Most of the onions, however, were ruined by heat damage. High temperatures in late March and early April caused soft spots in the onion bulbs, almost as if they had been cooked.This not only keeps the onions from being sold on the fresh market but makes them more susceptible to rot, which prevents them from being preserved.Torrance said the last straw came with heavy, mid-April rains. The excess moisture got trapped in the husks of the plants, causing a flare-up of stemphyllum fungus, which the farmers had been fighting all season.Some problems caused by the season’s climatic fluctuations were evident before harvest, so farmers expected lower yields. No one knew how bad things were until a few days after they started clipping the onions.”We still thought we had a salvageable crop when we started harvesting,” Torrance said. “We were pulling onions out of the ground that we thought were OK. Twenty-four to 48 hours later, we were finding out they were ruined.”Shad Dasher, a third-generation onion farmer near Ludowici, Ga., lost 95 percent of his onion crop. Before the harvest began, he had most of the crop presold.”Two to three days after clipping, the onions just weren’t holding up,” Dasher said. “On the third day of harvesting, we started dumping bags of onions in the fields to see how bad the damage was. My contractors came in and told me there was a problem. When they came to get me, that’s when I knew it was bad.” This year’s Vidalia onion crop is enough to bring tears to the eyes of southeast Georgia growers. Only 40 percent of the area’s biggest cash crop made it to market.Reid Torrance, a University of Georgia Extension Service agent in Tatnall County, said not every farmer was devastated by the poor season. But enough were hurt badly enough to necessitate federal and state aid for his county and the entire onion growing region.”Onions are a big commodity for Tatnall County, and in other counties around here, too,” Torrance said. “We had some people who had 85 percent of their crop come in. Then we had folks who lost 100 percent of their crop.”It’s the average that counts, Torrance said.”Our county lost 60 percent of its onion crop this year,” he said. “That means we’re getting less than half of our usual revenue.”Problems for the onions started with a late wave of warm weather in November. They were exacerbated by a roller coaster of climatic changes during the growing season.Onion plants are biennials that reproduce in their second season. So the late warm weather made them act as though they were in their second season, sending up seed stalks.That’s a death knell for onions. With seed stalks creating a tough core at the middle of the onion, the bulbs also don’t mature past the point when they send up their stalks, leaving them more susceptible to disease and heat damage.Add a heavy late frost on Feb. 28, and you have a recipe for onion disaster.The February frost left the onions’ leaves damaged. An unusually thick husk around the top of the plants then trapped moisture and bacteria inside, resulting in onions rotting from the inside out. Roller coaster climate killed this year’s onion crop revenues.
Photo: Dan Rahn 
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Governor Wolf Signs Bills Raising Tobacco Age to 21, Supporting Rural Health Model, and Allowing Hunting on Three Sundays
November 27, 2019 SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Governor Wolf Signs Bills Raising Tobacco Age to 21, Supporting Rural Health Model, and Allowing Hunting on Three Sundays
Bill Signing, Healthcare, Press Release, Public Health Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 97 and Senate Bill 473, which amends tobacco legislation to prohibit the sale of any tobacco, nicotine or related item to anyone under 21 years of age. The legislation also expands the definition of a tobacco product to include e-cigarettes and other vaping products, and expressly prohibits the possession of these items on school grounds.“Numerous studies have shown tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, are particularly harmful and addictive to youths and young adults,” said Gov. Wolf. “Raising the age to 21 in combination with barring e-cigarettes at our schools will help us prevent young Pennsylvanians from engaging in this dangerous behavior.”Gov. Wolf further supported public health by signing Senate Bill 314, which establishes the Rural Health Redesign Center Authority and the Pennsylvania Rural Health Redesign Center Fund. The authority and fund will support the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model, a program unrolled in March that supports the financial stability of hospitals in rural communities by transitioning them from fee-for-service to global budget payments.“Every Pennsylvanian deserves access to quality health care within a reasonable distance from home,” said Gov. Wolf. “The Rural Health Redesign Center Authority and Pennsylvania Rural Health Redesign Center Fund will help ensure the hospitals that serve rural Pennsylvanians can provide necessary services even with a lower patient volume.”The governor also signed Senate Bill 147, which lifts the prohibition on hunting for three Sundays in Pennsylvania.“This legislation carefully balances the needs of landowners with an expanded opportunity for hunters who work or attend school during weekdays,” said Gov. Wolf.Gov. Wolf also signed the following bills:House Bill 17, which establishes a 10-year collection window for assessed personal income taxes.House Bill 49, which includes school safety amendments and allows public school students to earn credits toward graduation by taking courses in personal financial literacy.House Bill 57, which abolishes various boards, commissions, committees and other entities and makes related repeals.House Bill 227, which amends the election code to require 10 petition signers to nominate a candidate for school director in a primary race, eliminate ballot stubs and add provisions for privacy.House Bill 754, which amends the state lottery law to extend the cost of living adjustment moratorium to Dec. 31, 2021.House Bill 917, which repeals a law passed in 1929 containing guidelines for municipal-funded hospitals.House Bill 956, which sets the rate of return for the state lottery to 20 percent until June 30, 2024.House Bill 1016, which amends the Insurance Company Law of 1921 providing for solvency and further providing for benefit contract and for injunction, liquidation and receivership of domestic society.House Bill 1203, which amends existing law regarding auditing municipal authorities.House Bill 1402, which establishes sexual extortion as a crime.House Bill 1410, which establishes a Military Installation Remediation Program providing funding to remediate areas affected by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and related substances.House Bill 1547, which names numerous bridges and roadway segments.House Bill 1772, which allows landowners to identify property as no trespassing by painting purple stripes on trees or posts.House Bill 1896, which allows real estate to be transferred from the Owen J. Roberts School District to the Pennsylvania American Water Company.House Bill 1982, which allows employers participating for the State Employee Retirement System to pre-fund all or a portion of their pension liability.Senate Bill 146, which allows online training for firefighters.Senate Bill 317, which makes changes to the timeline for a Second Class Township to pass its annual budget.Senate Bill 456, which allows branch campuses of private licensed schools to operate in multiple counties.Senate Bill 572, which requires patients beginning a new opioid prescription to sign an agreement with their prescribers ensuring they understand the risks of addiction and dangers of overdose. The legislation also requires new patients to undergo baseline drug testing.Senate Bill 733, which directs $2 million per year for 10 years be paid from the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund to fund debt service on the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown.
Gov. Wolf Announces $50 Million to Fight COVID-19
March 26, 2020 SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Gov. Wolf Announces $50 Million to Fight COVID-19
Press Release, Public Health Governor Tom Wolf announced that he will spend up to $50 million in transferred state funding to purchase medical equipment and supplies for hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency workers to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania.“We need more beds, more ventilators, more personal protective equipment, and so much more and we need it as soon as possible because the virus is here,” Gov. Wolf said. “I am working to get this funding moving as quickly as I can. We need to do everything we can to support our front-line medical workers to protect them and ensure they have the equipment to care for patients. This funding is a step in the right direction.”The $50 million in funding will be deposited into a restricted account under the governor’s jurisdiction and funds will be used if there are insufficient funds available from the disaster proclamation “to buy medical equipment and supplies for health care entities to meet urgent patient and staff needs to address surge demand. Health care entities include hospitals, nursing facilities and emergency medical services” according to the legislation – House Bill 1232.The governor is expected to sign the bill tomorrow.“As we continue to navigate uncharted waters with COVID-19, it is vital that we provide assistance to the healthcare professionals leading the fight during this public health epidemic,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said. “In Pennsylvania, we worked together to dedicate this money to help those who are waging this extraordinary battle.”“As this crisis has evolved, our members have heard consistently from workers in need, parents and students with a lack of direction and the healthcare community concerned about a surge in patients,” said House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler. “I hope every resident of our state sees the actions we took to help all of those groups this week and knows their government is working to make sure we will get through this crisis together.”“Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Senate convened remotely for the first time ever to address our constituents’ needs through this crisis,” Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa said. “Getting resources to our medical professionals is a top priority in this fight against COVID-19, and I’m glad we were able to work quickly in a bipartisan and bicameral way to allocate $50 million toward procuring those supplies.”“The legislation allowing this use of funding was one of our top priorities this week. Legislators in both parties pulled together to pass it,” said House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody. “Pennsylvania’s heroic medical workers are in the thick of a life-and-death battle and we have to make sure they have the tools to carry on the fight for everyone’s good.”Yesterday, Gov. Wolf announced the COVID-19 Capital Working Access Program (CWCA) to provide $60 million in loans to small businesses. These efforts combined are intended to get funding where it is needed most to save lives and livelihoods.Pennsylvania is seeing cases of COVID-19 increase exponentially every day and until the curve of cases is flattened, everyone needs to do their part to help. Today, the Department of Health announced 560 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,687. There are 16 deaths, and 16,441 negative test results in the state.“We must do everything we can to prevent an enormous number of Pennsylvanians from becoming ill at the same time,” Gov. Wolf said. “And that means we must continue to distance ourselves socially. Just as doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have their part to play in this battle, so do each of us. When we choose to stay home, we are thanking a medical professional.”For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, Pennsylvanians should visit: https://www.pa.gov/guides/responding-to-covid-19/.
Eleazar to take 4th highest spot in PNP
MANILA – Major General GuillermoEleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), is setto take the fourth highest position in the Philippine National Police (PNP)following a major shakeup in the police force’s key positions. PNP spokesperson Brigadier GeneralBernard Banac said the generals are set to occupy their new offices on Oct. 12,a day after the retirement of Mendez from police service./PN Major General Guillermo Eleazar. ABS-CBN NEWS Meanwhile, Lieutenant General ArchieGamboa, former PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, will now occupy the secondhighest position in PNP as Deputy Chief for Administration, replacing theretiring General Fernando Mendez Jr. Gamboa and Cascolan are mistahs ofAlbayalde in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Sinagtala Class of 1986,while Eleazar is a member of the PMA Hinirang Class of 1987.
Brigadier General Debold Sinas,currently the Central Visayas police director, will replace Eleazar as NCRPOchief. Eleazar was appointed as PNP’s Chiefof the Directorial Staff, replacing Lieutenant General Camilo Cascolan, who waselevated to the Deputy Chief for Operations, the third highest position in thePNP. Gamboa, Cascolan, and Eleazar wereamong those being floated to replace PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, who is set toretire on Nov. 8.
Azinger open to captaincy role
Mickelson caused controversy on Sunday when, within two hours of the United States suffering a third straight defeat in the biennial contest, he criticised the approach of captain Tom Watson. With Watson sitting just a few feet away, Mickelson – who had been left out of a full day’s play on Saturday for the first time in 10 Ryder Cup appearances – stated his support for the methods of Azinger, who captained the side to their last win at Valhalla in 2008. “Unfortunately we have strayed from a winning formula for the last three Ryder Cups and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best,” Mickelson said. Asked if he would captain the side again, Azinger told USA Today: “I’m not going to rule anything out.” The 54-year-old said the United States needed to move away from appointing “lone wolf” captains, instead copying the European model of selecting players who had experience of the Ryder Cup as vice-captains. “The PGA of America (which appoints the captain) has officers that move up the ranks, getting sage advice along the way, and then many of them stick around and keep offering advice,” Azinger said. “I think the PGA of America should recognize their business model is exactly the same as what Europe uses in selecting a captain.” Of the past 10 US captains, only two had previously been vice-captains. ” There is a razor-thin line between winning and losing these matches,” Azinger added. “Europe has the intangible right now. They give themselves the extra one per cent chance to win through its business model and cohesiveness. “Even if you play blackjack perfectly in a casino, the casino still has a very slight edge against you. Right now Europe is the casino and the US is the guy walking to the blackjack table with a fistful of 50s.” Mickelson’s comments, and the timing of them, drew fierce criticism with f ormer PGA Tour player Brandel Chamblee, who now works as an analyst for the Golf Channel, saying: “T hat was as close to a one-man mutiny as I have ever seen. I think that’s a moment that Phil would like to have back. “If you are looking for a reason why the US continues to lose you just saw it, you saw it in one man, Phil Mickelson. “Phil Mickelson, along with the best players of that era, have so corrupted the experience of the Ryder Cup for their fellow competitors by not having records anywhere near where they should given their rank in the game.” Azinger’s success was based on a “pod” system which involved creating three groups of four players and allowing them to have a major influence on decisions, while Watson appeared to rely almost exclusively on his opinion and that of his vice-captains. Asked whether he was consulted in any of the decision-making at Gleneagles, Mickelson said: “No. Nobody here was, in any decision.” Watson had said in the build-up that he would use a modified version of Azinger’s pod system, but added on Sunday: “I didn’t discount it. I just had a different philosophy right off the bat. ” He (Mickelson) has a difference of opinion. That’s okay. My management philosophy is different than his.” Phil Mickelson could get his wish after Paul Azinger said on Monday he was open to a second spell as US Ryder Cup captain. Press Association
Chelsea Hold Arsenal’s Champions League Ticket
The UEFA Champions League and Europa League finals are to be contested by four English teams for the first time in the history of the two competitions.Liverpool and Tottenham will meet in the Champions League final in Madrid on 1 June, with Chelsea and Arsenal play in the Europa League final in Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday, 29 May.With the winners of both tournaments getting in next season’s Champions League, what does that mean for English qualification places? BBC Sport takes a look at what it portends for Arsenal and Tottenham aspiring to play in the prime competition?Who qualifies for Europe usually? The top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League, while the FA Cup winners, the Carabao Cup winners and the fifth-placed side in the top flight go into the Europa League.If the winners of the two cups finish in the top four, their places go to the teams sixth and seventh in the league.But the winners of the Champions League and Europa League – both guaranteed to be English – also qualify. So what happens here?Will England get an extra Champions League spot?England will only get a fifth team in the Champions League if a club who finish outside the top four win one of the tournaments.Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League this season. That means they need to win the Europa League to qualify for next season’s Champions League.If they lose their final, they will be in the Europa League group stages next season.What happens if a team wins either cup and finishes in the top four?Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all finished in the top four. If any of those teams win their tournament, their Champions League spot does not transfer down to the next Premier League side.What happens to their spot may surprise you.If Chelsea win the Europa League, it means Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg go straight into the group stages instead of qualifying. That is because the Austrian Bundesliga, at 11th, is the top-ranked league not to have an automatic Champions League qualifier.With both Champions League finalists in the top four, the third-placed team in France’s Ligue 1 – likely to be Lyon or Saint-Etienne – go straight into the group stages instead of the qualifiers. France is the highest-ranked league, at fifth, to have a team enter the qualifiers.So Chelsea can deny Arsenal a place?Yes, effectively Chelsea can stop Arsenal qualifying for the Champions League twice – through both the Premier League and Europa League.Maurizio Sarri’s side’s group spot for next season is booked through the league, which means all they are playing for in the Europa League final is the prestige of winning the trophy.If they win, they are still in the Champions League and Arsenal miss out. If Arsenal win, then they will both be in next season’s Champions League.Who else gets in the Europa League?Arsenal, unless they win the Europa League, and Manchester United have booked their places in next season’s tournament.If Manchester City win the FA Cup, then seventh place in the Premier League – Wolves – will go into the Europa League second qualifying round on 25 July.But if Watford win the FA Cup, then the Hornets will go straight into the group stages – and sixth place in the Premier League goes into the qualifiers instead.That would mean United’s first leg would clash with their pre-season plans abroad.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
Brew crew down, out
The 2006 season was supposed to be the much-anticipated step forward for the Milwaukee Brewers. Instead it was a step backwards.Sunday’s game at St. Louis will mark the end of the season for the Brew Crew, and for the 24th straight year it will be one in which the team misses the playoffs. It will also be the 14th straight year in which the club hasn’t put together a winning season.For years, the Brewers’ front office has sung the rebuilding tune to fans. But with Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy all in the Opening Day starting line-up, this was supposed to be the year Milwaukee’s rebuilding project showed some development inside of Miller Park.It’s not like the ’06 campaign started off on a bad note, either. Even though the Brewers were more up-and-down than a fishing bobber the first half of the season, they still remained in the wild-card race, even with the Cardinals flying above the N.L. Central Division and the Reds’ hot start.But the most frustrating part about the Crew’s plunge this year is that there is no precise explanation. Injuries certainly were a major factor with the slew of injured players (Ben Sheets, Tomo Ohka, J.J. Hardy, Corey Koskie, Rickie Weeks and Matt Wise, just to name a few) all missing an extensive duration, but general manager Doug Melvin did nothing to help the cause.While the midseason rumor mill was spinning past Alfonso Soriano, the Brewers decided to put their top player — left fielder Carlos Lee — on the market, and rightfully so. Lee’s contract was set to expire in the off-season and extension talks stalled to such a degree that Lee and his agent wouldn’t even give the Brewers a counter-offer, just saying the organization’s deal was too far off and nothing else.But it wasn’t trading Lee that was Melvin’s problem; it was what he got in return. How such a heralded general manager can honestly think trading an all-star for one decent player, a closer who lost his job, and a backup in Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero and Laynce Nix is beyond me. That’s not it, though. Melvin also threw in the Brewers’ top-prospect, outfielder Nelson Cruz. Yes, Cruz is a bit overrated and Corey Hart was always ahead of him on the depth chart, but he still had the reputation of a top-prospect — someone you don’t just give away.The fact of the matter is Melvin was simply too afraid to pull the trigger on a deal that would’ve returned prospects. Had he done so, he would’ve had to say the Brewers were still in the process of rebuilding. Instead, he traded for what he thought were major league-ready players, citing his knowledge about Mench, Cordero and Nix when he was with the Texas Rangers’ organization.Mench and Cordero weren’t bad this year, but they didn’t give the Brewers the second-half chug they needed, especially considering Melvin could’ve gotten so much more for Lee, or had just taken the chance of losing him to free agency.Melvin’s foul ball with the Lee trade was just one of many factors this year. Other than that, he’s put the Brewers in a pretty good spot to improve during his four years in Milwaukee, but he will certainly have some big decisions to make in the off-season, one being the status of manager Ned Yost.Yost has done all he can with the Brewers, but at some point he has to be held accountable — like Mike Sherman with the Packers last season. He’s not the worst manager, but he’s not the best, either. At some point — preferably this off-season — you just have to wonder how far he can really take them.Then there’s Geoff Jenkins, who everyone wanted to be the face of the Brewers’ franchise — probably just because he looks like Brett Favre. While he has always put up solid season numbers, Jenkins is one of the streakiest players in the Major Leagues. This year, however, he failed to put up any significant numbers and was benched in August. Although Jenkins still believes he’s capable of contributing, he hasn’t been for the past couple years and won’t be able to in the future. With a contract of nearly $8 million per year, the Brewers should’ve traded Jenkins to the Yankees while they could have — that is, before Steinbrenner and Co. somehow bought Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle from the Phillies, a team still very much in the wild-card race.At least most of the roster has some bright young stars stored up for next season. Mike Rivera impressed at catcher, Fielder would’ve been Rookie of the Year at first if it wasn’t for a nearly all-rookie Marlins team, Weeks and Hardy will return from injuries at second and short stop, Billy Hall can play anywhere on the field and Hart will be on board for his first full season.But as for pitching, the Brewers wouldn’t have a problem if it wasn’t for the horrendous bullpen. I don’t understand how Derrick Turnbow can go from an all-star to an atrocious pitcher in just two weeks. Can somebody say Derrick Turn-blow?Just based off of last year, it seems as though it will be even longer before the Brewers make the playoffs, or even have another winning season. At least they have a better outlook than the Packers at this point.Michael is a junior majoring in journalism. Bitter Brewer fans can reach him ampoppy@badgerherald.com.
Man Utd Gives Mourinho ‘£250m’ War Chest for Next Season
​​Manchester United manager José Mourinho is expected to splurge at least £250m on new recruits this summer, as the Red Devils prepare for a major overhaul to their squad.United’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday means Mourinho has failed to add a trophy to last year’s Europa League and EFL Cup triumphs, despite spending heavily on the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelöf and Nemanja Matić last summer.He is now expected to be given another hefty transfer kitty, with the ​Daily Mirror reporting that key targets such as Toby Alderweireld and ​Sime Vrsaljko have already been identified. The Portuguese manager is keen to ​strengthen both his full-back options, with central defenders also understood to be high on his priority list this summer.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
Serena Williams says motherhood struggles led to Rogers Cup withdrawal
Serena Williams says she pulled out of this week’s Rogers Cup in Canada after feeling like she was “in a funk” and “not a good mom”.The American 23-time Grand Slam singles champion initially withdrew from the tournament citing “personal reasons”.Williams, 36, returned to tennis earlier this year after giving birth in September 2017.She reached the Wimbledon final in July but last week suffered the heaviest defeat of her career.Williams’ 6-1 6-0 loss to Britain’s Johanna Konta at the Silicon Valley Classic event was the first time since turning professional in 1995 that she had failed to win at least two games in a match.In a post on Instagram, Williams explained that she had been struggling with post-natal emotions – but went on to stress such feelings were “totally normal” and urged other mothers not to suffer in silence. “Last week was not easy for me,” she said. “Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom.”I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to three years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal.”It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby.”Most of you moms deal with the same thing. I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week – it’s OK – I am, too!”