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PULP AND PAPERWORKERS’ RESOURCE COUNCIL WORKERS VISIT CAPITOL HILL TO DISCUSS POLICIES IMPACTING MANUFACTURING JOBS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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WASHINGTON, June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Approximately 85 American workers employed in the U.S. forest products industry descended on Washington, D.C., this week and made more than 539 visits with members of Congress and administration officials. Their goal was to educate elected officials on the impacts of legislative and regulatory decisions on the environment and on the families and communities that depend on forest products manufacturing for their livelihood.

The Pulp and Paperworkers’ Resource Council (PPRC), a grassroots organization of hourly employees in the forest products industry, are passionate about educating members of Congress and administration officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Management and Budget, and other government agencies on issues affecting nearly one million American manufacturing jobs in their industry. They represent 53 mills across 23 states.

“Our annual Washington, D.C., fly-in provides the PPRC with an impactful opportunity to visit with Congressional and Administration leaders on environmental issues impacting our industry – especially on topics like renewable biomass energy and its carbon neutrality, paper recycling, air and water regulations and their impact on permitting, as well as forest management,” said PPRC Chairman Matt Hall. “We believe in the importance of sustainable regulation that meets economic and environmental needs and social expectations, avoids unintended harm, and provides pathways for the paper and wood products industry to be an American success story.”

The PPRC specifically discussed several issues with members of Congress, including:

International Trade: The PPRC supports renewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), preserving access to specialized pulp and paper manufacturing equipment and machinery, simplifying the European Deforestation Regulation, and holding non-market economies like China accountable to ensure the U.S. pulp and paper industry remains globally competitive.

Renewable Fuel Standard/Forest Management: The PPRC supports legislation like the Fix Our Forest Act, H.R. 471, to enhance forest management, increasing resilience against fires and disasters, and supporting carbon sequestration, family-wage jobs, and local businesses. Forests sequester carbon, and this is where our industry finds our renewable natural resources. The PPRC opposes expanding renewable fuel incentives to qualify more woody biomass that would distort the market for wood and fiber by subsidizing fuel production to compete directly with pulp and paper mills for the same raw material. This would lead to rising fiber costs, undermining mill competitiveness and shifting U.S. pulp and paper production costing American jobs.

Paper Options: The PPRC believes the public should have the option to choose how they receive government information and services in paper or digital formats. Digital-by-default policies reduce paper use over time, harming the U.S. forest products industry and limits access for those who rely on paper communications. The PPRC opposes S.1877 and H.R. 2241: Improving Disclosure for Investors Act of 2025.

Air Permitting: The PPRC recommends that new Clean Air Act rules consider environmental, social and economic impacts to set sustainable standards and policies to keep our mills competitive and promote job growth in our facilities. Air quality in America has improved dramatically in the past several decades due in part to more efficient, cleaner operating paper mills. Lowering the PM standard will have an outsized impact on the industry. As the U.S. has among the best air quality in the world, these rules are rushed and fraught with scientific uncertainties.

Recycling: The PPRC opposes the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (H.R. 7502) which makes sweeping changes to the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides that could cause public confusion and undermine the recycling system. The PPRC believes a one-size-fits-all solution does not work for all commodities. Paper’s strong recycling success record is proof that it is part of the solution.

Renewable Biomass: The PPRC calls on Congress, the EPA, the Treasury Department and other agencies to provide regulatory certainty for the carbon neutrality of bioenergy from U.S. paper and wood mills, which are the largest producers of carbon-neutral bioenergy. We request inclusion of carbon neutrality provisions in the upcoming Farm Bill and recognition in policies such as clean electricity tax credits.

Carbon Neutrality: The U.S. pulp and paper industry is a leading producer of carbon-neutral bioenergy from residuals of the manufacturing process. We use as much of the tree as possible to make pulp, paper, packaging and wood products.

Endangered Species Act: The PPRC supports Endangered Species Act (ESA) reform to ensure regulations are based on sound science and consider economic impacts. The PPRC believes the ESA is about recovery of a species, not only about preventing extinction, therefore the act should be amended to ensure that the species will not be listed until a recovery plan is developed and appropriations are approved.

Beneficial Use of Paper Mill Residuals: The PPRC asks the EPA to recognize and support the safe and beneficial use of mill residuals, largely composed of tree fiber, as a fertilizer. These mill residuals can be used for agricultural or forest lands, providing reduced soil erosion, less need for irrigation, increased soil nutrient-holding capacity and reduced soil compaction, all of which significantly improve plant growth. The paper and wood products industry no longer uses long-chain PFAS, and residuals show minimal detection levels. PFOA and PFOS are widespread in the environment, and detection limits are extremely low, so they sometimes can be detected in residuals, albeit lower than the background levels found in common house dust. 

Water Quality: The PPRC recommends that revisions to the Navigable Waters Protection Rule/Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule retain effective wastewater treatment exclusions to avoid placing unsustainable requirements on our mills. Pulp and paper mills have significantly improved water quality, reducing Total Suspended Solids, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, and Adsorbable Organic Halogens levels by substantial percentages from 2000 to 2020.

PPRC members also thanked the Members of Congress who have joined the Paper and Packaging Caucus, and those Members who attended the Caucus Congressional Reception on June 23.

The PPRC is a grassroots labor organization led by hourly employees advocating for the U.S. forest products industry. We support policies that encourage economic growth, an abundant and sustainable fiber supply and sensible science-based environmental policies. The U.S. forest products industry is vitally important to our nation’s economy, employing approximately 925,000 people. We rank among the top 10 manufacturers in 43 states and represent 4% of total U.S. manufacturing GDP. We are people dedicated to conserving the environment while taking into account the economic stability of the workforce and surrounding community.

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SOURCE The Pulp and Paperworkers’ Resource Council (PPRC)

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2026 John Cotton Dana Awards Celebrate 80 Years of Recognizing Excellence in Library Marketing and Communications

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June 26, 2026

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~ Award-winning campaigns reflect innovation, impact and the continued evolution of library marketing ~

IPSWICH, Mass., June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 John Cotton Dana (JCD) Award recipients have been selected, celebrating library marketing and communications through strategic and creative campaigns. Administered by the American Library Association’s (ALA) Core Division in partnership with EBSCO Information Services, the awards provide up to eight $10,000 grants funded by the H.W. Wilson Foundation. These grants recognize outstanding public relations efforts that elevate the visibility and impact of library services.

The 2026 JCD Award winners are:

Door County Bookmobile, Egg Harbor, WI
Here Comes the Bookmobile! Again!
A beloved 1950s bookmobile found new life as the centerpiece of a literacy and outreach initiative serving communities across rural Door County, Wisconsin. Through volunteer leadership and community partnerships, the program distributed more than 6,500 free books and expanded access to library services throughout the region.

Geneva Public Library, Geneva, IL
Fund the Library: Library Access for All
Through storytelling, community partnerships, and a successful donor campaign, “Fund the Journey: Library Access for All” raised $250,000 for a dedicated outreach vehicle. The initiative increased awareness of outreach services and strengthened support for expanding library access to seniors, students, and individuals with disabilities.

Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA
Social Media Star Keith
What began as a creative social media experiment became a viral success when IT Manager Keith Davis emerged as the star of the library’s TikTok campaign. Created entirely in-house, “Social Media Star Keith” increased followers by more than 446%, earned local media attention, and showcased the impact of authentic, staff-driven storytelling.

Hawai’i State Public Library System, Honolulu, HI
New Look Invites Residents to Reconnect with Hawai’i’s Public Libraries
A statewide rebranding campaign helped residents reconnect with 51 public libraries across six islands through a new identity rooted in local culture, community values, and the spirit of aloha. Guided by extensive public and staff input, the effort increased program participation, digital engagement, and new library users while reinforcing libraries as welcoming spaces for learning and connection.

Kitsap Public Library, Bremerton, WA
Again & Again, Kitsap Shows Up
An 80th anniversary celebration became a yearlong community engagement campaign featuring collectible library cards, interactive experiences, and countywide activities. “Again & Again, Kitsap Shows Up” attracted new donors, increased public participation, and helped build momentum for a library levy that passed with 62% voter support.

Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL
The Inside Scoop on Library Card Sign-Up Month
Using an ice cream-themed celebration of Library Card Sign-up Month, Naperville Public Library created a fun and engaging campaign for children and families. The effort increased juvenile library card registrations by 67% and welcomed 319 new young cardholders while promoting the lifelong value of library use.

San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA
An Exhibition for the People: Skateboarding San Francisco: Concrete, Community, Continuity
By embracing the city’s influential skateboarding culture, Skateboarding San Francisco: Concrete, Community, Continuity attracted new audiences to the library through bold design, community partnerships, and targeted marketing. The exhibition welcomed more than 10,000 visitors, generated extensive media coverage, and expanded public perceptions of the library as a vibrant cultural destination.

University of California Santa Barbara Library, Santa Barbara, CA
UCSB Reads 2025
Centered on Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, the first poetry collection selected in the program’s history, UCSB Reads 2025 brought campus and community members together through a shared reading experience. Creative programming, partnerships, and public events expanded participation and fostered a stronger sense of connection through literature.

The 2026 JCD winners will be recognized at the 2026 American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition as part of the 80th anniversary celebration of the John Cotton Dana Award.

2026 Selection Committee
This year’s judging panel included: Martha Anderson, Director of Organizational Development and Head of Digital Services Department, University of Arkansas; Sara Neal, Marketing and Communications Manager, Salt Lake County Library; Kelly Sitzman, Director of Communications and Employee Development, Pioneer Library System; and Judging Chair Terri Carroll, Director of Communications, Design, and Analytics, Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

About the John Cotton Dana Award
The John Cotton Dana Award was inaugurated by The H.W. Wilson Company at the 1946 annual conference of the American Library Association. It was named after John Cotton Dana (1856-1929), a librarian called the father of the modern library. The Awards are funded by the H.W. Wilson Foundation.

About the H.W. Wilson Foundation
The Foundation was established by Halsey W. Wilson in 1952 to support the needs of company employees and retirees. Since 1957, The H.W. Wilson Foundation has focused on providing financial assistance to causes having the greatest impact on improving the spirit, mind and body of the greatest number of people through aid, support and cooperation with charitable, benevolent, educational and religious institutions. Major donors to the Foundation included Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Wilson, and the H.W. Wilson Company.

About Core: Leadership, Infrastructure Futures
Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of leadership and management, collections and technical services, preservation and technology. Our mission is to cultivate and amplify the collective expertise of library workers in core functions through community building, advocacy, and learning. Core is a division of the American Library Association. Follow us on our Blog, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is a leading provider of online research content and search technologies via the world-renowned EBSCOhost® research service, serving universities & colleges; K12 schools & public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies. Providing research, discovery, acquisition management & subscription services, and clinical decision support, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and technology to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. For more information, visit the EBSCO website. Visit our blog at EBSCOpost or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2026-john-cotton-dana-awards-celebrate-80-years-of-recognizing-excellence-in-library-marketing-and-communications-302811348.html

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Hivelocity Launches Healthcare Bundle — Bare Metal Infrastructure for the HIPAA Program You Operate

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June 26, 2026

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A three-tier, single tenant compute model for healthcare teams that need clear separation between build, production, and PHI-intensive systems without losing control of cost, compliance, or operational accountability.

TAMPA, Fla., June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hivelocity, an infrastructure-as-a-service provider of bare-metal, dedicated servers, edge computing, and virtualized cloud solutions, today announced the Hivelocity Healthcare Bundle. The bundle combines dedicated infrastructure, predictable operating costs, and direct control over security and compliance requirements. It gives healthcare providers, payers, and technology vendors support for patient-facing services, clinical systems, and operational workloads without paying for cloud elasticity they don’t need or giving up control of the environments they must secure and audit.

Many healthcare organizations run around the clock with predictable resources requirements, making them a poor fit for infrastructure designed around bursty, on-demand usage. The Healthcare Bundle gives organizations a dedicated infrastructure option for core systems where control, cost predictability, and auditability are critical.

The bundle is built around three workload tiers that reflect how healthcare environments are typically separated. Engineering Compute for development, testing, and analytics without patient data. Tier 2, Production Compute for patient portals, scheduling, reporting, and administrative systems where Protected Health Information (PHI) exposure is limited. Tier 3, Protected Compute for PHI-intensive applications such as electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth platforms, medical imaging systems, and clinical data warehouses.

Hivelocity gives healthcare organizations infrastructure designed to support their compliance programs while preserving clear ownership and control. Hivelocity’s approach is to provide HIPAA-aligned infrastructure while giving customers direct control over the security measures, policies, and safeguards required by their own compliance programs.

“Hivelocity’s Healthcare Bundles provides dedicated infrastructure, clear responsibility boundaries, and the visibility needed to build and manage HIPAA programs with confidence.” — Ned Pope, Chief Product Officer, Hivelocity

The Healthcare Bundle combines infrastructure with automated deployment and management tools, and a HIPAA-aligned infrastructure across the wider Hivelocity footprint under the SOC 2 Type II report aligned to HIPAA/HITECH. Customers can manage their environments through the myVelocity portal, public APIs, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and other automation tools while maintaining control over security, access, and compliance requirements.

About Hivelocity

Founded in 2002, Hivelocity operates bare metal infrastructure across globally distributed data centers, serving mid-market and enterprise customers in healthcare, SaaS, fintech, gaming, and high-performance computing. The company runs 24/7/365 in-house support with a roughly 15-minute average ticket response and a transactional NPS of 79, backed by an SLA-backed 99.99 percent network uptime guarantee.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hivelocity-launches-healthcare-bundle–bare-metal-infrastructure-for-the-hipaa-program-you-operate-302810927.html

SOURCE Hivelocity

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Footprints Floors Launches Nationwide Contest Offering $10,000 Remodel Prize

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June 26, 2026

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Customer contest celebrates home transformations with flooring and bathroom projects

DENVER, June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Footprints Floors, a leading flooring and bathroom remodeling franchise, recently launched the Footprints On My Floors Contest. The contest gives eligible homeowners who completed a qualifying project the chance to win up to $10,000 toward a future flooring or bathroom remodel.

The contest runs through September 22, 2026. It invites homeowners who have previously worked with Footprints Floors or Footprints Bath and Tile to share photos and the story behind their completed flooring or bathroom project on Instagram. The program highlights craftsmanship and the real-life impact of professional home renovations.

“Every remodeling project tells a story,” said Bryan Park, Founder and CEO of Footprints Floors. “Whether it’s restoring generational hardwood floors, building a safer bathroom, or creating a space for family and friends, we help homeowners improve where life happens. This contest lets our customers share those experiences while celebrating the quality that goes into every Footprints project.”

To enter, homeowners must:

Follow @Footprints_Floors on InstagramPost 3–5 photos or videos of their completed projectTag @Footprints_FloorsUse hashtag #FootprintsOnMyFloorsContestInclude a 100–250 word caption explaining how the project improved their home and daily life

A panel of judges will select the winner based on creativity, photo and video quality, caption strength, and demonstrated positive impact. The winner is not determined by likes, comments, or shares.

The Footprints On My Floors Contest is open only to eligible homeowners who meet the requirements in the Official Contest Rules. Void in Maryland and where prohibited by law.

ABOUT FOOTPRINTS FLOORS
Founded in 2008 by U.S. Air Force veteran Bryan Park, Footprints Floors provides professional flooring installation and refinishing services nationwide, with a focus on exceptional craftsmanship and customer care. Footprints Floors’ sister brand, Footprints Bath and Tile, offers full-service bathroom remodeling and custom tile installation. The company also operates First Fruits, its charitable arm dedicated to supporting families through partnerships that advance holistic care, youth enrichment, and adoption support. Learn more at footprintsfloors.com.

Media Contact:
Jeremy Wasinger, Director of Communications

Communications@footprintsfloors.com

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SOURCE Footprints Floors

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