For the second year in a row, changes to the Abilene City Commission and its staff have been one of the top events of 2019.

This is the second of a two-part series on the top 10 news events of 2019.

The top five which were published Monday were flooding, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum, downtown Abilene, economic developments and murals.

The next five include new faces in city government, child care, historical places, Patty OMalley and the Lebold Mansion.

New faces

On May 6 the Abilene City Commission voted 4-0 to terminate the services of its city manager Austin Gilley.

The commission had placed Gilley on paid, indefinite leave at the April 22 meeting.

Just over a month after the termination, the city commission voted Jane Foltz, director of the Abilene Parks and Recreation Department, as interim city manager.

The commission also approved former interim Abilene City Manager Dennis Kissinger as a part-time consultant.

Not only did the city commission change its leadership in 2019, it changed its look.

With the resignation of Terry Chaput, 23-year-old Trevor Witt was appointed in late 2018 to fill the three years left of Chaputs term.

In August Commissioner Sharon Petersen resigned. Former commissioner Angie Casteel was named commissioner.

In the November city commission election, the leading vote getter was Brandon Rein, age 24. Voters also voted incumbents back to the commission, Dee Marshall for four years and Mayor Tim Shafer, two years.

The new commission will be sworn in Jan. 13.

The Abilene Board of Education also has new faces. Greg Brown is the new superintendent. Robert Keener and Veronica Murray were elected to the board in the last election while Gregg Noel and Mark Wilson did not seek reelection.

While their faces have been around the Great Plains Theatre for a while, Mitch Aiello and Layne Roate were introduced as the new co-artistic directors.

Child Care

In early October, 20 families involving 25 children up to the age of 12 were informed that Learn & Grow Depot would no longer provide child care for them starting Jan. 1.

Learn & Grow, a child care facility, planned to continue to provide child care only for employees of Memorial Health System effective Jan. 1.

Learn & Grow is owned and operated by Memorial Health System.

The mission of Learn & Grow Depot has always been to take care of employees children. We currently have employees children on the waiting list and cannot provide that benefit, parents were informed in a letter.

Parents were told that a lack of licensed teachers was the reason Learn & Grow was only going to accept kids from Memorial Health System employees.

Chuck Scott, director of the Dickinson County Economic Development Corporation, told Dickinson County commissioners that child care was at a critical stage with Land Pride starting to add employees at its Abilene West facility.

In a meeting hosted by the economic development corporation, the community was told the number of children needing child care in Dickinson County was estimated at 365 last year.

There is a bigger need than what people recognize, Scott said. It is not a 10 or 20 person need. We are talking in the 300s of children out there that we need to provide a place for.

This is not just a Dickinson County issue, said Tanya Koehn with Child Care Aware. There are meetings like this all over happening.

In mid November it was announced that Robin Hansen, owner of Abilene Childcare Learning Center, was expanding and agreed to lease the Learn & Grow facility to provide child care for hospital staff and members of the community.

Historic Abilene

Both Old Abilene Town and the Dickinson County Historical Society made headlines.

Old Abilene Town hosted can can dancers, gun fighters and evening events in the Alamo Saloon throughout the summer. Just recently it hosted Cowboy Christmas.

The biggest event for Old Abilene Town was another successful Chisholm Trail Days. Much as they did in the 1800s, longhorn cattle were herded through the street and onto rail cars.

In looking a 2020, Old Abilene Town has plans to open a National Old West Trails museum.

We want to move ourselves from not just a tourist destination, but a tourist attraction and all the great things that can happen down in that district, Michael Hook, president of the Historic Abilene, Inc., board of trustees told the Dickinson County Commission.

Several educational programs are planned in 2020, including a Cowboy Camp in July, hosted by OAT and the Community Foundation of Dickinson County.

The Dickinson County Heritage Society changed its name and hosted Heritage Day in September.

A change in the bylaws reducing the number on the Board of Trustees of the Dickinson County Historical Society to seven was voted down by its members during its annual meeting on Nov. 26.

The membership of the society voted to continue to operate under the bylaws adopted in 2018. Those bylaws say the Board of Trustees shall consist of 18 members. It also requires 10 trustees for a quorum.

The membership also elected six new trustees at a standing room only two-hour meeting.

Six new board members were elected at that meeting. Duane Schrag, Cindy Wedel, Gail Whitehair, Mid Hanson, Nanc Scholl and James Holland became board members on Wednesday.

Patty OMalley

More people now are aware that one of the nicest places in Kansas is located in Abilene, thats according to a panel of judges with Readers Digest.

Patty OMalleys Cedar House was named Kansas nominee in the 2019 Nicest Places in America 2019 Readers Digest contest.

Living in the Nicest Place in America means you live in communities that are committed to kindness, trust and health. Life extension is the health solutions expert that is translating scientific research into everyday insights for people wanting to live their healthiest lives. Together, were looking for the community health heroes who are committed to supporting and inspiring communities to live a happier, healthier life, Readers Digest said on its web page in announcing The 50th Nicest Places in America.

Readers Digest tells the story of Patti OMalley and the creation of the rehab center at Cedar House.

It is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, OMalley said. This has been a long six years of a lot of people saying it cant be done. This is some affirmation for all those years. We have made progress and the hope is that now we can do more to help more women.

OMalley built herself a new home while turning what would become Cedar House into a six-bed facility that focuses on hope, healing and giving back to the surrounding community of Abilene, a rural town of some 7,000, famous for being the childhood home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Cedar House now boasts a local food bank and a micro-farm with a greenhouse, which delights locals with its exotic flora.

Lebold Mansion

A killer ghost visited the Lebold Mansion in March.

The vengeful ghost of Mary Wallace haunted the mansion, killing some of its guests.

Those events were in the short film The Haunting of Pottersfield. The film was based on the true story of Lavinia Fisher who is considered to be Americas first female serial killer.

Director and writer Andre Dixon brought actors and a film crew to the mansion.

The film has been nominated for four awards at the Indie Short Fest in Las Angeles: Best Horror Short, Best First Time Director (Andre Dixon), Best Sound Design (Alex Gregson) and Best Special Makeup (Marcus Koch).

But Lebold Mansion events didnt end when the crew left.

Once declared the finest dwelling house west of Topeka by an 1883 history of Kansas, the Lebold Mansion, 106 N. Vine, has had more than its share of ups and downs.

It started as a stone dugout, the first residence in Abilene, built by Timothy Hersey in 1857.

About 40 people crowded into the Dickinson County Commission room in May when the Lebold Mansion and property at 310 S.E. Second Street were sold at a sheriffs office to the Dickinson County Bank of Enterprise for $380,227.78.

This stately mansion boasts as being one of the Eight Architectural Wonders of Kansas. The 10,106 square foot building with five bedrooms and 3-1/2 baths is currently listed for sale.

Contact Tim Horan at editor@abilene-rc.com.

Here is the original post:

The next five top events of 2019 | News - Abilene Recorder Chronicle

Improved computed tomography (CT) techniques could better recognize manufacturing flaws and structural damage to aerospace composites, improving future aircraft.

University of Texas aerospace engineering researchers will improve reconstruction algorithms and software techniques to produce breakthroughs in computed tomography scanning, which will lead to improved recognition of manufacturing flaws and structural damage of composites. The University of Texas Advanced Materials and Structures Lab uses state-of-the-art facilities.

Andrew Makeev, professor in the University of Texas at Arlingtons Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, received a $900,000 grant from the Army Research Lab to address the Armys need for better structural diagnostics and life assessment in composite aircraft parts. Makeev, who also directs UTAs Advanced Materials and Structures Lab, will lead the project.

He said UTAs effort will focus on developing effective tools for high-resolution, one-sided computational tomography- or CT-based non-destructive inspection or NDI. One-sided scanning will improve the versatility of CT-based microstructural material characterization and structural diagnostics to virtually unlimited object in-plane dimensions, and help the development of game-changing NDI systems, Makeev said.

Currently, composite aircraft structures are susceptible to damage precursors like porosity and voids, and sustaining fiber-waviness. Those discontinuities may evolve into structural damage in the form of cracks and delamination or composite layer splitting.

X-ray CT has proven to be the only 3D industrial nondestructive inspection which has reliable micro resolution and allows for automated interpretation of the inspection results including the listed flaws. However, the current micro-focus CT technology is based on full scanning or 360 degrees around the object, which limits the technology to small cross sections and prevents accommodation of large structures.

Even small objects, which can be scanned in the existing micro-CT facilities, sometimes do not allow for sufficient magnification of the microstructure during the full scanning. However, available limited-angle reconstructions lose definition and often become erroneous during one-sided inspections.

We believe that to advance composite aircraft structural certification, the analysis must capture manufacturing complexity and variability of flight-critical components and structure, Makeev said. Recent improvement in computing power and advances in X-ray CT reconstruction make it possible to develop high-resolution, one-sided CT inspection technology breaking through the object size limits of X-ray CT. It also offers the long-sought automation for composite aircraft structures.

Inspection of large composite components in a single run addresses a timely and critical need, said Erian Armanios, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Makeevs research provides CT software solutions that can combine high degree of automation with high degree of accuracy key end user requirements.

The U.S. Army and helicopter industry are facing the challenge of replacing more than 6,300 military vertical lift aircraft. Earlier this year, Makeev received a separate $600,000 grant from Boeing to assess durability and damage tolerance of composite structures for composite airframe life extension.

Makeev has shouldered many research projects with companies that are especially focused on composite materials and structures. He has current or past grants with Boeing, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Sikorsky Aircraft and Bell Helicopter Textron. During his six-year tenure at UTA, Makeev has been conducting pioneering theoretical and experimental work sponsored by the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and aerospace industry at an average rate of $1 million per year in external funding. His work includes integration of design and manufacturing processes to improve performance of composites, advanced material technologies, material characterization, structural diagnostics and prognostics.

For more information: http://www.uta.edu

HOME PAGE LINK

Latest Headline News

For industrial computed tomography (CT) in foundries, mainly systems based on the principle of fan beam or cone beam tomography are offered. Baker Hughes Inspection Technologies offers with its speed|scan

Part handling can be an issue when using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) to inspect small parts. New Scale Robotics has solved the part handling issue while also adding the

VX3D software, developed by 3DII, is a software platform for the visualization and analysis of CT data. VX3D offers intuitive visualization and provides users with a palette of measurement tools

The concept of a volumetric display has been taken in many different directions, from VR and AR to autosteroscopic screens. Now an Australian start-up company, Voxon Photonics, has introduced 3D

Industrial environments consist of multiple processes that must interact with humans and automation. Volumetric Computed Tomography (VCT) is a crucial component to the overall success of many of the industrial

With the arrival of 2020 Metrology News is ready to start publishing metrology news stories on 2nd January ensuring that the worlds favorite metrology platform starts the year by bringing

As a part of Mapvisions new growth plan, the company recently announced that it will invest more in local presence in its key markets and will have a new organisation

Verisurf Software has announced its new mobile Verisurf Companion App, designed to improve productivity of measurement, build, and inspection applications, especially when large parts or assemblies are involved. Verisurf continues

We look back over 2019 and highlight below some of the Metrology News articles that feature technologies that are shaping the future of manufacturing metrology. Optical Measurements Migrating Process Control

Author: Joe Salemi, OEM Sales Manager Optical Components Group, ZYGO Corporation It is often easy to ignore the fundamental role that technology plays in our everyday lives. Consider the ability

Author: Joe Salemi, OEM Sales Manager Optical Components Group, ZYGO Corporation It is often easy to ignore the fundamental role that technology plays in our everyday lives. Consider the ability

Computed tomography (CT) for non-destructive testing (NDT) has become quite common and is an affordable method for companies of all sizes, including higher educational facilities and R&D laboratories. In many

In the future decision-making will involve a creative mix of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), with the added input of human judgment. The result is augmented intelligence where

Portable metrology equipment has seen a dramatic rise in its role of supporting manufacturing over the past decade with applications including reverse engineering, prototype part inspection, low volume production measurements,

Airbus has inaugurated its highly automated fuselage structure assembly line for A320 Family aircraft in Hamburg, Germany showcasing an evolution in Airbus industrial production system. With a special focus on

View post:

Improved CT Techniques To Recognize Flaws and Damage to Aerospace Composites Metrology and Quality News - Online Magazine - "metrology...

As the chief executive of a big German utility told me, in the 1970s, the future of his countrys energy was going to be nuclear. In the 1980s, it was brown coal. Today it is renewables solar and wind. Looking out on a new decade, as modellers confidently predict energy to 2050, do we really have a good idea what is coming?

International agencies, ministries, oil companies, banks, consultancies and environmental campaigners all put out their long-term forecasts, whether predictions or aspirations. Popular end dates seem to be 2030 or 2035, though 2030 is effectively tomorrow as far as major energy policies and infrastructure are concerned. Long-range forecasts mostly stop in 2050 apart from the ones studying climate change effects, where 2100 is the horizon to show more of the damage we are inflicting on the environment. The next century may seem unimaginably far-off, yet it should be well within the lifespan of children born today, and certainly of our monuments.

The underlying assumptions in these models are fairly similar. Growth of the world population and economy will continue but slow down, with economic expansion in the range 2.5-3.5 percent annually at first before settling at 1.5-2.5 percent. Essentially, the same large countries and global political and economic system will remain. Emerging Asian economies will grow faster than the West and dominate in overall size, but remain poorer per capita, while Africa catches up only slowly. Energy efficiency and technology will improve steadily, but no dramatic new technologies will appear either in energy production or use.

So energy consumption rises, although in some cases of high efficiency it might peak in the 2030s and then fall slowly. The models more attuned to climate and environment phase out coal and oil in favour of renewable energy and battery vehicles, and petroleum consumption goes into decline somewhere in the 2030s. Some oil company forecasts show still-rising demand into the 2040s and beyond, but oil use becomes concentrated in aviation and petrochemicals. Nuclear generally shrinks a little.

Think if we could have made such confident predictions going back eight decades instead of forwards.

Eighty years ago, the world was descending into the full horrors of the Second World War. The US was barely emerging from the Great Depression, the Soviet Union was ruled by a totalitarian Communist state, and all of Africa and much of Asia were in the grip of colonial empires. Some 2.3 billion people, a third of todays level, inhabited this world, and the economy was less than 4 percent the size it is now. The power of the atom, the jet engine and electronics were just emerging; the world was powered by coal supplemented by oil, wood and horses; steaming from England to Australia took a month; and space travel was science fiction.

New methods for producing and using energy, and entirely new political and social phenomena, will surely emerge up to 2050 and 2100. We can imagine five areas of development, which might overlap or might define entirely new paradigms.

In a world of virtualisation and miniaturisation, we might live much more within our minds and within computers. Three-dimensional printing and nanotechnology would produce highly efficient and tailored goods with a minimum of waste, while centralised industry and conventional bricks-and-mortar retail disappears. Vertical farms powered by low-carbon energy, and artificial meat grown without animals, would feed humanity.

Life extension would change demographics. Genetic engineering, manufactured and tailor-grown organs, and artificial intelligence could take life-spans regularly beyond 125 years. Birth-rates may drop but populations rise more as wealthy people live much longer, exacerbating inequality and generational divides.

Super-globalisation would see the hypercharging of our interconnected yet competitive world. The importance of nation states would diminish in favour of self-selecting personal networks, unanchored corporations and activist groups, and supranational unions.

Self-driving electric vehicles and ships, delivery drones and hypersonic planes usher in a new era of mobility. Space travel would be routine, and much industry would be located in orbit. A wealth of unimagined energy-using devices, including universal helper robots, would emerge. Energy consumption could rise much faster than anticipated, even if most of it comes from ubiquitous solar cells, super-compact batteries, hydrogen and small advanced nuclear or fusion reactors, instead of fossil fuels.

Planetary stewardship would demand the repair of our damaged and impoverished environment. Unprecedented global cooperation would see huge areas of land returned to the wild, extinct species and ecosystems resurrected. Biological and technological methods would remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while carefully calibrated geoengineering slows global warming.

Finally, there is the prospect of defeat by the forces of entropy and chaos. Ever-worsening climate change would combine toxically with other problems: a slowing and ageing world economy, growing inequality, the dystopian effects of social media and mass surveillance, the confrontation between China and the US, failed states in parts of the Middle East and Africa. Lands made uninhabitable by drought, sea-level rise, wildfires and heat waves, mass migration, militarised borders, conflict and new totalitarian systems would send the global economy into a permanent and deepening depression. Energy demand would fall but be very dirty as countries fall back on coal and oil.

Much that is familiar will remain alongside much that seems bizarre or inconceivable today. Its hard for energy companies or energy-rich states to build a strategy in the face of such uncertainties. But it is a reminder that whatever we do today should be robust and flexible, not wedded to a single vision of the future however seductive.

Robin M Mills is CEO of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis

Updated: December 30, 2019 07:49 AM

Read the original here:

Energy sector planning needs to be flexible enough to deal with an uncertain future - The National

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3A of the Government Savings Promotion Act, 1873 (5 of 1873), the Union Government via a notification dated December 12, 2019, has replaced the Public Provident Fund Scheme (PPF), 1968 with Public Provident Fund Scheme, 2019. In its new avatar, PPF 2.0, while retaining most of the features of the old scheme has made a few changes. Let us try to demystify each of them.

Premature closure of account

While the tenure of a PPF account is 15 years, an account holder is allowed premature closure of his account, a minors account or the account of a person of unsound mind of who he is the guardian on any of the following grounds, namely,

1. Treatment of any life-threatening disease that either the account holder, his wife, parents or dependent children are suffering from on production of supporting documents and medical reports

2. for the higher education of account holder or his dependent children on the production of required documents

3. Change in his residency status on the production of a copy of Passport and visa or Income tax return

provided that an account is not closed before the expiry of five years from the end of the year in which the account was opened.

While the account holder could close the account on the first two grounds under the old rules, he can now close the account if there is a change in his residency.

In all the above situations the account holder has to submit an application in Form-5 (Even the forms have been changed from alphabets to numbers and are numbered as Form 1, 2 3, 4 and so on) Incidentally joint account cannot be opened under the scheme.

Continuation of account with or without deposits after maturity

The objective of PPF is to channelise the savings of the public and provide them with a corpus either after retirement or for an emergency. PPF, therefore, has a tenure of 15 years. However, an account holder has the option to extend the account after maturity. If he chooses to extend it, he has to do it in blocks of 5 years. This extension can be done any number of times. The request for extension of account has to be made within one year from the date of maturity of the account. While there is no change in these provisions, the old rules were silent on whether the account holder could continue the account without making further contributions. The new rules have cleared this ambiguity. The new rules specify that when an account holder opts to extend the account beyond maturity without making any deposits, then he will not have the option to make further deposits thereafter. However, balance in such an account will continue to earn interest applicable to the scheme.

Restriction on the number of deposits in a financial year

PPF rules of 1968 restricted the number of deposits to 12 times in a financial year. The new rule has removed this restriction. It only states that the minimum deposit will be five hundred rupees and maximum Rupees one lakh fifty thousand rupees in a financial year. An account holder can open the account with a minimum initial deposit of five hundred rupees and deposit any sum in multiples of fifty rupees thereafter subject of course with the ceiling of Rs1.50 lakhs. The account holder can contribute either in a lump sum or in instalments and can claim benefits under Section 80C of Income Tax Act.

Interest on loan taken in PPF account

The PPF rules permit an account holder to take a loan on the balance in his PPF account from the third financial year till the sixth financial year. Under the new rules, the interest rate is reduced to 1% above the prevailing PPF interest rate from 2% earlier. So if the prevailing interest rate is 7.90%, the interest rate on the loan will be 8.90%. It further states that after repaying the principal amount (to be repaid in 36 months) the account holder has to pay the interest in two monthly instalments. Interest will be charged for the period commencing from the first day of the month following the month in which the loan is drawn up to the last day of the month in which the last instalment of the loan is repaid.

After these changes, and as PPF comes in the triple E category (Exempt, Exempt, Exempt) it becomes even more attractive as a savings instrument. The best part of the PPF account, which is also its USP, is the fact that balance in the account cannot be attached by any court order or decree in respect of any debt incurred by the account holder.

(The writer is a CFA and a former banker and currently works with Manipal Academy of Banking, Bangalore)

See the rest here:

New PPF rules you should be aware of - Deccan Herald

Head football coach Billy Napier and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have announced a two-year extension of the second-year coach's contract with the university, Director of Athletics Bryan Maggard announced Thursday.

Napier's contract, which was extended by one year in October, now extends through the 2025 season.

We are very excited to announce this extension for Coach Napier, Maggard said. He has led our football program to new heights, and we look forward to continued success under his leadership.

The Cajuns had a record-breaking season under Napiers watch in 2019, with the program winning 10 regular-season games for the first time in school history. Louisiana claimed the Sun Belt Conferences West Division for the second consecutive season by winning a school-record seven conference games.

The vision and support from our University leadership has been tremendous, Napier said. We are very thankful for the belief Dr. Savoie and Dr. Maggard have in what our staff is working hard to build. Our entire organization is very appreciative of the quality of life in Lafayette and Acadiana. This extension will help us continue working daily on our process and improving our team. The #cULture is real and grows stronger by the day. We look forward to the challenges ahead.

Napier was voted as the Sun Belt's Coach of the Year, the third Louisiana coach to earn the distinction and the first since 1993 when Nelson Stokley was named the Big West Conference's top coach. Napier is the first Ragin' Cajuns coach to win the award in the Sun Belt era.

See the article here:

Ragin' Cajuns football coach Billy Napier gets 2-year contract extension through 2025 - The Advocate

Sealed Air Corp (NYSE:SEE) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $44.61.

Several research firms recently issued reports on SEE. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Sealed Air in a research note on Monday, November 18th. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Sealed Air from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Thursday. KeyCorp raised shares of Sealed Air from an underweight rating to a sector weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Wells Fargo & Co reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Sealed Air in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Sealed Air from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 17th.

In related news, CFO James M. Sullivan acquired 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $38.75 per share, with a total value of $193,750.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now directly owns 17,028 shares in the company, valued at $659,835. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Motco acquired a new position in shares of Sealed Air in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Doyle Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Sealed Air in the 2nd quarter valued at about $40,000. CSat Investment Advisory L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Sealed Air by 34.1% in the 2nd quarter. CSat Investment Advisory L.P. now owns 1,234 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 314 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sealed Air by 556.0% in the 3rd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,804 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 1,529 shares during the period. Finally, Massey Quick Simon & CO. LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sealed Air in the 3rd quarter valued at about $96,000. 94.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sealed Air stock traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $38.54. 30,675 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 972,233. Sealed Air has a 1 year low of $32.33 and a 1 year high of $47.13. The firm has a market cap of $5.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $39.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.51.

Sealed Air (NYSE:SEE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.02. Sealed Air had a net margin of 7.55% and a negative return on equity of 135.60%. The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Sealed Air will post 2.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. Sealed Airs dividend payout ratio is currently 25.60%.

About Sealed Air

Sealed Air Corporation provides food safety and security, and product protection solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Food Care and Product Care. The Food Care segment offers integrated packaging materials and equipment solutions to provide food safety, shelf life extension, and total cost optimization for perishable food processors in the fresh red meat, smoked and processed meats, poultry, and dairy markets under the Cryovac, Cryovac Grip & Tear, Cryovac Darfresh, Cryovac Mirabella, Simple Steps, and Optidure brands.

Featured Article: Stock Split

Receive News & Ratings for Sealed Air Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sealed Air and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Read more from the original source:

Sealed Air Corp (NYSE:SEE) Receives Average Recommendation of Hold from Brokerages - Riverton Roll

This article is adapted from GreenBiz's weekly newsletter, Circular Weekly, running Fridays. Subscribe here.

Its been quite the year for circularity, one defined by ambitious goals, promising pilots, dynamic tensions and a growing sense of community. The momentum is palpable, and I cant wait for the year ahead. Before we dive into a new decade, lets revisit five of the most-read circular economy stories on GreenBiz from 2019, and the implications for circularity in 2020:

1.Loops launch brings reusable packaging to the worlds biggest brands: The 2019 poster child of the circular economy brought together the largest brands to pilot new delivery models at scale. With Terracycle CEO Tom Szaky at its helm, Loops launch has been a go-to talking point for many on circularitys potential. How is it going? Its a story well be tracking in 2020, with a particular focus on retail partnerships and consumer behavior change.

2.The five things you need to know about chemical recycling: Spurred by the growing number of commitments by brands, retailers and other stakeholders to close the loop on plastics, the demand for recycled plastics is quickly increasing (PDF).

Enter a class of technologies that purify, decompose or convert waste plastics into like-new molecules that could help meet the growing demand for plastics and petrochemicals, and unlock potential revenue opportunities of $120 billion just in the United States and Canada, according to a report by Closed Loop Partners. However, the technologies, terminology and applications can be confusing and are not widely understood by all. How, and how quickly, will that change? Well be looking into that, and paying close attention to the growing number of investments and offtake agreements in this arena.

Enter a class of technologies that purify, decompose or convert waste plastics into like-new molecules that could help meet the growing demand for plastics and petrochemicals.

Will they make a dent in the new plastics economy? Well follow their progress, and weighing the benefits against other systemic implications.

4.The circular economy giant you've never heard of is planning a major expansion: Providing crates, pallets and boxes to companies around the world to ship their stuff, CHEP, the supply-chain management arm of Australian logistics giant Brambles, specializes in reusable-packaging equipment.

An example of circularity at a massive scale, the company rents pallets and other tertiary packaging to customers and then collects almost every unit back after use to inspect, repair and send back out into the supply chain again. Will CHEP own the market or will others follow? Well be watching.

5.It's time to trash recycling: Does recycling cycle materials back into supply chains, or enable companies to evade responsibility for unsustainable consumption patterns? Does it truly reduce waste streams?

Even though this article ran just this week, it's already become one of our topic circularity stories of the year. Whether and how to reinvent recycling and will be key circular economy stories in 2020, along with approaches to creating end-markets for under-valued commodities.

Whether and how to reinvent recycling and will be key circular economy stories in 2020, along with approaches to creating end-markets for under-valued commodities.

Circularity is about innovative business models and modes of consumption, new design strategies, product life extension, food waste and so much more. But for many, plastics and packaging is a gateway into the circularity conversation. Its an accessible entry point into an aspirational model. But my hope is that once readers pass through this intellectual threshold, they will find dozens of other stories helping to define the circular economy. And we look forward to bringing them to you.

Thanks for reading in 2019. Circular Weekly is taking a break for the holidays, but it will return to your inbox Jan. 10 to kick off a new year of stories, news, analysis and opinions about the circular economy. As yet another year circles back to a new beginning, I look forward to continuing to guide you through the ever-evolving and rapidly expanding circular economy landscape, and to helping its many stories unfold.

Read the original here:

Closing the loop on 2019 - GreenBiz

Recently, I stopped by a WeWork in West Los Angeles.

Weeks earlier, news had broken that the company had incurred losses of almost $2-billion in the past year, its IPO had been postponed, and co-Founder and CEO Adam Neumann had been forced to step down. But inside the airy WeWork space off Jefferson Boulevard, it was business as usual. There were no kumbaya circles or other indicators of the brands much-hyped spirit of we. Mostly, there were just a lot of people working.

As we now know, work was never really the point for WeWork. Neumann aspired to elevate the worlds consciousness, reinvent the notion of workand by extensionlife itself. He turned out to be a false prophet. But WeWorks positioning as the ultimate lifestyle brand offers a window into understanding its role in consumers lives today.

Once, only a handful of iconic superstars such as Apple, Ralph Lauren and Nike aspired to become lifestyle brands. Today, however, becoming one is essential for those that want to remain relevant, even survive.

We tend to think of a lifestyle brand having a specific audience (urban millennials) and a specific look: Instagrammy aesthetic, pastel color palettes, clean san serif fonts. Think Glossier (skin care and cosmetics), Sweetgreen (salads), Outdoor Voices (athleisure). But, like WeWork, they also sell the conviction that by purchasing their product, customers will get to express a unique aspect of their identity, perhaps even become better versions of themselves.

Thats an important distinction, because when you constantly express your identity via social media, the brands you align yourself with increasingly become extensions of who you are. Which is why Id argue the devoted followings and stratospheric growth of such brands derive more from the stories they tell about themselvesand by extension, their consumersthan the actual goods theyre selling.

Three seismic cultural shifts are driving this trend.

A recentstudy from YouGovfound that 30 percent of millennials say they always or often feel lonely (vs. just 20 percent of Generation X and 15 percent of Baby Boomers). A wave of other recentresearchreveals the loneliness epidemic is real across a spectrum of ages and geographiesand can belife-threatening. Its easy to blame technology, but our fraying community ties (wedont know our neighborsanymore,we volunteer less than we used to, welive alonetoday more than ever before) also play a major role. Lifestyle brands, with their ready-made value systems and unique languages (visual, sensory, auditory) make us feel deeply seenand connect us to others who share similar values. And when a brand espouses a value system that gets us, the evidence shows well buyand buy in.

Our relationship to the institutional structures that once formed societys backbonefamily, religion, governmenthas changed dramatically in recent decades. Marriage rates areway down. Attendance at religious services is at anall-time low. Voter turnout isabysmal. We put our faith in institutions in part because they represent a larger system of shared values. But today, whats missing are shared systems of any kind that help us make sense of the world. Lifestyle brands jump in to fill the void, imparting meaning amidst chaos. One brand that skillfully leverages this idea is The National Rifle Association, which has become a formidable political lobbyer, largely because it drums up ideological fervor in its adherents by equating gun ownership with the most quintessentially American form of self-expression: personal freedom.

Whereas we once looked to community and societal institutions to help shape our belief systems, that task now falls on us. And were embracing the identity quest with gusto. Our jobs, marriages, children, friendships and side hustles are all vehicles for self-actualizing in ways that would have been considered unthinkable just two decades ago. Lifestyle brands thrive in this environment in part because they encourage us to believe that working on ourselves isnt narcissistic or selfish, but actually vitally important work.

Admittedly, acting as a stand-in for your priest, rabbi, BFF, therapist or life coach is a heavy burden for a lifestyle brand to bear. But when youre selling a belief system, responsibility comes with the territory. Its a task WeWork failed to master. But the companys downfall serves as a cautionary tale for other brands: if you tell consumers you stand for something largersomething that could potentially change their livesyoud better deliver on that promise, from your products to your hiring practices to your marketing plan to the behavior of your CEO. If you cant, then maybe youre not cut out to be a lifestyle brand in todays marketplace.

Maybe youre just meant to be a regular brand selling a regular productlike, say, office space.

Read the original post:

WeWork may have overreached but lifestyle brands aren't going anywhere. Here's why - AdAge.com

The scene repeats itself throughout the early day and into late afternoon, as fans, mostly of the Dallas Cowboys but a few of the visiting Minnesota Vikings, begin to converge on AT&T Stadium. Among the cacophony of competing stereos and smell of grilled meats, they see the group of cars, so close to the stadium that surrounding lots charge $100 to park. But its not proximity that sets them apart. Look at that! someone will say, and then, almost instinctively, they and their traveling party will walk toward the custom-designed cars, pulling phones from their pockets.

Some ask for permission. Take as many pictures as you want, the owners of the cars answer. Others dont. They just take themselfies, taking turns posing, parents telling children to stand there and smile. A few, as if they realize its futile to try to capture the small details of each car in one snap, instead record videos, walking with baby steps around these rolling monuments to the Cowboys.

They capture the candy-colored paint job that sparkles in the sun. The murals on the cars of past and present players and coaches. The interiors lined with so many blue and silver stars that it feels impossible to count them all. The blue chrome 28-inch rims that, at the center, have the logo and name of their car club, CowboysLifeone word added so as not to infringe on trademarks.

These carsfour of them made the trip for the Cowboys nationally televised Sunday night game against the Vikingsare part of a club thats been at most home games since the stadium opened in 2009. In the decade since, the membership has grown. Members as far away as California have dedicated their Hondas, Chevys, or Nissans to the team they love. Theres even a Cowboys-themed lowrider bicycle among the club, as well as a Harley and a four-wheeler.

Everyone cant attend every game, but theres always someone here, across from the Blue 10 parking lot. At this years season opener, against the New York Giants, 1,000 people attended the CowboysLife pregame festivities. And no matter how many come, they tailgate, cooking on a custom-made 150-gallon grill thats so big its attached to a small trailer, which has a pole flying a Cowboys flag. Under that banner, fluttering in the breeze of this mild day, CowboysLife members eat tacos and drink beer. They listen to music and watch other games on TV until its time for their team to take the field.

Id had some that, after taking pictures, someone will say, Man, I hate the Cowboys, but I love your car, Jose Saldivar says. Jose is the founder and president of CowboysLife. He has a CowboysLife tattoo on his left arm, which he got a few months after the club began, in December 2009. Jose drives a 1986 Chevy C-10. Until a drunk driver slammed into it, as it sat parked outside Joses house, it was the truck his father used to work as a roofer. Its name is Dynasty. It has Lamborghini scissor doors and a pinstripe paint job in Dallas Cowboys colors, and when Jose parks Dynasty, the truck drops several inches. The bed raises and tilts, looking like a Transformer. Its hood is blue, and at the center, toward the windshield, a mural depicts the teams five Super Bowl trophies in front of Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson.

About the only thing that isnt Cowboys related is the front license plate. Its the logoa tando hat atop sunglasses and a thin mustacheassociated with lowriders, going all the way back to when they were called pachuco cars, after the Mexican and Mexican-American youths who wore screaming-bright zoot suits. When car culture took hold after World War II, they filled their trunks with bricks and bags of sand and cement, and drove their cars bajito y suavecito. Low and slow.

At the very least, lowridersand other cars that clubs form aroundare an extension of ones identity. At most, theyre a political statement. Its a street aesthetic that says something, perhaps everything, about the person driving: where they come from, who they are, what they refuse to hide of themselves. Regardless of what significance they hold, its an aesthetic thats expensive.

From the bottom to the topwheels and rims, hydraulics or air bags, paint job, interior, and everything else related to the vehicles inner workingsit takes money and resourcefulness to make ones car stand out. Jose estimates his truck has $40,000 worth of work. And yet he spent only about a quarter of that, incrementallya few hundred dollars here, a few more there, first fixing one part of the truck, then another, doing as much of the work himself as he could. And since its part of their purpose and function, Jose, like every other member, relied on the club for help.

Members as far away as California have dedicated their Hondas, Chevys, or Nissans to the team they love. Theres even a Cowboys-themed lowrider bicycle among the club, as well as a Harley and a four-wheeler.

You have a painter in the club, you have somebody who does body, somebody who does hydraulics, Jose says. Theyre giving you that homie hookup, which is where it was invented. So you have these guys in the club, and he scratches your back, you scratch theirs. Thats how it works.

For these clubs to work, in general, they must also give something back to the places they come from. They already draw enough attention. You have to do good in the community to basically keep going, Jose says. If youre out there creating havoc, nobody invites you, nobody wants you. So then theres no point of you out there as a car club.

That aspect of CowboysLife attracted Osvaldo Rojas, who until five years ago, when he joined the club, wasnt even a sports fan. He owns a 1996 Ford Bronco named Americas Tribute. Its camouflage wrapped, with a large blue star on each door. When he revs its engine, all the ambient music from nearby tailgating parties disappears. Mainly, what I like to do is charity work, Osvaldo says.

For CowboysLife and other affiliated groups, that charity work includes annual scholarships and toy runs. Theyve given away bikes. Theyve hosted a car showRolling for the Curewhere all money raised went to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Car clubs form around themes. Some are just lowriders. Others are just cars of a certain make or model. Some clubs are full of cars that remind you of The Fast and the Furious. CowboysLife, of course, unites around a love of the Dallas Cowboys. Most members inherited that love from their families. For some, this is also where their love of cars comes from. Presumably, this is what will happen with the young children running around at CowboysLifes tailgating events.

The reason I became a Cowboys fan was because of my dad, Jose says. On game days, his dad would wear a Cowboys jacket while watching alongside family, including young Jose.

For Randy Samora, it worked the same way. Since a baby, is how he answers when asked how long hes cheered for the Cowboys. Randy, who lives outside of Houston, has been a member of CowboysLife for four years. He saw a picture of Jose and Dynasty in a newspaper and said, I want to do something like that. So he joined. He converted his silver 2007 Jeep Wrangler into Dem Boys, a play on the Wiz Khalifa song We Dem Boyz.

Randys Dem Boys is an ode to the storied history of the team. Players from past and presentRoger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Jason Wittenblanket the doors. The wheel cover at the back has the car clubs own blue star logo, We ride with pride circling around it. The only part of Dem Boys that seems untouched by anything Cowboys related is the top. That will be dedicated to the Super Bowl, Randy says. Thats what its waiting on.

An entire generation knows only of the past Cowboys success based on what theyve read and seen in old recordings, along with what older fans tell them. For them, its been nothing but frustration. That freaking field goal from Romo, Gabriel Saldivar says. The botched snap, thats the worst one. You can call it whatever you want; that botch started it. Every year Romo came back, I had confidence until playoff time came around.

Gabriel has a 1989 Chevy Caprice. The same beautiful car that you saw on that movie Hustle & Flow is how he describes it. A certified minister with an easy laugh and smile to counter his imposing 6-foot-3 build, Gabriel named his blue car Hail Mary. Its the one that stops the most passersby. Drew Pearson, who caught that last-second Hail Mary pass to win a playoff game in 1975, signed the glove compartment. Original jerseys of Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin cover Hail Marys seats.

At 34 years old, Gabriel mostly remembers the parades from the last time the Cowboys won a Super Bowl. Hes confident theyll win one again. First of all, were going to try to get into that parade downtown, cause you know thats gonna happen, Gabriel says as he watches his 2-year-old son play inside the car. And then after that, on the back side, he points toward the chrome bumper glistening in the sun, were just gonna add the years. And Ill have six.

Tonight, though, the Cowboys lose. The Vikings intercept Prescotts attempt at a Hail Mary. The slow-moving, postgame traffic feels almost unbearable. Stuck looking at all the red taillights ahead, hardly anyone moving, there is time to reflect on more than two decades of losses, all of the almosts and not-good-enoughs since the last Super Bowl win.

I feel disappointed, Jose says. The team hes always watched while surrounded by friends and family. The team he loves so much that he dedicated a car club to them. Its kind of like having a child. They do something wrong, it disappoints you. But you still love them to death.

Follow this link:

A Car Club That Lives the Cowboys Life - D Magazine

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. A new partnership wants to help formally incarcerated Hoosiers, and two Indiana businesses are now working together in hopes of helping more people land meaningful opportunities after their time behind bars.

Officials say this is a big step forward in their fight to return citizens back to the workforce.

Kyle Gregoire was behind bars in the county jail for about a year. During that time, he worried about what life would be like, once he got out.

That was always at the front of my mind, said Gregoire.

Until he found an opportunity that he says, turned his life around.

The first time I heard about RecycleForce and the things that they do and everyone at work release was telling me about all of the certifications you can get, you can get certified to drive a forklift, and theres all of these perks to getting a job, said Gregoire, I immediately was interested.

RecycleForce helps formally incarcerated citizens get back into the workforce. Last week, the organization announced a partnership with Brightmark Energy in Ashley, Indiana.

Recycling things and recycling lives are so very important to rebound this community and this entire state, said Gregg Keesling, the Founder and President of RecycleForce.

The plan is for Brightmark Energy to hire workers who will be trained at his facility.

Weve got people from Jay, Jasper, Fulton and Madison and just all over the state that get diverted into our program here. Some want to stay, but many want to go home, and this is an opportunity, they may not be from Steuben County, they may be from an area thats like Steuben County, said Keesling.

The plan is for the workers to be paid a starting wage of $15 an hour with full benefits and will live near by the plant.

Rent will be cheaper, the pay is going to be good, we hope the community up there will be accepting of a few people that have made mistakes, Keesling added.

Workers at RecycleForce are already looking forward to the partnership.

Ive been here in Indianapolis my whole life and obviously I havent been doing something right. You know, Ive been going to jail, and I just need a change of scenery, new people, different environment, said Gregoire.

Brightmark CEO, Bob Powell recently visited the facility here in Indy. He said in a statement he felt inspired by the important work they do.

Brightmark is incredibly proud to be collaborating with an organization that provides such vital services to the community and to formerly incarcerated folks and their families by extension who are trying to change their lives for the better. We look forward to building a long and fruitful partnership for both of our organizations. I cant wait to see RecycleForces qualified trainees on our factory floor as Brightmark employees.

Keesling says although the partnership has been announced, theyre still in the early stages of talking with county leaders and the Department of Corrections to find out if they can make this work. He said Brightmark Energy wouldnt be ready to hire until the Spring.

This gives us an opportunity to talk to the leaders at the department of correction, the leaders here in Marion County, and also those up in Allen and Steuben and surrounding counties, said Keesling.

RecycleForce will also supply Brightmark Energy with 1,700 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics like car seats and computers for processing.

Some of our old junk that we dont need any more and the people that weve thrown away, and we remake them into something new, said Keesling.

Gregoire added, Were not all bad people. You know, not at all. Hard workers, some of the hardest workers Ive ever met were felons or people who were incarcerated.

Again, this partnership still needs to be approved by the Department of Correction and county leaders.

More here:

Two companies join forces to provide jobs for former Hoosier inmates: Recycling things and recycling lives - FOX 59 Indianapolis

OTTAWA Call it the case of the missing icebreaker.

The fate of the Canadian Coast Guards next heavy icebreaker has been wrapped in mystery since the federal government quietly removed the $1.3-billion project from Vancouver shipyard Seaspans order book in May.

But plans to build the icebreaker, which was first promised by Stephen Harpers Conservative government more than a decade ago, have not been cancelled, says Coast Guard Commissioner Mario Pelletier.

Rather, Pelletier said the icebreaker has been sent back to the drawing board as the Coast Guard looks to update the original design to account for changes in technology and the governments requirements.

Its still in the plan, Pelletier told The Canadian Press this week. Actually, were updating our design. It was a really good design. Because its been a number of years, were just updating the design and well see how that unfolds and were going to queue it somewhere.

Exactly when and where the CCGS John G. Diefenbaker, as the icebreaker is to be named, will be built and how much it will ultimately cost remains up in the air.

We're just updating the design and we'll see how that unfolds and we're going to queue it somewhere

But Pelletier expressed confidence the icebreaker it is expected to replace, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in service since 1969 will be able to operate through to the late 2020s thanks to various upgrades. That includes a recent $7.1-million life extension by Quebecs Chantier Davie shipyard.

The Diefenbaker was originally supposed to replace the St-Laurent in 2017.

Before we decided to invest in vessel life extension, we did an extensive survey and they were amazed at the amount of steel left on the ship, said Pelletier, who previously served on the Louis S. St-Laurent when it was still running on steam power.

So yes, the ship is old. (But it has) a lot of steel left so that makes it safe and the propulsion-control system and everything else have been upgraded. They were upgraded in the 90s, were upgraded four or five years ago again. So shes been extremely reliable.

Seaspan was tapped in 2011 to build Diefenbaker as part of a larger order that also included four science vessels for the Coast Guard and two navy supply ships, but it was removed from the Vancouver shipyards order book and replaced with 16 smaller multipurpose vessels in May.

Davie has been jumping at the chance to have the Diefenbaker built at its shipyard outside Quebec City.

The federal government announced Thursday that Davie was the only shipyard to qualify for addition into Canadas multibillion-dollar shipbuilding strategy, through which Ottawa is already building new naval warships, Arctic patrol vessels and Coast Guard science ships.

While that sets the company up to win potentially billions of dollars of federal work building six medium icebreakers for the Coast Guard, it has been lobbying hard for the heavier Diefenbaker as well.

The government has said Ontario-based Heddle Shipyards, which had raised concerns from the start that the selection process was rigged in Davies favour, did not qualify for inclusion in the strategy. The company has said it is looking at its options.

Pelletier said no decision has been made on where the Diefenbaker will be built, adding: The way things are starting up, we are going to start the (multipurpose vessels) and the (six) icebreakers before. When we look at all options for the polar, well see where it can go.

The industry both down south and up north are putting a lot of pressure for us to renew our program icebreakers

The Coast Guard commissioner applauded the governments addition of a third shipyard focused exclusively on building icebreakers as good news for his service given the age of its current fleet, with many ships having already exceeded their expected lifespans.

That has resulted in more unplanned breakdowns, leading to ferry-service disruptions, difficulties resupplying northern and coastal communities and complaints from industry about negative impacts on maritime trade.

The industry both down south and up north are putting a lot of pressure for us to renew our program icebreakers, Pelletier said, referring to the main icebreaker fleet.

The Coast Guard did obtain three second-hand icebreakers for more than $800 million from Davie. The company is still in the process of converting two of them for the Coast Guards use to help fill the gap, but those are considered a temporary measure.

Go here to see the original:

Back to the drawing board for missing heavy icebreaker: Coast Guard - National Post

A Texas Air National Guard fighter squadron flying F-16s is one of the first units to paint its planes in a new, radar-absorbing paint scheme. The paint signals the Air Forces reluctant decision to keep old F-16s flying through the 2020s, at least.

The Air National Guards paint facility in Sioux City, Iowa in mid-December 2019 rolled out a Block 30 F-16C with the new version the Have Glass paint jobs. The F-16C, a Block 30 model, belongs to the 149th Fighter Wing flying out of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

The new, single-color paint scheme is a recent departure from the older two-tone gray paint scheme normally associated with F-16s that belong to the United States Air Force, the Pentagon stated.

Most American F-16s for decades have worn a mostly light-gray paint scheme. Since around 2012, however, the Air Force under the Have Glass V initiative slowly has been applying a new, single-tone, dark-gray livery to some F-16s

The new ferromagnetic paint, which can absorb radar energy, first appeared on some of the roughly 200 F-16s the Air Force assigns to the dangerous suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses, or SEAD, mission. SEAD squadrons reside in Minnesota, South Carolina, Germany and Japan.

The Texas Air National Guard F-16 apparently is the first Block 30 F-16 to receive a variant of the Have Glass V paint. Where previous Have Glass V paint jobs included a lighter-tone radar radome, the current scheme covers both the radome and the rest of the plane in the same, dark tone.

No paint can compensate for a plane's shape. In particular, the shapes of its wings, engine inlet and engine nozzle. Square shapes, right angles and perpendicular planes such as engine turbines strongly reflect radar waves.

Even with Have Glass, the F-16 on average has a 1.2-square-meter radar cross-section, according to Globalsecurity, while the F-22 and F-35 boast RCSs smaller than .005 square meters.

So the Have Glass V F-16s arent stealth fighters. But they are stealthier than are F-16s with older paint schemes. Since Have Glass V undoubtedly is expensive, the Air Force logically prioritized repainting planes in units flying the dangerous SEAD mission.

Its noteworthy that Block 30 F-16s, which first appeared in 1986, also are getting Have Glass V treatment. The roughly 300 Block 30s are some of the oldest fighters in the Air Force inventory, and strictly fly with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.

The Air Force for years struggled to define a replacement plan for the Block 30 F-16s, which on average have accumulated more than 7,000 flight hours. The F-35 eventually could replace the Block 30s. But with F-35 production rates fall far below projections, even under the best of circumstances it could take a decade or more to replace all the Block 30s.

The 149th Fighter Wing is one of several Air National Guard units that for years has lobbied the Air Force to bump it higher in the list for new F-35s. But the flying branch so far has tapped Guard wings in Vermont, Wisconsin and Alabama to get F-35s, leaving a couple dozen other units in limbo for the time being.

Conceding that it cannot acquire F-35s fast enough, the Air Force now plans to conduct a service-life extension on more than 800 of its roughly 900 F-16s, apparently skipping over only the oldest Block 25 models that entered service in the early 1980s.

The life-extension could help the Block 30s fly for a few years longer. Some Block 30s also are receiving new electronically-scanned-array radars to replace their old analogue units. Stealther paint also helps the aging F-16s stay relevant.

The U.S. Air Force isnt the only air arm to apply radar-absorbing paint to otherwise non-stealthy fighters. The Chinese air force in early 2019 also began applying ferromagnetic paint to its roughly 50 J-16s fighters.

The J-16 is an upgraded version of the older J-11 fighter that China copied from the Russian Su-27.

David Axe serves as Defense Editor of the National Interest. He is theauthor of the graphic novelsWar Fix,War Is BoringandMachete Squad.

Originally posted here:

Did the F-16 Just Go Stealth? - The National Interest Online

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. -- Ryan Becwar remembers hearing talk of extending Ridge Road when he was in high school.

Its just been a long time coming, he said.

And now its finally happening.

I was completely shocked and surprised after so many years it was such a relief that hey this thing is going to go through, Becwar said.

Becwar is part of the Citizens for The Ridge Road Extension group that pushed for the project for so long. And now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finally issued the project permits.

It take Ridge Road in New Port Richey and extend it east to the Suncoast Parkway and eventually all the way U.S. 41 in Land O Lakes. Part of the reason it took decades to become reality were environmental concerns about what would happen to Pascos wetlands.

Officials say the four-lane road way will heave 16 bridges to designed to maintain the habitat below.

Supporters of the project say extending Ridge Road gives the county another much needed hurricane evacuation route, reducing evacuation times by nearly 30 percent. They say it will also help drive business, connecting New Port Richey to Land O Lakes and the booming Connerton area.

Its important for our citizens quality of life matters to our citizens and this is going to help make their daily commutes a little bit easier, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

The first phase from New Port Richey to the Suncoast is underway now. The section to US 41 will begin in late 2022.

You can click here for more information on the project.

Visit link:

Driving Tampa Bay Forward Pasco County's Ridge Road Extension Project finally starting Erik Waxler 6:55 - ABC Action News

Consumer beverage packaging market has undergone a tremendous change in the recent years with introduction of new designs and use of eco-friendly material. Convenience, recyclability, shelf-life extension and online retailing are some of the factors playing a crucial role in the changes taking place in the consumer beverage packaging. The trend of on-the-go eating and consuming beverages has led to the production of more convenient packaging with focus on ease to handle feature.

With increasing caution among consumers when it comes to food, the trend of clean packaging is gaining momentum in the market. Hence, manufacturers are investing in the research and development of beverage packaging that is recyclable and product-friendly that can preserve beverage in it for a long time. Lightweight packaging is another trend gaining traction in the beverage packaging. Packaging remains a key factor differentiating beverage products. Moreover, manufacturers are also focusing on implementing advanced technology to minimize wastage of packaging materials, and speed up the production process.

A new Transparency Market Research report inspects the global market for consumer beverage packaging for the period between 2017 and 2026. The report supports its readers by accumulating and slating all possible strategies with regard to valuable insights for maintaining a proper tempo with changing market dynamics at present and in the near future. The report presents in-depth information associated with the market size, opportunities for the market growth, and trends, restraints & drivers of the market expansion. The report is well-structured and maintains a good flow, providing understanding on all aspects of the Consumer beverage packaging market.

Are you a start-up willing to make it big in the business? Grab an exclusive PDF Sample of this Report @https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=39563

Report Structure

Recommendations and analysis of TMR on the global consumer beverage packaging market is an additional benefit offered by the report. An executive summary of the market is delivered in the reports first chapter, which incorporates insights and forecasts on all the market segments included. Market number such as CAGRs, and revenues for the historical (2012-2016) & forecast (2017-2026) period have been rendered in this chapter.

An overview of the global Consumer beverage packaging market has been provided following the executive summary. The overview imparts an incisive introduction of the market, with a formal definition of consumer beverage packaging trailing the market introduction. This chapter comprises intelligence related to the market viewpoint of consumer beverage packaging, along with macroeconomic factors influencing the market expansion. This chapter clearly portrays the global Consumer beverage packaging markets wide scope to the report readers.

Competition Landscape

The report has engulfed a chapter on the global consumer beverage packaging markets competitive landscape, which provides detailed analysis and insights on companies offering consumer beverage packaging. Profiles of key companies, along with a strategic overview of their M&A and expansion plans across geographies, have been delivered in this chapter. This chapter is priceless for report readers, as its enables them in gauging their growth potential in the market and implement key strategies for extending their market reach. This chapter offers key recommendations for both new and existing market participants, enabling them to emerge sustainably and profitably.

Intelligence on the market players has been delivered on the basis of their product overview, SWOT analysis, key developments, key financials and company overview. Occupancy of these market participants has been tracked by the report and portrayed via an intensity map.

Market Taxonomy

Subsequently, the report issues chapters on the global consumer beverage packaging markets segmentation analysis. Insights and forecasts with respect to the market segments namely, application, packaging type, packaging material, and region, have been comprehensively delivered in these chapters. The segmentation analysis of the global consumer beverage packaging market engulfs indispensable market numbers such as the market share comparison, Y-o-Y growth comparison and revenue comparison. Succeeding chapters in the report propound insights and analyses on the regional segments included in the report viz., North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Latin America, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.

Excerpt from:

Consumer Beverage Packaging Market to record 5.4% CAGR by 2026 | TMR - Filmi Baba

Late Last December

Caltrans renames a portion of the 134 Freeway after President Barack Obama, Pasadena City Manager Steve Mermell names Brenda Harvey-Williams director of human services and recreation, and Pasadena City College Trustees pick Erika Endrijonas as PCCs President/Superintendent.

January 2019

SNL stars Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon and Tim Meadows reteam for Funny or Dies online Rose Parade commentary parody, a Rose Parade float commemorating Chinese and other ethnic workers on the Transcontinental Railroad breaks down, freelancer journalists unionize for a better life in Americas growing gig economy, illegal pot dispensary operator Shaun Szameitchallenges the citys new cannabis law, a homeless person is accused of killing the mother of a woman who adopted her kids, thenproclaims innocence from jail, and LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has big and controversial plans for the beleaguered department. Gang members face life in prison for murdering four people in 2017, Professors Peter Dreier and Mark Maier take a critical look at what makes Pasadena such an unequal place to live in Pasadenas Tale of Two Cities, Pasadena-born Terry Gamble talks about her latest work, The Eulogist, which witnesses slavery, war, industrialization and populism through the experiences of an immigrant Irish family, former city employee Danny Wooten is sentenced to 14 years for embezzlement as Altadena businessman and co-defendant Tyrone Collins gets seven years behind bars, the Tournament of Roses names first Latina president in Laura Farber, backers and opponents of a $15 per hour minimum wage by 2020 turn up the heat ahead of a Pasadena council meeting, once-embattled Altadena librarian Mindy Kittay reaches a settlement with the local library district, and US Rep. Judy Chu introduces legislation to block President Trumps latest Muslim ban.

February

A JPL-NASA report details a gigantic cavity in Antarcticas Thwaites Glacier and former FBI Director James Comey talks to a Pasadena audience about his firing, the Russia investigation and why Americans must vote Trump out of office. Comic Bill Burr lets his inner rage rip at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, gun-dealing Pasadena cop Vasken Gourdikian wants probation for selling weapons online while federal prosecutors say he should serve hard time, the Pasadena City Council votes to raise the minimum wage to $15, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren unveils her policy plans at an Alex Theatre appearance, illegal pot dispensary owner Shaun Sazmeit targets Councilman Victor Gordo in a recall effort but later misses the filing deadline, all-star jam band Wild Honey Orchestra pays tribute to The Kinks at annual autism benefit concert at the Alex, Joan Williams, Miss Crown City 1958 who was denied a place in the Rose Parade due to her race, dies at age 86, and supporters of 2019 Rose Queen Louise Deser Siskel, who went public about her bi-sexuality, drown out Westboro Baptist Church picketers with messages of love.

March

Parsons Engineering announces plans to move its headquarters from Pasadena to Virginia, Los Angeles County workers admit to spraying Roundup weed killer on county property in Pasadena, and a staged concert reading at Boston Court lets audiences experience an opera-in-development about late fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Actor Arsenio Hall brings his stylish comic flair to the Ice House, former Pasadena nun Catherine Morris and her husband Jeff Dietrich continue dedicating their lives to helping the homeless living on Skid Row, county Supervisor Katherine Barger calls for a temporary moratorium on the use of Roundup, and actor Bill Oberst Jr. channels Ray Bradbury in free show at South Pasadena Library. Twenty-one racehorse deaths has Santa Anita Park executives worried the sport could face consequences similar to those of SeaWorld over its treatment of orcas, the Pasadena City Council amends its Tenant Protection Ordinance to increase local renter protections, and El Portal Restaurant owner Abel Ramirez celebrates his 25th anniversary of business in the Playhouse District.

April

Ten-member Tower of Power brings its horn-driven magic to The Rose, a federal judge dismisses some claims in Christopher Ballews police brutality lawsuit against the city of Pasadena but allows a racial profiling allegation to go to trial, My Big Fat Greek Wedding star Nia Vardalos stars in Tiny Beautiful Things at the Pasadena Playhouse, The Gin Blossoms, Dustbowl Revival and Incendio are among the many acts at the South Pasadena Eclectic Music Festival, and the state Supreme Court takes up former PW cartoonist Ted Ralls lawsuit suit against the LA Times.

May

Activists and some local officials worry about a citizenship question being placed on the US Census survey, state officials refuse to grant the city a three-month extension to review the toxic cleanup at the Space Bank storage facility being considered as a major housing development, the county grants a 30-day extension of its Roundup moratorium, and Bob Eubanks reveals his role in rock history in promoting the Beatles. Pasadena Councilman Tyron Hampton becomes vice mayor as Councilman Gene Masuda announces bid for a third term. Legendary Johnny Mathis, appearing at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, fondly recalls the influence of family on his stellar career, author Dean Kuipers explains how rebuilding troubled land helped repair his fractured family in The Deer Camp, the Pasadena council awards a San Francisco firm a half-million dollars to design a suicide barrier on Colorado Street Bridge, John C. Reilly finds theater gold at the Pasadena Playhousein a month-long run of Gather, homelessness declines in Pasadena thanks to focus on providing short- and long-term housing, the US Supreme Court refuses to hear a case on what are now Norton Simons Adam and Eve paintings, the Pasadena Tenant Justice Coalition tries to get rent control on the November ballot, and cancer claims the life of beloved community activist and businesswoman Jaylene Moseley.

June

Presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Julian Castro, Jay Inslee and Kirsten Gillibrand bring their campaigns to the Crown City, Pasadena filmmaker Marcos Durian turns a tough childhood into great art with his new short Fish Head, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the man who created The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and retooled Archie comics, brings Good Boys to the Pasadena Playhouse, and officials at Santa Anita racetrack refuse to cancel the remainder of scheduled meets after two more horses are put down. Officials with Pasadenas sister city in Africa pay a visit, Congressman Adam Schiff tries but fails to get US Army Corps of Engineers to stop using Roundup around the LA River, and a Superior Court judge rules against the county in a lawsuit over the Big Dig sediment removal project in Devils Gate Dam.

July

Breeders Cup officials vote to keep racing at Santa Anita Park despite the many fatalities, US District Judge Manuel Real, who ordered busing in Pasadena schools in 1970, dies at age 95, John Lloyd Young turns his Tony-winning starring role as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys into a classic pop extravaganza at The Rose, and the High Court bars a citizenship question from appearing on US Census forms. Pasadena celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, Pasadena Weekly celebrates 35 years of publishing, Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden visits the home of Pasadena City Councilman John Kennedy, all systems are go for Planetary Societys LightSail 2 project, county supervisors formally ban the use of glyphosate-based products, including Roundup, and protesters bring construction of the Caltech-backed Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea to a halt.

August

The Pasadena Weekly, formerly owned by Southland Publishing, is acquired by Times Media Group, based in Tempe, Arizona, Gentrification leads to eviction for members of the Washington 16, Pasadena Heritage Executive Director Sue Mossman celebrates more than 40 years of keeping the Crown City royal, US Rep. Judy Chu is among majority of House Democrats to support a Trump impeachment inquiry, and, as Pasadena celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment, activists say the right to vote was but one of many big victories needed for full gender equality. The World Cup-winning US womens soccer team kicks off victory tour with a 3-0 win over Ireland at the Rose Bowl, George Takei shines a spotlight on the similarities between todays border detentions and the dark history of Japanese-American internment camps, marchers rally at the federal appeals court in Pasadena in favor of immigrant rights, Robins Wood Fire BBQ closes after 37 years, Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago performs three decades of alt-rock hits at the Pasadena Daydream Festival, and Pasadenans call for gun control and immigration reform at a Villa Parke vigil for the victims of recent mass shootings.

September

The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area picks its first black president in Pat Coulter, Vromans presents Sister Helen Prejean in conversation with Rev. Mike Kinman about her new book and spiritual journey at All Saints Church, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap bring their emotional rock balladry to The Rose, and Pasadena police turn a corner on transparency seven years after the deadly Kendrec McDade shooting. JPLs Josh Willis, principal investigator on the Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) project, believes Climate Rock can help raise public awareness of global warming, hundreds join the Pasadena Die-In as millions worldwide wage Climate Strikes to force leaders to combat climate change, and Trump taps Pasadena Reagan Republican Robert C. OBrien to take over as National Security Advisor

October

Joe Biden goes after President Trump in another visit to Pasadena as impeachment inquiry heats up, former Pasadena Mayor Bill Paparian receives a lifesaving kidney from his wife, Sona, even though they have different blood types, the Huntington Librarys Nineteen Nineteen exhibit illuminates historys impact on the present, and parents of girl who drowned at summer day camp establish a foundation. The play A Kid Like Jake examines the complexities of a childs gender identity at the Pasadena playhouse, The Abuelas explores Argentinas living disappeared babies kidnapped from murdered political prisoners after 1976 military junta at Antaeus Theatre in Glendale, candidates begin campaigns for mayor and City Council seats in districts 1, 2, 4 and 6, local author Chip Jacobs launches Arroyo, a historical novel about Pasadena and the origins of the Colorado Street Bridge, at Vromans, the Pasadena Weekly learns convicted rapist and former PUSD volunteer John Laurence Whitaker has yet to stand trial 14 years after being charged with two murders, former Rose Queen Drew Washington and her father Craig travel to Africa as part of a campaign to reconnect people with their ancestry in the 400th year since the start of slavery in America, and Tony Award-winning actor BD Wong directs Lauren Yees witty and politically relevant basketball drama The Great Leap at Pasadena Playhouse.

November

Pasadena Christian leaders are deeply divided in the Era of Trump, calls to end horse racing at Santa Anita are renewed after owners euthanize a gelding at the Breeders Cup, Pasadena adopts the states Tenant Protection Act in special midnight meeting, the nearly forgotten Song of the Pasadena Rose Parade resurfaces after four decades, Lakers co-owner Johnny Buss buys the iconic Ice House comedy club, and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown discusses his new book, Desk 88, with journalist Miriam Pawel at All Saints. Rabbi and social justice activist Marvin Gross, who helped the homeless and fought for many righteous causes, dies at age 70. The audience joins in the fun of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) at Sierra Madre Playhouse. Congressman Schiff, who since January has been chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is now recommending the presidents impeachment.

December

A Fuller Seminary online student is expelled for violating the schools sexual standards, young stars help Lythgoe Family Pantos A Snow White Christmas 2.0 bring audiences into the action at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena Weekly moves from its office of more than 20 years in Old Pasadena to more modern digs in South Pasadena, local students stage another climate strike at Pasadena City Hall, the Pasadena City Council shoots down proposed changes to the citys cannabis ordinance, and students ask local leaders to sign a climate change pledge.

Originally posted here:

A month-by-month recounting of events last year that shaped our lives - Pasadena Weekly

The National Pork Board reported U.S. consumption of bacon increased 2.4% from 2001 to 2013, with Americans consuming about 1.1 billion servings of bacon annually.

Getty Images

National Bacon Day is Dec. 30, but many Americans celebrate this tasty slice of life on most days and in more ways than ever before.

According to the National Pork Board, U.S. consumption of bacon increased 2.4% from 2001 to 2013, with Americans consuming about 1.1 billion servings of bacon annually.

Pork belly, the cut of meat that produces bacon, is found on 8.7% of U.S. menus, a 59% increase in the number of restaurants serving products from the cut since 2014. Bacon is estimated to be served at seven of every 10 U.S. restaurants.

The pork boards report also indicates bacons increased demand over the last few decades is due to its growing appeal beyond breakfast. Today, bacon can be found on, in or wrapped around everything from other meats like filet mignon to treats like ice cream.

Bacon has definitely moved beyond the breakfast table, said Ray Riley, director of Texas A&M Universitys Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center. Its because everything tastes better with bacon.

Riley has witnessed the shift at the centers retail store, which offers a variety of meats including bacon, filet mignon, spare ribs and lamb chops all mostly produced within the universitys animal science department.

We historically supply the retail store with bacon products based on harvests, which remain the same year after year, he said. But now I have to buy pork bellies to supplement our supply in order to have bacon year-round.

Davey Griffin, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service meat specialist in College Station, said he cant explain bacons skyrocketing popularity beyond agreeing with Riley.

Bacon is pretty darn good, Griffin said. Its amazing what pork bellies have done in the last several years. Theyve outpaced every other pork product and become the most valuable cut. Even when we see rises in belly prices, the public takes it in stride because they want their bacon.

Sliced bacon prices have been relatively stable since 2017, he said. In November, sliced bacon was $5.50 per pound nationally, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture retail reports. It was $5.79 per pound in November 2018 and $5.70 per pound at the same time in 2017.

Concerns that Chinas demand for pork could cause a bacon shortage as that nation deals with African swine flu and major losses to their herd are likely more hype than reality, Griffin said. U.S. pork production and pork belly cold storage levels are at all-time highs, and two new pork production facilities opened in 2019.

But higher bacon prices are not out of the question, he said. Pork bellies are the most in-demand cuts, and market pressures on pork carcasses could affect their value.

Griffin said pork bellies have moved ahead of hams, loins, Boston butts and picnic shoulders cuts traditionally graded by the USDA for marketing purposes.

Its interesting that pork bellies didnt register that high on the list of cuts for so long, and now bacon is king, he said. It is hands down the top pork product.

Link:

Bacon Has Its Day - Texas A&M University

Jason Mueller knows that as long as his familylives in the Center Grove school district, there's no escaping growth. It's part of the deal when living in a popular area20 miles south of Indianapolis.

But earlier this year, the Walnut Grove Elementary PE teacher decided it was time to leave the "hustle and bustle" of Greenwood and relocate to the slower side of Center Grove: Bargersville.

"It's just getting super-duper crowded onthe north side," Mueller said.

Bargersville offered a place with "less traffic, less people" and the same beloved schools that draws so many to the area. Center Grove was among the 25 highest-performing school districts in the state on the 2019 ILEARN tests and has received an A accountability grade for the past two school years.

It's a slower, quieter life in the old farming town, but as Mueller knows, it is not devoid of growth. In fact, growth iseverywhere in Bargersville.

Drone footage shows Saddle Club subdivision, one of several new residential developments off County Road 144 in Bargersville.(Photo: Stephen J. Beard and Joe Tamborello/IndyStar)

What began as a small plotwith 150 residentsin 1850 has grown to over 18.5 square miles of land and more than 7,700 people. And much of that change is recent, resulting from large annexations between 2005 and 2011 when the town's area grew to nearly 15 times its size.To accommodate the growth, residential development has spiked. Just in 2019, 167 single-family building permits have been issued.

That boom will almost certainly get louder as the small town undergoes yet another transformation: the Interstate 69 extension. The interstate, which will replace Ind. 37 from Martinsville to Indianapolis, will run through the northwest corner of Bargersville. A large interchange is planned at Ind. 144, the town's east-west artery.

As town leaders and residents prepare for what's to come, there's one question at the forefront: How will this small town retain its charm during atime ofgame-changinggrowth?

"That's definitely one of the challenges that we've identified right now," Bargersville Town Manager Julie Young said. "And we're trying to find that right balance of having growth and still respecting our roots and where we've come from."

Like so many small-town Main Streets,Bargersville's is quaint and charming. There's a post office, a town hall and a police department.Grain elevators bookend the town center, and a railroadcuts through the middle of Main Street both symbols of the town's history.

Bargersville began as a small community with a general store, post office, church and school.Then in 1908, theIndianapolis Southern Railroad laid tracks running parallel with SR 135. Not long after, D.W. Rapp hopped off the train at Bargersville and decided toopen a grain elevator. The area became known as New Bargersville, and an era of growth began.

A quiet downtown Bargersville at Baldwin St. and Harriman Ave., is seen, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. With the expansion of I-69, the Bargersville area will be growing. A more modern Taxman Brewery is seen at right.(Photo: Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar)

Nearly 170 years later, after annexation, population spikes and significant residential redevelopment, Rapp's grain elevator still towers over Main Street. Beyond downtown, winding country roads still lead to sprawling corn fields and tattered barns.

"One of the things that I hear frequently is that it still has a small town character," Young said."That agricultural heritage hasn't gone away."

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

John Richardson, whose great-great-grandfather settled in what later became Bargersville, is proof that the town's heritage is in tact. Richardson grew up on the farm his ancestors founded, growing soybeans and corn. After a 35-year hiatus to teach English in New Albany in Southern Indiana, he moved back into the househis great grandparents built in 1880.

He was drawn back by 600 acres of family farmland and the barn that since 2005 has been home toMallow Run Winery, the only winery in Johnson County. It's become a modern staple of Bargersville, and a reminder of its roots.

"That was one of my motives in moving back," Richardson said. "To... preserve some of the rural atmosphere."

The Bargersville that people have come to love may face its biggest challenge yet. Work to convert Ind. 37, which connectsthe town to Indianapolis, into I-69 is expected to start in winter or spring 2021, according to Indiana Department of Transportation spokesperson Natalie Garrett.

Once the I-69 extension from Martinsville to Indianapolis is completed in 2024, people will be able to get to and from Bargersville more quickly, strengthening its central location between Indianapolis and Bloomington.

But it also means residents will lose access points to a major artery. Right now, drivers can access 37 from Whiteland, Banta, Travis and Stones Crossing roads, and 144. Once it's converted into I-69, the only access point will be 144, where INDOT will put an interchange. There is a planned service road to run alongside 69 from 144 to Stones Crossing roads.

Drone footage shows the future I-69 interchange ay State Road 37 and County Road 144 in Bargersville.(Photo: Stephen J. Beard and Joe Tamborello/IndyStar)

"So simply how they get to work will change," Young said. "And so with those changing traffic patterns that will have an impact on which areas are ripe for development, whether that be commercial or residential."

The interchange is expected to bring commercial development like restaurants and, Richardson with Mallow Run Winery hopes, hotels. The closest hotels are 20 to 25 minutes away in Greenwood or Franklin.

"Im assuming that there will be one or two hotels built at the 144 interchange, and that will be a great benefit for us," Richardson said.

Reduced travel time and more development will bring in more visitors and residents, which means local roads will have to carry more traffic. State Road 135 between 144 and Whiteland Road, for example, is expected to see almost triple the traffic, according to the Johnson County I-69 Corridor plan adopted by Bargersville.

The town is in the process of securing funding for a traffic corridor study to prioritize local road work in anticipation of I-69.

Young said keeping the town's character will hinge on how and where development rolls out. The town's 2040 comprehensive planis meant to set priorities and guide leaders. A draft of the plan is expected to be ready by January.

"Many people see that (I-69) as it's a once-in-lifetime opportunity for the community," Young said. "But it'svery important to get it right because it will have an impact and it's up to us to plan appropriately so it will be positive."

The signs of change in Bargersville are just as eye-catching as the idyllic farms. Along 144, hundreds of new homes rise as more dirt is turned over for the next development.Since 2015, the town has issued 592 single-family building permits. That's more than twice as many issued in the five years prior.

Mike Duke is another Bargersville son who was raised onthe land. Like so many others, he wants Bargersville to keep its small-town feel, but he also has a stake in its growth.

As the owner of Duke Homes, a custom-home developer, Duke plays a part in the town's future. The way he sees it, he'd rather it be a local developing the land than an outsider. Would an outsider think to develop a subdivision built around agriculture? Maybe not, but Duke did.

Property with an old barn is seen for sale by Duke Homes Realty in Bargersville on 144, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. The Bargersville water tower is seen in the background. With the expansion of I-69, the Bargersville area will be growing.(Photo: Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar)

Aberdeen is an upscale, gated subdivision under development off of Morgantown Road. Inspired by his childhood in Bargersville, Duke designed Aberdeen to include agricultural elements, like a community garden and neighborhood farm animals.

"We love the area," he said. "And we just want tomake itsomething where... our future generations will love to be here aswell."

Back on Main Street, which grew sleepy after neighboring Greenwood opened a shopping center in the 1960s, there are signs of change, too. Perhaps the most telling is Taxman Brewing Co. on Harriman Avenue, just around the corner from town hall.

Before owners Leah and NathanHuelsebusch opened the brewery and restaurant in fall 2014, even some on their own teamhad doubts about the locale.

"We heard 'why Bargersville?' so many times," LeahHuelsebusch said.

Leah and her husband saw the potential. With a median household income of over $80,000, there ismoney to be spent in Bargersville. The problem isthat there aren't many places in town to spend it, pushingresidents to places like Greenwood or Indianapolis.

"Taxman Brewing, when they moved in, really put the town on the map," Young, the town manager, said. "(I've) heard from a lot of folks from the north sidethat knew Bargersville because of Taxman."

Since opening Taxman, the Huelsebuschs have had to expand the kitchen to meet the demand.

"We are very busy in our Bargersville location," Huelsebusch said.

They now have two more locations one in downtown Indianapolis and one in Fortville. Huelsebuschsaid the Bargersville brewery has something special. It's where people go to sit with their neighbors and meet new ones.

"They come into Taxman, they sit in the bar or sit at the table and it's so common that I see them chatting with the table next to them," she said. "They don't know each other, but all of the sudden, they do."

As the town grows,Huelsebusch said it's the people that will keepBargersville, Bargersville.

Contact IndyStar reporter Elizabeth DePompei at 317-444-6196oredepompei@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @edepompei.

Read or Share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/johnson-county/2019/12/18/i-69-extension-leads-to-growth-for-bargersville/4352524002/

More:

How Bargersville hopes to keep its charm amid record growth and I-69 extension - IndyStar

The `Balder Future project will involve drilling 13 new production wells and one new water injector on the Balder field.

Courtesy Vr Energi

Offshore staff

SANDNES, Norway Vr Energi has submitted its plan to extend production from the Balder and Ringhorne area in the North Sea to 2045.

Norways Ministry of Petroleum and Energy will review the revised proposals for the `Balder Future project, which will involve drilling 13 new production wells and one new water injector on the Balder field to recover an additional 136 MMboe, and extending the lifetime of the Jotun A FPSO.

The Balder field is in license PL 001. According to Var, the NOK19.6-billion ($2.17-bilion) project should create almost 30,000 man-years of work through 2045.

In addition, the company and partner Mime Petroleum plan to drill subsea infill wells and new wells from the neighboring Ringhorne platform, and Vr may undertake further exploration drilling in the area, which could boost the resource further. All these activities will take place while production continues at the Balder and Ringhorne fields.

Earlier this year, Vr awarded an EPCI contract to Rosenberg Worley in Stavanger for the FPSO life extension works. The vessel will be taken off-station and removed to the shore in mid-2020 for the upgrade program, then reinstalled during summer 2022 at a location in between the two fields.

Baker Hughes and Ocean Installer in Stavanger, will engineer, procure, construct and install new subsea production systems, umbilicals, risers and flowlines for Jotun A.

12/17/2019

Continue reading here:

Norway's government to review North Sea Balder Future proposals - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) voted for the final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. Here is a statement from Senator Heinrich's office:

Heinrich, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, authored a number of provisions in the bill to strengthen New Mexico's military installations, national laboratories, economic development, and leadership in the future of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, directed energy, and space. The NDAA also included language Heinrich authored to designate White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico and complete a land exchange between the Army and the National Park Service.

This bill makes major investments to ensure our Armed Forces are equipped with the most modern technology so we can stay ahead of our adversariessaid Heinrich.New Mexico is the Center of Excellence for small satellites and for directed energy weapons, and this bill increases funding and streamlines authorities to bolster those missions. I am proud to have authorized funding for military construction projects that will modernize infrastructure at Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands Missile Range, and Kirtland Air Force Base. This bill also makes major reforms to fix the military housing crisis and takes meaningful action on contamination at dairies outside Cannon Air Force Base. These provisions, among many others, help New Mexico families, benefit our economy, and further New Mexico's strong position as a leader in national security for years to come.

As the co-founder of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, Heinrich added, "I am also proud to have incorporated language from the Armed Forces Digital Advantage Act to modernize defense workforces with digital engineers, specialized in computer science, and to have increased funding for the future of Artificial Intelligence.

The NDAA sets the Department of Defense spending levels and policies for the upcoming fiscal year and authorizes funding for the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons programs at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, as well as the Department of Energy's environmental cleanup programs including the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The Senate will soon vote on a number of appropriations bills that set the funding levels for agencies.

A list of many of the programs and provisions Senator Heinrich advocated for during the bill writing process that were included in the FY20 NDAA is available as a PDFHEREand below.

New Mexico Military Construction Projects

Kirtland Air Force Base

Senator Heinrich secured $15.5 million for the construction of a Combat Rescue Helicopter Simulator Facility at Kirtland Air Force Base. This facility will house new HH-60W simulators, training spaces, and equipment used by the 58th Special Operations Wing to train new students. This construction will allow for a seamless transition from the HH-60G legacy aircraft to the new HH-60W and provide continuous Programmed Flight Training for its operators.

Senator Heinrich secured $22.4 million for the construction of a UH-1 Replacement Facility at Kirtland Air Force Base. This facility will house new simulators used for training flight crew personnel in the UH-1 replacement aircraft set for delivery to the 58th Special Operations Wing starting at the end of FY 2022. This construction will allow for an on-time delivery of the simulators, and critical training in the new aircraft.

Holloman Air Force Base

Senator Heinrich secured $20 million for the construction of a climate-controlled, storage and shipment facility at Holloman Air Force Base. The facility will be used to store, inspect, and prepare the movement of military support equipment and provide maximum protection of our expeditionary, warfighting resources. This will enable assets to be maintained in a constant state of readiness and postured for worldwide deployment with greatly reduced maintenance costs. The use of this facility will save the government $800,000 annually for the maintenance and/or replacement of these assets by preserving the shelf-life of items otherwise stored in the open as well as save $120,000 a year in replacement costs of shipping containers damaged by exposure to weather.

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR)

Senator Heinrich secured $5.8 million to build a microgrid at White Sands. The microgrid will utilize a solar array, natural gas generator, and lithium ion battery system to power water wells to provide an uninterrupted water supply to WSMR. Currently, the wells are connected in such a way that leaves them susceptible to power outages that could leave WSMR without drinkable potable water. This microgrid system will ensure a reliable supply of water for the installation.

White Sands Missile Range Land Enhancements and White Sands National Park

White Sands Missile Range Land Enhancements and White Sands National Park

The Senate Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment by Senator Heinrich that incorporates legislation to finalize updated land exchanges between the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Army that have been pending since the 1970s. The exchange of parcels between White Sands National Monument and White Sands Missile Range will clean up boundary anomalies, transfer important missile range infrastructure to the jurisdiction of the Army, and provide increased opportunities for visitors at the National Monument. The bill was developed in close consultation with the Army, the Air Force, the National Park Service, local elected officials, neighboring tribes, and local residents.

New Mexicos National Laboratories and WIPP

Los Alamos National Laboratorys Plutonium Mission

Senator Heinrich again secured full funding authorization to maintain Los Alamos National Laboratorys (LANL) role as the nations Center of Excellence for Plutonium Research. The bill authorizes $551 million for LANLs ongoing plutonium research and pit production programs. The funding supports personnel, equipment and other activities at LANL to meet pit production requirements by 2026; highlights include, $232 million for plutonium operations, $21 million to support pit production, $10.5 million for fire suppression upgrades in PF-4, $16 million for power and communications improvements and $168 million for construction related to replacing the outdated Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building at LANL.

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

Senator Heinrich supported provisions in the bill that direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to allow the onsite safety inspectors from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) full access to all defense nuclear facilities at LANL, Sandia National Laboratories and WIPP. The bill also ensures access to all required documents and reinforces the boards role protecting both the general public as well as onsite employees and contractors. Senator Heinrich supported these provisions in response to an order DOE issued in May 2018 that attempted to limit the boards access and role in protecting health and safety. Congress created the DNFSB in 1988 to provide oversight of public health and safety at the defense nuclear facilities managed by the Department of Energy.

National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD)

Senator Heinrich secured a provision extending for one year an exemption from an administrative overhead burden on NNSA labs for LDRD that would double-tax Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. LDRD is a strategic research and development program that is critical to maintaining the scientific vitality of the national laboratories. The bill continues the suspension of the overhead burden through fiscal year 2021.

National Laboratory Funding

Senator Heinrich supported full funding authorization for the National Nuclear Security Administrations (NNSA) nuclear weapons programs. Within NNSAs funding, Senator Heinrich secured full funding of $2.1 billion to continue the Life Extension Programs supported by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. This increase of $197 million over FY19 will maintain the existing weapons stockpile and assure safety and security.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Environmental Cleanup

The bill authorizes the presidents request of $195.5 million for soil and water remediation and removal of radioactive waste. Funding is included again this year to address the hexavalent chromium and Royal Demolition eXplosive (RDX) plumes in groundwater in Los Alamos. Senator Heinrich will work now with the Appropriations Committee to increase the funding for fiscal year 2020 to $220 million, the same level as the last fiscal year.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

The bill authorizes full funding of $398 million to operate the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), including $17.5 million to repair and replace degraded facility structures, systems, and components, $58 million to continue construction of additional ventilation for the mine and $34.5 million for a new utility shaft.

New Mexicos Defense R&D Labs, Test Ranges, and Industry

U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor-Protg Program

The bill re-authorizes the DoDs Mentor Protg Program (MPP), which is the oldest continuously operating federal mentor-protg program in existence, through 2026. Originally established in 1991, the MPP helps eligible small businesses expand their footprint in the defense industrial base. Under the MPP, small businesses are partnered with larger companies. In the past five years, DoDs MPP has successfully helped more than 190 small businesses fill unique niches and become part of the militarys supply chain. Senator Heinrich ensured the survival of the MPP when it faced expiration, and salvaged this influential, small-business focused program.

Directed Energy Test Range Workloads

Senator Heinrich secured $15 million for White Sands Missile Range in order to accommodate the increase in directed energy testing workloads to accommodate the increased demand in the 21st century. A lack of funding for increased directed energy testing is a serious issue; especially, given the workload and number of directed energy demonstrations and exercises have increased significantly since 1975. The projected workload for fiscal years 20182022 for the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility at White Sands is large and growing, and has expanded to include high-powered microwave testing. Yet, funding remained at the same level. Senator Heinrich secured the funds necessary to meet the growing demand and support the appropriate test workloads.

3-D Printed Electronics Army Innovation Hub for Next Generation Additive Manufacturing

Senator Heinrich secured an additional $2 million for additive manufacturing (AM), which is already making innovative technological leaps that could yield major advances in more lethal and longer-ranged fires. New Mexico Tech and the University of Texas at El Paso are leading entities in 3-D printing. This technology can combine existing and new materials into 3-D printed circuit architectures, producing smarter, lighter, and denser constructs to enable projectiles to double current ranges while achieving higher precision.

STARBASE

Senator Heinrich helped secured an additional $30 million for the STARBASE program. This program is meant to improve the knowledge and skills of students in kindergarten through 12th grade in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects, to connect them to the military, and to motivate them to explore STEM and possible military careers as they continue their education. STARBASE is a highly effective program run by our dedicated servicemembers and strengthens the relationships between the military, communities, and local school districts. STARBASE currently operates at 76 locations in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, primarily on military installations. New Mexico is one of those locations. Since its inception in 1991, over 825,000 students have benefitted from the STARBASE program, including 45,000 last year.

New Mexico Space Missions

Department of Defense Launch Support and Infrastructure Program for Small-Class and Medium-Class Payloads

The bill authorizes a provision championed by Senator Heinrich that enables the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program to enhance infrastructure and improve support activities for the processing and launch of Department of Defense (DoD) small-class and medium-class payloads.

Spaceport America in New Mexico is a licensed inland spaceport that provides surface-to-space open sky launches landing in restricted flight zones. The New Mexico Spaceport is located next to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) where the DoD controls the only restricted air space in the entire country besides the White House.

Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor

In an effort to develop a reliable defense against cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons, Senator Heinrich and Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) added $108 million for a hypersonic and ballistic tracking space sensor that will help correlate data and track the incoming target for intercept. Senator Heinrich crafted language to help prioritize this capability gap and increased funding.

Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Sp-RCO)

The bill authorized nearly $24 million for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Sp-RCO) which is housed at Kirtland Air Force Base. As Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Senator Heinrich has fought to ensure New Mexico remains the small satellite center of excellence for the military. Senator Heinrich recently announced plans for the establishment of additional classified workspace, near Sp-RCO, that can be used by potential commercial partners to facilitate the rapid fielding of new space capabilities.

Space Test Program (STP)

The conferenced bill authorized $26.09 million for the Space Test Program (STP) which is housed at Kirtland Air Force Base. As Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Senator Heinrich has strongly supported STPs mission to secure launches for experimental spacecraft from emerging entrants including Rocket Lab or Vox Space that are smaller and far less expensive than traditional military satellites that are launched aboard larger rockets under the National Security Space Launch program. Senator Heinrich included provisions elsewhere in the bill to establish a program to improve infrastructure and launch support at FAA licensed spaceports. Since 1965, the STP has conducted space test missions for the purpose of accelerating Department of Defense space technology transformation while lowering developmental risk.

Rocket Systems Launch Program

The bill authorized $13.19 million for the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) which is housed at Kirtland Air Force Base. Senator Heinrich supports the Rapid Agile Launch Initiative which seeks to award launch service agreements with non-traditional, venture-class companies.

Artificial Intelligence

Armed Forces Digital Advantage Act

The NDAA incorporates important provisions taken from Senator Heinrichs Armed Forces Digital Advantage Act. These provisions recognize the importance of individuals with aptitude and experience in digital expertise and software development to the armed services and requires Secretary of Defense to devise an implementation plan to recruit and develop digital engineering specialists. The bill also requires the Defense Secretary to create a digital engineering capability for the development and deployment of acquisition programs and software support. The bill also requires a demonstration of digital engineering capabilities and policy guidance to promote the use of said capabilities.

National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence Extension of Authority

The bill includes a provision supported by Senator Heinrich that extends the duration of the current Artificial Intelligence Commission in order to account for time lost due to the government shutdown earlier this year.

New Mexico Military Housing Reform and Contamination Cleanup

Military Housing Reform

The bill includes a provision championed by Senator Heinrich that establishes a uniform code of basic housing standards and requires inspections to ensure compliance. This uniform code provides for safety, comfort, and habitability for military housing units and ensures the inspection of such units adhere to this standard. This is a critical step in addressing the problems associated with military housing around the world and ensuring our service members and their families live in the healthy dwellings they deserve.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) Contamination Cleanup

Senator Heinrich included provisions from H.R. 1567 or the PFAS Damages Act, to provide relief to communities and businesses impacted by PFAS contamination in groundwater around Air Force bases in New Mexico and across the country, including dairy farms in New Mexico that have been upended by PFAS contamination from nearby Cannon Air Force Base.

This measure will ensure that the Department of Defense (DOD) takes precautionary action to prevent human exposure, including through agricultural products, provide alternative water or water treatment for contaminated agricultural water, and acquire contiguous property that is contaminated. The measure will also mandate that the Department of Defense (DOD) create a plan of action to clean up contaminated sites nationwide and take all necessary steps to prevent further risks to public health.

New Mexico Military Energy Resilience

Military Environmental Research Programs

The bill includes a requirement supported by Senator Heinrich and Senator Angus King (I-Maine) that would direct no less than $10 million be directed toward the development and demonstration of long-duration, on-site battery storage for distributed energy applications, $10 million for development, demonstration and validation of secure microgrids for both installations and forward operating bases, $10 million for development, demonstration, and validation of non-fluorine based firefighting foam and $5 million for development, demonstration, and validation of technologies that can harvest potable water from air.

Additional Priority Provisions

Federal Employee Paid Leave

The FY20 NDAA for the first time provides all federal employees with 12 weeks of paid leave including for the birth, adoption, or fostering of a new child. The bill also allows 12 weeks of paid leave for the care of close family members, serious employee health conditions, and for circumstances that arise when the employee or a family member is detailed for covered duty in the armed forces. Paid family leave supports federal employees and their family commitments and provides benefits necessary to recruit and retain the talent that is essential for federal agencies to carry out their mission to serve the nation. The federal government is the nation's largest employer, with more than 2 million employees. This provision ensures that our federal workforce will no longer face the impossible choice of caring for their health and family, or receiving pay.

Eliminating the Widows Tax

The FY20 NDAA mandates a 3-year phase out of the so-called widows tax, which required that surviving spouses of deceased military members forfeit part or all of their Department of Defense Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity when they receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs. More than 60,000 surviving families are negatively impacted by the Widows Tax, which reduces surviving spouses' benefits by an average of $924 per month, or $11,000 annually. This action by Congress will ensure that widows and widowers of a deceased active-duty service member or retiree who died of a service-related cause receive full annuity payments.

Addressing and Stopping the Flow of Synthetic Opioids to the United States

The bill includes provisions that will hold foreign countries accountable for their pledges to go after those who produce and traffic fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Specifically, the NDAA will give the U.S. federal government the ability to apply economic and other financial sanctions to illicit traffickers from China, Mexico, and other countries of concern. The FY20 NDAA also establishes a Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking to create a strategic approach to combating the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States.

The opioid crisis in New Mexico has had devastating effects on families across the state. Senator Heinrich has advocated for more resources to fight this epidemic - including measures like those in this years NDAA that penalize other countries for their involvement in the flow of illicit substances to the United States.

Go here to read the rest:

Bill To Create White Sands National Park Heads To Trump For Signature - KRWG

The year has been an eventful one, withmultiple major contracts announced and new generations of vessels entering service. The US Navy continued its drive towards a 355-ship fleet, while European and Asian navies saw their carrier and submarine capabilities expand.

Navies across the globe are faced with dilemma: modern ships are hugely capable, highly advanced systems yet come with a considerable price tag. Balancing the demands of replacing legacy ships and the high cost of procurement requires difficult decisions about where to focus scarce resources.

This pressure is felt even in the US, where the need to balance fleet expansion with support and personnel costs has led to a policy of buying proven and successful platforms rather than new and innovative designs. This policy resulted in General Dynamic Electric Boat (GDEB) being awarded the largest-ever shipbuilding contract, worth $22.2 billion, for the construction for nine Block VVirginia-class submarines.

This desire to minimise risk and keep unit cost to a minimum, has also been seen in the continuation of the Arleigh Burke class. Construction of the first Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyer began in May when the hull was laid down, with a further 12 under contract. The USN also asked congress for a further $5.4 billion in FY2020 to build a further three Flight IIIs, while older Arleigh Burkes undergo a life-extension programme as the U.S. focus on increasing the fleet size in the most-efficient and cost-effective way.

Continuing the theme of U.S. fleet modernisation, following years of development the next generation USSGerald R Fordclass carrier is now close to being operational, followed by the launching of the second ship-in-class in October 2019.

Many European fleets are also undergoing modernisations to replace ageing vessels. September witnessed the Finnish government award a contract for the construction of four newPohjanmaa-class corvettes to Rauma Marine Constructions Oy (RMC) and Saab worth a total of $1.46 billion (EUR1.32 billion).

In the UK, the Type 31e preferred bidder was also announced in September, with the contract worth $1.54 billion (1.25 billion)) for five new frigates for the UK RN officially awarded to Babcock in November. With a 250 million unit cost the Type 31e is seen as low-cost option, allowing the Navy to maintain fleet size at an acceptable cost to the MoD.

Other countries such as Italy are downsizing their fleets to accommodate new modernised platforms such as the FREMM frigates, delivered to both France and Italy over the year.

Although Italy and the UK have taken different approaches to fleet modernization, both countries have re-affirmed their commitment to carrier operations. The UK RN commissioned HMS Prince of Wales, the final of the Queen Elizabeth class in December, marking a crucial landmarkin the return to big-deck operations, while Italys Triestewas also launched in 2019.

Outside of the US and Europe, the commissioning of Chinas first indigenously developed Type 2aircraft carrier took place on 17 December 2019, marking a significant step in Chinas expanding naval power.

Chinas ever-growing investment in its defence capabilities has had repercussions across the region. Taiwan has pushed its own naval developments, announcing that its Indigenous Defense Submarines (IDS) are to be built in a new facility inside the grounds of the CSBC Corporation in Kaohsiung harbour, southern Taiwan. Other countries too have seen advancements in indigenous SSK construction over the past year. The first of South Koreas first truly indigenous large submarine, the KSS-III Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho class began sea trials, while the first indigenously developed and built submarine, the Fateh class, entered service with the Iranian Navy.

The move towards more a militarised Arctic region became apparent as the Russians launched the first ever heavily armed ice-class patrol vessel in October, the Ivan Papanin class (Project 23550). Over recent years the Russians have acquired a number of ice-cable ships such as the 22100 Polar Start project and while Russia Navy exercises in the Barents Sea an Arctic waters are normal, 2019 has also seen live shootings in the Norwegian Sea.

In April, NAVSEA issued a contract for a Polar Security Cutter (PSC) for the US Coast Guard. The heavy icebreaker will allow the US to continue to conduct operations in the increasingly strategic Arctic region, while in May, the Canadian Coast Guard similarly awarded a contract for a further two Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) while the first-in-class began sea trials. The vessels will undertake government situational awareness activities and events in the region. The US is far behind its competitors with Aprils contract a step towards a more arctic capable force with options for up to four PSCs.

Overall, a focus on modernised fleets has dominated the major contracts of 2019. As navies struggle with the rising cost of shipbuilding and advanced systems, these programmes have been undertaken either through investing in proven platforms, as the U.S. has to reach its 355-ship fleet or by reducing fleet sizes to modernise with more technologically advanced platforms, as seen in Europe. This has not however, impacted upon newly developed indigenous programmes in Asia and elsewhere, as navies look to advance their capabilities and power projection.

Read the original post:

Defence Insight: Year in review (Naval) - NWI - Naval Warfare - Shephard Media