Technology

“Cloud-borne School Bus”: Once a Daunting Journey, Now an Accessible Route to Education

Published

1 year ago

March 14, 2025

BEIJING, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report by China.org.cn on the “cloud-borne school bus” service in China:

At a sheer 550-meter rise from the valley floor to the mountaintop, the Nizhu River Grand Canyon poses a daily challenge for nine children from Nizhuhe Village as they make their way to school. The phrase “a nerve-wracking journey” once accurately described their treacherous trek to the classroom. However, with the launch of a “cloud-borne school bus” service, their daily schooling commute has taken a much easier turn.

The story of change was achieved just a few years ago.

Nizhuhe Village is a small community nestled in the Nizhu River Grand Canyon in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Guanzhai Primary School is located on the mountaintop. In the past, children from Nizhuhe Village had three options to go to school: they could either walk for at least three hours, taking a long detour of dozen kilometers to reach the mountain top; or spend more than two hours navigating steep and narrow mountain paths to cross the valley; or, occasionally, older children might climb to the top accompanied by their parents. Likening this route to school to a “journey to the heavens” is no exaggeration.

In 2022, the completion and operation of the Nizhu River Grand Canyon Ecological Cultural Tourism Area was a game-changer. A 268-meter cliff-side elevator and an aerial cable spanning nearly 200 meters in elevation, built over five years, are now open for free to local villagers, serving as a “cloud-borne school bus” for children.

With the start of the new semester, students, accompanied by their parents, take a shuttle bus to a cliff three kilometers away. There, they ride a cliff elevator up to the cable car platform, where they switch to cable cars that take them to the mountaintop in just five to six minutes. What was once a grueling three-hour journey to school now takes only 30 minutes.

The 550-meter “leap” represents a monumental transformation in the rural landscape that has unfolded over several decades.

Once a remote and isolated village, Nizhuhe was cut off from the outside world, even lacking electricity before 2002. Back then poor transportation conditions meant that much of the equipment needed to install power lines had to be carried manually. The project, covering a vertical drop of over 500 meters and using nearly 1,000 meters of wiring, took more than three months. Today, local infrastructure has markedly improved. In 2018, Nizhuhe upgraded its electricity system, erecting two 110-kilovolt power towers on the cliff and the opposite riverbank. The local power supply bureau also provided dual power supply for the cliffside elevator, ensuring that the “cloud-borne school bus” can operate all year-round without interruption.

For the children in the village, the dramatic change featuring the “cloud-borne school bus” has removed the cliffs as a barrier to education.

In a similar vein, as children from Nizhuhe Village ride an elevator across a canyon, 1,600 kilometers away, over 300 students in Qingliu County in southeast China’s Fujian Province are taking the Fuxing high-speed train as a school bus to commute between their county and homes deep in the mountains. This route, established during China’s railway expansion period, has specifically optimized its timetable and ticketing rules to maximize convenience for students traveling to and from school.

Similar stories are unfolding in many parts of China today.

Amidst rugged mountains, various “school buses” symbolizing the achievements of the development of Chinese modernization are traversing geographical barriers, making the journey to education easier for children in remote areas. These initiatives also bring them closer to the wider world, transforming daunting journeys into accessible routes for ordinary people to pursue a better life.

China Mosaic
http://chinamosaic.china.com.cn/index.htm

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloud-borne-school-bus-once-a-daunting-journey-now-an-accessible-route-to-education-302401901.html

SOURCE China.org.cn

Technology

Asian Hall of Fame Heritage Gala Highlights Impactful Legacy

Published

9 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Benefit supported Women In Tech, Entertainment, Science & Sports Scholars

LOS ANGELES, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Global ambassador Asian Hall of Fame highlighted positive messages of interracial synergy with its Heritage Gala on May 1, 2026 at the iconic Biltmore Los Angeles. CBS LA Anchor Suzie Suh served as Master of Ceremonies of the festive Asian Heritage Month celebration brought to life by vibrant heritage costumes representing Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The intergenerational benefit funded Women In Tech, Entertainment, Science & Sports (WinTESS) scholarships for 103 applicants from all racial backgrounds.

Guests from California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and New York applauded the Class of 2026 Official Announcement, including Asian Hall of Fame’s first-ever Major League Baseball Inductee Hideo Nomo, nominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and DTLA muralist Robert Vargas as Goodwill Ambassador.

Dedicated San Marino philanthropist and Board of Governors Chairwoman Melinda Rogers was honored as the 2026 Woman of the Year, with a moving speech presented by her younger brother William Rogers. Chairwoman Rogers highlighted the endearing impact of family, and delighted audiences with her custom Korean hanbok, designed alongside Anna Kim at her Koreatown boutique.

Distinguished philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis (Inductee 2007) shared an inspiring fireside chat with stories of family legacy and community empowerment. Guests received commemorative autographed memoirs, and complimentary gifts from Nan Yang Delight and SUP. Inductees in attendance were Marc Anthony Nicolas, Kristen Lui, incoming Inductees Kitty Lo and Maggie Tseng, Official Design Partner of the 2026 Season.

The dramatic Heritage Costume Show, sponsored by Meridien Vacation Homes, presented pageant holders including a Rose Pageant Princess, Miss Asia USA, Miss Teen Latina Global, Hi-Teen USA, Miss International U.S. Virgin Islands, Miss Taiwanese American, and Mrs. Asia Glamour.

Maki Mae performed from her upcoming album release with pianist Jason Lo and cellist Ryan Phipps. Walter Nishinaka and Los Angeles Taiko Collective kicked off raffle drawings, including an 18-carat gold ring donated by long-standing supporter Vartan Kazanjian, owner of Estate Jewelers of South Pasadena.

ABOUT ASIAN HALL OF FAME
Established in 2004, Asian Hall of Fame strengthens interracial synergy by advancing mainstream recognition of Asian and Native legacy. Inductees include Connie Chung, Kristi Yamaguchi, Margaret Cho, amongst others. Contact: press@asianhalloffame.org, (626) 600-9418, www.asianhalloffame.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/asian-hall-of-fame-heritage-gala-highlights-impactful-legacy-302771594.html

SOURCE Asian Hall of Fame

Technology

Notice of Data Privacy Incident

Published

9 hours ago

May 13, 2026

MOUNT STERLING, Ill., May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brown County

Brown County, Illinois provides notice of a data privacy incident involving personal information of certain county constituents and staff.

What Happened? On April 3, 2025, we received alerts of unusual activity in one of our email accounts. We launched an immediate investigation, and retained independent cyber incident response specialists to assist. The investigation determined that two email accounts experienced unauthorized access. We have no evidence of fraud or identity theft from this incident.

What Information Was Involved. The information involved varied by individual, and may have included a first and last name along with a Social Security number, driver’s license number, government issued identification number, medical information, or health insurance information.

What We Are Doing. In addition to the above, we are offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services to individuals whose Social Security numbers were believed to be involved.

What You Can Do. Generally, it is best practice to remain vigilant for incidents of identity theft and fraud from any source by reviewing your account statements and credit reports for suspicious activity and errors. If you discover any suspicious or unusual activity, promptly contact your financial institution or service provider.

Individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Individuals may further learn about identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps to take to protect personal information by contacting the credit reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or state Attorneys General. The FTC encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. It may be reached at 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

For More Information, you may contact us at 1-800-405-6108, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST for further assistance.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/notice-of-data-privacy-incident-302771596.html

SOURCE Kennedys CMK LLP

Technology

SharkNinja Set to Join S&P MidCap 400; Flowers Foods and F&G Annuities & Life to Join S&P SmallCap 600

Published

9 hours ago

May 13, 2026

NEW YORK, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P MidCap 400, S&P SmallCap 600:

SharkNinja (NYSE: SN) will replace Flowers Foods Inc. (NYSE: FLO) in the S&P MidCap 400, and Flowers Foods will replace CSG Systems Intl Inc. (NASD: CSGS) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Monday, May 18. NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) is acquiring CSG Systems Intl in a deal expected to close soon, pending final closing conditions.F&G Annuities & Life Inc. (NYSE: FG) will replace Mister Car Wash Inc. (NASD: MCW) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Tuesday, May 19. Leonard Green & Partners L.P. is acquiring Mister Car Wash in a deal expected to close soon, pending final closing conditions.

Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date:

Effective Date

Index Name

Action

Company Name

Ticker

GICS Sector

May 18, 2026

S&P MidCap 400

Addition

SharkNinja

Consumer Discretionary

May 18, 2026

S&P MidCap 400

Deletion

Flowers Foods

FLO

Consumer Staples

May 18, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Addition

Flowers Foods

FLO

Consumer Staples

May 18, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Deletion

CSG Systems Intl

CSGS

Industrials

May 19, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Addition

F&G Annuities & Life

Financials

May 19, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Deletion

Mister Car Wash

MCW

Consumer Discretionary

ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES

S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets.

S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

S&P Dow Jones Indices
index_services@spglobal.com

Media Inquiries
spdji.comms@spglobal.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sharkninja-set-to-join-sp-midcap-400-flowers-foods-and-fg-annuities–life-to-join-sp-smallcap-600-302771602.html

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices