SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Dec. 1 (TNSres) -- Illinois Stewardship Alliance issued the following statement with four organizations: * * * Experts from five organizations representing agriculture, environmental policy, and conservation across Illinois released statements on the recent Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) biennial report, developed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. While the point-source sector, primarily sewage treatment faci  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 7 (TNSres) -- The American Farm Bureau Federation issued the following news release: A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency's Hypoxia Task Force (HTF) demonstrates that the hard work of farmers and ranchers to reduce nutrient losses in the Mississippi River watershed is paying off. The report reveals that the twelve participating states have met interim nitrogen reduction goals two years ahead of schedule and are also making considerable progress in bring  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and for illegally possessing firearms. Jerry Wheeler, also known as "Love," 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Nov. 21, 2023, to 35 years in federal prison without pa  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Dec. 1 -- The Mitchell Hamline School of Law issued the following news: Zhengfang Liu lived in the United States for 20 years before becoming a citizen last year. But because of the 82-year old's declining health, including four hospitalizations and a cardiac arrest in the past year, Liu couldn't attend a naturalization ceremony in person. So the ceremony went to her, in the person of U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank '77. Frank, who is also a Mitchell Hamline trustee, pa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials issued the following written testimony by Andy Daly, senior director of passenger operations at CSX Transportation Inc., involving a hearing on Nov. 29, 2023, entitled "Getting on the Right Track: Navigating the Future of Passenger Rail in America": * * * Good morning Chairman Nehls, Ranking Member Payne, and Members of the Rail Subcommittee. Thank you for the opportu  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 7 -- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued the following news: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, who serves as the states' Co-chair of the Mississippi River / Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, addressed the annual meeting today in Fayetteville, AR. The task force brings together federal agencies and tribes along with the 12 member states to coordinate, collaborate and communicate efforts to mitigate the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. "Each state is   more

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin, Dec. 6 -- The Dairyland Power Cooperative issued the following news release: Dairyland is the selected developer for a Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., (MISO) 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission project in Wisconsin. The competitive bid was won by Dairyland to develop, own and operate a new 345 kV line from the Mississippi River to the Tremval substation (Blair, WI). "These transmission facilities will foster the delivery of renewable resources from the West and  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation issued the following news release: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $6.3 million in new grants to help agricultural producers implement voluntary conservation practices on farms and ranches across 14 states. The grants will generate $4.95 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $11.25 million. The grants were awarded through the Conservation Partners Program, a partn  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Dec. 5 -- Rhodes College issued the following news: Kelsey Steinmetz, a junior with a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) and Spanish, recently received the first-place award for her oral presentation at the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Arkansas INBRE) conference held in Fayetteville, AR. Steinmetz conducts research in the laboratory of Dr. Qian Shen, assistant professor of biology. "This was the first time for a Rhodes stude  more

HILLSBORO, Missouri, Dec. 6 -- St. Louis University issued the following news: With a $2 million commitment, Saint Louis University will establish an endowed deanship for the School of Science and Engineering (SSE). Gregory E. Triplett Jr., Ph.D., who has served as the school's dean since July, has been named as the inaugural holder of the Oliver L. Parks Endowed Deanship. Parks was a pioneer in aviation training and the founder of Parks Air College, which he donated to SLU in 1946. Named in   more

STARKVILLE, Mississippi, Dec. 5 (TNSres) -- The Mississippi State University issued the following news: State Climatologist and Mississippi State University Professor of Meteorology Mike Brown said he's never wished for a tropical storm in the Magnolia State--until this year when the drought, in recent months and weeks, became so severe he thought rain from a tropical system might be beneficial enough to outweigh storm risks. The ground has gotten so dry over the past months of drought, Brown   more

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri, Dec. 7 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri issued the following news release: A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and for illegally possessing firearms. Jerry Wheeler, also known as "Love," 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Nov. 21, 2023, to 35 years in federal prison without parole. On Dec. 15, 2022, Wheeler ple  more

COLUMBIA, Missouri, Dec. 8 -- The University of Missouri's School of Journalism issued the following news release on Dec. 7, 2023: Report for America today announced the selection of 11 partner newsrooms that will join the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent environmental reporting network based at Missouri School of Journalism, in 2024. Working alongside the award-winning journalism collaborative's founding partner newsrooms, these outlets will expand the Ag & Water Desk'  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service issued the following news on Dec. 5, 2023: * * * Unique Statewide Funding Opportunities Available * * * The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced they will begin utilizing the new Act Now policy, which offers additional flexibilities for eligible Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) applicants enrolled in the Mississ  more

HANGZHOU, China, Dec. 7 (TNSres) -- Zhejiang University issued the following news: * * * Nitrogen-based fertilizers have hugely increased agricultural output, but rain washes them into rivers and oceans with dire consequences. Zhejiang University researchers are searching for a middle ground. * * * Every summer, vast quantities of algae and zooplankton flourish in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These algal blooms gobble up oxygen, leaving a 'dead zone' in the ocean that covers around   more