Featured Stories
Ropes & Gray Advises Bluegem Capital Partners on Its Acquisition of Rispo Group, a Leading Italian Platform of Premium Frozen Specialties
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 17 -- Ropes and Gray, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Ropes & Gray Advises Bluegem Capital Partners on its Acquisition of Rispo Group, a Leading Italian Platform of Premium Frozen Specialties
October 16, 2026
Ropes & Gray has advised Bluegem Capital Partners ("Bluegem"), the pan-European mid-market private equity firm specialising in real economy staple businesses, on its agreement to acquire Rispo Group ("Rispo" or "the Group"), a leading Italian producer of premium frozen specialties, from funds managed by Europe Capital Partners and advised by CS
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 17 -- Ropes and Gray, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Ropes & Gray Advises Bluegem Capital Partners on its Acquisition of Rispo Group, a Leading Italian Platform of Premium Frozen Specialties
October 16, 2026
Ropes & Gray has advised Bluegem Capital Partners ("Bluegem"), the pan-European mid-market private equity firm specialising in real economy staple businesses, on its agreement to acquire Rispo Group ("Rispo" or "the Group"), a leading Italian producer of premium frozen specialties, from funds managed by Europe Capital Partners and advised by CS& Associati.
Rispo's management team will reinvest alongside Bluegem, retaining a minority stake in the Group. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.
The Ropes & Gray team was led by private equity partners Cataldo Piccarreta and Giorgia Lugli with support from associates Ginevra Rebecchini and Carlo Grisostomi Travaglini, and trainees Marianna Pessi, Roberta Vitale, Costanza Cappelli, Elena Boaretto and Alessandro My. Additional support was provided by regulatory counsel Luca Amicarelli and associate Riccardo Marcolongo, and antitrust & FDI counsel Jacopo Figus Diaz.
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URL: Bluegem Capital Partners
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Original text here: https://www.ropesgray.com/en/news-and-events/news/2026/10/ropes-gray-advises-bluegem-capital-partners-acquisition-rispo-group
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Ropes & Gray Advised Heartland Dental in Its Affiliation With Foundation Dental Partners
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 17 -- Ropes and Gray, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Ropes & Gray Advised Heartland Dental in its Affiliation with Foundation Dental Partners
October 16, 2026
Ropes & Gray represented Heartland Dental in its affiliation with Foundation Dental Partners, a doctor-focused dental support organization with 33 supported practices across Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky. The transaction closed on Oct. 2.
Heartland Dental is the nation's largest DSO, providing non-clinical administrative support services.
Heartland has affiliated with over
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 17 -- Ropes and Gray, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Ropes & Gray Advised Heartland Dental in its Affiliation with Foundation Dental Partners
October 16, 2026
Ropes & Gray represented Heartland Dental in its affiliation with Foundation Dental Partners, a doctor-focused dental support organization with 33 supported practices across Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky. The transaction closed on Oct. 2.
Heartland Dental is the nation's largest DSO, providing non-clinical administrative support services.
Heartland has affiliated with over3,200 doctors in over 1,960 locations across 39 states and the District of Columbia.
The team was led by private equity partner Janet Coscino and included executive compensation & employee benefits partner Kyle Higley, employment partner Stephanie Bruce, health care partner Christina Bergeron, tax partner Alyssa Kollmeyer, and IP transactions partner Erica Han.
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URL: Heartland Dental
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Original text here: https://www.ropesgray.com/en/news-and-events/news/2026/10/ropes-gray-advised-heartland-dental-in-its-affiliation-with-foundation-dental-partners
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Fisher Phillips Issues Insight: When Employees Earn More Than Their Bosses - 5 Ways Employers Can Address Pay Inversion
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 17 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following Insight:
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When Employees Earn More Than Their Bosses: 5 Ways Employers Can Address Pay Inversion
Oct 16, 2026
Most people assume managers are always paid more than their direct reports, but that isn't necessarily true. "Pay inversion" occurs when an employee earns more than their supervisor, and oftentimes it's for justifiable reasons. But it can create morale issues and raise legal concerns if not managed carefully. Here's what employers and HR professionals need to know about why pay inversion occurs, the
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ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 17 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following Insight:
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When Employees Earn More Than Their Bosses: 5 Ways Employers Can Address Pay Inversion
Oct 16, 2026
Most people assume managers are always paid more than their direct reports, but that isn't necessarily true. "Pay inversion" occurs when an employee earns more than their supervisor, and oftentimes it's for justifiable reasons. But it can create morale issues and raise legal concerns if not managed carefully. Here's what employers and HR professionals need to know about why pay inversion occurs, therisks it presents, and five steps to address it.
* Pay Inversion vs. Pay Compression
* Pay compression happens when employees with different levels of experience or responsibility earn similar salaries. For example, a manager or senior-level employee might earn only slightly more than a junior-level worker.
* Pay inversion occurs when an employee earns more than their manager or employees in higher-level roles.
Common Reasons for Pay Inversion
Pay inversion can happen for a variety of reasons, from changing labor market conditions to internal compensation practices. Here are some common scenarios where you might encounter it:
* You're hiring for specialized technical skills. Some employees have highly sought-after skills that justify premium salaries. For example, you may need to pay more to recruit a senior software engineer with expertise in emerging technologies or a healthcare professional with specialized training, such as a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
* Your compensation for long-tenured managers hasn't kept up with the market. Managers who have been with your organization for many years may have received steady but modest annual raises. But if market salaries have risen faster, you may need to pay new hires more to attract and retain top talent.
* Employees are working significant overtime. Non-exempt employees who regularly work overtime may end up earning more than their exempt managers, even if their regular rates of pay are lower.
* You offer substantial incentive or commission programs. Employees who earn commissions, production bonuses, or other incentive pay may outearn their salaried managers, especially during years when they perform particularly well.
Collective bargaining agreements, business acquisitions, employee transfers, and salary negotiations can also contribute to pay inversion.
* Practical Point: Before taking any action to address a pay inversion situation, employers should determine what's causing the disparity. Your approach to addressing a pay gap may differ depending on whether it is driven by market conditions, tenure, overtime, or commissions.
The Legal Risks
Pay inversion can raise legal concerns when compensation disparities seem related to protected characteristics such as age, sex, or race. For example, if you notice that managers who earn less than their direct reports are disproportionately older employees, women, or members of another protected group, it could raise questions about potential pay discrimination, although the disparity alone doesn't establish discrimination.
Even if the disparities developed over time through routine compensation decisions, employers could still face legal risks. That's why it's important to consult with legal counsel and regularly conduct pay audits to identify and address potential disparities before they become bigger issues.
* Practical Point: Be sure to review your compensation practices, understand the reasons behind any disparities, document the ones that are justified, and address the ones that aren't. You'll be in a stronger position to defend your compensation decisions if you can point to legitimate, consistently applied reasons for them.
Potential Impact on Morale
While employers may be concerned about the legal risks of pay inversion, the impact on employee morale can be just as significant. Many managers are involved in compensation decisions and already know what their direct reports earn. But you shouldn't assume they're okay with it, so be sure to have an upfront conversation with the manager.
A one-off situation involving a new hire with specialized skills may be understandable, but how will a long-term manager feel if the company continues to offer higher salaries to attract new talent? They may question whether their years of loyalty and hard work are being adequately rewarded, which can lead to resentment or prompt experienced managers to look for opportunities elsewhere.
The situation can be even more frustrating for managers who aren't involved in compensation decisions and only learn later that their employees earn more. In addition to questioning whether the organization values their work, they may wonder why they weren't included in the discussion.
* Practical Point: Morale issues can extend beyond managers. If employees discuss their pay and discover disparities, they may begin to question whether the company's compensation practices are fair, which can create broader issues for the entire team. Be sure to evaluate all your pay practices, not just those impacting managers.
When Pay Inversion Is Acceptable
Not every instance of pay inversion is a problem. In some cases, paying an employee more than their manager is a practical business decision with a legitimate reason for the difference.
For example, suppose you have a sales manager supervising a team of employees who earn commissions. One particularly successful salesperson may earn more total pay than their manager because of their high performance. That doesn't necessarily mean the manager is underpaid or that the company's compensation practices are unfair.
* Practical Point: The key is to make sure you understand why the disparity exists and can support it with a legitimate business reason. Rather than trying to eliminate every instance of pay inversion, focus on making informed, consistent compensation decisions that you can explain and defend.
5 Key Steps for Employers and HR Teams
Here are five steps you can take to identify and address potential pay inversion issues before they lead to employee complaints or legal problems:
1. Review your compensation practices. Work with your FP legal counsel to conduct regular pay audits and compare what your managers earn to what their direct reports earn. Be sure to consider base salaries, bonuses, commissions, and overtime, and look for instances of both pay inversion and pay compression. Involving counsel can help you identify potential legal risks and determine whether the audit can be protected by attorney-client privilege.
2. Understand what's causing the disparities. Once you've identified pay inversion, determine why it's happening. Make sure you have legally defensible, legitimate business reasons for the differences and document them.
3. Look for potential discrimination issues. Review whether pay inversion disproportionately affects managers based on age, sex, race, or other protected characteristics. If you identify concerning patterns, work with legal counsel to evaluate risks and determine whether adjustments are needed.
4. Develop a consistent compensation strategy. Consider whether adjustments to management salaries, incentive opportunities, or other compensation practices could help address existing disparities and prevent new ones. Establish clear guidelines so you're making consistent decisions rather than addressing each situation as it arises.
5. Communicate effectively with managers. Make sure managers understand how compensation decisions are made and why certain employees may earn more. Train your HR team to handle these conversations carefully and to identify and address any possible legal risks.
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Related People
Sheila M. Abron
Partner
sabron@fisherphillips.com
803/740-7676
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James F. Glunt
Partner
jglunt@fisherphillips.com
412/822-6621
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Original text here: https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/insights/insights/5-ways-employers-can-address-pay-inversion
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
FOX NEWS DIGITAL LEADS ALL NEWS BRANDS WITH MULTIPLATFORM VIEWS AND MINUTES THROUGHOUT THE Q3
NEW YORK, Oct. 17 [Category: Media] -- Fox News Media, a business unit of Fox, posted the following news release:
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FOX NEWS DIGITAL LEADS ALL NEWS BRANDS WITH MULTIPLATFORM VIEWS AND MINUTES THROUGHOUT THE THIRD QUARTER
FOX News Marks 8th Consecutive Quarter as Top News Brand on YouTube
CNN Marks its Worst Quarter Since 2015 Across All Key Performance Indicators
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NEW YORK - October 16, 2026 - During the third quarter of 2026, FOX News Digital led all news brands and broadcast networks with multiplatform views and multiplatform minutes, according to Comscore./** FOX News Digital drove
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NEW YORK, Oct. 17 [Category: Media] -- Fox News Media, a business unit of Fox, posted the following news release:
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FOX NEWS DIGITAL LEADS ALL NEWS BRANDS WITH MULTIPLATFORM VIEWS AND MINUTES THROUGHOUT THE THIRD QUARTER
FOX News Marks 8th Consecutive Quarter as Top News Brand on YouTube
CNN Marks its Worst Quarter Since 2015 Across All Key Performance Indicators
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NEW YORK - October 16, 2026 - During the third quarter of 2026, FOX News Digital led all news brands and broadcast networks with multiplatform views and multiplatform minutes, according to Comscore./** FOX News Digital drove4.6 billion multiplatform views and 10 billion multiplatform minutes throughout the quarter. Additionally, FOX News posted 170 million average total digital multiplatform unique visitors throughout the quarter, an 11% increase year-over-year. With average desktop/mobile unique visitors, FOX News nabbed 76 million to lead all news brands. This marks the 17th consecutive quarter it has led news brands with views and 22nd consecutive quarter it has been the top news brand with minutes./* Meanwhile, CNN marked its worst quarter since 2015 with average totaldigital unique visitors (57 million), multiplatform views (1.3 billion) and multiplatform minutes (2 billion).
During September, FOX News Digital led all news brands and broadcast networks with multiplatform views (1.5 billion) and multiplatform minutes (3.3 billion). With desktop/mobile unique visitors, FOX News led all news brands with 72 million. Additionally, it drove 164 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors. /**Additional highlights include:
- On YouTube, FOX News closed out 3Q '26 leading all news brands for the eighth consecutive quarter, according to Emplifi. During the quarter, FOX News secured 918 million video views, leading all competitors including MS NOW (889 million views), CNN (712 million views), ABC News (442 million views), NBC News (356 million views) and CBS News (149 million views). Year-to-date, FOX News has driven 3.5 billion video views in 2026 leading nearest competitor MS NOW by 32%. FOX Business' YouTube generated 140 million video views throughout the quarter, leading the business competition for the 27th consecutive quarter, according to Comscore Social. Notably, FOX News Media's combined platforms accrued 1.2 billion video views on YouTube for the quarter. In the month of September, FOX News drove 307 million YouTube video views.
- The FOX News Mobile app drew an average of 6.5 million unique viewers during the quarter leading the CNN mobile app which saw an average of 2.7 million unique viewers./**
- FOX News Media also led all news brands on social media with interactions for the quarter, according to Emplifi and Comscore Social. FOX News delivered 290million social media interactions for the quarter with 90.7 million interactions on Facebook, 55.9 million interactions on Instagram and 14.7 million interactions on X. Meanwhile on TikTok, FOX News drove 128.9 million interactions, a 20% increase year-over-year./**** Additionally, FOX News drove 4.4 billion social media video views.
- FOXBusiness.com drove 397 million multiplatform minutes in Q3 2026, finishing fourth in the business competitive set. Additionally, the business site delivered 227 million multiplatform views and an average of 20.7 million total digital multiplatform unique visitors./***
Q3 2026 FOX NEWS DIGITAL VS. CNN.COM, NYTIMES.COM, CBSNEWS.COM, ABCNEWS.COM AND NBCNEWS.COM
Average Total Digital Multiplatform Unique Visitors
FOX News Digital - 169,741,000 (up 11% vs. Q3 2025)
CNN.com - 57,355,000 (down 35% vs. Q3 2025)
CBSNews.com - 186,248,000 (up 9% vs. Q3 2025)
NYTimes.com - 60,270,000 (down 13% vs. Q3 2025)
NBCNews.com - 105,384,000 (up 7% vs. Q3 2025)
ABCNews.com Sites - 36,607,000 (down 23% vs. Q3 2025)
Average Desktop/Mobile Unique Visitors
FOX News Digital - 75,664,000 (down 20% vs. Q3 2025)
CNN.com - 57,335,000 (down 35% vs. Q3 2025)
CBSNews.com - 71,174,000 (down 14% vs. Q3 2025)
NYTimes.com - 60,270,000 (down 13% vs. Q3 2025)
NBCNews.com - 59,357,000 (down 25% vs. Q3 2025)
ABCNews.com Sites - 28,348,000 (down 32% vs. Q3 2025)
Multiplatform Total Views
FOX News Digital - 4,581,000,000 (down 18% vs. Q3 2025)
NYTimes.com - 3,814,000,000 (down 8% vs. Q3 2025)
CNN.com - 1,271,000,000 (down 41% vs. Q3 2025)
CBSNews.com - 853,000,000 (down 18% vs. Q3 2025)
NBCNews.com - 519,000,000 (down 35% vs. Q3 2025)
ABCNews.com Sites - 424,000,000 (down 10% vs. Q3 2025)
Multiplatform Total Minutes
FOX News Digital - 10,039,000,000 (down 12% vs. Q3 2025)
NYTimes.com - 3,074,000,000 (down 16% vs. Q3 2025)
CNN.com - 2,000,000,000 (down 34% vs. Q3 2025)
CBSNews.com - 2,606,000,000 (down 2% vs. Q3 2025)
NBCNews.com - 1,384,000,000 (down 27% vs. Q3 2025)
ABCNews.com Sites - 1,017,000,000 (down 17% vs. Q3 2025)
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*/ Source: Comscore Media Metrix(R) Multi-Platform, Desktop and Mobile. Custom-Defined List including CNN.com, NBCNews.com, ABCNews.com Sites, CBSNews.com, Fox News Digital, WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com, NYPost Network, Wall Street Journal Digital Network, Business Insider, and USAToday.com, September 2026, U.S.
**/ Source: Comscore Media Metrix(R) Multi-Platform, Total Digital Population including Social Incremental data for reportable entities. Fox News Digital, CBSNews.com, NBCNews.com, WashingtonPost.com, and ABCNews.com Sites have opted in to account for Social Incremental in Total Digital Multiplatform Unique Visitors, while brands like CNN.com and NYTimes.com have not opted in. Custom-Defined List including CNN.com, NBCNews.com, ABCNews.com Sites, CBSNews.com, Fox News Digital, WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com, NYPost Network, Wall Street Journal Digital Network, Insider Inc., and USAToday.com, September 2026, U.S. & Comscore Mobile Metrix(R), Mobile App Only, [FOX News Mobile App and CNN Mobile App], September 2026, U.S.
***/ Source: Comscore Media Metrix(R) Multi-Platform, Total Digital Population including Social Incremental data for reportable entities. FoxBusiness.com, Yahoo! Finance, CNBC.com, TheStreet.com, Entrepreneur.com have opted in to account for Social Incremental in Total Digital Multiplatform Unique Visitors. Custom-Defined List including FoxBusiness.com, Bloomberg.com Sites, CNBC.com, CNN Business, Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, HuffPost Business, MarketWatch, Motley Fool, MSN Money, TheStreet.com, USA TODAY Money, WSJ Online, Yahoo! Finance, September 2026, U.S.
****/ Source: Comscore Social, PowerRankings, YouTube, June 2026, Report Date: 10/15/2026. Custom-Defined List including CNN.com, NBCNews.com, ABCNews.com, CBSNews.com, Fox News Digital, WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com, NYPost Network, Wall Street Journal Online, Insider Inc., and USAToday.com.
FOX News Media operates the FOX News Channel (FNC), FOX Business Network (FBN), FOX News Digital, FOX News Audio, FOX News Books, the direct-to-consumer streaming services FOX Nation and FOX News International and the free ad-supported television service FOX Weather. Currently the number one network in all of cable, FNC has also been the most watched television news channel for 24 consecutive years, while FBN is the top business channel on cable. Owned by Fox Corporation, FOX News Media reaches nearly 200 million people each month and is also available to live stream on FOX One.
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Original text here: https://press.foxnews.com/2026/10/fox-news-digital-leads-all-news-brands-with-multiplatform-views-and-minutes-throughout-the-third-quarter
Duke Energy Florida Launches New Solar Site in Jefferson County
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Oct. 17 -- Duke Energy issued the following news release:
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Duke Energy Florida launches new solar site in Jefferson County
October 16, 2026
* The Bailey Mill Solar Center will add 74.9 megawatts of quiet, carbon-free energy to the grid, enough to power the equivalent of approximately 15,000 homes
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Duke Energy Florida has recently completed construction on the Bailey Mill Solar Center, a solar site located near Monticello, in Jefferson County. At peak production, the site's 163,000 solar panels will produce enough electricity to power
... Show Full Article
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Oct. 17 -- Duke Energy issued the following news release:
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Duke Energy Florida launches new solar site in Jefferson County
October 16, 2026
* The Bailey Mill Solar Center will add 74.9 megawatts of quiet, carbon-free energy to the grid, enough to power the equivalent of approximately 15,000 homes
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Duke Energy Florida has recently completed construction on the Bailey Mill Solar Center, a solar site located near Monticello, in Jefferson County. At peak production, the site's 163,000 solar panels will produce enough electricity to powerapproximately 15,000 homes.
Why it matters
Bailey Mill is expected to save customers $250 million in fuel costs over its service lifetime.
As Florida continues to grow, solar sites such as Bailey Mill increase energy capacity to help provide safe and reliable power to customers. Expanding solar energy helps displace the cost of fuel, like natural gas, that would otherwise be needed to generate electricity. This creates savings for customers because the price Duke Energy Florida pays for fuel is a direct pass-through cost reflected on their bills.
At peak output, the Bailey Mill solar site will displace 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal annually.
For every four solar sites completed, the company's 2 million customers save an estimated $1 billion in fuel costs over their service lifetimes.
Additional solar sites planned in Florida
Duke Energy Florida currently owns, operates and maintains a portfolio of over 25 solar sites across the state with a combined capacity of approximately 1,850 megawatts of energy.
Bailey Mill is one of five solar sites that have been completed since 2025. Before the end of 2028, the company plans to complete an additional 11 solar sites, further increasing its renewable energy portfolio.
By the end of 2033, the company projects to have over 5,500 megawatts of utility scale solar generating capacity online.
Our view
"The launch of Bailey Mill is another step toward lowering long-term energy costs for our customers," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Every solar site we bring online reduces the amount of fuel we need to purchase, and those savings go directly to our customers' bills. We're grateful to the Jefferson County community for partnering with us to make this project possible."
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Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
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Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
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Original text here: https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-florida-launches-new-solar-site-in-jefferson-county
[Category: BizEnergy]
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Named NACAS Outstanding Business Partner of the Year
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17 -- ARAMARK, a provider of food, facilities, refreshments, hospitality and supply chain services, issued the following news release:
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Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Named NACAS Outstanding Business Partner of the Year
October 16, 2026
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality has been named the National Association of College Auxiliary Services' (NACAS) Outstanding Business Partner of the Year, recognizing the organization's longstanding commitment to supporting the higher education auxiliary services profession through engagement, leadership, and partnership.
"This
... Show Full Article
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17 -- ARAMARK, a provider of food, facilities, refreshments, hospitality and supply chain services, issued the following news release:
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Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Named NACAS Outstanding Business Partner of the Year
October 16, 2026
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality has been named the National Association of College Auxiliary Services' (NACAS) Outstanding Business Partner of the Year, recognizing the organization's longstanding commitment to supporting the higher education auxiliary services profession through engagement, leadership, and partnership.
"Thisrecognition reflects Aramark Collegiate Hospitality's longstanding commitment to supporting higher education and the NACAS community," said Barbara Flanagan, President and CEO of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. "We are proud of the partnerships we have built with colleges and universities and honored to be recognized for our contributions to advancing the auxiliary services profession."
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality has maintained a longstanding partnership with NACAS, supporting the association's conferences, leadership programs, mentorship initiatives, and member engagement efforts.
The NACAS Outstanding Business Partner of the Year Award recognizes organizations that demonstrate exceptional partnership, service, and support of the association and its members.
Widener Dining Services Earns NACAS Award for Inclusive Excellence
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality's Widener Dining Services at Widener University in Chester, PA, also earned the prestigious Edwin R. Golden Award for Inclusive Excellence from NACAS. The campus dining program was recognized for Widener Dining 101, a Kitchen 101 concept developed collaboratively by Widener University's International Student Services (ISS) team and Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, with a focus on international cuisine. The award recognizes the program's success in creating meaningful opportunities for cultural exchange, inclusion, and belonging through food.
"At Widener Dining Services, we strive to create a dining experience that supports the university's Sense of Belonging," said Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Executive Chef Matthew Clarke. "This recognition reflects the strong partnership between Widener University and Aramark Collegiate Hospitality and our shared commitment to creating opportunities for students to connect, learn from one another, and feel valued within the campus community."
Since its launch, the International Teaching Kitchen has provided international students with a platform to serve as cultural ambassadors, sharing family traditions, regional cuisines, and personal experiences through interactive cooking demonstrations. Working alongside Widener Dining Services Executive Chef Matthew Clarke and the culinary team, students help bring authentic recipes to life while fostering dialogue and understanding among participants from diverse backgrounds.
The program invites students to share recipes, traditions, and stories from their home countries while leading hands-on cooking experiences for their peers. Through these shared culinary experiences, the International Teaching Kitchen helps build cross-cultural connections, promotes intercultural understanding, and reinforces a campus environment where students feel seen, valued, and welcomed.
"The program's goal extends beyond cooking," continued Chef Matt. "The International Teaching Kitchen fosters practical skill-building, giving participants confidence in the kitchen while exposing them to flavors and ingredients they may never have encountered before."
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Original text here: https://www.aramark.com/newsroom/news/2026/october/aramark-collegiate-hospitality-s-widener-dining-services-earns-n
[Category: BizConsumer Services]
Appalachian Power to Serve as Primary Subrecipient of $40 Million DOE SPARK Grant
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Oct. 17 -- Appalachian Power, an American Electric Power company, issued the following news release:
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Appalachian Power to serve as primary subrecipient of $40 million DOE SPARK grant
October 16, 2026
AEP is working with public partners to strengthen the grid, improve reliability and make every investment go further for customers.
Appalachian Power Company (APCo) will serve as the primary subrecipient of a $40 million award to the Commonwealth of Virginia through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other
... Show Full Article
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Oct. 17 -- Appalachian Power, an American Electric Power company, issued the following news release:
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Appalachian Power to serve as primary subrecipient of $40 million DOE SPARK grant
October 16, 2026
AEP is working with public partners to strengthen the grid, improve reliability and make every investment go further for customers.
Appalachian Power Company (APCo) will serve as the primary subrecipient of a $40 million award to the Commonwealth of Virginia through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and otherKey Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program.
The funding will help upgrade about 14 miles of 138 kV transmission line in the Lynchburg area, increasing capacity, improving reliability and modernizing the grid.
The funding will also support the deployment of dynamic line rating (DLR) technology, which uses real-time conditions to help safely maximize the capacity of existing transmission lines. It will be implemented on four transmission lines:
* Museville-Smith Mountain
* Fieldale-Thornton
* Axton-AE2-140
* Claytor-South Christiansburg
"This funding allows us to strengthen the grid and expand capacity while making the most of the infrastructure already serving our communities," said Brian Abraham, president and chief operating officer of APCo. "By working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and the DOE, we can improve reliability and help keep costs more affordable for our customers while supporting the region's continued growth."
Making Every Investment Count
Together, the projects are designed to expand capacity, improve power flows and strengthen reliability while making better use of existing infrastructure.
The SPARK award is part of AEP's broader strategy to reduce customer costs while investing in reliability and resiliency. AEP has already secured federal loans and grants expected to provide nearly $1.6 billion in customer benefits.
Partnerships with the U.S. DOE are helping advance these investments while supporting the reliable, affordable electricity our communities need to grow.
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Original text here: https://www.appalachianpower.com/company/news/view?releaseID=12328
[Category: BizEnergy]
