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Mansfield Agriculture Committee to host farmers at forum Thursday

Mansfield Agriculture Committee to host farmers at forum Thursday

Yahoo26-03-2025

MANSFIELD — The Town of Mansfield's Agriculture Committee will host the annual Farmers Forum, where local farmers and legislators will share their plans and challenges.
The forum will be held on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Lenard Hall, 450 S. Eagleville Road, Mansfield.
The forum will feature keynote speaker Dr. Kimberly Stoner, formerly of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and now the director of Advocacy for the Northeast Organic Farming Association.

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CT officials to begin mosquito testing for potentially deadly viruses as invasive species spreads
CT officials to begin mosquito testing for potentially deadly viruses as invasive species spreads

Yahoo

time13 hours ago

  • Yahoo

CT officials to begin mosquito testing for potentially deadly viruses as invasive species spreads

Connecticut's annual mosquito management program began on Monday to monitor the insects for the presence of viruses that can cause illness in people, including West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus, officials said. The mosquito trapping and testing program, conducted by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, lasts until the end of October, according to officials. This year's testing comes amid an increase in an invasive mosquito that is known for its voracious appetite and rapid spread that has alarmed state entomologists. Among mosquito-borne diseases in the region, West Nile virus occurs every summer in the Northeast, and has become the main cause of mosquito-borne illness in the state, officials said. It was first introduced into the New York City area in 1999. Last year, West Nile virus was detected in 309 mosquito samples from 44 towns in seven counties in Connecticut, officials said. The majority of West Nile virus activity occurred in urban and suburban regions in Fairfield, Hartford and New Haven counties. Thirteen human cases of West Nile virus-associated illness were reported last year from July 30 to Sept. 15. EEE virus is more rare than West Nile virus but can cause serious illness in people, with four to eight cases reported in a typical year in the U.S. The last major outbreak in the U.S. occurred in 2019, when the number of confirmed human cases rose to 38, with four cases and three fatalities in Connecticut, officials said. The virus was detected from 72 mosquito samples from 16 towns in Fairfield, Middlesex, New London, and Windham counties during 2024. Veterinary cases of EEE were reported from one horse, a white-tailed deer and two wild birds, according to officials. There were no human cases reported in Connecticut, but cases were reported from nearby states including all of the states in New England, as well as New York and New Jersey. While other mosquito-borne illnesses like Dengue fever and Zika virus can spread in Connecticut, they have not been locally transmitted yet in the state, officials said. 'The mosquito season has begun,' said Dr. Philip Armstrong, chief scientist at CAES. 'We will be trapping and testing mosquitoes from 108 locations throughout Connecticut to monitor the risk of mosquito-borne disease. Typically, West Nile virus activity peaks from July-September with highest levels of activity in urban and suburban communities in the state. 'Seasonal transmission of EEE virus, in contrast, occurs more sporadically with focal areas located in rural areas of eastern Connecticut. We encourage everyone to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites, such as covering bare skin and wearing mosquito repellent, especially during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active,' he added. The CAES has a network of 108 mosquito-trapping stations in 88 municipalities throughout the state. Mosquito traps are set Monday through Thursday at each site every 10 days on a rotating basis and then at least once a week after detection of a virus, officials said. Mosquitoes are grouped for testing according to species, collection site and date, officials with CAES said. To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, officials recommend: Minimizing time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. When it is necessary to be outdoors, use mosquito repellents containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA registration of skin-applied repellent products indicates that they have been evaluated and approved for human safety and effectiveness when applied according to instructions on the label. Wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light-colored and loose-fitting and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin. Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes and ticks. Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair. When sleeping outdoors, use tents or mosquito netting in an unscreened structure. Treat camping gear with permethrin when possible. Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito nets when outside. For information on West Nile virus and EEE, what can be done to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the latest mosquito test results and human infections, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website at Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@

He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service.
He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service.

New York Times

time14 hours ago

  • New York Times

He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service.

Michael Boren, founder of a billion-dollar tech company, Idaho ranch owner and Trump donor, has clashed with the U.S. Forest Service for years. He was accused of flying a helicopter dangerously close to a crew building a Forest Service trail, prompting officials to seek a restraining order. He got a caution from the Forest Service, and criticism from his neighbors, when he built a private airstrip on his Hell Roaring Ranch in a national recreation area. And in the fall, the Forest Service sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing a company that Mr. Boren controlled of building an unauthorized cabin on National Forest land. Now, Mr. Boren is Mr. Trump's nominee to oversee the very agency he has tussled with repeatedly. On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing on Mr. Boren's nomination to be the under secretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment, a role that would put him in charge of the Forest Service. If confirmed, he would manage an agency that oversees almost 200 million acres of public lands across the United States, including maintaining trails, coordinating wildfire response and overseeing the sale of timber and other resources. He would also oversee the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which helps farmers and ranchers conserve natural resources on their own land. Mr. Boren would be leading the Forest Service at a tumultuous time. In April, the secretary of agriculture, Brooke Rollins, issued an order removing environmental protections from almost 60 percent of national forests, or more than 112 million acres, mostly in the West. That came after Mr. Trump issued an executive order to increase logging on those lands by 25 percent. The Forest Service has also fired thousands of workers as part of Mr. Trump's drive to shrink the federal government. Hangar Land before Boren purchase. Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip Hell Roaring Ranch 2014 2016 2024 IDAHO 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 ft. Source: Airbus DS via Google By Mira Rojanasakul/The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

First longhorned tick infected with life-threatening bacterium found in Fairfield County
First longhorned tick infected with life-threatening bacterium found in Fairfield County

Yahoo

time27-05-2025

  • Yahoo

First longhorned tick infected with life-threatening bacterium found in Fairfield County

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Tuesday says they've found the first evidence of the invasive longhorned tick infected with the potentially life-threatening Ehrlichia chaffeensis in the United States. The tick was found in Fairfield County, a member of CAES said. Invasive ticks spread across more Connecticut counties According to CAES, Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a Gram-negative bacterium that mostly spreads through the lone star tick. It causes human monocytic ehrichiosis, which can start with a sudden high fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue within the first weeks of infection. Symptoms may also progress to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss or confusion. If its not treated quickly, HME can led to life-threatening symptoms like kidney failure and respiratory insufficiency, CAES said. Tick season 2025: What to know as disease risk rises Dr. Goudarz Molaei, a research scientist and medical entomologist who also directs the CAES Passive Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance Program (aka Tick Testing Laboratory) said: 'The first fully engorged human-parasitizing longhorned tick specimen was recorded by the CAES in 2018 from Fairfield, Connecticut, and the first populations of the tick were reported from this county in 2020. Since then, populations of longhorned ticks have expanded into a number of towns in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Additionally, individual tick specimens have been collected from New London and other counties.' Native to eastern Asia, the longhorned tick thrives in warm and humid environments, CAES said. The longhorned tick has spread to 21 states since first discovered in the United States in 2017. It's primarily found in the east and northeast. It poses a serious danger to domestic and wild animals, especially livestock as it transmits a wide variety of pathogens, including ones that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and more. However, CAES said it's unknown if the tick can spready many of those disease agents. More information can be found on the Connecticut government website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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