Monthly Archives: February 2021

Vet Speak: Help is available when it’s time to say goodbye – RossShire Journal

Posted: February 6, 2021 at 8:54 am

Alison Laurie.

I love my job, but sometimes being a vet can be extremely hard. Sadly, this past week I had to say farewell to a favourite patient of mine, who I have known for many years, writes vet Alison Laurie-Chalmers.

It is always a hard decision to let a much-loved pet go.

However, as vets, it is one of the most important duties that we must do for our patients care. Euthanasia, when necessary, is very much part of that lifelong patient care.

Making that decision to say a final goodbye and choosing euthanasia for your beloved pet can be one of the hardest and most difficult decisions you have to face as a pet owner.

But it can also be seen as the last positive, compassionate act that you can give your faithful companion at the end of their life, to relieve them of ongoing, end-stage illness, pain, or suffering. It may be a very necessary release and is a way to humanely, and with some dignity, end any suffering, in a pain-free, previously planned, carefully controlled and peaceful manner.

If you are considering euthanasia for your pet and you are wondering what is involved and whether to be present at the procedure, although difficult, if you can, it is helpful for you as the pet owner to take time to discuss beforehand the usual steps involved with your vet. A discussion prior to the time of euthanasia may help make the final saying goodbye a little less stressful.

It is entirely natural to feel distraught and upset when your pet passes. Do not be embarrassed about showing your emotions, your vet and vet support team will understand and they will expect you to be extremely upset. They will always help and support you during this sad time.

Losing a much-loved pet can be extremely hard to cope with. The emotion and pain of grief can feel overwhelming. This grief can lead to conflicting and confusing emotions, from shock, denial and disbelief to feelings of guilt and even anger. These emotions are quite normal and confirm the special bond between people and their pets.

It is particularly important to give yourself as much time as you need to grieve. You have lost a very special companion here, so missing them is quite natural. Unfortunately, not everyone understands this grief, so it can sometimes feel like a very lonely, depressing experience. Take time to talk things over with supportive friends and family and speak with your vet practice and the advised support networks. Your emotions here are quite natural, so do not feel ashamed or embarrassed of them. Try not to feel guilty, or to blame yourself. The decision for euthanasia is always a very carefully considered one and is always taken with your pets interests at heart and to avoid any further discomfort or suffering. It is important also to remember that, with time, grief eases and its intensity does fade.

For further information and advice on pet euthanasia, do contact your vet. We are here for you and do understand, and we are always here to help, support and listen.

Contact your vet to discuss the procedures in place at your vet practice during these difficult times.

Support is also available from the Pet Bereavement Support Service, a confidential support line open from 8.30am to 8.30pm on 08000 966 606.

Or if you prefer not to speak to anyone, their email support line is pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk

Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets in Inverness.

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Vet Speak: Help is available when it's time to say goodbye - RossShire Journal

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Liberal right-winger Kevin Andrews defeated in preselection by Afghanistan veteran – The Conversation AU

Posted: at 8:54 am

Right-wing Liberal backbencher Kevin Andrews the father of the House of Representatives has lost preselection to a barrister and former special forces veteran who served in Afghanistan.

Keith Wolahan, 43, defeated Andrews, 65, who held a number of portfolios in the Howard and Abbott governments, by 181 to 111 for the blue ribbon Victorian seat of Menzies, which Andrews has occupied since he won it at a byelection in 1991.

This was the first time in decades that a federal Liberal member has lost a preselection ballot in Victoria.

His defeat is a blow for the Liberal conservatives, who campaigned hard to shore him up, and will hearten the local Liberal critics of outspoken NSW right-winger Craig Kelly, who has been a thorn in the governments side over COVID and a hardliner on climate issues.

Kelly confirmed to The Conversation on Sunday night that he was seeking another term and was absolutely confident he would have Scott Morrisons support and that of all my colleagues.

Andrews has been a strongly conservative voice on issues ranging from euthanasia and abortion to climate change, and also a player in leadership battles. His last ministerial post was in the defence portfolio in the Abbott government, a job he lost when Malcolm Turnbull became leader.

In the Howard years Andrews introduced the private members bill that quashed the Northern Territorys euthanasia law.

Andrews had endorsements from Morrison, John Howard and Tony Abbott, as well as from a raft of ministerial colleagues, including the deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg. In his letter of endorsement Morrison wrote that Andrews provides wise counsel to ministers and colleagues, including myself.

But the result shows that high profile endorsements dont always impress locals the Menzies preselectors responded to the call for renewal at the centre of Wolahans campaign. It is an embarrassment particularly for Assistant Treasurer and Victorian conservative faction leader Michael Sukkar.

Wolahan has a masters degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge, as well as degrees from Monash and Melbourne universities. He was an army reserve commando he did not serve in the regular army.

He said after the result: Today was a vote by the members for the future.

Frydenberg said: Today the Liberal Party in the seat of Menzies has started a new chapter.

Before the ballot Liberal sources had predicted a close result that could go either way the size of the margin was a surprise.

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Liberal right-winger Kevin Andrews defeated in preselection by Afghanistan veteran - The Conversation AU

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Is Keats ‘un-woke’? Why scholars are tying themselves up in knots – Telegraph.co.uk

Posted: at 8:54 am

Situated for two centuries in the icy silence of his tomb, in the Cimitero Acattolico, Rome, John Keats at least hasnt had to confront the Keatsians the scholars, academics and other buffoons, who have published books and papers about Keats Post-Newtonian Poetics, The Etymology of Porphyros Name, The Dying Keats: A Case for Euthanasia? and, not forgetting, Keats, Modesty and Masturbation.

Now comes Lucasta Millers Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph (Jonathan Cape, 17.99), which is one big farrago of clich, jargon, mixed metaphor and general sloppiness. Page upon page is filled with phrases like under the skin, scruff of its neck, strapped for cash, cocked a snook, one fell swoop, punches far above the weight. Ad infinitum, via, raison dtre, status quo, inter alia and social kudos pepper the paragraphs, along with opined,emotional fallout, hands-on mentor, helicopter parenting, suburban new-build, dysfunctional childhood, downside and a bonding eight-week hiking holiday.

Miller talks about wanting to foreground those aspects of this, that and the other thing; shell excavate their backstories. Keats, a lower-class literary wannabe, stuck to his individual take, regardless of the mainstream which is another way of saying the poet refused to bow to conventionalities in his lifetime, though its hard to see how he could do anything much bow, scrape, dance a jig after his lifetime.

If the contemporary critics generally mocked Keatss work, this is because periodical culture was a seething piranha pool in which poetry and politics were joined at the hip. His Romantic imagination, we are vouchsafed, was elastic, winged and capacious, which conjures in my mind a picture of Ena Sharpless knickers.

Miller imposes on Keats her righteous and reproving woke sensibility. She is unhappy about exploitative political power in any guise, and in Regency England, most Britons would have found it hard to make sure their investments were ethically pure.

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Is Keats 'un-woke'? Why scholars are tying themselves up in knots - Telegraph.co.uk

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Dorchester Paws named 2020 Nonprofit of the Year by Summerville Chamber – Journalscene.com

Posted: at 8:54 am

The Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerces award program is designed to recognize the dedication, achievement and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by exceptional local businesses, nonprofits and individuals.

Recipients of the 2020 Chamber Awards were announced virtually via Zoom and Facebook Live on Jan. 29.

Congratulations to the 2020 Nonprofit of the Year, Dorchester Paws. Dorchester Paws, formerly known as Frances R. Willis SPCA, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals in Dorchester County, South Carolina. Dorchester Paws is the only open-admission shelter in Dorchester County, serving towns including Rosinville, Ridgeville, Oakbrook, St. George, Summerville and Grover, SC. Partnering with Dorchester Code Enforcement, they take in every lost, abandoned and abused animal and provide them with food, shelter and medical attention until they find their forever home.

The shelter was established in 1972 by Frances R. Willis. Over the years, the shelter has been expanded, but they continue to reach and exceed capacity because our community is growing and the pet overpopulation crisis is not abating.

Dorchester Paws is a partner in the No Kill South Carolina Coalition. They are determined to end unnecessary euthanasia in Dorchester County by 2019. Since the beginning of 2017, they have made significant improvements to the shelter and quality of care they provide to the animals. Their euthanasia rate has been steadily reduced and they have not euthanized for time, space or money since January 2017. They are committed to making their live release rate meet the national average and in 2020 helped pass a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) Ordinance.

As the only open admission shelter serving our county, they take in every animal that crosses their gate, despite capacity limits, and rely heavily on fosters. Shelters and Rescues need support from their community now more than ever so that they can continue to end unnecessary euthanasia. Not to mention, the shelter has seen little renovations since it was established in 1972, yet they continue to improve upon and humanely care for an increasing number of animals. In 2020, they had to close their doors four times due to heavy rainfall that caused the shelter to flood.

When asked about their why, they said it is simple: the four paws and two eyes that have no voice. Imagine if they had no place to go? They are a voice for the voiceless, a shelter for the homeless, and an advocate for the abused.

Since its establishment in 1911, the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce has been an integral part of the growth of Summerville and the surrounding areas. Our mission is to protect and promote the quality of life in the community, with specific emphasis on improving economic vitality and providing a favorable business climate. For more information, please visit http://www.greatersummerville.org or call (843) 873-2931.

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Dorchester Paws named 2020 Nonprofit of the Year by Summerville Chamber - Journalscene.com

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The End review spiky, witty drama on death that sometimes shifts into the absurd – The Guardian

Posted: at 8:53 am

The End wastes no time establishing the spiky tone prevalent throughout this very witty and entertaining black comedy and drama series, which pries open a topical conversation from an irreverent perspective. That conversation is the assisted dying debate, which the series created and written by Samantha Strauss, whose scripting credits include Dance Academy and its movie spin-off leaps into by depicting a suicide attempt from the recently widowed Edie (an acidly charismatic Harriet Walter).

Director Jessica M Thompson begins by painting the details of a house fire spreading from the kitchen to the rest of the apartment then introducing Edie, who is awoken by the fire. She tries to kill herself but the attempt fails, and she moves to the windowsill, where she chugs down spirits straight from the bottle. Outside, in the ambulance, Edie holds her wrist up to the medic and shows him the label around it: It says do not resuscitate! she says. To which the man responds: Luv, yer still conscious.

The tone is provocative and a little off-colour but not flippant, setting in motion a series that walks a tightrope, sometimes morbid and sometimes a touch absurd. Edie is promptly whisked to Australia by her headstrong but frazzled daughter Kate (Frances OConnor in fine form) and placed inside a retirement village. Im planning on doing it again, the dour ageing lady snarls, setting up a prickly mother-daughter relationship thats chipped away at throughout the entire 10-part arc, which gradually reveals where their tensions come from.

For Kate the issue of assisted dying is personal, with Mum wanting to end it, as well as professional, as she is a doctor who works in palliative care. One of her patients is Beth (Brooke Satchwell, in a brief but memorable performance), a woman with motor neurone disease who with the help of her husband, Josh (Luke Arnold) has procured a lethal drug on the black market. They ask Kate for help testing it but discover shes opposed to euthanasia a perspective we expect will change over the course of the series.

Thompson and Strausss show expresses in visual terms discrepancies in the attitudes people have towards dying: namely that they are often OK with putting animals out of their misery but reluctant to do the same for other humans. In one scene, the director cuts between the death of a character in hospital and the last moments of an injured bat in the backyard, which Kate kills with a shovel. Its a very bold and potentially insensitive connection but it works, buffeted by the sharp, stinging power of the drama and its slightly in-your-face attitude.

This is not a moment played for laughs, but in The End a cheeky, mordant sense of humour is never far from the surface. The shows unorthodox spirit sometimes expresses itself in weird ways. During the beginning of episode six, for instance, director Jonathan Brough plays a cover of Nick Caves Into My Arms over a scene that cuts between Kates 10-year-old daughter, Persephone (Ingrid Torelli), ascending a high diving board and one of Edies friends from the retirement village, Art (Roy Billing), climbing a ladder into the sky.

The old man goes up and up and up, cartoonishly high and into the heavens, busting through the clouds, beautiful birds flying around and a divine sun glaring above him. This magically weird moment leaves you wondering in the best kind of way what the hell did I just watch?

The Ends outr elements sometimes manifest in the actions of the characters, whose erratic behaviours can seem abrupt. This is partly due the way Strauss slowly reveals important things others might have signposted from the outset such as the transitioning of Kates oldest child, her son Oberon (Morgan Davies), who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, and Kates previous struggles with alcoholism.

When you think youve got the story pegged, Strauss et al have a way of taking the drama someplace else, often with a cheeky joke. Tonally, I was reminded of the morbidly funny 1995 Australian film Mushrooms, in which Lynette Curran and Julia Blake play dodgy widows who dispose of the corpse of a lodger by cooking him. And in its more serious moments, I was reminded of the more recent Relic, which has a very different vibe, but also explores a mother-daughter dynamic in the context of people trying to bridge gaps between them.

The euthanasia movement is sometimes perceived as being pro-death a perspective that is true to a point but gets the framing wrong: its more about advocating quality of life. That attitude is reflected in the spirit of Strausss writing, which contemplates grim issues with naughty exuberance and joie de vivre making the point that you can confront death while loving existence. Maybe thats the message of the scene in episode six: that theres nothing wrong with staring down from the edge of the mortal coil into the abyss of the great beyond but why not do it with your head in the clouds, listening to birds and admiring the view?

The End premieres on Foxtels Showcase on Tuesday 2 February 8.30pm and is available to stream On Demand

Sitting on the Roof at Night for Internet: Pandemic Learning in the Navajo Nation – Education Week

Posted: at 8:52 am

Denise Jensen teaches New Mexico History and Navajo Culture at Navajo Preparatory School, in the northwest corner of New Mexico. The private, International Baccalaureate college-prep school established for Native American students serves about 265 teenagers from the Navajo Nation and other tribal nations. Most live at the school when its in session. But when Navajo Prep went all-remote last March, Jensen saw with painful clarity the struggles her students face daily to do their schoolwork from home. Jensen told her story to Catherine Gewertz, senior contributing writer. Their interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

I had a student who was a senior last year. When it got to a point where I was not receiving work from [him], I began to reach out to him. I was first trying to reach out to him through emails, and he seemed to be able to get the emails OK. But he then said its better if we can try to communicate through phone, I have a better phone signal than I do internet signal. He was having just such a hard timenot even just accessing his work through email but also just getting onto his Wi-Fi at home. There are like 10 family members who live in the household. And imagine the school-aged children and the adults in that family who are having to use the Wi-Fi for their own purposes. He explained to me that because he was home, a lot of the responsibility fell onto him to feed the cattle, the horses, to take care of them.

So a lot of times, because he was having to fight over the use of the Wi-Fi with everyone else in the household, it just was easier for him to go and do his ranch chores, and to take care of the animals during the day while the others use the Wi-Fi. Then he would come back in in the evening and try to use the Wi-Fi in hopes that he would have stronger signals. He really struggled with uploading assignments and emailing them to me. So when we talked on the phone, he really surprised me the first time. He said, can I call you back? I need to get to a place where I have a stronger signal. He called me. And then I, you know, immediately I could hear that wind, it was kind of breezy, and you could hear the wind blowing. And I said, are you outside? He goes, yeah, I had to crawl to the top of my roof, because this is where I can get a better phone signal.

He was frustrated. Hes a good student. Hes used to performing above expectations. And with these challenges that he had, it was frustrating, because it was limiting him. He was trying, and he was doing everything he could, to get things submitted, to show us as his teachers that he wasnt just using excuses, that he was going above and beyond to do his part to make sure he was getting things turned in.

[I had another student who] was a junior. She lived smack dab in the middle of the reservation along Lukachukai mountain. And her family, they still live in a traditional hogan [Navajo one-room home]. They dont have electricity. There was an assignment that was due on a Monday and it required her to do some writing over the weekend. She got an email through to me, I believe it was that Monday, and explained her situation. She worked on it for as long as she could. By that time, Navajo Nation issued stay-at-home orders and they had weekend lockdowns. They also instituted a $1,000 fine for anyone who was out when they werent supposed to be out. So you could get ticketed for driving somewhere. In this particular situation, this young lady, whose family home relies on a generator, they ran out of gas. Her laptop died and she couldnt do any more work. Whatever they had left in their generator had to sustain their household until they could get gas again.

This has really humbled me in a lot of ways as a teacher, because more than ever, the home and the reality of the situations that our students are in right now are just requiring that. The compassion, being understanding and just being willing toits been difficult.

Ive always had high expectations of my students. But Ive had to take that step back and Ive had to look at each individual situation for what it was and acknowledge that that student is in a situation where, number one, its not in their control. Number two, theyre doing their best, and theyre just reacting to whats happening around them.

Students are also dealing with a lot more family challenges, like living in a single-parent household where they have to take on more responsibility caring for others. It makes it more challenging for them to stay focused on their schoolwork. And there are domestic-violence situations.

Its frustrating, and its heartbreaking, because I cant help them fix what is really the challenge for them, and what is really affecting them, I cant fix that. So I keep that [in] the back of my mind, when Im designing my lessons. Even now, I really try to stay in communication with them. And I encourage them to stay in communication with me and let me know if somethings happening. I record my class sessions so at any time, should a student have to miss [class] for whatever reason, they always have access to those class recordings. They can always go back and watch. And Ill communicate with them and say, do you have any questions? What do you need help with? And then try to take them from there and keep moving them forward.

As we start spring semester, I find that I have higher attendance rate than I did in the fall. I attribute that to the work of our IT department. They have gone above and beyond. Starting the year, every student got a new Macbook Air and a hotspot. Our school took the time to find out what service worked best in their home area and tried to match the hotspot with that. There were still challenges, because we have some students who live in areas that had absolutely no signal at all, no connection at all. In some of those instances, our IT team went out and actually installed routers. They installed antennas on top of their roofs.

I meet [students] through Zoom. We are limited though, on the amount of time that we can be in Zoom. The first two weeks of this fall semester, we went on, we were excited, were gonna see our kids through Zoom. By the end of the second week, we saw students dropping out. Students werent showing up. And what happened to them? Well, [we] found that their data plan was running out. We had to scale back on our live Zoom sessions. We were limited to 30 minutes [a class] for the first half of the fall semester. By the end of the semester, we increased it to 45 minutes. [The IT team was] able to increase some of the data on the hotspots. So that helped a lot.

In November, my son, my only child, who goes to Fort Lewis College, tested positive. He has an apartment on campus, about an hours drive away. He stayed put. We drove up there, left things outside his door. We couldnt have contact with him. It was so hard. My son was battling COVID and I couldnt do anything to help him. Fortunately he had mild symptoms.

My husband works for Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprises, and hasnt been to work since last March because they shut down all the casinos. They had enough to pay the workers [for a while]. But he got laid off the beginning of January and is now on unemployment. The gaming executives say that if the casinos cant open by March, they might have to shut them down permanently. We dont know what the outcome will be.

My grandfather died recently. We just found out my mom is sick with COVID. So the reality of [my students] situations living on the reservation, now Im experiencing it personally with my mom and my family. My grandfathers services are tomorrow, and we cant even all be there. Thats the reality of what a lot of our kids are going through. Even teachers. Weve had several staff members who have lost family members.

My mom is 65. She lives in a trailer on the north rim of Canyon de Chelly. She got electricity a year and a half ago, but she still doesnt have running water. So were going to take our RV to her, so at least she can take a hot shower, [to] give her some comfort, and hopefully shell be able to fight this. You know, her walking out to the outhouse in the cold and having to deal with a wood burning stove, its just not good for her right now.

We talk about the cluster outbreaks [here] and how dangerous those are, because we do have so many family members living not just within one home, but in close proximity to one another, that its hard to maintain that distance, without thinking about it being a reality, or it being something that can actually happen to you. Until it does.

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Sitting on the Roof at Night for Internet: Pandemic Learning in the Navajo Nation - Education Week

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Counties once again looking to operate in the dark Mecklenburg Times: News for Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties – The Mecklenburg Times

Posted: at 8:52 am

Like a bad penny, legislation to hide public notices from the public is back in N.C. General Assembly.

House members have filed separate bills that would allow 14 counties in the Piedmont and mountains and 12 counties in Eastern North Carolina to run public notices on their websites instead of in newspapers. This has been a bad idea over the past 10 years and it is arguably a worse idea today when a public health crisis calls for greater transparency, not less.

Why are public notices important?

Public notices catalog government actions in cases of competitive bidding, rezonings, budget hearings, auctions, property transfers, delinquent tax notices, street name changes and more. They alert the public to disruptive land-use changes for things like sewer plants, asphalt plants and garbage incinerators. They tell the public in advance about proposals for traffic-clogging high-density developments and plans for wider roads or new roads. Although they cost local government a small amount of money, public notices generate revenue by compelling the collection of past-due taxes. Indeed, the threat of having their names published in the local newspaper (and on its website) for nonpayment incentivizes the timely payment of property taxes by an incalculable amount. Instead of eroding the publics right to know, county commissioners and city council members should be providing as much information as possible to all their constituents, including the many who have no internet access or poor service.

What role do newspapers play?

Newspapers are a community forum. That role does not change with the manner in which you receive local news important to you.

Newspapers have proved to be a lifeline of community news vital to the public during the pandemic; instead of killing the messengers, counties and cities should continue running legal notices in newspapers and help maintain this vital line of communication to the local community.

Current law ensures that public notices reach the largest possible cross-section of the community. The death of newspapers has been greatly exaggerated since the invention of the telegraph machine, radio and television. While the internet has reduced dissemination of news via a printed product, newspapers almost universally have added 24-7 web-based products that in many cases reach a larger audience than those news companies did before websites proliferated. Traffic on county websites is infinitesimally small compared to newspaper websites and print circulation. A recent study done by the North Carolina Press Association showed newspaper websites drew 4-5 times as much traffic as county websites. Keep in mind, too, that at no extra cost and without being forced to by law newspapers are already posting public notices on line and uploading them to a central statewide website http://www.ncnotices.com where the public can read notices from around the state for free.

The survey the NCPA commissioned in December 2020 found that:

The survey broadly undergirds what most people would regard as intuitive fact: The public relies on newspapers more often than any other source of information and its not even close.

What about access to these notices?

According to many studies, fully 30% of North Carolinians either live where there is no internet service, they cant afford it, or wont read online even if available (most seniors).

Rep Warren thinks that everyone has a cell phone with capability to reach county websites, a position that is simply not supportable (there is a comparable group of seniors or those who cant afford wireless or find themselves out of service range).

Readers and viewers still look to newspapers to get community news that no other organization provides. So its a false echo for Rep Warren and others to argue that its time now (when it wasnt time 10 years ago when he voted against earlier legislation to kill public notice) to allow counties to pull notices because newspapers may publish less frequently today.

Would this save money for our counties?

The fact is legal notice advertising is a tiny fraction of the budget in every county.

It is an important check and balance service that newspapers have provided to local governments for decades, and yes they are paid for it. These notices do not subsidize the operation of small town newspapers. They keep the public informed. Removing the newspaper publication cost would scarcely be noticed on local government budget ledgers except to the extent it may reduce their leverage to collect unpaid taxes, making the repeal of the public notices pound foolish.

If our papers didnt play this role, many vulnerable taxpayers would be left in the dark about meetings of local governments that their tax dollars pay for, as well as the decisions and taxes to which those meetings might lead. Finally, legal ads sometimes more than pay for themselves, either by heading off a costly governmental controversy by drawing public attention early or bringing in cash. For instance, Moore County paid its local paper, The Pilot, $8,000 to meet a legal requirement to publish the names of delinquent taxpayers who collectively owed $1.37 million. After the ad, Moore County collected $821,000 of the outstanding debt.

This is not about cost savings for the counties. This is about hiding the business of the people and an attempt to strike back at newspapers for doing their job. We are the public watchdogs and occasionally we report on news that is not favorable to elected officials. That role will never change. This is about accountability and transparency.

As described by former Republican lawyer- House member Bonner Stiller, giving local governments the choice to suspend notice publication to the public in newspapers would create havoc for free press rights every time a newspaper criticized the government.

Limiting public notice to government websites is a Bad Idea.

Because as many as one-third of North Carolinians do not have internet access, cant afford it, and would not visit government operated websites even if they had internet access. This bill would bury public notices on a website that few if any citizens visit and effectively would kill the publics right to know.

These measures put local governments into private business, expanding government reach. Posting of public notices to government sites is not a healthy option for democracy. Newspapers are an independent third party responsible for printing and archiving a permanent record of these public notices who would be held accountable if these notices were only required to post on a government run website?

The attempts at retribution against local newspapers are a Bad Idea. Contact your local legislator and county commissioners and tell them to keep the fox out of the henhouse. Tell them to keep public notices in newspapers so that the public can see them.

Philip M. Lucey

Executive Director

North Carolina Press Association

Supporting the publics right to know since 1873

Experts in hyperlocal advertising and marketing

North Carolina Press Association

Since 1843 NCPA has supported North Carolina newspapers, readership and advertising. We work to protect the publics right to know through the defense of open government and First Amendment freedoms, and we help maintain the publics access to local, state and federal governments.

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Counties once again looking to operate in the dark Mecklenburg Times: News for Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties - The Mecklenburg Times

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Yahoo Sports’ picks for the winner of Chiefs-Buccaneers, and Super Bowl LV MVP – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 8:51 am

The Guardian

Will Tampa Bay become the first team to win a championship in their own home stadium? Or will the reigning champions retain their title? This years Super Bowl features some of the NFLs top talent including, clockwise from left, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Composite: Reuters, Getty, AP What the Chiefs need to do to win Be the Chiefs. That may sound flippant, but no team gives more credit to the flip the switch theory than this seasons Chiefs. When theyre fully engaged, when theyre at their full Chiefs-ness, theres not much any other team in the league can do to stop them. There are flaws on defense, but at some point, Patrick Mahomes will have the ball. Even with an excellent defense, Tampa will have a hard time slowing down the Mahomes-Hill-Kelce triumvirate. OC With their top two offensive tackles likely out of this matchup, it figures to be tough sledding for the Chiefs on the edge. Look for Andy Reid to dial up plenty of screen passes to capitalize on the speed and shiftiness of his backs and receivers Tyreek Hills especially. AL Win the battle of the turnovers. Brady threw three interceptions against the Green Bay Packers, but the Packers could only score on one of the ensuing possessions. If the Bucs do that against KC, this game could be over quickly. HF Eliminate the deep ball. Keep two safeties on the field so the Bucs are forced to run. You cannot play chicken with Brady like the Packers did it only ends one way. Well, unless the offense explodes as well it may. Reid will need an extra splash of trickery to flummox Tampa. That or dump it off to Hill. GS What the Bucs need to do to win Shorten the game. The Bucs have proven they can swap between a number of styles this season. They can win with their exceptional defense. They can rely on Tom Brady to hang in a shootout. Against the Chiefs, though it wont be as entertaining, they will have to rely on the run-game to extend drives against a weak-ish Chiefs front in order to contain the scoreline. Get Brady to the final drive with a chance to win the game, that should be the plan. OC Sic Jason Pierre-Paul, William Gholston and Ndamukong Suh on the Chiefs backup tackles. Mix it up a little on first down. (The handoffs to Leonard Fournette & Co are so predictable.) And capitalize on every opportunity to connect with receivers downfield, a point of emphasis for Bruce Arians all season. If Antonio Brown is looking for a time to shine, this is it. AL Bradys doesnt want to get into a throwing contest with Mahomes at this point of his career. His edge will lie in his experience. He doesnt want to be a pure game-manager here, hes going to have to connect on a few long-balls to win, but if he focuses on making the right play over trying for the big play, his team have a solid chance. HF Tampa must play to their strengths and blitz early and often. They have the pedigree nine sacks and two wins against Rodgers this season and can slow down Mahomes by attacking an offensive line missing both its starting tackles. You run the risk of death by a thousand Tyreek and Travis-shaped cuts but Todd Bowles must be brave to limit Kansas Citys scoring. GS Key player for the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes. Of course its Mahomes. Going with anyone else would be a hipster choice. The Bucs could run the perfect gameplan. They could play as well as imaginable on both sides of the ball. Yet if Mahomes turns up and plays at his best, there is nothing anyone can do to stop him. OC Other than the obvious? Lets go with Tyrann Mathieu, whose powers of anticipation and interruption give off major Ed Reed vibes. He, not Mahomes, is Tom Bradys true opponent and the Honey Badger will make the GOAT pay for all those 50-50 balls he likes to throw up so much. Mathieu intercepted Brady on a tipped ball in their Week 12 matchup. AL Travis Kelce. We talk about Brady v Mahomes, but what about Kelce v Gronkowski? Since Gronkowskis (temporary) retirement, Kelce has been fighting to surpass him as the leagues best tight end ever. A Super Bowl win over a diminished Gronk would be more of a symbolic touchstone, but it wouldnt hurt his case. HF Tyrann Mathieu. We can be sure Brady is going to take risks through the air so Mathieus ability to diagnose and demolish receiver routes will need to be firing to disrupt Tampas passing attack. Putting Brady under pressure to second guess whether Mathieu will jump a route consistently could frustrate the veteran into making costly mistakes. GS Key player for the Bucs Todd Bowles. Not a player, but the Bucs defensive coordinator. Tampas defense has played at a championship level all season. There arent many schematic fireworks. Instead, Bowles relies on a core group of plays and his players all playing at the highest possible level. Against Mahomes, he is going to need a couple of wrinkles or fresh looks in order to create a negative play or two. OC Lavonte David, one of the finest linebackers the game has ever seen. His ability to close on ballcarriers and stop or even sometimes reverse their momentum should prove especially useful against a Chiefs skilled unit adept at piling on big yards after the catch. His sideline-to-sideline range will be key to maintaining coordinator Todd Bowless bend-but-dont-break principles. AL Leonard Fournette. Fournette was cut by the Jaguars and came in as Tampa Bays backup running back. Now hes putting his best work of the season in the playoffs, including an astonishing touchdown run against Green Bay. Another touchdown or two would be nice, but if he can pick up plenty of yardage on first downs, it will open the playbook wide open for Brady. HF A shootout beckons despite the cannons falling silent at Raymond James Stadium (couldnt the cannons have fired for the Chiefs as well? Why do I care so much about the cannons?). The Bucs can bully the Chiefs defense using the superior size and strength of Mike Evans in the redzone. The extra attention he receives will also create holes for others to rack up points. GS One bold prediction The Weeknd has more than one song. I mean, seriously? The Weeknd? For the Super Bowl? Am I old now? OC Someones gonna pull out a trick play. Either the Chiefs build on the iconic Four Tops they sprang on the 49ers last year, or Arians dials up a nervy retort. Either way, you will love the football love language. AL How about a scoreless first quarter? After all the talk about this being an offensive showdown, maybe both sides get performance anxiety right off the gate and we see a lot of three-and-outs, some offensive miscues and even a missed field goal in the first 15 minutes. HF Tony Romo spots Bill Belichick in the crowd wearing a Jack Sparrow mask as a disguise. Naturally, Romo cannot contain his excitement and orchestrates a joyous on-field reunion after Brady lifts a Lombardi without his one-time mentor. Thats my boy, Belichick will say. GS The final score will be Chiefs 31-24 Buccaneers. The combination of Brady and Bowles is about as good as you can hope for in trying to knock the Chiefs off their perch. No one is capable of stopping the Chiefs, but all the Bucs require is a defense that slows Mahomes-Andy Reid machine down, even for a possession or two. Tampa have the talent and staff to be able to pull off such a plan. I have the Bucs giving Brady a chance on the final possession but coming up just short. The Chiefs offensive power, even with all the Bowles goodness, is just too overwhelming. And even when plays break down, nobody is better off-script than Mahomes. The Chiefs go back-to-back and Mahomes takes home a second successive MVP. OC Chiefs 30-29 Buccaneers. As exposed as Mahomes figures to be on the edge, one could easily see the Bucs defense forgetting about the QBs wheels until its too late. Whether its by picking up chunk yardage or buying time to fire darts to Cheetah & Co, eventually, Mahomes will take their heart. AL Chiefs 34-17 Buccaneers. Look for the teams to keep it close for a while but by the fourth quarter, the Chiefs will have the lead and salt it way with one of those Mahomes bursts where he rattles off two touchdowns in the blink of an eye. HF Chiefs 30-33 Buccaneers. I said it mid-season and I will say it again, Tom Brady and the Bucs will win the Super Bowl. Picking against Brady is a fools errand especially now he is an underdog. Six titles and your team not being favourite is testament to how good the Chiefs are but Brady will have the last word in the game with a last-minute drive and possibly on which QB is truly the greatest. Same time next year, Tom. GS

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Weve got a full month of 2021 behind us now, and a few trends are coming clearer. The coronavirus crisis may still be with us, but as vaccination programs expand, the end is in sight. With President Trump out of the picture, and the Democrats holding both Houses of Congress and the White House, politics is looking more predictable. And both of those developments bode well for an economic recovery this year. Looking back, at the year that was, we can also see some trends that stayed firm despite the pandemic, the shutdowns, and the supercharged election season. One of the most important is the ongoing rollout of 5G networking technology. These new networks bring with them a fuller realization of the promises inherent in the digital world. Faster connections, lower latency, higher online capacity, clearer signals all will strongly enhance the capabilities of the networked world. And it wont just be mundane things like telecommuting or remote offices that will benefit 5G will allow Internet of Things and autonomous vehicles to further develop their potential. There is even talk of medical applications, of remotely located doctors performing surgery via digitally controlled microsurgical tools. And these are just the possibilities that we can see from now. Who know what the future will really bring? To this end, we pulled up TipRanks database to learn more about three exciting plays in the 5G space. According to the Street, we are likely to see further interesting developments in the next few years as this technology takes over. Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) The first 5G name were looking at, Skyworks, is a semiconductor chip manufacturer that brought in $3.4 billion in total revenues for FY2020. Skyworks, which is a prime supplier of chips for Apples iPhone series, saw a massive 68% year-over-year increase in 1QFY21 revenues the top line reached $1.51 billion, a company record, and also much higher than analysts had forecast. Much of Skyworks fiscal Q1 sales success came after Apple launched the 5G-capable iPhone 12 line. Strong sales in the popular handset device meant that profits trickled down the supply line and Skyworks channels a disproportionate share of its business to Apple. In fact, Apple orders accounted for 70% of Skyworks revenue in the recent quarter. iPhone wasnt the only 5G handset on the receiving end of Skyworks chips, however the company is also an important supplier to Koreas Samsung and Chinas Xiaomi, and has seen demand rise as these companies also launch 5G-capable smartphones. Finally, Skyworks supplies semiconductor chip components to the wireless infrastructure sector, specifically to the small cell transmission units which are important in the propagation network of wireless signals. As the wireless providers switch to 5G transmission, Skyworks has seen orders for its products increase. In his note on Skyworks for Benchmark, 5-star analyst Ruben Roy writes: SWKS significantly beat consensus estimates and provided March quarter guidance that is also well ahead of consensus estimates as 5G related mobile revenue and broad-based segment revenue continued to accelerate In addition to continued strength of design win momentum and customer activity, we are encouraged with SWKS confident tone relative to the overall demand environment and content increase opportunities. In line with his comments, Roy rates SWKS a Buy along with a $215 price target. At current levels, this implies an upside of 20% for the coming year. (To watch Roys track record, click here) Roy is broadly in line with the rest of Wall Street, which has assigned SWKS 13 Buy ratings and 7 Holds over the past three month -- and sees the stock growing about 15% over the next 12 months, to a target price of $205.69.(See SWKS stock analysis on TipRanks) Qorvo, Inc. (QRVO) Qorvos chief products are chipsets used in the construction of radio frequency transmission systems that power wifi and broadband communication networks. The connection of this niche to 5G is clear as network providers upgrade their RF hardware to 5G, they also upgrade the semiconductor chips that control the systems. This chip maker has a solid niche, but it is not resting on its laurels. Qorvo is actively developing a range of new products specifically for 5G systems and deployment. This 5G radio frequency product portfolio includes phase shifters, switches, and integrated modules, and contains both infrastructure and mobile products. Qorvo posted $3.24 billion in total revenues for fiscal 2020. That revenue represents a 4.8% year-over-year increase and the companys sales have been accelerating in fiscal 2021. The most recent quarterly report, for the second fiscal quarter, showed $1.06 billion in revenues, a 31% yoy increase. Rajvindra Gill, 5-star analyst with Needham, is bullish on Qorvos prospects, noting: Qorvo reported strong sales and gross margins as 5G momentum rolls into CY21 on atypical seasonality... The company is planning for 500M 5G handsets to be manufactured in 2021, with an incremental $5-7 of content/unit from 4G to 5G. Management believes that ultra-wideband adoption will be a key growth driver in for smartphones going forward..." To this end, Gill puts a $220 price target on QRVO shares, suggesting room for 31% upside in 2021. Accordingly, he rates the stock a Buy. (To watch Gills track record, click here) What do other analysts have to say? 13 Buys and and 6 Holds add up to a Moderate Buy analyst consensus. Given the $192.28 average price target, shares could climb ~15% from current levels. (See QRVO stock analysis on TipRanks) Telefonakiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) From chipsets, well move on to handsets. Ericsson, the Swedish telecom giant has long been a leader in mobile tech, and is well known for its infrastructure and software that make possible IP networking, broadband, cable TV, and other telecom services. Ericsson is the largest European telecom company, and the largest 2G/3G/4G infrastructure provider outside of China. But that is all in the background. Ericsson is also a leader in the rollout of Europes growing 5G networks. Ericsson is involved in 5G rollout in 17 countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, and its product line includes infrastructure base units and handsets, giving the company an interest in all aspects of the new 5G networks. Ericssons revenue performance in 2020 was not notably distressed by the corona crisis. Yes, the top line dipped in Q1, but that was in line with the companys historical pattern of rising revenue from Q1 through Q4. While the companys 1H20 revenues showed small yoy declines, the 2H20 gains were higher. In Q3, the $6.48 billion top line was up 8.7% yoy, and Q4s $8.08 billion revenue was up 17% from the prior year. The companys shares have also performed well during the corona year, and show a 12 month gain of 64%. Raymond James 5-star analyst Simon Leopold bluntly assigns Ericssons recent gains to its participation in 5G rollouts. Japan's awaited 5G roll-out has started. Share gains continue as Ericsson benefits from challenges facing its biggest competitors and more operators embrace 5G it seems obvious that Ericsson should be gaining market share... Competitor Nokia shunned the Chinese 5G projects, citing profitability challenges, yet Ericsson appears to be profiting in the challenging region. Leopold rates this stock an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $15 price target implies an upside potential of ~14% for the year ahead. (To watch Leopolds track record, click here) The Raymond James analyst, while bullish on ERIC, is actually less so than the Wall Street consensus. The stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on a unanimous 5 reviews, and the $16.50 average price target indicates 25% growth potential from the share price of $13.19. (See ERIC stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for 5G stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Monthly Archives: February 2021

Vet Speak: Help is available when it’s time to say goodbye – RossShire Journal

Liberal right-winger Kevin Andrews defeated in preselection by Afghanistan veteran – The Conversation AU

Is Keats ‘un-woke’? Why scholars are tying themselves up in knots – Telegraph.co.uk

Dorchester Paws named 2020 Nonprofit of the Year by Summerville Chamber – Journalscene.com

The End review spiky, witty drama on death that sometimes shifts into the absurd – The Guardian

Sitting on the Roof at Night for Internet: Pandemic Learning in the Navajo Nation – Education Week

Counties once again looking to operate in the dark Mecklenburg Times: News for Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties – The Mecklenburg Times

Yahoo Sports’ picks for the winner of Chiefs-Buccaneers, and Super Bowl LV MVP – Yahoo Sports

DeFi Season? LINK, AAVE, ZRX and COMP Hit Record Price Highs, Outperforming Bitcoin – Yahoo Finance

Ocugen: Theres a New Potential Covid-19 Vaccine at the Gate – Yahoo Finance

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