Woodchuck TickName: Woodchuck tick (Ixodes cookei)Distribution: Woodchuck ticks can be found throughout Vermont.Habitat: generally found in the burrow of its host animal, rarely found on vegetationHosts: woodchucks, foxes, skunks, weasels, porcupines, small mammals, some bird species, raccoons, cats, dogs and humansTransmits: Powassan virus disease, although this disease is extremely rare in VermontActive: generally in the summer months Name: Lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum)Distribution: Lone star ticks are found primarily in southern Vermont.Habitat: woodlands with plenty of undergrowthHosts: feeds on squirrels, raccoons, deer, cattle, some bird species, cats, dogs and humansTransmits: The Lone star tick is responsible for transmitting ehrlichiosis (link is external)in Vermont. Both nymphs and adults can transmit disease. Larvae cannot transmit disease.Active: April through September Vermont Business Magazine According to the Vermont Department of Health, tick-borne illnesses are on the rise in Vermont. In an effort to address the many tick-related questions clinicians from Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s (SVMC) have partnered with Keith Michl, MD, to offer a special presentation: What You Need to Know about Tick-Borne Illness: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. The talk is scheduled for 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27 at the Manchester Community Library in Manchester, VT.Attendees will get expert answers to the most common tick-related questions, including:· How do I prevent tick bites?· What should I do if I find a tick on me or a member of my family?· What are the tick-borne illnesses and how do I recognize them?· What are the treatments available?· What if I still don’t feel good after treatment?Speakers include: Marie George, MD; infectious disease specialist at SVMC Infectious Disease, now part of SVMC Multispecialty Practice; Keith Michl, MD, internal medicine physician in private practice in Manchester, VT; Bradley Tompkins, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Vermont Department of Health; and Trey Dobson, MD, emergency medicine physician, chief medical officer at SVMC and medical director of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians.About the Presenters: In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Dobson is an emergency medicine physician at SVMC. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics from The University of the South in Tennessee, a master’s degree in geology from the University of Wyoming and his medical degree from The University of Tennessee. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Virginia.Dr. George studied at the University of Connecticut and received her medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She completed her residency at St. Elizabth’s Medical Center and a fellowship at Tufts University, both in Massachusetts. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.Dr. Michl is a member of the Department of Medicine at SVMC. He is an affiliate of MDVIP, a network of physicians providing personalized primary care medical and wellness services. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio. He completed his residency at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.Bradley Tompkins is an infectious disease epidemiologist at Vermont Department of Health in Burlington, where he leads the Enteric, Zoonotic & Vector-borne Disease programs. He received his master’s in epidemiology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in 2009, a master’s in biology from Wake Forest University in 2003 and a bachelor’s in environmental biology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1999. Pathogen prevalence in blacklegged ticksThe Vermont Department of Health has collaborated with colleagues at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture (link is external)(link is external) and Lyndon State College (link is external)(link is external) to determine the prevalence of disease in Vermont’s blacklegged tick population. Over 2,000 ticks were collected and tested between 2013 and 2016. PAthogenPercentage of ticks that tested positiveAnaplasma phagophytocilium7.0%Babesia microti0.8%Borrelia burgdorferi 52.9%Over 60% of the ticks collected as part of this initiative tested positive for at least one disease. A small sample of these ticks was also tested for Powassan virus. Approximately 1% tested positive for Powassan virus.Blacklegged ticks can carry more than one pathogen at the same time. Almost 5% of the ticks tested positive for two or more pathogens. The most commonly found combination (4.0%) found in ticks were the pathogens that cause anaplasmosis and Lyme disease. Lone Star Tick Blacklegged TickName: Blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis)Distribution: Blacklegged ticks can be found throughout Vermont.Transmits: Lyme disease(link is external), anaplasmosis(link is external), babesiosis(link is external), Powassan virus disease, and Borrelia miyamotoi disease.Hosts: white-footed mouse, deer mouse, chipmunks, shrews, white-tailed deer.Activity: in Vermont, blacklegged tick activity fluctuates throughout the year. After laying low during the cold winter months, these ticks usually become active in late March or early April. Their peak activity typically occurs in May and June when nymphal ticks are looking for a host. Tick activity increases once again in October and November when adult ticks are looking for another host before cold winter temperatures set in once again.Although blacklegged tick activity typically follows this pattern, it is important to note that these ticks might be encountered at any time of year when the temperature is above freezing.
American Dog TickName: American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)Distribution: American dog ticks can be found throughout Vermont.Habitat: found mostly in grassy fields and other areas with little tree coverHosts: feeds on small rodents and medium-sized wild mammals, domestic cats, dogs and humansTransmits: in Vermont the American dog tick can transmit tularemia(link is external), but human cases are extremely rare. Both adults and nymphs can transmit tularemia(link is external), although nymphs rarely bite humans.Active: from April through September About SVHC:Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC’s providers are members of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians, a multispecialty medical group operated in partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock. SVHC includes the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, a 150-bed long- and short-term care skilled nursing facility; the SVHC Foundation; and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a 99-bed community hospital. SVMC’s services include an emergency department staffed by physicians each of whom is board certified in emergency medicine; the Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, which is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and managed by Dartmouth-Hitchcock; and a fully-digital imaging department. SVMC also includes 19 primary and specialty care practices and primary care offices in Bennington, Manchester, Pownal, West Dover, and Wilmington, VT. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and is the state’s first Magnet Center for Nursing Excellence, a designation it has held since 2002. To learn more, visit svhealthcare.org(link is external). For news and updates, visit facebook.com/svmedicalcenter(link is external).To reserve a seat online, visit svhealthcare.org/tick(link is external). For more information, call 802-447-5019 or e-mail Ashley.Jowett@svhealthcare.org(link sends e-mail). Types of Ticks in VermontThirteen different species of ticks have been identified in Vermont (click here (link is external)(link is external) for the full list). Of these 13 species, five are known to bite humans and four of those five can transmit diseases. However, over 99% of all tickborne diseases reported to the Vermont Department of Health are caused by only one tick: the blacklegged tick. Brown Dog TickName: Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)Distribution: Brown dog ticks can be found throughout Vermont.Transmits: The brown dog tick will bite humans, but there is no evidence that it transmits diseases in Vermont.Hosts: mostly dogsHabitat: Generally brown dog ticks can be found wherever humans and dogs live. Unlike other tick species, the brown dog tick is well-suited for living indoors.Active: may be active throughout the year
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Father David Cray elected to lead Society of St Edmund
Saint Michael’s College,Vermont Business Magazine The Very Reverend David Cray, SSE, a Boston native and 1968 Saint Michael’s College graduate who has ministered in Canada, Europe and the American South until coming to Vermont in 2003 to be pastor at Catholic parishes in Hinesburg and Charlotte, VT, was elected July 12 to be the new Superior General of The Society of Saint Edmund, founding religious order of Saint Michael’s.He succeeds the Rev. Stephen Hornat, S.S.E., as superior general. Fr. Hornat, who served a four-year term, likely will continue to serve as pastor of St. Stephen Church in Winooski as he has done during his term as superior general. The “Edmundites” held their General Chapter meeting, which happens every four years, from Monday through Thursday, July 9-12 on the Saint Michael’s campus, voting on new leadership and tending to other business.The Very Reverend David Cray, SSEEdmundites also continue to teach at Saint Michael’s, administer St. Anne’s Shrine in Isle LaMotte, staff a substance-abuse rehabilitation program on Enders Island in Mystic, CT, and a mission in Selma, AL, which they founded in the mid-1930s among that city’s poor African-American community, later working actively at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s both in Selma and at former Edmundite missions in New Orleans and elsewhere in the South. Edmundites also continue to staff several parishes in Vermont, including Essex Junction, Essex, southeastern Vermont’s West River Valley, and recently in several north-central Vermont parishes, in addition to Winooski, Hinesburg and Charlotte.The order has 24 current members, including three religious brothers who live with the community – down from a high of nearly 150 in the 1960s. A longtime Edmundite pastor at a parish in Venezuela recently relocated to Florida to work with Venezuelans there, and the last Edmundite living in France died July 16. Two young Edmundites were ordained in the past few years after a long vocations drought.Fr. Cray said he met Monday with Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne about Cray’s new role with the Society. It remains to be determined how he will coordinate his diocesan and parish responsibilities with his Edmundite community commitments. The Society of St. Edmund this year has been celebrating the 175th anniversary of its founding in France in 1843. The new Saint Michael’s President Lorraine Sterritt, who assumed her official duties July 1, said, “Getting to know Fr Cray and his Edmundite brothers has been a pleasure. I wish Fr. Cray well in his new role as Superior General and very much look forward to working with him in the days and years ahead. I also would be remiss if I didn’t thank Fr. Stephen Hornat for his kindness and counsel as I continue to learn about Saint Michael’s College.”Father Cray summarized his priorities as superior general. “It’s important to me that we reverse the trend of diminishment in our numbers and in our apostolic activities, and determine new directions to become a true spiritual ‘Field Hospital,’ to use Pope Francis’s expression, for the 21st century,” he said, while also expressing an interest in the Edmundites paying more attention to the communication and marketing of a carefully considered public identity or “brand.”Other Edmundites elected or re-elected to the General Council, a governing body of the Society working alongside the new superior general for four-year terms, were: First Councilor: Fr. Brian Cummings, Second Councilor: Fr. David Theroux; Third Councilor, Fr. Marcel Rainville (new council member), and Fourth Councilor Fr. Stanley Deresienski.Experience with many culturesFr. Cray was born into an Irish Catholic family in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston in 1945, the youngest of three. His father was a high school Latin teacher, and his mother worked in the Boston Public Library. Cray graduated from Boston Latin School in 1963 and enrolled at Saint Michael’s. His family had ties to Bellows Falls, and he liked the idea of studying in Vermont at a Catholic college where he attended daily Mass, he said in a Vermont Catholic magazine interview earlier this year, adding that he intended to become an English teacher, but during his studies at Saint Michael’s, Edmundite Fr. Francis Gokey encouraged his religious vocation.,He entered the Edmundite novitiate and graduated from Saint. Michael’s in 1968, then studied theology at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, earning a master of divinity degree in 1971. Burlington Bishop John A. Marshall ordained him to the priesthood in 1972, and his first assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Edmund of Canterbury Parish in Whitton in southwest London, a parish then staffed by the Society of St. Edmund.Fr. Cray next served in Burlington, as director of scholastics for the Society, and later as secretary general, and he lived in Mystic, Conn., where he was the order’s director of novices. He served parishes — some years two at once — in Quebec, and was episcopal vicar for the English-speaking region in the Diocese of Saint-Jean–Longueuil, where, for two years he was a pastor in Greenfield Park. From Canada he was transferred to Selma in Alabama to serve as programs director of the Society’s Southern Missions, and from there moved to New Orleans to be president of Bishop Perry Middle School, another important former Edmundite ministry until Hurricane Katrina’s after-effects led to its closure.“The benefit of living in more than one culture is you realize there are very few absolutes apart from God,” Fr. Cray told Vermont Catholic. “I have benefitted tremendously from living in cultures that are not the culture I was brought up in.” He said he believes that division and violence come out of fear from not knowing people who seem different, but once you really know them, “you come to love them, and you don’t fear them.”About Saint Michael’s CollegeSaint Michael’s College, founded in the great Catholic intellectual tradition, which also recognizes the principles of social justice and compassion, is a selective, fully residential Catholic college in Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains. Our closely connected community delivers internationally-respected liberal arts and graduate education near Burlington, one of the country’s best college towns. To prepare for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other and their world.Source: Saint Michael’s College, Colchester 7.17.2018
Governor warns of another storm
Vermont Business Magazine A mixed precipitation event forecast for this weekend could create new problems in areas of Vermont already severely impacted by this week’s winter storm. Governor Phil Scott and the state’s utilities are encouraging Vermonters to prepare for further power outages and hazards. “Many throughout Vermont have endured power outages this week. Damage in central and southern Vermont was particularly severe as a result of this week’s storm and could be in the area of greatest impact again this weekend,” said Governor Scott. “My administration has been working with towns, utilities and non-profits this week to ensure everyone who needs help receives it. That will continue into this weekend as utilities complete restoration, and if new damage results from the upcoming storm.”RELATED: GMP has restored power to over 100,000Anyone needing a place to stay or warm up should dial 2-1-1 to locate a warming center or emergency shelter (a warming center is open during the day; an emergency shelter is equipped for overnight stays). The 2-1-1 line will continue to share information from callers with Vermont Emergency Management, which will use the information to identify areas of greatest need, and then work with the American Red Cross to open shelters or with towns to open warming centers.Locations of warming centers and shelters are listed on the Vermont Emergency Management website (and below) at www.vem.vermont.gov(link is external).“Vermont’s utilities have been working closely together to coordinate the most effective restoration possible and to plan for the next round of potential outages,” Vermont’s electric utilities said in a joint statement. “We urge safety, as some of the forecasted wet snow, freezing rain and ice could impact the same areas that were already hit from the first storm. Our focus is getting power back on as quickly and safely as possible for the customers and members we serve, and our teams are ready for the weather.” Vermonters are encouraged to prepare for further power outages by making a plan for themselves and their families. Charge cell phones, and replenish food, water, batteries and other essential supplies. Officials also urge continued caution during the upcoming storm and during power outages:Check on the welfare of friends and neighbors, particularly the elderly and those with functional needs. And don’t forget to look out for pets;Carbon monoxide can be deadly – never run a generator indoors and always ensure all heating vents are clear of ice and snow. Have carbon monoxide detectors in all living areas. Go outside immediately and call for help if you suspect carbon monoxide in your home;Never touch a downed power line – treat all lines as if they are live. When clearing downed trees and branches, make certain they are not in contact with any power lines; andReport power outages to your utility.State Emergency Operations Center Shelter and Warming Center UpdateOvernight Shelter for November 30 – December 1: * Barre Municipal Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill: ON STANDBY, dial 2-1-1 if you need to stay at this or any shelter.Warming Centers open evening of November 30:* Chester – American Legion, open until 9pm* Londonderry – Volunteer Rescue Squad, open until 8pm* Ludlow – Ludlow Community Center, open until 8pm* Windham – Town Offices, open until 6pmA list of shelters and warming centers will be updated as those facilities close or new centers open on the Vermont Emergency Management website, https://vem.vermont.gov(link is external).Individuals also can call 2-1-1 to find an overnight shelter or a warming center, or to report their current sheltering or warming needs. That information is shared with Vermont Emergency Management to help determine the areas of greatest need for warming or overnight accommodations.Vermont Emergency Management
Jessica Sarkissian will lead ‘The Planning Center’ in Tempe
The Planning Center, a leading multi-disciplinary consulting firm that specializes in planning and landscape architecture, recently opened the doors to a new office at 1270 E. Broadway Rd. in Tempe. Jessica Sarkissian, AICP, principal, will lead efforts at the new location.“Our main office is in Tucson, but until the year 2000, we also had a physical location in Phoenix. In the last 16 years, we’ve continued to do work in the Valley from our Tucson office, but are eager to re-establish roots with this new location and serve the entire Valley,” said Linda Morales, AICP, CEO and principal of the Entitlements Division at The Planning Center.In her role, Sarkissian will manage land development processes for clients in the public and private sector. She has extensive experience in rezoning, making general and comprehensive plan and text amendments, creating variances and use permits, reviewing design and site plans and reaching out the public. Sarkissian’s familiarity with small-scale residential, master-planned communities, multi-family, assisted living, commercial and industrial projects throughout Phoenix will greatly benefit the center.“I am most excited to help grow the firm in the Phoenix market by focusing on relationship development with existing and prospective clients,” said Sarkissian.Sarkissian has been part of many successful project teams and credits her success with engineers, architects and land use attorneys to her open communication and efficient practices. She currently sits on the City of Mesa Planning and Zoning Board and the Arizona Planning Association Board. She has formerly been a City of Mesa Board of Adjustment member as well as a Town of Gilbert Planning Commissioner and Zoning Hearing Officer.Meet Morales, Sarkissian and other staff from The Planning Center on Nov. 30 at the new location’s open house from 4 to 7 p.m.
Study on learning in rats finds MDMA does not reduce sensitivity to reinforcement
Research into similar drugs has found that they cause reduced “sensitivity to reinforcement”. Sensitivity to reinforcement is the awareness of the relationship between recent events, the individual’s own behavior, and the effect this has on their future behavior. Short-term administration of d-amphetamine, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, has been shown to reduce sensitivity to reinforcement. Given the effect d-amphetamine has on increasing the availability of dopamine in the brain, it has been suggested that similar drugs that interact with dopamine levels may affect sensitivity to reinforcement.The study, by Celia Lie (University of Otago), Anne Macaskill (Victoria University of Wellington) and David Harper (Victoria University of Wellington), used rats to assess the short-term and long-term effects of MDMA on sensitivity to reinforcement. Rats were trained to press two levers and then schedules of reinforcement (receiving 0.01ml of sweetened milk) were arranged on each lever throughout the session. A task called the “rapidly changing concurrent choice procedure” was used – this involves the rats having to constantly make decisions based on changing rules.Results revealed that both short-term and long-term administration of MDMA produced reductions in the number of times they pressed the lever, but did not reduce sensitivity to reinforcement. In fact the study found that some doses of short-term MDMA increased sensitivity to reinforcement, but these effects did not remain.The findings suggest that MDMA does not affect long-term sensitivity to reinforcement unlike similar drugs, despite disrupting other aspects of learning and memory. Therefore, it provides evidence that it is not the effect on dopamine, but possibly a drug’s other affects (such as on serotonin), that produces an increase in sensitivity to reinforcement. LinkedIn Email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Pinterest MDMA does not reduce sensitivity to reinforcement, according to a study published this April in Behavioral Neuroscience. This is despite evidence of it causing disruptions to learning and memory, along with reductions in sensitivity to reinforcement reported in similar drugs.MDMA, also called ecstasy when in pill form, is a psychoactive drug used primarily for recreational purposes. People usually take the drug because of its effects on increasing empathy and euphoria, and heightening sensations. The main ways that MDMA can cause this is by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin (related to mood and happiness) and dopamine (related to a sense of reward and pleasure) in the brain.Despite this, MDMA can produce a variety of adverse health effects, some of which are psychological. Most research into these effects have been conducted using animals, with research finding impairments in learning and memory – including in short-term memory, spatial learning and memory, reference memory and working memory. Share
NEWS SCAN: Long-term E coli effects, antibiotic resistance, drug-resistant malaria
Nov 19, 2010E coli infection may lead to heart, kidney disease later in lifePeople who drink Escherichia coli–contaminated water and develop gastroenteritis increase their long-term risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney problems, according to a recent study. A research team from Lawson Health Research Institute and The University of Western Ontario reviewed data compiled after an outbreak of gastroenteritis in May 2000 that was caused by E coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter in a municipal water system. Study participants were assessed annually. Of 1,977 adults, 1,067 (54%) experienced gastroenteritis, of whom 378 sought medical attention. Compared with those who were not sick or only mildly sick during the outbreak, those with acute gastroenteritis were 2.1 times more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke; 1.3 times more likely to develop high blood pressure; and 3.4 times more likely to develop renal impairment.Nov 17 BMJ abstractNov 19 University of Western Ontario press releaseKPC antibiotic resistance factor found in 35 statesBacteria that carry the potent antibiotic-resistance enzyme known as KPC have been found in 35 states and are probably present in all 50 states, Dr. Ruth Lynfield, Minnesota’s state epidemiologist, said at a Minneapolis conference on emerging infections today. KPC, or Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, renders Klebsiella and several other bacterial species resistant to carbapenem and nearly all other antibiotics and has been described as one of the most worrisome resistance problems in the United States. It was first identified in New York City in 2000. Lynfield said 25 bacterial isolates carrying the KPC gene have been detected in Minnesota so far. In other comments, Lynfield said antibiotics are “tremendously overused” in the US, with 115 million to 150 million outpatient prescriptions each year. She said many child care facilities exclude children who have a thick nasal discharge, acute bronchitis, or a febrile illness until they have been on an antibiotic for 24 hours—a practice that encourages overuse of the drugs.Nov 19 conference agendaWHO asks for vigilance against drug-resistant malariaTo combat resistance to common antimalarial drugs, the World Health Organization (WHO) in a report released yesterday called on countries to improve monitoring for resistant strains. The report, which includes data from the past 10 years, estimates that only 34% of malaria-endemic countries comply with WHO recommendations for routine monitoring of the efficacy of first- and second-line antimalarial drugs, including artemisinins, key class of drugs. “A greater political commitment to support and sustain national monitoring of the efficacy of antimalarial medicines is critical to prevent a wider emergence of artemisinin resistance,” said one of the report’s authors, according to a WHO press release. Artemisinin resistance was brought to light in February 2009 along the Cambodia-Thailand border. Early evidence also indicates such resistance may be emerging on the Myanmar-Thailand border, and there is concern it could spread to Africa. Treatment of the resistant forms is possible with a multi-drug approach, but it typically takes longer, the WHO said.Nov 18 WHO reportNov 18 WHO news release
Public Relations Account Manager
LSI President Brett Tennar says, “Steve’s success in developing operational strategies that improves the bottom line, builds teamwork, reduces waste and ensures quality product development and distribution checks many of the boxes of what we were looking for in a COO. This, coupled with his career in the Air Force working with highly technical systems and his in-depth understanding of Lean Six Sigma and Business Process Management sealed our offer. As our tagline states, our products are Powered by Science. This data driven approach is one reason why our company has grown exponentially as we employ the most advanced technology to product development. I am confident that Steve is the right person to drive operational strategy for our diverse and growing brands.” Advertisement PR agency seeking a full-time Account Manager (AM) to interact with multiple clients on a daily basis and serve as a key contact to members of the media. This full-time position is located in Akron/Canton, Ohio. The qualified AE must have strong public relations writing skills, which includes knowing the AP Stylebook, with proven experience writing and editing a variety of PR/editorial materials; a solid understanding of media relations; and an excellent success rate of pitching and placing stories. AdvertisementClick Here to Read MoreAdvertisement This position requires a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations or Journalism and 5 years of experience. Please submit cover letter, resume, three writing samples and an example of story placement to lianes69319@mypacks.net.
Specific Job Responsibilities • Act as key client contact
• Interface with media and other industry influencers
• Write a variety of PR and marketing materials including, but not limited to: press releases, pitches, letters, byline feature stories, case studies and marketing copy for websites
• Proactively reach out to media to secure feature stories
• Help develop strategic PR plans
• Respond to journalist queries
• Manage and oversee client meeting agendas, conference reports and monthly clip summary reports Requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations/Journalism
5 years of experience in Public Relations
Agency experience required • Automotive experience preferred • Video editing and social media skills a plus
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills •
Strong media relation skills •
Proficiency in Microsoft Office & Photoshop • Occasional travel,Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI), manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret brand of performance additives and oils, recently announced the expansion of senior leadership. Steve deMoulpied joins LSI as the company’s chief operating officer (COO). AdvertisementClick Here to Read MoreAdvertisement DeMoulpied comes to LSI from the Private Client Services practice of Ernst & Young where he managed strategy & operations improvement engagements for privately held client businesses. Some of his prior roles include VP of strategic development, director of strategic initiatives, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt at OptumHealth, UnitedHealth Group’s health services business, as well as Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at General Electric, where he applied operations improvement principles to customer service, supply chain and product development. A successful entrepreneur, deMoulpied is also the founder of PrestoFresh, a Cleveland-based e-commerce food/grocery business. DeMoulpied has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Dayton in Marketing and International Business. He served six years with the USAF overseeing the development of technology used on fighter aircraft and the E-3 Surveillance aircraft, finishing his career honorably as Captain. With more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries and functional areas, deMoulpied has particular expertise in organizations with complex technical products. Combined, his prior positions have required a spectrum of skills in corporate strategy, operations improvement, product quality, and revenue cycle management. He has an impressive history of utilizing data driven problem solving (Lean Six Sigma) and project management (PMP and CSM) to achieve strategic goals surrounding customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and improved profit. 
How to get rid of a chief exec. Part I.
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Freight Expert joins PPL
The Chuo-ku, Osaka based firm provides a full range of logistics services including heavy lift and project forwarding, air freight forwarding, Customs brokerage, trucking, warehousing, LCL and FCL services. www.frtext.co.jppplonefamily.net
Justice Dept. report critical of zero-tolerance policing
Justice Dept. report critical of zero-tolerance policing Do you see a typo or an error? Let us know. SHARE WASHINGTON (AP) – To supporters, zero-tolerance policing has long represented a logical crime-fighting approach: Crack down on minor infractions before they mushroom into more serious and disruptive violence.But a scathing federal government report on the Baltimore Police Department suggests the costs of that strategy outweigh any reduction in crime. The Justice Department report released Wednesday blames zero-tolerance policing for a legacy of discriminatory law enforcement in which black residents are disproportionately stopped and searched without cause.“The police department’s ‘zero tolerance’ street enforcement strategy became a quest to produce large numbers of enforcement actions – pedestrian stops in particular – often without enough consideration of their limited impact on solving crime and their caustic damage to community relationships,” Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said at a news conference.The conclusion forcefully rejects a strategy critics condemn as unduly harsh and one that has fallen out of favor in some of the same cities, including Baltimore, where it was developed and regularly employed. The report also revives a public dialogue that surfaced repeatedly on the presidential campaign trail, particularly as former Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, who still defends the zero-tolerance policy, sought the Democratic nomination.Over the years, the strategy has divided academics and police and government officials.“It reflects a debate that’s been going on for quite a while, and to the extent that we can find the government acknowledging those costs and downsides, it’s about time,” said David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor who specializes in police policy and conduct.Zero-tolerance emerged as a popular strategy in Baltimore more than 15 years ago. Its effectiveness was touted by O’Malley, who was elected in 1999 at a time when homicides were regularly topping 300 a year. A similar “broken windows” philosophy was promoted even earlier in New York City and elsewhere, with the theory that policing petty offenses, such as graffiti and public urination, can protect against more serious crimes.In Baltimore, officials advocated “stop and frisk” policies and cracked down on public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and similar offenses. In 2005, more than 100,000 people were arrested – roughly one sixth of the city’s population.The city’s homicides remained below 300 for the next decade, but complaints swiftly emerged that citizens were being targeted for misdemeanor offenses. A grand jury concluded that too many arrests in black neighborhoods lacked merit, and the city paid $870,000 to settle the NAACP’s lawsuit on behalf of people who said they were illegally arrested.Last year, some blamed the zero-tolerance approach for the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man whose neck was broken in the back of a police van after he was arrested while trying to flee an officer patrolling his neighborhood.O’Malley, who became governor of Maryland in January 2007, repeatedly defended zero-tolerance policing on the presidential campaign trail. In one debate, he noted that he was elected mayor at a time when the city was “burying over 300 young, poor black men every single year.”“We were able to save a lot of lives doing things that actually worked to improve police and community relations,” O’Malley said.He defended the approach again Wednesday, saying the report did not account for improvements under his watch, including “historic reductions in violent crime.” Though enforcement intensified as the police worked to shut down open-air drug markets, arrests declined as violent crime went down, he said.“Improving community trust and reducing violent crime are mutually reinforcing actions, not an either/or proposition,” he said in a statement.Current police leaders in Baltimore have disavowed zero-tolerance policing, but the legacy remains in the persistent stops and searches that yield neither citations nor arrests, the Justice Department said. According to the report, 410 people were stopped at least 10 times from 2010 to 2015. One black man was stopped 30 times in less than four years and he was never charged.“Many supervisors who were inculcated in the era of zero tolerance continue to focus on the raw number of officers’ stops and arrests, rather than more nuanced measures of performance,” the report said.Eugene O’Donnell, a former New York Police Department officer and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the report’s conclusions failed to take into account the difficult realities of being a police officer in Baltimore. Even zero-tolerance policing, he said, was rooted in a goal of trying to combat crime in a “city that is really in a bad place.”“It was some effort to try to staunch the bleeding, try to respond to some community concerns, try to go after street corner after street corner after street corner where people are congregating and businesses are being driven out and residents are up in arms,” he said.Harris, of Pitt Law, said it was clear that zero-tolerance policing was insufficiently flexible and nuanced, even if it has contributed to a drop in crime.“I’m sure it contributes in some way. The question is, does it contribute as much as a better strategy would?” he asked. “If you lock up everybody for anything, you’re inevitably going to get some bad guys off the street. But you’re going to take a lot of people who are not so bad and treat them as bad guys.” Published: August 11, 2016 12:13 PM EDT Updated: August 11, 2016 12:42 PM EDT 