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USDA Issues Safety-Net and Conservation Payments to South Carolina Farmers
COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency - South Carolina Field Office issued the following news release:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in South Carolina is processing $15,787,946.00 in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments for the 2018 crop year. Additionally, South Carolina FSA will distribute $2,036,441.00 in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental payments to landowners to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands.
"Our safety net programs help provide certainty
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COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency - South Carolina Field Office issued the following news release:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in South Carolina is processing $15,787,946.00 in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments for the 2018 crop year. Additionally, South Carolina FSA will distribute $2,036,441.00 in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental payments to landowners to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands.
"Our safety net programs help provide certaintyand stability to South Carolina farm families affected by fluctuating market prices," Boone S. Peeler, State Executive Director in South Carolina said. "When reviewing payments, it's important to remember that ARC and PLC payments by county can vary because average county yields will differ."
FSA began processing payments for 2018 ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC on covered commodities that triggered payments on enrolled farms in the 2018 crop year. FSA anticipates issuing more payments in November once USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service publishes additional commodity prices for the 2018 crop.
In South Carolina, 46 counties have experienced a drop in price or revenues below the benchmark price established by the ARC or PLC programs and will receive payments.
Producers who had 2018 covered commodities enrolled in ARC-CO can visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc for payment rates applicable to their county and each covered commodity. For farms and covered commodities enrolled in 2018 PLC, the following crops met payment triggers: wheat, barley, peanuts, corn, grain sorghum, and canola. Oats and soybeans did not meet 2018 PLC payment triggers.
2018 PLC payment rates for the following covered commodities have not been determined: large chickpeas, small chickpeas, sunflower seed, flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed, safflower, crambe, sesame seed, seed cotton, long grain rice, medium grain rice and temperate Japonica rice.
Also, this week, USDA began issuing 2019 CRP payments to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands. In South Carolina, 2899 landowners will receive compensation for their efforts to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and improve wildlife habitat on 50,667 acres enrolled in CRP throughout the state.
"Annual rental payments through the Conservation Reserve Program help farmers and landowners who want to take sensitive land out of production in order to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion or create wildlife habitat," Peeler said.
For more information about USDA programs or to locate your FSA county office, visit http://www.farmers.gov.
USDA Issues Safety-Net and Conservation Payments to Kentucky Farmers
LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency - Kentucky Field Office issued the following news release:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kentucky is processing $9,688,641 in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments for the 2018 crop year. Additionally, Kentucky FSA will distribute $32,039,597 in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental payments to landowners to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands.
"Our safety net programs help provide certainty and stability to Kentucky
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LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency - Kentucky Field Office issued the following news release:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kentucky is processing $9,688,641 in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments for the 2018 crop year. Additionally, Kentucky FSA will distribute $32,039,597 in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental payments to landowners to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands.
"Our safety net programs help provide certainty and stability to Kentuckyfarm families affected by fluctuating market prices," SED Brian Lacefield, State Executive Director in Kentucky said. "When reviewing payments, it's important to remember that ARC and PLC payments by county can vary because average county yields will differ."
FSA began processing payments for 2018 ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC on covered commodities that triggered payments on enrolled farms in the 2018 crop year. FSA anticipates issuing more payments in November once USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service publishes additional commodity prices for the 2018 crop.
In Kentucky, 115 counties have experienced a drop in price or revenues below the benchmark price established by the ARC or PLC programs and will receive payments.
Producers who had 2018 covered commodities enrolled in ARC-CO can visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc for payment rates applicable to their county and each covered commodity. For farms and covered commodities enrolled in 2018 PLC, the following crops met payment triggers: wheat, barley, corn, grain sorghum and canola. Oats and soybeans did not meet 2018 PLC payment triggers.
2018 PLC payment rates for the following covered commodities have not been determined: large chickpeas, small chickpeas, sunflower seed, flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed, safflower, crambe, sesame seed, seed cotton, long grain rice, medium grain rice and temperate Japonica rice.
Also, this week, USDA began issuing 2019 CRP payments to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands. In Kentucky, 14,592 landowners will receive compensation for their efforts to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and improve wildlife habitat on 203,394.05 acres enrolled in CRP throughout the state.
"Annual rental payments through the Conservation Reserve Program help farmers and landowners who want to take sensitive land out of production in order to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion or create wildlife habitat," SED Lacefield said.
For more information about USDA programs or to locate your FSA county office, visit http://www.farmers.gov.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
National Hispanic Science and Engineering Organization Honors Two Sandia National Laboratories Researchers
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories issued the following news release:
Materials scientist Nic Argibay and health and safety senior manager Rafael Gonzalez were honored at the 31st annual Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference by Great Minds in STEM, a nonprofit organization that recognizes Hispanic leadership and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math.
Argibay received a Most Promising Scientist or Engineer award and Gonzalez received a Luminary award during the society's annual conference in late
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories issued the following news release:
Materials scientist Nic Argibay and health and safety senior manager Rafael Gonzalez were honored at the 31st annual Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference by Great Minds in STEM, a nonprofit organization that recognizes Hispanic leadership and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math.
Argibay received a Most Promising Scientist or Engineer award and Gonzalez received a Luminary award during the society's annual conference in lateSeptember.
HENAAC awards represent Hispanic contributions at high levels of academia, government, military and industry. Luminary honorees are professionals who lead key programs within their companies and who have made significant contributions to the Hispanic technical community as leaders and role models.
Wear-resistant alloy co-inventor honored as promising scientist
Argibay has made significant contributions to the scientific field of tribology, the study of interacting surfaces in relative motion, including the principles of friction, lubrication and wear. He has received more than $7 million in scientific grants and awards leading to groundbreaking discoveries, such as the in-situ formation of diamond-like carbon on platinum-gold substrates and one of the most wear-resistant materials ever tested.
"Ultimately, we developed an alloy that is insensitive to remarkable amounts of temperature and mechanical stress," Argibay said.
His work with high-entropy alloys, metals that blend similar proportions of several elements, has led to multiple invitations to speak at conferences, colloquia and seminars worldwide.
He currently serves on the board of directors of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, a position he was elected to in recognition of his many contributions to the tribology field and his service to the society.
The son of a computer programmer and a physicist, Argibay moved to Miami, Florida, from Montevideo, Uruguay, when he was 9 years old.
"They sold everything they owned, with the exception of the contents of a few suitcases. My parents were nuts; so courageous. I'm so grateful they did what so many wouldn't dare to try," Argibay said.
That same year, Hurricane Andrew, one of the most destructive hurricanes recorded in Florida, struck their new home. His parents were undaunted in starting their new life despite the immediate upheaval.
One of Argibay's early mentors was a prep school physics teacher who formed a physics club and organized a trip to watch a space shuttle launch. "I remember thinking, this is what I want to spend my life working on," Argibay said. He pursued a career in aerospace engineering. Unsurprisingly, he is now an airplane enthusiast and has a pilot's license.
Argibay came to Sandia in 2011, immediately after receiving his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida, transitioning from a postdoctoral researcher to a permanent member of the research and development staff in 2013.
His manager, Cole Yarrington, said, "Nicolas has also demonstrated, without expectation of recognition, his commitment to giving back to the community through his public school and university outreach."
This outreach has included coaching a National Science Bowl team and helped high school students craft experiments for a STEM outreach program.
Luminary Sandia executive encourages Hispanic students to pursue STEM careers
As a child, Gonzalez loved spending time in his grandfather's carpentry shop, where he gained mechanical skills and learned life lessons that proved equally useful.
"Mi abuelo was the wisest individual that I have ever met, even though he only completed primaria (elementary school)," Gonzalez said. "He taught me that working hard with integrity and doing your best with purpose was the most important thing in life -- whether you were a barrendero (street sweeper), engineer or a carpenter like himself."
His hard work in school paid off when he unexpectedly met the president of the University of Texas at El Paso, who was visiting Gonzalez's high school to promote a financial assistance program for Mexican students. Gonzalez, who grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico, had wanted to study at an American university but could not afford to do so. The morning after graduation, he took the SAT exam, scoring high enough to qualify for the support and acceptance to UTEP, where he ultimately received bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering.
"Rafael is known for his passion and boundless energy," said Dave Sandison, director of Sandia's Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications (MESA) center. "Given that I see how much effort he puts into his work, I'm always amazed (no longer surprised) to learn how much he does in the community."
Deeply committed to STEM education for Hispanics, Gonzalez initiated the first Noche de Ciencias (Science Night) in New Mexico in 2016, which has led to 800 middle school students participating in science and technology activities and 150 parents attending bilingual workshops.
Gonzalez has served in many community organizations, including the United Way Hispano Philanthropic Society, where he helped establish a mentoring program and the Middle School Initiative Fund for low-income, Hispanic middle school students. He is a past president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers. He is currently deputy co-chair of Sandia's Hispanic Outreach for Leadership and Awareness organization and serves on the boards of directors for New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement -- a group that helps prepare students for college and careers in STEM fields -- and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Foundation.
In 2015, Gonzalez joined Sandia as a research and development manager in MESA, where he oversaw research programs and production operations for radiation-hardened microsystems technologies. His work enabled new and increasingly powerful technology for critical national security programs, the nuclear weapons stockpile and nuclear deterrence. He is currently a senior manager for performance assurance and engineered safety to ensure efficient, effective and safe operations across Sandia.
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Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
NASS - Great Lakes Regional Field Office: September Milk Production
EAST LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Great Lakes Regional Field Office issued the following news release:
Dairy herds in Michigan produced 927 million pounds of milk during September, up 3.8 percent from a year ago, according to Marlo Johnson, Regional Director of USDA, NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office.
The daily rate per cow was 72.2 pounds, up 1.7 pounds from September 2018. The dairy herd was estimated at 428,000 head for September, up 6,000 head from a year earlier.
Milk production in the 24 major States during
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EAST LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Great Lakes Regional Field Office issued the following news release:
Dairy herds in Michigan produced 927 million pounds of milk during September, up 3.8 percent from a year ago, according to Marlo Johnson, Regional Director of USDA, NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office.
The daily rate per cow was 72.2 pounds, up 1.7 pounds from September 2018. The dairy herd was estimated at 428,000 head for September, up 6,000 head from a year earlier.
Milk production in the 24 major States duringSeptember totaled 16.8 billion pounds, up 1.6 percent from September 2018. August revised production at 17.5 billion pounds, was up 0.5 percent from August 2018. The August revision represented an increase of 32 million pounds or 0.2 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 24 major States averaged 1,913 pounds for September, 33 pounds above September 2018. The number of milk cows on farms in the 24 major States was 8.80 million head, 11,000 head less than September 2018, but 7,000 head more than August 2019.
Table omitted. To view table click here: (https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Michigan/Publications/Current_News_Release/2019/nr1955mi.pdf)
Los Angeles Air Force Base: Enhanced Polar System Completes Multiservice Operational Test, Declared Fully Operational
LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, California, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news release:
The Enhanced Polar System (EPS) was declared operational and handed over to operators at the 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, following months of on-orbit check out and the successful completion of a Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E). EPS is a polar adjunct to the Advanced Extreme High Frequency (AEHF) system providing Military Satellite Communications coverage at latitudes of 65 degrees north and above.
During the MOT&E, a number of criteria
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LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, California, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news release:
The Enhanced Polar System (EPS) was declared operational and handed over to operators at the 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, following months of on-orbit check out and the successful completion of a Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E). EPS is a polar adjunct to the Advanced Extreme High Frequency (AEHF) system providing Military Satellite Communications coverage at latitudes of 65 degrees north and above.
During the MOT&E, a number of criteriaand metrics were evaluated including overall system performance. Once the evaluation was completed, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Command (AFOTEC) with support from the Navy and the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) looked at whether there were any deficiencies in system performance and any liens against system performance that the program office needed to correct. For EPS, both the AFOTEC and the DOT&E reports concluded that EPS was operationally effective and suitable with no identified deficiencies or liens, rare for a system of this type.
On Sept. 19, 4th SOPS officially took command of EPS. A ceremony was held on Sept. 25 with Lt. Col. Kenny Smith, EPS materiel leader and Lt. Col. Tim Ryan, 4th SOPS commander presiding. To commemorate the event a ceremonial "Arctic" key was passed from SMC to 4th SOPS to mark transfer of the satellite's operational control.
EPS provides coverage north of AEHF's coverage area. It also makes use of an AEHF Extended Data Rate Wave Form and provides 24/7 protected communications for warfighters operating in the polar region. Compared to legacy systems, EPS provides higher capacity, higher throughput data rates, and enhanced interconnectivity between the EPS satellites and mid-latitude users through the EPS Gateway at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska. Due to EPS's Highly Elliptical Orbit, one payload is providing coverage over the polar region while the other is swinging around the earth and out of view of the ground station. The recent milestone marks the availability of both EPS payloads for the warfighter to use.
Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Air Force's Center of Excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the Global Positioning System, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch, range systems, satellite control networks, space-based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities.
Los Alamos AI Model Wins Flu Forecasting Challenge
LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory issued the following news release:
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- 'Dante' beat 23 others in predicting the timing, peak, and short-term intensity of the unfolding 2018-2019 flu season. Enhanced version takes aim at 2019-2020.
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A probabilistic artificial intelligence computer model developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory provided the most accurate state, national and regional forecasts of the flu in 2018, beating 23 other teams in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's FluSight Challenge (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/flusight/index.html).
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LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, Oct. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory issued the following news release:
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- 'Dante' beat 23 others in predicting the timing, peak, and short-term intensity of the unfolding 2018-2019 flu season. Enhanced version takes aim at 2019-2020.
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A probabilistic artificial intelligence computer model developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory provided the most accurate state, national and regional forecasts of the flu in 2018, beating 23 other teams in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's FluSight Challenge (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/flusight/index.html).The CDC announced the results last week.
"Accurately forecasting diseases is similar to weather forecasting in that you need to feed computer models large amounts of data so they can 'learn' trends," said Dave Osthus, a statistician at Los Alamos and developer of the computer model, Dante. "But it's very different because disease spread depends on daily choices humans make in their behavior--such as travel, hand-washing, riding public transportation, interacting with the healthcare system, among other things. Those are very difficult to predict."
The FluSight Challenge aims to improve accurate flu forecasting by challenging scientific institutions to develop predictive computer models. During the 2018-2019 flu season, 24 different teams participated in the flu forecasting initiative, each submitting 38 different weekly forecasts.
Dante proved more successful than the other models in predicting the timing, peak and short-term intensity of the unfolding flu season. Unlike other models, Dante is a multi-scale model, meaning it combines national, regional and state flu data. By averaging the trends across those different geographies, it uses information from individual states to improve other states' forecasts.
Each week from mid-October to mid-May, Osthus submitted a file to the CDC that described Dante's forecasts for the entire flu season. "Submitting each week of the season allows forecasters to update their forecasts in light of current data--similar to how, for instance, hurricane forecasts are updated as the hurricane is unfolding," he said.
New data for the flu season are collected each week and integrated into the forecasting models. Dante proved particularly useful for forecasting at the local level, something that is, according to Osthus, "accompanied with significant data challenges."
For this flu season, Osthus plans to submit Dante+, an updated version of Dante that will include internet-based "nowcasting," which develops and uses a model that maps Google search traffic for flu-related terms onto official flu activity data.
As for what Osthus predicts for this year's flu season, it's hard to say. "Flu forecasts this early in the season are marked by significant uncertainty," he said. "The flu season doesn't usually start to reveal itself until after Thanksgiving. There is nothing, at this point, to suggest a highly unusual flu season, meaning it is likely to peak between mid-December and late March. As far as the intensity of the flu season, however, it's just too early to tell."
Kelly Moran (a Ph.D. student at Duke University and, at the time, a visiting guest student scientist at Los Alamos) contributed to the validation of Dante. The second-place model, DBM+, was also developed at Los Alamos with the help of Reid Priedhorsky, Ashlynn Daughton (a Ph.D. student at University of Colorado Boulder), Sara Del Valle and Jim Gattiker. The Dante paper can be viewed online. (https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.13766)
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About Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.
David Black Sworn in as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security Administration
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 -- The Social Security Administration issued the following news release:
David Black was sworn in today as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security to a term that expires on January 19, 2025. He will also serve as the Secretary to the Social Security Board of Trustees.
"David is a dedicated public servant who brings a wealth of knowledge to this position," said Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security. "I look forward to working closely with David to address challenges, more effectively carry out our mission, and improve Social Security services to the public."
A Lieutenant
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 -- The Social Security Administration issued the following news release:
David Black was sworn in today as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security to a term that expires on January 19, 2025. He will also serve as the Secretary to the Social Security Board of Trustees.
"David is a dedicated public servant who brings a wealth of knowledge to this position," said Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security. "I look forward to working closely with David to address challenges, more effectively carry out our mission, and improve Social Security services to the public."
A LieutenantColonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, Mr. Black has dedicated his career in service to others. He has served in the Army for nearly 30 years, as both an enlisted soldier and an officer, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Mr. Black brings a vast amount of civilian federal experience. Prior to his nomination, he served as the White House Senior Advisor for Social Security. Previously, for nearly a decade, Mr. Black was General Counsel for Social Security. He also worked with the U.S. Department of Education as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights.
The Social Security Administration administers the Social Security retirement, disability and survivors insurance programs that pay over one trillion dollars annually in benefits to approximately 64 million beneficiaries, as well as the Supplemental Security Income program that provides cash assistance to more than 8 million people with limited income and resources. The agency has a national workforce of about 63,000 employees and 1,500 facilities across the country and around the world.
Mr. Black is from North Dakota. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from the University of North Dakota. In 1996, he received a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. He and his wife, Hollie, have three children.
