The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Natasha Guinan has been named Chief Counsel, Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA). As Chief Counsel, Ms. Guinan will provide legal guidance to the Chief Accountant and the other OCA groups in…

Rosemary Wolf pleaded guilty on June 12, 2019, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on Jan. 2, 2020.

The battle against coronavirus has intensified across the country as more workers are laid off, medical supplies dwindle, and states enact new rules to get Americans to stay home.

Jory D. Wiebrand remains a suspect in a 2013 assault and robbery in Bunker Hills Park in Andover.

Prosecutors said sentencing is set for July 23. Dawnta Harris faces life in prison on the felony murder conviction alone, with up to five years for auto theft and 20 years for first-degree burglary.

In a release sent on Tuesday night, the Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education announced that Darryl Williams will serve as the next Superintendent of Schools.

Listen to Scott Wykoff's WBAL NewsRadio 1090 interview with Mike Pons of Country Life Farm as Md's top new stallion settles into his stall at Md's oldest continuous operating Thoroughbred breeding farm & birthplace of Cigar.

COVID cases are surging in Stearns County, in large part due to three meat packing plants in the area. We photograph St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis as he broadcasts his daily COVID-19 update to constituents on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at St. Cloud City Hall in St. Cloud, Minn.

tl;dr: Their 95% interval for the infection rate, given the data available, is [0.7%, 1.8%]. My Bayesian interval is [0.3%, 2.4%]. Most of what makes my interval wider is the possibility that the specificity and sensitivity of the tests can vary across labs. To get a narrower interval, you’d need additional assumptions regarding the specificity […]

Grand Canyon National Park is closed.

Information about rescheduling backcountry permit reservations can be obtained by emailing grca_bic@nps.gov

Due to the closure of Grand Canyon National Park, backcountry permits are not being issued, and staff are instructed to deny any permit requests they receive. Please wait to submit new backcountry permit requests until the park re-opens (we do not know when that might be). Thank you for your patience and understanding!

https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/news_2009-11-20_procedure_change.htm

National Park Service Begins Process to Revise Backcountry Management Plan for Grand Canyon National Park https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/national-park-service-begins-process-to-revise-backcountry-management-plan-for-grand-canyon-national-park.htm

https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/news-5may2011.htm

Effective June 1, 2015, Grand Canyon National Park will increase park entrance fees and the cost of overnight backcountry permits. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-announces-fee-increases.htm

Coconino County Public Health Services District and Grand Canyon National Park will begin monthly monitoring for plague. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-and-coconino-county-to-monitor-for-plague.htm

The National Park Service (NPS) announced today another opportunity for the public to weigh in on revisions to Grand Canyon National Park’s Backcountry Management Plan (BMP). https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/backcountry-plan-draft-eis.htm

The National Park Service (NPS) announced today another opportunity for the public to weigh in on revisions to Grand Canyon National Park’s Backcountry Management Plan (BMP). The NPS began developing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for this plan in 2011 in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/backcountry-plan-webinar-and-open-house.htm

The National Park Service announced a 30-day extension of the public comment period for Grand Canyon National Park’s Backcountry Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement . https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/backcountry-deis-comment-extension.htm

On Saturday evening, April 15 the National Park Service received an alert from a personal locating beacon in a backcountry area of Grand Canyon National Park near the confluence of Tapeats Creek and Thunder River. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/missing-hikers-tapeats.htm

After five days of extensive searching, today the National Park Service (NPS) is reducing the scale of the search for two hikers who went missing at Grand Canyon National Park on Saturday, April 15. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/search-continues-limited-mode.htm

Due to water turbidity and maintenance issues, some of the water filling stations and flush toilets normally available along the North Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails at this time of the year will not be open until water conditions change and/or water line repairs are made. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/backcountry-users-advised-of-changes-to-water-availability-on-north-kaibab-and-bright-angel-trails.htm

As part of the 10-year socioeconomic monitoring of the Northwest Forest Plan, this report evaluates changes in Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) procurement contracting between 1990 and 2002 by asking, (1) How much and what kind of work did the Forest Service and BLM contract during this period, and (2) who received economic benefits from this procurement contracting? Procurement contracting is a particular focus of the socioeconomic monitoring because one expectation of the Northwest Forest Plan was that the Forest Service and BLM would create high-skill, high-wage private sector jobs in public land restoration through contracting to partially offset job losses in timber production, harvesting, and processing. This report finds that, to the contrary, the Forest Service reduced its contracting of land management activities on national forests in the Northwest Forest Plan area from a high of $103 million in 1991 to a low of $33 million in 2002. By contrast, BLM spending was fairly constant at just under $20 million annually. Both the Forest Service and the BLM changed the type of activities that they contracted, shifting from activities associated with intensive forest management such as tree planting in clearcuts to activities associated with ecosystem management. Contractors located near national forests and BLM lands and rural communities captured a similar proportion of contracts in both the earlier and later parts of the study period. However, the significant decline in Forest Service contract spending resulted in considerable decline in the amount of money flowing to rural communities through contracting. Thus, it is unlikely that federal land management contracting created a net increase in jobs to replace jobs lost in mills and logging operations in public lands communities.

Sunderland's move to write off £20.5m loan as an exceptional operating expense will have a big impact, according to a football finance expert

Stop by the message board on the ALL ACCESS Country section, the Country Forum. It's fun to read and even more fun to tell everyone what you think. ou can also be a part of the ALL ACCESS … more

In case you missed it, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC’s “ACM Presents: Our Country” special will get another airing on a new network this weekend. The show, which debuted on … more

LEIGHTON BROADCASTING Country KZPK (WILD COUNTRY 99)/ST. CLOUD, MN has launched the “Books with BROOK” YOUTUBE series in conjunction with SCHOLASTIC. MD/afternoon personality … more

BRODY SMITH, the former iHEARTMEDIA AC KSNE (SUNNY 106.5)/LAS VEGAS. Top 40 WDCG (G105)/RALEIGH, and Top 40 WLDI (WILD 95.5)/W. PALM BEACH personality, has joined TRIANGLE MARKETING … more

With Mother’s Day just two days away (5/10), a half dozen Country stars have been filling our playlists with new material that’s perfectly timed for the holiday. Leading the pack … more

CURB/WORD ENTERTAINMENT four-time GRAMMY award-winning AUSTRALIAN duo FOR KING & COUNTRY will make their debut appearance on ABC-TV's GOOD MORNING AMERICA TODAY (5/1) to premiere … more

Following their groundbreaking debut on ABC-TV's  GOOD MORNING AMERICA, CURB/WORD ENTERTAINMENT four-time GRAMMY winning duo FOR KING & COUNTRY have unveiled the official video … more

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Linn County Fair has canceled grounds and grandstand entertainment at this year because of the novel coronavirus and is looking at ways youths could exhibit their...

CEDAR RAPIDS — Getting your hands on some fried food on a stick is going to be a little more difficult this summer for Iowans. With the COVID-19 pandemic imposing restrictions on life in the...

I would be honored to serve this great county as your next Linn County Auditor. This role serves as the commission of elections and has oversight of all accounting functions, payroll, and oversight of property tax and real estate services. The position naturally requires someone of high integrity and strong work ethic, and it also requires strong leadership and someone willing to be a collaborative partner with the many Linn County residents, vendors, communities and staff who interface with the office.

I spent almost 14 years serving as Linn County Supervisor. I remain committed to helping Linn County be the most collaborative service provider possible. This takes a strong leader with a solid sense of what partnership and customer service mean to the many audiences Linn County serves.

My leadership and collaboration skills were demonstrated as we worked with many local, state and federal government partners to help Linn County successfully manage the devastation of the 2008 Flood, and the national recession that followed. During my tenure at the National Association of Counties, I trained counties and communities throughout the U.S. in post-disaster management. Our success in Linn County happened with collaborative efforts among many people and organizations. I took our “lessons learned” and shared what leadership and collaboration really look like when faced with a crisis.

While working for the National Association of Counties, I worked with the Cybersecurity Advisory Council of the Department of Homeland Security to advise on county-level election issues. Cybersecurity and elections security will be critical issues for all future elections. Engaging voters, helping to restore felons voting rights and making elections easier and more accessible are also key goals I have.

When I considered running for Auditor, Joel Miller had announced he wouldn’t be running again. Then he changed his mind. Two years ago, Mr. Miller changed his party affiliation to run against Supervisor Ben Rogers. Then he changed back to Democrat again, although the Linn County Web page still lists him as no-party. This does not represent the leadership Linn County’s partners need at any time, but especially not now.

These are unique times and there are many challenges ahead. I would be honored to bring my leadership and collaboration to serve Linn County. I ask for your vote in the June 2 primary for Linn County Auditor. Please request your absentee ballot, vote your ballot, and protect yourselves and our poll workers.

Linda Langston is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Linn County autidor.

I’ve had the pleasure of serving you as sheriff of Johnson County for the past 15-plus years and the job is not one that I or anyone else should or can take lightly. The office of sheriff requires a balance of both politics and leading a very large law enforcement agency which means sometimes those two worlds can collide. In these tough situations it takes someone that believes in their co-workers, trusts their co-workers and asks them to always perform at a high level.

I’m confident that Brad Kunkel is up to the task. The sheriff must also always follow the Constitution and enforce the laws of Iowa, in addition the sheriff is responsible for the operation and oversight of the county jail. Brad’s career experience including his years working in the jail are valuable for safe and efficient jail management.

The office of sheriff requires a thoughtful approach to what is best for the citizens of Johnson County. I have worked with Brad Kunkel for over 20 years and I know he has the temperament, intelligence and integrity to excel in the office of Johnson County sheriff. I wholeheartedly believe he is the best person to take the office into the challenging time ahead.

Join me and vote for Brad Kunkel on or before June for Johnson County sheriff.

Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek

Iowa City

I have been a Johnson County resident since 1977. I grew up in Clear Lake, a small farming community in North Central Iowa. I came to Iowa City after being recruited by Dan Gable to wrestle for the University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team and placed 3rd place in the 1980 NCAA Division I.

I met my wife Teresa and we settled in Iowa City. I have two children, Melissa, 36, and Anthony, 25; and grandchildren Emma, 9, Ellie and Emilia, 4-month-old twin girls, and Jack, who passed two just before his 2nd birthday. I am a cancer survivor and support cancer research and patient support.

I was a maintenance supervisor at the old Cantebury Inn, I owned and operated Advance Property Management for 23 years and drove a school bus for First Student, Inc. While working at First Student I was one of the driving forces in the campaign for the workers to unionize with the Teamsters. I was asked to join the Teamsters as a full-time organizer after the campaign, which I did for 13 years. I found my calling as an organizer because I was able to help others stand up for themselves and really change their lives.

I made the decision to run for Johnson County supervisor because we need to bring some common sense back to Johnson County government, and run a smarter government that works for all. The supervisors need to oversee the county departments better to stop wasting county funds paying settlements to individuals because of illegal action by department employees. Rules are for everyone and if you work outside the rules there will be costs and consequences.

I want to bring new blood to the board as well as new ideas. County supervisor is a public service position of honor and trust. Being a supervisor is about following through on jobs you were elected to do for the people. The supervisors need to finish jobs that they started but never completed. You should never leave a job half done!

I hope the voters agree the Johnson County Board of Supervisors need to answer to the public for their actions and their employees. We can no long just “sweep issues under the rug.”

Dean Phinney is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors consists of five at-large members. Recently some people in the rural community have advocated for a board elected from districts within the county. A House Study Bill a few years ago would have required counties with a population greater than 150,000 to elect supervisors from districts, though a similar bill had failed earlier.

While districting a board of supervisors may appear to provide more representation to rural residents, the opposite would result. Currently, any resident anywhere in the county has five supervisors to whom they can communicate their needs. With districts, residents would have only one supervisor representing them.

There are many reasons electing supervisors from districts is not a good idea for Johnson County. But here is why, in fact, it’s a bad idea.

In Johnson County, our current practice for funding projects is determined using a needs assessment approach. This can be seen in our Five-Year Road Plan and works quite well. It is a triage of sorts, with the greatest need addressed first. With districts, it would become necessary to rotate projects based on the district in which it is located rather than the greatest need.

Imagine what might have happened in the 2016 emergency situation on the Highway 965 bridge over the Iowa River! During routine bridge inspections, county engineers determined repairs to that bridge to be our county’s greatest road need. It was an issue of public safety. Our at-large Board of Supervisors approved that project for immediate repairs.

Had we had districts, that project would land within my district and might have been put on hold, waiting for my district to have its turn at a big roads project. Just a couple years later, Swan Lake Road bridge over I-380, also in “my district” was deemed in need of immediate repair. While there is not a lot of traffic on that bridge, it is an essential route for farmers in the area. The closure was inconvenient during one farming season, but is now open and in good repair.

With districts, that bridge, in particular, would still be closed because it would be unfair for one district to have two big bridge repair jobs done before other districts had one done.

There are many other reasons why Johnson County’s Board of Supervisors should continue as an at-large body. Each county should be allowed to determine its own board of supervisors structure.

Lisa Green-Douglass is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

I grew up on a Heritage farm (150 years in the same family) near Sutliff, and attended K-12 in the Lisbon school system. I am an alumnus of the University of Iowa. I have held several positions in the field of human services, including six years with the Department of Human Services and six years as executive director of the Arc of Johnson County.

I am married to Dr. Melissa Fath, a research scientist at the University of Iowa and a volunteer pharmacist at the Free Medical Clinic. We have three adult children — Rachel, Jordan and BJ, and have served as foster parents for another 50+ children.

I am a member of several community organizations, including: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parent Association, NAMI, Center for Worker Justice, ACLU Hawkeye Chapter, AFT Local 716, and Iowa City Federation of Labor. I also served four years as chairman of the Johnson County Democratic Party.

Some of the accomplishments of which I am proud:

• Leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.

• Leadership during 2008 floods.

• Raising the minimum wage — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed a Human Rights Ordinance — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed a Sensitive Areas Ordinance — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed the Conservation Bond Initiative — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Passed the Community ID Program — the first county in Iowa to do so.

• Started 1105 Project with gift of old Public Health building.

• Saved Sutliff Bridge after 2008 floods.

• Started trails funding.

• Created the Free Tax Help project.

• Created the Livable Community for Successful Aging.

• Added outdoor warning sirens to unincorporated Johnson County.

• Created the Local Foods Policy Council.

• Heritage AAA Outstanding Elected Official — 2009.

If reelected, my goals are:

1. Continue community recovery from COVID-19;

2. Begin serving people at the GuideLink Center;

3. Improve affirmative action results;

4. Renegotiate six union contracts to the benefit of all.

I am grateful for your past support, and I thank you for your future consideration. I promise to never take this position for granted! I respectfully request your vote on or before June 2.

Rod Sullivan is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Linn County Fair has canceled grounds and grandstand entertainment at this year because of the novel coronavirus and is looking at ways youths could exhibit their work.

“After consulting with Linn County Public Health, the Linn County Board of Supervisors, and other stakeholders, it was determined this was the best decision due to the uncertainty of what the public health situation may look like at the end of June,” Albert Martin, Linn County Fair Board president, said Thursday in a statement.

The fair was scheduled June 24-28.

The Linn County Fair Association said it is working with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Linn County and Linn County 4-H to determine how 4-H and FFA members and other youths will exhibit their work. Those details — which could include in-person or virtual exhibiting — are expected to be finalized and announced in mid-May.

Tom Barnes, executive director of the Association of Iowa Fairs, told The Gazette on Thursday that the Benton County Fair also was canceled for 2020.

Organizers for the Wapello County Fair in south-central Iowa previously announced they would not host the fair this year.

Comments: (319) 339-3155; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com

CEDAR RAPIDS — Getting your hands on some fried food on a stick is going to be a little more difficult this summer for Iowans.

With the COVID-19 pandemic imposing restrictions on life in the state, county fair organizers across Iowa are trying to decide if they should cancel, go virtual or wait and see if restrictions lift and their events can go on in a relatively normal manner.

One thing seems to be for certain: The fair experience won’t quite be the same this year.

“It’ll be different,” said John Harms, general manager for the Great Jones County Fair, known for attracting popular musical acts. “I can tell you that.”

Iowa is home to 106 county and district fairs, as well as the Iowa State Fair, according to the Association of Iowa Fairs. Those fairs are scheduled to begin June 17 with the Worth County Fair and continue through Sept. 20 with the conclusion of the National Cattle Congress in Black Hawk County.

Those early fairs already are beginning to announce decisions about their events. Organizers of the Wapello County Fair announced they are canceling for this year. On Thursday, the Linn County Fair Association announced it is canceling grounds and grandstand entertainment with plans to take the exhibition aspects of the fair online.

Linn County Fair Marketing Manager Heidi Steffen said the association met with county public health and Board of Supervisors officials in recent weeks. The focus of those discussions was on ensuring the safety of all fair exhibitors, workers, performers and visitors, Steffen said.

“We just couldn’t guarantee that,” she said.

Steffen was quick to point out the fair isn’t canceled — it’s just taking on a different form. The fair is scheduled for June 24-28.

The fair association is working with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Linn County and Linn County 4-H to ensure 4-H and National FFA Organization members get a chance to exhibit their livestock and projects. Details on what that will look like are expected later this month.

Fair association members have been attending webinars and learning from other fairs across the country that have gone virtual. Steffen said they’ve received valuable suggestions and feedback.

“It’s been done,” she said. “We can learn from their mistakes. We can learn what went well with them and hopefully implement it here in Linn County.”

Steffen said they are already kicking around other ideas to engage the community during fair week, just in a virtual manner. Those ideas include livestreaming pie-eating contests, encouraging local businesses to offer fair foods on their menus and seeing if local artists who had been scheduled to perform at the fair would be interested in online performances instead.

“We’re open to ideas,” she said, encouraging anyone with suggestions to reach out via email or Facebook.

Up the road in Jones County, organizers there have a little more time to decide how to move forward. For now, Harms is confident that fair will go on July 22-26.

“We’re still going to have a fair,” he said. “It may look differently than what we have experienced and enjoyed in the past.”

How exactly it may look different still is up in the air. Harms said plans “a, b, c and d are all being studied.” At least one grandstand act, the Zac Brown Band, won’t be performing. But Harms said organizers have other acts they’re ready to announce “if it makes sense to have entertainment at the fair.”

Whatever takes place likely will be determined by proclamations covering social distancing made by Gov. Kim Reynolds, Harms said. He said the fair’s planning process has been dictated by her health orders.

“We’re just trying to keep everything on the table and make sensible decisions and directions based on what’s going on,” he said. “It’s going to be challenging, but I think for the most part we’ll take a deep breath, have a little more faith and we’ll get through it.”

Tim Rogers, vice president for the Johnson County Fair Board, said the decision whether to have a fair will be made in the next 40-plus days.

“That’s kind of a deadline we’ve set to either call it completely, proceed fully or proceed with what we can do and still stay in compliance with all of the laws,” he said.

The Johnson County Fair Board will discuss what a partial fair might look like once that decision has been made, Rogers said.

Tom Barnes, executive director of the Association of Iowa Fairs, said his group is providing resources to fair organizers, but is not making any recommendations on whether to proceed.

“We’re asking them to be fiscally responsible for their fair,” he said. “We don’t ask them to cancel. We don’t ask them to go ahead with their fair. They know better what they can do and not do.”

Barnes said fair organizers should be asking themselves: If your fair is open, will people buy tickets? And, if they come, will they buy food and beverages?

As long as they make good financial decisions, Barnes said, he believes county fairs have the resources to weather the COVID-19 storm and return in 2021.

“We’ll be back next year if the fairs don’t go ahead,” he said.

Comments: (319) 339-3155; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com

In Spring 2016 after a meeting in Fort Myers, Florida, we were selected by the Judges’ group representing all County...continue reading

Accounting applications help web design businesses in many ways. As a web design service provider, you should use them to boost your business. Start by browsing some resources online that provide...

By Mason Adams Yes! Magazine A program in eastern Kentucky is retraining miners in industries that help mitigate the environmental impacts of mining on communities. Like many men raised in eastern Kentucky, Frank Morris spent a chunk of his working … Continue reading →

We study the regularity of exceptional actions of groups by $C^{1,alpha}$ diffeomorphisms on the circle, i.e. ones which admit exceptional minimal sets, and whose elements have first derivatives that are continuous with concave modulus of continuity $alpha$. Let $G$ be a finitely generated group admitting a $C^{1,alpha}$ action $ ho$ with a free orbit on the circle, and such that the logarithms of derivatives of group elements are uniformly bounded at some point of the circle. We prove that if $G$ has spherical growth bounded by $c n^{d-1}$ and if the function $1/alpha^d$ is integrable near zero, then under some mild technical assumptions on $alpha$, there is a sequence of exceptional $C^{1,alpha}$ actions of $G$ which converge to $ ho$ in the $C^1$ topology. As a consequence for a single diffeomorphism, we obtain that if the function $1/alpha$ is integrable near zero, then there exists a $C^{1,alpha}$ exceptional diffeomorphism of the circle. This corollary accounts for all previously known moduli of continuity for derivatives of exceptional diffeomorphisms. We also obtain a partial converse to our main result. For finitely generated free abelian groups, the existence of an exceptional action, together with some natural hypotheses on the derivatives of group elements, puts integrability restrictions on the modulus $alpha$. These results are related to a long-standing question of D. McDuff concerning the length spectrum of exceptional $C^1$ diffeomorphisms of the circle.

Stockhusen and Tantau (IPEC 2013) defined the operators paraW and paraBeta for parameterised space complexity classes by allowing bounded nondeterminism with multiple read and read-once access, respectively. Using these operators, they obtained characterisations for the complexity of many parameterisations of natural problems on graphs.

In this article, we study the counting versions of such operators and introduce variants based on tail-nondeterminism, paraW[1] and paraBetaTail, in the setting of parameterised logarithmic space. We examine closure properties of the new classes under the central reductions and arithmetic operations. We also identify a wide range of natural complete problems for our classes in the areas of walk counting in digraphs, first-order model-checking and graph-homomorphisms. In doing so, we also see that the closure of #paraBetaTail-L under parameterised logspace parsimonious reductions coincides with #paraBeta-L. We show that the complexity of a parameterised variant of the determinant function is #paraBetaTail-L-hard and can be written as the difference of two functions in #paraBetaTail-L for (0,1)-matrices. Finally, we characterise the new complexity classes in terms of branching programs.