Latest news with #Dock
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boy reunites with lifesaving helicopter at Selinsgrove Airport Open House
SELINSGROVE — Four-year-old Liam Rising was reunited on Saturday with the type of medical helicopter that saved his life. Liam, who was visiting the Penn Valley Airport fourth annual Open House in Selinsgrove with his family, was born with a rare genetic disorder called congenital myasthenic syndrome, which caused him to have trouble breathing. He was transported within the first hours of his life by Life Flight from Evangelical Community Hospital to Geisinger in Danville. "It was 48 hours until I got to see him again. I was stuck at Evan and he was at Geisinger NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)," his mother, Samantha Dock, of Selinsgrove, recalled on the tarmac of the Selinsgrove airport while her two sons sat in the Life Flight helicopter. "It's emotional being here. I'm grateful. He probably wouldn't be alive if not for Life Flight." Dock said she was taken to Evangelical for an emergency C-section. It wasn't known at the time, but the genetic disorder caused low muscle tone and weak crying as well as respiratory distress. "It's nice that he's four now and thriving, and he's able to see it (Life Flight) for himself," Dock said. "He loves planes and helicopters. I swear he'll be an EMT or something like that someday. And that's amazing because the first year of his life was just survival." Chester Atherton, the Life Flight and critical care base manager at Penn Valley Airport, said having Life Flight stationed at the airport and available for open house events are important to build relationships with the community. "Sometimes it can be big and scary for kids, but this lets them know we're right in their back yard and we're here to help, we're not here to hurt," he said. Dock, who is also the mother of 2-year-old Kamdem Rising, visited the airport during its fourth annual open house with hundreds of other visitors. Presented by the Penn Valley Pilots Organization, the event featured local hobbyists, nearby Experimental Aircraft Association chapters, airline recruiters, aircraft manufacturers, BigFoot Country Radio, local fire companies and food vendors. The event showcased aviation groups, vendors, exhibitors, fire companies, full-motion simulator, airline recruiters, aircraft fly-ins, and static displays, including an AutoGryo Cavalon gyrocopter owned by Ron Andres. "I can't take it anywhere without someone wanting to see it," Andres said. The Harold family, of Selinsgrove, and their grandfather James O'Brien, of Fort Myers, were fascinated by the gyrocopter as well as the whole event. "This is awesome," Paul Harold said. "We live across the creek, and we see airplanes coming in all the time." His daughter Alyvia Harold agreed. "Our whole house shakes sometimes," she said.
Agriland
14-05-2025
- General
- Agriland
Blackgrass added to list of ‘noxious weeds' that landowners must control
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has today (Wednesday, May 14) confirmed that Blackgrass has been added to the list of noxious weeds that landowners must control. A public consultation had taken place last on proposals to legislation on noxious weeds to include Blackgrass following a recommendation set out in the Food Vision 2030 Tillage Report to 'assist in controlling and preventing the spread of problem grass weeds on Irish farms'. Over a ten year period to 2023, there were 198 complaints relating to noxious weeds made to DAFM and 60% of these related to agricultural land. All complaints over the 10 year period related to ragwort, thistle or dock or a combination of these. Under the Noxious Weeds Act, 1936 it is an offence for owners and occupiers of land not to prevent the spread of specified weeds. A new statutory instrument on noxious weeds comes into force today to include Blackgrass. The noxious weeds specified in the legislation are; Blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds); Broad-Leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius L.); Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn.); Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.); Curled Dock (Rumex crispus L.); Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.); Spring Wild Oat (Avena fatua L.); Winter Wild Oat (Avena sterilis L.). DAFM has advised that noxious weeds are best controlled before they seed, spread and threaten agricultural land with infestation and 'enforcement action will be supported by guidance'. The department issues notices to destroy letters in all instances where it becomes aware of the presence of noxious weeds, 'either as a result of inspections or as a result of reports made by the public'. It has warned that the owner of lands on which these weeds are present and not being controlled 'is subject to the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act'. Farmers have also been advised that under conditionality requirements they are obliged to take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of noxious weeds under Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) number 8. 'Failure to do so may result in the application of a reduction of their area-based payments,' DAFM has warned. Blackgrass The department also engages with all county councils, Local Authorities and the National Roads Authority to ensure a consistent programme of treatment and disposal of weeds, now including Blackgrass, on an ongoing basis. It has said that enforcement action is 'only taken when there is a risk to agricultural land'. If noxious weeds are reported and found on non-agricultural land, then an assessment will be conducted by a DAFM officer if there is no threat to agricultural land, then no enforcement or further action should be taken.
