DYESS AFB, Texas, June 9 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: Aircraft maintenance. Purists may argue that nothing can replace real-world, hands-on learning. Some may say that virtual reality, or VR, platforms are simply video games. But for Airmen at Dyess Air Force Base, TX, VR technology is transforming the way C-130J Super Hercules aircraft maintainers are learning and perfecting their craft. Two maintainers in particular have led the initiati  more

RANDOLPH AFB, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: Cadre members of the 341st Training Squadron's K-9 Handlers course here showcased the training military members undergo to become military working dog handlers during a virtual demonstration for members of the San Antonio Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch Texas, June 3, 2020. This demonstration was executed by students from the military branches, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps,  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas, June 12 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: Maj. Gen. Edward W. Thomas, Jr., took the reins of Air Force Recruiting Service today in a ceremony here officiated by Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, the commander of Air Education and Training Command. Thomas is replacing Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt. Thomas joins Air Force Recruiting Service from his previous assignment as Director of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary o  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center issued the following news: The Air Force completed construction of a $42 million project recently that will improve energy efficiency and resiliency at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "The Hill AFB project, part of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's (AFCECs) Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) program, upgraded infrastructure and energy systems at the base. The project generates an energy savings o  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas, June 13 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news: Maj. Gen. Edward W. Thomas Jr. took the reins of Air Force Recruiting Service June 11 in a ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph officiated by Lt. Gen. Marshall "Brad" Webb, the commander of Air Education and Training Command. Thomas is replacing Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt. Thomas joins AFRS from his previous assignment as director of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, t  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, June 13 -- The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center issued the following news: The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is awarding a contract in July that will expand capture zones to better control migration of Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to Clark's Marsh and two existing plumes under treatment near Oscoda, Michigan. "The Air Force has heard the community's concerns," said Stephen TerMaath, Chief of the Air Force's Bas  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Army Environmental Command issued the following news: By Jacquee Minor, Contractor Let's face it; bugs are a nuisance. Yes, some can perform crucial functions in our ecosystem, like aeration, pollination, and controlling the proliferation of 'bad' bugs, but most are pests. In the Army, Soldiers and their families are not alone in the fight. Army installations employ Integrated Pest Managers to help keep bugs from bothering Soldiers and their families at  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, June 12 -- The U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command issued the following news: Members of the 900th Contracting Battalion and Mission and Installation Contracting Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, welcomed a new commander during a change-of-command ceremony June 11. Lt. Col. Jay VanDenbos assumed command of the battalion from Lt. Col. Jason Miles in a ceremony officiated virtually by Brig. Gen. Christine Beeler, the MICC   more

DALLAS, Texas, June 11 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Southwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on the consumer price index in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington for May 2020: Prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), fell 1.1 percent for the two months ending in May 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Acting Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted   more

DALLAS, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Southwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on the county employment and wages in Arkansas for 4th quarter 2019: Employment rose in two of the three large Arkansas counties from December 2018 to December 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. (Large counties are those with 2018 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Acting Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak n  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Southwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on the county employment and wages in New Mexico for 4th quarter 2019: In New Mexico's only large county, Bernalillo, employment rose 1.3 percent from December 2018 to December 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. (Large counties are those with 2018 annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more.) Acting Regional Commissioner   more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation issued the following news release: Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman named Brent C. Esplin as regional director for the Missouri Basin (Interior Region 5) and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf (Interior Region 6), which collectively are the largest and most ecologically diverse regions in Reclamation. Esplin will move into this position June 21, 2020, where he will provide leadership for the managemen  more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $500,000 grant to DreamSpring of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to support the rollout of its Expreso loan program, which will provide a new financial product to assist businesses in New Mexico and Texas. The EDA grant, to be located near a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Opportunity Zone (https:/  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued the following news release: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the Department of Education has approved 10 additional career and technical education (CTE) plans. Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin are the latest states, along with the District of Columbia, to have their CTE plans approved under the new, bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news release: The Department of Defense has named seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct fifth-generation (5G) communications technology experimentation and testing. They are Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Hood, Texas; Camp Pendleton, California; and   more

OKINAWA, Japan, June 10 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Education Activity issued the following news release: Mr. Jim Journey, DoDEA Pacific South Superintendent, is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Jacqueline Ferguson as the Community Superintendent of DoDEA Pacific South District - Okinawa, Japan. Dr. Ferguson is currently principal of Kaiserslautern High School in Germany. She brings more than 20 years of experience to the position, including principalships at Wiesbaden Middle S  more

DYESS AFB, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news: Purists may argue that nothing can replace real-world, hands-on learning. Some may say that virtual reality, or VR, platforms are simply video games, but for Airmen at Dyess Air Force Base, VR technology is transforming the way C-130J Super Hercules aircraft maintainers are learning and perfecting their craft. Two maintainers in particular have led the initiative to make the 317th Maintenance Group's VR lab an immersive  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - LACKLAND, Texas, June 12 -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news: The Air Force completed the construction of a $42 million project recently that will improve energy efficiency and resiliency at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "The Hill AFB project, part of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Energy Savings Performance Contract program, upgraded infrastructure and energy systems at the base. The project generates an energy savings of 56 million kilowatts hours per  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 13 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: With June marking the start of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reminds facility operators of requirements for preventing, minimizing and reporting chemical releases. Facility operators are obligated to maintain safety, minimize releases that do occur, and report chemical or oil releases and discharges in a timely manner, as re  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 13 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Louisiana's South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) will receive a $300,000 Revolving Loan Fund for its South Louisiana Brownfields Coalition. The grant is part of $6.9 million in supplemental funding EPA is providing for 25 current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (Revolving Loan) grantees. The SCPDC Brownfields Coali  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 13 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the city of Texarkana, Texas, will receive a $300,000 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant. The grant is part of $6.9 million in supplemental funding EPA is providing for 25 current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (Revolving Loan) grantees. The additional funding will support loans for three new projects: the historic Union Station, p  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 11 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the city of Tulsa and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) will receive $300,000 each in Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grants. The grants are part of $6.9 million in supplemental funding EPA is providing for 25 current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (Revolving Loan) grantees. The city of Tulsa's grant will focus on  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 11 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a grant to the Pueblo of Tesuque for $31,508. The funds will be used for water quality testing in the Pueblo's three main streams. EPA is providing the funding as a multipurpose grant under a cooperative agreement. "By supporting the Pueblo of Tesuque's program to sample and assess water quality, this grant will also help the Pueblo  more

WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release: The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $225 million fine against Texas-based health insurance telemarketers for apparently making approximately 1 billion illegally spoofed robocalls. This is the largest proposed fine in the FCC's 86-year history, reflecting the seriousness of the apparent violations by John C. Spiller and Jakob A. Mears, who used business names including Rising Eagle and JS  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following weekly digest: Commission meetings and hearings No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week. Commission appointments On June 5, James E. Trainor III was sworn in as an FEC Commissioner in Austin, Texas. Advisory Opinions Request Received Advisory Opinion Request 2020-02 (Bertrand) On June 4, 2020, the Commission made public Advisory Opinion Request 2020-02. The requestor, Jean-Marc Bertrand, a   more

DENTON, Texas, June 11 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for review by residents and business owners in Glen Rose and unincorporated areas of Somervell County. Officials encourage property owners to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements. For this Physical Map Revision, the Flood   more

DALLAS, Texas, June 13 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release: The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) is pleased to announce $2.3 million in Special Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds have been awarded by FHLB Dallas and 63 member institutions to 99 community-based organizations (CBO). The funds were combined with $502,400 contributed by FHLB Dallas members for a total of more than $2.8 mill  more

TAMPA, Florida, June 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Maria Chapa Lopez, issued the following news release: United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has upheld the convictions of Priscilla Ann Ellis (Killeen, Texas) and Perry Don Cortese (Little River, Texas) on charges that they had participated in an extensive mail and wire fraud conspiracy and an international money laundering conspiracy. Th  more

GOODFELLOW AFB, Texas, June 10 -- The U.S. Air Force (17th Training Wing) issued the following news: In the interest of safety and social distancing, the Airman Leadership School class 20-E has become a purely online beginning on June 4. Instructors have adapted to the need for virtual classrooms by switching the 16 students to a virtual platform, allowing ALS to continue. "We had to ensure that we selected the appropriate virtual online learning tool," said Tech. Sgt. Fransisco Jimenez, 17th  more

GOODFELLOW AFB, Texas, June 12 -- The U.S. Air Force (17th Training Wing) issued the following news: Going to mental health will ruin your career, he scuffs. Going to mental health means you're crazy, she insists. If you come to mental health you will get your security clearance taken away, he scolds. "Us technicians, and the providers at the Goodfellow Mental Health Clinic, that's the other battle we fight," said Airman 1st Class Eugene McIntyre, 17th Medical Group mental health technician.  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General issued the following audit report summary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Texas Telemedicine Services Were Provided in Accordance With State Requirements: Why OIG Did This Audit Medicaid telemedicine services are health services delivered via telecommunication systems. A Medicaid patient located at a patient site uses audio and video equipment to communicate with a physicia  more

HOUSTON, Texas, June 12 -- NASA's Johnson Space Center issued the following news release: NASA has awarded Astrobotic of Pittsburgh $199.5 million to deliver NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon's South Pole in late 2023. The water-seeking mobile VIPER robot will help pave the way for astronaut missions to the lunar surface beginning in 2024 and will bring NASA a step closer to developing a sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon as part of the agency'  more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division issued the following news release on June 11: Two former executives of EarthWater Limited (EarthWater), a Dallas-based company, have pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges for their role in a multi-million dollar high-yield investment fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, June 13 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, Brandon J. Fremin, issued the following news release: United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced the filing of charges against Nathan Haymer, age 42, of Houston, Texas, for federal program theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666. As alleged in the Bill of Information, Haymer served as Director of Bands at Southern University A&M College ("Southern University") and, in tha  more

LAUGHLIN AFB, Texas, June 11 -- The U.S. Air Force (47th Flying Training Wing) issued the following news: Effective June 8, 2020, the local area for Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, is now expanded to include San Antonio, San Angelo and Big Bend National Park, announced Col. Lee Gentile, 47th Flying Training Wing commander, today at Laughlin. The decision came after Laughlin leadership lowered the previous Health Protection Condition from 'Charlie' to 'Bravo.' Although some restrictions have be  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, June 11 -- The U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command issued the following news: Soldiers from the Mission and Installation Contracting Command's 904th Contracting Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, met recently with mission partners in New Orleans to prepare for potential threats posed by this year's hurricane season. Acquisition Soldiers from the 904th CBN discussed requirements needed to support the mission during the hurrican  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, June 9 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news: A new National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) report shows that under certain scenarios grid operators in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) may be forced to utilize extraordinary measures to ensure the operation of the Texas power system this summer, including potential brownouts and load shedding. The study looks at the evolution of the ERCO  more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that: Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Public Health Service, Texas Department of State Health Services, and the public health authority for Brewster County, Texas, Big Bend National Park will resume additional visitor services, including opportunities for camping and lodging. B  more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release: The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to hold a board meeting July 14, 2020, 9:30 a.m. (EDT), to determine the probable cause of the Feb. 23, 2019, Atlas Air flight 3591 crash into Trinity Bay, Texas. The accident happened when the Atlas Air Boeing 767 cargo jet entered a rapid descent from about 6,000 feet and impacted a marshy bay about 40 miles from Houston's George Bush Interc  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 54737) involving Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Bedford Park: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOW LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE RAILCAR FIRE The following was received from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA; the Agency) via email: "At approximately 0700 [CDT] on 6/4/2020, the Agency was contacted by the Texas Radiation Control Program to advise that a rail car containing radioactive ma  more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 54730) involving Texas Department of State Health Services, Fredericksburg: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOSS OF CONTROL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL The following information was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via E-mail: "On May 29, 2020, at approximately 0130 [CDT], the licensee notified the Agency that at approximately 2300 [CDT] on May 28, 2020, one of its  more

WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 54730) involving Texas Department of State Health Services, Fredericksburg: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOSS OF CONTROL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL The following information was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via E-mail: "On May 29, 2020, at approximately 0130 [CDT], the licensee notified the Agency that at approximately 2300 [CDT] on May 28, 2020, one of it  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 13 -- President Trump issued the following transcript during a roundtable on June 12 entitled "Transition to Greatness: Restoring, Rebuilding, and Renewing": THE PRESIDENT: Nice place. Wow. I've been hearing about this one. Great job. (Laughter.) Great job. Thank you very much for being here. It's an honor. And very important time in our country. A lot of things are happening. And I think when it all ends up, it's going to end up very good for everybody. It's an honor to be  more

SACRAMENTO, California, June 9 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release: Director Tanya N. Garfield of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Disaster Field Operations Center-West announced that SBA has approved more than $10 million in federal disaster loans for Texas businesses and residents impacted by severe storms, straight-line winds, hail and tornado in Dallas County that occurred Oct. 20-21, 2019. According to Garfield, SBA  more

SHEPPARD AFB, Texas, June 13 -- The U.S. Air Force (82nd Training Wing) issued the following news: When it comes to the safety and survival of the Air Force's flying community, aircrew flight equipment Airmen are the first in line to ensure they are the last ones to let aircrews down. AFE Airmen get there start with technical training here at Sheppard AFB, where they spend 31 academic days honing their craft and learning the tools of the trade. The career field is responsible for ensuring equ  more

DALLAS, Texas, June 13 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Erin Nealy Cox, issued the following news release: A Grand Prairie man was sentenced 57 months in federal prison for his role in a more than $2.8 million tax return preparation scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. Oma Michel Ungu, 61, pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiring and aiding in the preparation of a false tax return. He was sentenced Tuesday mornin  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, June 12 -- The U.S. Army Medicine issued the following news: Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, The Surgeon General and Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command, officiated at the Change of Responsibility ceremony for the Army Medical Command. The ceremony was held in the Pentagon auditorium on June 9, 2020, and observed strict physical and social distancing requirements. Outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Michael L. Gragg relinquished his responsibility as the top enlisted Soldier in A  more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- The U.S. Army issued the following news release: The U.S. Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California and Fort Hood, Texas were selected by DoD for their second round of 5G communications testing and experimentation. Army elements at Joint Base San Antonio will also participate. The bases were selected for their abilities to provide streamlined access to site-spectrum bands, mature fiber and wireless infrastructure, access to key facilities, support for new  more

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, June 11 -- The U.S. Pacific Air Forces issued the following news: Over the past several months, U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers and B-52 Stratofortresses conducted bilateral training with Koku-Jieitai, or Japanese Air Self-Defense Force assets. During the month of May B-1s, deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, supporting Pacific Air Forces' Bomber Task Force missions.   more

GRAFENWOHR, Germany, June 13 -- U.S. Army Europe issued the following news release: The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Hood, Texas will begin to return from a nine-month rotation in Europe on June 16. More than 3,500 Soldiers from the Black Jack Brigade deployed in support of Atlantic Resolve last October. The unit's seven battalions had presence in six different European countries integrating and training with multinational partners to increase readin  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service issued the following news release: As part of its commitment to ensuring fair and competitive markets for the livestock, meat and poultry industries, on June 5, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a complaint against Frey Cattle Company Inc. and Alan Halfmann (FCC and Halfmann) of Ballinger, Texas, for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. An investigation by USDA  more