Aerospace and Aviation, Alliances and Partnerships, Business, Defense and Military, Education and Schools, Free News Articles, Government, VAR and IT Consulting

United States Air Force Partners with UniverseIT and Classe365

SUGARLAND, Texas -- UniverseIT is excited to announce a new partnership with the United States Air Force (USAF) which encompasses serving three training schools - the Air Ground Operations School (AGOS); Weapons School (USAFWS); and Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School (AMMOS).

This partnership will provide solutions to current problems with data acquisition and management, prerequisite tracking and elimination of physical media for all three USAF school locations. Work began to implement the solution on November 4.

UniverseIT conducted an in-depth discovery process of the three schools to determine needs and to look for synergies and commonalities in order to consolidate and streamline work as needed. This resulted in several customizations Classe365 is doing for the USAF based on their specific needs.

Joe Eldridge, president and CEO, UniverseIT says, "This partnership will provide improved administration processes and procedures and more efficient workflow for its students and school administration; Classe365 allows us to customize it based on the needs to school. We can accommodate most scenarios."

Many of the schools lack a strong central single source of truth for any given data point, instead relying on not only the military databases they have access to, but also more than one Excel spreadsheet containing copies of the same data.

UniverseIT is an authorized reseller and implementer of Classe365. It will go a long way towards establishing a master record for each data point while allowing other solutions to inherit that data via integration, rather than keeping its own independent copy.

Classe365, a student information system that comes with a learning management system and more, will allow document tracking features to be implemented for each applicant as well as giving them an electronic test and recording their score electronically. This will, in turn, allow the schools to ensure they have applicants moving through the process efficiently while being aware of what is and is not complete.

In addition, the schools don't currently have a standard way to distribute course content online. Many students who appear for the programs are provided physical DVDs and notebooks with course content. When coupled with tracking challenges, efficiency is lacking and both time and materials are being wasted. Classe365 and SharePoint online will allow for archiving and presentation of the course content online to each student so that no hard copies will be needed.

UniverseIT is also providing custom work and development to automate test and quiz generation from customizable question banks.

About UniverseIT:

UniverseIT provides IT solutions for small to medium-sized business and educational institutions of all sizes and types. Its philosophy is to provide simple, honest, and empowering IT solutions to launch an enterprise into success. UniverseIT is a Microsoft Partner as well as the premier Classe365 Partner in the United States.

Joe Eldridge, a 19-year Microsoft veteran, directed numerous organizations at Microsoft before founding UniverseIT. He has many Microsoft certifications and has always worked on commercial software, while leading numerous large projects to success.

Leading this implementation is Erica Weldon, vice president and COO. Her ability to break down a problem and solve it in the most efficient manner is second to none.

For more information: https://www.universeit.com/

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Eldridge
of UniverseIT
+1-281-817-4004
media@universeit.com

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Business, Free News Articles, Government, Water and Wastes

Osceola City Council Green Lights Contractor Bidding On New Wastewater Plant

OSCEOLA, Iowa -- The Osceola City Council has approved a schedule for taking bids on construction of the updated wastewater treatment facility. A recent pre-bid meeting brought in a handful of interest, but with design and budgeting finalized, the City is now able to open the call for bids to contractors interested in undertaking the project.

As far back as 2010, new EPA regulations as well as the continued growth of Osceola itself made the need for modernizing and updating the wastewater treatment unavoidable. According to the EPA, the acceptable limits of certain water constituents were lowered, making the current water treatment plant incapable of meet the new regulations. After many years of research, studies, plans and financial estimates, the project is ready to move forward by beginning the contractor selection process.

The projected timeline for the new wastewater treatment plant's construction is scheduled roughly to take two years, then the repurposing of the current facility is slated to take another two years. All of this will be done before the project is finalized or costs are realized. At this time, total projected costs for the new plant is estimated to be just under $30 million dollars.

A large portion of that cost - roughly 47% - is being covered through a partnership with Osceola's major industrial contributors. The balance will be financed through the State Revolving Fund Loan via the Iowa Finance Authority. Utility payers will pay their proportionate share through minor updates, not expected to exceed the standard cost of living rate over the next several years.

While the updated treatment facility will meet EPA demands, increase treatment capabilities, as well as offer expansion to support future economic growth, several other benefits to the updates will be realized. Significantly, the city of Osceola was recently awarded a $2.4 million grant designated to fund projects which improve the quality of stormwater runoff. Their eligibility to even apply was granted through the planned wastewater treatment plant updates and the use of a State Revolving Fund Loan. Using this grant, green practices such as pervious pavers and intakes designed to separate debris from stormwater runoff will be incorporated in the downtown area, further improving water quality throughout the community.

In addition to better wastewater management, compliance and water runoff quality, the City of Osceola has recently taken on ownership of the local golf course wherein new wastewater treatment facility will allow for additional money-saving strategies.

"No pun intended, but we're 'teeing ourselves up' to be able to take advantage of the new graywater system so we can irrigate the municipal golf course," said Ty Wheeler, Osceola City Administrator. "While it's not part of the current plans for the treatment plant, we are expecting future strategies like this to save the city money and facilitate business and community growth."

Once completed, the updated treatment plant will not only increase flow capacity of the wastewater that's taken in, but will also see increased capacity in the treatment of the constituents found within that flow. Updates will ensure the city's compliance with DNR and EPA regulations for several decades to come.

"We have big plans for future growth of the City," said Wheeler. "These updates open us to increasing new businesses opportunities and more residents far into the future."

If you are interested in submitting a bid for this project, please read specifications, deadlines, and all other pertinent information on the Osceola, Iowa Web site at: https://osceolaia.net/revised-notice-to-bidders-construction-of-wastewater-treatment-facility-improvements/

For more information about the wastewater treatment plant project, contact Ty Wheeler, Osceola City Administrator, via email, by calling 641-342-2377, or by visiting the administration offices at 115 N. Fillmore St., Osceola, IA 50213.

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*Image caption: Expansion plans more than double the footprint of the current wastewater treatment plant.

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Business, Defense and Military, Free News Articles, Government, Product Launches, Safety and Security Solutions

Treadstone 71 Releases Comprehensive Knowledgebase for Cyber and Threat Intelligence: CyberIntellipedia

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. -- Treadstone 71, the highly focused and standards-driven cyber and threat intelligence tradecraft company, today announced the beta release of CyberIntellipedia. The extremely detailed, expansive wiki includes knowledge gained over years of cyber and threat intelligence program builds, targeted adversary research, and intelligence community-driven cyber intelligence training courses.

CyberIntellipedia consists of documents defining (non-inclusively):
* Cyber Intelligence (CI) Strategic Planning, CI Team Capabilities, Job Descriptions, Organization Charts, Training Plans, Team Accountabilities and Competency Levels
* Threat Matrices with Mitre ATT&CK inclusion
* Collection Management and Planning Methods
* CI Capability Maturity Model and Measuring Tools
* Cyber and Threat Intelligence Production Procedures
* Stakeholder Analysis, Checklists, Activities, and Tracking Modules
* Intelligence Requirements, Priority Intelligence Requirements, Indicators, and Specific Information Requirements
* Structured Analytic Techniques Methods
* Types of Analysis Policies, Procedures, and Templates
* Complete end-to-end Cyber and Threat Intelligence Lifecycle with Iterative Feedback Loops
* Open Source Intelligence Tools and Methods
* Reporting and Dissemination Types Procedures and Templates
* Warning, Estimative, Baseline, Advisory and other report examples
* Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) RFP Templates, Project Schedule and Selection Process
* TIP Rollout Schedule, Scrum Process, Deployment Methods, Use Cases, Questionnaires, Data Feed Selection
* Targeted Adversary Knowledgebase with Campaigns
* Online OPSEC Tools and Methods
* Evidence Validation Methods and Scoring
* Communities of Interest and Information Sharing

"CyberIntellipedia combines knowledge with the tools necessary to rapidly, effectively and efficiently build a cyber and threat intelligence program," said Jeff Bardin, chief intelligence officer for Treadstone 71. "The unprecedented level of detail and depth of content in this offering helps companies achieve program maturity in record time."

CyberIntellipedia follows the intelligence lifecycle with customizable documents. Treadstone 71 offers levels of access to fit customer budgets. The knowledgebase consolidates intelligence requirements into a valuable cyber and threat intelligence ecosystem enabling greater intelligence integration and sharing.

"The CyberIntellipedia wiki provides the intelligence workforce with discovery and access to information based on mission needs empowering timely, tailored, and actionable information," continued Bardin. "We hope to nurture a culture of innovation that advocates for the sharing of ideas and resources."

Combining CyberIntellipedia with the Treadstone 71 Cyber and Threat Intelligence Program Build, the Intelligence Roadmap, and the Cyber Intelligence Lifecycle Solution is a recipe for speed to maturity and action for clients.

Treadstone 71 is making the CyberIntellipedia available for selective public sale beginning as a beta (December 2019) to work through any issues.

Treadstone 71's Certified Threat Intelligence and CounterIntelligence Analyst training and the Intelligence Roadmap are the gold standards in the industry today derived from both academia, the intelligence community, and from Treadstone 71's experience in building cyber and threat intelligence programs at Fortune 500 organizations worldwide. Treadstone 71 is delivering the only complete cyber threat intelligence lifecycle management solution enabling information sharing, internal intelligence communities of interest while empowering lifecycle management with an iterative feedback loop now combined with CyberIntellipedia.

More information; https://www.treadstone71.com/

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Advertising and Marketing, Business, Economic Development, Free News Articles, Government

RMA Hired by Town of Fort Myers Beach

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- The Town of Fort Myers Beach has hired the firm RMA (www.rma.us.com) to create its new branding and marketing campaign. RMA's award-winning team of economic development and marketing experts will analyze the town's current brand and develop a comprehensive strategy to capitalize on the community's authentic assets and distinctive culture.

"The Town of Fort Myers Beach is an exceptional community undergoing tremendous growth," said Sharon McCormick, RMA's Director of Business Attraction & Marketing. "While already a popular tourist destination, thanks to its magnificent beach, historic nature preserve, and diverse dining and shopping experiences, the town desires to redefine its identity. Visitors often refer to the area in general terms, either as Fort Myers, Estero Island or in partnership with Sanibel Island. Our plan will help establish an individual brand for Fort Myers Beach, creating a sense of place and engendering residents' pride."

RMA has created numerous strategic economic development and marketing plans for cities across the state. For Fort Myers Beach, RMA is now initiating the Discovery and Research phase, where they will conduct a complete assessment of the current branding assets, review the Town's distinguishing attributes, meet with community leaders and town staff to define goals and create the strategy, tactics and budget. Following this process, RMA will present a new brand for Fort Myers Beach to Town Council including a new logo, marketing campaign and supporting collateral materials.

Fort Myers Beach is the only town on Estero Island, which is located off the southwest Florida coast. The town features a stunning beach along the Gulf of Mexico, the Matanzas Pass Preserve nature sanctuary, the Mound House, built on an ancient Calusa Indian shell mound, and an exciting shopping and dining center known as Times Square, as well as other unique destinations. A Margaritaville Resort is also currently in the planning stages.

About RMA:

Founded in 2009 by Kim Briesemeister and Chris Brown, RMA is comprised of a phenomenal team of redevelopment experts passionate about building better communities. RMA, based in Pompano Beach, Florida is the most experienced full-service economic redevelopment consulting and management firm, headquartered in the state of Florida, specializing in revitalizing core areas and corridors for cities, counties and special districts nationwide. The co-founders are also the authors of one of the definitive books about city redevelopment, "Reinventing Your City: 8 Steps to Turn Your City Around."

Learn more: http://www.rma.us.com/

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Business, Education and Schools, Entertainment, Environment and Ecology, Free News Articles, Government, Product Launches

Haibu partners with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs on ‘Zoohackathon’

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Haibu is an award-winning series of books, films, cartoons and video games that promotes wildlife conservation around the world. Haibu has partnered with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) on Zoohackathon, a global competition to develop new and innovative technology tools to fight wildlife trafficking.

U.S. Embassies around the world host Zoohackathon events. Over 48 hours, university students, coders, scientists, and wildlife enthusiasts collaborate in teams at zoos, wildlife organizations, technology start-up facilities, and education centers to create software solutions for on-the-ground wildlife conservation problems.

For more information: http://www.zoohackathon.com/

The U.S. Department of State plays an important role in the fight against wildlife trafficking by strengthening global enforcement, reducing demand for illegal wildlife products, and expanding international commitments.

"We are pleased to partner with Haibu to explore new ways to combat wildlife trafficking and engage the next generation of wildlife conservationists," said Rowena Watson, Lead for the Combating Wildlife Trafficking team, OES Bureau, U.S. Department of State.

ABOUT HAIBU:
Haibu is an animated animal and conservation activist designed to entertain and educate the future generations while increasing global awareness. The vision for Haibu was sparked by Hollywood veteran creator Blake Freeman and he is thrilled to partner with OES on Zoohackathon to create awareness for this worthy cause.

"Our mission is to inspire children to be adventurous, help the cause of animals, and make the world a better place by living courageously and overcoming challenges. We teach kids the value of kindness and the importance animals play in the world," shared Freeman.

Learn more about Haibu at: https://haibu.love/
Instagram: @haibu_saves_animals

Twitter: @iamhaibu @SciDiplomacyUSA #Zoohackathon

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Business, Elections and Politics, Free News Articles, Government

Avondale Estates Mayoral Candidate Clai Brown Refutes Disinformation, Invites More Community Dialog

AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga. -- 2019 Candidate for Mayor and former City Manager Clai Brown (https://claibrownformayor.com/) has issued the following statement to ensure Avondale Estates citizens have access to facts on matters that may determine their November 5 election-day decisions about the future of their unique city and community.

"As anyone who has known me during my decade-long tenure as Avondale Estates city manager will tell you, I am not a hothead. I do not seek out confrontation, and I do not relish pointing out the mistakes of others. It's just not how I was raised, so I've remained quiet when confronted with disinformation and personal attacks about my decision to resign in 2017 and an employment contract over which I had zero influence. Perhaps too quiet for my own good. My faith that truth ultimately triumphs comes from the values I learned as a child. Plus, I've always enjoyed the old adage that 'No good comes from wrestling with a pig. You'll both get dirty, but the pig enjoys it.'

However, last weekend I changed my mind, because I realized that the absence of a factual account does not begin with the events leading up to and culminating in my resignation, but hails all the way back to my initial employment agreement with the City and through the annual employee review cycle during which my tenure was brought before the board, praised explicitly and extended. My conviction that truth prevails is unwavering, but my commitment to transparency and to the loyalty of my family, friends, supporters and neighbors demands that I speak out now.

My 2017 decision to resign was based primarily on my concern that elected officials, whether by ignorance or naivete, were not adhering to the City Charter and in particular to Section 2.30 related to Commission interference with administration. The official with authority to correct the situation failed to do so. My decision was painful, but ethically unavoidable, as I felt I had explored every alternative for resolving the issues. Frankly, I no longer had the conviction that I could do what was best for my hometown in the role of City Manager.

Not only was it time for me to go, it was also time for me to seek another role from which I could lead effectively. From my perspective, Avondale Estates may be growing and modernizing, but that does not mean it must shed long-standing traditions of transparency, integrity, trust or adherence to documented governing principles.

I think we can agree that we need them now more than ever.

In the aftermath of my resignation and the unintended conflict that arose as our residents struggled to understand decisions made out of public view, claims emerged that my employment agreement, including terms related to resignation and early retirement, were secretive, murky and probably unethical on my part. As common sense would dictate, city employees cannot approve the terms of their own employment. My only involvement in the terms of my hiring was possessing a valuable skillset and loyalty to a budget-conscious municipality poised for unprecedented change. The city of Avondale Estates made its offer, and I accepted the job as a career decision in line with my experience and skills.

It is that simple. The spurious assertion that I manipulated or conspired to influence my employment contract with Avondale Estates either at the time of my hiring or at any juncture prior to my resignation offends my family's reputation and can easily be disproven by reading public record.

I encourage every resident of our unique community who has questions or concerns about my record as City Manager of Avondale Estates and my vision for the future of our city to visit https://claibrownformayor.com/.

Further, I urge our residents to RSVP to one or more of the remaining hosted community events where you can learn more about why I believe I am the most qualified candidate to become the next mayor of Avondale Estates - the city I am proud to call my hometown."

Visit the Clai Brown for Mayor website to RSVP for one of these Meet & Greet opportunities to discuss these issues with Clai one-to-one:
* 10/27: 4-5:30 p.m.
* 10/29: 7-8:30 p.m.
* 11/1: 7-8:30 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact Clai at claibrownformayor@gmail.com or by telephone at 404-963-6108.

Paid for by Clai Brown for Mayor.

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Business, Free News Articles, Government, Long Term Care, NonProfit and Charities

Keep Our Seniors Safe Act Signed by Governor Newsom

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) announces that California Governor Newsom signed the Keep Our Seniors Safe Act, a part of SB 172 (Portantino) which was signed into law on 12 October, 2019.

The Keep Our Seniors Safe Act strengthens the Health and Safety Code by adding safe gun storage requirements for firearms retained by residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE - also known as assisted living facilities).

CARR sponsored this common-sense safe gun storage legislation in recognition that an estimated 70% of assisted living residents have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease or related dementias (ADRD). Dementia is a primary reason families seek an assisted living placement for a family member.

Many assisted living facilities are licensed to accept and retain residents having mild to severe cognitive impairment. Common characteristics include disorientation, confusion, changes in mood or personality and impaired judgment. CARR's public records' research evidenced that some assisted living facilities were storing firearms in unlocked desk drawers, or allowing residents to retain weapons in their rooms.

The characteristics and associated behaviors of a resident with cognitive impairment, coupled with unsecured weapons inside an RCFE posed an unreasonable risk of harm to residents, families and any third party working in or visiting an assisted living facility.

The Keep Our Seniors Safe Act fills the statutory and regulatory gaps concerning firearm storage by requiring weapons to be centrally stored in the facility, in a locked gun safe meeting the regulatory standards established by the California Department of Justice.

The statute advances CARR's consumer-driven agenda focused on reducing health and safety risks to residents living in California's licensed assisted living facilities.

"This legislation (Chapter 840) gives the state's agency (Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division DSS/CCLD) responsible for licensing assisted living facilities definitive and unequivocal standards for determining compliant gun storage," said CARR's President, Christine Murphy.

This is CARR's second piece of legislation to become law; the first was AB 1523 (Atkins) requiring assisted living facilities to carry liability insurance.

About CARR:
Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization promoting transparency and accountability for consumers using assisted living services, and specializing in public document research on assisted living facilities, and the state's oversight of the industry. Learn more at: https://rcfereform.org/

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Advertising and Marketing, Business, Economic Development, Free News Articles, Government, Travel and Tourism

Five Tips to Turn Tourists into Investors – Economic Development and Marketing Experts Develop ‘Investment Tourism’ Strategy

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- What if your city could implement a strategy that would transform tourists into long-term investors? That is the concept behind "Investment Tourism," a comprehensive Economic Development and Marketing platform developed by the award-winning principals of RMA (rma.us.com) and CJF Marketing International (http://www.cjfmarketinginternational.com/).

"The strategies behind 'Investment Tourism' help cities capitalize on their current tourism program by identifying enhanced opportunities, elevating engagement and creating clear pathways to connect," said Sharon McCormick, Director of Business Attraction & Marketing for RMA. "Through our companies' decades of work with cities, counties and special districts nationwide, creating both economic development and marketing programs, we noticed an untapped potential in the tourism area. The new protocols we are establishing for destinations will now enable them to take their tourism strategies to the next level."

Through targeted and tailored messaging, visitors will be able to view a destination as more than a vacation get-a-way. Expanding on a tourist's interest and connection to a destination, this platform will introduce the greater possibilities that await--be it a second home, a small business or a major development opportunity.

"Investment Tourism begins with an evaluation of a destination's brand, its leadership and support assets," said Carolyn J. Feimster, CRX, CMD, Founder and President of CJF Marketing International. "Competitive advantages are highlighted and a unique outreach program that interfaces with the key marketing and economic development strategies is implemented. Through enhanced social media, and growing tech advancements including chatbots, virtual reality and augmented reality, the targeted opportunities to connect and educate are growing exponentially."

For destinations that already have both a well-constructed brand and a Travel & Tourism Program in place, these five tips will help capitalize on the current tourism market:
* Craft social media/digital ads inviting tourists to discover investment opportunities in your area with links to a robust, highly functional economic development website that includes top opportunities for investment.

* Create tourism videos that include a call-to-action to learn more about investment opportunities. Feature real stories about living and doing business in your city.

* Include a call-to-action in tourism print ads to "own" a piece of your destination.

* Insert investment opportunity messages within district light pole banner programs, expanding upon the typical dining, shopping, entertainment verbiage.

* Invest in a mobile visitor information center. Educate and assign staff to the center, ensuring your visitors see the best your destination has to offer - with friendly helpful information about all your assets, including investment opportunities.

For destinations ready to experience the next level with a comprehensive Investment Tourism Program and an individualized long-term investment platform please visit http://rma.us.com/services/investment-tourism/

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Business, Free News Articles, Government, NonProfit and Charities, Police, Fire and Rescue

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. Partners with SCI Mercer to Train Service Dogs for Veterans

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- It is with great pleasure that Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs announces its latest partnership, with the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Mercer. As part of our new partnership, incarcerated veterans will train some of our future service dogs, beginning at approximately 5 months of age, all while earning college credit.

The program is already underway, with our Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Carol Borden recently completing a full seven days of classes for the 12 selected incarcerated veterans, teaching them our comprehensive training regimen. While required to pass the written portion of the class with an 80% or better, we are proud to say that of the 12 participants, they all scored above 95%.

Now that they are ready to begin training, 4 young future service dogs are on their way to Mercer from our Florida headquarters and are scheduled to arrive at Mercer later this week.

Once they arrive, the dogs will remain with the inmates 24 hours a day, for several months, and will be participating daily in classes and public access-style learning adventures due to Mercer's unique design featuring a cafeteria, classrooms, hospital, auditorium, gymnasium, commissary and library - the conditions are perfect for re-creating public access-type scenarios for the dogs to train in.

The teams training dogs inside Mercer will be visited weekly or more by our Pennsylvania Regional Trainer, to ensure program compliance and monitor each dogs' progress as they go through our positive-reinforcement curriculum.

An additional key benefit of this program is that the selected incarcerated veterans will be earning college credits. This program will not only help the disabled Pennsylvania veterans who ultimately receive the donated service dogs; but it is teaching a new, marketable skillset and industry to those currently incarcerated.

"I have always been so inspired by the service and sacrifice of our American heroes," said Sen. Brooks, who worked for two years to bring the program to SCI Mercer. "The brotherhood that unites our veterans, and the healing power of a dog, have always impressed me as well. This transformative new program unites these special elements into one heart-warming support network, and is destined to produce benefits that will allow veterans to help other veterans in a life-changing way."

Asked about the new program, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Founder & CEO, Carol Borden said: "I couldn't be more excited about the magnificent start of this ground-breaking program. We expect great things - not only in the training of the dogs that will be donated to veterans in Pennsylvania; but that we will be giving the incarcerated veterans hope for a new future once they have served their time. By participating in this program, they are already serving their community".

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization founded in Williston, Florida and has grown into a nation-wide Service Dog Organization. We rescue, raise, train and donate individually trained medical service dogs to veterans, first responders and others who suffer from disabilities including PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, seizure disorders, diabetic alert, mobility issues and more. Guardian Angels receives up to 40 inquiries each day for one of their medical Service Dogs.

If you'd like to learn more about our programs, get involved, make a contribution, or be part of supporting this life-saving project please call 800-398-6102 or visit our website at: https://www.medicalservicedogs.org.

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*Caption: (L to R): Mr. Diaz, Rocky Bleier, former Steelers Professional Football Player, Senator Michelle Brooks, Secretary John Wetzel, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Carol Borden, Founder & CEO of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Melinda Adams, Superintendent of SCI Mercer, Dustin Schneider, Recipient and Guardian Angels Spangle, Gen. Schindler, Deputy Adjutant General, Veterans Affairs.

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Business, Elections and Politics, Free News Articles, Government, NonProfit and Charities, Product Launches

Real Change: Expanding Congress to Include a Citizens Assembly

WASHINGTON D.C. -- An Assembly of 600 citizen-delegates is being established by NewUnity.Org and it is expected to eventually become a third-chamber of Congress via constitutional amendment, creating a tri-cameral legislature. The first session of the Assembly is scheduled to start in early 2020. Any U.S. citizen over the age of 18 can be a delegate to the Assembly, provided they satisfy some eligibility requirements.

The Assembly advances democracy and mitigates many of the issues that have plagued the political process. There are no special interests, no political parties and no big money donors involved in selection of delegates and therefore none of the conflicts of interests or compromises that afflict many who are elected to Congress. As a non-partisan body, the Assembly can reduce the polarization that permeates Washington and, indeed, the country.

There is no doubt Americans want real change. 66% of Americans say they want major structural change in government, according to a poll of Americans by U.Chicago Harris/AP-NORC which was released in May 2019. Reforming Congress is clearly the place to start. It has the lowest job-approval rating of any branch of government. Congress's approval rating is only 17%, according to Gallup Poll in Aug. 2019. For reference, approval of the Supreme Court is 51% and of the President is 39%, according to Gallup Polls as of September 2018 and August 2019, respectively.

These polls highlight the extent of America's frustration and disgust with the polarized state of politics and gridlock in government. Research by Greater Good at Univ of Berkeley in March 2019 describes the destructive impact that increasing polarization is having on America. In summary, the adverse impact includes: winner-take-all politics, demonization of opposing views, proliferation of partisan propaganda, increased stress and general distrust of government. As an institution whose members are not selected by political parties, the Assembly is a solution that can both improve democracy and unify the country.

Delegates will be chosen from a database of over 230 million adults by an independent non-partisan organization using a transparent selection process that is similar to selection for jury duty. Given the Assembly involves patriotic service to country, organizers believe many will consider it a supreme honor to serve their country.

As a group, Delegates will mirror the general population to a 99% confidence level with approximately 5% margin of error. A 55% super-majority of Delegates will be required to adopt any measure meaning, statistically, decisions of the Assembly are consistent with the majority of Americans 99% of the time. It is obvious that Congress, as currently structured, could not match the Assembly's 99% level of performance.

Furthermore, the Assembly's demographic composition will closely mirror America's whereas Congress' composition is very different. For example, in Congress, 25% are female vs 51% of America. Through its composition and its voting rules, the Assembly will be unique in reflecting the will of the people.

Direct participation in government by citizens is not a new concept. Citizens already participate directly in one branch of government, the judiciary, through jury duty. People who are called for jury duty are selected from a database of all citizens - a sort of lottery selection process modified with some eligibility requirements. Most Americans have been called to jury duty at some point in their life. Nearly 15% of American adults, over 30 million people, are summoned to jury duty each year, according to a study by the National Center for State Courts. The Assembly simply extends the concept of direct citizen participation to the legislative branch of government.

NewUnity.Org believes citizens should participate in making laws - not just administering them as a juror. Service in the Assembly may someday be referred to as 'Assembly duty.' As with jury duty, delegates will be compensated for service and expenses will be reimbursed.

Direct citizen participation alone would add a lot of value; but the Assembly does even more. Delegates are able to do research and they have access to data and resources to fully explore an issue. Then they debate the issue with other delegates who have opposing views and are equally well-informed. Some will be persuaded to change their original position on an issue. The outcome of this deliberative process are decisions that are well-considered and fully-informed. The government can look to the Assembly for guidance on what the American people really think about issues and policies - rather than relying upon polls of uninformed people. This clearly would be a significant improvement over the present situation.

The Assembly's model is applying, on a national scale, a concept that is being tested in Dallas this week at an event called America in One Room or A1R. Five hundred citizens have been selected to statistically mirror America and they will debate five major national issues over three days. A1R will show if citizens can come together to seriously debate and vote on major issues. Direct citizen participation has already been applied successfully in over 25 countries globally. A1R is a Helena Project and involves Stanford University's Center for Deliberative Democracy and NORC at the University of Chicago. Lessons from A1R will be useful in establishing the Assembly and other direct democracy initiatives. The New York Times published an Op-Ed about A1R in August and is expected to publish outcomes of A1R after the event. Lessons from A1R will inform the operation of the Assembly.

"Everyone will have the chance to be a modern 'Mr. Smith' as in the classic movie 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' - an ordinary citizen is able to have a meaningful impact on government," said Ms. Anderson, a spokesperson for NewUnity.Org. "The Assembly reflects the actual will of the people in the entire country rather than representatives that are influenced by their political party, special interests and reflect the narrow preferences of those in their district who happen to vote on one day." Finally, she stated, "New Unity.Org does not undertake this initiative with a view to favor, or disfavor, any political party. The Assembly's objective is solely to benefit America by bolstering our democracy. It is a solution that stems from a long-term general disenchantment with politics and government."

Standing up this new Assembly is a massive undertaking. It takes a large number of volunteers and millions of dollars of donations from individuals and institutions. NewUnity.Org is a grassroots effort. It is not backed by any corporation or special interests. It is not backed by any corporation or special interests. NewUnity.Org plans to raise over $2 million by the end of this year and to start the first session of the Assembly in early 2020. Those who volunteer or donate will be doing a patriotic contribution to American democracy. NewUnity.Org has opened a donation portal on its website.

The first session of the Assembly is expected to meet at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. NewUnity.Org is recruiting hundreds of volunteers to help achieve its mission. As an incentive, volunteers and donors will be granted a higher chance to be selected as a delegate to the historic first session of the Assembly.

About NewUnity:
NewUnity.org is a 527 non-profit organization. New Unity's mission is to promote direct democracy and advocate for non-partisan, independent voter participation in elections and government. See https://newunity.org for information about New Unity's mission and how to support it and follow us on Twitter @NewUnity_USA

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