a series the park’s education rangers have been producing while the park is closed to visitors. Twice a week, rangers have used the videos to explain complex science and history to people, giving them a window into the park.
“It’s a way to share the wonders of Yellowstone in this time we’re all in,” Miller said.
The series grew out of the ashes of canceled educational programs. Bob Fuhrmann, supervisor of Yellowstone’s youth programs, said 30 school groups were scheduled for programs in the park this spring and would have encountered rangers like Miller. But with the closure, the programs were all canceled.
So Fuhrmann and the staff who were going to work on those programs had to adapt. They shifted their focus to enhancing the park’s “distance learning” offerings, including live virtual visits with classes on different online platforms and recording some of their programs.
Facebook Live became one of the tools they were using for that. Fuhrmann said it gets their work in front of more eyes - not just teachers and students.
“It’s a great way to engage with a larger audience in an easy way,” Fuhrmann said.
The first Facebook Live video featured two rangers standing in the snow outside the Albright Visitor Center, talking about the ways animals adapt to winter. Since then, rangers have given presentations on birds, geysers, bison, the microbes inside the park’s thermal features and more.
A lot of people tune in. The video of Miller talking and singing through the park’s history has been viewed more than 120,000 times, and the comments come from all over the world.
“Watching from Mississippi,” one commenter wrote.
“Thank you for bringing Yellowstone to Germany!” wrote another.
Some weren’t strangers.
“Your Mom and Dad watched you from Minnesota, Ranger Mark!”
Miller has been a seasonal ranger in Yellowstone since 2017. He lived a couple different lives before that. The native Minnesotan first worked in the wood products industry for about a dozen years, then in ministry and Christian music for about a dozen years. He worked on staff at a few large churches and produced records and wrote songs under the label Vineyard Music.
He and his wife hit “empty nesthood” in their 40s and decided to move west. He picked up seasonal ranger jobs at a few different parks before landing in Yellowstone three years ago. He’s been here ever since.
He’s been stationed at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone the past few summers. He’d been hired as a seasonal education ranger for the spring educational programs, which is how he finds himself in front of the camera for some of the Facebook Live videos.
His songwriting talent has been handy. He had written part of the “Mountain Man Tribute Song” to sing at evening programs at the canyon and developed it further this spring. He has another called “Hey Bear” - more than a few Facebook commenters requested that song during his live video.
“It’s part of my creativity, and like all of us education rangers, we’re in a period where we’re needing to get more and more creative in providing educational opportunities for people all around the planet,” Miller said.
The sight of a park ranger holding a guitar surely convinces more people to stop scrolling. At the end of the video, after he’d traced Yellowstone’s history to its designation as a park in 1872, Miller was asked what his favorite song is.
He picked the guitar back up and launched into one just about everybody would know.
“Give me a home,” Miller sang, “where the buffalo roam…”


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--State says permits are free for people who want wood

LANSING , Mich. ( AP ) - The state of Michigan is waiving permit fees for wood gathered from public @ @ @ @ @ 20 fee is being waived because certain offices are closed because of the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ the Department of Natural Resources said .
Permits are good for designated state forest land @ @ @ @ @ northern Lower Peninsula .
Maps are available online .
Each household can collect up to @ @ @ @ @ although the wood can ’ t be sold or traded .
Trees must be dead @ @ @ @ @ of a road .
Although permits are free , people still must carry one .
@ @ @ @ @ Michigan.gov/fuelwood .

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The state of Michigan is waiving permit fees for wood gathered from public forests.
The typical $20 fee is being waived because certain offices are closed because of the coronavirus. The season began Friday, the Department of Natural Resources said.
Permits are good for designated state forest land in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. Maps are available online. Each household can collect up to five cords of wood, although the wood can’t be sold or traded.
Trees must be dead and down within 200 feet of a road.
Although permits are free, people still must carry one. They’re available at Michigan.gov/fuelwood.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Helpline serves front-line workers, families during pandemic

CROWN POINT , Ind .
( AP ) - A helpline has been set up to provide services for front-line workers and families in need in northwestern Indiana and the Chicago area during the coronavirus pandemic .
Dr. Kalyani Gopal is a clinical psychologist and the president and founder of SAFE Coalition for Human Rights , a nonprofit that aims to protect the human dignity of trafficked persons , The ( Northwest Indiana ) Times reported .
Gopal said she thought about the helpline one day while she was leaving work .
“ I was thinking to myself , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana , all these organizations , they are all active and serving our population and doing great work , but they ’ re all working in silos , ” she said .
“ So then I thought , ‘ How about a helpline ?
’ ” The Rapid Outreach Amplified Response Helpline Team includes SAFE Coalition , Greenleaf Consultants , Marram Healthcare , Continuum of Care , local food banks , Mid-America Psychological and Counseling Services , Mid-America Mental Health , seniors and volunteers .
Mental health professionals will provide screenings and referrals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care workers will screen people for coronavirus symptoms and direct them to testing sites .
Local food banks will inform people about assistance and volunteer opportunities , and housing experts will assist people with housing needs and homelessness placement , Gopal said .
Educators have volunteered to help parents and students with instruction troubleshooting or tutoring , Gopal said .
The main number for the helpline is 219-200-0003 .
Ring Central , a communications company , sponsored the helpline , Gopal noted .
It is available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on weekends .

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) - A helpline has been set up to provide services for front-line workers and families in need in northwestern Indiana and the Chicago area during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Kalyani Gopal is a clinical psychologist and the president and founder of SAFE Coalition for Human Rights, a nonprofit that aims to protect the human dignity of trafficked persons, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported. Gopal said she thought about the helpline one day while she was leaving work.
“I was thinking to myself, we have all these amazing people in Northwest Indiana, all these organizations, they are all active and serving our population and doing great work, but they’re all working in silos,” she said. “So then I thought, ‘How about a helpline?’”
The Rapid Outreach Amplified Response Helpline Team includes SAFE Coalition, Greenleaf Consultants, Marram Healthcare, Continuum of Care, local food banks, Mid-America Psychological and Counseling Services, Mid-America Mental Health, seniors and volunteers.
Mental health professionals will provide screenings and referrals, clergy will provide spiritual support and health care workers will screen people for coronavirus symptoms and direct them to testing sites. Local food banks will inform people about assistance and volunteer opportunities, and housing experts will assist people with housing needs and homelessness placement, Gopal said.
Educators have volunteered to help parents and students with instruction troubleshooting or tutoring, Gopal said.
The main number for the helpline is 219-200-0003. Ring Central, a communications company, sponsored the helpline, Gopal noted. It is available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Grant will help Westerly develop accessible walking trail

WESTERLY , R.I. ( AP ) - Westerly has received a nearly $ 71,000 grant that will allow the Rhode Island town to address a frequently cited goal of recreation officials - to develop more multi-generational opportunities .
The grant from the state Department of Environmental Management will be used to construct a walking trail around the Bradford Preserve , and to purchase new benches and for landscaping at the facility , The Sun of Westerly reported .
“ We ’ re great with the youth sports , active recreation is very viable and strong and the leagues are doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also passive recreation , and there ’ s also adults and seniors that want to take part in our facilities and our programs , ” Paul Duffy , Recreation Department director , said .
The walking trail at the preserve and making the town ’ s recreation facilities compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act were both cited as recommendations in the Westerly Athletic and Recreation Facilities Master Plan .
Town Councilor William Aiello , the council ’ s liaison to the Recreation Board , said the walking trail will be a welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accessibility , Aiello said the trail should appeal to a range of residents from young children to senior citizens .

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) - Westerly has received a nearly $71,000 grant that will allow the Rhode Island town to address a frequently cited goal of recreation officials - to develop more multi-generational opportunities.
The grant from the state Department of Environmental Management will be used to construct a walking trail around the Bradford Preserve, and to purchase new benches and for landscaping at the facility, The Sun of Westerly reported.
“We’re great with the youth sports, active recreation is very viable and strong and the leagues are doing great things. But there’s also passive recreation, and there’s also adults and seniors that want to take part in our facilities and our programs,” Paul Duffy, Recreation Department director, said.
The walking trail at the preserve and making the town’s recreation facilities compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act were both cited as recommendations in the Westerly Athletic and Recreation Facilities Master Plan.
Town Councilor William Aiello, the council’s liaison to the Recreation Board, said the walking trail will be a welcome addition.
A consistent advocate for improving accessibility, Aiello said the trail should appeal to a range of residents from young children to senior citizens.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Colorado cattle ranchers hurt by economic effects of virus

DENVER ( AP ) - To be a cattle rancher in Colorado is to expect setbacks .
There are droughts and fires and economic volatility .
There are snowstorms and tornadoes and tricky equipment .
There are changing consumer demands .
But rarely do the stumbling blocks line up one after another and all at once the way they have now with the crisis caused by the new coronavirus , which has placed a wide-ranging economic drag on one of Colorado ’ s largest industries .
Nationally , the cattle industry is expected to take a hit as large as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study released by the National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association .
Cattle prices have plummeted , some types of feed have become difficult to find and schedules for readying animals for market have required rearranging .
Meanwhile , slaughterhouses have either closed or , in the best case , reduced capacity because of worker infections , meaning feedlots have had to keep feeding animals that are past their processing prime .
“ We ’ ve been slowly limping along , ” said Grant Bledsoe .
His family ’ s 100-year-old Bledsoe Cattle Company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on about 80,000 acres of land on the Eastern Plains - stands to lose some $ 3 million in equity because of crashing cattle futures .
President Donald Trump ’ s executive order Tuesday that meat-processing plants stay open provides some assurance that the beef market won ’ t collapse altogether .
But Gov .
Jared Polis has indicated that he may take action if workers ’ health is put at risk .
“ I will not let any executive order stand in the way of us protecting people in Colorado , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities do stay open through the pandemic , ranchers who work in Colorado ’ s $ 4 billion cattle industry are still expecting a decline in slaughterhouse capacity that will eat away at their bottom lines .
Any delay in moving cattle from feedlots to processing facilities - like the JBS beef plant in Greeley and Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan - is a major problem .
Terry Fankhauser , executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen ’ s Association , said that even with beef processing plants staying open , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their capacity nationwide .
There is only about a two-week span when cattle are in their prime for slaughter .
If the animals are kept for longer , ranchers begin losing money as the meat quality declines and the cost of feeding animals becomes uneconomical .
“ Any slowdown has an effect on the industry , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a cost .
It ’ s a cost that could actually move profitability into the red for producers.
” Fankhauser estimates that for every 10 % drop in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 40- $ 50 reduction in cattle price per head .
“ If that exacerbates over a long period of time - say , five weeks - that will continue to compound .
A five-week , 50 % reduction in harvest knocks fat cattle prices back to 1970s levels , ” he said .
The JBS beef plant in Greeley , which can process about 5,400 head of cattle per day , was closed for about 10 days because of an outbreak of the coronavirus among its workers that sickened dozens and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that still has not cleared .
The Cargill facility in Fort Morgan , which has a lower capacity than JBS , has also had an outbreak of the virus .
While the plant didn ’ t have to close , its ability to process cattle was significantly reduced as a result , the industry says .
Lacie Harman said her family ’ s Harman Family Farms , near Akron in northeast Colorado , has about 200 head of cattle waiting to move from feedlots to slaughter that have been delayed by two or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have to keep them on feed they become less and less efficient , ” she said .
But Harman said the situation hasn ’ t hurt her family ’ s operation too badly so far .
“ It hasn ’ t exactly been a dire issue for us yet , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not crisis mode yet.
” To be a cattle rancher in Colorado is to expect setbacks .
There are droughts and fires and economic volatility .
There are snowstorms and tornadoes and tricky equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The latest from the coronavirus outbreak in Colorado : WRITE ON , COLORADO : Tell us your coronavirus stories .
DAY IN THE LIFE : How people across Colorado are coping But rarely do the stumbling blocks line up one after another and all at once the way they have now with the crisis caused by the new coronavirus , which has placed a wide-ranging economic drag on one of Colorado ’ s largest industries .
Nationally , the cattle industry is expected to take a hit as large as $ 13.6 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Cattlemen ’ s Beef Association .
Cattle prices have plummeted , some types of feed have become difficult to find and schedules for readying animals for market have required rearranging .
Meanwhile , slaughterhouses have either closed or , in the best case , reduced capacity because of worker infections , meaning feedlots have had to keep feeding animals that are past their processing prime .
“ We ’ ve been slowly limping along , ” said Grant Bledsoe .
His family ’ s 100-year-old Bledsoe Cattle Company - a feedlot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acres of land on the Eastern Plains - stands to lose some $ 3 million in equity because of crashing cattle futures .
President Donald Trump ’ s executive order Tuesday that meat-processing plants stay open provides some assurance that the beef market won ’ t collapse altogether .
But Gov .
Jared Polis has indicated that he may take action if workers ’ health is put at risk .
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“ I will not let any executive order stand in the way of us protecting people in Colorado , ” Polis said Wednesday .
Even if the facilities do stay open through the pandemic , ranchers who work in Colorado ’ s $ 4 billion cattle industry are still expecting a decline in slaughterhouse capacity that will eat away at their bottom lines .
Any delay in moving cattle from feedlots to processing facilities - like the JBS beef plant in Greeley and Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JBS meat-packing plant in Greeley resumed operations April 24 , 2020 , after a brief closure due to a coronavirus outbreak .
( John Frank , The Colorado Sun ) Terry Fankhauser , executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen ’ s Association , said that even with beef processing plants staying open , he expects a 30 % or more reduction in their capacity nationwide .
There is only about a two-week span when cattle are in their prime for slaughter .
If the animals are kept for longer , ranchers begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the cost of feeding animals becomes uneconomical .
“ Any slowdown has an effect on the industry , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a cost .
It ’ s a cost that could actually move profitability into the red for producers.
” Fankhauser estimates that for every 10 % drop in slaughterhouse capacity , there ’ s a $ 40- $ 50 reduction in cattle price per head .
“ If that exacerbates over a long period of time - say , five weeks - that will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduction in harvest knocks fat cattle prices back to 1970s levels , ” he said .
The JBS beef plant in Greeley , which can process about 5,400 head of cattle per day , was closed for about 10 days because of an outbreak of the coronavirus among its workers that sickened dozens and killed six people .
That created a bottleneck that still has not cleared .
The Cargill facility in Fort Morgan , which has a lower capacity than JBS , has also had an outbreak of the virus .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close , its ability to process cattle was significantly reduced as a result , the industry says .
Lacie Harman said her family ’ s Harman Family Farms , near Akron in northeast Colorado , has about 200 head of cattle waiting to move from feedlots to slaughter that have been delayed by two or three weeks .
“ Every day that we have to keep them on feed they become less and less efficient , ” she said .
But Harman said the situation hasn ’ t hurt her family ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It hasn ’ t exactly been a dire issue for us yet , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not crisis mode yet.
” Harlan Family Farm steers that should have been harvested two or three weeks ago .
( Provided by Lacie Harman ) Colorado ’ s congressional delegation is working to increase the options for ranchers .
Republican U.S. Reps. Scott Tipton of Cortez and Ken Buck of Windsor joined Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cattle must be processed through a U.S. Department of Agriculture-regulated facility if a rancher wants to sell on the national commercial market .
“ We urge you to consider lawful regulatory action to provide more meat and poultry producers with direct access to the national commercial market , while maintaining food safety , ” the group wrote .
If there ’ s one thing the cattle industry wants people to know it ’ s that the beef supply chain isn ’ t at risk of failing .
There ’ s a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chilled and frozen meat stored across the state and plenty of cattle available to be slaughtered .
The pork and poultry industries have had to euthanize animals because of coronavirus-related disruptions , but that won ’ t happen to Colorado cattle , Fankhauser said .
“ We will not be euthanizing cattle because we have a different system that ’ s able to hold animals longer.
” But while there may be plenty of beef , economic realities are definitely threatening ranchers .
In the long term , they ’ re worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in consumption as restaurants stay closed and more people get their meat from supermarkets .
Restaurants typically buy higher-end cuts of beef , as do cruise ships .
Both industries either aren ’ t operating or are operating at a reduced capacity , reducing demand and redrawing supply chain lines .
“ We ’ ve had food service totally shut down and then , on the retail side , demand going up , ” said Todd Inglee , executive director of the Colorado Beef Council .
Inglee said there ’ s typically a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retail meat sales year over year .
When the coronavirus crisis began in earnest , retail sales began shooting up .
One week it was a 10 % increase .
The next it increased by 77 % .
Then it topped out at a 95 % year-over-year increase in retail sales before settling back to about 38 % above normal .
And the market - also impacted by the reduction in slaughterhouse capacity - has reacted in a way that doesn ’ t favor ranchers .
Live cattle futures , for instance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That represents a reduction of several hundred dollars per head of cattle .
“ A lot of producers are not selling cattle like they normally would .
They ’ re keeping them on their ranches or in their feedlots and waiting for the market to come back , ” Inglee said .
Those who are selling , including Steve Wooten , who ranches near La Junta in southeast Colorado , are taking a hit .
Drought conditions mean he needs every blade of grass on his pastures that he can spare , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell about a dozen cows for about half the normal price .
“ If we had available grass in extra pastures we ’ d probably weigh those cows up and sell them as fat cows 60 days later , ” said Wooten , who is president of the Colorado Cattlemen ’ s Association and operates Beatty Canyon Ranch on about 75,000 acres .
Fat or finished cattle are cows that are fed a dense diet over a matter of weeks so they grow rapidly just before being sold for slaughter .
Wooten is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
The calves he is raising now are due to be sold in the fall and he ’ s not sure prices will bounce back by then .
That will make it tough for his ranch to meet its bottom line .

DENVER (AP) - To be a cattle rancher in Colorado is to expect setbacks.
There are droughts and fires and economic volatility. There are snowstorms and tornadoes and tricky equipment. There are changing consumer demands.
But rarely do the stumbling blocks line up one after another and all at once the way they have now with the crisis caused by the new coronavirus, which has placed a wide-ranging economic drag on one of Colorado’s largest industries. Nationally, the cattle industry is expected to take a hit as large as $13.6 billion, according to a study released by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Cattle prices have plummeted, some types of feed have become difficult to find and schedules for readying animals for market have required rearranging. Meanwhile, slaughterhouses have either closed or, in the best case, reduced capacity because of worker infections, meaning feedlots have had to keep feeding animals that are past their processing prime.
“We’ve been slowly limping along,” said Grant Bledsoe. His family’s 100-year-old Bledsoe Cattle Company - a feedlot, pasture and farm on about 80,000 acres of land on the Eastern Plains - stands to lose some $3 million in equity because of crashing cattle futures.
President Donald Trump’s executive order Tuesday that meat-processing plants stay open provides some assurance that the beef market won’t collapse altogether. But Gov. Jared Polis has indicated that he may take action if workers’ health is put at risk.
“I will not let any executive order stand in the way of us protecting people in Colorado,” Polis said Wednesday.
Even if the facilities do stay open through the pandemic, ranchers who work in Colorado’s $4 billion cattle industry are still expecting a decline in slaughterhouse capacity that will eat away at their bottom lines. Any delay in moving cattle from feedlots to processing facilities - like the JBS beef plant in Greeley and Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan - is a major problem.
Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, said that even with beef processing plants staying open, he expects a 30% or more reduction in their capacity nationwide.
There is only about a two-week span when cattle are in their prime for slaughter. If the animals are kept for longer, ranchers begin losing money as the meat quality declines and the cost of feeding animals becomes uneconomical.
“Any slowdown has an effect on the industry,” he said. “There’s a cost. It’s a cost that could actually move profitability into the red for producers.”
Fankhauser estimates that for every 10% drop in slaughterhouse capacity, there’s a $40-$50 reduction in cattle price per head. “If that exacerbates over a long period of time - say, five weeks - that will continue to compound. A five-week, 50% reduction in harvest knocks fat cattle prices back to 1970s levels,” he said.
The JBS beef plant in Greeley, which can process about 5,400 head of cattle per day, was closed for about 10 days because of an outbreak of the coronavirus among its workers that sickened dozens and killed six people. That created a bottleneck that still has not cleared.
The Cargill facility in Fort Morgan, which has a lower capacity than JBS, has also had an outbreak of the virus. While the plant didn’t have to close, its ability to process cattle was significantly reduced as a result, the industry says.
Lacie Harman said her family’s Harman Family Farms, near Akron in northeast Colorado, has about 200 head of cattle waiting to move from feedlots to slaughter that have been delayed by two or three weeks. “Every day that we have to keep them on feed they become less and less efficient,” she said.
But Harman said the situation hasn’t hurt her family’s operation too badly so far.
“It hasn’t exactly been a dire issue for us yet,” she said. “It’s not crisis mode yet.”
To be a cattle rancher in Colorado is to expect setbacks.
There are droughts and fires and economic volatility. There are snowstorms and tornadoes and tricky equipment. There are changing consumer demands.
COVID-19 IN COLORADO
The latest from the coronavirus outbreak in Colorado:
MAP: Known cases in Colorado.
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FULL COVERAGE
But rarely do the stumbling blocks line up one after another and all at once the way they have now with the crisis caused by the new coronavirus, which has placed a wide-ranging economic drag on one of Colorado’s largest industries. Nationally, the cattle industry is expected to take a hit as large as $13.6 billion, according to a study released by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Cattle prices have plummeted, some types of feed have become difficult to find and schedules for readying animals for market have required rearranging. Meanwhile, slaughterhouses have either closed or, in the best case, reduced capacity because of worker infections, meaning feedlots have had to keep feeding animals that are past their processing prime.
“We’ve been slowly limping along,” said Grant Bledsoe. His family’s 100-year-old Bledsoe Cattle Company - a feedlot, pasture and farm on about 80,000 acres of land on the Eastern Plains - stands to lose some $3 million in equity because of crashing cattle futures.
President Donald Trump’s executive order Tuesday that meat-processing plants stay open provides some assurance that the beef market won’t collapse altogether. But Gov. Jared Polis has indicated that he may take action if workers’ health is put at risk.
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“I will not let any executive order stand in the way of us protecting people in Colorado,” Polis said Wednesday.
Even if the facilities do stay open through the pandemic, ranchers who work in Colorado’s $4 billion cattle industry are still expecting a decline in slaughterhouse capacity that will eat away at their bottom lines. Any delay in moving cattle from feedlots to processing facilities - like the JBS beef plant in Greeley and Cargill Meat Solutions in Fort Morgan - is a major problem.
The JBS meat-packing plant in Greeley resumed operations April 24, 2020, after a brief closure due to a coronavirus outbreak. (John Frank, The Colorado Sun)
Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, said that even with beef processing plants staying open, he expects a 30% or more reduction in their capacity nationwide.
There is only about a two-week span when cattle are in their prime for slaughter. If the animals are kept for longer, ranchers begin losing money as the meat quality declines and the cost of feeding animals becomes uneconomical.
“Any slowdown has an effect on the industry,” he said. “There’s a cost. It’s a cost that could actually move profitability into the red for producers.”
Fankhauser estimates that for every 10% drop in slaughterhouse capacity, there’s a $40-$50 reduction in cattle price per head. “If that exacerbates over a long period of time - say, five weeks - that will continue to compound. A five-week, 50% reduction in harvest knocks fat cattle prices back to 1970s levels,” he said.
The JBS beef plant in Greeley, which can process about 5,400 head of cattle per day, was closed for about 10 days because of an outbreak of the coronavirus among its workers that sickened dozens and killed six people. That created a bottleneck that still has not cleared.
The Cargill facility in Fort Morgan, which has a lower capacity than JBS, has also had an outbreak of the virus. While the plant didn’t have to close, its ability to process cattle was significantly reduced as a result, the industry says.
Lacie Harman said her family’s Harman Family Farms, near Akron in northeast Colorado, has about 200 head of cattle waiting to move from feedlots to slaughter that have been delayed by two or three weeks. “Every day that we have to keep them on feed they become less and less efficient,” she said.
But Harman said the situation hasn’t hurt her family’s operation too badly so far.
“It hasn’t exactly been a dire issue for us yet,” she said. “It’s not crisis mode yet.”
Harlan Family Farm steers that should have been harvested two or three weeks ago. (Provided by Lacie Harman)
Colorado’s congressional delegation is working to increase the options for ranchers. Republican U.S. Reps. Scott Tipton of Cortez and Ken Buck of Windsor joined Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asking him to suspend the rule that cattle must be processed through a U.S. Department of Agriculture-regulated facility if a rancher wants to sell on the national commercial market.
“We urge you to consider lawful regulatory action to provide more meat and poultry producers with direct access to the national commercial market, while maintaining food safety,” the group wrote.
If there’s one thing the cattle industry wants people to know it’s that the beef supply chain isn’t at risk of failing. There’s a great deal - millions of pounds - of chilled and frozen meat stored across the state and plenty of cattle available to be slaughtered.
There’s no reason to panic buy.
The pork and poultry industries have had to euthanize animals because of coronavirus-related disruptions, but that won’t happen to Colorado cattle, Fankhauser said. “We will not be euthanizing cattle because we have a different system that’s able to hold animals longer.”
But while there may be plenty of beef, economic realities are definitely threatening ranchers. In the long term, they’re worried about falling beef prices related to a shift in consumption as restaurants stay closed and more people get their meat from supermarkets.
Restaurants typically buy higher-end cuts of beef, as do cruise ships. Both industries either aren’t operating or are operating at a reduced capacity, reducing demand and redrawing supply chain lines.
“We’ve had food service totally shut down and then, on the retail side, demand going up,” said Todd Inglee, executive director of the Colorado Beef Council.
Inglee said there’s typically a 1% to 2% variation in retail meat sales year over year. When the coronavirus crisis began in earnest, retail sales began shooting up.
One week it was a 10% increase. The next it increased by 77%. Then it topped out at a 95% year-over-year increase in retail sales before settling back to about 38% above normal.
And the market - also impacted by the reduction in slaughterhouse capacity - has reacted in a way that doesn’t favor ranchers. Live cattle futures, for instance, have fallen about 35% since January. That represents a reduction of several hundred dollars per head of cattle.
“A lot of producers are not selling cattle like they normally would. They’re keeping them on their ranches or in their feedlots and waiting for the market to come back,” Inglee said.
Those who are selling, including Steve Wooten, who ranches near La Junta in southeast Colorado, are taking a hit. Drought conditions mean he needs every blade of grass on his pastures that he can spare, so he has no choice but to sell about a dozen cows for about half the normal price.
“If we had available grass in extra pastures we’d probably weigh those cows up and sell them as fat cows 60 days later,” said Wooten, who is president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and operates Beatty Canyon Ranch on about 75,000 acres. Fat or finished cattle are cows that are fed a dense diet over a matter of weeks so they grow rapidly just before being sold for slaughter.
Wooten is facing problems in the months ahead as well. The calves he is raising now are due to be sold in the fall and he’s not sure prices will bounce back by then. That will make it tough for his ranch to meet its bottom line.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Construction on Vietnam Veterans Memorial getting underway

FALL RIVER , Mass .
( AP ) - The construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Fall River @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to start in mid-May and will likely be ready before a targeted Veterans Day @ @ @ @ @ to begin the second week in May and just in time for state funding before @ @ @ @ @ June 3 , Memorial Wall Committee chairman Joseph Marshall told The Herald News .
“ @ @ @ @ @ be completed by the end of summer , ” Marshall said .
The official groundbreaking @ @ @ @ @ and Gold Star families of soldiers who died in the Vietnam War .
The $ @ @ @ @ @ the region ’ s only permanent replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ engraved with the names of those who died in the war is an 80 % @ @ @ @ @ in the nation ’ s capital .

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) - The construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Fall River’s Bicentennial Park is scheduled to start in mid-May and will likely be ready before a targeted Veterans Day deadline.
Construction is scheduled to begin the second week in May and just in time for state funding before the 2020 fiscal year ends June 3, Memorial Wall Committee chairman Joseph Marshall told The Herald News.
“I would say it could be completed by the end of summer,” Marshall said.
The official groundbreaking last July drew state officials and Gold Star families of soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.
The $1.4 million project will be the region’s only permanent replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The 360-foot-long memorial engraved with the names of those who died in the war is an 80% scale replica of the wall in the nation’s capital.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Game warden named year's top officer by North American group

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - A Vermont state game warden has been named “ Officer of the Year @ @ @ @ @ North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association , the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said .
@ @ @ @ @ Robert Currier of Essex Junction “ is one of the highest honors that can be @ @ @ @ @ in North America , ” said Vermont ’ s chief game warden , Col. Jason @ @ @ @ @ of conservation law enforcement professionals get nominations from the United States and Canada and pick @ @ @ @ @ .
Currier is the first Vermont state game warden to receive the award , said @ @ @ @ @ “ Robert is a warden that others look to for assistance as well as look @ @ @ @ @ day , he proves he is a true professional , ” said Currier ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont state game warden has been named “Officer of the Year for 2020” by the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said.
The award for Sgt. Robert Currier of Essex Junction “is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a game warden in North America,” said Vermont’s chief game warden, Col. Jason Batchelder. An international panel of conservation law enforcement professionals get nominations from the United States and Canada and pick a winner, he said.
Currier is the first Vermont state game warden to receive the award, said department Commissioner Louis Porter.
“Robert is a warden that others look to for assistance as well as look up to. Day to day, he proves he is a true professional,” said Currier’s supervisor, Lieutenant Carl Wedin.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Michigan man protects officers from catching coronavirus

IONIA , Mich. ( AP ) - A Michigan man is working behind the scenes as a first line of defense for police officers during the coronavirus outbreak .
Steve Slaughter was a part-time contracted custodian at the Ionia Department of Public Safety , WOOD-TV reported .
It was a job he volunteered to do for free .
In wake of the pandemic , Slaughter was promoted to full time .
“ I just see the need and I approached the need as my responsibility , ” Slaughter said .
“ I ’ m willing to make a sacrifice if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get things done , so we can protect everybody as a whole.
” Slaughter uses a disinfectant spray machine and wears gloves and masks to clean nearly every surface officers come in contact with , including patrol cars .
He prepares the mixture himself from chemicals provided by the department .
“ The mist makes hard to reach areas much more accessible .
We ’ re able to clean everything , ” Slaughter said .
“ It ’ s reassuring that we have this equipment … we can protect the staff , protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve the Ionia community so well.
” Public Safety Director Troy Thomas said cleaning must be done daily because one coronavirus case could be crippling .
“ It would devastate a department this size .
We could easily lose about half our resources right off the bat , ” Thomas said .
“ Some people may see it as overkill , but I can ’ t afford to be wrong.
” The department posted on Facebook a photo of Slaughter working .
“ If you saw the comments on our Facebook story about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same thing .
What a great guy Steve is , helping others , ” Thomas said .
“ That ’ s just who Steve Slaughter is .
”

IONIA, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan man is working behind the scenes as a first line of defense for police officers during the coronavirus outbreak.
Steve Slaughter was a part-time contracted custodian at the Ionia Department of Public Safety, WOOD-TV reported. It was a job he volunteered to do for free. In wake of the pandemic, Slaughter was promoted to full time.
“I just see the need and I approached the need as my responsibility,” Slaughter said. “I’m willing to make a sacrifice if that’s the case that will get things done, so we can protect everybody as a whole.”
Slaughter uses a disinfectant spray machine and wears gloves and masks to clean nearly every surface officers come in contact with, including patrol cars. He prepares the mixture himself from chemicals provided by the department.
“The mist makes hard to reach areas much more accessible. We’re able to clean everything,” Slaughter said. “It’s reassuring that we have this equipment … we can protect the staff, protect the officers, protect the firefighters that serve the Ionia community so well.”
Public Safety Director Troy Thomas said cleaning must be done daily because one coronavirus case could be crippling.
“It would devastate a department this size. We could easily lose about half our resources right off the bat,” Thomas said. “Some people may see it as overkill, but I can’t afford to be wrong.”
The department posted on Facebook a photo of Slaughter working.
“If you saw the comments on our Facebook story about this, they’re all the same thing. What a great guy Steve is, helping others,” Thomas said. “That’s just who Steve Slaughter is.”


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Forest service to help Maine firm invest in wood energy

EAST BALDWIN , Maine ( AP ) - A Maine company is set to receive nearly $ 350,000 in federal @ @ @ @ @ electricity for sawmills .
Limington Lumber of East Baldwin will also receive more than $ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said .
The money is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture @ @ @ @ @ Pingree said the funding will help the company “ to invest in local forest products @ @ @ @ @ energy and help protect Maine ’ s forests.
” The company is slated to use @ @ @ @ @ down on energy cost and fossil fuel use , Pingree said .
The forest service @ @ @ @ @ of its Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Grant program .

EAST BALDWIN, Maine (AP) - A Maine company is set to receive nearly $350,000 in federal funds to generate heat and electricity for sawmills.
Limington Lumber of East Baldwin will also receive more than $700,000 in matching funds, Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said. The money is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
Pingree said the funding will help the company “to invest in local forest products, transition to renewable wood energy and help protect Maine’s forests.”
The company is slated to use locally sourced wood to cut down on energy cost and fossil fuel use, Pingree said. The forest service awarded the money as part of its Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Grant program.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Pandemic leads to more green thumbs in northern Utah

OGDEN , Utah ( AP ) - The latest products to fly off the shelves because of the COVID-19 pandemic ?
Gardening supplies .
Unlike toilet paper and flour shortages , though , the demand for gardening supplies isn ’ t solely due to panic buying .
Northern Utahns are taking up gardening for a variety of reasons , from filling the time and calming stress to growing their own food to supplement patchy produce sections at grocery stores .
Northern Utahns aren ’ t alone in their newfound urge to garden .
People across the country are feeling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gardening stores and websites with demand for their products .
Jennifer Bodine , resident of Ogden and sustainability manager at Weber State , falls in the first category , the Standard-Examiner reported .
She has started gardening with her children this spring .
“ As a working mom of young kids , I ’ ve always intended to plant a garden , and sometimes I start , and I fail , ” Bodine said .
“ I haven ’ t had the time ; but now I ’ ve had the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing I ’ ve been doing with my girls to keep us all busy.
” Several weeks ago , Bodine was looking for supplies , and staff at local gardening stores told her that supplies were flying off the shelves , she said .
” ‘ Everyone and their dog is gardening right now , ‘ ” Bodine recalled them saying to her .
“ Yeah , of course we are , because what else can we all do ?
” she continued , laughing .
Bodine says her friends in the sustainability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some with plans to donate the produce to those in need because of the pandemic ’ s economic impact .
As the advisor of Weber State ’ s community garden club , Bodine and students had to decide whether to keep the university ’ s community garden running after the campus shut down in mid-March .
That garden helps stock the food pantry on campus , which is no longer functioning .
A student has continued to tend to the campus garden , with plans to donate the produce elsewhere , Bodine said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff told Bodine about several weeks ago has continued , or even increased .
“ I have taught more people the ABCs of doing a first-time garden in the last three weeks than I have in the last two years combined , ” said Jake Morley , operations manager for Valley Nursery in Uintah .
“ I think it ’ s a silver lining .
I think it ’ s a good thing.
” Last Saturday , the nursery sold more on that day than any day in the past 10 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not even May , typically the nursery ’ s busiest time .
“ About Mother ’ s Day is what we would consider our Super Bowl , ” Morley said .
Right now , vegetables are particularly popular , he said .
There ’ s so much demand that the nursery discontinued pick-up services Tuesday morning , Morley said , though they continue to practice social distancing .
For those who are concerned about higher traffic , the morning hours from 8-9:30 a.m. during the week are the least busy times , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to come inside the garden center , Morley said .
There are register windows available that allow customers to stay outside .
Valley Nursery not the only local nursery that ’ s experiencing high demand .
A representative of Jerry ’ s Nursery and Garden Center in Farr West was willing to speak with the Standard-Examiner , but the store was “ crazy busy , ” she said , and she ultimately did not have time to talk .
Longtime gardener Karl Behling , a resident of Kaysville and a recently retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group on Facebook at the end of March .
Since then , 31 people in his neighborhood have joined it .
Some members of the group are experienced gardeners .
They ’ re helping the new gardeners get their gardens going , advising them on timing , watering and preparing the soil , he said .
“ There ’ s lots to learn , ” Behling said .
“ I think it ’ s a great way to keep your mind calm .
You can sit at home all day , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cycle of worry .
… ( Gardening ) is a good , good way to calm yourself down and to look forward to a future of some good stuff , good vegetables , coming out of your garden.
” Behling said he set up the group in response to the pandemic .
“ I did this specifically because of the pandemic , ” Behling said .
“ People need something to do , and a garden is a great way to spend your time and get the kids out digging in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , he ’ s expanded his own garden in response to the pandemic .
Growing your food is always a good idea , he said , but especially right now since certain produce is occasionally not available at the store .
For those who like freshly picked produce in particular , growing their own could be an alternative if farmers ’ markets close this summer .
According to the Farmers Market Ogden website , the summer market is moving forward as planned , but vendors ’ fees will be refunded if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are staying informed on the evolving situation surrounding coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) and will continue to evaluate our community programming moving forward as suggested by the CDC , ” the website says .
One resource for new gardeners is the Utah State University Extension ’ s website at https : //extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden .
Though the extension ’ s in-person gardening classes have been canceled , the courses have been moved online .
The offerings include courses such as “ Container Vegetable Gardening ” and “ Creating Perfect Soil , ” and each @ @ @ @ @ @

OGDEN, Utah (AP) - The latest products to fly off the shelves because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Gardening supplies.
Unlike toilet paper and flour shortages, though, the demand for gardening supplies isn’t solely due to panic buying. Northern Utahns are taking up gardening for a variety of reasons, from filling the time and calming stress to growing their own food to supplement patchy produce sections at grocery stores.
Northern Utahns aren’t alone in their newfound urge to garden. People across the country are feeling the “need for seed,” overwhelming gardening stores and websites with demand for their products.
Jennifer Bodine, resident of Ogden and sustainability manager at Weber State, falls in the first category, the Standard-Examiner reported. She has started gardening with her children this spring.
“As a working mom of young kids, I’ve always intended to plant a garden, and sometimes I start, and I fail,” Bodine said. “I haven’t had the time; but now I’ve had the time, and it’s been … the thing I’ve been doing with my girls to keep us all busy.”
Several weeks ago, Bodine was looking for supplies, and staff at local gardening stores told her that supplies were flying off the shelves, she said.
”‘Everyone and their dog is gardening right now,‘” Bodine recalled them saying to her.
“Yeah, of course we are, because what else can we all do?” she continued, laughing.
Bodine says her friends in the sustainability community are also picking up gardening, some with plans to donate the produce to those in need because of the pandemic’s economic impact.
As the advisor of Weber State’s community garden club, Bodine and students had to decide whether to keep the university’s community garden running after the campus shut down in mid-March. That garden helps stock the food pantry on campus, which is no longer functioning. A student has continued to tend to the campus garden, with plans to donate the produce elsewhere, Bodine said.
The demand for supplies that store staff told Bodine about several weeks ago has continued, or even increased.
“I have taught more people the ABCs of doing a first-time garden in the last three weeks than I have in the last two years combined,” said Jake Morley, operations manager for Valley Nursery in Uintah. “I think it’s a silver lining. I think it’s a good thing.”
Last Saturday, the nursery sold more on that day than any day in the past 10 years, Morley said - and it’s not even May, typically the nursery’s busiest time.
“About Mother’s Day is what we would consider our Super Bowl,” Morley said.
Right now, vegetables are particularly popular, he said.
There’s so much demand that the nursery discontinued pick-up services Tuesday morning, Morley said, though they continue to practice social distancing.
For those who are concerned about higher traffic, the morning hours from 8-9:30 a.m. during the week are the least busy times, he said.
Customers also don’t need to come inside the garden center, Morley said. There are register windows available that allow customers to stay outside.
Valley Nursery not the only local nursery that’s experiencing high demand. A representative of Jerry’s Nursery and Garden Center in Farr West was willing to speak with the Standard-Examiner, but the store was “crazy busy,” she said, and she ultimately did not have time to talk.
Longtime gardener Karl Behling, a resident of Kaysville and a recently retired teacher, set up a neighborhood gardening group on Facebook at the end of March. Since then, 31 people in his neighborhood have joined it.
Some members of the group are experienced gardeners. They’re helping the new gardeners get their gardens going, advising them on timing, watering and preparing the soil, he said.
“There’s lots to learn,” Behling said. “I think it’s a great way to keep your mind calm. You can sit at home all day, and the panic overtakes you, and you start that cycle of worry. … (Gardening) is a good, good way to calm yourself down and to look forward to a future of some good stuff, good vegetables, coming out of your garden.”
Behling said he set up the group in response to the pandemic.
“I did this specifically because of the pandemic,” Behling said. “People need something to do, and a garden is a great way to spend your time and get the kids out digging in the dirt.”
In addition to starting the group, he’s expanded his own garden in response to the pandemic. Growing your food is always a good idea, he said, but especially right now since certain produce is occasionally not available at the store.
For those who like freshly picked produce in particular, growing their own could be an alternative if farmers’ markets close this summer.
According to the Farmers Market Ogden website, the summer market is moving forward as planned, but vendors’ fees will be refunded if the market is canceled, it says.
“We are staying informed on the evolving situation surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) and will continue to evaluate our community programming moving forward as suggested by the CDC,” the website says.
One resource for new gardeners is the Utah State University Extension’s website at https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden. Though the extension’s in-person gardening classes have been canceled, the courses have been moved online. The offerings include courses such as “Container Vegetable Gardening” and “Creating Perfect Soil,” and each online course is $25.


washingtontimes--2020-05-02--Suspected counterfeit currency, drugs and guns found in home

CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP , Mich. ( AP ) - Authorities have found suspected counterfeit currency and equipment used to make it @ @ @ @ @ .
Suspected methamphetamine and firearms also were found in the home Friday night in the @ @ @ @ @ 128 miles ( 206 kilometers ) west of Detroit .
Deputies had the home under @ @ @ @ @ possible drug sales and stolen property inside , the Kalamazoo County sheriff ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ vehicle matching one reported stolen from Kalamazoo Township was seen leaving the location deputies tried @ @ @ @ @ driver went off the road and surrendered after the vehicle became stuck in a cornfield @ @ @ @ @ search warrant for the home .

CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Authorities have found suspected counterfeit currency and equipment used to make it in a southwestern Michigan home.
Suspected methamphetamine and firearms also were found in the home Friday night in the Charleston, Township, about 128 miles (206 kilometers) west of Detroit.
Deputies had the home under surveillance after receiving information on possible drug sales and stolen property inside, the Kalamazoo County sheriff’s office said Saturday.
When a vehicle matching one reported stolen from Kalamazoo Township was seen leaving the location deputies tried to stop it.
The driver went off the road and surrendered after the vehicle became stuck in a cornfield.
Deputies then obtained a search warrant for the home.
The case remains under investigation.