Unreported News

Continental Features/Continental News Service

"The newspaper-feature super-channel"

of Continental Newstime newsmagazine

This is not the whole newspaper, but a special complimentary, on-line edition of the general-interest, periodic newsmagazine, Continental Newstime. The rest of the newspaper includes national and world news, newsmaker profiles, commentary/analysis, periodic interviews, travel and entertainment features, an intermittent science column, humor, sports, cartoons, comic strips, and puzzles, and averages 26 pages per month. Continental Features/Continental News Service publishes, on a monthly rotational basis, special, complimentary on-line newspapers: Washington DC News Edition (familiarly knownasthe Malfunction Junction News Edition or Snooze Junction News Edition), Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.

Atlanta  News Edition of Continental Newstime
Continental Features/Continental News Service
501 W. Broadway, Plaza A, PMB# 265
San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 492-8696
E-mail: info@continentalnewsservice.com

* Congressional News Briefs ... Senator David Perdue, joined by a bipartisan group of Senators including Illinois' Dick Durbin and Indiana's Todd Young, announces introduction of the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act to quickly meet the country's shortage of doctors and nurses dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, and the Senators propose doing so by restoring 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 unused immigrant visas for doctors from prior years, in recognition of the fact that foreign-born health professionals are willing to serve in the U.S. against the coronavirus, the opioid crisis, and other health problems and represent one-sixth of the country's health-care labor force. The legislative proposal, Senator Perdue assures, will not increase current immigration and obliges employers to establish that visa recipients will not displace any American workers. Following on the heels of Governor Brian Kemp's appeal to President Donald Trump for disaster aid, Senators Perdue and Kelly Loeffler wrote the President to point out that the state's resources were strained by other recent disasters and the coronavirus outbreak and that the state requires the Stafford Act aid that a Presidential disaster declaration would bring to the individuals and families victimized by Northwest Georgia tornados and severe weather on April 12 and 13 that killed 8 and damaged in excess of 750 homes. Underscoring that many Georgians continue to be displaced by the storms, the Senators called for federal individual assistance and federal public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Senator Perdue reports, as well, to constituents that he, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, toured Fort Benning this past month with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy to examine coronavirus-response protocols and risk-mitigation training techniques at Martin Army Community Hospital.

* State Government News Briefs ... Governor Brian Kemp explains that expiration, on April 30, of his shelter-in-place Executive Order for most Georgians was based on virus data and the input of health officials and that the precautionary rules of social distancing and strict sanitary practices remain in effect through May 13 and that, for their protection, vulnerable populations are under an Executive Order to shelter in place through June 12. Saying that the state's measures protect at once the "lives—and livelihoods—of our people," the Governor has vowed "to continue enhanced testing across Georgia, ramp up contact tracing, and maintain effective emergency-response operations in every region." In long-term care facilities, the thrust is to observe "enhanced infection-control protocols, ensure safer living conditions, and protect residents and staff from coronavirus exposure." With regard to N95 masks, the Governor finds that 95 Georgia facilities have enrolled, to date, to capitalize on availability of the Battelle Critical Decontamination System device at the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the device capable of safely decontaminating masks up to 20 times and capable of decontaminating 80,000 masks every day. Using concentrated hydrogen peroxide, the device will serve the needs of all medical facilities, long-term care facilities, and first responders requiring reliable personal protective equipment. Providing an update on economic development in the state, the Governor adds that Rochester, New York-based Batter Up Foods, through its sister company, SatisPie is upgrading a former 102,000-square-foot, food-production facility in the Fulton Industrial Park to include waffles and pancakes in its North American product offerings. Representing an investment valued at up to $34 million, the project will eventually create 162 jobs for Atlantans, and the Governor says that the state's skilled labor force and business-friendly policies were key factors in the company deciding to establish its first operations in Georgia. When fully up and running, the plant is expected to turn out 580 million waffles annually, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Development Authority of Fulton County, Georgia Power, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber each had a role in attracting Batter Up Foods to the area.

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* City Government News Briefs ... Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced that the City Council has unanimously endorsed her Vision Zero Strategic Transportation Plan for eliminating traffic deaths and reducing vehicle crashes and serious injuries in Atlanta, the Vision Zero Policy being an integral part of the Mayor's One Atlanta Strategic Transportation Plan. The Atlanta Department of Transportation has been tasked with directing the implementation of roadway-safety efforts through the Vision Zero Task Force, a working group charged with using data-driven strategies consistent with the U.S. National Safety Council's 6E Road Safety Framework, which encompasses Equity, Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Evaluation, and Emergency Response and that promotes safe, reliable and efficient travel on roads, sidewalks, bicycle lanes and the transit system. Referencing the role of speed in 52 percent of the city's 73 traffic fatalities during 2019, the Mayor says that the Vision Zero legislation makes 25 miles per hour the default speed limit on local streets in Atlanta, as a public-health and safety measure to protect children, the elderly, minorities and low-income individuals, pedestrians, cyclists, and the operators of scooters and mobility devices. In addition, the Mayor reports that City small businesses that have been unable to file a Paycheck Protection Program application during the coronavirus outbreak have another lender option, through Lendistry, a Small Business Administration-authorized lender and Community Development Financial Institution. Working with Goldman Sachs, which already operates a 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative that furnishes small companies with improved access to education, financial capital, and business services, so they can build their revenue and create employment opportunities, Lendistry, in this new initiative, will see Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. bankroll $10 million in Lendistry loans to small businesses in Atlanta that can be used to cover payroll, interest and mortgage payments, rent and utilities. Besides, Mayor Bottoms credited the organization, Partners for Home with assisting City efforts to protect the health and well-being of those experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus outbreak and informed that of in excess of 2,000 persons tested at 16 shelter sites and 2 unsheltered sites, 28 have tested positive for the virus. Apart from the testing, the City has earmarked an extra $3 million, including $1.5 million in philanthropic contributions, to arrange partnership with a hotel for non-congregate shelter for up to 250 high-risk homeless individuals. Also, the City is using part of $9.7 million from a variety of federal grants for emergency lodging, rapid re-housing, and emergency assistance to the homeless. Plus, the Mayor has issued an Administrative Order to the Commissioner of Watershed Management not to shut off water services for any customer 60 days behind in payments. Further, with City Chief Operating Officer Joshua Williams, former National Council of Negro Women National Chair Ingrid Saunders Jones, and Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore, LLP Partner Robbie Ashe serving as Co-Chairs of the Mayor's Advisory Council on the Reopening of the City of Atlanta, the Council is due to conduct its third and final meeting on May 5.

* School District News Briefs … The Atlanta Public Schools District held a Virtual Town Hall Meeting for Seniors on April 30, and the Board of Education, chaired by Jason F. Esteves, informs that Dr. Lisa Herring is a Finalist for District Superintendent.

* Weather ... The National Weather Service reports fair conditions, as of 3:53 AM, at Fulton County Airport-Brown Field, with a temperature of 48 degrees Fahrenheit, visibility of 10 miles, and barometric pressure of 29.94 inches. The winds are out of the southwest at 3 miles per hour, the relative humidity stands at 86 percent, and the dewpoint is 44 degrees. The forecast for today calls for sunny skies, with a daily high temperature of close to 73 degrees, northwest wind of 5 to 15 miles per hour, and gusts as high as 25 miles per hour. Tonight is expected to be mostly clear, with a low temperature of about 52 degrees, northwest wind between 5 and 10 miles per hour becoming light after midnight, and winds could gust as high as 15 miles per hour. Saturday is expected to be sunny, with a daily high temperature of about 81 degrees and calm wind becoming westerly around 5 miles per hour in the afternoon.

Heavy-Handed (Condensed and Reprinted) by Steve Healey

   The case arose in Scotland and the force applied was to try to bring about an end to a child’s suffering, not in administering punishment…. Smackers live in fear of legal sanction for taking what they believe to be action in their child’s best interests, whilst those calling for an end to all corporal punishment believe all children should be granted the same rights and protection as those enjoyed by adults.
   The 48-year-old primary teacher had taken his eight-year-old daughter to a medical center to have dental treatment after several nights of pain. He explained that it was not a matter of punishment, but that he “was trying to coerce her to have a tooth out.” She had been crying on his pillow with pain for two nights. The trouble is that the coercion took the form of holding his daughter across his knee …, then smacking her several times.”
   The Hamilton Sheriff thought this excessive, stating that the Crown had clearly proved its case and that the father’s actions went beyond the scope of reasonable chastisement.
   Still, the problem persists. What can parents do? How far should they go in administering physical control and who can do what to whom?

It is about time the law made a better attempt to spell out what is reasonable, and what is not.

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Question Time with Public Figures

The American public expects public officials to deal with, rather than dodge, difficult public-policy problems, to be transparent in their public-policy positions, and to state their views confidently, thoughtfully and boldly. One week was allowed to finalize the response, by E-mail, of each of the Presidential candidates listed below.
The Continental News Service had announced its intention to publish results of this multi-respondent poll in its on-line newspapers over the course of time, and these newspapers include its Washington D.C. News Edition, Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.

Would you, Senator/Representative/Governor, support legislation, or even sponsor legislation, ending all federal government grants to Planned Parenthood if it was conducted in an even-handed and non-discriminatory manner; that is, likewise ending all federal and federally-subsidized state grants to faith-based and all other non-profit groups, whatever their specific tax-code classification?
__ Yes. Uncheck "No Comment." My reasoning is ________________________________________________________________________________.
__ No. Uncheck "No Comment." My reasoning is _________________________________________________________________________________.
X No Comment. Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Washington Governor Jay Inslee.

* Proverbs (chapter 28/verse 22): “He that hastes to be rich has an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him.” hastes=hurries.

[A timely warning against get-rich-quick schemes]

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*Free

Cameron Parish News Edition

of Continental Newstime newsmagazine

VOLUME I NUMBER 1 MARCH 19, 2020

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What's new in Cameron Parish, Louisiana? Find out here:

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This is a Special Issue designed only to encourage a would-be editor-publisher in Cameron Parish, Louisiana to start a regular weekly or bi-weekly newspaper and to show that, using the structured format below, the proverbial wheel need not be re-invented—to eliminate the complexity in restoring newspaper coverage to Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Just as our Website indicates, Continental Features/Continental News Service is available to give guidance, to offer some cartoons/comic strips and other feature material free of charge, and to help a new local editor-publisher expand by 26 pages one time monthly for readers interested in receiving a general-interest magazine insert. CF/CNS desires more exposure for our cartoons, comic strips and newspaper columns, but we do not exist to compete with a local editor-publisher in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. We publish too many other newspapers and publications to regularly publish a Cameron Parish community newspaper, too. It is our hope, besides, that a local editor-publisher in Cameron Parish will not neglect to publish ads, so local businesses receive wider publicity for their products and services. Thank you.

Cameron Parish News Edition of Continental Newstime
Continental Features/Continental News Service
501 W. Broadway, Plaza A, PMB# 265
San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 492-8696
E-mail: info@continentalnewsservice.com

* Congressional News Briefs ... Cameron Parish's agent in the U.S. House of Representatives, Clay Higgins, has written to Governor John Bel Edwards, raising First Amendment Constitutional objections to the Governor's Executive Order prohibiting church services attended by more than 250 people, insofar as the Executive Order infringes the right to the free exercise of religion. In addition, Congressman Higgins has joined such Republican colleagues as Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in backing the Trillion Trees Act, House Bill 5859, which would promote more tree planting in urban areas and on marginal agricultural land here in the U.S.; produce more wood in our forestlands rendering them more resistant to insects, disease, and catastrophic fires; furnish a sustainable building tax credit as an incentive to innovative building practices; and provide technical support abroad to reverse deforestation and increase forest growth, all toward sequestering 205 gigatons of carbon. Besides, the Congressman has voted for passage of the bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act, House Bill 6201, which is designed to furnish financial protections to American workers and make coronavirus testing available without charge. Then, too, the bill offers employers a tax credit, instead of establishing a new entitlement program, as a means of extending financial aid to workers who are ill, in quarantine, or caring for others because of the coronavirus. Maintaining Hyde Amendment prohibitions against using funds for abortion, the bill likewise fosters tele-health services for new Medicare beneficiaries so the health-care system is not overwhelmed. Higgins says the legislation represents a "whole-of-government focus" on the coronavirus threat that affords Americans health security and economic stability.

* State Government News Briefs ... Governor John Bel Edwards announces that he has expanded his Proclamation geared to slowing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the wake of the second and third reported coronavirus-related death in the state, saying this builds on "aggressive measures" already in place. Citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and a one-hour-plus conference call with President Donald Trump and Vice-President Michael Pence underscoring the importance of enhanced mitigation efforts, the Governor has strengthened his Proclamation, with at least 132 confirmed cases of coronavirus, to prohibit assembly of more than 50 people, thereby ordering the closure of casinos, bars and movie theaters and restricting restaurant operations to delivery, take-out and drive-through orders. Given a two-week lag time for symptoms to appear, the Governor says that the assembly restrictions, which encourage video meetings and tele-conferencing, may end on April 13, but the situation is due to be re-assessed seven days before to determine whether there has been a flattening of the coronavirus curve. Meantime, the chief law-enforcement official in each parish shall have power to impose a local curfew. Further, the Governor has made requests to the Small Business Administration, so far, for Economic Injury Disaster Loans designed to aid Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

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* Parish Government News Briefs ... The Cameron Parish Police Jury, meeting most recently on March 10 in the West Annex Board Room (148 Smith Circle), was scheduled to hear reports on the Cameron Fisheries Update, the Occupational Tax and the Rail Feasibility Study and took up an agenda free of requests for drilling and pipeline permits, but including requests for permits by Shell Energy LLC to obtain after-the-fact, emergency authorization to construct a levee to prevent water from topping a road and entering an existing drill site; by Sabine Pass LNG, L.P. to maintenance dredge an existing marine berth, a construction dock, and a proposed marine berth along the Sabine River Channel, with annual dredging, transfer of material for shoreline protection, and establishment of a wetlands and wildlife preserve; and, among others, by Roy Bailey Construction to temporarily store excavated material within a permitted borrow-pit project area. Similarly, the Parish Police Jury was tasked with making appointments to Fire Protection Districts 1, 7, 9, and 14, since the terms of incumbents had expired; filling a Gravity Drainage District Number 3 vacancy resulting from resignation; tabling for 60 days the matter of a Waterworks District Number 11 resignation, because Bryan Granger's term expires May 5, 2020; and, among other appointments, taking up Waterworks District Number 9 and Lower Cameron Hospital District Number 2 selections tabled last month. Next, Parish Police Jury members were set to conduct a Public Hearing into Proposed Amendments affecting Temporary Food Service during Festivals and Fairs. The starting point was defining recognized festivals and fairs to include the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival, the St. Mary of the Lake Fall Food Festival, the Grand Chenier Alligator Festival, the Summer Bayou Bash Festival, the Hackberry Duck-Off, and the Cameron Saltwater Fishing Festival. In other business, the Parish Police Jury planned to accept bids for the CDBG-funded Rockefeller Shoreline Protection Project and to authorize the Police Jury President to execute contracts for the project; to exercise authority to advertise a speed-limit reduction from 25 miles per hour to 15 on Miller Avenue (PR 225) in Grand Chenier; to approve a Resolution authorizing Rural Public Transit to apply for a Formula Grant for Rural Areas to enhance mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities; to endorse the Police Jury President's Proclamation marking the Parish's Sesquicentennial 150th Anniversary; and, before payment of bills and adjournment, approval of such items as a $12,000 appropriation for the Cameron Council on Aging Meal Program.

* School District News Briefs ... The Cameron Parish School Board, School Superintendent Charley Lemons announces, will be providing to-go breakfast and lunch meals to anyone 18 and under, in the aftermath of onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Monday through Thursday between 11:30 AM and 12 Noon by prior telephone or E-mail arrangement with Dr. Holly Castile [(337) 775-5784 Ext. 1013]. Otherwise, school-closure to-go breakfast and lunch meals will be available between 11 AM and 12:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, at Grand Lake School, Hackberry School, Johnson Bayou School, and South Cameron School. Moreover, the School Board has a policy, during the current school closure, to permit students in grades 4-12 to check out their content-filtered Chromebooks for educational purposes, with distribution times limited, depending on the school, to March 18 or, in the case of the Grand Lake School, to March 23 from 9 AM-12 Noon on the High School side of the campus. And the Superintendent has prepared a COVID-19 informational resource for employees, students, parents/guardians and stakeholders generally.

Please E-mail info@continentalnewsservice.com for a copy of Brian Crowell's cartoon feature, "J.V. All-American"

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VOLUME VII NUMBER 1 MAY 1, 2020

Atlanta News Edition

Continental Features/Continental News Service