Latest news with #HomeontheRange
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
B.C. minister touts benefits of 3B Broadway Subway Project as businesses ask for support
B.C.'s transport minister talked up the benefits of the $2.95 billion Broadway Subway SkyTrain extension at a Monday photo op — but businesses say there's been little support for them as the delayed project looks to hit its 2027 completion date. The Broadway Subway Project aims to extend the Millennium Line by 5.7 kilometres, bringing the SkyTrain west from VCC-Clark station to Arbutus. And while it was initially supposed to cost $2.83 billion and come online this year, two delays have pushed the project to 2027, and the price has shot up to $2.95 billion. Businesses along Broadway who have had to deal with construction for five years say they're hanging by a thread, even as the province continues to say it will help alleviate pressure on Metro Vancouver's transit system. "As with all projects, there's always challenges," Transport Minister Mike Farnworth said. "There's issues that will come up, just because of the nature of the location, and events that do happen." Farnworth says the extension will increase the capacity of the SkyTrain system by 27 per cent, and would carry three times the capacity of the 99 bus line, which has long been the region's busiest route. "The time to get from VCC-Clark down to Arbutus will only be 11 minutes," he said. "So that is going to be a significant improvement, in terms of people's commuting experience, on the transit system." Farnworth acknowledged the problems the project has faced that has led to a two-year delay. The challenges included labour disputes and problems faced by tunnel boring machines along the Broadway corridor. "We're on time to have it open in 2027," he insisted. Businesses ask for support Farnworth said the Broadway Subway Project, which is funded by the province, has been in touch with local businesses on a daily basis over their concerns. But some of them say they've had to close up shop due to ongoing street construction. "I was forced to remortgage my home on two occasions and eventually was forced to sell my condo because of the drop in sales," said Allen Ingram, the owner of Home on the Range Organics. Ingram ended up having to close his Broadway location a month and a half ago and has shifted to primarily selling his products online, in addition to a new production kitchen on the Sunshine Coast. "It's without the woes of any construction, and it's a lovely place to be," he said. "So on a personal level, it feels a lot better to be removed from what we were going through in Vancouver." Neil Wyles, the executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, says that he was seeing 50 per cent business vacancies along Broadway from Alberta Street to Kingsway — which he largely attributed to the reduction in foot traffic from subway construction. "We've talked to all of the politicians and everyone seems to be very, very, very sympathetic," he said. "But at the end of the day, there's been zero support for these businesses." Wyles said that businesses had been "hanging on by their fingernails" since subway construction started in 2020, and he is pushing for a tax break for stores affected by construction. "There's no guarantee that your store is going to just be flooded with people because of the Broadway line," Wyles said, when asked whether businesses can expect an uptick in foot traffic when the project is online. "I could not, in good conscience, go into one of my businesses and say, 'But it'll be worth it. It'll be totally worth it, man... I don't think that's true."
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Virtual Fencing Can Help Buffalo Roam and Antelope Play
"Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play," goes the venerable Western folk song "Home on the Range." Fences strung throughout the western United States to corral cattle and other livestock, however, block buffalo from roaming and restrict the play of deer and antelope. The deployment of virtual fencing may free wildlife to prance unfettered by barbed wire across the vast landscapes of the American West. Ranchers will also benefit from this cheaper and more flexible tool for managing the grazing of their herds. How does virtual fencing work? "Animals (primarily cattle) wear GPS-enabled collars that emit sound, vibrations, and mild electric pulses to guide their movement to encourage them to stay within—or deter them from entering—designated areas," explains a November 2024 policy brief from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman, Montana. Virtual fencing software and collars communicate through cell networks, base stations, or satellites. By one estimate, more than 620,000 miles of fences crisscross the western United States. These barriers present significant challenges to the movement of wildlife such as mule deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and sage grouse. The Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks service has estimated that on average, one ungulate (hoofed mammal such as a deer, elk, or pronghorn) was found tangled for every 2.5 miles of fence. A 2023 study reported that half of radio-collared pronghorn, along with thousands more from the herd, died in deep snow when fencing stymied their migration to warmer pastures. Livestock are trained for several days to respond to the signals emitted by the collars before being set loose to graze. Ranchers can keep track of the location of each animal, manage their herds, and even encourage them to graze on undesired or invasive species by adjusting virtual boundaries through apps on their cellphones or computers. Virtual fencing can also prevent overgrazing and protect ecologically sensitive areas such as wetlands, riparian zones, erodible soils, and wildlife corridors. Researchers at Cornell University, with the support of the Bezos Earth Fund, are working to extend the benefits of virtual fencing to farmers and ranchers in low- and middle-income countries. Instead of collars, the Cornell team is developing a rugged small ear tag that incorporates geolocation, behavioral sensors, and boundary-setting stimuli. PERC has launched a virtual fence conservation fund that will distribute $250,000 to encourage ranchers and conservationists to adopt this technology on public and private lands. Deploying virtual fences that enable buffalo to roam and antelope to play is a win-win for both ranchers and conservationists. The post Virtual Fencing Can Help Buffalo Roam and Antelope Play appeared first on
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Pioneering project by Welsh National Opera suggests music can alleviate chronic pain
Wales is famed as the land of song, the music of the valleys and mountains providing a source of pride, joy and a sense of belonging. But a pioneering project led by Welsh National Opera has suggested music can also help people suffering with persistent pain. Participants in a pain management programme run by WNO with NHS Wales reported that singing and taking part in breathing exercises in sessions run by vocal experts eased their symptoms. An independent report on the Wellness with WNO persistent pain pilot programme has reported that two-thirds of people who took part in a study of the programme's effectiveness reported decreases in pain and a similar number said their mental health had improved. Those who had taken part had no illusions that they had been cured of chronic illnesses but said the programme had helped them manage their pain by giving them techniques to deal with it. June Evans, 67, from Llandrindod Wells in mid Wales, who has a number of serious illnesses including a heart condition, said the programme, funded by the Welsh government, had changed her life. 'Before I took part I felt my life was over. I was anxious and frightened. I only went out of the house for hospital appointments. I was hopeless. What was the point in carrying on? I couldn't do anything, go anywhere, enjoy anything.' She had not known what to expect from the course, which takes place, via Zoom. 'I'd not done any singing before; I'm not the sort who's been in choirs so I was a bit nervous about it.' But she enjoyed the singing, which ranged from a little light opera to folk songs and anthems. Home on the Range and Don't Worry Be Happy were among her favourites. 'Your microphone is muted so you can sing your heart out. 'You learn techniques on how to cope with the pain. I've sort of tamed the pain, whereas it used to control me. It's made me a different person. I now go out to the park. I'm now happy going outside. It's brought a joy back into my life. And I'm getting closer to being the person I was before all my illnesses hit me.' Jenny Pearson, a professional singer and one of the programme's vocal leaders, said she was delighted but not wholly surprised by the results. 'Singers have always known singing makes us feel good. Singing in a nice safe environment can have an impact on someone's life.' Sessions begin with head and neck exercises to stretch out the neck and head, then move on to breathing techniques, the aim to target the parasympathetic nervous system. There is a break to listen to music – often the Humming Chorus from Puccini's Madama Butterfly – and then the singing begins in earnest. So far almost 50 people have taken part. Milestone Tweed, which carried out the research, said there were 'substantial improvements in pain management, mental and emotional health, and overall quality of life'. It said: 'Surprisingly, some participants reported that this was the first intervention that had given them significant pain relief. While participants did not expect their chronic conditions to be cured, the sessions helped them to manage pain and improve daily functionality.' Owen Hughes, national clinical lead for persistent pain, NHS Wales, said: 'Several participants have said that they've gone on to join choirs and some are looking to return to work. The power of music and song has really made a difference to their lives.'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Students honor famous Kansans on the Sunflower State's birthday
GALENA, Kan. — One of the Four States is celebrating a birthday today. All of us have heard the song, but you may not know that 'Home on the Range' is, in fact, the official song of the Sunflower State. To celebrate, third-grade students at Liberty Elementary have chosen a famous Kansan, one that was born in the state or lived there for a period of time. Students could research and put together storyboards by themselves, or like Ryker Williamson and Colton Meyr, who worked together on the man who literally wrote the book on basketball, Dr. James Naismith. 'He was famous for inventing the game of basketball in 1891. He was also credited with designing the first football helmet. He was the first member of the Basketball Hall of Fame,' said Colton Meyr, who researched James Naismith. 'He's originally from Canada, and he moved to Kansas, and he founded the University of Kansas basketball and was the first coach for Kansas.' Joplin business owner, 6 others admit to RICO conspiracy in hiring undocumented workers What is causing egg prices to skyrocket in Kansas? Two children found dead in lake in rural Linn County Okley Davis and Selah Sullivan did the same thing with the life of George Washington Carver, who was born in the Show-Me State but went to school in the Sunflower State. 'Well, he made 325 uses for peanuts, and he was the first black student to be accepted to Simpson College,' said Selah Sullivan, who researched George Washington Carver. 'Cause you learn new stuff, and it's really cool learning about people that you didn't know at first.' Harlow Charles and Arkham January focused on female aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. 'She was the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She disappeared over the Pacific Ocean,' said Arkham January, who researched Amelia Earhart. Tuesday marks the 164th birthday of the state of Kansas, which was the 34th to be admitted into the Union. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
29-01-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Kansas unveils a mural honoring 'rebel women' who campaigned for voting rights
Kansas has a new mural in its Statehouse honoring women who campaigned for voting rights for decades before the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted those rights across the nation. Gov. Laura Kelly and other state officials unveiled the 'Rebel Women' painting that spans an entire wall on the first floor on Wednesday, the anniversary of Kansas' admission as the 34th U.S. state in 1861. While Kansas Day is traditionally marked with renditions of the official state song, 'Home on the Range,' Wednesday's event also featured the women's voting rights anthem, "Suffrage Song,' to the tune of 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.' A 2022 law authorized the mural, and artist Phyllis Garibay-Coon, of Manhattan, in northeastern Kansas, won the contest with a depiction of 13 prominent Kansas suffragists. A few women in the crowd of several hundred people were dressed as 19th century campaigners who were active before statehood. Kansas prides itself as entering the union as an anti-slavery free state, but it also was more progressive than other states in gradually granting women full voting rights. Women could vote in school elections in 1861 and in city elections in 1887, and the nation's first woman mayor, Susanna M. Salter, was elected in Argonia, Kansas, that year. Voters amended the state constitution in 1912 to grant women full voting rights.
