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Gospel Plus Festival Brings Powerful Voices and Musical Diversity to Frederick

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A dynamic lineup of acclaimed artists, festival showcases evolution of gospel through its intersection with blues, jazz, R&B, and contemporary sounds

FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Gospel Plus Festival, a three-day celebration of gospel music and its deep roots in American history, will take place from February 27 to March 1, 2025, at New Spire Arts and the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Featuring a dynamic lineup of acclaimed artists, this festival showcases the evolution of gospel through its intersection with blues, jazz, R&B, and contemporary sounds.

Tickets start at $25 for each event and may be purchased online at WeinbergCenter.org, or patrons can purchase a 3-day pass to all three events for $60 by calling the box office at 301-600-2828, or in person at 20 West Patrick Street. Discounts are available for students, children, military, and seniors.

The festival opens on Thursday, February 27, at 7:30 PM at New Spire Arts with Common Chords, a duo featuring Matt Watroba and Robert Jones. Their program, Music That Matters, takes audiences on a journey through the evolution of American music, tracing the fusion of European and African influences from the early spirituals of the 1840s to modern hip-hop. With an emphasis on cultural diversity and the power of music to foster understanding, Common Chords offers an enlightening and inspiring start to the festival.

On Friday, February 28, at 8:00 PM at the Weinberg Center, audiences will be captivated by The Harlem Gospel Travelers. Fresh off their 2025 GRAMMY nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album, these groundbreaking vocalists—Ifedayo Gatling, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage—are redefining gospel for a new generation. With their latest album, Rhapsody, the trio explores the intersection of gospel, soul, and funk, drawing inspiration from the lesser-known gospel funk movement of the 1960s and beyond. As the first openly queer artists nominated in their category, The Harlem Gospel Travelers bring a powerful message of inclusion and musical innovation to the stage.

On Saturday, March 1, at 8:00 PM at the Weinberg Center, bass-baritone Joseph Parrish will deliver an unforgettable evening of music that bridges the worlds of opera, gospel, and classical performance. A winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Parrish is a Juilliard-trained vocalist who has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall. He will be joined by three extraordinary gospel choirs—the Asbury United Methodist Church Choir, the Tabitha James Singers, and the AUMC Adoration Choir—to create a breathtaking and soul-stirring performance.

For your convenience below are links to photos of the artists and their websites.
https://harlemgospeltravelers.com/
https://www.joseph-parrish.com/A complete listing of artists and performers scheduled for the 2024-25 season can be found at https://weinbergcenter.org/ [WeinbergCenter.org

ABOUT THE WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The Weinberg Center for the Arts is one of the region’s premier performing arts presenters, offering film, music, dance, theater, and family-focused programming. Located in the historic Tivoli movie theater in downtown Frederick Maryland, the Weinberg Center strives to ensure that the arts remain accessible and affordable to local and regional audiences alike. Weinberg Center events are made possible with major support from the City of Frederick, the Maryland State Arts Council, Plamondon Hospitality Partners, and other corporate and individual donors.

Media Contact

Barbara Hiller, Weinberg Center for the Arts, 301-600-2868, bhiller@cityoffrederickmd.gov, WeinbergCenter.org

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SOURCE Weinberg Center for the Arts

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NetEase Cloud Music and Starship Entertainment Forge Copyright Partnership to Deliver Premium K-pop Content to Chinese Audiences

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HANGZHOU, China, Feb. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Korean entertainment group Starship Entertainment has entered into a copyright partnership with China’s premier online music platform, NetEase Cloud Music. This agreement brings Starship’s complete catalog, including the latest hits from renowned Korean girl group IVE and their third mini album, “IVE EMPATHY,” to Chinese audiences. The partnership not only boosts Starship Entertainment’s profile in China but also diversifies the music offerings available to Chinese listeners with a wider array of musical styles.

The collaboration capitalizes on the unique strengths of both entities in content creation and distribution. NetEase Cloud Music, hailed as one of China’s top online music platform, enjoys widespread popularity among the nation’s youth. Its vibrant music community enhances the efficiency of music distribution and expands Starship Entertainment’s reach among young Chinese music fans. Official figures show that NetEase Cloud Music has 206 million monthly active users, with more than 31.4% engaging with recommended tracks, marking a shift from traditional listening habits to a more engaged and unified community.

K-pop continues to thrive on the NetEase Cloud Music platform, with numerous artists from Starship Entertainment already gaining substantial recognition and positive commentary on the platform. Notably, the girl group IVE boasts over 349,000 fans on NetEase Cloud Music, with several of their songs amassing more than 100,000 favorites shortly after release. This highlights K-pop’s growing impact within the NetEase Cloud Music community. 

The copyright partnership with Starship Entertainment is a significant milestone in NetEase Cloud Music’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its K-pop offerings. In recent years, the platform has established partnerships with major South Korean entertainment firms including SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment, and CJ ENM. These alliances have enabled NetEase Cloud Music to continuously introduce high-quality K-pop music to the Chinese market. As a result, the platform has developed an extensive library of licensed K-pop music, establishing itself as a crucial gateway for Chinese music fans to explore and appreciate the genre.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/netease-cloud-music-and-starship-entertainment-forge-copyright-partnership-to-deliver-premium-k-pop-content-to-chinese-audiences-302382809.html

SOURCE NetEase Cloud Music

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Cufflink Vision: The End of Manual Utility Bill Data Entry

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Mountain Vector Energy introduces Cufflink Vision, a groundbreaking new feature that eliminates manual utility bill data entry by leveraging private AI models to extract, standardize, and integrate data seamlessly. Organizations using Cufflink Vision report a 90% reduction in data entry time, freeing energy managers to focus on efficiency, cost savings, and strategic decision-making.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Mountain Vector Energy is proud to announce Cufflink Vision, an advanced new feature in the Cufflink energy management system that eliminates the need for manual utility bill data entry. This cutting-edge tool automates data extraction and integration, freeing organizations from hours of administrative work so they can focus on making smarter, faster decisions.

“Over the years, we’ve been asked for utility bill management innovation from ESCO, Municipality, Healthcare, Industrial and Education entities. We’ve enabled this technology to make our customers’ lives just a little bit better.” – Steve Kiziuk, CEO of Mountain Vector Energy.

Say Goodbye to Tedious Tasks

For organizations managing multiple buildings, manual utility bill entry has long been a time-consuming, repetitive task. With Cufflink Vision, that era is over.

Cufflink Vision eliminates hours of administrative work, allowing energy managers to focus on strategy, efficiency, and cost savings. Custom, private AI models handle the data, while humans stay in control of making the decisions that impact their organizations.

Users can simply drag and drop utility bills into their Cufflink dashboard, where the system instantly extracts, structures, and uploads the data.

A Game-Changer for Energy Managers

A historical constraint for energy management is the ability to incorporate clean data. Utility bills are notoriously inconsistent—varying in format, containing handwritten notes, and following different billing cycles and tariff structures. By integrating custom, private AI models, the Mountain Vector Energy Engineering Team is transforming how data is cleaned. Cufflink Vision cuts through the chaos, seamlessly standardizing data from any utility bill.

Automating utility bill data entry, while preserving the bill image and linking the associated tariffs and riders is a new step forward in electric, gas, water, refuse, and fuel management. With accurate, structured data as the foundation, organizations can now streamline Measurement and Verification (M&V), ensuring that energy savings are tracked and validated with confidence.

Even messy bills are transformed into structured, digital data that integrates directly into Cufflink’s powerful energy management system. No more manual data entry. No more human error. No time wasted in clunky software.

Organizations already using Cufflink Vision have seen dramatic improvements in efficiency. On average, our customers report a 90% reduction in utility bill data entry time, shrinking from 10-20 hours a week to just 1-2 hours.

How It Works

Cufflink Vision streamlines utility bill processing by automating key tasks that traditionally required manual effort. Cufflink Vision executes the following tasks with ease:

Extracts data from PDFs, scanned utility bills and spreadsheets.Standardizes data, including handwriting, tariffs, and complex billing structures.Uploads structured data into Cufflink’s comprehensive energy management architecture.Flags inconsistencies for review, ensuring they are not overlooked.

True Automation—Not Empty Promises

Unlike competitors that claim to automate data entry but still require significant manual intervention, Cufflink Vision is a truly automated solution.

“We built Cufflink Vision because we’ve experienced the frustrations firsthand.” says Steve Kiziuk, CEO of Mountain Vector Energy. “Other existing solutions aren’t good enough—they still require manual intervention and do not scale. Over the years, we’ve been asked for utility bill management innovation from ESCO, Municipality, Healthcare, Industrial, and Education entities. We’ve enabled this technology to make our customers’ lives just a little bit better.”

About Mountain Vector Energy

Mountain Vector Energy is a leader in energy and water optimization, helping organizations cut costs, streamline operations, and meet ambitious sustainability goals. Through their patented energy management system, Cufflink, they provide the cutting-edge tools organizations need to navigate complex energy landscapes with confidence. Mountain Vector Energy is dedicated to helping organizations use their data to achieve real, measurable results.

This groundbreaking feature debuts ahead of the Opal Group’s EduTech Summit in Tempe, AZ.

Contact

For more information, visit mountainvector.com or contact:

Yovanna Araujo

505-549-7680

yovanna@mountainvector.com

linkedin.com/in/yovannaaraujo/

Media Contact

Yovanna Araujo, Mountain Vector Energy, 1 505-549-7680, yovanna@mountainvector.com, https://mountainvector.com/

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SOURCE Mountain Vector Energy

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Bybit Expresses Deep Gratitude as Crypto Industry Unites Against Security Threats

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DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, extends its heartfelt thanks to the global crypto community for the overwhelming support received in the wake of a recent security incident. This unprecedented show of solidarity has not only reinforced Bybit’s resilience but has also laid the foundation for stronger industry-wide measures to counter and prevent future hacking incidents. From institutional liquidity providers to leading blockchain security firms, the swift and coordinated response has exemplified the strength of the Web3 community.

A United Front Against Threats

As soon as the incident was detected, Bybit’s security team took immediate action—locking down systems, securing funds, and collaborating with top cybersecurity experts. The exchange received overwhelming support from key players across the industry, all working together to track, contain, and mitigate the impact of the exploit.

Ben Zhou, Co-Founder and CEO of Bybit, expressed his gratitude:

“It’s been a challenging period for Bybit, but one thing is clear—our partners have our backs. The support from Antalpha Global, Bitget, Pionex, MEXC, SoSoValue, Galaxy Digital, FalconX, Lido Finance, Solana Foundation, Ton Foundation, Ghaf Capital, Fenbushi, Bitvavocom, Tether and many others has been nothing short of incredible. Your trust, quick action, and solidarity mean everything. We’re moving forward, stronger and more determined than ever. Thank you for standing with us.”

Industry Leaders Take Immediate Action

Several major players in both DeFi and CeFi swiftly mobilized to prevent further movement of stolen funds and uphold market stability:

Orbiter, deBridge, SynFutures, MYX, Thruster and Owlto blacklisted exploit-related addresses, preventing unauthorized transfers.

Chainalysis rapidly tracked and published the exploiter’s wallet addresses, enabling a coordinated industry-wide response.

SIS cross-chain bridge stepped up to block associated addresses, restricting the attacker’s ability to launder assets.

Zero Shadows activated its 24/7/365 Global Response team, collaborating closely on Bad Actor Tracing and Identification, Funds Tracing, and Law Enforcement Communications to support the investigation and recovery efforts.

Institutional clients, including TMSI, Bayside trading, Mathrix, Wintermute, Cumberland, GSR Markets, maintained their trading positions, reinforcing stability amid uncertainty.

“Their trust in us, despite the circumstances, speaks volumes about the maturity and resilience of this industry,” Ben added. “It shows a defining moment that proves crypto’s strongest players stand together when it matters most.”

A Community That Stands Together

Bybit also acknowledged the unwavering support from its VIP clients, traders, and broader user base. Messages of encouragement and patience from the community have been instrumental as the exchange works around the clock to enhance security measures and safeguard funds.

“While this has been a difficult moment, it is also a powerful reminder of why we are here—to build an open, resilient, and decentralized financial future,” Ben said. “The real work has just started, and with this level of unity in this space, we know we’ll come back even stronger.”

Bybit remains committed to transparency and will continue to provide updates as it implements additional security enhancements. The exchange is working closely with industry leaders to set new standards for crisis management, ensuring the safety and trust of its users while strengthening the broader industry’s defenses against future threats.

#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk

//ENDS

About Bybit

Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 60 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press.

For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bybit-expresses-deep-gratitude-as-crypto-industry-unites-against-security-threats-302382806.html

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