Mountain View
Eric Niemietz
Governor DeSantis Awards Charity Money to Cedar Key
The Governor held a press conference at Cedar Key, hard hit by hurricane Idalia. DeSantis announced the release of $1 million dollars from a charity fund called Florida Disaster Fund, administered by the state, to assist with home reconstruction. Cedar Key and other nearby communities were devestated by the storm, which had major impact on the local seafood industry.
Homeless in Seattle; Homeless Man Building Cabin and Gold Mine on Park Land
A Homeless man, Steven Irwin, who was previously arrested and jailed for tearing up a portion of the Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Seattle with a stolen excavator, is now working on a cabin and a gold mine at the site.
Senator Schumer's Program Grants $1.5B for Global Foundries Expansion in NY
An Economic Boom is coming to Saratoga County in New York. The Biden Chips and Science Act is making it's third investment from a $52 Billion dollar fund to stimulate domestic production of microchips and R & D. Global Foundries will receive $1.5 Billion in a direct grant, as well as loans totalling $1.6 Billion. Added together with private investments, they have $12.5 Billion dollars at their disposal.
NY State Withholds Critical Bridge Reports for 3 Years
A report on bridge inspection and safety, called the Graber report, is required to be compiled and filed each year by the Transportation Department. The law requiring the report was created following the tragic collapse of the New York State Thruway bridge over the Schoharie Creek in 1987, in which 10 people lost their lives. Rushing floodwaters had undermined the bridge pilings, allowing four cars and a tractor trailer to plunge off the gap and into the ravine.
Zoning Changes: Apartments in Single Family Neighborhoods
Many cities across the country are eyeing changes to their zoning requirements to allow multi-family dwellings to be built in what are currently single family home neighborhoods. The city of Minneaopolis has been a leader in the experiment. They added 12% to their housing in just 5 years, much more than other cities.
Governor Hochul Awards Village of Herkimer $10 Million for Downtown Revitalization
The village of Herkimer has received a $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award from New York to boost it's economic development. Money is slated to go to a variety of uses, including investments in downtown anchor properties.
Residents Raise Concerns; Massive Solar Farm in Canajoharie Will Span Miles
A planned 300 megawatt solar array farm in Montgomery County, NY was unveiled at a public meeting. Rather than a formal presentation, residents were greeted with poster boards and comment cards. Company representatives, however, were on hand to answer questions.
Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fishery Future Threatened
Fishing for Menhaden, a small schooling fish that supplies fish oil and fish meal in large quantities, is at the center of a environmental debate. Fished commercially since the Civil War up and down the east coast, the little fish is a vital part of the local ecosystem, a food source for birds of prey such as ospreys and eagles, as well as the striped bass and red drum that support the local recreational fishing industry.
Valentine's Day; Love and High Sales
Valentines Day, named for the beheaded saint, (not his best day, obviously) is thought to have evolved first in Rome fom a spring festival of drinking, sex, and general debauchery. Pope Gelasius I, is often attributed with replacing the pagan festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated for centuries in the middle of February it with St. Valentine’s Day. Of course, in 1929 a bunch of guys in Chicago with tommy guns almost ruined the day for everyone.
Tomato Juice Kills Salmonella and Typhoid Bacteria
study at Cornell University in upstate New York has led to the discovery "that tomato juice is effective in eliminating Salmonella Typhi, its hypervirulent variants, and other bacteria that can harm people’s digestive and urinary tract health."
Can Anyone Hear Me? Jasper Alabama 200 ft. Tall Broadcast Tower Stolen
An AM Radio station, WJLX in Jasper, Alabama, got a surprise when the landscape crew cleaning the property found the 200 ft. tall tower missing from the property. All the equipment at the site had also been stolen, and the wires all cut.
UF Telescope Threatened by Controversial Sand Mining
The Rosemary Hill Observatory owned by the University of Florida in Gainesville may have to permanently shut down. A new sand mine is proposed, the site is only 600 feet from the telescope. Dirt and dust from the mining would not only pollute the atmosphere near the observatory, it would require constant cleaning of the lenses.
2nd Amendment Challenge Denied, State Supreme Court Upholds Gun Prosecution
A man who was arrested on December 7th in 2017 for carrying a gun in public without the required permit has failed in his challenge and can be prosecuted. Christopher Wilson was carrying a handgun with a loaded 10 round magazine "for self defense" in the West Mauai Mountains. He had no required permit and had not applied for one, as required by state law.
Revival of California's Lost Lake: Devastating Floods Transform Farmers' Lives
A 100 mile long lake near Corcoran, California has re-appeared after 80 years. The land was developed for agriculture, and until last year was dry land. Fed by runoff from the Sierra Nevada mountains, it was the largest freshwater lake in the west, but Tulare Lake gradually dried up.
NYC Housing Authority Scandal: 70 Employees Face Bribery & Extortion Charges
Some 70 current and former employees of the NYC Housing Authority were charged by Federal prosecutors with pocketing over $2 Million dollars in cash payments for contract repairs without bids. The contracts were for under $10 thousand dollars, and defendants allegedly demanded 10 - 20% of the contract value for themselves, sometimes more.
Florida Parents Must Sign-Off on Black History Month
One school district in Florida is requiring parental consent for students to learn about Federally recognized (since 1976) Black History Month. Florida's strict education laws prompted the IPrep Academy to ask parents to sign permission slips in order for their children to participate in Black History Month “class and school wide presentations.
Gainesville Department Cuts Threatened by Budget Shortfall from GRU
The city of Gainesville has a $1.4 million dollar budget shortfall for 2024. The city manager released a statement saying the Gainesville Regional Utility (GRU) owes the city money for services performed during the last two years. "The services billed to the utility include the Clerk’s Office, the City Auditor’s Office, the Office of Equity & Inclusion, and the Office of Communications & Marketing."
Eric Niemietz
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Writer and Author. Travelled extensively in U.S. and abroad. Interests include history, natural history, outdoor activities, painting, and writing. C.P.C.U.
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