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Hokies Fall 3-1 To North Carolina – VT Hokiesports.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/hokies-fall-3-1-to-north-carolina-vt-hokiesports-com/ 3 North Carolina UNC 10-7,2-4 ACC 1 Virginia Tech VT 9-8,2-4 ACC North Carolina UNC 10-7,2-4 ACC 3 1 Virginia Tech VT 9-8,2-4 ACC Set Scores Team 1 2 3 4 F North Carolina UNC 22 25 25 25 (3) Virginia Tech VT 25 19 15 16 (1) BLACKSBURG, Va. — The Virginia Tech volleyball team won the first set, but couldn’t hang on and lost 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 15-25, 16-25) to the North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday at home in Cassell Coliseum. The loss dropped Virginia Tech’s record to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in ACC action. Cara Lewis finished with nine kills on the day to lead the Hokies attack, finishing with a hitting percentage of .389. Defensively, Tech had four players reach double figures in digs, highlighted by Maddie Slagle’s 17. The Hokies also got 13 from Hanna Borer, and 12 more from Logan Mosley. Borer finished with a double-double on the day, adding 14 assists. Game Notes » Virginia Tech had four players in double figures in digs. » Anabel Zier had a match-high three aces in the loss. » Cara Lewis had a team-high nine kills for Virginia Tech. » Virginia Tech got a team-high 17 digs from Maddie Slagle. » Virginia Tech attackers were helped by a team-high 15 assists from Jenna Appel. How It Happened The Hokies persevered in a back-and-forth first set to win 25-22 in a set that featured three lead changes and was tied eight times. Neither team led by more than four points in the match. The Hokie block got going early, recording four of its nine blocks in the first set. Tech also had its best offensive performance in the first set, hitting .267, with Sydney Peterseen hitting .429 with four kills. The Hokie attackers were also helped by six assists each from Jenna Appel and Borer. Virginia Tech then fell in the second set 25-19, tying the match at a set apiece. The Tar Heels bounced back to hit a match-high .364, as Charley Niego got hot with six kills and a .600 hitting percentage. Anita Babic added 11 assists and Maddy May added six digs. A third-set loss put Virginia Tech down 2-1. The Hokies lost a tough set 25-15. Cera Powell recorded three kills in the set to lead the Hokies and Maddie Slagle added four digs. Tech also got four blocks from the front row, as Petersen led the way with three. Virginia Tech lost set four and the match, falling 25-16. The Hokies went point-for-point with the Heels until UNC took over with a four-point lead at 10-6. From there, North Carolina closed out the set, hitting .267 with 18 kills. Overall, Mabrey Shaffmaster led all players with 22 kills, hitting .239 on the day. Babic added 46 assists and May finished her day with 22 digs. The Hokies hit the road next weekend, making the trip to No. 2 Louisville on Friday and Notre Dame on Sunday.

10 Best Cooking Games On PC – TheGamer https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/10-best-cooking-games-on-pc-thegamer/ In the past few years, cooking games have been on the rise, with many of the available excellent titles becoming huge on YouTube and Twitch. But, because cooking games often go one way in gameplay or are mobile ports only meant to take your hard-earned money, it’s not a genre with dozens of games being made for PC. Luckily though, the indie game scene has mainly been the ones to push this trend of cooking games forward. And because of that, there are plenty of hidden gems that are waiting to be played by fans of fast-paced co-op cooking environments, Stardew Valley-like cooking simulations, and even action-oriented cooking platformers. 10/10 One-Armed Cook If, after playing Surgeon Simulator 2, you thought to yourself how great a cooking game would be with only one hand, then look no further because One-Armed Cook answers this question. In this intense co-op cooking simulator, your objective is to serve customers as fast as possible with, you guessed it, only one arm. At first, it can be challenging to play due to the limited movement and little to no available instructions on how to play, but once you figure it out, you can serve burgers as you please. It’s available for up to four players, and customizable options are available. 9/10 Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator Potion Craft may not be your typical cooking game, but it involves harvesting ingredients to brew potions for various customers that come to your shop. Each day in the game, you’ll be tasked with helping customers, using a limited amount of ingredients that are grown in your backyard, while working towards more efficient means of production. Potion Craft is not a simple game, and can take some time to master fully with its survival-like scarcity aspects. But, once you get the hang of it, the end game content can be very fulfilling, especially with new features being implemented regularly. 8/10 Battle Chef Brigade Battle Chef Brigade can only be described as a story-rich action RPG with a beautiful anime-like art style where you must kill monsters and then cook them to progress. It’s a unique game that you won’t find anywhere else in the cooking games genre, especially since it also features competitive gameplay. However, the game has a few downsides, especially if you’re looking for a longer game. The game is very short overall, and the mechanics, in the beginning, can be a bit confusing to figure out. But once you do, it’s sure to keep your attention. 7/10 Cooking Simulator Cooking Simulator is one of the more popular and realistic cooking games on PC. Its popularity is due to its semi-authentic cooking experience and chill atmosphere. And because of this, it was even cleared for a VR version of the game with more difficult-to-handle controls. There are over 80 recipes, and DLC is available for different ways of cooking and even more recipes like cake decorating and more. It’s plenty of fun and an excellent game to play alone after a long day, similar to how PowerWash Simulator operates. 6/10 Dungeon Munchies One of the best side-scrolling action RPGs is undoubtedly Dungeon Munchies. This game features a world of monsters to kill and cook with food and cooking-related humor spread throughout. To progress in this game, you must go through the levels defeating monsters and using their parts to cook food. The food you cook is used to upgrade your character and unlock special abilities to help you get through each dungeon and boss room. There are also plenty of combinations to unlock, allowing for hours worth of fun and different difficulties for a more challenging experience. 5/10 Good Pizza, Great Pizza Flash games in the early days of the internet were some of the most popular games for children and teenagers to play. One of these was Papa’s flash games, with the most famous iteration being Papa’s Pizzeria. Good Pizza, Great Pizza perfectly replicates what these games brought to the table, but with even more content. It’s a great casual game to play by yourself, as you can relax and make pizzas for incoming customers while following the story. However, it does boil down to constantly clicking after a while, so it’s best to play a bit at a time. 4/10 Cook, Serve, Delicious! If you have ever wanted to cook in a fast-paced environment that stresses you out, just like working a real job at a fast food restaurant, look no further than Cook, Serve, Delicious! This game is for people who genuinely want an unforgiving, hardcore experience where you grind out orders to get to that five-star restaurant. If you’re looking for some casual fun, this might not be the one for you, as there are no difficulty settings to make it easier. But, this game has three different titles in its series, with each one providing a better experience and a different environment with each game. 3/10 Overcooked Overcooked is the most chaotic cooking game out right now, supporting four-player co-op, local co-op, and multiplayer to provide a frustrating yet thrilling experience. You play as a chef who is tasked by King Onion to save the world with your culinary expertise. Each level has some unique twist to it, and as you go further into the game, twists are combined with other challenges to make it, so that good teamwork is an absolute necessity. From ice and lava levels to cooking different dishes while speeding down the highway, Overcooked has a chaotic and fun environment. 2/10 Bone’s Cafe Bone’s Cafe is a relatively hidden cooking game despite its fun and unique concept. Take the layout of Overcooked with aspects from Graveyard Keeper and Factorio, and you’ve got a highly entertaining game that you can easily spend hundreds of hours playing. And, because it’s in early access, there is still plenty of content to come that will change the landscape. You can play this game with up to four people while managing and building your restaurant to your heart’s content. The best part is that to get the ingredients provided for most of your dishes, you need to kill your customers and take their meat while serving it back to them. You can then automate it with undead minions while expanding your base to become the best in the business. 1/10 Plate Up! Design your restaurant with up to four players in a constantly evolving environment to get a five-star rating. The concept behind it is straightforward, but Plate Up provides a unique aspect that so far no other cooking game has done, forcing you to do challenges and making upgrades scarce. Doing this creates a chaotic environment where teamwork is absolutely needed, and upgrades must be carefully decided on. The idea behind it is that if you’re not careful, you have to reset all your progress back to the beginning, which makes it incredibly difficult to get that golden five stars. But, once you get there, it is an incredible feeling after making the journey. NEXT: The Best Cooking Games Available On The Switch

Indiana Football Playoffs: 2022 Sectional Pairings, Brackets, Schedule – IndyStar https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/indiana-football-playoffs-2022-sectional-pairings-brackets-schedule-indystar/ That fall crisp in the air can only mean one thing: It’s time for IHSAA football sectional draw! With one week left of the 2022 regular season, the state tournament is right around the corner. Teams across Indiana will find out their route via Sunday’s blind sectional draw, which will be unveiled live at 5 p.m. on IHSAAtv.org. We’ll have all the brackets below as they are revealed and return to indystar.com for what it all means from our Insiders Kyle Neddenriep, Akeem Glaspie and Brian Haenchen. Is Nick Patterson best QB in the state?‘If anyone doesn’t see that, they’re crazy.’ Stunner! Ben Davis pulls off largest comeback in school history to shock Lawrence Central (Hit refresh for updates.) Class A Sectional 41: Bowman Academy, Culver Community, North Judson-San Pierre, North Newton, Pioneer, South Central (Union Mills), South Newton, Triton Sectional 42: Attica, Clinton Central, Clinton Prairie, Covington, Fountain Central, North Vermillion, Park Tudor, Traders Point Sectional 43: Carroll (Flora), Caston, Frontier, North White, Taylor, Tri-Central, Tri-County, West Central Sectional 44: Adams Central, Fremont, Madison-Grant, North Miami, Northfield, South Adams, Southern Wells, Southwood Sectional 45: Hagerstown, Indiana Deaf, Monroe Central, Sheridan, Tindley, Union City, Wes-Del Sectional 46: Cambridge City Lincoln, Edinburgh, Knightstown, Milan, North Decatur, South Decatur, Tri Sectional 47: Cloverdale, Covenant Christian, Lutheran, North Central (Farmersburg), Parke Heritage, Riverton Parke, South Putnam   Sectional 48: Eastern Greene, North Daviess, Providence, South Spencer, Springs Valley, Tecumseh, West Washington Class 2A Sectional 33: Andrean, Bremen, Hammond Bishop Noll, Lake Station Edison, LaVille, Wheeler, Whiting Sectional 34: Benton Central, Delphi, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lewis Cass, Rochester, Seeger, Winamac Sectional 35: Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Manchester, Prairie Heights, Wabash, Whitko Sectional 36: Alexandria, Blackford, Bluffton, Eastbrook, Eastern (Greentown), Elwood, Frankton, Tipton Sectional 37: Cascade, Greencastle, Linton-Stockton, North Knox, North Putnam, South Vermillion, Southmont, Sullivan Sectional 38: Eastern Hancock, Heritage Christian, Cardinal Ritter, Lapel, Northeastern, Shenandoah, Union County, Winchester Sectional 39: Brown County, Brownstown Central, Christel House, Clarksville, Eastern (Pekin), Scecina, Switzerland County, Triton Central Sectional 40: Crawford County, Evansville Mater Dei, Forest Park, Mitchell, North Posey, Paoli, Perry Central, Tell City Class 3A Sectional 25: Boone Grove, Calumet, Griffith, Hanover Central, Rensselaer Central, River Forest, Twin Lakes, West Lafayette Sectional 26: Fairfield, Glenn, Jimtown, Knox, Lakeland, Mishawaka Marian, South Bend Clay, West Noble Sectional 27: Bellmont, Delta, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Garrett, Heritage, Norwell, Woodlan, Yorktown Sectional 28: Guerin Catholic, Hamilton Heights, Bishop Chatard, Maconaquah, Northwestern, Oak Hill, Peru, Tippecanoe Valley Sectional 29: Crawfordsville, Danville , Monrovia, North Montgomery, Purdue Poly, Speedway, Tri-West, Western Boone Sectional 30: Gibson Southern, Mt. Vernon (Posey), Owen Valley, Pike Central, Princeton, Vincennes Lincoln, Washington, West Vigo Sectional 31: Batesville, Centerville, Franklin County, Greensburg, Indian Creek, Lawrenceburg, Rushville, South Dearborn Sectional 32: Charlestown, Corydon Central, Heritage Hills, Madison Consolidated, North Harrison, Salem, Scottsburg, Southridge Class 4A Sectional 17: Culver Academies, East Chicago Central, Gary West Side, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, New Prairie Sectional 18: Logansport, Northridge, NorthWood, Plymouth, South Bend Riley, South Bend St. Joseph, South Bend Washington, Wawasee Sectional 19: Angola, Columbia City, DeKalb, East Noble, Fort Wayne South Side, Fort Wayne Wayne, Leo, New Haven Sectional 20: Frankfort, Huntington North, Jay County, Kokomo, Marion, Mississinewa, Muncie Central, Western Sectional 21: Brebeuf Jesuit, Crispus Attucks, Washington, Shortridge, Lebanon, Mooresville, Northview, Roncalli Sectional 22: Beech Grove, Connersville, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Pendleton Heights, New Castle, New Palestine, Richmond Sectional 23: Bedford North Lawrence, East Central, Edgewood, Greenwood, Jennings County, Martinsville, Shelbyville Silver Creek Sectional 24 : Boonville, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Central, Evansville Reitz, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Memorial, Jasper Class 5A Sectional 9: Hammond Central, Hammond Morton, Merrillville, Munster, Sectional 10: Chesterton LaPorte, Michigan City, Valparaiso Sectional 11: Concord, Goshen, Mishawaka, South Bend Adams Sectional 12: Anderson, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne North Side, Fort Wayne Snider Sectional 13: Decatur Central, Harrison (West Lafayette), McCutcheon, Plainfield Sectional 14: Franklin, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South, Whiteland Sectional 15: Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Columbus East, Seymour Sectional 16: Castle, Evansville North, Floyd Central, New Albany Class 6A Sectional 1: Crown Point, Lafayette Jefferson, Lake Central, Portage Sectional 2: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Elkhart, Penn, Warsaw Sectional 3: Fishers, Fort Wayne Northrop, Hamilton Southeastern, Homestead Sectional 4: Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville Sectional 5: Avon, Ben Davis Brownsburg, Pike Sectional 6: Cathedral, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, North Central Sectional 7: Tech, Perry Meridian, Southport, Warren Central Sectional 8: Center Grove, Columbus North, Franklin Central, Jeffersonville

Travel Insurance For The Dominican Republic – Forbes Advisor – Forbes https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/travel-insurance-for-the-dominican-republic-forbes-advisor-forbes/ Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations. The Dominican Republic is known for its lush tropical foliage, its stunning white sand beaches and its all-inclusive resorts. Part of a major island known as Hispaniola, the Dominican can also be affordable to visit whether you’re traveling as a couple, vacationing with friends or planning a trip with the family in tow. That said, there are myriad reasons to buy travel insurance when you’re planning a trip to this part of the world. Not only can bad weather create major issues when it comes to your safety, but you never know when a major life event might get in the way of your travel plans. If you’re planning a vacation to the Dominican Republic, it makes sense to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy as soon as you pay your first trip deposit. Read on to learn what to look for in a policy and how different types of travel insurance coverage work. Compare & Buy Travel Insurance Dominican Republic Travel Insurance Requirements The Dominican Republic no longer has any specific entry requirements regarding Covid-19. The random Covid testing for passengers and crew upon arrival in the Dominican Republic we saw last year has also stopped. However, all people entering or leaving the Dominican Republic must complete a free electronic entry and exit form. Travel insurance for the Dominican Republic is not required by the country, yet it can make a lot of sense for visitors who want to protect the financial investment they made in their trip. Travel Insurance Coverage for Bad Weather Daniel Durazo, spokesperson for Allianz Partners USA, says weather is a particular concern any time you’re traveling to the Caribbean, especially during hurricane season. Weather is unpredictable and many travelers don’t know that it’s too late to purchase travel insurance that covers hurricanes after a storm has been named, he says. As a result, visitors heading to hurricane-prone vacation destinations from June to November should make sure the travel insurance policy they are purchasing has sufficient hurricane-related travel insurance coverage. “Insured customers who purchase their travel insurance before a storm is named may be reimbursed for pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they need to cancel due to severe weather conditions covered by their plan,” he says. As an example, he adds that Allianz’s OneTrip Premier plan includes mandatory evacuation coverage and a hurricane warning as a covered reason to cancel or interrupt a trip. Daniel Durazo adds that, while the chances of a hurricane getting in the way of your vacation may seem small, Allianz Partners USA received more than 5,000 claims from customers who were dealing with weather-related events during hurricane season last year. Travel Insurance for Medical Emergencies in Dominican Republic Ross Thompson, CEO of Covac Global, says there are a few key items travelers should keep in mind when they buy travel coverage for the Caribbean. The first is a high-quality medical evacuation plan, he says, mostly because many hospitals in the Caribbean and Central America are owned by the doctors who work there. As a result, there are significant incentives to keep foreign national patients there as long as possible for treatment. Travelers will want coverage that does not require them to be hospitalized in those countries, instead allowing them to be medically evacuated directly home for care. That’s where medical evacuation coverage comes into play, and why it’s so important. Medical evacuation travel insurance helps pay for the cost of emergency transportation—for instance medevac services—to the nearest adequate treatment center. In some cases, that may be a facility at your destination, or if your condition warrants it, you may need to be flown back home. However, some medical evacuation travel insurance plans include “hospital of choice” coverage, which allows you to decide where you want to be taken if you have a medical emergency while you’re traveling and need to be evacuated. “Make sure your medical evacuation benefits get you home and not to the nearest best hospital,” he says. “If something happens, you want to get home ASAP.” Travel Medical Insurance for the Dominican Republic In addition to coverage for medical evacuation, you’ll also want protection in case you become sick or injured during your trip to the Dominican Republic. Durazo says that, if you end up in a situation where you need healthcare, there may be situations where you have to pay or provide proof of payment on the spot. Travel medical insurance compensates costs for X-rays, lab work, doctor and hospital bills and medicine if you’re injured or get sick during your trip. “If you’re not prepared to pay all your medical bills out of pocket, this is a very important reason to buy travel insurance with appropriate medical benefits,” he says. With this in mind, it makes sense to purchase Dominican Republic travel insurance that comes with elevated travel medical insurance benefits for emergency medical care and even emergency dental care. For example, the most generous travel medical insurance plans provide $500,000 per person for emergency medical expenses, but you can find ample coverage of $250,000 in some plans. Travel Insurance For Trip Delays, Cancellations and Interruptions With international travel, there’s always the potential for problems to happen leading up to your trip, while traveling to your destination and during your vacation. That’s where trip cancellation, trip delay and trip interruption travel insurance come into play. A comprehensive travel insurance plan will include all three types of coverage. Trip delay insurance for missed connections Durazo says that longer international flights could lead to increased potential for missed connections should any delays occur, and that having a travel insurance policy with travel delay coverage may help cover some of the added costs incurred while you are stuck waiting around. It’s important to note that trip delay insurance has a waiting period. A delay may need to be greater than six hours, for example, before coverage kicks in. After the waiting period, you will be covered for additional expenses incurred (such as an airport hotel because your connecting flight was canceled) and losses (such as the first night of your pre-paid hotel in the Dominican). Trip cancellation and interruption protection You should also make sure your travel insurance plan includes trip cancellation insurance and trip interruption insurance with adequate limits. These coverages provide reimbursement for your pre-paid, non-refundable expenses if you need to cancel your trip or come home early, because of a problem listed in your policy. Acceptable reasons for canceling your trip or for calling it quits in the middle typically include: Injury or sudden illness of you or your traveling companion, as documented by a licensed physician Death of you, your traveling companion or a non-traveling family member Severe weather or strikes that cause travel services to cease Unforeseen natural disasters at home or at your destination that make either uninhabitable Travel interruption insurance also helps pay for a last-minute flight home when you cut a trip short due to an emergency listed in your policy. Baggage and personal belongings coverage A travel insurance plan that includes baggage loss and delay coverage can reimburse you for lost luggage or incidental expenses you incur if your baggage is delayed. This coverage also pays for personal belongings that are lost or stolen while traveling. Note that baggage insurance is usually secondary coverage (meaning you’ll have to file a claim with the airline or your homeowners insurance first) and reimbursement will be for the depreciated value of your items. Also be aware that not all of your belongings will be covered by baggage insurance, so be sure to read your policy for exclusions and coverage limits for personal possessions. There is also usually a waiting period before baggage delay benefits go into effect. For instance, this could be six or 12 hours, so review the specified time in your policy. Read your policy coverage limitations and exclusions Don’t assume every situation is covered, Durazo says. Instead, “do diligent research based on your needs and make sure you read your policy thoroughly to understand what exactly the specific travel insurance policy you purchased covers.” Travel insurance policies generally have a free look period of several days or weeks, during which you can ask for a full refund. Take advantage of that time to examine your plan and make sure it meets your needs. If you need help understanding your benefits, contact your customer service team and ask all the questions you want. Featured Travel Insurance Partners Medical & evacuation limits per person $250,000/$1 million Medical & evacuation limits per person $500,000/$500,000 3 GoReady (formerly April) Preferred Plan Pandemic Plus Medical & evacuation limits per person $50,000/$500,000 3 GoReady (formerly April) Should You Consider “Cancel for Any Reason” Travel Insurance? It can also make sense to purchase “cancel for any reason” travel insurance (CFAR) if you’re unsure your Dominican Republic vacation will come to fruition. This type of insurance reimburses you for a percentage of your pre-paid travel expenses if you cancel your trip for any reason at all—even if you just decide not to go. A typical reimbursement level for CFAR insurance is 75%, but some policies cap reimbursement at 50%. Adding CFAR coverage to your travel insurance plan typically increases the price by 50%. F...

Vermont Businesses Get A Boost In Export Grants – Vtdigger.org https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/vermont-businesses-get-a-boost-in-export-grants-vtdigger-org/ State Trade Expansion Program, meaning more local businesses stand to benefit.   “It’s been under-used to some extent, but the state’s ramping up the outreach, so I think we’re going to see a lot more businesses using it,” said Darcy Carter, Vermont director for the Small Business Administration, a federal agency.  States apply for the funding, and this year, the Small Business Administration awarded Vermont $249,000 — nearly a 66% increase. Previously, the state had a $300,000 grant over two years. Businesses then apply for grants of up to $20,000 from the state Agency of Commerce and Community Development, which administers the funds.  “A lot of folks go to international trade shows or they work on their websites to fit into certain markets, either through translation or search engine optimization,” said Tim Tierney, director of business recruitment and international trade at the state commerce agency. Tierney said that during the pandemic companies have used funds to improve their online platforms to serve international customers. “The return on investment for some of these companies is huge,” Tierney said. “You bring someone into a new market and they reach that market. It’s a great thing not only for that company but it creates jobs here in Vermont.” Tierney said the money also goes to hiring consultants to help exporters with navigating customs, compliance with trade regulations and market research.  At Advanced Conversion, exports account for more than half of the business, according to Sawyer.  “Export is our lifeblood,” he said.  The company, which employs 34 people in Vermont, exports to China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico and the United Kingdom, Sawyer said. He noted that the grants also help pay for export insurance so banks will finance payments from customers abroad. Most of the manufacturing is done in Barre, Sawyer said, but the company also has a manufacturing partner in China. This week, using a State Trade Expansion Program grant, the commerce agency hosted 40 Canadian companies in Burlington to connect them with Vermont businesses and organizations. Vermont has $5 billion worth of trade annually with Canada, according to the agency, and 73 Canadian-owned businesses employed 3,000 Vermonters in 2021. Vermont exported $830 million worth of goods and services to Canada last year. Want to stay on top of the latest business news? Sign up here to get a weekly email on all of VTDigger’s reporting on local companies and economic trends. And check out our new Business section here. Did you know VTDigger is a nonprofit? Our journalism is made possible by member donations. If you value what we do, please contribute and help keep this vital resource accessible to all.

Government ‘burying Head In Sand’ Over Health Inequality, Says Bishop Of London – The Guardian https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/government-burying-head-in-sand-over-health-inequality-says-bishop-of-london-the-guardian/ The most senior female bishop in the country has launched a scathing attack on the government, accusing it of “burying its head in the sand” over “shocking” and “rampant” health inequalities. Dame Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London, spoke out after the Guardian reported that Thérèse Coffey was dropping the government’s long-promised white paper on health disparities. The document was supposed to appear months ago and form part of the government’s pledge to level up the UK. It was due to set out “bold action” to narrow the widening inequalities in health outcomes that exist between the poorest and the wealthiest, between white and black, Asian and minority ethnic people, and between those in the north and south. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has denied that Coffey, the health secretary, has decided not to publish the white paper. Mullally, the first woman to hold the position of bishop of London and the third-highest-ranked bishop in the country, said immediate action was required to tackle “increasingly visible” health inequalities. “In the quest for health outcome improvement, we can leave no man, woman or child behind,” she said. “That is why recent reports of the shelving of the government’s health disparities white paper are tough to swallow.” Mullally, who this week will publish a report she commissioned on health inequalities in the capital, added: “It’s my sincere hope that the government joins us in looking for solutions, rather than burying its head in the sand.” Her intervention follows a series of stories by the Guardian over the last 12 months exposing the true scale of health inequalities across the UK. In April, the Guardian revealed women in the poorest areas of England were dying earlier than the average female in almost every comparable country in the world. Millions of women living in the most deprived areas can expect to live for 78.7 years, almost eight years fewer than those living in England’s wealthiest areas. It is worse than the average life expectancy for women in every single one of the world’s OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, except Mexico. The stark analysis also revealed that the average life expectancy for all women across England and the UK is lower than the global OECD average. The UK ranks 25th out of the 38 OECD countries when it comes to the number of years a woman can on average expect to live. A DHSC spokesperson said at the time: “We are committed to levelling up health across the country and our health disparities white paper, due later this year, will set out action to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places, so that people’s backgrounds do not dictate their prospects for a healthy life.” The white paper never appeared. Mullally, who in her previous career was England’s chief nursing officer, said: “It is truly shocking that women in England’s poorest areas are dying nearly a decade before their wealthier counterparts. No one should have to accept living shorter or unhealthier lives just because of where they live. These inequalities need to be addressed, and it is concerning how far inequalities have fallen down the government’s agenda. “The reality of health inequalities across our nation is undisputed. In recognition of this inequality, the Johnson government announced its intention to release a white paper investigating such inequalities. I certainly hope this vital work will be continued.” The Health Inequalities Action Group (HIAG), a multi-faith initiative led by Mullally, is expected to make 14 recommendations to tackle health inequalities when it publishes its report this week. Separately, more than 155 members of the Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA), convened by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), have signed a joint letter to Coffey urging her to publish the health disparities white paper. In February, Sajid Javid, the then health secretary, told MPs that he would publish “in spring 2022” a white paper on “health disparities”. The document never appeared and was a notable omission in Coffey’s new 14-page Our Plan for Patients plan. Dr Sarah Clarke, the president of the RCP, said: “If we’re ever to reduce pressure on the NHS and lessen the demand for services, we need to tackle the root causes of ill health. This requires a specific cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities – one that looks at every policy lever across government to tackle the factors that make people ill in the first place.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is inaccurate to say that the health disparities white paper has been scrapped. No decisions have been taken and we will update on next steps in due course. “We are committed to improving the health of the nation so that everyone can live longer, healthier lives, and we have put women’s health at the top of the agenda by publishing a women’s health strategy and appointing the first-ever women’s health ambassador for England. “Our Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is working to reduce unacceptable health disparities, focusing on the places and communities where ill health is most prevalent and life expectancy lower.”

USA TODAY SPORTS AFCA COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES POLL – WTOP https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/usa-today-sports-afca-college-football-coaches-poll-wtop/ USA TODAY SPORTS AFCA COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES POLL, Oct. 9, 2022 The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 with team’s records THROUGH SATURDAY in parentheses, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last week’s poll and first-place votes received. Record Pts Pvs 1. Alabama (35) (6-0) 1540 1 2. Georgia (18) (6-0) 1516 2 3. Ohio State (10) (6-0) 1477 3 4. Michigan (6-0) 1354 4 5. Clemson (6-0) 1328 5 6. Southern California (6-0) 1219 6 7. Oklahoma State (5-0) 1197 7 8. Tennessee (5-0) 1168 8 9. Mississippi (6-0) 1075 9 10. Penn State (5-0) 992 10 11. Oregon (5-1) 885 12 12. UCLA (6-0) 815 19 13. North Carolina State (5-1) 808 14 14. Wake Forest (5-1) 776 15 15. TCU (5-0) 765 18 16. Kansas State (5-1) 539 20 17. Mississippi State (5-1) 533 23 18. Syracuse (5-0) 424 21 19. Utah (4-2) 364 11 20. Kansas (5-1) 290 17 21. Cincinnati (5-1) 248 NR 22. Kentucky (4-2) 219 13 23. Baylor (3-2) 210 22 24. Texas (4-2) 155 NR 25. North Carolina (5-1) 99 NR Dropped Out: No. 16 Brigham Young (4-2); No. 24 Washington (4-2); No. 25 Arkansas (3-3). Others Receiving Votes: Brigham Young (4-2) 82; Illinois (5-1) 77; James Madison (5-0) 70; Coastal Carolina (6-0) 55; Florida (4-2) 52; Tulane (5-1) 32; South Carolina (4-2) 21; Minnesota (4-1) 14; Notre Dame (3-2) 13; Central Florida (4-1) 10; Maryland (4-2) 8; Purdue (4-2) 7; Texas A&M (3-3) 7; Washington (4-2) 7; Washington State (4-2) 7; Liberty (5-1) 5; LSU (4-2) 5; Florida State (4-2) 4; Pittsburgh (4-2) 2; San Jose State (4-1) 1. Copyright © 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Meta’s New Head Of Seattle-Area Offices On The Road To A Metaverse – The Seattle Times https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/metas-new-head-of-seattle-area-offices-on-the-road-to-a-metaverse-the-seattle-times/ Paresh Rajwat and his team of engineers at Facebook parent company Meta Platforms are working to take people out of the two-dimensional internet and into a metaverse, where users can chat, shop and play chess, sometimes with people half a world away. The road to there, Rajwat said, “passes through Seattle.” With more than 8,000 employees, the Puget Sound is Meta’s biggest hub outside its Menlo Park, California, headquarters. Engineers here are working across Meta’s products, from Facebook marketplace to avatars operating in virtual reality to, of course, the metaverse. Last week, Meta named Rajwat, already vice president of product management, to head of office for the Pacific Northwest. He has spent eight years with the company, working on the monetization of the Facebook app, tapping into the creator economy and overseeing the video team. Before Meta, Rajwat worked at Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo and the advertising company Criteo. Now, he’s focused on maintaining Meta’s workplace culture, connecting the company with the Seattle community, leading Meta’s virtual reality efforts and overseeing new features in the metaverse. Rajwat describes the metaverse as an “embodied internet.” Inside, he said, you might hear a sound coming from your right side and turn to see an avatar of a person who is actually sitting miles away but feels right next to you. “It defies distances,” he said. “It really helps people connect.” Right now, there’s still a “big wall” separating the virtual and physical world and Rajwat expects it will be a long time before the metaverse fully rolls out. When that happens, there will likely be more than one metaverse, meaning Meta is prepared to face competition. But Rajwat hopes users will be able to quickly move between them. In the short term, Meta’s engineering team is working on adding features to the metaverse as it exists today, like a way to make payments inside the virtual world or the ability to message people who aren’t yet connected to the metaverse. “Meta has this thing about connecting the world,” Rajwat said. It’s already focused on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and its Messenger app, he continued. Now, it’s thinking about the future of the social network. “The more we think about it, the more we actually are always coming to the same conclusion. … It’s something like the metaverse,” Rajwat said. Before it became the juggernaut it is today, Meta (then called Facebook) set up shop in Seattle in 2010 with just a handful of engineers. Its office near Pike Place Market became its first engineering hub outside its Silicon Valley headquarters. There, engineers were working on a Skype video-chat feature, a location check-in service and a converter that automatically displayed a version of Facebook that worked well on a mobile device. Since then, Meta expanded to a larger location and then grew outside Seattle’s city limits with offices in Redmond and Bellevue. In 2020, it bought REI’s never-used Bellevue campus for nearly $368 million, adding to its Spring District campus that had already grown to include 850,000 square feet of office space. At that time, the company told The Seattle Times it had about 5,000 employees in the Puget Sound. Now, two years later, it says it has more than 8,000. But that growth is on hold. In September, Meta announced it would freeze hiring, reorganize teams and reduce its head count for the first time in company history. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees Meta would be smaller in 2023 than it was this year. “I had hoped the economy would have more clearly stabilized by now,” he said on a companywide call. “But from what we’re seeing it doesn’t yet seem like it has, so we want to plan somewhat conservatively.” Meta declined to comment on how the hiring freeze and job cuts would affect its workforce in the Pacific Northwest. Rajwat said in an interview last week that Meta would continue embracing remote work, allowing employees to choose how many days they want to come in the office — and if they wanted to come in at all. “Instead of bringing people to work, now we have to bring work to people,” he said. And, of course, Meta is working on the very tools it hopes will make remote work feel almost like you’re there in person.

14 Best IOS 16 Lock Screen Widgets That Outclass Stock Widgets! – YTECHB https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/14-best-ios-16-lock-screen-widgets-that-outclass-stock-widgets-ytechb/ Lock screen personalization is the centerpiece attraction of the iOS 16. The newer version of iOS brings in a ton of customization options, including a new wallpaper carousel, different clock styles, depth effect for compatible wallpapers, and lock screen widgets. Yes, widgets are finally available on the iPhone lock screen. And today, we’re sharing a list of the best iOS 16 lock screen widgets you can use on your iPhone. With the release of iOS 14, Apple first introduced widgets on the iPhone home screen. And this time with iOS 16, Apple takes a step further by releasing widgets for the iPhone lock screen. Apple introduces the iOS 16 with select stock widgets that include widgets from apps like Calendar, Clock, Batteries, Fitness, News, Weather, etc. As iOS 16 is available to the public, third-party developers started making custom widgets for the iPhone lock screen. Not only this but Google also updated some Google apps with support for the new iOS 16 lock screen widgets, which will be available to everyone in the coming days. Now if you are looking for some best productive and useful widgets for your iPhone’s lock screen, then you are at the right place, here you will find the 14 best iOS 16 lock screen widgets. Top Widgets Top Widgets is one of the best third-party widgets apps on the iPhone, thanks to the dynamic widgets. If you want to add a dynamic widget on your iPhone lock screen, then check out this step by step story. Apart from the dynamic widgets, the app has plenty of widgets to choose from. The app lets you choose the Photos widget, Date & Time widget, quick launchers, calendar, analog clock, daily quotes, events, reminders, step counter, calorie counter widget, and more. Before adding a widget to the lock screen, you can customize it by changing the background opacity and more. Download App Lock Screen Widgets + Lock Screen Widgets + app lets you add a shortcut of any app on your lock screen, followers counter from Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, Countdown widget, contact widget, Single Digit (for name or emoji), Quotes, CPU usage widget, and more. For app shortcuts or the app launcher, at the moment, there are select apps available in the library but we can expect more apps to be added in the future. Followers counter widgets and other widgets are available in two sizes – the small and the large. Here are some sample screenshots you can check before installing the app. Download App Launcher with Multiple Widgets As the name suggests, the app lets you make widgets for calls, messages, email, FaceTime, location search, access to the favorite website in a single tap, run a shortcut directly from the lock screen, music launcher widget, as well as the app launcher widget. Some features are limited for premium members including dynamic widget icons, the ability to change icon sizes, remove icon labels, widgets stacking, and a few more. If you are looking for a launcher with a variety of functionalities, then you can give it a try. Download App LockFlow Lock Screen Shortcuts LockFlow app brings some useful quick actions to the lock screen. You can add a widget for home automation, Siri Shortcuts, open a third-party camera app, a shortcut to send a frequent message to someone, a widget of your favorite podcast, focus mode shortcut, and more. Yes, you can instantly perform all these actions directly from your iPhone’s lock screen, thanks to the Lock Flow and iOS 16 lock screen widgets. Just like other apps, LockFlow is freely available on the app store. Download App Motivation – Daily Quotes We always need some motivation to push some extra bit of work. So, how about getting motivational quotes directly on your iPhone’s lock screen? Yes, you can do it by adding a Motivation – Daily Quotes widget on your iPhone’s lock screen running iOS 16. You can save and share quotes with your friends, change the font and colors of widgets, filter quotes by category, set motivational reminders, add a motivational quote widget on the home screen, and more. Download App LockNotes: Note on Lock Screen Want to quickly write a fresh idea in the Notes? LockNotes lets you create notes directly from the iPhone lock screen, thanks to the widgets. Not only this, but you can also access saved widgets. One of the best things about the LockNotes app is the clean, simple interface, and the ability to take quick notes from the lock screen itself. It is a small app weighing only 32MB in size and is freely available on the app store, here are some screenshots of the app. Download App Speedy – Lock Screen Contacts Want to contact your friends quickly? Then you can add some Speedy widgets on your iPhone lock screen. The app lets you add shortcuts to any contact from FaceTime, Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal. And developer mentions more app support will be available in the future. The widget shortcut will show you the contact image, you can add up to four contacts on your iPhone’s lock screen. Here’s how the Speedy – Lock Screen Contacts work. Download App AnyWidget: Lock Screen Widgets Want some cool widgets on your lock screen, then there’s an app called AnyWidget. The app lets you add circular, rectangular, or inline widgets of any app, shortcut, data progress, days counter, icon, and text. The best thing about AnyWidget app is, it has a wide range of widgets to choose from, it has minimal, cool, attractive, emojis, characters, photos, web apps, websites, and many custom widgets. Here are some sample screenshots of AnyWidget lock screen widgets. Download App ShortFlow: Lockscreen Shortcut ShortFlow is yet another app that lets you add shortcuts to any app on the lock screen. But the best things about this app is, it has over 4,000 icons in the library and sport features like custom title widgets, built-in presets for quickly adding widgets, support for the iPhone 14 Pro’s Always-on Display, ability to change widgets through the app, and more. Yes, it is compatible with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max Always-on Display feature. Here are some sample screenshots of the ShortFlow app. Download App OffScreen – Less Screen Time Nowadays we spend a big chunk of our free time on social media websites, streaming favorite shows/movies, playing games, and more. So, yes, Digital Wellbeing is important, and to monitor your iPhone usage, here’s a lock screen widget called OffScreen – Less Screen Time. The app lets you track screen time, set up goals, daily iPhone usage insights, sleep data, provide access to Focus Mode, break digital detox challenges, and more. If you want to monitor your Digital Wellbeing goals, then you can give a try to this app. Download App Lock Screen Widgets – LockView LockView is yet another cool app that brings some third-party widgets to the lock screen of the iPhone. There is a big collection of widgets to choose from, you can use a custom icon for any app you want and add a shortcut to the lock screen. You can add a widget in two sizes – the small and the large. The icons look clean and superior, so you can give a try to the LockView widgets. It is yet another app that has widgets with Always-on Display support for the iPhone 14 Pro. Download App AllMyBatteries As the name suggests, the app lets you track the battery levels of all your widgets. You can add a battery widget on your lock screen for your Apple Watch, iPad, Apple Pencil, Beats, Sony WF-1000XM4, Bose QC45, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, and other eligible gadgets. You can explore more in the app itself else you can add a widget on the lock screen. The widgets are available in different sizes, here are the screenshots. Download App Flighty – Fast Flight Tracker Flighty app keeps you updated with delays, cancellations, taxi times, live-streaming with pilot-grade dates, flight timetables, weather updates, iCloud backup, and more. If you’re traveling somewhere and want to add stay updated with the latest information about your flight, then you can get updated with the latest information by checking your lock screen. Yes, there’s no need of opening flight tracker apps or websites, you can easily check whatever you want on your iPhone’s lock screen. Download App Widgetsmith Widgetsmith is yet another third-party widgets app for iPhone with some extra customization features. The app has a wide range of widgets for the home screen and lock screen. The widgets collection allows you to add widgets from photos, to date, to weather, to astronomy, and more. The best thing about this app is you can customize the widgets before adding them to the lock screen, although, some widgets required premium subscription. Here are the sample screenshots of the app. Download App So, these are some best iOS 16 lock screen widgets that you can use on your iPhone, know some other apps providing some useful widgets, then let us know in the comment section. Related Articles: 43 Stunning iOS 16 Depth Effect Wallpapers for iPhone 38 Stunning Dynamic Island Wallpapers for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max – YMWC How to Prevent End Call with Power Button on any iPhone [iOS 16] How to Change Wallpaper Automatically on iPhone [iOS 16] How to set different lock screen and home screen wallpaper on iOS 16 How to unsend and edit messages on iOS 16

India’s Central Bank Plans To Launch Digital Rupee CBDC – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/indias-central-bank-plans-to-launch-digital-rupee-cbdc-cryptonews/ Source: AdobeStock / mrinal The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon launch pilot tests for its upcoming digital rupee in a bid to increase awareness around its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The country’s central bank announced the news on Friday, detailing that the digital rupee will be available for specific use cases during the pilot. In a statement, the RBI said the pilot program will help create awareness around the planned features of the digital rupee. “It explains the objectives, choices, benefits, and risks of issuing a CBDC in India. The note also seeks to explain the Reserve Bank’s approach towards the introduction of the CBDC,” the central bank reportedly said. The RBI has also released a concept note for the digital rupee, which talks about key aspects of the CBDC, including its technology and design, potential use cases of the digital rupee, issuance mechanisms, and more. In addition, it explores how the introduction of a CBDC would impact the banking system, monetary policy, financial stability, and privacy issues. “As the extent and scope of such pilot launches expand, RBI will continue to communicate about the specific features and benefits of e₹, from time to time,” the RBI said. The country’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had previously announced the launch of the digital rupee in her 2022-23 budget speech earlier this year. The announcement marked another clear indication that the Indian government is determined to launch a CBDC. Addressing the Indian parliament, Sitharaman was quoted saying that the digital rupee will “lead to a more efficient and cheaper currency management system. It is therefore proposed to introduce the digital rupee using blockchain and other technology to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India.” The RBI’s Harsh Stance Against Cryptocurrencies Despite its push for a CBDC, the RBI has long maintained a harsh stance toward digital assets, arguing that the nascent asset class has no underlying value. The central bank has constantly warned investors and the government against crypto, citing volatility as well as risks of fraud and scams.  Earlier this year in July, the central bank asked the Indian Government to ban cryptocurrencies in the country, citing the “destabilizing” effect of this asset class on monetary stability. “The RBI is of the view that cryptocurrencies should be prohibited,” Sitharaman said in Parliament on July 18. At the time, Sitharaman clarified that the RBI does not view cryptocurrencies as currencies, saying that every modern currency needs to be issued by the government or central bank. She claimed the value of cryptocurrencies rests solely on the speculations and expectations of high returns, which is why they have de-stabilising effects.

US Grapples With Wrought Russia, Global Challenges – The Hill https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/us-grapples-with-wrought-russia-global-challenges-the-hill/ Foreign policy rose to the forefront of the major Sunday talk shows, with lawmakers and White House officials alike expressing economic and national security concerns emanating from adversaries like Russia and North Korea. Officials are grappling with North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, OPEC+’s announcement it will cut oil production, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats of using nuclear weapons. After President Biden on Thursday at a Democratic fundraiser described Putin’s threats as “armageddon,” multiple Republicans on the Sunday shows criticized his characterization. “Those comments were reckless, and I think that even more importantly, they demonstrate maybe one of the greatest foreign policy failures of the last decades, which was failure to deter Vladimir Putin in the same way that the Trump administration did for four years,” said former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on “Fox News Sunday.” “When you hear a president talking about Armageddon as a random thought, just musing at a fundraiser, that is terrible risk to the American people,” Pompeo told host Shannon Bream. “If he truly believes it, he ought to be talking to us in a serious way.” Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on NBC’s “Meet the Press” described Putin as a “cornered animal” as his military continues facing losses in four Ukrainian regions Russia annexed earlier this month.  But like Pompeo, Bacon also lambasted Biden’s remark at the fundraiser. “We got to stand firm towards him,” Bacon said. “You can’t let a bully push you around. I also do think President Biden’s got to be more careful though. Throwing down the nuclear Armageddon was a little too flippant. President of France, Macron, chided him on it. I think the president needs to be more cautious.” The Biden administration has vowed severe consequences for Russia if Putin follows through on his threats, and White House officials have said they laid out more details of the U.S. response privately to the Kremlin. “The president, I think, was accurately reflecting the fact that the stakes are very high right now,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.  Journalists also pressed officials on OPEC+’s announcement on Wednesday to cut daily production of oil by 2 million barrels, which is likely to increase the price of oil and bolster Russia’s exporting revenues to finance its war in Ukraine. The oil-exporting alliance’s move came as a blow to the Biden administration, which has looked to increase supply levels to combat inflation and gas prices that rose in part after Russia’s invasion. After saying during his 2020 campaign he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” for the murder of Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, Biden in July traveled the oil-rich country to appeal to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a controversial visit. “It didn’t come as a surprise to me,” Allianz Chief Economic Adviser Mohamed El-Erian on CBS’s “Face the Nation” said of the oil cartel’s production cutback. “OPEC is looking to protect oil prices in the context of declining global demand,” he told guest moderator Major Garrett. “All three major areas in the world — China, Europe and the U.S. — are slowing much faster, which means less demand for oil. So what does OPEC do? They cut back supply.” The production cutback has also led some lawmakers to reassess the longstanding U.S.-Saudi military alliance. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, on CNN’s “State of the Union” told co-anchor Jake Tapper that the relationship “is broken.” “We sell massive amounts of arms to the Saudis,” Murphy said on CNN. “I think we need to rethink those sales. I think we need to lift the exemption that we have given this OPEC+ cartel from U.S. price-fixing liability. I think we need to look at our true presence in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.” On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-N.Y.), a former CIA and Defense Department official, told guest host Kristin Welker that the Saudis will live with the decision “for a long time.” “At best they made a decision that didn’t help the rest of the world. At worst, they aligned themselves with Putin,” Slotkin said. Beyond the wide-ranging challenges posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine, federal officials are also raising alarm bells in the Pacific, where North Korea in recent days has repeatedly launched rounds of ballistic missiles, including two more launched on Saturday. The launches have led to heightened tensions in the region. The U.S. held joint military drills with South Korea and Japan after some of the recent launches. “We’re working on better trilateral cooperation between all three of our countries,” Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said on ABC. “We’re going to make sure that we have the capabilities in place to defend our national security interests if it comes to that, but there’s no reason for it to come to that,” he added. “That’s the point, Martha. We could sit down, again, without preconditions with Kim Jong-un and try to find a diplomatic path forward. That’s what we’re committed to.”

Zuckerberg Sets For ‘Meta Connect’ Amid Quality Issues With VR Project – India TV News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/zuckerberg-sets-for-meta-connect-amid-quality-issues-with-vr-project-india-tv-news/ Image Source : FACEBOOK: MARK ZUCKERBERG PAGE Mark Zuckerberg Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to announce the company’s progress towards building the $10 billion metaverse, as internal reports claim there are still several quality issues and those building the virtual reality (VR) social network at the company are barely using it. The company will organise Meta Connect virtual conference on October 11 for developers, creators, tech enthusiasts and others. Zuckerberg will share updates on the VR developer ecosystem, the progress building toward the metaverse, and ‘Project Cambria’, a new high-end VR headset with mixed reality. “If you have a Meta Quest 2 headset, you can register to attend in VR in Meta Horizon Worlds,” said the company. The flagship metaverse event comes as Vishal Shah, Meta’s VP of Metaverse, apparently told the employees that the metaverse team would remain in a “quality lockdown” for the rest of the year to “ensure that we fix our quality gaps and performance issues before we open up Horizon to more users”. “Simply put, for an experience to become delightful and retentive, it must first be usable and well crafted,” he told them in an internal memo. In August, Zuckerberg was forced to post new screenshots on Facebook and Instagram, showing off a more life-like version of himself, after he faced memes on his poorly-designed metaverse avatar. In the same month, Vivek Sharma, the Indian-origin VP of Meta’s Horizon social media virtual reality (VR) platform, departed, at a time when Zuckerberg doubles down on his $10 billion metaverse dream. A Meta spokesperson said the company is “confident that the metaverse is the future of computing and that it should be built around people”. Latest Technology News

Watchdog Disputes Braverman’s Claim Modern Slavery Laws Being ‘gamed’ – The Guardian https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/watchdog-disputes-bravermans-claim-modern-slavery-laws-being-gamed-the-guardian/ The head of Britain’s labour abuse watchdog says her organisation has not seen anyone “gaming” the modern slavery system for immigration purposes. The comments directly contradict the home secretary, Suella Braverman, who said last week that trafficking claims from “people gaming the system” were “derailing the UK’s policy on illegal migration”. The chief executive of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, Elysia McCaffrey, said: “We don’t see people gaming the system. That’s not our experience. “What we see is vulnerable people who are being exploited by opportunists and criminals.” McCaffrey, who spent her early career fighting asylum cases for the Home Office in court, said that an increase was likely to be due to a better understanding of new laws as well as a growth in awareness and reporting. Braverman attributed the rise last week to people falsely trying to register as trafficking victims. She said: “The hard truth is that our modern slavery laws are being abused by people gaming the system. We’ve seen a 450% increase in modern slavery claims since 2014.” An analysis of all modern slavery referrals concluded in the first half of this year showed that 97% of those who claimed to be trafficked were confirmed as genuine by the authorities. The GLAA, which is funded by the Home Office to investigate labour exploitation, faces new risks in the wake of Brexit. The watchdog is investigating allegations made in the Guardian that Indonesian workers arriving under the seasonal worker scheme reported shouldering debts of up to £5,000 for one season’s fruit picking. The government is now discussing expanding the seasonal worker visa, set up in haste to deal with a Brexit-shaped crisis in farm labour, beyond its current limit of 40,000. It has already grown rapidly from its pilot of 2,500 visas in 2019. The GLAA licenses those using the scheme as well as investigating it. McCaffrey said she felt confident that it could cope with the work at the moment, but she was concerned about “the scale [of the scheme] and keeping people safe”. The outgoing anti-slavery commissioner, Sara Thornton, who has not been replaced since she left the post in April, has warned that the government needs to deal with the potential for worker abuse before expanding the scheme further. McCaffrey said businesses relying on overseas labour could better protect those using the visa by funding their travel. Even workers who face no exploitation in the recruitment process can arrive with debts of more than £2,000 to cover the cost of flights and visas for a six-month stay. “We know if people’s starting point is that they’re in debt, they’re going to have a less positive experience,” McCaffrey said. “In an ideal world, those who are profiting from people coming here should pick up that bill … They need workers here for their businesses to run, and £1,000 for somebody coming from a long way away when they’re coming to do that kind of job is a huge amount of money for them to find, and it’s probably much less for these big companies to find.” McCaffrey said she did not think government regulation was needed to do that, but businesses should consider what was the right thing to do. She says she is kept up at night by the scale of the problem, and wants consumer pressure to force businesses to look after workers better. “If you have people demanding better quality for workers, I think that will start to drive some change,” she said. Acknowledging that the cost of living was uppermost in people’s minds, she said the public could still play a role in questioning when products or services seem too cheap. “There are a lot of people who want to go and pay five pounds to get a carwash and think, ‘there were six people washing my car, excellent’. I want to change that mindset so that people are saying: ‘that feels a bit cheap for what I’m buying – and these people don’t look very well cared for, and they’ve not got proper shoes on their feet’.” She said supermarkets had a big role in driving change in standards for farm workers and that she wanted to see an equivalent to the Red Tractor quality mark for labour standards. She thinks that consumer pressure could be a powerful way of pushing more fundamental change. “If you look at when the Red Tractor went on to meat, people cared about animal welfare and where their meat came from … how do we get people really thinking about the people behind the label, the people in the care homes, the people in the carwashes?” The GLAA was set up in 2005 after the Morecambe Bay cockle-picking disaster to prevent the exploitation of workers in the fresh produce sector. Its remit was expanded in 2017 to prevent and detect worker abuse across the entire economy. Despite this huge job, its budget of just over £7m is less than the Home Office spends on stationery and publications and has shrunk by £300,000 in the past five years, before inflation. McCaffrey admits it is “really hard” to do her job on such a tight budget, acknowledging: “We have been quite stretched.” Just 12 inspections of its more than 1,000 licence holders to check for compliance had been completed by August this year, and its social media warns licence applicants to expect delays while they complete checks. But McCaffrey says that by working with other organisations, such as the police and HMRC, “we punch above our weight”. She added: “It’s problematic that we don’t have as much money as we’d like to have to operate. But I’m convinced that we’re still doing the best job that we can and that we’re still making a difference for people.”

Jury Trial Scheduled In Philomath Methane Fiasco – Albany Democrat-Herald https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/jury-trial-scheduled-in-philomath-methane-fiasco-albany-democrat-herald/ The developer of an embattled Philomath housing subdivision is taking his former environmental consultant to court for allegedly failing to inform him about methane gas at the site. Millpond Crossing, named for the 30-acre site’s sawmill history with two large log ponds, starts at the corner of Chapel Drive and South 15th Street. Construction has been delayed there since methane gas was discovered. Decaying wood debris can generate methane gas. Levi Miller of Pierce County, Washington and his company MPC Builders LLC bought the property in February 2018, finalizing the sale in September that year. In a $9.9 million lawsuit filed in Benton County in May, Miller claims  Washington-based Aerotech Environmental Consulting Inc. didn’t inform him about the potential risk of methane and other biogases. A closer look at the skate park facility in Philomath. Andy Cripe, Mid-Valley Media In a response filed with the court, Aerotech denies Miller’s allegations and requests the case be dismissed. Specifically, Aerotech claims its contract with MPC Builders didn’t require identifying landfill gas or recommendations for how to go about investigating methane and its remediation. A 12-person jury trial has been scheduled to start Nov. 27, 2023, and run for three weeks in Benton County Circuit Court. Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Philomath official, community concerned In September, Philomath City Council member Catherine Biscoe raised concerns about Millpond Crossing. She hoped to share a report on the topic at a council meeting but didn’t get the chance. However, Biscoe’s report was included in the meeting’s materials. The development was also the focus of numerous comments from the public at that meeting. Recent reports of possible groundwater contamination and hydrogen sulfide readings are clearly documented in a June report from PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc., the developer’s new environmental consultant, Biscoe said. Biscoe’s report includes concerns about procedural irregularities as well as issues of safety, health and financial protections for the homeowners in Millpond Crossing. At the September meeting, City Attorney Jim Brewer suggested an executive session on the matter, saying litigation is likely to be filed and the city’s role in that is not yet clear. He added that more than one closed session on the topic may be necessary. Risks of building on a brownfield Meanwhile, the state warned the project’s first residents to forgo power tools, fire pits and barbecues — anything that could spark an explosion. No methane has been found in or under any homes, the developer previously has said.  Because the environmental consultant had identified some contaminants, although methane gas wasn’t among them, Miller volunteered in October 2018 to clean up the site under a program the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality offers to elicit cooperation with property owners. Then DEQ required Miller to look for methane specifically, and in June 2020 and April 2021 sampling at the property detected methane in shallow soil in several places. Methane is flammable and in confined spaces can cause explosions or displace oxygen. In submitting to DEQ oversight, the developer acknowledged that he did his due diligence and was “aware its housing complex would be built on a brownfield and abandoned former mill site,” according to an email Miller’s Portland-based attorney, Carson Bowler, sent to DEQ. A DEQ document states the log ponds of the former mill site were filled with wood waste, construction debris and other hazardous substances in the ’80s. A court document adds old oil filters, batteries, waste oils and plastics to the ponds’ contents. Methane is not the only hazard to address. In May 2018, Aerotech found contaminants in the area of the filled log ponds, including diesel and oil. It also found such metals as arsenic, barium, chromium, cadmium, lead, mercury, selenium and silver. Initially aware of only the metals and the petroleum contamination, Miller moved forward with his plans, entering the DEQ’s Voluntary Cleanup Program, the developer said in his lawsuit against Aerotech, which alleges negligence and breach of contract. Adjustments and planning delays Among the actions taken by the developer: Venting systems and methane alarms were installed in each home, according to DEQ, which also urged the developer to seal underground electrical conduits leading to enclosed spaces to alleviate concerns about methane buildup within utility infrastructure. “No homeowner has reported any alarms being triggered or issues with other installed mitigation measures,” Bowler said in a Sept. 16 email. Costly environmental mitigation measures and planning changes have put Millpond behind by around eight months, Bowler said in his email. He acknowledged that regular methane monitoring at the site hasn’t happened since February, citing an impending state brownfield loan that is needed to pay for additional field work. A major plan modification sought by Millpond would have allowed the developer to refinance the project and get additional capital through a new construction loan, had it happened in a timely fashion, Bowler said. Proceeding with new home construction would in turn cover more environmental work at the site. Delayed funding significantly impacted work at the site, including contaminant testing and monitoring, according to Bowler, who said because of delays with DEQ, new home construction and funding, Millpond has had no source of revenue since February. Bowler added that despite the challenges, the developer and its new environmental consultant have continued carrying out a long list of work at the site. But the consultant isn’t in a position to front the money for subcontractor field work, including methane monitoring. “The current status of the project is not a result of Millpond’s recalcitrance, but rather a byproduct of not being able to secure funding, which is now in the final stages of being resolved,” Bowler said via email.   Related stories: Cody Mann covers Benton County and the cities of Corvallis and Philomath. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @News_Mann_. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Reduced Restrictions Creates More Optimism For Travel Agencies – PortageOnline.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/reduced-restrictions-creates-more-optimism-for-travel-agencies-portageonline-com/ Business is picking up for local travel agencies as airports have reduced the restrictions that were put in place due to COVID-19. Last Saturday, it was announced that certain restrictions within Canada would be reduced, if not totally removed, and that news has inspired potential travellers to get their tickets. Carey Duncan of Travel Quest in Portage la Prairie says people appear to be ready to go. “We’ve certainly been getting a lot of phone calls. It’s really spurred on a lot more people to be thinking about their winter plans and even into the spring of next year, as well,” says Duncan. “Having the mask mandate dropped, now the ArriveCan app is optional. That is just one more hurdle that people don’t have to worry about.” As more and more information comes out, more and more tickets are being sold. Duncan says, don’t wait too long if you have vacation on the mind. “We are seeing people planning well into the future, certainly, for this winter, even beyond, for Europe into the spring and summer,” says Duncan. “Really, with the pricing that we’re seeing right now, with every good news story, prices have tended to go up a little bit. So, you really do need to be planning ahead.” %

Nikki Finke, Veteran Entertainment Journalist And Deadline Founder, Dies At 68 – Hollywood Reporter https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/nikki-finke-veteran-entertainment-journalist-and-deadline-founder-dies-at-68-hollywood-reporter/ Nikki Finke, a veteran journalist, Deadline‘s founder and a major player in the world of Hollywood, has died. She was 68. Finke passed away on Sunday morning in Boca Raton, Florida, following a prolonged illness, a family spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. She is survived by her sister, Terry Finke Dreyfus, her sister’s husband James, and nieces Sarah Greenhill and Diana Leighton. Born in 1953, Finke grew up in Sands Point on Long Island before graduating from Wellesley College. Finke’s early career included work at the Associated Press, where she covered politics and worked on the wire’s foreign desk, before later joining the staffs of The Dallas Morning News, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, and eventually west coast editor at The New York Observer, where she covered entertainment business. Her time with LA Weekly during the 2000s would see her heading up the Deadline Hollywood column between 2002 and 2009. Between that in 2006, she would also launch its online counterpart, Deadline Hollywood Daily, an around-the-clock version of her print work. Beyond the site fueling entertainment journalism’s break into the 24/7 digital news cycle, she was a key player in the reporting around the 2007 writer’s strike. The New York Times‘ Brian Stelter wrote in a 2007 profile of Finke’s blog that it had “become a critical forum for Hollywood news and gossip, known for analyzing (in sometimes insulting terms) the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of moguls,” with her reporting on the strike ultimately solidifying “her position as a Hollywood power broker.” During this time, Finke also became known for her snarky live blogging of Hollywood’s biggest award shows, including the Oscars and Emmys. But perhaps the reclusive journalist’s biggest legacy would become her famous — and at times infamous — approach to reporting, snagging scoops with a bite and cut-throat style that both impressed and angered industry members. Brad Grey, then-chief executive of Paramount, told the Times just a year after her Deadline blog launched that despite Finke’s ability to rile with an in-your-face reporting style, her reach was to be respected. “Like it or not,” he added. “Everyone in Hollywood reads her.” In 2009, Finke sold Deadline to Mail.com Media Corp — the Jay Penske company now known as Penske Media Corporation — in an agreement that would see the veteran journalist continue to helm the entertainment insider blog as its editor-in-chief, hire new writers and take a cut of the site’s ad revenue. “At her best, Nikki Finke embodied the spirit of journalism and was never afraid to tell the hard truths with an incisive style and enigmatic spark. She was brash and true,” Jay Penske Founder, Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation, said in a statement on Sunday. “It was never easy with Nikki, but she will always remain one of the most memorable people in my life.” More to come.

Inverness Culinary School Links With Highland Mental Health Charity Mikeysline For New ‘social Prescription’ Project – Inverness Courier https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/inverness-culinary-school-links-with-highland-mental-health-charity-mikeysline-for-new-social-prescription-project-inverness-courier/ Michaels Culinary School Chef Connor Rae, Mikeysline volunteer and consultant nutritional scientist Kerstin Eickhoff-Piechaczek, and Michaels Culinary School CEO Michael Fallows. The initiative will encourage attendees to build confidence in the kitchen from the comfort of their own home. Michaels Culinary School, in Inverness, will be working in collaboration with Mikeysline on the new idea. The school has been in talks with a local GP to be a contributor for so-called social prescription, referring patients to the social enterprise to learn new skills, engage in the community, and pursue a healthy lifestyle using the replicable and affordable recipes produced and taught by chef Connor Rae. Online workshops with Michael’s Culinary School will cover several classic dishes and encourage attendees to build confidence in the kitchen from the comfort of their own home. The workshop collaboration started yesterday – World Mental Health Day – and a number of places on the workshop were reserved for the benefit of Mikeysline volunteers and service users. Mikeysline has recently welcomed consultant nutritional scientist and visiting contributor Kerstin Eickhoff-Piechaczek from Germany. Kerstin will be attending some of the workshops with Connor to facilitate friendly and informative conversations about the relationships between food and mental health. Katie Melville, fundraising manager for Mikeysline, said: “We were delighted to be approached by Michaels Culinary School to benefit from their online workshop programme. Their vision as a social enterprise to encourage people in our community to learn new skills and prepare fresh, healthy and affordable meals for themselves is appropriately timed as the cost of living continues to affect all of us. “By being able to signpost our service users to Michaels Culinary School we can encourage people meet and talk to others, learn something new, and prepare a fresh healthy meal.” Michael Fallows, CEO of Michaels Culinary School, said: “Michaels Culinary School was set up with the help and support of my grandad who sadly took his own life in January 2022 due to poor mental health. “I want to use this opportunity with Mikeysline to make sure that they can continue the work and support that they provide to the local community, and to make sure that people know its OK not to be OK.” Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.

Euro 2024 Qualifying Draw: England Grouped With Italy – Sky Sports https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/euro-2024-qualifying-draw-england-grouped-with-italy-sky-sports/ England will face Italy and Ukraine in their Euro 2024 qualifying group. Defending champions Italy and England met in the final of Euro 2020 but have now been pitted against each other in their bid to qualify for the tournament in Germany. North Macedonia, who prevented Roberto Mancini’s side from reaching the World Cup, will also feature in Group C. Reacting to England’s qualifying group, manager Gareth Southgate told Sky Sports News: “It’s clearly a tough draw, given the quality of the opposition, and we’ve had draws in qualification that have probably been a little bit more comfortable than that. “But I’d have to say, Poland and Hungary in the last qualifying group (for the Qatar World Cup) was particularly tough as well. So we’re used to that, and the draws are what they are, it’s about how you perform on the day.” On facing familiar opposition in Italy, the England manager added: “There are not too many surprises. We know the quality that they have and we know the depth that they have. England’s record against Italy, generally, is not very good so we’ve got to improve that.” The top two countries from each qualifying group – seven of which include just five countries – will qualify. Scotland have been grouped with Spain and Norway while Wales will face Croatia. But the Republic of Ireland seemingly face a tough challenge after being drawn with Netherlands and France. Two teams from each of the three groups with six countries will also qualify for Euro 2024. Northern Ireland, also in a six-country group, will play Denmark, Finland and Slovenia. Germany, as hosts, have qualified automatically for the tournament while three countries will qualify from the play-offs. The qualifiers start in March and will conclude next November. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Wales manager Rob Page admits he is ‘pretty happy’ with the qualifying group for Euro 2024 The Euro 2024 qualifying groups Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus. Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar. Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta. Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia. Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova. Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia. Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania. Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino. Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra. Group J: Portugal, Bosnia, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein. Who qualifies for Euro 2024? Two teams – the group winners and runners-up – will qualify automatically from each of the 10 groups. Three teams will then qualify via the play-offs. Germany, as hosts, are the only country currently certain to be one of the 24 nations in action at next summer’s tournament. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Italy manager Roberto Mancini is looking forward to resuming his team’s rivalry with England What are the key Euro 2024 dates? The first round of qualifiers takes place between March 23-25 2023, while the final matches are on November 19-21 2023. However, the four Nations League finalists will not be in action on either matchday three or four as they will be competing in the finals of that tournament. When are the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying matches? 23-25/03/2023 Matchday 1 26-28/03/2023 Matchday 2 16-17/06/2023 Matchday 3 19-20/06/2023 Matchday 4 07-09/09/2023 Matchday 5 10-12/09/2023 Matchday 6 12-14/10/2023 Matchday 7 15-17/10/2023 Matchday 8 16-18/11/2023 Matchday 9 19-21/11/2023 Matchday 10 What about the play-offs? Each country that won their Nations League group make it automatically into the play-offs, unless they progress to the tournament itself by finishing in the top two of their qualifying group. In that situation, the next best nation in the respective league will take their play-off place, with this decided by the following criteria: position in the group, points and goal difference. The draw for the play-offs takes place in November 2023, with the play-off semi-finals and finals being played between March 21 and 26, 2024. When is the tournament? The final tournament draw will take place in December 2023 at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. The teams will be seeded in accordance with the overall European Qualifiers rankings. Germany will be automatically seeded into pot 1 as hosts, and placed in position A1. The three play-off winners will not be known at the time of the draw but will be placed into pot 4 for the draw. The opening game of Euro 2024 is June 14 2024 with the final taking place on July 14 2024 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin. Who are the Euro 2024 hosts? Germany, the team of the EURO 2024 host association, qualify automatically for the final tournament and therefore did not take part in the qualifying draw.

‘Meta Connect’ Rolls Out Next Week Despite Issues Bugging Metaverse – Tech Times https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/meta-connect-rolls-out-next-week-despite-issues-bugging-metaverse-tech-times/ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will address the public in two days about important updates to Meta’s billion-dollar metaverse project. This event will take place despite news that leaked Meta company memos revealed that even employees were not particularly enthusiastic about the project they were working on. Metaverse on ‘Quality Lockdown” The Verge is the first to report that memos were sent to Meta employees requesting that they spend more time in the metaverse. According to leaked memos, the Horizon Worlds team is being briefed for not visiting Meta’s metaverse frequently enough, even though this is the product they are working on. Previous reports also indicate that the company is still working to resolve a number of quality issues. Vishal Shah, VP of Metaverse, informs his team through leaked memos that they will be in “quality lockdown” for the remainder of the year so that the problems can be resolved before more users gain access to the app. Mark Zuckerberg could provide insights into what is happening now in the metaverse development as well as his opinion on recent issues hounding the company in the Meta Connect, which will be live streamed on Oct. 11. Previously, the Meta CEO revealed on a Joe Rogan podcast that lighter headsets are in the works. This year’s Meta Connect may provide a glimpse of that. Meta Connect Details The people behind the company will share the process of building the metaverse, as well as the many collaborations that they have made along the way, at the Meta Connect conference. The virtual event is reported to feature key presenters who will discuss a variety of topics related to the digital platform. As per Business Insider, Zuckerberg will discuss the VR developer ecosystem, progress toward the metaverse, and “Project Cambria,” a new high-end VR headset with mixed reality. As stated by the company, anyone with a Meta Quest 2 headset can register to participate virtually in “Meta Horizon Worlds.” On the said date, the company will host a virtual conference for developers, creators, tech enthusiasts, and others. Mark Zuckerberg’s address on how a social metaverse is additive to physical experiences, allowing users to connect in “deeper, more meaningful ways,” will be one of the event’s highlights. Aside from bringing the world closer together, the metaverse promises a plethora of new business opportunities. The event will include talks on how to capitalize on the metaverse’s opportunities and turn them into profitable businesses. Read Also: Signal Messenger to Deliver Stories Feature for Devices, 24-hour Expiring Media [REPORT] In-depth discussions of new products, tools, and hardware will also be held during the event and on-demand later. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta is preparing something for its virtual reality headsets that will be available by October, as stated on a Joe Rogan Podcast. The company’s next product will launch later this year to bring the world a new VR headset experience that would give everyone a chance to access the digital world. Related Article: Meta Finds Over 400 Malicious Apps Spreading Malware on Facebook ⓒ 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tags:

5 In The Sky — General Aviation News – General Aviation News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/5-in-the-sky-general-aviation-news-general-aviation-news/ The AirVan on one of the stops during the epic “Edventure.” The Porter family of Vancouver, Canada — Dad Ian, Mom Michelle, 23-year-old Samantha, 18-year-old Sydney, and 15-year-old Christopher — have embarked on an adventure. In June 2022, the family piled into a single engine airplane named “Moose” and headed out to see the world. Not your typical general aviation global circumnavigation, the Porter Family’s “expedition” as oldest daughter Samantha calls it, takes the scenic route. While most general aviation circumnavigators seek to get around the globe as fast as possible, the Porter family, who call themselves 5 in the Sky, have set aside 14 months for their trip. They started off by first flying north from their Vancouver home base, then across the far northern reaches of their country, before turning south again at Newfoundland to take in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 in Wisconsin. Then they were off for Florida. Christopher, Samantha, and Sydney at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022. They’ll spend the rest of this year working their way south and circumnavigating South America, before turning north again, cutting across the middle of the United States, and arriving back in Canada next summer to cross the North Atlantic during the “warm” season. Then they’ll work their way across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and finally fly home again across the Bering Sea and Alaska. But that’s just the rough draft. The exact route is an organic, flexible thing controlled to some degree by weather, as they are flying VFR, and fuel prices, along with the costs of lodging. More importantly, however, they are open to discovering detours of interest. For the 5 in the Sky, it’s all about the journey, not about the destination. Plans for the epic flight started before the youngest of the siblings was born, even though parents Ian and Michelle didn’t know that was what they were planning at the time. It simply started with a decision about their children’s education. The parents decided that rather than send their children to private schools, they would send them to public school and bank the money saved toward some sort of future family educational adventure. “We generally have lived below our capability, driving older cars, etc., and have always told the kids that the money saved from not throwing cash at the latest and greatest gadget would be used at some point for their education or similar support,” Ian says. In fact, they originally called the trip the “Family Edventure.” Ian says that the idea for making the Edventure an aerial global circumnavigation was originally his, inspired by serving as a copilot on a charity fundraising flight around Chile and Argentina, and as a pilot on another charity flight in Canada and Alaska. “During the flights I felt I wanted to be able to spend more time at the places we stopped and also share the experience with the family,” he says. He adds his wife Michelle was “not surprised” when he pitched the idea, “as I am always cooking up a new plan.” The parents then “chatted with the kids, and after answering questions and discussing, they were all on-side.” That’s Canadian for on board. This year the ages and educational levels of the children aligned in the heavens, as it were, and it was time to launch Edventure. Middle child Sydney had just finished high school, and will hold off starting college for a year. Youngest child Christoper is still in high school, but thanks to COVID, has the option of staying in school via Zoom en route. He says that he’s pretty sure he’ll learn more about the world flying around it in 14 months than he’d learn about it in a classroom for the same amount of time. Oldest daughter Samantha is missing out on summer internship opportunities, and has put her final year at the University of British Columbia on a brief hold, but concedes that it’s a small price to pay for the trip. SOS in a good way Recognizing that they were doing something that would generate attention — they may well be the first entire family to fly around the world together in a single-engine airplane — the family saw that they had an opportunity to benefit more than just themselves, and decided to connect with a charity to raise money and awareness. The family selected SOS Children’s Villages, an Austria-based non-profit focused on providing humanitarian and developmental assistance to children in need worldwide. Although the non-profit has been around since right after World War II, it’s “not a well known charity” in Canada and the U.S., says Ian, who adds he hopes their “grand family adventure” can boost awareness of the charity as well as raise money to support its operations. A camera on the wing catches the 5 in the Sky in flight. Unlike many aviation stunt fundraisers, where the bulk of donations fund the flight and a small percentage goes to the charity, 5 in the Sky is giving 100% of what they raise to SOS. (Not that they would turn down any corporate sponsor who wants to help them with gas and oil for the flight.) They hope to raise a cool $1 million for SOS in the process. So far, they’ve raked in about $20,000, and the trip is just underway. The flying According to Ian, they’ve seen some amazing sights already. “We have flown in the middle of the night under the brilliant arctic midnight sun, seen polar bears, Beluga whales, and flown over the icebergs in Iceberg Alley in Newfoundland,” he reports. And the kids are already making small discoveries about how people in different countries live. Sydney was dismayed to find her favorite snack, Ketchup Chips, are unheard of in the U.S., and that Skittles aren’t filled with chocolate here. Flying duties are shared by Ian, Samantha, and Sydney. Flying duties are shared by Ian, Samantha, and Sydney, all of whom have private pilot certificates, although insurance requirements only allow the daughters to fly right seat as pilots in command, and only while their father sits left seat. The seating arrangement in Moose — a 2013 Australian-made Gippsaero GA8 AirVan — is 2+2 with the fifth seat in the tail cone of the cabin. This “tail gunner” slot is home to Christoper, who says he doesn’t mind sitting in the back, as it gives him the most leg room. The family inside the plane. Meanwhile, even though the AirVan is Australia’s answer to the Caravan, there’s still a limit to what you can carry when you’ve got five people on board. As such, each member of the family is limited to 20 pounds of personal gear, including clothing, shoes, toiletries, personal items, and the bag itself. The kids say they sometimes trade poundage between each other to make it all work. In a cargo pod on the belly of Moose, the family has some shared gear, including photography equipment, a drone, minimal camping gear, computers, tools, and a survival kit and raft. Also stuffed in the pod are two spare aircraft: Ultralight paragliders. Ian is an avid paraglider and a certificated paragliding instructor. In the Yukon, under the midnight sun, he says he flew one of the paragliders “launching one day and landing the next!” The AirVan had a full annual inspection just before the 5 in the Sky launched, but with a 14-month trip, will need another before rounding the globe. Current plans are to get one in the U.S. or Canada next spring as they return to this part of the continent prior to crossing the Atlantic. Moose has already had two oil changes, one in Quebec prior to reaching AirVenture, and a second in Florida the week after AirVenture. The 5 carry spare oil filters and next plan to change oil in Argentina or Chile. Feeding the family The family members were all in agreement that food and lodging is the “greatest logistical challenge” of their expedition. They’ve spent nights sleeping in terminals, and others in hotel rooms with someone drawing the short straw and sleeping on the floor. They don’t have the carrying capacity for full cooking gear, so on one day the family ate trail mix and drank water. For all three meals. Ian adds that, outside of the U.S., it’s hard to get from an airport to the nearest town. He calls U.S. airports “beautifully equipped,” and is particularly delighted with our tradition of crew cars at many airports. “We have also been hosted a couple of times and enjoyed staying with people in their homes, with laundry facilities and home-cooked meals, although that makes it much harder to move on,” he says. If you want to donate to the SOS cause there’s a link at the family’s website at 5intheSky.com. If you want to know where the 5 in the Sky are right now, click on the “tracker” link for a real-time update of where they are in the world.

Terra Luna Classic Price Prediction – How High Can LUNC Rally By 2023? – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/terra-luna-classic-price-prediction-how-high-can-lunc-rally-by-2023-cryptonews/ Terra Luna Classic price prediction is now bullish after LUNC bounced off the 50-day moving average support area of $0.00022525. Most of LUNC’s bullish trend is driven by the new burn mechanism.  Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, has created a new burn mechanism for the Luna Classic (LUNC) token, bringing renewed interest to the original Terra chain’s token.  The question now is how high LUNC can rally by 2023. Let’s find out!  Binance Implements Terra Classic (LUNC) Burn Mechanism Accordingly to Binance’s announcement, the exchange decided to develop a burn mechanism to transfer all trading fees on LUNC spot and margin trading pairs to the LUNC burn address. This announcement will be updated weekly with the precise quantity of LUNC to be burned, its corresponding value in USDT, and the on-chain transaction ID. About 7.2 billion LUNC were burned in batch 1 of LUNC burn. However, There has been no apparent change in the rate of cryptocurrency burns nearly two weeks after the widespread burn of the infamous LUNC began.  Binance LUNC Burn – Source: Binance Announcements It’s worth noting that approximately 6 billion LUNC were taken off the market as trading commissions after the first batch burnt.  The data on trade volumes suggests a decline in the LUNC burn rate.  Furthermore, by October 10, we should have an accurate count of the coins Binance has destroyed. As the primary factor in the number of trading fees and taxes paid on trades, a decrease in trading activity might have an unfavorable impact. Binance Calls Upon Other Exchanges to Implement Burn According to recent tweets by Luna C Whale, Binance, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, has invited other exchanges to implement the LUNC burn mechanism. Thousands of users have retweeted the news, but the source has yet to be confirmed. If this is correct, we may see more LUNC price support in the coming days. Previously, the CoinMarketCap statistics show that if the LUNC trade volume were $913 million on Monday, October 3, it would drop to $250 million by the end of the week. LUNC traders will be watching for the next announcement on the LUNC burn figure with bated breath. Terra Classic’s current price is $0.000294, with a 24-hour trading volume of $260,425,822. Terra Classic has increased by 1.63% in the previous 24 hours. CoinMarketCap now ranks 32nd, with a live market cap of $1,809,604,400.  Terra Luna Classic Price Prediction – How High Can LUNC Rally By 2023? Technically, LUNC has bounced off the 50-day moving average line at $0.000279 and is now trading at 0.000294. The LUNC/USD has completed a 61.8% Fibonacci retracement at $0.000279, and candles closing above this level increase the likelihood of a bullish reversal. LUNC’s immediate resistance remains at $0.000342, which is extended by a 38.2% Fibonacci retracement. Above this, LUNC can target the 50% and 61.8% Fibonacci retracement levels, which are at $0.000392 and $0.000440, respectively. The leading technical indicators, the relative strength index (RSI) and the moving average convergence and divergence (MACD), are tossing in the bullish and bearish zones on the daily timeframe. These indicators show a tug-of-war between bulls and bears, implying that investors are waiting for a compelling reason to make their next move. On the downside, a break of $0.00028 could send the LUNC price down to $0.000227 or $0.000185 support. How High Can LUNC Rally By 2023? Given the success of the LUNC burn, LUNC has the potential to attract buyers, and increased demand could push the LUNC price up to $0.000439 or $0.000586. A further bullish breakout in LUNC could open up more room for buying until $0.000765 (1.14% Fib extension) or $0.000997 (1.14% Fib extension) levels.  LUNC Alternatives – Tamadoge & IMPT Pumping Tamadoge, a meme coin, has grown in popularity since its yearly low of $0.01683. OpenSea now sells ultra-rare Tamadoge NFTs starting at 1 WETH. Tamadoge has become the third most valuable meme coin in the crypto space. On the other hand, IMPT’s presale remains in the highlights. Even though the blockchain-based carbon credit marketplace launched its auction during a cryptocurrency bear market, demand for the marketplace token remained high. The project’s native currency, the IMPT token, has already raised an incredible $2.4 million after only six days of presale, having sold 133.36 tokens.

Ruth Chepngetich Approaches Marathon Record; Emily Sisson Sets U.S. Mark – ESPN https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/ruth-chepngetich-approaches-marathon-record-emily-sisson-sets-u-s-mark-espn/ Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich defended her Chicago Marathon title in a dominant display Sunday, breaking the tape in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 18 seconds, as her compatriot Benson Kipruto cruised to victory in the men’s race in 2:04:24. Chepngetich built up an early lead and had established an astonishing 3:42 advantage over the chasing pack by the halfway point. Charging to the line with no one else in sight, the 2019 world champion was in a race against the clock as she tried to break the world record but came up 14 seconds short of Brigid Kosgei’s mark, set on the same flat course three years ago. “I wanted to break the world record … but I’m happy,” Chepngetich said. “Next year I’m ready to come back again.” Emily Sisson finished second in an American marathon record of 2:18:29, and Kenyan Vivian Jerono Kiplagat third. On the men’s side, Kipruto joined a large leading pack from the start and grabbed the outright lead with an 11-second margin over last year’s champion Seifu Tura Abdiwak of Ethiopia by the 40-kilometer mark in one of his trademark late surges. The 2021 Boston Marathon winner hardly looked fatigued as he broke the tape in sunny conditions, seven years after his older brother Dickson Chumba won the race. Tura Abdiwak finished second in 2:04:49, and Kenyan John Korir took third. “I’m so happy,” Kipruto said. “I’m here to take up from where [Chumba] left.” Paralympic champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s wheelchair race in a blistering 1:25:20, building on a stellar 2022 that also brought him wins in Tokyo, Berlin and London. American Susannah Scaroni stunned last year’s champion Tatyana McFadden on the women’s side in 1:45:48 for her first major marathon title.

Coway Earns Three Honors At The Good Design Awards 2022 – PR Newswire https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/coway-earns-three-honors-at-the-good-design-awards-2022-pr-newswire/ 2022 marks Coway’s 16th consecutive year of winning at the Good Design Awards , /PRNewswire/ — Coway Co., Ltd., “The Best Life Solution Company,”  was named a “Winner” for three home appliance products at the Good Design Award 2022. The Good Design Awards, hosted by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP), is one of the most prestigious international design competitions, alongside the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, and IDEA. Coway Airmega ProX (AP-3522E/F) This marks the 16th consecutive year for Coway to win at the Good Design Awards and completes the company’s grand slam of the world’s four most honored design awards for 2022. 2022’s award-winning products are the ‘Icon Ice Water Purifier (CHPI-7400N),’ ‘NOBLE Humidifier (AM-1421G),’ and the air purifier ‘Airmega ProX (AP-3522E/F)’. They have been recognized for their innovative technology and intuitive designs. The Icon Ice Water Purifier (CHPI-7400N) is the smallest ice water purifier to come out of South Korea, with a compact size, sleek design, and simple visual elements. It features the company’s proprietary Dual Speed Ice-making technology, which ensures a quick and abundant supply of ice, and a UV sterilization system for product hygiene. The NOBLE Humidifier (AM-1421G) is from the iconic ‘NOBLE Air Care Solution Series’ that has won multiple awards for its premium architecture-inspired design. The model is an evaporative humidifier that features an innovative host of technologies. Its Air Heating System increases humidification, and Coway’s patented Water-lock technology stops water from stagnating in the reservoir to prevent filter contamination. The Airmega ProX (AP-3522E/F) is an air purifier suitable for large spaces with a geometric design and simple straight structure that harmoniously blends into any place. The eco-friendly ABS plastic is a nod toward the company’s sustainability commitments. The expected US launch for the Airmega ProX is H1 2023 and that for the Icon Ice Water Purifier is 2024. “We are focusing on product design and technologies that make our customers’ daily experiences healthier and more convenient,” said Hyun Joo Song, head of the Design Center at Coway. “We will continue to design products that align with how our customers live and embody our signature geometric design identity.” About Coway Co., Ltd.  Established in Korea in 1989, Coway, “The Best Life Solution Company,” is a leading environmental home appliances company making people’s lives healthy and comfortable with innovative home appliances such as water purifiers, air purifiers, bidets, and mattresses. Since being founded, Coway has become a leader in the environmental home appliances industry, with intensive research, engineering, development, and customer service. The company has proven dedication to innovation with award-winning products, home health expertise, unrivaled market share, customer satisfaction, and brand recognition. Coway continues to innovate by diversifying product lines and accelerating overseas business in Malaysia, USA, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, and Europe, based on the business success in Korea. For more information, please visit http://www.coway.com/ or http://newsroom.coway.com. SOURCE Coway Co., Ltd.

Sports Gaming News Weekly Wrap-Up – Reviews For NBA 2K23, FIFA 23, World Of Outlaws: Dirt Racing – Operation Sports https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/sports-gaming-news-weekly-wrap-up-reviews-for-nba-2k23-fifa-23-world-of-outlaws-dirt-racing-operation-sports/ Every Sunday, we will get you caught up on the sports gaming news you might have missed, during the busy week. This week we’ve posted reviews for NBA 2K23, FIFA 23 and World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing. Plenty of other news and features to read as well. Enjoy. Sports Gaming News Steph Curry Added to PGA Tour 2K23 Roster NHL 23 Soundtrack Revealed New RaceNet Beta Available with Support For F1 22, DIRT 5 and More Winter Games 2023 Launching on October 13 – Features & Trailer Revealed Battle Royale Season 8 – Finest Corey Kluber and Postseason Corey Seager FIFA 23 Patch Fixes Errors When Launching Game on PC Hot Wheels Unleashed Available Now For PlayStation Plus Subscribers Retro Bowl Update Adds Player Attribute Buffs, Ability to Sim Games and Much More FIFA 23 Live Tuning Update Available Now – More Yellow Cards on Hard Slide Tackle Fouls – Full Details Diamond Dynasty – Lightning Bo Bichette in September Monthly Awards MLB The Show 22 Patch 16 Adds 2022 Postseason Presentation Packages – Patch Notes Diamond Dynasty – Milestone Aaron Judge Program Commemorates AL Home Run Record Dakar Desert Rally Available Now on Multiple Platforms – Launch Trailer Official Madden NFL 23 Roster Update For Week 5 Available – See the Changes Here Need For Speed Unbound Trailer, Screenshots, Features & Release Date Revealed Fall Stars Program Breakdown Diamond Dynasty – October 7 Roster Update Need For Speed Unbound Car List Features 143 Vehicles EA Officially Launches New App on PC to Replace Origin Operation Sports Featured Articles FIFA 23 Review – Sorry Ted, I Don’t Believe While midfielders still don’t defend as actively as I’d like, they and their defenders do a better job cutting off passing lanes by sticking out a foot. This makes passing more risk/reward and offers a way to get those passing percentages down to a more realistic level with a little enforced passing error. I still feel like blocking shots in and around the box is overpowered, but when it comes to passing it’s a welcome resistance. By actively sticking out a foot, the overall match pace feels like a more realistic simulation — although as you creep up the difficulty levels the passing becomes more automatic by the AI. Tackling is one area that has also seen improvements, in both the standing and sliding variety. While I particularly think the new hard slide tackle is a waste of a feature, the tackling buttons are much more responsive, which actually allows to you take the ball off the AI in 1-on-1 scenarios. Now if only my AI teammates put in a challenge every once in a while. Flashout 3 Review – More Substance Needed With the Style Once the race had launched, it was evident the gameplay was more than just about finishing first. There was an actual strategy required. There are variations of ships, with each ship offering up enhanced abilities that can either play into your strategy for the race or work against them, so choose wisely. The options range from stronger attack guns to more agile and faster ships or ships with a more robust defense system. The game also allows you to unlock upgrades through various accomplishments and can be done so by racing in any of the current modes offered. Unlock a better shield in an exhibition race and that same shield can be used in campaign mode. FIFA 23 OS Community Sliders: Version 3 Matt10 and crew are back in the lab working on FIFA 23 sliders. The FIFA 23 OS community sliders are up to Version 3, and it seems like the updates will continue to be a bit hot and heavy as they search for a baseline they’re happy with for the game. If you read our review, KG thinks certain aspects of the game cannot be properly tuned without sliders. Maybe that will change in a future patch, but we feel like the game is not going to play like “real” soccer without some tweaks. This is where the OS Community Sliders come into play. Of course, there are plenty of other sliders to look at if these don’t work for you, but we tend to highlight the most popular sets first and foremost. NBA 2K23 Tutorials by Kevin Cruz Unlock 2K’s Signature Style When I last talked about NBA 2K23, there was a negativity to the article that was driven by my frustration with corporate greed. That being said, I do genuinely think NBA 2K23has some amazing gameplay that is littered with highlight moments and flair that showcases how good 2K can be at mimicking the feel and look of many of today’s (and yesterday’s) stars. There is also a vast amount of NBA 2K23 content creators out there who are all providing a variety of services, tips, and tricks that are meant to help folks out there with the game. However, I think the “guides” that are usually out there relate to either MyTeam or MyCareer. With MyCareer, it’s stuff like “what shot is easiest to green” or “use this build to own” and so on. With MyTeam, it’s showcasing what players to buy or avoid, what badges are important, or how to finish up objectives in a timely fashion. All that stuff is great, but I wanted to highlight Kevin Cruz and the NBA 2K23 tutorial work he’s doing because I think it’s more in line with stuff this community would appreciate. NBA 2K23 Championship Edition – NBA League Pass Code Issues? The rollout for the NBA 2K23 Championship Edition NBA League Pass codes started last week. Over on the OS forums, folks have been talking about that process and whether it has gone smoothly or not for them. Some users have had no issues, while others are still struggling to get their codes, so I thought I would showcase a couple different posts to help out anyone who is maybe having issues right now redeeming the code. 2K Support is still who you should be reaching out to with problems, but feel free to head on over to the OS forums to troubleshoot there as well. World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing Review – Feel Free to Get Dirty This is where I spent most of my time. Career mode in World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing is a fun, authentic, and addicting experience. As mentioned above, you can feel the polish of iRacing in the driving model, which carries over into career mode. Monster Games developers went with a tried-and-true method with career mode in WoO, and why not? It works and works well. You start as a newcomer in the world of dirt racing at the local level, racing at tracks in your local area and a few scattered around a bit further away. You have limited funds, staff, fans, and essential equipment. You are armed with only the hopes and dreams of moving up the ladder to the professional level, the World of Outlaws sprint cars. Madden 23 Face of the Franchise Takes – Why Are We Still Doing This EA? Most single-player game modes in the RPG realm are not worth playing without an intriguing story. I think this year’s Face of the Franchise mode has taken a unique approach compared to past versions. In previous years, EA’s FotF would start later in the college football season. The main objective would be to grind through the college football playoffs and all the pre-draft nuances before hearing your name called by one of the 32 NFL teams.  This year, things are done a bit differently. For starters, you’re no longer a wide-eyed rookie. Instead, you’re a fifth-year veteran searching for a fresh start and the perfect opportunity. You can sign with any NFL team, but each team’s interest will vary based on their current roster. For example, a team that needs a quarterback will be a better fit and, more times than not, will offer you a contract that reflects this. To help you decide, EA went back to the old way of doing things, giving each team a letter grade based on team need and fit. How to Shake Up the Tired MyCareer Story in NBA 2K23 and Beyond Anyone who has played MyCareer in the NBA 2K games in the time since the introduction of a storyline complete with characters and cutscenes will be able to tell you that the general backbone of the narrative hasn’t changed all that much from year-to-year. Sure, they might bring in Spike Lee to handle direction or slightly alter the background of your player, but that hardly creates a ton of variety in the beats your story will inevitably hit. No matter if your name happens to be Pres or Frequency Vibrations or the trusty acronym “MP” (get it, short for MyPlayer), you’re likely to have to worry about getting over the same old hurdles of being drafted, cracking the starting lineup, and dancing around trade rumors. While you do that, you’ll probably find yourself surrounded by some combination of trusted friends (or annoying ones like B-Fresh in NBA 2K19), savvy agents, and wise pros eager to offer advice. Before too long, you’re bound to get the nagging feeling that you’ve seen this movie before. The same is true for the NBA 2K23 MyCareer story. Legends of the Franchise Program Recap It’s a given that cards featured in Diamond Dynasty get stronger as the year goes on. Power creep exists in every card game, from MLB The Show to Madden to Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering. It’s a necessary function of each respective game and is the main catalyst of excitement and anticipation that keeps players engaged. The debate and conversation about the best cards available, the analysis on which cards are superior, and the speculation about the cards to come. It’s all very relevant and essentially the building block of Diamond Dynasty each year. So it wasn’t surprising that Legends of the Franchise ended up being the best program to date. It should be! But man was it surprising how powerful some of these cards ended up being. Grading Every New Feature in FIFA 23 One of the features I was intrigued about trying out first-hand was the new physics system. With HyperMotion 2 being touted as ...

Brand New Food Park Soon To Be A Delicious Reality In Kennewick – Newstalk870.am https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/brand-new-food-park-soon-to-be-a-delicious-reality-in-kennewick-newstalk870-am/ We originally posted about a brand-new food park coming to Kennewick back in May of 2022 and now progress is underway to fill the new buildings with tenants. ashley moala real estate ashley moala real estate loading… Ashley Moala Real Estate posted progress pictures on the construction that’ll soon be a new food park in Kennewick right across the street from the new HUB. The Hub of Kennewick is located at 6481 W. Skagit Ave., Kennewick, WA According to a posting on Facebook by Ashley Moala Real Estate, if you are a business owner, 1derful Food Park is looking for you. If you’re not familiar with the 1derful Food Park, 1derful Food Park, is an urban outdoor food and drink plaza located at the Colonnade Shopping Center in Kennewick. ashley moala real estate ashley moala real estate loading… According to the listing, you can open your restaurant, cafe, wine bar, frozen yogurt/ice cream shop, coffee/juice bar, or pizzeria in the new food park. Customers can order at the walk-up window and enjoy the 1,900 SF concrete patio for relaxed outdoor dining, or the 800+ SF of indoor dining space and restrooms for the colder months. As construction continues, the complex is looking to add new clients. November completion of concrete patio, parking, and landscape. 6 suites available, 400 SF each. 12 Healthy Food Tri-Cities Restaurants That Also Taste Great Healthy eating can be done at these 12 Tri-Cities restaurants and still taste great! 10 Food Places in the Tri-Cities That Should Go Nationwide Here are 10 Tri-Cities Washington places to eat that should go nationwide

12 Tips For Surviving A Luxury Cruise With Kids – The Points Guy https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/12-tips-for-surviving-a-luxury-cruise-with-kids-the-points-guy/ Take the kids on a luxury cruise — how dare you? Luxury cruises are the domain of well-heeled, mature couples looking for fine dining, personal service, elegant suites and onboard spaces free of loud, energetic children. Or so say luxury cruise fans on online forums whenever someone floats the idea of treating their family to an upscale cruise. Ignore them. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your preferred luxury standards just because you’re cruising as a foursome (or more) rather than a twosome. And unless your cruise line expressly prohibits children under a certain age, there’s no reason why you can’t bring the younger members of your family along. The key to luxury cruising with kids is to know what to expect from the ship and what to expect from your kids, and then plan accordingly. If you’re ready to ditch Disney’s jungle cruise ride for a week or more in favor of an upscale cruise ship, follow these 12 tips for a successful luxury sailing with your junior cruisers. For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter. Sign up for our daily newsletter Take a hard look at your kids Is your child well behaved and polite, or do they throw massive tantrums routinely at dinner? Does your teen prefer to make friends on vacation or hang out with her family? Does your middle-schooler get easily bored without nonstop activities or can he find his own fun anywhere? The answers to these questions will help you decide if an adult-focused, luxury cruise vacation is right for your family. If your child can’t handle long dinners, a ship without water slides and rock-climbing walls, and minimal to no other kids on board, now might not be the right time to splurge on that dream luxury cruise. You can always wait a few years and try again. Then again, if your budding foodies love to try new cuisines, earned airline elite status as a toddler and are on first-name basis with the staff at the Ritz, they will fit in just fine. Choose ships with kids programming Paul Gauguin’s onboard naturalists run its Moana Explorer Program for children. PAUL GAUGUIN CRUISES Some upscale cruise lines outright ban children (Viking) or have an age minimum (Windstar), but others welcome kids and offer special activities during sailings with larger-than-usual numbers of children. Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers its Club Mariner program for kids ages 5 to 17, with daily programming led by youth counselors. Paul Gauguin Cruises runs the Moana Explorer Program to introduce kids to the natural wonders of the South Pacific on summer and holiday sailings. Other lines, such as Seabourn, might not have an official kids program but will put on activities when families are sailing in abundance. Be sure to ask your travel agent what to expect if you’re cruising with younger kids who could benefit from age-appropriate games and crafts. Plan for family time On a big ship, your kids could spend the entire day in the kids club or running around with a pack of teens to the sports court and water slides, leaving the adults to enjoy the spa or solarium in peace. On a luxury cruise ship, with fewer options for children, you should count on lots of family together time instead. This is a good thing. Save your massage for a weekend at home and date night for your regular sitter. You don’t have many chances to spend whole days with your kids without work emails and chores getting in the way. Embrace this opportunity to go to shows together, laugh as your kid tries foie gras for the first time, or sip tea, nibble scones and just talk to each other. The together time is a greater luxury than you might have imagined. Choose the right itinerary ROBERTO MOJOLA/SYSAWORLD/GETTY IMAGES If you’re concerned that long days at sea on a luxury cruise ship won’t go over well with your kids, look for an itinerary that’s in port nearly every day. You can plan family fun off the ship, and then come back on board for gourmet dinners and an evening show or in-cabin movie before hitting the sack. Everyone wins. Also, make sure you pick a destination that’s age appropriate. Little kids might prefer a tropical cruise with plenty of beach time versus strolling the cobblestoned streets of quaint towns in France and Italy. Active tweens and teens might relish zip-lining, hiking and kayaking in Alaska, while bookish kids might itch to see historic sites in Greece and Turkey. Let your kids select their onboard activities Other luxury cruisers will tell you that there are no activities for kids on fancy cruise ships, but I’ve watched plenty of kids on high-end sailings and can tell you that’s not true. Kids like all kinds of activities, not just the ones planned for them. On one Seabourn cruise, I was on a daily trivia team with a family that included a 10-year-old girl. She was enthusiastic about the daily game and contributed several answers. Another boy and his grandmother always showed up to afternoon tea and he seemed happy as a clam. I’ve seen kids on Regent Seven Seas enjoying the pool, not to mention the ice cream. My own kids have surprised me with their interest in the captain’s Q&A or games of shuffleboard, so don’t assume that just because there isn’t specific kids programming that your kids will be bored. Make use of room service Luxury cruises are known for spacious cabins and complimentary in-room meal service. Make use of these perks by ordering meals to your cabin when the kids are tired or can’t sit through a leisurely dinner. They can eat chicken fingers while watching cartoons, and you don’t have to miss out on the evening’s culinary selections. You can even ask for dinner to be served course by course from the main restaurant. Or order coffee for you and cereal for them to arrive in the morning while everyone’s getting ready, and then meander up to the buffet for a hot breakfast without anyone having a hangry meltdown. Bring snacks — or find them on board No matter where you travel, I’m adamant you should always bring snacks for kids. Whether you need a mid-excursion pick-me-up or an alternative to a fancy lunch, be sure to have pre-packaged bars, applesauce pouches or bags of goldfish crackers or pretzels at the ready to prevent meltdowns. Cruise ships don’t always have kid snacks available. Even if you don’t bring your own food, remember you’re on a luxury cruise. Ask your butler to bring a selection of kid-friendly foods (cheese and crackers, grapes, popcorn, cookies) at 3 p.m. each day instead of smoked salmon finger sandwiches or bacon-wrapped dates — though you might also learn your kids have a secret appetite for blinis with caviar. If you can’t order it midday, save cereal and yogurt from breakfast to keep in your suite’s minifridge. And find the onboard cafe with all-day snacks where you can swing by for a quick bite anytime the munchies strike. Related: The ultimate guide to cruise ship food and dining Pack entertainment Luxury cruises will have some planned daytime entertainment, but not as much as on the humongous cruise ships. Trivia, cooking demonstrations and guest lectures are all popular pastimes, but many luxury cruisers prefer a relaxing day of playing cards in a lounge or reading by the pool. If your family needs more excitement, you’ll have to bring the fun. Pack those handheld video game players, tablets loaded with movies and games, a deck of cards, and maybe even some travel-sized board games. For little kids, you might want to bring a coloring pad and crayons, sticker books, dolls or toy cars — whatever keeps your lot happy on a slow day at sea. Engage with the crew REGENCY SEVEN SEAS CRUISES If some of your shipmates are standoffish, I can bet you the crew won’t be. Many have families they’ve left behind at home, and they don’t have the chance to interact with little kids so often on the high-end ships. They will be eager to dote on your junior cruisers, bringing them special treats or making them origami animals out of daily programs. Engage with the crew members and they will help you keep the kids happy and the stress off your shoulders. Don’t count on babysitting Most luxury cruise lines do not offer in-room babysitting — and if they do, it’s only if there is a willing female crew member available at the time you need. It’s a courtesy, not a guaranteed service. Don’t take a luxury cruise assuming someone will be able to stay in the room with your sleeping children while you enjoy the onboard nightlife. If you’re really intent on having adult alone time on the ship, you’ll want to bring your own nanny or babysitter for your children. That might mean booking your kids and the sitter in a room adjoining yours, or sharing a suite with your family and booking the nanny into a lower-category cabin. It will likely mean booking a second cabin, which is not cheap on a high-end line, but the expense might be worth it if everyone enjoys the trip more with an extra set of eyes and hands. Related: 5 secrets to getting a luxury cruise for less Ignore the sideye Unfortunately, while many cruisers will be thrilled to see kids on board, some of your shipmates will give you the look or mutter comments about your choice to sail with children — especially in a moment when your kids aren’t being 100% perfect angels. Don’t let them yuck your yum. You have as much right as they have to bring your family on a luxurious cruise ship. Trust me, I’ve seen plenty of adults whine and tantrum or otherwise behave in a less-than-becoming manner on upscale cruise ships. Your kids are acting their age — those folks knew better. Still, most of the kids I’ve noticed on luxury cruises were having a great time and not causing any trouble. Take the high road, nod and smile at the naysayers, and go on enjoying your fine family getaway. Consider a suite on ...

Massachusetts Aims To Launch Sports Betting In Late January – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/massachusetts-aims-to-launch-sports-betting-in-late-january-69news-wfmz-tv/ If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here. PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS – The Palmer Township Board of Supervisors denied a conditional use for two warehouses proposed by developer Abe Atiyeh. – B. Braun bought Starboard Medical’s Clif-FIX line of devices that secure catheters for an undisclosed price. – The Lowhill Township Planning Commission denied a plan for a warehouse at 7503 Kernsville Road, saying it would change the character of the rural township. – Just A Dream Frozen Yogurt in Forks Township closed its doors after 10 years. – Khanisa’s Pudding Bar held a grand opening at its new Downtown Allentown Market location after having moved from Easton. – Mussel Polymers Inc. says its glue for bonding carbon and synthetic fibers is a big step toward creating lighter and stronger fiber-reinforced materials. – Poke Bar 25 & Bubble Tea in the Shops at Bethlehem (the Giant shopping center on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, on the border with the City of Bethlehem) will open in late November or early December.  – The former Rosanna’s Restaurant in Bethlehem, which closed in February, will reopen as a deli and bar called Rosa’s Corner. – Victaulic has expanded in Tennessee with the acquisition of Tennessee Metal Fabricating, price not disclosed. – The old Forks Diner will be serving auto-repair customers by early spring of 2023 with a six-bay garage known as Wrenchtec. – Lehigh County-based Shift4 Payments stepped in to help the owners of Better on the Bone Butcher and Deli in Pottstown finally open their doors. – Mid Penn Bank opened a new, bigger location in Blue Bell. – Balloon Junction held a grand opening in Pottsville for its store offering custom balloon creations. – Rentschler’s Ice Cream has reopened just a few doors down from its former location in Ringtown after it was destroyed by a fire in February. – Mill Street Aesthetics, a day spa and skincare boutique, held a grand opening in Belvidere, New Jersey. – Provident Financial Services agreed to acquire Lakeland Bancorp in a stock deal valued at $1.3 billion, creating a bank that will hold 4% of the deposits in New Jersey.

Simonson Construction Services Honored For Work In Wooster And Ashland – Wooster Daily Record https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/simonson-construction-services-honored-for-work-in-wooster-and-ashland-wooster-daily-record/ Simonson Construction Services was recently honored at an awards banquet hosted by the Northern Ohio Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors in Cleveland. The Excellence in Construction Awards Gala recognized superior and innovative construction projects throughout the northern Ohio region. Simonson submitted award applications for three recently completed construction projects: Wooster’s West View Healthy Living Wellness Center and Skilled Nursing Facility, the Ashland Salvation Army Kroc Community Center addition, and the Primary Colors facility in Ashland. The selected projects possessed several quality characteristics: all three were significant in size and scope and they showcased an array of services that Simonson Construction offers in Wooster, Ashland, and neighboring communities, according to a news release from the company. The West View facility project competed in the $10 to $25 Million range of the health care category and received a Merit Award. Roughly 56,000 square feet of living and recreational space was added to the West View community. West View Healthy Living is a retirement community designed to provide amenities for a wide variety of residents’ health and wellness needs. The Salvation Army Kroc Community Center Additionwas entered in the $5 to $10 Million Institutional category and received the Excellence Award. It was recognized as one of three finalists for Project of the Year. Simonson Construction’s building and excavation crews invested over 12,500 man hours into the 20,700 square-foot facility. Upon project completion last December, the center welcomed the public to its state-of-the-art indoor water park, fitness center and multi-purpose space, which is open seven days a week and offers a multitude of activities for members of all ages.  The Primary Colors facility in Ashland was submitted in the Pre-Engineered Building Under $100 Million category. The facility received the ABC Excellence Award. Upon completion, the facility totaled 93,635 square feet under roof. Primary Colors is a commercial company that packages and ships various character-themed snacks, treats and sweets for all ages across the world. Thanks to the new facility, Primary Colors can achieve higher production rates with room to grow.  “Simonson Construction Services was proud to represent the West View Healthy Living Wellness Center and Skilled Nursing Facility, the Salvation Army Ashland Kroc Community Center addition, and the Primary Colors Ashland facility during the Excellence in Construction Awards Gala,” the release states. “The construction company looks forward to showcasing upcoming projects throughout Wooster, Ashland and surrounding regions at future awards celebrations.”

Giants Vs. Packers Live Score, Updates, Highlights From 2022 NFL London Game – Sporting News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/giants-vs-packers-live-score-updates-highlights-from-2022-nfl-london-game-sporting-news/ For the first time in the history of the NFL London game, both participating teams — the Packers and Giants — have winning records. The Packers (3-1) are coming off consecutive close wins over the Buccaneers and Patriots. They must face a 3-1 Giants team that could be without its top two quarterbacks in Daniel Jones (ankle) and Tyrod Taylor (concussion). New York does boast Saquon Barkley, the NFL leader in both rushing attempts (84) and rushing yards (463) through four games. Regardless of who runs the Giants’ offense, it’s a good bet Barkley will be a big part of the game plan against Green Bay. Conversely, Aaron Rodgers will continue to work on the Packers’ passing game without Davante Adams. He has posted three straight games of two passing touchdowns, but he has also thrown interceptions in consecutive games, including a pick-six vs. New England. He has yet to throw for more than 255 yards in a game. MORE: Watch NFL games live with fuboTV (free trial, U.S. only) The Sporting News is tracking live scores, updates and highlights from the Giants-Packers game at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: Giants vs. Packers score   Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Giants 3 0 — — — Packers 10 0 — — — Giants vs. Packers updates, highlights from London game All times Eastern. Second quarter: Packers 10, Giants 3 10:26 a.m.: Rodgers with a quick pass on a modified tunnel screen to Cobb goes for 10 yards and a first down at the 1-yard line. 10:26 a.m.: Aaron Jones with a nice gash up the middle for an 8-yard gain on third-and-4. Packers have it first-and-10 at the 11-yard line. 10:24 a.m: Packers are nickel-and-diming the Giants and have a first down at the New York 25. 10:21 a.m.: Rodgers throws the outlet pass to Deguara for a gain of 11 yards to the Packers 49. He targets him again for a gain of 8 down to the Giants’ 43-yard line. 10:19 a.m.: Rodgers throws to Aaron Jones for 7 yards and a first down to the 36. First quarter: Packers 10, Giants 3 10:16 a.m.: Aaron Jones takes it 3 yards on first-and-10. That will end the first quarter. 10:14 a.m.: FIELD GOAL, GIANTS. Graham Gano boots a 48-yard field goal to get New York on the board to make it 10-3 Packers with 9 seconds left in the first quarter. 10:13 a.m.: Jones again to Barkley on third down, and again it results in nothing (via a dropped pass). That brings up third-and-7 from the 31. 10:12 a.m.: Jones had Slayton again on the deep route, but the receiver couldn’t get his head around quick enough. That brings up second-and-19 from the 43 after a holding penalty. 10:10 a.m.: Jones takes a huge shot but manages to get the ball off to Daniel Bellinger for an 11-yard gain to the Packers’ 34. 10:09 a.m.: Jones finds Darius Slayton on a deep crossing route for 26 yards to midfield. First big play of the day for the Giants. 10:04 a.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PACKERS. Two play slater, Rodgers hits Allen Lazard on the bubble screen for a 4-yard touchdown. That gives the Packers a 10-0 lead with 3:19 left to play in the first quarter. — NFL (back in London) (@NFL) October 9, 2022 10:03 a.m.: Xavier McKinney is called for pass interference on Robert Tunyan, giving Green Bay first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. 10:02 a.m.: Packers get a little cute and go for an end-around to Rodgers. Adoree Jackson is all over it, tackling him for a loss of 3. 10:01 a.m.: Another long completion from Rodgers to Doubs all the way to the 35-yard line. 9:58 a.m.: Amari Rodgers nearly fumbles the punt away but it’s caught midair by Josiah Deguara, who also fumbles it before jumping on it with Isaiah Mcduffie at the Green Bay 40. 9:57 a.m.: Jones dumps it off to Barkley on third-and-long, and Jaire Alexander blows it up for a loss of 4 yards. 9:56 a.m.: Delay of game by Giants brings up third-and-13 at their own 20. 9:51 a.m.: Packers try a tunnel screen to Romeo Doubs and it’s immediately brought down for a loss of 1 by Jihad Ward. Giants to take over at their 23. 9:49 a.m.: Rodgers takes the play-action rollout and dumps it off to Tyler Davis before he can get hit. The tight end is taken down for a loss of 7 to the Packers’ 25. 9:46 a.m.: Daniel Jones’ swing pass to Barkley bounces off his hands with three Packers converging on him. Three-and-out is the first time all season the Packers haven’t allowed an opening-drive score. 9:45 a.m.: Saquon Barkley goes for 4 yards on a toss right. 9:44 a.m.: The Giants take over at their 24 on the ensuing drive. Definite Packers contingent in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 9:41 a.m.: FIELD GOAL, PACKERS. Mason Crosby hits the 46-yard field goal with no issue to make the score 3-0 Packers with 11:05 left in the first quarter. Mason Crosby 46-yd FG good#Giants 0 #Packers 3 1st pic.twitter.com/Mrt7E7Dc0b — Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) October 9, 2022 9:40 a.m.: Illegal procedure by the Packers brings up fourth-and-10 from the 27. 9:39 a.m.: Giants bend, don’t break, forcing the field goal team team after an incompletion on third-and-5 at the 22. 9:37 a.m.: Packers get a couple of tough runs to net a first down at the Giants’ 27. 9:36 a.m.: Nice pocket presence by Aaron Rodgers, who avoids the pressure, works his way up the pocket and finds Randall Cobb for a 35-yard gain to the Giants 39-yard line. — NFL (back in London) (@NFL) October 9, 2022 9:35 a.m.: Packers to take over on offense first, and they quickly face third-and-long. SN’s WEEK 5 NFL PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread What time is the NFL game today? Date: Sunday, Oct. 9 Time: 9:30 a.m. ET | 8:30 a.m. CT | 2:30 p.m. BST The Giants-Packers game will kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. local time. Fans in Green Bay and Milwaukee will have to watch at 8:30 a.m. CT. Fans on the West Coast who want to watch the game must tune in or log on at 6:30 a.m. PT. The game will kick off from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It is the second of two London games this season at the venue. The third London game will be played in Wembley Stadium. The other two NFL international games in 2022 will be in Munich and Mexico City. MORE: NFL power rankings for Week 5 What channel is Giants vs. Packers on today? TV channel (national): NFL Network (U.S.) | ITV, Sky Sports NFL (U.K.) TV channel (local): WABC (New York) | WLUK (Green Bay, Wis.) | WTMJ (Milwaukee, Wis.) Live stream: NFL+, fuboTV (U.S.) | DAZN (Canada) | NFL Game Pass (U.K.) U.S. viewers will be able to watch Giants-Packers on NFL Network. Viewers in Canada can watch via DAZN. In the United Kingdom, fans can watch the game on ITV and Sky Sports NFL. NFL live stream for Giants vs. Packers Cord-cutters have several streaming options for Sunday’s game (cable subscription required and charges apply): In-market viewers can stream the game free via the NFL app or NFL.com. For U.S. fans outside the teams’ respective markets, other options include NFL+ and fuboTV, which offers a free trial. Fans in Canada can watch the game on DAZN. For local fans, NFL Game Pass is the league’s official streaming site in the U.K.

Faux Foie Gras And Slammed Metaverse Plans — Startup Europe, The Sifted Podcast – Sifted https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/faux-foie-gras-and-slammed-metaverse-plans-startup-europe-the-sifted-podcast-sifted/ Listen to Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast on Apple, Spotify and all major platforms. Missed the Sifted Summit — or just miss it already? No problem. This week we recorded the pod live from the event. Tune in to hear from Herman Narula, cofounder and CEO of Improbable, which builds technology to make large-scale, simulated virtual worlds. He had a spring in his step after raising a fresh $100m funding round, and slammed Mark Zuckerburg’s metaverse plans live on the main stage. From the podcast stage, we chatted about Parisian cultivated meat startup Gourmey’s €48m raise. We also discussed the close of SISTA, a €100m fund based in France that will invest money into early-stage startups with at least one woman cofounder. We also talked to special guest — and Sifted contributor — Tessa Clarke about her waste sharing app Olio and whether all startups can help with the green transition.