Latest news with #JenZoratti
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Conservation group makes $60M land deal to end mining threat outside Okefenokee Swamp
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A conservation group said Friday it has reached a $60 million deal to buy land outside the Okefenokee Swamp from a mining company that environmentalists spent years battling over a proposed mine that opponents feared could irreparably damage an ecological treasure. The Conservation Fund said it will buy all 7,700 acres (31.16 square kilometers) that Alabama-based Twin Pines owns outside the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Georgia, halting the company's mining plans. 'It's a big undertaking, but it was also an existential threat to the entire refuge,' said Stacy Funderburke, the Conservation Fund's vice president for the central Southeast. 'We've done larger deals for larger acres, but dollar-wise this is the largest deal we've ever done in Georgia.' A Twin Pines spokesman did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment. Twin Pines of Birmingham, Alabama, had worked since 2019 to obtain permits to mine titanium dioxide, a pigment used to whiten products from paint to toothpaste, less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee refuge near the Georgia-Florida line. The Okefenokee is the largest U.S. refuge east of the Mississippi River, covering nearly 630 square miles (1,630 square kilometers) in southeast Georgia. It is home to abundant alligators, stilt-legged wood storks and more than 400 other animal species. The mine appeared to be on the cusp of winning final approval early last year. Georgia regulators issued draft permits in February 2024 despite warnings from scientists that mining near the Okefenokee's bowl-like rim could damage its ability to hold water and increase the frequency of withering droughts. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Twin Pines insisted it could mine without damaging the swamp. Regulators with the Georgia Department of Environmental Protection agreed, concluding last year that mining should have a 'minimal impact' on the refuge. The agency revealed recently that work on final permits had stalled because Twin Pines had yet to submit a surety bond or equivalent financial assurance to show that it had $2 million set aside for future restoration of the mining site. It said the company was informed of the requirement 16 months ago.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Quebec issues warning about diseases from ticks, mosquitoes
QUÉBEC – Quebec's Health Department is warning people to stay vigilant about tick and mosquito bites as summer begins. The department says ticks and mosquitoes can carry Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and California serogroup viruses, among others. As well, the province says the warming climate is allowing ticks to survive more easily than before. It says there are several ways to protect against disease, such as using a DEET- or icaridin-based mosquito repellent and wearing light-coloured, lightweight clothing. To prevent tick bites, people should stick to walking trails and avoid tall grass. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in Quebec. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 26, 2024, 681 cases of Lyme disease were reported in Quebec, compared to 652 cases for all of 2023. There were 125 cases in 2014, 160 in 2015, and 177 in 2016. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Berens River sues Hydro over Lake Winnipeg project
Berens River First Nation is suing Manitoba Hydro and the provincial and federal governments over a nearly 50-year-old hydroelectric project it alleges has devastated the Lake Winnipeg environment and fishery. The First Nation, about 275 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg on the eastern shore of the lake, filed the statement of claim in the Court of King's Bench this week over the public utility's Lake Winnipeg regulation project, which began in 1976. The project manipulates water levels on Lake Winnipeg for power generation. It includes the Jenpeg generating station and diversion channels that increase the outflow of water from the lake into the Nelson River. 'Manitoba Hydro's operation of the LWR project has significantly altered the lands and waters of Lake Winnipeg and has had devastating impacts on BRFN's treaty rights and reserve lands,' the court papers say. It alleges the project has worsened water quality, flooded land, eroded shoreline and affected traditional harvesting, hunting and trapping areas. Flooding has affected housing, the claim said. The lawsuit says fish and fish habitat have been affected, with spawning grounds damaged. It goes on to say low water levels during the spring and summer fishing seasons expose rocks, mud and sand bars, creating hazards for fishers, and affecting where fish are located in the water. The fish have moved further from the shore, in search of deeper, colder water, which has disrupted the community's ability to pass down knowledge of prime fishing locations to youth, the court papers say. The project has also affected habitat for animals, such as beavers and muskrats, and traditionally gathered plants, including wild rice, have become scarce. The First Nation seeks an environmental assessment of the project and a say in decisions that affect the lake. The court filing claims no environmental assessment was conducted, nor have any comprehensive studies or examinations been completed into the effects of the project on the lake, environment or treaty rights. The allegations haven't been heard in court and the public utility and governments have yet to file statements of defence. The province granted Hydro an interim licence to operate the project in 1970. The public utility applied for a final licence in 2010, leading the Clean Environment Commission to hold public hearings, in 2011, about the project's effects on the lake. The province granted a final licence in 2021, which expires in August 2026. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The Berens River court filing claims the environment commission's final report, issued in 2015, relied on self-reported data from Hydro and no independent assessment or technical studies were completed. Berens River participated in the 2011 licensing hearing and consultations, but claims it didn't 'receive adequate capacity support,' which hurt its ability to participate, the court papers say. The First Nation wants monetary damages for the cost to remediate reserve land, including for claimed damage to structures, docks and homes; and damages related to the community's alleged hampered ability to exercise its rights under Treaty 5. The claim seeks a court-ordered injunction barring Hydro from operating the regulation project in a way that causes nuisance or trespass to the reserve land. It wants 'appropriate and sufficient' technology installed to monitor the effects of the project. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about the COVID variant that may cause ‘razor blade' sore throats
The COVID-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: 'razor blade throat' COVID. That's because the variant — NB.1.8.1. or 'Nimbus' — may cause painful sore throats. The symptom has been identified by doctors in the United Kingdom, India and elsewhere, according to media outlets in those countries. Other COVID-19 symptoms of any variant include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell. Experts say there isn't major cause for concern with the Nimbus variant, but here 's what else you need to know about it. Here's where the variant causing 'razor blade throat' is spreading The rise in cases late last month is primarily in eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions, the World Health Organization said May 28. The new variant had reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported globally in mid-May. Airport screening in the United States detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York. You aren't likely to get sicker from this variant than others Not so far, anyway. The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there's nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants. COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the Nimbus variant Yes. The WHO has designated Nimbus as a 'variant under monitoring' and considers the public health risk low at the global level. Current vaccines are expected to remain effective. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced last month that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by public health experts. ___ AP Health Writer Carla Johnson contributed to this story. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
Astronomers create a dazzling, elaborate map of nearby galaxy in thousands of colors
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have revealed a nearby spiral galaxy in all its brilliant glory, shining in thousands of colors. The dazzling panoramic shot released Wednesday of the Sculptor galaxy by a telescope in Chile is so detailed that it's already serving as a star-packed map. Scientists used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to observe the galaxy for some 50 hours, stitching together more than 100 exposures to create the picture. The image spans 65,000 light-years, almost the entire galaxy. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. Sculptor — officially labeled NGC 253 — is considered a starburst galaxy, one heavy with stellar action. It's located 11 million light-years away in the Southern Hemisphere's constellation Sculptor, and easy to view with binoculars or small telescopes. 'The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot,' the observatory's Enrico Congiu, who led the research, said in a statement. 'It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.' The more shades of color from stars, gas and dust in a galaxy, the more clues to their age, composition and motion, according to the scientists. Sculptor's latest snapshot contains thousands of colors — a glowing montage of purples, pinks and yellows — compared with just a handful for traditional pictures. The team has already discovered 500 planetary nebulae, clouds of gas and dust from dying stars that can serve as cosmic mile markers. Their research has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
