Category: Lifestyle

Videos, photos and news about food, homes & gardens, auto, celebrities, and all that identify the culture of various lifestyles…

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Hughes proposes ordinance to lower speed limit on Rosedale Road in Princeton

TRENTON, N.J. – The speed limit along Rosedale Road (County Rt. 604) in the Municipality of Princeton would be lowered from 40 mph and 45 mph to a consistent 35 mph between Province Line Road and Elm Road under an ordinance that Mercer County Exec. Brian M. Hughes recently presented to the Board of County Commissioners.

 

The proposal to amend the speed limit, which was approved by the board on first reading, is one of several traffic-calming measures undertaken by the County.  This approval ties into the Safe-Routes-to-School grant, Princeton received to make Rosedale Road safer for children walking and bicycling to and from Johnson Park Elementary School, Mr. Hughes said.

 

Other improvements designed to enhance pedestrian safety included restriping the Rosedale Road corridor to reduce travel lane widths to 11 feet in order to encourage reduced vehicle speeds; the installation of a mini-roundabout last summer at the intersection of Rosedale Road and the entrances to Johnson Park Elementary School and Greenway Meadows Park in an effort to increase pedestrian safety and decrease congestion during peak school and park operation hours by calming vehicular traffic; and the installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons at both roundabout approaches on Rosedale Road to increase driver awareness of pedestrian crossings.

 

The ordinance is expected to be considered for adoption at the board’s March 23 meeting.

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Culture Lifestyle Local News

Mercer County executive named 2022 Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American

The Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation has named Mercer County Exec. Brian M. Hughes the 2022 Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American Award recipient. 

 

The award was presented to Mr. Hughes at the 61st Annual George Wah Awards Dinner, held March 12, 2023, at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, in support of the 2022 Scholar Leader Athlete Awards.

 

Considered the Chapter’s highest award, the Casciola Distinguished American Award is named for the revered All-Ivy League tackle for Princeton University who spent 20 years in the college coaching ranks as an assistant coach at Princeton and Dartmouth College and then as head coach at the University of Connecticut and Princeton. Along with having a rewarding career in the banking industry, Bob Casciola also served for many years as color analyst for the Princeton Tigers football organization.

 

On bestowing the award, the Chapter recognized the County Executive’s transformative leadership of Mercer County, N.J., and his ongoing commitment to opening up opportunities to people from all walks of life.

 

Under Mr. Hughes, the Mercer County Park Commission has vastly expanded and diversified programs offered by the park system to get more people involved. Mercer has done that by introducing children to activities that might otherwise be out of reach, such as rowing, horseback riding, tennis, and skating.

 

The Hughes Administration also developed a STEM curriculum at its Nature Center to align with that being taught in area schools, and initiated Mercer at Play, a funding program to encourage new municipal recreation amenities, leading to dozens of new projects – from skate parks to basketball courts to accessible playgrounds – all across the county.

 

“While I may not have done for the sport of football what Bob Casciola has, it has been my honor to serve the people of Mercer County and to dedicate myself to making a positive impact on society by uplifting all people, especially the underserved,” Mr. Hughes said.

 

“To the scholar athletes, the things you do off the field will always be as important as what you do on the field. I encourage you to dream big, chase your dream and strive to be the great citizens this country needs.”

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Culture Lifestyle Local News Sports & Gaming

Women’s History Month features Val Ackerman, first female president of USA Basketball

During Women’s History Month, supporters of WHM recognize Val Ackerman, standout athlete, sports executive and former lawyer.

 

Photo courtesy: Big East Directory

A graduate of  Hopewell Valley Central High School, Ackerman set the school’s varsity basketball career record for points scored, 1,466, a record by any basketball player, male or female.

 

Among her list of accomplishments on and off the court, is that she was the first president of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the first female president of USA Basketball for the 2005–2008 term. During her term, she oversaw a restructuring of the USA Basketball Board of Directors, and gold medal performances by the men’s and women’s basketball teams at the Beijing Olympics. Ackerman was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

 

In a 2022 Sports Illustrated column, Ackerman said, “When I reflect on the story of women’s sports in our country, I sometimes think about my grandmother, Barbara Radecky Voscek, who immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s from what is now Slovakia. She raised seven children (including my mom, the youngest), first in western Pennsylvania, where my grandfather worked as a coal miner, and then in a row house in Trenton, N.J., after Grandpop found work in an auto factory instead. Grandmom didn’t speak English, so I never really got to know her, but I’m mesmerized—and inspired—to this day by her courage, her resourcefulness and the many sacrifices she made in search of a better life for herself and her family.”

 

“Women’s sports have an analogous narrative—they’ve been propelled by people courageous enough to take chances and break down walls, who’ve been relentless in their quest for equality and respect and who were willing to be the first so that others could later reap the gains. To those who fought for Title IX and for every milestone since: I can hardly put into words my gratitude for your vision and determination. To the next generation of women athletes and leaders: Carry on, ladies. You’ve been given a start, but there’s still plenty of groundbreaking, leading and fighting left to be done,” she said.

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Education Healthcare Lifestyle Science Technology Travel & Leisure

Aetrex partners with Pensole Lewis College School of Business & Design to improve next generation of footwear design

Brand donates premium foot scanner to bring 3D data-powered shoe design capabilities to students

 

TEANECK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Aetrex, Inc., a global market leader in foot scanning technology, today announced a partnership with Pensole Lewis College School of Business & Design (PLC), the preeminent footwear design school in the world, to further the school’s mission to help diverse, budding designers break into the world of product creation and improve the industry for the next generation.


In late 2022, Aetrex met with PLC Founder and President D’Wayne Edwards to discuss how Aetrex’s state-of-the-art foot scanning technology uses 3D foot data to help shoe designers create better fitting and functioning footwear. Creating an anatomically correct shoe, a crucial component in the design process, starts with the development of a highly informed last (the solid form around which shoes are molded). Aetrex has used data and learnings from its foot scanners for years to create shoes that fit and perform better, helping wearers reduce injury and increase comfort.

 

After discussing the needs of the college, the benefits of foot scanning and ideas for course integration, the parties entered a partnership where Aetrex donated an Albert 2 Pro, the premier 3D foot scanner in its fleet.

 

“PLC relies on support from brands like Aetrex to make our programming possible and open up opportunities in the industry for our talented students,” said Edwards.

 

“Over the past year, PLC has served around 150 students – tuition-free, without prior educational requirements. We’re thrilled to integrate Aetrex Technology into our curriculum to further our goal of preparing the largest talent pool of progressive creatives to enter the industry and leave it better than we found it.”

 

PLC students started exploring the technology’s capabilities in a course with New Balance. In this program, students utilize the Albert 2 Pro to scan the feet of five different athletes to analyze and categorize shoe styles for better-fitting footwear designs.

 

“We recognize the footwear industry always has room to grow—both in developing better-fitting footwear, and in employing a more diverse and representative population of designers,” said Justin Dyszelski, national accounts manager at Aetrex.

 

“That’s why we’re working with Pensole to make industry-leading design technologies available to the next generation of students so that they can access and learn the innovative tools of the trade and use their passions to help propel our industry forward.”

 

As a technology-led company, Aetrex operates the largest technology team in the industry with AI and computer vision engineers fully involved in product development. Since 2002, Aetrex has placed over 12,000 foot scanners worldwide that have completed more than 50 million unique foot scans. Other Aetrex partners include BOA, Burton, Marathon Sports, Sun & Ski Sports, Rocky Brands, Pikolinos, and more.

 

To learn more about Aetrex’s technology suite, visit www.aetrex.com.

 

About Aetrex

Aetrex, Inc. is widely recognized as a global leader in foot scanning technology, orthotics and comfort and wellness footwear. Aetrex has developed state-of-the-art foot scanning devices, including Albert, Albert 2 Pro and Albert 3DFit (2022 and 2023 CES Innovation Award Honorees), Albert Pressure and iStep, designed to accurately measure feet and determine foot type and pressure points. Since 2002, Aetrex has placed over 12,000 scanners worldwide that have performed more than 50 million unique customer foot scans, currently averaging more than 2.5 million scans a year.

 

The company is renowned for its over-the-counter orthotics – the worlds #1 premium foot orthotic. With fashion, function and quality at the forefront, Aetrex also designs and manufactures stylish, performance footwear. Based in New Jersey, Aetrex is consistently named one of New Jersey’s Top 100 Privately Held Companies and was also included in NJBIZ’s Top 30 Manufacturing Companies. It has remained privately owned by the Schwartz family for three generations. For additional information, visit www.aetrex.com.

 

About Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design

Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design is the pipeline for career education and professional development in the design industry. We are the source for creative vision and progress; bearing the torch to push the culture forward — beyond what’s visible. At Pensole Lewis College, we offer a new path to break into the world of product creation. We prepare the largest talent pool of designers to enter the industry empowering them to make it better for the next generation, leaving our industry better than when we entered it.

Contacts

Media
Rajira Hernandez

Matter Communications

978-225-8082

aetrex@matternow.com

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Business Culture Entertainment News Lifestyle

Introducing 3 Pointers: An exclusive mini-series starring Man vs. Food’s Casey Webb — Premiering on VIZIO

Lifestyle Programming Developed with BetMGM Designed to Give a Big Assist to College Basketball Tournament Fans

 

IRVINE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — VIZIO (NYSE: VZIO) today announced the launch of an exclusive branded entertainment series, 3 Pointers. Hosted by renowned talent Casey Webb (Man vs. Food), the four-part limited series celebrates the culture of college basketball’s big month with game day recipes, beverages, and entertainment hacks designed to elevate the viewing experience.

 

Produced in partnership with BetMGM, a market-leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, the marquee series launches on March 17th, exclusively on VIZIO.


“3 Pointers captures important criteria as we evaluate what to put in front of our audiences: relevance, timeliness, and premium storytelling,” said Steve DeMain, VP of Branded Content & Sponsorships at VIZIO.

 

“As we continue to evolve the experiences we deliver to our customers, we’re also expanding the opportunities we can provide brands to connect with our audience in unique ways that add value to their journey. It’s a win-win.”

 

3 Pointers is just in time for America’s favorite month-long college basketball event. In each episode, host Casey Webb shares fun recipes and entertaining tips that will make any game day gathering a slam dunk. Whether you’re cheering on your favorite team or just trying out a new recipe, 3 Pointers promises something for everyone.

 

“We collaborated with VIZIO on this one-of-a-kind programming from concept to completion with the goal of creating a premium entertainment experience that taps into the excitement of March basketball,” said Matt Prevost, CRO at BetMGM.

 

“3 Pointers is a creative and dynamic series that we hope sports fans will enjoy throughout the month-long celebration of college basketball and beyond.”

 

The exclusive content was produced by food and lifestyle veterans Turn Card Content. 3 Pointers is available on the VIZIO home screen and on demand on WatchFree+. The series provides fun tips for consumers during March basketball and takes viewers directly into the content — marking a breakthrough moment for tracking the efficacy and impact of integrated content.

 

3 Pointers premieres on March 17th on the VIZIO home screen. Following the premiere, the mini-series will be available on demand on VIZIO WatchFree+. Click here to watch the trailer for the series.

 

About VIZIO

Founded and headquartered in Orange County, California, our mission at VIZIO Holding Corp. (NYSE: VZIO) is to deliver immersive entertainment and compelling lifestyle enhancements that make our products the center of the connected home. We are driving the future of televisions through our integrated platform of cutting-edge Smart TVs and powerful operating system. We also offer a portfolio of innovative sound bars that deliver consumers an elevated audio experience. Our platform gives content providers more ways to distribute their content and advertisers more tools to connect with the right audience.

 

For more information, visit VIZIO.com and follow VIZIO on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

About BetMGM

BetMGM is a market-leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry. Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Entai Plc (LSE: ENT), BetMGM has exclusive access to all of MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s US-licensed, state of the art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market-leading brands including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino and Party Poker. Founded in 2018, BetMGM is headquartered in New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.betmgminc.com.

Contacts

Melissa Hourigan

Fabric Media

720-608-1919

melissa@fabricmedia.net

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Business Culture Digital - AI & Apps Lifestyle Technology

MIPI Alliance announces honorees in 10th Annual Membership Awards ceremony

Ten recipients recognized for extraordinary contributions to MIPI specifications for mobile, IoT, security, automotive and more

 

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #MIPI — The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, today announced the recipients of the 2022 MIPI Alliance Membership Awards for their outstanding contributions and leadership. MIPI’s 10th annual awards ceremony took place last week in conjunction with MIPI Member Meeting #62 in Lisbon, Portugal.


“It is primarily because of the intense commitment of our growing membership that MIPI Alliance is able to succeed in our mission to deliver the interface specifications necessary to create state-of-the-art, innovative mobile-connected devices,” said Sanjiv Desai, chair of the MIPI Alliance.

 

“This awards ceremony is always a welcome opportunity to recognize those individuals and member companies who have given the most of themselves to MIPI activities and the industries we serve. We thank all of our members for their continued contributions.”

 

Individuals and companies are nominated by MIPI members. An awards and recognition committee appointed by the MIPI Board of Directors reviews and recommends nominees, and the board approves the final honorees. Ten award recipients in six categories were recognized in the 2022 program.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to individuals with at least seven years of service to MIPI Alliance and who have provided noteworthy contributions or leadership to a working group, the board of directors or another MIPI area. Sergio Silva of Synopsys, Inc., was recognized for his ongoing influence and innovative contributions to MIPI M-PHY, particularly in both the electrical and digital domains. An active contributor for more than a decade, Silva recently brought forward a key proposal for the next version of the specification and has leveraged his profound knowledge of physical layer requirements to proactively resolve issues and challenges, and clarify M-PHY use cases.

 

The Corporate Award was presented to Western Digital Technologies Inc., a MIPI Alliance member since 2006, for outstanding leadership and contributions to the development of the MIPI M-PHY physical layer interface and the MIPI UniPro transport layer, both of which have been developed in collaboration with JEDEC for its widely implemented Universal Flash Storage standard. Western Digital representative Kirill Dimitrov assumed the chair role for the MIPI M-PHY Working Group in 2018 and received a 2021 MIPI Working Group Leadership Award.

 

The Working Group Leadership Award is presented to leaders within MIPI working groups in recognition of their noteworthy contributions to the groups’ activities or specification development. Two individuals were recognized for their efforts in 2022:

  • Philip Hawkes of Qualcomm Incorporated, co-chair of the MIPI Security Working Group, was recognized for his own contributions, as well as his efforts to encourage others to participate in the development of the forthcoming MIPI Security framework, which includes the MIPI Security v1.0 and MIPI Security Profiles v1.0 specifications. The group is also collaborating with the Camera Working Group to apply these specifications to securing MIPI CSI-2 data streams.
  • Niel Warren of Google LLC, chair of the MIPI Audio Working Group, was honored for his contributions and dedication in the development of MIPI SoundWire and the forthcoming MIPI SoundWire I3S (MIPI SWI3S) specification. Warren has been instrumental in soliciting member inputs, and under his leadership, working group participation has been at an all-time high.

 

Four members received the Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals impacting the MIPI specification development process or those contributing by serving on the board of directors, a working group, or helping in the areas of marketing or testing:

  • Nadav Banet of Valens Semiconductor received the award for innovative contributions across the end-to-end MIPI Automotive SerDes Solutions (MASS) framework. The lead of the Camera Adaptation Layer Subgroup, Banet’s major inputs include the Service Extension Packet (SEP) format, which has been adopted by both the MIPI Camera Service Extensions (MIPI CSE) and MIPI Display Service Extensions (MIPI DSE) specifications.
  • Hendrik Lange of KIOXIA Corporation was recognized for his contributions to the development of MIPI UniPro v2.0. In addition to helping create a comprehensive and thorough Conformance Test Suite (CTS) for the newest version of UniPro, Lange helped ease implementation by ensuring high-quality descriptions were included in the specification.
  • Cédric Marta of Synopsys, Inc. was selected to receive this honor for his contributions to the MIPI Camera Working Group. As a co-vice chair of the working group, Marta has provided especially crucial support in discussions surrounding the MPI CSI-2 ecosystem and interoperability, and has served as a MIPI author to provide education on the features and capabilities of CSI-2.
  • Jürgen Urban of KIOXIA Corporation was recognized for his input in creating the CTS for MIPI UniPro v2.0. Urban was instrumental in applying new features and leading discussions on change proposals for the CTS, helping speed its completion. As a former chair of the UniPro Working Group, Urban also received a Working Group Leadership Award in 2014.

 

The Special Achievement Award is presented to individuals who actively and consistently perform and contribute toward MIPI Alliance objectives. The 2022 award was presented to Chris Grigg, MIPI’s specifications and technical editing director. For 10 years, Grigg has expertly managed the editing process for a growing portfolio of MIPI specifications and supporting documents to ensure high quality, clarity and consistency across all technical materials and Alliance policies.

 

The Legacy Award, presented posthumously for notable participation in MIPI Alliance, was presented to Paul Kimelman of NXP Semiconductors. A longtime contributor, Kimelman’s extraordinary leadership and tireless coordination were key to the development and promotion of MIPI I3C. He was also a notable contributor to MIPI Debug for I3C, authoring a key section of the specification.

 

For photos and information about past recipients, please visit https://www.mipi.org/membership/annual-awards.

 

To discover more about MIPI Alliance, subscribe to its blog and connect with its social networks by following MIPI on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

 

About MIPI Alliance

MIPI Alliance (MIPI) develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries. There is at least one MIPI specification in every smartphone manufactured today. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, the organization has over 375 member companies worldwide and more than 15 active working groups delivering specifications within the mobile ecosystem. Members of the organization include handset manufacturers, device OEMs, software providers, semiconductor companies, application processor developers, IP tool providers, automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, and test and test equipment companies, as well as camera, tablet and laptop manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.mipi.org.

 

MIPI®, A-PHY®, CSI-2®, M-PHY® and UniPro® are registered trademarks owned by MIPI Alliance. C-PHYSM, CSESM, D-PHYSM, DSESM, MIPI SecuritySM and SWI3SSM are service marks of MIPI Alliance.

Contacts

Becky Obbema

Interprose for MIPI Alliance

+1 408.569.3546

becky.obbema@interprosepr.com

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Business International & World Lifestyle Weather & Environment

Best’s Market Segment Report: French Insurers reconsider natural catastrophe assumptions following another very expensive year

AMSTERDAM — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance — Growing frequency and severity of weather-related events such as drought, storms and wildfires are prompting French insurers and reinsurers to rethink their appetite and pricing for natural catastrophe risks, according to a new report from AM Best.

The Best’s Market Segment Report, “French Insurers Reconsider Natural Catastrophe Assumptions Following Another Very Expensive Year,” notes that record-breaking temperatures and severe droughts led to significant property damage losses in 2022. The latest estimate from France Assureurs puts insurers’ weather-related natural catastrophe losses for 2022 at around EUR 10 billion, prompting reinsurers to push up prices and tighten conditions in the January 1 renewals.

 

To access a complimentary copy of this special report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=329668.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Pierre Tournier
Associate Director, Analytics
+31 20 308 5423
pierre.tournier@ambest.com

Morgane Hillebrandt
Financial Analyst
+31 20 308 5422
morgane.hillebrandt@ambest.com

Mathilde Jakobsen
Director, Analytics
+31 20 808 3118
mathilde.jakobsen@ambest.com

Richard Banks
Director, Industry Research – EMEA
+44 20 7397 0322
richard.banks@ambest.com

Edem Kuenyehia
Director, Market Development & Communications
+44 20 7397 0280
edem.kuenyehia@ambest.com

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Digital - AI & Apps Lifestyle Technology

1Kosmos to present rollout blueprint for secure password-less access at 2023 Gartner IAM Conference

Experts will explain how to eliminate passwords with identity-based authentication, while overcoming deployment roadblocks and pitfalls

 

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #Blockchain—1Kosmos, the only company that unifies identity proofing and password-less authentication, today announced that it will present a session on eliminating passwords and deploying password-less multi-factor authentication (MFA) at the Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit, March 22 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

 

WHO: Javed Shah, Senior Vice President of Product Management for 1Kosmos is a 22 year veteran in the identity management industry. Prior to 1Kosmos, Javed worked at ForgeRock, where he held several leadership roles in the pre-Sales and product management organizations. He has also served in senior technical and architecture roles with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Kaiser Permanente, Prolifics and Persistent Systems.

 

Robert MacDonald, Vice President of Product Marketing for 1Kosmos has more than 15 years of global marketing experience in identity software. Rob managed product strategy and vision for the Identity and Access Management portfolio at Micro Focus, was responsible for content planning, sales enablement and GTM activities for ForgeRock, and has held senior marketing positions at Entrust, Dell, Quest and Corel Corporation.

 

WHAT: Traditional identity and access management frameworks are failing miserably, with passwords remaining the weakest link in the security chain. According to one recent survey, 84% of firms have suffered an identity-related breach in the past 12 months. It’s no surprise that deploying passwordless MFA is gaining mindshare among IT and security leaders as a way out of the whac-a-mole approach to security. But where should they begin? This session will explain the benefits, challenges and pitfalls to avoid for eliminating passwords and implementing a controlled deployment of passwordless MFA, including:

  • Why the rush to passwordless authentication often signals a deeper identity issue
  • The difference between device based and identity based biometrics
  • How to deploy a controlled rollout of passwordless MFA

 

WHERE: Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit,

Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas

WHEN: Secure Passwordless – Yes You Can!

Wednesday, March 22nd at 9:45 AM local time

HOW: To schedule a conversation with 1Kosmos, contact Marc Gendron at marc@mgpr.net or +1 617.877.7480.

 

About 1Kosmos

1Kosmos enables passwordless access for workers, customers and citizens to securely transact with digital services. By unifying identity proofing and strong authentication, the BlockID platform creates a distributed digital identity that prevents identity impersonation, account takeover and fraud while delivering frictionless user experiences. BlockID is the only NIST, FIDO2, and iBeta biometrics certified platform that performs millions of authentications daily for some of the largest banks, telecommunications and healthcare organizations in the world. The company is funded by Forgepoint Capital and Gula Tech Adventures with headquarters in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.1kosmos.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Media:
Marc Gendron

Marc Gendron PR for 1Kosmos

617.877.7480

marc@mgpr.net

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Lifestyle Local News Science Travel & Leisure

Mercer County to purchase fast chargers for electric vehicles

TRENTON, N.J. – Mercer County will continue adding to the electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure with the purchase of four Level 3 EV chargers to be installed at two County facilities, County Executive Brian M. Hughes recently announced.

Photo: An electric vehicle using a Level 2 charger at the Mercer County Administration Building in Trenton.

 

A resolution authorizing a contract with Timothy P. Bryan Electric Company Inc. for the purchase and installation of the ChargePoint Express250 Level 3 EV chargers – two at the Mercer County Administration Building, 640 South Broad St., Trenton, and two at the Mercer County Improvement Authority, 80 Hamilton Ave., Trenton — was approved by the Board of County Commissioners at its March 9 meeting. The contract is for an amount not to exceed $532,410.78.

 

Level 3 chargers – which use direct current and are known as fast chargers — can recharge a plug-in electric vehicle at a rate of 60 to 80 miles of drivable range per 20 minutes of charging time, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

 

“The installation of these fast chargers is the next step in our efforts to support electric vehicle infrastructure,” Mr. Hughes said, noting that Mercer last year installed dual-port Level 2 charging stations at 11 County facilities.

 

“It also helps continue to raise awareness about the environmental benefits of gasoline alternatives as we further our commitment to increasing sustainable practices throughout the County.”

The NJDEP has awarded Mercer County $75,000 through the It Pay$ to Plug In Grant program and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has awarded Mercer $150,000 through the Clean Energy Electric Vehicle Tourism Grant Program to help offset costs associated with the purchase, installation and maintenance of the Level 3 EV chargers, Mr. Hughes said.

 

The remaining costs will be paid with Sustainability Capital Funds.

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Business Lifestyle

AM Best places Credit Ratings of Universal North America Insurance Company under review with negative implications

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance — AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” (Good) of Universal North America Insurance Company (UNAIC) (Arlington, TX).

 

The Credit Ratings (ratings) have been placed under review with negative implications due to a delay of UNAIC’s year-end 2022 annual statement filing. The negative implications take into consideration the uncertainty surrounding the balance sheet strength and operating performance assessments.

 

UNAIC’s ratings had negative outlooks prior to them being placed under review based on concerns regarding the volatile results and the potential for a change in their business profile. In addition, there is uncertainty at the enterprise level due to issues at an affiliated company. The ratings will remain under review until AM Best can analyze the company’s year-end 2022 results.

 

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Janet Hernandez
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5767
janet.hernandez@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Joseph Burtone
Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5125
joseph.burtone@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098
al.slavin@ambest.com