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Tag: Mercer County

  • Officials celebrate after transforming farm land into facility capturing ‘unlimited’ energy: ‘It’s free power that you’re able to harness’

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    Mercer County, Illinois, is now running on more sunshine. A new 38-acre solar farm is already generating enough clean energy to power around 850 homes and businesses across three counties, reported WQAD TV.

    The Goldenrod Solar Farm, developed by Cultivate Power, is made up of more than 12,000 solar panels and produces 5 megawatts of electricity. Before it officially opened at the end of July, the site had been quietly online for two months, feeding renewable energy into the grid.

    For the Essary family, who owns the land where the project sits, solar was the clear path forward. “We’ve always kind of been stewards of the land, and we felt like we needed to do something a little more to give back, so we weighed everything out and ended up going with solar as the safest for the land,” Robert Essary said.

    Residents who opt into the community solar program may see lower monthly energy bills, thanks to the stability and affordability of solar power. “It’s one of the cheapest renewable energy sources out there. Not just renewables, but energy altogether,” explained United Renewable Energy Project Manager Seth Bishop. “It’s free power that you’re able to harness from the sun, so there’s an unlimited resource there.”

    By easing demand on the regional grid, the farm will also help improve reliability for nearby communities. Mercer County currently imports much of its electricity from Missouri, but now some of that power will be homegrown. “The farther you get from your source of power, the less you’ll have overall,” Bishop said. “So, it supplements the line and will alleviate some strain on the grid there.”

    The project is also putting money back into the community. A portion of the farm’s profits is already funding local scholarships, fire departments, and youth agricultural programs, including Future Farmers of America programs at two local high schools.

    Goldenrod is one of many new solar projects across the country helping communities lower costs, strengthen local grids, and reduce reliance on dirty energy sources. Communities from Wyoming to West Virginia are already seeing the difference, with cleaner air and more reliable electricity as the payoff.

    But homeowners don’t have to wait for a solar farm to be built nearby to reap similar benefits. Adding rooftop solar can drive household energy costs close to zero, while also making other efficient appliances — like heat pumps — cheaper to run. Tools like EnergySage make it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and save thousands on going solar. And for those considering a heat pump, Mitsubishi can help match families with affordable options.

    Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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  • In N.J.’s 3rd District, Herb Conaway wins Democratic primary; Rajesh Mohan gets GOP nod

    In N.J.’s 3rd District, Herb Conaway wins Democratic primary; Rajesh Mohan gets GOP nod

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    In Tuesday’s primary election for New Jersey’s 3rd District of the U.S., five Democrats and four Republicans ran in their parties’ respective contests. Herb Conaway, a longtime Assemblyman and physician from Bordentown, was declared the winner of the Democratic race. Rajesh Mohan, a cardiologist from Holmdel, won the Republican primary. 

    The race for New Jersey’s 3rd District is wide open with incumbent Democrat Andy Kim running for U.S. Senate.

    Polls closed at 8 p.m. and results in both races will be updated below as they become available. All results are unofficial until they have been confirmed by election officials.


    RELATED: Coverage of the Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate in New Jersey | Republican primary results for N.J.’s 1st District U.S. House seat | Democratic primary results for N.J.’s 2nd District U.S. House seat


    The 3rd District covers nearly all of Burlington County and parts of Mercer and Monmouth counties. Kim is currently in his third term since he was elected in 2018. He was preceded by two-term Republican Congressman Tom MacArthur.

    Democrats

    Herb Conaway has served New Jersey’s 7th legislative district in Burlington Count for 26 years. His legislative efforts at the state level include helping developing the state’s health insurance marketplace, revamping the state’s school funding formula and improving nutritional standards in public schools. Conaway has said the biggest issue in the election is protecting democracy against authoritarianism. He plans to push for codifying abortion rights federally and take action on climate change by incentivizing the development of infrastructure for more planet-friendly technologies.

    Joe Cohn is a civil rights attorney from Lumberton who has worked on behalf of people with HIV/AIDs, seniors and people experiencing workplace discrimination. In his campaign for Congress, Cohn said too many of the nation’s problems are caused by political polarization. He stressed the importance of uniting around bipartisan collaboration. Cohn’s platform called for eliminating age restrictions for Medicare and making health care more affordable, in part by expanding price negotiation for prescription medications. He supports abortion rights and advocates for addressing climate change by prioritizing energy efficiency.

    Carol Murphy is an Assemblywoman in New Jersey’s 7th legislative district, where she was elected in 2017. She said she chose to run for Congress to uplift middle class families by dealing with issues such as rising health care costs, high property taxes, political extremism and women’s reproductive rights. In her campaign, Murphy said the most important goal should be using federal resources to make New Jersey a more affordable place to live.

    Sarah Schoengood is a small business owner from Manalapan who co-owns a company that supplies crabmeat and other seafood from the Mediterranean Sea. Schoengood said she was running for Congress to break the mold of career politicians in Washington, D.C. who aren’t in touch with the needs of regular people. She said the most important issue in this year’s election is protecting women’s reproductive rights. She also supports developing infrastructure for green energy initiatives and providing the industry with a mix of incentives and research dollars.

    Brian Schkeeper is a public school teacher and union member who launched his campaign to fight for more affordable health care and education. He said his priority would be to ensure that Social Security can remain a viable retirement plan and that women’s reproductive rights are protected.



    Republicans

    Rajesh Mohan decided to run for Congress to apply his clinical approach in medicine to improving government. Mohan’s campaign calls for stronger border protection, ensuring the longevity of Medicare and Social Security, and investing in domestic manufacturing and small business growth. He also seeks to increase investments in mental health care and reduce out-of-pocket costs for medical care by reforming the Affordable Care Act.

    Gregory Sobicinski is a business consultant from Southampton who decided to run for Congress to combat rising inflation, underperforming schools and crime in New Jersey communities. He said the biggest problem facing the country is out-of-control government at all levels creating too much interference in personal decision-making. He is an advocate for expanding nuclear energy to create a cleaner economy instead of wind and solar power. In foreign policy, Sobicinski called for the U.S. to intervene only where strategic interests are at stake.

    Shirley Maia-Cusick is the CEO of a legal services firm and views herself as an independent conservative. As an immigrant from Brazil, Maia-Cusick said she’s ran for Congress to restore the country she discovered when she moved to the United States 30 years ago. She opposes abortion and wants the U.S. to scale back its involvement in foreign conflicts to reduce the national debt.

    Michael Francis Faccone is a Jersey City native who said he hoped to serve in Congress to simplify the way legislation gets crafted. He views collaboration across party lines as an essential part of the democratic process and considers transparency and accountability the most important principles for public service. Faccone said he would advocate for policies to reduce crime and taxes, lower economic inequality and seek to improve racial inequality in criminal justice, education and business.



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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • Son of US Sen. Kevin Cramer crashes during police chase, killing North Dakota sheriff's deputy

    Son of US Sen. Kevin Cramer crashes during police chase, killing North Dakota sheriff's deputy

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    BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The 42-year-old son of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer crashed into a North Dakota sheriff’s vehicle during a police chase, pushing it into a deputy and killing him, according to authorities and the Republican senator’s family.

    Ian Cramer, of Bismarck, was arrested and jailed following Wednesday’s crash, and charges are pending, the North Dakota Highway Patrol said in a news release. The name of the Mercer County deputy who was killed has not been released, and the sheriff’s office didn’t immediately respond to a Thursday voicemail seeking further information.

    “We ask the public for prayers for the lost officer’s family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us,” Kevin Cramer said in a statement.

    The first-term senator wrote that his son “suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations.” Earlier Wednesday, Ian Cramer insisted on “going to his brother Ike,” who died in 2018, according the statement, which doesn’t further explain what that means. As a result, the senator’s wife, Kris, took Ian Cramer to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck.

    When Kris Cramer got out of the family’s Chevrolet Tahoe, Ian Cramer got into the driver’s seat and drove off, Kevin Cramer said. The senator’s daughter tracked the SUV through a cellphone and alerted the authorities.

    The highway patrol said a Mercer County deputy saw Cramer and the SUV in the town of Hazen. Cramer fled and, during the chase, crashed at around 6 p.m. into an unoccupied Mercer County Sheriff’s vehicle that was parked on the side of a state highway near Hazen, said Mark Schmitt, chief deputy for Mercer County.

    A deputy was standing behind the parked vehicle and preparing to deploy a tire deflation device to end the chase. The impact of the crash pushed the vehicle into the deputy, killing him.

    Ian Cramer was taken to a hospital in Hazen and then to the Mercer County Jail in Stanton.

    Kevin Cramer was elected to the Senate in 2018 after serving three terms in the House. In addition to Ian and Ike, Cramer and his wife have one other son, two daughters and six grandchildren, according to a biography on Cramer’s Senate web page.

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    Salter reported from O’Fallon, Missouri.

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