By Stephanie SchupskaUniversity of GeorgiaDrought is predicted for Georgia this summer. To help home gardeners,University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and green industry experts put their heads together and developed tips Georgians can use to keep gardens green while saving water.Landscape plants ultimately do more good than harm for the environment. They add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They help keep homes cooler in the summer, reduce erosion and storm water runoff and provide wildlife habitats, said Matthew Chappell, a UGA Extension nursery specialist.A good garden provides a sustainable environment, he said, one with less disease, less insect problems and less maintenance. “If you plan and design your garden before you plant it, the maintenance end should be less intensive,” he said.This includes installing plants that do well in all Georgia conditions, whether it’s extreme heat, cold, drought or above normal rainfall.“Many cacti would have done brilliantly this past summer, but in a normal year, cacti would not perform well in a Georgia landscape,” Chappell said. “In other words, they would likely die.”Chappell and other UGA and green industry experts with the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council developed a list of ways gardeners can conserve water in their landscapes. It’s based on work by UGA Extension specialists Gary Wade, Clint Waltz and Bob Westerfield, in addition to lessons learned through the experiences of urban agriculture industry businesses that have been committed to conserving water for decades, he said.“The water problem is not just an Atlanta problem,” said Bobby Flowers, who designs and manages the grounds at Valdosta State University. “We need to be more conscious in what we do. The water problem is becoming less of a north Georgia problem and more of a statewide problem.”Georgia gardeners can still dig in the ground, even when water is short, and maintain healthy gardens. But there is a stigma attached. This past summer, green lawns went from a status symbol to a sign of extreme wastefulness.“Georgia gardeners want to be assured that they’re not sinning anymore,” said Wayne Juers, formerly with Pike Nurseries. The 16 tips found in the handout should reassure Georgia residents it’s OK to garden if they do it wisely. “There are hundreds of ways you could save water in the landscape, either culturally or with technology, but this short list will give you the biggest bang for your time and biggest bang for the buck,” Chappell said. “The vast majority of these tips are absolutely free. All they require is an investment of your time and energy.”For the short list, go to the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council Web site at www.urbanagcouncil.com. Look for the publication “Saving Water in Your Landscape: Best Management Practices for Landscape Water Conservation.”For a much more detailed discussion of water conservation practices in the landscape, check out the UGA publication “Best Management Practices for Landscape Water Conservation” online at pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/B1329.pdf.
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Garden Peas
English peas are legumes and require very little, if any, nitrogen fertilizer. Some gardeners use a sparing amount of nitrogen to get the crop started, but once the plants are up, the nodules should be able to produce enough nitrogen to satisfy the crop’s needs. Avoid heavy applications of fertilizer. Combined with a warm spell, this can cause plants to grow too fast. The resulting tender plants can be damaged or killed by a sudden cold snap.For more information on growing garden peas and other vegetables, contact your local University of Georgia Extension office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1 or view UGA Extension publications online at extension.uga.edu/publications/. Gardeners who can’t wait to put seeds in the soil will be glad to know that garden peas, or green peas, will grow in cool, moist weather.Garden peas (Pisum sativum) are one of the earliest garden vegetables to reach maturity. While the plant will endure some cold weather, temperatures below 32 degrees can kill young blooms. It is best to delay plantings until there is little danger of frost during the bloom stage. For most parts of Georgia, this means planting from January until March.English peas can be smooth-seeded or wrinkle-seeded. Smooth seed varieties can stand more cold weather and should be used for first plantings. The smooth-seeded variety most often used in Georgia is the Early Alaska pea variety. Wrinkle-seeded varieties produce better quality peas, but are not as cold tolerant. These varieties include Thomas Laxton, Wando, Alderman (Telephone) and Laxton’s Progress peas.To grow high quality peas, pay close attention to harvest time and pick only those pods that are fully green and well developed. And, as with most vegetables, pick the peas before they over-mature. Seeds should be spaced 1 inch apart and 1 inch deep in rows. Yields can be increased by frequent harvests and by not damaging the vines during harvest.
PENNSYLVANIA’S HIGHEST SKIABLE MOUNTAIN
Blue Knob All Seasons Resort is the place for a winter enthusiast looking for an outdoor adventure! With the highest skiable mountain in Pennsylvania it’s one of the most challenging ski resorts in the state. The resort offers 100 skiable acres, 34 trails with a vertical drop of 1,072 served by five lifts and it has extensive snow making, so those who love winter can enjoy winter days and nights on the mountain.
The mountain is Blue Knob’s main asset. Here skiers will find an alpine skiing experience. The scenery, wilderness and numerous pines around the slopes offer a different experience than the average ski resort. Experts will find numerous challenges at Blue Knob, from steep, narrow chutes to advanced glade and bowl trails. Fans of these slopes say they enjoy the different terrain and consider it to be the best vertical in the Mid-Atlantic area. While the majority of Blue Knob’s terrain is for advanced intermediates and advanced skiers, there are easier trails for beginners at the top of the mountain.
New ownership continues to invest in upgrades at the resort. There is now a first-time and beginner snow sports area and “magic carpet” conveyor which is located just outside the Summit Lodge for easy access. “We are very excited to have a new area dedicated to teaching beginner skiers and snowboarders,” says Ski and Ride School Director Tim Corle. “This development will add a whole new dimension to our teaching programs here at Blue Knob.” There is also a new snow tubing park that is within walking distance of the Summit Lodge, with eight tubing lanes and a handle row. Returning visitors will notice new seasonal equipment lockers, as well as new snowboard boots and helmets for rentals. An exciting change has been made to the snowmaking system, including the addition of a new 300-horsepower, five-stage vertical pump with an amazing 1,000-gallon-per-minute capacity. 
Just a short distance off the mountain in Altoona, visitors with young families can enjoy numerous indoor recreational activities as well. The famous toy Slinky is manufactured in the area, and an indoor recreation center, Slinky Action Zone, is geared towards young people with indoor laser tag, ski ball, bumper cars, arcade games and more. Another indoor recreation center, Tilt Studio is located inside the Logan Valley Mall. Here young people will find mini bowling, mini golf, and over 100 arcade games. 
For more information about the resort, indoor recreation, dining, shopping and lodging, visit explorealtoona.com or call 1-800-842-5866.
Trucker Drove 33 lbs of Heroin to Long Island From Calif., Cops Say
Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York A long-haul trucker from Selden who was arrested after allegedly driving 33 pounds of heroin from California to Long Island worked for a company called Good Guys Transport Corp., according to investigators.Jeen Blake, 40, was indicted on charges of conspiracy and criminal possession of a controlled substance along with his boss, 42-year-old Dorian Cabrera of Queens, the trucking company’s owner.“These arrests stopped this highly addictive opioid drug from flooding our communities and prevented senseless overdoses that stem from heroin addiction,” New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said Wednesday.Bratton was speaking at a joint press conference with officials from New York State police, Manhattan prosecutors and Drug Enforcement Administration—together forming the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (DETF). Blake and Cabrera were among nine suspects rounded up in two unrelated alleged heroin trafficking rings. Authorities seized a total of 25 kilograms of heroin worth $12 million in the busts, officials said.Related: How Long Island is Losing its War on Heroin Blake allegedly hid 15 kilograms of heroin—some of which were formed in the shape of shoe soles—in a secret compartment, or “trap,” on the back wall of the truck’s cab that required special tools to open, police said. Investigators had tracked him from The Golden State, where he allegedly paid $750,000 for the heroin, to a parking lot on Old Willets Point Path in Hauppauge, where Blake and Cabrera were taken into custody after they made the exchange on Aug. 26, authorities said.Blake was found with more than $300,000 cash and Cabrera had $10,000 cash, they added. When investigators raided Cabrera’s home, they seized $190,000 cash and high-end jewelry. Another $107,000 was seized from Cabrera’s wife’s safety deposit box at a Chase Bank in Valley Stream.The heroin is believed to have been destined for New York City and Long Island, where glassine envelopes of the deadly drug sell for between $5 and $20.The other seven suspects that authorities arrested after the trucking bust were allegedly involved in a Bronx heroin mill—where drug traffickers break down kilos into glassine envelopes for street-level sales.Bail for Blake and Cabrera was set at $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash each following their arraignments at Manhattan criminal court.
The connected credit union 2: Transform your accounting department
Accounting. Just saying the word used to give me the chills.In fact, just thinking about it takes me back to my college days, when early morning accounting classes were not my strength. Oddly enough, after graduating, I went on to work for a large financial institution.But today, when I talk with credit unions about their account departments, I smile. I have a secret weapon that I can share to help relieve their accounting woes – enterprise content management (ECM).In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the impact ECM, or document management, can have on a human resources department. Now let’s see how this technology transforms the accounting department and takes credit unions one step closer to becoming entirely connected – and more efficient.Here are three specific examples of how ECM transforms accounting departments from paper parades to digital paradises. Accounts receivable As order forms and purchase orders arrive at your credit union – whether by mail, fax or email – ECM ingests the documents, automatically capturing and validating critical information before pushing it into your back-end systems. No more tedious and error-prone manual data entry needed.But that’s not all. Later, as payments come in, ECM automatically captures, identifies and extracts critical data from remittances, checks and related documents. The solution then validates the information balancing remittance totals against check amounts, reconciling payments with open invoices and automatically updates the accounting systems.The increased speed and accuracy miraculously transforms accounts receivable from an area overflowing with paper to a dazzling digital department. Accounts payableIn every credit union, invoices roll in from different locations, people and in different formats, making the AP process a real challenge. Optimizing the process, ECM captures, organizes and delivers those accounting documents, along with supporting content, to the appropriate individuals for review, coding and approval.By leveraging the same ECM solution that improved new employee onboarding, your credit union also benefits from fast and accurate invoice processing. And, with ECM tying your systems together so they can communicate, you create a “spillover” effect of optimization across departmental lines. Vendor managementECM also improves vendor management by centralizing and streamlining vendor-specific compliance documents, contract details and critical issues. You store all vendor-related content within the ECM system.But you need to choose your ECM system wisely. The right system will provide flexibility, like allowing your staff to access existing information or capture new information directly from Microsoft Outlook – allowing them to conduct business from an application they already know and use every day. Your ECM system should also include notifications that automatically alert employees about deadlines and upcoming expiration dates, so your staff stays focused on important tasks instead of tracking documentationBut that’s not all. Leveraging ECM across your enterprise, you automate business processes from invoice approvals to payment processing. By electronically managing the documents and information that drive accounting processes, your credit union maximizes the benefits of fast and accurate invoice processing. Like an increased ability to capture early payment discounts.Where was all this stuff when I was studying accounting in college?In the third and final part of this series, we’ll take a look at how your connected credit union can leverage ECM solution to always be ready for audits and proactively remain in compliance with evolving regulations. 9SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Michelle Harbinak Shapiro Michelle Shapiro has more than a 15 years of experience in the banking industry to her role as Financial Services Industry Expert at Hyland Software. Her mission is to share … Web: www.onbase.com Details
Why the COVID-19 crisis is also about financial health
196SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Cynthia Campbell Cynthia is a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE), she holds a BS in Business Administration and an MBA from Elmhurst College in Illinois, and a master’s degree in Adult … Web: www.balancepro.org Details BorrowingHave manageable debt Have a prime credit score PlanningHave appropriate insurance Plan ahead for expenses. SavingHave sufficient liquid savingsHave sufficient long-term savings
The correlation between financial health and physical health is strong, we have known this for quite a while. We see the negative impact that toxic stress can have on health and what is more stressful than money problems? We worry about how we will make ends meet this month. We worry about our 401K plans. We worry about the cost of health insurance. Money keeps us up at night. We also know there are senior citizens choosing between food and medicine or waiting longer between doses because they cannot afford a refill. Others may postpone needed procedures due to limited finances. With 75% of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck and less than 35% of Americans able to weather a $400 financial emergency – financial stress is a way of life for many members and it is impacting their health.Every time we see a crisis like government shut-downs, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, or in this case, a virus outbreak, the financial fragility of Americans is brought “out of the closet” and into discussion. We, as a movement, break-out all of our tools (skip-a-pay, loan extensions, loan modifications, low-interest loans for disaster recovery, waived fees, etc…) and help our members through it. We are awesome with financial triage. When they are in financial crisis we know how to help. We are being called on again to be there for our members, and we will. In a recent interview with Bloomberg Radio for Weekend Money Minute, I was asked if I think banks should make special concessions for consumers who are late in their payments due to missed work. I responded by telling her that credit unions always have been there for their members and mentioned how awesome we are at financial triage and how we help. She asked the question again, and asked me not to single out credit unions but rather talking about all financial institutions. I said, yes, I think they should work with their customer/member to do what they can to help the consumer because it is good for the consumer but also for the health of the portfolio, if we do not work with them at all, defaults will likely increase. Isn’t it odd how financial triage seems new to some people? I am glad to work in a movement where “people helping people” is the default. This virus is just giving credit unions another opportunity to shine. But I do have a challenge for us as we head into yet another financial triage situation . . . let’s stop running from one financial emergency to another financial emergency. Let’s commit to improving the financial health of our members ALL THE TIME because in doing so, they will be much stronger when the next storm comes. Tips for Providing Financial Triage:Help the member understand their financial runway. How much money do they have? How long will that last? How much work (unpaid) will they be missing? What bills are coming up? What is the financial gap? Help the member prioritize their payments. Housing should be first. Perhaps student loans can be deferred for 6 months? Offer solutions that will help them increase cash flow during this temporary setback, (skip-a-pay, loan extensions, loan modifications, low interest loans for disaster recovery, waived fees, etc…) Have them reach-out to other creditors/lenders to seek temporary relief too. Tips for Encouraging Long Term Financial Health What does it mean to be financially healthy? “A person is financially healthy when their daily financial systems allow them to be resilient and pursue opportunities of time.” (Financial Health Network definition)We can work with members to encourage spending, saving, borrowing, and planning in a way that will enable them to be resilient and pursue opportunities over time. We have the tools for this too and they trust us to be their financial advisor. The Financial Health Network provides four pillars of financial health to consider, each one has two tenets. Maybe it is time to have a cross-functional financial health team that can think about how the credit union can impact member’s financial health in the following areas: SpendingSpend less than incomePay bills on time Our members trust us to help them reach their financial goals and realize their dreams. We have to help get them from just financially surviving to financially thriving so they can realize these dreams. We know that loyalty grows when we help them through a financial crisis, imagine the loyalty when we help them become financially healthy and reduce that toxic financial stress and help them find peace of mind! My hope is that we can keep the “Financial Health” conversation alive every day, not only in times of emergency.
Five million cases: What next for America’s COVID-19 epidemic?
Experts attribute the decline to policy and behavior changes in the populous states behind the summer surge — namely California, Texas, Florida and Arizona.Widespread adoption of masks, physical distancing and closing down bars all helped, while some scientists believe that increasing population immunity may have also played a role.According to covid19-projections.com, up to 20 percent of Florida may by now have been infected — and infection is thought to confer immunity to some extent.”I believe the substantial epidemics in Arizona, Florida and Texas will leave enough immunity to assist in keeping COVID-19 controlled,” Trevor Bedford, a scientist studying viruses at Fred Hutch wrote on Twitter.”However, this level of immunity is not compatible with a full return to societal behavior as existed before the pandemic,” he added. The good First some positive trends: the national daily new case rate has been falling for more than two weeks. The US is still recording more than 50,000 cases a day, a huge figure, but that’s down substantially from 70,000 at the peak around July 23-24. The drop-off in cases is so far more pronounced than in April when the country headed into a long springtime plateau, which lulled many states into a false sense of security that paved the way for the spike that began mid-June. It took the United States just 17 days to move from four million to five million coronavirus cases — even as the country is finally starting to bend its curve downward.Here is the state of play of America’s COVID-19 epidemic, and what may happen in the coming months. What comes next? The reasons for the summer surge are clear and have been repeatedly articulated by experts: states that weren’t initially hard hit got complacent and relaxed their lockdowns too soon.They were supported by President Trump, whose administration also crucially failed to develop a national testing strategy unlike other developed countries.It isn’t rocket science: California, Texas, Arizona and Florida brought down their caseloads largely by implementing basic public health measures.The key question to watch out for is whether other states will be proactive or simply wait until they experience their own surges before acting.”When you have something that needs everybody pulling at the same time, if you have one weak link in there that doesn’t do it, it doesn’t allow you to get to the end game,” Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease official said Friday.For his part, Trump seems to be betting everything on the emergence of an effective vaccine to end the crisis and win him re-election in November. The US has spent at least $9 billion so far on this goal.Topics : The badEven if the trend is downward the daily case rate is still extremely high, and much more work needs to be done to bring the national curve back to baseline.Unless the curve is pushed down much further, hospitals will continue to be stretched and people will continue to die needlessly. The current daily average is more than 1,000 deaths a day.More than 163,000 have died so far — 22 percent of the world’s total, though the US has just four percent of the world’s population.Models predict 200,000 deaths by the middle of September.And experts can already see the next area of failure emerging: cheered on by the administration of President Donald Trump, some states are rushing headlong to reopen schools in virus hotspots.”We’ve seen the failure of federal leadership in the early days around PPE, we’re seeing it over and over again around testing, and now we’re seeing it around education policy,” Thomas Tsai, a Harvard health expert told AFP.A Georgia high school that suspended students for posting pictures of crowded hallways full of unmasked teens reported nine cases over the weekend, forcing the school to close down.While children aren’t at as great a risk as adults to getting severe COVID-19, cases are climbing.A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association found that nearly 100,000 children were infected in the final two weeks of July, of a total of some 340,000 pediatric cases.A recent study found children have higher viral load in their noses than adults, meaning they could be major spreaders once infected.
Surge in Brisbane clearance rate as election fever comes to a close
Preliminary data shows surge in Brisbane’s auction clearance rate this past week compared to same time last year. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt.BRISBANE’S auction clearance rate has surged about 14 percentage points over the same week last year, according to preliminary results by CoreLogic.Its weekend market summary found the preliminary clearance rate in Brisbane rose to 57.6 per cent across 152 auctions this week.It was a major jump compared to the same time in 2016 when 191 auctions were held with a clearance rate of 43.8 per cent.The early figures were also a rise on last week, when 46.7 per cent of 217 auctions were successful.More from newsParks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus23 hours agoNoosa’s best beachfront penthouse is about to hit the market23 hours agoOn the Gold Coast, 41 per cent of the 39 auctions that were reported so far were successful. Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate was 66.2 per cent as properties like 50 Ocean Rd, Freshwater, sold, this one for $5.4m. Picture: AAP Image/ Ryan Osland.Melbourne saw the highest clearance rate of 69 per cent – but there was some concern as it was the third week in a row that the city had gone below 70 per cent.The previous week’s final clearance rate of 66.9 per cent was “the lowest clearance rate the city has seen since July 2016”, according to CoreLogic.Sydney was at a preliminary clearance rate of 66.2 per cent, Adelaide came in higher at 67 per cent, Canberra was at 66.1 per cent while just three of six auctions had been reported out of Tasmania so far for the week, with just one successful under the hammer. FOLLOW SOPHIE FOSTER ON FACEBOOK FREE: GET THE COURIER-MAIL’S REALESTATE NEWS DIRECT TO INBOX
C-Kore Deploys Subsea Tools for PTTEP Australasia
C-Kore Systems has completed the deployment of its subsea testing units for PTTEP Australasia. C-Kore’s subsea testing tools are used to monitor the health of electrical systems by measuring the insulation resistance and continuity directly onto assets subsea.Tony Suphawat, electrical & instrument engineer at PTTEP said, “The C-Kore units worked great. These excellent devices quickly located our fault, optimizing our offshore operation. We now have our subsea system back online.”Greg Smith, general manager of C-Kore added, “We love to hear such great reactions from our customers. The C-Kore units are designed to simplify subsea testing, so it is very satisfying to hear how the units save so much time and money on offshore operations.”
The 5 kinds of headaches.
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54 Views no discussions HealthLifestyle The 5 kinds of headaches. by: – April 1, 2011 It’s critical to identify which type of headache you suffer from—tension, cluster, sinus, rebound, or migraine—so that the correct treatment can be prescribed.In one 2004 study, 80% of patients with a recent history of self-described or doctor-diagnosed sinus headache—but none of the signs of sinus infection—actually met the criteria for migraine.And two-thirds of those patients expressed dissatisfaction with the medications they were using to treat their headaches. Here’s a cheat sheet to help you put a name to your pain.Tension headachesTension headaches, the most common type, feel like a constant ache or pressure around the head, especially at the temples or back of the head and neck. Not as severe as migraines, they are not usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and they rarely stop someone from continuing their regular activities. Over-the-counter treatments, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen (Tylenol), are usually sufficient to treat tension headaches, which experts believe may be caused by contraction of neck and scalp muscles (including in response to stress), and possibly changes in brain chemicals.Cluster headachesCluster headaches, which affect men more often than women, are recurring headaches that occur in groups or cycles. The headaches appear suddenly and are characterized by severe, debilitating pain on one side of the head often accompanied by a watery eye and nasal congestion or a runny nose on the same side of the face.During an attack, sufferers are often restless and unable to get comfortable and not likely to lay down the way someone with a migraine usually does. The cause of cluster headaches is unknown, but they may have some genetic component. There is no cure, but medications can reduce the frequency and duration of attacks.Sinus headachesWhen a sinus becomes inflamed, usually through an infection, it can cause pain. It usually comes with a fever, and can—if necessary—be diagnosed by MRI or CT scan (which can both detect changes in fluid levels), or by the presence of pus viewed through a fiber-optic scope. Headaches due to sinus infection can be treated with antibiotics, as well as antihistamines or decongestants.Rebound headachesOveruse of painkillers for headaches can, ironically, lead to rebound headaches. Culprits include over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), as well as prescription drugs.“Most of the patients we see in a headache center with daily headache have medication-overuse, or rebound, headaches,” says Stewart Tepper, MD, director of research at the Center for Headache and Pain at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute.“They are on a merry-go-round and they can’t get off,” says Dr. Tepper. “They keep taking more medicine, they keep having more headaches, and so the patient becomes more and more desperate. That’s when they end up coming to headache specialists to kind of reset the whole system.”One theory is that too much medication can cause the brain to shift into an excited state, triggering more headaches. Another is that the headaches are a symptom of withdrawal as the level of medicine drops in the bloodstream.Migraine headachesMigraine headaches come from a neurological disorder that can run in families and are defined by certain criteria.•At least five previous episodes of headaches•Lasting between four hours and 72 hours•Having at least two out of four of these features: one-sided pain, throbbing pain, moderate-to-severe pain, and pain that interferes with, is worsened by, or prohibits routine activity•Having at least one associated feature: nausea and/or vomiting, or, if those are not present, then sensitivity to light and soundAn oncoming migraine attack may, for some, be foreshadowed by an aura, which can include visual distortions (such as wavy lines or blind spots) or numbness of a hand. It’s estimated, though, that only 15% to 20% of migraineurs experience this.Source: Shine