Black People In Business – World Wide

Nominations for 2012 CNN Heroes are being accepted online through August 31.

But these outstanding men and women would not have received this honor without someone taking the time to nominate them.

Tell us about individuals who are giving back in your community, people whose selflessness and personal stories inspire you. Your efforts could have a big impact.

Appreccia Faulkner nominated her mother, Diane Latiker, who opened her home to youth in a gang-ridden neighborhood.

Jack Harvey nominated someone he met at a conference: Derreck Kayongo, who recycles partially used hotel soap and distributes it to developing countries.

Marlene Jones nominated her real estate broker, Sal Dimiceli, who helps 500 people a year with food, rent and other necessities.

Latiker, Kayongo and Dimiceli all became Top 10 CNN Heroes in 2011, and the global recognition brought $50,000 to each honoree. Seeing them acknowledged on the world stage was rewarding to those who nominated them.

“Sal makes such a difference to people in this community, I wanted someone to know about him,” Jones said. When Dimiceli was honored as a CNN Hero, “I said: ‘Wow! I made a difference!’ “

Do you know an everyday person changing the world? It’s easy to nominate them as a CNN Hero. Here are some suggestions we hope will help you in crafting your nomination.

• Think about what makes your hero special. Ask yourself: What makes my nominee unique? What specific accomplishment has he or she achieved that is truly remarkable? What impact has his or her work had on others? We encourage you to watch videos of previous CNN Heroes to familiarize yourself with the achievements of the inspiring individuals we honor as “everyday people changing the world.”

• Take a look at our nomination form. We suggest you review the information requested about yourself, your nominee and his or her work before filling out your submission.

• Tell us about your hero. Take your time and write from the heart. Remember: What you share — in your own words — is the most important factor in advancing a nomination for further consideration. You can enter your answers to the essay questions directly on the form, or write them first in a word-processing document and “cut and paste” them into each answer field. Please note the information you provide will be used in accordance with our privacy policy.

• Click “Submit.” If your nomination has been successfully transmitted, you’ll see a “thank you” message on your screen. If you provided us with your e-mail address, we’ll also send a confirmation your nomination has been received. And yes, we read each and every one.

That’s it. Nominations for 2012 CNN Heroes remain open through August 31.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is eligible to be considered as a CNN Hero?
A: Nominations must be in the name of a single individual, at least 13 years of age, whose accomplishment occurred (or continued) after September 1, 2011. Nominees in the “Young Wonder” category must be 25 or younger. Groups and organizations are ineligible for consideration. Self-nominations will not be accepted. Citizens of voided countries are also ineligible. For complete details on eligibility requirements and other rules governing selection of CNN Heroes, please read our legal disclosures.

Q: How will I know if my hero is selected?
A: Because of the high volume of nominations received, we cannot respond individually to each submission. However, if your nomination advances, we will contact you and your nominee through the contact information you provide.

Q: What if I don’t know my nominee’s address, e-mail and telephone number?
A: Please make every effort to provide as much contact information as possible. We require either an e-mail address or telephone number so we may quickly contact your nominee to obtain permission for consideration as a CNN Hero.

Q: May I submit additional supportive information about my nominee?
A: There’s space at the end of the form to provide links to articles or websites with more information about your hero. Please do not send additional material unless requested.

Q: May I mail or fax my nomination?
A: No. All nominations must be submitted online through our website.

Q: What if my nomination form is rejected?
A: When filling out your form, please note that certain information is required. Those fields are marked with an asterisk (*). If you are not certain of your hero’s nationality, select “Other” from the country drop-down menu. Likewise, if you’re unsure which category his or her cause belongs in, just click “Other.”

CNN is not responsible for technical problems that may prevent your submission from being successfully transmitted. You may wish to first write and save the answers to essay questions in a word-processing document. That way, if you need to resubmit your nomination, you can “cut and paste” those answers into the form without rewriting them.

Q: Can I buy tickets to “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute”?
A: Unfortunately, seating is limited and by invitation only. Air dates and times for the global broadcast of “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” will be announced later this year.

Have other questions or comments about CNN Heroes? Contact us.

Release Date: 04/12/2012Contact Information: Stephanie Lindloff, 518-482-2631 (American Rivers)
Amy Kober, 503-708-1145 (American Rivers)
Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov (EPA)

FROSTBURG, MD. (April 12, 2012) – The Environmental Protection Agency and American Rivers today announced the six recipients of $1,373,119 in environmental grants to benefit communities, and protect rivers and clean water in the Potomac Highlands region of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The announcement was made at Frostburg University in Frostburg, Md. by EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, and American Rivers Senior Vice President for Conservation Chris Williams. The university will be involved in the Frostburg Grows, Grow It Local Greenhouse Project, submitted by Western Maryland Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. one of the six projects selected to receive a grant. This project will convert unused mine land into a five-acre greenhouse complex designed to train community members for high quality jobs while producing local food and tree seedlings.
Under a cooperative agreement with EPA, American Rivers is implementing the environmental grant program which supports local economies and quality of life improvements in the Potomac Highlands, as well as protecting the Highlands’ valuable ecosystems, some of which host the most diverse and globally important resources on Earth.
"The communities that comprise the Potomac Highlands will significantly benefit from this grant," said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin." The projects receiving grants today undertake a variety of approaches to achieve tangible economic and environmental benefits for this unique area. These grants will provide jobs and job training as well as a significant boost to recreational activities."

“American Rivers is proud to be part of this ambitious grant program, supporting the work of communities across the Potomac Highlands to safeguard the clean water and healthy rivers that are central to the region’s economic prosperity and quality of life,” said Chris Williams, American Rivers’ senior vice president for conservation. “We congratulate the grant recipients for their hard work and innovative ideas. We hope these projects inspire other communities and are replicated across the region and the nation.” "The exciting Grow it Local Greenhouse project will not only have numerous ecological benefits, it will also support the regional economy and green jobs, a priority of Governor Martin O’Malley," said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin.

Today, American Rivers also announced the availability of a second round of funding through the Potomac Highlands Implementation Grant Program. In 2011, EPA awarded American Rivers a $1.8 million to administrator this grant program. A total of $300,000 from that original fund has become available for organizations to apply for. This round will have the same requirements as the first round. Awards will range between $150,000 and $300,000, so one or two additional grants will be awarded. Proposals are due May 25th. All of the details can be found in the Request for Proposals at www.americanrivers.org/potomachighlands, including staff contact information.

The Highlands region is the headwaters of the Potomac River, which flows through the nation’s capital. The region’s streams and forests, which provide an estimated 186,000 jobs in the timber industry, are a rich habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants, as well as increasingly popular recreation and tourism destination. Many of the region’s streams have been damaged by harmful logging, mining, dams, and other development, but opportunities abound for river restoration and revitalization.

The grant recipients are:
MARYLAND
Frostburg Grows, Grow It Local Greenhouse Project (Frostburg, MD)
Sub-grantee: Western Maryland Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc.
Amount: $300,000
This project will convert unused mined land into a 5-acre greenhouse complex designed to train community members for high quality jobs while producing local food and tree seedlings. The environmental, social and economic benefits include reducing Potomac basin flooding and acid mine drainage, reestablishing natural forest habitat on strip-mined lands, creating two permanent, sustainable jobs and a training facility that will help create additional job opportunities, and providing local healthy food to the residents of western Maryland.

PENNSYLVANIA
Marsh Creek Watershed Conservation Easement (Adams County, PA)
Sub-grantee: Land Conservancy of Adams County, PA
Amount: $250,000
The Land Conservancy of Adams County will permanently preserve more than 147 acres of forest through a conservation easement on lands owned by Boyer Nurseries and Orchards. These high quality forestlands include the headwaters of Marsh Creek and are adjacent to more than 900 contiguous acres of preserved forestland that provide important bird habitat. LCAC is seeking other sources of funding to preserve additional orchard lands.

VIRGINIA
Shenandoah Valley Priority Lands Project (VA)
Sub-grantee: Potomac Conservancy
Amount: $150,000
The Priority Lands Project will protect important riverside, agricultural, and forested lands in the northern Shenandoah Valley with permanent conservation easements. Conservation of these key lands, totaling more than 1,100 acres, will preserve water quality in the Shenandoah River, the Potomac River’s largest tributary. It will also safeguard farms, forests, scenery, and the heritage and recreational opportunities for which the Valley is known.

Restoring Peyton Creek (Staunton, VA)
Sub-grantee: City of Staunton, VA
Amount: $209,244
This creek restoration project will improve water quality, encourage 21st century redevelopment, and beautify the Staunton community. The City of Staunton and its partners will remove 300 feet of culvert and restore streamside plantings in Gypsy Hill Park; daylight the stream and restore streamside plantings along 600 linear feet at Gypsy Hill Place; restore the Churchville Avenue Floodplain and; establish a rain garden and restore streamside vegetation along 200 feet of recently daylighted creek at 280/274 North Central Avenue.

Restoring Waynesboro’s Riverfront Parks (Waynesboro, VA)
Sub-grantee: City of Waynesboro
Amount: $163,875
The City of Waynesboro will restore riverside habitat, stabilize streambanks, and improve management of polluted runoff to improve water quality at two public parks along the South River. The project will also improve habitat for eastern brook trout, enhance recreation opportunities, and build upon the South River Greenway project currently underway in Waynesboro.

WEST VIRGINIA
Gandy Ranch Project Restoring Habitat and Landscape Connections (WV)
Sub-grantee: The Nature Conservancy
Amount: $300,000
The project will protect a 455-acre landscape connector between the Laurel Fork Wilderness Area and the Seneca Rocks/Spruce Knob Recreation Area of Monongahela National Forest. It will restore and reconnect red spruce/northern hardwood forests to expand the habitat of the federally protected West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel and Cheat Mountain Salamander. Partners include The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative, the US Forest Service, and the Mountain Institute.

American Rivers is a leading organization working to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and streams. Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Since 1973, American Rivers has fought to preserve these connections, helping protect and restore more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and the annual release of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 100,000 supporters, members, and volunteers nationwide.

For more information on EPA’s strategy plan for restoration and protection of EPA Highlands Action Program, go to www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/highlands-plan.html.
For more information about the grant recipients, go to: www.americanrivers.org/potomachighlands.

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Located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, Spain's history and culture are made up of a rich mix of diverse elements.

Through exploration and conquest, Spain became a world power in the 16th century, and it maintained a vast overseas empire until the early 19th century.

Spain's modern history is marked by the bitterly fought Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, and the ensuing 36-year dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.

After Franco's death in 1975, Spain made the transition to a democratic state and built a successful economy, with King Juan Carlos as head of state.

The constitution of 1978 enshrines respect for linguistic and cultural diversity within a united Spain. The country is divided into 17 regions which all have their own directly elected authorities. The level of autonomy afforded to each region is far from uniform. For example, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia have special status with their own language and other rights.

Andalucia, Navarre, Valencia and the Canaries in turn have more extensive powers than some other regions. Asturias and Aragon have taken steps to consolidate language rights.

In 2006 a Catalan referendum backed by the central government gave the region greater autonomy.

The Catalans won nation status within Spain and the region's parliament gained extra powers in taxation and judicial matters. The country's regional picture is a complex and evolving one.

One of Spain's most serious domestic issues has been tension in the northern Basque region. A violent campaign by the Basque separatist group ETA has led to nearly 850 deaths over the past four decades.

Eta declared a ceasefire in March 2006 saying it wished to see the start of a democratic process for the Basque region. The move divided opinion in Spain.

Tentative moves to negotiate a lasting peace were dealt a blow when Eta carried out a deadly bomb attack at Madrid's international airport at the end of the year. In June 2007, Eta called off its ceasefire.

The group announced another ceasefire in September 2010, but this time, the government said it was not prepared to enter into negotiations unless Eta renounced violence for good.

International negotiators urged Eta to lay down its weapons at a conference in October 2011, seen as a possible prelude to Eta's dissolution. Neither the Spanish government nor Eta was officially represented.

Until 2008, the Spanish economy was regarded as one of the most dynamic within the EU. However, the mainstays of the economy were tourism and a booming housing market and construction industry, and so the global economic crisis of 2008-9 hit the country hard.

The bursting of the housing bubble tipped Spain into a severe recession and by the end of 2011 the country had an unemployment rate of nearly 23% – the highest jobless rate in Europe. Austerity measures imposed by the government in an effort to reduce the level of public debt sparked a wave of protests.

Spain shares the Iberian peninsula with Portugal and its territory includes the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and two North African enclaves.

From Velazquez in the seventeenth century, through Goya straddling the eighteenth and nineteenth, to Picasso in the twentieth, Spain has the proudest of traditions in art.

Flamenco music and dance are widely admired around the world while Cervantes' novel Don Quixote is one of the most popular ever written.

Cinema is much loved and the films of directors such as Pedro Almodovar attract huge audiences.

He was aboard a boat near Belle River Landing in the southern part of the state when he appeared to have a seizure, said Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike Waguespack, citing an unidentified man who was with Guist.

The reality show star then fell on the boat.

The man who was with Guist towed both his boat and Guist’s boat back to the landing, called 911 and performed CPR, said Waguespack.

WAFB: ‘Swamp People’ star dies

Guist was transferred to the Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City, where he was pronounced dead.

“We are extremely saddened to report that our friend and beloved member of the ‘Swamp People’ family, Mitchell Guist, has passed away earlier today. Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he loved. We appreciate your respect for the Guist family’s privacy and hope you join us in sending our thoughts and prayers to his brother, Glenn, and the rest of the Guist family,” the History Channel said in a statement.

So what is ‘Swamp People?’

Glenn Guist is also a cast member on the show.

“Swamp People” is the popular History Channel TV series that chronicles the lives of alligator hunters in Louisiana.

Fans pay tribute to ‘Swamp People’ Mitchell Guist

Readers: What’s the best way to pay tribute to Mitchell Guist? Please leave your comments below.

Story By: by Christopher Joyce

Rocks on the shore of the Lackawanna River in Duryea, Pa., are discolored by iron oxide and sulfur compounds — pollutants left behind by past coal mining in the state.

Explore key components of the natural gas production process — and the questions scientists are asking.

Andrew Gavin (left) of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission checks the readings from a device set up to monitor water quality at Gray’s Run stream, near Williamsport, Pa.

So scientists are trying to see for them. One of them is a hydrologist, Andrew Gavin. He works for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the day I met up with him, he was at a very nice trout stream called Gray’s Run. It’s surrounded by forest — and a frack site. As we pulled on waders, Gavin explained what the commission was up to.

“What we’re doing in this monitoring project is really establishing what the general health is of the streams, so we can measure if there any changes in the quality of the water.”

Gavin and his team regularly take “grab samples” of stream water near fracking sites. The commission has also planted battery-powered monitors in over 50 streams. If something unusual gets in the stream, their computers in Harrisburg alert them. There are other groups in the state monitoring stream water around frack sites as well, employing both volunteers as well as scientists.

Over the past four years, the water used for fracking has won more protection. But scientists say they need to be vigilant. Frack water chemistry, for example, can be surprising. Water engineer Jeanne VanBriesen at Carnegie Mellon University points out that bromide in frack water behaved in an unexpected way when it went through public water treatment plants. It reacted with chlorine to create compounds that were potentially hazardous.

“We’re not omniscient,” she says of water scientists. “We can’t see everything, and sometimes there are downstream effects, particularly ones that involve the waste systems that interact with each other.”

VanBriesen also wonders about what happens to all the frack water that’s left underground. Pennsylvania is already a pin cushion. Oil and gas drilling has gone on for over a century here, long before fracking arrived.

“There are lots of holes in Pennsylvania,” she says. “Knowing where the old ones are is very important when you’re putting in a new one.”

George Jugovic Jr., who runs the environmental group PennFuture, says the location of a lot of those wells is unknown. “We have over 300,000 oil or gas wells that have been abandoned,” he says, “that are out there somewhere, that have not been properly plugged and that can serve as conduits for contamination to migrate up into existing groundwater.”

Brian Grove of Chesapeake argues that it’s unlikely that the water left behind in the Marcellus shale layer could ever contaminate groundwater — it would have to travel upward at least a mile through rock. But a study by the Ground Water Protection Council of fracking water in Texas and Ohio found that water used in drilling has in fact come back up through old, unplugged wells.

Yoxtheimer, the Penn State hydrologist, says fracking has been a “lightning rod” for the nation’s environmental movement. And he says Pennsylvania, like it or not, has been a case study for other states, like New York, that are weighing whether to allow hydraulic fracturing. “I think it’s been very interesting to watch the industry change its practices because of public pressure,” he says.

Pennsylvania’s government appears to be listening. There’s a new law that charges a fee for each well drilled. The fee is not as high as some wanted, but it should generate millions of dollars for Pennsylvania and the counties where drilling takes place. And the state has also raised the bond amount that companies must post to cover the costs of cleanup once they’ve left.

Sharjah Residents are yet again facing a challenge when renewing their tenancy contracts as inefficient staff, poor customer service and long queues compel them to take several days off work.

There are 48 employees working at the nine municipality centres that offer the services of attesting tenancy contracts, and the main department operates continuously until 8pm while the remaining others close at 2pm.

"I was about to get a token number and the staff counter informed me that even though I was in a queue, she would leave at 1pm regardless of how many customers were waiting in line," said a resident, who visited the municipality branch in Al Khan.

"I have never come across such incompetent staff who clearly refused to work, and had no other choice but to go back earlier the next day," he said.

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Al Ain: To appreciate regular blood donors and encourage others to come forward, Tawam Hospital’s Blood Bank has launched a two-month blood donation campaign across the country.

The drive is called Every Blood Donor is a Hero, to reinforce the self-esteem of those who give blood voluntarily and regularly and encourage others to become inspirational local heroes. This is the hospital’s annual blood collection campaign and will also mark World Blood Donor Day on June 14.

During the drive the blood bank will send its teams and mobile units to different locations, including private and government sector organisations and companies.

"It focuses on the idea that everyone potentially can become a hero by giving blood," said Hamad Al Mulla, Director of the Blood Bank, also known as the Regional Blood Bank.

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PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos held meetings with the leader of the Democratic Left party, Fotis Kouvelis, in what Venizelos called a “first step” toward assembling a coalition of pro-European parties. He is scheduled to hold talks with head of the center-right New Democracy party, Antonis Samaras, on Friday.

Samaras and another potential coalition partner — Alexis Tsipras of the leftist Syriza party — have tried and failed to organize a government already. If no one can pull together a coalition, and no national unity government can be formed by May 17, Greece must call new elections.

Venizelos, who has three days to cobble together a deal, said Sunday’s fragmented results show voters don’t trust “any party on its own.” But he says he wants Greece to stay in the eurozone, the group of 17 European countries that use a common currency.

“It is a given that we want Greece in the euro,” he said. “We want something better, not something worse.”

Read why Greece will muddle through crisis

Greece has been forced to impose punishing austerity measures to get international loans that have kept it from defaulting on debts. The election results were widely seen as a message to politicians to back away from the harsh economic austerity measures.

Voters backed parties on the far left and right, withholding support from PASOK and New Democracy, the more moderate parties that made up the coalition that enacted the cuts. Seven parties won seats in parliament in Sunday’s election, but no party captured more than 19% of the vote.

As Tsipras began coalition talks Tuesday, he said PASOK and New Democracy “don’t have a majority any more to vote for the plundering of the Greek people.”

PASOK placed third in the election, behind New Democracy and Syriza. The latest opinion poll, by Marc-Alpha TV, suggests that if new elections are held, Syriza would come out on top, with nearly 24% of the vote, followed by New Democracy with 17.4% and PASOK with just under 11%. A coalition would still need to be formed.

Extreme-right party Golden Dawn would take a smaller share of a second vote than on Sunday, the poll suggests, but would still pass the threshold to have lawmakers in parliament.

A European Commission spokeswoman said this week that Greece needs time to work through its political process, but she reminded the country’s leaders that they would be expected to abide by the terms of a bailout program meant to avoid a crippling financial meltdown.

“The commission hopes and expects that the future government of Greece will respect the engagements that Greece has entered into,” spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen told reporters.

New Democracy ended up with 108 seats in Greece’s 300-seat parliament. Voters also delivered a rebuke to PASOK, leaving it with 41 of the 160 seats it held before Sunday’s vote. Together, the parties fell short of the 50% necessary to continue their coalition, requiring formation of a new government.

Last year, Greece’s debt threatened to force it to drop Europe’s common currency, the euro, prompting the European Central Bank and other lenders to swoop in with emergency funding. In exchange, they demanded that the government slash spending.

The resulting measures have led to tax increases and cuts in jobs, wages, pensions and benefits — and significant public outcry.

Read why Greece shouldn’t be allowed to sink

The national unemployment rate for January, the latest month for which figures are available, was nearly 22%, prompting widespread protests and leading some young people to leave the country in search of work.

Youth unemployment is even higher than the national average of one in five out of work.

For two years, the country’s massive amount of debt has threatened the stability of the eurozone.

Greece pushed through a huge debt swap in March to save it from disorderly default and clear the way for it to receive a second bailout from the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, worth €130 billion ($171.5 billion).

The debt restructuring deal gave some breathing space to the eurozone bloc, where fears that Greece might collapse had increased pressure on other debt-laden nations such as Spain and Italy.

CNN’s Antonia Mortensen and Matthew Chance and journalist Elinda Labropoulou contributed to this report.