Daily Archives: June 1, 2017

Howard Altman: USF researcher, too tall for space travel, works on SOCom satellites – Tampabay.com (blog)

Posted: June 1, 2017 at 10:52 pm

If Peter Jorgensen has his way, astronauts of the future will never be locked out of their spacecraft by a computer uttering the phrase, "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" when they try to get back in.

The line, of course, is from a famous scene in director Stanley Kubrick's enigmatic "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Jorgensen, 26, is a graduate research assistant in the University of South Florida's Department of Electrical Engineering. For him, the malfunctioning artificial intelligence of the fictional HAL 9000 computer is more than an iconic film moment. It is a lesson for the future. That's because, in the future, Jorgensen wants to develop artificial intelligence satellites that can help guide manned spacecraft on trips to Mars and beyond.

That's down the road. For now, Jorgensen is helping U.S. Special Operations Command with its satellite program.

SOCom, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, is working with USF to support and develop payloads for the command's cube satellite program. The program puts small satellites into orbit to give commandos the ultimate high ground when it comes to communications and other needs.

Jorgensen is working through Sofwerx, an Ybor City-based business accelerator that is run by the Doolittle Institute through a SOCom contract. He'll be helping the command figure out what kinds of payloads to launch.

Being that this is for commandos, a largely secret force, Jorgensen won't offer specifics. But he says that currently, he is researching the kinds of technology that might interest SOCom.

Payloads, devices that contain technology such as cameras and sensors, will be shot into low Earth orbit from the Kennedy Space Center within the next 12 to 18 months, according to a USF news release last month.

The payloads "will help the U.S. military solve battlefield problems by providing real-time communication," according to the release.

"If satellites are becoming more capable and yet smaller, cheaper, require less power, more technology packed into small areas, that really is the future," Robert H. Bishop, dean of the USF College of Engineering, said in the release "It's a future of communications, future of weather, it's the future for remote sensing. So for us to be at that the leading edge, it's going to be a good thing for the state of Florida and for Tampa Bay and the nation."

For SOCom, working with USF makes sense.

"For the challenges of the future, we think it's important to team with top tier academic institutions to enable the innovation and the rapid decision making, idea generation, and capability development we need," said SOCom's acquisition chief, James "Hondo" Geurts.

"USF, by nature of being close to SOCom as well as their diverse and accomplished academic capabilities are the perfect partner for us on this project, and we think low cost space vehicles are a key capability for the future, and we're very proud to work with USF on that important project."

For Jorgensen, who grew up dreaming of being an astronaut, working on the CubeSat program is a way to achieve dreams his body wouldn't allow.

"I'm 6-8," he says with a laugh. "That's too tall to be an astronaut."

The Pentagon last week announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

Spc. Etienne J. Murphy, 22, of Loganville, Georgia, died May 26, in Al-Hasakah, Syria, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover related incident. The incident is under investigation. Murphy was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia..

There have been 2,347 U.S. troop deaths in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; 36 U.S. troop deaths and one civilian Department of Defense employee death in support of the follow-up, Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan; 31 troop deaths and one civilian death in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight against the Islamic State; one troop death in support of Operation Odyssey Lightning, the fight against Islamic State in Libya; and one death under classified as other contingency operations as part of the global war on terrorism.

Contact Howard Altman at haltman@tampabay.com or (813) 225-3112. Follow @haltman

Howard Altman: USF researcher, too tall for space travel, works on SOCom satellites 06/01/17 [Last modified: Wednesday, May 31, 2017 3:56pm] Photo reprints | Article reprints

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Watch live as SpaceX launches a used Dragon spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station – Recode

Posted: at 10:52 pm

Update: Todays launch has been delayed due to lightning and is rescheduled for Saturday, June 3 at 5:07 pm ET 2:07 pm PT.

SpaceX, the interplanetary space travel company run by CEO Elon Musk, is launching another of its Falcon 9 rockets at 5:55 pm ET / 2:55 pm PT tonight from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The rocket will be hauling cargo to the International Space Station with one of its Dragon capsules. This isnt the first time this particular Dragon has been to the ISS. The same craft traveled through space in 2014 to send supplies to the International Space Station, too.

In this mission, the space travel company will try to land its Falcon 9 rocket after launch. But instead of attempting to land on a ship in the middle of the ocean, SpaceX will try to land the rocket on a landing pad in Cape Canaveral. The previous four attempts to return a Falcon 9 on land have been successful.

Reusing rockets and spacecraft is core to SpaceXs mission of bringing down the cost of space travel. Rockets are typically too damaged after launching to be used again, and building a new rocket can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Watch the launch live here:

In this particular mission, the Dragon will be ferrying nearly 6,000 pounds of cargo, which will, in part, support research happening onboard the International Space Station.

The last time SpaceX launched was only two weeks ago, when it sent a gigantic satellite, about the size of a double-decker bus, into orbit on May 15 with one of its Falcon 9 rockets. And its launch before that was only two weeks prior on May 1, when a Falcon 9 successfully landed after launching a military satellite into space. SpaceX has another rocket launch scheduled for June 15.

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Google’s AI-Building AI Is a Step Toward Self-Improving AI – Singularity Hub

Posted: at 10:51 pm

Reaching the technological singularity is almost certainly going to involve AI that is able to improve itself. Google may have now taken a small step along this path by creating AI that can build AI.

Speaking at the companys annual I/O developer conference, CEO Sundar Pichai announced a project called AutoML that can automate one of the hardest parts of designing deep learning software: choosing the right architecture for a neural network.

The Google researchers created a machine learning system that used reinforcement learningthe trial and error approach at the heart of many of Googles most notable AI exploitsto figure out the best architectures to solve language and image recognition tasks.

Not only did the results rival or beat the performance of the best human-designed architectures, but the system made some unconventional choices that researchers had previously considered inappropriate for those kinds of tasks.

The approach is still a long way from being practical, the researchers told MIT Tech Review, as it tied up 800 powerful graphics processors for weeks. But Google is betting that automating the process of building machine learning systems could help get around the shortage of human-machine learning and data science talent that is slowing the technologys adoption.

Its not the only one. Facebook engineers have built what they like to call an automated machine learning engineer, according to Wired. Its also called AutoML and can choose algorithms and parameters that are most likely to solve the problem at hand.

Last summer, the AutoML challenge saw teams go head-to-head to build machine learning black boxes that can select models and tune parameters without any human intervention. Even game designers are in on the actthe team behind the hit game Space Engineers has used some of their profits to set up a team of experts to design AI able to optimize its own hardware and software.

While this kind of automation could make it easier for non-experts to design and deploy AI systems, it also seems to be laying the foundation for machines that can take control of their own destiny.

The concept of "recursive self-improvement" is at the heart of most theories on how we could rapidly go from moderately smart machines to AI superintelligence. The idea is that as AI gets more powerful, it can start modifying itself to boost its capabilities. As it makes itself smarter it gets better at making itself smarter, so this quickly leads to exponential growth in its intelligence.

Generally, the so-called seed AI is envisaged as an artificial general intelligence (AGI), a machine that is able to carry out any intellectual task a human could rather than being a specialist in a very specific area, like most of todays algorithms are.

The systems being worked on today are clearly a long way from AGI, and they are directed at building and improving other machine learning systems rather than themselves. Outside of machine learning, self-modifying code has been around for a while, but it would likely be far more complex to deploy this technique to edit neural networks.

But creating algorithms able to work on machine learning code is clearly afirst step towards the kind of self-improving AI envisaged by futurists.

Other recent developments could also feed in this direction. Many AI researchers are trying to encode curiosity and creativity into machine learning systems, both traits likely to be necessary for a machine to redesign itself in performance-boosting ways. Others are working on allowing robots to share the lessons theyve learned, effectively turning them into a kind of hive mind.

Doubtless, it will be a long time before any of these capabilities reach the stage where they can be usefully employed to create a self-improving AI. But we can already see the technological foundations being laid.

Image Credit: Pond5

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The fast rise and fall of two industries show the coming singularity. Let’s prepare now. – Fabius Maximus website (blog)

Posted: at 10:51 pm

Fabius Maximus website (blog)

The fast rise and fall of two industries show the coming singularity. Let's prepare now.
Fabius Maximus website (blog)
The singularity assumes that the rate of technological progress will accelerate, with industrial revolutions coming every few decades instead of over centuries. Especially watch the potential breakthrough technologies of intelligent machines ...

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The fast rise and fall of two industries show the coming singularity. Let's prepare now. - Fabius Maximus website (blog)

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Scientist Now Believe Naked Singularities Could Occur in a Three-D Universe – TrendinTech

Posted: at 10:51 pm

Physicists have confirmed that a naked singularity, an event strong enough to break down the conventional physics law, can, in fact, exist in our three-dimensional universe. Previously, scientists could only put naked singularities in a five-dimensional universe, but by demonstrating they can theoretically exist in ours, physicists are challenging the general theory of relativity as defined by Albert Einstein.

Naked singularities are like black holes flipped inside out suddenly all the weirdness of a black hole would be exposed to the universe. So far a naked singularity has not been detected in a three-dimensional Universe but they are supposed to be formed when massive stars collapse, creating infinite density, which according to the laws of physics is impossible.

A naked singularity, if such a thing exists, would be an abrupt hole in the fabric of reality one that would not just distort space-time, but would also wreak havoc on the laws of physics wherever it goes and lead to a catastrophic loss of predictability, says Avaneesh Pandey from the International Business Times.

Until now, scientists believed black holes and their indecipherable singularities could be reconciled with the general theory of relativity because of the cosmic censorship conjecture. Basically, it means that normally the singularity aspect of a black hole will remain hidden beneath its event horizon and everything outside of it will continue to act normally. If true, cosmic censorship means that outside of black holes, these singularities have no measurable effect on anything, and the predictions of general relativity remain valid, explains Sarah Collins of Phys.org.

However, simulations of naked singularities in five-dimensional universes have made the concept of cosmic censorship null and void, which isnt a problem when we have no evidence of the existence of other universes. Einsteins theory can remain unconflicted. Only now, Toby Crisford and Jorge Santos from the University of Cambridge have simulated a three-dimensional universe that can home a naked singularity as well as one with five dimensions.

To be clear, the pair isnt saying theyve simulated a naked singularity in our Universe per se the universe theyve simulated has three spatial dimensions and one-time dimension like ours, but its got a whole different shape. Luckily, this simulated universe, while having three spatial dimensions and one-time dimension, like ours, it has a completely different shape. This simulated universe is shaped like a saddle while ours is usually thought to be flat or disc-shaped.

Because general relativity allows the existence of differently shaped universe Crisford and Santos chose to work a type of curved space called Anti-de Sitter space. A unique part of this type of universe is a point of no return where light is reflected back at itself. Because of this feature, the researchers were able to force the naked singularity to form.

So how does this effect us?

Fortunately, it hasnt yet. Nobody has proven the existent of naked singularities in our own Universe but by showing one could exist in a similar universe, Crisford and Santos have provided an opportunity to explore quantum gravity something that reconciles quantum mechanics and general relativity as a true theory of everything.

The naked singularity we see is likely to disappear if we were to include charged particles in our simulation this is something we are currently investigating, said Santos to Phys.org.

If true, it could imply a connection between the cosmic censorship conjecture and the weak gravity conjecture, which says that any consistent theory of quantum gravity must contain sufficiently charged particles. In Anti-de Sitter space, the cosmic censorship conjecture might be saved by the weak gravity conjecture.

So while the idea of co-existing with a naked singularity is terrifying, the break-through possibilities it can bring to modern physics is welcomed.

7 Big Tech Trends That Are Changing the Way We Make Things – Singularity Hub

Posted: at 10:51 pm

Manufacturing is dirty, dull, and outmoded. Its a slow-moving industry stuck in the past as new technologies out of Silicon Valley threaten to upend it. Stereotypes are fun, and misleading.

Lets not forget manufacturing is the industry that made the modern age.

While many were musing about robots in science fiction, manufacturers were putting them to practical use. As tech news headlines hyped up 3D printing, manufacturers had been prototyping with it for decades. And though information technology is the source of the latest revolution, manufacturing is the source of the source. No chip fab facilities, no chips.

Manufacturing is high tech and low tech. Greasy, hands-on problem solving in some places and spotless clean rooms in others. Aging assembly lines and lines of choreographed robot arms. At Singularity Universitys Exponential Manufacturing Summit, the industry was in focus, with a good look at whats coming next. Manufacturing is changing, but that isnt new.

Whats notable is the quickening pace of change.

The big themes this year: How to sift, identify, and make use of the latest technologies and tools to get nimble, break old habits, and stay ahead of the next big wave. Of course, its impossible to fit so much information into so little space, and what matters most depends on your lens.

Disclaimers aside, heres what caught our eye at this years summit.

Jane Zavalishina, CEO at Yandex Data Factory, said the biggest AI misconception is that its this futuristic thing. Its not. And its not just for tech giants either. The same machine learning software helping you find, watch, and buy what you want online can now be put to use in other contexts, such as analyzing raw factory data to dial in industrial processes and save costs.

Zavalishina said machine learning software like this is available now and, sometimes, even free.

These systems have been really useful for quite a while. And whats changed is, in 2017, the technology is now so available that you dont have to have super-skilled people using it, said Neil Jacobstein, faculty chair of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Singularity University.

You can [apply] the technologyto a wide variety of problems in industry from design to quality control to manufacturing to customer servicesYoure seeing really good results now.

Further Exponential Manufacturing Summit reading:

Robots are old hat in manufacturing, but theyve always needed tightly controlled environments to work and PhDs to program. Robotics legend Rodney Brooks demoed Rethink Robotics Sawyer robot live onstage to show it can be programmed by anyone.

And thanks to cheap 3D modeling hardware and better software, robots are also getting smart, lightweight, and aware enough to work next to humans without accidentally hurting them. The next step isnt the end of human workers, its a collaboration that combines the best of robots and the best of humans.

Froedtert, Ascension post rate increases – BizTimes.com (Milwaukee)

Posted: at 10:49 pm

Froedtert Hospital recently announced it will implement a rate adjustment that will increase gross patient revenue by 4.9 percent beginning July 1 to compensate for below-cost reimbursement from government programs and the increased cost of providing care.

Thats compared to its last increase of 5 percent, which was implemented on July 1, 2016.

Froedtert Hospital

Hospitals are required to report rate increases to the state and community if the increase is greater than the consumer price index, which is 2.5 percent.

The average price increase at Wisconsin hospitals in 2017 is 4.07 percent as of May 18, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. In 2016, the average price increase was 3.73.

Health care systems typically raise rates between 2 and 10 percent at the beginning of the systems fiscal year. Earlier this year, Aurora Health Care and Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin raised their rates 4.5 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ascension, whichacquired Wheaton FranciscanHealthcare in 2016,recently announced a rate adjustment that will increase gross patient revenue by 3 percent at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Francis in Milwaukee, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Joseph in Milwaukee, Elmbrook Memorial in Brookfield and Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Franklin. It also announced a rate increase of 3.3 percent at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Franklin.

In recent public notices announcing the rate increase, both Froedtert and Ascension said its necessary to increase prices to keep pace with the increasing costs of providing care with below-cost reimbursement rates from government programs and other payers.

Rate increases are only on charges the amount a hospital bills for a patients care rather than a price increase on the actual care. The amount collected by a hospital for each service is almost always less than the amount billed.

The new prices typically have little impact on the average patient with commercial insurance because all major health care providers have contracts with insurance companies that use the hospital rates as a starting point for negotiations.

Rates dont apply to Medicare or Medicaid patients. Both programs pay hospitals a set rate based on the patients diagnosis and the procedure.

Thats compared to its last increase of 5 percent, which was implemented on July 1, 2016.

Froedtert Hospital

Hospitals are required to report rate increases to the state and community if the increase is greater than the consumer price index, which is 2.5 percent.

The average price increase at Wisconsin hospitals in 2017 is 4.07 percent as of May 18, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. In 2016, the average price increase was 3.73.

Rates dont apply to Medicare or Medicaid patients. Both programs pay hospitals a set rate based on the patients diagnosis and the procedure.

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Ascension Athletics for June 1, 2017 – The Advocate

Posted: at 10:49 pm

Kade Keowen selected head coach for Spartan baseball

The East Ascension High School Spartans have a new baseball coach, but hes far from new when it comes to playing and coaching the sport. Kade Keowen takes over the helm as head baseball coach for the 2017-18 season. He's currently the assistant baseball coach at LSU at Eunice.

East Ascensions Principal Traci McCorkle was more than pleased by the number of qualified applicants vying for the head coach position. I feel fortunate to have found Coach Keowen, who we believe will be a fantastic addition to our school and our baseball program. We welcome him and his wife to our Spartan family and to our community," McCorkle said. "We know he will have a tremendous amount of support from our Forever Spartans, and we are looking forward to future successes."

Keowen has spent the past four years on the diamond at LSU-E and helped lead the Bengals to their fifth National Junior College Athletic Association national championship. His role at LSU-E was instructing the hitting aspect, coaching the outfielders and developing base running skills. Keowen also had a hand in the recruiting program.

Before taking a role in the collegiate ranks with the Bengals, Keowen held assistant coach stints at Denham Springs and Central high schools. He also held the head coach position at False River Academy.

Keowen graduated from Central High School and played collegiate baseball at LSU and LSU-E. In 2007, he was picked in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox. Keowens stint lasted three seasons in the Red Sox organization, then he played one year with the Sussex Skyhawks, of the Can-Am Independent League.

Theres excitement in the air for both the Spartans and the Keowen family as a new journey begins. "My wife, Katelyn, and I are excited to be joining the Spartan Family. The rich baseball tradition, outstanding academics and tremendous community support were all factors in my wanting to become the next head baseball coach at East Ascension High School," Keowen said. "I look forward to meeting with the players and getting this train rolling!"

Keowen wont start officially until August, but he will begin working with the Spartans this summer.

St. Amants three-peat as a sports standout, Briggs Bourgeois took honors as the Boys Athlete of the Year award at The Advocates Athlete of the Year/Star of Stars banquet May 23.

Bourgeois signed with Southern Mississippi football as a kicker and punter while having the kind of year most athletes would dream about. He had a hand in leading the Gators to the quarterfinals in football. His abilities on the soccer field accomplished the same feat for the first time 2011. Bourgeois was chosen as the All-Metro MVP in soccer, and he earned all-state honors in football and soccer. Bourgeois also helped the baseball team make the playoffs.

As Boys Athlete of the Year, Bourgeois' stats were impressive. He helped St. Amants football team advance to the 5A quarterfinals for the first time since the 1990s with 66 catches for 836 yards and 13 touchdowns as a receiver. He averaged 40 yards per punt and made 13 of 15 field goals.

Bourgeois also earned All-Metro football honors as a receiver and a kicker and Class 5A all-state as a kicker. Bourgeois was the All-Metro MVP for Divisions I-II in soccer. He led the Gators to the soccer quarterfinals with 24 goals and 21 assists and was the MVP of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association all-star game. In baseball, Bourgeois played center field, batted .316 and scored 31 runs as a leadoff hitter.

The Gators Taylor Tidwell was a finalist in the Girls Athlete of the Year selections. The St. Amant junior doubled up in All-Metro honors in 2016-17. The LSU softball commitment was an All-Metro and Louisiana Volleyball Coaches Association all-state choice in volleyball with 417 kills, 23 aces, 380 assists, 197 digs and 64 blocks. She also was the Division I, District 4 MVP in volleyball, helping the Gators advance to the Division I semifinals.

Tidwells play on the diamond helped lead the Gators softball team to the Class 5A quarterfinals while playing shortstop. She batted .393 with nine home runs, 44 RBIs and 50 runs to earn All-Metro and 5A all-state honors from the LSWA.

In individual boys honors by sport, senior Sage Nugent took the crown in wrestling. In 2017, Nugent took double honors as the prolific wrestler won city and Division I state titles at 182 pounds for the Gators. Sage finished his senior season with a record of 48-3 and wrapped up his career with a 148-28 mark.

Bourgeois easily wrapped up the individual honor in soccer as he won All-Metro MVP honors for Divisions I-II. Bourgeois also helped to lead the Gators to the Division I quarterfinals with 24 goals and 21 assists. The four-time All-Metro choice earned all-state honors three times.

Ascension Catholic Highs junior Nick Milano took the honors in powerlifting. Milano lead the Bulldogs to a third place finish in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state championships by winning the Division V 132-pound weight class with a total lift of 925 pounds. That total included a Division V record-setting bench press of 230 pounds.

Senior Trey Kauffman, of the Dutchtown Griffins, took top honors in bowling. Kauffman won 27 of 31 matches in his senior year and helped the Griffins advance to the LHSAA semifinals with a season average of knocking down 217 pins per game.

In baseball, senior Blayne Enlow took top honors with his pitching for St. Amant High. The Gators ace pitched five complete games in 11 starts, giving up just 10 earned runs for an ERA of 1.01 and struck out 101 in 69.2 innings. Just to add a little icing on the cake, Enlow made the USA Baseball team and picked up a win in the Pan American Games that help the team on its way to winning the gold medal.

East Ascension High School senior Mackenzie Westmoreland took the top honor in gymnastics. Westmoreland placed third in all-around competition at the LHSAA state meet. As the Spartans' top gymnast all season long, Westmorelands 37.600 total for that meet included a first-place finish on the balance beam.

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Ascension Parish calendar for June 1-8, 2017 – The Advocate

Posted: at 10:49 pm

THURSDAY

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB: Noon to 1 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Donaldsonville branch. For information on book club meetings at any location, call to see if space is available. Registration is required. For more information, visitmyapl.org.

LOSS AND GRIEF EDUCATION AND SUPPORT MEETING: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., St. Elizabeth Hospital, Sister Linda conference room,1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. For anyone who has experienced loss of any kind. A group facilitated by the Grief Recovery Center to help with the grieving process. Meets every Thursday. For more information, emaildiane.hodges@steh.comor call (225) 621-2906.

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Dutchtown, Gonzales and Galvez branches. Registration is required. For more information,visitmyapl.orgor call Gonzales at (225) 647-3955, Galvez at (225) 622-3339, or Dutchtown at (225) 673-8699.

PELICAN CLUSTER DOG SHOW: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day,Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 4-H Building, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. Approximately 800 dogs representing 190 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club will be competing for both Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show trophies. Admission is free, but only dogs registered for the shows will be admitted inside the buildings. For more information, visitakc.orgortourascension.com.

END OF SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Jump-N-Jive, 17573 Old Jefferson Highway, Prairieville. Celebrate the end of the school year. Dance is open to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Bracelets are $12 presale, $15 at the door. Only 500 bracelets will be sold. To order presale, call (225) 532-4225.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., This That and More Indoor Flea Market, 43123 La. 429, Gonzales. Call (225) 773-8934.

MARKET ON THE SQUARE: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Louisiana Square/Railroad Ave., Donaldsonville.A day of arts, crafts and farmers market. Vendors are welcome. For vendor information or questions, emaildfdassociation@outlook.com, text (225) 772-1191 or call (225) 445-1383.

COLLEGE PREP SELF DEFENSE: 9 a.m. to noon, LA Karate Academy, 15522 La. 44, Gonzales. Help a recent graduate prepare for college with self-defense and awareness. Must-know tips to keep teens aware with techniques to keep them safe. Hands-on training. $40 for a 3 hour class. Register atfearlessfab.com/contact.

SHOW CAKES LLC FIRST BIRTHDAY: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Show Cakes LLC, 39379 La. 74, Gonzales. Call (225) 938-3279 or visit showcakesbr.com.

DIP INTO THE PERFECT PARTY FOOD: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cabela's, 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales. Sample all the dips Cabela's has to offer. Call (225) 743-3400.

MADE EASY MEALS: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cabela's, 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales. Come see how easy it is to create traditional slow-cooker methods or learn how easy it is for backpackers and campers to enjoy fine dining while traveling light using prepared backcountry meals. For more information, call (225) 743-3400.

DISNEY PAINTING EVENT: ROSE OF LOVE: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Painting with a Twist, 17540 Airline Highway, Suite A, Prairieville. Bring a snack and something to sip on. We have unique coloring sheets from Disney for everyone who signs up. Class is for ages 10 and up. For more information, call (225) 744-7273. To register for this event, call or go to paintingwithatwist.com/prairieville.

CRAZY RALPH'S CRANK IT UP-MECA: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Crazy Ralph's Car Stereo, 720 N. Airline Highway, Gonzales. Concert Car Showdown and SPL Smackdown. Spectators free. Registration and clinics start at 4 p.m., judging starts at 5 p.m. For a complete list of the rules and for more information, visit mecacaraudio.com.

DOWNTOWN LIVE: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Crescent Park, Donaldsonville. Join us for this free concert series as Rhodes Spedale provides the tunes. Don't forget a lawn chair. No glass containers or ice chests. For more information, call (225) 445-1383 or email lee@visitdonaldsonville.org.

DIP INTO THE PERFECT PARTY FOOD: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cabela's, 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales. Dips are a cheap, quick and easy option for entertaining or just because. Come sample all the dips Cabela's has to offer. We'll even show you the great recipes that the dip mixes can be used for to add some zing to your next weeknight dinner. For more information, call (225) 743-3400.

FRYERS, CUTTERS AND FRIES, OH MY!: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,Cabela's, 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales. Homemade french fries are the best, but they don't have to be hard. Try it yourself with our french fry cutter so you can see just how easy it is, then the satisfaction of your not so hard work with our different french fry seasonings. For more information, call (225) 743-3400.

PELLET GRILLS ARE ALL THE RAGE: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,Cabela's, 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales. From standard grilling to slow smoking, pellet grills are one of the most versatile grills available for backyard gourmets. Create amazing dishes that are hard to replicate with propane or charcoal. See one in action. For more information, call (225) 743-3400.

BRAINY BOOTCAMP: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Carriage House Weddings, 12138 W. Main St., Gonzales.The Brainy Bootcamp is a program inspired by students who find themselves struggling in class, who lack in academic confidence, and who are looking for that extra push over the summer to further be prepared for their preceding grade. This program is designed for exiting first- or second-grade students for whom summer school programs are not offered through their public schools. This program runs Monday through Friday. For more information, visit unwrapd.org.

FREE SMALL-BUSINESS COUNSELING & MENTORING: 9 a.m. to noon, Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch.This includes help on the business plan, financial forecast, marketing and sales, legal and accounting suggestions, business insurance needs and bank loan package preparation. Call (225) 381-7130 for an appointment.For more information, contact Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales at (225) 647-3955.

ALZHEIMER'S SERVICES OF THE CAPITAL AREA CAREGIVER NETWORK: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales, Sister Vernola conference room. Monthly supportive meetings for caregivers to network with one another. Meets first Tuesday of each month. Free; no registration required. For more information, call (225) 924-0029.

THRIVING WITH DIABETES: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales, Sister Vernola conference room.Come join this educational support group to learn how to keep your diabetes under control and prevent complications. Mary Campos, a certified diabetic educator, will lead a fun, interactive session on understanding diabetes. For more information, call (225) 924-0029.

AL-ANON MEETING: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. Sister Linda conference room. Free. Call (225) 924-0029 for more information. Meets every Tuesday.

KOKUSAIKA: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch.Learn about Japanese culture. This program is open to all teens ages 12-18. Call the Gonzales branch library at (225) 647-3955.

TRUTH AND CHALLENGES WITH WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: 6:30 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Dutchtown branch. Join Dr. Drake Bellanger for this seminar on the truth and myths about weight loss and discover treatment solutions including weight-loss procedures to improve your health and resolve medical problems. To register, call (225) 673-8699.

PAJAMA STORY TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. Program is designed for children ages 7 and younger and their families. For more information, call the Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales at (225) 647-3955.

Ascension Parish calendar for June 1-8, 2017 - The Advocate

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Ascension Parish public bodies mull streamlined process in new tax exemption rules – The Advocate

Posted: at 10:49 pm

DONALDSONVILLE The Ascension Parish School Board, Sheriff's Office and Parish Council will be voting, for the first time, on a request for an exemption from property taxes by a manufacturer looking to build in the parish.

Since last June, manufacturers seeking industrial tax exemptions in Louisiana must first get the approval of the major taxing bodies where the new facility would be built.

The non-profit Ascension Economic Development Corp., which works to bring new business to the parish, is trying to find a way to streamline that process.

"We don't want to do this on a project-by-project basis," Kate MacArthur, president and chief executive officer of the AEDC told Ascension Parish School Board members Tuesday.

MacArthur said a parish-wide task force will be working to create a standard resolution that meets the wishes of the taxing bodies and can be used uniformly for requests for industrial tax exemptions.

But, in the meantime, the AEDCis working with four manufacturers who had begun their plans to build in Ascension Parish before the governor's executive order a year ago, but are nevertheless required to follow the new regulations.

The first is a manufacturer, whose name public officials have not disclosed at the company's request. It plans to build an $11 million container-manufacturing facility in Geismar that would employ 28 local workers.

The business, a 100-year-old company, would like to be in production by September, MacArthur said.

Before Gov. John Bel Edward's executive order in June 2016 changed the way large manufacturers get exemptions from paying local property taxes, the industrial tax exemptions were automatically approved and were the same across the state.

Now, a request for a property tax exemption requires the approval of the Sheriff, School Board and parish government as well as municipalities if applicable before the manufacturer can take their request to the state Board of Commerce and Industry.

The major taxing bodies in a parish can now choose to set a manufacturer's exemption from property taxes at a lower level than the allowed maximum up to 100 percent tax abatement for five years, with a potential renewal at up to 80 percent for three years.

Previously, all exemptions were 100 percent of local property taxes for two, consecutive five-year terms.

Detailed regulations for the governor's executive order are expected later this summer, MacArthur said, adding that manufacturers have, however, been abiding by the executive order since last June.

After four decades of automatically approving applications to exempt large manufacturers fro

"There is going to be a matrix that comes from the task force, to create a general resolution" that the local taxing bodies can use for industrial tax exemption requests in the future, Superintendent David Alexander told board members Tuesday.

But before that, the School Board will vote on the tax exemption request from the proposed Geismar container manufacturer at its meeting on June 6.

The resolution, if approved, would provide an exemption from property tax at 100 percent for five years, and at 80 percent for three years.

MacArthur said she has brought the information on the container manufacturer to the Sheriff's Office and will present the information to the Ascension Parish Council at its meeting next week.

MacArthur told School Board members Tuesday that the new process for granting property tax exemptions to manufacturers also introduces a new level of competition.

Taxing bodies in one parish may choose to permit a lesser tax exemption; those in a nearby parish may grant the full tax break allowed, MacArthur said.

"It's not just competing with Texas or Georgia," MacArthur said this week. "Now we're competing with every other parish."

"We're all competing with our neighbors," she said.

Follow Ellyn Couvillion on Twitter, @EllynCouvillion.

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Ascension Parish public bodies mull streamlined process in new tax exemption rules - The Advocate

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Daily Archives: June 1, 2017

Howard Altman: USF researcher, too tall for space travel, works on SOCom satellites – Tampabay.com (blog)

Watch live as SpaceX launches a used Dragon spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station – Recode

Google’s AI-Building AI Is a Step Toward Self-Improving AI – Singularity Hub

The fast rise and fall of two industries show the coming singularity. Let’s prepare now. – Fabius Maximus website (blog)

Scientist Now Believe Naked Singularities Could Occur in a Three-D Universe – TrendinTech

7 Big Tech Trends That Are Changing the Way We Make Things – Singularity Hub

Froedtert, Ascension post rate increases – BizTimes.com (Milwaukee)

Ascension Athletics for June 1, 2017 – The Advocate

Ascension Parish calendar for June 1-8, 2017 – The Advocate

Ascension Parish public bodies mull streamlined process in new tax exemption rules – The Advocate

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