Month: July 2021

A Nova Scotia company will play a key role in helping North America heavy industry cut carbon emissions.

OTS Ltd. based in Sydney, Cape Breton, announced on July 30th that it had entered into a letter of intent with Svante Inc., Enbridge Inc. and Cross River Infrastructure Partners LLC to establish Cross Carbon Ventures (CCV) to explore development opportunities, build, own and operate carbon capture projects.

Matt Denney, general manager of OTS, told SaltWire this is a “great opportunity” for OTS to grow across North America and beyond as the global drive to reduce carbon emissions and reach net zero gains momentum .

Co-founded by Rodney Colbourne, Steve MacDougall and Steve Green, the Cape Breton company has been involved in several major infrastructure works since its inception in 2005 and has led the construction and commissioning of oil and gas, mining and utility projects.

Denney said the four companies working together in the newly formed CCV are a good match.

OTS, based in Nova Scotia, a commissioning and start-up service company in the energy and mining sectors, is one of the partners in the newly founded Venture Carbon Capture Development.

Cross River is a private equity firm that brings financing expertise; Enbridge has pipeline capacity, Svante brings the carbon capture technology and OTS adds the building and commissioning knowledge.

“And we all have different contacts from a business development perspective,” added Denney. “We all work for many customers who want to use CO2 capture technology. It goes well with OTS and it goes well with our partners. “

CCV President Aaron Ratner said in a press release that the company will explore commercial opportunities in North America to develop, build, own and operate carbon capture projects for high carbon industries looking to decarbonise their operations.

The company will particularly target cement, steelmaking, petroleum refining and large-scale hydrogen production.

“Providing carbon capture-as-a-service offering to large industrial emitters will be an essential part of scaling the carbon capture industry along with carbon hubs to meet global decarbonization goals,” said Aaron Ratner, president by CCV.

Matt Denney is General Manager of Offshore Technical Services (OTS) based in Sydney, Cape Breton.

CCV will use technology developed by British Columbia company Svante Inc. Earlier this month, the federal government announced $ 25 million in funding for this company as part of the Strategic Innovation Fund’s Net Zero Accelerator program. The money will enable Svante to set up a center of excellence in the use and storage of carbon capture in Vancouver, BS, which will allow the company to expand production operations to test its proprietary carbon capture technology.

“CCV is an ideal partnership to commercialize our technology and offer a zero carbon solution,” said Claude Letourneau, President and CEO of Svante.

Some projects have already been implemented with Svante technology, others are in progress.

The CO2MENT Pilot Plant Project – a partnership between Lafarge (Holcim) and TOTAL SA – operates a one-tonne-per-day (TPD) plant in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada that injects captured CO2 back into concrete while a 30 tPD demonstration plant was completed in 2019 at an industrial facility in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.

A 25-tPD demonstration facility is currently being planned and built at Chevron USA near Bakersfield, California, and several feasibility studies for commercial-scale carbon capture projects – ranging from 500 to 4,500 TPD – are being conducted in North America and Europe.

Svantes Technologie – Carbon Capture Video Capture from Svante on Vimeo.

OTS is keen to start working on some of these projects, Denney said.

“We’ll be there to get the technology up and running to make sure it works,” Denney said. “We want to get them under control, let them work as we expect them to, and from there let the ball run downhill.”

Once you have a track record, others will call, he said.

The general manager of OTS added that the company is part of the CCV partnership to seize the opportunities that will arise as heavy industry intensifies efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“There’s a lot of work to be done and we’re just scratching the surface,” Denney said, noting that capturing carbon is a $ 3 trillion industry. “We are very happy to be a part of it.”

About Cross Carbon Ventures

The partners

Svante

Svante offers companies in emission-intensive industries a practicable option to record large CO2 emissions from existing infrastructure, either for safe storage or for further industrial use in a closed cycle.

With the ability to capture CO2 directly from industrial sources at less than half the investment cost of existing solutions, Svante makes CO2 capture on an industrial scale a reality.

Svante’s technology is currently being deployed on a pilot scale by industry leaders in the energy and cement manufacturing sectors.

Svante has attracted more than $ 195 million in investments since its inception in 2007, including the most recent investment of $ 25 million from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund.

www.svanteinc.com

Enbridge

Enbridge Inc. is a leading North American energy infrastructure company.

His core businesses include:

Liquids Pipelines, which carry approximately 25 percent of the crude oil produced in North America;

Gas Transmission and Midstream, which carries approximately 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States;

Gas distribution and storage serving approximately 3.8 million end customers in Ontario and Quebec;

Renewable power generation, which generates around 1,766 MW of net electricity from renewable sources in North America and Europe.

The company’s common stock trades on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges under the symbol ENB.

www.enbridge.com

Cross River Infrastructure Partner

Cross River Infrastructure Partners LLC is a platform of development companies deploying industry-leading climate technologies and sustainable infrastructure projects in carbon capture and use, sustainable protein, clean fuels and clean energy.

Cross River is focused on developing and commercializing early and unique projects in North America.

www.crossriverllc.com

OTS

OTS is a leading provider of pre-commissioning, commissioning and commissioning, as well as operation and maintenance services for the energy, mining and utility sectors.

Founded in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 2005, the company has four locations in North America and hundreds of skilled employees

OTS has worked on major investment projects since its inception in 2005.

www.otsl.ca

Performances are back this September and October at the Hylton Performing Arts Center with a lineup of outdoor concerts at Hylton on the Hill, the thrilling return of indoor Hylton Presents programming, classes and workshops through the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, events by Hylton Center Arts Partners, and more!

The month of September kicks off the 2021/2022 season with Arts Alive! 2021, a free, family-friendly arts festival on September 12. This annual arts event features Prince William County Arts Council members and other community performers and fine artists; hands-on activities for all ages; multiple stages of performances indoors and out; exhibits; food vendors; and more! Next, the Hylton Center welcomes the return of concerts to its outdoor space Hylton on the Hill with a FREE performance by The U.S. Army Band Downrange on September 18, followed by the Bumper Jacksons on September 19. The outdoor series continues with the GRAMMY-nominated Bluegrass and Country band The Grascals on September 26 and the D.C.-based Wammie Award-winning blues fusion ensemble Carly Harvey’s Kiss & Ride on October 3.

On October 10, pianist Jeffrey Siegel officially relaunches indoor Hylton Presents performances in Merchant Hall with his concerts with commentary Keyboard Conversations Classics Declassified. Siegel hands off the baton to the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on October 30 for their Big Band Era performance Swingin’ with the Met.

Fall performance tickets will be available for presale to the Friends of the Hylton Center on August 3 at 10 a.m. and to the general public on August 10 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Hylton Performing Arts Center Ticket Office (open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), by calling 703-993-7759, or through the Hylton Center website (HyltonCenter.org). Tickets for spring 2022 Hylton Center performances go on sale to the general public October 12, with a presale for Friends of the Hylton Center starting October 5.

A full schedule of performances and events for September and October at the Hylton Center is below. Unless otherwise noted, these performances take place in the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Merchant Hall, located at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Virginia. Full details for what to expect when attending performances at the Hylton Center are available on the website.

All performances and artists are subject to change.
For the most up-to-date information check HyltonCenter.org.

Fall 2021 Hylton on the Hill Outdoor Performances:

Hylton on the Hill offers energetic outdoor performances from diverse local and national ensembles at the Hylton Center’s new space with seating on a natural rise just behind the theater. Enjoy these performances in your own seating area, physically distanced from other audience members.

Saturday, September 18 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
Free

Join The U.S. Army Band Downrange for a free celebratory concert to kick off the 2021-2022 Hylton Center season. Downrange is a part of the most prestigious military band in the U.S. Army and supports the men and women of the Armed Services through popular music while reaching all audiences, young and old. Their continuously up-to-date repertoire includes rock, pop, country, R&B, and inspirational signature patriotic arrangements that are popular with all listeners. In addition to public performances as a popular music ensemble, Downrange performs as an acoustic group and supports numerous Congressional, diplomatic, and public events.

George Mason University’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative is a proud sponsor of this performance.

Sunday, September 19 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
$25 adult, $12.50 youth through Grade 12.

Bumper Jacksons are hot and sweet, painting America’s story from the streets of New Orleans to Appalachian hollers. Unafraid to scrap together new sounds from forgotten 78’s, the Bumper Jacksons elegantly balance paying homage to traditions while fashioning their own unique, playful style. The group began as a duo, a city-meets-country experiment between songstress Jess Eliot Myhre and banjo player Chris Ousley. They hopped on bicycles, touring the country, instruments on their backs, seeking to reimagine roots music. In five short years, Bumper Jacksons grew to a fiery five-piece, with horns and pedal steel who will grace our outdoor stage at Hylton the Hill. They also tour internationally and have been honored multiple times as the Mid-Atlantic’s “Artist of the Year,” “Best Country/Americana Band” and “Best Folk Band” at the Washington Area Music Awards. Bursting at the seams with some of the richest threads of old America, Bumper Jacksons bring you into the center of a party where everyone’s invited and the dance floor never sleeps.

Sunday, September 26 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
$25 adult, $12.50 youth through Grade 12.

Straight from Nashville, The Grascals make their debut appearance at the Hylton Center with a lively outdoor performance filled with Bluegrass and classic country tunes. This six-piece band won over audiences at the Grand Ole Opry with their blend of modern sophistication steeped in traditional charm, and now they’ll capture your heart at this Hylton on the Hill performance. Among numerous special concerts, The Grascals count the honor of performing twice for President George W. Bush and at President Barack Obama’s inaugural ball at the Smithsonian. Don’t miss this ensemble that has earned impressive accolades including three GRAMMY nominations and two Entertainer of the Year Awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Sunday, October 3 at 4 p.m.
Hylton on the Hill
$25 adult, $12.50 youth through Grade 12.

2021 Wammie Award-winning artist Carly Harvey leads the energetic ensemble Kiss & Ride in a lively fusion of original music, blues classics, and unique arrangements of pop favorites for their Hylton on the Hill outdoor performance. Based in Washington, D.C., Carly Harvey’s rich and emotional sound calls to mind Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald. Carly is a two-time D.C. Blues Society Battle of the Bands winner and was proclaimed D.C.’s “Queen of the Blues” by Dr. Nick Johnson of WPFW Radio. Carly Harvey’s Kiss & Ride project is intended to extend blues to wider audiences and bridge the age gap between blues aficionados by combining current music with blues arrangements in the same set with blues standards, blues funk, and soul-bursting with her original sound too.

September and October 2021 Hylton Presents Performances:

Hylton Presents offers an unbeatable showcase of talent from renowned national and international artists in the Hylton Center’s Merchant Hall.

Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel

Classics Declassified
Sunday, October 10 at 2 p.m.
$48, $41, $29, half-price for youth through Grade 12. Family friendly.

Uncover the mysteries behind some of the most familiar piano works. In Classics Declassified, virtuoso pianist Jeffrey Siegel acts as your musical detective and guide to unlock the intrigue and beauty of enchanting musical narratives by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Frederic Chopin. Siegel’s “concerts with commentary” format gives the back story behind the piece he is about to perform. “A musical bridge-builder in action…Siegel showed just how illuminating the combination of words and abstract music can be” (Toronto Star). An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program.

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra

Swingin’ with the Met
Saturday, October 30 at 8 p.m.
$46, $39, $28, half-price for youth through Grade 12.

Calling all Jitterbugs! Come celebrate the Big Band Era with the coolest cats in town, Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Artistic Director and alto sax virtuoso Jim Carroll leads this distinguished ensemble comprising the most remarkable jazz performers in the metro region, who will perform music from the libraries of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and more. Carroll’s long and illustrious career has included performances with the likes of Michael Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Taylor, Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Join us for a finger snapping, toe-tapping good time.

The Hylton Center’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative Events:

The Veterans and the Arts Initiative serves as an arts and community hub for local Veterans, Servicemembers, military family members, and community members. The Initiative has brought our community together to engage with the arts through performances, workshops, exhibitions, and special events featuring the arts. Additional information and registration for all Veterans and the Arts Initiative programming can be found at HyltonCenter.org/Veterans.

Tuesdays, September 14-October 26 from 7-8 p.m.

Hylton Center Large Rehearsal Hall and online via Zoom
Bonus Zoom Workshop: Tuesday, November 2

Have you always wanted to try the ukulele? Musicians of all skill levels are invited to try one of ours in seven weeks of workshops with Glen McCarthy, instructor at Mason Community Arts Academy and at George Mason University, who has shared his expertise with the Veteran community through the Veterans and the Arts Initiative since 2015. At the end of the Series, a bonus workshop will also be offered! If you have always wanted to sing and play the ukulele – but aren’t feeling quite ready, get tips on how to improve your singing technique and your confidence in a bonus workshop on Zoom November 2. The bonus workshop will be co-led by Adiza Jibril, professional singer with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” since 2013. These workshops will take place Tuesday evenings, and are FREE to Veterans, Servicemembers, military family members, and military caregivers.

Sundays, September 26-October 31 from 1-3 p.m.
Music Theater Building on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus

Join us in-person again for a six-week series designed for military kids and teenagers where they will learn songwriting skills in a collaborative, safe environment. Students may bring melodies in-progress, or come seeking fresh ideas and creative ways to approach music composition. All students will have the opportunity to work in a professional recording studio and perform their songs. Students do not need to be advanced singers or musicians to join this program.  This workshop series is FREE and open to military kids between the ages of 10 and 17 and is co-presented by the Hylton Center’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative and Mason Community Arts Academy.

September and October 2021 Hylton Center Arts Partners Programming:

Prince William Little Theatre
Dial “M “for Murder
By Frederick Knott
Friday-Saturday, October 8-9; 15-16 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 10 and 17 at 2 p.m.
Gregory Family Theater
$20 adult; $17 senior (55 and over), student (13 years of age and older), active and retired military; $13 youth (12 years and younger)

Set in the early 1950’s in London, England, tennis pro Tony Wendice marries beautiful Margot, who has exactly what Tony loves: beauty and money. The suspenseful plot thickens as Tony schemes to murder his wife for her money, and an American mystery writer, plus a cool, inquisitive investigator enter the picture.

Manassas Chorale
The Roaring Twenties – Then and Now
Saturday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.
$25, $23 adult; free to Mason students and children (18 years and younger)

Join the 100-voice Chorale, its smaller Ensemble, and the top choirs from select local high schools as they celebrate popular tunes from the 1920s, as well as favorite stage and screen melodies of 2020.

Manassas Ballet Theatre
Dracula
Friday-Saturday, October 15-16 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 17 at 3 p.m.
Streaming begins October 30
$65, $55, $45, $35, and $25

Manassas Ballet Theatre (MBT) returns to Merchant Hall for a thrilling 2021-22 season, starting with the chilling classic, Dracula. This dramatic and seductive production transports the audience to Transylvania after dark where the taste of blood promises eternal youth. The Kim Reynolds Band accompanies MBT live on stage for a multi-layered, spellbinding performance.

Manassas Symphony Orchestra
Back to the Classics
Saturday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
$20 adult; $16 senior (62 +), active and retired military, and educator; free student

The Manassas Symphony Orchestra (MSO) returns to Merchant Hall with a program featuring classical music royalty. With a few months left in Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year, the MSO celebrates with acclaimed violinist, Emil Chudnovsky, performing Beethoven’s extraordinary Violin Concerto in D Major. Chudnovsky has been hailed by The Washington Post as having “Virtuosity…, showmanship, [and] artistry.” The concert closes with the music of Beethoven’s teacher, Franz Josef Haydn, in the delightful Symphony No. 92 in G Major (“Oxford”).

Other September and October 2021 Events at the Hylton Center:

Stations of Mychal
Tuesday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Rehearsal Hall
Free

Commissioned by Texas State University, Stations of Mychal is a song cycle for tenor, viola, and piano on the life, ministry, and death of the “Saint of 9/11” Father (Fr.) Mychal Judge. Fr. Mychal was a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest serving as fire chaplain for the Fire Department of New York City on September 11, 2001. On September 11, he was the first certified fatality of the attacks on the Twin Towers. Before his tragic death, Fr. Mychal worked in New York City ministering to the homeless, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community, being recognized with statues, in songs, awards, and even film for his efforts. This commissioned project commemorates Fr. Mychal’s courage with 14 songs composed by Kevin D. Salfen, ranging from Irish tunes to flowing lyrical numbers performed by Rick Novak (tenor); Ames Asbell (viola); and Joey Martin (piano), directed by Rick Davis, Dean of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and Executive Director of the Hylton Center. The project will be presented in a warm-up performance at the Hylton Center on and around the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Arts Alive! 2021
Sunday, September 12 at 12 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center
Free

A co-production of the Prince William County Arts Council and Hylton Performing Arts Center, this annual family-friendly arts festival features Prince William County Arts Council members and other community performers and fine artists. Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, multiple stages of performances indoors and out, exhibits, food vendors, and more! Come out and celebrate your local arts community! Free, no tickets required.

Angela Knight Music Productions
Queen of People’s Hearts
Saturday, September 25 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
$35 and $25

Angela Knight Music Productions presents this brand-new musical that brings one of the most beloved figures of our time to life: Diana, the Princess of Wales. From her privileged yet obscure beginnings to her untimely death in the streets of Paris, this compelling score of contemporary, theatrical music takes the viewer on an emotional journey. Written by Angela Knight and Randal Dewey, the musical follows Diana’s remarkable life from her storybook wedding to Prince Charles, the future King of England, to her rise to global fame, humanitarian works, and her tragic end. This modern musical about England’s Rose and Queen of the People’s Hearts will touch your own heart.

Buchanan Partners Art Gallery:

Buchanan Partners Art Gallery exhibits an array of diverse works from artists of all ages. Located in the Buchanan Partners Art Gallery on the second floor of the Hylton Center, exhibitions are free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and two hours before each performance.

Gallery Exhibition -Wayne Paige
Changing Landscapes: The Digital Age, Encroachment, and Eventual Outcomes
Tuesday, August 31 at 10 a.m.-Sunday, October 10

Wayne Paige creates dream-like drawings and paintings which feature mythical but familiar landscapes of mountains, waterways, and woodlands inhabited by expressive silhouette-like figures that seem to pulsate with energy and inner light. The artist deploys elements of science-fiction, humor, and visionary imagery to slyly comment on digital technology’s transformation of our psychic landscape. To depict these scenes, Paige uses a pointillist style of mark-making, recalling the work of artist George Seurat while also referencing the pixilation of digital imagery. 

Gallery Exhibition – Carroll Sockwell
Grey Compositions
Tuesday, October 12 at 10 a.m.-Sunday, November 14

Carroll Sockwell (1943-1992) was a prominent figure in the Washington, D.C. art scene in the 1970’s. Often using the simplest of tools–pencil, charcoal, and pastel, Sockwell was an internationally acknowledged master of non-representational abstraction and belongs to the last generation of American Abstract Expressionists, with such influences as Paul Cezanne, Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Cy Twombly. This exhibit features Sockwell’s suite of 6 large-scale drawings titled Grey Compositions. The drawings feature a cacophony of black charcoal marks dancing over smoke-like expanses of grey and brown. Viewed together, the abstract works’ map-like graphic notations suggest an epic visual poem or musical score.

Virginia police are looking for a driver who is accused of beating an officer and then driving away without stopping.

Officers conducted a traffic control near Centerville Road and Compton Road in Centerville at around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, Fairfax County Police said.

The video released by the police with a dash cam and a body-worn camera shows an officer near the driver’s side of a stopped car. Another officer approaches from behind.

The officer in the back moved towards the roadside and shouted, “Cheer up! Heads up! Heads up!”

A black four-door sedan sped by southbound and hit the policeman in front of the car.

The officer was injured in the lower body, police said. You were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The alleged driver crossed Prince William County, police said.

According to police, the car could be a Honda with damage to the passenger mirror or the bumper. The police asked the population to help identify the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 703-814-7000.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez paid thousands to a former Blackwater contractor for personal safety, a review of federal electoral commission records shows.

AOC’s campaign lost at least $ 4,636 to Tullis Worldwide Protection for “security services” between January and June of this year, according to records.

The company, based in Franconia, Virginia, is owned by Devin Tullis, whose other customers include the royal families of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to its website.

AOC has been among the vocal advocates of the Defund The Police movement since it entered Congress, and insists the idea would turn depraved communities into suburban paradises.

“[Suburban] Communities have lower crime rates, not because they have more police, but because they have more resources to support a healthy society in ways that reduce crime, ”she said on a June 2020 Instagram story.

The Tullis money was only a small portion of the more than $ 34,000 AOC spent on private security services and consultants in the first half of 2021.Getty Images

When New York City wanted to withdraw a billion dollars from the NYPD, Ocasio-Cortez criticized the measure as inadequate. “Defusing the police means defusing the police,” the congresswoman said in a statement at the time.

In addition to Blackwater, Tullis also worked as a Bail Enforcement Officer, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He refused to go into the details of his congressional contract, but said he had frequently hired former military and law enforcement agencies to guard jobs with VIPs – the gig was not for the faint of heart.

“We don’t hire social workers,” he laughed.

Blackwater, now known as Academi, was a private military company founded by Erik Prince, a billionaire and former Navy Seal. The company gained disgrace in the United States for supplying some of the rougher military contractors during the Iraq War.

In September 2007, Blackwater agents participated in the Nisour Square massacre that killed 17 Iraqi civilians. Four agents were later convicted of murder, manslaughter, and gun possession in 2014. They were all pardoned by President Trump in December 2020.

“She attacks the police from one corner of her mouth and from the other she hires police officers who have gone privately to protect her. So AOC, what is it? ”Veteran Democratic strategist Jon Reinish told the Post.

Tullis said his days at Blackwater were in the early 2000s, at the beginning of his career. He said the appointment didn’t last long and that he was only involved in details of the company’s internal security.

The lion’s share of the cash – $ 28,498 – was spent on-site at Three Bridges, LLC in New York.POOL / AFP via Getty Images

“Everyone says Blackwater and thinks people run and shoot and kill overseas, but that’s just not the real story,” Tullis said, naming his own work at the time. “General everyday security material.”

A representative from AOC declined to comment.

The Tullis money was just a small portion of the more than $ 34,000 AOC spent on personal security and advisors in the first half of 2021, records show.

The lion’s share of the cash – $ 28,498 – was spent on-site at Three Bridges, LLC in New York, which describes itself as part of a “new generation in the private security industry.”

An additional $ 1,552 went to Houston 24 & 7 Security & Investigation, which provided security for the congresswoman while she was in town to raise money after the town was hit by a devastating winter storm.

Owner Joe Orsak said he hired a former U.S. Army veteran to watch her.

“We connected with [Ocasio-Cortez] through another agent who is friends with his family, ”Orsak said.

The spike comes amid heightened security fears among several lawmakers following the January 6 uprising in the capital in Washington, DC

Blackwater, now known as Academi, was a private military company founded by Erik Prince.Getty Images

Some of the biggest security issues have been Republicans, including Wyoming MP Liz Cheney, who was angry for her vote to impeach then-President Trump.

“Cheney has spent at least $ 50,400 on security so far in 2021, while another prominent Trump critic, Utah Senator Mitt Romney, has spent $ 43,633,” Axios reported. Upstate New York GOP representative John Katko, who also voted for impeachment, spent at least $ 19,874 over the same period.

The congresswoman is by no means the only defunder woman who has been looking for additional security. Her teammate, freshman Rep. Jamaal Bowman, requested and received a special message from the Yonkers Police Department to patrol his personal home.

A representative from his office said the extra muscle was necessary because of “threats” Bowman received.

Photo: Jon Durr / Eclipse Sportswire

Aside from unprecedented events, there will be no races at Arlington Park in 2022 after the Friday deadline for applying for appointments with the Illinois Racing Board.

“Arlington didn’t apply,” Tony Petrillo, Arlington general manager, told Horse Racing Nation in a text message.

The news was first reported on a social media post by Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form.

The decision not to request appointments means a new owner will not be able to resume live racing on the Chicago suburban track at least until 2023. Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Arlington, has accepted bids for the property, indicating it prefers that it not be used for racing in the future.

A CDI spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association criticized the CDI in a statement released Thursday ahead of the deadline.

“Churchill Downs writes the book on bad faith, so this latest move is disappointing but not surprising,” said ITHA president Mike Campbell in the statement.

There are several well-known offerings, including one from former Arlington President Roy Arnold, who would continue to race, renovate the facility, and create an around-the-track development that could include amenities like a hotel and a hockey arena.

Campbell told HRN in June that he was excited about Arnold’s offer and hoped CDI would accept the offer.

“Now we’re going to see if Churchill Downs does the right damn thing, that won’t get in the way and keep eroding, worsen the track from horse racing,” Campbell said at the time. “But in fact, let horse racing go on like it has been in Illinois for 100 years.”

CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen had previously said in a call for earnings in June 2020 that the land in Arlington could have a “higher and better purpose” besides horse racing.

The Chicago Bears NFL team also announced it had made an offer for the property in June.

“We are making no further comment,” a Bears HRN spokesman said in June when asked if the team’s plans for the property included the possibility of the race continuing.

In a conference call on Thursday, Carstanjen said CDI had not yet selected an offer.

“We have received numerous offers from interested parties for the country and are working on selecting the final award bid,” said Carstanjen. “We’ll provide an update when we’ve selected the winner.”

The Arlington Heights Ill. Village Board of Trustees passed an ordinance in May preventing CDI from making any restrictive agreements on the property that would discourage a prospective buyer from keeping horse racing by the wayside. The step of not requesting any race dates, however, practically guarantees that there will be no races there in 2022.

“It is clear that Churchill Downs is solely concerned with corporate profits and all other considerations are secondary,” Campbell said in the ITHA statement. “All we can do in this case is to hope that Churchill, given his interest in selling Arlington Park to the most capable bidder, recognizes the utility of filing the appointment request in order to preserve the possibility of future races on the track.”

With Arlington not featured in the 2022 picture, Hawthorne Park applied for a full year of race dates, the track’s advertising director Jim Miller told HRN.

“Hawthorne applied for whole blood and dishes for 365 days,” said Miller. “This allows Hawthorne to work with both groups of riders to establish a schedule that will benefit both the breeds and the Illinois circuit.”

The current meeting in Arlington should take place until September 25th.