Latest news with #MACS
Hans India
7 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Farmers Urged to Join FPOs for Better Income and Sustainable Agriculture in Aija Seminar.
Farmers Urged to Join FPOs for Better Income and Sustainable Agriculture in Aija An awareness seminar on Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) was organized at the Aija Farmers' Association Office under the aegis of the Aija Mandal Farmers' Association. The event aimed to educate rural farmers about the benefits and functioning of FPOs in strengthening agriculture and increasing farmers' incomes. Former BJP Jogulamba Gadwal District President S. Ramachandra Reddy and Aija Town BJP President Kampati Bhagat Reddy attended the program and addressed the gathering. Speaking on the occasion, Ramachandra Reddy emphasized that the central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, had launched the PM-Kisan FPO Scheme in 2020 with the vision to double farmers' income by organizing them into productive and self-sustaining groups. He explained that the central government is encouraging the formation of FPOs — collective organizations of farmers — with the goal of increasing productivity and improving marketing access for agricultural and allied sector produce. The government offers financial support to these FPOs, empowering them to operate as independent business entities. Examples of FPO activities include: Supplying inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals Renting out agricultural machinery like tillers, sprinkler sets, and harvesters Providing services related to storage, transport, and logistics for farm produce Ramachandra Reddy urged farmers to understand that unity is strength. Individual farmers often face challenges alone, but as a group, they can overcome many of these issues collectively and achieve success. He encouraged the establishment of more FPOs, especially in rural and tribal areas, where farmers can register under MACS (Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies) or as Farmer Producer Companies. It was noted during the event that over 10,000 FPOs have already been established across India, with around 600 in Telangana and a similar number in Andhra Pradesh. Incentives for FPO Members: Farmers who become FPO members are eligible to receive free saplings of mango and sweet lime (up to 4 acres per member). This benefit has encouraged many to come forward and join the movement. The Central Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) center has also called upon farmers to take the initiative in forming their own local FPOs. Farmers were advised to visit the FPO office located behind the Guest House in Aija to register. Membership costs ₹1,100, and if a member later decides to opt out, ₹1,000 will be refunded. The seminar witnessed enthusiastic participation from local farmers. Prominent among those who attended were Aija FPO CEO Vineeth, Rangu Venkatesh, Lakshman Goud, Rangu Krishna, Kalyan, Narsimhulu, Advocate Venkatesh, Raghu, Bhimesh, Nagaraju, along with many other farmers from nearby villages. The event served as a motivating and informative platform, aiming to empower the rural farming community to build a sustainable and cooperative future through FPOs.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Montgomery man gets seven years in federal prison on gun charge
A Montgomery man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison on gun charges. Corey Jarrod Wortham, 29, was sentenced of 84 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, said Kevin Davidson, acting United States District Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Following his prison term, Wortham will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, on Nov. 14, 2024, law enforcement officers in Montgomery responded to a report on a sexual assault, where the caller identified Wortham as a suspect. Officers spotted Wortham in a vehicle but he fled and was not captured. Before losing sight of Wortham, officers saw what appeared to be an AR-15 style pistol in his possession. The firearm was later recovered. More: Alabama State Trooper, three others convicted in federal drug conspiracy case Then, on Dec. 18, 2024, agents with the Montgomery Area Crime Suppression (MACS) detail spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one used in the earlier call. When agents attempted a traffic stop, the driver of the car initially refused to pull over. Law enforcement officers had to block his vehicle to prevent another escape. Inside the vehicle, agents found Wortham and a handgun. Due to prior felony convictions, Wortham is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on Jan. 23, 2025. The investigation was conducted by members of the MACS detail, which includes the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, and the Montgomery Police Department. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery man gets seven years in federal prison on gun charge
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Gov. Kay Ivey touts arrest of Honduran man without legal status in traffic stop
Gov. Kay Ivey gives a thumbs-up to the crowd at her inauguration on Jan. 20, 2023. (Stew Milne/Alabama Reflector) Gov. Kay Ivey touted in a post on X Friday that a Honduran man in the state without authorization was arrested in a string of traffic stops intended to reduce violent crimes. Roberto Steven Martinez Benavides was charged with second-degree forgery in Montgomery on Tuesday in 'an operation concerning the delivery of a vehicle for purchase with a fraudulent VIN and fraudulent title.' Amanda Wasden, director of external affairs for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, said in an email that the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit (MACS) helped the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) by conducting a traffic stop on the vehicle with the alleged fraudulent VIN. Benavides is being held in the Montgomery County Jail. He has a hold for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) so that HSI can determine if he is eligible for deportation or further action. 'Another strong week for Alabama's Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit in our Capital City — 63 traffic stops, 51 arrest warrants and 15 other arrests. One individual arrested is an illegal. We've turned him over to the feds to be deported,' Ivey posted on X. MACS is a coalition of local, state and federal agencies that work to reduce violent crimes and 'seek to obtain prosecutions for violations such as organized crime, drug conspiracy, robbery, motor vehicle theft and firearms violations.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DNR wants to focus restoration efforts on five watersheds, but funding is in doubt
A white-tailed deer peers from the edge of a wetland on Maryland's upper Choptank River, one of four watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay system chosen by the state for focused restoration efforts. (Photo by Dave Harp/Chesapeake Bay Journal) By Timothy Wheeler The Chesapeake Bay Journal Maryland is targeting five of its ailing watersheds for a concentrated push to restore them — but the state's budget crisis has put funding for the effort in doubt . The Department of Natural Resources announced March 6 that it has selected Antietam Creek in Washington County, Baltimore Harbor, Newport Bay near Ocean City, the Severn River in Anne Arundel County and the upper Choptank River on the Eastern Shore for a 'collaborative and science-based approach' to reducing pollution and improving shallow-water habitat. The watersheds — four connected with the Chesapeake Bay and one that's part of an Atlantic coastal bay — are the first chosen under the state's Whole Watershed Act passed in 2024. The law calls for focusing 'cost-effective' water quality improvement measures over a five-year period in areas likely to show a rapid response. The legislation came in response to a 2023 scientific report that warned existing programs to curb urban and farm runoff polluting the Bay and its rivers were falling short. It recommended shifting efforts to improve habitat for fish, especially in shallow waters. 'These five watersheds, which span the state of Maryland, will usher in the next phase of Chesapeake and Atlantic coastal bays restoration,' DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz said in a press release. 'By working closely with local partners and focusing on specific areas, we believe we can more quickly attain statewide clean water goals.' DNR chose the watersheds from nine proposals submitted last fall by teams made up of community organizations, local governments, private firms and other groups in each watershed. The winning proposals were selected for most closely meeting the law's requirements that they target a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas, and that at least two be in 'an overburdened or underserved community.' The lead organization on the Baltimore harbor proposal, as an example, is the nonprofit South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, which is already engaged in creating wetlands along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River to reduce flood risk and filter stormwater. The partnership is also working to improve fish habitat, plant trees, increase waterfront access and spur economic growth in South Baltimore neighborhoods like Cherry Hill and Westport. On the upper Choptank, the nonprofit ShoreRivers and its partners proposed targeting pollution management practices in four predominantly agricultural areas and also working with local governments and disenfranchised communities to address stormwater, wastewater and habitat concerns. The law calls for financing the work by pooling funding from several existing sources, including the Maryland Cost Share Program (MACS), Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), Bay Restoration Fund, Clean Water Commerce Act fund, Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and Waterway Improvement Fund. DNR had planned to award $2 million in the coming year to each of the selected watersheds, using money from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, Bay Restoration Fund and Clean Water Commerce Act fund. Some farm-related projects are to receive grants through funding controlled by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. But Maryland lawmakers are struggling to close a projected $3 billion state budget gap, and legislative analysts have proposed taking revenue normally earmarked for land preservation and runoff pollution reduction grants, draining at least three of the funding sources DNR had planned to use. DNR is urging lawmakers to ignore the analysts' recommendation. 'We have emphasized to state legislators, who just passed the Whole Watershed Act last year, that this funding is integral to implementing their vision to achieve watershed-scale environmental improvements and community benefits,' DNR spokesman AJ Metcalf said.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crime suppression unit could be coming to more Alabama cities
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — It is called the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit or MACS. It is made up of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery Police Department and other agencies. Leaders are boasting a decreasing crime rate in Montgomery, and they hope to expand it. 'This is not fun and games,' said Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham. 'This is not a PlayStation game that you're playing out here on the streets. This is for real.' Cunningham said juveniles are arming themselves and stealing vehicles, but the MACS is stopping them. In under 100 days, the team seized 195 guns and 51 stolen cars. 'You can listen to the radio,' Cunningham said. 'I mean, the serious calls that we were getting back then we don't get like we used to, and it's all because of what this task force is doing.' That task force could be expanded. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor said Gov. Kay Ivey is requesting $3 million from the legislature. Taylor said creating a permanent force could help other cities like Birmingham. Alabama Auditor Andrew Sorrell running for secretary of state Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall wants to see better support for the court system, too. He said providing more judges in local jurisdictions would help with an overwhelming caseload and make the MACS even more effective. 'Not only do we need to do a good job on the front end of holding those individuals that are out on the streets accountable,' Marshall said. 'We also have to make sure that we are supporting the efforts in the court system to be able to hold these offenders accountable as well.' Cunningham said it's a team effort. 'You can't come in there as a sheriff or as a police chief or as a director and just feel like 'Well, it's my way or no way,'' Cunningham said. 'You got to take all that stuff and put it aside. Put the community first and then think about what's taking place in our neighborhoods, taking place in our communities. Let's put them first.' The effort to expand MACS is a part of the 'Safe Alabama Package,' which is moving through the legislature right now. These bills range from banning Glock switches to increasing penalties for crimes. Leaders hope that will crack down on criminals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
