Category Archives: Progress

Jill Schramm/MDNConstruction of the approach to the Colton Avenue Bridge in Burlington is under way Tuesday. The bridge, at far right, is to be substantially complete and ready for traffic later this year.

North Dakotas low unemployment rate is hindering contractors in playing catch-up on weather-delayed construction projects.

The loss of work days due to rain or snow in September and early October set back the work on the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection in Minot and Burlington. For contractors to make up for lost time would require putting more workers on the job, said Ryan Ackerman, administrator for the Souris River Joint Board, which is overseeing the flood protection project.

Theres no labor to do the projects that need to be done, Ackerman said of the difficulty in compressing the work into the limited time remaining before freeze-up. The wet weather is affecting projects regionally, not just in Minot, creating increased competition for a limited supply of available workers, he said.

Some construction projects also sit idle because ground remains saturated and its not possible to achieve the compaction necessary, Ackerman said. Those areas are waiting for warmer, windy weather for drying.

Despite the weather so far, the goal is to have the new Colton Bridge in Burlington open to traffic before freeze-up in November, Ackerman said. The deck has been poured and the contractor is working on the approaches. The bridge project should be substantially complete before the end of the year, leaving landscaping elements to be finished next year.

Minots phase 1 segment of the flood protection project had been about six months behind schedule going into September. It now is about eight months behind.

The Broadway pump station was only modestly affected by the September weather, Ackerman said. The Fourth Avenue flood wall and utility work along Third Street are where Phase 1 saw more impact.

Phase 1 initially fell behind because of the need to relocate the Sundre water line for the Northwest Area Water Supply project. Due to changes in Canadian Pacific Railroads permitting requirements, permission to go under the railroad was delayed, setting back the line relocation, Ackerman said.

Flood protection phases 2 and 3, which were about six months ahead of schedule, now are about four months ahead, he said.

Sixteenth Street Southwest still has two of its four lanes closed in the project area, but the lanes are expected to open before the end of the year.

Debbie Hansen and David Gerding were presented the Mirror Ball Trophy in front of a near sold-out audience at ...

Mollie C. Eddings, 41, who is now a teacher living in Alamogordo, N.M., received a deferred imposition of sentence ...

Alicia Lee Ostrom, 40, Minot, is accused of trespassing at a mans northeast Minot home early Tuesday morning and ...

Minot State University announced Monday its fourth partnership with the Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate ...

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE The Air Force is conducting an ongoing investigation into an incident on Oct. 9 when ...

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Progress on flood protection slips in mud | News, Sports, Jobs - Minot Daily News

Pity the poor year-nine students who henceforth will be plonked in front of this plodding, sanctimonious animation of John Bunyans 1678 religious allegory as a treat in RE class. The films animation is reminiscent of an aircraft safety video, with characters moving stiffly while delivering the dialogue in awkward, am-dram style.

It begins promisingly in the City of Destruction, a vividly animated inferno where citizens toil at backbreaking work. After one of them goes missing, leaving behind a house full of visionary sketches and a book about the Celestial City, Christian Pilgrim (voiced by Ben Price) follows him into the unknown, abandoning his family. First stop on his journey is the Swamp of Despair. At Vanity Fair he must resist the temptations of the flesh painted ladies, cakes galore while at points along the road he is visited by the kindly Evangelist, who looks like Jesus with a Kate Middleton blow dry.

If not much else, The Pilgrims Progress has got some cracking, genuinely nightmare-inducing demons. Christian goes sword to sword with the devils henchman, a winged creature with horns and the pecs of champion bodybuilder.

Less interesting is the characterisation of the female giant Diffidence as a battle-axe wife the kind of pinny-wearing, rolling-pin wielding stereotype that belongs in the 17th century. It also doesnt help that there is also virtually zero humour, though I did have to suppress a giggle at the road sign for Passion Passage.

The Pilgrims Progress is released in the UK on 25 October.

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The Pilgrims Progress review tiring trudge to the Celestial City - The Guardian

ByMichael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) Here in the land of the good football team, we the people are a lot of different things. But we are not normal. No siree, Bob.

Given the unprecedented run of success of the local football team, we tend to have skewed views of just about everything. It happens. All those wins, all the championships, it all works to distort what serves as the everyday reality for 31 other franchises.

With that in mind, its worth taking a deep breath right now, with the Patriots sitting at 7-0, to quickly take stock of what the 2019 Patriots have already accomplished.

For one, theyve defeated each of their three divisional opponents on the road. The win in Buffalo was tight, but the Patriots were clearly the better team. The wins in Miami and New York came by a combined score of 76-0.

Even when accounting for the tanking Dolphins and the struggling Jets, a combined score of seventy-six to nothingon the road against divisional opponents should not be taken for granted. (Especially when last years team was good enough to win the Super Bowl but only good enough to win three games total on the road during the regular season.)

The Patriots have now swept the Jets for four straight years and 11 times in Bill Belichicks 20 seasons.

The defense is on a historic run, allowing a fraction of the points that the 2000 Ravens allowed. (For the non-history buffs, that is really, really, stupidly good.) Theyve now recorded four interceptions in a gamethree separate timesthis year. That is to say, in 43 percent of their games thus far, theyve recorded four interceptions.

As play-by-play man Joe Tessitore shared Monday night, the Patriots have taken a 24-point lead in five of their seven games. That would be more than 70 percent of their games thus far.

The defense has posted two shutouts, which only the 2003 Patriots have done under Belichick. A third shutout would be a record for the Belichick-coached Patriots, and the Bengals, Bills and Dolphins to end the season should present decent opportunities for more.

Their point differential through seven games is the best that football has seen since something called the Buffalo All-Americans beat up on some jolly old chaps back in 1920. (1920!)

Tom Brady continues to care little about his fantasy value or statistical record, happy to hand the ball off at the goal line time after time for an offense that sits at No. 1 points scored and 10th in yards per game.

They just added Ben Watson, who came up with a tremendous catch to convert a fourth down. They just acquired Mohamed Sanu, who should give Brady a reliable receiving option. And theyre close to being able to activate NKeal Harry, their rookie receiver who didnt magically lose all of his first-round talent just by sitting on IR for a couple of months.

The New England Patriots are, quite simply, having themselves a very good time in 2019.

From here, it could go one of two ways. The 2007 Patriots started 7-0; they maintained things all the way until February, when they beefed it big-time in the Super Bowl. The 2015 Patriots started 7-0, too; they stretched it to 10-0 before a muffed punt in Denver by Chris Harper, a group fart against a bad Eagles team, a mystifying overtime loss to the Jets, and the infamous Steven Jackson Game cost them home-field advantage. A gargantuan two-man effort from Brady and Rob Gronkowski in the AFC Championship Game wasnt enough, and the Patriots kicked away a potential championship season.

So, in that sense, theres quite a long ways to go for this years team. Anything short of a Super Bowl will wipe away most of this recognition. Thats how it works here.

But for now, you cant help but sit back and be wowed by the fact that the Patriots have seemingly existed in a completely separate league from their competition in six of their seven games played thus far.

One of those games was their most recent contest, which came against the Jets. Lets dive headlong into some leftover thoughts from that 33-0 beatdown, shall we?

My No. 1 takeaway from this game was Jakobi Meyers involvement in the offense.The defense obviously carried the day, and the offense has been fine, but we all know that Tom Bradys side of the ball is going to have to be a bit better when the level of competition rises. (I guess that should sayif the level of competition rises, because a whole lot of teams currently smell.)

It was significant that Brady looked to Meyers to convert a third-and-7 on the opening drive, with Meyers settling into a soft spot over the middle against a zone defense and Brady hitting him in the chest.

It was likewise huge when Meyers delivered the key block to spring Julian Edelman for a 14-yard gain on a short pass on another third-and-10 on that drive.

Brady and Meyers connected for a 23-yard gain in the second quarter, and they probably would have had an 80-yard touchdown connection if not for a desperation pass interference penalty taken by New York.

In total, Brady was 5-for-5 when targeting Meyers, and the rookie receiver drew a defensive holding penalty on one third down and the aforementioned DPI on another third down, thus giving the Patriots a fresh set of downs on both occasions.

This came a week after Meyers had what I deemed to be the biggest play of the game against the Giants, and it showed a promising step forward for the next potential diamond discovered by Belichick.

This was a significant development.

Ben Watson getting 10 yards on a third-and-5 and seven yards on a fourth-and-6?Likewise, significant.

Among the many elements that stood out from the Patriots defense was their complete lack of respect for Sam Darnold.I say that not as an evaluative judgment so much, but any time you wallop an opponent over the head with a flood of zero blitzes, you clearly dont have too many concerns about that guy making you pay.

Sure enough, Darnold seemed happy to abide.

Darnold in his career vs. the Patriots:27-for-60 (45%), 127 yards per game, 4.2 yards per attempt0 TDs, 4 INTs0-2 record29.4 passer rating

Darnold in his career vs. everybody else:274-for-459 (59.7%), 229 yards per game, 7.0 yards per attempt20 TDs, 16 INTs5-9 record80.98 passer rating

The picks were bad, but do you know what were worse? The throws Darnold madeafterall the picks.

If you want to hum the climactic final minute of the 1812 Overture in your head while watching these GIFs, youll really get the full experience.

A true masterpiece.

The only place you could feel safe from getting doinked in the melon by an errant Darnold pass in the second half was on the field of play. Everyone on the sideline? Head on a swivel.

(Thats the same man who lit up the Cowboys on that same field eight days earlier.)

The total offensive performance was muted, which tends to happen when you hit the second half with a 24-0 lead on the road.But really, I could probably sit here and write a book about Bradys touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett.

I mean. There is perfection, and then there is this completion:

Was some luck involved with the football somehow not hitting Trumaine Johnsons arm? Sure, of course. But the throw traveled some 40ish yards in the air and would have hit a dime on the field had Brady been aiming for one. (They ought to make a cool saying out of that.) And Dorsetts ability to somehow see the pass over Johnson, secure the ball against his body and then gain firm control of the ball, all while rapidly running out of room in the end zone.

That was art, man. It was art.

Likewise, the stat sheet looks gross for Sony Michel from a raw rushing perspective.He had 42 yards on 19 carries, for a 2.2-yard average.

But three of those rushes concluded in the end zone, and he also did this to the Jets best run-stuffing linebacker:

Youd never know it by looking at the stats, but thats a nice night for the running back.

(Fun fact: In just 20 games played, Michel is already tied for 23rd on the Patriots all-time list for rushing touchdowns. Hes tied with Sammy Morris, who played 47 games in New England. Also with six touchdowns in last years playoffs, Michel is tied for 20thall timein NFL postseason rushing touchdowns. The kids on the accelerated course for scoring touchdowns, to say the least.)

The lack of stats not matching the impact of a player can work on defense, too, as Jamie Collins presence was certainly felt by the Jets.On the stat sheet, Collins only recorded an assist on one tackle. He had dashes everywhere else.

But watch how Collins forced Darnold to throw his first pick of the night (on his first pass of the night):

That is an absolutely brutal job by right guard Brian Winters to recognize Collins, but even if Winters had picked up the block, Donta Hightower shot through the other side of the line untouched, too.

Now watch how the mere presence/threat of Collins forced right tackle Brandon Shell to block him, even though he wasnt rushing. That move rolled out a red carpet for John Simon to get a strip-sack:

It was Jamie Collins quietest day of the season in terms of stats. But it was far from a quiet performance.

Im not a MAJOR conspiracy guy, but how could the flag festival midway through the second quarter be perceived as anything but a blatant attempt by the officials to try to keep the game mildly interested to a neutral viewer?

J.C. Jackson was called for defensive holding, which was a wholly legitimate call. But two plays later, he was flagged for pass interference on a ball that certainly was not catchable.

It also wasnt clear that Jackson actually committed pass interference, because no replay was shown.

After the gifted 19 yards on that penalty, the Jets got another 15 yards after Danny Shelton hit Darnold with mild violence after the QB had released an incompletion.

Perhaps that call was legitimate? Hard to tell if Shelton made contact with Darnolds head or neck. But given the circumstances, and the calls around it, it felt like a bit of a bailout.

Two plays after that free 15 yards, this was not called a hold on left tackle Chuma Edoga:

None of this mattered on the scoreboard or in the grand scheme of life, obviously. But after last weeks mayhem in Green Bay the officiating on this drive in particular plus a bad block in the back call on Edelman that negated a touchdown, PLUS a missed defensive holding penalty when Edelman was clearly yanked certainly didnt smell right.

Fortunately, Darnold made it allREALLYnot matter when he threw the ball where, exactly?

Yyyyyyyyyikes.

That came after mics caught Adam Gase telling Darnold that he needed to get the ball into the end zone before halftime. Perhaps Darnold thought simply throwing the football there would complete the mission.

Gases message there was that the Jets could score going into halftime and coming out of halftime, thus turning the 24-0 blowout into a game. Potentially, anyway.

Instead, Darnold threw that pick before halftime, and then threw this pick coming out of halftime, on a pass when there was only one person looking at him and/or expecting a throw. (Hint: It was not a member of the New York Jets.)

Double yikes.

Donta Hightower is an adult.

That is all.

Wed be remiss if we didnt praise the Zero Humans Defense employed on a pass to James White thatprobablyshould have been a long touchdown.

I found this to be humorous.

Ill give you a shiny quarter if you can name the passer on each of those passes to Brady?

Its not difficult, really.

You should get it.

If you dont, you have to mail me a quarter.

Hint: One came in 2001. The other came in 2015.

If you dont know it by now, the final hint will give it away: In 01, it came vs. the Dolphins. In 15, it was vs. the Eagles.

OK, here you go, cheater. Kevin Faulk threw the first one (it went for 23 yards) and male model Danny Amendola threw the second (which went for 36 yards in one of those really perplexing Patriots losses).

Stats are fun. History is fun. Good time.

Hey. Hey, Ernie. Can you believe we actually did that? What a laugh.

You canemail Michael Hurleyor find him on Twitter@michaelFhurley.

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Jakobi Meyers Makes Significant Progress And Other Leftover Patriots Thoughts - CBS Boston

Disperse, a London-based startup that helps construction companies automatically capture and process visual data from construction sites, has raised $15 million in a series A round of funding from Northzone, with participation from Revolt Ventures, Kindred, and Frontline.

Founded in 2015, Disperse is one of a number of startups setting out to disrupt the trillion-dollar construction industry, a sector not renowned for its efficiency due in part to a general lack of digitization. At its core, Disperse is all about helping companies track progress across construction projects to identify inefficiencies, through capturing imagery and using computer vision to spot issues as soon as they occur before they escalate into bigger (and more expensive) problems. It also promises to help free people from repetitive manual admin so they can work on more important tasks.

The most valuable asset that any company has is its people, and we want to free up those people to focus on more creative and strategic endeavors and equip them with the right solutions to rethink how construction is managed, noted Disperse CEO and cofounder Felix Neufeld.

The Disperse platform creates what the company calls a digital twin of a site, through combining construction schedules, 3D models, drawings, and weekly snapshots captured on-site. This allows any stakeholder to check in from anywhere in the world and see what progress is being made, or root out inefficiencies and bottlenecks. Users can also backtrack to see the state of a site at a particular moment in time, which may help in terms of solving disputes over issues that arise and at what stage of the job they happened.

The result is that Disperse can serve as a database and photographic record of everything that has happened during a projects fit-out phase.

Above: Disperse in action

With many different players involved in a typical construction project, being able to quickly identify which party is responsible when something goes wrong can help speed up the project but more than that, with Disperses technology it may help prevent problems getting to an advanced stage by spotting them earlier.

I grew up on construction sites, in a big construction family, Neufeld added. Were frequently contrasted with industries like manufacturing, where productivity has accelerated. The big problem in our industry is that as soon as things start going wrong, everybody starts looking for someone to blame developers blame general contractors and general contractors blame subcontractors, but the finger pointing and subjectivity only causes more productivity loss.

In terms of howDisperse captures the imagery, someone either employed by Disperse or the customer traverses the site for a few hours each week equipped with a 360 camera. The camera is just an off-the-shelf device, and doesnt entail any special proprietary hardware or anything like that the secret sauce really, is what comes after the data is captured, which includes processing it and applying computer vision to understand whats happening on-site.

Customers are primarily focused on deriving value from insights and are not particularly focused on how the data gets captured, so Disperse has made that priority the focus as well, Neufeld told VentureBeat. The capture process is designed to provide the customer with the most powerful actionable information in a way that causes the least amount of disruption to existing workflows on a hazardous construction site.

Disperse already claims a number of big construction and real estate company clients, including Canary Wharf Contractors, Mace, Meyer Bergman, and Bouygues. And with another $15 million in the bank, it said that it plans to turbo-charge its expansion into the U.S. and invest in R&D alongside select customers.

As with other industries, much of the construction industrys push to improve on efficiency involves automated tools. A number of platforms similar to Disperse have emerged onto the scene San Francisco-based OpenSpace recently raised $14 million, Indus.ai closed an $8 million round for something similar, and Doxel.ai operates a platform that is not too dissimilar. So its clear that there is a real appetite not only for digitizing an age-old industry, but automating it.

Above: Disperse in action

According to Neufeld, one of Disperses strengths lies in its focus not purely on capturing visual documentation, but in the deep insights that its data unlocks. Instead of focusing on the method of visual image capturing, or on creating a lightweight documentation tool, Disperse has focused on creating a more complete solution that turns captured images into measurable and actionable insight, and that integrates directly with existing construction plans and technology, he said. The technology is designed to make an impact at all levels of production instead of just project-level.

Its also worth looking at Northzones involvement in this funding round. The European VC firm, which has raised more than $1 billion across eight funds over the past two decades,recently backed another AI-powered construction tech startup in the form of Norway-based Spacemaker, which is developing simulation software that automatically creates the layout designs for residential developments. The inherent value of the construction industry, and its ripeness for modernization, is evidently an attractive proposition for investors.

We see industries that have traditionally been slower to innovate, increasingly being disrupted by technology, noted Northzone partner Michiel Kotting. If applied in the right way, AI can strongly accelerate this momentum. As the construction industry has a trillion dollar productivity gap, we have been on the lookout for bold entrepreneurs that address this challenge.

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Disperse raises $15 million for computer vision that tracks construction site progress - VentureBeat

Hawaiis recently released school performance results for 2018-19 painted an overall disappointing picture: proficiency in math, science and language arts was the same or slightly worse from the year before.

The student achievement gap had not narrowed. And the chronic absenteeism rate statewide was not on a downward swing.

But one area that showed improvement a sizable one was in the area of CTE, or career and technical education, completion. Five high schools reported double digit percentage gains in 12th graders completing a CTE program of study.

Its a required elective starting with freshman year, Aiea High School principal, David Tanuvasa, said of why his school saw its CTE completion rate increase from 46% in 2018 to 76% in 2019.

At Waianae High, students are required to be in a career and technical education pathway starting sophomore year.

Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Tanuvasa has made career and technical learning through various pathways one of his priorities since arriving at the school in 2017. The school offers CTE courses in the areas of industrial engineering and technology, health services, arts and communications and natural resources.

Incoming freshmen are asked to take the RIASEC test, a sort of personality test to gauge which career they might be best suited for based on their interests. By sophomore year, students are required to choose a pathway. And in order to successfully complete a CTE pathway, students need to accrue three credits.

CTE completion is supposed to measure college and career readiness, Tanuvasa said. It is a foundation of beginning that journey of selecting the type of jobs students might be interested in for the future.

The gains among area high schools in career and technical ed completion comes amid a greater push statewide to align high school studies with workplace readiness skills for high-demand industries in Hawaii.

Career and technical ed is propped up by federal funding through the Perkins Act. In 2019, Hawaii got $6.1 million in Perkins funding, evenly split between secondary and post-secondary institutions.

On Friday, the Hawaii Board of Education will be holding a community meeting with business leaders and members of the public to brainstorm ways to build stronger partnerships between schools and local businesses to better prepare students for those industries.

It goes along with making learning more relevant, said board chairwoman Catherine Payne. We take it for granted when a student will thrive in an area theyre interested in but (schools) need to be in a tighter partnership (with industries) for students to be successful.

The Hawaii high schools that showed the biggest jump in CTE completion rate over the past year include Aiea High, Kohala High on the Big Island, Baldwin High, Farrington High and Waianae High. Aiea topped the list with a 30 percentage point gain, while the other schools have shown improvements between 21 and 26 percentage points.

Statewide, 56% of high school students successfully completed a CTE concentration, surpassing the states 2020 target of 50% in its 14 student success indicators. In 2016, just 38% of students completed a CTE program of study.

Advocacy groups praised the progress in recent testimony to the Board of Education, but noted that the state didnt meet any of its other targets.

We would like clear articulation why performance has improved or not improved, and specifics about how the high impact strategies such as school design, teacher collaboration and student voice are making a difference on outcomes, that testimony stated.

The Board of Education plans to hold a community meeting this week to explore partnership opportunities between schools and local businesses.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

At Waianae High, students are required to be in a CTE track starting from sophomore year. Its embedded into the school structure and through that, students work on something called a personal/transition plan. Required to graduate, that serves as a students plan of action in transitioning to a career or college.

Recent DOE policy changes also point to a greater focus on CTE. Starting in 2018, the Hawaii DOE adjusted the definition of CTE concentrator to include students who earn at least a D grade or higher (a standard that holds when it comes to academic coursework as well at some schools). Prior to that year, the minimum grade needed was a C. Successfully attaining CTE honors, however, still requires a B or higher.

Career and technical ed remains an elective course of study, however, and its not likely to become mandatory anytime soon.

I cant say we would expect CTE to be a requirement, because its not for everyone, said Payne, adding that it does hold relevance for (other) students, because they can take the things theyre learning in the classroom and apply them.

Finding qualified professionals to teach in this area remains a challenge, so that means a lack of continuity at some programs at area schools.

I see (CTE) programs come and go, said Shaun Kamida, a social studies teacher at McKinley High. He used to teach agriculture courses in the CTE department, stitching together a program of study based on Future Farmers of America guidance and the advice of other teachers who had expertise in areas like aquaponics. But the agriculture and natural resources pathway eventually was discontinued.

CTE teachers in general do a lot, Kamida said. Basically they run their own programs. Its not an ordinary classroom and I think having support for their programs and attracting more qualified teachers in those fields (is needed).

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Hawaii Schools Are Making Progress In Career And Technical Education - Honolulu Civil Beat

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LevaData, the company that delivers applied AI to transform strategic sourcing and procurement, has announced the results of its 2019 Cognitive Sourcing Study. The full report is available today at the 2019 Cognitive Sourcing Summit in San Jose.

The study addressed the concerns of more than 200 senior procurement and supply chain leaders at global manufacturing firms in the high tech, consumer goods, industrial, automotive, and life sciences industries and looked at the practices and systems manufacturing companies use for sourcing and new product introduction (NPI), with a focus on the adoption of transformative technologies.

This years survey shows that a surprisingly high number of enterprise NPI and sourcing teams are still using the same analog systems and processes that they have been using for more than 20 years: individual category managers with spreadsheets. The lack of centrally located data alone exposes these companies to significant risk, explained Rajesh Kalidindi, founder and CEO of LevaData. Meanwhile, a small but growing number of companies are adopting transformative technologies that will allow them to strategically consider millions of data points affecting the supply chain and product engineering. These companies are able to significantly outmaneuver competitors.

U.S.-China Tariffs Are Top of Mind

Almost all of the respondents, 89%, are concerned that tariffs will cause production costs to increase over the next year. The top five U.S. industries they expect to be hardest hit are industrial manufacturing, consumer goods, automotive, technology, and telecommunications.

Respondents noted a range of tactics theyre likely to take to reduce the impact of the expected cost increases:

As manufacturers consider restructuring their supply chains in the wake of tariffs and global uncertainty, they cited U.S. cities with a high cost of living that theyll seek to replace or avoid New York (32%), Los Angeles (15%) and Miami (9%) in particular. Hong Kong (15%) and Shanghai (9%) were the two Chinese cities in the top five that manufacturers plan to move away from.

And, while respondents think the tariffs will be more harmful to North America than China in the near term, a majority believe the U.S. (45%) and Canada (26%) will benefit in the long term.

Progress Toward Digital Transformation Is Slow but Steady

A surprising number of manufacturing organizations still rely on outmoded analog processes, but there is increasing movement toward advanced technology solutions:

While only 8% report using a purpose-built sourcing platform in 2019, this signaled significant AI adoption compared to 2018 (5%).

Organizations Limited by Narrow View of Strategic Sourcing Success

But manufacturing organizations arent just limited by analog processes. There is also a pervasive failure to think about strategic sourcing on a larger scale.

Although theres a clear opportunity for strategic sourcing to improve a companys speed and agility, only 5% of respondents cited building a competitive advantage as a key measure of strategic sourcing success. The majority (68%) were focused on cost- cutting.

Additionally, strategic sourcing, procurement and NPI teams continue to be handicapped by the amount of time they spend fighting fires: 46% of respondents say at least a quarter of their time is spent on these tasks. Compare this to best-in-class companies, which weve found spend less than 15% of their time this way, Kalidindi added.

Finally, despite the fact that most respondents (60%) view their procurement teams as excellent partners, they may be considering them from a traditional perspective. Confidence in this team to handle digital transformation continues to decline; in 2017, 52% of respondents felt this team was somewhat or very ready for digital transformation, but this figure declined to 46% in 2018 and to 40% in 2019.

About LevaData

LevaData helps global enterprises improve gross margins by reducing supply chain costs, with a focus on delivering measurable and accountable supply chain solutions and strategies that transform companies. The unique LevaData Cognitive Sourcing Platform allows customers to sense, recommend, act and learn. Customers include leaders in the top global supply chain organizations, as well as medium-sized OEMs seeking to achieve best-in-class direct materials sourcing practices. LevaData is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information, visit http://www.levadata.com.

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Cognitive Sourcing Study: Manufacturing Organizations Making Slow, Steady Progress Towards Digital Transformation, Led by Early Adopters - Business...

In a week the Aggie mens basketball team will be preparing for an exhibition game.

While Utah State has made strides with nine newcomers, there have been a few hiccups over the past week. In a closed scrimmage against Northern Colorado last weekend, several Aggies did not even suit up.

Were banged up right now with some things, USU head coach Craig Smith said Tuesday after practice. Thats the hard part is we are trying to gain momentum into the season, but we are about as banged up as we have been.

Starting center Neemias Queta continues to rehab a knee he injured in the summer. An exact date of his return is still not known.

We have a game plan with Neemie, but we are going to sit down with the trainer this week and come together on some things, Smith said. His rehab is going great. He has done a really, really good job.

Freshman forward Liam McChesney has been sick. Not only has he missed time, but lost weight, which is not good for the 6-foot-10, 185-pounder.

He has been sick with the flu and now he has another deal, Smith said of McChesney. He just cant get out of that rut right now.

Sophomore forward Justin Bean broke his nose and has not participated in contact drills or scrimmages. He will be wearing a mask soon.

On the same day Bean broke his nose, 7-2 center Kuba Karwowski injured a foot. He was dressed Tuesday, but did not play during live five-on-five action. He also missed the scrimmage with Northern Colorado.

We are two weeks away (from starting the regular season) and the NBA season begins, so its a great day, Smith said. We had a closed scrimmage on Saturday and I think Im not allowed to talk about it, but it went well.

Guard Marco Anthony also didnt see action over the weekend, but he is not eligible this season after transferring from Virginia. The junior does practice with the team.

Then on Tuesday returning starting point guard Abel Porter got banged up and sat the rest of practice. Smith is confident the junior will be fine and be back out at practice.

We expect all of those guys to be back in the next week or so, except for Neemie, Smith said. ... I love our team and love how we are working. As you can see, we are just big. We have really, really good size. We take up a lot of space on the floor.

At the end of practice Tuesday, there was plenty of enthusiasm. Guards Sam Merrill and Brock Miller hit some big shots, while junior forward Alphonso Anderson and center Trevin Dorius have taken advantage of playing time.

All of our new guys have played well, Smith said. They go through the ups and downs. ... Alphonso has made really good progress the last seven days and the game is starting to slow down. The same can be said for (Sean) Bairstow, who is so versatile and can do some different things.

Kuba (Karwowski) was really coming around, but then he got hurt. But that opens the door for a guy like Trevin (Dorius). Trevin has been playing really well right now. He has made strides over the last week. ... We have a next man up mentality.

Center Klay Stall and walk-on guard Carson Bischoff also drew praise from the head coach.

Our returners have gotten better and our new guys are really starting to make some progress, Smith said. Its been fun to see guys over the past week to 10 days start to make some serious progress. I like where we are at. We have two weeks to get better, then we have five games in 14 days, so we dont have a lot of practice time at that point.

The closed scrimmage with Northern Colorado gave the coaches film to go over with the athletes against an opponent versus playing themselves. Smith said the team spent a good amount of time on Monday going over that film.

The guys have clearly gotten better because of that scrimmage and looking at film, Smith said.

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We are where we want to be as of right now, but we are not where we want to be in the future, senior guard Diogo Brito said. We are working towards that for sure.

The Aggies also got ranked on Monday. The Associated Press Top 25 Preseason Poll came out with USU checking in at No. 17. Its only the third time in school history USU is ranked before a season begins.

Its a great accomplishment that the guys have earned, Smith said. My old clich is polls dont mean anything except the respect you have earned. Our guys have earned it. Its not something we take lightly, but we dont talk about it. ... We want to go out and earn it. It matters, but at the same time, it doesnt matter.

For Brito, he wants to make sure the Aggies show up and play like the ranked them we are.

If we do our job and play hard, we will prove we belong in the ranking, Brito said. That is not a team goal, because the team goal is to win the Mountain West championship.

USU hosts the College of Idaho, a good NAIA school on Oct. 30, in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum for an exhibition game. The season begins Nov. 5, when the Aggies host Montana State.

Its an exciting time of year, Smith said.

Its exciting that its so close, Brito said. Things have been going great. The new guys have been learning quick. Its been a learning process, but at the same time everybody is getting better.

More:

Aggies making progress, but dealing with some injuries - The Herald Journal

** The man in charge On Tuesday night, we shared an interview with OSU sophomore wideout Chris Olave. The multitalented Olave has come up with different ways to impact games even when he doesnt catch a pass. Check out that interview here.

There was a passage in his interview session that caught our eye and deserves more examination. Here were Olaves comments on how Ryan Day has transitioned from the offensive coordinator to the head coaching role:

I believe he is the same guy, Olave said. He recruited me, so he hasnt really changed much. Hes more focused on the job. When I walk past his office every day, hes watching film. He hasnt changed as the offensive coordinator or calling plays. He hasnt changed much, and thats what I like about him.

Asked about what he saw in Day during recruiting, Olave said, He wasnt really trying to force me to come here. He wanted me to take all of my visits and do what was right for me. He built that relationship with me and my parents, and thats what my parents liked about him.

A down-to-earth guy who keeps his head down and grinds and just simply refuses to lose. Sounds like a good combination to us.

** Versatility pays We had an item here in The House recently about Buckeyes that could consider entering the NFL Draft early after this season. The newest name to bubble to the top of the rumor pool is Shaun Wade.

** Fitzpatrick redux? 'Project' progress? Greg and Don?

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BH: Greg and Don | 'Project' progress - 247Sports

I started working for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in 1974. Very soon, I discovered the depth of the environmental and political challenges that were facing the agency; Ohio waters and air were in bad shape. Yet, Gov. James Rhodes, who was running for re-election that year, claimed that the Ohio EPA was exceeding its authority and he made putting Ohio EPA under control a major theme of his campaign.

As we celebrate the 47th anniversary of the creation of the Ohio EPA -- created on Oct. 23, 1972 -- our air is safe to breathe most the time. Not all our streams and lakes are fishable and swimmable, but at least they are not flammable. The majority of our citizens feel that protecting our environment is an important goal and they deplore politicians who blame environmental protection for all our ills.

Despite this progress, Ohio still has great environmental challenges ahead. However, l dont have any doubt in my mind that Ohio EPA and its staff will continue to overcome technical and political obstacles that may arise, as they always did. Having these challenges should not stop us from celebrating the progress we have achieved and acknowledging the unsung heroes who dedicated their careers to protecting the health and welfare of the people of Ohio.

George A. Elmaraghy,

Columbus

George A. Elmaraghy served as chief of the surface water division of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency among a number of other state government positions.

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Forty-seven years after Ohio EPA was founded, progress is tangible, fishable and breathable - cleveland.com

Schneider Defeats Dold In Illinois' 10th Congressional District

Former one-term Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider has won Illinois' 10th congressional district seat from Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Dold.

This year marked the third consecutive matchup between Dold and Schneider in the North Shore's10th congressional district. The race, which political analystsexpected to be a toss-up,was tightthroughout the night. Schneider was trailing Dold for most of the evening, and pulled ahead at the very end after early voting results were included.

At about10:30 p.m., news of Schneider's win broke at his election night party at the Northbrook Hilton.The crowderupted in chants of "Yes we did!"

By Ellyn Fortino

Wednesday, November 9th 12:15am

Illinois' hotly contested and expensive race between incumbent stateRep. Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) and Democrat Merry Marwig is largely considered to be a proxy battle waged by GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.

That's how several voters on Chicago's far Northwest Side characterized the 20th House district race after casting ballots today.

"I think there's a real clear divide in the state between folks that support Rauner and, sadly, folks that support Madigan. I'm not a Madigan supporter, but I abhor what Rauner is doing, holding the state hostage" over his "turnaround agenda," saidFrank Schulz, 58.

By Ellyn Fortino

Tuesday, November 8th 4:28pm

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Duckworth made an Election Day push for votes Tuesday morning at theRosemontTransit Center.

Duckworth, who is vying to unseat U.S. Sen.Mark Kirk (R-IL), greeted transit riders and encouraged them to vote today.

The Kirk v. Duckworth race could prove crucial in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate.The Cook Political Report rates the Illinois U.S. Senate raceas leaning Democratic.

"We're confident but we're not taking anything for granted," Duckworth told reporters at the transit station. "We're still pushing hard, campaigning hard. We'll do it all the way through until the polls close. A lot of people have still not yet voted, and we need to make sure that we get people to the polls."

By Ellyn Fortino

Tuesday, November 8th 4:12pm

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Progress Illinois