Thursday, August 23, 2012

West Nile Virus / New Fires / Jobs for Vets


“A person, bitten by an infected mosquito, might become infected and develop West Nile fever or a more severe illness, such as brain infections like West Nile meningitis or encephalitis.  Removing mosquito breeding areas and preventing mosquito bites are two ways to help to prevent being exposed to West Nile virus.”
“Many people who are bitten by an infected mosquito won't get sick—many others aren't as lucky. Since 1999, more than 30,000 people in the United States have been reported as getting sick with West Nile virus. Occasionally, an infected person may develop more severe disease such as “West Nile encephalitis,” “West Nile meningitis” or “West Nile meningoencephalitis.”


Wedge Creek
“A lightning-caused fire approximately 13 miles north of Ovando. This fire is burning in steep terrain and heavy timber in a remote area about two miles south of the Scapegoat Wilderness boundary. The fire is producing a smoke column visible from highway 200. Backing fire, moderate flame lengths, and some torching were observed by the IC's recon flight of the fire.”

“Earlier today, I joined with First Lady Michelle Obama at Naval Station Mayport near Jacksonville, Florida as she announced that 2,000 companies had hired or trained an amazing 125,000 veterans and military spouses in the past year through Joining Forces.”

Joining Forces
“Joining Forces is dedicated to connecting our servicemen and women, veterans and military spouses with the resources they need to find jobs at home.”

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Curiosity on Mars/ Redistricting



“Curiosity will soon have a different patch of ground beneath it. Today, the six-wheeled rover wiggled its four corner wheels side to side for the first time on Mars, as a test of the steering actuators on those wheels. This was critical preparation for Curiosity's first drive on Mars.
"Late tonight, we plan to send Curiosity the commands for doing our first drive tomorrow," said Curiosity Mission Manager Michael Watkins of JPL.
The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft delivered Curiosity to Mars on Aug. 5, PDT (Aug. 6, EDT). In a two-year prime mission researchers are using the rover's 10 instruments to assess whether the selected study area has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life and for preserving evidence about whether life has existed.”

“Redistricting is the act of drawing new political boundaries. In Montana, the five-member Districting and Apportionment Commission has authority under the Montana Constitution to draw the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts every 10 years. Using population data from the most recent U.S. Census, the commission will draw districts with approximately the same number of people in them. The process must be completed by early 2013. Because Montana has only one congressional district, the commission will focus on redrawing state legislative district lines.”

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Fires / Crashes



Fire Update Tuesday August 21 8am
Incident: Highway 87 Wildfire
"Firefighters made progress on the Highway 87 fire overnight, thanks to cooler weather and increased humidity, which moderated the fire behavior. However, today's weather forecast is conducive to active burning for heavy fuels on both sides of Old Highway 87 west of Prior Road. As a result of fire activity, intermittent closure or delayed travel along the highway should be expected.
Firefighters from Crow Agency, the Montana DNRC, and many local fire departments worked together through the night and will continue suppression efforts today.
A bevy of aircraft will be available, including heavy air tankers, single-engine air tankers and helicopters. Additionally, a 20-person crew and numerous engines are assigned to the Highway 87 Fire.
The investigation into the cause of the blaze continues. The Highway 87 Fire is estimated at 2000 acres. No injuries have been reported."

Helena Independent Record:  August the deadliest month for crashes