U.S. Triathlon Gold team moves to Asheville, NC
After considering 16 cities around the country, the U.S Triathlon Gold team has selected Asheville, NC as its new home and training ground. The team is coached by USA Triathlon certified coach Jarrod Evans and is made up of elite athletes competing at the International level. The squad is currently at work training for the next Olympic Trials in order to secure a spot in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Two of the athletes, Mary Alex England and Sophie Chase, will represent the U.S. at the Pan American Games next month.
The team is working in partnership with UNC Asheville and has access to the school’s Justice Center Pool and Karl Straus Track, as well as the pool at the Asheville Jewish Community Center. According to a news release, the athletes also spend much of their time training in and around Biltmore Lake. “The training facilities are first class, the natural resources are amazing and the community is great,” Evans said in a press release.
Iguanas invade Florida—and homeowners are instructed to kill them
There are so many invasive green iguanas in Florida right now that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is encouraging homeowners to humanely kill the reptile. Green iguanas are invasive to Florida and can cause major damage to infrastructure, including seawalls and sidewalks, the commission says. Homeowners do not need a permit to kill green iguanas, and they can also be killed year-round without a permit on 22 public lands in south Florida.
Green iguanas are typically green, though they can also be brown or nearly black in color. They have a row of spikes along their neck, back and upper tail and grow up to five feet in length. Males can weigh up to 17 pounds while females typically top the scales around seven pounds. They live on the ground, in shrubs or in trees and feed on a variety of vegetation, including ornamental plants, making them a nuisance to many homeowners.
