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Published: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 9:57 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 9:57 p.m.

It's been a big month for Florida's springs. Whether it will end up being a big year remains to be seen.

The announcement Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott that he will request $55 million in funding for springs restoration and protection in this year's budget is just the latest pro-springs move by Tallahassee policymakers. Though skeptics will say it is merely an election-year ploy by Scott, the fact remains Florida's 700 springs particularly its 33 first-magnitude springs, including Silver and Rainbow are suffering from long-term degradation, and the help is desperately needed.

Scott's $55 million surprise comes on the heels of a proposal by five influential Senate committee chairmen to allocate the first 20 percent of state documentary stamp revenues, or about $378 million, to springs and groundwater cleanup, largely through septic tank repair or replacement.

The senators including Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, and Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, who represent Marion County also are calling for the creation of "protection and management zones" around the 33 first-magnitude springs and five others considered important. In those zones, septic tanks would be repaired, or homeowners would be hooked up to a central sewer system at no cost. Also, the issuance of new water permits would be severely curtailed.

While those two proposals surely please water-quality advocates, state Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, was less encouraging about the chances of any sea of change in Florida water policy in the upcoming legislative session in March. Crisafulli, the House speaker designate for 2015 and House Speaker Will Weatherford's point man on water issues, said in an interview with the Florida Current this week that the senators' plan was too costly and would not likely survive in the House, at least not as proposed.

Nonetheless, Crisafulli has indicated in recent months that Florida must begin addressing its water problems, and the solution starts with taking a statewide approach.

"There is not a silver bullet to fix all these problems," he told the Current. "It's just a matter of working with the current situation."

Unfortunately, the current situation is a crisis of our springs, rivers, lakes and aquifer. Florida has allowed its waters to become over-polluted and over-pumped, and time is not on the state's side if it is going to restore and protect its springs and surface waters and, in turn, its groundwater.

State economists expect Florida to enjoy an $846 million budget surplus this year, and there are certainly plenty of overdue needs that could use some of that money. Clean and ample water, however, is more than a need; it is an essential if Florida expects to continue prospering into the 21st century.

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Editorial: Springs funding

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) January 22, 2014

The Strata iPad mini Wall Mount is a versatile addition to ArmorActives conference room product line. Its clear acrylic body displays the beauty of the iPad mini and complements almost any surface its mounted to, especially glass. The backplate features a channel for routing the charging cable around the outside edge without being seen, making portrait and landscape mounting possible. Also, similar to all of ArmorActive's iPad enclosures, the faceplate of the Strata iPad mini Wall Mount can be custom branded.

We've had a lot of companies request drywall or glass mounted solutions for the office, hotel, and university spaces. The Strata iPad mini Wall Mount is our answer to this demand, said Benton Paul, VP of Business Development at ArmorActive.

Each Strata iPad mini Wall Mount includes a professional grade drywall mounting kit to securely fasten the enclosure to drywall without needing to mount to wall studs. Tamper proof screws are included to enable the enclosure to be safely mounted in a public area. ArmorActive also includes a clear 3M VHB adhesive backing for maintaining a clean look on glass or mounting to just about any surface.

Many organizations are pairing this solution with ArmorActives Power over Ethernet (PoE) adapter. This adapter makes it possible to power an iPad kiosk through an Ethernet cable. PoE is currently the most energy efficient way to power iPad kiosks and gives IT professionals the freedom to install the enclosure in any location regardless of power outlet boxes.

One of the best conference room scheduling apps to use with the Strata iPad mini Wall Mount is EventBoard Pro. This app is compatible with most calendar platforms, has a simple interface, and can even be imaged with company branding. Aside from conference room scheduling, use cases for the iPad mini Wall Mount also include digital menus in restaurants and digital signage in retail environments.

About ArmorActive ArmorActive specializes in purpose-built solutions for deploying tablet computers into any business landscape. Our goal is to provide the highest quality of service to every customer with our team of account managers who understand every phase of a tablet deployment, no matter how large or small the scale of the project.

Originally posted here:
New iPad mini Enclosure Expands ArmorActive’s Conference Room Product Line

CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, members heard from a businessman whose restaurant is being hurt by the Shoreline Boulevard realignment project.

The businessman cited poor construction signs along Shoreline that have confused retail businesses as well as those who work in downtown offices.

Kiii News Reporter Brian Burns went Live from Shoreline Boulevard with the details.

During public comment at Tuesday's meeting, council members were told that the signs were confusing at best. Carlos Gonzalez, the manager of Joe's Crab Shack, said the construction sign confusion is hurting many retailers downtown because they were not notified when the roads were going to be shut down. He added that the construction is doing more than cutting the number of customers.

"It's hard to get to us. My business has dropped off by 30-percent since October. I was on my way to a record year. Then, as soon as the road closed, I had no idea it was even happening," Gonzalez said. "Our employees can't even figure out how to get to us sometimes. Since they've opened up Lawrence at Water, that's helped a little bit, but you still got to be very conscious about where you're going to turn at."

The City promised Gonzalez they would erect signs to the restaurant and other affected downtown businesses to let people know they're still there.

Council members also discussed a design change that will actually save the City more than $200,000.

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Downtown Businesses Negatively Affected by Shoreline Realignment

Barcelona will ask club members to approve remodeling and enlarging Camp Nou rather than construct a new stadium.

Barcelona club president Sandro Rosell says the club will hold a referendum for its members on April 5 or 6, coinciding with a home game.

Built in 1957 and enlarged in 1982, Camp Nou already has Europe's highest capacity at 98,000. The plan is to increase that to 105,000.

A new first tier would be constructed that is steeper in an effort to improve sightlines, and a club level between the first and second tiers would increase luxury seat capacity by 3,500 to 5,700. The other side of the third tier would be completed.

The proposal also includes an indoor arena of 10,000-12,000 for Barcelona's basketball, handball and roller hockey teams to be built on the site of the current stadium for the Barcelona B soccer team, which would move its games to the club's training facility.

Barcelona calculates the cost at 600 million euros ($812 million). Construction would last from 2017-21, and the team would play in the stadium during construction with interior work done during the offseason.

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Barcelona Proposes Expanding Camp Nou to 105,000

Denver Plumbers: Call (303) 625-9410 for your Free Estimate!
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By: Dever Plumber

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Denver Plumbers: Call (303) 625-9410 for your Free Estimate! - Video

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Newswise Virginia Tech researchers who first discovered a devastating pest in India and devised a natural way to combat it have now put an economic value on their counterattack: up to $309 million the first year and more than $1 billion over five years.

Thats the amount of damage the papaya mealybug would have wreaked on farmers and consumers in India without scientists intervention.

The papaya mealybug ripped through crops including papaya, eggplant, and tomato in southern India causing mold and stunted growth before Rangaswamy Muni Muniappan of Virginia Tech identified the pest and spearheaded the natural control program.

For a relatively modest cost of $200,000 during the first year of the intervention, devastation that would have totaled from $524 million to $1.34 billion over five years was prevented, Muniappan and other scientists report in the February issue of the journal Crop Protection.

Indias first efforts to eradicate the papaya mealybug failed, says Muniappan, who heads up Virginia Techs federally funded Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab program, a venture that works in developing countries to minimize crop losses, increase farmer income, and decrease pesticide use. The government and farmers tried spraying pesticides, but crop losses kept getting larger. It was clear to us that this was a case not for poisons but for natural, biological controls.

The winning intervention centered on three parasitic wasps from Mexico, natural enemies of the mealybug that the U.S. government first employed in Florida after the pest spread there in the late 1990s. The wasp lays its eggs inside the mealybug larvae, and when the eggs hatch, the young wasps eat the larvae.

Virginia Techs work to stop the papaya mealybug is an important contribution to protecting U.S. crops, says Marjorie A. Hoy, a University of Florida entomologist not associated with the Virginia Tech study who was instrumental in controlling a Florida infestation.

Its impossible for regulatory agencies at the borders to inspect and remove any infested material they try, but its impossible to do it all," Hoy says. "Im happy to hear that [Virginia Tech scientists] conducted an economic analysis. That is so often missing in biological-control projects.

Link:
Virginia Tech-Led Pest-Control Measure Saves Up to $309 Million for Indian Farmers, Consumers

Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) January 22, 2014

As the 2014 Birmingham Home & Garden Show quickly approaches, Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc. has recently announced that they will be an exhibitor at the upcoming event. The company joins numerous other local businesses that will be on hand to answer attendee questions and display their service offerings during the four days of the show.

Vulcan Termite and Pest Control is set to exhibit at booth #939 within the service category of Garden, Landscape & Outdoors. David Price, owner of Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc. is looking forward to the event, noting, Due to concerns over the West Nile Virus and the damage that infestations can do to a home, owners are understandably concerned about pest control. Were always happy to share our knowledge and expertise with others, and the Birmingham Home & Garden Show is a great opportunity for that.

BIRMINGHAM HOME & GARDEN SHOW DETAILS

The Birmingham Home & Garden Show will feature live events with special guests Ahmed Hassan from DIY Networks Yard Crashers and Food Network Star Emily Ellyn. Attendees will also be able to take part in showcases on the latest gardening techniques and a variety of demonstrations on the Fresh Ideas Home Stage.

Time and Dates:

February 13-16, 2014

Location:

Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North Birmingham, AL 35203

Attendees can learn more about Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc.s participation in the event, as well as information on the other show exhibitors by visiting the Exhibitors & Sponsors section of the Birmingham Home and Garden Show website.

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Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc is Set to Exhibit at the Birmingham Home and Garden Show

A CARMARTHEN landlord left a live rat with receptionists at Carmarthenshire County Hall and told them to "pass it on to the chief executive" after being told the council no longer had a pest control department.

Arwen Davies, from Carmarthen, said that by not having a pest control department Carmarthenshire Council are risking a rat population boom in the county.

Miss Davies was called to one of her properties in St Catherine Street by a tenant who said the rat had crept into the garden.

Despite being pregnant, she picked the creature up and took it to County Hall for it to be handed in to the council's pest control department. She said: "I took it down to County Hall and I said please could you pass this on to your pest control department. The woman behind the desk said "we don't have pest control anymore" but she was happy to take the rat.

"I'm pregnant so I didn't really want to deal with it. I just suggested to them "maybe you could pass it on to the chief executive for me?" I'm not sure if they did or not."

Miss Davies said she was shocked to find out that the council does not have a pest control department. She has always worked hard to ensure her property is rat free but believes there could be a significant rise in vermin numbers without a council-run pest control service.

She said: "In the next three or four years they are going to be growing in numbers."

Miss Davies's partner Rhydian Thomas said they had started putting down traps to deal with the problem, but that they were not the only landlords in the town complaining about rats.

Mr Thomas said: "We have been putting traps and bait down but it is becoming a problem. "Others are having the same issues."

The council's pest control department was axed in 2011 to make savings. If residents need pests removed they now have to find a private pest control service, although the council is on hand to give advice on pest control.

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Carmarthen landlady takes live rat to county hall to give Carmarthenshire Council's chief executive Mark James

(Germantown) Pest control experts say the cold span we had a few weeks ago sent a number of rodents into homes, and as the temperature drops once again, that big problem is only getting bigger.

Don Crutchfield is our resident rodent expert. We set him loose in WREGs Wayne Carters attic after he heard the pitter-patter of feet above my head.

Pest control companies all around the area are dealing with an ton of calls right now, mostly finding roof rats.

They can have six to thirteen pups per litter. In a matter of a few months you can have a real population explosion, said Crutchfield.

Peanut butter is great, beef jerky works real well, rotten tomatoes work great, he added. Its like a buffet, you may not want salad today you may want steak.

You may have heard its good advice to close up holes and trim trees away from your home, but our expert says save your money, it just doesnt matter.

They can climb the brick. You can see a squirrel upside down on this siding and they can gnaw a hole in siding, it doesnt matter, said Crutchfield.

Once the rats get into your attic, they usually will stay there and not come into your home if its noisy.

Crutchfield said they he dont like all the busy activity in your home, and theyre as scared of you as you are of them.

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Rodent Populations In Homes Increase After Cold Snap

A recent undercover sting operation in Rancho Murieta indicates that the statewide drought has provided illegal contractors with a new angle in approaching conservation-minded property owners, according to the Contractors State License Board.

The agencys Statewide Investigative Fraud Team, with assistance from the state Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Investigation, netted 11 people accused of illegal, unlicensed home improvement contracting during the sting operation conducted Thursday in the gated community.

A $3,800 bid was given to investigators for drought-resistant landscaping by an unlicensed operator, a bid that far exceeded the legal limit of $500 in combined labor and materials charges for unlicensed contractors working in the construction industry, according to a Contractors State License Board news release.

Eleven individuals were accused of illegal contracting after seeking bids for exterior painting, fencing and landscaping jobs, and each faces misdemeanor charges for contracting without a license, officials said.

Nine suspects face additional charges of illegal advertising. Contractors must place their license number in all advertisements. Those without licenses may advertise to do jobs valued at less than $500, but the ads must state that they are not licensed contractors.

Those receiving notices to appear in Sacramento Superior Court for arraignment March 27, along with their license classifications and alleged violations:

Paul Jon Shuey of Rancho Murieta, painting an decorating, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.

Thanh Nguyen of Elk Grove, landscaping, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.

Dave Marriott of Sacramento, landscaping, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.

Dustin Lee Arana of Sacramento, painting and decorating, contracting without a license and illegal advertising.

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Undercover sting in Rancho Murieta targets illegal contractors