Funding for Bike Riders & What's Up With the Weather

Funding for Bike Riders & What's Up With the Weather

Funding for Bike Riders & What’s Up With the Weather plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Farmers in the midwest especially are keeping an eye on the weather and USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has a look.

RIPPEY: An extremely active weather pattern to continue. In fact maybe some early signs that we’ll see some of the hyperactive weather that we saw in late April with fires, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes and the like. To put it in a nutshell it looks like wetter than normal conditions for the vast majority of the country, especially across the northern plains stretching into the midwest and the mid south. Areas expected to remain dry would be confined to the west coast and across the immediate southern tier of the country from southern California to Florida.

Portland mayor Sam Adams is taking some flak over a decision to boost funding for Portland bike projects instead of using the money to repair the city's old and damaged roads. Cyclists around Stumptown said more and more people commute by bike now and they should get priorities for a smoother and safer ride. Last year, Adams set aside 1% of gas taxes and parking revenue monies, roughly $59,000, for bike projects. This year he boosted that percentage to 17%.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Since not many of us have mastered the Vulcan neck pinch, the removal last week of the loud mouthed cell phone user from an Amtrak train by police was the next best thing. The fact that this particularly rude cell phone user was in a designated “quiet-car” sealed her fate. In an age where technology runs rampant, and everyone from toddlers to centurions carries a cell phone or other communication device, it was inevitable that the noise pollution from so many mouths in motion would eventually lead to a revolt by the non-cell phone carrying minority. It’s extremely difficult to find a location today that has not been invaded by communication technology, be it airplanes, restaurants, grocery stores, libraries, or even heaven forbid, churches. Technology can be a wonderful thing, convenience and safety being an example, but it does have its proper place, and there is technology etiquette that should be adhered to. Could the day be close at hand that cell phone usage will be banned in all but designated areas the same as cigarette smoking is today. If the vast number of people in favor of the rude cell phone user’s removal is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
 

Previous ReportEquine Herpes Outbreak & Using Coupons
Next ReportRejecting the Tax Increase & More Comments Wanted for GIPSA