Madison’s Rutabaga Paddlesports will not be closing after all, though owner Darren Bush still plans to transition to a new career as a hospice chaplain.
The post Madison paddling shop owner says he’ll sell rather than close Rutabaga appeared first on WPR.
Two bills signed into law aim to strengthen emergency medical services around the state by reducing costs for education and the burden on local governments.
The post New laws aim to train more emergency medical responders, increase EMS reimbursement appeared first on WPR.
Street fishing involves anglers casting lines from the shores of urban lakes and rivers. Wisconsin’s many city waterways have contributed to impressive growth of the sport here.
The post All-Wisconsin street fishing team will represent US at the world championship in Green Bay appeared first on WPR.
Researchers have long known that the COVID-19 vaccine protects individuals against severe illness. But a study analyzing data from the pandemic finds that the vaccine actually reduces the spread of the disease between vaccinated people and their close contacts.
The post Wisconsin researcher finds COVID-19 vaccine offers stronger protection than once thought appeared first on WPR.
This summer, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, ending various tax credits a decade ahead of schedule. The credits could be used to buy electric vehicles and to install solar panels on homes.
The post Wisconsin residents are running out of time to qualify for solar tax credits appeared first on WPR.
Rebecca Taibleson, the Milwaukee prosecutor picked by President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship, cleared a procedural hurdle Thursday and is on her way to a full confirmation vote next week.
The post Johnson, Baldwin split as Senate advances Trump’s pick for appeals court appeared first on WPR.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' request for public assistance for six counties that were impacted by historic rainfall that led to widespread flooding in August.
The post FEMA denies Wisconsin request for funds to repair infrastructure damaged in August floods appeared first on WPR.
Protesters and counterprotesters on Thursday made their voices heard in the Milwaukee suburb of Hales Corners in a community battle over library books that feature LGBTQ themes.
The post Protesters battle over LGBTQ+ books at Hales Corners Library appeared first on WPR.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, issued the following statement from CEO Emily Skor today in response to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement of a Section 301 investigation into China’s implementation of its commitments under the Phase One Agreement:
“The U.S. cannot stand by while its trading partners fail to live up to their commitments, particularly when farmers and rural communities across the country are facing a period of significant economic challenges. We applaud USTR for taking a closer look at China’s failure to fully deliver on its Phase One commitments. While China briefly resumed imports of U.S. ethanol immediately following the agreement, those purchases represented baseline trade levels rather meaningful increases and have since dissipated—they did not reflect the sustained market access that American producers were promised.
“For years, China’s tariffs and non-tariff barriers have prevented U.S. ethanol producers from competing in one of the world’s fastest-growing fuel markets. Growth Energy raised these concerns in our March submission to USTR regarding unfair trade practices, and we welcome USTR’s renewed focus on holding China accountable.
“Ensuring fair and reciprocal access to global markets is essential to American energy dominance, and to the strength of America’s farm economy and rural communities. We look forward to continuing to work with USTR and the Administration to restore full and fair access for U.S. biofuels in international markets.”
Learn more about the USTR investigation here.
The post Growth Energy Applauds USTR Investigation into China’s Implementation of the Phase One Trade Agreement appeared first on Growth Energy.
1.🌴I’m going back to Cali! The state’s YIMBYs are still buzzing from Gavin Newsom signing SB79, a hugely significant bill that, among other things, allows denser housing near transit across the state. At this November 6 Canary Live event, I will sit down with housing policy advocate and cleantech investor Kim-Mai Cutler to talk about SB79 and more. As always, we’ve set aside a handful of free tickets for paid Volts subscribers. Register your interest here.
2. 🍖I just got back from Spain! I spent ten days in Madrid, Granada, and Cordoba with Mrs. Volts and the oldest boy, who is doing a semester abroad there. Much fun was had by all, though I remain severely jetlagged.
I wrote a thread on Bluesky about … well it turned out to be mostly about the food. Here it is, as text:
On my way home from a week in southern Spain, a few reflections. Love the walkable streets. Love the sociable culture of outdoor cafes. Love the schedule -- late (heavy) lunch, late (light) dinner, late nights, slow mornings. Love the Arab bath/spa. Love the history. But friends, I must admit... I did not like the food. Like really didn’t like it. For instance: within 48 hours of arriving I was deeply, existentially sick of ham. Like I never want to see ham again. The very word “ham” causes me to shudder. But my god it is *everywhere*, on every menu, in every dish, on every vegetable.
There’s a standard and highly limited Andalusian menu -- ham, potatoes, white bread, oily everything, f’ing croquettes -- that barely varies from restaurant to restaurant, and there are very few exceptions. Like you gotta *work* to find anything else, any other cuisine. It’s fine for a meal, maybe two, but ... again? And again? And again? It’s not just eating one cuisine all the time, it’s a very *narrow* cuisine. A relatively small handful of items. And that handful includes *no* vegetables. Like it is genuinely difficult to find a fresh vegetable. I have no idea how vegetarians survive in southern Spain. Order something called “salad” & you get ... potato & tuna salad. Order “asparagus” & you get overcooked, stringy asparagus ... covered in ham. We went to *numerous* restaurants where there literally was not a single vegetarian dish on offer.
We found a tapas place with a picture of lettuce on the menu so we eagerly ordered it and it was ... a head of romaine, quartered. Maybe a little oil drizzled on it? But that’s it. “Tomatoes” was ... a plate of sliced tomatoes. We must be the only ones who ordered it? The one reliably present vegetable was eggplant ... in tempura batter, deep fried, drizzled with honey. (Yummy, but not exactly healthy.) We eventually found a thai place, a mexican place, an italian place. None of them were particularly good, I’m sad to say. Seattle foodie culture has spoiled me.
Anyway. We had a great time, saw some absolutely amazing stuff (the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita Cathedral in Cordoba), but I couldn’t live there. Too many tourists and the food ... I’m worried I’m going to have nightmares about ham.
Oh I wanted to mention one other thing that I loved: plazas! They’re not unique to Spain, obviously -- in fact they’re common in almost all cities outside North America. But I find every single one a pure joy. People are sitting, standing around, kicking soccer balls, listening to music ... *living*.
Plazas! One of those things that I think is so basic to any European that it almost sounds weird to call it out and celebrate it ... but at the same time is almost entirely alien to most Americans. Outdoor living rooms, basically. I can’t tell you what a good feeling they give me. The thing is, to work, to be “activated” in the jargon, a plaza has to be accessible by foot, by lots of people. We’ve all seen those big, austere, empty urban plazas (Atlanta, where I am, has several) in US cities. They don’t work because they’re surrounded by car sewers & only accessible by car.
Our hotel in Cordoba was immediately next to a big plaza and I spent *hours* just watching people. Hundreds of people, hanging out, coming through, some in a hurry, some strolling, some old couples, some packs of youths, some kids playing soccer. People flirting, people fighting. Just ... life. In a car-dependent city, the other people you are living in a city with are just ... drivers, competing with you for road & parking space. They are theoretical, abstract, mere impediments. When you’re walking in & around plazas, they are real, concrete, with faces, with real lives. I can’t even really capture it in words but I want to say that the lack of plazas in the US -- the lack of common public spaces where you can mix, physically, with others, and experience their faces & smells & emotions & lives -- is one explanation for our deep & extensive dysfunctions. </fin>
More thoughts on the Alhambra in this thread:
3. 🔥Subscribers know that I am extremely enthusiastic about hot rocks, ie, thermal energy storage for high-temperature industrial applications. In 2023 I did an introduction to the subject, told through the story of a startup called Rondo: “Why electrifying industrial heat is such a big deal.”
I’m quite tickled to report that Rondo has reached commercial scale:
4. ⚾2025 was the year Mrs. Volts finally lured me into becoming a true diehard fan of the Seattle Mariners, just in time to watch that ludicrously charismatic team battle through a wild, dramatic postseason, reach game seven of the ACLS playoffs, and then lose, tragically, by a single run. The Mariners remain the only team in the league that’s never reached the World Series.
Why do people like sports again?
5. 💚Hey, I realize it’s been a while since I’ve done anything special for my paid subscribers, my beloveds, my dearests, to whom I owe my life and eternal gratitude. After a somewhat sleepy summer, I got slammed into high-gear busyness a few months ago and haven’t really had a chance to come up for air since. But don’t worry, I have a few things in mind for the coming month or two. We need to catch up on the “What the F is happening"?” series and I’ve got a few solo takes I need to get off my chest. Just know that I think about you paid subscribers every day, and say a quiet little prayer of gratitude.
This is your monthly opportunity to share! Use the comments section in this community thread to:
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EVERYTHING ELSE: Discuss David’s Notes or anything else climate-related
QUESTIONS: Ask a question to the community or for an upcoming bonus episode (anyone can ask a question but bonus episodes are a paid-sub-only perk). Don’t be afraid to answer one another’s questions!
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A webinar hosted by the Propane Education & Research Council outlined the benefits of propane-fueled school buses with transportation professionals that are currently using them in their fleets.
“Blue Bird loves to make buses, and we love to make options,” said Steve Whaley, alternative fuels manager at Blue Bird during the Wednesday webinar. He discussed a comparison with propane to other fuels in terms of cost differential, as he said perception of alternative fuels is that they tend to be more expensive.
With over 20,000 propane buses on the road, Whaley said that savings are significant with average fuel and maintenance costs of about $3,700 per year per bus. As opposed to other clean fuel options and even when compared to diesel, the infrastructure costs are the lowest of any other fuels because propane evaporates leading to fewer regulations from the EPA. Since so much propane is sourced in the U.S., Whaley said transportation departments can avoid the cost instability that comes with outsourcing fuel from outside the country.
Whaley quoted Mike Bullman, director of transportation for the South Carolina Department of Education, as saying, “We don’t need funding for propane, those things pay for themselves.”
To discuss the health benefits of propane, Bailey Arnold from the American Lung Association presented statistics on the high rates of lung cancer in the U.S. As the director of healthy air solutions, Arnold said the organization is committed to fighting the high rates of lung cancer that lead to nearly 125,000 lives lost every year.
He noted that implementing propane is one of the things society can do to combat these mortality rates and health issues as well as high CO2 emissions, explaining that while emissions are commonly measured and analyzed on a yearly basis, “they stack up and have a cumulative effect.”
He said that he would encourage school districts to consider propane now as it will only get more difficult to reduce overall emissions. Arnold referenced a recent NREL study that found that using propane would save 147 tons of carbon emissions in three years, while renewable propane would save 360 tons over the same period.
Amy Rosa, director of safety and transportation at Wa-Nee Community Schools in northern Indiana, is currently running 25 Blue Bird propane buses out of the 56 buses in her fleet that transports 3,000 students. She said losing two parents to lung disease in recent years spurred her passion for cleaner fuels. Meanwhile, the Volkswagen mitigation trust grant funding contributed a lower cost of implementation for the new propane buses. She said her district is always looking to save money to benefit the students and taxpayers, and that propane buses helped do that.
She said the transition was seamless, and that partnerships with the suppliers were supportive. Mechanics and drivers were on board. She said that the drivers appreciate the quieter engines, which “reduces tension with students and drivers” and that these quiet, clean, warm buses are improving student behavioral student issues. In a cold state, she said the quick heating ability of propane buses with no need for auxiliary heaters has been a benefit, and that her drivers have told her, “I love knowing my bus will start no matter how cold it gets.”
Whaley noted that Diane Mikelski, the recently retired director of transportation at Illinois’ Township High School District 211, will be speaking about her experience with propane buses at the upcoming Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference in November on the benefits of a quieter bus on student behavior.
Sam Corson, the bus and automotive maintenance manager at Newport News Community Schools in Virginia, said he has seen immediate positive results from using propane buses. He said with wide city borders, which requires school bus drivers to often log 100 to 200 miles a day, long-range buses are necessary. He said Newport News has had no issues with propane buses doing around 340 miles on one tank.
Corson said that about 80 percent of district routes are covered by the 180 propane buses out of 306 total in the fleet,. Cost savings are evident, with diesel buses costing 38 cents per mile to operate compared to 29 cents on propane.
“I noticed all the things [a propane bus] does not have that I was continuously fixing on a daily basis,” he shared, and continued that he has seen a reduction in bus breakdowns.
Learning maintenance was simple for his team, he said, noting that the local Blue Bird dealership led training for all the mechanics to make sure they were comfortable with the new buses. Corson said that due fewer regulations and overall positive reactions to propane buses, the district decided to not decommission and replace the fuel tank.
Both Rosa and Corson praised the ROUSH CleanTech fueling software that allows them to keep track of fuel levels and that suppliers have been consistent. They also noted that they did not have to invest in new additions for their maintenance facilities when implementing propane.
When asked what she would tell another director who is considering buying propane buses, Rosa said, “No hesitation…the choice is a no-brainer for kids and for your mechanics, for bus drivers. It’s just a really good choice all around. I couldn’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t.”
Corson said his advice is to “jump in 100 percent.”
“I couldn’t see myself buying [another] diesel unless I was forced to,” he continued, adding that maintenance is much simpler on propane buses and any issues that do come up are usually easy fixes.
Related: Ride and Drive, Technology Product Demos Return to Texas in November
Related: Propane Best Immediate Option For Greening Fleet, Says Rural Missouri School District
Related: Students, Staff at Illinois District Approve of Propane School Buses
The post Webinar Discusses Impact of Propane School Buses on Costs, Health and Maintenance appeared first on School Transportation News.
Expert speakers at the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference will provide attendees with a solid foundation to provide transportation for students with special needs.The “Foundations of Special Needs Transportation” session will be held on Friday, Nov. 7 to open up the conference. The three-hour session will feature panelists Alexandra Robinson, president at A. Robinson Consulting, and newly inducted NAPT hall of famer, Katrina Morris, executive director for Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT), and John Benish, chief operating officer at school bus contractor Cook-Illinois Corporation.
The panelists will discuss federal laws and regulations pertaining to the transportation of students with special needs, including a breakdown of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the meaning of a free and appropriate education (FAPE) and least restrictive environment (LRE), and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act details.
The instructors will also cover operational considerations, including child passenger safety equipment, training for drivers to accommodate student needs, how to make sure transportation needs are included in student Individual Education Plans or IEPs and vehicle specifications. Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and review scenarios to determine what best practices for transporting students with special needs would be.
The TSD Conference will be held Nov. 6 through Nov. 11 at Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel and Convention Center. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda, which includes dozens of educational sessions, hands-on training, networking events, product demonstrations and keynotes all focused on transportation of students with special needs.
Related: New TSD Conference School Bus Attendant Seminar to Provide Training Guidelines
Related: TSD Keynote to Outline Legal Considerations When Transporting Students with Disabilities
Related: Former OSERS Leader, Advocate for People with Disabilities to Keynote TSD Conference
The post Foundations of Transporting Students with Special Needs Returns to TSD Conference appeared first on School Transportation News.
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