Federal - Executive Branch
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from the U.S. Executive Branch, covering all aspects of the Obama administration including cabinet departments, federal agencies, regulatory and independent agencies.
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U.S. Embassy in Zambia: U.S. Invests K6.2 Million to Empower Women and Youth Entrepreneurs
LUSAKA, Zambia, April 13 -- The U.S. Embassy in Zambia issued the following news release:
Nearly 800 women and youth entrepreneurs have completed an innovative U.S. government-funded entrepreneurship project that supports women's empowerment and inclusive economic development in Zambia.
The one-year Kuku Project, implemented by the Women's Entrepreneurship Access Center (WEAC) through a K6.2 million ($280,000) grant from the U.S. government, provided training to 769 early-stage entrepreneurs from Kuku, Chawama, Mtendere, and other Lusaka communities. The entrepreneurs received business training
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LUSAKA, Zambia, April 13 -- The U.S. Embassy in Zambia issued the following news release:
Nearly 800 women and youth entrepreneurs have completed an innovative U.S. government-funded entrepreneurship project that supports women's empowerment and inclusive economic development in Zambia.
The one-year Kuku Project, implemented by the Women's Entrepreneurship Access Center (WEAC) through a K6.2 million ($280,000) grant from the U.S. government, provided training to 769 early-stage entrepreneurs from Kuku, Chawama, Mtendere, and other Lusaka communities. The entrepreneurs received business trainingin a broad range of fields based on their interests, including agro-processing, renewable energy, videography, tailoring, carpentry, and bricklaying.
The project was a community effort. More than 25 local business mentors and other partners provided training, mentorship, life skills coaching, co-working space, networking skills, and guidance on how to raise financing. The project's model as a community hub established broad-based community engagement and investments to encourage sustainable businesses and richer opportunities for participants.
Upon conclusion of the project, U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires David Young stated, "The Kuku Project highlights the U.S. government's commitment to economic prosperity and job creation. Many Zambians have great business ideas, and we are pleased that this project is bringing those concepts to life."
WEAC Executive Director Nambula Kachumi remarked, "The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a major threat to small businesses in Zambia, contributing to a rapid spike in the unemployment rate. This situation requires accelerated effort and more investment in community-based skills projects that are likely to secure future jobs, build self-reliance, and promote inclusive innovation."
The Kuku Project complements other U.S. government programs building entrepreneurship skills and supporting economic growth in Zambia. The United States is currently sponsoring the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a women-focused initiative taking place in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe. Later this year, AWE will expand into Livingstone. The program has already empowered 250 women with entrepreneurial knowledge, tools, resources, and financing to start and grow their businesses.
National Park Service: Historically Low Lake Mead Water Levels May Bring Changes to Several Boating Access Locations
BOULDER CITY, Nevada, April 13 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release:
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is advising visitors to be aware of changes to water access points and boat launch areas on Lake Mead this year due to declining water levels through the summer.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) forecasts for 2021 and 2022, Lake Mead water levels will drop. Launch ramps at Boulder Harbor, Hemenway Harbor, Temple Bar, Callville Bay, Echo Bay and South Cove will be impacted as soon as late May 2021 as water levels reach
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BOULDER CITY, Nevada, April 13 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release:
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is advising visitors to be aware of changes to water access points and boat launch areas on Lake Mead this year due to declining water levels through the summer.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) forecasts for 2021 and 2022, Lake Mead water levels will drop. Launch ramps at Boulder Harbor, Hemenway Harbor, Temple Bar, Callville Bay, Echo Bay and South Cove will be impacted as soon as late May 2021 as water levels reach1075 feet and below. Lake Mead plans to temporarily extend launch ramps in most impacted locations using pipe mats while a long-term solution can be implemented.
Boaters should check the status of their preferred launch destinations before heading to the lake. The latest information on current boat launch and marina facilities can be found at: Lake Mead National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). Projected water levels are provided on the 15th of each month by the BOR and are available at https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/24mo.pdf.
The elevation of Lake Mead is about 145 feet lower since the onset of the 20-year historic drought, including the last ten years of extreme drought reflecting the effects of a changing climate in the Colorado River basin. Between 2002 and 2021, the National Park Service has closed some lake access points and invested tens of millions at other locations to extend launch ramps, parking facilities, water systems, electrical systems, docking facilities, navigational aids, shoreline access, sanitation facilities and many other facilities to accommodate lowering lake levels.
Lake Mead is America's first National Recreation Area and offers a variety of recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, fishing, scenic driving and more. Visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) for more information.
NOAA: Reward Available for Information About Shooting of California Sea Lion in New York Slough
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 13 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following feature story:
NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to a civil penalty or criminal conviction in the December 2020 shooting death of a California sea lion. The sea lion, which is protected under federal law, was killed near Pittsburg, California.
The sea lion was reported dead by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in New York Slough, an area within Suisun Bay. The animal was shot in the head while resting on a navigational
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 13 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following feature story:
NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to a civil penalty or criminal conviction in the December 2020 shooting death of a California sea lion. The sea lion, which is protected under federal law, was killed near Pittsburg, California.
The sea lion was reported dead by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in New York Slough, an area within Suisun Bay. The animal was shot in the head while resting on a navigationalbuoy. The bullet found in the sea lion's head is awaiting forensic analysis.
California sea lions, as well as other marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The MMPA prohibits the harassment, hunting, capturing, or killing of any marine mammal or the attempt to do so. It carries civil penalties of up to $30,107 per count, a year in prison, criminal fines, and forfeiture of vessels of vehicles involved.
California sea lions are native to the West Coast of North America where they live in coastal waters and on beaches, docks, buoys, and jetties. Their population has been increasing since 1975, after protections were put in place under the MMPA.
"We're asking for help from anyone who may have seen or heard about anything related to this incident," said Radford Dew, Special Agent with the Office of Law Enforcement.
Anyone with information should contact the investigating agent directly at (707) 210-7688 or through NOAA's Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. To report a dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal, call the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network at (866) 767-6114.
DOD Awards $24.3 Million Grant to Geary County Unified School District 475 for Elementary School on Fort Riley
WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news release on April 12, 2021:
The Department of Defense announced today the award of a $24,387,200 grant from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to the Geary County Unified School District 475 to replace the current school facility with a new Jefferson Elementary School on Fort Riley, Kansas.
Upon completion, the school will serve up to 390 students Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade and address capacity and facility condition deficiencies that placed Jefferson Elementary School as the 38th school on
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WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news release on April 12, 2021:
The Department of Defense announced today the award of a $24,387,200 grant from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to the Geary County Unified School District 475 to replace the current school facility with a new Jefferson Elementary School on Fort Riley, Kansas.
Upon completion, the school will serve up to 390 students Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade and address capacity and facility condition deficiencies that placed Jefferson Elementary School as the 38th school onthe 2011 Deputy Secretary of Defense "Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List" (Priority List).
Funding for this grant is provided under the Department's Public Schools on Military Installations Program. In making these funds available, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation must give priority consideration to military installations that have schools with the most serious capacity and facility condition deficiencies, as determined by the Priority List.
A multi-disciplined Federal Evaluation Team, with membership from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, and the Department of Education, reviewed the school project to ensure the award appropriately addresses the noted capacity and facility condition deficiencies.
In correcting the identified facility condition and capacity issues at Jefferson Elementary School, this grant keeps faith with service members, improves the quality of education for defense-connected students, aids in the recruitment and retention of vital skills at Fort Riley, and enhances partnerships between the communities and the installation.
Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District Hosts Mississippi River Commission, Hears Public Testimony During Annual Inspection Trip
VICKSBURG, Mississippi, April 13 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Vicksburg District issued the following news release:
The Mississippi River Commission (MRC) will hold a public meeting aboard the Motor Vessel Mississippi April 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Vicksburg City Front.
As part of its annual high-water inspection trip, the MRC will hear ideas, concerns and testimonies from stakeholders, local partners and residents.
To pre-register for the public meeting, complete the form located here: https://go.usa.gov/xH4tF and send it to tonya.d.gregory@usace.army.mil. Members of the public who
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VICKSBURG, Mississippi, April 13 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Vicksburg District issued the following news release:
The Mississippi River Commission (MRC) will hold a public meeting aboard the Motor Vessel Mississippi April 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Vicksburg City Front.
As part of its annual high-water inspection trip, the MRC will hear ideas, concerns and testimonies from stakeholders, local partners and residents.
To pre-register for the public meeting, complete the form located here: https://go.usa.gov/xH4tF and send it to tonya.d.gregory@usace.army.mil. Members of the public whocannot attend in person are encouraged to send their testimonies to cemvd-ex@usace.army.mil. The MRC will accept testimonies until 5 p.m. on April 16. The collection of statements will be made part of the public record.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, only pre-registered speakers will be permitted onboard the MV Mississippi. Social distancing measures will be in place and MRC members, along with staff and vessel crew, will undergo a health screening prior to the meeting. Speakers may be asked to complete a health screening and wear a face mask while onboard.
The meeting agenda is as follows:
1. Summary report by President of the Commission on national and regional issues affecting the district and Commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
2. USACE Vicksburg District Commander Col. Robert Hilliard's overview for the commission on current project issues in the respective area.
3. Presentations, views and comments from local organizations and members of the public on any issue affecting the programs or projects of the commission and the district.
"We're looking forward to a constructive discussion that will allow all parties to share their thoughts for continuous improvement," USACE Vicksburg District Commander Col. Robert Hilliard said. "The Mississippi River plays a monumental role in our nation's commercial navigation and travel. Our goal is to ensure all surrounding and related projects are a collaborative effort between the district, local partners, stakeholders and members of the public."
The Vicksburg meeting is the commission's third stop of the inspection trip. Earlier meetings include the City Front in New Madrid, Missouri, on April 12 and Beale Street Landing in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 13. The schedule will conclude with a public meeting at Thalia Street Wharf in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 16.
Established in 1879, the Mississippi River Commission consists of seven members nominated by the President of the United States and vetted by the Senate. Three of the organization's members are USACE officers; one member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers.
The MRC's duties include recommending policy and work programs, studying and reporting on the necessity for modifications or additions to the flood control and navigation project and conducting semi-annual inspection trips. The MRC's authority includes the entire length of the Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Head of Passes, Louisiana, where the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
The public hearing process is unique to the MRC and USACE. The meetings maintain a dialogue between watershed interests, the public and USACE. Following the oral presentations, a copy of the remarks is presented to the commission for official record and written response.
The benefits of hearing the issues and concerns firsthand through the public hearing process are invaluable. The interaction with congressional, federal and state interests, local boards and non-government organizations and the public is crucial to the decision-making process for the nation's water resources.
The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation's toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.
Corps Awards a $67 Million Contract for the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 13 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $67 million contract to Industrial Builders Incorporated of West Fargo, North Dakota, to complete the Interstate 29 grade raise portion of the Fargo, North Dakota / Moorhead, Minnesota, Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project, April 9.
This project consists of a grade raise of I-29 for approximately 4 miles to bring the roadway out of the 500-year flood elevation. The project extends from south of Exit 50
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota, April 13 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $67 million contract to Industrial Builders Incorporated of West Fargo, North Dakota, to complete the Interstate 29 grade raise portion of the Fargo, North Dakota / Moorhead, Minnesota, Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project, April 9.
This project consists of a grade raise of I-29 for approximately 4 miles to bring the roadway out of the 500-year flood elevation. The project extends from south of Exit 50(Hickson Interchange) to north of Exit 54 (Davenport/Oxbow Interchange) and includes an up and-over where I-29 crosses the southern embankment near the Wild Rice River, bridge construction and replacement, a temporary by-pass, as well as work on adjacent county roads 18 and 81 in the vicinity of Oxbow.
This congressionally authorized project is a 30-mile long diversion channel in North Dakota with upstream staging. The plan includes a 21-mile long southern embankment, 19 highway bridges, three railroad bridges, three gated control structures and two aqueduct structures.
The Corps is working in partnership on this project with the cities of Fargo and Moorhead and the Metro Flood Diversion Authority. This project provides flood risk reduction for more than 230,000 people and 70 square miles of infrastructure in the communities of Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Horace and Harwood.
Army Reserve Soldiers in Europe Get Hands on Blackhawk MEDEVAC Training
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany, April 13 -- The U.S. Army Reserve Command issued the following news:
More than 50 U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, 7th Mission Support Command, performed realistic medical evacuation training at Camp Normandy in United States Army Garrison Bavaria, here, April 10.
The 7th Mission Support Command is the only U.S. Army Reserve command stationed in Germany with units across Europe to include the 361st, whose leadership jumped at the opportunity to team up with aviation Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment (General
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GRAFENWOEHR, Germany, April 13 -- The U.S. Army Reserve Command issued the following news:
More than 50 U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, 7th Mission Support Command, performed realistic medical evacuation training at Camp Normandy in United States Army Garrison Bavaria, here, April 10.
The 7th Mission Support Command is the only U.S. Army Reserve command stationed in Germany with units across Europe to include the 361st, whose leadership jumped at the opportunity to team up with aviation Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment (GeneralSupport), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade.
"We've got a lot of good training going on," said Lt. Col. Daniel J. Meyers, chief of the Civil-Military Operations Center, 361st CAB.
"We have weapons qualification, we have medical training, and as part of that, we have a MEDEVAC coming in about 45 minutes," said Meyers.
Anticipating their hands-on training, the Soldiers wasted no time unpacking their casualty dummies, tourniquets, litters and other equipment necessary to learn life-saving during combat.
Some practiced radio skills while others fanned out to set up the landing zone on the field next to the buildings at Camp Normandy.
At exactly 9a.m., the deep thudding of the 12th CAB's UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter's rotor blades made it clear that something interesting for the Soldiers was about to happen.
Coming in at near tree-top height, the machine circled the field during its landing zone check causing branches to sway behind it.
The Blackhawk then touched down exactly one minute later kicking up leaves and loose debris in a gust of wind and prop wash.
With the rotors safely stopped and the aircraft chocked down, the crew from the 12th CAB Blackhawk, piloted by Chief Warrant Officer Two Garret Cartner and Chief Warrant Officer Two Ian J. Mally, joined crew chief Spc. Daveyon Adkins, and the team's critical care flight paramedic Sgt. Derek J. Born, to greet the civil affairs Soldiers.
After introducing themselves, Adkins and Born got down to training the 361st troops on aircraft MEDEVAC operations.
"Our job is to respond to any type of injury that happens during training," said Born.
Born explained that his unit, which is part of the active component here with the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command, gets the call when a Soldier or civilian is injured at Grafenwoehr Training Area.
"We're the ones who pick up the patient and bring them to the hospital," he said.
Adkins and Born then showed the Soldiers how to respond to both the aircraft and its crew safely in the noise and wind of a real MEDEVAC operation under spinning rotors.
"It's been an outstanding opportunity for us to learn how to load a patient into the bird," said Sgt. Lester Gresham, a civil affairs noncommissioned officer with the 361st.
Satisfied that the Soldiers were proficient in understanding how to handle a casualty with a whirling Blackhawk ambulance, the aircrew then gave a few lucky Soldiers some rides around Camp Normandy.
They performed about a half dozen "dust-offs" and overflights of the training ranges with landings, passenger exchanges and take-offs.
Staff Sgt. Angela Morrow, a training NCO with the 361st and one of the organizers of the event, said the 12th CAB added great value during this month's training.
"It was some awesome battle assembly training down in Grafenwoehr," she said.
On the final dust-off round, the commander of the 361st CAB, Col. Carlos E. Gorbea, bade farewell and thanks to the medical aviators by presenting the unit coin to Born.
"We're doing real live MEDEVAC training with real helicopters provided by the 12th CAB," said Gorbea.
"They were really eager to come out and help train us here at Camp Normandy," he said, adding that it only took a call and an email to get the 12th CAB's support.
Gorbea also said that some of his Soldiers enjoyed their first helicopter flight this month and that realistic and exciting training keeps Soldiers serving.
As the helicopter noise receded, the civil affairs team formed up and moved out to the firing ranges to qualify on their weapons and complete their battle assembly training objectives.
