Aston Villa have been thrown into chaos on and off the pitch with news David Bernstein and Mervyn King have resigned from their board of directors.Former governor of the Bank of England, and Villa fan, King only joined the club in February, while ex-Manchester City and Football Association chairman Bernstein joined as the club’s new director in March.But, just 48 hours after the club were relegated from the Premier League, both men have now stepped down with immediate effect.Lord King and Bernstein agreed to join Villa as part of a boardroom re-shuffle, with ex-manager Brian Little also appointed over the same period.But in a copy of a resignation letter which was leaked online on Monday afternoon, Bernstein stated he felt his position at the club is now untenable over differing views on how to run the club.The letter read: “I have been on office only a few weeks. I was invited onto the board to oversee a much needed review of the football side of the club…[and] lead the implementation of this review and the ongoing management of football at Aston Villa.“For this new structure to work it required all at the club to accept new disciplines, clear reporting lines and adhere to the authority delegated to the new football board.“Unfortunately it have proved impossible to implement the agreed structure and my position has quickly become untenable. The issues at the club are fundamental and the solutions are radical and do not lend themselves to compromise.“I am very sorry it has come to this and wish the supporters and employees every success in the future as it grapples with the challenge of life in the Championship.”Villa issues a club statement shortly after the news broke, which revealed the appointment of a new full-time boss remains a priority and that chairman Steve Hollis is ‘currently engaged in extensive negotiations’ relating to the sale of the club.Owner Randy Lerner officially put Villa on the market almost two years ago.The full statement read: “It is with regret that Aston Villa Football Club today announces the resignations of Mervyn King and David Bernstein as directors of the Club.“The club would like to thank both for all their efforts throughout their short time as members of the board.“A search to appoint a new manager remains a priority.“The chairman, Steve Hollis, is currently engaged in extensive negotiations in relation to the sale of the club.“Brian Little will continue to advise the Chairman on all football related matters.” 1 David Bernstein and Mervyn King have both resigned from Aston Villa 
Santa Clarita Calendar
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORE‘Mame,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!’ composer Jerry Herman dies at 88160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! FRIDAY Cheer tryout clinic, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Gymcheer USA, 20724 Centre Pointe Parkway, Unit 3, Canyon Country. Call (661) 299-6849. Men’s Club will present “Heroic Jewish Journeys: Who are your Hometown Heroes?” 8 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom, 21430 Centre Pointe Parkway, Canyon Country. Call (661) 254-2411. Karaoke night, 6:30-9:30 at Vincenzo’s, 24504 1/2 Lyons Ave., Newhall. Call (661) 259-6733. SATURDAY Irish story time, 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, 23630 Valencia Blvd., Valencia. Call (661) 254-6604. Cheer tryout clinic, 2-4 p.m. at Gymcheer USA, 20724 Centre Pointe Parkway, Unit 3, Canyon Country. Call (661) 299-6849. Santa Clarita Runners Club will meet for a morning run, 7 o’clock in the parking lot at Starbucks, 26415 Bouquet Canyon Road, Valencia. Call (661) 294-0821 or visit www.scrunners.org. Free wellness workshop will present research about stubborn weight, fatigue and hormone imbalance, 10-11:30 a.m. at the office of Dr. Larry Cart, 24868 Apple St., Suite 101, Newhall. Call (661) 284-6233. Saugus train station will be open, 1-4 p.m. at Heritage Junction in William S. Hart Park, 24151 Newhall Ave. Call (661) 254-1275. Karaoke night, 8 o’clock at VFW Post 6885, 16208 Sierra Highway, Canyon Country. Call (661) 252-6885. Special Olympics offers athletic training and competition for athletes with learning disabilities throughout the day at various locations in Santa Clarita. New athletes or volunteer coaches can call (661) 253-2121. SUNDAY Pet adoption event will feature dogs and cats available for adoption, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Petsmart, 24965 W. Pico Canyon Road, Stevenson Ranch. Call the Castaic Animal Shelter at (661) 257-3191. Junior Rangers will meet, 2-4 p.m. at Placerita Canyon Nature Center, 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. Call (661) 259-7721. Santa Clarita Runners Club will meet for marathon training, 6:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Granary Square, 25930 McBean Parkway, Valencia. Call (661) 294-0821 or visit www.scrunners.org. Bingo will be played, 10:30 a.m. at Mint Canyon Moose Lodge, 18000 W. Sierra Highway, Canyon Country. Call (661) 252-7222. Saugus train station will be open, 1-4 p.m. at Heritage Junction in William S. Hart Park, 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. Call (661) 254-1275. MONDAY SCV Historical Society board of directors meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Heritage Junction, 24101 San Fernando Road, Newhall. Call (661) 254-1275. Special Olympics offers golf lessons to athletes with learning disabilities, evenings at Vista Valencia Golf Course, 24700 W. Trevino Drive, Valencia. New athletes or volunteer coaches can call (661) 253-2121. TUESDAY Talk & Tea with Ronda B. will discuss “Understanding Blood Pressure,” 10:30 a.m.-noon at Kaiser Permanente, 27107 Tourney Road, Valencia. Call (661) 222-2405. Santa Clarita Valley Macintosh Users Group will meet, 7 p.m. at Rogers Systems, 25030 W. Avenue Tibbetts, Valencia. Call (661) 250-4149. Nonaerobic workout in a heated pool for joint and muscle conditioning, 10:30 a.m. at the Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA, 26147 McBean Parkway, Valencia. Call (661) 253-3593. Santa Clarita Runners Club will work out, 6:15 p.m. at the College of the Canyons track, 26455 N. Rockwell Road, Valencia. Call (661) 294-0821 or visit www.scrunners.org. Sierra Hillbillies Square Dance Club will offer an intermediate class, 7-9 p.m. in Rooms A1 and 2 at the SCV Senior Center, 22900 Market St., Newhall. Call (661) 252-2210 or (661) 255-0463. Barbershop Harmony Singers will rehearse, 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Valley Oaks Village Apartments, 24700 Valley St., Newhall. Call (661) 259-6109 for security-door information. WEDNESDAY Free health lecture, titled “Diabetes Diagnosis & Treatment,” 1-2 p.m. at the SCV Senior Center, 22900 Market St., Newhall. Call (661) 259-9444. Santa Clarita Sunrise Rotary Club will meet, 7:10 a.m. at IHOP, 24737 W. Pico Canyon Road, Stevenson Ranch. Call (661) 250-1023. Santa Clarita Valley Rotary Club will meet, 12:10 p.m. at Marie Callender’s, 27630 The Old Road, Valencia. Call (661) 259-7701. Santa Clarita Valley-Newhall Optimist Club will meet, 7 p.m. at La Rumba, 27600 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus. Call (661) 252-7313. Valencia Toastmasters will meet, 7 p.m. Call Kim Dickens at (661) 259-8567 or visit www.valenciatoastmasters.org for location. Dual Diagnosis Group for those who are chemically dependent and affected by mental illness, 7:30-9:30 p.m. at St. Francis Counseling Center, 25050 Avenue Kearny, Suite 101, Valencia. Call (661) 294-2880. Special Olympics offers athletic training and competition for athletes with learning disabilities during the evenings at various locations in Santa Clarita. New athletes or volunteer coaches can call (661) 253-2121. THURSDAY After-School Cooking with Kids will make salads, 3-5 p.m. at Whole Foods Market, 24130 Valencia Blvd., Valencia. Call Tina Landrum at (661) 260-2377, Ext. 210. Grand Opening, 5:30 p.m. at David Herzer Photography, 21122 Lone Star Way, Santa Clarita. Nonaerobic workout in a heated pool for joint and muscle conditioning, 10:30 a.m. at the Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA, 26147 McBean Parkway, Valencia. Call (661) 253-3593. Santa Clarita Noon Kiwanis Club will meet, noon-1:30 p.m. at El Torito, 27510 The Old Road, Valencia. Call Janie Choate at (661) 296-8260. Youth Chess Club will meet, 5:30-8 p.m. at 25864-G Tournament Road, Valencia. Call Jay Stallings at (661) 288-1705. Evening Kiwanis Club will meet, 6:15 p.m. at Mulligan’s, 25848 Tournament Road, Valencia. Call Amy Spencer at (661) 255-6714. Santa Clarita Runners Club will meet for tempo runs, 6:15 p.m. Call (661) 294-0821 or visit www.scrunners.org for location. To submit an event for the Daily News calendar, contact Sharon Cotal two weeks prior to the event at (661) 257-5256, fax her at (661) 257-5262, e-mail her at sharon.cotal@dailynews.com or write to her at 24800 Avenue Rockefeller, Valencia, CA 91355.
Girl, 5, who slipped in Aura Leisure Centre awarded €45,000
A young girl who slipped and fell while trying to get on a water slide at a leisure centre has been awarded €45,000.The girl, who was aged 5 at the time of the accident on August 4th, 2013, was at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. Letterkenny Circuit Court heard how the child was climbing steps up to a water slide when she slipped and banged her face.The court was told that the child was unaccompanied at the time of the accident and out of sight of adults.She was knocked out and bleeding heavily and was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.She received treatment for a wound to her upper lip and also lost three teeth as a result of the fall.Medical evidence was given that a scar on the girl’s upper lip has healed well and will continue to do so.Orthodontist Dr Jeremy Worth carried out treatment on the little girl in the months after her fall.He said that the child’s adult teeth have since erupted and appear to be normal.However, he warned that some of the roots of these teeth have been bent and may cause problems in later years.He said they may need future treatment and may have to be replaced.Barrister Ciara Fitzerald, instructed by Seamus Gunne, said the girl’s family were happy with the offer of €45,000.Judge John Aylmer asked to speak with the little girl and her parents in his chambers and then said he was happy to recommend the offer.He also agreed to an application for a release of €500 for a trip to Disneyland, Paris.Girl, 5, who slipped in Aura Leisure Centre awarded €45,000 was last modified: February 7th, 2018 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:Aura Lesiure CentreawardCostscourtdonegalfallhospitalletterkenny
COUNTY COUNCIL CONSIDERING INSTALLING SPY CAMERAS ON BEACHES TO CATCH LITTER LOUTS
Donegal County Council is planning to install spy cameras to stop people dumping litter on the county’s beaches.To move follows a spate of dumping across the county – especially in Inishowen.One of the region’s best-known beaches, Sweet Nellies beach in Greencastle, was left in a mess recently following a beach gathering which saw litter strewn around the beach and even bonfires being lit. Cllr Jack Murray says he has spoken to the council’s litter warden who has informed him that a number of fines have been issued to those responsible for the littering.“Last week I was contacted by a Greencastle resident who was concerned about the state of Sweet Nellies Beach.“Upon visiting the beach, I was disgusted to see litter and clothes strewn everywhere. There was also a number of scorch marks which had been caused by bonfires.“I reported this issue to the council and asked that they investigate in order to protect our beaches. “I have since spoken to the council’s litter warden who has confirmed that the litter has been removed and a number of fines have been issued to those responsible,” he said.He also revealed that the council is considering other measures to protect Donegal’s beaches including installing surveillance cameras and erecting more signage warning about illegal dumping.The recently-elected Sinn Fein councillor said he welcomes any move that will protect Donegal most natural asset.“Large numbers of tourists will be visiting the northwest in the near future for events such as the City of Culture and Clipper Race in Derry. This will be an opportune time in showcase Inishowen’s beaches. They are our greatest asset in attracting tourism.“Our beaches are enjoyed by young and old. Everyone has a right to avail of them but no one has a right to destroy them.” COUNTY COUNCIL CONSIDERING INSTALLING SPY CAMERAS ON BEACHES TO CATCH LITTER LOUTS was last modified: June 14th, 2011 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:beachCllr Jack Murraylitterspy cameras
Relief as van stolen in Donegal is tracked down in Derry
A cross-border investigation is underway to track down thieves who stole a workman’s van in Donegal which was later found abandoned in Derry.Last night, Dermot Harkin urged the public’s help in trying to find his dad’s van which had been stolen in Inishowen.Dermot posted on Facebook: “My dad’s white Ford Transit was stolen from outside a house on Malin Road in Carndonagh today between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm. “All his tools are in it.“Number plate is VUI 4931.“If anyone has any info at all please contact the Gardai in Carn. Thanks.”The van later turned up across the border and was spotted being driven around the city. Local Derry group Shantallow Community Collective (SCC) said the van later turned in its area with locals warding off the thieves who tried to torch it.SCC said on its Facebook page: “Van stolen driving recklessly around galliagh thankfully no one was hurt.“Our community activists and local independent councillor warren robinson on the scene before the thieves tried to set fire to it.“Well done all involved.”Relief as van stolen in Donegal is tracked down in Derry was last modified: February 19th, 2018 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:CarndonaghDerrydonegalstolenvan
€40million confirmed for Mica and Pyrite redress in 2020
Funding has been confirmed in Budget 2020 for the repair of homes affected by Mica in Donegal. The announcement comes as homeowners await details on how a €20million investment, which was announced earlier this year, will be used on a redress scheme.Today, Minister Joe McHugh said that a ‘special funding pot’ of €40million will be set aside in 2020 for the fixing of homes affected by both Mica and Pyrite. Minister McHugh said: “The scheme is about to begin receiving applications. I know this has been a long wait for families affected but this Government is committed to helping.”The Mica-affected homes will be fixed through a scheme operated by Donegal County Council and funded through Minister Eoghan Murphy’s Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.Minister McHugh said: “Government has been told that it will take an estimated €580m to solve this problem.“Earlier this year we committed to an initial €20million investment. We are using a fund that was originally set up to deal specifically with pyrite affected homes in Greater Dublin. That issue is all but solved at this stage. “The special funding pot that has been created will have about €40million next year to fix homes affected by pyrite and mica.“The vast majority of homes in Greater Dublin which were damaged by pyrite following the boom and bust years have now been fixed and the focus will be on homes in Donegal.”Minister McHugh added: “What we have been dealing with here, as a Government, is an exceptional problem which requires special measures to address it. We have answered the need and we will continue to.“Again I want to thank the family who opened their doors to An Taoiseach and myself about a month ago now and poured out their hearts over the impact the crisis has had on them. “I also know the strain that this issue has had on those in the Mica Action Group. People affected by this scandal have shown immense patience, determination and fortitude in working with us to secure this resolution. “It was a local Fine Gael councillor Bernard McGuinness who first brought this crisis to public attention. He sat up and took notice before others and he deserves our credit.”€40million confirmed for Mica and Pyrite redress in 2020 was last modified: October 10th, 2019 by Rachel McLaughlinShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)
Chelsea v Man City: match preview, team news, facts and figures
Baba Rahman is expected to start for Chelsea against Manchester CityKick-off: 4pm, Sunday 21 February 2016Referee: Andre Marriner (Sheldon, West Midlands)Match in a nutshell: Guus Hiddink aims to continue his love affair with the FA Cup as Chelsea host Manchester City in the stand-out tie of the fifth round.BetVictor.com preview: Man City could struggle against improved Chelsea Injuries and suspensionsCHELSEARuled out: John Terry (hamstring), Kurt Zouma (knee), Alexandre Pato (match fitness), Radamel Falcao (thigh).Fitness tests: Loic Remy (calf).MANCHESTER CITYRuled out: Jesus Navas (hamstring), Kevin De Bruyne (knee), Fabian Delph (calf), Samir Nasri (hamstring), Eliaquim Mangala (hamstring).Fitness test: Bacary Sagna (knee), Wilfried Bony (calf). Possible line-upsChelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Baba; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Hazard, Pedro; Costa. Subs from: Begovic, Amelia, Aina, Miazga, Clarke-Salter, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Oscar, Traore, Kenedy, Remy.Manchester City: Caballero; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernando, Aleix Garcia; Celina, Manu Garcia, Sterling; Iheanacho.Subs from: Hart, Wright, Sagna, Clichy, Angelino, Kompany, Humphreys, Horsfield, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva, Barker, Aguero, Bony. Vital statisticsForm guide – last five league matchesChelsea total: W D D W D (9 points)Home: W D D D D (7 points)Manchester City total: L L W D W (7 points)Away: W D W D L (8 points)Top scorers – all competitionsChelsea: Costa 12; Willian 9; Oscar 8; Pedro 5; Ramires 3, Remy 3; Azpilicueta 2, Cahill 2, Fabregas 2, Traore 2, Zouma 2; Falcao 1, Hazard 1, Ivanovic 1, Kenedy 1, Loftus-Cheek 1, Matic 1, Terry 1.Manchester City: Aguero 18; De Bruyne 12; Sterling 10; Iheanacho 9; Bony 8; Toure 6; Fernandinho 4; Silva 3; Delph 2, Kolarov 2, Kompany 2; Demichelis 1, Manu Garcia 1, Nasri 1, Navas 1, Otamendi 1.Last five meetings16 August 2015: Man City 3 Chelsea 031 January 2015: Chelsea 1 Man City 121 September 2014: Man City 1 Chelsea 115 February 2014: Man City 2 Chelsea 03 February 2014: Man City 0 Chelsea 1Chelsea 1 win, Man City 2 wins, 2 drawsFollow West London Sport on TwitterFind us on Facebook
Second-half latest: QPR 2 Birmingham City 0 – Rangers on course for victory
Tjaronn Chery’s well taken goal and Junior Hoilett’s penalty put QPR in a commanding position at Loftus Road.Chery, recalled to the starting line-up by boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, struck 10 minutes before half-time – his sixth goal of the season and second in three matches.James Perch pulled the ball back from the left and Chery showed great composure to steady himself and fire low into the far corner.And Hoilett doubled the lead from the spot four minutes later after Sebastian Polter had been brought down by Michael Morrison.Polter, preferred to Conor Washington up front, turned away from Paul Robinson and Morrison was arguably fortunate to escape with just a yellow card after bringing down the German as he was about to shoot.Earlier, Chery’s deflected shot flashed narrowly wide and Birmingham’s David Cotterill fired wide after being picked out by Jacques Mahoma.Cotterill and Mahoma were also involved in a determined start to the second half by Gary Rowett’s side, who have scored just two goals in their last four matches.Following a goalmouth scramble, Congolese midfielder Mahoma saw his goal-bound shot blocked by Karl Henry.And Cotterill brought a good save from R’s keeper Alex Smithies with a powerfully-struck free-kick.But Birmingham were soon on the back foot again and Thomas Kuszczak prevented a third QPR goal by tipping over Massimo Luongo’s shot from the edge of the penalty area.Gabriele Angella should have extended the hosts’ lead from the resulting corner by Chery but headed straight at the Blues keeper.QPR: Smithies, Onuoha, Angella, Hall, Perch, Henry, Luongo, Phillips, Chery, Hoilett, Polter.Subs: Ingram, El Khayati, Konchesky, Tozser, Washington, Petrasso, Faurlin.Follow West London Sport on TwitterFind us on Facebook
SA’s Social Entrepreneur 2006
1 June 2006Sunette Pienaar, founder of Heartbeat, has been named South Africa’s “Social Entrepreneur 2006” by the Schwab Foundation.The award was made at the opening of the World Economic Forum’s Forum on Africa in Cape Town on Wednesday, and handed over by First Lady Zanele Mbeki.The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is running a search for “The Social Entrepreneur of the Year” in 30 countries around the world. In South Africa the search is in partnership with Deloitte and Independent Newspapers.Community interventionHeartbeat is a non-governmental organisation that reaches close to 5 000 orphaned and vulnerable children in communities right across South Africa. These include child-headed households, granny-headed households and potential orphans living with terminally ill parents.The organisation was founded by Pienaar in 2000. By involving the community in raising and supporting the child, Heartbeat has developed a best practice model for the care of orphans.A staff of 105 full-time employees and 500 volunteers have extended this concept of community intervention from the first site in Carltonville, south-west of Johannesburg, to 16 further sites in seven of South Africa’s provinces.The organisation also helps orphans to access social services and schooling, ensures that they have access to medical care and provides regular food parcels.Direct social impactPienaar was selected from a pool of five finalists: Mitchell Besser, Mothers’ Programmes (Cape Town); Taddy Blecher, CIDA City Campus (Johannesburg); Varkey George, SHAWCO (Cape Town); Banks Gwaxula and Jacob Lief, Ubuntu (Port Elizabeth).The judges, Gill Marcus, Futhi Mtoba from Deloitte and Soul City founder Garth Japhet, considered the direct social impact, innovation, scale, replicability and sustainability of the finalists’ organisations.Pienaar is admitted into the global network of leading social entrepreneurs of the Schwab Foundation and is invited to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.SouthAfrica.info reporter Want to use this article in your publication or on your website?See: Using SAinfo material
Technology highlighted at Ohio No-Till Conference
Share Facebook Twitter Google + LinkedIn Pinterest Technology has been at the forefront of the discussion at today’s Ohio No-Till Conference in Plain City.Bill Haddad from Danville talked about his almost half century of work promoting no-till. He worked closely with emerging technological changes in the early days of no-till, particularly in the Amish community in northeast Ohio. One of the promotional tools he relied upon was a no-till bumper sticker applied to the backsides of Amish horses pulling two-row no-till planters.Moving to a more modern era, Scott Shearer, with the Ohio State University Department of Food, Agriculture, and Biological Engineering talked about the unbelievable opportunities for technology in the future, and present day.“I understand why you might look at me kind of skeptically with some of the things I talk about because they are pretty far out there,” Shearer said. “It is an interesting time and a very dynamic time.”Remote sensing technology from drones can help with identifying weed escapes, directed scouting, stand counts, nutrient deficiencies, crop vigor, total biomass production, changes in leaf appearance for disease detection, drainage and soil moisture content, plant water stress, and assessing how hybrids are responding to the environment around them, Shearer said. Multi-hybrid and plant population technology are also already at work in fields and proving to be economically viable in some fields.As another example of how far technological capabilities have come, Shearer highlighted the upcoming agBOT Challenge this spring. The event is the first of its kind and international teams have accepted the challenge. The assignment is to develop an efficient, unmanned crop seeder capable of planting two varieties of seed over half-mile long rows. In addition, competitors must “develop hardware, software, sensors and human-machine control interfaces to enable their robotic technology and further propel the field of agriculture and robotics.” The robotic planter must “provide real-time data and utilize a mobile-tracking antenna.”The planter must be able to plant two rows at a time, and a total of 12 rows, according to an assignedScott Shearer talks about this drone used in OSU research at today’s No-Till Conference.set of GPS coordinates. It must be able to apply fertilizer and operate between 3.5 and 10 miles per hour and fulfill a range of other tasks. The robot planter also must dock and load two varieties of seed, weigh them and send data to the operator, located elsewhere. It must be able to dock and load starter fertilizer as well, all unmanned.In addition, the system needs to relay to the operator information on down pressure on press wheels, net seed weight, seed rate, fertilizer weight and rate, speed, heading and position. Teams must design their planters so that they can intervene in progress and control such things as seed rate, fertilizer rate, downpressure, heading and speed on the go.The nine teams working on the challenge include Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Purdue University, Virginia Tech University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, University of Regina, Case Western Reserve University, a joint team on MESATech, Grit Robotics and Muschowski Farms and Pee Dee Precision Ag.The winning team collects $50,000. Second place gets a cash prize of $30,000, and third place receive $20,000.So, when Shearer gets looks of disbelief when he talks about the possibilities for the future of row crop production with regard to technological advances, he only needs to point to this event in May.“When people think these ideas are a bit out there, events like this demonstrate that everything is already available to do this today,” Shearer said. “This is happening May 7 in Indiana in 2016.”A clear drawback of the changes in technology, though, is that a horse’s backside offers much more no-till promotion potential. After all, where can you fit a bumper sticker on a drone?AUDIO: The Ohio Ag Net’s Dale Minyo visited with Shearer at the Ohio No-Till Conference.Scott Shearer OSUFor more on the agBOT Challenge visit: www.agbot.ag/overview.2015 No-Till Council award winners recognized: Mark Wilson, Land Stewards, LLC. (left) Business/Industry Award; Norm Fausey, USDA-ARS, (second from left) Educator/Researcher Award; Lynn Eberhard (center) and his sons, Outstanding No-Till Farmer.