MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota officials say tests have detected signs of Asian carp north of the Coon Rapids dam on the Mississippi River, the last major physical barrier to their spread northward.

Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris Niskanen confirms that sensitive tests have detected DNA from silver carp in the water above the dam, which is upstream from Minneapolis. DNR officials have scheduled a teleconference for 1 p.m. Thursday to release further details.

Environmental DNA testing previously found indications some silver carp are in the Mississippi downstream from the Ford Dam in Minneapolis and in the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin. But DNR has said the tests dont reveal the possible number of fish present, how big they are and whether they are breeding.

Florida State University

Florida is home to one of the highest percentages of residents ages 65 and older in the United States, but very few of them have thought ahead to a time when they will no longer be able to drive a vehicle safely or considered how they will get around without a car, according to a new survey developed by Florida State University and the Florida Department of Transportation.

In fact, 13 percent of survey respondents indicated they would not stop driving at all, with 3 percent expressing the opinion that they would die before they would stop driving.

The findings reflect a serious issue in Florida and across the nation that older drivers are at a disproportionate risk for being involved in a fatal vehicular crash, according to John Reynolds, the Eagles Professor of Sociology at Florida State and director of the university’s Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy.

To address the problem, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has awarded the Pepper Institute grants totaling $475,000 to assist it in establishing and implementing a statewide coalition to create a statewide Aging Road User Strategic Safety Plan.

“The bottom-line measure of success for the grant from the DOT is that we reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and crashes that involve older adults in Florida,” Reynolds said.

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Phlebotomist jobs are an exciting career with a lot of perspectives. There is much demand for certified phlebotomists, and it should continue to grow.

What exactly are phlebotomist’s responsibilities?

In other words, it refers to the process of drawing blood from a patient so that it can be analyzed and tested. To practice bleeding, it is strongly recommended that you obtain certification from an accredited university. Although it is a prerequisite only in two states, California and Louisiana, most employers prefer to hire certified candidates. Those who do not have a certification can have difficulties in finding employment.

The knowledge required for daily work

To be certified, a phlebotomist must pass a definite training course and have experience in drawing blood, but also be comfortable communicating with patients and staff. T Read more…

Casey Taylor stands at midfield, arms crossed, studying formations and the effort of his teenage charges. After several intent minutes, he moves, bolting from one station to the next, clapping and imploring precision and execution.

The Del Oro High School football coach is in the midst of a Wednesday afternoon practice heavy on pass plays. The drills are timed and scripted, the scoreboard clock ticking down the minutes as the sun sets just beyond the line of cottonwood and oak trees that hug Del Oro’s stadium. When a player is laid out on a hit, Taylor seeks him out, pats him on the helmet and says, “Hang in there.” For an athlete who experiences live action mostly in practice, this declaration means the world. His grin speaks volumes as he hustles away.

It’s playoff season, and at Del Oro that means every moment of every practice counts. And every player on every unit matters, from the starters to the reserves that make for a 47-man roster of brotherhood.

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Police are looking for the publics help in finding whoever is responsible for lighting 17 fires overnight in south Minneapolis.

Authorities said the fires were lit between 8:30 p.m. Friday and 12:30 a.m. Saturday. They burned in a 10-block area bordered by West River Parkway on the east, Snelling Avenue South on the west, 32nd Street east on the north and 45th Street east on the south.

Sgt. William Palmer said, “Over half of [the things lit on fire] were piles of leaves or leaf bags people had set out. We had a couple cars, a couples garages, a dumpster, a retaining wall.”

At one time during the night, police had 20 squad cars in the area looking for those responsible.

Kara Seymour,who’s lived in south Minneapolis most of her life, said she just doesn’t understand why someone would light her garage on fire and ruin nearly all that was in it.

“Why would somebody do that?” she said. “For kicks? I don’t get it.

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International Performance Assessment Centre for Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide (IPAC-CO2)

The draft of the world’s first standard for geologic storage of carbon dioxide now is available for public review.

“We’re very proud to provide the link for academics, individuals, researchers and scientists to the world’s first standard for geologic storage of carbon dioxide on both our website and on our Twitter feed, @IPAC_CO2,” said Carmen Dybwad, Chief Executive Officer of IPAC-CO2.

Feedback can be provided online through the CSA Standards public review system on a clause by clause basis.

“It’s a very thorough, professional and measurable way to obtain feedback,” Dybwad said.

CSA Standards, a leading developer of standards, codes and personnel certification programs since 1919, and the International Performance Assessment Centre for Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide (IPAC-CO2) began work on June 16, 2010 on the new standard.

A Technical Committee (TC) comprising almost three dozen experts from Canada and the United States began reviewing the seed document IPAC-CO2 had prepared to form the basis of the standard on November 24.

Rick Chalaturnyk, a geotechnical engineering professor and holder of the Foundation CMB Endowed Chair in Reservoir Geomechanics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, is the chair of the TC.

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It always matters when Del Oro and Granite Bay high schools face off in anything athletic. It means a bit more in football, given the crowds and significance.

The storied programs meet at 7:30 tonight in Loomis in a Sierra Foothill League showdown that is also the Cal-Hi Sports NorCal Top 20 Game to Watch.

An overflow crowd of 10,000 the largest in Del Oro’s 52-year history is expected to jam into its stadium, now that it has state-of-the-art expanded visitor stands and end-zone seating.

The teams have played at a championship level this season with offensive balance and just enough stops on defense against stout competition.

“We’re good for each other,” Granite Bay coach Ernie Cooper said of the rivalry. “They push us to the limit, and we push them. Every year, something’s on the line.”

Said Del Oro coach Casey Taylor: “It’s always a playoff atmosphere, the biggest game of the year for us. The coaches have a lot of respect for each other, and the schools show tremendous spirit at the games.

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