Geography of the United States

Malloy, Williams address tourism conference highlighting "Still Revolutionary" campaign

The Canadian PressMay 21, 2013 12:30

HARTFORD, Conn. - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Senate President Donald E. Williams Jr. are speaking at a Hartford conference on tourism. Their remarks came at Tuesday's event at the Connecticut Convention Center, which also included a presentation on the impact of Connecticut's "Still Revolutionary" campaign. Malloy said the two-year, $27 million state marketing initiative, unveiled last year, has paid off. He said there were more than 270,000 additional visits to Connecticut in the past year, generating an extra $161 million on dining, entertainment and vacationing.

Report: 87 shipwrecks, most from WWII, could leak oil near US, but no 'ticking time bombs'

The Canadian PressMay 21, 2013 02:17

WASHINGTON - A new government report details 87 shipwrecks — most sunk during World War II decades ago — that could pollute U.S. waters with tens of millions of gallons of oil. Even so, the potential for pollution is less than scientists had expected. The report released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concludes "the scope of the problem is much more manageable than initially feared.... Our coastlines are not littered with 'ticking time bombs.'"

Dozens injured in Oklahoma tornado, hospitals say

Thomson ReutersMay 21, 2013 02:15

(Reuters) - Dozens of people were injured in a huge tornado that flattened parts of Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday, according to officials of three hospitals. There were no confirmed reports of fatalities yet. Integris Southwest Medical center in Oklahoma City, which has the biggest emergency room in the state, had received 19 patients, said Integris spokeswoman Brooke Cayot. Of those, seven were in critical condition, seven in serious and five listed as fair or good.

Fewer immigrants dying on Arizona border

Agencia EFEMay 16, 2013 19:00

Tucson, Arizona, May 16 (EFE).- Deaths of undocumented immigrants in the Arizona desert are down 36 percent in the 2013 fiscal year, the U.S. Border Patrol said. From Oct. 1 through May 1, 64 migrants died while trying to sneak across the border into the United States, down from 101 during the same period of fiscal 2012, according to official figures. "The deaths have gone down, but as temperatures begin to rise in the desert, the dangers increase," Andres Adame, spokesman for the Border Patrol Tucson Sector, told Efe. The most recent fatality was last Saturday.

Study: Natural gas fracking hasn't polluted Arkansas water, but geology there plays a role

The Canadian PressMay 16, 2013 18:46

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas hasn't contaminated drinking water wells in Arkansas, according to a new study, but researchers said the geology there may be more of a natural barrier to pollution than in other areas where shale gas drilling takes place.

Coast Guard shuts section of upper Mississippi river

Thomson ReutersMay 15, 2013 14:52

(Reuters) - The Coast Guard has closed a couple of miles of the upper Mississippi river near the confluence with the Missouri river after barges broke loose. A filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said loose barges floating adrift in the upper Mississippi river collided with Kirby Inland Marine barges, which were docked at the Marathon Oil Dock. Coast Guard spokesman Colin Fogarty said the incident occurred around midnight and initial reports suggested there was a discharge of around 300 gallons of crude oil.

Coast Guard shuts section of upper Mississippi river

Thomson ReutersMay 15, 2013 14:51

(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard has closed a couple of miles of the upper Mississippi river near the confluence with the Missouri river after barges broke loose. A filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said loose barges floating adrift in the upper Mississippi river collided with Kirby Inland Marine barges, which were docked at the Marathon Oil Dock. Coast Guard spokesman Colin Fogarty said the incident occurred around midnight and initial reports suggested there was a discharge of around 300 gallons of crude oil.

Trout invasion behind Yellowstone elk decline

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 01:30

Researchers trying to explain declining elk numbers in the Yellowstone National Park (YNP) placed part of the blame Wednesday on a previously unlinked phenomenon -- a predatory trout invasion. In a vicious circle of human interference that underscores the delicate balance of nature, the team said the illegal introduction of lake trout more than 20 years ago changed the diet of a key Yellowstone predator -- the grizzly bear. The lake trout eat the bears' traditional prey, native cutthroat trout, and spawn in deeper waters where the grizzlies cannot reach them.

Farmington leads US in percentage of mobile homes, with 2 Arizona cities in close second

The Canadian PressMay 14, 2013 20:30

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - An unusual honour has been bestowed on northwestern New Mexico's Farmington region, along with two metro areas in western Arizona: A new report shows they're the mobile home capitals of the country. The U.S. Census Bureau report covering 2009-2011 found that out of 131.8 million various types of housing units in the United States, 8.6 million were mobile homes.

Bankrupt $200M Columbia River ethanol plant in Oregon now used to store, ship North Dakota oil

The Canadian PressMay 14, 2013 10:46

PORTLAND, Ore. - An ethanol plant on the Columbia River that was built with the help of $36 million in Oregon state loans and tax credits is now being used to store and ship crude oil from North Dakota. The Oregonian reports (http://bit.ly/12xgC1M ) the plant's switch came with little public notice. It was built at a cost of $200 million for Cascade Grain at the Port of St. Helens' Port Westward Industrial park near Clatskanie. The owner filed for bankruptcy in 2009, less than a year after startup. It produced little ethanol and is mothballed except for the storage tanks.