From the Chia Pet to the Topsy Turvy tomato planter, every year the newest wave of garden gadgets or plants hits the marketplace. One of the newest is the tomato tree. A University of Georgia expert advises home gardeners to do their homework before ordering one.“Tomato trees are being advertised in the backs of magazines as one of the newest gardening plants,” said Wade Hutcheson, the UGA Cooperative Extension agent in Spalding County. “This is definitely a case of buyer beware.”Trees vs. plantsThe tomato tree (Cyphonandra betacea) is a perennial shrub, he said. If planted in the proper region, the tree produces fruit from flowers in three months.Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) are annual vines that produce fruit in weeks, not months.“The heavily producing (tomato) tree bears tomatoes that are oblong in size,” Hutcheson said. “I’ve never tasted or seen one, but I’ve been told they are nowhere as sweet as traditional tomatoes.” Clarke County gardener Gary Burton agrees. He grew tomato trees from seeds a few years ago.Ugly, tasteless fruit“They did grow tall, and the tomatoes were large,” he said. “But the fruit was ugly, scarred and split. And it didn’t have a memorable flavor.”Burton said the trees were easy to grow, but took up a lot of space. He grew several and shared the plants with his gardening friends.“Several people who took them pretty much had the same experience I did,” he said. “Only one person asked me about the tomato trees the next season, and I haven’t planted them again.”Most of Georgia too coldUnluckily for most Georgians who may want to try growing a tomato tree, the plant must be grown in frost-free locations. “The definite downside is that it’s not going to survive outside in Georgia’s winter,” Hutcheson said.As for Burton, he’s staying true to traditional tomato plants.“Tomato tree fruit may be big, red and juicy, but it’s not nearly as good as Big Beef, Park’s Whopper or Goliath Hybrid,” he said.
How to employ a staff of great problem solvers
31SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,John Pettit John Pettit is the Managing Editor for CUInsight.com. John manages the content on the site, including current news, editorial, press releases, jobs and events. He keeps the credit union … Web: www.cuinsight.com Details If you want your company to succeed, you’ll need your employees to be the best they can be. One of the most important qualities your employees can have is the ability to solve problems on their own. When an employee is able to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions on their own, it keeps things running smoothly and maximizes productivity. Here are a few ways you can make your employees great problem solvers.Look for creative candidates: It all starts with hiring. If you’re not hiring the right kinds of employees, you’ll be stuck with a staff that can’t take the heat when they enter the kitchen. Seek to employee those people whose brains work a little differently. Instead of the same old questions, challenge your job candidates during their interview and see if they have the ability to come up with creative solutions on the fly.Encourage them to take ownership: Employees may make decisions based on what they think their boss would want done in a particular situation. Encourage your employees to problem solve from the boss’s shoes. If they were in charge, what would they do? What’s the best solution for all parties involved? What are the pros and cons? Examine the situation and decide on the best course of action based on a review of all possible outcomes.Give them your trust: Give your employees the freedom to truly make choices. If they feel that you’re always looking in on them, they won’t feel the confidence they need to succeed on their own. Once the job is done, give constructive feedback and praise creative solutions. When your employees know that you believe in them, they’ll believe even more in themselves.
Arsenal target Dominik Szoboszlai as Matteo Guendouzi’s replacement
Advertisement Dominik Szoboszlai is on Arsenal’s summer shortlist (Getty Images)Arsenal are targeting Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai as a potential replacement for Matteo Guendouzi, according to reports.Mikel Arteta is keen to revamp his midfield options in the summer transfer window and the Gunners have already held talks with Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey.Reports claim that Partey is keen on joining Arsenal, but the Gunners are looking to negotiate a lower transfer fee than his €50 million (£43m) release clause.According to The Times, Arteta is open to selling Guendouzi and also Lucas Torreira, with Partey and Szoboszlai being signed as replacements.ADVERTISEMENTThe 19-year-old has been in excellent form for Red Bull Salzburg this season with 11 goals and 17 assists in 39 appearances.AdvertisementAdvertisementSzoboszlai, who has already played eight games for Hungary’s national team, can play either in a central or a left-sided attacking midfield role. Arsenal target Dominik Szoboszlai as Matteo Guendouzi’s replacement Metro Sport ReporterFriday 3 Jul 2020 2:33 pmShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link3.2kShares
Dominik Szoboszlai has been in excellent form for RB Salzburg this season (Getty Images)The report also claims that Arteta will be reliant on free transfer and loan deals this summer unless he can generate his own transfer budget by selling players.Speaking this week, Arteta revealed that Arsenal’s finishing place in the Premier League will have a major impact on the club’s transfer plans this summer.‘I have a very clear plan and the specificity of the players and squad balance that we need to compete with the rest of the top teams in the country,’ said the Arsenal manager.More: FootballRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starChelsea defender Fikayo Tomori reveals why he made U-turn over transfer deadline day moveMikel Arteta rates Thomas Partey’s chances of making his Arsenal debut vs Man City‘We don’t know how the market is going to be. Obviously, we are putting different plans together to see what we’ll be able to do.‘At the moment, the uncertainty is still big, the way we’re going to finish the season will dictate a lot of things financially as well. ‘We have to be a bit patient and see what happens.’Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Advertisement
Polish schemes urge government to clarify stock-lending, derivatives rules
The practice, according to the Chamber, would reduce asset price volatility and improve market valuations and Polish capital market competitiveness.The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), the country’s pensions regulator, is also backing a speedy introduction.The use of derivatives, meanwhile, would enable the funds to hedge currency and other risks.This activity, supported by the Warsaw Stock Exchange, has become increasingly important since the OFEs were allowed, under the 2014 reforms, to increase their overseas investment from 5% to 10% in 2014, and to 30% by 2016.The IGTE has also published returns for the OFEs since the 2014 pension reforms took effect.The return between 1 February 2014 and 31 March 2015 averaged 5.64%.Despite their high equity investments, the OFEs outperformed the Warsaw Stock Exchange’s benchmark WIG20 index (at 1.7%), one-year Polish zloty bank deposits (2.43%), Polish equity (3.29%) and balanced (4.19%) funds, and two-year bonds (5.63%).However, the OFEs’ returns were well below the 9.44% returned by Polish sovereign bonds – the instruments that were removed from their portfolios in February 2014, and in which the funds can no longer invest.The official three-year return reported by the KNF for 31 March 2015 was 21.53%, and 2.52% for the 12-month period.Meanwhile, the Central Statistical Office of Poland (GUS) reports that, in 2014, the OFEs made an aggregate financial loss of PLN147.6m (€35.3m), compared with a profit of PLN19.1bn the previous year.As a result of the reforms, net assets fell by 50.3% to PLN149.4bn.Over that period, operating income declined by 51.9% to PLN5.5bn, and investment gains by 56.1% to PLN4.3bn.The main cause of the loss in 2014 was unrealised loss on revaluation of PLN8.9bn, compared with a profit of PLN8.7bn in 2013.Despite the fund losses, the pension fund management companies themselves increased their aggregate net profit by 203.3% to PLN1.1bn. The Polish Chamber of Pension Funds (IGTE) is pressing the government to issue regulations concerning second-pillar pension fund (OFE) use of stock lending and derivatives.These two activities were introduced as part of the 2014 pension reform, but the industry is still waiting for the government to specify procedures and conditions of use.According to a report on IGTE’s website, work on stock lending procedures started in early 2014, only to be abandoned, for unknown reasons, that April.According to IGTE, stock lending is a cost-free way for pension funds to gain additional income on securities that cannot be traded over a short period of time.
Netherlands roundup: DNB to replace board members
These included staff in supervisory and policy positions within pensions, he indicated. In a response, Jan de With, pensions manager at the €27bn Rabobank scheme, said the researchers’ conclusions made sense to a certain extent, but noted that costs per participant also depended on other issues.He argued that new legislation, such as on risk management, governance and privacy, as well as investments in communication, also contributed to a pension fund’s cost level.De With further emphasised that the implementation of more than one pension plan at a pension fund, as well as transitional arrangements, also added to the complexity. The €2.2bn pension fund of Dutch pensions supervisor De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) is to replace four board members employed by the sponsor with external experts.Roeland van Vledder, the scheme’s independent chair, said the decision came in the wake of an internal report about a “possible incident”, which was later found as being without merit.He said this had made the fund consider that it was vulnerable to conflicting interests or even the appearance of such.The chair said achieving absolute certainty in preventing this, had turned out to be very expensive and difficult, but added that the scheme had compiled a list of DNB positions that weren’t compatible with a seat on its board.
Roeland van Vledder at DNBVan Vledder added that “theoretically things could get mixed up as a consequence of people working in close vicinity of each other, or as a result of the watchdog’s departments co-operating.”He declined to provide examples, arguing that “every example would, of course, be wrong”.The chair noted that the pension fund had opted to replace the existing trustees in active service at DNB as this would be “relatively the easiest solution”.Three of them are employed within banking supervision. The other one has been seconded to European supervisor EIOPA as the local expert on risk and financial stability.Researchers link lengthy scheme regulations to costs levelThe more extensive a pension fund’s rule book is, the more administration costs they incur per participant, a survey has suggested.In an article in ESB, a Dutch magazine for economists, Michiel van Leuvensteijn and Bernadette Baron, concluded that “every additional page of complexity” would add €1.80.Leuvensteijn and Baron, who work at the Netherlands Competition Authority (ACM) but published the survey independently, examined data of 148 Dutch schemes over the period 2007-2017.They defined complexity as the total number of pages of a scheme’s rule book, and explained that less complex regulation would be easier to summarise.The researchers said pension funds’ rule books comprised 52 pages on average, and noted that schemes usually applied the same font and spacing.“This survey emphasises the importance of keeping pension arrangements concise and comprehensible,” said the authors, who acknowledged that detail in regulations could sometimes be unavoidable in order to achieve a fair distribution of pension assets.Van Leuvensteijn was strategic policy adviser at the €529bn asset manager APG between 2012 and 2016.
Police report first major drug bust for 2012
Sharing is caring! 17 Views no discussions Marijuana packages. Photo credit: thcfinder.comPolice say they will continue to search for the culprits in what they describe as the biggest drug bust for the year.On Friday April 13, 2012 during an operation between the Dominica Police Force and the Canine Unit of the Immigration Department found and sized 1, 245 pounds of Marijuana in an abandoned area in Calibishie.Police Inspector John Carbon reported that the drugs have a street value of EC$1 million.According to him, based on the packaging, the drug was imported into the island.“In the past we have seen the trend of the way it is packaged, the markings that are on the bags. There are 27 nylon bags containing the compressed marijuana. The way it it’s packaged; it is not packaged like that in Dominica. We have seen so in the past. It was imported into the country. Carbon said further that they are certain that it was not for the local market.“It more or less was in transit to some other country. We believe that it was heading to the French islands, possibly Guadeloupe”.Dominica Vibes News Share Share
LocalNews Police report first major drug bust for 2012 by: – April 18, 2012 Share Tweet
Shelbyville lawmaker admits fault in hunting law oversight
Indianapolis, In. — Republican state representative from Shelbyville Sean Eberhart is admitting fault in a state measure that is creating confusion among hunters. House Bill 1415 was an attempt to clarify, but the result is causing anger and confusion.House Enrolled Act 1415 made it illegal for hunters to rifles while hunting on public land. Last year using rifles on public land with pistol ammunition was legal. It is still legal to use a muzzleloader, shotgun or handgun on public property.Eberhart says the measure was drafted to to clarify what high velocity rounds can be used on public land.Eberhart says despite being reviewed during the General Assembly lawmakers did not know about the unintended consequences. He hopes to address the matter by January of 2018.The complete regulation is located here.
Who will replace Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa?
Press Association REMI GARDE Former Lyon manager Remi Garde has emerged as the early favourite with the bookmakers and held talks with Newcastle last season before the appointment of Steve McClaren. Garde, who played with Arsenal so knows the Premier League, left Lyon in 2014 to take a break from the game for personal reasons. Although his time with Arsenal was back in 1998 he has a proven managerial record having won the Coupe de France in 2012 during three seasons in charge at the Stade de Gerland. DAVID MOYES The former Everton and Manchester United manager is under pressure in Spain as Real Sociedad struggle in the Primera Division. With the team just above the relegation zone, Moyes’ days in Spain could be numbered although he did celebrate a 4-0 victory at Levante on Sunday. The Scotsman has already been linked with the job and has Premier League experience following his time at Goodison Park and Old Trafford. Sherwood left Villa Park following Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Swansea, a sixth straight defeat which left the club bottom of the Barclays Premier League table after Sunderland’s derby win on Sunday. Here Press Association Sport looks at the contenders to take over. Aston Villa are looking for a new manager following the decision to part company with Tim Sherwood. BRENDAN RODGERS The former Liverpool manager took the Anfield club to the verge of Premier League trophy success two seasons ago, only to fail to haul in Manchester City in the title run-in. Having forged his reputation at Watford, Reading and Swansea he got the job of Liverpool manager in succession to Kenny Dalglish. Following a 1-1 draw with Everton, Rodgers was sacked. He would see the Villa job as an ideal way to get back into management. NIGEL PEARSON Having established Leicester in the Premier League Pearson can take some credit for the side which has made a fine start to the season under Claudio Ranieri. He signed Jamie Vardy from Fleetwood and the striker has gone on to make his England debut this year. Off-field controversies dogged Pearson during his final days at Leicester and that could count against him in the eyes of Villa owner Randy Lerner. BOB BRADLEY The former United States head coach is currently in charge of Norwegian club Stabaek who lie second in the Tippeligaen standings to Rosenborg. Having made his name in Major League Soccer with Chicago Fire, New Jersey MetroStars and Chivas USA he was appointed USA coach in 2007, guiding them to the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa where they topped a group including England before a second round exit to Ghana. He left the USA job in 2011 and was quickly appointed to manage the Egyptian national side, but after failing to qualify for the 2014 World Cup his contract was not extended. SEAN DYCHE Burnley’s manager has Premier League experience from the Clarets’ single campaign in the top flight last season. As one of the most upwardly mobile young English managers he has forged a reputation which sees his name come into the frame for Premier League management vacancies. With Burnley currently third in the Sky Bet Championship table he might think twice about exchanging a promotion challenge for a relegation battle. GARY ROWETT The Birmingham manager has seen his reputation grow after a year in charge which has seen the club transformed from relegation candidates to genuine promotion challengers. Managers have crossed the city divide before with Alex McLeish being the most recent. The main thing that counts against the former Burton boss is his lack of Premier League experience. 
Fernando Torres scores 100th goal for Atletico Madrid in win over Eibar
Fernando Torres scored his 100th goal for Atletico Madrid as the Rojiblancos came from behind to beat Eibar 3-1 and record their first win in four matches.Former Atletico academy player Keko gave the visitors a surprise lead at the start of the second half following an error by Saul Niguez, but Jose Maria Gimenez quickly replied for the hosts by heading home from a Koke corner.Saul compensated for his earlier mistake by nodding in another Koke corner, and then Torres sent the Vicente Calderon into ecstasy by sliding in to tap in Luciano Vietto’s low pass for his milestone goal in stoppage time.–Follow Joy Sports on Twitter: @JoyFMSports. Our hashtag is #JoySports
Clear Lake council to consider second reading of ordinance changing ambulance rates
CLEAR LAKE — The Clear Lake City Council tonight will consider the second reading of an ordinance that would make adjustments in user fees for the city’s ambulance service.The recommendation for the slight increases come from the city’s third-party billing administrator, PCC of West Bend, who has determined that the fees charged for the operation and maintenance of the ambulance service need to be raised to better offset the costs of the service. The increase will help close the gap between the city’s costs and the amount paid by Medicare and Medicaid.The costs of non-emergency transport would stay steady, with the basic life support fee being $400 and the advanced life support fee being $600. Emergency transport with basic life support would go up from the current rate of $595 to $625, while emergency transport with advanced life support would go from the current $706 to $750.Ambulance service at the “Advanced Life Support 2” level, which typically includes the administration of medically necessary services, would go up from $1023 to $1100. The “loaded mileage charge” would also increase a half-dollar to $13.50. If passed on all three readings, the new fee structure would go into effect on July 1st.The council meets tonight at 6 o’clock at City Hall.