Anne Arundel County approves measure that favors redevelopment
Anne Arundel County leaders approved a sweeping measure to encourage redevelopment across the county.
Bill 2-25 paves the way for more redevelopment in Anne Arundel County, speeding up the approval process, offering discounted connection fees to county utilities, and loosening land use restrictions to allow for more commercial and housing density.
Ethan Hunt, the Anne Arundel County director of government affairs, explained the purpose of the bill during the council meeting Monday night.
"To ensure that our underutilized parcels that are already developed in the county can be repurposed for more beneficial uses," Hunt said.
In a statement, County Executive Pittman called the bill a win for families who were priced out of the housing market and a win for the environment because it directs growth to already developed areas.
Currently, there are no major redevelopment projects on the books. The measure goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
Critics of the bill say it opens the door for overdevelopment.
Amanda Fiedler, a councilmember for District 5, told WJZ the bill is well-intentioned. However, she still voted against it after an amendment passed allowing for residential development in C4 areas — parcels of land that are zoned strictly for commercial use.
Fiedler said she wanted the Broadneck Peninsula to be exempt from the ordinance, arguing the area doesn't have the infrastructure to support additional housing. Fiedler also said her constituents don't want more development.
"I made a commitment to them to consider them when making any changes to the area that could impact traffic, their quality of life," said Fiedler. "For me, it really is the traffic and the infrastructure, we're talking two lanes in and out."
Louben Repke, who owns Dodge Arrows Annapolis, said he's seen enough redevelopment in the 20-plus years he's lived in Anne Arundel County.
"Anybody will tell you it seems like everywhere is being built on, all up and down Ritchie highway," said Repke.
Repke grew up on the Broadneck Peninsula and said he's apprehensive about potential redevelopment in his community.
"I think the vast majority of people will tell you, building more, especially apartment complexes, is typically not a good idea until you address the roads and the infrastructure," Repke said.
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SOMA GOLD INTERSECTS VENUS GAP VEIN AT DEPTH WITH 7.5 g/t Au OVER 6.0 m, EXTENDING ZONE BY 135 m
Highlights include the following drill intercepts: RVICDDH-24-032 1.7 m at 9.2g/t Au incl. 0.6 m at 18.8g/t Au RVICDDH-24-034 2.1 m at 11.9g/t Au incl. 0.65 m at 32.5g/t Au RVICDDH-24-040 6.0 m at 7.5g/t Au incl. 0.65 m at 9.3g/t Au and 0.5m at 67.8g/t Au VANCOUVER, BC, June 11, 2025 /CNW/ - Soma Gold Corp. (TSXV: SOMA) (WKN: A2P4DU) (OTC: SMAGF) (the "Company" or "Soma") is pleased to announce ongoing drill results targeting the "Venus Gap" zone of the Cordero Mine on the Bagre Project in central Colombia (Figure 1). Twelve diamond drill holes, totaling 2,848 meters of underground drilling, were designed to test the dip extent of the Venus Gap Zone (see Figures 2 and 3). The drilling results outlined in this press release extend the dip of the vein by approximately 135 meters downdip. The Cordero Deposit is hosted in the El Carmen Stock and consists of coarse-grained tonalite, diorite, and gabbroic phases. The quartz veins form as laminated fault-fill veins within a sinistral brittle-ductile shear zone. They are interpreted as conjugate shears within a steeply dipping, north-striking regional shear zone. The controlling shear zone also hosts the Los Mangos Deposit, located 2.8 kilometres to the north. The quartz veins in the Cordero Deposit form a series of en echelon segments that consistently step to the right along strike. The veins have been repeatedly reactivated and exhibit three distinct phases of development: early barren quartz veins, sphalerite + galena + pyrite + gold mineralization controlled by microfractures, and brittle fracturing along the margins of the veins filled with quartz + pyrite + tellurides + gold. Gold mineralization occurs during the latter two phases of vein development. The final stage of brittle fracturing and micro-breccia is commonly associated with 'bonanza' gold grades. Subsequently, the veins are crosscut by aphanitic mafic dykes and numerous brittle faults. The brittle faults are generally dextral and offset the quartz veins from <1.0m to 10s of metres. The late brittle faults commonly dismember the mineralized veins into short strike-length segments, the continuity of which is difficult to discern from drill data. The Cordero Deposit is informally divided into five main zones: Athenas, Cordero, Venus, Venus Gap, and Victoria Ramp zones (Figure 2). Table 1: Composited assay results from the lower Venus Gap ZoneTable 1 Composited assay results from Lower Venus Gap Zone Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) RVICDDH-24-030 158.8 160.3 1.5 6.4 17.7 including 159.7 160.3 0.6 15.9 42.9 RVICDDH-24-031 141.5 143.7 2.2 6.7 8.4 including 141.5 142.3 0.8 7.3 6.9 including 142.3 142.7 0.4 14.9 23.0 RVICDDH-25-032 184 185.65 1.65 9.2 15.7 including 184 184.6 0.6 18.8 30.3 RVICDDH-25-034 154.45 156.55 2.1 11.9 31.8 including 154.45 155.1 0.65 32.5 92.1 RVICDDH-25-035 193 194.7 1.7 3.6 4.7 including 194 194.7 0.7 6.5 7.9 RVICDDH-25-036 204.1 205.1 1 1.4 1.9 RVICDDH-25-037 no significant results RVICDDH-25-038 no significant results RVICDDH-25-039 138.9 140.2 1.3 0.5 1.3 RVICDDH-25-040 176.6 182.6 6 7.5 10.2 including 177.25 177.9 0.65 9.3 21.4 including 180.05 180.55 0.5 67.8 39.7 RVICDDH-25-041 no significant results RVICDDH-25-042 169.4 172 2.6 6.7 9.9 including 171.4 172 0.6 19.5 33.8 Note: all intervals are presented as drilled width. True width is approximately 80%-90% of the drill interval. Soma's Vice President of Exploration, Chris Buchanan, stated, "Drilling in the Venus Gap Zone continues to return the broadest, high-grade intervals in the mine. Extending this zone down dip adds resources to the mine plan and supports development of deeper levels of the Venus and Venus Gap veins." Table 1 presents the composited assay results from twelve drill holes at the Venus Gap Zone. Assays in the drilling range from below detection to a maximum grade of 67.8 g/t Au. The drilling currently covers approximately 150 m of strike length between the southern-most drill intercept (RVICDDH-25-035) and the northern-most intercept (RVICDDH-25-040). RVICDDH-25-036 extends the known dip of the vein system 135m down dip from the 0770 level, the current mining operations. Like other parts of the Venus Gap Zone, wider zones of mineralized stockwork in the footwall of the principal gold-bearing quartz veins and in enclaves of wall rock between anastomosing vein segments were intersected. RIVICDDH-25-040 intersected the widest interval of gold mineralization in the lower Venus Gap with a total width of 6.0 m and an average grade of 7.5 g/t gold (Plate 1). Three of the drill holes intersected quartz veins but did not return significant gold assays (Table 1). This is attributed to the nuggety nature of the gold distribution observed across the Cordero Deposit. A long section of the drill intercepts is presented in Figure 3. The high-grade intercepts delineate multiple segments of the vein system that are separated by cross-cutting faults and late mafic dykes. Selected highlights from the 2024 drill campaign on the upper Venus Gap vein are presented in Table 2 (see news release dated November 12, 2024). Underground drilling is ongoing in this area to determine the strike and dip extents of the lower Venus Gap quartz veins. The vein segments are located proximal to existing mine workings in the Victoria Ramp and Venus Vein areas. Access to the lower Venus Gap is planned from the Victoria Ramp workings and is expected to intersect the veins in Q4 2025. Table 2: Selected highlight intersections from the upperVenus Gap vein (see press release dated November 12, 2024)Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) BAZUDDH-24-018 52.45 57.65 5.2 16.1 includes 52.45 53.25 0.8 94.3 includes 55.3 55.65 0.35 4.8 RVICDDH-24-018 71.6 73.1 1.5 6.6 includes 71.6 72.6 1 8.8 and 134 135 1 12.5 and 138.4 140.8 2.4 5.4 includes 139.4 140.1 1.4 8.5 and 144.55 145.55 1 2.7 RVICDDH-24-021 46 47 1 3.3 and 76.5 77.5 1 13.7 includes 77.1 77.5 0.4 34.3 and 81.5 82.5 1 11.2 includes 82.1 82.5 0.4 27.6 and 128.2 132.7 4.5 9.3 includes 128.8 129.4 0.6 8.3 includes 130.95 131.8 0.85 27.8 RVICDDH-24-024 71.6 74.6 3 8.9 includes 71.6 72.45 0.85 10 includes 74.2 74.6 0.4 45.1 and 140.4 147.95 7.55 13.9 includes 140.4 141.7 1.3 24.7 includes 146.5 147.95 1.45 48.6 and 151.5 153.3 1.8 4.5 includes 152.3 153.3 1 6.4 VICDDH-23-006 100.1 101.8 1.7 4.1 and 151.15 154.65 3.5 10.7 includes 151.15 151.8 0.65 9 includes 151.8 152.8 1 21.3 includes 152.8 153.65 0.85 10.7 and 158.4 161.2 2.8 1.7Note: Intervals are composited to a 1 m minimum stope width for conventional mining. The drillholes are targeted to intersect the vein orientation as perpendicular as possible. The true width is approximately 70% to 90% of the drilled width. In addition to supporting mining operations at Cordero Mine, Soma's exploration team continues to evaluate numerous small-scale mines near Machuca. Drilling is ongoing at the Colossa and Colossa 2 informal mines (Figure 4). Three high-priority Au anomalies close to informal mines were identified in the regional soil survey. Additionally, the copper anomaly identified on the soil grid is the focus of infill soil sampling and geological mapping. These targets are scheduled for detailed geological mapping and drilling in the second half of 2025. Soma also continues to work with the local communities on the Machuca Property as part of its ongoing ESG program. The Otú fault system ("Otú Fault") extends for over 100 km, from Aris's Segovia-Remedios mines (TSX:ARIS) in the south to Nechi in the north, where it is buried beneath younger sedimentary overlap sequences. Soma's property holdings now cover more than 56 km of this regional structure. High-grade gold mineralization occurs along the entire strike length of the Otú Fault. The high-grade gold occurs in brittle-ductile to brittle quartz veins formed during the later stages of deformation along the Otú Fault. Across the district, the quartz veins typically display orientation patterns that suggest the veins form in conjugate faults associated with brittle faulting on the Otú Fault. Notable deposits along this trend include Segovia-Remedios, La Aurora, El Limon, Le Ye, Los Mangos, and Cordero. The Machuca Property is located along a critical segment of this regional fault structure and displays multiple indications of high-grade gold mineralization. QA/QC Statement Soma follows a comprehensive QA/QC program to ensure the reliability of assay data collected from its exploration programs. All samples are sawn or split in half, with one half being returned to the core box for storage. The second half-core is placed in a labelled plastic bag with a tag, document, and sealed for shipment. Batches of samples are shipped to Actlabs Colombia SAS (Actlabs) in Rio Negro with security tags and documented chain of custody. Pulps of each sample are prepared in Rio Negro. Pulp samples are then shipped to Actlabs Canada for multi-element analysis. All samples are analyzed using package 1E3, an ICP-MS analysis that provides the concentration of 51 elements. Fire assay analysis for gold and Silver is completed by Actlabs in Rio Negro. Thirty-gram aliquots of each sample are analyzed for gold using a standard fire assay with an atomic absorption finish, package 1A2. Overlimit samples are subjected to an additional fire assay with a gravimetric finish, package 1A3-30, to determine the gold concentration. A comprehensive QA/QC program has been implemented to monitor the reliability of assay data collected during exploration programs. The program includes the regular insertion of certified blanks, duplicates, and certified OREAS standards. Assays of the QA/QC samples are automatically compared to the certified value and standard deviations in the database. Qualified Person Statement Mr. Chris Buchanan, is Soma's Vice-President of Exploration and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Buchanan has reviewed the technical information disclosed in this press release. ABOUT SOMA GOLD Soma Gold Corp. (TSXV: SOMA) is a mining company focused on gold production and exploration. The Company owns two adjacent mining properties in Antioquia, Colombia with a combined milling capacity of 675 tpd. (Permitted for 1,400 tpd). The El Bagre Mill is currently operating and producing. Internally generated funds are being used to finance a regional exploration program. With a solid commitment to sustainability and community engagement, Soma Gold Corp. is dedicated to achieving excellence in all aspects of its operations. The Company also owns an exploration property near Tucuma, Para State, Brazil that is currently under option to Ero Copper Corp. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Geoff Hampson"Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All statements, analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Soma Gold Corp. 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2Checkout Will Host the 9th Edition of CommerceNow Event, Inspiring Businesses to Amplify the Way They Sell Online
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HDFC ERGO General Insurance Wins Duck Creek Standard of Excellence Customer Award at Formation '25
The integration of new technology solutions by Duck Creek will enhance operational efficiency and customer experience for the insurer BOSTON, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duck Creek Technologies, the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, today announced HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited (HDFC ERGO), India's leading private sector general insurer, as a 2025 Standard of Excellence Customer Award winner at Formation '25, its flagship customer conference held in Orlando, Florida. A digital-first company, transforming into an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leading general insurer of India, which is known for introducing pioneering and futuristic tech solutions in the Indian insurance landscape to offer its customers the best-in-class service experience. The Duck Creek Standard of Excellence Customer Awards recognize customers who have achieved the highest level of excellence through their implementation of Duck Creek solutions and who have a vision to advance their business, while reimagining the future of insurance. HDFC ERGO earned recognition for accelerating product launches, streamlining system integration, and increasing market agility using Duck Creek's solutions, including Policy, Billing, Rating, and Insights. The Indian insurance market is undergoing a major transformation with a growing customer demand and the need for hyper-personalized services. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has also been encouraging the insurers to develop agile and customer-centric products so as to fuel insurance inclusion among diverse demographics and across the diverse geographies in the country. HDFC ERGO's adoption of Duck Creek's low-code, highly configurable platform to design a pioneering AI-enabled, real-time policy issuance system marks a significant milestone, where now the insurer has transformed the end-to-end process for its Health and Fire lines of business. 'At HDFC ERGO, our endeavour has been to offer best-in-class solutions and experience to our customers. The behaviour and requirements of today's customers have evolved to a great extent, where they expect dynamic, hyper-personalized, and innovative solutions, and the insurance industry is not an exception in this changed ecosystem. Hence as a customer-focused organization, we were looking for a technology partner, who would enable us to offer innovative products, efficient services, and better analytical insights in an integrated manner to provide a seamless experience to our customers. 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Key results include: Product launch time reduced from 4-5 months to just four weeks, allowing rapid response to market demands and regulatory changes. Dramatic productivity gains for agents with quotes generated almost instantly and agents able to offer 4-5 alternative product options rather than just a single choice. Operational efficiency and risk reduction by drastically reducing manual data entry, minimizing compliance risks, and improving accuracy. Straight-through processing completed tasks in just 3-4 minutes, instead of hours or days. Elevated customer experience driven by policies now being processed in near real time, instead of in hours and days. Customers are now also offered data-driven product recommendations and better-suited options, leading to improved engagements. 'We are proud to honor HDFC ERGO General Insurance with the 2025 Standard of Excellence Customer Award,' said Christian Erickson, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Duck Creek Technologies. 'HDFC ERGO's digital transformation stands as a benchmark for innovation and execution in the insurance industry. As our first customer in the in India market, we are thrilled to be HDFC ERGO's strategic partner, with our suite of products helping drive meaningful business outcomes and value for the business, their customers, and shareholders. HDFC ERGO exemplifies the forward-thinking, customer-focused approach that defines the future of insurance. We congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.' About Duck Creek Technologies Duck Creek Technologies is the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X. Media Contacts: Marianne Dempsey/Tara Stred duckcreek@ About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited: HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited, one of the leading private sector general insurance companies of India, whose promoters are HDFC Bank Limited, one of India's leading private sector banks, and ERGO International AG, the primary insurance entity of Munich Re Group. A digital-first company, transforming into an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leader in implementing technology to offer customers the best-in-class service experience. HDFC ERGO offers a complete range of General Insurance products including Health, Motor, Home, Agriculture, Travel, Credit, Cyber and Personal Accident in the retail space along with Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group Health and Liability Insurance in the corporate space. The Company has created a stream of innovative & new products as well as services using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Processing Language (NLP), and Robotics. HDFC ERGO offers a range of general insurance products and has a completely digital sales process with 299 branches and 600+ digital offices across India. HDFC ERGO's technology platform has empowered the customers to avail services digitally on a 24x7 basis, with 70%+ claims for retail products intimated digitally and over 80% of service interactions are catered digitally of which 10% are AI led. The Company issued ~3.4 crore policies in FY25 and has one of the best claims payout ratios in the General Insurance industry. Be it unique insurance products, integrated customer service models, top-in-class claim processes or a host of technologically innovative solutions, HDFC ERGO has been able to delight its customers at every touch-point and milestone to ensure consumers are serviced in real-time. Social Media: Facebook: Twitter: LinkedIn: YouTube: Media Contacts: Shilpi in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
