USDA Invests in Rural Critical Community Facilities in 28 States and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
New Schools, Clinics, Hospitals Will Benefit 1.6 Million People and Help Communities Thrive
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2019 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy today announced that USDA is investing $394 million to improve critical community facilities (PDF, 240 KB) in 28 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. USDA is making the investments through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program.
“Modern facilities for essential services such as schools, first responders, hospitals and health clinics are the bedrock to healthy and prosperous communities,” LaVoy said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner in building and modernizing facilities and creating jobs and educational opportunities, because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Projects announced today include:
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities program funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
The investments announced today will benefit 1.6 million people in Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia.
Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB), a detailed overview of the application process.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a cornerstone recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Marketing Services
Tel: 866-928-1240
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Remember how God loves you and is with you always in new book
Juli Dunn’s first book ‘Pearl and the Snowflake Kisses’ shares the tale of a small, young bunny
ROSEAU, Minn. – A tale for all ages, “Pearl and the Snowflake Kisses” (published by WestBow Press) by Juli Dunn, reminds readers that God journeys with everyone wherever they go in her story featuring a young rabbit.
Pearl is a bunny whose time it is to leave the burrow. Scared and concerned she is not ready, her mother encourages her by telling her God is always with her. Thinking of her mother’s words, Pearl tries to be brave. As new snow begins to fall, it reminds Pearl of all the good times she had with her mother and it helps her find the courage to set off on her own. As her mother watches her hop away, she thanks God and goes on her own way.
“So many loud messages are all around us, and our children hear them too,” Dunn says. “It is important to give the simple message of God being with us to children so they have that solid foundation of God’s love to carry forth into their lives.”
“Pearl and the Snowflake Kisses”
By Juli Dunn
Softcover | 8.5 x 11 in | 24 pages | ISBN 9781973662563
E-Book | 24 pages | ISBN 9781973662570
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Juli Dunn and her husband, Donald, served 42 plus years in the U.S. Air Force and together raised three sons. When not busy at her computer or jotting down thoughts on endless “sticky notes,” Dunn can most often be found digging in the dirt. She also loves spending time with her husband and their two big dogs, Shamrock and Guinness, at their home in Roseau, Minnesota. God has inspired Dunn to share his message of love to be heard above the noise of modern life. “Pearl and the Snowflake Kisses” is her first story to be published and is intended to reach children of all ages with the simple message that no one is ever truly alone.
WestBow Press is a strategic supported self-publishing alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Author Solutions, LLC — the world leader in supported self-publishing. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For more information, visit www.westbowpress.com or call (866)-928-1240. For WestBow Press news, click “Like” at www.facebook.com/WestBowPress and follow @westbowpress on Twitter.
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For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Tony Young
Media Relations Manager
tonyyoung@utah.gov | 801-538-8722
Amazon Web Services to Bring Jobs to Utah
SALT LAKE CITY (Nov. 14, 2019) — The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is pleased to announce Amazon Web Services, Inc. will expand its operations in Utah, creating 300 new jobs over the next 10 years.
“We are excited Amazon Web Services has decided to expand in Utah,” said Val Hale, executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “This expansion will bring high-paying, advanced manufacturing jobs to the state and we look forward to the opportunities it will bring.”
Amazon Web Services is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to individuals, companies and governments. One of these services is Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, which allows users to have a virtual cluster of computers through the internet. Amazon Web Services is implemented throughout the world at server farms.
Amazon Web Services may earn up to 20% of the new state taxes it will pay over the 10-year life of the agreement in the form of a Utah Legislature-authorized Economic Development Tax Increment Finance (EDTIF) tax rebate. The GOED Board has approved a post-performance tax rebate not to exceed $2,499,519. Each year that Amazon Web Services meets the criteria in its contract with the state, it will earn a portion of the total tax rebate.
“These are high-wage, high-tech jobs that will have a significant multiplier effect on our economy. And it’s gratifying for the state to be selected by a company with the means to put this facility anywhere in the world,” said Theresa A. Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “It is a great validation of our quality talent and pro-business environment.”
State of Utah Tax Rebate by the Numbers
Tax revenue: $12,497,597
Wages: $304,259,525
Jobs: 300
Capital investment: 25.3 million
Timeline: 10 years
About Utah Corporate Incentives
The Utah Legislature has authorized economic development incentives in the form of post-performance tax rebates. Eligible companies work with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development to outline specific performance criteria. Once GOED confirms those criteria have been met, according to statute (U.C.A. 63N-2-106(2)), companies can receive a refund of up to 30% of the state taxes they paid for up to 20 years. The contract with the state is post-performance; it only provides a state tax rebate if the company meets its obligations.
About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Under the direction of Gov. Gary R. Herbert, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) provides resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment, and drives increased tourism and film production in Utah. Utilizing state resources and private sector contracts, GOED administers programs in economic areas that demonstrate the highest potential for development. Learn more at business.utah.gov or by calling (801) 538-8680
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 14, 2019
Sens. Lee, Ernst, Sinema, and Smith Introduce the FAIR Leave Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a mom and member of the Senate Small Business Committee, is proposing a bipartisan bill to modernize the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to ensure married couples who work for the same employer are not restricted in the amount of leave they can take under the law, an issue in the original law that’s become increasingly evident in the modern workforce.
“As a mom, I understand how important it is for new parents to spend time with their children in their first few weeks together, which is why I’ve helped champion paid parental leave efforts in the Senate,” said Senator Ernst. “It’s past time we modernize our family and medical leave policies to serve the needs of parents and families in today’s world. This bipartisan bill will extend equal benefits to married couples regardless of their employer, and it also provides time to care for a sick family member, including our heroic servicemembers.”
The FAIR Leave Act—or Fair Access for Individuals to Receive Leave Act—modernizes the FMLA by addressing some of the shortcomings of the law to provide more comprehensive and effective leave for American families. Senator Ernst is joined by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Tina Smith (D-MN) in introducing the bipartisan legislation.
“Every Arizona worker deserves the opportunity to spend time with a new child, to care for a loved one, or to provide support to an injured or ill servicemember. Our bipartisan, commonsense bill fixes an error in current law that punishes married couples who work for the same company,” said Senator Sinema.
“Marriage is the foundation of civil society and the federal government should not be in the business of punishing marriage,” Senator Lee said. “That is why I am supporting the FAIR Leave Act which would eliminate the existing marriage penalty in the Family Medical Leave Act.”
“When I was Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, I fought to offer paid family leave to over 34,000 Minnesota state employees. And as Senator, I’ve worked to do the same for federal employees and all Americans. One step in that effort is to eliminate a penalty for married couples with the same employer,” said Senator Smith. “It’s 2019, and your relationship status shouldn’t dictate the time you have to care for a new kid or a sick family member without missing a paycheck.”
Background:
While the FMLA provides unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons, it limits the amount of leave that married couples, working for the same employer, may take for spending time at home with their new baby, or caring for a sick loved one or servicemember. The bipartisan FAIR Leave Act will repeal this limitation.
The bill enables eligible spouses working for the same employer to each take up to 12 work weeks (24 total) of unpaid leave in a 12 month period for the following FMLA-qualifying reasons:
It will also allow eligible spouses to each take 26 weeks to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness.
Read the full bill text HERE.
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Hi Dawn,
With the College Football Playoff selection committee to release its final Top 25 ranking on Dec. 8 and the North American sports industry worth over $69 billion and growing, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Best Sports Cities as well as accompanying videos.
To determine the cities where the game is always on regardless of season, WalletHub compared 418 small to large cities across the five largest sports in the U.S.: football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer.
Best Large Sports Cities
1. Boston, MA
2. New York, NY
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. Pittsburgh, PA
5. Philadelphia, PA
6. Chicago, IL
7. Washington, DC
8. Dallas, TX
9. Oakland, CA
10. Denver, CO
Best Midsize Sports Cities
1. Cincinnati, OH
2. Buffalo, NY
3. Green Bay, WI
4. Salt Lake City, UT
5. Orlando, FL
6. Glendale, AZ
7. Ann Arbor, MI
8. Durham, NC
9. South Bend, IN
10. Baton Rouge, LA
Best Small Sports Cities
1. Clemson, SC
2. West Point, NY
3. State College, PA
4. Chapel Hill, NC
5. Tuscaloosa, AL
6. Hanover, NH
7. Morgantown, WV
8. East Lansing, MI
9. Princeton, NJ
10. Buies Creek, NC
Best vs. Worst
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-sports-cities/15179/
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 14, 2019
FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH: Sens. Coons, Lee bill requires court orders for law enforcement use of facial recognition technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced bipartisan legislation to require federal law enforcement to obtain a court order before using facial recognition technology to conduct targeted ongoing public surveillance. The use of facial recognition technology is a valuable tool for law enforcement to protect and ensure public safety; however, if used improperly, this technology can quickly become invasive and could violate the privacy of individual Americans. The Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Actwill help to implement important safeguards to protect the American public from inappropriate government surveillance.
“Right now, there is a lack of uniformity when it comes to how, when, and where the federal government deploys facial recognition technology,”said Senator Coons. “I’m proud to introduce legislation with Senator Lee that would set clear rules around federal use of the technology by requiring the government to obtain a probable cause warrant if and when it wants to specifically target and track an American. This bipartisan bill strikes the right balance by making sure law enforcement has the tools necessary to keep us safe while also protecting fundamental Fourth Amendment privacy rights.”
“Facial recognition technology can be a powerful tool for law enforcement officials,” said Senator Lee. “But it’s very power also makes it ripe for abuse. That is why American citizens deserve protection from facial recognition abuse. This bill accomplishes that by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant before conducting ongoing surveillance of a target.”
“We support the bipartisan leadership of Senators Coons and Lee to introduce meaningful reform of law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology,” said Fred Humphries, corporate vice president of U.S. Government Affairs at Microsoft. “The bill provides clarity for law enforcement to be transparent about its use of facial recognition technology, both for human review when facial recognition is in use and testing for accuracy. The bill also ensures that law enforcement will seek a warrant before it can use this technology for ongoing surveillance, except in certain emergency circumstances. We’re grateful for the Senators’ leadership and are encouraged to see introduction of a new legal framework. Microsoft is committed to working with all stakeholders as the legislation advances in Congress.”
The Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Act would:
· Require federal law enforcement to obtain a warrant based upon a showing of a probable cause of criminal activity in order to utilize facial recognition technology for the purpose of ongoing public surveillance of an individual.
· Limit the warrant’s allowance of ongoing surveillance to a maximum of 30 days and require the use of the facial recognition technology to be conducted in such a way as to minimize the acquisition, retention, and dissemination of information regarding individuals outside the warrant’s purview.
· Permit law enforcement to use facial recognition technology for ongoing surveillance without a court order in exigent circumstances.
· Require the judge issuing or denying the warrant application to report the outcome of the warrant application to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts which must catalogue the data and submit a summarized report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
The bill text is available here.
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The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical is on its way to more than 30 U.S. cities to bring the enchanted world of Santa’s North Pole to life on stage. Don't miss the chance to get tickets to this fun-filled live show before they sell out. For complete tour dates and to purchase tickets, visit the tour site now.
