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Updates from Organizations - Government agencies - Advertise Various Artists

Wednesday, September 5, 2018 - 10:15am

To the willing:

We are in need of quite a few volunteers this Saturday for our TRIGGERED shooting competition in Bountiful from 9 am to 3 pm. We need both volunteers on the day of the event and the evening before the event. From setting up targets in between rounds to registration there is a myriad of tasks you can do.

Please answer the questions in this quick survey if you are interested in helping with this event.

Follow this link to the Survey:
Take the Survey

Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
https://research.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eKbdnE9ZjQrTz5X?Q_DL=etXaGxrUmP2yzoF_eKbdnE9ZjQrTz5X_MLRP_et82tcWejFcKhLf&Q_CHL=email

Thank You!
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Utah Legislative Auditor General John M. Schaff Announces Retirement

 

Salt Lake City – After 42 years of service to Utah’s taxpayers, Legislative Auditor General John M. Schaff is retiring. In a letter announcing his plans to retire, Schaff, who has led the 28-person staff of the Office of the Legislative Auditor General since 2004, described his career with the Legislature as “a grand experience.” He praised the legislative body’s respect for the independence of his office saying, “…in all my years on the hill they have never attempted to censor or control the audit process. Rather, the Legislature has allowed the audit function freedom to discover and report the truth.”

 

Legislative Leaders Offer their Praise for a Dedicated Public Servant

 

“Utah is a better place thanks to the devoted public service of John Schaff,” said Senate President Wayne Niederhauser. “Good policy is predicated on good information. Under John’s leadership, the Office of the Legislative Auditor General has effectively provided information, analyses, and recommendations helping the Legislature make the best policy decisions for our state. John’s impartiality, integrity, and expertise have been above reproach. On behalf of the Utah Senate and the citizens we represent, we thank John for his many years of exceptional public service.”

 

President Niederhauser’s sentiments were echoed by Speaker of the House of Representatives Speaker Greg Hughes: “The Utah Legislature has been well served under the leadership of John Schaff,” said Speaker Hughes. “John has always exemplified professionalism, and I entrusted his ability to do his job in an exceptional manner. Our state is better because of his dedication to his position. I want to thank him for all the work he has done on behalf of legislators and the citizens of Utah. I want to congratulate John on his retirement, and I wish him well as he begins this new chapter in his life.”

 

Praise for Schaff and the Office of the Legislative Auditor General came from both sides of the aisle: “John has distinguished himself as an outstanding public servant,” said Senate Minority Leader Gene Davis. “He and his office has set the standard for balanced, in-depth audits. His legacy is a more efficient and accountable state.” House Minority Leader Brian King added, “Because John lead his office professionally and without partisan slant his work has been integral to making our government more competent, efficient, and responsive to Utahns. Even when his assignments were potentially politically-charged, he worked honestly and with transparency to keep our state agencies accountable. I’ve appreciated his diligence and integrity very much.”

 

Search Underway for Replacement

 

John Schaff’s retirement will be effective November 30, 2018. Meanwhile, the process has begun for hiring his replacement. The Legislative Audit Subcommittee, which is co-chaired by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is currently seeking applicants for the position. Applicants must be a Licensed Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor, have at least five years of experience in performance auditing in the private or public accounting profession or the equivalent prior to appointment and must hold a master’s degree in a related business field. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and references to hr@le.utah.gov no later than September 16, 2018, by 5:00 p.m.

 

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The Office of the Legislative Auditor General is charged with examining and evaluating taxpayer-funded programs, operations, and entities. Their mission to serve the citizens of Utah by providing objective information, in-depth analyses, and useful recommendations that help legislators and other decision makers improve programs, reduce costs, and promote accountability.

 

 

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Is There A Path To End

The Autism Epidemic?

 

New published science and the screening of at-risk children before they receive any vaccines may provide a middle ground between the “all or nothing” positions of the two warring sides of the vaccine-autism debate, according to one of the leading critics of the government’s current vaccination program. 

 

On one side of the debate are parents who believe that today’s high number of mandatory vaccinations (children in the 1960s received three vaccinations, today’s children receive 38) can cause autism in vulnerable children.  On the other side are  government health officials who deny any a link. 

 

However, critics claim the government is being influenced by pharmaceutical companies whose revenues from vaccines exploded from $170 million in the early 1980s to more than $60 billion today. A study published in 2013 in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation concluded that the pharmaceutical industry “masterfully influences evidence base production” and also “exerts direct influences on professional decisions and health consumers.”

 

“There is a wealth of relevant scientific studies that prove that autism prevalence has skyrocketed in the United States,” says J.B. Handley, the father of a child with autism and author of the book How To End The Autism Epidemic (https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/how-to-end-the-autism-epidemic/.)

 

“And since 2004 there have been 11 groundbreaking discoveries in separate but related scientific fields that, taken together, reveal one of the causes of autism.”

 

Handley says those discoveries, published in peer-reviewed journals, include the work of such respected researchers as Dr. Carlos Pardo-Villamizar, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins; Dr. Christopher Exley, a professor of bioinorganic chemistry at Keele University in England, and the late Dr. Paul Patterson, a professor of biological sciences at the California Institute of Technology.

 

“Because of this new, published science,” Handley says, “we now know that autism is created by immune activation events in the brain during critical phases of brain development, typically by the time a child is 36-months-old, and that these immune activation events in the brain can be triggered by the aluminum adjuvant in vaccines. While the first of these discoveries occurred in 2004, the critical missing pieces have only fallen into place since 2010.”

 

All the while, the autism rate has exploded. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention noted that the rates for autism in children went from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 children in 2017.

 

Handley says returning to the vaccine schedule used in the mid-1980s provides a moderate solution. He also believes that there should be thorough screening before any vaccines are given to determine which children are at-risk from serious vaccine injury.

 

“We have the capacity to systematically assess the children who are more vulnerable before they receive a vaccine,” Handley says. “These children are at risk and it is the duty of our public health program to protect them.”

 

Handley believes these are some of the steps that should be taken:

 

  • Removing vaccine safety from the Centers for Disease Control. Having the same agency that is in charge of promoting vaccinations also in charge of vaccine safety is an inherent conflict, he says.
     
  • Screening vulnerable children should be implemented immediately. Some vulnerabilities are because of genetics, parental health histories of autoimmunity, and other children have problems that are apparent with a physical exam.  Children who may have adverse reactions to vaccines also frequently have such conditions as ear infections, dark circles under the eyes and eczema.
     
  • Test children before giving booster shots.  Booster shots are provided for most vaccines.  Handley believes many of these shots are unnecessary, as immunity has already been accomplished through the initial vaccine.  A simple blood test would reveal if a booster shot is really necessary, he says.
     
  • Establish clear rules for when a child should not receive vaccinations. A child should not be vaccinated when the child is sick, has eczema, is taking antibiotics, and several other conditions.
     

“I’m not against all vaccinations all the time,” Handley says.  “But more screening to spare at-risk infants would be a positive step in the right direction, and it’s something that could be achieved today. Based on his health history, my son with autism never should have been vaccinated.”

 

About J.B. Handley

J.B. Handley is the co-founder and chairman of Generation Rescue, a non-profit organization focused on helping children recover from autism that was inspired by the journey of his son, Jamison, who was diagnosed with autism in 2004. Author of the book How To End the Autism Epidemic (https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/how-to-end-the-autism-epidemic/), he is also the co-producer of the documentary film Autism Yesterday and the co-founder of the Age of Autism blog. Handley co-founded Swander Pace Capital, a middle-market private equity firm with more than $1.5 billion under management where he served as managing director for two decades. He is an honors graduate of Stanford University and lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Lisa, and their three children.

 

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Teleperformance and Feed the Children Join Forces to Distribute School Supplies to at-risk Kids across the U.S.

Partners to provide thousands of backpacks filled with much-needed items to children throughout the year

 

Teleperformance is working alongside anti-hunger organization Feed the Children to provide at-risk children with backpacks filled with school supplies, essentials and snacks in preparation for the new school year. The partners will come together to build and deliver an estimated 7,750 backpacks to children across the U.S.

Each backpack will provide a child with a variety of supplies such as notebooks, folders, glue sticks, crayons, pens and pencils. They will also be given essentials and to help with hygiene and bolster self-esteem.

With the cost of supplies increasing more than 80 percent over the course of a decade, and limited education funds, many families struggle to send their children to school with the proper materials needed to learn and grow in the classroom. To the children living in poverty across the U.S., it is more than a backpack. It is a vehicle that can set them on the path to success for a better future. 

“We are excited to work with Feed the Children to support our local communities,” said Brad Williams, Teleperformance Managing Director of Operations. “In our joint effort, we hope to provide children with the much-needed support for their education and confidence to succeed in the new year.”

Teleperformance and Feed the Children have planned multiple events across the country with local partners to help provide families with food and essentials, as well as help offset the cost of school supplies. Together, they will deliver backpacks to 31 communities:

 

  • Albany, GA
  • Augusta, GA
  • Boca Raton, FL
  • Boise, ID
  • Bristol, TN
  • Brownsville, TX
  • Columbia, SC
  • Columbus, OH
  • Dallas, TX
  • Edinburg, TX
  • Fairborn, OH
  • Fairmont, WV
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • Hobart, IN
  • Joplin, MO
  • Killeen, TX
  • Louisville, KY
  • Marion, VA
  • North Lauderdale, FL
  • Ogden, UT
  • Panama City Beach, FL
  • Port St Lucie, FL
  • Reno, NV
  • Richmond, VA
  • Salt Lake City, UT
  • Sandy, UT
  • Shreveport, LA
  • Sierra Vista, AZ
  • Streator, IL
  • West Salem, WI
  • Westerville, OH

 

“At Feed the Children, we believe that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty,” said Travis Arnold, Feed the Children president and CEO. “With the help of Teleperformance, we can provide a brighter future to children and help create a world where no child goes to bed hungry.”

 

About Teleperformance

Teleperformance the worldwide leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, serves companies and administrations around the world, with customer care, technical support, customer acquisition (Core Services), as well as with online interpreting solutions, visa application management services, data analysis and debt collection programs (Specialized Services). In 2017, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of €4,180 million (US$4,720 million, based on €1 = $1.13).

The Group operates 171,000 computerized workstations, with 223,000 employees across 350 contact centers in 76 countries and serving 160 markets. It manages programs in 265 languages and dialects on behalf of major international companies operating in a wide variety of industries.

Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A.  Symbol TEP – ISIN: FR0000051807 – Reuters: ROCH.PA – Bloomberg: TEP FP

For more information: www.teleperformance.com

 

 

About Feed the Children

Established in 1979, Feed the Children exists to defeat childhood hunger. It is one of the largest U.S.-based charities and serves those in need in the U.S. and in 10 countries around the world. It provides food, education initiatives, essentials and disaster response. It operates five distribution centers located in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

 

In fiscal year 2017, Feed the Children distributed 79.8 million pounds of food and essentials to children and families in the U.S. Internationally, it provided nutritious food or other benefits to 1,080,000 children, empowered 291,000 parents to make better decisions for their children, and positively impacted more than 1,200 communities and schools in 10 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

 

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.