Category Archives: Progress

Submitted by Admin1 on Fri, 04/29/2022 - 14:37

This week is part one of the Ely Echos 2022 Progress Edition. Part two will be printed in next weeks paper.We were impressed with the number of stories for this years Progress Edition said Echo editor Tom Coombe. We spread the stories over two weeks last year and people really liked it so were doing the same thing this year.In the past year businesses changed hands, made improvements and changed locations.The Progress Editions are a chance to meet new owners and find out about new businesses or improvements at existing businesses, said Echo publisher Nick Wognum.Elys business district hasnt seen the huge increase in sales prices that has occurred in the residential market.Business sales have been right on the mark in town. Well see what happens with out of town business sales like resorts, said Wognum. The residential housing market has really skyrocketed and people are seeing that now in their market valuations.

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Annual Progress Edition spread over two editions - The Ely Echo

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In my previous article, I had a hold rating on CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP). My reasoning behind the hold rating was the risks involved with investing in CRISPR. The company was and continues to be a pre-revenue company that is completely reliant on the FDA approving the company's method of treating disease. Further, because CRISPR has not even filed for regulatory submission, I believed the risks involved in CRISPR to be too big. At the time, the progress seemed slow with future potentials of the CRISPR Cas-9 barred by years of research regulatory filings. However, my views on the company have slightly changed. The past few months of rapid progress have shown promising results and the potential to make risk to reward chances more attractive along with their valuations. A plan for regulatory filing in late 2022 is on track with immuno-oncology and in-vivo programs making significant progress with an impressive pace of development. Therefore, given continuous rapid progress towards reaching the potential of the CRISPR Cas-9, I believe CRISPR Therapeutics can be a cautious buy.

(If you are unfamiliar with CRISPR Cas-9 technology and its potential, please go back to my previous article.)

Immuno-oncology program is designed to teach our immune system to recognize and protect the body against specific cancer cells.

Since my previous article, significant progress has been made in CTX 110, 120, and 130 programs. Starting with CTX 110 targeting to treat CD19, after the initial dose testing, the company has found evidence of a dose-dependent response resulting in further progress in testing CTX 110 to test for its safety and efficacy during the consolidation dosing trial. The data for the phase 1 test will come out later in 2022. Further, CTX 120 treating relapsed myeloma and CTX 130 treating solid tumors and hematologic malignancies by targeting CD 70 data are expected to be compiled during the first half of 2021.

What I initially believed to be a talk of the distant future has changed. According to the National Institute of Health, the median development time of a single cancer drug was 7.3 years with about $648 million in costs. Some drugs took up to 12 years to develop. These past results and statistics compared to the progress of CRISPR Therapeutics showed the magnitude of their achievements and potential.

CRISPR Therapeutics was founded in 2013, and in December 2017, the company announced its clinical trial application. Then, in 2019, the company started the first clinical tests of CTX 110 with a CTX120 study quickly following in 2020 with CTX130 following later in 2020. Finally, in January 2020, VCTX210 clinical trials started. Thus, since the start of the company's first clinical test, 4 solutions have followed in a span of about four and a half years. Considering that CTX001 will be filed for approval in 2022 with CTX110 to follow in 2024, the pace of innovation and development continues to be outstanding even in comparison to the average cancer drug development speed of already established companies.

CRISPR Therapeutics has announced that the first patient has been dosed in phase 1 clinical trial of VCTX210 for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The goal of the current clinical trial is to allow the patients to create their own insulin within their bodies. Further, CRISPR Therapeutics has announced that they will be starting and making progress on multiple in-vivo projects simultaneously in the coming 18 to 24 months. I believe this news creates significantly bigger potential considering the accessibility of the in-vivo solutions. Therefore, utilizing ex-vivo approaches as a stepping stone, CRISPR Therapeutics is continuing its fast progress towards a regulatory filing of multiple in-vivo programs in the coming years.

It has become more likely for the company to be on schedule for its CTX-001 regulatory filing in late 2022. Given this timeline, CTX-001 might be in the market in 2023 creating a strong foundation for the company's reputation and future growth. The excitement around the potential after the filing may cause a sudden spike in the company's stock price.

CRISPR Therapeutics currently has a market capitalization of about $4.3 billion as a pre-revenue company. I initially believed this to be expensive. However, considering the current pace of development with an expected CTX001 filing for approval later in 2022 with oncology platforms to follow shortly after, I believe the current market capitalization can be attractive for risk-tolerant investors. Investment in CRISPR Therapeutics at this stage may not be for every investor, but investors who are willing to endure the volatility, potential delays, and chances of failure may find CRISPR attractive.

Once the flywheel starts rolling, CRISPR Therapeutics will likely thrive; however, because the company is still in the clinical phase or pre-revenue phase, the risks in investing in CRISPR Therapeutics are still large. There may be significant delays due to unexpected side effects, or FDA and EMA reviews may be prolonged or delayed because this is such a new technology and needs careful decision-making. Whatever the reason may be, delays will likely be detrimental to the company. Further, it may be years until CRISPR generates consistently growing revenues since the approval may not immediately mean demand for this product. Finally, It is not even relevant to talk about the company's future profitability yet.

However, I believe that given the current valuations and the potential from the ongoing progress, it may be worth a small initial position in the speculative portfolio.

CRISPR Therapeutics is at the center of innovation. Utilizing the CRISPR Cas-9 technology to edit parts of our genome, the company is rewriting the ex-vivo and in-vivo approaches to treating a multitude of diseases that have been considered incurable in the past. To my surprise, the pace of innovation shown through the progress made by CRISPR Therapeutics in the past few months showed the massive potential of the CRISPR technology in relation to the risks it possesses. Therefore, considering the potential of the innovation and the pace of innovation shown through the company's progress, I believe CRISPR Therapeutics is a cautious buy.

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Crispr Therapeutics: Progress, Risk, And Reward - Seeking Alpha

During Teslas Q1 2022 earnings call, Elon Musk was asked to share data that show progress with Teslas Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta program. Instead of sharing this data, however, the CEO suggested that people wanting to assess the progress of Tesla FSD should just join the Beta, which requires buying the controversial $12,000 package.

A growing number of people have been calling for Tesla to start releasing data that help track the progress of the Full Self-Driving Beta program as the automaker keeps missing timelines for delivering on its long promise that all its vehicles built since 2016 will be able to achieve self-driving capability through software updates.

They are just asking for Tesla to share similar data as other companies developing self-driving technology, like the number of interventions or disengagement per mile, which could help track progress with the system.

Without the data, everyone has to rely on anecdotal evidence of how the system performs based on individual experiences from people in the FSD Beta.

During the conference call following the release ofTeslas Q1 2022 financial results,Musk was directly asked to release more data about Tesla FSD:

Elon has historically provided FSD timelines with not optimal accuracy. We love the optimism for 2022 release, but is there any data Tesla can share with investors to help them make their own conclusions on progress being made, interventions per mile driven or any other data?

The CEO declined to share anything specific and instead suggested that people just try FSD Beta:

The best way to reach your own assessment is to join the Tesla Full Self-Driving beta program where we have over 100,000 people right now enrolled in that program and we expect to broaden that significantly this year. So thats my recommendation, join the Full Self-Driving beta program and experience it for yourself and take note of the rate of improvement with every release. And we put out a new release roughly every two weeks. So and youll see a little bit of two steps forward one step back, but overall the rate of improvement is incredibly quick. So, thats my recommendation for reaching your own assessment is literally try it.

Thats a surprising response considering the difficulties to get into the program. You need to buy the Tesla FSD, which costs $12,000 or $200 per month, and then you need to score high enough on Teslas driver safety score for Tesla to push you the FSD Beta update, and even then, not every owner is getting it.

As someone who has been calling for Tesla to release data about the FSD program for a long time, I was happy to see investors pushing the question and pleasantly surprised that Tesla took the question.

However, I was stunned by Musks response.

Not only did he not show any willingness to share data, but he also had the audacity to say join the program and plot the progress yourself instead.

It is as if he cant even comprehend that people would have doubts about the program to the point that they wouldnt be willing to pay $12,000 to try it without seeing some concrete data showing progress.

At this point, its almost comical. Tesla could very simply share data from its millions of miles of FSD Beta and show how the disengagement or driver intervention per mile is doing. It would be an easy metric to track over time and in no way comparable to anecdotal evidence and even your own personal experience with the FSD Beta.

Teslas insistence on not sharing this information is starting to look suspiciously bad.

In the meantime, Musk is perfectly willing to make bold statements about Tesla achieving self-driving on unbelievably short timelines, which Tesla uses to sell more cars.

Musk needs to get off Twitter where his legions of superfans are fawning over the FSD Beta and join reality where people have serious and reasonable doubts about Teslas progress toward achieving a real self-driving system.

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Elon Musk boldly says join Teslas $12K FSD to find out how it is doing when asked to share data about progress - Electrek

Published 20 hours ago

Issued by Kohl's

Report aims to share information with Kohl's partners, shareholders, customers and associates regarding our ESG progress.

Today, Kohls (NYSE: KSS) announced the release of the companys 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report, providing comprehensive updates on achievements and progress in key areas, including environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, philanthropy, workplace, supply chain, and business continuity. ESG stewardship is a key component of Kohls strategy and vision to be the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle. Kohl's cares for people and the planet by taking meaningful steps to ensure the company leaves a smaller environmental footprint, while also making a positive difference in the lives of families nationwide.

Kohl's has a long-standing commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen, and I am proud of the progress Kohls has made this past year. As a purpose-led organization, ESG stewardship is an integral piece of Kohls culture and an important component of the companys vision and long-term strategy, said Michelle Gass, Kohls chief executive officer. I am appreciative and impressed with how our associates and our company have continued to manage our business through this ongoing pandemic to support our customers, our business and one another.

Key highlights from Kohls 2021 ESG Report are below.

Implementing Sustainable Solutions to Minimize Kohls Environmental ImpactKohl's believes that incorporating sustainable solutions in the way we do business will help build better futures for families. The companys sustainability strategy is guided by leveraging business practices and decisions that enhance the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

In the last year, the company has made measureable progress against its 2025 goals, which focus on climate action, waste and recycling, and sustainable sourcing, including:

Diversity & Inclusion at Kohls At Kohls, we believe that understanding and embracing our differences is fundamental in creating an inclusive environment for all. In 2021, we appointed Michelle A. Banks, Kohls Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, to spearhead our commitment and drive progress against our 2025 D&I goals, focused on Our People, Our Customers and Our Community.

Our People: We strive to be purposeful in attracting, growing and engaging more diverse talent while giving associates equitable opportunities for career growth. Our 2021 progress includes:

Our Customers: We strive to celebrate our differences and help more customers see themselves reflected in our brands. Along this journey, were working to offer culturally-relevant products, designs and storytelling that is meaningful to diverse customers. Key areas of progress against our goals include:

Our Community: We strive to drive economic empowerment in the communities we serve through conversations, programs and partnerships that improve quality of life in underserved communities. Our 2021 progress includes:

Kohls Commitment to AssociatesWe foster a workplace that champions inclusion, belonging, appreciation, everyday development, and transparency. We seek out talent that shares our values and we strive to support our associates at work, at home and within our communities. Our efforts to attract and retain a diverse pool of talented associates include:

Healthy Communities Help Support Healthy FamiliesKohls believes healthy communities help support healthy families, so we give back to our communities with grants, resources, talent and time. In 2021, we worked to strengthen our long-standing philanthropic commitment to family health and wellness in the communities we serve.

Ethics and Governance Responsible corporate citizenship is an important part of our companys values and we are committed to incorporating socially-responsible principles into our daily business activities. Our governance practices form the foundation for how we manage risk, ensure accountability and provide transparency to our stakeholders.

Awards and Recognitions Kohls is proud to have received several awards and acknowledgements in 2021 for our ESG initiatives, including the following:

About Kohl'sKohls (NYSE: KSS) is a leading omnichannel retailer. With more than 1,100 stores in 49 states and the online convenience of Kohls.com and the Kohl's App, Kohl's offers amazing national and exclusive brands at incredible savings for families nationwide. Kohls is uniquely positioned to deliver against its strategy and its vision to be the most trusted retailer of choice for the active and casual lifestyle. Kohls is committed to progress in its diversity and inclusion pledges, and the company's environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) stewardship. For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit Kohls.com. For more information about Kohls impact in the community or how to join our winning team, visit Corporate.Kohls.com or follow @KohlsNews on Twitter.

Media ContactJared Ellerson, 262.709.2911Maggie Lund, 608.332.3634

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Kohl's Publishes 2021 ESG Report, Highlighting Progress in Key Areas of Environmental Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion, Workplace, and...

The people of Westchester County are united, the county is in solid financial shape, projects are underway to preserve and enhance landmarks and infrastructure and Covid is no longer the threat it once was, according to Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Latimer delivered his 2022 State of the County address in the Board of Legislators chamber at the County Office Building in White Plains on the evening of April 21. It was the fifth such address Latimer has given since taking office and the first during his second four-year term.

A war of aggression rages just across the ocean, bringing fear and death.We pray for Ukraine, Latimer said. And here, locally on our streets, where our children play, where we close deals and inquire about new opportunities, where we take our parents for care and stop for coffee, in each of these corners of our small patch of land, we must continue to stop division.

Latimer thanked the people of Westchester for putting their faith in him to manage the county on their behalf and reaffirmed his strong belief in governing through democracy.

Latimer decried autocrats whether in Albany, Washington or in the Kremlin with the power to execute millions of lives at whim. We are stronger and better when we find ways to work together. United, even in our disagreements.

Latimer said that an example of Americans caring about each other was found in the way nearly 90% of Westchester County residents got vaccinated against Covid-19, to protect their families and each other.

He reported that the County Health Department vaccinated 77,125 people at county clinics, has done 416,593 case investigations for Covid and tested 274,167 students, faculty and staff in the schools. Since March 2020, the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services has distributed 339 gallons of disinfectants and cleaners, 49,951 packages of disinfecting wipes, 1,013,023 face shields, 1,527,050 pairs of gloves, more than 2.4 million face masks and 719,140 Covid rapid test kits.

Latimer reported that the 2020 census puts the countys population at1,004,457, 5.8% growth since the 2010 census.

He said the county closed out 2021 with a $64 million operating surplus and that the 2022 budget of $2.2 billion allows for another property tax cut, the third consecutive one during his administration. He said its the largest in a decade, totaling $7 million. He said that he hopes to be able to continue the tax-cutting trend. He pointed out that Westchester Countys bond ratings now stand as stable by all three major rating agencies.

Latimer recapped the countys efforts to attract business and new jobs, including funding the Westchester County Associations Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program that will recruit, train, support and place up to 100 job seekers with health care employers over a 12-month period.

He pointed to the countys Launch1000 program that has already helped almost 300 start-up businesses and recently added programs in Spanish.

Latimer said that crime is down in the county and 34 of 38 recommendations of a task force on policing in the county have been already put into place. These include steps enhancing community outreach, providing body cameras to all county police officers, installing dash-cams in all county police vehicles and increasing and diversifying recruitment efforts for county police.

Latimer said he kept his promise to strengthen and revitalize the Westchester County Human Rights Commission and signed into law the Anti-Discriminatory Harassment Bill that expands the type of harassment that can be prosecuted under the law.

On the issue of affordable housing, Latimer said, After 12 long years, Westchester County is finally able to close the book on the Affordable Housing Settlement (with the federal government). We recently received notification from the court that Westchester County was in substantial compliance with the Consent Decree, and a federal housing monitor was no longer needed.

Latimer said that than 4,400 units of affordable housing are in the pipeline in Westchester.

We have allocated millions of dollars in the budget each year to develop and rehabilitate affordable housing units.A combined total of $50 million dollars that was allocated in the 2022 Capital Budget represents the largest single-year commitment to affordable housing in the countys history, $90 million dollars over the last three years.

The Business Journal previously reported that the county airport master plan update would begin in May and during the address Latimer announced that onMay 24 at 6 p.m. a session would take place at Pace Law School, with subsequent public input sessions planned for June.

Latimer reported that the countys parks have been undergoing upgrades and noted that the county has pledged $10 million toward building a waterfront park in the Ludlow section of Yonkers. He also pointed to the $125 million in construction and rehabilitation that is underway at Playland Amusement Park.

Latimer honored World War II veterans and noted that the county opened a new office near the County Center in White Plains to serve veterans.

The county legislators and invited guests each received a small bag of soil that was created at the countys compacting center along with something attached to the bag.

Attached you will find a small pack of sunflower seeds, the official flower of Ukraine, Latimer said. Please do me a favor; use this soil and plant those seeds and think of the men and women overseas when you do.

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Unity and progress are themes in State of the County Address - Westfair Online

CelticsCeltics Robert Williams slams home two first quarter points against the Timberwolves. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Celtics big man Robert Williams continues to progress toward a return, although the team still doesnt plan to have him against the Nets in their first-round series.

Williams who underwent surgery to trim a torn meniscus last month is back on the court doing some workouts, according to Ime Udoka.

[Hes] getting some three-on-three up a little bit, Udoka said on Wednesday prior to Game 2. Hes doing more every day. Its a comfort level thing with him. The risk is injury, swelling or something like that coming off of surgery. Little bit of pain tolerance and how well his body reacts to the up level physically. Doing a little more, getting out there on the court and looking good at times. We ease it up the next day if he has a heavy session.

Were still planning on playing without him, but happy with his progress.

Williams return after surgery was expected to be 4-to-6 weeks, and he underwent his procedure on March 30. Last week, Brad Stevens told 98.5 The Sports Hubs Toucher & Rich the Celtics are comfortable with his projected timeline, making Wednesdays game three weeks out from his surgery. A potential Game 5 would fall on the precise four-week mark.

Nets forward Ben Simmons, meanwhile, is reportedly expected back for Game 4.

Myself, coaching him in the past and a lot of guys in general a lot of them played against him recently in a series, two years ago in the bubble, and Al played with him, Udoka said. So a lot of us know him well enough. When its time to talk about what he does, I dont think its a problem for our guys. We have a group thats seen him quite a bit.

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Hes doing more every day: Robert Williams makes progress to 3-on-3 work - Boston.com

Today were looking at the upcoming conference of the parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, where delegates will meet to finalize a global strategy for safeguarding nature and securing a future for all life on planet Earth.

Listen here:

After multiple delays due to the Covid pandemic, parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are expected to meet later this year to hammer out the final post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

A round of negotiations just wrapped up in Geneva, Switzerland, last month, setting the stage for COP15, which will be held in Kunming, China later this year though the Chinese government has yet to release details about when the meeting will take place.

A lot is riding on the outcome of COP15, all the more because none of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed to by parties to the CBD in 2010 have been fully achieved at the global level, and biodiversity has continued to decline apace over the past decade.

There are hopes that a robust post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will be agreed to in Kunming. A global 3030 goal is expected to be included in the final framework, but it remains to be seen how other important issues will be addressed, such as promoting more sustainable forms of agriculture, which is currently threatening 86% of species at risk of extinction, and securing Indigenous land tenure and rights, which are increasingly coming to be seen as crucial to any effort to halt the destruction of nature.

To help us unpack all of this, we speak today with Elizabeth Mrema, an Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. She tells us about the outcomes of the Geneva talks, why the world failed to meet the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and how COP15 can provide a roadmap to actually halting biodiversity loss and safeguarding nature.

We also speak with Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, a senior global policy and advocacy lead for an organization called Nia Tero who also participates in the Convention on Biological Diversity talks as a member of the Indigenous Caucus. She gives us the Indigenous perspective on whats currently in the draft biodiversity framework, what changes are needed, and the overall importance of Indigenous leadership in preserving Earths biodiversity.

Further listening:

Podcast: Crucial to conservation, Indigenous communities environmental leadership endures (24 March 2022)

Further reading:

Reaching the Paris Agreement without protecting Indigenous lands is impossible, says report (1 April 2022)

Indigenous land rights take center stage in a new global framework for biodiversity conservation (commentary) (24 March 2022)

Climate efforts wont succeed without secure community rights, says Nonette Royo (13 December 2021)

Momentum is building for a robust biodiversity framework: Q&A with Elizabeth Mrema (20 April 2021)

Study confirms what scientists have been saying for decades: the sixth mass extinction is real and caused by us (21 June 2015)

Subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever you get your podcasts from! You can also listen to all episodes here on the Mongabay website. Or you can download our app for Apple and Android devices to gain fingertip access to new shows and all our previous episodes.

Follow Mike Gaworecki on Twitter: @mikeg2001

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Podcast: Convention on Biological Diversity: progress, hope and hard work ahead - Mongabay.com

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Published April 21st, 2022 at 6:00 AM

Loren Sprouse drove through his hometown of Braymer, Missouri, and noted the height of each structure he passed. The water tower loomed 100 feet high. The grain elevator was a little taller.

All were shorter than the proposed 130- to 160-foot electrical transmission towers that would cut through his property as part of the 800-mile Grain Belt Express transmission line.

The project, which has been in the works for over 10 years, would sit on only 18 acres of Sprouses farm. But hed be able to see it for miles.

No one who owns land cant feel a special place for that land Thats why you want to maintain it, Sprouse said. This line is not going to do that. Its going to create a big, obvious scar completely across the state. And itll be the single biggest, ugliest thing in northern Missouri and with it set a precedent for more to be built just like it.

Scar or not, the line promises to connect three of the countrys regional electrical grids Southwest Power Pool (SPP), Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and PJM Interconnection and would bring wind energy harnessed in southwest Kansas to other parts of the country.

Citing ominous warnings about the dangers of climate change, national and local plans call for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But to achieve those goals, some renewable energy will have to be moved from where its easily harnessed to areas that need it. In the case of the Grain Belt Express, that means moving wind energy from the gusty plains of Kansas to more densely populated areas.

Landowners like Sprouse say they arent opposed to clean energy projects. But theyre dead set against a private company using eminent domain to complete its project.

Grain Belt Express, which would cost an estimated $2 billion, would stretch from just outside Dodge City, Kansas, across northern Missouri, south central Illinois and into Indiana. The high voltage direct current (HVDC) line would transport 4,000 megawatts of electricity both west to east and east to west in emergency situations.

Thats the power equivalent of 15 million barrels of oil, or enough to power 1.6 million homes annually. For the 39 municipalities in Missouri signed up to buy power off the line, its an estimated $12.8 million in annual savings.

Patrick Whitty, a senior vice president at Grain Belt Express developer Invenergy, said the direct current (DC) transmission line is the most efficient way to transport power from where its generated to where its needed, and with the smallest footprint.

DC, as compared to alternating current (AC), allows a greater transmission of power that can go both directions on one line. Theres also a reduced loss of power from friction on a DC line.

One of the major reliability benefits for Grain Belt will be the ability to also move power under emergency conditions from east to west, Whitty said. Had Grain Belt been in place during (the winter storm power outages of February 2021), we know that some of those outage events could have been minimized or even avoided altogether.

In both Kansas and Missouri, Grain Belt has been able to prove its necessity to regulatory agencies and gain public utility status and thus, the power to access private property via eminent domain.

The company said it would only use the power of condemnation as a last resort, preferring instead to negotiate with landowners and establish a fair price for easements.

So far, the company has secured voluntary agreements with 1,200 of the 1,700 parcels it will cross. To date, Grain Belt has filed about 10 condemnation notices.

When Invenergy bought the project from Clean Line in 2018, Whitty said it sent out letters to landowners in Kansas and Missouri along the proposed route and informed them of the new ownership and compensation plan.

The company would pay landowners 110% of the fair market value of their land, plus an additional $18,000 for each tower placed on their property. Owners of century farms that have remained in the same family for more than 100 years would be paid an additional premium.

There is no transmission line that is without impacts, but the best we can do is to make sure that landowners are fairly compensated, Whitty said. In our case, we are going well above and beyond what would be typical for a transmission project.

He said the company is aware of the rising price of property, as well as matters specific to one persons property that could make it more valuable than the county averages.

We value the dialogue with landowners when it comes to both matters of compensation, as well as facility design, Whitty said. Anytime a landowner can document (comparables) of higher land values, we will consider that and very often we will revise land values upwards.

Landowners can choose to have an upfront payment for their easement and tower, or choose to have the payments spread out over the lifetime of the project. According to Whitty, Invenergy has already promised $77 million in compensation agreements and has paid out $10 million of that.

Sprouse has a pretty good idea of where the line will go through his property, because he knows it will follow the already cleared path of the three pipelines he hosts. Other landowners, like Marilyn OBannon in Monroe County, have less of an idea and feel shut out from the development process.

Whitty said this is because the line has to be looked at as a whole. Until all of the easements are agreed on, the placement of the line through a particular parcel has to be somewhat fluid.

Any one structure placement may have effects on adjacent structure placement, so theres a whole lot of design and engineering that has to go into that on the front end, Whitty said. Were still in that design and engineering phase.

Tower placement also is dependent on conversations with the landowner and their knowledge of the land.

Were getting input on areas within a landowner parcel or property that they either want to make sure we avoid, or sometimes there are areas where they would prefer to see a structure We want to understand as thoroughly as possible how we can best go about, through the design and engineering phase, minimizing impacts to the land, Whitty said.

Eight years ago, OBannon didnt know anything about the Grain Belt Express. Now, its her life.

I cant describe what its like to wake up every morning and have this on your mind and go to bed with that being the last thing on your mind for eight years, OBannon said.

After learning from a friend that the line would cross through about five miles of her property, she started digging to learn more about the project.

She found neighbors and other landowners along the route who also felt theyd been left in the dark, and those who knew about the project werent asking enough questions. Is it safe? How will the county get money from it? Where will it go?

Through her work, which has led her to an elected seat on the county commission, shes consistently felt out of the loop and disrespected by the company.

Other landowners, like Wayne Wilcox of Randolph County, have been involved in the project since before the route was proposed.

The thing that I first looked at with them was, Were they honest?, Wilcox said. Would they accept comments from us? Would they work at making changes? And they did.

Hes been attending meetings since the beginning and has had an easy time negotiating with the Grain Belt developer on his easement compensation, and the placement of the line on his property.

Sprouse is waiting to hear back on his submitted counter offer, and while more compensation would be great, what he really wants is to not have to see the line.

He hopes it could be buried like the 350-mile SOO Green HDVC Link in Iowa that is following existing railroad easements. As an alternative, he would proffer the Grain Belt Express follow highway right of ways in Missouri.

But Whitty said those alternatives werent viable.

Invenergy has experience with underground technology, but existing buried lines arent as long, nor do they carry as much power as Grain Belt would.

That introduces a level of engineering and design considerations that simply make that infeasible, Whitty said. With 95% of transmissions developed overhead, thats really just the most affordable way to build these projects.

Following the highway closest to the current route, U.S. 36, would face the constraint of nearby state conservation sites, as noted in Clean Lines original route selection study.

So, the route was proposed by the original developer of the Grain Belt Express. It mostly follows existing easements for pipelines or other power lines since the physical path is mostly cleared.

That is where it will go on Sprouses property.

Hes not against easements. He already has three pipelines and several rural water lines. But hes against easements that, he feels, dont benefit Missourians.

Sprouse remembers his father negotiating a piece of their family property for implementation of the AT&T transcontinental cable. Today his property still has an abandoned hut from the project, a piece of the historical line which connected telephones across the country.

Landowners were compliant and excited for that line.

This was built for the reason that eminent domain should exist. This wasfor government security, Sprouse said, gesturing towards the hut. They should have the right to eminent domain at the federal level, because they were providing a service, they were doing something the government needed.

For someone whos a private individual whos just doing it to reap the benefits of that, and in using the cheapest cost plan to do it, that doesnt justify the power of eminent domain, he said.

For the past several years, opponents of the project have introduced bills in the Missouri General Assembly designed to kill the project.

If passed, House Bill 2005 would retroactively strip the Grain Belt Express of its public utility status. It would increase easement payments to 150% of fair market value and require the line to deliver 50% of its transmission capability in Missouri.

Earlier this month it was reported do pass in the Missouri House. Opponents to the line are hopeful this years bill will pass.

Whitty admitted that a lot of the resentment towards the line goes back to the very beginnings of the project, before Invenergy was in the picture.

If I understand correctly, there was no plan to deliver power into Missouri in the early iterations of this project, and I think a lot of the perspectives may still be based around that, he said.

Since then, Invenergy has come to agreements with the 39 municipalities to receive power off of the line, and is looking to increase the number of Missourians who can benefit from the line.

We are actively evaluating the opportunity, not only to make sure were following through on delivering on the agreement with the 39 communities across Missouri but also looking at how we can increase, significantly, the energy of delivery to Missouri, Whitty said.

The 39 municipalities in Missouri were essential to Grain Belts public utility status.

Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) is constantly conducting studies on the power pools it buys and sells wholesale electricity for in the state.

John Twitty, president of MPUA, said as Grain Belt was being developed, studies found the pool serving these 39 Missouri municipalities would need an additional source of power in order to meet its future demands.

The reason that were interested in (Grain Belt) is that were bringing low cost wind energy to our customers, and obviously if youre in a utility business, you want to try to get really reliable electricity, and you want to get it as inexpensively as possible, Twitty said.

Because Grain Belt Express is a merchant transmission line, those signed to receive power off of the line will, in effect, help pay for the construction of the project.

The cost will be spread out over the 20-year contract the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission (a business unit of MPUA) has with Invenergy. Twitty said the project makes sense to join because once the upfront costs are gone, the energy is cheap.

Once youve spent that money, theres no fuel cost, the wind is free, Twitty said. Even though there are new upfront costs, those can be defrayed over lots of energy that flows across the system.

The 500 megawatts of power from the line are contractually obligated to these power pools, meaning even if theres higher demand in a bigger city, these Missouri municipalities will keep their lights on.

Down the road, Twitty foresees more Missouri cities and entities receiving the same low-cost power.

Sprouse and OBannon fear a future where their land is home to many transmission lines of this type. They fear the Grain Belt Express will set a precedent for crossing the Midwest via eminent domain.

When they joined the family business of farming and ranching, neither of them thought a big infrastructure project would be part of their legacy.

I dont think thats the legacy that I would want to see, and I guess thats the question, Sprouse said. Is that the legacy Invenergy wants to see? Or do they just want to make a lot of money and go on?

If the line goes in, OBannon said her parents plan to move.

Her grandfather and father were born in the house that could soon have Grain Belt towers in the backyard. She has neighbors who she knows will move too. Its more than just a 150-foot wide easement that will be affected.

It is not that we are against progress or renewables, were against the way this business has conducted itself and the plan that they have to go through the middle of our farms, OBannon said. Its just unbelievable how that feels, when you know in the end, theyve got the eminent domain as their card to play.

There is no perfect project.

Billy Davies, conservation program coordinator with the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club, said there always needs to be an evaluation of the people involved and the people benefiting from sustainability efforts.

We need to be able to evaluate the good things and the bad things of every project including Grain Belt Express, Davies said. If there are folks who are feeling left out and feeling like these solutions are not for them, how are we working to support all in our community of Missouri?

To Davies, the property owners who support the Grain Belt Express by allowing the transmission line on their land are kind of heroes. Rather than think narrowly about the consequences of the towers on their land, Davies urges opponents to think of the consequences for a nation that doesnt make big moves toward a sustainable future.

Thats the approach Wilcox takes.

Hell be able to see the tower from his house, and will pass under it each day as he drives to town. Rather than look at the line as an eyesore, Wilcox said he thinks of the benefits it will have on his community.

No municipalities in Randolph County are currently contracted to receive power off of the line, but the tax revenue from a big infrastructure project will positively impact the public schools and libraries.

Wilcox reckons theres no sense in avoiding the opportunities this line brings to Missouri. Ultimately, he thinks the project will do more good than harm.

I believe the project will go through, and I believe that anybody that hasnt negotiated with them, needs to step up to the plate, Wilcox said. I think they will find people that are reasonable to talk to, and can work things out.

Cami Koons covers rural affairs for Kansas City PBS in cooperation withReport for America. The work of our Report for America corps members is made possible, in part, through the generous support of theEwing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Cody Boston is a video producer for Kansas City PBS.

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Price of Progress: Grain Belt Express Pits Public Benefit and Private Property Rights in Race Against Climate Change - Flatland

Significant progress is being made on construction of a long-delayed Holiday Inn Express hotel on Martingale Road in Schaumburg.

The 87-room facility just south of the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg would be the 31st hotel in the village and is ultimately expected to be accompanied by an adjoining 95-room, full-service Holiday Inn.

A Cook County Class 7C tax incentive has been approved for the overall project, but with the stipulation that it would not begin until both new hotels are open and operational.

Schaumburg officials did not know of an estimated completion date for the Holiday Inn Express Thursday, and representatives of developer EquityRoots Holdings LLC could not be reached for comment.

Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said the progress reflected optimism for the post-pandemic hospitality industry in the area.

EquityRoots Holdings bought the 5.3-acre site in 2015 and won approval of the development plan in 2019, including that it would be built in two phases.

Proof of financing needed for the building permit to be issued was received last year and aboveground construction was able to begin, Frank said.

At the time of its approval in 2019, the total development cost for both hotels was estimated at $25 million.

Some tweaks to the original design of the Holiday Inn Express were approved in early 2021. The most significant included the replacement of an indoor pool with an outdoor pool and patio, and construction of conference rooms where the indoor pool was first planned.

Other changes involved modifications to some windows as well as the elevator tower on the roof.

The five-year 7C tax break allows for a reduced assessment to keep approved commercial enterprises competitive in Cook County. While such properties are normally assessed at 25% of market value, the 7C incentive would reduce the assessment to 10% for the first three years, 15% in the fourth year and 20% in the fifth year before then returning to normal.

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Delayed Holiday Inn Express making progress in Schaumburg - Daily Herald

President Joe Biden on Thursday touted progress he has made on his agenda, particularly on infrastructure, while making his first trip to the Pacific Northwest since taking office ahead of the November midterm elections.

Mr Biden's visits to the cities of Portland and Seattle part of a growing travel schedule ahead of the elections will also see him participate in a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.

Mr Biden spoke about new spending made possible by the passage of the $1 trillion infrastructure law that includes investments in highways and broadband, as well as about the jobs that it will create. The bill allocates $1.2 billion for Oregon and $8.6bn for Washington state.

He visited Portland's airport on Thursday to talk about investing in a runway that can withstand earthquakes and will spend Thursday night and Friday in Seattle, where he will observe Earth Day and talk about his administration's plans to tame inflation.

"We're here today to talk about investments we're making to modernize this airport," Mr Biden said in his address. "So through the bipartisan infrastructure law, we're investing $25 billion to upgrade and modernize American airports."

White House officials have said in recent weeks that they hope to shift their outreach strategy to voters by visiting more states to talk about the administration's accomplishments rather than describing the need for legislation that remains stalled.

Mr Biden last visited Seattle in November 2019 while campaigning in the Democratic presidential primaries.

Updated: April 21, 2022, 11:14 PM

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Biden touts administration's infrastructure progress during Portland visit - The National