Page 8 - Friday, June 2, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
thejenkinscountytimes.com
Half Staff v. Half Mast:
What’s the difference?
By Jake Gay,
Reporter
for
The Times
When the nation is in mourning, we can tell by the
placement of the American Flag on its respective poles,
usually we see OF Glory flying high for all to see at the
very top of the pole. Sometimes though you see it flying at
the midpoint, if you ask what it is called there will be mixed
responses. Let me take you on an educational journey that
will inform you on the difference of Half-Staff and Half-
Mast as well as give you some lessons on flag etiquette so
that you better understand just how important the American
flag is and how to handle her.
Let us dive into the similarities between the 2 first, both
half staff and half mast deal with the US Flag and are both
observed on the same day and the same etiquette applies
to each as well, but that is where the similarities stop. Half
Staff has to do with a Flagpole that is on land and Half Mast
refers to flags that are affixed upon ships or Naval Bases.
The way that you treat the flag is very important as well,
terminology is important but knowing how to carefully
handle Our Flag, the flag that many have fought and died
for, the flag that we should stand for. The biggest rule for
the American Flag is you should NEVER let it touch the
ground, another rule is if your flag is tattered and tom take
it to your local VFW or American Legion and get it properly
disposed of, I also think Boy Scout Troops dispose of flags
too. When displayed against a wall whether it be vertically
or horizontally the flags Union(stars) should be at the top
and to the flags right. Out of respect for the American Flag
you shall never dip the American flag for or to anyone. The
flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always
aloft and free. The flag should never be used as apparel,
bedding, or drapery. The flag should not be displayed on
days when the weather is inclement. The flag should be
displayed at every public institution and in or near every
polling place on election days, and at schoolhouses during
school days. These are just a few of many rales of etiquette
for the Flag of our nation. Now I’ll let you know HOW
to display the flag at half-staff, or mast if on a ship, when
flown at half-staff, the flag should be first hoisted to the
peak for an instant and then lowered to half-staff position.
It should again be raised to the peak before it is lowered for
the day. Half-staff is one-half the distance between the top
and bottom of the staff. There are also certain days that the
flag shall be flown at half staff
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)- The Flag shall be
flown from Sunrise to Noon at Half Staff and then returned
to full staff from noon until Sunset
Half-Staff All Day
Patriot Day (September 11th)
Fallen Firefighters Day (May 7th)
Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15th)
Pearl Harbor Day (December 7th)
There are other days on which it is flown at half staff, for
those days I urge you to sign up for Half-Staff Flag alerts at
Halfstaff.org.
IFYOU’RE
WAITING
FOR A SIGN
THIS
IS IT.
Subscribe Today!
(912)451-NEWS (6397)
Ossoff supports
bill to help first
responders and
teachers
homes
Capital Beat, Special Contributor
to
The Times
First responders, law
enforcement officers, and
teachers looking to buy
a home for the first time
would get help from the
federal government under
legislation introduced
by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff,
D-Ga.
The HELPER (Homes
for Every Local Protect,
Educator, and Responder)
Act would establish a one
time home-loan program
under the Federal Housing
Administration that would
help eligible first-time
home buyers overcome
front-end financial hurdles
buy
that otherwise would
make purchasing a home
unaffordable, including
eliminating down
payments. It is modeled
after a home-loan program
aimed at veterans.
“This is all about
ensuring that public
servants ... can live in the
communities they serve,”
Ossoff said Monday during
a news conference outside
Roswell Fire Station No.
24. “The challenges of
home affordability make it
difficult.”
“As home prices have
increased, those who put
their lives on the line every
day to keep us safe and
those who educate our
children ... have straggled
to keep up with rising
housing costs,” Roswell
Mayor Kurt Wilson added.
“It’s time we recognize
their service by providing
them a way to become
homeowners.”
Ossoff introduced the
bipartisan bill last week
along with Sen. Marco
Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen.
Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio,
chairman of the Senate
Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs Committee.
U.S. Reps. John
Rutherford, R-Fla.,
and Bonnie Watson
Coleman, D-N.J., have
introduced companion
legislation in the House of
Representatives.
The vine that ate the south headed to Midwest
By Joe Brady,
Editor
for
The Times
Brace yourselves
Midwest, the vine that
ate the south, commonly
known as kudzu is headed
your way and there is no
escaping it. Researchers
at Purdue University have
identified the Great Lakes
as the next unchartered
frontier for kudzu.
Kudzu was a gift from
our neighbors in Asia. It is
a hearty vine that was used
for soil erosion control.
The meaty vine also boasts
large, fragrant, purple
flowers. The vine was
listed as a “noxious weed”
in 1998 by Congress.
In the study by Purdue
University researchers say,
“the kudzu vines can grow
up to a foot per day and
mature vines can reach 100
feet. When the vine begins
to shade out underlying
plants, that’s where we
start to see loss of trees and
other plants.
According to the Great
Lakes Echo, confirmed
infestations have been
found in Ohio and Indiana
and five Michigan counties.
Because of the gaps in
infestation, it is believed
the kudzu was brought to
the Midwest by humans.
As the Great Lakes
climate continues to warm,
the environment is ideal
for kudzu expansion. So
what advice can we give
our neighbors to the west?
Brace yourselves guys,
it’s like a bad 50’s horror
movie and it’s coming your
way.
When kudzu begins shading out underlying plants, that’s where
we see loss of trees. The vine was brought over from Asia and
was originally used to stop soil erosion. Photo contributed.
Deadline extended for farmers to apply for assistance
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
The US Department of
Agriculture has extended
the deadline for two new
revenue loss programs
until July 14, 2023. This
assistance will encompass
losses from 2020-2021
natural disasters or the
pandemic. The program
was launched in January
2023 and was designed
to fill the gaps in earlier
assistance.
The Emergency Relief
Program (ERP) Phase Two
was created for farmers
who experienced revenue
losses from eligible natural
disasters in 2020 and 2021.
The Pandemic Assistance
Revenue Program (PARP)
was created for farmers
who experienced revenue
loss in 2020. PARP
addresses gaps in previous
pandemic assistance, which
was targeted at price loss
or lack of market access,
rather than overall revenue
losses. Due to the extension
by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the deadline
for application submissions
has been extended from
June 2, 2023 to July 14,
2023. You may apply for
both programs during the
same appointment with
USDA’s Farm Service
Agency (FSA).
ERP and PARP take an
overall approach, ensuring
producers not only make
it through one growing
season but also have the
financial stability to invest
in the long-term well-being
of their operations and
employees.
In general, ERP Phase
Two
payments
are based
on the
difference
in allowable
gross
revenue
between a
benchmark
year,
representing a typical
year of revenue for the
producer and the disaster
year - designed to target
the remaining needs of
producers impacted by
qualifying natural disasters
and avoid duplicative
payments. ERP Phase Two
revenue loss is based on tax
years.
For PARP, an agricultural
producer must have been
in the business of farming
during at least part of the
2020 calendar year and
had a decrease in revenue
for the 2020 calendar year,
as compared to a typical
year. PARP revenue loss is
based on calendar years.
Please visit the USDA
Service Center for more
information on these two
programs and how you
may apply. The Millen
Service Center is located
at 837 College Avenue and
may be reached by dialing
478-982-4281.
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