Contract awarded for Conneaut dredging
CONNEAUT — The United States Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $4 million contract to Michigan-based Walsh Service Solutions to dredge of federal navigation channel in the city's harbor, according to a release from the agency.
Dredging will begin in mid-August and end mid-September, and the contract stipulates a total of around 70,000 cubic yards of material will be removed from the channel, according to the release.
'Dredging of harbors like these ensures accessible depths for large vessels, the continued flow of commodities across the Great Lakes, and the economic viability of United States waterways,' the release said.
Conneaut's harbor supports $132 million in business revenue and $41 million in income for transportation labor.
The release said the harbor has handled 2.9 million tons of cargo in 2022, 98% of which was iron ore.
Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said Walsh will work with Kurtz Brothers, the company that oversees the Conneaut Creek Dredge Reclamation Facility.
The city will be paid a tipping fee for the dredged material placed in the facility, he said.
Dredging operations in Conneaut are generally restricted to the federal shipping channel, Sanford said.
Before 2024, the city's harbor was last dredged in 2019, Sanford said.
A state ban on open-lake dumping of dredged material became effective July 1, 2020.
Sanford said the city developed its own dredging plan in-line with state law.
'The Conneaut plan was designed for implementation in 2023; however unforeseen regulatory delays furrowed the agencies into 2024,' he said.
Sanford said, from his understanding, the city's dredge reclamation facility had a great inaugural year.
'The facility performed exactly as designed, dewatering just over 77,000 cubic yards of dredged material from the floor of Conneaut harbor,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
16 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Disney Layoffs Celebrated by Critics: 'Go Woke Go Broke'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Disney's recent announcement that it will be laying off hundreds from its film, TV and finance divisions has led to gloating by critics, who view this as a result of the company "going woke." Newsweek has reached out to Disney via email for comment. Why It Matters "Go woke, go broke" is a phrase that has been popularized in recent years, often adopted by conservative groups to celebrate the financial difficulties of companies they view as having embraced progressive ideals or supported left-wing political causes. It has also been used as a rallying call for boycotts of certain corporations, including Bud Light, Target, and Disney itself. While the company's overall financial performance remains strong per its most-recent results, the layoffs coincide with challenges in Disney's film businesses, in particular the underwhelming box-office performance of its live-action remake of Snow White. What To Know A report from Reuters, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter, said that Disney plans on laying off hundreds from its film, TV and corporate finance divisions. Disney spokespeople confirmed the layoffs to the BBC and USA Today, and attributed these to the "rapid" transformation of the industry and the need to "efficiently manage our businesses while fueling the state-of-the-art creativity and innovation." The California-based company employs around 230,000 people, 60,000 of whom are based abroad. The last major layoff announcement came in 2023, when Disney said it would be reducing the headcount by 7,000 as part of a cost-cutting initiative. File photo: Fans are reflected in Disney+ logo during the Walt Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, on September 9, 2022. File photo: Fans are reflected in Disney+ logo during the Walt Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, on September 9, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images After the news broke, it was shared heavily online, with conservative-leaning commenters in particular celebrating. Many employed the catchphrase "go woke, go broke," while pointing to the recent release of Snow White as evidence. In addition to a weak critical reception, the film became mired in controversy due to political comments made by lead actress Rachel Zegler in the run-up to its release; the casting of a Latina actress as the titular character; and the use of CGI to reimagine the seven dwarfs. The latter also drew scrutiny from actors with dwarfism, who felt the decision deprived performers of potential roles. The film ended up a box-office bomb, grossing $205.5 million on a budget Forbes estimated at around $300 million. What People Are Saying A spokesperson for Disney told the BBC: "We have been surgical in our approach to minimize the number of impacted employees." They added that none of the affected teams would be closed down entirely. One X user reposted the news of the layoffs, writing: "Seems the only way these companies learn what viewers want is through financial lessons." "If you think Disney is correcting course by these layoffs, then you don't know Disney well enough. They're faaaaar from stepping away from WOKE," another wrote. Disney CEO Bob Iger, in response to a question on Disney's "wokeness" during a shareholder meeting last April, said: "I'm sensitive to that." Quoted by Business Insider, Iger continued: "Our primary mission needs to be to entertain and then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. And I'm very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven." What Happens Next? While other recent releases—including Captain America: Brave New World, the fourth installment in the Marvel franchise—have similarly struggled to break even at the box office, Disney's remake of Lilo & Stitch remains a box-office leader in North America, already raking in $613 million globally to become the third-highest grossing film of 2025.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-US made 'tough' requests to Vietnam in trade talks, sources say
By Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen HANOI (Reuters) -The U.S. has sent a "long" list of "tough" requests to Vietnam in its tariff negotiations, including demands that could force the country to cut its reliance on Chinese industrial goods imports, two people briefed about the matter told Reuters. Washington wants Vietnam-based factories to reduce their use of materials and components from China and is asking the country to control more carefully its production and supply chains, one of the people briefed on the talks said, without elaborating on whether quantitative targets were included. The list is part of an "annex" to a framework text prepared by U.S. negotiators, according to four people familiar with the matter. One of them, who had direct access to the document, said the list was sent to Hanoi at the end of May after the conclusion of a second round of talks with Washington aimed at avoiding 46% "reciprocal" tariffs on imports from Vietnam. The sources declined to be named because those discussions were not public. Reuters reported on Monday that the Trump administration wants countries to provide their best offers on trade negotiations by Wednesday, citing a draft letter to negotiating partners. It was unclear which countries would receive the letter, but it was directed at those with active negotiations that included meetings and exchanges of documents. Washington has been engaged in such talks with countries including Vietnam, the European Union, Japan and India. The sources described the U.S. requests to Vietnam as "tough" and "difficult". It is unclear how Hanoi will respond to Washington's requests and whether it will send its own proposal by Wednesday. The U.S. Trade Representative did not respond to a request for comment outside U.S. business hours. Vietnam's trade ministry did not reply to a request for comment. A source briefed on the matter said if U.S. requests to effectively cut Vietnam's reliance on China were met, they could pose a serious challenge to the Southeast Asian country's economy. Its sprawling manufacturing industry, which produces consumer goods including Apple devices and Nike shoes, is closely integrated into its much bigger neighbour's supply chains. It might also complicate Vietnam's long-standing policy of maintaining good relations with China, a major foreign investor but also a source of security concerns due to conflicting claims in the South China Sea. BOOMING TRADE Vietnam has nearly tripled its exports to the United States since the start of the U.S.-China trade war in 2018, when the first Trump administration imposed wide-ranging tariffs on Beijing, pushing some manufacturers to move production south. But as exports to the U.S. boomed, Vietnam also vastly expanded imports from China, with their inflow almost exactly matching the value and swings of exports to the United States over the years, each totalling around $140 billion in 2024, data from the U.S. and Vietnam show. U.S. officials have long accused Vietnam of being used as a waypoint for Chinese goods destined for the United States. At times, according to the allegations, goods had "Made in Vietnam" labels despite having received no or insufficient added value in the country - allowing Chinese exporters to avoid high U.S. duties on their goods. Aware of the U.S. criticism, Hanoi has launched a crackdown on illegal transhipment of goods. The effect has yet to be seen in trade flows, however, as exports to the United States and imports from China both reached a record high in April, according to the latest data. Vietnam has also repeatedly shown its willingness to reduce non-tariff barriers and to import more U.S. goods, in line with long-standing requests from Washington. In recent weeks, officials have reiterated plans to buy U.S. planes and have signed or pledged multiple non-binding agreements, including on the purchase of farm products and energy. That may, however, not be enough, as U.S. negotiators seek real contracts, one of the people said.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
They Reported on Him — Then the Bricks Started Flying: Inside Allegations Against CEO Accused of Targeting Journalists
Eric Spofford, former CEO of Granite Recovery Centers, was arrested over allegations of retaliating against New Hampshire Public Radio journalists Prosecutors say Spofford paid a friend $20,000 to lead a coordinated harassment campaign from March to May 2022 Several men carried out acts of vandalism and intimidation, including smashing windows and spray-painting threatsThe former CEO of Granite Recovery Centers was arrested Friday over allegations of stalking and orchestrating attacks on the homes of New Hampshire Public Radio journalists who published claims of sexual misconduct against him. Eric Spofford, 40, the CEO of the New Hampshire-based network of drug and alcohol treatment centers, was accused of targeting journalists at NHPR in retaliation for an investigation they published where the NPR station allegedly revealed multiple accusations of sexual misconduct during his leadership, according to a statement by the Department of Justice. The NHPR article, which detailed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, abusive leadership and retaliation by Spofford during his time as CEO, garnered significant local and national media attention, according to the statement. Spofford denied the allegations and later sued the media organizations for defamation, but a New Hampshire judge dismissed his lawsuit in 2023. Prosecutors say that from March to May 2022, Spofford devised a scheme in which he paid his close friend, Eric Labarge, $20,000 to harass and terrorize Lauren Chooljian — the journalist who wrote the article — along with her immediate family and a senior editor at NHPR. Labarge then allegedly enlisted the help of Tucker Cockerline, Keenan Saniatan and Michael Waselchuck to carry out the stalking campaign, per the statement from the Department of Justice. The men are accused of having vandalized the homes of Chooljian, her editor, and a house where her parents previously lived, smashing windows with rocks and bricks, The New York Times reported. One of the vandals spray-painted 'Just the beginning!' on an outside wall of her four men were previously charged and have been convicted, per the Department of Justice. Labarge was sentenced to 46 months in prison in November 2024. Cockerline received 27 months in August 2024. Saniatan was sentenced to 30 months in September 2024 and Waselchuck received 21 months in prison that same month. Spofford has been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel, one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce and two counts of stalking through interstate travel. Read the original article on People
