Thursday, March 28

Month: March 2015

California City Reduces Sign Fees to Encourage Permanent Sign Installation
Business

California City Reduces Sign Fees to Encourage Permanent Sign Installation

For many business owners, choosing office signs and other advertisements can be a big decision. However, in Atascadero, CA, this choice may now be a little easier: signage costs in the city have been temporarily reduced in an attempt to clean up non-permitted signs throughout the area. For the last two years, the City Council of Atascadero has reportedly been receiving numerous complaints about temporary signs, such as sandwich boards, flags and banners. Finally, on Tuesday, February 24, the council unanimously approved short-term changes to its fee schedule, to encourage businesses to use official signs. Under the usual regulations, those looking to install a permanent sign must pay $450 for a building permit, as well as an additional $200 for a signage administrative use permit for sig...
Whale Kills Tourist After Landing on Boat
World

Whale Kills Tourist After Landing on Boat

Mexican authorities confirmed on March 12 that a gray whale slammed into a small, sightseeing boat, killing a 35-year-old Canadian tourist and seriously injuring two others. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of a Canadian citizen who passed away in Mexico,” said Diana Khaddaj, a spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. Marine Capt. Vicente Arturo Martinez Morale told CBC news that the victim was on vacation in Cabo with her husband and parents. The Attorney General's Office for Environmental Protection said that the victim was one of nine tourists aboard the sightseeing boat, "a fragile type with inflatable parts." The vessel was headed back to the Cabo San Lucas resort, and was nearly to port when the collision occurred. "The captain had to make a movem...
Graphic Designer Opens Business Printing Large-Scale Projects
Business

Graphic Designer Opens Business Printing Large-Scale Projects

Adam Hegge, a 31-year-old graphic designer, became tired of, in his words, "making money for someone else." So, a few years later Hegge quit his job designing signs in San Diego and opened his very own digital printing business. Sun Prairie, Washington local newspaper The Sun reports that Hegge, a 2007 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh graduate, opened Madison Graphics in 2012. The sole owner and employee of the company, Madison Graphics specializes in producing high-resolution graphics inside a mini-mall storefront in Fall River, near Olympia. Hegge single-handedly takes care of design, sales, marketing, and other business tasks from his home in Sun Prairie. "I've always been a fan of crazy, cool graphics," Hegge said. "So I thought I would put my own spin on them." Madison Graphics focuses...
Three New England States Join Together For Renewable Energy Projects
Local

Three New England States Join Together For Renewable Energy Projects

Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are working together in order to gain cheaper renewable energy for their taxpayers. The West Hartford News reports that the three New England states have agreed to work together by issuing a joint request for proposals (RFP) for clean energy projects. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain said that the states released a draft for the RFP on Wednesday, March 4th. The draft will be reviewed until March 26th and a final draft will be released later in the spring. Schain mentioned diversifying New England's fuel mix and improving winter compatibility systems as other key priorities for the RFP. Issuing an RFP is "the way we can make the most efficient use of our resources to attract new clean energy pr...
Complex Legal Issues Surround Misconduct Case of Officers Beating Bank Robbery Suspect
Local

Complex Legal Issues Surround Misconduct Case of Officers Beating Bank Robbery Suspect

A surveillance video was released on March 6 and shows footage to the public for the first time of an alleged police brutality incident in the Carmel, NY town hall. The video depicts an interaction between bank robbery suspect Kenneth DeFreitas and former Senior Investigator Patrick Castaldo of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Taken in the Carmel Town Hall lobby, the video shows Chief Investigator Gerald Schramek and Castaldo bringing DeFreitas into the building for a court date on July 3 at 6:04 p.m. The two officers take DeFreitas into a side room before the trial. Castaldo makes three trips to the lobby afterward and is seen standing by the entry doors on the phone. At 6:34, Schramek and DeFreitas are seen on the video coming out of the side room. Schramek stands by the doors and ...
Subaru Wins Kelley Blue Book Award For Best Five-Year Value
Business

Subaru Wins Kelley Blue Book Award For Best Five-Year Value

Subaru cars have always been well-regarded for their longevity (among other things) and now, they are getting a prestigious affirmation. Consumer Affairs reports that the Subaru has been awarded the 2015 Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own Award for economy (non-luxury) cars. Granted by Kelley Blue Book (KBB), the leading automotive consumer report publication in the United States, the award goes out to new car brands which have the projected lowest cost of ownership during the first five years of ownership. The award is divided into two categories: brand cars and luxury brand cars. The luxury brand winner this year, Lincoln, is also projected to have the lowest cost of ownership through 2020. "New car shoppers usually pay a lot of attention to how much a car will cost upfront," said Da...
Department of Defense Releases Security Guidelines For Cloud Service Providers
Business

Department of Defense Releases Security Guidelines For Cloud Service Providers

This week, the Defense Information Systems Agency released the Department of Defense's new Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide, which is meant to help cloud service providers looking to be included in the Department of Defense Cloud Service Catalog. It also defines policies, requirements, and architecture for Department of Defense cloud usage, and provides a basis the department can use to assess cloud providers' security posture. A draft of the Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (SRG) was released back in December, but acting Department of Defense (DoD) CIO Terry Halvorsen then later changed a rule allowing the department to procure commercial cloud services without having to go through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). "The [Cloud Computing Security Requir...
As Temperatures Rise, Ice Dam Cases Extend As Far South As Tennessee
Local

As Temperatures Rise, Ice Dam Cases Extend As Far South As Tennessee

Following a particularly rough winter in many parts of the United States, many homeowners are likely familiar with the process of handling roof damage. However, now that temperatures are beginning to rise, some unexpected areas are reportedly learning about repairing a roof after a harsh winter: reports show that ice dams are forming as far south as Tennessee, causing significant problems for homeowners unused to this typically northern problem. While winter temperatures in Tennessee normally hover somewhere between 28 and 52 degrees Fahrenheit, this past season has been unusually harsh. In mid-February, for example, an estimated 30 people in the state died from weather-related causes, like hypothermia, after a severe storm sent the area into a Level II State of Emergency. The weather has...
South Korean Study Links Moderate Coffee Consumption to Cleaner Arteries
Lifestyle

South Korean Study Links Moderate Coffee Consumption to Cleaner Arteries

Drinking between three and five cups of coffee each day may lead to cleaner arteries, a new study from South Korea has found. This is significant because clogged arteries are a known sign of heart disease. For the study, researchers assessed routine medical scans taken at workplaces for more than 25,000 employees, both male and female. The researchers looked specifically for calcium deposits in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart. These deposits are an early sign of coronary heart disease. Although none of the study’s subjects showed outward signs of heart disease, more than 10% had calcium deposits in the arteries. When these results were compared with the employees’ daily coffee consumption (which was self-reported), the researchers found that those who drank a few cups of c...
Online Habits of Hispanic Americans Should Drive Marketing Strategies, New Study Concludes
Business

Online Habits of Hispanic Americans Should Drive Marketing Strategies, New Study Concludes

Brands hoping to reach Hispanic audiences -- the second-largest and fastest-growing segment of the American market -- must have specific digital media strategies, a newly released study suggests. “It will be increasingly meaningful for marketers to consider Hispanic users as they develop online and app-centric calls to action,” said Marla Skiko, executive vice president and director of digital innovation for SMG Multicultural, a brand communications organization. The research was performed by Millward Brown Digital through behavioral observation and surveys, and was commissioned by SMG Multicultural and Specific Media. The researchers found that Hispanic Americans outpace other groups in their time spent online, use of mobile devices, and receptiveness to advertising. Hispanic Americans...