USDA’s Farm Service Agency reminds growers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 crop year have until March 15, 2022, to sign a contract.
A Feb. 7 editorial in the Dallas Morning News, written by the paper’s editorial board, urges readers to support the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act bipartisan legislation now before Congress. The JCPA would allow publishers and broadcasters to collectively negotiate with online platforms (Facebook, Google, etc.) that currently use their original content with no compensation. The act would also mark a four-year antitrust exemption that would give local news sources the chance to get back on their feet, staff their newsrooms and resupply their communities with vital information. The act is co-sponsored by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Opponents of the act, some of whom have accepted substantial campaign donations from Big Tech companies, have expressed concern that the legislation would create a “news cartel.” The Morning News writes, “This is not a serious scenario. Instead, the opposite is more likely. This would give more publishers, with different points of view, the opportunity to set up news organizations that reflect what their communities want.” Other opponents have said that local newspapers are obsolete institutions that, like the horse and buggy, should fade away as technology progresses. The Dallas Morning News asserts that digital news sharing has actually brought more readers to the newspaper than at any time in its history, averaging more than 10 million unique visitors monthly throughout 2021. Yet, traditional advertising models need help adapting to the current digital environment. The Morning News writes, “... most of the advertising revenue that once supported the work of our journalists flows instead to a duopoly that even a company as strong as ours — one of the largest regional papers in the U.S. — cannot negotiate with singularly. Imagine what it must be like for mom-and-pop publishers in rural areas of this country.” It continues, “We need a better news and information system in our country that empowers a multitude of publishers, not only a handful of national papers and cable news channels, but a healthy ecosystem of local journalists who go to city halls and police stations, who are there for the high school football games and the opening of the new businesses in town.” The editorial cites a Washington Post study that found that since 2005, about 2,200 local newspapers have shuttered in this country. It notes that in many areas of the U.S., “local news coverage has been reduced to its thinnest form, if it hasn’t disappeared entirely.” The Morning News’ editorial board puts much of that blame squarely on the shoulders of Facebook and Google, which now dominate news dissemination. It says that in 2008, the entire U.S. newspaper industry collected $37 billion in advertising revenue. By 2020 that number fell to less than $9 billion. Yet in a single quarter last year, Google reported $61 billion in ad revenue. Likewise, Facebook, despite its recent stock stumbles, is poised to remain the other leader in digital advertising, the editorial asserts. “Much of this revenue is collected off the clicks and page views these companies gather from hosting the work of journalists. Most Americans now get their news through either or both of these companies. Yet Google and Facebook have not fairly compensated the news producers who drive a large share of content on their sites,” the editorial continues. It says that reaching a wide audience without using Facebook or Google has become nearly impossible, so the argument often made that news publishers have the choice to publish their original content elsewhere is unrealistic. The editorial concludes that failure to regulate the internet economy has “wrecked” what was once a robust journalism landscape full of local, regional and national news publishers. “[The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act] is a chance to bring part of it back, and we should all support it.”
(StatePoint) Flu season is still underway and it’s important to protect yourself and your loved ones. While influenza can have severe health consequences for anyone, adults 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable. Nationally, up to 70% of flu hospitalizations have occurred in patients over 65. Because the immune system naturally weakens with age and older adults don’t always develop the same level of immunity through vaccination as younger people, they may benefit from the additional protection of having those they are in regular, close contact also be vaccinated. As for those living with underlying health conditions like chronic lung disease, diabetes and chronic heart disease, flu illness can become severe, while also making chronic disease management more difficult.
Feb. 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began alerting the public that several categories of FDA-regulated products purchased from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee may be unsafe for consumers to use. The impacted products originated from the company’s distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, where an FDA inspection found insanitary conditions, including a rodent infestation, that could cause many of the products to become contaminated. The FDA is working with the company to initiate a voluntary recall of the affected products. “Families rely on stores
When you were a kid, did you have that teacher who was an amazing storyteller? It didn’t matter if they were telling stories about a big crazy thing that happened or just a little anecdote about their ride to school, you could always count on that teacher to tell stories? And you can also count on everyone in the classroom to be hooked on every word they said? Yeah, me too.
The Corning School Board met on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. in the boardroom. President Turner called the meeting to order and the minutes and financial report reports were approved followed by the approval of the Proposed Budget of Expenditures with Tax Levy for Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2023 to and including June 30, 2024 and to approve all related election documents. The next item on the agenda was the approval of the updated Ready for Learning Plan. Superintendent Woolard explained that because of the changes in ADH and DESE guidance for Covid isolations and quarantines, the plan needed to be updated a month early. The Board then accepted the resignations of John Hampton, Wanda Patterson, and Jacob Brock and approved the employment of Naomi Whitley and Ashley Banks as paraprofessionals at Park Elementary. Next, Mrs. Woolard shared the new laws concerning school calendars with the board. Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, districts have four options for establishing a school year calendar. Those four include a traditional school calendar, an alternate school calendar, a four-day week calendar, and a 12 month/year around calendar. Mrs. Woolard explained that although each calendar has unique features, all of them require the equivalent of 178 student interaction days-the same as previous years. She continued by stating that in her discussions with administrators and the personnel policies committee, they are going to research the alternatives, get feedback from schools that are using the other options next year, and talk with parents and community members before making any changes to a future school calendar other than a traditional model. The board then approved the 2022-2023 school calendar that the faculty and staff recommended. This is a traditional calendar with the first day of school starting on August 22 and the last day of school on June 1, 2023. Next, the board approved purchasing 65 Intellipure Ultrafine 468 Air Purification Systems for classrooms at a cost of $47, 255.00 from Delos Living LLC. These systems will be purchased with ESSER monies through an ELC Grant. The last items on the agenda were discussions of football field maintenance, ESSER updates, and the feasibility of starting a volleyball program. Mrs. Woolard said that the athletic director, Chad Hovis, had been in contact with AAA to determine the requirements of starting volleyball at CMS/CHS. Mrs. Woolard and Mr. Hovis will host an informative parent meeting for students interested in volleyball in early March. The board went into executive session to discuss personnel matters. The board returned from executive session and there being no further business, President Turner adjourned the meeting.
Lakeside Specialty Metals coming to Corning Lakeside Specialty Metals in Paragould is branching out to Corning and the company plans to be operating in the spec building on Lee Drive according to Corning Mayor Greg Ahrent. Ahrent said they plan to be operating mid-summer and plan to hire 8-10 employees with a slow upstart.
My article this week is spotlighting our FFA. According to the National FFA Organization website, ““Future Farmers of America” was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught us that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting – it’s a science, it’s a business and it’s an art.” Being involved in FFA opens the door for students to compete in leadership and career development events, volunteer with the FFA in our community, and advocate for the field of agriculture when opportunities arise. Sarah Green, CHS FFA sponsor, keeps our FFA members active in a variety of events each year. The Corning FFA will be involved in Leadership Development Events where students compete against other schools in Creed Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure, Prepared and Extemporaneous Speaking, and Conduct of Chapter Meetings. Students will also compete in Career Development Events where students use knowledge and skills learned inside the classroom and/or mechanics lab to compete against other FFA Chapters. Some examples of these CDE’s are veterinary science, milk quality and products, poultry science, meats judging, livestock judging, horse judging, mechanics, electricity, agronomy, floriculture, and forestry.
General Information The Law Enforcemen Officers’ (LEO) Dependent Scholarship program provides an eight-semester scholarship to any state-supported college, university, o technical institute in Arkansas to dependents of Arkansas residents in one of the categories below who were killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty: • Law enforcement officers • Full-time or volunteer firefighters • Municipal and/or college or university police officers • Sheriffs or deputy sheriffs • Constables • Game Wardens • Certain Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department employees • State forestry employees engaged in fighting forest fires • State correction employees killed or totally disabled due to contact with inmates or parolees • State park employees who are commissioned law enforcement officers or emergency response employees • Emergency Medical Technicians • Department of Community Punishment employees Award Amount The scholarship will reimburse the institution the cost of tuition, fees and dormitory room charges when provided in campus-owned facilities. The scholarship will not pay the cost of books, food, school supplies and materials, or fees for extracurricular activities.
Park Elementary has announced the following students are the January Students of the Month. Front row: Noah Gaines, Avery Garcia, Chloee Malone, Layla Young, Ja’Kynzie Woodard and Gage Wright Back row: Cason Moore, Mullin Jett, Wyatt Woodard, Sawyer Wright, Reid Varvil, Braxton Godwin and Hadley Murray. The word for the month was KINDNESS