Local Fairs and Fetivals Sherman Old Home Days September 1st, 2014 Springfield Fair August 29 - September 1st, 2014 Route 169 91 Park Street Springfield, Maine 04487 House Republican Office Weekly Update Order of Bond Questions for November General Election Ballot Announced The order of bond questions for this November’s ballot has been determined. In order, the referendum ballot will read: •Question 1: “Do you want to ban the use of bait, dogs, or traps in bear hunting except to protect property, public safety, or for research?”; •Question 2: “Do you favor an $8,000,000 bond issue to support Maine agriculture, facilitate economic growth in natural resources-based industries, and monitor human health threats related to ticks, mosquitoes, and bedbugs through the creation of an animal and plant disease and insect control laboratory administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service?”; •Question 3: “Do you favor a bond issue to provide $4,000,000 in funds to insure portions of loans to small businesses to spur investment and innovation and to provide $8,000,000 in funds to make flexible loans to small businesses to create jobs, revitalize downtowns, and strengthen the rural economy?”; •Question 4: “Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue, to be awarded through a competitive process and to be matched by $11,000,000 in private and other funds, to build a research center and to discover genetic solutions for cancer and the diseases of aging, to promote job growth and private sector investment in this State, to attract and retain young professionals, and make the State a global leader in genomic medicine?”; •Question 5: “Do you favor a $3,000,000 bond issue, to be awarded through a competitive process and to be matched by $5,700,000 in private and public funds, to modernize and expand infrastructure in a biological laboratory specializing in tissue repair and regeneration located in the State in order to increase biotechnology workforce training, retain and recruit to the State multiple biomedical research and development groups, and create a drug discovery and development facility that will improve human health and stimulate biotechnology job growth and economic activity?”; •Question 6: “Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to ensure clean water and safe communities across Maine; to protect drinking water sources; to restore wetlands; to create jobs and vital public infrastructure; and to strengthen the State’s long-term economic base and competitive advantage?”; and •Question 7: “Do you favor a $7,000,000 bond issue to facilitate the growth of marine businesses and commercial enterprises that create jobs and improve the sustainability of the State’s marine economy and related industries through capital investments, to be matched by at least $7,000,000 in private and other funds?”. Maine’s General Election will be held Tuesday, November 4, 2014. The Secretary of State’s electronic absentee ballot request service will be online as of August 4. New Federal Standards for Entering Certain Federal Facilities Maine’s Secretary of State is advising residents that effective July 21, 2014, Maine’s driver license and identification card will not be accepted as proof of identification when entering restricted areas in federal buildings and nuclear power plants. This is the result of the REAL ID Act of 2005, which required states to comply with a myriad of new driver license standards or risk enforcement actions. The Maine Legislature and many Maine residents have voiced opposition to a number of the new standards, which include, in part, the use of facial recognition technology on driver’s licenses. The federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing REAL ID through a period of phased enforcement over the next several years. For the first two years of enforcement, REAL ID primarily affects persons seeking to access federal facilities where identification is required to be presented. Maine residents may present alternative forms of identification – such as a U.S. Passport – to gain access into these facilities and some federal agencies may have additional processes to accommodate individuals lacking the prescribed identification documents. The phases of REAL ID enforcement are as follows. Phase 1: Effective on April 21, 2014 -- Restricted areas (i.e., areas accessible by agency personnel, contractors, and their guests) for DHS’s Nebraska Avenue Complex (NAC) headquarters. Phase 2: Effective on July 21, 2014 -- Restricted areas for all federal facilities and nuclear power plants. Phase 3: Effective on January 19, 2015 -- Semi-restricted areas (i.e., areas available to the general public but subject to ID-based access control) for most federal facilities (subject to limitations). Access to federal facilities will continue to be allowed for purposes of applying for or receiving federal benefits. Phase 4: No sooner than 2016 -- Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft. A driver’s license or identification card from a noncompliant state may only be used in conjunction with an acceptable second form of ID for boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft. REAL ID does not apply to the following: •entering federal facilitates that do not require a person to present identification; •voting or registering to vote; •applying for or receiving federal benefits; •being licensed by a state to drive; •accessing health or life preserving services (including hospitals and health clinics), law enforcement, or constitutionally protected activities (including a defendant’s access to court proceedings); or •participating in law enforcement proceedings or investigations. Distraction.gov – U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on Americas roadways. In 2012 alone, 3,328 people were killed in distracted driving crashes. The U.S. Department of Transportation is leading the effort to stop texting and cell phone use behind the wheel. Since 2009, two national distracted driving summits have been held, texting and cell phone use for commercial drivers has been banned, states have been encouraged to adopt tough laws, and several campaigns have been launched to raise public awareness about the issue. Distraction.gov is your resource for learning more about distracted driving. Get the facts, get involved, and help keep Americas roadways safe. West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne viral disease. WNV occurs throughout the United States and can cause disease in humans, birds, and other mammals. Many people infected with WNV will have no obvious symptoms. In those people who do develop illness, symptoms of WNV include headache, high fever, altered mental state, tremors, convulsions, and sometimes, but rarely, paralysis. WNV can also cause meningitis/encephalitis and can be fatal. West Nile is transmitted to a person through the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus. This disease is best prevented by avoiding exposure to mosquitoes. For more information on WNV, visit the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention’s Web site here. Additional details can be found on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site here. Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease. EEE virus occurs in the eastern half of the United States, where it causes disease in humans, horses, and some bird species. As a result of the high mortality rate, EEE is regarded as one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the United States. Many people infected with EEE will have no obvious symptoms. In those who do develop illness, symptoms of EEE range from a mild-flu like illness to inflammation of the brain, coma, and potentially death. There is no specific treatment for EEE. This disease is best prevented by avoiding exposure to mosquitoes. EEE has never been reported in a Maine resident to date. However, in 2008, there was a fatal case of EEE diagnosed in a Massachusetts resident who may have acquired the infection while vacationing in Cumberland County. For more information on EEE, visit the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention’s Web site here. Additional details can be found on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site here.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 22:14:10 +0000
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