
Tweet Facebook Mail A major mosquito outbreak in south-west Sydney has been contained in a "round the clock" operation that cleared the pests from a significant water facility, Sydney Water said. In late October, Liverpool Council contacted Sydney Water about a surge in mosquito populations near Chipping Norton, suspected to be linked to the oxiponds at the Liverpool Water Resource Recovery Facility. Sydney Water collaborated with the council to tackle the issue. READ MORE: Scorching heat, fire warnings as millions swelter A helicopter sprays ponds to fight a mosquito infestation in Liverpool. (Sydney Water) In less than two weeks, nearly 100 per cent of frogbit - a floating water weed - was removed from the ponds. Field assessments across ten of the 12 treatment sites showed a 98 per cent reduction in mosquito larvae since November 8. "In areas where frogbit vegetation persisted, mosquito larvae counts dropped from 400 to nearly zero," Sydney Water water resourse recovery lead Sally Rewell said.b READ MORE: Elon Musk slams Australian social media ban Excavators help rid the facility of omnipresent frogbit. (Sydney Water) "Field surveys have confirmed the amount of airbourne mosquitoes around the plant has reduced by over 90 per cent. We expect a further reduction over the next two weeks." Specialised machinery was used, including excavators, sucker trucks, boats, and a helicopter, to help remove vegetation, and carry out ground and aerial spraying with larvicides. "Our crews worked tirelessly day after day to eliminate the mosquito habitats and treat breeding areas," Rewell said. READ MORE: Stowaway snake causes panic on Australian flight The cleared water facilities. (Sydney Water) Medical Entomology NSW health pathology Associate Professor Cameron Webb said adult mosquito numbers dramatically declined compared to last week's collections. "This is explained by the ongoing reduction in mosquitoes emerging from oxiponds through weed removal and larvicide treatments," Webb said. "Larval sampling in the oxiponds recorded a further decline in mosquito abundance and an approximate further 50 per cent reduction from last Wednesday." It's the size of a thumbtack and kills with a single touch View Gallery More than 50 people worked seven days a week to get rid of the pests, Rewell said. "This has been a focused operation, with everyone giving their all around the clock," she said. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein will be activated from injured reserve and will play against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Friday that Zuerlein is returning after missing seven games with a knee injury to his left, non-kicking leg. He had been shaky before the injury, but the Jets have since been unsettled at the position, with Riley Patterson, Spencer Shrader and Anders Carlson all filling in. “He came back, looked healthy, kicked the ball well this week,” Ulbrich said of Zuerlein. “So, he’ll be our guy going forward here.” Zuerlein is officially listed as questionable to play, but was a full participant the final two practices. Wide receiver Davante Adams is also questionable , but likely to play after participating on a limited basis Friday because of a hip ailment that held him out Thursday. Adams, acquired from Las Vegas in October, has 56 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns on 94 targets in nine games for the Jets. He’s 72 yards away from his fifth straight 1,000-yard season and sixth of his career. “I think at this point, it would be a crying shame to not be able to get that,” he said. Adams and Aaron Rodgers are also tied with Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third-most TD connections (82), including playoffs, by a quarterback-wide receiver duo. Rodgers needs one touchdown pass to become the fifth player in NFL history to get 500 in the regular season — and Adams said he would “love” to be on the receiving end of the milestone. “I got 200, I got 400," he said of Rodgers' TD passes while they were teammates in Green Bay. “So it would be dope to get 500 as well. I think his 200th was my first, so we got some special connections in the past, so it'd be great.” Adams said he was injured early in the game against the Rams, but was still able to catch seven passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He said he was optimistic about his chances of playing at Buffalo. “We’re still working on it,” Adams said. “We’re treating it, trying to get it right so we can hopefully be there and ready by game time.” Cornerback Sauce Gardner is also questionable with a hamstring injury that sidelined him in the second half of New York's loss to the Los Angeles Rams . Zuerlein, who re-signed with the Jets last offseason on a two-year deal, made just nine of 15 field goal attempts and missed one extra point in the first eight games this year. He had been one of the NFL's most consistently reliable kickers the previous two seasons with the Jets. Patterson kicked in one game after the Jets placed Zuerlein on IR. Shrader also kicked in one game before he was signed off the practice squad by Kansas City. Carlson had been the kicker the past five games, but missed a field goal and an extra point against the Rams and the Jets signed Greg Joseph to the practice squad to provide competition. Ulbrich said earlier in the week Zuerlein would also be in the mix after a long layoff. "I think sometimes that can be powerful, an opportunity just to take a deep breath, get his body healthy again and get a restart," Ulbrich said. “So I’m excited for him to do his thing these last two games and really demonstrate to everybody who he is as a kicker.” Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams could return after missing last week with a hamstring injury. He was listed as questionable and was limited at practice all week. Also questionable but expected to play are right tackle Morgan Moses (knee), safety Tony Adams (ankle), cornerback Michael Carter II (back), defensive end Haason Reddick (neck) and defensive lineman Braiden McGregor (ankle). Defensive tackle Leki Fotu was ruled out with a knee injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Canadian freestyle skier star Mikael Kingsbury is juggling both moguls and fatherhood. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! Canadian freestyle skier star Mikael Kingsbury is juggling both moguls and fatherhood. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Canadian freestyle skier star Mikael Kingsbury is juggling both moguls and fatherhood. The 32-year-old Olympic and world champion from Deux-Montagnes, Que., opens his World Cup season Saturday in Ruka, Finland, with partner Laurence Mongeon and their infant son Henrik in tow. Henrik was born Aug. 25. “It changes your life, that’s for sure,” Kingsbury said Tuesday from Ruka in a media conference call. “Get used to waking up in the middle of the night, but at the same time, it is the most beautiful thing in the world. “It brings a beautiful balance to my career.” While Kingsbury acknowledges there are great hockey players named Henrik, he says the inspiration for the name was his niece liking a boy named Henrik in her kindergarten class. “I always liked the name anyway,” Kingsbury said. “Laurence and I agree it fits his face. “I didn’t ski as much this summer because I wanted to be home and I wanted to be present. We’re five weeks on the road for the start of this season, so I couldn’t see myself doing five weeks without seeing my kid. “I would have missed my family too much, so I brought them on the road for three weeks.” Regarded as the most dominant moguls skier of all time, the Canadian achieved another significant milestone last season when he surpassed Swedish alpine skier Ingemar Stenmark for the most all-time World Cup victories by a male athlete in any ski discipline. Kingsbury embarks on his 16th World Cup season with a career 90 victories. He’s finished in the medals in 129 of 151 career World Cup starts. But while Kingsbury claimed last season’s dual moguls crown, Japan’s Ikuma Horishima challenged Kingsbury’s reign by claiming his first crystal globe in moguls. “The mindset is still the same. The goals are still the same,” Kingsbury said. “Coming into the season, I want to focus on one race at a time. That’s how you get to a crystal globe. “The main focus is being consistent, staying healthy to start the season, try to get the momentum of the start and stay healthy until the end of this season. “I usually start strong, and I can finish very strong, and that’s how you win crystal globes.” Kingsbury won an Olympic moguls gold medal in 2018 and silver in both 2014 and 2022. Dual moguls makes its Olympic debut in 2026 in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Kingsbury has swept both moguls and dual moguls gold medals in three straight world championships. He’ll attempt the double a fourth time March 18-21 in Engadin, Switzerland. “Henrik and my family now are my priority and skiing comes second, but I know I can still win,” Kingsbury said. “It’s going to be different. My family is going to be home and it might be a bit more difficult, but at the same time I see a lot of positive in being a dad. I feel way more relaxed on the mountain.” One secret to Kingsbury’s success has been his durability. His only major injury hiccup so far was fracturing two vertebrae in his back training in Ruka ahead of the 2020-21 season. Kingsbury sat out the first three World Cups and won the fourth upon return to action. He’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning, so quality training, not quantity, is important to him. “As I get older, I cannot do too much, but I’ve got to do the right amount and make sure I can peak in 2026,” he explained. “The challenge is going to be the best dad I can and the best skier I can and try to manage in the middle. It’s never going to be perfect, but I’m to do as best as I can and make sure I’m ready in 2026. “I feel fortunate for all the team (members) that I have around me, teammates, and all the coaches and staff that are working with me. They’re going to make my life easy when it’s going to be difficult.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Advertisement AdvertisementThe Maha Vikas Aghadi took stock on Sunday after a significant drubbing in the Maharashtra elections as viewers around India tracked the IPL auctions. Hemant Soren is set to take oath as the Jharkhand Chief Minister on November 28 after a resounding poll victory. Three people were killed and several police officers injured as protesters opposed a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile the world reached a new climate deal at the COP29 — with wealthy countries set to provide assistance worth $300 billion annually by 2035. COP29 climate deal World leaders reached a new climate deal this week — raising the amount of money that developed countries must provide to at least $300 billion per year by 2035. India representative Chandni Raina however condemned the $300 billion pledge as a "paltry sum" and dubbed the agreement as being “nothing more than an optical illusion” which failed to “address the enormity of the challenge we all face”. Jharkhand government formation Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Hemant Soren met with Governor Santosh Gangwar on Sunday to submit his resignation from the post of Chief Minister. The party and its allies swept the state Assembly elections on Saturday — with members of the INDIA bloc unanimously electing him as the legislature party leader. JMM staked claim to form the new government and an oath ceremony will be held for the new CM on November 28. Sharad Pawar says... NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar broke his silence on Sunday after the Maha Vikas Aghadi faced a humiliating defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. “Maharashtra assembly poll results are not on expected lines. Will study reasons and go to people. This is the people's decision. Women's participation in large numbers could be the reason for the Mahayuti sweep in Maharashtra polls,” PTI quoted him as saying. IPL auction underway 577 cricketers were auctioned on Sunday for the next season of the Indian Premier League — with Rishabh Pant becoming the costliest player in IPL history. The list includes 208 overseas players, 12 uncapped overseas talents, and 318 uncapped Indian players. At least four franchises enter the auction in search of a team captain. Deadly Sambhal clashes Three people were killed and several police officers were injured on Sunday as the survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Uttar Pradesh sparked outrage. The protesters also tried to torch vehicles and pelted stones at the police while they used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob. The incident took place in Sambhal after a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid began in the morning.