Seattle City Council voted last week to pass a ban on the purchase and use of neonicotinoids on city property. Responsible Industry For a Sound Environment (RISE) provides insight on the ban.

The “Murder, Sex and Greed” animated awareness video produced last year by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) recently won a Thoth Award from the National Capital Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. It’s the video’s third communications award.

Sakata Seed America participated in the American Heart Association’s 8th annual Heart and Stroke Walk to raise funds and awareness for heart disease and stroke. Sakata took home top team and individual honors, with Jamie Kitz of Sakata raising the most funds of any participant and Team Sakata raising the most funds of any team.

The California State Senate voted 35 to 1 on August 21 to delay a requirement for action on neonicotinoids until 2020.

A Canadian law firm specializing in class actions is targeting major makers of neonicotinoids in a proposed class action lawsuit on behalf of Canadian beekeepers and honey producers.

AgriNomix President Rob Lando and 10 other AgriNomix employees accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge en masse on Thursday, August 28. In addition to making a corporate donation of $5,000 to the ALS Association, many employees made personal donations as well.

The Perennial Plant Association honors Walters Gardens with its annual Grower Award for 2014.

Dow AgroSciences has received federal registration of Gallery SC specialty herbicide, a new liquid formulation.

Dr. Chuan Hong, professor of plant pathology at Virginia Tech, to present at Irrigation pathogen and water quality webinar scheduled for August 5, 2014.

Craig Regelbrugge and Joseph Bischoff of AmericanHort, along with Wayne Mertel of Digital Insurance, gave an update at Cultivate ’14 on urgent legislative issues.

Breeders, growers and universities all over the country are getting ready to host their annual open houses in late July and early August. C. Raker & Sons, D.S. Cole Growers and Michigan State University are among those hosting open houses this week.

CropKing adds additional dates and locations for its popular two-day Grower Workshop.

New SHS Griffin 2014/2015 catalog includes the entire spring vegetative assortment from Syngenta Flowers-GoldFisch Vegetative.