Ticks native to Maryland commonly feed on deer, but a deer found near Hagerstown was carrying a foreign invader; the Asian longhorned tick, which has made its way from Japan to Australia to the U.S. [node:read-more:link]
A group of South American lizards that can grow up to four feet long (1.2 meters) has established a home in the Florida wild after being brought to the United States as pets, and the reptiles could begin a voracious march across the U.S. South, according to a new study.Tegu lizards, which currently live in two large colonies in Florida, could expand into an area from the Carolinas to Central Texas. [node:read-more:link]
15-year-old girl took the witness stand to testify against the accused, detailing extensive sexual abuse. David Crenshaw, the clinical supervisor of the girl's therapist at the time of the June 2011 trial, said he and the therapist did not think she would be able to go through with it."She can't even talk to me about the trauma, it's so hard for her, so how in the world is she going to get up on the stand in front of a room full of people and testify?" Crenshaw said the therapist asked.But the girl was not in the witness box by herself. [node:read-more:link]
Overall U.S. sales of tractors and combines continued to post strong numbers, led by self-propelled combines and 4-wheel-drive tractors, according to the July 2018 report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). July U.S. sales of self-propelled combines gained 37 percent compared to last year, with year-to-date growth of nearly 24 percent compared to last-year’s January-July numbers.U.S. sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors jumped 77.5 percent for July compared to July 2017, and grew nearly 13 percent year-to-date over January-July 2017.For July, total U.S. [node:read-more:link]
As the chain opens stores at the rate of three a day across the US, often in the heart of ‘food deserts’, some see Dollar General as an admission that a town is failing. When Dollar General came to Haven, Kansas, it arrived making demands. The fastest-growing retailer in America wanted the taxpayers of the small, struggling Kansas town to pick up part of the tab for building one of its squat, barebones stores that more often resemble a warehouse than a neighbourhood shop. [node:read-more:link]
New York state will invest $1.5 million in additional funds in efforts to bring fresh, locally grown farm products to public schools in the coming school year.School districts can apply for grants of up to $100,000 each that can support the hiring of a program coordinator, staff training or the purchase of equipment to store, prepare or transport farm products.Since the state's "farm-to-school" program began in 2015 the state has set aside more than $1.8 million to help programs in 164 school districts across the state. Democratic Gov. [node:read-more:link]
he Kroger Co. has announced plans to source pork only from producers who do not use sow gestation stalls. The nation’s largest supermarket chain specified in its recent sustainability report that it aims to buy 100 percent of its pork from producers using group housing or free-range methods by 2025. [node:read-more:link]
HSUS recently held its “Taking Action for Animals” Conference here in Arlington, and as always the Alliance had representatives on the scene. Despite HSUS’ efforts to appear moderate and professional, its conference has usually been a good source for quotes and insights that illustrate its true mission to promote veganism and end animal agriculture. When I reviewed the agenda for this year’s event, I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed. The sessions were all billed under very innocuous names with vague descriptions, and most of the speakers were HSUS staffers vs. [node:read-more:link]
Governor Pete Ricketts named Seward County Nebraska’s newest Livestock Friendly County (LFC). Seward County is the 48th county in Nebraska to receive the LFC designation. The LFC program is administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA). “Agriculture is the largest segment of Nebraska’s economy,” said Governor Ricketts. “Congratulations to Seward County on becoming livestock friendly. [node:read-more:link]
Two of the first states to broadly legalize marijuana took different approaches to regulation that left Oregon with a vast oversupply and Colorado with a well-balanced market. But in both states prices for bud have plummeted. [node:read-more:link]
