THE US REPORT

Just last week Volkswagen announced that it will build a U.S. automotive production facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., where it will produce a car designed specifically for the North American consumer and invest $1 billion in the economy. That announcement was followed by the dedication of Nissan Americas headquarters (photo, right) in Franklin, Tenn. The new center serves as regional headquarters for the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Just when you thought the economy was tanking and rumors of major American carmakers’ financial woes are floating, two manufacturers are in the news—the good news—confirming an intent to funnel money into a Southern state. Prof. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG was quoted in a news release at the Tenn. Dept. of Economic and Community Development: “Volkswagen will be extremely active there. This plant represents a milestone in Volkswagen’s growth strategy. We will be selling 800,000 Volkswagens in the U.S. by 2018, and this new site will play a key role. This, along with our growth strategy, is a prerequisite for the economic success of the company in the dollar region. We look forward to establishing an important mainstay for ourselves when we become the biggest European carmaker there.”

Nissan Americas CEO Carlos Ghosn offered a statement in his company’s news release: “Nissan Americas is an investment in our future,” Ghosn said. “We purposefully designed the building to inspire and enhance collaboration among our employees. The building also is a statement about our confidence in the continued growth of Nissan in the Americas and our unyielding commitment to environmental sustainability.” In May, Ghosn unveiled Nissan’s five-year business plan, GT 2012, including an outline of Nissan’s commitment to leadership in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of zero-emission vehicles.

While the vehicles themselves will be environmentally friendly, they will rely on a power infrastructure for batteries to recharge.

Disclosure: I drive a Nissan Altima and I am crazy about that car.

For sources, click on 'References' link below this post. Photo of Nissan's Franklin headquarters from Nissan Americas website.

A truck driver hauling hives and bees lost control of his vehicle and turned over near Winona on Interstate 90 today, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune says beekeepers were called in to take care of the swarms. It’s a good thing too, because without those honey bees, our flowers and crops would be challenged. But I was curious—why would a truck be hauling bees and hives?

Bees are important to our economy in more ways than one. Most states have beekeeper’s associations, and the Florida organization’s website has some interesting facts about honey bees. According to an article at the Florida Beekeepers Association website, by Laurence Cutts, honey bees aren’t native to the U.S. They were brought over from Europe by colonists. Cutts says American Indians called them “white man’s flies.” In the 1970s and 1980s, Florida was ranked first in the nation in honey production. But the nasty little tracheal mite caused a decrease in production, and now the state ranks fifth.

When I read the story about the Minneapolis incident, I learned something even more interesting—bees travel. Cutts writes: “Florida beekeeping has now become almost totally migratory. Most bees in the state are moved from two to six times annually, either interstate or intrastate. About half of Florida’s bees move to northern states in the summer for pollination or honey production. They pollinate everything from blueberries in Maine to almonds in California.”

Is there anything that smells as good as fresh honey, and is there anything better to stir into your cup of hot tea? I don’t think so. Florida’s Orange Blossom and Tupelo honey aren’t just popular stateside—these brands are known worldwide for quality.  The Florida Dept. of Agriculture website has some interesting information about the state’s honey in general, not just the two most esteemed brands: “Seventeen million pounds of honey are produced in Florida each year and enjoyed around the world. “ The state’s honey industry alone generates $13 million, and that’s without the work these creatures do in pollinating over 100 fruits and vegetable varieties. So next time you see a honey bee, don’t swat it.

Honey is just one of the gifts these busy creatures give us, and obviously, as indicated by the wrecked honey bee carrier, the bees don’t mind traveling to provide us with benefits.

[Text by Kay B. Day; photo from Florida Dept. of Agriculture: Apiary Inspection]

*Links to sources cited are in 'References' below this post.

(Columbia, SC)—Jesus Perez-Laguna, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Columbia, SC, on charges stemming from a sex trafficking ring involving at least one teenage girl. Perez-Laguna was sentenced to more than 14 years imprisonment and ordered to pay $52,500 in restitution to his victims. After his release from prison, Perez-Laguna will be on federal supervised release for the rest of his life. As a condition of supervised release, U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson ordered that Perez-Laguna be surrendered to immigration officials for deportation proceedings and further ordered that Perez-Laguna not return to the United States while on supervised release.

In April, Perez-Laguna’s co-defendant, Ciro Bustos-Rosales, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, ordered to pay restitution, and ordered to comply with similar terms and conditions of release as those included in Perez-Laguna’s sentence.

During their guilty plea hearings in September 2007, both men admitted that they were involved with transporting a 14-year-old girl across the border between the United States and Mexico and the border between North Carolina and South Carolina in order for the minor to engage in prostitution. Additionally, both men admitted that they harbored illegal aliens for the purpose of prostitution.

"Perez-Laguna and Bustos Rosales ruthlessly stole the innocence of young girls and profited from their exploitation," said Kenneth Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Investigations in Atlanta. "Bringing these criminals to justice would not have been possible without cooperation among international, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies."

Many Americans express concern not over immigration, but over those who come to the US illegally, possibly with intent to commit crime. Gary Bauer, in the essay, ‘Will Obama’s ‘hateful rhetoric’ draw Hispanic voters?’  for Human Events, noted, “During the first half of 2008, ICE deported 5,889 illegal immigrants in Florida, including 1,251 criminal aliens with criminal records that included everything from murder and sex offenses to drug crimes.  ICE also has played a key role in arresting persons involved in child pornography.” Bauer further notes, “In the first nine months of fiscal year 2008, ICE returned 7,345 illegal aliens to their home countries who had been living in Washington, Oregon and Alaska, a 39 percent increase in the volume of deportations from the three states since 2007.  Of the more than 7,300 deportations, over 2,000 had prior criminal convictions in addition to being in the country illegally.”

Perez-Laguna and Bustos-Rosales are two of three defendants indicted in August, 2007 by a federal grand jury in Columbia following a federal sex trafficking investigation. The third co-defendant, Guadalupe Reyes-Rivera, also known as "Mama Martina," is a fugitive.

[Source: Dept. of Justice Release, Jul, 18, 2008; no photo of the fugitive was posted with the release. Photo by Kay B. Day: Traffic heading north on I-95.)

The Wall Street Journal's article about a new focus in the Salmonella-Tomato investigation is being picked up by many newspapers. This investigation has really hit Florida's tomato growers hard. I wrote about this at Covering Florida. I never believed the Salmonella was related to our state's crop simply because my family and I have eaten them in salads, homemade salsas (I grew my own Cilantro), and other dishes. We're fine.  Florida has had 2 cases of Salmonella. So I figure if this really had anything to do with The Sunshine State crop, we'd have way more cases than 2. Goes to show you an investigation like this can really be difficult. I hope the FDA is analyzing data carefully. I just don't understand how this can be such a difficult case. References below include links to a variety of articles and to the FDA page on the Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, which FDA says is uncommon. We probably have problems with Salmonella more than we realize. The illness isn't usually fatal for most of us and symptoms mimic what many refer to as "stomach flu."  The WSJ says now the FDA is looking at the possibility jalapeno peppers are the culprit in the Salmonella situation. Stay tuned, but make note of the numbers of Salmonella Staintpaul cases in each state on the CDC map below.

More than 700 people gathered for Denver mayor John Hickenlooper’s (photo at right)  State of the City address heard a revamped US National Anthem when vocalist Rene Marie opted to sing ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing’ set to the tune of the actual national anthem. Hickenlooper told The Rocky Mountain News, "She blended the two songs together. She was trying to make an artistic expression of her love for the country. She did not intend to make a political statement or anything." Aside from having a name that challenges the tongue when speaking it aloud, Hickenlooper comes up a little short in the common sense department. He’s instituted a turn-the-thermostat up program but I noticed he asked for some cool air. Typical progressive politico.

Of course the singer was making a political statement. Racism is all the rage right now, the politically correct topic revived from the 1960s for angst-filled progressives filled with ideals about helping masses not a single one of which they’d probably invite over for dinner.  The singer was also doing a great p.r. job for herself, knowing absolutely she was creating an event that would expand her brand. Welcome to our media-driven culture.

Stuffing that lovely poem into the marching band character of  'The Star Spangled Banner' unfortunately marred both works and challenged the vocalist's abilities/range. Some say ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice’ is the Black national anthem. Some say, ‘Dixie’ is the Southern national anthem. Will someone sing ‘Dixie’ for the crowd at next year’s Denver State of the City Address, coincidentally in a city with a population comprising 11 percent African-Americans? Silly question isn’t it?

You can watch the speech and Marie’s performance at the Denver government website. Tip: Skip to around 14 minutes on the video if you just want to hear the vocalist. Her performance received a lukewarm response.  And now I reckon we see there's more than one reason to call Denver the 'mile high city.'

[Text by Kay B. Day; photo of Hickenlooper from City of Denver website.]