Monthly Archives: March 2021

The 16th survey by the research center of the National Federation of Independent Business since the COVID-19 pandemic overtook the country shows the outlook for small business is getting slightly better.

Of course, its all relative. The key data point for this conclusion: Fewer of them feel as if they are in danger of closing by the end of the year.

Thirteen percent of small business owners report that they will have to close their doors if current economic conditions do not improve over the next six months, down from 25% in December.

Thats progress. But it comes with many warning signs, NFIB New Jersey State Director Eileen Kean said.

While it is encouraging that more businesses are confident in their financial ability to keep their doors open, retail, gyms, restaurants and other business are still only open to 50% capacity, she said. Meanwhile, New Jersey has the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the United States and Gov. (Phil) Murphy is not lifting restrictions.

The Main Streets of New Jersey are still in very vulnerable shape.

In fact, only 11% of those survey feel business is back to pre-pandemic levels.

Key findings in the survey include:

This publication marks NFIBs 16th Small Business COVID-19 survey assessing the health crisis impact on small business operations, economic conditions and utilization of the targeted small business loan programs.

The first series was published in early March 2020, with subsequent publications every 2-4 weeks, found here. The full survey of the 16th edition is available here.

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This is pandemic progress: Survey shows slightly more small businesses now feel they will make it to end of year - ROI-NJ.com

At an event that took stock of the progress made, identified gaps and pinpointed the way forward for A4P, Jean-Pierre Lacroix acknowledged the bravery and dedication of the UN blue helmets serving in some of the most challenging places in the world and detailed various accomplishments, including electoral assistance in the Central African Republic (CAR) and reducing violence across South Sudan.

However, despite saving lives, protecting people and helping to build peace, he pointed out that significant challenges to peacekeeping remain, even as new ones confront us.

Mr. Lacroix introduced A4P plus, the next phase of the initiative to drive progress across the Declaration of Shared Commitments, by highlighting seven new highest priority areas, beginning with encouraging collective coherence:

UN peacekeeping missions must adhere internally to a common strategy anduse our unique convening power to bring together all partners to bring our collective resources to bear, he said.

The next two priorities call for enhanced integrated planning to achieve greater impact, and to ensure that peacekeeping missions have the right capabilities and mindsets.

Underscoring the fourth priority of delivering accountability for peacekeepers, the UN official highlighted the need for greater troop protection, by citing recent attacks against blue helmets in CAR and Mali.

Holding perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers accountable must be a key priority for all of us, he said.

Attention must also be paid to behaviour in terms of improving accountability for conduct and discipline while also recognizing good performance, he said.

We will further enhance accountability with a focus on prevention, enforcement and remedial action. We must strengthen our response to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, he said.

The peacekeeping chief underlined that strategic communications must be a shared responsibility within missions and leadership.

Holding perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers accountable must be a key priority -- UN peacekeeping chief

We will need to better integrate data and insights generated from strategic communications into our planning cycles, and our reputational risk management efforts, he elaborated.

And as his final point, the peacekeeping chief upheld that constructive engagement and cooperation with host countries will remain at the core of our efforts to increase peacekeepers safety and security, bolster performance and support successful transitions.

Moreover, the Secretary-Generals call to action for accelerated implementation of the women, peace and security agenda in peacekeeping to help de-escalate disputes, prevent conflicts and promote sustainable and inclusive peace, will also be integrated into these priorities, said Mr. Lacroix.

And to boost situational awareness, including towards early warning and prevention efforts, we will also move towards data-driven and technology-enabled peacekeeping, he added.

Progress on these priorities requires strengthened partnership and cooperation with Member States and other peacekeeping partners, he said, stressing that only collective dedication to strengthen peacekeeping will make UN missions stronger, safer, and relevant.

The millions who we serve and who depend on us expect no less, concluded the UN peacekeeping chief.

More here:

Action for Peacekeeping: Progress made, but the work's 'far from done' - UN News

Pontotocs newest guide for visitors in our community has hit the streets and is ready for you to pick up at the Pontotoc Progress.

Dr. Miriam Clark at Downtown Antiques received the first box of the new shipment. She has been instrumental in seeing that almost every visitor that comes to her shop gets a copy of the guide and she is grateful she can put something so convenient in their hands.

People here in Pontotoc are very welcoming, Dr. Clark said. We have a wonderful friendly side and this guide pulls us together and puts our best foot forward. People love this little booklet. It maps out their day. They often visit our town as a family and they all have diverse interests. The book gives them all something different they can do, she said as she perused the 2021 edition.

They like to read about the history of our town. And they come in here and want to know where they can eat and where are the other places they can shop. This gives them all they need in one book, and it is easy to carry around or slip in your purse.

The visitors guide is a welcome to those who want to know what they can do and where they can eat in Pontotoc.

As the new chamber director Beth Waldo wrote in her introduction, The goodness of our people and the beauty throughout our county is something to brag about!

The guide has special welcomes from the various community leaders. It lists places to visit, places to stay, shop, eat and where to go for help.

Merchants all across the community have advertisements to let you know where to find them and what they have to offer. There are many places you can turn for help, whether you need car care or decide to stay and need a relator to find you a home.

So come on by and get your newest edition of Pontotoc visitors guide. Get an extra one and give it to someone who lives far away who needs to see what they are missing.

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Visitor's guides here, pick up your copy at the Progress - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Axel Kicillof relished the role he played in the Argentine government years ago: the brash left-wing economy minister who clashed at every opportunity with foreign investors. They hated him and he loved it.Today, Kicillof is once again locked in a bruising battle with financiers in New York and London. This time its as governor of Buenos Aires, which, along with nearly a dozen other provinces, called for debt restructuring talks last year as the federal government began negotiations of its own with creditors. But unlike the others, Buenos Aires has yet to emerge from default. In fact, 10 months after Kicillof halted payments on $7.1 billion worth of bonds, barely any progress has been made in talks.With the bonds now languishing at just 35 cents on the dollar in secondary markets and not a penny of interest income flowing their way, creditors are growing tired of the stalling and the disinterest displayed by Kicillofs aides. Last week, funds from the Buenos Aires Ad Hoc Bondholder Group sued the province in U.S. court for unpaid principal and interest.This gambit, analysts say, may help jump-start the process by forcing the province to take a more active role in negotiations. But, they warn, theres another dynamic at play that threatens to only embolden Kicillof to further radicalize his hard-line approach. The federal government -- under the growing influence of Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, a mentor to Kicillof -- is aggressively pushing for concessions to refinance a $45 billion failed program with the International Monetary Fund.The governments newly restructured sovereign bonds, like the defaulted Buenos Aires bonds, now trade below 40 cents on the dollar, a reflection of how badly the countrys economy and finances have been battered by the pandemic and lack of credibility.For Kicillof, this is political, said Diego Ferro, founder of M2M Capital in New York, a veteran debt investor who doesnt hold bonds of the province. Which means that unless he gets a deal consistent with what Argentina got, it will reflect poorly on him.And as August primaries and October mid-term elections get closer, politics will play an ever larger role in shaping all aspects of policy. Cutting a deal with the IMF or provincial bondholders isnt a priority, especially during a pandemic.Buenos Aires has extended the deadline on its debt proposal no fewer than 13 times. But last week, the province published details of a new one shown to New York-based hedge fund GoldenTree Asset Management, one of its largest creditors. It was swiftly rejected -- as was the counteroffer.The next day, the creditor group, including GoldenTree, submitted two legal claims against the province in the U.S District Court of New York seeking $366 million in unpaid interest and principal.Theres definitely more pressure with the litigation now ongoing, said Carlos de Sousa, an emerging market portfolio manager at Vontobel Asset Management in Zurich. Kicillof is quite ideologically driven and close to Cristina. And thus his lack of cooperation with creditors until recently.The provinces bonds due 2027 fell 0.3 cent to 37.7 cents on the dollar at 4:50 p.m. in Buenos Aires.Those who observed Kicillof as Economy Minister between 2013-2015 under then president Fernandez de Kirchner know that he doesnt quickly surrender in high profile conflicts with creditors. Back then he battled Paul Singers Elliott Management and other holdouts, insisting that Argentina couldnt comply with a ruling in their favor and eventually opted to default again with the presidents blessing.And while hes delegated negotiations this time around as governor to his provincial Economy Minister Pablo Lopez, hes very much involved.Read More: Buenos Aires Province Weighs Next Steps After Creditor LawsuitThe legal claims are only a strategy to pressure the government and the province will still have 60 days to respond, Lopez said in an interview last week. While Kicillof, 49, doesnt directly participate in conversations with bondholders, Lopez frequently discusses the debt restructuring process with him, he said.He is focused and interested, Lopez said. The debt negotiation is determined by the provincial government.The province is bigger than many countries and represents half of the debt from regional governments. Home to almost 18 million people and accounting for two-fifths of Argentinas GDP, its a critical political battleground in any election.Last week at an event, Fernandez de Kirchner, who hand-picked Alberto Fernandez as the presidential candidate in 2019, railed against the IMF and the terms being sought to renegotiate the largest credit agreement ever struck with the Washington-based lender. Bond prices fell.We cant pay because we dont have the money, she said, with Kicillof nodding in the background. While they spoke, Economy Minister Martin Guzman was wrapping up a trip to Washington after meeting IMF officials.After Fernandez took power in December 2019, Buenos Aires Province was the first to default on its debt payments in May. Days later, the federal government followed suit, along with several other provinces over the course of the next months.Since then, the government and eight provinces have settled with creditors. Deals ranged from about 55 cents on the dollar for the government while many regional authorities agreed to much smaller discounts, between 83.4 and 96.3 cents considering a 10% exit yield. While a few small provinces also remain in talks, Buenos Aires, which offered to pay about 65 cents, is the last major holdout.As economy minister, Kicillof negotiated a settlement with Spains Repsol SA after the government seized its stake in oil producer YPF SA in 2012, agreeing to compensate the company with bonds. He also struck a deal with the Paris Club of creditors.Those events give some investors hope that hell eventually come around to an agreement. Still, his rhetoric remains combative. Speaking at an event on Friday, Kicillof called investors unsupportive and intransigent.Court claims arent going to lead to solutions to the root problems, he said. We remain open to dialogue to reach an agreement thats convenient to creditors and that the province can pay.Even after the lawsuit was filed, Kicillof has little financial incentive to reach a settlement soon or offer concessions to creditors. The province realistically has no chance of tapping international markets for fresh funding, so it has little to lose in dragging out talks. And if a court ruling were to go against it, the provinces lawyers could appeal the case several times, and that could stretch the saga into the next gubernatorial elections in 2023.I dont see a situation where Kicillof agrees to a deal thats better than what the sovereign agreed to, Ferro said.(Updates with bond move in 11th paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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Progress Software (PRGS) Tops Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates - Yahoo Finance

I rarely comment publicly on Facebook, but this morning I made an exception when someone posted an aerial view of The Heritage at Middletown, the townhomes currently under construction on Route 35 South, across from Target. The photo clearly showed the extent of this ongoing project. My impulsive response, I dont see progress when I look at this, and it angers me, triggered a flurry of reactive comments. Apparently, the general consensus in Middletown is that The Heritage is disgusting, an eyesore, a monstrosity resembling army barracks. There were, however, a few opposing opinions, one of which gave me pause.

In response to my succinct comment that I fail to see progress when I look at the Route 35 construction site, someone suggested I examine my values to find out why this is the case. The Heritage, he correctly pointed out, represents homes for people. Why, then, he asked, does the surrounding community take issue with that, outside of literal pearl clutching? Im not one for pearl clutching (that phrase makes me chuckle), but examining my values is an insightful proposal. Why does The Heritage construction site irritate me? Why dont I view increased housing as progress?

The potential positive economic impact of The Heritage cant be denied, but theres far more than the almighty dollar to consider. Enhanced socio-economic development is a good thing, but why does progress have to be ugly and destructive? Why is it necessary to bulldoze every single tree and displace wildlife to achieve progress? Surely, somewhere theres an architect/construction company capable of building homes within the existing landscape, thereby preserving the natural elements that attracted many of us to this area in the first place! I have nothing against new construction in Middletown, but I take issue with anything that disrespects nature and recreates the city feel I happily abandoned thirty-five years ago when I relocated here from New York City.

Examining our values, as the Facebook poster wisely suggested, will reveal what is most important to us and whether or not we are living in the right place. Some people dont need or want nature and are content without maintaining lawns, trimming trees, guarding against wildlife. They are happy with a patch of concrete and a potted plant. Others take inspiration from nature and enjoy responsibility for it. There is no right or wrong here, but one way of life should not encroach upon another. A happy community is a balanced community that knows and respects one anothers values.

Me? Im a nature lover. I love trees and wildlife. I like watching the treetops for signs of the changing seasons. A deer sighting makes me happy. Ill contentedly watch birds nesting and squirrels playing. Sacrificing these elements I value so highly would be too steep a price for me to pay for progress. And thats why I dont appreciate the progress imposed by the construction on Route 35.

Uh oh! Perhaps Im a pearl-clutching tree hugger after all! Or am I merely an old Middletowner who does not want to see the character and beauty that drew me to the area systematically destroyed?

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What Price Progress? - Atlantic Highlands Herald - Atlantic Highlands Herald

Although Gamestop (NYSE:GME) stock remains greatly overvalued, the companys fourth-quarter results showed that its making progress on important fronts. I believe that, if the retailer was only several years old and had recently carried out an initial public offering (IPO), much of Wall Street would actually be quite bullish on the fundamentals behind GME stock.

Source: rblfmr / Shutterstock.com

Given the huge surge of Gamestops e-commerce revenue and its expansion into new types of products, I remain upbeat on the companys longer-term outlook. However, I urge investors to wait for a large pullback in the name before taking a bullish position in the shares.

Heres why.

In fiscal 2020, Gamestops e-commerce revenue soared 191% versus the previous year, becoming 29% of the retailers total sales. For most of its history, e-commerce made up less than 5% of its revenue.

Moreover, despite the easing of pandemic fears in Q4, Gamestops e-commerce sales still soared 175% year-over-year (YOY) during the quarter, representing 34% of its overall revenue. Thats compared to 12% in the same period a year earlier.

Gamestops e-commerce surge strongly indicates that the company can and will remain viable in the new era of retail. If GME makes the right moves, it could actually become using its e-commerce business as a key driver quite successful over the long-term.

However, another key driver of GameStops potential comeback is its expansion into new types of electronic products. Specifically, on the companys Q4 earning conference call, CEO George Sherman said:

We are continuing the work to expand our addressable market by growing GameStops product catalog. This includes growing our product offerings across PC gaming, computers, monitors, game tables, mobile gaming, and gaming TVs to name only a few.

As I explained in my previous column on GME stock, I believe that by expanding into new electronics, this retailer could become a successful competitor to Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) and perhaps ultimately become a major U.S. electronics retailer. Right now, by meaningfully expanding its computer and TV offerings, the company certainly appears to be moving in that direction. As a result, Im very bullish on its strategy in this area.

Last year, Gamestop closed a net total of 693 stores. However, in Q4, Gamestops sales at comparable stores climbed an impressive 6.5% YOY.

Meanwhile, the company has cut its sales, general and administrative expenses by over $530 million over the last two years. Plus, in fiscal 2019, its business was close to generating a profit, with the operating income coming in at negative $14 million.

So, as the pandemic eases further, I expect the sales growth of the companys remaining stores to meaningfully accelerate. I also predict that Gamestops e-commerce growth will decelerate significantly, but still remain above 50%.

As a result, I think the companys operating income will be positive this year. That strengthens the bullish case for GME stock.

Largely due to Gamestops struggles over the past decade, most pundits and analysts are far too bearish on this retailers outlook. But thats in-line with the tendencies of many folks on the Street many base their calls on the past rather than the future. I saw a similar phenomenon keep a lid on solar stocks and Blackberry (NYSE:BB) for many years.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe that if the company had launched a few years ago and its shares had just started trading in 2020, much of Wall Street would be salivating over GME stock. They would be lavishing praise on its booming e-commerce business, its rebounding brick-and-mortar operation and its ability to soon enter the black.

That said, though, I do believe that the shares are still overvalued at current levels. Id wait until they drop to the $50 to $75 level before taking a bullish position in the name.

On the date of publication, Larry Ramer held a long position in BB.

Larry Ramer has conducted research and written articles on U.S. stocks for 14 years. He has been employed by The Fly and Israels largest business newspaper, Globes. Larry began writing columns for InvestorPlace in 2015. Among his highly successful, contrarian picks have been Roku, GE, solar stocks, and Snap. You can reach him on StockTwits at@larryramer.

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Gamestop Is Making Solid Progress, But the Stock is Overvalued - InvestorPlace

When the pandemic took hold one year ago and the nation went into quarantine, most Backus Hospital nurses bravely faced their fears about catching COVID and persevered to care for their patients with compassion and commitment.

They contended with staffing shortages, periodic mandated double shifts, a shortage of personal protective equipment and sometimes going without breaks, said Registered Nurse Sherri Dayton, president of the Backus Federation of Nurses, AFT Connecticut, Local 5149.

These are the nurses who are holding the tablets up, for families to say goodbye as they extubate them, because loved ones are not allowed to be there in person for their own safety, Dayton said during a February telephone interview.

A year ago, we did not know what it was going to be like and weve learned so much so quickly, said Donna Handley, president of Hartford HealthCares Backus and Windham Hospitals, during a March telephone interview. As we understood this virus and disease better, we continually changed policies and processes to keep our staff, our patients and the community safer.

The number of COVID-positive people hospitalized fluctuated on any given day in March, April and May 2020 between 10 and 20, said Dr. Robert Sidman during a January 27 telephone interview. That number dropped to fewer than five during the summer, but spiked in October. Since mid-December, he said the hospital averaged 40 COVID-positive patients, but some days approached 50. About 25 percent of those individuals were admitted to the critical-care level.

As of March 8, Handley said Backus Hospital only had two COVID-positive patients and neither of them needed to be in the Critical Care Unit. On this day, staff was also waiting for test results on four other individuals who came into the emergency room overnight. Handley said they do a surveillance COVID test on every patient that gets admitted. And until we have the results, theyre listed as a person under investigation.

Now, because theyre optimistic and have such good safe practices, Handley said theyre allowing visitors in the hospital again.

Several times, the one-nurse-to-two-patient ratio in CCU has been bumped up to one nurse for three patients, Dayton said. Since the Progressive Care Unit (PCU), which usually has a one-to-three ratio, is now caring for CCU patients, Dayton said it too should have the one-nurse-to-two-patient ratio, but they sometimes have a three-to-one ratio.

So its been very difficult for them (nurses) with these patients to do that, she said.

Just like every other hospital in the country, Handley said they did everything they could with the resources and patients that they had. She and her staff continue to reevaluate staffing every four hours to determine how sick a patient is and do everything they can to adjust staffing accordingly.

Dayton said they have better PPE now than they had in the beginning and they have policies and procedures in place. Everybody was scared we were going to run out so we were conserving.

Early on, Dayton said nurses were told to use one mask per week unless it was compromised (torn or dirty). I did not follow that order; lots of nurses did, she said. One was disciplined for not following it, but different floors got different amounts of push back.

Ultimately, she said if nurses demanded a new mask, they received them. The fear is some got sick because they followed policy. After the strike, nurses got to change their mask daily per policy.

Handley said there was a PPE shortage, but just for several weeks, after which time they were able to stockpile enough PPE and N95 masks, so that nurses always felt that they have what they needed to be safe.

Progress is also being made on other fronts, according to Dayton. Between Dec. 13, 2020, and Jan. 11, Backus Hospital mandated nurses work 12-hour or 16-hour shifts 78 times. Between Jan. 13 and Feb. 10, the hospital mandated nurses work 12-and-16-hour shifts 12 times.

So I think theyre starting to listen, Dayton said.

Handley said she is grateful for the courageous nurses who worked extra shifts, because they were covering for their colleagues who were sick.

There were days when every nurse on my team, whether they were in a leadership role (or) a non-direct patient care role, were in the emergency department or in critical care, helping support nurses taking care of patients, Handley said. I think we really pulled together as a team, so that we could support our nurses in bringing extra resources on those days when we were doing the most critical work that we needed to do.

Backus Hospital has not mandated a nurse to stay an extra shift since Feb. 12, 2020, she added.

Handley said Hartford HealthCare also provides two-week pandemic sick pay for staff who become COVID-positive, so they dont have to use their hard-earned paid time off.

Dayton said taking breaks to snack or use the bathroom is more challenging than ever for nurses. Now we have a surgical mask and a face shield on the entire time were on the unit and we cant just have a drink anytime we want or throw a Tootsie Roll in our mouth. You cant take your mask or facial (shield) off at all unless youre in a break room with two people in it.

The pandemic has taken a toll on nurses, who are experiencing symptoms which range from exhaustion and depression to anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and alcohol addiction, Dayton said.

To address exhaustion and burnout, Backus Hospital has created Zen Dens, where nurses can go on breaks for respite and reflection, Handley said.

Beginning the week of March 8, nurses also started receiving chair massages. Additionally, the Colleague Support Center is available to staff 24 hours per day, seven days a week offering resources, which include emotional support, as well as financial support via the Hartford HealthCARES Colleague Assistance Fund for employees who have faced dire financial situations because of COVID.

Supported by charitable donations, this fund has given over $1 million to people whose loved ones lost jobs.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Handley said Hartford HealthCare also made a clear decision, unlike other health systems, that we would not lay off staff, that everybody would keep their jobs. So many of our staff had spouses and family members who lost their jobs and children were home from school so they had personal stress and anxiety. They had the stress and anxiety of coming to work and dealing with a virus that was new to us, Handley said.

Hospitals and health systems face catastrophic financial challenges in light of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by cancelling non-emergency procedures, Americans postponing care, increasing costs of PPE, the effect of COVID-19 hospitalizations on hospital costs and the costs of the additional support some hospitals are providing to their workers, according to an American Hospital Associations May 2020 report.

Dayton said some nurses who contracted the COVID virus then gave it to their spouses, children or parents. Ive caught COVID myself, she added, and my biggest fear was giving it to my 76-year-old-father, and thank God I didnt when I caught it.

Nurses have quit left and right, Dayton said, adding that at least 11 nurses have left the emergency department in the last three-and-a-half months and about 10 left the CCU. Some are taking jobs that are less COVID intensive at Hartford Hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, so they dont have to deal with COVID every second of every day.

Some nurses have just taken other positions at Backus Hospital. For example, one emergency room nurse went to the IV Therapy Department, while a CCU nurse left to go to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.

Natural transitions happen in nursing all the time, said Handley, adding that some young nurses with small children decided they wanted to leave critical acute care nursing out of concern for their families and the pandemic itself.

Some nurses made the decision to stay home with their families, take a break, or go to other areas really just to have a break, she said.

Since the two-day October 2020 union strike, Dayton said nurses have had their feelings hurt by management at Backus Hospital and theres not a lot of trust between nurses and management at this point.

The nurses new contract includes being part of a monthly staffing committee. We are working with management to try to come up with recruiting and retainment policies, procedures and incentives, she said. They just instituted a $10,000 sign-up bonus for CCU, because theyre just desperate. Theyve lost like half their staff.

Backus Hospital has also raised its sign-on bonuses for oncology nurses for the night shift, which Dayton said, is really hurting right now, as well as incentives for current nurses covering open shifts.

A lot of the other hospitals in the state are doing way better incentives to have nurses pick up (shifts) because this isnt a unique problem at Backus, Dayton said.

The nursing shortage was an issue before the pandemic and got worse during it, Dayton said, because a lot of nurses who were 65 years of age decided it was time to retire.

She said Backus Hospital has hired some licensed practical nurses to work as per diem floats. They cant do CCU but they can help out on the floors, partnering with a nurse to help make things a little bit easier.

Now that medical staff has been vaccinated, Dayton said nurses fear of bringing the virus home to their families is starting to subside and their comfort levels are improving. We understand the virus a little bit better.

Last March, none of us could have anticipated how much the COVID-19 pandemic would change our lives, Handley said in a statement. Yet through it all, weve innovated and collaborated to find solutions and overcome a tremendous amount of adversity. I am deeply grateful for our team of providers, nurses and front-line workers who helped keep our community safe and well-cared for, even in the darkest days of the pandemic.

Although tired, we are more united than ever before, working together to use the lessons we learned to not just return to normal, but emerge better than before.

Dayton thanked the commmunity for its outpouring of support.

It is definitely what keeps us going, Dayton said. The hearts in windows and donated pizzas and other items have given nurses a little boost and definitely helped us through some difficult times.

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Exhausted nurses persevere, make progress - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

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Mar 21, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with his team during a timeout during the second half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Loyola Ramblers won 71-58. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini and its fanbase have many reasons to be proud of its 2020-2021 campaign. Illinois made an NCAA tournament appearance for the first time in eight seasons after finishing the year with an overall record of 24-7.

While accomplishing this feat, the Illini led the Big Ten in conference wins, finishing the year with a conference record of 16-4. The Orange and Blue would also go on to win their first Big Ten Tournament title since the 2005 season.

During this historic run, Illinois had two of its players named to the All-Big Ten first team, as junior guard Ayo Dosunmu and sophomore big man Kofi Cockburn were recognized as two of the best players in the conference. Senior guard Trent Frazier was named as an honorable mention but would be named to the conferences all-defensive team.

Freshman Andre Curbelo was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. He finished the season averaging 9.1 points per game by shooting an exceptional 49.8-percent from the floor. Additionally, the freshman guard averaged 4.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest.

The Fighting Illinis lineup will look different next year, as the Orange and Blue will lose some of its current players and will have some new faces coming in.

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Illinois Basketball: Progress, departures and the future of the Illini - Writing Illini

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Ariel King March 30th, 2021 - 8:40 PM

Devin Townsend has provided yet another update on his upcoming project, Puzzle. The musician has been sharing his progress for the album throughout its recording process, and plans to release Puzzle sometime within the year. The album will be accompanied by a film and graphic novel, and will focus on ambient sounds. Previous announcements related to the album have hinted that it may be released sometime this spring, however an official release date has not yet been provided.

The creation of Puzzle has acted as a way for Townsend to reflect on the pandemic and ongoing quarantine. Along with the updates pertaining to the album, Townsend has revealed that Puzzles is currently being mixed, however the process has proven more difficult than he had initially thought.

Ahhdidnt get done. =/ Mix will continue for a few more days. What a savage bunch of sessionsmixing this is very difficult.

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 29, 2021

Ahh didnt get done. =/ Mix will continue for a few more days, Townsend said. What a savage bunch of sessionsmixing this is very difficult.

Puzzle summarized the last year for me, but I see things on the horizon that are very different. Couldnt get there without this though its been a heavy year, for sure. Please take care.

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

Puzzle summarized the last year for me, but i see things on the horizon that are very different. Couldnt get there without this though its been a heavy year, for sure. Please take care.

I hope people enjoy this its so odd, but its also so weirdly awesome

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

I hope people enjoy this its odd, but its also weirdly awesome

While none of the tracks on the album have yet been released, Townsend went on to say that one song from Puzzles wound up meaning more to him than nearly anything else he had previously written.

Theres also a track on here that hits me harder than almost anything Ive ever done maybe its just fatigue speaking though but it wrecks me

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

Theres also a track on here that hits me harder than almost anything Ive ever done maybe its just fatigue speaking though but it wrecks me

Townsend has described the album as including a lot of emotionally intense material.

I guess thats why Im excited to be finished as well. Its very hard to work on emotionally intense material. Youre kind of immersed 24/7 made good progress today though

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

I guess thats why Im excited to be finished as well. Its very hard work on emotionally intense material. Youre kind of immersed 24/7 made good progress today though.

Its supposed to be an audio movie in 2 parts you just put it on and let your imagination take over so its very colorful. And it goes between dark and light.

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

Its supposed to be an audio movie in 2 parts you just put it on and let your imagination take over so its very colorful. And it goes between dark and light.

The intention is to make stream of consciousness orchestrated (if that makes any sense:..)

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

The intention is to make stream of consciousness orchestrated (if that makes any sense)

Also, for all the chaotic nature and ADHD type music this has produced, its required the most subtle mix Ive been involved with to date either its right or its totally wrong. With only a slight margin for error

Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) March 30, 2021

Also, for all the chaotic nature and ADHD type music this has produced, its required the most subtle mix Ive been involved with to date either its right or its totally wrong. With only a slight margin for error.

Townsend has been incredibly busy throughout the pandemic, hosting a podcast series where he details the creation of his former albums, creating Puzzle, writing the television score for a new BBC childrens series, as well as creating two other albums, Snuggles and Lightwork. Townsend had also been working on a Quarantine Project, which included a lrelease of the song EQUINOX (demo) featuring Che Aimee Dorval.

The artist also shared a live album, Devolution Series #1 Acoustically Inclined, Live in Leeds, last week on March 27. His upcoming solo album will be titled Lightwork, and will lean away from the ambient sounds he has been experimenting with throughout quarantine and returning to melodic hard rock and metal.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat

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Devin Townsend Updates Progress on Puzzle, Says Hes Mixing the Album - mxdwn.com