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Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid Headline List Of Current NHL Captains And Alternate Captains For 2022-23 Season – Sporting News https://collincountynewsonline.com/sidney-crosby-connor-mcdavid-headline-list-of-current-nhl-captains-and-alternate-captains-for-2022-23-season-sporting-news/ One of the greatest honors in hockey is to be named captain of a team.  Donning the “C” comes with incredible responsibility as a player becomes the team’s leader. Players like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby were given the letter when they were just a few seasons into their NHL careers. Others, like Patrice Bergeron, could have been a captain for the majority of their careers but earned captain status in their older age.  This offseason, a couple of new captains named, one player was stripped of the “C,” and a few teams lost their leader to retirement or free agency.  MORE: NHL predictions 2022-23, including awards and Stanley Cup pick Here is a look at the captains and alternate captains for the 2022-23 NHL season. Which NHL teams have new captains? Two teams head into the season with new captains.  The Rangers named defenseman Jacob Trouba the 28th captain in franchise history in August. The 28-year-old was one of the team’s alternate captains prior to his appointment. He’s New York’s first captain since Ryan McDonagh from 2014-18. The Canadiens named forward Nick Suzuki the 31st captain in their franchise history. At 23, he is the youngest captain in club history. He also wore an “A” last season. Suzuki succeeds Shea Weber, whose contract was traded to the Golden Knights.  Which NHL teams don’t have a captain? Six NHL teams have not designated someone to wear the “C” for the 2022-23 season: the Ducks, Coyotes, Flames, Flyers, Kraken and Jets.  The Coyotes traded Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Canucks in the summer of 2021. That same summer, the Flames lost Mark Giordano to the Kraken in the expansion draft. The Flyers traded Claude Giroux at the 2022 deadline to the Panthers. With Ryan Getzlaf retiring at the end of last season, the Ducks are without a captain.  This offseason, the Jets stripped Blake Wheeler of his captaincy, a position he held from the 2016-17 season through the 2021-22 season. They have yet to name a replacement.  The Kraken have yet to name a captain as they enter their second season in the NHL. NHL 2022-23 captains and alternate captains A list of the captains and alternate captains for the 32 NHL teams.  Team Captain Alternate captains Anaheim Ducks Vacant Jakob Silfverberg Arizona Coyotes Vacant Jakob Chychrun Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron Brad Marchand, David Krejci Buffalo Sabres Kyle Okposo Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Dahlin Calgary Flames Vacant Mikael Backlund, Chris Tanev Carolina Hurricanes Jordan Staal Sebastian Aho, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews Patrick Kane, Connor Murphy, Seth Jones Colorado Avalanche Gabriel Landeskog Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen Columbus Blue Jackets Boone Jenner Gustav Nyquist, Zach Werenski Dallas Stars Jamie Benn Esa Lindell, Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin Vacant Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse Florida Panthers Aleksander Barkov Aaron Ekblad, Patric Hornqvist Los Angeles Kings Anze Kopitar Drew Doughty Jared Spurgeon Minnesota Wild Matt Dumba, Marcus Foligno Montreal Canadiens Nick Suzuki Joel Edmundson, Brendan Gallagher Nashville Predators Roman Josi Mattias Ekholm, Filip Forsberg, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Johansen New Jersey Devils Nico Hischier Dougie Hamilton, Damon Severson, Miles Wood New York Islanders Anders Lee Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck New York Rangers Jacob Trouba Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad Ottawa Senators Brady Tkachuk Thomas Chabot, Claude Giroux Philadelphia Flyers Vacant Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Ivan Provorov Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin San Jose Sharks Logan Couture Mario Ferraro, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson Seattle Kraken  Vacant Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Adam Larsson, Jaden Schwartz St. Louis Blues Ryan O’Reilly Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko Tampa Bay Lightning Steven Stamkos Victor Hedman, Alex Killorn Toronto Maple Leafs John Tavares Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Jake Muzzin, Morgan Reilly Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat Oliver Ekman-Larsson, J.T. Miller, Tyler Myers Vegas Golden Knights Mark Stone Alex Pietrangelo, Reilly Smith Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson Winnipeg Jets Vacant Vacant

CityLab 2022 Day Two: Watch The Livestream From Amsterdam – Bloomberg https://collincountynewsonline.com/citylab-2022-day-two-watch-the-livestream-from-amsterdam-bloomberg/ We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.

Dogecoin, SHIB Post More Losses As Crypto Market Sheds $11B Overnight – Decrypt https://collincountynewsonline.com/dogecoin-shib-post-more-losses-as-crypto-market-sheds-11b-overnight-decrypt/ Shiba Inu (SHIB) fell 4.5% over the past 24 hours and is now trading hands at $0.00001032, slightly recovering from the daily low of $0.00000998 seen earlier on Tuesday, according to CoinGecko. The popular meme coin’s downwards price action comes amid the broader crypto market slump, which saw the cumulative value of all digital currencies fall 2.2% over the day to the current level of $960 billion. SHIB was among the six new assets included in the forthcoming listing by cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, with trading slated to commence later this week. However, as the charts show, the announcement failed to boost the price of the industry’s 13th-largest cryptocurrency. Over $1.6 million in SHIB trades have been liquidated over the past 24 hours, predominantly from short positions, according to data from Coinglass. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s been almost a year since the historic meme coin craze saw the asset hit an all-time high of $0.00008616. Today—much to the investors’ dismay—the coin is trading down 88% from its historical record, and down about 60% since the start of the year. DOGE follows the downtrend The leading meme coin, Dogecoin (DOGE), is meanwhile down 1.8% over the day and currently trades at around $0.0593, data from CoinGecko shows. With a market capitalization of $8.1 billion, DOGE now is the 10th-largest cryptocurrency. The meme coin saw some positive price action last week after news broke that Tesla billionaire owner Elon Musk agreed to purchase Twitter on the deal’s original term, however, is still down 8.5% over the past month, and almost 75% since the beginning of January. Elsewhere in the market, Bitcoin (BTC) fell close to $19,000 in the early hours on Tuesday before recovering to $19,117 by press time. Ethereum (ETH) is meanwhile down -1.1% over the last trading, changing hands at $1,285. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice. Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.

Israel And Lebanon Agree To Final Draft Of U.S.-Brokered Maritime Border Deal – Axios https://collincountynewsonline.com/israel-and-lebanon-agree-to-final-draft-of-u-s-brokered-maritime-border-deal-axios/ Officials in Israel and Lebanon announced Tuesday they have accepted a U.S.-mediated agreement on a maritime border between the countries.  Why it matters: This opens the path to a historic deal between the two traditional enemies that will allow the beginning of natural gas exploration in the disputed area in the Eastern Mediterranean and reduce the threat of regional war.  What they’re saying: Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata said all of the Israeli government’s demands in the maritime border negotiations with Lebanese officials were met.  “The changes we asked for in the text were made. All of Isrsel’s security interests were safeguarded. We are on a path towards a historic agreement,” he added.  Lebanese chief negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters the proposed agreement “takes into consideration all of Lebanon’s requirements” and “could imminently lead to a historic deal.” The big picture: The negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials have been going on for more than a decade. In the past year, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein resumed the efforts to reach a deal.  The dispute is over a potentially gas-rich, 330-square-mile disputed area of the Mediterranean Sea with an estimated value reaching billions of dollars. The need for a deal has become especially urgent as the Karish rig, a major Israeli gas project that Israel’s government says is located south of the disputed area, prepares to come online. Hezbollah has called the beginning of production in the Karish rig a red line. Driving the news: A week ago, it appeared the two sides were headed towards a deal. But negotiations broke down after Israeli officials rejected comments by their Lebanese counterparts on the draft agreement, claiming they were a “material breach” of the text. Israeli officials were concerned about their Lebanese counterparts’ refusal to recognize the three-mile security line of buoys Israel placed in the sea between the countries and the Lebanese reservations about the compensation Israel would get for its economic rights on the disputed area.  But U.S. officials continued to mediate between the parties. And Israeli and U.S. officials said a solution on Monday night that a solution was found to the remaining issues and a final text was sent to the parties. Editor’s note: This article has been updated with further context on the negotiations.

Sion Power Announces Appointment Of Carlos Restrepo As Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire https://collincountynewsonline.com/sion-power-announces-appointment-of-carlos-restrepo-as-chief-technology-officer-business-wire/ TUCSON, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sion Power Corporation (Sion Power) announces the appointment of Carlos Restrepo as chief technology officer (CTO). In his role as CTO, he will oversee all activities from the core electrochemistry to the incorporation of cells into application-specific battery packs. “As Sion Power takes the next step towards commercialization, Carlos’s experience in incorporating cell technologies into commercial energy storage systems will be invaluable,” stated Tracy Kelley, Sion Power’s CEO. “We are extremely fortunate that Carlos has joined the Sion Power family at such a pivotal time.” Restrepo has more than 20 years of technology experience in a variety of industries, with a focus on energy storage solutions within renewable and clean energy markets, both in commercial and residential spaces. Before joining Sion Power, he was the CTO for Eos Energy Enterprises, a developer of zinc aqueous battery technologies, where he led the Innovation, R&D, Engineering, and IT organizations. “Extremely excited to join an amazing group of folks that have forged a remarkable history in the next-generation lithium battery space. Sion is at the doorstep of this energy transformation with an incredible opportunity to be a compelling provider of products and solutions suited for high-power, high-energy applications. I positively consider this to be a great place to contribute and grow, in which we can achieve amazing results. I am honored by the appointment and highly motivated to help Sion take solids steps forward to get us there,” said Restrepo. About Sion Power Sion Power advances the rechargeable battery industry with its Licerion® technology. Licerion® is an advanced approach to lithium-metal batteries containing twice the energy in the same size and weight battery, compared to a traditional lithium-ion battery. At up to 500 Wh/kg, Licerion batteries are produced at scale in large-format cells. As a result, Licerion® batteries have the potential to significantly enhance the performance of commercial and consumer electric vehicles. Visit Sion Power on the web at www.sionpower.com.

Council Proposes Another Gaming-Related Resolution | Riverbend News | Advantagenews.com – AdVantageNEWS.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/council-proposes-another-gaming-related-resolution-riverbend-news-advantagenews-com-advantagenews-com/ The Alton City Council Committee of the Whole has laid over a proposed ordinance that would amend the city code to further restrict the number of video gaming licenses in the city. Second Ward Alderwoman Carolyn MacAfee introduced a resolution that would prohibit any establishment from getting a license unless it has been in continuous operation for at least 24 months. But three aldermen were absent last night, so the decision was made to lay it over until everyone could have a say. MacAfee explains the reasoning behind the proposal. Your browser does not support the audio element. Two weeks ago, the council laid over a resolution that would have granted gaming licenses to four businesses that claimed they had license applications in the works when the council capped the number of licenses. It was laid over again on Monday. The full council meets Wednesday at 6:30pm.

Amazon Sale: Prime Early Access Deals Now Live On Laptops, PC, Xbox, And More – Windows Central https://collincountynewsonline.com/amazon-sale-prime-early-access-deals-now-live-on-laptops-pc-xbox-and-more-windows-central/ Refresh 2022-10-11T08:40:58.848Z (Image credit: Daniel Rubino | Windows Central) Razer Book 13 Laptop (i7, 16GB, 512GB SSD) $2,000 Now $1,259.99  Razer made its name in gaming, but the Razer Book 13 flexes the brand’s ability to step outside that box. This 13-inch ultrabook is one of the best compact Windows PCs on the market, delivering great performance in a slick, sublime chassis. The Razer Book 13 competes with devices like the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Pro, ideal for professionals, creatives, and regular laptop users demanding a premium machine. It’s lightweight with a robust aluminum body, a 13.4-inch display, and high-end hardware under the hood. Windows Central Executive Editor, Daniel Rubino, stated the Razer Book 13 was an “easy recommendation,” among the best ultrabooks money can buy. The Prime Early Access Sale cuts the Razer Book 13 down to just $1,259.99, which nets you an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also has a 3840×2100 (4K) screen, undercutting the HD versions available on Amazon. It’s the lowest price yet on Amazon, beating its all-time low of $1,500 last Prime Day. 2022-10-11T08:07:06.701Z (Image credit: Future) Save up to 27% on Microsoft Surface Pro 8 at Amazon Microsoft’s beloved 2-in-1 has received a tempting price cut thanks to the Prime Early Access Sale, slashing up to 27% off the PC range. Microsoft Surface Pro 8, the latest in the company’s staple line-up, marks its most powerful yet, and it’s now more affordable than ever. Prime Early Access Sale discounts only apply to its i7-equipped models, with prices starting at $1,169.99 for an Intel Evo Platform Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256 GB SSD. Amazon has also discounted the same model with 512GB and 1TB SSDs, plus its top-spec config with a monstrous Core i7, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD trio. With Microsoft expected to bump its Surface Pro specs in a new model this week, it’s a welcome price cut anticipating the news. While Microsoft’s Surface Pro hasn’t seen drastic changes in a long time, it remains a popular choice for portable computing. That 13-inch touchscreen pairs great with Windows 11, with a range of keyboards and pens also available, blurring the line between a laptop and a tablet. 2022-10-11T07:19:06.722Z Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale is now live across the world — you can check the highlights via Amazon’s Early Access Sale hub. We’re just getting started and scoping out the deals available across the site, though rest assured, we’ll be rounding up the best of the season over the coming 48 hours. Don’t forget you’ll need an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of these offers, though Amazon does offer a free trial if you’re new to the service. The sale is fast approaching, but you’ll need to wait a little longer for Prime Early Access to get started. Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale kicks off at 12 a.m. PDT / 3 a.m. EDT on Oct. 11 for those in the U.S. and Canada with deals running 48 hours, through Tuesday and Wednesday. There’s a similar 12 a.m. kick off in other regions, with deals cycling out throughout the day. We’ll be rounding up the best deals in the lead up to and during the event, so make sure to check back for the latest from the sale. — Matt Brown 2022-10-09T22:50:17.931Z Welcome to our Prime Early Access Sale live blog! We’re just getting started ahead of this week’s event and looking out for the savings you can take advantage of right now. While we’re still early, and Amazon hasn’t put its complete catalog of deals live quite yet, we’re already ramping up our coverage on one of the year’s biggest shopping events. Windows Central will be blogging throughout the two-day event, and later I’ll be joined by other team members, rounding up our top picks from all corners of the website. In the meantime, get your wallet ready, and keep your eyes peeled as more deals start hitting the Amazon homepage. In the meantime, we recommend ensuring you have an active Amazon Prime membership or take advantage of the generous free trial available to new subscribers during the Prime Early Access Sale. — Matt Brown, Windows Central Senior Editor

Editorial Roundup: Texas | Local News | Cleburnetimesreview.com – Cleburne Times-Review https://collincountynewsonline.com/editorial-roundup-texas-local-news-cleburnetimesreview-com-cleburne-times-review/ Dallas Morning News. October 5, 2022. Editorial: Poisonous abandoned oil wells are all over North Texas State must make sure it receives $344 million in federal money to plug troublesome orphan wells Tens of thousands of dangerous and abandoned oil wells pierce the Texas landscape. Because they were never plugged by their owners, some now emit harmful methane into the air, litter the surrounding area with old, rusty equipment and leach toxic chemicals into groundwater. But before you assume these so-called orphan wells are just West Texas’ problem, think again. We found hundreds of them right here in North Texas counties, mostly around Stephenville, Corsicana, Gainesville and Decatur. So it’s good news to us that the federal government has recently given the Texas Railroad Commission $25 million to plug these troublesome wells as part of its massive Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Railroad Commission is eligible to receive up to $344 million for plugging, remediation and restoration, as long as it meets federal requirements. We urge the state regulatory agency, which we have long worried is too cozy with the oil and gas industry, to work with the U.S. Department of Interior to receive every penny of these much-needed funds. And we call on the commission to do more to hold well owners accountable for their drilling operations, from start to finish. The commission this month began using the federal funds to plug 800 orphan wells on its list of more than 8,000 that have long since stopped producing oil, but whose owners can either not be found or have declared bankruptcy. Basically these drillers skipped town, leaving the cleanup to the taxpayer, more specifically the state. Our review of that list turned up 129 in Erath County, 107 in Navarro County and 68 in Cooke County. Grayson and Wise counties each had less than a dozen. The 800 wells being fixed by federal funds are in addition to those the commission has already taken care of in recent years. Since 1983, it has plugged more than 40,000 wells, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. This year, about 1,100 were plugged by the end of July at a cost of about $29 million. Troubling us, however, is that even though the railroad commission is busy plugging wells, more are continuously being orphaned because of the commission’s own flawed policies. According to the watchdog group, Commission Shift, reform is needed to prevent additional orphaning. Among its recommendations are to check the environmental compliance of companies seeking drilling and operating permits. Another is to make sure bonds provided by the operators are sufficient to clean up abandoned wells in the event of “dining and dashing on Texas resources.”. We think these and other policy changes that would require the oil industry to clean up after itself make good sense and are long overdue. Houston Chronicle. October 7, 2022. Editorial: Hey, QAnon — Texas had an actual child sex ring. Paxton’s office let them off. So where’s QAnon when you need them? We’re talking about the secretive cult of conspiracy-mongering crazies who believe that Democrats are pedophiles prone to making meals of their victims at the behest of evil Hillary Clinton and who worship Donald Trump. We’ve noticed that the former president has taken to wearing a Q pin on his lapel, but in the interest of truth, justice and the American way, we ask, how can these folks stay anon when an actual elected official in the great state of Texas has, by his rank incompetence, abetted what would appear to be actual cases of child sex-trafficking? It should come as no surprise that we’re talking about the state’s highest-ranking law-enforcement official, Attorney General Ken Paxton, now in the midst of campaigning for a third term while fending off reverberations from yet another in a long list of embarrassments. Last year, the AG’s office proudly announced that the Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division had arrested a group of people involved in a scheme in Coryell County, a rural county west of Waco, to ship teenage girls to Dallas and other Texas cities, where they were forced to “exchange sexual contact for crystal methamphetamine.” Paxton’s office dubbed its sex-trafficking investigation “Operation Fallen Angel.” Now, thanks to a blockbuster investigative report by the Associated Press, we learn that Operation Fallen Angel has quietly fallen apart because of the AG’s bungling. Six of the people indicted are now free. One is being held in the Coryell County jail on other charges, while an eighth died in jail. The AP reports that Paxton’s attorneys were recently forced to drop four of the human trafficking and sexual assault cases — because they misplaced one of the victims. “It’s absolutely broken. It’s just broken. You don’t do it this way,” Coryell County District Attorney Dusty Boyd told the AP. Boyd, a Republican, had a five-lawyer team working on the cases before handing them off to Paxton’s office. “I made the mistake of trusting them that they would come in and do a good job,” he said. The AP investigation confirmed what Texans already knew: It’s been broken since Jan. 5, 2015, the day Paxton raised his right hand and took the oath of office. While Paxton’s office was falling apart — correct that: while our office, the people’s office, fell apart under his watch — the AG himself was gallivanting around the country filing absurd lawsuits claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen. When he wasn’t making a fool of himself in federal court, he was a warm-up act for Trump at the White House gathering of insurrectionists on January 6. Since then, he’s been fighting access to abortion and siccing state investigators on families with transgender children. Just a few days ago found him sneaking out of the garage entrance to his Collin County home trying to avoid a court process server. It’s little wonder that the everyday work of the attorney general’s office, vital work for the people of Texas, has been neglected or mishandled. Paxton, who came into office under indictment for felony securities fraud (and after seven years still awaits trial), remains the subject of a federal investigation into accusations of other kinds of corruption, including bribery and abuse of office. A steady stream of disgusted attorneys, including some close aids turned whistle-blowers, has left the AG’s office. One prosecutor told the AP he quit in January after supervisors pressured him to withhold evidence in a murder case. Another attorney resigned a few weeks later, leaving behind a letter that warned of growing hostility toward LGBTQ employees. That same employee, an assistant attorney general at the time of his resignation, accused new executives Paxton had hired of “directing prosecutors to prioritize political considerations.” The AP investigation found that, as of August, the number of assistant attorneys general in the division that handles human trafficking cases was down by 40 percent. The number of assistant attorneys general in the criminal prosecutions division was down more than 25 percent from two years ago. The group that deals with financial and white-collar cases had been cut by more than half and has merged with another division. “This is scary to me for the people of Texas,” said Linda Eads, who served as a deputy attorney general in the early 2000s. She told the AP it was rare for any division to have more than two or three vacancies. Boyd said staff turnover in Paxton’s human trafficking unit contributed to the collapse of the cases in his county. In the last two years, Republican lawmakers have doubled the division’s budget to $3 million, but Boyd told the AP he has doubts about how Paxton has spent the money. “For Pete’s sake, you’re the AG’s office. You can’t find the victim?” he said. “The culture is broken.” Nothing new here, of course. Like Pigpen, the Peanuts cartoon character, a noxious cloud envelops our attorney general. And not just him. Paxton has tainted the top law enforcement office in the state, and in the process, he’s apparently jeopardized a criminal investigation and endangered victims. Paxton’s buffoonish adventures may read like a comic strip, but the harm he’s doing to this state is real. How long will his supporters stand by and let it happen? Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 7, 2022. Editorial: It’s time! If you care about elections that affect your everyday life, register to vote Your last chance to register to vote this year is approaching. The deadline is Tuesday, and that means your application must be in the mail that day. A lot has happened in our country and in Texas since the last midterm elections in 2018. We suffered a two-year global pandemic, an angry mob stormed the Capitol, Texans survived mass power outages, and inflation has hit us all. This is the first time many state and county officials have been on the ballot since all that happened, so it’s your first chance to weigh in on their performance. Plenty of people get interested in presidential elections, but the decisions much further down the ballot often have a significant impact on our daily lives, even more so than the president. Think your water or electric bill is too high? Talk to your state legislator or city council member. Think teachers need a raise or your school district should provide more information about its spending? This is an issue for school board members and state lawmakers. The governor and lieutenant governor set the agenda for taxes, school safety, border security and other state policies. The candidates elected in these midterm elections negotiate and vote on an array of issues that affect you, your work, your family, and ...

Plan Your Next Vacation With Apollo Times Travel And Tourism – Wknd. https://collincountynewsonline.com/plan-your-next-vacation-with-apollo-times-travel-and-tourism-wknd/ Published: Tue 11 Oct 2022, 11:18 AM Last updated: Tue 11 Oct 2022, 11:43 AM Personal planning and preparing your holiday destination takes a fair amount of effort and planning. Even more so when travelling with family that involves seniors and children or a group of friends. Apollo Times Travel and Tourism LLC is a one-stop destination that caters to all kinds of inbound and outbound travel solutions. The in-house team at the company has a vast knowledge of the art of travel so that you and your loved ones can sit back and relax. Apollo Times Travel and Tourism LLC handles everything from the moment you meet your dedicated travel consultant till you return from your fun excursion and touch base with your comfortable abode. A brand of trust Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life is something precious to many of us. We all deserve the best in life and the freedom to travel is a privilege one must take advantage of. Apollo Times Travel and Tourism LLC is not just any travel agency, but it has definite plans for making your holiday trip fruitful. Discover new frontiers, taste the unknown and revel in exotic surroundings without the hassle or stress of planning itineraries. Leave it to the professionals to design travel packages to suit your needs. Yes, that means you and your travel companions, including the tiny tots, can enjoy the ultimate dream holiday. Experiences to remember Apollo Times Travel and Tourism LLC has a qualified team to compile exhilarating adventures as part of your itinerary. These range from desert safaris, dhow cruises, scuba diving, river rafting and skydiving. The agency covers almost 90+ countries at a competitive price and also offers up to 20 per cent discount on local sightseeing, visa and flight tickets. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are some of the destinations that are preferred by the UAE residents. The list of services include: . Global visa assistance . UAE visit visa . Air tickets . Aircraft charters . Hotel booking . Holiday packages . Pilgrimage packages . Cruise bookings . Sightseeing tours . Airport transfer . Travel insurance Phone: +971 4 318 0357 Email: info@apollotimestravelandtourism.com

Final Boss: Glowmade’s Jonny Hopper – Business News – MCV/Develop https://collincountynewsonline.com/final-boss-glowmades-jonny-hopper-business-news-mcv-develop/ Every month an industry leader wraps up MCV/DEVELOP with their unique insight. This month, we speak to Jonny Hopper, co-founder and CEO of Glowmade. What would you say is your greatest achievement? I think my greatest achievement is actually the string of smaller achievements that have led to Glowmade being the studio it is today. It’s just a wonderful place to spend time – and that is down to the people there and the culture we have built together. We spent a lot of time distilling down our core values – what we stand for as a studio – and this anchors us as the studio grows because we want to ensure those values continue to be upheld at all times. For example, we are very passionate about maintaining a positive, inclusive culture where everyone has a voice, and every idea is listened to. We give our teams the creative freedom to challenge the expected and follow their imaginations when creating video games. I’m super proud to have built a studio around these tenets, and that everyone at the studio embraces them as much as I do. What ambitions do you have for the future of Glowmade and the industry as a whole? It’s very important to me that as Glowmade grows, we ensure that we retain the core values and culture that make us unique today. The people who joined the studio four or five years ago will have had a different experience to people that join us today, but over those years they helped build the culture and values we now hold dear to our hearts. So I want to ensure that in another four or five years’ time, people who join the studio will still see and feel those values we hold today. I’m super excited for the studio to evolve and grow, but I am very much focused on keeping the Glowmade soul at the core of everything we do. Also, we are currently developing a new IP which is being published by Amazon Games, and we’ll be revealing it early next year. We’re super stoked to finally show everyone what we’ve been working on – it feels like a truly “Glowmade” game, and that makes me very excited for what the future of the studio holds. What do you see as the gaming industry’s biggest challenges in the years ahead? Will it be able to overcome them? Nowadays with social media it’s so easy for gamers to talk directly to developers – the walls and the mystique is disappearing, which is great, because we’re all just people. But sometimes gamers forget that developers are just people trying to make a cool thing that we’re passionate about. We are seeing more and more of a sense of toxic entitlement online – as though the game developers are beholden to the trolls. It is challenging because we do know our craft, and we just want to make the best thing we can. Do you think the industry is in a healthy place – or headed in the right direction, at least? There’s always going to be more we – and any industry – can do to look after and maintain equality, diversity, team health and wellbeing, both physical and mental. I think the world at large is a much more accepting place than it was even ten years ago, but we still hear of horror stories taking place. It’s harder to see much of the quiet goodness that goes on all the time under the radar. We take wellbeing very seriously at Glowmade – I want people to have a great time working for us but ultimately it’s just a job. It’s a job that should be inspiring and creative and fun, but it should never consume someone’s life. Life needs to exist outside of work for all of us, and we should never lose that focus.

Philips Drives Purposeful Partnerships Towards Sustainable Healthcare With Future-Ready Solutions At Global Health 2022 – ZAWYA https://collincountynewsonline.com/philips-drives-purposeful-partnerships-towards-sustainable-healthcare-with-future-ready-solutions-at-global-health-2022-zawya/ Philips’ comprehensive future-ready solutions are designed to make healthcare work better, while enabling inclusive, sustainable and resilient healthcare systems. Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, is pioneering purposeful partnerships embedded in future-ready solutions at Global Health 2022 (9 – 11 October 2022) in Riyadh. At the heart of future-ready innovations and partnerships, Philips is enabling inclusive and resilient healthcare systems, while reducing the fraternity’s dependency on natural resources, to ensure sustainable care across the continuum – from healthy living and prevention to diagnosis, treatment and home care. “We know that health technology solutions have great potential to improve patient outcomes and care delivery, but technology is only as strong as the people behind it,” says Mohamed Sindi, CEO for Philips Saudi Arabia. “If these solutions are underpinned by long lasting expert partnerships, collaboration at the system level between all stakeholders including governments, public and private providers and healthcare payors, and continued investments in bringing the vision of healthcare transformation to life, progress and a positive impact is inevitable.” Innovation at the centre of future-ready partnerships By combining and leveraging advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions, Philips is continuously developing portfolios of scalable smart connected innovations that help to alleviate healthcare challenges, strengthen the health system and improve lives across the region. A prime example is emerging smart technologies such as AI and machine learning that will increasingly shape the future of care. These technologies are the driving force behind innovative solutions – and have the potential to transform patient care, quality and outcomes. Philips uses AI to turn data into actionable insights that enable more precise, predictive, personalised and accessible care across the continuum. This equips healthcare providers to do what they do best – prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor – and helps people take better care of their own health and well-being. Core to its innovation, Philips places a growing focus on the role that informatics plays in improving health outcomes and improving patient and staff satisfaction. Informatics is key to facilitating collaboration among caregivers and allowing a more complete view of the patient in order to support clinical decision making. Informatics is also the backbone of telehealth, which helps increase access to care as well as instrumental in improving operational efficiency. Ultimately, planet- and people-conscience, interoperable and future-ready innovations will support healthcare partners to deliver against the quadruple aim: meeting the challenge of improving health outcomes, at a lower cost, while increasing patient and staff experiences. “Philips has long been at the forefront of developing and deploying solutions that enable more precise, more predictive, more personalized and more accessible healthcare, while improving patient and staff experience,” says Sindi. “With the healthcare systems across the Middle East primed to undergo a radical transformation, we are excited co-create the future of patient-centric care to make the world healthier and more sustainable, which is our ultimate ambition.” Global Health 2022 is taking place at the Riyadh International Convention Center from 9 – 11 October 2022. For more information, visit the Philips Global Health webpage and follow @PhilipsME on Twitter for live #GlobalHealth2022 updates. -Ends- For further information, please contact: Philips Middle East & Turkey Rengin Erdinc Head of Brand and Communications Email: Rengin.Erdinc@philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 79,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Teachers Call For End To Mandatory Retention Policy – Warren Tribune Chronicle https://collincountynewsonline.com/teachers-call-for-end-to-mandatory-retention-policy-warren-tribune-chronicle/ A Campbell teacher joined the Ohio Education Association on Monday to urge the Ohio Senate to pass a bill that would eliminate a requirement that third-graders be held back a grade if they do not hit a certain score on a standardized reading test. Since the 2013-14 school year, third-grade students have taken a standardized test each spring and the score they get determines if they will continue to fourth grade, or be retained in third grade. House Bill 497 would change that, so students still would take the test, but parents would work with their child’s teacher to decide if retention is best for that student. It has been approved by the Ohio House, but not the Ohio Senate. OEA President Scott DiMauro said this is a one-size-fits-all approach that data shows does not benefit students and has not been an effective approach to raising reading scores. One local teacher has seen how this negatively affects students firsthand. Karen Carney, a fourth-grade teacher at Campbell Elementary School, said being retained is devastating to a child’s self-esteem and compared it to wearing a scarlet letter around school. In her many years of teaching, she has taught students in first through fourth grade. “Unfortunately, that third grade reading guarantee and that retention piece that goes with it is something that has just caused nightmares all around,” Carney said. “My first year in third grade, I overheard two little girls taking about, ‘oh my gosh did you hear that if we don’t pass this test, they won’t let us go to fourth grade?’ No 8- or 9-year-old should have to go through anything as stressful as that. School should be a place where you feel safe — where you feel people are your cheerleaders — and that’s exactly what we do here. That was an incident that completely broke my heart.” Since the mandatory retention policy began in Ohio, Ohio State Board of Education member Christina Collins said an average of 3,628 students are retained per year. Of those, only 8 percent hit a proficient mark in reading in fourth grade. She also said this policy disproportionately affects minority and disadvantaged students. Of those students who are retained each year, 48 percent are black, 31 percent are white and 92 percent are economically disadvantaged. “In the business world, such minimal return on investment would be considered a failure,” Collins said. The featured speakers agreed that retention is sometimes necessary, but that decision should be between those who know students best, their teachers and parents, not a score they earned one time. Carney pointed out that some students have anxiety and are bad test-takers, so the score they earn on one day at one time may not be reflective of their actual abilities. The House bill is co-sponsored by Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, and Phillip Robinson Jr., D-Solon. It was passed by the house June 1 by a vote of 82-10, then introduced into the Senate on June 8. Manning said she originally voted for the legislation that instated the mandatory retention policy, but since then, she has seen how it has hurt students. “Ending mandatory retention has broad bipartisan support because it’s the right thing to do for kids,” Manning said. “These decisions should be made by parents and educators, not dictated by a score on a test.” The Senate will take up the legislation when it returns to session later this fall. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Gen Z’s Message To Merchants: Meet Us In The Metaverse – 365 Retail https://collincountynewsonline.com/gen-zs-message-to-merchants-meet-us-in-the-metaverse-365-retail/ A new study from FIS® (NYSE: FIS), shows how the shopping preferences of younger UK consumers have shifted as adoption of embedded finance services reaches mainstream usage among Millennials and Gen Zs, while their older counterparts are less engaged with newer, digitally-oriented financial experiences. Embedded finance is when consumers have unique, tailored financial services delivered to them at the point of need by non-financial companies. Most commonly, consumers use embedded finance in the form of in-app payments, like on social media platforms where a purchase is completed without leaving the platform, or as Buy Now Pay Later offerings at checkout. There is also growing potential to use embedded finance across loyalty programs, investments, and insurance offerings as consumers become increasingly comfortable with accessing financial services through non-traditional means. Young consumers want to shop seamlessly via social media: 78% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials say they are likely to make a purchase directly through a social media platform in the next 12 months, according to the recent survey. Meanwhile, Gen Zs (27%) and Millennials (24%) said they feel social media purchasing encourages more frequent, unplanned spending. Gen Z consumers expect to inhabit and transact in the metaverse: o    Across all generations, 43% of consumers say they are likely to access the metaverse in the next 12 months. o    However, only 21% of Baby Boomers said they plan to use the metaverse over that time while 62% of Gen Z consumers said they would be willing to make a purchase in the metaverse. o    Those willing to make purchases in the metaverse in the next 12 months said they would be open to buying event tickets (43%), buying games or gaming tokens (42%), and banking services (31%) including investments, insurance and loans within the metaverse. Embedded loyalty offers convenience and more diverse financial choices: o    48% of consumers believe that convenience is the primary advantage of collecting loyalty points digitally, with 44% favouring the ability to use points instantly. o    Embedding investment options and microdonations into loyalty reward schemes was more popular with Gen Z than other age groups. o    Conversely, 77% of Baby Boomers said they still expect to collect loyalty points on a physical card in their wallet, such as a coffee shop stamp card, over the next 12 months. Fast, embedded payments experiences preferred even when shopping in person: o    67% of Gen Z and 65% of Millennials said they would like to visit a checkout-free supermarket, compared with 51% of Gen X and only 29% of Baby Boomers. o    The biggest advantage to checkout-free supermarkets is that they make it faster to shop and pay, according to Gen Z (56%), Millennials (57%), and Gen X (47%) “Having grown up with almost everything available at the click of a button, young consumers are consummate digital natives who expect a seamless customer journey with advanced options for completing a purchase,” said Silvia Mensdorff-Pouilly, Senior Vice President of Banking & Payments in Europe at FIS. “These customers don’t want to navigate away from the website or app they are using, complete multiple sign ups, or deal with customer service staff – they want minimal friction and a smooth service. FIS has been investing in these capabilities so that businesses of all types can embed the right financial products and services at the right time, across multiple channels, and with instant payment options. These investments support our vision to advance how the world pays, banks and invests across today’s channels and those of the future.” About the survey Ipsos was commissioned by FIS to conduct the survey in September 2022 on 1,000 British consumers across Gen Z (18-24), Gen Y (25-40), Gen X (41-54) and Boomers (55 and above). Content director of 365 Retail, Retail Focus and Hospitality and Leisure Design. The organiser of the Creative Retail Awards and CDD Connections the networking event.

Ring Signatures: What Are They & Do They Ensure Privacy In Monero – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/ring-signatures-what-are-they-do-they-ensure-privacy-in-monero-cryptonews/ The pseudonymity of Bitcoin made it appealing to many new users, especially in its early days. However, its pseudonymity has become strained over the years as it began being surveyed by blockchain analysis firms and government agencies. As a result, privacy coins like Monero emerged, with embedded privacy protection at the base layer through the use of ring signatures.  Read on to find out what ring signatures are, how they work, and how they provide privacy for Monero users. What Are Ring Signatures? A ring signature is a privacy-enhancing, cryptographic digital signature used to protect any information on signatures made by Monero users when they want to make any transaction. Ring signatures are one of the earliest cryptographic creations ever to be made, and they remain effective to date. A ring signature typically involves a group of users who all own keys. When using a ring signature, it’ll appear as though a group of users have merged together (forming a ring) and are executing a transaction as a group. However, no one will know the true signer out of the transaction. Simply put, instead of one transaction being signed by one person, it will be signed by multiple users – just like you would need multiple signatures from various members if you were to open a joint account in a bank. Ring signatures were introduced by Adi Shamir, Ron Rivest, and Yael Tauman Kalai at ASIACRYPT back in 2001. They have since become very popular and are used for multiple real-life applications, especially in enhancing privacy on public blockchains.  How Do Ring Signatures Work?  The ‘White House Dilemma’ is one of the earliest schemes used to explain how ring signatures work. In this scenario, let’s assume there has been a leak of some sensitive information from the White House. However, the leaked data does not have any source. So, what happens? It is assumed that everyone working in the Oval Office is a suspect and that the information must have been divulged by a staff member even though no one has any idea who it is. The news is in the open, but no one can tell the source or how the leak occurred. This, therefore, means everyone working at the White House gets to enjoy plausible deniability due to a lack of evidence. Given there’s no source, no one can be held accountable, making the concept similar to how ring signatures work. For a ring signature to work, it needs an already existing group of users on both sides of every transaction. For instance, in the above example, the anonymous sender is the person in the White House leaking out the information, while the receiver is the general public. On Monero, a single signature is sufficient to transmit a ring signature message even though all the other ring members operate as decoys. And since it’s not possible to establish who signed the transaction using their keys, the anonymity of the signer remains as such – anonymous. While ring signatures may appear similar to group signatures, they have two key differences. For starters, the anonymity of the single key used in a ring signature is irreversible. Secondly, there is no additional setup that is required to establish a single signing set. This means that any irregular set of keys can be used with or without the prior knowledge of the key owners.  Ring Signatures: The Keys to Monero’s Transactional Privacy Monero (XMR) is a decentralized digital currency that utilizes a distributed ledger and incorporates privacy-enhancing technology to obscure transactions and provide anonymity for its users. The cryptocurrency was a fork of Bytecoin and was launched in 2014.  Monero does not depend on Bitcoin’s code, nor does it have a limited supply. Its independence on the Bitcoin blockchain means that it integrates privacy on its own protocol instead of making it optional or having to rely on a second layer to develop the security or add it at a later stage. One such privacy-enhanced technology that Monero uses is ring signatures. So effective is this form of protection that it has not only set Monero aside from its competitor but also sparked the interest of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which offered a $625,000 bounty for anyone who could crack Monero’s privacy features.  So, how do Monero ring signatures work? To ensure the privacy of its users when sending XMR, Monero uses ring signatures to make it appear as though several outputs have been used to transfer funds to an individual, even though only one of the outputs has actually been used. Keys are, therefore, used to sign any Monero transactions made. This way, outside receivers, and observers cannot tell what output has been used to complete the transaction. Additionally, the ring signature used can also not be revoked, which helps to ensure that the anonymity of the Monero user is protected both in the short and long term. Ring signature technology has helped Monero establish itself as one of the most private digital currencies. Additionally, it has made it very attractive to advocates of privacy in the crypto space who believe that privacy is a fundamental right, and not just for people who are believed to have something to hide. And given that the IRS hasn’t been able to crack its privacy has given Monero more success as the market’s leading privacy coin.

Secretary Blinken’s Call With Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba – US Embassy In Georgia https://collincountynewsonline.com/secretary-blinkens-call-with-ukrainian-foreign-minister-kuleba-us-embassy-in-georgia/ Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba  US Embassy in Georgia

Inputi Receives An Investment To Grow Smart Technology For Food Security – Business Wire https://collincountynewsonline.com/inputi-receives-an-investment-to-grow-smart-technology-for-food-security-business-wire/ October 11, 2022 03:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time KAMPALA, Uganda–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Food security. It’s a challenge in many parts of the world, especially as global supply chains break down and environmental imbalances leave lands barren. The Ugandan tech company Inputi is improving the odds in its region with funding from Renew Capital, an impact investment firm growing small and medium-sized businesses in East Africa through its network of investors, Renew Capital Angels. Inputi is an online marketplace, aggregator and distributor for farm inputs. Through versatile digital platforms, it delivers quality crop and livestock inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides to 1,000 rural agro shops, 20 dairy cooperatives and 12 meat cooperatives, sending them directly to buyers or to regional agro and vet shops at a fixed transportation cost. Inputi is projecting 50% growth in the coming year and, with the Renew Capital investment, it hopes to profile and aggregate input dealers, farmers and farmer groups to provide linkages in trade and to financial institutions and insurance firms. “We cannot eliminate famine caused by climate change, but we can mitigate that by improving food distribution systems,” says Inputi chief executive officer David Lukwago. “The private sector plays a critical role in building efficient, effective and sustainable means to move food from one point to another point where the food is needed.” “We are excited about the end-to-end value chain connectivity solution for crop and livestock farmers that Inputi is building. This solution delivers agri inputs to the farmer at an affordable cost while providing farmer-centric training to create a thriving agricultural ecosystem sustainably,” says Renew Capital Head of Shared Growth Services JC Oelofse. For more information on Renew Capital visit www.renewcapital.com. About Renew Capital Renew Capital is an Africa-focused impact investment firm that backs innovative companies with high-growth potential. With a presence in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda, Renew Capital manages investments made on behalf of the Renew Capital Angels, a global network of angel investors, foundations and family offices who seek financial returns and sustainable social impact. Since the establishment of the network in 2012, the Angels have been actively investing in the region, mobilizing millions of dollars into Africa’s middle market.

Light & Wonder Names Matt Wilson As Permanent CEO – Gaming Intelligence https://collincountynewsonline.com/light-wonder-names-matt-wilson-as-permanent-ceo-gaming-intelligence/ New York-listed gaming supplier Light & Wonder has named Matt Wilson as its permanent president and CEO, with Siobhan Lane promoted to replace him as head of the Gaming division. Wilson has served as interim CEO since August following the departure of Barry Cottle, and has now been given the job on a full time basis and joins the company’s board of directors with immediate effect. “The board of directors unanimously determined that Matt is the right choice to lead Light & Wonder’s next chapter given his impressive track record, extensive industry experience and his pivotal role in transforming our business,” said Light & Wonder executive chair Jamie Odell. “Matt has demonstrated impressive leadership, strategic vision and a passion for our business. “He fully embodies the Light & Wonder culture rooted in embracing innovation, a player-first mentality and a deep commitment to performing and winning as a team. The board is confident in Matt’s ability to unlock the full potential of Light & Wonder as we enter this exciting next chapter.” Wilson said he was honored by the trust that the board has placed in him. “I am excited to work with the best team in the business as we chart our cross-platform future. With a portfolio of unparalleled evergreen franchises, industry leading positions and unmatched platforms, combined with a strengthened balance sheet, we are well-positioned to drive substantial growth and shareholder value,” he added. Siobhan Lane has been appointed as the new CEO of Gaming to replace Wilson, having served as Light & Wonder’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer of gaming since February 2020. Prior to joining the company, Lane spent 12 years at Aristocrat Technologies in increasing roles of responsibility, finishing as senior vice president of marketing and gaming operations. “I am very pleased to announce Siobhan Lane’s appointment as our Gaming CEO,” said Wilson. “Siobhan has played a pivotal role in helping me lead the Gaming business since joining the Company in 2020, and her strong leadership and depth of experience have helped drive our success. Siobhan has been critical to our efforts to reposition the business and is one of the most strategic and capable leaders I have had the pleasure of working alongside. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Siobhan in this new role and am confident that under her leadership, our Gaming business is well-positioned for continued growth.” Shares in Light & Wonder Inc (NASDAQ:LNW) closed 1.95 per cent lower at $46.19 per share in New York Monday.

Get To Know All About Galaxy S23 Even Before It Has Been Revealed – The Tech Outlook https://collincountynewsonline.com/get-to-know-all-about-galaxy-s23-even-before-it-has-been-revealed-the-tech-outlook/ Image Source : Onleaks An Avalanche of leaks from various sources has left very little that people don’t know about Samsung S23. On the top of 4RMD has compiled all the leaked information and given the shape to it. It looks like finally, Samsung has come with a cool android design and awesome features. This article will take you through all the specifications that the video talks about. Here are some of the rumored specs of the Samsung Galaxy S23 If We talk about the display of Samsung S23 has a 6.1-inch display that has a 1,500 nits screen and the design has been said to have a sleek and beautiful look. If We talk about the front camera it has a punch hole at the top of the screen that houses a front camera of 12MP that takes care of your selfie and vlogs. The rear camera houses a triple camera setup that has a 16MP ultra-wide lens with a 13mm focal length and f/2.2 aperture. A 50MP wide lens with f.1.8 aperture and 8K video recording capabilities. And a 12MP telephoto lens with a 77mm focal length and 4x optical zoom. In terms of battery, it has got a large battery of 3900 mAh that will take care of your performance for prolonged use. A Fast Charging battery of 30W will charge your battery full in minutes. Its graphic chip name has not yet been revealed. In terms of performance, the Samsung Galaxy S23 shown in the video is listed with a 3,900mAh “bigger battery”, 5nm Exynos 2300 processor, and 30W charging capability. The graphics chip isn’t listed. This Android phone is shown to come in five colors, including Phantom White, Phantom Black, Blue, Pink Gold, and Phantom Violet.

New Texas Election Law Brings Changes For Voters And Elections Officials – WFAA.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/new-texas-election-law-brings-changes-for-voters-and-elections-officials-wfaa-com/ For voters who haven’t been to polls since 2020, a new law has changed how to vote and how closely you’ll be watched. DALLAS — Tuesday is the deadline for Texans to register to vote in the 2022 midterm election with Election Day just weeks away. “We believe the turnout for this election is going to be robust, so we are planning accordingly,” said Dallas County Election Administrator Michael Scarpello. Since the 2020 election, Texas has passed major voting changes that supporters and Republicans say add integrity. Critics, including Democrats and voting rights groups, claim the changes create suppression. In Houston this weekend, Governor Greg Abbott touted the new election law that Democrat lawmakers fled the state to try to block last year. “We knew they were going to come back,” Abbott said. “When they came back, we passed an even tougher election integrity bill.” One of the biggest changes is allowing partisan poll watchers to move freely at locations and see and hear activity. Critics worry, though, it could lead to intimidation with watchers now allowed to be much closer to voters. “I think that when SB1 was initially passed, there were a lot of concerns, but we’ve found in the last several elections is that the poll watchers are just there to do their jobs,” said Scarpello.  The law also bans 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting, which were set up to help working class voters or younger voters in Harris County during the pandemic. The new law also requires counties to add live cameras inside count facilities “People are suspicious of the process and so what we’ve done is to try to be as transparent as possible,” said Scarpello.  Texas has more candidates who support the false claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 election than any other state, according to reporting from 538. Droboxes for mail-in ballots are banned, and there are new restrictions on registering to vote.  Dallas County plans to have a drive-thru voter registration event Tuesday from 7 a.m. to midnight next to its main office. Collin County also plans to stay open until midnight to register voters.  New laws will be tested by increased tension and increased voters. “If issues happen, we will react accordingly,” said Scarpello.

German Tourism Industry Leaps Into The Digital Age – Hindustan Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/german-tourism-industry-leaps-into-the-digital-age-hindustan-times/ In this day and age, planning and booking a holiday on the internet has become the norm. So is trawling social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube for vacation inspiration. As a result, to stay competitive, travel companies and hotel chains must keep up with the digital age and ensure prospective holidaymakers can find and book their offerings online. The German tourism industry, however, has been slow to embrace the digital solutions. When the COVID pandemic hit, however, many were left with no choice but to go digital. Pandemic kick-starts digitization When pandemic-related travel restrictions made it difficult to travel abroad in 2020 and 2021, many Germans opted to spend their vacations within Germany. During the warmer months, German beaches were packed with holidaymakers, and many campsites and hotels were booked out for weeks. On top of that, many companies working in the tourist sector began advertising their services online. “The coronavirus pandemic forced and convinced small companies in particular to embrace digitization,” a spokesperson for the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) tells DW. (Also Read: China holiday tourist trips fall 18% over the week-long National Day holiday) Hotels and restaurants introduced a spate of innovations, such as virtual menus, online reservation and booking systems, as well as contact-less check-in options. A 2021 survey by the German Tourism Association (DTV) found that 84% of businesses said the pandemic had spurred digital transformation in the industry. Tourists visiting Germany’s East Frisian Islands can now, for example, use a special app to check-in and out of hotels, or book restaurant tables. Guests wishing to book and pay for a beach chair along Germany’s popular North Sea or Baltic Sea coast can do so online. And vacationers heading for spa towns can now buy virtual visitors’ cards, entitling them various discounts and free beach access. While progress has been made in some areas, Germany still lags behinds in others. Take cashless payments, for instance. While card payments are widely accepted in Denmark, Poland and Lithuania, many German businesses still run on cash. When out and about in rural Germany, you are also likely experience poor phone reception, slow internet, and a dearth of public wifi. Travelling back in time Overall, however, Germany’s tourism sector seems to have awoken from its analog slumber and is embracing the digital age. Almost overnight, many business have begun advertising their services online, investing in mobile-first and social media platforms, and using Instagram as a marketing tool. Some are even developing new gadgets and technologies to pull in new clients. City marketing agencies in Munich, Bamberg and Wolfenbuttel, for instance, now offer virtual tours to attract prospective tourists. The city of Essen, in Germany’s far-west, began running hybrid tours that combine virtual and analog elements in 2021. Visitors don virtual reality goggles, which track their GPS location, showing them what Essen city life was like in the late 19th century. Other companies offer similar history tours of Cologne. Sign up with TimeRide Go!, and you can experience certain parts of Cologne as they were decades ago thanks to special virtual reality glasses. Airbnb, the popular accommodation platform, also offers virtual cooking classes, and online-only tours of famous landmarks, such as India’s iconic Taj Mahal palace. Travel agencies are also letting clients explore potential holiday destinations with virtual reality goggles. All this helps attract and retain customers. Managing visitor flows Traveling around Germany has become much easier in recent years thanks to new digital technologies. Some are applied to better manage visitor flows and avoid overcrowding of roads, tourist attractions, beaches and so forth. When masses of German holidaymakers streamed to the North Sea coast in the summer of 2020 and 2021, crowding beaches, authorities found themselves worrying about how to ensure social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They then tasked a marketing agency with developing a virtual traffic light system indicating how many people are frequenting local beaches at any given time. Laser sensors register the number of beachgoers and vehicles in an area, then translate this information into a simple, color-coded traffic light heuristic accessible online and displayed on local monitors. This way, people at home, and nearby, can pick less frequented beaches to avoid overcrowding. Challenges remain Germany’s Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) says some business still, however, have a hard time integrating digital technologies into their existing infrastructure. Two reasons explain this sluggish uptake, according to industry association DTV: A lack of funds and pronounced staff-shortages. The latter has meant that companies lack employees with the necessary expertise to oversee such changes. That said, not all services could or should be shifted online. The tourist trade is built, after all, on interpersonal encounters, hospitality, brick-and-mortar hotels and restaurants, great food and friendly smiles. After all, this is what holidays are really all about.

LIVE: CJI UU Lalit To Recommend Name Of Justice DY Chandrachud As Next CJI Today – Hindustan Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/live-cji-uu-lalit-to-recommend-name-of-justice-dy-chandrachud-as-next-cji-today-hindustan-times/ Live Updated on Oct 11, 2022 11:14 AM IST Breaking news October 11, 2022, live updates: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Follow all the updates here: Oct 11, 2022 11:14 AM IST SC affirms Calcutta HC judgment quashing reappointment of Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee as Calcutta University vice-chancellor Supreme Court affirms the Calcutta HC judgment quashing the reappointment of Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee as the Calcutta University vice-chancellor. SC holds the state couldn’t have done away with the clause requiring approval of the chancellor — the West Bengal governor. Oct 11, 2022 10:14 AM IST List of Congress members attending Mulayam Singh Yadav’s funeral Congress deputes former MP CM Kamal Nath, and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel to attend the last rites of veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav in Saifai, Uttar Pradesh today. Oct 11, 2022 09:35 AM IST CJI UU Lalit to recommend name of Justice DY Chandrachud as next CJI today CJI UU Lalit to recommend name of Justice DY Chandrachud as next CJI today at a gathering of all SC judges. Oct 11, 2022 09:01 AM IST With 1,957 new cases, India daily Covid tally remains under 2k-mark With 1,957 new cases, India daily Covid tally remains under 2k-mark; active caseload at 27,374. Oct 11, 2022 08:22 AM IST TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya arrested by ED in teacher recruitment scam TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya arrested by ED in teacher recruitment scam. He is the former chairman of the state primary education board and was removed from his post by the Cal HC in June. Second TMC MLA to be arrested after Partha Chatterjee in recruitment scam. Oct 11, 2022 07:08 AM IST 5.1-magnitude earthquake hits Afghanistan’s Fayzabad An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hit Fayzabad, Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, the National Center for Seismology said. The earthquake struck 89 kilometre east of Fayzabad and had a depth of 112 km. Oct 11, 2022 06:11 AM IST Biden condemns ‘utter brutality’ of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine US President Joe Biden condemned the “utter brutality” of Russia’s missile barrage at civilian targets in Ukraine – a significant escalation of a conflict now in its eighth month. Subscribe to our best newsletters Strict action against private buses violating rules: Kerala transport minister Published on Oct 11, 2022 10:53 AM IST The minister’s remark came after a report was submitted on the Vadakkenchery private bus accident that took place on October 6, claiming the lives of nine people including five school students The horrific road accident occurred after the tourist bus rear-ended the KSRTC bus. (File image | PTI) Mulayam Singh Yadav funeral updates: Huge crowd in Saifai to pay last respects Updated on Oct 11, 2022 11:09 AM IST Mulayam Singh Yadav funeral: Mulayam Singh Yadav, the patriarch of the Samajwadi Party and a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, died on Monday of multi-organ failure after a prolonged illness. Terror funding case: NIA conducts searches in 8 districts of Jammu and Kashmir Updated on Oct 11, 2022 10:30 AM IST The searches were conducted at locations in Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu, Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam, Shopian and Bandipora. NIA sources ANI that the case is related to the suspicious activities of Al Huda Educational Trust in the Rajouri district. Pilot calls for working collectively to retain power for Congress in Rajasthan Published on Oct 11, 2022 09:31 AM IST The comments underlining the need to work collectively came days after the Congress was plunged into disarray when legislators loyal to chief minister Ashok Gehlot threatened to bring the government down unless he gets to pick his successor ‘Will carry Mashaal with pride…’: Aaditya Thackeray on new poll symbol Published on Oct 11, 2022 09:21 AM IST The Election Commission of India on Monday allotted ‘ShivSena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’ as the party name to the Uddhav Thackeray faction and the flaming torch as its election symbol. Moderate rainfall likely over east UP, parts of Delhi & Punjab: IMD Published on Oct 11, 2022 09:02 AM IST A cyclonic circulation is lying over north Tamil Nadu and neighbourhood and a trough is running from this cyclonic circulation to northeast Rajasthan in lower tropospheric levels Morning Brief: Final leg of Nirav Modi hearing today by London Court Published on Oct 11, 2022 09:00 AM IST Here are today’s top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Pakistan still to give US FBI access to 26/11 killer Sajid Mir Updated on Oct 11, 2022 08:50 AM IST While India, US and France are all for taking action against Pak based terror groups and terrorists, Islamabad has a full protection of Beijing, which blocks global designation of terrorists like Mir, LeT’s Abdul Rehman Makki and JeM’s Rauf Azhar by the UNSC 1267 committee. ‘Karnataka govt most corrupt in country’: Rahul Gandhi steps up attack on BJP Updated on Oct 11, 2022 06:46 AM IST Bharat Jodo Yatra: The Congress leader’s attack comes as the party looks to revive its grip on Karnataka ahead of the polls next year. LIVE: CJI UU Lalit to recommend name of Justice DY Chandrachud as next CJI today Updated on Oct 11, 2022 11:14 AM IST Breaking news October 11, 2022, live updates: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Story Saved New Delhi 0C Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Fair Go: Mould And Water – Some Renters Still Battle For A Healthy Home – 1News https://collincountynewsonline.com/fair-go-mould-and-water-some-renters-still-battle-for-a-healthy-home-1news/ Tenants are complaining to Fair Go that some landlords are failing to meet their obligations to ensure homes comply with the Healthy Homes Standards. Both parties have obligations, but healthy housing advocates say there’s still a power imbalance. Jo Wills who works for Sustainability Options says “the property owners know that if a complaint is made they can evict the tenant and there’ll be another tenant lined up without the home being improved”. She adds that they have lots of examples of tenants being evicted for making a complaint. It’s a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act but they have first-hand experience that it still happens. Wills acknowledges that most landlords take their responsibilities seriously, but says there are a few that own multiple properties that continue to cause problems in the Bay of Plenty area where she works. It was hoped that the organisation’s efforts to improve housing standards would be easier now that all rental properties involving new or renewed tenancies are legally required to comply with Healthy Homes Standards. “We thought by now we’d be weeding the bad ones out, but the property manager or landlord can just say the property has met standards whether they have or not.” Sustainability Options would ideally like to see enforcement of the standards, or at least an effective audit so that those who haven’t complied could be encouraged to do so. The idea is in line with the Green Party’s call for a rental Warrant of Fitness. MP Chloe Swarbrick says the current approach falls short. “It’s effectively voluntary. That’s because the Government is not collecting data on exclusions and doesn’t know how many properties are up to scratch.” In a statement, Housing MP Megan Woods told Fair Go that the cost of enforcement was too great and didn’t justify the level of increased compliance that would follow. Swarbrick rebuffed this, saying “when talking about the costs, let’s talk about the benefits as well – it will mean more people can live in homes that are healthy. Even if we look at it from a right wing perspective, that means we can see more productivity in the economy.” The Healthy Homes Standards include six areas for certification – insulation, moisture barriers, draughts, drainage, heating and ventilation. An assessment should be done on each property for certification. Wills says they are the absolute minimum required, and ideally they would like to see them extended to include heating in additional parts of the house (at the moment, it’s only a requirement in the main living area) and the provision of curtains. She feels at the moment it’s a “race to the bottom”. Some landlords don’t comply and some do the minimum to pass standards. She would like to see more landlords who recognise that as well as having an investment they have a responsibility to provide a home that allows the tenants to live a healthy life in a secure environment.

JUNIOR HIGH | News, Sports, Jobs – The Review https://collincountynewsonline.com/junior-high-news-sports-jobs-the-review/ VOLLEYBALL Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament East Palestine at Southern 7th Grade: Southern won 23-25, 25-22, 25-15 Monday. Southern, Gracie Lee 21 points. Next: Today, Southern at Columbiana, 5 p.m.; Wellsville at United, 5:30 p.m. Lisbon at Southern 8th Grade: Lisbon won 25-22, 25-20 Monday. Lisbon, Sara Mayer 9 points, Ariel Dickey 8; Southern, Aubry Gilliam 8. Next: Today, Lisbon at Columbiana, 6:15 p.m.; East Palestine at United, 7 p.m. Buckeye Mountaineer Conference Big School Tournament at Oak Glen 7th Grade: East Liverpool beat Weir, 25-13, 25-17, Monday. East Liverpool, Addison Jones 13 points, Makayla Fennell 12, Daminica Deshaizer 7. Semifinal: Oak Glen beat East Liverpool, 25-23, 25-21, Monday. Oak Glen, Zoey Caughey 13 points, Darias Price 5 points and 5 kills, Emri Greenlief 5 points, Lilli Cole 5 points, Layla Skavenski 5 kills. Caetlyn Six 4 kills; East Liverpool (8-8), Addison Jones 11 points, Hailey Board 8, Damincia Deshaizer 7. Next: Championship, Oak Glen at Beaver Local, 5:30 p.m. today. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Learning To Drum In The Metaverse? LinkedIn User Shares ‘Fascinating’ AR Concept – News18 https://collincountynewsonline.com/learning-to-drum-in-the-metaverse-linkedin-user-shares-fascinating-ar-concept-news18/ Last Updated: October 11, 2022, 11:25 IST International Martin Harbech, a LinkedIn user, shared the possibilities of learning using immersive technology. (Credits: LinkedIn/Martin Harbech) A LinkedIn user shared how Augmented Reality might be used in the future to learn new skills, ranging from drumming to surgery. Augmented Reality is developing a digital landscape where many things hitherto unknown might become possible. Martin Harbech, a LinkedIn user, shared the possibilities of learning using immersive technology. In a full-blown futuristic video, he showed how one might learn to play the drums in the metaverse using Augmented Reality tools. For this purpose, Artificial Intelligence is being developed to understand what a person might be seeing from their own perspective. In the future, a new skill could be learned simply by putting on AR glasses, the video explains. “Our innovations will unlock new ways of learning,” it adds. The video is a concept design that shows how one could learn drumming using AR, but it could be applied to just about any skill, Harbech said in his post. This extends to things even as complex and significant as surgery. “A pioneering virtual reality surgical training company, OSSO VR, has already delivered almost 30,000 virtual training sessions… and a UCLA study found that their platform can improve surgical performance by an incredible 230%,” Harbech wrote. Even though the possibilities of immersive technology are currently more or less limited to the gaming landscape, fascinating possibilities lie ahead, he added. Art created using Artificial Intelligence is already a matter that’s being fiercely debated on social media. While many have opined that such art ushers in new possibilities, many artists have criticised the such artificially created work and questioned its significance. For instance Amrita Sher-Gil’s three girls, Raja Ravi Varma’s Hamsa Damayanti, Jamini Roy’s Krishna and Yashoda, and other similar artworks have engraved their names in Indian culture and art history in golden letters. Each of their styles remains unique in its own right. However, recently, AI was used by a journalist to create renditions of paintings and images closely resembling what the artist might have made today. Freelance data journalist Gurman Bhatia revealed the results that she and her husband generated after playing around with Dall-E. In a Twitter thread, Bhatia posted the outcomes of an “AI trying to paint an old woman on a computer in the style of different Indian painters.” The journalist posted seven pictures, belonging to the art styles of Amrita Sher-Gil, M.F. Hussain, Raja Ravi Varma, Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, and Francis Newton Souza. Read all the Latest Buzz News and Breaking News here

Couple Mistakenly Given $10.5m From Crypto.com Thought They Had Won Contest, Court Hears – The Guardian https://collincountynewsonline.com/couple-mistakenly-given-10-5m-from-crypto-com-thought-they-had-won-contest-court-hears-the-guardian/ A Victorian woman accused of theft over a $10.5m mistaken cryptocurrency refund has been released on bail as she awaits trial, despite claims she allegedly tried to flee the country. Thevamanogari Manivel and her partner, Jatinder Singh, appeared by video link from prison in Melbourne magistrates court on Tuesday when they were committed to stand trial on theft and other charges. In May 2021, Crypto.com intended to refund Manivel $100 but she was erroneously transferred $10.47m. The company did not notice the mistake until an audit was conducted in December. A worker in Bulgaria, who processed the refund, had entered the wrong numbers into an Excel spreadsheet, Michi Chan Fores, a Crypto.com compliance officer, told the court. Once processed, she said the refund request was sent to a payment provider in Australia, who then transferred the money into Manivel’s Commonwealth Bank account. The Crypto.com account was in Singh’s name but the transfer may have been sent to Manivel’s account as he used her bank card to buy cryptocurrency, the court heard. Singh allegedly thought he won the money after being sent a notification from the Crypto.com app about a competition. This was also what he told Manivel. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning However, Fores claimed there was no such competition and said Crypto.com did not send push notifications to tell users about competition winnings. The money was allegedly used to buy four houses while $4m was transferred to a Malaysian bank account. The rest paid for gifts, vehicles, art and furniture, the court heard. Most of the money has since been paid back but about $3m remains outstanding, with civil action under way to freeze the properties and get money back from relatives. Manivel pleaded not guilty to three charges, including theft from Commonwealth Bank for withdrawing the money and negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime. She was arrested at Melbourne airport in March while allegedly trying to fly home to Malaysia on a one-way ticket with about $11,000 in cash – which forms another charge. Singh pleaded not guilty to charges including theft for withdrawing the Crypto.com money from the bank. Manivel’s lawyer, Jessica Willard, applied for her client to be released on bail with a $10,000 surety from her brother. She said Manivel did not know there were criminal charges being brought against her when she tried to fly home to see her ex-husband and children. Manivel has been in custody since her arrest more than six months ago and faced another year behind bars before the trial begins, Willard argued. The prosecution opposed bail on the basis Manivel was a flight risk and her release could hinder the recovery of outstanding money. Magistrate Peter Reardon granted Manivel bail on strict conditions, including that she surrender her passport and cannot attend any points of departure. Manivel and Singh are due to face a directions hearing in the county court on 8 November.

Hong Kong Nixes US Sanctions On Russian-Owned Superyacht – KY3 https://collincountynewsonline.com/hong-kong-nixes-us-sanctions-on-russian-owned-superyacht-ky3/ HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader John Lee said Tuesday he will only implement United Nations sanctions, after the U.S. warned the territory’s status as a financial center could be affected if it acts as a safe haven for sanctioned individuals. Lee’s statement Tuesday came days after a luxury yacht connected to Russian tycoon Alexey Mordashov docked in the city. Mordashov, who is believed to have close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was sanctioned by the U.S., U.K. and the European Union in February after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hong Kong authorities have said that they do not implement unilateral sanctions imposed by other governments. “We cannot do anything that has no legal basis,” Lee told reporters. “We will comply with United Nations sanctions, that is our system, that is our rule of law,” he said. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement Monday that “the possible use of Hong Kong as a safe haven by individuals evading sanctions from multiple jurisdictions further calls into question the transparency of the business environment.” The State Department spokesperson also said the city’s reputation as a financial center “depends on its adherence to international laws and standards.” The $500-million superyacht Nord, allegedly owned by Mordashov, moored in Hong Kong’s harbor on Wednesday following a weeklong journey from the Russian city of Vladivostok. Mordashov is one of Russia’s richest men, with an estimated wealth of about $18 billion. He also is the main shareholder and chairman of Severstal, Russia’s largest steel and mining company. Mordashov has tried to challenge the sanctions against him in European courts. U.S. and European authorities have seized over a dozen yachts belonging to sanctioned Russian tycoons to prevent them from sailing to other ports that are not affected by the sanctions. Russian oligarchs have begun docking their yachts at ports in places like Turkey, which has maintained diplomatic ties with Russia since the war began. The Nord measures 141.6 meters (464.6 feet), has two helipads, a swimming pool and 20 cabins. The yacht is currently sailing under a Russian flag. Britain handed control over its colony Hong Kong to China in 1997, promising to respect its semi-autonomous status as a separate economic and customs territory. The semi-autonomous city’s status as an international business hub and financial center has suffered in recent years after Beijing imposed a tough national security law on the city, aimed primarily at stamping out dissent following months of antigovernment protests in 2019. Critics say the security law, which in certain cases allows for suspects to be transferred to mainland China for trial in its opaque legal system, could threaten Hong Kong’s rule of law. Beijing also sets foreign policy and has demurred from participating in sanctions against Russia for its attack on Ukraine. The State Department spokesperson said U.S. companies “increasingly view Hong Kong’s business environment with wariness” amid Beijing’s undermining of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and its freedoms. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Virginia Tech Advises Coal Counties On Job Growth – Cardinal News https://collincountynewsonline.com/virginia-tech-advises-coal-counties-on-job-growth-cardinal-news/ A study commissioned by the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority confirmed it is on the right track when it comes to the targets of its job growth and investment efforts. The study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement, recommends that VCEDA continue to focus on the advanced manufacturing, electronic information technology, energy-related enterprises and creative tourism industries. Jonathan Belcher. Courtesy of VCEDA. Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA’s executive director and general counsel, called the results of the study “reassuring.” “Overall, the targets made sense to us. It was well researched and validated what we’re focusing on. It helps us better understand that the targets valued have not changed,” he said. Four target industries These are the four target industries identified in the Tech study: Advanced manufacturing — machinery manufacturing, fabricated metal manufacturing, wood product and furniture-related manufacturing and electrical equipment manufacturing Electronic information technology — software development, telecommunications and data, and IT support services Energy-related enterprises — renewable energy and manufacturing and battery storage and manufacturing Creative tourism — including artisan restaurants and traded sector pursuits, food-based agriculture and research and outdoor recreation The results of the study were presented in September to the VCEDA board. The authority was created in 1988 by the General Assembly to diversify the region’s economy and create jobs. It covers the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Wise and the city of Norton. The study cost about $25,000, according to Belcher. The last such study was done in 2014 by a North Carolina consulting firm and the results were similar, he said. Scott Tate, associate director of the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement, worked on the report along with two colleagues. It was conducted between February and August, he said. The center has done a number of the studies for counties and regional economic development organizations, he said. “It makes sense every few years to reassess the economic context and look at trends and opportunities to see how best to align a region’s efforts at economic development, including attracting prospects,” Tate said. After the four targets were identified, the report pinpointed several sub-sectors of interest and included justifications for zeroing in on those target firms, challenges that must be overcome and opportunities for each sector. Results One of the most positive takeaways from the analysis was that the region is outperforming national averages in key sector areas, Belcher said. That was the case in advanced manufacturing, particularly machinery manufacturing, fabricated metal products and electrical equipment, which all grew more than the national average over the last five years, according to the report. In 2021, there were 26 businesses involved in machinery manufacturing in the VCEDA region that accounted for nearly 800 jobs, according to the report. That number is “126% greater than the national average for employment. From 2017-2021, the VCEDA region experienced a 23% increase in jobs in this sector compared to a 3% national decrease and a 0% change in Virginia,” the report states. The report cited three companies in the area that are involved in machinery manufacturing, Tadano Mantis Corp. in Richlands, which makes telescopic boom crawler cranes; Komatsu, which has locations in Abingdon, Duffield and Norton and manufactures construction, mining, forestry and industrial equipment; and Simmons Equipment Co. in Tazewell, which makes mining equipment. Challenges Belcher said the challenge that stood out most to him was the lack of enough available land in the region and too few sites for some categories of industries. The report states that the region has a number of sites, but “product quality varies, and larger shovel-ready sites are a challenge. The region’s largest ready-to-go site is under 100 acres, smaller than desired by larger manufacturing prospects. Specifically looking at Southwest, currently, only five sites over 100 acres were identified for investment by Virginia Build Ready Sites program.” According to the report, many sites and buildings aren’t “ideal fits” for typical industries due to topography, workforce and proximity to infrastructure such as interstates, airports and the Port of Virginia. “These challenges, particularly topography, mean that sites will often cost more to develop in Southwest Virginia than in other parts of the state and may take longer to realize project wins,” it states. A number of manufacturing and supply chain projects are lost due to the lack of well-prepared sites or available buildings. Plus, some sites are in “distressed communities” with higher-than-average unemployment or poverty rates, which make it tough to attract businesses, according to the findings. There are also challenges with employees, the study found. Some employers say they have difficulty filling open jobs because a high number lack the skills required and many fail to pass a drug test or criminal records check. Opportunities Opportunities identified for the region include its low cost of living and low labor and energy costs, which are highly competitive in Virginia and the nation, the report states. Another strength is the region’s higher education institutions, which have partnerships with manufacturers in job training, research and development. An example cited in the report was a partnership developed by Mountain Empire Community College, Southwest Virginia Community College, Virginia Highlands Community College, and Wytheville Community College to expand the training and development to prepare workers to enter the supply chain manufacturing for the offshore wind energy field. One service that was mentioned as both a positive and a negative in the study was broadband access. Broadband is now available in many areas in the VCEDA region. The study points out that in 2021, the region received more than $45 million in broadband grants to install more connections. However, another section of the report notes that while broadband access has improved, “there are still areas lacking infrastructure, making it difficult for small business owners, remote workers, and others to have that last mile broadband access. Survey results show that the majority of the Pound River region in Dickenson County is devoid of anything that could be considered a reliable internet connection.” Conclusions Tate said two things stood out to him in the study’s findings. The first was that an identified target sector was energy-related enterprises and the sub-sector of renewable energy and battery storage and manufacturing. In 2021, the VCEDA region had nearly 1,400 jobs in these industries and the workers had average earnings of more than $75,000, he said. The other was that creative tourism was identified as a sector of importance. VCEDA has been providing seed funding to help businesses start and grow in this sector, Tate said. Over the last five years, 43 small businesses related to accommodation and food services received VCEDA seed capital funding, which created at least 131 full-time jobs and 239 part-time jobs. Seed capital funding was granted to 49 small businesses in the region related to arts, entertainment, recreation and retail trade, creating at least 99 full-time jobs and 115 part-time jobs, he said. Belcher said he was also struck by the recommendation of creative tourism, which he said is fairly new as an industry target and is tourism plus added value. To help the region grow, the analysis made the following recommendations: –   Improve the number and quality of “shovel ready” sites –  Collaborate with regional educational institutions to align programs with industry needs –  Create a foundation for cooperative partnership initiatives and alliances in the region – Market universal broadband coverage coming to residents and businesses –  Offer entrepreneurial services and resources to assist companies in the early stages.

Latest Gaming News: Twitchcon Both Shocks And Delights As A Famous Singer-Songwriter Twerks With Master Chief While A Streamer Suffers A Horrific Injury – We Got This Covered https://collincountynewsonline.com/latest-gaming-news-twitchcon-both-shocks-and-delights-as-a-famous-singer-songwriter-twerks-with-master-chief-while-a-streamer-suffers-a-horrific-injury-we-got-this-covered/ Image via Adriana Chechik/NastyBrat69/Twitch TwitchCon just came and went, providing some juicy gaming news to kick-start the week. Running from Friday, Oct. 7 until Monday, Oct. 10, the annual TwitchCon convention in San Diego went above and beyond to deliver the utmost entertaining celebrities, events, panels, and more. Especially after San Diego’s last TwitchCon — which was scheduled to take place from Sept. 25-27, 2020 — was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon had some big shoes to fill, particularly after Amsterdam’s TwitchCon recorded an estimated 28,000 attendees. Needless to say, Twitchcon never fails to impress. After last week’s gaming round-up saw The Super Mario Bros. trailer at last, coupled with some exciting celebrity reveals for upcoming projects, this weekend’s newsroom was all TwitchCon. We had surprise celebrity appearances, some raunchy dance moves and even — we regret to report — another tragic accident in the famous foam pit. So save your files, discard your snacks, and feast your eyes on yet another round-up of stimulating news. Renowned rapper Megan Thee Stallion twerks with Halo‘s Master Chief at Twitchcon Image via @theestallion / Twitter Over the weekend, there were celebrity appearances aplenty, including rapper Megan Thee Stallion, the 27-year-old San Antonio native who garnered international fame after her freestyle videos took off on Instagram. No one ever thought they’d see a crossover between Megan Thee Stallion and Halo‘s Master Chief, but after the duo were spotted twerking on stage together, the crowd was fixated. Most attendees probably wondered how on Earth Master Chief could twerk with all that armor on — the chafing must be brutal. Live-action Mario’s flat butt receives hilarious response from an unlikely source Image via Nintendo/Illumination Let’s divert from TwitchCon for a moment to touch on one of the hottest topics in the gaming world right now: The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Any ’90s kids looking for a dose of nostalgia must have felt exhilarated after both Bowser and Mario made an appearance in the official teaser, which went viral on Thursday, Oct. 6. If Chris Pratt being cast as Mario wasn’t the biggest controversial subject surrounding the film, moviegoers and gamers alike will be surprised (but not really) to learn that Nintendo enthusiasts have a huge problem with Mario’s flat butt — and not the poor casting choice. In the games, Mario has a plump behind (we noticed respectfully) and it turns out that none other than Sonic the Hedgehog came to Mario’s aid, defending his character design in the most hilarious way possible. “Controversial lower body design? Can’t relate.” Ironically, rather than a “controversial lower body design,” Sonic’s live-action counterpart — as we all remember — was given a complete makeover after gamers sharpened their pitchforks and demanded it. But we don’t need reminding. Also at TwitchCon, pornographic actress and Twitch streamer Adriana Chechik breaks her back in the foam pit Image via Twitch / Adriana Chechik Moving on from the light-hearted topic of Mario and his decidedly flat behind. During TwitchCon, Twitch streamer and pornographic actress Adriana Chechik made a risky jump into the foam pit, the TwitchCon attraction made infamous for its sheer amount of freak accidents resulting in severe injury. When Chechik was performing, she jumped tail-bone-first into the spongey foam, apparently landing at an awkward angle and breaking her back in two different places. There have been some allegations that TwitchCon staff were neglectful during the incident, insisting that Chechik was fine, when in fact she was calling out for a medic. Chechik revealed via a Twitter update that she “broke [her] back in two places and [is] getting surgery to put a meter rod in for support.” Hopefully, she makes a full, swift recovery. That’s all for now, gamers. Be sure to check back for daily news round-ups as the ever-constant fountain of gaming news blesses us with new content every day.

Don’t Miss! Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Drops To $871 In Killer Prime Early Access Deal – Laptop Mag https://collincountynewsonline.com/dont-miss-samsung-galaxy-z-flip-4-drops-to-871-in-killer-prime-early-access-deal-laptop-mag/ Home News (Image credit: Future) Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale is kicking off, and the discounts are already pouring in. In fact, we’ve spotted a killer deal on the amazing Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, as it’s now down to its lowest price yet. Right now, You can pick up the foldable Galaxy Z Flip 4 for $871 on Amazon (opens in new tab). That’s down from a $1,059 price tag, and that’s not all. The model in this deal comes packed with 256GB of storage, meaning you’re getting even more bang for your buck. If you’re looking to check out one of the best foldables on the market, this deal is just for you. It’s one of the best Prime Early Access smartphone deals around.  What’s not love about this foldable gem? The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 boasts a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with HDR10+ support, a slick 1.9-inch cover screen, the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset for speedy performance, and fantastic cameras that include Flex Mode, allowing users to transform the foldable into a chair-like posture when taking photos. In our Galaxy Z Fold 4 review, we noted its beautifully engineered form factor, compact and pocketable design, and decent battery life stretching to over 8 hours. As a cherry on top, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 harkens back to the golden age of flip phones when we’d satisfyingly slam our clamshell devices shut with an air of “cool aggression.” What’s more, it’s a fairly pocketable device. Unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is 0.2 inches thick. Folded, it bulks up to 0.6 inches. It weighs 6.6 ounces. We’re fans of Samsung’s latest foldable, and if you’re in the mood to start flipping some phones (the right way), this Galaxy Z Fold 4 deal is just for you.  Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it’s connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.

The Big Red Recruiting Board: 2024 Offense – 247Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-big-red-recruiting-board-2024-offense-247sports-3/ News News Feed Latest Headlines Videos Boards Lobby The Razor’s Edge Hawg Lounge Football Scores Schedule Stats Roster Expert Picks Draft History 2022 NFL Draft College Team Talent SEC Schedule SEC Standings NCAA Polls NCAA Player Leaders NCAA Team Leaders Videos Odds FB Rec FB Recruiting Home News Feed Commitments Decommitments Scheduled Commits Scholarship Distribution Targets Offers Team Rankings Player Rankings Player Search Crystal Ball Latest Crystal Ball Recruiter Rankings Official Visits Class Calculator All Time Commits All Time Top Recruits Transfer Portal Basketball Scores Schedule Stats Roster NCAA Player Leaders NCAA Team Leaders Videos Odds BK Rec BK Recruiting Home News Feed Commitments Decommitments Scheduled Commits Scholarship Distribution Targets Offers Team Rankings Player Rankings Player Search Crystal Ball Latest Crystal Ball Official Visits Class Calculator All Time Commits Transfer Portal More VIP Membership Podcast Newsletter Text Alerts Shows About Us Contact Us Key HawgSports Links Support and FAQ StubHub Shop Manage VIP ByDanny West 7 hours ago 0 Comments Edit Slot to 247Sports Home Slot to Arkansas Razorbacks Newsletter Slot to Arkansas Links The latest edition of the Big Red Recruiting Board features updates on several of Arkansas’ top offensive targets for the Class of 2024. “247Sports Timer List