Category Archives: Progress

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

FILE - Homes that were spared from the Brian Head Fire are pictured on Friday, June 30, 2017.

BRIAN HEAD, Iron County Crews fighting the Brian Head Fire had contained 65 percent of the wildfire late Saturday.

The human-caused fire has burned more than 60,300 acres since it roared to life 14 days ago.

Parowan Canyon also opened Saturday. Brian Head and Dry Lakes residents and visitors can return via state Route 143 from Parowan to Brian Head or along state Route 14 through Cedar Breaks National Monument.

While evacuation orders have been lifted at Brian Head and the Dry Lake area, more than 1,800 firefighters continue to battle the blaze heading northeast.

Several areas remained under evacuation orders Saturday: Upper Bear Valley, Horse Valley, Beaver Dam, Clear Creek, Castle Valley, Blue Springs, Rainbow Meadows and Second Left Hand Canyon.

Fire officials said crews made "significant progress" toward containing the fire Friday.

"Thanks in large part to lighter winds, fire behavior has been reduced," fire officials said in a prepared statement. "Some isolated tree torching occurred, but crews had a successful day directly suppressing the fire perimeter and mopping up hot spots around the communities at risk."

Saturday, firefighters continued working on cleanup and planning on contingencies in case of any fire perimeter growth.

"Dozers have been used extensively in the northeastern flank of the fire where there is little containment," fire officials said. "Increasing containment has allowed numerous resources from the west side of the fire to be transferred to the northern perimeter, where most of the fire growth has occurred in the past three days."

Firefighters will continue to patrol the fire perimeter around the town of Brian Head and Second Hand Canyon.

The Dixie National Forest has also closed access to lands north of S.R. 14.

Fire officials encouraged visitors to check their route before planning any recreational activities for the Fourth of July weekend.

Maps of closed areas are posted on the federal fire incident website at http://www.inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Contributing: Ashley Stilson

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Parowan Canyon open; Brian Head blaze 65% contained - Deseret News

The Chesapeake Bay almost died in the 1970s when pollution came close to killing it off. Sewage and deadly agricultural and urban chemical runoff were well on the way to it.

Today, however, the Bay is in better health than its been in for decades, largely because of a determination from the federal government down that this iconic and unique body of water must be saved. Progress thats been called incredible has been made in Virginia, but much work remains.

Last month, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation released a preliminary report detailing the progress thats been made, especially in the last six years, in the fight to restore the Bay to health. Today, there is a record high level of sea grass the foundation upon which a healthy Bay is built, a noticeable rise in the number of female blue crabs, an oyster stock thats coming back from record low levels in the past decade and an oxygen-less dead zone thats projected to be 60 percent smaller than in the mid-1980s.

Considering how close the Bay was to death in the 1970s and 1980s, this progress is nothing short of amazing, though its taken more than three decades of effort to get to this point. Early efforts by Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia and Delaware simply were too limited in scope to tackle the problem, and because of the voluntary nature of the pact between the parties, the work of one could be negated by the inactions of another.

It wasnt until former President Barack Obama, through an expanded reading of the Waters of the United States Act, directed the federal Environmental Protection Agency to take the lead in the cleanup efforts. At the same time, the states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, large portions of which are in the Bays watershed, were added to the group of states involved in the cleanup. With the EPAs lead, came federal dollars the compact members could leverage in efforts to implement a wide range of environmental steps to limit pollution inflows to the Bay; currently, the federal contribution is $78 million annually.

The Bay foundations report notes that Virginia has made noticeable progress incredible progress was the phrase the foundation used in upgrading sewage treatments in the Bay watershed. The progress made on this front was enough to offset shortcomings in state efforts to meet pollution reduction targets for farms and for curbing urban/suburban runoff.

According to foundation data, Virginia fell more than 10 percent shy of the goal to cut urban/suburban runoff pollution. Rain washes chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus chemicals that lead to deadly algae growth from lawns and chemicals from roadways, along with sediment itself, into the Bays watershed. Meeting the 2025 runoff goal the EPA has set for Virginia, the foundation says, will be difficult, if not impossible.

The success rate for meeting the goals set for the state agriculture sector is a more mixed picture. While phosphorus goals were met, nitrogen and sediment goals came up short by 10 percent or so. One highly successful program to tackle agricultural runoff has been working with farmers to fence off streams and their banks, preventing livestock from depositing nitrogen-laden waste in the waters. There are currently more than 300 conservation plans encompassing more than 65,000 acres, with farmers receiving cost-sharing dollars to protect their waterways, but again, unsteady funding and a backlog of cost-sharing applications have held back progress.

We have written many times over the years of the Bays environmental and economic importance, both for Virginia and the nation. We have also written in support of President Obamas federalization of the cleanup efforts, the reasoning being that the Bay is a national resource whose protection and restoration is beyond the capabilities of any one state or group of states. And we have also written in support of congressional efforts to restore the $78 million for Bay cleanup efforts to the federal budget on the grounds that the taxpayers return on investment more than justifies the expenditure.

This Chesapeake Bay Foundation report underscores the success, thus far, of the new approach to Bay restoration. The raw data alone argues for the continuation of this policy; we can only hope Congress is listening and restores the full $78 million in funding for the Bays cleanup.

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Progress in Bay Cleanup, But Much Work Remains - Lynchburg News and Advance

MORGANTOWN Gary Jennings sees West Virginias wide receiving corps as one with a ton of potential but one that also must prove itself.

Jennings listed several possible breakout players for the coming season, including Dominique Maiden, Reggie Roberson and Marcus Simms. The three add multiple skill set complements to the likes of Jennings, a sure-handed wideout and punt returner who tallied 10 receptions for 165 yards and two scores a season ago.

Factor in KaRaun White and his 48 catches for 583 yards and five touchdowns in 2016 and that the Mountaineers again secured the services of David Sills after a stint trying his hand at quarterback at El Camino College in Calif, and WVU has the breadth of ability to provide plenty of targets for new quarterback Will Grier.

The question, then, isnt one of if as much as whom. Can Jennings better his stats, and can White, coming off a season-ending leg injury suffered in November, at least duplicate his?

Will Jovon Durante bounce back as a big play threat to replace Shelton Gibson after a mild sophomore slump which saw his yardage production fall from 378 yards to 331 despite 11 more catches? Thats a difference of more than six yards per grab, which translated in Durante being far more of a true mid-range threat than the vertical one he was in his first year at WVU.

And what of Maiden and his 6-foot-5, 203-pound frame? Simms burst and increased playing time as his freshman season wore on last year, including a career-best 80 plays in the regular season finale versus Baylor, should be viewed as a positive. The coaching staff raves about Roberson, who is the most likely to see significant action as a true freshman.

Even William Crest, a former quarterback like Sills, is back at receiver after flirting with a transfer option during the spring.

Dominique Maiden, and Reggie Roberson, those guys are definitely stepping up, but as a group as a whole were all starting to gel and mesh together which I feel is very good, Jennings said. Marcus Simms, hes a different player as well with what he can bring to the table. He does the right things.

Jennings noted that the wideouts routinely run patterns and work on timing and other aspects with Grier, who showed flashes of his excellence as a freshman at Florida during the Gold-Blue spring game. Grier completed nine of his first 10 throws while also finding Ricky Rogers for a 60-yard catch-and-run in a 202-yard performance.

Hes great, Jennings said. Cant wait for this upcoming season. (The passes are) on point, a good ball. You have to be ready for certain passes. Thats a part of us just meshing together and making sure were all on the same page all the time. Thats what we have worked on. Every single chance we get, were working with the quarterbacks and trying to get timing down.

Thats a key, especially as the Mountaineers, under new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, attempt to play at a faster pace. WVU ran 983 snaps a season ago actually a dozen fewer than its opponents for an average of 75.6 plays per game.

California, under Spavital, ran 1,035, and that was over just 12 games as opposed to West Virginias 13, translating to an average of more than 86 snaps per contest.

We can go pretty fast, Jennings said. Theres a lot of short game stuff and he uses the passing game as a run game as well. Theres a few things as far as tempo wise, but I guess well see.

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Jennings pleased with progress of wideouts - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

They didnt get everything they wanted, but local lawmakers believe the General Assembly accomplished a lot this year.

This was a good session for the state, said Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman.

Lawmakers approved a plan to fund roads, found additional money for poor school districts and addressed state pension problems.

I think that there were some very big issues that we had to tackle this year that certainly made the session very challenging, said Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg.

Even though some of those issues we did not totally solve, I thought that we at least made some progress in trying to solve them, he said.

Lawmakers say one of their biggest accomplishments was the passage of the road-funding bill.

That was certainly an achievement well look back on in years to come, said Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.

The bill increases the state gas tax of 16.75 cents per gallon by 12 cents over a six-year period. The first two cents were added yesterday.

The state Department of Transportation reported that more than half of roadway pavement in South Carolina is considered in poor condition. Repairs would cost nearly $500 million annually to bring roadways into good condition.

That has been an issue that has continuously hung a cloud over the state, said Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews.

Road conditions present safety issues and negatively affect businesses and their transportation of goods, he said.

Ott said the increase will create a more sustainable and recurring funding source, which the state needs.

Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, agreed, saying, There is simply not enough money to go around to fulfill all the needs the state has.

We need new revenue streams, he said.

Govan said the gas tax is a fair way to raise the needed revenue, as the burden will not fall completely on South Carolinians. Travelers who use the roads will share the cost.

Its only fair that those persons driving through also share the burdens of the cost, he said. We have taken a positive step forward in terms of roads funding.

Area lawmakers were also glad to see pension reform advance.

Retirees, theyve worked for the state and served, and they ought not to be worried, said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg.

Currently, the pension plan is underfunded by roughly $24 billion because of low returns in past years.

The plan covers an estimated 550,000 government workers in the state and has collected around $2 billion annually from workers and employers but has paid out $3 billion in benefits.

This issue really got out of hand a number of years ago, Govan said. Im glad to say that we added money to the system and made some other adjustments that hopefully will begin to put us on the right track.

The proposed solution would increase most employees' contributions from 8.66 percent to 9 percent of their annual pay and cap those payments at that percentage.

Employer contributions would increase by 1 percent annually through 2022.

This also means an increase in the amount of money that school districts, local governments and state universities have to contribute.

Nobodys really happy with what had to be done, Ott said. Its never popular, but the worst thing you can do is stick your head in the sand.

In the area of education, the budget provides $55.8 million for capital improvements at high-poverty schools.

Cobb-Hunter said $100 million was originally proposed only for schools involved in the Abbeville lawsuit, which include Orangeburg County schools.

Govan said wishes there was more money for school improvements, especially since it will now be spread throughout the state.

Although the Legislature was not able to pass a bond bill to fund higher education building needs, local lawmakers hope one can be passed next year.

Higher education needs it to pass, Cobb-Hunter said.

Ott said it is needed to address the issues of deferred maintenance at college buildings.

Once you see a leak, you have to go ahead and replace it, he said. It makes sense to borrow the money.

Bamberg said he wants one to pass as well but, A bond bill wont solve the problem itself.

He encourages the Legislature to put politics aside and consider new, innovative ways of creating revenue streams.

Were at a point in South Carolina where we need to be more proactive, Bamberg said. He said the state could get left behind as other states continue to advance.

He was glad to see the governor sign into law the industrial hemp program.

The program will allow 20 farmers to grow and harvest industrial hemp, which can be made into oil, rope, clothing, paper, canvas, soap and even some food and drinks.

Farmers said the ability to diversify the crops they grow will not only benefit them, but the state as a whole.

That was a huge, Ott said. I think thats going to be a program were going to continue to see grow.

Bamberg added, We need to work on passing medical marijuana legislation.

He said it will be a benefit to patients with illnesses or conditions that are treated with medical marijuana.

Bamberg said legalizing gambling should also be considered.

If done correctly, we can strike the balance between those people who are against it and those people who recognize that when we talk about new revenue for education and new revenue for roads, a legalized gaming system is something that can bring in millions and millions of dollars, he said.

The increased revenue could also help the state lower taxes, he said.

It is a very difficult task to consistently lower taxes on industries and small business while at the same time the state fails to create new revenue streams to combat that, Bamberg said.

Lawmakers are looking forward to addressing several issues next year.

Hutto wants to come up with a plan to replace school buses.

Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed $20 million for school buses this year. He said he wants to come up with a plan to replace buses, but doesnt want to use lottery money that should go to scholarships.

Lawmakers arent expected to address the governors vetoes until they return in January.

Education Superintendent Molly Spearman says the state needs $73 million to replace all of the buses which go back to 1995.

Matthews will be pushing for his port enhancement zone proposal, which is still in the House.

The bill would give businesses tax credits for locating within a 35-mile radius of the intersection of interstates 95 and 26.

He says the location makes it an ideal distribution hub for cargo shipped to and from the port and the incentives would help lure jobs into the area.

Bamberg wants to address the Local Government Fund, which provides counties and towns with a share of the states revenue.

I am disappointed in our inability to fully fund the local government fund, he said. It puts them in a bind when we have unfunded state mandates.

He said the local governments deserve to be properly funded.

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T&D Region lawmakers: Progress made on big issues - The Times and Democrat

JEFFERSONVILLE Expect a lot of progress in the next two months on New Hope Services affordable senior housing development at 835 Spring St., says the nonprofits president.

The building, which used to be Jeffersonvilles M. Fine & Sons shirt factory before being turned into the Industrial Terrorplex haunted house, has been under construction since around October 2016, said James Bosley, New Hope Services CEO.

Just two weeks ago, work on the development went vertical, meaning construction crews started adding onto the building instead of just rehabbing the existing structure. Around 50,000-square feet of the development will consist of the original structure, while 24,000-square feet of it will be new.

Now, Bosley said, onlookers will notice swift progress. The project is set to finish construction in October with leases becoming available in November.

New Hope closed with an investor and the bank on the approximately $10 million M. Fine project, called M. Fine on Spring, in September of 2016.

M. Fine on Spring will target the over 100 seniors on New Hopes waiting list for affordable housing in Jeffersonville. New Hope serves 20 counties, and one of its main focuses is housing and community development.

M. Fine on Spring will consist of 51 one- and two-bedroom apartments and contain an on-site fitness center, theater, restaurant, community rooms and outdoor roof terrace.

New Hope is also adding 10 units to its Aberdeen Woods apartments for seniors. The fact that New Hopes waiting list will still be large after both projects are finished shows the need for senior housing in the area, Bosley said.

Still, more seniors are invited to add themselves to the waiting list by calling New Hopes Willow Trace Apartments number at 812-282-6350.

New Hope is also working on giving seniors living in M. Fine on Spring things to do. Theyll be able to access senior services at New Hopes downtown office, of course, but the nonprofit is also planning to buy the former Reeders Cleaners building across the street from M. Fine on Spring and turn it into a coffee shop, wine bar or similar development.

The property needs to be decontaminated due to its former use as a cleaners and a gas station. Attorneys with New Hope and the propertys owner are working on getting their insurance companies to pay for the cleanup costs, and Bosley plans to buy the property after decontamination is finished.

M. Fine on Spring and the Reeders Cleaners development should give downtown Jeffersonville a boost, too, Bosley thinks.

Were cleaning up the whole block between 8th and 9th, he said.

Nathan Pruitt, planning and zoning director with the City of Jeffersonville, said that a senior living facility is a perfect use for the old M. Fine building, which stood vacant for years before being turned into the Industrial Terrorplex. Even after that, it was only in use a month or so during the year.

The M. Fine project is rehabilitating a unique building, he said, as well as extending the downtown area, which isnt as busy after Court Street. Finally, it's bringing more housing to an area that Pruitt believes needs it in an area where the other future housing projects target young people.

New Hope is not receiving funding from the city for its project, but it is from three different sources. Its budget comes from $7.86 million in tax credits from the federal government, $1.5 million in historic tax credits. The final piece of funding comes from the HOME Investment Partnership Program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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New Hope senior living facility progress moves outward - Evening News and Tribune

The good news for the Cardinals on Friday was that Kevin Siegrist and Dexter Fowler are both on track to make the 10-day disabled list an accurate depiction of how long they will be out. The question it creates is what happens when the time comes for Fowler to return.

John Mozeliak, now carrying the title of president of baseball operations, said that Siegrist (cervical spine strain) and Fowler (right heel spur) had both received anti-inflammatory injections before the teams trip to Arizona, and both were progressing. I think we have some optimism on this being the 10 days, he said.

But in Fowlers absence, Tommy Pham has sparkled in center, with his bat, arm and glove, raising the issue of what to do when Fowler returns. Right now, Mozeliak said, they havent considered those options, but they will.

Any time you sign a free agent of his magnitude and you bring him to do a job, its very delicate to start talking about moving him off, Mozeliak said. Clearly you want to do whats best for the team and finding ways to win and theres no doubt when you look at the last few days with Tommy Pham, hes made some excellent catches and had a positive impact on the team. So we have some time to decide what that next step looks like. Im sure all of us on the decision team will have a talk, but we havent done that yet.

Siegrist is expected to begin baseball-related activities this weekend and is eligible to come off the DL on Monday. Fowler cant do that as easily since his injury is to his heel and the team wants to keep him off that as much as possible so it can heal. Hes working out, Mozeliak said, but not necessarily baseball-related.

Fowler is eligible to come off the DL on Wednesday.

Second baseman Kolten Wong (right tricep strain) also had an anti-inflammatory shot Tuesday, which Mozeliak said had a positive effect but slowed down his return. Wong, out since June 15, is not expected back until after the All-Star break, which would be July 14 at the earliest.

Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter was taking grounders and turning double plays at second base during pregame warmups, a precursor to possibly returning, on occasion, to that position.

The Cardinals have an abundance of outfielders, plus a first baseman in Luke Voit, and the easiest way to get an extra one into the lineup would be to put one of them in first and find another place for the versatile Carpenter.

We see the same at-bats you guys see too, manager Mike Matheny said before the game, and watching Jose Martinez, watching Luke Voit, how do we keep them engaged, and is there flexibility? Jose has been one of those that has given us options in the outfield, but when you have a (Randal) Grichuk going like he is and (Stephen) Piscotty and Pham, then Dexter gets mixed back in, its going to be tough to figure out how that fits, so first base is an option. Thats really the only position that Luke Voit plays. If were faced with a tough lefty, thats something were going to at least make sure we have covered. Carp has been taking ground balls all season, all over the place. It was just a little more concentrated work at second today that might give him a little bit more opportunity.

Speaking of tough lefties, Gio Gonzalez, with a 2.87 ERA, is scheduled to start for the Nationals on Saturday.

Carpenter mostly played second in 2013, his breakout season, before moving to third base and, this season, almost exclusively, to first.

The move also works because Wong is out, leading to a variety of players filling in that spot.

We just have to think were at that point with our club to keep our eyes open, keep our options open, Matheny said, and if something looks like it may work, not be afraid to think outside the box.

Two days after former Cardinal Jhonny Peralta was signed to a minor-league contract by the Red Sox and was assigned to the teams Class AAA affiliate in Pawtucket, the Red Sox released another former Cardinal, Allen Craig. Craig, traded to the Red Sox along with Joe Kelly for John Lackey in 2014, was hitting .253 with one home run in 47 games for Pawtucket. (His slugging percentage was .316.) Craig, who hasnt played in the majors since 2015, is in the final year of a five-year contract he signed with the Cardinals in 2013 that pays him $11 million this season, and has a $13 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout. The Nationals put shortstop Trea Turner, the major-league leader in stolen bases with 35, on the 10-day disabled list with a fracture in his right wrist and called up infielder Adrian Sanchez.

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Fowler, Siegrist are making progress | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday ... - STLtoday.com

Charles Davis, a cornerback on the Virginia football team, recently won $100,000 playing the Virginia Lottery.

Davis was returning from an early morning workout when he stopped to pick up coffee for his mother, Tiffany, at a 7-Eleven in his hometown of Ashburn. He played the lotterys Cash 5 game, selecting numbers on his ticket that his grandmother suggested.

The winning numbers for that drawing were 1-3-4-7-9.

I looked at the numbers on the website after the drawing and said, I won! he said.

Davis, an American Studies major at UVa, played defensive back and wide receiver at Broad Run High School in Ashburn. He then played a postgraduate season (2015) at Fork Union Military Academy for head coach John Shuman. Davis began his collegiate career at Nebraska, participating in the Cornhuskers spring practices in 2016 before transferring to Virginia.

He sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

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Virginia football player wins $100000 playing lottery - The Daily Progress

NICOSIA, Cyprus Progress has been slow in high-level talks to reunify the ethnically divided island of Cyprus, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday, with security issues in particular standing in the way of a peace accord.

Guterres, whose presence on the third day of talks at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana is intended to give the discussions a boost, also played down suggestions that the body is getting weary of the drawn-out problem, which has been in its in-tray since 1964.

"There is still a lot of work to be done," Guterres told reporters after lunch with the east Mediterranean island's Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots, Mustafa Akinci.

"It is slow progress and many outstanding issues are still to be resolved," the U.N. chief said.

Guterres said "new positions showing increased flexibility" in some issues had been relayed and that some gaps between the rival sides have narrowed.

"We're not impatient and we're not threatening the parties in any way," said Guterres, adding that putting a deadline on talks would invite the collapse of the process.

Top diplomats from Cyprus' "guarantors" Greece, Turkey and Britain were also at the summit.

Anastasiades said morning talks chaired by Guterres offered possible ways out of deadlock. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias echoed Anastasiades, calling the U.N. chief's input "useful and beneficial."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu repeated his view that Crans-Montana is the final stop for Cyprus talks.

"This is the final conference, the last conference and we need to reach a settlement," Cavusoglu told reporters. "So to reach a settlement, we need to agree on all outstanding issues."

Central to negotiations are opposing views over the island's future security agreement on that issue has the potential of unlocking an overall peace accord.

Turkey is rebuffing Greek and Greek Cypriot calls to remove all troops from breakaway northern Cyprus after the island is reunified as a federation. It insists that any peace accord should grant Turkish citizens the right to relocate and transfer money, services and goods to the European Union member island.

Although Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, only the Greek Cypriot southern part that is the seat of the island's internationally recognized government enjoys full benefits.

The island was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup staged by supporters of union with Greece. Turkey has since stationed more than 35,000 troops in the north.

Turkey and the minority Turkish Cypriots want at least some of the troops to remain and enforce the peace after reunification under revised military rights accorded to the guarantor nations under Cyprus' 1960's constitution.

Greece and the Greek Cypriots want military rights abolished and all Turkish troops removed, replaced instead by a U.N. Security Council-backed international police force.

"We won't allow anyone to ask for all or nothing," Kotzias said before the start of talks Friday.

Cavusoglu on Thursday scolded Greece and Greek Cypriots to "wake up from their dream" that Turkey will withdraw all of its troops from Cyprus and give up military rights there as part of any agreement.

Other unresolved core issues, including a Turkish Cypriot demand to hold the island's future federal presidency on a rotational basis, are being discussed concurrently. But movement on those matters hinges on overcoming the security hurdle, officials said.

___

Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.

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UN chief: Progress in Cyprus talks, much more to be done - Fox News

The investigation into the June 2016 murder of a Parsons man is advancing, Labette County Sheriff Darren Eichinger said.

David N. Ellis, 23, was found dead early on Friday morning, June 3, 2016, outside his apartment at 1722 24000 Road, Apt. D. He had been shot.

Labette County 911 dispatch received a call at 1:34 a.m. that day reporting that several people entered into Ellis apartment armed with guns. The group had left at the time the call was made.

Deputies responded and discovered Ellis lying on the ground a short distance from the apartment.He was dead and deputies observed that Ellis had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the abdomen. In June 2016, former Sheriff Robert Sims said Ellis had been shot multiple times by a semi-automatic weapon. Sims would not provide specifics about how many times or where Ellis was shot or the caliber or type of weapon used.

The crime is believed to be drug related because multiple kinds of drugs were found in the apartment. The suspects initially were described as a white male, a black male and a black female.

Sheriff Eichinger said Friday the case has been actively investigated since he took office in January.

We are making progress, Eichinger said.

Since March, the sheriffs department has had two detectives on staff and they are working on the homicide as well as other cases as they come up.

Eichinger said he could not release more details about the case for fear of tainting the investigation, but he did say detectives continue to work on it and interview potential witnesses.

If you have information on the case, call the sheriffs department at (620) 795-2565.

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Sheriff makes progress in murder probe - Parsons Sun

Published on June 30th, 2017 | by James Ayre

June 30th, 2017 by James Ayre

The UKs progress towards achieving its climate change goals has been stalling, according to a new report from the UKs Committee on Climate Change advisers. The report argues that new policy initiatives and strategies are needed if the UK is to meet its ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals.

As a reminder here, the UK government is currently pursuing a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 (as compared to 1990 greenhouse gas emissions levels).

As of right now, the UK has reduced official greenhouse gas emissions by around 42% as compared to 1990 levels, according to the new report.

While that sounds pretty impressive, the report notes that almost all of whats been achieved so far has been in the power and waste sectors. Transport sector and building sector emissions have actually been continuing to rise in recent years.

The good news is we have got half way. But the way we have achieved this is almost entirely focused on the power sector, noted Matthew Bell, chief executive of the committee, in a conversation with Reuters. We cannot extrapolate that to 2050. Power sector emissions have been lowered so much We wont get the remaining distance we need if other sectors dont start contributing.

Reuters provides more: Earlier this week, Britains new climate change minister, Claire Perry, said the government would publish its Clean Growth Plan a framework for how Britain will reduce emissions in the 2020s and 2030s after the parliamentary summer recess. Parliament closes on July 20 and reconvenes on Sept. 5.

The plans release was originally scheduled for late 2016. The delay has been criticized by investors who are looking for policy certainty. Under current policies, Britain is on track to miss its legally-binding emission reduction targets for the mid-2020s onwards, prompting calls for more action in the heat, buildings, industry, transport and agriculture sectors.

The government also needs to present Parliament with detailed measures to address climate risks, such as risks to households and businesses from flooding, so its national adaptation program can be published early next year, the report said.

Itll be interesting to see what exactly the framework in the Clean Growth Plan ends up looking like. While city-level initiatives are in no way sufficient on their own, it is notable that London, and other cities as well, have seemingly begun working harder in recent times to reduce their emissions.

Even though the push is being driven mostly by the significant air pollution problems in London, the eventual imposition of a zero emissions zone in the central part of the city will probably have a pretty notable effect on transport sector emissions there. Its an open question, though, how long well have to wait for that policy to be implemented.

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Tags: climate change goals, UK

James Ayre 's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy. You can follow his work on Google+.

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UK's Progress Towards Climate Change Goals Is Stalling, Advisors Say - CleanTechnica