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The couple pulled Lyons Police Sgt. Cory Ryan into their vehicle during a shootout and drove him to the hospital.

Lyons Police Department

LYONS, Kansas -- Wyatt Johnsonand his girlfriend were driving aroundLyonson Friday while she reminisced about her hometown. They were wasting time before a wedding rehearsal.

In southeastLyons, near the home of one of her childhood friends, the couple saw an officer at a door and then heard shots ring out. Sgt.Cory Ryanwas responding to a call from a man who was mowing the lawn when he was threatened by a neighboring man with a gun at around3:40 p.m.

The officer arrived at the home of the alleged shooter, 40-year-oldAdam Hrabik.

Johnson said he couldn't see the shooter but saw the "blast from the gun."

Ryan backpedaled.

Johnson said he believes Ryan had already been shot in the arm and chest before the officer got out his gun in self defense. Ryan, who was also shot in the face, fired back.

Johnson's girlfriend put the car in reverse, drove it 10 feet and turned the car sideways to create a barrier. Johnson pushed his girlfriend out the driver door and followed her out to put more distance between them and the shooter. He was on the phone with 911 while the two of them yelled for Ryan to come to them.

Johnson said it was like they practiced it before.

Shots continued to ring out.

The two pulled him into the car.

Johnson's girlfriend handed Ryan a towel to staunch the blood and tried to calm him. Johnson drove.

"He was trying to speak but he couldn't because the whole bottom of his jaw was gone," said Johnson, a 24-year-old who works for a tree service company.

They took him to theRice County District Hospitalon the west side of town. Ryan, 36, was then transferred to aWichitahospital.

As Ryan was being cared for, the shooter retreated into the his home, according to theKansas Bureau of Investigation.

Officers in the region started to descend on the home, bringing tactical gear and an armored vehicle.

The first officers to arrive also discovered that the man mowing the lawn, who identified himself on Facebook asBrian Friess, had been shot.

Lyonspolice chiefJustin Hollidaywas one of the officers who found Friess wounded and helped bring him to safety.

Friess, theLyons High Schoolboys basketball coach and the school district's 2020 Ray and Evelyn Lippelmann Outstanding Teacher, was also taken to theLyonshospital and then onto aWichitahospital.

On Saturday, he posted on Facebook that he had been shot in the left thigh and below his right lung.

"Both bullets will stay in my body -- it's not like the movies where they go after em!" the 56-year-old wrote, adding doctors are keeping an eye on the bullet lodged in his lung. "Thank you to EVERYONE for the nice words! I'm blessed to live inLyonsand Coach/teach at LHS!"

The standoff at the home lasted until around7:10 p.m.when officers convinced Hrabik to come out of his home. He was arrested and booked into theReno County Correctional Facility, according to the KBI.

Ryan, who has been with theLyons Police Departmentsince 2012, is in critical condition but is stable, according to Sterling police chiefDerrick Ploutz.

"I absolutely think they saved his life by doing what they did," Ploutz said, adding each second matters in a shooting.

The Sterling Police Departmentis helping supportLyonswhile it is down one officer. About the response from surrounding law enforcement agencies coming to help, Ploutz said:

"The response and the help that we give each other, I don't know any other place I would rather work," Ploutz said, adding: "We are small departments inKansasbut we always know that we got each other and when we are needed, everyone is going to be there."

A fund has been set up at theLyons Federal Bankto help cover medical costs for Ryan. Donations can also be dropped off at theLyons Police Departmentand theFirst Bankin Sterling and will be forwarded on to the fund for Ryan.

___

(c)2020 The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.)

Visit The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.) at http://www.kansas.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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HVAC Contractors Look at Weather Forecasts and Prepare for Winter | 2020-10-20 | ACHR News This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. This Website Uses CookiesBy closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn MoreThis website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

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Always Ready Repair believes that it is essential to give back to the community. Many people go the extra mile to make our communities a better place to live. Now, with communities facing so many hardships from the pandemic, some of these everyday heroes have given even more of their time and talents to keep our communities great.

To honor these heroes, Always Ready Repair would like to thank a community hero for everything that they have done by awarding them with a free heating or cooling system into their home. We will award four local heroes with the free heating or cooling system for their home. The local hero should be located within our local service area within a 15 mile radius around 60464 zip code.

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Select a hero from our community: firefighter, paramedic, police officer, military personnel, teacher, doctor, or nurse.

Visit Always Ready Repair on Facebook and submit their name and their story on why they are your personal hero.

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We are proud to receive this highly distinguished safety award, and we thank those who recognized our dedication to keeping team members safe.

ATLANTA (PRWEB) October 20, 2020

Plumb Works Inc, an Atlanta-based plumbing company and member of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association, was awarded the Safety First! PHCC Contractor of the Year Award. Owner Jerome Sabol accepted the award October 1st at the Annual Business Meeting held during PHCCCONNECT2020.

The Safety First! Award recognizes PHCC contractors who take advantage of the resources Federated Insurance offers to effectively implement sound risk management practices. With hundreds of clients eligible each year to receive this prestigious honor, it was Plumb Works Inc.s vigilant approach to loss control that distinguished it amongst its peers.

Safety is our top priority at Plumb Works, owner Jerome Sabol stated. It is our job as a company to keep our employees safe while at work. This is why in addition to our company policy handbook and safety manual, each employee goes through an extensive training program that highlights our safety procedures.

Sabol and his employees embrace a culture of safety in their daily operations with safety signs throughout the workplace, including reminders about the importance of safe, no texting while driving signage. Sabol embraces safe driving as a priority by displaying a banner in his shop that reminds employees not to text and drive.

Additionally, the business frequently uses Federated Mutual Insurance Companys risk management resources and training to refine their policies, such as pre-screening and monitoring drivers motor vehicle records.

By partnering with Federated Insurance, we are able to create a safer work environment and enhance the culture of our company. We are proud to receive this highly distinguished safety award, and we thank those who recognized our dedication to keeping team members safe.

About Plumb Works Inc.Operating since 1989, Plumb Works Inc. offers a variety of services to businesses and homeowners in Metro-Atlanta. The company is dedicated to eco-friendly products and services, and can perform all major installation, repair, and maintenance services for both residential and commercial customers. As one of the only companies in Atlanta that can repair smart toilets, Plumb Works Inc. is constantly adapting to the industry to better serve its customers.

Plumb Works Inc. can perform these services and many more thanks to their state-of-the-art equipment and trained technicians:Water Heater Installation, Maintenance, & RepairDrain CleaningHydrojettingCommercial PlumbingTo learn more about Plumb Works Inc., please visit https://www.plumbworksinc.com/

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This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements withinthe meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, andSection 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are basedon information currently available to management as well as management'sassumptions and beliefs as of the date such statements were made. Allstatements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this QuarterlyReport on Form 10-Q constitute forward-looking statements, including but notlimited to statements identified by forward-looking terminology, such as thewords "may," "will," "should," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "intend,""estimate" and "expect" and similar expressions. Such statements reflect ourcurrent views with respect to future events, based on what we believe arereasonable assumptions; however, such statements are subject to certain risksand uncertainties.In addition to the specific uncertainties discussed elsewhere in this QuarterlyReport on Form 10-Q, the risk factors set forth in Part I, "Item 1A. RiskFactors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019,and those set forth in Part II, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of this report, if any,may affect our performance and results of operations. Should one or more ofthese risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions proveincorrect, actual results may differ materially from those in theforward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update orreview any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of newinformation, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Business Overview

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and the Resulting Changes to our 2020 FinancialPerformance

Additionally, certain of our manufacturing facilities experienced short-termsuspensions of operations for COVID-19 employee health concerns during thesecond and third quarters of 2020.

Financial Overview

Third Quarter of 2020 Compared to Third Quarter of 2019 - Consolidated Results

The following table provides a summary of our financial results, includinginformation presented as a percentage of net sales:

Net sales increased 2% in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the thirdquarter of 2019 driven by higher sales volumes of 1% and favorable combinedprice and mix of 1%.

Gross Profit

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Losses (gains) and Other Expenses, Net

Losses (gains) losses and other expenses, net for the third quarter of 2020 and2019 included the following (in millions):

Net change in unrealized (gains) losses on unsettled futurescontracts

3.4 $ 2.2

Gains and Losses related to Natural Disasters

See Note 4 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additionalinformation.

Income from Equity Method Investments

Interest Expense, net

Third Quarter of 2020 Compared to Third Quarter of 2019 - Results by Segment

Residential Heating & Cooling

Net sales increased 13% in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the thirdquarter of 2019. Sales volumes increased 11% and combined price and mixincreased 2%.

Commercial Heating & Cooling

Net sales decreased 18% in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the thirdquarter of 2019. Sales volumes declined 15% and mix was unfavorable 3%.

Refrigeration

The following table presents our Refrigeration segment's net sales and profitfor the third quarter of 2020 and 2019 (dollars in millions):

Corporate and Other

Year-to-Date through September 30, 2020 Compared to Year-to-Date throughSeptember 30, 2019 - Consolidated Results

The following table provides a summary of our financial results, includinginformation presented as a percentage of net sales:

For the Nine Months Ended September 30,

Net Sales

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Losses (gains) and Other Expenses, Net

Losses (gains) and other expenses, net for the nine months ended September 30,2020 and 2019 included the following (in millions):

Nine Months Ended September 30,

Net change in unrealized losses (gains) on unsettled futures contracts

5.6 $ 5.3

Loss on Sale of Business

Gains and Losses related to Natural Disasters

Income from Equity Method Investments

Interest Expense, net

Income Taxes

Year-to-Date through September 30, 2020 Compared to Year-to-Date throughSeptember 30, 2019 - Results by Segment

Residential Heating & Cooling

Net sales increased 1% in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared tothe nine months ended September 30, 2019. Price increased 1% and mix wasfavorable by 1%, partially offset by lower sales volumes of 1%.

Refrigeration

Corporate and Other

Corporate and other expenses increased $7 million in the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2020 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2019 due tohigher incentive compensation costs.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our working capital and capital expenditure requirements are generally metthrough internally generated funds, bank lines of credit and an assetsecuritization arrangement. Working capital needs are generally greater in thefirst and second quarters due to the seasonal nature of our business cycle.

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LENNOX INTERNATIONAL : Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (form 10-Q) - marketscreener.com

Conditions Observed: Foods in two different cold holding units were measured above 41 F.Lox and cheese in in the dessert/appetizer area prep top bins were both measured at 48.2 F; pate in the under-counter fridge was measured at 43.2 F. In addition, in the Turbo-Air 3-door fridge, cut pineapple was measured at 42.4 F, and raw salmon filets were measured at 43.4 F. The built-in thermometer for the TurboAir unit was reading exactly 41 F. Please adjust and/or repair these refrigeration units to ensure that all foods therein are maintained at or below 41 F.

ROACHY SAYS:

Except during preparation, cooking, cooling, transportation to or from a retail food facility for a period of less than thirty minutes, when time is used as the public health control, or as otherwise specified, potentially hazardous foods shall be maintained at or below 41F or at or above 135F. The following foods may be held at or below 45F: raw shell eggs, unshucked live molluscan shellfish, pasteurized milk and pasteurized milk products in original sealed containers, potentially hazardous foods held during transportation. Potentially hazardous foods held for dispensing in serving lines and salad bars may be held at 45F, not to exceed 12 hours in a 24 hour period, if unused portions are discarded. Food preparation shall not exceed two cumulative hours without a return to the required holding temperatures. (113996, 113998, 114037, 114343(a))

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Larrupin Cafe on INSPECTED! Humboldt County Health Inspections from the Lost Coast Outpost - Lost Coast Outpost

After 30 years of hard work as a Manager in the Textile Industry, I finally decided to quit my job with the lump sum of PF to take home as my savings. Buying my family dream home in New Delhi is the top priority as I love the capital city for its patriotism and beauty and its Magnificent History, Awe-inspiring Monuments, and The magic of Intracity rails, significant markets, Street shopping, Delicious food, and Cultural Hub.

Besides savings, with the help of a house loan, we planned to buy an affordable medium-size home equipped with good amenities and infrastructure in one of Delhi's prime areas. Though it's challenging, the developers and the builders offer competitive pricing and better deals to fit our budgets and requirements. Before finalizing our contracts with builders, one of my friends referred to a professional home inspection team in Delhi for the property's final contingency check. As a handyman, I have already gone through my preliminary Inspection, but I realized that it's an entirely different scenario when the home inspection team inspects the home in detail. Let's see how the home inspection is worth the time and money we spend on it in the long - run.

A home inspection is the visual evaluation of a home from the roof to the basement conducted by a qualified home inspection company. It can be done on a newly built/renovated/used home. In the process of closing the home sale, the buyer hires the home inspector for a visual observation that identifies the health, safety, or major mechanical issues. It takes nearly 2-3 hours for a careful lookout of both the Exterior and the Interior of the home during the home inspection. The cost of Home Inspection varies greatly depending upon the size, location, age, and special home structures. Usually its between 270$ - 480$. However, advanced home inspection using technologies like Thermal Imaging, Moisture meter Inspections, Four-point Inspections, wind mitigation, Energy-saving Inspections may cost more.

Steps to hire a home inspector are,

Why Home Inspection is a must before buying homes?

What to expect during the Home Inspection?

A Qualified home inspection company generally covers the Foundation, Pre-drywall, and the Full walk-through Inspection of a newly built home. They note down each problem for a safety issue, major defect, minor defect, needs replacement, repaired or serviced, and items of routine maintenance. Some of the specific things included in the Home Inspection checklist are,

What is expected After the Inspection?

If the home inspection report details the minor/major repair work, you can ask the seller to fix it. If the seller neglects to fix or the repair is too expensive to fix, the buyer can walk away from the sales contract. If the home you are going to buy is Bank-owned or sold as-is, the buyer has to analyze the importance and the affordability of the report details and the cost estimated for repair and maintenance.

After my home undergoes the Inspection, we got a professional assessment report that helps negotiate with the builder for a better deal. Finally, we bought our dream home with peace and confidence by hiring the home inspector who justified its worth by ensuring the safety of my life and the property.

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Why a Home Inspection is must before buying homes in Delhi - Siliconindia.com

Sun Communities (NYSE: SUI) is the largest residential REIT, or real estate investment trust, focused on manufactured homes by market cap, according to Nareit's most recent update. It's an industry consolidator with a long history of creating value for investors. The REIT has outperformed both the major REIT index and the S&P 500 over the last decade by steadily growing its community count, cash flow, and dividend.

Here's a look at what seems to be ahead for the leading REIT focused on consolidating highly fragmented real estate sectors.

Sun Communities currently owns and operates 426 manufactured housing and recreational vehicle (RV) communities across 32 states and Ontario, Canada, consisting of more than 143,000 developed sites. It primarily leases sites and manufactured homes to those seeking affordable housing options under annual contracts. It also generates income from transient RV site rentals and manufactured home sales.

Sun Communities has spent more than $5.8 billion since 2010 to acquire new communities, growing its portfolio more than threefold. During the first half of 2020, the company bought five communities for $132.3 million, adding 1,445 sites.

This steady diet of acquisitions will likely continue over the next three years. Given the company's acquisition prowess, it has lots of visibility into the current pipeline of opportunities as well as those that will likely come available in coming years. It also has a strong balance sheet to support this growth, with a low leverage ratio and minimal upcoming debt maturities through 2024.

While Sun Communities' primary focus has been on acquiring manufactured housing and RV communities, that will likely change over the next three years. That's because it recently agreed to buy Safe Harbor Marinas for $2.11 billion. Safe Harbor is one of the largest, most diversified marina operators in the country, as it owns and operates 101 locations and manages another five on behalf of third parties across 22 states.

The marina sector, much like both manufactured housing and RV communities, is highly fragmented. The top five operators -- led by Safe Harbor, which is more than three times larger than its next rival -- control a mere 4% of the country's 4,000 marinas, leaving significant consolidation potential. Sun Communities plans to allow the company to operate independently and continue acquiring marinas.

Meanwhile, Sun Communities has three notable organic expansion drivers within its RV and manufactured housing operations:

Sun Communities should have no problem continuing to expand its portfolio over the next three years. It will soon operate in three highly fragmented industries (manufactured housing, RV communities, and marinas) with abundant consolidation potential. Meanwhile, it sees internal expansion opportunities in both its manufactured housing and RV community segments as it continues to increase the supply of affordable housing options in the country.

Sun Communities is a consolidator. It has been steadily buying up manufactured housing and RV communities over the last decade, growing into the largest operator in this still highly fragmented space. Meanwhile, it's adding a new growth platform in marinas, another highly fragmented industry ripe for consolidation. As long as the REIT maintains a strong financial profile, it should have no problem continuing to expand its portfolio, earnings, and dividend over the next three years.

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Where Will Sun Communities Be in 3 Years? - Motley Fool

Global Manufactured & Mobile Homes Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 recently added to the wide-ranging database of MarketsandResearch.biz comprises massive information concerning the outstanding and attentive study of the scale, trends, division, and look out of the market in production and supply. The report features a recent discovery and examines the impact of key interferences on the markets future development. The report covers historic data up to 2019 and gives a forecast for 2020-2025. It gives a comprehensive analysis of all the regional and major player segments that give closer insights upon present market conditions and future market opportunities along with drivers, trending segments, pricing factors. This report focuses on current business and present-day headways, future methodology changes, and open entryways for the market.

NOTE: Our report highlights the major issues and hazards that companies might come across due to the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19.

Market Segmentation:

The segmentation is used to segregate the market into smaller sections or segments like product type, application, and geographical regions. The common characters are also being considered for segmentation such as global market share, common interests, worldwide demand, and supply of Manufactured & Mobile Homes. Moreover, the report compares the production value and growth rate of the global market across different geographies.

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For studying various competitive dynamics of the global Manufactured & Mobile Homes market research, company profiling of key players is considered to gain overall market growth. Major market players present in the market and profiled in the report are: Bouygues Construction, Cavco Industries, Seikisui House, Lendlease Corporation, Modular Space Corporation, Laing ORourke, Algeco Scotsman, Champion Homes, Clayton Homes, Daiwa House, Irontown Homes, KEE Katerra, Red Sea Housing, Woodlund Homes, Jacobsen Homes, Palm Harbor Homes, Redman Homes, Pleasant Valley Homes, Kwikspace Modular Buildings, Nobility Homes, Blu Homes, Professional Building Systems, Commodore Homes, Wardcraft Homes, Chief Industries, Nationwide Homes

On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, market share, and growth rate of each type: , Manufactured Homes, Mobile Homes

Manufactured & Mobile Homes is projected to lead the industry for utilizing applications during the forecast period covering: , Residential, Commercial, Other

Global Manufactured & Mobile Homes market is an investigative report of unique nature that involves statistics about chief regional markets. This includes key regional areas such as North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Australia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

Summary of Global Market Report:

Important chapters such as global Manufactured & Mobile Homes market overview, executive summary, systematic segmentation, regional diversification as well as competition analysis have also been assessed. The report moreover gives support, production, consumption, and (export and import). The current as well as the future market outlook of the industry with respect to recent developments have been covered. Also, the report has focused on the feasibility of new investment projects and the overall research conclusion of this industry. The research document studies prominent manufacturers of the market and discusses aspects such as organization profiles, production, cost, sales, product photograph and specification, potential, and other essentials. It also talks about upstream raw materials and downstream demand evaluation.

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The Main Points Which Are Answered And Covered In This Report Are:

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This story was originally published by Civil Eats and is republished here by permission.

On September 12, Iverson Family Farmsposted ominous images on social mediaof their fields under a ruddy red sky, thick with a stagnant, dense hazea stark contrast to the vibrant annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, a well-known spring attraction in Oregons Willamette Valley. As the Beachie Creek and Riverside fires raged roughly 25 miles away, the farm was in Stage 3 evacuation for 10 surreal autumn days.

Its a scene that has played out throughout the western U.S. as roughly40 large fires, amplified and accelerated by climate change, burned in September. The coastal states were most heavily impacted: California, in particular, hasendured an unprecedented span of fireover the last two months. As of today, Californias devastating Glass Fire has damaged, if not destroyed,nearly 30 wineriesin Napa and Sonoma counties.

Ash has been raining down on farm fields for weeks. Farmers of most crops from fruit to lettuce have been able to wash it away with minimal impact to operations, says Christopher Valadez, President of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California. Still, since farmers dont necessarily have the labor to clean produce,consumers have been advised to take extra precautionsand wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them.

Iverson Family Farms did not experience direct fire damage but will not know how smoke damage has affected their crops for some time.

Photo courtesy of Iverson Family Farms

Luckily, Iverson Family Farms, a diverse, third-generation operation growing grass seed, tulips, wine grapes, and hemp, did not experience direct fire damage. Beyond worries over community losses, I was concerned with embers that could have drifted onto the farms and ignited fields and homes, says Giavanna Accurso, director of research and development for Iverson Family Farms and FSoil, the familys hemp oil processing facility.

As the smoke clears, however, many farms, including Iverson Family Farms, are taking steps to make sure no invisible damage occurred in high-value crops susceptible to smoke notably cannabis and wine grapes. Unfortunately, answers wont be swift in either case.

In grapes, smoke damage imparts a burnt, ashy, even medicinal taste to the resulting wine. When wood burns, it releases volatile compounds, called phenols, which canbind to grape sugars, only to be released during fermentation. Cannabis may also be similarly impacted by volatile compounds, and possibly other chemicals if buildings and not just wildlands burned nearby.

The potential for widespread impact has left the labs that test grapes for smoke damage backlogged with requests, says California Farm Bureau Federation director of media relations, Dave Kranz. Tests that would typically take two to three days to process, are now taking several weeks, he says. A message on the website of California-basedETS Laboratories, one of the primary facilities able to test grapes, says they are unable to give customers a timeline to expect results.

One big difference this year is the fires occurred earlier in the season. During the October 2017 fires, only 10-15%of the crop was left on vines by the time the fires started, says Anita Oberholster, a viticulture specialist at University of California at Davis. This year, the wildfires started when only 10 to 15% had been harvested; most grapes were still on the vine, she adds.

An estimate of the amount of smoke damage is really difficult.

An estimate of the amount of smoke damage is really difficult, says Oberholster. Glenn McGourty, a University of California viticulture advisor in Mendocino County, agrees. He says suspended particulates, which you can see in the atmosphere, dont do much damage. Its the volatile phenols, which are released in close proximity to the fire that can bind to the sugars in grapes to form compounds called glycosides.

During fermentation, glycosides break apart, releasing the phenols that have a smoky flavor. In general,red wines, especially ones made with thin-skinned grapes like Pinot Noir,tend to be most affected. And thats why its impossible to predict damage without testing.

Oberholster says that not every farm will necessarily be impacted. Smoke exposure and risk is really complex, she says. For example, only when smoke is really fresh is there a correlation between the density of smoke you see with the naked eye and actual exposure. And any breakdown of phenols in sunlight depends on atmospheric conditions. We dont know the half-life of [phenols], but there is some anecdotal evidence it could be 24 hours, maybe longer, says Oberholster.

Oberholster advises growers to have their grapes tested if they experienced smoke at all, and especially if the wind blew fresh, dense smoke directly towards them. In the case of the current fire the Glass Fire raging in Napa and Sonoma, that could mean a lot of grapes.

We are telling people to wait until as close to harvest as they can to test, she says, for two reasons. With so many fire events, growers should only send grapes ready to be picked to avoid overloading laboratories with samples and unnecessary, additional costs. First, labs inundated with samples will slow the results and cost the grower more. Its around $150-200 per sample to determine which grapes are impacted. And insurance requires that growers test every block of every variety they grow.

But despite the ongoing concern in the industry, and the fact that some wineries have already decidednot to make a 2020 vintage, Oberholster cautions against condemning the entire crop.

I dont want people to look at fire maps and think everything is impacted and all wine from 2020 is going to be bad because thats not true, she says. Air quality and smoke exposure risk is not the same thing.

McGourty agrees. There will be plenty of places that make good wine this year, he says.

But the testing may need an overhaul too. Currently, labs search for between two to seven marker compounds of damage, but there is evidence from Australia, which has been dealing with smoke-tainted grapes for 15 years, that there are up to13 marker compounds of smoke damage, according to Oberholster.

West Coast wildfires turn the skies orange over the Iverson Family Farms hemp fields.

Photo courtesy of Iverson Family Farms

Cannabis, too, may have smoke damagebut, compared to wine grapes, there is far less research yet available on the impact of phenols. TheGlobal Hemp Innovation Centerat Oregon State University has just formed an industry collaborative to assess the smoke impacts on everything from smokable cannabis flowers to essential oils, such as CBD.

Given the sticky nature of cannabis flowers, traces of toxic chemicals in ash or smoke carry additional concerns. In Oregons Jackson County, home to the Rogue Valleys 6,300 registered hemp acres, the Almeda Fire burned a number of manufactured homes, raising concerns about heavy metals for chromium to arsenic in pressure-treated wood that could be difficult to wash off.

In Oregon,17%of grow sites statewide faced imminent danger from wildfires in late September, which is roughly 10% of Oregons outdoor cannabis acreage, according to hemp industry analysis group Hemp Benchmarks. Growers, especially those who are relatively new to the crop, have had a lot of questions. More than 350 people attended a September 23 virtual hemp field day, seeking answers.

The most pressing questions were: what amounts of contaminants may affect quality and safety of products, and are residues, such as heavy metal contamination, left behind on the plants, says Jeff Steiner, associate director of Oregon State Universitys Global Hemp Innovation Center, which hosted the online event. We just dont have answers yet, he says.

Steiner is overseeing the formation of the Smoke Effects Working Group, an industry-based stewardship group that will develop methods and collect samples from around the West to analyze for quality, heavy metal content, and the same phenols that can impact wine. Accurso is part of that group. She is particularly interested in compounds including dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals, since she says we dont know what burned. Steiner and the growers she works with are doing what they can to determine if the fires had any discernable impacts. We want to be able to back up the quality and safety of our products with scientific data, she says.

Steiner says in addition to short-term research efforts to assess this years crop, the industry group will also develop long-term research and science-based management plans over the next five years to respond to anticipated challenges from wildfires in the western U.S.

Its a strategy similar to the one adopted by the wine and grape industry five years ago, he says. This is not a new issue for agriculture, he adds. Unfortunately, it appears it will be a more prevalent one.

Virginia Gewin is a freelance science journalist and 2016 Alicia Patterson fellow based in Portland, Oregon.

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