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Okaloosa’s First Black Mayor Takes Office
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←Pictured: Children take home books and school supplies
Where the Party At?
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Rapper Set to Launch Major New Black Television Network
(Taylor Media Services) Percy Miller (the rapper formerly known asMaster P) announced Friday that he will soon be launching Better Black Television (BBTV) a family friendly network that he says “will provide positive content for a black and brown culture that will appeal to all races with a goal to bring people of color a choice when turning on their television.” BBTV is expected to launch in 2009.
The content on the channel will contain a wide array of programs including health and fitness, financial planning, reality TV, sitcoms, dramas, movies, “responsible” hiphop music and videos, politics, sports, entertainment news and educational children's shows. According to Miller, production has begun and will be based out of California, New York, Louisiana and Florida. More information can be found online at www.BETTERBLACKTV.com.
Reuters/Zogby Poll: McCain Makes a Move, Takes 5-Point Lead Over Obama
Obama loses ground among Dems, Women, Catholics & Even Younger Voters
UTICA, New York As Russian tanks rolled into the Republic of Georgia and the presidential candidates met over the weekend in the first joint issues forum of the fall campaign, the latest polling includes drama almost as compelling - Republican John McCain has taken a five-point lead over Democrat Barack Obama in the race for President, the latest Reuters/Zogby telephone survey shows. McCain leads Obama by a 46% to 41% margin. And McCain not only enjoys a five-point edge in a two-way race against Obama, but also in a fourway contest including liberal independent candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian Bob Barr, the poll reveals. In the four-way contest, Mc- Cain wins 44% support, Obama 39%, Barr 3% and Nader 2%.
Inflation: The Greatest Enemy of
Your Retirement Planclick to read
It Can be Safe toWalk to Schoolclick to read
Summer Ends with Youth Celebration 2008
Summer Youth Celebration 2008, formerly known as the Summer Bash, was held Sunday August 17th at Central Park, located underneath the 110 freeway next to the Cecil Hunter Pool. The event was sponsored by the Escambia Pensacola Human Relations commission, City of Pensacola, and host organization Truth for Youth, Inc. Giveaways included free back to school supplies, shoes and bookbags. H & O Cafe contributed fried chicken to compliment the free hotdogs, popcorn and pickles.
"Par 4 came all three weeks and gave golf lessons. It was outstanding. The kids really loved it," said Rev. John Powell, founder and CEO of Truth for Youth. "We had tennis out there and it was overwhelmingly a success," he said. A youth talent show highlighted the event with over 600 children and families in attendance.
Members of Little Zion AME Zion church honored Reverend Winfred & Rose Pettiway (pictured) last Sunday during their third annual Appreciation Day.
UF, Utility Companies Assess Impact of WInd on Power Lines
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With Tropical Storm Fay bearing down on Florida, thousands of residents are likely to be faced with power outages that are both disruptive and costly.
To find ways to cost-effectively reduce the number of blackouts that historically accompany tropical storm or hurricane landfalls, University of Florida researchers are engaged in a major collaboration with Florida’s utility companies.
The Hurricane Hardening Project is examining how hurricane winds affect both underground and overhead power lines. The project is also seeking the best ways to minimize tree-related outages and other potential threats to electric infrastructure in an effort to speed the restoration process in the aftermath of storms.
“Preparing for storms requires cooperation from many groups and organizations,” said Matthew Carter II, chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission, which initiated the project. “We are pleased that the University of Florida is fostering cooperation by working with Florida’s utilities on research to strengthen the state’s electrical grid.”
Researchers and utilities are studying the impacts of moving lines underground and also examining the possibility of strengthening existing overhead systems as a cheaper alternative, said Mark Jamison, director of UF’s Public Utility Research Center, which is coordinating the hurricane hardening effort.
This innovative research has resulted in an experimental computer model that may be helpful in assessing the costs and benefits of burying power lines.
“People need to know the costs and benefits to decide whether it’s worth moving lines underground,” Jamison said. “Once we have this information, customers, policymakers and utility companies can make sound choices.”
Researchers have also examined four cases in Florida where utilities have converted overhead lines to underground. Their main conclusion: Moving existing overhead lines underground is costly and usually not justified solely by the economic benefits but rather by other benefits that are difficult to quantify such as aesthetics. That said, burying utility lines in some communities may have read more...
National Briefs
Studies Suggest Blacks Need to Get More Sunshine
(Taylor Media Services) There is a growing body of scientific and medical research suggesting that concerns about skin cancer may have been exaggerated and that most Americans, especially Blacks, actually need greater exposure to sunshine and the valuable vitamin D it helps to produce. The most recent in a series of studies was released on Tuesday by the prestigious John Hopkins University in Baltimore.
The researchers used data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to conclude that not getting enough of the socalled “sunshine vitamin” appears to increase the risk of an early death by as much as 26 percent. John Hopkins cardiologist Dr. Erin Michos said low levels of vitamin D appear to “confer an increased risk of dying from any cause.”
As far as African Americans are concerned, Jean Mayer of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston concluded in an earlier report: “Vitamin D insufficiency is more prevalent among blacks than other Americans and, in North America, most young, healthy blacks to not achieve optimal” levels of vitamin D from sunshine.
Blacks perhaps have the best protection there is to skin cancer – the dark pigmentation of their skins. However, the same pigmentation which protected the African ancestors of American Blacks from the harmful ultra-violet rays of the hot African sun now works as a disadvantage because it reduces vitamin D production in the skin in the less sunny North American environment.
Report Says Blacks and Hispanics Are ‘Un-Banked and Under-Banked’
(Taylor Media Services) According to the Synovate 2008 U.S. Diversity Markets Report, both American Blacks and Hispanics are “unbanked and underbanked” – meaning they own much fewer financial instruments than whites including checking and savings accounts.
The percentage of Hispanics with a checking or savings account has risen from 70 percent in 2004 to 77 percent in 2008. Meanwhile, African American ownership of checking or savings accounts has gone up from 82 percent to 90 percent during the same period.
However, where Blacks and Hispanics tend to fall far behind whites is in the ownership of IRAs or 401k plans, stocks and bonds, certificates of deposit and credit cards. For example, 54 percent of Blacks and 32 percent of Hispanics own IRAs or 401k plans compared to over 72 percent of whites. Synovate is a financial services group. Additional information on the report is available online at www.synovate.com/insights/ publications/reports/ diversity.
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