JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Rayonier Advanced Materials, a leader in High Purity Cellulose, announced that power has been fully restored to its Jesup, Georgia site and that the A Line has restarted operations. The A Line, which primarily produces cellulose specialties for use in filtration, food and pharmaceuticals, and tire cord, is currently operating at approximately 80 percent capacity, with an anticipated ramp-up to full capacity within a week. Repair work on the B line is ongoing and is expected to be completed with a restart on or around October 28. The Company continues to assess the financial cost of the incident along with any potential insurance recovery.
ASHVILLE, North Carolina — Norfolk Southern Railway track running through Asheville, North Carolina, will be out of service for at least three months due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene. The deadly Hurricane Helene made landfall Sept. 26, severely flooding and damaging infrastructure and homes across multiple southern states. Hundreds of NS railroaders have been working to restore rail service on impacted rail lines as quickly as possible, NS said on its website. The railroad’s AS Line runs between Morristown, Tennessee, to Salisbury, North Carolina. Knoxville, Tennessee-based WBIR-TV reported yesterday on the status of the AS Line and its impact on the Asheville community. Service has been restored to AS Line track between Morristown and Newport, Tennessee, and between Salisbury and Old Fort, North Carolina. Track between Newport and Old Fort, which run through Asheville, will require significant repair and replacement.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as a mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate. Stragglers face grim odds of surviving, officials said. The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, hasn’t seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century. Milton fluctuated between categories 4 and 5 as it approached, but regardless of the distinction in wind speeds, the National Hurricane Center said, it would be a major and extremely dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. …Major bridges around Tampa Bay planned to close in the afternoon, she said, and public shelters were open for evacuees. 
Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene swamped the Florida coastline, Milton strengthened into a major hurricane that is headed toward the state. The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.3 million people — and is menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Helene. Traffic was thick on Interstate 75 heading north on Tuesday as evacuees fled in advance of Milton. Crews were also hurrying to clear debris left by Helene. …According to the National Hurricane Center’s 
GEORGIA — Researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a promising approach to addressing a longstanding challenge for plant geneticists: balancing disease resistance and growth in plants. The breakthrough could help protect plants from disease in the future while also promoting higher biomass yields to support sustainable food supplies for both humans and animals, production of biofuels and lumber, and more. “Combating pathogens has been a top challenge in agriculture,” said C.J. Tsai, a professor in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “Solutions that balance disease resistance and growth are much needed.” …Salicylic acid-based strategies have long been known to enhance resistance to pests and pathogens, but practical applications were hindered by the reduction in yield. This study offers a method to separate growth suppression from the defense response, opening the door to use both salicylic acid and cold-regulated genes in agriculture without compromising crop success.
USDA is hard at work offering support for farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene. More than a week after its devastation, the agency is still working to grasp just how much has been lost. According to USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, “We’re still assessing the size of the impacts to agriculture and forestry. We know they’re significant. We know there will be short-term impacts and we also know that the impacts on farmer livelihoods will last for potentially years.” With emotions running high, the stress of it all can be overwhelming. “Some of our own offices which were in nearby counties have been hit by the storm. The USDA family and other counties stepping up to triage in field farmer inquiries. …Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow says that she is committed to getting farmers and ranchers the emergency assistance they need as soon as possible.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forestry faculty from the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources will share findings of their recently published report showing wood products can play an important role in long-term carbon storage. A presentation will be held Oct. 24, on the MU campus. The report, “
About 4,500 acres of the Chengwatana State Forest is temporarily closed as fire officials battle a 167-acre wildfire that was first reported on Oct. 17. The fire is now 20% contained as firefighter resources “continue mop up on the fire,” the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNCIS) said in an update Tuesday morning. “Resources continue to secure containment lines to decrease the potential for fire spread,” MNCIS said. “Firefighters are monitoring leaf drop and watching for burning vegetation that could blow across containment lines.” Firefighters will continue to “mop up” along the fire perimeter, working their way inward to extinguish any hot spots. They’ll continue monitoring and suppress any new smoke or hot spots from fallen leaves.
