Verne Hill
Wednesday News for June 28, 2023
Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. Air quality is deemed unhealthy for ‘sensitive groups’ https://airquality.climate.ncsu.edu/
Over 80 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast are under air quality alerts today as smoke from the Canadian wildfires once again sweeps across the US border. Canada is seeing its worst fire season on record with hundreds of wildfires raging across the country – more than 200 of them burning “out of control.”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/us/canada-wildfire-smoke-great-lakes/index.html
Fire at Barefoot Landing? The North Myrtle Fire Rescue said a fire caused major damage to a store early Tuesday morning at Barefoot Landing, a popular shopping and dining area. Firefighters saw flames coming from the roof of Francesca’s, a clothing store that shares space with Johnnie-O. There were reports of thunderstorms in the area around the time of the fire. An investigation continues.
Five confirmed cases of malaria -locally spread by mosquitoes – within the US.
The CDC alerting medical professional of locally acquired cases of malaria in two states – four cases identified in Florida and one in Texas over the past two months.
It’s the first time there has been local spread of malaria by mosquitoes in the US in 20 years, according to the CDC. Local spread of malaria, a serious disease with flu-like symptoms, is very unusual. About 2,000 Americans catch malaria each year, but those cases involve trips abroad. The risk remains low, but you should take steps to avoid mosquito bites. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/health/malaria-vaccine-infection-mosquito-wellness/index.html
Some people really are “mosquito magnets”? Scientists in the US have found that people who are most attractive to mosquitoes produce a lot of certain chemicals on their skin that are tied to smell – and make them irresistible to mosquitoes. https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/10/20/why-are-mosquitoes-attracted-to-you-it-could-be-your-smell-scientists-say
Good News? Israeli scientists at the Hebrew University have developed a new kind of insect repellent – a “chemical camouflage” – that they say will deter 99% of mosquitoes from landing on skin where it is applied. This cellulose polymer repellent acts by preventing the mosquito from approaching an individual in the first place. The team hopes to bring the new repellent to the market next year. https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/06/10/scientists-have-developed-a-super-repellent-that-can-stop-99-of-mosquitos-from-biting-your
Until then, what insect repellant is best? Well, NBC News consulted experts about what’s important when buying insect repellent. Some of the top pics…
Best DEET pick: Cutter Backwoods Insect Repellent
Best DEET-free pick: Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent Pump Spray
Best for kids: OFF! FamilyCare Insect Repellent II
https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/best-insect-repellents-ncna1271196
‘Transformed Through Jesus’
Players, coaches, and staff from the Buffalo Bills partnered with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) recently to share the Gospel with more than 600 high school and middle school athletes – at the Bill’s home stadium.
Fields of Faith is a student-led event that encourages young athletes to invite, pray for, and challenge their peers to read the Bible and follow Jesus Christ.
The gathering was the first ever FCA Fields of Faith event in an NFL stadium. The students got to go onto the turf to play with friends, eat Chick-fil-A, and get autographs from the Bills players. And most importantly hear testimony (actually from some of the Bills players) of lives changed through Jesus! At the end of the night, several student-athletes give their lives to Christ for the first time, and many more recommit to the Gospel.” The recent event at Bills stadium is just one of many FCA events happening around the country this summer.
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that state legislatures do not have broad powers to set election laws independently of state courts. Some on the court argued that the power to write the laws is largely the province of elected representatives; the high court rejected that argument with three Republican-appointed justices joining in the 6-3 opinion.
Praying for the Johnson family. Tragic news of an apparent murder-suicide involving the in-laws of NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson. Jack Janway, 69; Terry Janway, 68; and their grandson, 11-year-old Dalton, died in a fatal shooting on Monday at their home in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Johnson will not race in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago. https://myfox8.com/sports/nascar-motorsports/jimmie-johnsons-in-laws-nephew-killed-in-murder-suicide-tmz-reports/
Major Re-Paving Project in Downtown Winston-Salem.
Portions of Fourth Street are CLOSED between Liberty and Broad Streets over the next 2 weeks (weather permitting). Detours will be posted.
Fifth Street will be closed in two phases beginning July 10: from Research Parkway to Broad Street. https://www.cityofws.org/3411/Downtown-Street-Repaving
