2016 Summer Geolympiad- a win for Quentinsburgh, a win for wholesome activities

QUENTINSBURGH- Huge crowds waiting for the final result in the voting for the 2016 Summer Geolympiad/ Pancontinental games erupted into cheering earlier today as the announcement was made that Quentinsburgh, Freedemia had won the bid and would be hosting the huge international event in the summer of 2016.

Quentinsburgh has, for the last few years, made more and more of an effort to become the next big global city. Over the past few years, improvements to public transit, roadways, airports, other infrastructure, and even just general new development have helped move Quentinsburgh forward in this way. However, this is the first win for Quentinsburgh on an international scale.

Over these same last few years, Freedemia has been working hard to increase friendly relations with other countries around the world, and so far this has been successful. President Angela Rosenthal has been concentrating greatly on improving tourism and economy by connecting more with other nations.

However, this bid has been seen as more than just a win for the city of Quentinsburgh itself, or even for the United Freedemian Union. The bid also stood for a win for wholesome activities.

In the past, Geolympiad Village has been known to be home to lots of inappropriate partying and sexual activities, an issue usually ‘solved’ by a large pharmaceutical company giving out lots of condoms. However, the Quentinsburgh Bid Committee had launched a new initiative known as the “Redefine Geolympiad Village” project. The idea was to instead provide athletes and visitors with a very large amount of fun wholesome activities, such as a free day at Thrill Planet Amusement Park for athletes and their families, an international festival for tourists and visitors, and more. This was, at the time of putting in the bid, a controversial idea that many on the bid committee feared would be shot down very quickly by the international audience. However, the bid performed very well, and many were greatly surprised by the positive response.

Quentinsburgh has also spent lots of time and planning to work on engraining the Geolympiad experience into the core of the city. Plans are in the works for viewing events, tourism, and more. Time has also been put into making the experience the best possible for the athletes, including temporary healthcare plans, five-star accommodations, and more.

President Rosenthal cheerfully announced earlier today that “Today is the first day of the future of Quentinsburgh and the United Freedemian Union!!!”

As Quentinsburgh finally steps out onto the world stage for the first time, today showed that it indeed “is time” and Quentinsburgh truly is “ready”.

More preparations are underway, and more information is to come as it is available.

Logo for the 2016 Quentinsburgh Summer Geolympiad.

Republic Day celebrated in Reeland

SŮTTON-Yesterday, July 19, was the Republic Day in Reeland. 220 years ago, July 19 1795, the Mainland Protectorate of Ree officially became the Republic of Reeland; after a long struggle for equality, the Treaty of Zewciviff (the capital of United Lands of Ree at the time) was signed. It states that the United Lands of Ree is a confederation of the Republic of Ree (Ree island), and the Republic of Reeland (Ree mainland).

Since it is a holiday, many people get out of the city during the day. In the evening, traditionally, people gather around major squares and do fireworks.

Hans Meyer, president of Reeland, stated that “along with Bernt van Ree, this day is probably the most important thing to ever happen to Reeland”.

WXFI News- MW 66 corridor begins construction.

DANVILLE- The groundbreaking ceremony has been held at the PR 145/MW 45 interchange for the construction of a new cloverstack interchange for the MW 66 corridor. The project also includes widening PR 145 (Now Future MW 66) to 6 lanes between the new interchange and MW 138. The new roadway will be up to modern motorway standards as well as the old trumpet interchange being removed.

Currently construction is being done around the new Future MW 66/MW 45 interchange. Jersey barriers will be made where the new alignment crosses the old alingment so people don’t go into the construction zone. Motorists can expect delays at the interchange sight. The speed limit has been lowered from 70 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour around the construction zone additionally. Construction is expected to be complete in 2020. Phase 1 of construction will focus on the new alignment and non-flyover ramps to the interchange. Phase 1 is expected to be complete in 2017 and will also eliminate the old non-flyover ramps at the interchange. Phase 2 of construction will be making a new cloverleaf ramp from Future MW 66 westbound to MW 45 southbound, adding an overpass for westbound Future MW 66, and building a flyover ramp from MW 45 southbound to Future MW 66 eastbound. Phase 2 will be complete in 2018. The final phase of construction, phase 3 will widen Future MW 66 from MW 138 to the MW 45/Future MW 66 interchange. Construction will complete in 2020.

FMT has also considered widening Future MW 66 from MW 138 to Verity Parkway (This also includes an alignment change to shift the motorway east-west instead of north-south to Verity parkway.) to 4 lanes in each direction with auxilary lanes. The furthest most left lane in each direction may be a High Occupancy Toll Lane funded with a Private-Public Partnership to help with the current funding problem facing this expansion. Envirmentalists and citizens have voiced concerns over the impacts of widening the road as an endangered species of bird have one quarter of their nest’s located around the project study area. FMT also wants to add a dedicated interchange to the Danville subway with the recent expansion of it being constructed. Some people say that the interchange would cost millions of credits and have a low volume that could be handled with the existing interchange at PR 88. Some opposers have created a “Comprimise plan” for this. The plan would have the road being widened only to 6 lanes with no auxilary and no tolled aspect. Many people who oppose the FMT plan support the Comprimise Plan. Currently FMT is studying both plans and deciding on which one will work the best.

Freedemia’s Citizenship Reform Act of 2015 passed

QUENTINSBURGH- Today, Freedemia’s Citizenship Reform Act of 2015 was passed by the legislature. President Angela Rosenthal commended the legislature for passing the act.

In the new act, if an individual has no criminal record and proper identification, he or she will be put on a fast-track to become a Freedemian citizen. In such situations, an effort will be made by the Freedemian government to go through the process between 30 days to a year (average time being around 3-5 months). If it goes over a year in this type of situation, the individual can file a report requesting speedier action.

However, things work differently for individuals with a criminal record or lacks proper identification.

For individuals with a serious criminal record, they must go through a longer process that helps assure the individual will be a productive member of society. Special consideration will be given to those who have gone 10 or more years without a major offence and 5 or more years without a minor offense. This primarily applies to significant crimes.

“If the only offense an individual has had is a parking ticket or something equally as minor, they should still be allowed into the fast track program,” states Legislator Franklin Anderson, one of the bill’s supporters.

For individuals with no criminal record but lacking proper identification, a longer process is necessary, often including helping rebuild identities. However, the Freedemian government will work hard to make the process as speedy as possible, although time frames will vary.

Families will be given special consideration as a group, working to expedite the process to make it possible for families to stay together.

These changes actually loosen Freedemia’s already accepting immigration and citizenship policies, while alternatively, making it harder for those who would be the most likely to cause problems.

Downtown Quentinsburgh Historic Trolley extended to Hayes University

QUENTINSBURGH-

The Downtown Quentinsburgh Historic Trolley has been extended to serve the historic campus of Hayes University. Up until recently the line ended at Freeman Road at DaSilva Road with a transfer to the QLine Subway at Freeman Square. However, the line now terminates in a loop at Thurman Road in central Hayes University.

This was just another part of the Downtown Revitalization projects and the recent transit improvements in Quentinsburgh.

Map of downtown Trolley.

FreedemiAir restores flights to Vienna and Drevet

QUENTINSBURGH-

Today, FreedemiAir announced that beginning July 31st, 2015 flights to Vienna and Drevet have been restored. New flights will be 1 a day to Reback en route to St. Richards and 1 a day to Petersburgh en route to Venecina.

FreedemiAir logo.

Commonian imports banned in Belphenia over lead concerns

REMIVILLE – The Belphenian government has banned all Commonian imports over lead concerns. The tests were performed on products shown them to contain “hazardous levels of lead”, leading to a nationwide ban on July 4, 2015. On June 30, Sakura became the first prefecture, and on July 1, the Plains of Starryhaven became the first state to ban all products imported from Commonia.

Many Yaelian residents and major retailers have taken to eradicate all Commonian imports from their homes and store shelves across the prefecture and into parts of Bluesage and Seralia, to Greyview and the extreme southern parts of Zerephine Prefecture as a demonstration of the dangers of lead exposure.

According to Belphenian state media, mandatory inspections on all foreign imports have been increased at the Port of Zerephine in Ackerman after local residents became very concerned about lead exposure from not just wool products, but food products, clothing, and merchandise made in and imported from Commonia. Residents in Long Beach are calling Mermaid Tail to have all Commonian made products pulled from store shelves across the prefecture of Zerephine after five local Highview residents became sick from lead poisoning on June 28. In June, 277 people across Belphenia became sick also from lead exposure from Commonian imports. The prefecture-wide ban in Zerephine later went into effect on July 2.

Mermaid Tail’s ban on Commonian imports over lead concerns had gained the Belphenian government’s attention. In response to Mermaid Tail’s unanimous decision, the Grand Court of Belphenia on Saturday ruled that all states and prefectures must ban all Commonian imports nationwide as a “safety precaution” among Belphenians.

The nationwide ban went into effect two hours after the Grand Court ruling.

Countries other than Freedemia can bid to host International Foosball World Cup in 2018

Logo of IFWC.

QUENTINSBURGH-

Starting with the 2018 International Foosball World Cup, countries/cities other than Quentinsburgh, Freedemia can bid to host.

Up until now, Freedemia had remained the only host, but after seeing a huge growth in popularity of the sport of foosball (table soccer) when looking for participants for the 2016 cup they chose to allow other interested countries to host beginning with the cup in April 2018.

Quentinsburgh will still host the tournament in April 2016.

QUARTA begins operation of QLink Bus Rapid Transit lines

QUENTINSBURGH-

QUARTA , Quentinsburgh’s rapid transit service is now beginning a new bus rapid transit system known as QLink. Currently there are 3 routes beginning operation on July 3rd, 2015:

Logo of the 3 QLink bus routes.

• XLine- Haroldsborough, Mathersboro, Northcross, Gillepsie, Caroll Hill, Franklin Hill, running largely express between towns and very major stops.
• BLine- Northcross, Gillepsie, Geolympiad Complex, Highfield via Horizon Pkwy, running with more frequent stops than XLine
• CLine- Matherspark Village, Northcross, Gillepsie, Caroll Hill, Franklin Hill, running with more frequent stops than XLine

These routes have been in planning for several years as an affordable alternative to the creation of new subway or commuter lines in the eastern part of the Quentinsburgh metropolitan area. However, the building and creation of the lines was sped up as the Quentinsburgh 2016 Geolympiad bid was put in and new development near Gillepsie and Northcross, as well as near the Geolympiad Complex, grew the need for the transit improvements.

Stops have pre-boarding fare pay, shelters, and level boarding. Buses run in dedicated lanes through the most of the routes. These lines are just another transit improvement QUARTA has made in recent times, largely in light of the Quentinsburgh Geolympiad bid.

QUARTA completes renovation of subway and commuter stations

QUENTINSBURGH-

QUARTA has finally completed a long process of updating turnstiles, platforms and signage at all QLine and commuter stations in the system. This process was started over 2 years ago, as QUARTA made the decision to improve accessibility at all turnstiles at all stations. QUARTA also added safety features to the stations, such as lights on the yellow DO NOT CROSS line and at the doors of the train to better show when it is safe to board. This is just another infrastructure improvement within the Quentinsburgh-area transit system around the same time as the city’s bid for the 2016 Summer Geolympiad.