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A record number of people came out to the Mazatzal Hotel and Casinos ballroom Monday night to learn who would win the coveted Best of the Rim awards.
This year, some 3,000 Rim Country residents cast 280,000 votes for their favorites in 143 categories.
The Roundup will run a special section in an upcoming issue with the winners and five finalists in all categories.
The Tonto Apache Tribes Mazatzal Hotel & Casino once again won honors for best customer service large business and All Stages Carpet Care for best customer service small business.
The Old County Inn was named best business in Pine-Strawberry and owner Michael Dahling was named Best Businessperson in Pine-Strawberry.
In Star Valley, Plant Fair Nursery won for Best Business and owner Glen McCombs was named Best Businessperson in Star Valley.
Shane Keith, with Keith Family Flooring, was named Best Businessperson (male) while Realtor Wendy Larchick, with At the Rim Team Keller Williams, won honors as Rim Countrys Best Businessperson and Overall Best Business in Payson and Rim Country.
BEST ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY/HOME (MEDICAL)
BEST ATV/MOTORCYCLE STORE
Payson Chevron/Rim Detailing and Chore Solutions
OReillys Auto Parts
Payson Tire Pros & Automotive
BEST BANK OR CREDIT UNION
From Head to Toe Essentials Salon
Ironhorse Signs & Vehicle Graphics
BEST HOME CLEANING SERVICE
BEST CLEANING & RESTORATION (COMMERCIAL/FLOOD RESTORATION)
Sunshine Cleaning & Restoration
My Chiropractor of Payson
BEST COMPUTER REPAIR SERVICE
BEST DERMATOLOGY PRACTICE
Payson Dermatology & MOHS Center
AM Jackson Electric & RJC Electric
Rouds Fine Home Furnishings
BEST GAS/CONVENIENCE STORE
BEST HEALTH & FITNESS CLUB
BEST HEALTH FOOD/VITAMIN STORE
George Henry Plumbing, Heating & Cooling
BEST HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR
BEST HOME TV & ELECTRONICS
Arizona Care Hospice & Hospice Compassus
BEST HOTEL/MOTEL/CABINS/B&B
BEST LANDSCAPING & TREE SERVICE
Bob Lee & Sons Tree Service
Payson Chevron/Rim Liquor
BEST LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY (MEDICAL)
Sonora Quest Laboratories
BEST GENERAL MEDICAL PRACTICE
Banner Payson Health Care
BEST NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
BEST HOUSE & COMMERCIAL PAINTER
S & C Plumbing and George Henry Plumbing, Heating & Cooling
BEST PROPANE SERVICE COMPANY
Alliant Gas / Pinnacle Propane
Mobile RV & Trailer Repair
BEST SPORTING GOODS STORE
Payson Tire Pros & Automotive
BEST BREAKFAST RESTAURANT
BEST HAMBURGER RESTAURANT
Old County Inn & Pizza Factory
El Rancho Mexican Food & Cantina
Lisa Taylor, Taylor Accounting & Tax Inc.
Art Lloyd, Lloyd Law Group & The Dana Law Group
Annie Cerna, JJs Barber Shop
Juliedon Petersen, Colorz Salon
Autumn Kinzer, Payson Premier Dental
Dr. Kristin Wade, Payson Premier Dental
Dr. David Cluff, Banner Health
Dr. Troy Ford, Payson Eye Care
Kevin Dick, Kevin Dick Investment Management Group
BEST FRONT DESK CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON
Monica Savage, Payson Fire Department
Jimmy Carson, Jimmys All Trades
Scott Crabdree, Crabdree & Shepherd Insurance
Kyrie Brown, A Rejuvenating Massage
Kaylee Cobb, From Head to Toe Essentials Salon and Spa
BEST NURSE OR NURSE PRACTITIONER
Deborah Nichols, High Country Family Care
Craig Miller, DJ Craig Weddings & Parties
Rita Regalado, IMS/LabCorp
Gina Perkes-Tidwell, The Copper Needle
BEST REAL ESTATE ASSISTANT
Susan Ortega, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
Wendy Larchick, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
Wendy Larchick, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
John German, Chapman Auto Center & John Stanton, Payson Roundup
BEST TOWN COUNCILOR/PAYSON
BEST TOWN COUNCILOR/STAR VALLEY
Dr. Lorenzo Gonzales, Rim Country Veterinary Clinic
Heather Watson, El Rancho
Peter Aleshire and Teagan Smith
Worlds Oldest Continuous Rodeo
Wendy Larchick, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE (SMALL BUSINESS)
BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE (LARGE BUSINESS)
Wendy Larchick, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
BEST BUSINESS IN PINE & STRAWBERRY
BEST BUSINESSPERSON IN PINE & STRAWBERRY
BEST BUSINESS IN STAR VALLEY
BEST BUSINESSPERSON IN STAR VALLEY
BEST BUSINESSPERSON (FEMALE)
Wendy Larchick, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
BEST BUSINESSPERSON (MALE)
Shane Keith, Keith Family Flooring
BEST BUSINESSPERSON IN RIM COUNTRY
Wendy Larchick, At the Rim Team/Keller Williams
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Best of the Rim 2020 winners | Local News - Payson Roundup
Once again, U.S. policy for human spaceflight is under debate. As reported by SpaceNews, the House Science Committee is pushing a policy more directed to Mars and away from commercial participation. That is sensible if you believe that the purpose of human spaceflight is exploration and that its rationale is geopolitical. That has been true for all of the Space Age, and I believe it will remain so.
Commercial development of space certainly does not need humans in space. In fact, it would be a diversion for commercial interests to have to deal with humans. Not even the U.S. Defense Department has an interest in human spaceflight. Putative lunar or asteroid commercial goals dont need humans robots will mine asteroids or build lunar bases (if anyone does). Tourism is a commercial goal that needs humans (although in the days of self-driving cars, buses and airplanes, maybe less so). But tourism should not be the basis of government-funded space development, unless the trend toward serving only the wealthy continues unabated.
The human spaceflight programs of China, India and possibly Russia have a geopolitical rationale driven by national prestige and regional leadership. Smaller countries with nascent human programs likewise driven by national prestige are stepping forward as partners reluctant to be left out.
This leaves the United States with two choices: compete with developing nations in a new race to the moon, one it could possibly lose; or do what President John F. Kennedy did after the U.S. lost the early rounds of the space race to the Soviet Union set a more distant goal. In 1962, the stretch goal was the moon. Today, it should be Mars.
Diverting our human spaceflight program to support hypothetical commercial lunar interests is not sustainable; it is far too expensive and does not benefit commercial goals. The commercial industry, including NewSpace ventures, has one other interest being a government contractor. It is a matter of semantics whether to call that commercial or not. If the policy is to stimulate a commercial industry, relevant robotic programs would be the better approach.
The other driving factor is domestic politics. The House Science Committee position likely presages what will be national policy if there is a new U.S. president next year. Since none of the Democratic candidates seem to have a civil space agenda, they will likely be highly influenced by the positions Democrats in the House and Senate are currently staking out. That the House Science Committee is interested in Mars fits the geopolitical purposes of human spaceflight. NASAs current plan for putting more footprints on the moon does not.
Only two positive initiatives for human spaceflight have politically succeeded in the United States. President Kennedys determination to beat the Soviet Union to the moon was the first. The second was President Bill Clintons decision to build an International Space Station with Russia. (I dont count President Richard Nixons decision to develop the space shuttle as positive since it was a consolation prize for rejecting the Mars and space station recommendations).
Will the United States accomplish a third politically successful human spaceflight initiative? None of the back-to-the-moon initiatives of the past 30 years have made it and all (including the current one) have lacked popular interest.
The only new geopolitical driver I can imagine is international cooperation. Sadly, not under the current White House administration, but perhaps under the next one. If so, the House Science Committee bill might be a good starting point
Louis Friedman is co-founder and executive director emeritus of The Planetary Society.
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OP-ED | For the United States, a second race to the moon is a second-rate goal - SpaceNews
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All Malibu dumpsters will be required to have locked lids by the summer of 2020. On Jan. 27, city council voted, 5-0, to bring back an ordinance requiring locking lids on dumpster bins at all times. The ordinance covers bins for commercial waste, organic waste and recycling. Dumpsters will also be required to have double plastic lids.
The desired outcome is to improve the cleanliness of these trash areas, prevent the presence of rodents and discourage the use of rodenticides, Environmental Sustainability Analyst Christine Shen said during her staff report on the item.
The current municipal code requires that solid waste container lids be closed at all times and that trash areas be kept in clean and sanitary conditions. The city can require locking lids if the code is not followed, Shen said.
In June 2019, the council directed Environmental Sustainability Department staff to bring back an ordinance requiring 24/7 locking lids by June 2020. Staff was additionally directed to implement the Enhanced Dumpster Implementation Program, Shen said, which involves monitoring by sustainability department staff and the issuing of warnings and corrections, Clean Bay restaurant inspections, follow-up inspections and complaints from the public.
Council was given a choice between two options, which were recommended by the Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee (ESS). Option one would target only repeat violators; option two would require locking lids for all businesses.
Jimmy Chavez, manager of Dukes Malibu Restaurant, spoke in favor of option one.
It wouldnt put costs onto every business, just the violators within the City of Malibu, since it takes a great deal of energy, training and education to keep your trash areas clean, and we feel strongly that we do a good job as do many other businesses in Malibu and shouldnt have to pay the additional costs to enforce that, Chavez said.
Other food service managers weighed in to agree with Chavez and point out that the locked bin solution might not be able to solve all pest issues.
Kian Schulman, co-founder of the environmental nonprofit Poison Free Malibu, came prepared with a seven-minute slideshow featuring photos taken between Jan. 17-19 of numerous dumpsters across the city that were not in compliance with current city ordinances.
Several of the Clean Bay city-certified restaurants for 2019 have been the worst offenders for trash control, Schulman said.
She criticized the citys efforts to enforce clean and sanitary dumpster conditions, describing Malibus dumpster problem as severe.
Cumbersome and frequent, multiple warnings just doesnt work. Education alone doesnt work. Two visits a year doesnt work. A straightforward 24/7 dumpster lid lock ordinance is simple to implement and enforce with clear, strong penalties, Schulman said.
Schulman said the staff reports statement that only a minority of businesses have poor solid waste practices is not true, and that very few businesses are obeying the existing code.
Schulmans photos depicted, to name a few examples, five Malibu High School dumpsters with lids open, overstuffed dumpsters with open lids at Zuma Beach Plaza, a Malibu Village dumpster with a broken lid that has not been replaced, she said, since June 2019. Schulman also showed photos of dumpsters with rodent holes in their lids.
Many of the dumpsters featured belonged to Clean Bay Certified restaurants, Schulman said.
Schulman concluded her presentation by emphasizing the importance of returning to 24/7 lid locks.
Council Member Skylar Peak, a member of the ESS, explained why two different options were proposed even though we had said that we wanted them to be locked all the time.
I think theres no solution that everyones going to be cheerful and happy for, Peak said. Because, on one hand, we have people that are concerned about the environment that want them to be locked all the time, and then on the other hand, we have business owners that are expressing their concerns with costs and staff time, et cetera, et cetera.
Council Member Jefferson Zuma Jay Wagner, also a member of the ESS, mentioned dumpsters with bear lids as a previously discussed alternative option.
Mayor Pro Tem Mikke Pierson said that when he was a business owner in Santa Monica, he used locking lids because thats the only thing that would work. Pierson said he liked the bear lids that Wagner proposed because they cannot be overstuffed.
Waste Management Route Manager Steve Lee said that locking bins are already being delivered to Malibu. He said bear bins are not being used anywhere in the region.
These are definitely going to need to be a special order, Lee said. Theres a lot of mechanisms that go along with those containers, too, which are going to take quite a bit of maintenance.
Council Member Rick Mullen said it might be better to stick with the original plan of locking lids rather than trying to import lids from long distances.
Council members unanimously voted in favor of option two requiring locked bins citywide, with staff to bring back the official ordinance text at a future meeting.
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All Commercial Dumpsters Must Have Locking Lids By This Summer - Malibu Times
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LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) More than 60 food violations from six different establishments in Lincoln were recorded during health inspections by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.
They include:
The Fox Bar & Grill
The restaurant near 14th and Pine Lake was slapped with 15 food violations during an inspection on December 16.
According to the inspection report, an environmental health specialist recorded seven critical violations.
Among major marks include employees and a manager not having proper food permits from the health department.
The report also noted grilled chicken and hamburgers were not being kept warm enough and an employee didnt know the proper temperature in which they were to be stored.
Chicken and hamburger sitting on the grill were also recorded at 99 degrees, well below the required 130-degree minimum, according to the report.
The health specialist also ordered chicken sitting on a rail be thrown out after its internal temperature was too warm to be safe. Other chicken did not have a proper expiration date.
Chemicals were also being improperly stored on a dish machine and the restaurant did not have a proper plumbing system to ensure contaminants dont get into the restaurants water supply, the report stated.
The restaurant told 10/11 NOW: All violations have since been fixed.
Russs Market
Russs Market #21 at Coddington and West A in Lincoln received 12 food violations during a December 12 inspection.
Among five critical violations in the inspection report include food left sitting out on a cook line without ice. The report stated that it was unknown how long food had been left out. It was thrown away.
Meat stored inside a cooler in the kitchen area was found to be more than a week expired, according to the report.
Other major violations in the report include rotisserie chicken being improperly cooled, air fresheners being stored among produce and other sprays being kept above bakery items.
The store was also hit for storing bug spray in the kitchen. The report noted chemicals were not from a licensed pest control operator.
B&R Stores provided 10/11 NOW with the following statement:
Food safety is our number one priority and we take it very seriously. Once the health department issues were pointed out to us, they were corrected immediately and a response sent to the health department that met their expectations.
Issara Modern Asian Cuisine
The Asian restaurant at 14th and Pine Lake was inspected by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department January 3.
During that time, an inspector noted 16 food related violations, including three which were critical.
An inspection report noted a violation involving compliance with required food handler permits.
Food items, including tomatoes, tofu and eggs were being kept in a cooler without proper date markings. The foods were ordered to be thrown out, according to the report.
A hand washing sink was found without soap, dented cans stored on a shelf were thrown out and sauce items inside a cooler were not marked with dates.
Floors and walls inside the kitchen area were also found to contain food debris, the report noted.
A request for comment was not answered.
Subway
The sub sandwich chain location at Sun Valley and East O in west Lincoln was written up for ten violations during an inspection.
Two violations were noted as critical by the environmental health specialist.
According to the report, an employee did not wash their hands before putting on gloves to prepare food.
The inspector also wrote that clean pans were found sitting in dirty water soiled with food residue.
Other major violations in the report include missing paperwork and no probes for a thermometer.
The report also stated that refrigerated meatballs did not have a proper open date.
A request for comment was not answered.
Kurry Xpress
The Indian restaurant at 14th and Pine Lake Road received seven violations during a health inspection January 8.
According to the inspection report, among the two critical violations include noncompliance with required food handler permits.
There was also no person with a valid prep or cook permit from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, the report noted.
During the inspection, the environmental health specialist found eggs being improperly cooled on a counter in a deep pan covered in a wrapping material.
The report also said meat was found to be improperly thawing on the counter.
The facility was also written up for using the wrong type of chest freezer. A commercial freezer is required, over consumer types.
A request for comment was not answered.
Habibi Kabob and Shawarma
Eight food violations were found during a January 7 inspection of Habibi at 84th and Holdrege in Lincoln.
The inspection report noted no employee with a valid prep or cook permit was on hand at the start of the inspection.
According to the report, the restaurant did not have a food handler employee list during the inspection.
Other violations recorded by the inspector include a broken hand washing sink, chicken being improperly thawed, pickles being stored on the floor of the facility as well as pans and clean dishes being stacked before fully dry.
Habibi provided 10/11 NOW with the following statement:
The food handler permit got renewed for the employee [and] the new employee got their food handler permit as well the same week. The health inspector was happy with how clean the restaurant was.
10/11 Clean Plate Award Winner
The 1011 Clean Plate Award for January 2020 was presented to general manager Jeff Meints and his staff at Hog Wild Pit BBQ, located at 33rd and Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln. According to city inspection records, the barbecue restaurant has among the best Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department inspection scores in the Capital City.
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Restaurant Report Card: The Fox Bar & Grill among six restaurants with more than 60 food violations - 1011now
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More than two years have passed since the detection of what is arguably the most damaging tree pest ever to arrive in South Africa: the polyphagous shot hole borer (Euwallacea fornicatus). The beetle kills trees and there are no proven remedies.
The beetle is now present in nearly all parts of the country and in more than 100 tree species.
An invasion of this magnitude should have elicited a rapid response and the development of a strategic action plan. But that hasnt happened. South Africa has never had to deal with a tree-killing pest of this importance before. In addition, the country has limited resources and there has been confusion about which government department should take responsibility. As a result, there hasnt been a coordinated response to deal with the pest.
The tiny polyphagous shot hole borer beetle is 2mm in length and native to Southeast Asia. It has a symbiotic relationship with three species of fungi, including Fusarium euwallaceae. The fungus is a food source for the beetle and its larvae, but can kill susceptible host trees.
The list of host trees in South Africa continues to grow. Not all of these support the whole life cycle of the polyphagous shot hole borer. But its been found to breed in 25 species (both exotic and indigenous trees).
The greatest impact has been in urban environments such as Johannesburg. It has been detected on backyard avocado and roadside weedy acacias, but not yet in commercial orchards or plantations. The only commercial crop its been detected on is pecan trees.
In California and Israel, polyphagous shot hole borer went on to damage the avocado industry as well as trees in natural ecosystems. There are concerns that this could happen in South Africa too.
But it hasnt yet been declared an agricultural emergency plant pest and no formal response has been triggered. Based on the Israeli and Californian experiences, it could clearly still pose a threat to economically important crops in South Africa.
The proactive thing to do would be to list the beetle as an emergency plant pest.
South Africa is good at managing pests in agricultural settings. This falls under the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, specifically Plant Health Early Warning Systems. Where a pest is deemed an emergency plant pest, the South African Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan provides for a rapid response to prevent establishment, spread and coordination of communication between government agencies, academia and plant industry professionals.
For example, detection of the Fall Army Worm (Spodoptera frugiperda), a quarantine pest of maize and sorghum, triggered a rapid and coordinated response overseen by the national government. Provincial departments, academic institutes and industry stakeholders have been working together on aspects ranging from monitoring, training and diagnostics to pesticide registration, legislation and enforcement.
The Department of Environment, Forests and Fisheries provides for listing of invasive alien species that threaten biodiversity, through the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act.
The pest risk analysis for polyphagous shot hole borer (the process by which listing is facilitated) has been submitted, but the listing is yet to be finalised.
The countrys laws also place a duty of care on all land owners (private and public) to control invasive species on their land. They also require all levels of government from municipal through to national to develop monitoring, control and eradication plans for land under their control.
But systems designed for the agricultural or natural environment sector arent helping the management of a beetle thats wreaking havoc on trees in towns and cities.
This is also clear in how the country manages invasive species. It does this well when it comes to weeds and larger animals. But forest pests are barely represented.
Another major challenge is that the borer beetle is particularly hard to manage because of its mating system, wide range of hosts and ability to survive in felled wood for many months. On top of this, heavily infested reproductive hosts become reservoirs of beetles, threatening the health of adjacent trees.
Read more: The spread of shothole borer beetles in South Africa is proving tough to control
Current best practice recommends removal of heavily infested trees in which beetles are breeding. Infested wood should be disposed of appropriately at designated dumping sites to reduce the risk of spread.
But in the absence of a national strategy to guide municipalities, responses to the pest have varied. Cape Town has perhaps led the way with a coordinated city response to the recent invasion in Somerset West. In conjunction with its Invasive Species Unit, the city has developed a management protocol. As one of the more recent areas to be invaded, its perhaps had the benefit of being able to better prepare for the arrival of this pest and learn from the experiences of other municipalities.
Research from California suggests chemical control may have an application in protecting individual high value trees. But this shouldnt be seen as a silver bullet.
In South Africas case, various research efforts are underway to shed more light on the beetle and its impact. For example, a unit at the University of Pretoria, the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute has been involved in surveillance and monitoring of the pest.
The multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Research Network has recently been established. With members from ten different academic institutes, the network aims to align and coordinate research efforts by researchers from institutions across the country.
Now with funding made available by the Department of Environment, Forests and Fisheries, further research can be conducted under the framework of this network, to underpin science and data-based management advice.
But a great deal still remains to be done. South Africa would do well to reflect on how its responded so far.
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Trees in South Africa are under attack. Why it's proving hard to manage - The Conversation Africa
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Pest control expert Rollins (NYSE: ROL) had an enviable record of 12 consecutive years of higher quarterly revenue and profits, but that streak came to an end last year when it missed earnings twice in a row. Its growth-by-acquisition strategy was catching up to the owner of Orkin and Western Pest Services as the addition of ever more companies to its roster required it to spend more on professional services such as IT to bring them into the fold.
Rollins seemed to get back on track again last quarter, as revenue and profits resumed their twin rise, but it just reported fourth-quarter 2019 earnings and it seems buying up businesses is still exacting a bit of a toll.
Image Source: Getty Images.
The nemesis of termites, roaches, ants, and all things creepy-crawly said revenue jumped 13.8% during the period to hit $506 million, generating net income of $50.8 million, or $0.16 per share, which was flat with last year.
Rollins said profits didn't rise this year because it had to increase its casualty reserves, which ended up swiping about a penny per share. Because the company is self-insured, it is required to carry certain letters of credit to secure workers' compensation and casualty insurance contracts coverage.
As it buys up more companies, these costs grow, and the acquisition of Clark Pest Control last year, the eighth largest pest control company and the biggest in Rollins history, helped cause an increase in premiums -- leading Rollins to increase its reserves for accidents and injuries.
One record that continues growing unabated, however, is Rollins' history of raising its dividend. Prior to the earnings announcement, the pest control leader said it was hiking the payout by 14% to $0.12 per share. It marks the 18th consecutive year Rollins' board has increased its dividend by at least 12%.
While Rollins has been rolling up the pest control industry under its umbrella, it still has been able to notch strong organic growth. That means that while the number of businesses it owns contributes ever greater amounts of revenue to the total, even as they age they're still doing good business.
Although acquisitions accounted for most of the revenue growth this quarter, the remainder was still up 5.7% due to pricing and organic growth. Rollins acquired 29 businesses in 2019 compared to 38 the year before, and it's not likely to stop anytime soon.
CFO Eddie Northen said in the earnings release, "We continue to invest in innovative technology as well as seeking out strong acquisitions that fit well into the Rollins family of brands."
Pest control is still a highly fragmented industry, which gives Rollins a chance to continue its spending spree, and so far it has proved adept at folding the companies it buys into the parent.
Still, most of the time these are very small businesses and won't hurt Rollins even if they fail. Although the multiple paid for Clark Pest Control was slightly higher than what Rollins typically pays, Rollins President and COO John Wilson told analysts, "we want to maintain discipline in our approach."
And as we move out of the winter months and into warmer spring weather, a time when insects become more active, Rollins will find its services in greater demand. It's looking for its mosquito business to be a particularly big opportunity.The business has been growing for three straight years and was up 30% in 2019, more than offsetting the decline experienced in bedbugs.
The last year was somewhat unique for Rollins, and chairman and CEO Gary Rollins said he's never seen a year like 2019 where there were so many one-time charges. He also said it was "the most disappointing year we have had for 22 years," but he believes it was a one-off period, with the business rolling higher in the future.
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Rollins Closes Out Disappointing Year With Revenue Beat - Nasdaq
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Council tax payers in England face near universal rises on top of increased fees and charges to pay for what in many cases will be reduced levels of local services, according to a survey of local authorities.
It reveals that 97% of local authorities will put council tax up again in April to cope with a growing financial crisis, and the same proportion will raise charges for services such as parking, garden waste disposal and aspects of social care.
The latest State of Local Government analysis reveals widespread despair among councils over their financial health after a decade of austerity policies in which spending has been cut in half and the gap between demand and resources has grown.
More than a fifth of councils said the cuts to frontline services that they would be forced to make in 2020-21 were of a scale and impact that would be noticeable to the general public. One in 10 said shrinking resources meant they were in danger of being unable to meet their legal obligation to deliver statutory services.
Asked which services would have increased fees and charges, councils most commonly mentioned green waste, planning permissions, car parking, leisure and arts centre memberships, burials and cremations and pest control. One replied: All we can get away with.
Three-quarters of councils had no confidence that local government finance arrangements were sustainable, while only 3% were confident that the government would act to halt the council funding crisis, despite increasing pressures on child protection, adult social care and homelessness services.
Jonathan Carr-West, the chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit, a thinktank that carried out the annual survey, said: The state of local government finances is dire. Eight years later and the message continues to be the same, a broken record. It is simply unacceptable that the government has let things get to this point.
He added: This isnt local government asking for more money. This is about a fundamentally flawed system that has been broken for years and the government continually refusing to acknowledge or engage in a proper solution.
Sticking plasters will not solve these critical issues. Our social care system is no longer on the edge, its fallen off the cliff. Our childrens services arent at breaking point, theyre broken. These issues cannot wait another year to be solved.
Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary, said the survey should be a wake-up call for ministers. The fact is that years of neglect have created this crisis. We need to see urgent action, he said.
In the last few years there have been widespread cuts in some high-profile areas of local government such as Sure Start centres, youth clubs, special educational needs and libraries, as well as in less prominent areas such as planning, family support services and environmental health.
Scepticism that the government will pump more money into local government or even publish its social care funding green paper, delayed since summer 2017 has led many councils to consider alternative income streams, with 75% of surveyed councils reporting that they have borrowed to invest in commercial property schemes.
Two-thirds of councils said the current 3% cap on council tax increases which councils can breach only if they get residents to agree to the rise via a local referendum should be be scrapped to enable them to raise more cash from residents to fund local services.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: Next year, councils in England will have access to 49.1bn the biggest annual real-terms increase in spending power in a decade including an extra 1.5bn for social care. The funding plans provide certainty for councils who are responsible for delivering the services their communities need.
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Councils in crisis with more tax rises and service cuts due - The Guardian
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Rentokil Initial plc (LON:RTO)s share price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 481.80 ($6.34) and last traded at GBX 481.30 ($6.33), with a volume of 1215948 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 467 ($6.14).
RTO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Rentokil Initial from GBX 470 ($6.18) to GBX 450 ($5.92) and set a sector performer rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Tuesday. Credit Suisse Group downgraded shares of Rentokil Initial to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from GBX 460 ($6.05) to GBX 450 ($5.92) in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. HSBC restated a buy rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Peel Hunt restated a hold rating and issued a GBX 455 ($5.99) target price on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Rentokil Initial currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 446.11 ($5.87).
The company has a market capitalization of $9.08 billion and a P/E ratio of -93.09. The firms fifty day moving average is GBX 463.49 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 449.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 217.72, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.83.
Rentokil Initial Company Profile (LON:RTO)
Rentokil Initial plc, through its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Pacific, and rest of world. It offers a range of pest control services from rodents to flying insects, as well as to other forms of wildlife management for commercial and residential customers.
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Rentokil Initial (LON:RTO) Hits New 1-Year High at $481.80 - Riverton Roll
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Pest Control Commercial | Comments Off on Rentokil Initial (LON:RTO) Hits New 1-Year High at $481.80 – Riverton Roll
Vantage Rooftop Lounge and Conservatory
260 E. McDaniel St., Springfield,417-851-1768If youre in the market for an evening of cocktails and panoramic views, Vantage is your place. What makes this hot spot even hotter during the winter months are the heated igloos and fire pits perched along the rooftop to keep the chill away. Insider tip: Arrive early. All igloos are first come, first served.What to Order: Sip on a house favorite, the Nightfall with notes of pear, ginger and lime.
601 S. Pickwick Ave., Springfield,417-986-5800We all know good things come in small packages, and one great example of this is Cherry Picker Package + Fare. With only 16 seats inside, the cafe gets good use out of its patioeven in the winter. Curl up with an espresso or glass of wine by one of the two chimeneas on the patio.What to Order: Cant decide on coffee or spirits? Choose both when you order a KC Coffee featuring a regional whiskey.
4211 S. Lone Pine Ave., Springfield,417-882-5300Just off the Galloway Creek Greenway Trail, you can understand why Galloway Grill is one of our favorite patios for any season. With electric heaters in the ceiling to warm you during the cold snaps and the Trail Burger ready to fill you up, youll have a hard time convincing yourself its not summer.What to Order: The Trail Burgers classic bacon and BBQ combo will warm your soul.
2144 E. Republic Road B-401, Springfield,417-799-9387The fire pits are all ablaze on Reveries rooftop. Find an excuse to settle in for an evening of curious cocktails under the heated umbrellas and watch the sun set over Farmers Park while you feel the stressand the chillmelt away.What to Order: Pop in during the evening-long happy hour on Tuesdays for $3 tacos.
4123 S. National Ave., Springfield,417-881-2389For big game day vibes, grab a cold one and find a seat on Uncle Bentlys patio to watch your favorite team. Somewhere between the thrill of the game and the patios radiant heat, youll forget all about the groundhogs threat of impending winter. As a full-service bar, the brews flow heavily, and the pub encourages guests to bring your own food.What to Order: Take advantage of neighboring restaurants and have your fave foods delivered straight to the patio.
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5 Best Heated Patios in Springfield - 417mag
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Patios | Comments Off on 5 Best Heated Patios in Springfield – 417mag
Q: Back many years ago, Piedmont Airlines would hold a local summer picnic for employees and their families at a place called The Patio. There was a large swimming pool, picnic tables, etc., and of course a large patio. Where in the heck in Winston-Salem was this located, and is it still there? Ive asked several retirees of Piedmont, and no one seems to remember.
Answer: The reader is referring to the Patio at Dor-Ker, off Peace Haven Road at Hearthside Drive, the present location of the Peace Haven pool and tennis courts, said local historian Fam Brownlee, who works in the North Carolina Room of the Forsyth County Public Librarys downtown location. The concrete patio, designed as a dance floor, is still there for the moment.
The property was originally developed in the 1920s by C.A. Jones as Peace Haven Park, a commercial swimming, fishing, dancing sort of roadhouse place. It had a spring-fed Olympic-sized swimming pool and a spring-fed fishing pond separated by the concrete dance floor and was a popular hangout until the Great Depression began. It was acquired in the 1930s by Jacqueline Dorminy and a partner, who operated it as a summer day camp for boys and girls and also, on some weekends, as an outdoor dance club, Dancing Under the Stars.
Brownlee described it as a very classy setup, with a live band and midnight breakfast. It was sold to a developer in 1960.
Ms Dorminy, of course, was a well known dancer and actress who is quite famous to several generations of locals as a teacher of dancing (and manners), he added.
Q: I have heard that Hobby Lobby and Harbor Freight Tools are coming to Mount Airy. Do you know if this is true?
Answer: WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments, a South Carolina-based company that is renovating Mayberry Mall, announced earlier this month that it had leased 50,000 square feet of retail space in the mall to Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., at the northern end of the mall, formerly the location of a Kmart.
As for Harbor Freight Tools, some issues with easements on the planned location have delayed that, but we are still working on it, said Dean Bray, co-owner of Bray Properties of Mount Airy, which is working on the project.
A spokeswoman for Harbor Freight said it would be open in the fall, but would not be on Rockford Street as was originally announced.
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Ask SAM: Where was 'The Patio'? - Winston-Salem Journal
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Patios | Comments Off on Ask SAM: Where was ‘The Patio’? – Winston-Salem Journal
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