The Beebe Bridge along Highway 97 near Chelan Falls, WA, remained closed on Sept. 1 following a fatal accident that claimed the life of truck driver Kathleen Walker, a 48-year-old resident of Olympia, WA. Investigators were engaged in an ongoing search to find the body of her co- driver, also from Olympia, who remained unnamed pending notification of his or her next of kin. On Aug. 31, Ms. Walker was heading south with a load of Red Delicious apples. Investigators determined she was about a quarter of the way across the bridge when the rig veered to the left, crashing into the bridge. The rig

VERO BEACH, FL -- Cassie William (Bill) Emanuel Jr., founder of the C.W. Emanuel Co. Inc., died Aug. 26 after a battle with cancer. Mr. Emanuel, known to friends and family as C-Dub, founded C.W. Emanuel Co. in 1974 as a fresh produce grower and wholesaler. Born July 12, 1944, in Macon, GA, he moved to Vero Beach in 1966. He joined the U.S. Army and did a tour of duty in South Korea. Returning home, he joined the Jack Barry Co. before he established C.W. Emanuel Co. in 1974. The company was an immediate success, and under Mr. Emanuel's leadership, it grew to annual revenues estimated between

WASHINGTON -- A record number of produce industry leaders will be arriving here to hear top policy makers and fill congressional offices during the United Fresh Produce Association's annual Washington Public Policy Conference, set for Sept. 9-11. More than 400 produce industry leaders representing 35 states are signed up for the conference this year, Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for United Fresh, said during a Sept. 2 webinar. United Fresh held the on-line event to brief attendees on the issues to be addressed in preparation for their scheduled congressional visits

"When I was very young, I would ride through the onion fields with my grandfather Raymond Bland," said Troy D. Bland, manager of Bland Farms New York LLC. in Sterling, NY. "We called him Gran-Gran. I remember eating raw Vidalia onions right out of the field, and I used to enjoy playing with the seed stems." Raymond Bland died Feb. 19, 2009, following an extended illness. Troy Bland and his grandfather were extremely close, and the memories of the many days they shared made an indelible mark on his heart. Mr. Bland said that he also remembers thinking his name was Troy Bland Farms because he

As reported previously in The Produce News, Dick Spezzano, founder of Spezzano Consulting Services in Monrovia, CA, and former vice president of produce and floral for The Vons Cos., is working with Farmer's Best in Nogales, AZ, to develop a major retail tomato category management program as part of an effort to maximize the tomato category for Farmer's Best's retail customers. On Aug. 27, The Produce News talked with Mr. Spezzano and asked him about the need for the type of services Farmer's Best is providing to its customers with his assistance and what type of benefits accrue to retailers

The board of directors of A. Duda & Sons Inc., a family-owned, diversified land company based in Oviedo, FL, has appointed Barton Weeks chief operating officer of the corporation. Mr. Weeks, who has worked for the company for 25 years, is retaining his responsibilities as chief financial officer. He will report to Joseph A. Duda, president and chief executive officer of the corporation. "Bart brings the right experience and abilities to this position as we implement our business strategy as a diversified land company," Mr. Duda said in an Aug. 26 press release. "His business acumen and depth