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Nov. 22 (UPI) — Tyson Foods is closing its Lexington, Neb., beef-processing plant to better position the food company for long-term success.

Tyson announced the change on Friday and said the plan is to “right size” the food firm’s beef business.

The company also is downsizing its beef facility in Amarillo, Texas, to a single shift that will operate at full capacity, but production will rise at other Tyson facilities to meet customer demand for beef products.

“Tyson Foods recognizes the impact these decisions have on team members and the communities where we operate,” Tyson said in a news release.

“The company is committed to supporting our team members through this transition, including helping them apply for open positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits.”

Tyson officials said the changes will ensure it continues to “deliver high-quality, affordable and nutritious protein for generations to come.”

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement that the Tyson Foods’ Lexington plant closure does not reflect poorly on the state and won’t end Tyson’s investment there.

“Nebraska’s cattle industry is resilient and the envy of the world, and our workforce can outwork anybody,” Pillen said.

“Our excellent cattlemen and cattle feeders have emerging opportunities and will still have the Tyson market to sell into as its planned reorganization will boost capacity and jobs at other Nebraska plants.”

He said Tyson officials have promised to provide new opportunities for Nebraskans.

“The state of Nebraska is ready to build for the future and do what it can do to support employees affected by this change,” Pillen added.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., wasn’t as optimistic about the change.

“As the single-largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region and our state,” Fischer said in a social media post, as reported by Nebraska Public Media.

Lexington has a population of nearly 11,000 and is located 165 miles west of Lincoln.

The carmaker first announced the plan for battery production in 2021.

Toyota Motor Corporation has begun production at its $13.9bn North Carolina battery plant as it ramps up hybrid production and confirms plans to invest $10bn over five years in United States manufacturing.

The Tokyo, Japan-based carmaker announced the developments on Wednesday.

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It first introduced the plan in December 2021 to produce batteries for its hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs). Batteries from the plant are set to power hybrid versions of the Camry, Corolla Cross, RAV4, and a yet-to-be-announced, all-electric, three-row-battery vehicle. The plant is producing hybrid batteries for factories in Kentucky and a Mazda and Toyota joint venture in Alabama.

“Over the next five years, we are planning an additional investment of $10bn in the US to further grow our manufacturing capabilities, bringing our total investment in this country to over $60bn,” said Ted Ogawa, president of Toyota Motor North America.

Toyota’s 11th US factory, on a 1,850-acre (749-hectare) site, will be able to produce 30 gigawatt-hours of energy annually at full capacity and house 14 battery production lines for plug-in hybrids and full EVs. It will eventually employ 5,000 workers.

Last month in Japan, US President Donald Trump said Toyota planned a $10bn investment in the United States.

“Go out and buy a Toyota,” said Trump, who has been critical of Japanese and other auto imports and has imposed hefty tariffs on imported vehicles.

Toyota has been one of the slowest carmakers to move to full EVs, but has rapidly moved to convert its best-selling vehicles to hybrids.

“We know there is no single path to progress”, Ogawa said on Wednesday.

“That’s why we remain committed to our multi-pathway approach, offering fuel-efficient gas engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electronics and fuel cell electronics.”

Other car companies like Volkswagen have said they will add more hybrids as the Trump administration has rescinded EV tax credits and eliminated penalties that incentivised EV sales.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the event that the administration plans to soon propose to ease fuel economy standards, saying prior rules were too aggressive.

Duffy in January signed an order to direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to rescind fuel economy standards issued under former US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, for the 2022-2031 model years that had aimed to drastically reduce fuel use for cars and trucks.

Toyota’s stock is up by about 0.4 percent in midday trading in New York.

The search for four workers trapped under a collapsed boiler tower in the southeastern city of Ulsan resumed Tuesday after two other towers were demolished to ensure the safety of rescue personnel.

Around 70 search and rescue experts will be mobilized for the effort, which was suspended Sunday amid concerns the two towers flanking the collapsed structure could also crumble, firefighting authorities said.

At noon, the two — Towers 4 and 6 — were blown up, clearing the way for rescue personnel to dig through the debris of Tower 5 at a thermal power plant belonging to the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility company.

Tower 5 collapsed last Thursday, trapping seven workers, including three whose bodies have been recovered. Two have been located but are feared dead, while another two remain missing.

Two cutting machines were being used to reach the two that have been spotted within 5 meters of the entrance to the debris, officials said.

The search for the missing two will begin from where the other two workers have been located.

Each tower was 63 meters tall.

At the time of its collapse, Tower 5 had been in the process of being demolished after 40 years of use ending in 2021.

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SEOUL, Nov. 6 (UPI) — South Korean rescue crews are searching for workers believed to be trapped after a large structure collapsed at a power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, according to reports from authorities and local media.

At least seven people were trapped when a 200-foot-tall boiler tower gave way at the Ulsan branch of the state-run utility Korea East-West Power, news agency Yonhap reported, citing the National Fire Agency. The collapse occurred shortly after 2 p.m. local time.

Two people were pulled from the debris earlier, while emergency responders continue to search for others feared buried beneath twisted metal and concrete.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, National Fire Agency, Korean National Police Agency and local authorities to “mobilize all available equipment and personnel to prioritize saving lives.”

“In particular, we will make every effort to ensure the safety of firefighters working on-site and thoroughly implement safety measures such as on-site control and evacuation guidance for residents,” Kim said in a statement.

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung also issued an emergency directive calling for mass mobilization of personnel and equipment to the accident site, adding that a situation-management officer had been dispatched to coordinate on-site operations.

Photos shared by local media showed a massive steel structure toppled on its side with a heap of crumpled beams and scaffolding at its base.

The disaster has renewed scrutiny of South Korea’s industrial safety regime, which has faced criticism following a series of fatal workplace accidents.

President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly called for tougher safety enforcement to curb such tragedies.

“When fatal accidents occur in the same way, it ultimately amounts to condoning these deaths,” Lee said at a July cabinet meeting.

In August, he ordered that every workplace fatality be reported directly to his office and proposed sanctions such as revoking business licenses and restricting bids from companies with repeated deaths.

Lee, who suffered a factory accident as a teenager, has pledged to reduce South Korea’s industrial accident mortality rate — the highest among the 38 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries — to the OECD average within five years.

The newly opened coffee shop-cum-arboretum Creature’s was created to provide a place where one could “be a creature amongst other creatures.” To that effect, the establishment filled with native plants and succulents hosts events that promote compassion for all — there’s been a free clothing swap, local makers fairs, a nature sketching gathering and a presentation in tandem with Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife (otherwise known as CLAW) about peacefully coexisting with L.A.’s native animals.

Owned by Hope Creature, the business sells plants, gifts and garden supplies in one building and organic drinks and pastries in another. A 50-foot greenhouse shelters indoor tropicals, organic edibles, drought-tolerant native plants and small potted succulents, which go for less than $2. The outdoor seating area is outfitted with plants available for purchase.

“A lot went into making this space architecturally stunning as well, with every design detail considered,” Creature says. “The space also serves as a platform for our ongoing community programming, which showcases what the space is all about — bringing people together to explore, learn and connect.”

The queer-owned-and-run cafe offers standard coffee fare including matcha, espresso, cortado, cold brew and drip options from local roaster Unity, as well as a selection of teas and pastries.