News and Notes — Feb. 4

International:

Iran launched a satellite into space for the first time on Tuesday, to the dismay of the United States and Israel. The western powers and Israel had recently expressed their concern about the country’s nuclear capabilities.

The launch of the Omid (Hope) research and telecom satellite comes around the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

According to a Reuters report, an Iranian political analyst described the launch as a message that says Iran is “very powerful and you have to deal with us in the right way.”

An Iranian television broadcast said that Omid would return to earth after orbiting for one to three months and collecting data.

Washington has responded by saying that the United States is open to dealing with Iran. Six world powers – the United States, France, Germany, China, Russia and Britain – will meet Wednesday to discuss nuclear power with Iran.

National:

California’s Supreme Court will hear arguments sometime in March about whether or not to allow a ban on same sex marriage.

On November 4, state voters approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. By doing so, California joined other states, yet it sparked outrage in many communities.

The Supreme court agreed to hear the case on March 5, reading over numerous briefs from both sides of the aisle. After hearing the arguments, the court has three months to rule.

While both sides agree that the ban limits the rights of the minority community, they differ on the result of the ruling.

State:

A small earthquake shook northern New Jersey, but no injuries or damages were reported.

The earthquake hit on 10:34 p.m Monday night, registering at magnitude 3.0.

While there were no damages, several authorities and news outlets received phone calls from people who claimed they felt the earthquake and thought it was an explosion.

Small earthquakes are not unusual, according to a geophysicist at the USGS National Earthquake Center in Colorado. Earthquakes of the size that hit north Jersey often do not cause damage.

Local:

Vineland can prepare for the eventual solar plant that will be built on a piece of vacant land.

Municipal Electric Utility, Conectiv Energy and Landis Sewerage Authority officials announced Tuesday that a 4-megawatt solar generating plant will be built in Vineland.

The solar plant will span 28 acres at the Landis Sewage Authority on Mill Road. A plant that size can be used to service between 400 to 500 homes. The energy will be pumped into VMEU’s power grid and be spread out to benefit ratepayer’s homes.

The project, called Vineland Solar One, will help the state reach its energy goal of being 30 percent more renewable by 2020. Conectiv Energy will cover the cost for the project, which will be around $20 to $24 million.

The solar panels are a fairly new technology, according to Art Agra, the chief financial officer. They will last about 25 years longer than other panels. Currently there is already a co-generation plant on the land.

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PRSSA prepares students for jobs by Brittney Slovak

The economy is in a recession and more people every day are finding themselves out of work. For college students especially, the idea of graduating without hope for a job is scary and very real. PRSSA is there to help this month as they will be hosting the “Job Market Survivors” event on Feb. 17.

In preparation for the CAP center job fair, PRSSA will help juniors and seniors get ready for interviews through resume critiquing, mock interviews, proper interview attire and more. Representatives from monster.com and careerbuilder.com may be on site to help students with entering the world after college.

According to Brianna Rozzi from PRSSA, “The event might be really beneficial to get students ready for not only the job fair, but interviews in general.”