"I'm 15," said Boy Scout, Explorer Post 1 Commander, baritone player, Student Council President, Rowlett Fire Corps member and recipient of the Do Something Disaster grant Jonathan Dutsch.

Rowlett Explorer Post 1 will install an Amateur Radio Station in their meeting room in the upcoming months thanks to the $500 grant Jonathan received from DoSomething.org. The new equipment will give the team a broader communication range to provide a quicker response in emergency situations.

While other King City residents were relaxing and enjoying springtime in Oregon, a handful of dedicated people were working hard to keep the city safe during an emergency.

Local Amateur radio operators (HAMS) conducted a Set Test (Simulated Emergency Test) at the Panaca Fire Department on June 27 and 28. The SET test is used to demonstrate HAM radio operator's capabilities using various modes of operation. Digital, Single Side Band and CW (Code) was used on various Amateur radio bands. Radio operators were, Charles Reifsnyder AD7OY, Lee Hone K7NKH, Robert Romans W7PEW Ronald Kozak KD7FWC and Barry Isom. A total of between 400 and 500 radio contacts were made in the 24 hour period including some foreign stations.

Other kids are consumed with cellphones, text messages and Tweets, e-mails and Facebook postings.

But 75 teenagers in Calabasas have become licensed amateur radio operators and hope to lead a new wave of shortwave enthusiasts.

On July 17, the FCC issued a Request for Further Comment and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), addressing the issues remanded to them by the US Court of Appeals. In October 2007, the ARRL took the Commission to court concerning the Commission's Orders adopting rules governing broadband over power line (BPL) systems. In April 2008, the Court agreed with the ARRL on two major points and remanded the rules to the Commission. Writing for the three-judge panel of Circuit Judges Rogers, Tatel and Kavanaugh, Judge Rogers summarized: "The Commission failed to satisfy the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act ('APA') by redacting studies on which it relied in promulgating the rule and failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its choice of the extrapolation factor for measuring Access BPL emissions."

America desperately needed heroes in the late 1950s. Our country was still trying to recover from the nonvictory in Korea. Our space program was literally blowing up on the launch pads down at Cape Canaveral. Then the Russians launched Sputnik. That single event sent a shiver through the Free World.

The Senate has voted unanimously to confirm Democrat Mignon Clyburn and Republican Meredith Attwell Baker to the Federal Communications Commission, bringing the five-member panel to full force.

The FCC has canceled a $7,000 proposed forfeiture against Greeley Broadcasting's KGRE-AM/Greeley, CO, and admonished the station for failing to enclose its tower in an effective locked fence or enclosure.

Due to requests from our listeners, TWIAR's story on Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD is now available as an MP3 download. 20 mins, 18Mb

The ARRL Board of Directors held its Second Meeting of 2009 July 17-18 in Windsor, Connecticut, under the chairmanship of President Joel Harrison, W5ZN. On Friday, the Board considered and acted on a number of recommendations from committees as well as motions by Directors. Saturday was devoted to reviewing and revising the ARRL Strategic Plan that was adopted in October 2006.