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Crawford ’69 Brought Home the Missing On August 10, 1944, an American B-24 bomber was shot down over Albania. Four men bailed out and were taken prisoner, and five, including navigator John S. McConnon, rode the shattered plane into the mountains. McConnon was declared dead in 1945, but his remains were never found. In April of 1998 Ken Crawford ’69 was the engineer on a team sent to investigate the possible the crash site of the B-24. “It was my turn to get into the trench and dig, and I found what I thought at first was a rock,” Crawford told a Baxter Hall audience Thursday night. As Crawford kept digging he realized that he had found the skull of one of the dead airmen. John McConnon’s brother, James, had been searching for the remains for seven years. He had asked the Department of Defense to do the search and recovery based on information he'd received from a New York Times reporter in Albania. He was at the site when the bones were found, but workers couldn’t be certain they were his brother until forensic scientists could examine them. “He told me later that he recognized the skull was his brother’s because of the teeth, but didn’t say anything at the time,” Crawford recalled. Once the remains were positively identified by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii, Crawford was honored to call James McConnon to tell him he had indeed found his brother. “It was a very moving moment,” Crawford said. An engineer recently retired from the Air Force Civil Service, Crawford has learned personally the cost and hard work of searching for and recovering America’s war dead. He also knows how necessary it is for families of the more than 74,000 missing to find closure. As chief of the engineering division for the 21st Theater Support Command in Germany, Crawford supported search and recovery missions by the US Army Memorial Affairs Activity with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command throughout Europe from 1997 through 2002. Crawford had been using his skills to open up ports and highways in Macedonia after the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s when he became part of the crew of three searching for and recovering the remains of American serviceman killed in Europe during World War II. “There are 78,978 missing from that war,” Crawford explained as he reviewed some of the major battles of the war in Europe. “Since World War I, 94,416 have gone missing. That means more than 94,000 families still have someone missing in combat. “My job was to support morticians when someone found remains,” Crawford said. “The information would come to us from individuals, or from private research groups digging at crash sites for other things. If they found bones, they’d call the U.S. Embassy or us.” Crawford’s first recovery mission was in 1997 at a B-17 crash site, and he detailed the methodical work required to find the remains. He also told of another effort in 1997 to recover the crew of a B-24 that had crashed in France in December 1944 and left an impact crater visible today. A backhoe was brought in to bring the earth containing the wreckage to the surface, and Crawford set up screens and a water system to wash and sift through the clay soil. “In six weeks washing the dirt we found more than 2,000 bone fragments, none any bigger than my finger,” Crawford said. JPAC was able to identify 8 of the 9 crewmen. All were buried with full honors, four in their hometown cemeteries, and four in a single casket at Arlington National Cemetery’s Section 60, where many of the recovered remains of the missing are laid to rest. Crawford concluded his talk showing onscreen a cartoon of two GIs looking over a landscape. The first says, “Will they remember us in 50 years,” and the other responds, “Hope so, Joe. I hope so.” "There are a lot of guys missing, and it’s a lot of work,” Crawford said. “But the Department of Defense is still searching.”

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Mon August 6, 2012 E-mail Print Comments Share Tweet Google+ NPR Story Sikhs Grieve After Deadly Temple Shooting Originally published on Mon August 6, 2012 6:44 pm Listen Listening... Transcript AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Many members of the Sikh community near Milwaukee say they're in shock today after yesterday's shooting. As Erin Toner of member station WUWM reports, leaders of the temple where the attack took place say it will take some time for their community to heal. ERIN TONER, BYLINE: At a press conference this morning, the police chief in Oak Creek turned to a member of the Sikh community who could help pronounce the names of those who were killed. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Sita Singh, 41 years old, male; Ranjit Singh, 49 years old, male; Satwant Singh Kaleka, 62 years old, male; Prakash Singh, male, 39 years old; Paramjit Kaur, 41 years old, female; Suveg Singh Khattra, 84 years old, male. TONER: Satwant Singh Kaleka, actually 65 years old, was the temple's president. Police say he was wounded while trying to attack the gunman, then ran inside to hide, where he later died. Kanwardeep Kaleka is Satwant's nephew and says his uncle made the temple what it is. KANWARDEEP KALEKA: He's been president of the temple since '96 and he just - he did so much for our community. And, you know, the fact that he died fighting off the gunman to protect his people is such a testament to what kind of person he is. TONER: The temple in Oak Creek, one of two large congregations in the Milwaukee area, has about 400 members. Some Sikhs say they began feeling increased prejudice after 9/11 because they're often mistaken for being Muslim. Many followers of Sikhism have long hair and beards and wear turbans. But Kanwardeep Kaleka says until yesterday, he never felt targeted or feared for his safety. KALEKA: We rarely even lock our doors at the temple. We leave it open to the community pretty much all day, all night. And for someone to come in and do this, it just, you know, do we change the policy of it? I mean, this is a fundamental principle of our faith, is to allow people of all kinds, no matter who they are, into god's home. TONER: Dr. Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal is a trustee at the temple, who's also related to the president who was killed. Dhaliwal says the congregation remains in a state of shock. DR. KULWANT SINGH DHALIWAL : Gradually, we have to take care of the bodies, according to Sikh rites, and then gradually counseling, helping family members, each other, we'll try to sort of cope with it. TONER: Kulwant's wife is Dr. Amrit Dhaliwal, who was on her way to the temple when the shooting occurred around 10:30 in the morning. She says, thankfully, most members of the congregation had not yet arrived. And she says she's still grappling with the fact that someone would target a religion that preaches peace and tolerance. DR. AMRIT DHALIWAL: We believe that god is - all human beings are equal in this universe. So, I don't know why this thing happened here. TONER: Members of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin say they can't imagine installing metal detectors or checking for guns before people walk through the door. But they say they will discuss security soon when they're able to gather again. The FBI says agents hope to finish collecting evidence at the temple by Thursday. For NPR News, I'm Erin Toner in Milwaukee. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

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When Bad Things Happen To Planes, Flight Codes Get 'Retired' By Scott Neuman Mar 13, 2014 ShareTwitter Facebook Google+ Email The charred tail section of Delta Flight 191 sits near a runway at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in August 1985 after it crashed on approach. Delta quickly retired the "191" designation. Originally published on March 14, 2014 10:00 am Malaysia Airlines announced Thursday that it will stop using two flight numbers associated with the plane that disappeared over the Gulf of Thailand on March 8, following a long-standing practice of retiring codes after similar incidents. Flight MH370 vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard. That number, which Malaysian Airlines uses to denote that particular route, will no longer be used after Friday as a "mark of respect" for the passengers and crew. MH371, the code used for the return flight, also will be retired. Those two flights will now be known by the designations MH318 (Kuala Lumpur to Beijing) and MH319 (Beijing to Kuala Lumpur). As The Wall Street Journal reports, "Airlines often retire flight numbers following fatal crashes so as not to evoke negative emotions among other passengers and crew. This is particularly true with high-profile accidents, say aviation analysts." Korean Airlines, for example, no longer has a Flight 007 in deference to the airliner that was shot down by Russian fighter jets in 1983 after straying into Soviet airspace. Likewise, Delta Air Lines retired Flight 191 after a Lockheed TriStar with that designation was caught in a microburst on approach at Dallas-Fort Worth and slammed into the ground, killing more than 130 people. More recently, Asiana Airlines announced it would change the call sign after Flight 214 crashed on approach to San Francisco last year, killing three passengers. Asiana spokesman Suh Ki-Won was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying the routes from Seoul to San Francisco and back (214 and 213) would be renumbered to 212 and 211. "The reason for the change is that many people remember the flight number," Suh told the Times, adding that the airline didn't want its customers to have "that kind of image." Salon.com notes that "the decision-making process behind flight number retirement, however, is completely opaque. ... A review of historic accidents, however, suggests that the decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, seemingly guided in part by how familiar the public is with the flight number." In 2011, United Airlines blamed a computer glitch for inadvertently reactivating flight codes 93 and 175, both retired after those flights were seized by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. Flight 93 was commandeered en route to San Francisco and crashed near Shanksville, Pa., killing all 44 people on board after passengers tried unsuccessfully to gain control of the plane. And Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 65 passengers and crew. The Times says of the computer foul-up three years ago: "The flight numbers were assigned by a computer ... for sales of future flights, said airline spokesman Rahsaan Johnson. Early Wednesday, airline officials noticed the error and immediately removed them from the system."Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. Tags: transportationtravelView the discussion thread. © 2015 WNPR News

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Documentary 'A Place At The Table' Is A Call To Action On Hunger Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By Allison Aubrey The poster for the documentary A Place At The Table. One nation underfed. Really? Many of us don't think of the U.S. as the land of the underfed. In this era of the expanding waistlines, we hear far more concern about obesity than we do about hunger. But the two are more closely connected that many of us realize. A new documentary, A Place at the Table, peels back the curtain on the problem of food insecurity, weaving the stories of low-income Americans who struggle to put healthy food on the table, despite the fact that they have jobs. As we've reported, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about about 50 million Americans fall into this category of "food insecure" — meaning they don't always have the resources to buy the food they need. This includes nearly 17 million children in the U.S. I attended a screening of the film - along with a panel discussion with the producers and folks from Participant Media (the people behind Food Inc.). Judging from the reaction of the audience, the film works. At a gut level, the story of Barbie, a single mom from Philly who grew up in poverty, is wrenching. As Barbie tries to break the cycle, she finds at times that she makes too much money to qualify for federal food assistance. And her paycheck runs out long before the end of the month. As we watch her open cans of cheap pasta and peer into her near-empty fridge, our hearts leap. The film includes the voices of hunger and nutrition experts, as well as advocates who criticize federal farm subsidies of crops such as wheat and corn. These crops supply the bulk of our nation's processed foods, which tend to be calorie dense, and nutrient poor. Food policy expert Marion Nestle points out there are no subsidies for fruits and vegetables — one reason, perhaps, that they're so much more expensive. Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved, weighs in, too. But as producer Lori Silverbush (married to chef Tom Colicchio, who appears in the film) pointed out during the after-screening discussion, subsidies are just one part of a complex story. The bottom line, according to hunger advocate Billy Shore of Share Our Strength: "Childhood hunger in this nation is a solvable problem." Shore says we have enough food and good nutrition programs. "What we need is to make sure the kids who need the food are able to access the programs," Shore says. Participant Media, which helped embolden the food movement with Food, Inc., is hoping that the film serves another call to action. They've launched a website that will serve as a hub for for all sorts of hunger-related advocacy. And groups including Bread for the World, Feeding America, FRAC and Share Our Strength are all represented. And back to that idea that hunger and obesity live in close quarters. I think Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post summed it up best in a review of the documentary: "The problem, as Table shows, isn't that the next meal never comes. It's that when it arrives, too often it is filled with empty calories," O'Sullivan writes.Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread.

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Robert BenincasaRSS All ContentcloseNews podcastsUse iTunesUse a different playerRSS View all podcasts & RSS feeds Robert Benincasa Robert Benincasa is a computer-assisted reporting producer in NPR's Investigations Unit. Since joining NPR in 2008, Benincasa has been reporting on NPR Investigations stories, analyzing data for investigations, and developing data visualizations and interactive applications for NPR.org. He has worked on numerous groundbreaking stories, including an exclusive on the independence level of nursing home residents, the safety of automated aircraft, and a government mandate to produce $1 coins that Americans don't want. Prior to NPR, Benincasa served as the database editor for the Gannett News Service Washington Bureau for a decade. In 1995, he joined the Burlington VT Free Press as a staff writer. Benincasa's work at NPR has been recognized by many of journalism's top honors. In 2011, he was part of the team that received a Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence in Journalism, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma, George Foster Peabody Award, and a National Journalism Award – Jack R. Howard Award for Excellence in Radio Reporting for work on NPR's story "Seeking Justice for Campus Rapes." Also in 2011 he received numerous accolades for his contributions to several investigative stories including an Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma, an Investigative Reporters & Editors Radio Award, the While House News Photographers Association's Eyes of History Award for multimedia innovation, and George Polk Award. Since 2008, Benincasa, has served on the faculty of Georgetown University's Master of Professional Studies program in journalism. Benincasa earned a master's of arts degree in journalism from University of Maryland and a bachelor's of arts in psychology from Villanova University. Tue July 22, 2014 University Would Study Health Issues In Polluted New York Town A view of the Tonawanda Coke plant in Tonawanda, N.Y., which was found to have emitted carcinogens at levels many times higher than the state's limit. John W. Poole Share Tweet E-mail Comments By Robert Benincasa Originally published on Tue July 22, 2014 6:13 pm Residents of an upstate New York town who've long associated their illnesses with the air they breathe may finally get some answers about the health effects of living next to a toxic polluter. The town of Tonawanda lies in the shadow of Tonawanda Coke Corp., whose ovens heat coal into material used for the iron and steel industries, and release toxic chemicals into the air. Read more Business Thu December 5, 2013 Banks Come Under Fire For Filling In The Payday Loan Gap Federal regulators are setting new rules for banks that offer deposit advances. iStockphoto Share Tweet E-mail Comments By Robert Benincasa Originally published on Thu December 5, 2013 4:05 pm Listen Listening... A payday loan is a costly form of credit operating on the fringes of the economy. That's why the target of a new crackdown by federal regulators may surprise you: Instead of a forlorn-looking storefront with a garish neon sign, it's your familiar neighborhood bank. A small but growing number of banks, including some major players, have been offering the equivalent of payday loans, calling them "deposit advances." That is, at least, until bank regulators stepped in Nov. 21 and put new restrictions on the loans. Read more U.S. Wed August 28, 2013 New Accessible Playground Rules May Not Go Far Enough The local playground's design doesn't work for Emmanuel, shown here with his family. The loose surface hampers his wheelchair, and there are no ramps to help him get onto the play structures. Julie Caine for NPR Share Tweet E-mail Comments By Robert Benincasa Originally published on Wed August 28, 2013 6:57 pm Last year, the federal government made accessibility standards at playgrounds mandatory under the Americans with Disabilities Act so that children with disabilities can more easily play alongside typical kids. But whether children with disabilities are able to enjoy their new civil rights to play may depend on where they live, and the design decisions their cities and towns made when they built local playgrounds. For 3-year-old Emmanuel Soto, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, the local playground's design doesn't work. Read more U.S. Tue August 27, 2013 For Kids With Special Needs, More Places To Play Brooklyn Fisher rolls down the ramp on the playground named for her in Pocatello, Idaho. The playground was built using accessible features so children of all abilities could play alongside each other. John W. Poole Share Tweet E-mail Comments By Robert Benincasa Originally published on Tue August 27, 2013 6:31 pm Listen Listening... Remember running around the playground when you were a kid? Maybe hanging from the monkey bars or seeing who could swing the highest? It wasn't just a mindless energy burn. Many have called play the work of childhood. Play teaches children how to make friends, make rules and navigate relationships. But for kids whose disabilities keep them from using playgrounds, those opportunities can be lost. Read more WVTF & RADIO IQ

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Is There Really A 'Line' For Immigration? Transcript MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, it's been 100 years since thousands of women marched on Washington to demand the right to vote. We are heading into the Beauty Shop - that's our diverse panel of women commentators - to look back at that moment in history and talk about where the women's movement stands today. But first we want to talk about another issue that is very much old and new in this country and that is immigration. President Obama met yesterday with members of the bipartisan committee that's been pressing for immigration reform. It's known as the Gang of Eight. Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who are often Obama combatants, had positive things to say about the talks. Also yesterday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, announced it is releasing some illegal immigrants from jails across the country because of budget cuts that we're calling sequestration. That move is prompting controversy. Today, though, we want to talk about the one thing that most of the key national players in the immigration debate seem to agree on. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Passing a background check, paying taxes, paying a penalty, learning English, and then going to the back of the line behind all of the folks who are trying to come here legally. REPRESENTATIVE MARCO RUBIO: You have to stand in line. You have to wait your turn behind everyone who applied before you legally. REPRESENTATIVE BOB MENENDEZ: And then we will have a process where they'll have to wait at the end of the line. MITT ROMNEY: And then ultimately you've got to go home, apply for permanent residency here or citizenship if you want to try and do that. But get in line behind everyone else. MARTIN: That was President Obama, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, all saying that immigrants who want to apply for American visas or residency should go to the, quote, back of the line, unquote. But Matt Cameron says this notion is misleading. He is an immigration lawyer in Boston and he created a blog called ThereIsNoLine.com and he is with us now. Welcome. Thanks so much for joining us. MATT CAMERON: Thanks for having me, Michel. MARTIN: How could there be no line? CAMERON: There is no line. It's pretty simple. When most Americans think of immigration, we're thinking of Ellis Island. We're thinking of a model that's been outdated for almost 100 years now. My great-grandparents stood in that line. Many of your listeners can relate to this. One in three Americans can trace their lineage to a line in which people were asked a couple dozen questions, screened for admissibility and allowed into the United States. And that system hasn't existed for over 100 years. There is no general purpose line in which anyone can just take a number and become a United States resident and then citizen. And I just believe it's deeply misleading and it's really just more unhelpful than anything else to continue to use this expression. MARTIN: Well, if the line doesn't make sense as a metaphor, what does? CAMERON: It's a great good question. MARTIN: Just give people a way to visualize it. Yeah. CAMERON: Sure. And I love metaphors. I guess maybe you could talk about a series of disparate lines. They're a collection of lines but they're all attached to something. There are really only three ways to immigrate to the United States - through family, including a heterosexual monogamous spouse; through your employer, and that's almost impossible at this point, it's all kinds of trouble; and as a refugee. And those are - to the extent we have lines at all, those are what they are. And we don't have - because right now we've created a false dichotomy where we have this idea that there is the group of people who came here the right way - and I love that series of clips you just played - who waited in the line and waited it out and sacrificed. And then we have everybody else who chose to jump over that line. And that's an absolutely false dichotomy. MARTIN: Well, but wait a minute, though. Look, nationhood is in part defined by borders. CAMERON: Mm-hmm. MARTIN: I mean every country defends its borders to some extent and there is a process by which people do come here. CAMERON: True. MARTIN: Which is people apply for a visa to come as a student. They apply for a visa to come as a visiting professor. There are people who are here because of employment contracts. There are people who - and those employment contracts could be everything from, you know, cutting lettuce to being a, you know, IT consultant, you know, or whatever. And there is a bureaucratic process, right, which can take less time or more time. So why isn't that a line? CAMERON: Those are lines. Many of the things you just mentioned are nearly impossible for unskilled laborers. Many of the things you just mentioned - well, I mean, to the extent - let me just give one example. The fourth preference visa line, which is for brothers and sisters of American citizens. And the fourth preference Mexican visa line - I think this is something that your listeners really need to understand. If you put a petition right now for your Mexican brother, Michel, that person, that man, will not be able to immigrate to the United States - and I'm not making this up, this sounds like a sick joke - for 165 years. That's the line he's waiting in. We can't call that a fair or balanced immigration system. MARTIN: Are you saying that because the wait is effectively so long there is no line? CAMERON: Well, I guess what I'm saying is that when I hear anti-immigration activists talk about this, they're creating, as I said, this false dichotomy where people could have done it a certain way and they didn't do it that way. But people have to understand that 99.9 percent of the world has no line to wait in, that my great-grandparents were fortunate enough and I'm very proud that they came from Scotland to start better lives here. But that was at a time when there was a certain number of Europeans who were just allowed to enter the United States without restriction. And that system is what most people think of when they think of immigration. And again, that's a very powerful mythology. It's deeply rooted, I understand that. It's very romantic. But that system hasn't existed since at least the mid-20th century. MARTIN: But I don't think you've answered my question yet. And if you're just joining us, we're speaking with Matt Cameron. He is an immigration lawyer from Boston. He writes the blog, quote, ThereIsNoLine.com. That is, in fact, the name of his blog. And he's arguing, as he is here, that there is no line. I mean is your argument that there should be no rules for immigration? CAMERON: Absolutely not. MARTIN: Or are you arguing that the line, the line, quote-unquote, is effectively so long that it is meaningless as a concept. As you just pointed out, that people who want to come under certain circumstances, i.e., because they are extended family members, the effective wait is so long that you're not going to get here if you follow these rules? CAMERON: That, to some extent. I'm certainly not for open borders. I do think, obviously, as a nation we have the right to decide who gets to come and who doesn't. But I think the most important thing that I'm trying to contribute to this discussion is making sure we're phrasing this properly. That we're using expressions that actually have legal meanings. Because when we talk about it - and that series of clips, again, that you played was brilliant, because that is what I've been hearing. And that leads to questions like, why didn't these people just wait in line like everybody else? And there is no everybody else. There is no general purpose line. That's the main thrust of what I'm arguing here. MARTIN: So if - I think everybody does agree, in addition to the fact that there is a line and you say that that makes no sense, that there ought to be some restrictions and rules, what should they be? Because you referred to anti-immigration activists. So does that make you a pro-immigration activist? And if that's the case... CAMERON: I am pro. MARTIN: ...you are pro what though? CAMERON: Immigrant. MARTIN: What are you pro? CAMERON: I am pro-immigrant. I stand for my clients. I mean, you have to understand, Michel, I'm in the fishbowl. I've been practicing immigration here - immigration law for seven years. I've been working with the system we have. I'm not an analyst. I'm not a policy maker. I'm just trying to understand what we've got. And I know the system that we have very well. And I am very much for my clients who, for the most part, are hardworking people, paying their taxes, raising their families, doing everything that we believe citizens should be doing. And I believe they should be given that chance. And when we're talking about how they have to go to the back of the line, I'd like to know what that means. Because I haven't yet heard an answer on that. MARTIN: So is your argument - you're saying that there should be some rules. But in a way you're saying there are not - I'm still not understanding what you're saying. Are you saying there ought to be some rules? What are the rules? Or are you saying that bureaucratically it's such a mess that it simply doesn't work? And that would argue for what? More people to expedite the line? It would argue for, what, a bigger bureaucracy or process? Another Ellis Island, whatever meets the needs of today, whether it may be a digital Ellis Island or maybe it's a lot of Ellis Islands. CAMERON: Sure. You know, I'm going to be honest. I don't have a definite proposal in mind here. I just want to make sure that when we're talking about immigration we're talking about the system that we do have right now. And that system doesn't include a general purpose line. You know, I certainly have a lot of ideas, but I think unless you have a six hour block that we can continue to discuss this, there's a lot that needs to be reformed. MARTIN: Well, let's talk about some of the people who are in the pipeline trying to get in legally right now. CAMERON: Mm-hmm. MARTIN: Because I think you do agree, do you not, that there are a significant number of people - the number that's commonly used is somewhere between 12 and 14 million people - who came here without authorization, so who effectively jumped the line. They circumvented the system. You don't disagree with that. CAMERON: Well, I disagree with the phrasing. MARTIN: The system, such as it is. OK. CAMERON: Sure. Yeah. MARTIN: So these other people who are trying to work through the system, such as it is, what are their circumstances? CAMERON: Well, they don't have any options. They don't have - we're talking - if you're asking about their circumstances, they're here with us. They're our friends and neighbors. They go to church with us. They pay taxes. They're participating in our society in every meaningful way that a citizen can. But they are completely barred from applying for anything. And when you mentioned that 12 to 14 million, that doesn't just include people that came in undocumented. That includes any number of people. More than half of them entered legally on a tourist visa or student visas and overstayed them, because they had nowhere to stay here. CAMERON: And I'm not making a judgment on that one way or another. I'm just saying that they are here, and it would cost over $100 billion to deport them all, and we just don't want to do that. MARTIN: So you're saying something like four million people in places like Mexico and the Philippines who are waiting for visas now, and you said that there was kind of this ridiculous number, somebody waiting for, you know, 20 years, 100 years to actually get a visa. Why would that be? Because they fit into certain circumstances that simply are not being processed at all, or what? CAMERON: We're doling out certain categories. Our country has made a decision, basically, that we're all set, for example, with Mexicans, that we don't need that many more. I'm being blunt here, but that's the way the system works. That we only give out a certain number of visas to Mexicans every year in certain categories, and the brothers and sisters I'm talking about - and there's talk of even eliminating this category - are in the fourth preference. They're at the very bottom of this pile, and so it's not a matter of red tape. It's just that we only dole out a certain number of a couple thousand visas a year. Right now, we're processing those visas for Mexicans, I believe, from 1992, which makes it look like it would take 22 years. But somebody better at math than I am has figured out it would actually be 165, under the current rates. MARTIN: So there's a high bar to get in, but what's wrong with that? CAMERON: Well, there's nothing wrong with that, but we just have to decide what our policy is going to be and isn't. And it's very unhelpful to the immigration debate if most Americans are still thinking about a 19th century model of immigration. No. I don't have a problem with imposing restrictions and having a high bar. We want the best possible people from around the world, and we've done a very good job of doing that, for the most part. But there has to be some other way. Many advanced nations have a point system, for example, where you have certain qualifications, you can just walk in and have a visa and try the country out. We've been talking about doing something like that for some time. And on the other end of this, we have - right here, I'm sitting at WGBH in the backyard of Harvard and MIT, some of the highest qualified migrants you're going to find in the world coming here to study, and they're going home because they have no way to stay here. And we have to deal with that, too. MARTIN: So, at the end of the day, if it's not a line, what is it? A flash mob? (LAUGHTER) CAMERON: Yeah. Well, I've been struggling for a while to find a better metaphor, but it's not - it's sort of a crazy quilt. It's a patchwork of different ways you can come here, and I think that Americans need to be better educated in what that means. I just - I think it's very unhelpful to the immigration debate. We're not going to get anywhere if we keep talking about getting back in line, back of the line, all of that kind of thing. And I can't believe that President Obama is actually suggesting that the applicants need to get behind the very last person who's in the last visa line right now - which, again, would be 165 years - because that's just a cruel joke. MARTIN: Matt Cameron is an immigration lawyer. He's creator of the blog ThereIsNoLine.com, and he joined us, as he just told you, from WGBH in Boston. Matt, thanks so much for joining us. CAMERON: Thanks, Michel. It's been great. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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Former TV judge Brown stumbles in Tenn. DA bid Friday August 8, 2014 12:15 AM MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Former TV judge Joe Brown has lost his bid to become the district attorney for the Tennessee county that includes Memphis. Brown, a Democrat, challenged Republican Amy Weirich, the incumbent district attorney for Shelby County. She claimed victory late Thursday. With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Weirich had 65 percent of the vote compared with 35 percent for Brown. Brown was a Criminal Court judge in Memphis before stepping down in 2000 to dedicate himself to the TV show. The show is no longer on the air. He was arrested and briefly jailed in March after a Shelby County Juvenile Court magistrate found him in contempt of court during a contentious hearing. He is appealing the charges. ©2015 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Currently in Columbus

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Home > News > Celebrity Gossip Enrique Morente Passed Away After Slipping Into Coma December 14, 2010 04:00:34 GMT The 67-year-old flamingo singer died at Madrid's La Luz Hospital after suffering from complications following a surgery. Spanish flamenco singer Enrique Morente has died at the age of 67. A spokesperson from Madrid's La Luz Hospital tells the Associated Press Morente died on Monday, December 13. The cause of death was not released. In a statement, hospital representatives claimed that Morente underwent surgery on December 4 and again two days later following complications. An earlier press release from his family revealed he was was brain dead after slipping into a coma last week. Morente, one of the country's most noted flamenco singers, was the first artist in the genre to receive the Culture Ministry's National Music Award in 1994. He is survived by his wife, dancer Aurora Carbonell, and their three daughters, including flamenco singer Estrella Morente. Add Comment « Older Posting Mariah Carey and Matthew Morrison Sing for Obama Newer Posting »Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens' Relationship 'Ran Its Course'

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« Top of the world Arctic cold settles in over...» New Saranac Lake Winter Carnival website unveiled Save | SARANAC LAKE - The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee recently launched the new website for the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. The website address is www.saranaclakewintercarnival.com. The address remains the same, but the website underwent a complete redesign by Adworkshop in Lake Placid. The new website includes a photo gallery, sporting event listing and other detailed information about Winter Carnival. "We wanted a high-quality website, and we got one thanks to the talented team at Adworkshop," said Andy Flynn, who worked with Caroleigh Meserole on the Winter Carnival Committee's website team to build content for the site. "The website is our window to the world, and it's important to present Saranac Lake in a professional manner while promoting this internationally recognized event." Article Photos Winter Carnival 2014 The improved layout and user-friendly features are easily viewed on multiple devices and screen sizes. The website provides a modern visual experience and utilizes color schemes from the new Winter Carnival logo with tones of blue and white. "The team worked tirelessly to bring the website to fruition, and to ensure that it represents the true spirit and traditions of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival," said Eric Foster, chairman for the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee. "Without their hard work, creativity and dedication, it would not be possible. The committee is also appreciative of those who contributed toward funding the website; our Winter Carnival sponsors and other donors." Donations of money and time for the website were also given by Natalie Leduc, Adworkshop, Hungry Bear Publishing and others. Article Links Winter Carnival website Winter Carnival attendees are encouraged to check the website for the latest schedule updates for events, which features a convenient schedule summary encompassing all of the festivities during this 10-day celebration, which will take place Jan. 31 to Feb. 9. © Copyright 2015 Adirondack Daily Enterprise. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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WATCH: Michelle Obama Says Marriage Equality a Matter of Fairness By Trudy Ring Originally published on Advocate.com June 01 2012 2:06 PM ET First lady Michelle Obama supports marriage equality because it is consistent with “the values of fairness and equality” she and President Obama have tried to instill in their daughters, she says in a new video. In the video, posted online by the White House Thursday night, the first lady answered questions submitted via Twitter. One said, “Please tell us about your family discussions about marriage equality and thank President Obama for his support.” Michelle Obama responded, “For Barack and me, it really comes down to the values of fairness and equality that we want to pass down to our girls. I mean, these are basic values that kids learn at a very young age and that we encourage them to apply in all areas of their lives. And in a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn’t right. So it’s as simple as that. … We’re proud to have your support.” The president also mentioned the couple’s daughters when he came out for marriage equality recently, noting that the Sasha and Malia have friends whose parents are gay couples and “it wouldn’t dawn on [the girls] that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently.” In the video, the first lady also discussed voter registration efforts, assistance to veterans and their families, and women in politics. She said she expects to see a woman president in the near future and that more women should become involved in the political process. Source URL: http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2012/06/01/michelle-obama-says-marriage-equality-support-due-basic-values

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Home » Magazine » 1959 » Volume 10, Issue 3 Voyage To Nowhere Bruce Catton April 1959 | Volume 10, Issue 3 PrintEmail To complete the story, one more famous ship, and a famous voyage: the U.S.S. Indianapolis , an eight-inch-gun cruiser of the vintage of the early 1930’s, which sailed from San Francisco in the summer of 1945, carrying a cargo which made her one of the ships that change history, and then went on to a resting place two miles under the surface of the Pacific, a tragic ship whose end was mystery and a dark portent. The Indianapolis was a ship which crossed the border between yesterday and tomorrow. She died because of a thousand-to-one chance that went wrong, and her end was dark tragedy for hundreds of American families, and a plaguy problem for the United States Navy. The tragedy went unalleviated, and the problem, Heaven knows, went completely unsolved; but the ship itself went on to become one of the great, portentous vessels in the American story. In Abandon Ship! Richard F. Newcomb, an excellent war correspondent for the Associated Press, tells her story in first-rate style. Until the summer of 1945, the Indianapolis was just one of many cruisers built and maintained by the U.S. Navy. Then she got a job to do: amid all of the trappings of top secrecy, she was pulled up to a pier in San Francisco and given a top-secret cargo to carry out to Guam—namely, the bits and pieces which would presently be put together to make the world’s first atomic bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima to end one era in human history and to open, cloudily but effectively, another. This, quite unintentionally, the Indianapolis did; then, her mission accomplished—and what warship ever had a more far-reaching mission?—the Indianapolis went on, with a routine assignment to go to the Philippines, indulge in a little special training, and then become one of the fleet that was going to make the final assault on the shores of Japan. Abandon Shipl Death of the U.S.S. Indianapolis , by Richard F. Newcomb. Henry Holt and Co. 305 pp. $3.95. The final assault never took place, because the bits and pieces that this cruiser ferried out to Guam changed the face of the world forever, and made it unnecessary for any sea-borne fleet to blast a way in through the perimeter defenses of Japan; but it would not have mattered much in any case, because the Indianapolis never even reached the Philippines. A few minutes after midnight on July 30, 1945, the cruiser was steaming along in mid-Pacific; a roving Japanese submarine just happened to surface a mile away, a fitful moon just happened to break through the clouds at that precise moment, the submarine’s skipper loosed two torpedoes, and the Indianapolis went down inside of twelve minutes, with a loss of some 800 American lives. The loss became a cause célèbre , which is a hightoned way of saying that it raised an unearthly stinkpartly because, as a meaningless tragedy, it was announced to the world on the very day the war ended, and partly because it quickly became painfully clear that this warship had somehow fallen through a hitherto undetected gap in the American Navy’s system for handling its combat vessels in time of war. The Navy, to be blunt about it, simply lost track of this ship, for the 48 hours that really counted; because it had lost track of it, a good many members of the crew who might otherwise have been saved lost their lives; and the United States Navy, which could admit anything on earth except a flaw in its basic system for handling combat ships, made itself look infernally bad hunting for a few scapegoats who could be compelled to take the blame for the disaster. Seldom has the Navy looked worse than it looked when it tried to explain this disaster away. It courtmartialed the cruiser’s captain, broke him, and then, half-apologetically, took it all back—the poor man’s career was wrecked, but if it helped he had the consolation of knowing that the Navy didn’t really mean it. Then it pounced on four underlings, blasted them, and finally had to back-track on that action. What it could not do—what no military organization can ever do—was admit that it had simply muffed one, not because of any individual failure but because the system which it had set up for moving ships from here to there in time of war had one unsuspected hole in it. With all of this Mr. Newcomb deals at length, thoroughly and, I think, conclusively. Yet what sticks with one, when the tragic story is finished, is the realization that here, in the long history of American seafaring, was one of history’s fated ships: a ship which served as a hinge on which human history turned, and which, its mission accomplished, went to the bottom of the sea, with all its freight of human grief and suffering. For the Indianapolis , like the Santa Maria , was sailing toward the wholly improbable. Before this cruiser left San Francisco, life was lived on one set of terms; after it went to the bottom, the terms on which people live had been transvalued, and nothing will ever be the same again. Nobody in this ship’s crew knew it, and if any had known it most of them would not have had much time to meditate about it, but the voyage of the Indianapolis was a cutoff point. Before that, one kind of life: after that, another kind. 1

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Tri-Lakes Edition Front & Center Calendar Photo Galleries Home / Mayor only male elected city official in community By Wayne Bryan Published November 3, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. Wayne Bryan Seven women and Mayor Johnny McMahan fill the dais during meetings of the Bauxite City Council. From the left are council members Karen Brooks, Paula Matthews and Brenda Haney; McMahan; Treasurer Sheryl Johnson; City Attorney Pam Perry; and council members Allison Cain and Mona Struble. Several council members said the all-female makeup of the council has little effect on how the city is run. Others said it makes a difference in how council members approach city issues. BAUXITE — Bauxite City Treasurer Sheryl Johnson said Mayor Johnny McMahan might feel a little out of place, every once in a while, during a Bauxite City Council meeting, but she thinks he likes being the only man on the dais. “He definitely gets to hear the female point of view,” Johnson said, smiling, “whether he wants to or not.” “Yes, I do like it,” Mayor McMahan said before a council meeting on Oct. 20. “These women take being an alderman more seriously than some of the men who have been on the board in the past. I believe some of the council members we had in the past thought they had found a good part-time job, making $175 a month for spending an hour or two at City Hall once a month.” All five members of the City Council are women. They include the youngest member of the council, Paula Matthews, 28, who said she takes a mother’s perspective in many issues. “So many of the issues we cover here have to do with the future,” she said. “I am part of the younger generation, so this future is for me and my children. I try to speak for younger people and kids when I speak in the council meetings.” Mona Struble said much the same about her approach to city legislation. “As long as we are moving forward, we do the best we can,” she said. “With every situation, I think about my son. I want to set a good example and make Bauxite a good place for him.” All current members have been elected or named to the board since November 2010. “Just before that election, I heard a council member say that everything was perfect in Bauxite,” McMahan said. “‘I’m here two hours once a month, and if something was wrong, I would have seen it,’ she said. “This council is not looking at the old ways of doing things. They are more in tune to see the city progress and do better. They seem to know how to do just that. They are thoughtful and intelligent.” Allison Cain, who is in her second term as a council member, said the mayor is right that this council is serious about changing the way the town has been run. “We are all more positive,” she said. ‘We all want to have an impact about cleaning up the city’s procedures.” Another woman meeting with the council is City Attorney Pam Perry. The town’s lawyer does not see a women’s perspective being part of the city’s actions. “I don’t think in terms of male and female,” Perry said. “It don’t see it define the council’s effectiveness.” Council member Brenda Haney, the senior member of the board, said she does not think the makeup of the council has any effect on the way legislation is formed or passed. Mayor McMahan said the women who now make up the council are a change from the old ways. “This is a cultural change for Bauxite,” he said. “They get along well together and with me. I even campaigned aggressively for some of their elections. They live real active lives and carry an idea of what is right to do for the city.” For instance, Allison said, the council is taking a new and open approach to cleaning up a mess made when the city was not paying the income-tax withholdings for its employees. “We have to have accountability and not be hiding anything,” Cain said. “We have checked and rechecked to keep everything as it should be.” She said the city has worked out a deal with the Internal Revenue Service that employees’ income-tax withholdings will be paid as scheduled, and the city will pay the IRS $30,000 the city owes before the end of 2017. “Its is being paid down now, so the city should be out of it early,” she said. At the Oct. 20 meeting, the council called for a special town-hall meeting, to be held Monday, to discuss the mayor’s idea for a half-cent sales tax to be charged in the city to pay for sewer grinder pumps, plus maintenance. “I believe a one-half-cent sales tax would generate more funds and cost each citizen less money than the $10 on their water bill,” the mayor said. “This issue will have to be voted on by the citizens, and we hope the issue will be on the primary ballot in May 2014.” McMahan said the city’s sewer plant was built in 2003 with no money for maintenance and no “rainy-day fund” for repairs. “The sewer grinder pumps are breaking down and must be repaired at a cost of $400 to $1,000 each,” the mayor said. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Bauxite City Hall. The council also deferred the purchase of an emergency generator for the Bauxite Volunteer Fire Department. Fire Chief John Davis told the council the Fire Department had a “horrible” problem when a late-December snowstorm of 2012 cut power to the department for several days. “We thought the pumps on the trucks would freeze,” he said. “If they do, you just have to get a new pumper truck.” The council asked to see if a bid price could include installing the generator on a concrete pad and building a security fence around the equipment. The council also announced that the third annual Bauxite Holiday and Christmas Party potluck dinner will be held Dec. 13 at the Bauxite Community Hall and Museum. Staff writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at (501) 244-4460 or [email protected]. Tri-Lakes Edition Writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at 501-244-4460 or [email protected]. Make a comment on this story. Tri-Lakes Extra Nov 2014 Ways to savor the fall flavor of pumpkin, wearable fall fashion trends and more. Basketball - TriLakes - 2014 Featuring schools in the Tri-Lakes area. Bethel student receives national recognition Covering Clark, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring and Saline counties. ArkansasOnline James Joslin Little Rock, AR 72203-2221 [email protected] 1227 Military Road, Suite 7 Benton, AR 72015 [email protected] Circulation/Subscriptions

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MANNING, ELIZABETH ANN MANNING , Elizabeth Ann Elizabeth Ann Coonan was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on September 17, 1946. She was the daughter and second child of Helen G. Coonan and Captain Daniel J. Coonan, Jr. 'Betsy' traveled to Germany with her family when she was only two years old and lived in several German towns while she watched her father, a World War II bomber pilot, fly in the 'Berlin Airlift.' In 1951, the family returned to Massachusetts, and Betsy began the first grade at Talbot School in Billerica. By the time she moved to Bedford Ma., she was an accomplished dancer who could do the most perfect cartwheel anyone had seen. Betsys life blossomed when the family moved to Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City S.D. Enrolled at St. John the Baptist Elementary School, Betsy spent four years becoming acclimated to the strict Catholic school system, making her transition to the parochial Cathedral High School across town a bit easier, but somewhat rocky, nonetheless. As soon as Douglas High School opened on the base, she transferred there for the last two years of high school, enjoying her time there and making many lifelong friends. It was with painful sadness, then, that another military transfer took Betsy away to Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Wash. She spent several years attending college and then switched to nurse training. Still dissatisfied with the career path she had chosen, she finally found her true calling as anairline 'hostess.' She attended and graduated from TWA training in Kansas City in 1966, and began a whirlwind string of adventures. Beginning her career as a Newark- based, domestic flight attendant, Betsy quickly advanced to holding flights to Europe. She met and married John Manning, a young medical doctor, and they moved to San Francisco where Betsy continued to fly internationally. She and John finally settled in Lancaster, Calif., where he established his own practice. Betsy contributed many hours to the development of the medical business and to the Lancaster community in general. When John and Betsy went their separate ways, Betsy finally completed the requirements for her Bachelors degree from Redlands University. She also tried her hand at flying as a student pilot. Betsy eventually became a realtor, selling numerous properties in the Antelope Valley until a deteriorating arthritic back condition interrupted her new career and led to a long struggle for recovery. Despite the extensive and painful therapy following two hip replacements, she never fully recovered. Betsy died on Christmas Day 2009. She is survived by her father, Colonel Daniel J. Coonan Jr. (USAF, Ret) of Santa Barbara, Calif., her sister, Patricia C. Colman of Goleta, Calif., and her brothers, Colonel Daniel J. Coonan III (USAF, Ret) of San Antonio, Texas, Stephen J. Coonan of Irvine, Calif., and Timothy J. Coonan of Escondido, Calif., as well as numerous nephews and nieces. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at Joshua Memorial Park & Mortuary, 808 East Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster CA 93535, followed immediately by a graveside ceremony at the same location. Betsy lived her life with energy, enthusiasm, and a whole lot of class. She would light up a room whenever she entered, infecting all with her beautiful smile. Though she labored mightily against mounting odds, she never gave up the hope of full recovery. Betsy leaves a giant hole in our world. We will sorely miss her. -Her family.

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Pressure: 29.97 in News Weather Sports Entertainment Local National/World Offbeat Tech Most Wanted Next Benghazi story: CBS disciplines '60 Minutes' reporter, producer In this May 28, 2008 file photo, Lara Logan arrives at the 33rd Annual American Women in Radio & Television's Gracie Allen Awards. By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CBS ordered "60 Minutes" correspondent Lara Logan and her producer to take a leave of absence Tuesday following a critical internal review of their handling of the show's October story on the Benghazi raid, based on a report on a supposed witness whose story can't be verified.The review, by CBS News executive Al Ortiz and obtained by The Associated Press, said the "60 Minutes" team should have done a better job vetting the story that featured a security contractor who said he was at the U.S. mission in Libya the night it was attacked last year.Questions were quickly raised about whether the man was lying — something "60 Minutes" should have better checked out before airing the story, the report said.The report also said Logan should not have done the story in the first place after making a speech in Chicago a year ago claiming that it was a lie that America's military had tamed al-Qaida.CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager, who is also the "60 Minutes" executive producer, said he had asked Logan and her producer, Max McClellan, to take a leave of absence of an undetermined length.Fager said he prides himself on catching almost everything, "but this deception got through and it shouldn't have." There was no word about whether Fager will face any repercussions for his role."The 60 Minutes" journalistic review is concluded, and we are implementing ongoing changes based on its results," said CBS News spokeswoman Sonya McNair, not making clear what those changes were.The "60 Minutes" piece relied on testimony by Dylan Davies, a security official who was given a pseudonym in the report. The newsmagazine believed his account that he was at the scene even after informing CBS that he told his employers that he wasn't there — something that Ortiz said should have raised a "red flag" about his story.A few days later, The Washington Post said that Davies had filed a report with his employer, Blue Mountain, that he was at his villa on the night of the attack and not at the mission. CBS went back to Davies, who insisted he had been at the attack scene and had told that to the FBI, so Fager defended the "60 Minutes" story.A week later, The New York Times reported that Davies had told the FBI that he was not on the scene. Within hours, CBS confirmed the Times story, which was later corroborated by a State Department source, and said that a correction would be issued.Ortiz said the FBI report "was knowable before the ('60 Minutes') piece aired." He said Logan and McLellan did not tap wider resources at CBS to try and track this information down. Ortiz mentioned no names, but CBS News reporter John Miller is a former law enforcement official with deep sources in the community.Ortiz said that Logan's claims that al-Qaida carried out the attack and controlled the hospital in Benghazi "were not adequately attributed in the report."Logan's Chicago speech in October 2012 before the city's Better Government Association urged the U.S. to take action in response to Benghazi. Ortiz said it represents a conflict to take a public position on Benghazi and do the "60 Minutes" report.Ortiz said CBS also erred in not acknowledging that Davies' book telling his Benghazi story, which has been pulled from the shelves, was published by a fellow CBS Corp. company. In correcting the report, CBS had already made note of this oversight.Ortiz's report also said that questions have been raised about the authenticity of photos in the report, including one that displayed the schedule of the U.S. ambassador killed in the attack. Ortiz said those photos appear to be genuine."When faced with such an error, we must use it as an opportunity to make our broadcast even stronger," Fager wrote to his staff. "We are making adjustments at '60 Minutes' to reduce the chances of it happening again."Congressional Republicans have insisted that the Obama administration misled Americans about the Benghazi attack, playing down a terrorist assault in the heat of the presidential campaign. Five GOP-led House committees have investigated, demanding documents and witnesses from the administration while complaining that the Obama team has been stonewalling.A day after the CBS report, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he would block President Barack Obama's nominees for Federal Reserve chairman and Homeland Security chief until the administration allowed survivors of the assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission to talk to members of Congress.The liberal advocacy group Media Matters for America had attacked CBS' Benghazi report from the start. The group's founder, David Brock, said he had urged appropriate action and "the network has done that. We hope this serves as a lesson learned to CBS about the danger of misinformation."

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Beaty files complaint with state Written by Patriot Staff September 13, 2013 One of the Cape Cod Commission’s most persistent critics, Ron Beaty of West Barnstable, has filed a complaint with the state Inspector General about “apparent negligent and careless waste and abuse” at the planning and regulatory agency. In an e-mail response to the Patriot, Commission Executive Director Paul Niedzwiecki wrote that the complaint has “no merit.” Following its procedures, the IG’s office declined to comment on whether it had received the complaint. Citing the state’s $3.35 million grant to the Commission for a 208 Water Quality Management Plan Update, Beaty wrote that the funds are being spent in a manner “wasteful to the pubic interest and taxpayers…” He cites the purchase of “on-line games rather than more realistic, productive, and pragmatic processes…” In addition, Beaty alleges the Commission “has allocated an excessive portion of the funds for public relations and marketing purposes to enhance its own external image as well as the image of its Chief administrative officials…” and that the agency lacks the ability to manage such a large amount of money. “All expenditures of the Cape Cod Commission are subject to regular audits,” Niedzwiecki wrote, “and the 208 Update funds are supervised by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.” Subscribe to E-mail Updates Click HERE to subscribe to e-mail updates from barnstablepatriot.com. Popular Current News They are the CHAMPions

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HomeLocal & StateFeaturesArts & EntertainmentInsider CalendarFocus On YouthMoviesAdvertise!— Information— Statewide Advertising Daines whitewashes record Created on Thursday, 15 May 2014 09:32 Published on Thursday, 15 May 2014 09:32 It appears Rep. Steve Daines has finally gotten the message that intruding in women’s private medical decisions is not only bad policy, it’s bad politics. Months after announcing his candidacy for U.S. Senate, Daines made the misleading claim that he does not support outlawing birth control. But Montana voters won’t be fooled. The truth is that Daines supports so-called “personhood” measures which, if enacted, could interfere with a woman’s personal medical decisions relating to birth control, access to fertility treatment, management of a miscarriage and access to safe and legal abortion. “Personhood” is government gone too far, and the defeat of similar state constitutional amendments all across the country — from Colorado and Ohio to Mississippi and Oklahoma — sends a clear message: Health care decisions should be left to a woman, her family, her doctor and her faith — not politicians like Steve Daines. That’s also why, through conversations with voters, we were able to keep personhood off the Montana ballot in 2008, 2010 and again in 2012. Montana cannot move forward while politicians like Steve Daines try to take half the population backwards — and Montana women won’t stand for Daines’ attempt to deny his anti-women’s health agenda. We need leaders who will defend a woman’s freedom to make decisions about her reproductive health without government intrusion, and who will protect women’s access to basic health care — including birth control. That’s why Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana is proud to support Sen. John Walsh in his re-election campaign for U.S. Senate. Stacey Anderson Planned Parenthood of Montana

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Click Here for More Articles on Joan Rivers... UPDATE: Joan Rivers 'Resting Comfortably' After Surgery Scare August 28 10:43 PM As BWW reported earlier today, stage and screen star Joan Rivers was rushed to New York City's Mount Sinai hospital after she stopped breathing during a minor throat operation. The 81 year-old comedienne was having surgery on her vocal chords. E! News wrote earlier today that Rivers had been undergoing a minor endoscopic procedure when "she stopped breathing" after a scope was inserted down her throat. The actress and TV host, suffering from cardiac and respiratory arrest, was rushed away in an ambulance in critical condition. UPDATE: According to new reports, Joan Rivers is now in stable condition. Her daughter said in a statement late today, Thursday, August 28: "I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for my mother. She is resting comfortably and is with our family. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers." Rivers made the rounds in New York during the 1950s, appearing in a few off-off Broadway plays (including one where she played a lesbian opposite an equally unknown Barbra Streisand), surviving sleazy agents, tawdry clubs, and hostile audiences. A 1965 booking on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" led to her hosting one of the first syndicated talk shows on daytime TV, "That Show with Joan Rivers" in 1968. In the 1970s Joan wrote the TV-movie The Girl Most Likely To (starring Stockard Channing) and then wrote and directed her first feature film Rabbit Test, casting Billy Crystal in the lead. In 1983 Joan became the permanent guest host on "The Tonight Show." Later, she headlined in Las Vegas, sold out Carnegie Hall, produced a Grammy nominated comedy album, and wrote two best-selling books. In 1989 the Tribune Corporation launched Joan in her own syndicated daytime talk show. She won an Emmy and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1994 she wrote and starred on Broadway in Sally Marr and Her Escorts, for which she received a Best Actress Tony nomination. Since then, Joan has written five more best-selling books, maintains her own jewelry line on QVC, served as host of the series "How'd You Get So Rich?" on TVLand, and filmed a special for Bravo. In 2009, she was the winner of Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice". In 2010, she returned to The Fashion Police show on E! and was featured on the big screen in the acclaimed Sundance Award-winning documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. In 2011, she launch the reality TV series Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? on Oxygen, which is now in its 4th season. Her Broadway credits include Fun City, Broadway Bound and Sally Marr...and her escorts, for which she received a Drama Desk Nomination as Outstanding Actress in a Play and a Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Play. Her solo show, Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress, played at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse before moving to Edinburgh Festival Fringe, followed by a run at the Leicester Square Theatre in 2008. Photo Credit: Walter McBride Related Articles

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Town OKs new stop signs to prevent wrecks SHALLOTTE—Aldermen have approved installing new stop signs at the intersection of Mulberry and White streets and at Shallotte Avenue and White Street. Last month, an accident at the intersection of Mulberry and White that injured four people prompted Alderman Alan Lewis, who lives near the two intersections, to bring the issue to the rest of the board. He said the accident involving a car and an ambulance was the third in five weeks on Mulberry Street, and something needed to be done. BCC Fitness and Aquatics center scheduled to open next month BOLIVIA—Within a few weeks, the Brunswick Community College volleyball team will no longer have to travel to play home games. South Brunswick High School’s swim team will not have to travel out of state to practice and compete. And community members looking for a workout facility will not have to travel far. The Fitness and Aquatics Center at Brunswick Community College is near completion, and president Stephen Greiner hopes to see the center open by Feb. 1. Here's Holden The Ocean Isle Beach Police Department investigated the passing of a counterfeit $5 bill at the Marathon Minuteman on Causeway Drive. According to the police report, a suspect purchased cigarettes using the $5 bill. Get in shape with county’s 2009 fitness schedule Now is a great time to launch a new shape-up program with the Brunswick County Parks and Recreation Department’s 2009 spring fitness schedule. A variety of classes are slated throughout the county, kicking off this month and continuing in coming weeks. They range from Zumba fitness and Aido Shokai JuJutsu martial arts to cardio and strength training and dance classes. For more information or to register, call 253-2670. The schedule and fees are as follows: Improving health services important to growing community As Brunswick County continues to grow and its population continues to increase, so does its need for more quality, affordable health services. Many residents are anxiously awaiting the completion of Brunswick County’s newest hospital—the facility that will replace the current Brunswick Community Hospital. Slated to be completed in 2010, the new hospital will encompass 252,604 square feet, with an additional 75,000 square feet of future medical office space. The $107 million hospital will have 74 acute-care beds, four observation beds and five operating rooms. Ryan Hill is top player in football West Brunswick quarterback Ryan Hill is the county player of the year in football. South Brunswick coach Gordon Walters is the county coach of the year. The sports staffs of the The Beacon and The Pilot selected players on the basis of recommendations from coaches, conference honors and performance throughout the season. Seven players from each team were selected. Hill quarterbacked the Trojans to the MEC 3-A title and a spot in the state playoffs. Giant bluefin tuna season has begun I am happy to ring in the New Year with the good news the giant bluefin tuna have finally shown up off our coast. The season for this fishery typically starts in December and runs through January. Last season it was very slow off our area, but this season we had our hopes high. Much of the commercial netting of menhaden (giant bluefin tuna’s main food source) has been haulted off the Carolinas, and all indications were there was going to be much more baitfish presence this season. Click here to read more... Family grateful for holiday tournament Shallotte residents Jon and Dee Caudle received an early Christmas present for their ill son courtesy of Rivers Edge Golf Club and Plantation. A tournament played Dec. 20 raised money for Cam Caudle, who is battling Stage Three colon cancer. Cam, a Tampa, Fla., resident, is the father of two small children. Click here to read more... The Patriot: Rich Roman Rich Roman has been called many things throughout the years—Marine, cowboy, steel worker, underwater welder, husband, father, sheriff’s deputy—but his favorite label is patriot. Roman, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1987-1992, has worked as a deputy at the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office since 2000. In April, an opportunity to serve with the U.S. Department of State training police in Iraq arose, and he quickly accepted the position. Having served in Operation Desert Storm while in the Marines, Roman was ready to go back to Iraq. Click here to read more...

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Why Louisiana Is The Murder Capital Of America Erin Fuchs The FBI's recent crime report for 2012 revealed that the South continues to be more violent than the rest of America. One state in the heart of the Deep South — Lousiana — is also the murder capital of the United States. Just last week, a pastor named Ronald J. Harris Sr. was shot dead while preaching in a church in Lake Charles, La., marking the latest casualty in a state with an unusually high murder rate. The Bayou State had 10.8 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters per 100,000 people in 2012, according to the FBI's uniform crime report. The next-highest state was Mississippi with 7.4 per 100,000, and the lowest was New Hampshire with 1.1 per 100,000 people. FBI Uniform Crime Report, 2012Louisiana's murder rate far surpasses that of many other Southern states — including Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Kentucky. Two Louisiana cities, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, made our list of America's most dangerous cities. There's no simple answer for why the murder rate in Louisiana is so high. However, Louisiana does have traits believed to cause extreme violence: poverty, hot weather, and lax gun laws. The FBI's crime report for 2012 found nearly 68% of all homicides in America involved a firearm, and Louisiana fiercely protects the right to bear arms. The state passed an amendment in November making gun ownership a "fundamental right" like free speech and making it extremely difficult to pass laws that step on that right. Reuters/Carlos Barria CB/CCKPolice officers patrol the streets of the University neighborhood of New Orleans September 8, 2005 Louisiana also passed a law recently that lets its citizens apply for concealed carry handgun permits that last their entire lifetimes. Louisianans who want to walk around and openly carry their guns don't need a permit at all under the state's open carry law. The state's gun laws are probably not the only culprit for its sky-high murder rate, though. After all, California has a higher murder rate than a lot of other states, and the Brady Campaign To End Gun Violence has said it has the best gun control laws in the entire country. Another factor could be Louisiana's relatively warm climate, which researchers have found causes violence. Louisiana is also afflicted with a lot of poverty, which has been linked to crime. Louisiana has the third-lowest median household income ahead of Mississippi and Arkansas, according to recent Census data. "One of the best predictors of homicide is economic stress," University of Maryland Criminology Professor Gary LaFree previously told Business Insider. Louisiana's demographics may also play into its high murder rate. Its population is more than 32% black, compared to a national average of 13%, and blacks are the most frequent victims of gun violence in America. USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham blames the slaughter of young blacks in particular on "those who think more prisons, not better schools, is the answer to youth violence." It may be no coincidence that the Bayou State is also reportedly the prison capital of America. Louisiana locks up more citizens per capita than any other state, and it's still the deadliest place in America. SEE ALSO: 9 Maps That Show How Americans Commit Crime The FBI's recent crime report for 2012 revealed...

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Chiquita Brands gets a $611M buyout offer from Safra Group, Cutrale Group, will review it by The Canadian Press | Story: Aug 11, 2014 / 12:48 pm FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2005 file photo, Chiquita bananas are on display at a grocery store in Bainbridge, Ohio. Chiquita Brands on Monday, Aug. 11, 2014 received an approximately $611 million buyout offer from investment firm Safra Group and agribusiness and juice company Cutrale Group. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File) NEW YORK, N.Y. - Chiquita Brands has received a buyout offer worth about $611 million from investment firm Safra Group and the Brazilian agribusiness and juice company Cutrale Group.Safra and Cutrale are offering $13 per share, a 29 per cent premium to Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s closing price of $10.06 on Friday. Chiquita said its board would review it and asked shareholders to await its recommendation.The unsolicited bid disclosed Monday comes as Chiquita and Fyffes of Ireland were working on their own transaction. The two companies agreed in March to merge in a stock-for-stock deal to create the world's biggest banana supplier. If a transaction were to occur between Chiquita and Fyffes, Chiquita's headquarters would move from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Dublin, a more tax-efficient corporate base.In a letter sent to Chiquita President and CEO Edward Lonergan and Chairwoman Kerrii Anderson, Safra and Cutrale said that they believe their proposed transaction doesn't have the same execution risk and uncertainty that a deal with Fyffes does. The companies also said that they think their offer gives more value to Chiquita shareholders and could be completed before year's end.Safra and Cutrale said that they would like to hear back from Chiquita on their offer by noon on Friday.In a statement, Chiquita Brands said its board would "carefully review and consider the offer to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders."It advised shareholders to take no action for now and await the board's recommendation.But it also noted that "we continue to strongly believe in the strategic merits and value provided by the proposed deal with Fyffes PLC."Representatives from Fyffes did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.Gaining access to Chiquita would add more diversity to Cutrale's business. The company is an orange juice processor that also has operations that include apples, peaches, lemons and soybeans. Safra runs banks and invests in other businesses in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.In addition to being a major banana distributor, Chiquita Brands markets and distributes pineapples, packaged salads and other fresh produce.Shares of Chiquita surged $3.13, or 31.1 per cent, to $13.19 in Monday afternoon trading — above the offered price. 9380 Sunset Road 10091444 bedrooms

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Sudanese Mom Set Free Once Again - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com Sudanese Mom Set Free Once Again By Caitlin Burke CBN News Reporter In yet another turn of events, Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith, has been freed again. Ibrahim was re-arrested along with her family earlier Tuesday at the international airport in Khartoum one day after an appellate court overturned her sentence. "They were temporarily detained for several hours over questions related to their documents," the Christian Post quoted Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department. Harf said Sudan officials had guaranteed the U.S. that Ibrahim's family was now safe. The mother of two had been sentenced to death for marrying a Christian and "abandoning" the Muslim faith. Ibrahim, who was jailed along with her toddler son, was forced to give birth to her second child, a daughter, while in prison. ***Jordan Sekulow, executive director fo the American Center for Law and Justice, talked more about Ibrahim's situation on Newswatch, June 24. The case drew outrage from the international community. Protesters recently gathered outside the White House to demand action by the Obama administration. "She and the children should be reunited at home with her family rather than held in prison on charges of apostasy," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said, calling Sudan to repeal it's anti-human rights laws. He also suggested that Sudan repeal any Islamic laws that go against basic human rights. Earlier, the American Center for Law and Justice is calling Ibrahim's arrest a "deeply troubling" development. "The decision to take the entire family into custody is a violation of international law and we call on Sudan to release them without delay," ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow said in a statement. Sudan Mom Sentenced to Die for Faith Set Free Protesters Decry Obama's Silence on Sudan Mother Sudan Backpedals on Freeing Christian Mother Caitlin Burke

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News Posted September 24, 2013 Report criticizes DEP as Maine’s lake-water quality dips The Natural Resources Council of Maine cites cuts in staffing and funding for programs. By North Cairn Portland Press Herald [email protected] | 207-791-6325 Share The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is systematically and deliberately dismantling successful programs designed to protect Maine’s lakes, environmental advocates said Tuesday. In a 14-page report, the Natural Resources Council of Maine documents several criticisms of the DEP, including cuts in staffing and funding for lake protection. Sabattus Pond near Lewiston shows an algae bloom, which occurs there frequently because of runoff from farms and residential lots around the pond, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Courtesy Natural Resources Council of Maine Search photos available for purchase: Internal emails and audits of staffing and departmental activities demonstrate a pattern in the DEP to disrupt and eliminate lake water-quality programs and impede collaboration with academic, scientific and public information efforts, the report says. “There has been a significant decline in what was once the crown jewel of Maine,” its lakes and lake protection programs, said Pete Didisheim, advocacy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Didisheim said DEP staffing and funding for lake protection is at the lowest level in decades. Vacant positions have not been filled, the DEP’s Lake Protection Fund has been cut from $144,000 to $122,000, and in 2011 about $34,000 that was earmarked for invasive-plant management was transferred to the general fund. The report, “Troubled Waters: Damage to Maine’s Lake Protection Program Under the LePage Administration,” was written to address practices in the DEP that the environmental group says have put unreasonable constraints on the environmental protection of the state’s lakes, Didisheim said. “There can always be some improvements,” said Jessamine Logan, director of communications for the DEP, but the department is making progress with lake water quality. “Seven hundred acres of lakes have improved their water quality in the last two years,” she said. The message of the council’s report was supported by Matt Scott, the retired chief biologist for the DEP who created the department’s lakes program in the 1970s. Scott said the state has stepped back from its commitment to lakes by vastly reducing staffing and by reorganizing and refocusing the state’s environmental work. According to the report, the DEP once had 6.5 positions dedicated to lake protection, support from the staff in shoreland zoning and the Natural Resources Protection Act programs, a lakes education position and an AmeriCorps volunteer for lake education and school programs. The staff is now down to a full-time biologist, a biologist who works part-time on lakes protection and a part-time conservation aide who is shared with the marine program, the report says. Vacant positions have not been filled and staff members who worked in the lakes program have been reassigned. The AmeriCorps position was also eliminated under the Le- Page administration. Scott said, “DEP was the leader in the lakes program in the beginning, (but) the department is not focusing on lakes and the lakes program (now), because they don’t have the staff.” An early investigation into the details of the report showed that some of the information portrayed DEP decisions and actions in a light that does not reflect reality, Logan said. “Some things are just factually incorrect,” she said. “Some … are out of context.” The report, she said, does not reflect the DEP’s interaction and public participation. She pointed to its work with the Cooperative Extension Service, the Lakes Environmental Association and the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program as examples. Cuts to lake programs have occurred before, in part because environmental advocacy for Maine’s 5,000 lakes is not as strong as that for marine and coastal programs and sportsmen’s concerns, said Peter Lowell, executive director of the 1,200-member Lakes Environmental Association in Bridgton. “This is not the first time this has happened; it’s not the first time the lakes have been singled out,” Lowell said. “But this is the most extensive dismantling. I think it started as a shrink-government kind of role (in the DEP). I don’t think the government set out to ruin Maine’s lakes.” The report follows a seven-month investigation by Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram that showed that DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho, a former industrial and corporate lobbyist, has scuttled programs and fought against laws that were opposed by many of her former clients in the chemical, drug, oil and real estate development industries. “Yes, she was a former lobbyist,” said Logan, but such a background is not new or inherently problematic for state officials. The DEP is “trying to make it easier for businesses or those who must be in compliance,” Logan said, and doing so can mean that environmental ends are served, not derailed. “We can be open to the regulated community about their concerns and develop a partnership.” In June, the University of Maine released a study showing that water quality in Maine lakes has deteriorated since 1995. Water clarity, a strong indicator of quality, is deteriorating in Maine lakes, according to research by Ian McCullough, an ecologist who is now in a doctoral program at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Using satellite-based remote sensing, McCullough found that lake water clarity that ranged from 4 to 6 meters from 1995 to 2010 worsened during the last five years of monitoring. The deterioration may be a trend toward eutrophication — a process in which excess nitrates and phosphates, generally caused by fertilizers and sewage, stimulate growth of algae, which depletes oxygen in the water, the report said. McCullough found that clarity was reduced disproportionately — in 52 of 63 lakes — in larger bodies of water in the remote northeastern and western regions of the state. Climate changes that affect algae growth and changes in forest cover caused by timber harvesting also may have contributed to the decline in those regions, he said. “The decline of lake water quality should make us very nervous,” Didisheim said. “Our lakes are the envy of the rest of the U.S.” Maine’s lakes, and the activities associated with them, are estimated to generate $3.5 billion a year and help sustain 52,000 jobs, according to the DEP. The group’s report is online at www.nrcm.org. North Cairn can be contacted at 791-6325 or at:

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Farmingdale selectman says plowing contract needs clarification Chairman Doug Ebert said the town will in future years outline what is and is not included in the base price. By Paul Koenig Staff Writer [email protected] | @Paul_Koenig | 207-621-5663 Share FARMINGDALE — The chairman of the Board of Selectmen told around a half dozen residents who complained about bills from a contractor at a recent meeting that some parts of the winter road maintenance contract will be clarified in future years. The plowing contract issued every three years by the board is a common lightning rod for some residents who have complained about various issues with the current and previous contractors. Another roads scrape: Chris Ellis, of Ellis Construction in Farmingdale, is facing questions from some town residents about bills he submitted for work performed on town roads. Staff file photo by Joe Phelan Search photos available for purchase: At Wednesday’s board meeting, Gary Choate, a contractor in Farmingdale, presented copies of around a half dozen bills to the board totaling close to $5,000 that the town has paid to the plowing contractor, Ellis Construction, of Farmingdale, for work related to snow and ice removal and sanding. Choate said the work, which included clearing catch basins and scraping and sanding refrozen ice, should have been done by the contractor as part of the regular duties of the winter road maintenance contract. The selectmen, however, said the bills were justified because the road commissioner or the state police requested the work. The board chairman, Doug Ebert, said although it’s correct for the contractor to bill for emergency situations he’s called in to by the road commissioner, what is defined as an emergency should be clarified when the town writes a new contract in two years. “When we redo this, we will get the gray areas out. There are gray areas. I’m not disagreeing with you,” Ebert told Choate at the meeting. Ebert said in a phone interview Friday that it should be clear in the next contract that the plowing contractor will take care of any refrozen ice on roads without charging the town extra if requested by the road commissioner. Chris Ellis, an owner of Ellis Construction, said he does what the contract requires, but the contract doesn’t include things such as clearing catch basins. “If it’s in the contract, I’m the first one to do it. If it’s not in the contract and they want to call me, that’s fine. If they don’t, that’s fine,” Ellis said Friday. The selectmen awarded the three-year contract to Ellis Construction last summer despite objections from several residents who complained about the contractor in the meetings leading up to the board’s decision. The board chose Ellis Construction with a bid of $487,500 over three years over McGee Construction, of West Gardiner, which bid $576,000 for the three-year contract. Many of the same residents later accused the contractor of not having all of the required equipment. Choate said that although a contractor shouldn’t be responsible for something such as water from the Fire Department freezing on the roadway, the plowing contractor should take care of problems caused by nature, such as ice melting and then refreezing on the road. “That’s what you signed up for,” he said. The contract doesn’t address the specific issues raised by Choate and others, but it does state that extra sand and salt should be applied to hills, curves and intersections as necessary for maximum safety. It also says the contractor is responsible for any expenses incurred in the performance of the contract. The selectmen held a pre-bid meeting last summer to try to avoid controversy about the plowing contract, but that failed to quell the objections to the winning contractor and the contract. “We’ve had issues with every contract with a certain number of residents,” Ebert said. “This is no different than any of the other contracts we’ve done. It’s town politics. Someone is going to have a problem with something you do all the time.” “We’ll be rewriting the whole thing, I’m sure,” he added. Paul Koenig — 207-621-5663[email protected]Twitter: @paul_koenig Share

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Benjamin's funeral director was ‘compassionate, caring’ Carolyn Blackman, Staff Reporter, Friday, January 25, 2013 Tags: Obituary Comments Greg Gates Greg Gates, general manager of Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel, who died suddenly on Jan. 11 at age 60, will be remembered as a guardian of the Jewish tradition. Gates, who is not Jewish, began working at Benjamin’s 40 years ago as a junior funeral director. He died of a heart attack on his way home from work. He lived in Barrie with his wife of 38 years, Joan, and their son, Gary, 20. Michael Benjamin, president of the funeral chapel, said Gates was so familiar with Jewish traditions that people frequently mistook him for being Jewish and sometimes even thought he was a rabbi. “He was compassionate, caring, loyal, and dedicated to the families. He comes from the ‘old school’ and this was his calling.” Benjamin said Gates’ funeral was in Sarnia, where Gates was from. More than 30 staff members, former Benjamin’s employees and some rabbis attended. “He really touched people.” Rabbi Philip Scheim, spiritual leader of Beth David B’nai Israel Beth Am Congregation, wrote on Benjamin’s website that he was privileged to know Gates for more than 30 years. “For families in their hours of grief, for colleagues and clergy working with him, he was invariably the right man in the right place at the right time. He combined sensitivity with competency, understanding and efficiency,” Rabbi Scheim wrote. “His gentle, yet authoritative voice provided comfort and direction in numerous circumstances. I add my name to the long list of those who will miss him greatly.” Howard Mammon, executive director of Toronto Hebrew Memorial Parks, wrote on the website that they often worked together during difficult circumstances. “His professionalism, sensitivity and care for the families we both served were exemplary,” Mammon said. Mammon, who met with Gates a few hours before his death, said that he “appreciated his insights on various issues affecting the bereavement sector.” Joan Gates said in an interview that her husband was passionate about his own family and about the Benjamin’s family. “We were married for 15 years before our ‘miracle’ baby was born, and Greg was the perfect father. Anyone who knew him knew about Gary.” Gates said that her husband was a happy man. “He loved his work and he loved us. He didn’t need anything else,” she said. “I take comfort that he left his mark. When we had Gary, my first call was from a rabbi to congratulate us, and when Greg died, [one of the first calls] was from a rabbi.” When her husband was on call and people would call in the middle of the night, she said, “he was kind and compassionate. He would put them at ease, and he told them he was always there. They often called back just to talk a little more.” Besides his wife and son, Gates leaves his brother and sister-in-law John and Heather.

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St. Joseph murder case stalls over destroyed evidence Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | 10:08 a.m. CDT ST. JOSEPH — A second-degree murder trial in Buchanan County is stalled after police mistakenly destroyed most of the physical evidence in the case. Dallas Cox was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday for second-degree murder in the beating death of 26-year-old Stephen Akin last October. Instead, attorneys argued over a motion to dismiss the case after hearing about the destroyed evidence. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that the manager of the police department's evidence room testified that an officer mistakenly destroyed the evidence after being told to purge old cases from the system. The problem arose because the Cox case was originally filed as an assault because Akin did not die for days after he was beaten. And another man had pleaded guilty in the case, leading the officer to believe it had been resolved.

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Updated Dearborn Animal Shelter names architects for new building; $1.5M still needed to begin By Sherri Welch Photo by Neumann/Smith Architecture An artist's rendering of the planned new Dearborn animal shelter at the former Amtrak station on Michigan Avenue. With half of the $4.5 million needed in hand, Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter hopes to break ground on a new animal shelter this year. The nonprofit, which took over operation of the shelter from the city in 1996, has named Southfield-based Neumann/Smith Architecture and Ghafari Associates LLC in Dearborn as architects on the project. It will need to raise another $1.5 million to start the project, said Elaine Greene, executive director of Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter. The 21,000-square-foot shelter will be located at the former Amtrak station on Michigan Avenue on property donated by the city of Dearborn. The new site will give the nonprofit four times as much space as the city-owned, 30-year-old location from where it currently operates on Greenfield, Greene said. Early plans incorporate geothermal energy for heating and cooling, energy efficiency and daylight lighting, and high-efficiency glass and building insulation materials into the design for the new building. Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter had revenue of about $900,000 in 2013 and ended the year in the black, Greene said, noting it is still finalizing financials. About 8 percent of its cash budget comes from a city subsidy; the remainder comes from fundraising and fees for dropping off animals at the shelter, animals that are picked up by owners after being picked up and boarded at the shelter, and the rental of live traps, Greene said. The shelter last year took in 2,800 animals. Of those, it placed 71 percent and euthanized 17 percent that were not adoptable due to temperament and health issues, she said. The remaining animals await adoption at the shelter.

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Home Page »News »Local News » Measure would help struggling families Measure would help struggling families In opening session, Dems’ two bills aim at economy Keywords: Politics, Colorado State Senate, Colorado State House of Representatives, Print DENVER � Colorado�s high-tech economy and struggling working families will be the beneficiaries of the first two bills introduced in the state Legislature in 2013.House Bill 1001, to be introduced when the Legislature convenes Wednesday, will offer up to $15 million in grants to companies doing advanced research in aerospace, bioscience, electronics, energy and other industries.Senate Bill 1 would make a trio of tax credits available to about 370,000 working families.Gov. John Hickenlooper, his fellow Democrats and a Republican representative announced the advanced technology bill Monday.�Having a bill like this really does help distinguish us from other states,� Hickenlooper said.In past years, Colorado has struggled to compete for business with other states that tend to offer much more lucrative tax credits to lure companies.HB 1001 would offer three different kinds of grants, worth up to $500,000 per company. Funding will come from an existing bioscience program, and possibly from a revamp of Colorado�s enterprise-zone tax credits that legislators will tackle this year.Separately, Senate Democrats are pushing a bill to expand tax credits for the working poor.SB 1 broadens the reach of the earned income tax credit, the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit. All three of them offer tax refunds for families below a certain income level.The sponsor, Sen. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, said the bill would put money in the hands of people who need it most � and who will spend it locally.�I see it as a very important investment in working families. I see it as an economic-development tool,� Kefalas said.Currently, Colorado offers the earned income tax credit only when there is a budget surplus � something that hasn�t happened since 2001.Kefalas said budget experts are still working out how much the bill will cost the state. A slowly recovering economy is starting to bring more money into state coffers, but the Legislature is far from flush with cash.By designating the two bills as the first of the year, Democratic leaders are trying to send the message that they remain focused on the economy. However, the 120-day legislative session is likely to be dominated by social issues such as marijuana legalization, gun control and, possibly, repealing the death [email protected]

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Discrimination at 30,000 feet May 26th 2014, 10:18 SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS (SAA) has been taken to task by Solidarity, a trade union, over its discriminatory hiring practices for pilots. The union is angry with the state-owned carrier's decision not to admit Daniël Hoffman to its cadet pilot programme for the second year in a row. Mr Hoffman, whose theory and psychometric tests were described as exceptional by Solidarity, is a white male. That puts him at a handicap against other applicants because of the airline's self-professed bias towards hiring black, coloured (mixed race), Indian or white female pilots.In 2012, Solidarity submitted two near-identical applications for SAA's cadet pilot programme. There was just one difference: one applicant was white, the other was black. The white candidate received a swift rejection letter; the black one was accepted onto the programme. SAA defended its policy at the time by noting that 85% of its serving pilots were white. A spokesperson for the airline told Beeld, an Afrikaans-language daily newspaper, that whites will only be hired once efforts to find applicants of other races are exhausted. The subsequent media furore forced SAA to ditch its policy, but Solidarity suspects it is still being implemented behind the scenes.Most commercial pilots in Africa are not indigenous to the continent. This has nothing to do with whites being better at flying and everything to do with the better opportunities they have historically enjoyed. They usually come from richer backgrounds and have better access to education, which gives them a head-start. SAA is therefore trying to level the socio-economic playing field by shifting things back in favour of disadvantaged blacks.Affirmative action is a central pillar of government policy in South Africa. The government has launched various Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) programmes in an attempt to reverse the injustices of history. Most white South Africans concede that some form of post-apartheid redress is inevitable. As long as it is pursued fairly, such re-balancing should benefit society. But a blanket ban on training white male pilots seems crass. Putting aside the prestige and compensation that pilots enjoy, their job is one of the most demanding and socially responsible functions in any economy. Millions of South Africans entrust their lives to commercial pilots each year. Elevating arbitrary criteria such as skin colour above objective, performance-based measures should be roundly condemned.There are better solutions. Ethiopian Aviation Academy, a subsidiary of Ethiopian Airlines, another large African carrier, is training indigenous pilots in record numbers. The academy already processes 1,000 trainees per year, and it plans to quadruple this figure over the next decade. Applicants are drawn not just from Ethiopia, but from across East Africa and beyond. These graduates should, over time, turn the tide from majority-white to majority-black flight crews on the continent. SAA’s cadet programme, meanwhile, selected just 40 candidates last year (none of them white males).Pilots may not be the only victims of SAA's policies. When the airline had to select a new boss last summer—its fifth in as many years—Nico Bezuidenhout, an experienced white airline executive, was among the front-runners. He lost out to Monwabisi Kalawe, a black executive with no prior experience in the industry. One year on, Mr Kalawe is reportedly being investigated over four allegations of impropriety; the airline insists he has done nothing untoward. Most South Africans simply want their flag carrier to be run by a competent, experienced manager. Likewise, most passengers simply want a competent, experienced pilot to land them safely on the ground. Skin colour should be a non-issue.

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News Sports Opinion Forums Lifestyle Sections Ads Jobs Local Classifieds Extras CU Customer Service Local News View local Photos « Bale Placement Raises Conce... Public Measure Question Coul...» Funding Announced For Ruthven Emergency Sirens Kristy Tonderum , Save | Post a comment | The City of Ruthven was recently awarded $10,200 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities Program to purchase and install two outdoor warning sirens. The sirens will make it easier to reach more people faster and will cover a broader area. The new sirens will allow both the Ruthven Fire Department and the Communication Center to trigger the sirens in emergency situations. Ruthven City Clerk Kay Suhr advised that the siren that is currently in Ruthven is 30 to 40 years old and is no longer meeting the community's needs. There are parts within the siren that are failing and are no longer replaceable. The project is currently in the bidding process. The city is working with the Ruthven Fire Department who were also awarded a grant from the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation for this project. Suhr, who wrote the application for the USDA grant, says they hope to have the project completed by Dec. 31. More than $5 million in funding will support 127 projects in 27 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The state of Iowa is receiving a total of $175,000 to be distributed to support six projects aimed at improving public safety and enhancing health care facilities. "Well equipped first responders and quality medical facilities are important in all of Iowa's communities, but particularly in rural areas where resources are scarce," said Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. "In order for Iowa's small towns to remain good places to live and do business, it is important that they have the tools to keep their residents safe. Today's funding is welcome news for these communities." USDA Rural Development is an equal opportunity leader with a variety of grant and direct and guaranteed loan programs for single and multi-family housing, community facilities, water and sewer development and business and industry programs. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has an active portfolio of more that $10 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. © Copyright 2015 Emmetsburg News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Save | Post a comment | Subscribe to Emmetsburg News I am looking for:

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Send an e-mail request to [email protected], with the word "Subscribe" in the For site information and viewing tips,tag nike free tilbud Statewide News Network, Inc. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without express written consent "No Excuses" push to cut property taxes launched ALBANY – The “No Excuses” push, designed to help pass proposed property tax cuts for millions of New Yorkers, was launched on Wednesday by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The initiative includes a new website, www.CutPropertyTaxes.ny.gov, featuring information on the Governor’s plan to cut property taxes, statements of support from elected officials and advocacy groups across the state and resources for visitors to contact their state legislators to make their voices heard. In January, at both the State of the State Address and Executive Budget presentation, the Governor outlined his plan to freeze property taxes for two years and create a “circuit breaker” that will provide tax relief based on an individual or family’s ability to pay. Both of these programs are part of the Governor’s broader proposal to deliver approximately $2 billion in tax relief to New Yorkers. The proposal will: Freeze property taxes for working families: Create a property tax “circuit breaker” based on ability to pay: “High property taxes have been the number one burden on New York’s families and businesses. Right after I took office we capped property taxes to stop skyrocketing hikes that were driving people from this state. Now we need to lower property taxes and we need your help to do it,” said Governor Cuomo. “Every year, passing our agenda has depended on New Yorkers getting involved, picking up the phone and making their voices heard. Today we are encouraging all New Yorkers who are tired of paying too much in property taxes to join our effort to lower property taxes this year.’ As a result of fiscal reforms from the last three years, the State is projected to go from a $10 billion deficit when the Governor took office to a $2 billion surplus by 2016-17. Rather than using this revenue to increase spending, Governor Cuomo proposed to instead cut taxes for families and businesses to provide taxpayers relief and grow the economy. The proposals have been informed by the hard work of the bi-partisan New York State Tax Reform and Fairness Commission and the New York State Tax Relief Commission led by Former Governor George Pataki and Former Comptroller H. Carl McCall. For more information click here. By almost any measure, New York’s real property taxes are the highest in the nation with an average residential bill of $5,040—Westchester County is ranked first in terms of absolute dollars, and Wayne County is ranked first as a percentage in terms of home value. One of the main reasons is the large number of local governments that place high burdens on taxpayers and harm the business climate. New York State has approximately 10,500 local government entities – from cities, towns, and villages down to water, sewer, and lighting districts, among others. Many such districts overlap with other municipal taxing entities. For example, Erie County has the most local governments in the State, with 1,044 total governments, representing an annual tax levy of $1.6 billion. Since January 1, 2011, only two villages have voted on and executed a dissolution.

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Bolivian President Blames Capitalism for Global Warming COCHABAMBA, Bolivia, April 20, 2010 (ENS) - Bolivian President Evo Morales said capitalism is to blame for global warming and the accelerated deterioration of the planetary ecosystem in a speech today opening an international conference on climate change and the "rights of Mother Earth." More than 20,000 indigenous, environmental and civil society delegates from 129 countries were in attendance as President Morales welcomed them to the conference at a soccer stadium in the village of Tiquipaya on the outskirts of the city of Cochabamba. Ceremonial sounds welcome delegates to the Cochabamba climate conference. April 20, 2010. (Photo courtesy ABI) "The main cause of the destruction of the planet Earth is capitalism and in the towns where we have lived, where we respected this Mother Earth, we all have the ethics and the moral right to say here that the central enemy of Mother Earth is capitalism," said Morales, who is Bolivia's first fully indigenous head of state in the 470 years since the Spanish invasion. Morales is the leader of a political party called Movimiento al Socialismo, the Movement for Socialism, which aims to give more power to the country's indigenous and poor communities by means of land reforms and redistribution of wealth from natural resources such as gas. "The capitalist system looks to obtain the maximum possible gain, promoting unlimited growth on a finite planet," said Morales. "Capitalism is the source of asymmetries and imbalance in the world." The Bolivian president called this conference in the wake of what he considered to be failed United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December. Those talks produced a weak political agreement, the Copenhagen Accord, instead of a strong, legally-binding set of limits on greenhouse gas emissions to take effect at the end of 2012, as Bolivia and many other countries had hoped. Bolivian President Evo Morales addresses indigenous, environmental and civil society delegates. (Photo courtesy ABI) Named "World Hero of Mother Earth" by the United Nations General Assembly last October, today, President Morales warned of dire consequences if a strong legally-binding agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions is not reached. A new agreement is needed to govern greenhouse gas emissions after the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012. This year's round of international negotiations towards an agreement began earlier this month in Bonn, Germany, and the next annual United Nations climate conference is scheduled for Cancun, Mexico from November 29. "Global food production will be reduced by approximately 40 percent and that will increase the number of hungry people in the world, which already exceeds a billion people," Morales warned. "Between 20 and 30 percent of all animal and plant species could disappear." Global warming will cause the melting of the polar ice caps and the glaciers of the Andes and the Himalayas, and several islands will disappear under the ocean," he warned. An indigenous dignitary is interviewed at the climate conference at Cochabamba. (Photo courtesy Indigenous Environmental Network) The convocation this morning included a multi-cultural blessing ceremony by indigenous peoples from across the Americas. Speeches by representatives of social movements from five continents focused on the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for bold action that protects both human rights and the environment. The delegates are meeting in working group sessions this week to develop strategies and make policy proposals on issues such as forests, water, climate debt, and finance. President Morales has pledged to bring these strategies and proposals to the UN climate conference in Cancun. "We have traveled to Bolivia because President Morales has committed to bring our voices to the global stage at the next round of talks in Cancun," said Jihan Gearon of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, who is a native energy organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network. "Indigenous rights and knowledge are crucial to addressing climate change, but the United States and Canada have not signed on to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and are pushing corporate climate policy agendas that threaten our homelands and livelihoods," Gearon said. "President Morales has asked our recommendations on issues such as REDDs [Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation]," said Alberto Saldamando, legal counsel for the International Indian Treaty Council. "REDD is branded as a friendly forest conservation program, yet it is backed by big polluters," Saldamando said. "REDD is a dangerous distraction from the root issue of fossil fuel pollution, and could mean disaster for forest-dependent indigenous peoples the world over." "We are here from the far north to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the South," said Faith Gemmill, executive director of Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL), who spoke from the stage at the invitation of President Morales. "We have a choice as human kind - a path of life, or a path of destruction. The people who can change the world are here!"

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US Fish and Wildlife Service Fish & Wildlife Field Notes Home Field Notes Field Notes Entry SAN FRANCISCO BAY NWRC: A Decade of Restoration in the South San Francisco Bay California-Nevada Offices , July 29, 2013 A fomer commercial salt pond in Alviso, CA was breached and returned to tidal flow in Dec, 2010. - Photo Credit: Judy Irving, Pelican Media U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a principal champion of the restoration of the salt ponds, at the opening of one of the project's managed ponds in 2010. - Photo Credit: USFWS Aerial kite photos show the return of thriving marsh just two and a half years after salt ponds were restored to tidal flow. - Photo Credit: Kris Benton By Doug Cordell “This is an enormously ambitious project requiring years of planning—and we’re already seeing results on the ground,” says Eric Mruz, manager of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, on the tenth anniversary of the historic land acquisition for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—an unprecedented effort, in the middle of a major urban center, to restore a landscape the size of Manhattan to a thriving wetland ecosystem. In 2003, under the leadership of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, 15,100 acres of former commercial salt ponds were purchased or acquired through donation from Cargill, Inc., the first step in a campaign to restore 100,000 acres of lost tidal wetlands around San Francisco Bay. Funds for the acquisition were provided by federal and state resource agencies and several private foundations, including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The acquisition of the salt ponds grew out of an increased awareness of the need to do something about the 85 percent of tidal wetlands around the Bay that were lost to development over the last century and a half. These habitats serve as giant filters, removing toxic pollution and nutrient runoff that otherwise impact the Bay’s fragile ecosystem. Historically, Bay wetlands have also worked as natural sponges that protect communities from tidal flooding by absorbing and slowly releasing storm water. On the climate front, they capture and store atmospheric carbon that otherwise would contribute to global warming; and they serve as a natural buffer against sea level rise. Not least of all, the Bay’s wetlands pulse each year with thousands of migrating and resident birds, fish and other species that rely on these habitats to forage, rest, and raise their young. Unfortunately, the region’s vital wetland network was seriously compromised as land near the Bay was drained and diked for farming, urban development and salt production. A result has been the dramatic decline in marsh-dependent species like the salt marsh harvest mouse and the California clapper rail, both of which are currently threatened with extinction. The loss of tidal wetlands has also contributed to decreased water quality in the Bay and increased the risk of flooding. The 2003 acquisition was a bold step to reverse some of those trends. “It’s a rare opportunity to reverse some of the damage done to Bay habitats over the last century,” says John Bourgeois, Executive Project Manager of the effort. After the property was acquired, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game (now California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or DFW) and the California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) launched a five-year process, bringing together a broad coalition of agency staff, scientists and members of the public to design a restoration plan for the property. The final plan, adopted in 2008, is a blueprint for achieving the project’s three main goals: habitat restoration, public access for wildlife oriented recreation, and flood risk management. The restoration is designed to be implemented in phases, stretching over the next several decades. Shortly after the adoption of the final plan in 2008, Phase One of the restoration began at the project’s three salt pond complexes: the Ravenswood ponds on the west shore of the Bay near Menlo Park, the Alviso ponds in the far reaches of the South Bay, and the Eden Landing Ponds along the East Bay shoreline near Hayward. For each of the pond complexes, a Working Group of interested parties meets regularly to focus on design, construction and research issues. There are also regular Stakeholder Forums that foster broader public participation for the project as a whole. In addition, there are monthly coordination meetings of the Project Management Team, with representatives from participating agencies: USFWS, SCC, DFW, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey , the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and the Alameda County Flood Control and Conservation District. For habitat restoration, the goal of the project is to provide a mix of habitats, including both the tidal marsh that historically ringed the Bay and shallow- and deep-water ponds for shorebird and water fowl species that found habitat on commercial salt ponds when development drove them out of other areas. At the Ravenswood ponds, for instance, Phase One saw the completion of managed pond SF2, including 240 acres of enhanced pond habitat for nesting and resting shorebirds like the western snowy plover. The SF2 restoration also meets the goal of increased public access, with a nearly three-quarter mile trail and two viewing platforms with interpretive displays. Meanwhile, at the Alviso complex, over 2,600 acres of ponds have been connected to the Bay, creating new tidal marsh for endangered species, as well as shallow water habitat for shorebirds, pelicans, cormorants and ducks. Another 240 acres of designed pond habitat include shallow waters and 16 nesting islands for migrating shorebirds such as avocets and stilts. For the public, two and a half miles of new Bay Trail were opened between Sunnyvale and Mountain View’s Shoreline Park. At Eden Landing, 630 acres of tidal habitat have been restored, along with 230 acres of pond habitat for a variety of bird species such as phalaropes and eared grebes. Public amenities include 3.8 miles of new trails, an interpretive site with raised walkways and viewing platforms overlooking the remnants of the historic salt works, and a kayak launch. Phase Two of the restoration, now in the planning stage, envisions opening more ponds to tidal action so they can transition to marsh; improving the quality and diversity of managed ponds; and adding more recreational trails and interpretive displays. “The restoration of these lands is the culmination of decades of work,” says Florence LaRiviere, founding member of the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, one of a number of local groups that have been advocating for the preservation and restoration of Bay Area wetlands since the 1960s. As for the third principal goal of the project, flood risk management, planners have also taken a phased approach. The development of fully restored wetlands that buffer against flooding will take decades. Meanwhile, there is a need for flood protection in the South Bay. In the near term that will be met by maintaining a portion of the levees that Cargill and its predecessors originally built for salt-making purposes. Over the years, these levees have provided de facto flood protection for communities in the South Bay—like Alviso, which sits twelve feet below sea level. With a longer view, the project is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local agencies to design a comprehensive flood control plan for the South Bay shoreline that will be integrated with habitat restoration. One of the unique features of the restoration project is its use of Adaptive Management—the process of taking lessons learned on the ground in restoration activities and folding them into future management practices. That process is playing a critical role in determining which combination of habitats provides the best environment for resident and migrating species of birds, fish and other wildlife. Science is central to the adaptive management program. Each year, the project’s scientists monitor and evaluate new data on everything from mercury accumulation and sediment dynamics to the impact of trail use on birds. That information, in turn, guides management decisions about future restoration work, public access and flood risk management. Early scientific research by the project has produced some notable findings. For instance, restoration sites at the Island Ponds in the southernmost portion of the Bay are accumulating sediment more rapidly than expected, which augurs well for the future development of thriving wetlands. In fact, in the less than five years since restoration of the Island Ponds was undertaken, the area is showing significant plant colonization. Satellite imagery has been found to be particularly effective in tracking large-scale vegetation shifts. Scientific monitoring has also shown an increase in native fish inside several of the project’s newly restored areas, and in adjacent creeks and sloughs. Meanwhile, at managed Pond SF2 near the western foot of the Dumbarton Bridge, newly created islands were seen to support 150 pairs of nesting shorebirds in the first year. Refinement of pond management techniques, based on scientific data, is also improving water quality and increasing the number of dabbling ducks and shorebirds. One key to the success of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project thus far has been the work of volunteers—some who have helped out on refuge lands for many years, and others new to the work, many of them brought in groups brought by organizations like Save the Bay. Anyone interested in visiting the restored ponds or volunteering to help with restoration work can find out more at: http://www.southbayrestoration.org. Despite its impressive record to date, the restoration project faces some challenges in the coming years. One of the most significant is the accelerating pace of sea level rise. While restored tidal marshes lessen the impact of rising waters and protect levees that shield inland areas from storm waves and tidal surges, the marshes need sediment to anchor them. Though there is sufficient sediment in the Bay now, that may change with a rising sea level. Which means that the sooner salt ponds are restored to tidal marshes and wetlands the better chance they will have to establish themselves and grow as the sea level rises. Then, too, there is the need for continued funding of the project—always a challenge, but especially so in an era of government budget cutbacks. Representatives of the project are confident, however, that they will meet those challenges. “We believe the Bay community will continue to make wetland restoration a priority,” says Executive Manager Bourgeois. “And the agencies are committed to seeing the work implemented. The benefits are simply too great.” Doug Cordell is the Public Affairs Officer at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Fremont, California. Contact Info: Doug Cordell, 510-774-4080, [email protected] Find a Field Notes Entry Choose State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illiniois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississipi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia Choose region Pacific Southwest Midwest Southeast Northeast Mountain-Prairie Alaska California-Nevada All Regions E:\sites\www.fws.gov\FieldNotes\regmap.cfmField Notes Home U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page | Department of the Interior | USA.gov | About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Accessibility | Privacy | Notices | Disclaimer | FOIA | RSS Feed US Fish and Wildlife Service footer E:\sites\www.fws.gov\FieldNotes\regmap.cfmField Notes Home | User's Guide U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page | Department of the Interior | USA.gov | About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Accessibility | Privacy | Notices | Disclaimer | FOIA

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Mass. man convicted in Maine double killing trial January 14, 2013 05:08 PM The Associated Press January 14, 2013 05:08 PM A Massachusetts man was convicted Monday in Maine of killing the mother of his four children in front of their 7-year-old son, as well as killing a longtime friend.Joel Hayden of New Bedford was convicted of two counts of murder in the July 25, 2011, death of his estranged girlfriend, Renee Sandora of New Gloucester, and his friend, Trevor Mills of New Bedford.The boy, now 8, testified that he saw his father come out of a house and gun down his mother.Prosecutors say Hayden, 31, killed Sandora and Mills because he thought they were having an affair. Sandora and Mills died hours apart at a Lewiston hospital.Hayden, driving Mills' car, was arrested after leading police on a chase that ended in Lyman.Evidence included a 911 call in which Sandora could be heard saying "my boyfriend just shot me."Hayden, with reported gang affiliations and multiple drug convictions, had 16 prior criminal convictions in New Bedford, including an arrest for a 2005 drive-by shooting that wounded a man.His attorneys told jurors DNA evidence pointed to another possible killer. They also suggested he was impaired by marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone and hydrocodone found in his system after his arrest.Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said the evidence was overwhelming between the 911 call and the boy's testimony."The defense hasn't given you a shred of evidence he was anything but truthful," Marchese said of the boy.

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In Tough Times, Food Stamps Leave Many Hungry by Michelle Chan, Aug 29, 2011 Photo by Just Food NYC As monthly benefits run out, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers turn to food pantries. William Henry expends a lot of energy to try to stretch his $50 in food stamps for an entire month. "It takes discipline to make sure that the money lasts when I go to the supermarket. I have to take my calculator," he said. But despite his best efforts, Henry does not always succeed. "Most months there are four weeks, and once in a while it's five," he said. "Sometimes in the fifth week the money runs out, and that's when I go to a pantry." The West Side Campaign Against Hunger operates one such pantry. It gives emergency food aid to people who need to supplement their monthly food stamp benefits. Located in the basement of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, the pantry serves a variety of customers. Many of them wait patiently in lines that snake around the basement and out the door. When called on, the clients select fresh and canned food from shelves in a back room. The West Side Campaign Against Hunger is one of many private organizations that play a pivotal role in feeding New York City's hungry. With many people who need aid not receiving food stamps -- and with the benefits too small to cover the expenses of many of those who do -- private, nonprofit organizations provide an increasing amount of food assistance in New York City. A number of organizations say they simply cannot handle the task -- and should not have to. In this series, Gotham Gazette will look at what government is — and is not — doing to combat poverty in the city. We will examine specific problems and the policies that address or contribute to them. Some 1.8 million New Yorkers — about one in five — lives at or below the poverty level, with 10.5 percent trying to scrape by in deep poverty — with incomes less than half the poverty level, or below $10,500 for a family of four. Over the past five years, the poverty level has remained largely unchanged. Meanwhile, the wealthy in our city have gotten richer, leaving New York with the widest income divide of any major city in the country. Against this backdrop, all levels of government have sought to cut spending, reducing programs for the poor and raising fees. This has tattered a social safety net that, even in the best of times, had gaps and tears. Previously in the series: Incarcerated with Children: Thousands of city kids have parents in prison. Can their bonds survive the separation and stigma? Paying the Rent with HIV: The city program to help people with HIV/AIDS find stable housing still leaves some New Yorkers facing almost impossible choices. Beyond Their Means: Increases in tuition and cuts in financial aid may put City University, long a road to the middle class, out of reach for low-income New Yorkers. A Poor Defense: In, New York many public defenders barely talk to their indigent clients – let alone fight for them. Shutting a 'Safety Net'The closing of St. Vincent's created a void for some poor New Yorkers and highlighted the woes facing hospitals that serve them. New York's Model: On one hand, the mayor has cut city social services. On the other, he has launched private pilot projects to fight poverty – to little effect. Glenn Pasanen explores the disconnect. "Ending hunger is a huge priority, and charity cannot and should not shoulder the bulk of this burden," Joel Berg, the executive director of the New York Coalition Against Hunger wrote in the coalition's annual hunger survey. A Shift in Responsibility Some 2.3 million New Yorkers – or 12.4 percent of all state residents -- faced food insecurity in 2007 to 2009, a sharp increase from the 9.4 percent in the three previous years, according to Hunger Action Network of New York State. In February the number of state residents receiving food stamps hit a record 3 million, a 65 percent increase over five years, the Daily News reported. In the city, about 1.8 million residents get food stamps. The programs purchased more than $3.2 billion worth of food in the city in 2010, according to the Coalition Against Hunger. While participation in the food stamp program -- officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- has been increasing, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics from 2008 found that only 53 percent of all New Yorkers eligible for food stamps in 2008 actually got them. This – and the shortfall in benefits -- compels some 2.3 million state residents to seek emergency food aid every year. In its 2010 Hunger Survey, the Coalition Against Hunger reported that demand at the city's more than 1,100 food pantries and soup kitchens in New York City increased 6.8 percent from 2009 to 2010, in addition to the 20.8 percent increase from 2008 to 2009. The fasting growing need for services came from families with children. The need for private assistance has been growing since the Reagan administration, according to a study by Beth Osborne Daponte of Yale University and Shannon Bade, a senior organizer at the Organization of the North East in Chicago. It dropped tens of thousands of Americans from the food stamp program, a federal program administered by states and cities. Then the Clinton-era changes in the welfare system under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, tightened eligibility requirements and decreased the monthly benefits. Closer to home, in 1997, New York City began requiring anyone applying for food stamps be fingerprinted in order to prevent fraud. All this forces some needy people them to turn to private groups. The increasing reliance on the non-profit organizations concerns many who run them. "The myth we're up against is civil society and nonprofits around the city can take over the burden from the public sector whose job it is," said Michael Paone, the community organizer for the Coalition Against Hunger. He added that while private agencies have great intentions, they "lack agility" to deal with the city's hunger problem. "This is the wrong prescription for the problem," said Paone. “It's a much larger and deeper issue than just creating more food programs. Creating jobs and taking people out of poverty is the real solution." The Dollar Forty-Eight Menu The maximum food stamp benefit for a family of four in fiscal year 2010 was $668 a month, with the average recipient now getting $133.80 – or about $4.46 a day. To receive benefits, a family's income must be no higher than 130 percent of federal poverty guidelines, or roughly $2,389 a month for a family of four in most of the country. A number of restrictions exist on what recipient can use their food stamps for -- although the federal government recently rejected a bid by the Bloomberg administration to ban their use for the purchase of sugary soft drinks. The benefit cannot be used for food bought in restaurants, alcohol, non-food items, including soap, or food purchased hot. In late 2010, City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez ate for five days on the average food stamp benefit – about $4 a day. "I usually was out of money by lunchtime, my ability to concentrate suffered, and by Friday, I had no other choice but to go to a food pantry for extra food," he later wrote. Photo by Walmart Stores The Food Bank for New York is among the largest of the private organizations that help feed tens of thousands of New Yorkers. At times during the week he cooked rice and other dried goods to stave off hunger but he was unable to afford "vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein." He added, "I do not need to repeat what we already know – that it is impossible to still eat a healthy balanced diet off $4.33 per day." Increasing the Rolls For many New Yorkers, though, that $4.33 would help – yet they either have not applied for or have not received food stamps. A number of things might account for this, Sandra Jean-Louis, the director of the Access to Health and Food Benefits program at Public Health Solutions told City Council in 2010. "Many are not aware of the requirements. For others, English is a second language and they require help completing the application form. More are too ashamed to accept government assistance. Others may fear that accepting food stamps will lead to their deportation," she said. Jean-Louis also noted that "procedural barriers," such as not being able to find the food stamp office, difficulties with the application or being asked unnecessary questions during the food stamp interview, also keep some New Yorkers from receiving benefits. The Bloomberg administration has said it has tried to reach out to possible recipients and make it easier for then to get food stamps. During a City Council hearing on hunger, Human Resources Commissioner Robert Doar testified that his agency has developed partnerships with community-based organizations that take applications for food stamps and then submit them to Human Resources Administration electronically. The agency's outreach staff also visits community-based organizations to conduct interviews and help submit applications for food assistance. Doar has noted that changes to the recertification process make it far more convenient. Recipients used to have to have their eligibility for food stamps checked and renewed every six month. Now that has been extended to once a year. In addition, the recertification interviews now can be conducted over the phone rather than in person. And to make fresh fruits and vegetables more available to recipients, city greenmarkets started accepting Electronic Benefit Transfers at farmer's markets. All of this may have contributed to the rise in food stamp use. The number of people getting food stamps in both the state and city increased by between 12 to 13 percent between 2009 and 2010 and "almost 65 percent" since 2006, Elizabeth Berlin of the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance told City Council last year. Doar said that he was "stunned" to hear participation rates rose by 60 by 70 percent. "That would be amazing. I hope it happened," he said. SNAP Barriers Advocates attribute the increase in the number of people receiving benefits more to rising need than to a better effort by the government. "SNAP is a countercyclical program. During recessions it's there to respond to need and enroll as many people as needed," said Hannah Lupien, a food policy strategist at West Side Coalition Against Hunger. She and other advocates say the government has to do more to ensure all who are eligible for SNAP receive aid, and they charge that some city rules drive away participants. For example, New York City requires applicants seeking food stamp benefits to undergo a fingerprint imaging process, even as the state has discontinued this policy. Joel Berg has cited studies finding one in 23 people did not apply for food stamps because of the finger-imaging policy but that the fingerprints detected only 31 cases of fraud in 2006 – or one for every 35,000 people. In a testimony before City Council, Doar defended this policy saying it was designed to prevent recipients from receiving duplicate benefits. Lupien finds that hard to believe. "When is the only other time you get fingerprinted?" she asked. "When you’re arrested! It's a loud and clear message that applicants are not to be trusted because they're poor or because they're asking for help." "Why should we have to take fingerprints? We didn't commit a crime. I don't think it should be a policy that people must be fingerprinted in order to eat. If people don't want to do it they will starve," said Gloria B., a member of the Coalition Against Hunger's Food Action Board who asked that her last name not be used. "It's not a crime to ask for food. It's not a crime to lose a job." Not everyone objects to the finger imaging. Lotrina Kinsey, a customer at the West Side Coalition Against Hunger's pantry said that fingerprint imaging was "normal." The long waits, finger imaging policy and application process were “to be expected. It is an all day process and very time consuming," she said. Picking Up the Slack Whatever the reasons, many people in these difficult times turn to private groups to get help to feed themselves and their families. This has put a strain on those organizations. Of all the agencies in the city, 51.4 percent were unable to meet demand in 2010, a smaller percentage than the previous year. Despite the decrease, 42 percent said a lack of resources forced them to turn away hungry people, cut portions or reduce hours, according to the Hunger Survey Report. When that happens, Paone said, "Often times agencies will indeed give referrals to other agencies. … It's not uncommon for folks to patronize multiple agencies -- and when food is scarce, they have to 'shop around' even more." At the West Side campaign's food pantry, Zoila Estrella, a volunteer, customer and food stamp recipient, said that her benefit usually lasts most of the month largely because she only has to support herself. "Food stamp benefits need to be increased for those who need and use it," she said through a translator, "especially for bigger families, families with children and the working poor." "So many people are going through a hard time, and it's not easy when you have bills to pay. I know the government is trying to do a lot but it's still not enough," said Gloria B. "Even soup kitchens are getting low and children are crying. … America has a lot of money, people shouldn't be that hungry."

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Highlights from Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview on 11 April 2012 AdnanNATOIndonesiaEarthquakeSyriawomanincrease in the number of earthquakes A9 TV, 11 April 2012 (Experts say that the energy released in today’s Indonesian earthquake was equivalent to that of thousands of atom bombs.) The might of Allah produces amazing events so that people will think. A place struck by one earthquake should not then be struck by another. But this has happened now. It is metaphysical and cannot be explained. It is currently scientifically inexplicable. The Istanbul earthquake could not be explained, either. Quakes came as far as the islands, but did not hit Istanbul itself, they continued on beneath it. Emerging again from Avcılar. Nothing like it has ever been seen. Is this logical? No. Allah will work marvels so people will think about the way of the Mahdi and the appearance of Jesus the Messiah (pbuh). He [the Prophet (saas)] says there will be marvels before the appearance of Jesus the Messiah (pbuh). And his coming and appearance are two different things. That is in the Gospel, too. He says that earthquakes will multiply as a sign of my appearance. A hitherto unseen rise in the number of earthquakes is also a sign of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). There have never been such frequent earthquakes before. They started all of a sudden. That has never happened in the last 10, 20 or 30,000 years of the Earth’s history. A Darwinist, materialist system has enfolded the whole world. The Darwinist, materialist system cannot be removed from schools. Iran, Turkey and all other countries have to teach Darwinism. “Who is forcing you, my brother?” you may ask. “We do not know,” they say. The way of the antichrist has a huge global power. Many countries are not even aware they are obeying the antichrist. Normally, it is very difficult for the way of the Mahdi to appear. Just Shiite or Jaferi thinking is enough to slay the movement of the Mahdi. Shiite or Jaferi belief can slay the way of the Mahdi with nonsense. That is unbelievably powerful. Our Shiite brothers’ nonsense regarding the Mahdi is a total hindrance. The way those interpreting the Treatise of Light according to their own interests have produced the idea of a collective personality is another. The fact the world is entirely Darwinist and materialist is a hindrance. The fact the world is divided in two - NATO and the Shanghai group – and that these control the world is another hindrance and would seem to be an obstacle to his coming. These are the phenomena referred to as the mountain in the hadiths. What they speak of as being “like mountains.” “The Mahdi will flatten and move over them,” he says. People ask, “What weapons does the Mahdi have?” He has the most powerful atom bomb. He has an even more powerful hydrogen bomb. The most powerful atom bombs are divided between America, China and Great Britain. So it is not one of those bombs. He has a totally unexpected weapon, the power of love. With love and faith. These are the forces that have the greatest impact on people’s hearts. For example, you can control the officer who has his finger on the button of the atom bomb with love and faith. He may receive the command, but he will not listen, not if he is a believer. For example, in Syria the antichrist says, “Go and kill.” But devout officers refuse to do so. They have sought asylum in Turkey or other countries. This is a victory of faith. Normally, had kufr been in charge, Syria would immediately have been able to reimpose control. But it cannot do it. Faith is winning out. People are following faith. More of them are coming under the control of faith. And that is how it will be from now. But of course, this is the fine artistry of Allah. Who knows what else we will see? Allah shapes events from inside and outside. But He does not eliminate the need for free will. That did not happen in the time of the Prophet Moses (pbuh). Nor of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) nor of our Prophet (saas). People imagine these events will eliminate the need for free will. But nothing to eliminate free will has ever happened. And nor will it. Things are continuing in line with the test, insha’Allah. (On a report that humanitarian organizations unable to send the aid sent to Somalia to its proper destination are abandoning it to rot, and that there are currently many tons of rotten food in dumps in Somalia) Keeping it back is murder. They are leaving them to starve by keeping it back in the warehouses. It is essential to hand it out at once. It must be investigated and the appropriate bodies must become involved. There needs to be constant and determined monitoring so people do not commit this wickedness and abandonment of conscience again. Petitions must inform everyone of what is going on and set everyone and the appropriate organizations into action… Sometimes people are unaware of the relevant bodies. There are organizations that can speed these maters up. They need to be trusted and the proper measures must be set in place. The bigots loathe women. Communists also undervalue them, with their Darwinist and materialist mindsets. They regard them as creatures that have not yet fully evolved, may Allah forbid. Bigots hate women, and say they are like devils. They say that if you do the opposite of what a woman tells you, you cannot go far wrong. So it is very difficult to expect people raised with this hatred, from Darwinists on the one hand and bigots on the other, to value them properly. So they want to kill them or injure or degrade them, not take them seriously. That scourge can only be lifted with the way of the Mahdi, and with Islamic Union. We can see this from the hadiths. Our Prophet (saas) says in a special hadith that women will enjoy great security and live in peace. 2012-05-02 10:58:07

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Hoard’s Dairyman Farm hosted United States Embassy guests Submitted by admin on Mon, 07/29/2013 - 09:51 Hoard's Dairyman: Hoard’s Dairyman Farm hosted United States Embassy guests Date: Mon, 07/29/2013 Representatives from 15 different countries got a taste of Midwest agriculture. by Taylor Pires, Hoard’s Dairyman Editorial Intern South Korea • Sri Lanka • Brazil • Saudi Arabia • Cuba • Swaziland • Bangladesh • Liberia • Japan • Malawi • India • Laos • Fiji • Vietnam • Moldova On June 28, the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm served as host to 15 United States Embassy representatives, all from different countries, looking to experience what American agriculture has to offer. The representatives work in U.S. Embassy libraries and information centers around the globe. Their responsibilities include supplying information about the U.S. to their countrymen, which is why it is so important for them to have an understanding of one of America’s most vital industries. “The more confident they are about the U.S., the more capable they are to represent the U.S.,” said Wendy Simmons, Department of State representative. Simmons accompanied the group on their tour, which was arranged by the International Institute of Wisconsin. In touring the farm, the group hoped to gain an appreciation for the Midwest. “All of them felt so privileged because most people who come on these programs don’t get to see a dairy farm,” Simmons said. She also shared that it is important for the representatives to understand what our economy is based on, and to understand the basis of Wisconsin is to see a dairy farm. The Hoard’s Dairyman Farm is just one example of the many dynamic farms in Wisconsin. What makes this farm unique is its association with the Hoard’s Dairyman magazine and tours led by the editors. “The fact that the Hoard’s staff had degrees in agriculture and had such a knowledge and love for dairying made an impression,” Simmons said. Simmons felt that the visit accomplished its goal. The 15 U.S. Embassy representatives now have a better understanding of dairying and American agriculture, along with an appreciation for hard working American farmers. The author is the 25th Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern. She will be a senior at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. At Cal Poly, Taylor is majoring in dairy science with an agricultural communications minor. Pires grew up on a 500-cow dairy in Merced County, Calif. Click to subscribe to the HD Notebook RSS.

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Sara Salzman [email protected] Trial By Fire: Holocaust History Project Won't Be Silenced In the early hours of March 6, 2006, a fire broke out at a warehouse complex near San Antonio International Airport, causing extensive damage to the offices of The Holocaust History Project (THHP), an organization that has been, for the last ten years, in the forefront of confronting Holocaust denial online, in addition to providing educational materials to students throughout the world. Arson investigators now have confirmed that the fire was intentionally set and are continuing their investigation. It was just the latest in a series of attacks with the apparent intent to silence THHP. For the past 18 months, the THHP website has been under an unprecedented Distributed Denial of Service attack. This cyber attack began on September 11, 2004, and is being carried out by a specially modified version of the MyDoom computer worm, programmed to target the THHP web server. See the THHP statement: http://www.holocaust-history.org/denial/denial-of-service.shtml Harry Mazal, the Director of THHP said, "We have been able to defend our work against these cyber attackers. They tried, but couldn't shut us down. We have strong indications that this arson is the next step in a series of attacks against our educati

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BAYONNE BRIEFS Hudson Reporter Jul 02, 2014 | 1058 views | 0 | 4 | | ‘LOVING’ DONATION – Gabreyal Fenlon, 7, of Bayonne is pictured before and after his recent donation to Locks of Love. Gabreyal made the donation because he said he felt bad for kids that had cancer and he wanted to make them feel better by donating his hair to make a wig for them. “I was proud of him when he told me he wanted to do it,” said Joseph Fenlon, Gabreyal’s father. Bayonne man arrested for DWI Robert O’Neill, 42, of West 9th Street in Bayonne was arrested on June 21 and charged with driving while intoxicated within 1,000 feet of a school (Bailey), reckless driving, failure to observe a signal (red light), and consumption of alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle, according to the Bayonne Police Department. The charges stemmed from a call at 5:46 p.m. that day of a motor vehicle accident at 11th Street and Kennedy Boulevard, according to Police Capt. Walter Rogers. Officers dispatched to the scene found O’Neill standing at the intersection, allegedly unsteady and in a daze, according to the officers, Rogers said. Officers said they detected the smell of alcohol emanating from his breath, and when O’Neill went to retrieve his paperwork from his car, officers allegedly observed a bottle of vodka on the passenger side floor, according to Rogers. O’Neill was then given a field sobriety test, which he allegedly failed with a .025 reading, nearly three times the legal limit. The 78-year-old man and 83-year-old woman involved in the accident with O’Neill complained of pain and were taken to Bayonne Medical Center by McCabe Ambulance, according to Rogers. O’Neill was released on summons, Rogers said. City resident charged with receiving stolen property Kenneth Kelly, 50, of Kelly Parkway in Bayonne was arrested on June 25 for allegedly receiving stolen property, according to the Bayonne Police Department. While on patrol, a police officer observed a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck with the rear driver’s side door slightly ajar and with a person’s arm apparently sticking out of it, according to Police Capt. Walter Rogers. The officer approached the vehicle to see if the occupant was alright, Rogers said, and observed Kelly lying down inside the rear compartment. The officer also then could smell the odors of urine and alcohol. The officer woke up Kelly and he told her he was inside the truck because of a fight with a girlfriend, and also said a person had allegedly given him keys to stay in the vehicle whenever he needed to, according to Rogers. At that point, the officer did a check on the truck’s ownership and determined it was reported stolen out of Bethlehem, Pa., Rogers said. Copyright 2015 Hudson Reporter. All rights reserved. Sharing appreciation for Bayonne Initiative Bayonne Bruiser

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Caroline Myss Author of "Sacred Contracts" An Epidemic of Global Anger We are a community of nations on fire with anger. And we are getting angrier by the day. Whether we look at the increase in uprisings occurring around the world or at the escalating tension brewing in America, what is becoming more apparent is that we are witnessing a rapidly increasing rate of global anger, so much so that it qualifies as an epidemic. Events such as President Ahmadinejad's admission that Iran now has two active nuclear reactors just adds one more cosmic-sized dilemma to the on-going, never-ending list of life-threatening global crises that contribute to this fever of global rage. Though Ahmadinejad is frequently described as a lunatic, from his perspective he is a sane man who has organized very logical arguments based on outsiders invading Arab lands. He fears the same might happen to Iran. The problem is that his fears might be justified. He may well be a mad, religious fanatic but he is also an angry one who may soon have his finger on the button of a WMD. And an angry lunatic, as history has taught us, is the most dangerous kind. Meanwhile, he is delighted to have the nuclear spotlight as a means to add to the world's increasing toxins of fear and anger, only we are not dealing with ordinary everyday anger. Global anger is fueled by the surreal circumstances of our times that have placed lunatics such as Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong-iL or others like them in positions that can destroy not just millions of innocent human lives, but the quality of humanity's future on this planet -- just like that. It is such surreal circumstances that give way to insane and unfit leaders, exactly like the times that saw the rise of Hitler or Stalin. People always make the mistake of believing that great evil cannot repeat itself but people who believe this know nothing about the cycles of history or the nature of evil. Both repeat themselves, especially when we're not on the lookout for them.We can say that the fear generated by global shock waves such as Iran's latest news bulletin is nothing new in this world of continuing bad news. But actually there is much that is new in terms of how we are affected by the global network of anger that is the hallmark of today's global atmosphere -- because we are affected by it, perhaps far more than we realize. Internet communication systems, for example, deliver reports of impending global disasters into our homes or onto our iPods or Blackberrys instantly. Now we are immediately and intimately aware of the sufferings and the crises -- and the anger -- in other nations. These emotions are continually transferred through our phones, through our iPods, and they are downloaded into our computers. Let me put it this way: Where isn't the anger of the world being downloaded in your life? How can you not become infected at some point with this epidemic of global anger? Here's what's true about anger: anger is a verb, not a noun, so to speak. Whether brewing in an individual or a nation, anger always needs to find a way to express itself. And it always succeeds. It's just a matter of time before angry people do angry things. The FBI is now looking for the person or persons who put up a Facebook page asking people if they thought President Obama should be assassinated. Such action does not stem from ordinary anger but from the type of madness that created the Nazi barbarians. But now it's coming from our own country. We are on a very dangerous precipice and we would be fools to not see this. America is angry in a way that it has never been angry before.Though other nations, and certainly America, have gone through periods of intense upheaval before, like the Vietnam era, this time the ingredients are different. We are living in the midst of extreme states of chaos and anger without any extreme expression of opposite emotions, such as hope and optimism. The crises facing our world today are such that we can't even conceive of a way out of them. All we keep hearing is that we are in yet another one -- like Iran, for example -- and each one holds the potential to end the lives of millions, if not billions, of people. Billions is not an exaggeration in numbers for a nuclear war. And half the people dealing with these WMD's are not sane. If that isn't grounds for anger, if not total outrage, what is? But it's not just global turmoil that seeps into our psyche, one crisis at a time, constantly chipping away at our sense of stability. The instability that reigns in our own nation is our primary pressure center with matters like Iran and other global concerns merely adding to the tension. Without a doubt, President Obama has become the target for America's anger for reasons that are both obvious and complex. He inherited Bush's disasters, as we know, and he is now creating some of his own. He has the misfortune to be the president at a time when the Congress is filled with Republicans devoted to sabotaging him combined with Democrats unable to take on this handful of Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats that still seem to be in charge. And he has made the mistake more than once -- the foolish mistake -- of promising to complete projects by certain dates, like closing Gitmo by January 2010 and signing off on the Health Care Reform Bill by the summer break. (Now the date is moved to Thanksgiving.) All those broken promises do is give the Republicans yet another failure they can use in the next presidential election. And he has yet to show that he has the capacity to lead with fire in his gut.For all the explosive public reactions that Washington politics generate, however, it's the subtle impact upon Americans that is the most devastating. What politicians never stop to reflect upon is how their absence of character, of moral and ethical leadership, of courage and of true devotion to care for the well being of the nation and its people has truly caused the core values of this country to undergo a traumatic transformation. And this, at the end of the day, is the true reason Americans are so angry. As a result of so many of our politicians failing to fight for what is right or against what is wrong and because so many have switched their loyalties through the years from serving this country to serving the corporate interests, we are now a people who have more faith in impending disasters than we do in their promises to us that they can find solutions to our problems. We now have more faith that our politicians and bankers are lying to us than we do that our leaders and financial experts are telling us the truth. Banks have become the symbol of the riskiest place to put our money instead of the most secure. Life in this country, not to mention the rest of the world, has become more absurd than safe and reliable. Never mind hoping that our children will have a better life than we had; we must content ourselves with hoping they have a future at all. Do they not realize how deep a crisis they have created just by being the type of people they are?The indicators regarding how deeply we have been affected by the absence of hope and the abundance of despair has penetrated into nation's core are as obvious as they are hidden in the small details of life. For example, when I was in school I recall my elders constantly asking me, "And what are you going to be when you grow up?" The question annoyed me for two reasons. First, I had no idea but secondly, I had no idea because I had so many options from which I could create a future. I could be a writer or a teacher or a professor of history. I could travel the world or I could stay home or I could start a business or I could have a dozen children -- and find a dozen ways to support them. In fact, part of me actually felt that I could do it all. My horizon was as wide open -- and unpolluted, I might add -- as it was fertile with possibilities. Today's horizons are polluted, frightening, and potentially filled with nuclear fallout. No wonder kids are so confused, not to mention scared. They watch the news. They know about Iran, North Korea, Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They know their environment is disintegrating by the hour and that half the world is cordoned off to them now because of terrorism. So when they look at the quality of our politicians and think, "This bunch is in charge of the decisions that determine whether I have a future," how could they be anything but angry as hell? I know three kids who actually thought Glenn Beck was a Republican Senator. Imagine that madman with his finger on a WMD switch? Don't think for a moment that all the lunatics in the world are in the Middle East.The truth is the source of our epidemic of anger is much bigger and far more complex than even the mess the Bush administration got us into or the growing chaos of Obama's administration. Our deeper truth is that we are in the midst of a collective faith crisis but it isn't with God; it's with humanity itself. We can no longer trust our common sense or humanity to keep our species alive much less safe and healthy. Against the weight of that and other cosmic-sized crises, we must look to Washington and the truth is, we don't trust the common sense or humanity of our own Congress to protect us, much less to do the right things to lead this nation forward. We have become inverted in our beliefs in our own nation, mistrustful of the very systems that are meant to keep us safe and stable - our Congress, our banks, and thanks to the handiwork of the Republicans, we hardly trust each other. The fact that the Republicans and their Democratic soul mates would continue to sabotage their own Congress for personal and corporate self-interests, or because they are too cowardly to stand alone on issues that matter, when the American people are exhausted from a growing list of problems is a political sin. No wonder we are experiencing an epidemic of anger. Where else have we to go? More: Barack Obama Obama Ahmadinejad

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Media & CultureEntertainment Rapper Tyler, The Creator Jailed On Riot Charges At SXSW 2014; Played Sold-Out Show After Release By Suman Varandani @suman09 [email protected] on March 17 2014 1:36 AM EDT Tyler, The Creator holds his Best New Artist award which he won at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles Aug. 28, 2011. Reuters/Danny Moloshok Rapper Tyler, The Creator, whose real name is Tyler Gregory Okonma, played a sold-out show at the House of Blues in Dallas just hours after being released from jail for allegedly inciting a riot at the South by Southwest, or SXSW, festival Saturday. According to E! News, the rapper was arrested at Austin-Bergstrom Airport in Texas, but later released on a $25,000 bond. The 23-year-old Los Angeles resident is said to have incited a large crowd of fans to push their way past venue staff controlling access, to break in to an unofficial party Thursday, media reports said, citing local police. The police added that the “encouraged behavior” caused immediate danger and injuries to people. And, police officials who were present at the scene reportedly said in a warrant that Tyler yelled at fans to push their way twice, and that a bartender had to protect a woman from serious injury in the resulting push. A small clip from the concert was released showing scores of fans bursting through a gate at the Scoot Inn in downtown Austin. Tyler’s scheduled concert on Thursday was cancelled after a hit-and-run accident killed 2 and injured 23 earlier that day. A drunk driver was taken into custody after he drove through a barricade into a crowd waiting to attend the SXSW festival. The drunk driver faces two counts of murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault. In February, Tyler and members of the Odd Future collective were denied a visa to travel to New Zealand after officials reportedly said that they were a potential “public threat” because they had caused trouble "including incidents at past performances in which they have incited violence.” Officials hinted at a 2011 incident at a comic book store in Boston, where the police had to be called in after fans became unruly. According to reports, the group's manager, Christian Clancy, defended them last month saying that they were young and were being judged too harshly. Check out the video here: Submit Correction Police Identify Two Killed At SXSW Festival Tragedy At SXSW - Car Plows Into Crowd, Killing 2, Injuring 23 Join the Discussion

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HomeLife & StyleGardenRachel de Thame on The Chelsea Flower Show and Alan Titchmarsh Rachel de Thame: 'I can't wait to see Alan Titchmarsh's garden' PRESENTER Rachel de Thame looks forward to the world’s most famous flower show By: Vicki Power Published: Sat, May 17, 2014 Rachel De Thame is looking forward to the world’s most famous flower show[SAT MAG]As the 101st Chelsea Flower Show arrives on our screens this week with more than 12 hours of coverage across the BBC, viewers will notice a new crop of presenters. Gardeners’ World stalwart Monty Don has taken over as lead presenter alongside newsreader Sophie Raworth. Other familiar Chelsea faces will return, including Joe Swift, Carol Klein and Rachel de Thame.“It’s exciting to have new presenters,” says Gardeners’ World and Countryfile presenter Rachel, 52. “We all want to make sure we produce really great coverage.” One face missing from the team is Saturday magazine’s Alan Titchmarsh, who has been the BBC’s chief Chelsea reporter for 30 years. It marks the end of an era, but he will still be a Chelsea fixture. The 1985 gold medal winner has co-designed a garden, From The Moors To The Sea, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom – the national community gardening campaign – and his own half century in horticulture.“It’s lovely that Alan’s doing that garden and I can’t wait to see it,” says Rachel. “I think it’ll be a big draw at this year’s show.”Rachel, a silver medal winner at Chelsea in 2008 and flower designer of the royal barge for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, has seen her role at Chelsea evolve. Keen to help amateur gardeners get the best out of the event, she’s come up with the idea of ‘planting recipes’ where she’ll find plants and explain how they work together. “It’ll be a kind of mixed mezze of plants,” she says. “What I love about Chelsea are the incredible displays that are big, dramatic and voluptuous, but it can be quite overwhelming. I wanted to look more at the detail and things people can take inspiration from and use at home in their own gardens. I want to make Chelsea really relevant to people.” Rachel will start doing her homework this weekend before the event opens to the press on Monday and the public on Tuesday. She says this year’s Chelsea has the dual themes of looking forward and backwards.Sophie Raworth will be presenting the Chelsea Flower Show From Tuesday BBC1 and BBC2 [SAT MAG]“We’ve got a lot of new designers showing for the first time on Main Avenue and it’s fantastic having that injection of new blood,” she says, referring to exhibitors such as David and Harry Rich, brothers in their twenties who are producing a show garden after winning gold last year in the Artisan Gardens category. The looking back element is a reference to the First World War, with two show gardens dedicated to marking its outbreak in 1914. Chelsea is also a platform for the introduction of new flowers, which this year include the hosta ‘Andy Murray,’ named after our 2013 Wimbledon champion. Rachel will be fronting the launch of a daffodil named after Prince George, Narcissus ‘Georgie Boy’.“It’s the perfect choice to do a daffodil for Prince George – it’s sunny and bright and full of promise and optimism,” says Rachel. “Just to have a flower named after you anyway is the most exciting thing.”Her days at Chelsea are exhausting, and as a mum of four – Rachel has two adult children, Lauren and Joe, from her first marriage and daughters Olivia and Emma with husband Gerard de Thame – it’s a bit of a juggling act.“You can be called for 5am or 6am and you might stay very late,” she says. “Basically, in my mind that’s my Chelsea week and I’m devoted to that. I’ve done it for many years now, so I’ve got it all up and running at home.“The children know that I do Chelsea and I take them to the show. Last year they came after school and we had a look around, so they know where I am and what I’m doing and don’t question it. “I also take them to Hampton Court Flower Show because I went when I was fairly young, and I think it’s important for them also to see how exciting flower shows are and start to build their own memories.” Pressure is on for Chelsea Flower Show, admits Alan Titchmarsh Alan Titchmarsh stands by 'whingeing' comments to older female TV presenters RHS Chelsea: Don’t miss the stars of the Great Pavilion More Garden Out & About: New Ladies’ Garden opens at National Trust’s Trerice RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2014 gets started How to make the best of your vegetable plot in July Chas Hodges' rock 'n' roll allotment: Stop weeds growing early You don’t need to dig deep to start gardening on the cheap Summer stars: Alan Titchmarsh tips on growing penstemons Out & About: Charity opening at plantsman John Massey’s private garden How NGS gardens can help children get to top of the class How to care for lilies during the summer Out & About: Visit Scotland’s Gardens during the Commonwealth Games The Amish and a windy steak and kidney pie Little green fingers: Get the children into gardening with Alan Titchmarsh's tips Rose of the Year 2015 is For Your Eyes Only RHS Hampton Court: The Quiet Mark Treehouse is worth shouting about RHS Hampton Court: His ’n’ Hers sheds are all the rage RHS Hampton Court Best Show Garden goes to Australia RHS Hampton Court gardens opened by John Hurt and Bill Bailey Chas Hodges' rock 'n' roll allotment: Carrot flies and salad bowls

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Patriarch Bartholomeos visits hurricane-stricken New Orleans (ENI Release) Ecumenical News International / 9 January 2006Patriarch Bartholomeos visits hurricane-stricken New Orleans By Chris Herlinger New York, 9 January (ENI)--Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, widely seen as the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians, has visited hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, declaring that the city will be rebuilt and will flourish once again. "Damage will be restored. Life will blossom," the patriarch said during a 7 January visit to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans, which has the oldest Greek Orthodox congregation in the Americas. The visit by Bartholomeos to New Orleans was planned before Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the city in August 2005, but given special urgency afterwards, the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper reported. "Your pain was and is our pain. It was felt by all humanity," Bartholomeos said in his remarks during an ecumenical prayer service at the cathedral. The ceremony was also attended by local political figures, including the governor of the state of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, and the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin. The patriarch was in New Orleans as part of a 4-8 January visit to the United States during which he also spoke of his hope that Pope Benedict XVI would visit him at his headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2006. "We are in very good relationships with the present Pope," Bartholomeos was reported saying at a press conference on 5 January. During his stay in New Orleans, Bartholomeos visited parts of the city destroyed by the hurricane. In its report of the event, the Times-Picayune said the patriarch stopped near a vehicle that had flipped over on its top. Bartholomeos was heard to declare: "God protect us all."

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Português русский 中文 Other Archived page: may contain outdated information! Côte d'Ivoire/Liberia: Initial survey of needs in south-eastern Liberia 26-08-2003 News Release 03/100 From 19 to 22 August, ICRC staff based in Côte d'Ivoire conducted a survey in south-eastern Liberia. With the agreement of the Ivorian and Liberian authorities, four delegates, including a doctor and a water and sanitation engineer, went to the Zwedru area, which is inaccessible from Monrovia owing to fighting around the capital. This was the first time this year the ICRC had carried out an assignment in Liberia from Côte d'Ivoire.The delegates were received by representatives of the Movement for Democracy and Elections in Liberia (MODEL), the opposition movement that controls the south-eastern part of the country. The ICRC assessed the situation of the civilian population in general (in terms of access to basic services such as water and health care) and also that of particular groups directly affected by the conflict, such as people separated from their families, unaccompanied children, displaced people, and detainees. The situation is dire in the small town of Zwedru, where there has been no water or electricity for 13 years and no humanitarian agency has operated since February 2003.The delegates visited and registered 28 people arrested in connection with the conflict. They also gave a first-aid kit and equipment for disinfecting wells to the local chapter of the Liberia National Red Cross Society. In addition, the delegates placed 19 Red Cross messages in the care of National Society volunteers for local delivery, and were given around 60 messages from people in Zwedru to relatives who were living in Monrovia or had fled to neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.Following this initial survey, the ICRC will submit proposals to the Liberian and Ivorian authorities with a view to pursuing its humanitarian activities in south-eastern Liberia. Further information: Monique Nanchen, ICRC Abidjan, tel. ++225 224 000 70 Share The ICRC in Liberia The ICRC regional delegation in Côte d'Ivoire ICRC launches guide on "The responsibilities of health-care personnel working in armed conflicts and other emergencies" Philippines: Red Cross provides aid for 280,000 typhoon survivors Haiti: water for Cité Soleil Central African Republic: situation still cause for concern

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« Cull retires from Cape food... Three-day music fest opens F...» Cape Council to vote on EOC expansion contract Save | Post a comment | Cape Coral City Council is expected to decide Monday whether it will award a contract to expand the city's Emergency Operations Center at a cost of more than $850,000. Bonita Springs-based Gates Butz Institutional Construction submitted the lowest responsible bid, $778,859, out of the nine companies who bid for the project. The total tally is $856,745 with the additional cost ($77,886) an earmarked 10 percent contingency, standard with most city projects, to cover unexpected problems. "The way bidding is set up, it goes to the lowest bidder. If you can get bonding for the project and meet the criteria, you get the project," said John Hayes, vice president of Gates Butz. The second-lowest bidder, Compass Construction of Cape Coral, qualified for local vendor preference because its bid was within 10 percent at $811,555, but chose not to match the low bid, which was $40,696 less. Gates has built Patriot Elementary and Challenger Middle schools in Cape Coral, but this would be the first project with the city. Gates also is the general contractor of the Lee County EOC which is near completion. "We were anxious to be a part of this. It's been good working for the county," Hayes said. "When we saw it, we decided to take a run at it." The addition is expected to be able to withstand Category 5 hurricane conditions and sustain fire and emergency services. Hayes said that since the addition will have the basic infrastructure, the project won't be so complicated and should be completed quickly, perhaps six months. The expansion will be used to house offices for not only EOC purposes, but for the Fire Department. It will allow rooms such as media rooms and pantries that became offices to return to their intended use. The 4,353-square-foot expansion would be funded by revenue generated by the county's All Hazard Fund, which can only be used for emergency management situations. No money from the general fund would be used. "We designed it as a pressure-cooker environment for hurricanes. The square footage had a purpose," said Tom Tomich the department's division chief of operations. "We needed to readjust. We could add on in the back of the building within the envelope of high pressure, but add office space to run the EOC and Fire." Councilmember Kevin McGrail said the city has $1 million in seed money set aside. He said the project began several years ago with grandiose plans costing millions. But with the economy, delays and the cost of construction going down, the project got pared down to $800,000. "The expansion is overdue. It's on the consent agenda because most of the council members have seen it pared down from loftier visions," McGrail said. "It's more efficient. It takes minimum space to do the job." The EOC itself had a $1.5 million plan before being pared almost in half, Tomich said. "This is seven or eight years in the making. We realized we can run administration and still be in concert during hurricane season." Save | Post a comment | Subscribe to Island Reporter, Captiva Current, Sanibel-Captiva Islander Sanibel Weather Forecast, FL

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Reader Comments (0) Print HomeNewsSportsOpinionLifestylesClassifieds AdvertisePhotos By Staff reportsMoose Lake Star Gazette Powdery substance mailed to courthouse contained bacteria November 28, 2013 | Volume 118, Issue No. 48 A Pine County Sheriff’s Department press release stated that on November 19, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Pine County Emergency Dispatch was notified that six envelopes containing an unknown white, powdery substance and addressed and delivered to several departments within the Pine County Courthouse, were opened. The envelopes were immediately isolated to two locations within the courthouse and all employees and visitors, including those in courtrooms, were evacuated.At 3:30 p.m., a HAZMAT team from the St. Paul Fire Department arrived and conducted an assessment of the substance and individuals involved at the scene. The initial reports stated the powdery substance was a carbohydrate based material, such as flour. Recent reports now state the powdery substance found in the envelopes contained bacteria.Law enforcement transported the letters to the Minnesota Department of Health laboratory for testing. The tests ruled out any bioterrorism organisms; however, the tests revealed the powdery substance contained a presence of a type of Bacillus bacteria, either Bacillus Thuringiensis or Bacillus Cereus.If the substance is found to be Bacillus Cereus, it is only harmful if ingested and people have been known to experience food borne illness-type symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting (usually within 24-48 hours of exposure).If the substance is found to be Bacillus Thuringiensis, there are no adverse health effects associated with this type of bacteria, according to studies. Neither bacteria pose a significant health risk.No illnesses from Pine County personnel have been connected to this event and bacteria is not contagious. Witnesses stated, however, that one county worker was brought to the hospital after opening an envelope and others were held for further examination. County Administrator David Minke confirmed that the worker had an allergic reaction unrelated to the powder.State and local health officials will be sharing information, including final test results, according to the sheriff’s department. The process is expected to take at least one to two weeks.The Pine County Sheriff’s Office is working in conjunction with state and federal agencies to determine the identity of the person(s) responsible for sending the letters.

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... Eunas Paul “Pete” Gessling ... D.E. Huddleston ... Three injured in accidents Over weekend By Submitted Three persons were injured in two Randolph County weekend accidents.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports a Clark woman, Lacy J. Bradds, 24, sustained serious injuries in a one-vehicle accident at 9:45 p.m. Sunday two miles north of Clark on Highway 63.Ms. Bradds was northbound in a 2001 Saturn that traveled off the roadway on the east side and overturned. The driver was ejected from the vehicle. She was taken by Staff for Life helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia for treatment of serious injuries.The patrol was assisted by the Randolph County Sheriff's Dept. and Randolph County First Responders.In another accident, two women were taken by private auto to Moberly Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries sustained in a accident at 11:50 p.m. Saturday.The accident happened on private property off Randolph County Road 2275 near the Knights of Columbus Hall.The northbound 2004 Mercury was driven by Dora N. Miller, 28, of Moberly.She was wearing a seat belt and sustained minor injuries.Her passenger, Kelly M. Sportsman, 27, who was not wearing a seat belt, also sustained minor injuries.The patrol reports the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the east side of the road and struck a tree.The patrol was assisted by the Randolph County Sheriff's Department and Moberly Police Department.

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Delays caused by road work continue Highway traffic shifted to new configuration near St. Luke�s By TERRY SMITHExpress Staff Writer Delays can still be encountered, especially by southbound traffic during afternoon rush hour, as construction continues to widen state Highway 75 south of Ketchum. Photo by Roland Lane The Idaho Transportation Department is hopeful that a change in traffic lane configuration on state Highway 75 near St. Luke’s Wood River hospital south of Ketchum will help alleviate a continuing problem of traffic delays caused by road construction. The change, shifting traffic from the old roadway to newly constructed southbound lanes, was accomplished Wednesday evening. ITD announced in a press release Wednesday that the contractor, Idaho Sand & Gravel Co., will now focus work on completing the northbound lanes, with work starting primarily on the north end of the project near the hospital. ITD acknowledged that some delays will continue, but expects that they will not be as bad as occurred on May 21, when southbound traffic was backed up to Ketchum and beyond for about an hour and a half. “Following the extensive delays of May 21, the contractor has been complying with the contractual obligation to have flaggers off the roadway and two lanes of travel maintained through the construction zone after 4 p.m.,” the press release states. “Extended traffic delays have continued due to several factors, such as observed by ITD and the contractor, and include heavy traffic and backup beginning before 4 p.m., short signal time for Idaho 75 traffic through the Elkhorn Road signal, and large amounts of traffic entering from Elkhorn Road. “ITD and the contractor will continue to look for efficiencies in the operation and improvements to the traffic control plan to reduce delays to the traveling public.” ITD spokesman Nathan Jerke acknowledged in a statement issued Thursday that flaggers were present in the construction zone after 6 p.m. Wednesday while the shift was being made to the new traffic lane configuration near the hospital. Jerke also issued the following statement clarifying contractual obligations of Idaho Sand & Gravel: “The contractual limitations of the contractor’s operation state work shall take place between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Two lanes of uninterrupted traffic shall be maintained between the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.” The road work is being done as part of an ITD project to widen Highway 75. The first phase, begun last year and expected to continue into this fall, is to widen the 3.25-mile section of highway between Timber Way north of East Fork Road and the bridge over the Big Wood River near St. Luke’s. When completed, the section of highway will have two lanes in both directions and center turning and deceleration lanes at main intersections.

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The stunning military advance into cities in northern and central Iraq by a... A federal appeals court panel in the District struck down a major part of t... During a Congressional hearing this year, Texas Rep. Joe Barton (R) invoked... Over the last few years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has se... DETROIT – Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison plans to unveil legisla... Washington, D.C. — The Americans Against Fracking coalition and alli... The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is suspending its water shutoffs ... The hosts of the Homeland Security Congress were getting anxious. It was te... According to Ha'aretz correspondent Amira Hass, the [Israeli Defense Force]... PDA Advisory Board members Reps. John Conyers, Keith Ellison, and Barbara L... As many as one thousand people showed up outside Cobo Center in downto... The decision by the bankrupt city of Detroit to cut off the water supply to... 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Embattled WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange announced Wednesday from Londo... Rep. Barbara Lee Trans Pacific Partnership The next NAFTA, but worse Thursday, 22 May 2014 03:50 The next NAFTA, but worse Written by Dave Anderson | Boulder Weekly font size You can win some impressive victories against corporate power on the local level. Boulder voters declared that corporations aren’t people and money isn’t speech. Cities across Colorado (and other states) have passed fracking bans and moratoriums. The fight is much tougher on a statewide and national level. But on the international level, the corporate elite is planning to dramatically stifle government regulation of their behavior. Right now, secret negotiations are concluding over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is a gigantic proposed “free-trade” zone spanning the Pacific Ocean and involving 12 nations (the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei). It would be the largest free-trade agreement by the United States. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the ministers negotiating the agreement “have expressed an intent to comprehensively reduce barriers in goods, services and agricultural trade as well as rules and disciplines on a wide range of topics” to extraordinary levels. Leaks of TPP documents reveal that corporations could avoid government review when acquiring land, natural resources or factories. Corporations could be guaranteed compensation for the loss of “expected future profits from health, labor, [or] environmental” regulations. Corporate performance requirements could be banned. Corporations could directly challenge government laws and regulations in international trade tribunals. Lori Wallach, the director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, said the leaks “sent shock waves through Congress because it showed that U.S. negotiators had totally abandoned Obama’s campaign pledges to replace the old NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] trade model and in fact were doubling down and expanding the very Bush-style deal that Obama campaigned against in 2008 to win key swing states.” The TPP will encourage U.S. corporations to offshore. This has happened with previous “free trade” agreements. The Economic Policy Institute has found that nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs were lost as a result of NAFTA. In Mexico, NAFTA has also destroyed many agricultural jobs by allowing imports of U.S. (government-subsidized) corn. As a result, many Mexicans have been forced to emigrate to the U.S. to find work. In July, the Sierra Club expressed alarm when Japan formally joined the TPP, declaring: “Japan is the world’s largest importer of liquefied natural gas, a dirty fossil fuel that is extracted from Americans’ backyards through the dangerous practice of fracking. The trade pact could strip the U.S. government’s power to manage its own gas exports, and put that power in the hands of foreign companies, opening the floodgates for dangerous fracking in our country and sacrificing our air and water quality. “American families and communities cannot afford the unchecked exports of fracked gas to Japan.” Thanks to fracking, the U.S. has become — in Obama’s words — “the Saudi Arabia of gas.” In 2012, this country produced 651 billion cubic meters of gas. We are the second top producer after Russia, which produced 653 billion cubic meters. Reporter Steve Horn says that “a 21st-century ‘gas Cold War’ has arisen between the U.S. and Russia.” He notes the emergence of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which is “a bloc of countries whose mission is to fend off U.S. and Western power dominance of the global gas trade. The 13 member countries include Russia, Iran, Bolivia, Venezuela, Libya, Algeria and several others.” Horn says the U.S. has a big disadvantage, since “Russia relies on easier-to-obtain conventional gas, as opposed to tough-to-obtain unconventional shale gas” which will likely last only 15 to 20 years. A bipartisan group of 34 senators (including Colorado’s Mark Udall and Michael Bennet) is pressuring Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to speed up applications to export liquefied natural gas to nations that lack formal free trade deals with the U.S. Speed up? Why have this global battle over rapidly diminishing fossil fuels when the planet is heading toward ecological Armageddon? Why is Obama trying to shove the TPP through Congress via “fast track” (which allows him to negotiate deals that Congress can approve or disapprove but can’t change)? Why has the mainstream media ignored the anti- TPP protests by more than 400 civil society groups (labor, environmental, family farm, consumer, faith, public health, Native American and human rights constituencies)? This corporate power grab must be stopped. Replace “fast track” with a more democratic process. Respond: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly. Original article on Boulder Weekly Read 4582 times Tweet « Trans-Pacific Partnership Don't fast-track this deal WikiLeaks Reveals Global Trade Deal Kept More Secret Than the Trans-Pacific Partnership »

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Register Home»Browse by Document Type»Country News»Guatemala UN human rights teams head to scene of deadly clashes in western Guatemala Publisher UN News Service, UN human rights teams head to scene of deadly clashes in western Guatemala, 5 October 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/5073d8bd2.html [accessed 24 July 2014] DisclaimerThis is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. United Nations human rights officers have been dispatched to western Guatemala, where clashes between indigenous communities, police and the military have resulted in several deaths and injuries. "We have received alarming information that six indigenous peasants were killed and at least 30 injured," a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Rupert Colville, told reporters in Geneva. Seven soldiers are also reported to have been injured in the incident, which took place yesterday in the Department of Totonicapan. According to reports, the day started with a large number of indigenous people putting up several roadblocks protesting against the increase of electrical tariffs and provision of other basic services. Mr. Colville noted that there have been conflicting reports about the location in which the incident occurred. "Details remain unclear and our office in Guatemala is shortly sending two teams of human rights observers – one to Sololá Department and one to Totonicapan – to verify the facts and follow up on the incidents," he said. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, visited Totonicapan during her mission to Guatemala in March, during which she met with traditional indigenous authorities to discuss a range of human rights concerns. During her visit, Ms. Pillay had noted that although indigenous peoples constitute the majority of the population in the country, they continue to be subject to exclusion and denial of their human rights. Guatemala was one of the first signatories of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which underscores that indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights. Human rights and fundamental freedoms Indigenous persons

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Archive for the tag 'ps 195' Thursday: Deutsch To Hold Town Hall Meeting On Manhattan Beach Park Improvements by Ned Berke on Apr 2nd, 2014 Source: NYC Parks Department The following is a press release from the offices of Councilman Chaim Deutsch: New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Brooklyn), in an ongoing effort to improve parks in the 48th District, will host a Town Hall Meeting at PS 195 Thursday, April 3rd at 7 PM, inviting community members to share their thoughts and propose upgrades for Manhattan Beach Park, a major recreational park and popular destination. This is the second in a series of Town Hall Meetings Council Member Deutsch will host in an effort to involve residents in plans to improve our local parks. “I am working hard to improve our community’s parks,” said Council Member Chaim Deutsch. “I invite all area residents to attend this important Town Hall Meeting, share their vision of the park, and take a hand in shaping its future.” Manhattan Beach Park, located off Oriental Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Mackenzie Street, is home to baseball fields, beaches, playgrounds, sprinklers, and a dog run, in addition to basketball, tennis, handball and volleyball courts. Council Member Deutsch’s Town Hall Meeting will give park goers an opportunity to weigh in on the future of Manhattan Beach Park. Those in attendance are encouraged to share their knowledge of the park, best usage, and point out facilities that may require repair or maintenance. In addition, community members will be given an opportunity to propose capital projects, which Councilman Deutsch will discuss with Parks Department officials for funding consideration. “Take advantage of this opportunity to make Manhattan Beach Park a better place,” said Councilman Deutsch. The Town Hall Meeting will be held in the auditorium at PS 195 [131 Irwin St. between Shore and Oriental boulevards] Thursday, April 3, at 7 PM. Events 2 Comments Department Of Financial Services Mobile Unit Now Stationed In Manhattan Beach by Ned Berke on Mar 4th, 2013 Photo by Erica Sherman. The New York State Department of Financial Services mobile unit is stationed in Manhattan Beach until 7:00 p.m. tonight, assisting residents and business owners with bank and insurance issues. And they’ve got company: representatives from several local banks who will hopefully help ease lending and the release of tied-up insurance funds. Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz writes: On Monday, March 4th, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., representatives of five of New York’s largest banks and mortgage servicers will be stationed in the Department of Financial Services’ Mobile Command Center outside P.S. 195, 131 Irwin Street (between Shore and Oriental Boulevards) offer one-on-one help to homeowners. JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, CitiMortgage and Ocwen Loan Servicing will be on hand. Other institutions sending representatives include OneWest Bank and Assurant, which will represent dozens of smaller banks and mortgage servicers. … As a member of the Assembly’s Committee on Insurance, I heard testimony at a hearing last week which shed light into policyholders’ experiences with insurance companies in the four months since Sandy struck. Thousands of residents and store owners are still struggling to rebuild their homes and reopen their businesses, and for many of them, difficulties with banks and insurance claims are the primary reason why this process is taking so long. Insurers typically issue checks jointly to a homeowner and the homeowner’s mortgage bank or servicer following the settlement of a large insurance claim. That means the bank needs to endorse the check before the homeowner may access the funds. Dual endorsement is a standard requirement of mortgage notes and insurance contracts to protect the lender’s interest. Banks may also require proof that repairs have been made before endorsing checks. Last month, the Department of Financial Services found that banks were holding more than $200 million in insurance funds from Storm Sandy victims; the Department urged the banks to use maximum discretion and effort to speed the release of funds and asked Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to announce emergency reforms to their rules to provide banks and mortgage servicers with even more discretion to release funds. The five participating banks and servicers will be immediately releasing an estimated $70-80 million to current borrowers as a result of these rule changes. The Department of Financial Services is also available to anyone who has questions or concerns about general insurance-related issues. If you can’t attend, you can still get help by calling the department at (800) 339-1759. Insurance information is also available on the department’s website. Events No Comments yet TODAY: Department Of Financial Services At PS 195 All Day Today by Erica Sherman on Jan 14th, 2013 Source: Facebook If you are a homeowner, renter or business owner affected by Superstorm Sandy and have insurance-related questions or issues related to the storm, the Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) mobile command center will be stationed outside of Public School 195, 131 Irwin Street in Manhattan Beach, all day today, January 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Representatives from DFS will meet with residents inside the mobile unit. To learn more, go to DFS’ website or call them, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (800) 342-3736, (212) 480-6400 or (518) 474-6600. Events 2 Comments Bloomberg Visits Manhattan Beach’s P.S. 195 To Tout Speedy Repairs, Return To Schools by Ned Berke on Nov 5th, 2012 Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott at P.S. 195 Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Department of Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott visited P.S. 195 (131 Irwin Street) in Manhattan Beach this afternoon, touting the city’s snappy repairs and the return to school of thousands of students across the city. The elementary school was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy, flooding its hallways with several feet of water and rendering its 70-year-old boiler system inoperable. The Department of Education, working with the janitorial and school engineering unions, pumped out hundreds of gallons of water and installed an emergency boiler over the past week, prompting the mayor to declare, “This school’s in good shape.” However, other schools in Zone A evacuation zones did not fare so well. Nearby I.S. 98 Bay Academy (1401 Emmons Avenue) remains closed with heavy damages, as do schools like Mark Twain Junior High School (2401 Neptune Avenue), John Dewey High School and P.S. 277 Gerritsen Beach. As of this writing, 23 schools in Brooklyn remain closed. “Some of these schools we could not get open and those students we’re going move to other schools if things aren’t fixed by Wednesday,” Bloomberg said. Still, 94 percent of schools are open today, according to Bloomberg, and the preliminary attendance estimate is 86 percent. “That’s about the same as the Monday before election day as last year, and we didn’t have Sandy last year, so that’s great,” Bloomberg said. There are 16 more schools that are still being used as emergency shelters, which the city intends to relocate by Wednesday – although they acknowledged that won’t be the case for every location. Chancellor Walcott noted that the system’s 8,000-strong school bus fleet was largely undamaged, and 7,400 buses were on the streets today. Metrocards were also distributed to students staying at the city’s emergency shelters. On Wednesday, even more students are expected to return to school as those in relocated institutions are shuttled to other schools. For that, the mayor referred to today’s transportation situation as a “dry run.” “In the context of trying to move lots and lots of kids, it was a relatively successful first day. We’re going to look at what works and what didn’t work,” he said. Bloomberg added that there will be buses at closed schools on Wednesday for those families who didn’t get the news that their school was closed. News & Features 8 Comments School Relocation Information Now Available by Ned Berke on Nov 4th, 2012 The flooded auditorium of P.S. 195 in Manhattan Beach (Source: GothamSchools.org) Hurricane Sandy didn’t just devastate local homes and businesses, it also took its tolls on approximately 200 school buildings. P.S. 195 in Manhattan Beach and Bay Academy Junior High School were both under water. Others are still without power, or are acting as temporary shelters for hurricane victims. And, yet, classes across the city will resume on Monday for the first time since Hurricane Sandy struck. Many schools, however, aren’t yet coming back online, and classes will be relocated. Students in these schools will not attend class on Monday, November 5, or Tuesday, November 6, but will attend class at their new temporary location on Wednesday, November 7. Teachers and staff should report to their new temporary location on Monday, November 5, at their regular start time. The Department of Education has put together a website so that you can find the condition of your child’s school and determine if it will be open or closed, and, if relocated, where the host school will be. One note: We found that P.S. 195 in Manhattan Beach is listed as open and students are expected in class on Monday. As one of the worst hit schools in the area, we find this hard to believe, and are awaiting confirmation from the city. If your child is a student at P.S. 195, please check this space later. UPDATE (6:30 p.m.): The Education Department confirms that P.S. 195 will be open tomorrow. Education 6 Comments Video: Local Principal Speaks Out About Budget Woes by Ned Berke on Sep 22nd, 2011 Staff shortages, underfunded programs and lack of supplies are crippling public schools as the recession forces budget cuts citywide. One local principal, Arthur Forman of P.S. 195 in Manhattan Beach, described the tight constraints faced by his school – one admittedly better off than most – echoing the concerns of his colleagues. Education 4 Comments Brooklyn's Aviators Hockey Team Comes To P.S. 195 by Ned Berke on Jan 14th, 2011 Photo by Allison F. I received this letter yesterday from an ecstatic parent, gushing over an appearance by teammates of the Brooklyn Aviators hockey team. We wrote about the Aviators recently, and noted its rising profile as another great Southern Brooklyn pro-sports team. Read what the parent, Allison F., had to say: We had three local hockey players from NY Aviators come to visit our kids in PS 195 today. It was so nice. They spent about an hour answering kids questions and signing autographs. They gave out free tickets to one of their games for the kids. Nicholas Kuqali #6, Jarrett Rush #4 and Michael Thompson #7. Mr. Forman principal of PS 195 introduced them to the kids, who had a fantastic time asking questions and making “statements.” This was held in the gym at the school during the schools fund raising book fair. After the Q&A the players spent time with the parent coordinators answering questions. One of the little girls from younger class, who was in a wheelchair was overheard by one of the players (Nicholas Kuqali) that she did not have any money with her to buy a pen she really wanted during the book fair, he took money out of his pocket and paid for the pen for her. THAT WAS SO SWEET!!!! Sweet indeed. Thanks to the Aviators for making a pit-stop (blade-stop?) in the neighborhood! News & Features 4 Comments Parents, Community Berate Mayor's Rep Over Safety by Ned Berke on Oct 22nd, 2010 Manhattan Beach residents berated a representative for the Mayor on Wednesday night, as they distributed a petition and contemplated civil disobedience to tackle the city’s neglect of their traffic safety issues. It was an emotional evening at the Manhattan Beach Community Group meeting, with the mother and neighbors of the child recently killed by a bus on Oriental Boulevard in attendance. Irina Liberman, the mother who was also injured in the October 7 accident, had eyes brimming with tears as she and neighbors told NYPD representatives that the streets need more than Oriental Boulevard’s blinking yellow light, especially near the park entrance on Falmouth Street. She said ice cream trucks regularly line up at that area, and children dart away from parents in between the trucks, and into the street where drivers can’t see until it’s too late. “There’s no indication,” she said. “I speak for all mothers. This is a tragedy and there’s no indication but a yellow light and people are speeding. A blinking light. That’s it. Always speeding.” Mayor’s rep becomes target of ire; possible unity between quarreling groups; and civil disobedience after the jump. News & Features 15 Comments Manhattan Beach Residents Go Without Water by Ned Berke on Mar 1st, 2010 A water pipe break on Hastings Street near Oriental Boulevard is spurring the NYC-DEP to turn off water to homes and buildings on several Manhattan Beach blocks this evening. Girard Street, Hastings Street, and Irwin Street will not have water from approximately 4 p.m. to midnight. The DEP expects to finish repairs during the 8-hour shut off period. P.S. 195, located on Irwin Street, will be closed after classes today. After-school activities are cancelled, as is the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association’s Town Hall meeting with Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. The meeting is rescheduled for Monday, April 19. News & Features No Comments yet Get updates by RSS

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Moscow: Jewish museum planned The committee for the Russian-Jewish Museum of Tolerance in Moscow approved a final architectural plan this week that would produce the world's largest Jewish museum, according to a story in Haaretz. Baruch Gorin, the spokesman for Moscow's Jewish communities, told Haaretz that the museum would be established in a historic building at the Jewish community center, which the community received from the Moscow municipality about five years ago. The complex of buildings already contains several Jewish institutions, including a soup kitchen, the Shaarei Tzedek health services, a Chabad school, and two buildings - a yeshiva and a university - in the final stages of construction. The new museum is meant to be the complex's crowning glory. Gorin said the museum will commemorate Russian-Jewish history and include galleries of Jewish art and Judaica. Another section will commemorate the Holocaust. Plans include the construction of a large library, a center for Judaic studies and conference rooms. Gorin predicts that after the municipality provides technical permits, construction will begin in early 2009 and finish in 2011. The Moscow Jewish community signed an agreement with the Russian Cultural Foundation to renovate, expand and create an international Jewish museum. Funding is from the Russian Cultural Foundation, the Moscow Jewish community and Jewish philanthropists - headed by Lev Leviev. In charge of renovation and expansion is German architectural firm Graft Labs, with design by Ralph Appelbaum Associates. The 9,000 square meter building will be enlarged by adding underground floors totalling 15,000 square meters. This will be the largest Jewish museum in the world. The space was obtained from Moscow municipality, whose mayor, Yuri Luzhkov understood the importance of creating a Jewish museum. The purpose is to educate about the Holocaust, Jewish history, Jewish culture and attempt to reduce anti-Semitism in the country. Jewish History,

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Topic: John Baird Canada votes to send Ukraine $220 million in financial support OTTAWA, March 13 (UPI) -- Canada will provide a loan guarantee and other aid totaling $220 million to the new government in Ukraine, the Canadian foreign affairs minister said Thursday. Canada bars Ukraine government officials over Kiev protests OTTAWA, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Canadian government officials said Tuesday Ukrainian officials responsible for heavy-handed suppression of protesters in Kiev are not welcome in the country. N.D. Sen. John Hoeven stumps for Keystone XL WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said during a meeting with Canada's foreign minister it was time for Washington to sanction the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Canada defines continental shelf in Atlantic Ocean OTTAWA, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said defining the country's continental shelf in the Atlantic Ocean is an integral part of the national legacy. Canada claims North Pole, risks upsetting Russia Dec. 10 (UPI) --Canada is planning to claim North Pole as part of a bid to take control over the resources in the Arctic, Foreign Minister John Baird said on Monday. Justin Salhani Canada eyes North Pole claim with riches in energy resources at stake OTTAWA, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- So the North Pole is Canadian, eh? That's the stand the Canadian government is preparing to take, Foreign Minister John Baird said Monday. Obama says 'clear-eyed diplomacy' led to pact on Iran's nuke program SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- President Obama called the agreement between Iran and Western leaders over Iran's nuclear program the result of "clear-eyed diplomacy" with a U.S. adversary. UPI Almanac for Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013. Harper adds 8 new ministers to Canadian cabinet in reshuffle OTTAWA, July 15 (UPI) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the appointment of eight new members to his cabinet Monday as he shuffled portfolios and added new positions. Canadian reporters said free after arrest by Turkish police ISTANBUL, Turkey, June 13 (UPI) -- Two Canadian journalists say they have been released by Turkish police who had detained them as they covered the protests in Istanbul. Sri Lanka rejects commonwealth criticism COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, April 30 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka's external affair minister hit back at stiff criticism over the country being chosen to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November. Canada angry at Sri Lanka hosting summit OTTAWA, April 27 (UPI) -- Canadian diplomats citing human rights concerns expressed outrage Sri Lanka will host the British Commonwealth heads of government meeting in November. Canada opens diplomatic mission in Iraq BAGHDAD, April 1 (UPI) -- Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird arrived in Baghdad Monday to open a diplomatic mission, the first visit to Iraq by a Canadian minister since 1976. Iran tells Canada to stop energy meddling TEHRAN, March 5 (UPI) -- A spokesman for the Iranian government called on Canada to avoid meddling in its internal affairs as they relate to a natural gas pipeline to Pakistan. Kerry to honor Keystone XL review process WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was respecting the formal review process before taking a stand on the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. John Russell Baird, PC, MP (born May 26, 1969) is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Baird had previously held the posts of Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Environment and President of the Treasury Board. Prior to entering federal politics he was a provincial politician serving in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2005 and a cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves serving as the Minister for Children, Community and Social Services, Energy and Francophone Affairs in addition to being the Government's Chief Whip. A long-time resident of the former city of Nepean and a graduate of Kingston's Queen's University, he is the member of the Canadian House of Commons for the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean. Baird was elected as a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2006 federal election when his party won a minority government over Paul Martin's Liberal Party. FULL ARTICLE AT WIKIPEDIA.ORG This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article "John Baird." Fatigue is a major contribution to traffic accidents and fatalities Canadian feds to nix 22-hour bus shifts We must remember that terrorism is not just something that happens somewhere else to someone else Canada to increase air cargo security Their approach is to be consistent with international standards and apply equally to all passengers, regardless of a person's culture or religion Canada to investigate security breach We urge Syrian authorities to respect the rights of people to freedom of assembly and to freedom of expression Canada sets down sanctions on Syria North Korea is simply not a credible chair at this United Nations body. The regime is a major proliferator of nuclear weapons and its non-compliance with its disarmament obligations goes against the fundamental principle of this committee Canada boycotts U.N. group led by N. Korea

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... Today in the News: Missing Nevada kids found alive News on two adults and four children who disappeared in snow in Nevada, sending people to Mars, and President Obama and Raul Castro. The Daily Guide - Waynesville, MO Two adults and four children ranging in age from 3 to 10 were rescued today after they disappeared during a trip in Nevada to play in snow. The group was caught in foul weather and disappeared on Sunday. A search team of about 200 people scoured the area where the group was believed to be, and they were eventually located in a canyon in “fairly good condition.” "The opportunity to participate in that is just really exciting." - Ed Sedivy of Lockheed Martin Space Systems. He was talking after The Mars One foundation announced today that an unmanned mission to Mars will take place in 2018, with the goal of humans living on the planet in 2025. More than 200,000 people have applied to live on Mars - with the knowledge that they’ll never return to Earth. Lockheed Martin is building the lander for the 2018 mission. Hot video: Castro shakes hands with Obama at Mandela tribute Cuban President Raul Castro calls Nelson Mandela “a supreme symbol of dignity” as he addresses a massive crowd at a memorial service for Mandela.

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CLASSIC ROCK DAILY McCartney Licenses Song for Ad Campaign for Late Wife's Food Line By: Gary Graff Paul McCartney is singing for his and other vegetarians', suppers these days. McCartney has recorded a new, acoustic version of "Heart of the Country," a song from his 1971 album "Ram," for use as an animated online promotion for his late first wife Linda McCartney's frozen vegetarian food line. The 40-second spot features a cartoon image of Linda cavorting with a variety of appreciative animals in the woods, playing accordion and presenting a veggie burger, while Paul performs the song accompanied by just acoustic guitar and accordion. McCartney co-wrote "Heart of the Country" with Linda and released it as the B-side to the single "The Back Seat of My Car;" he also created a video for the song. Last year's reissue "Ram -- Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition)" is nominated for a pair of Grammy Awards -- Best Historical Album and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. The ceremony takes place February 10 in Los Angeles. CLICK HERE to learn out more about Gary Graff and his award-winning music journalism including the books he has written on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. MORE FROM CSX

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Memo to Washington International | Beyond empathy: A high-profile policy on Sudan needs careful behind-the-scenes calculations By Mindy BelzIssue: "Aging in place," March 31, 2001Posted March 31, 2001, 12:00 a.m. The Bush administration is beginning to focus on Sudan's nearly 18-year-old civil war between its Islamic regime in the north and the mostly Christian minority in the south. President George W. Bush has named Sudan in several recent foreign-policy speeches. On March 16, top White House aide Karl Rove convened a meeting of Sudan experts to discuss how to end the fighting there. A week earlier, Secretary of State Colin Powell had conducted his own brainstorming session on Sudan with State Department and National Security Council officials. In a widely quoted statement, Mr. Powell told a House committee: "There is perhaps no greater tragedy on the face of the earth today than the tragedy that is unfolding in the Sudan." WORLD has been at the front lines in Sudan and in contact with church-based relief groups and with prominent religious and political leaders. Here's our four-point suggestion on what to do: First, the United States must view the Sudan regime as a foe. The policies of Sudan's president, Omar el-Bashir, pose a threat not only to peace in the region but also to American security. Mr. Bashir invited radical Islamic terrorist Osama bin Laden to set up training camps in Sudan. News accounts tell of the government opening facilities for Saddam Hussein to produce weapons of mass destruction and Scud missiles. Khartoum bombers repeatedly hold target practice on relief operations run by Americans and funded, in some cases, by the U.S. Agency for International Development. We see you’ve been enjoying the content on our exclusive member website. Ready to get unlimited access to all of WORLD’s member content? For the Clinton administration, the politics of Africa were bottom-drawer stuff, making only for frivolous safaris or dead-end trade tours. That should change, and Sudan is a good place to start. A victory by Mr. Bashir over south Sudan's rebel forces would push radical Islamic rule toward the heart of Africa. With financial and military backing from China, Sudan could threaten bordering democracies, as well as oil tankers and other Red Sea freight. For the south Sudanese it would not mark the end of sacrifice, but the end of sacrifice with purpose. For their good and ours, the United States should help. Second, a new U.S. policy should strive to neutralize the Bashir government's ability to wage war. Atrocities by government forces are well documented, and yet Khartoum continues to prosecute war and increase its ability to do so. Oil is the reason. A pipeline from south-central Sudan came on line in 1998. Within two years military expenditures by the government more than doubled. At the same time, according to a confidential report to the International Monetary Fund, the state-owned Bank of Sudan reported that agriculture was "undercapitalized" and cannot produce at previous levels. The UN World Food Program predicts that 200,000 Sudanese will die of starvation and malnutrition this year. Clearly the government, at the expense of its citizens, is building up its war machine. For the first time in the war it has the revenue to support it. Khartoum is also receiving extra help from oil developers. China, in particular, is improving Sudan's infrastructure and aiding the military under the guise of oil operations. Relief workers have identified Chinese workers at both military and oil installations. Sanctions block U.S. firms from participating in Sudan's oil trade. But sanctions are applied unevenly. Overseas oil companies-particularly Talisman Energy of Canada and PetroChina-are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. The United States granted a license to General Electric to manufacture spare locomotive parts for Sudan last year. Soft drink manufacturers lobbied successfully to continue importing gum arabic, an important natural ingredient in their beverages. Talk of sanctions will hover like storm clouds over Mr. Bush and his pledges of free trade. So be it. There are exceptions to the rule. Sudan-with 2 million war casualties and 4 million displaced people-is an exception. But a political silver lining for Mr. Bush is that support for such restrictions extends from Christian organizations like Prison Fellowship and Family Research Council all the way to the other end of the spectrum, to the ACLU, the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus, a number of Jewish groups, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum's Committee on Conscience. If the presidential candidates had known how important these constituencies would loom in post-election vote counts, they might have mentioned Sudan sooner. Third, the Bush administration must encourage good-neighbor policies. Bouquets go to democracies like Uganda and Kenya, while brickbats go to the European Union and United Nations. EU nations withdrew humanitarian aid to south Sudan as soon as they smelled crude. Meanwhile, the United Nations channels its aid to south Sudan via a corrupt program known as Operation Lifeline Sudan. Khartoum has veto power over its operations. Even after the government in Khartoum bombed OLS transports sitting on airstrips last year, UN officials renewed the arrangement. Often overlooked is the single most important neighbor in the region-and U.S. ally-Egypt. As Milt Bearden, the former CIA chief in Khartoum, once said, "Their river runs through it." The rivers that form Egypt's lifeblood flow together and north in Sudan's capital city. Nile water rights are a key element to any peace arrangement. They explain why Egypt and other moderate Arab states take a complacent posture toward Khartoum. Egypt remains as doggedly uneasy about the radical Islamic influence from Sudan as it is determined to protect its only water source. Yet, Egypt has a vested interest in whoever controls Khartoum and in a united Sudan. Egypt's close ties to the United States should be exploited for the good of the south Sudanese. At the same time, a peace process without Egypt will produce an illegitimate peace. Fourth, a policy toward peace must treat the rebels with respect. In recent years most rebel factions have consolidated under the Sudan People's Liberation Army and its chairman, John Garang. He heads not only a disciplined army, but a civilian bureaucracy of about 100 out of Nairobi.The soldiers are, surprisingly, Muslims and Christians. They are also ex-government officials, accountants, schoolteachers, churchgoers, and professional soldiers. "We did not come down from the trees, but that is how we have been treated," says the group's representative in Washington, Steven Wondu. Too often the rebels say their role has been overlooked by international organizations, dismissed by leading humanitarian groups, and downplayed in regional peace efforts. But without the SPLA and its mission-self-determination for south Sudan under a pluralistic government-the war would be over and Islamic radicals would dominate the country. Treating the rebels with respect also means praying for them and also for their enemies. The United States does not know enough about opposition to Mr. Bashir's power-grabbing policies that exists among other Muslims in Khartoum. U.S. officials have kept few tabs on the regime since diplomatic relations formally ended when the United States bombed a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan in 1998. "The file on Sudan does not exist," says U.S. Army War College analyst Earl Tilford. "It rarely appears on the strategic radar screen." Ending the war at any price is an acceptable outcome for some relief groups, but if it ends in triumph for the radical Islamic regime, persecution of opponents will intensify and other African governments will be threatened. So one final word to U.S. policymakers: Don't blink. In the obscure tribal languages that persist in south Sudan, the word for "heart" or "soul" translates best as "stomach" or "liver." In a country plagued by what the Old Testament calls "double calamities"-both famine and sword-going to the heart of the matter will require guts. 12 Copyright © 2014 WORLD News Group. All rights reserved. International Quick Links

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Straightening Sisay's Spine: A Twist Of Fate Saves A Boy's Life Gary Palmer Wins in 6th Congressional District News Sat February 9, 2013 An Accused Killer Seeks An Audience With Everyone Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By editor Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 7:05 pm Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck speaks at a press conference on the manhunt for Christopher Dorner. From: Christopher Jordan Dorner To: America That's the header on a 14-page letter attributed to Christopher Dorner. The former Los Angeles police officer is the focus of a massive manhunt spanning California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico after he allegedly shot and killed three people — including a police officer — and wounded several others during a shooting spree. The letter is a fascinating document, full of grievances and digressions. It's not really a call to arms, not really a manifesto. It's more like an open letter, that staple of the aggrieved and indignant, especially in the Internet age. In it, Dorner says that he was blacklisted and pushed from his job on the force after reporting an incident of police brutality, and he claims that the Los Angeles Police Department is run through with racists. Dorner addresses the letter to "America," but seems to want to talk to each and every person in it: white cops, black cops, lesbian cops, Asian-American cops, the assistant principal of his high school, his knee surgeon, the director of The Hangover, and countless others. He tells New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie he's a fan and tells Michelle Obama he loves her bangs. And in a moment of dark irony, he calls out National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre, lamenting that military-style firearms are widely available to the public. Dorner name-checks everyone. But to each group of police officers he names, he reserves an ominous distinction: "You are a high-value target." How do you handle a letter like this? Start with people like me, journalists and others in the news media, even this very moment calling your attention to Dorner's missive. We're one of Dorner's main constituencies — he specifically asks us to fact-check him. CNN's Anderson Cooper tweeted that Dorner sent him a package in the mail. This makes publicizing his message problematic: "It seems he created this manifesto with an eye to having it published," says Eric Deggans, a columnist at the Tampa Bay Times. "I'm worried that it might encourage him." But Deggans and other journalists said that even if news outlets wanted to ignore messages like these, they can't do so anymore. The media landscape has changed too much. Kelly McBride, a media ethicist at the Poynter Institute, says that outlets that ignore Dorner's letter run the risk of becoming "irrelevant." "I think that it's very different now than it used to be," she says. "He created the megaphone. I know it seems like he's talking directly to the media but I don't think it works that way anymore." Multiple news outlets have reported that Dorner initially posted the letter to Facebook. McBride says she worries that journalists run the risk of becoming overly sympathetic to the LAPD and won't verify the claims that Dorner makes in his manifesto. (She praised CNN, in particular, for digging into and disproving an assertion about an incident Dorner makes in the letter.) "They should think about not telling the story from the perspective of the LAPD, but telling the story from lots of perspectives," she says. Dorner was also hoping to get the attention of his former colleagues in the police department. His letter is studded with police jargon; the beginning reads like an incident report. Are police officials likely to take seriously his charges of wanton brutality and wrongdoing even though he allegedly killed three people and wounded several others? They could, says Officer Eisenman, an LAPD spokesperson. (She declined to give her first name.) She said that while she couldn't comment specifically on the ongoing Dorner case, it was "common sense that [those claims] will probably be looked at." "It doesn't annul the fact of what he's stating," Eisenman says. If there's going to be an investigation of his allegations, it won't be until he's captured, she says. Saturday evening, after this story was initially published, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said he had asked for a full review of Dorner's complaint about his firing, as well as investigations into other allegations in his letter. Even after all the people Dorner directly names, there are still some audiences left implicit. Charges of police brutality and racism have long been a point of serious friction between local cops and Angelenos. What happens when a letter championing an issue you care deeply about becomes associated with a grisly spree killing? It's an open letter to everyone in America, and versions of it — both redacted and unedited — can be easily found all over the Internet. Do you seek it out? Do you read it? How do you handle a letter like this? UPDATE: A link to a CNN story attempting to verify statements Dorner made in his letter has been changed.Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread.

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Straightening Sisay's Spine: A Twist Of Fate Saves A Boy's Life Gary Palmer Wins in 6th Congressional District The Two-Way Blogging On The Lam: McAfee Is Posting Updates From Guatemalan Jail Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By Mark Memmott Originally published on Thu December 6, 2012 2:26 pm John McAfee, with a woman described as his girlfriend, on the way into the Supreme Court in Guatemala City on Tuesday. Johan Ordonez AFP/Getty Images Wanted for questioning in Belize about the murder of a neighbor, anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee is sitting in a Guatemalan jail — and blogging about the experience. "I am in jail in Guatemala," he writes in one post. "Vastly superior to Belize jails. I asked for a computer and one magically appeared. The coffee is also excellent. "Only time will tell what will happen. No one has a crystal ball. However, I would be truly shocked if I did not conduct the press conference tomorrow as I had originally planned. "Stay tuned. "I believe, by the way, that blogging from a jail cell might be a groundbreaking activity. Let's see if it catches on." He's been detained because Guatemalan authorities say he illegally entered that country. They could deport him, which is just what McAfee doesn't want since he's trying to avoid being arrested in connection with the death of American Gregory Faull in Belize. McAfee says he's innocent. Also today, McAfee writes that: "My lawyer just brought a judge to the jail and the judge issued a stay order until a higher judge can review the case. This effectively stops Immigration from returning me to the Belize border. "So..... the urgency is eased a bit." Update at 1:45 p.m. ET. No Asylum? CNN reports that Guatemalan authorities say McAfee will not be granted asylum in their country — which could mean deportation is imminent. There's no word about that now on McAfee's blog. His most recent post asks supporters to contact Guatemala's president "and beg him to allow the court system to proceed, to determine my status in Guatemala, and please support the political asylum that I am asking for." Update at 3:22 p.m. ET. McAfee Taken To Hospital: CNN and ABC are reporting that McAfee has been taken to a hospital. ABC says it's because of a "possible heart attack." CNN reports "his attorney reported he had convulsions." Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread.

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Introduction: STRATFOR and Nathan Hughes As STRATFOR enters its 15th year, we are honored to begin participating in the discussions and dialog that USNI’s blog facilitates. Dr. George Friedman, our founder and CEO and a friend of Tom Wilkerson, was inspired to create STRATFOR in part by the work that USNI has been doing for so long. What STRATFOR does is approach international affairs, information and analysis through an intelligence paradigm rather than, say, a journalistic one. Our analysis is grounded in geopolitics and for the most part seeks to avoid the proscriptive or normative. Instead we analyze the political, economic, military and geographic limitations on the range of actions available to individuals, organizations and countries around the world. With empathetic analysis we examine the motivations and calculations of world leaders, using both the open source and our own network of contacts around the world. Our objective is to identify the key drivers and defining trends of the international system to not only place developments in context, but to forecast what we expect to happen next for our audience of individual subscribers, the private sector, government, military and the intelligence community. At STRATFOR, everything we write is collaborative and integrated. For this reason, directing military analysis at STRATFOR in both particularly enlightening and particularly challenging. Just as an adversary must be judged both by his capabilities and his intentions, our military assessments both inform and are informed by relevant political, geopolitical and economic analysis. My involvement with USNI’s blog is an exciting opportunity for me for two reasons. First, I look forward to figuring out just where and how STRATFOR’s worldview can support, expand and enrich the depth and sophistication of an already rich dialog. Second, and more personally, USNI’s blog offers me an opportunity to examine and reflect — and in some cases even express opinions — on matters that, while fascinating, may not fit with STRATFOR’s publishing criteria and requirements for objectivity. But I must conclude on a more somber note. On Dec. 21, Colonel Ronald A. Duchin, U.S. Army (Ret) passed suddenly and unexpectedly. His loss first and foremost belongs to his family. The U.S. Army and all American Special Forces and Special Operations Forces that followed have a claim to that loss as well. And it is with a solemn pride that STRATFOR also feels the loss of one of its own. As someone who had the honor to know him not only personally but as a mentor, I humbly dedicate my writing here — writing he helped make possible — to his memory. Posted by nhughes in Foreign Policy « “I’ve got your back” Tactical and Operational Needs Run Amok? » Matt Yankee I’ve been pretty happy with Stratfor myself. Although I do believe they miss the mark on the scope of the Mexico problem because they look at it more like a crime problem that should be left to Mexicans instead of a failed state problem which is seperated from our own country by very little fence and small numbers of ill-equiped border patrol and kept that way despite vocal warnings, for political reasons, for far too long. The family of the latest border patrol agent killed in the line of duty said as much to the Homeland Security Secretary (she views it the same way as Stratfor) in person. And then the icing on the cake is that the govt. officials who mistate and underestimate the problem try to demand the 2nd amendment rights of law abiding citizens on this side of the border be reduced because problems in Mexico which they refuse to confront directly. Sorry if this got a bit off topic but Stratfor is based in Port Lavaca, Texas and I believe all Texans have a special duty to protect our borders. They should be at the forefront of ripping the Fed. Govt. for their refusal to guard the border meaningfully. All in all very informative and a very useful source for “above the tearline” news and information. http://www.stratfor.com nhughes We appreciate the vote of confidence. We’re very proud of having been out front on the deteriorating situation in Mexico (and we’re actually getting close to rolling out a more extensive, corporate product focused specifically on Mexico), and we continue to watch it closely. We were actually one of the first to raise the question of whether or not Mexico is a failed state in our founder, George Friedman’s Geopolitical Weekly in 2008. We revisited the issue more recently in 2010, and concluded that the situation was more complex, and that drugs may actually have a stabilizing influence in Mexico. We are indeed based in Texas, but in Austin not Port Lavaca. We very much appreciate your readership. Andy (JADAA) Nate, as a Life Member of the Institute and long-time StratFor subscriber, just let me add my welcome. The commentariat here brook little slack and boy, oh boy, are certainly not shy! Looking forward to your additional points of view on matters germane to all the sea services. Nate, “and concluded that the situation was more complex, and that drugs may actually have a stabilizing influence in Mexico.” Oh yes, Mexico is becoming more and more stable as the cartels profit. Cheers to you, OH wise one. More bullets flying across the “irrelevant border”. This from the El Paso Times…http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_17087113?source=most_viewed “If these reports are true, it is yet another incident of border violence and spillover,” Cesinger said. “It goes back for the need for the federal government to provide more resources to the border, which is certainly feeling the effects of the escalating violence in Mexico.” The shots from across the border angered U.S. Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco, R-Texas, who represents the area. “It is completely unacceptable that Americans at work, doing their job in America, come under gunfire from across the border in Mexico,” Canseco said in a statement. “Our border is not secure from violence that threatens American lives. Securing our border against the cartels and their violent threat must be a top priority.”

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In Case You Missed It:LeBron James exec-producing showStars promote movie in ChicagoQuinn, anti-violence program Home » News » City » Politics, faith leaders urge Blacks to vote Politics, faith leaders urge Blacks to vote The Chicago Defender 0 For hundreds of years, African Americans were denied the right to vote. Obstacles to voting were written into law, and enforced with nooses, whips and guns. The blood, sweat and tears of those who fought for the right to vote is part of the legacy of this For hundreds of years, African Americans were denied the right to vote. Obstacles of voting were written into law, and enforced with nooses, whips and guns. The blood, sweat and tears of those who fought for the right to vote is part of the legacy of this country, and the legacy of the Chicago Defender. This newspaper feels that there are few rights that supersede the right to vote because it also represents the right to change for the better. The Defender sought out Black politicians, ministers and community activists, who all urge Blacks to register to vote in large numbers. “We (the African American community) are losing ground, and the only way to change this is through voting,” said Cheryle Jackson, president of the Chicago Urban League. “That’s why it’s imperative that Blacks vote.” Cook County Board President Todd Stroger weighed in. “It is important for each resident of Cook County, the State of Illinois and the nation to cast his or her votes…in order to help shape the course of this nation,” he said. “Turn out in huge numbers to vote and do so with a passion and a purpose so that America will be a better place for all people.” Though churches usually refrain from outright candidate endorsements, Black preachers across the city are pushing for congregants to vote in the upcoming election. The Rev. James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist Church, said it is not only important for Blacks to vote in large numbers but vital to the future political cycle as well. “It’s critical for African American people to register and vote because it is the only way to ensure a candidate will carry our agenda and represent our interests,” he said. “We cannot complain about our conditions if our expectations are not made known, and the only thing that moves politicians to meet expectations are votes.” In order to vote, individuals must register. Midnight on Oct. 7 is the deadline for registering for the upcoming election. Election officials are prepared for the holdouts. “We fully expect a large number of people to register at the last minute,” said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Board of Elections Commissioners office. “During the primary election in January, we saw a lot of last minute voters registering.” The Board of Elections, 69 W. Washington St., is one of two locations that will be open Oct. 7 until midnight for those wanting to register. City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., is the other location. To register, individuals must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by Election Day, have been a resident of the precinct they will vote in at least 30 days prior to Election Day and be able to provide two forms of identification, with one showing a current address. As of Sept. 15, there were 1.34 million registered voters in Chicago, up slightly from the 1.3 million registered voters during the primary election, according to Allen. “Through our office we ask people if they would like to register to vote while renewing driver’s license, a state identification card or any business they are conducting at the office,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “We then send their information to the election board who takes it from there.” White added that the next president will have a say in the quality of life for all Americans, so that alone should encourage people to register and then vote. “I remember when Blacks could not vote. But thanks to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others, voting is an open process for everyone,” White said. Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown agrees with White on King’s suffrage efforts. “It’s a slap in the face of Dr. King when Blacks do not vote,” she said. “To make a difference in this country, you must vote.” She added that people who are against Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, are actually voting for him if they do not vote. “If you don’t vote against him, you voted for him,” Brown said. And if the past efforts of the Civil Rights Movement are not enough to inspire Blacks to register to vote, the U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-2nd, said being able to make history should be an incentive. “Blacks have a chance to elect the first Black president, and that alone should encourage people to vote,” said Jackson, who is up for re-election Nov. 4. “Barack represents a change in Washington, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is elected because change is needed.” Fellow U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-7th, said voting is the greatest citizenship duty in society, and for those who do not exercise this right, they either do not care or don’t know. Several aldermen also stressed the importance of voting this year and every election. “Some Black voters feel like no change happens when they vote, so they get discouraged from voting again,” said Alderman Carrie Austin (34th). “But I tell those voters that their grandmothers and great-grandmothers endured many sufferings so you could vote, so do not let that go to waste. Honor their work and vote.” “The next president will decide healthcare. This historic election is the most important election in my lifetime and probably most Blacks today,” said Alderman Sandi Jackson (7th). Those wanting to register online can download an application by going to http://www.chicagoelections. com or http://www.cookctyclerk.com. Wendell Hutson can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]. Copyright 2008 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 0 Jackson's 'mood disorder' raising more questions?

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Clara Amfo Radio, Online/TV Presenter and Voiceover Artist DATES/SOUNDS ABOUT Clara Amfo is a fresh and dynamic young broadcaster who can currently be heard on BBC Radio 1Xtra. She’s interviewed a spectrum of the world’s best known artists including Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Pharrell Williams, Spike Lee, Justin Bieber, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, and Mary J. Blige. Starting out her radio career at KISS FM presenting the overnight show, she quickly ascended to the Saturday Breakfast and drive time shows reaching audiences of 1 million on a weekly basis. Her radio work earned her a prestigious Sony Radio Award nomination for ‘Rising Star’ , where industry judges said “her energy, understanding and obvious love of radio was absolutely infectious”. She has travelled to Ghana with her work for the charity Plan and has reported from some of the biggest musical festivals in the UK including Wireless, Global Gathering, SW4 and NASS. Clara has also hosted the British Premiere of ‘Red Riding Hood’ as well as The Transformation Trust’s annual Rock Assembly at London’s 02 Arena to an audience of 16,000. In September, Clara joined BBC Radio 1Xtra to present the weekend breakfast show. Since joining she hit the ground running by making a series of artist focused documentaries from their annual 1Xtra Live event, presenting from The MOBO Awards red carpet coverage and reporting from BBC Radio 1′s Big Weekend.

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CVP Plans Mid-March Reopening The popular Towson bar was destroyed by a fire nearly one year ago. Tyler Waldman One year later, one of Towson's most storied watering holes is nearing its re-opening. , , is headed for a mid-March opening, said Rick Bielski, who owns the bar with partners Eric and Melanie Wagner. Bielski said he promises a "bigger, better" pub than the one that burned down. Weather and unforseen structural issues delayed construction, but "for the most part, we're ready to go and we're moving in that direction to get open," Bielski said. Much of the facade is completed, including the familiar brick exterior with all-new signage and window designs. The new bar on the first and second levels. "We're really happy with the way it turned out, and we're looking forward to having a little of the old and some of the new put together," Bielski said. Also happy are many among Bielski's old clientele, which included office workers by day and Towson University students by night. "In the daytime, people go there for some good food," said Nancy Hafford, executive director of the , who has watched the construction every day from her office window. "The business community goes there for good food at a reasonable price. Then the business community goes there after work for a cocktail. Then it changes later in the night," she said. Hafford said she believes the rebuilt pub—along with other nearby businesses, like and —will help create a new atmosphere on Pennsylvania Avenue, similar to Allegheny Avenue, home to restaurants, boutiques and Feet on the Street concerts. Melody McSweeney Great - Why not move "feet" to Pennsylvania Avenue. Allegheny Avenue businesses have had their share and would be more than happy to see feet go to a new location.

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Area News Digest Written by Gothenburg Times Friday, 07 February 2014 15:22 Taken from the news columns of area newspapers. Joint effort helps Cozad grad recover COZAD—After a 1995 Cozad High School graduate was attacked by an ex-boyfriend, support from the community and the Teal Lotus project has been substantial, joining forces to help defray medical expenses. Jacey Gengenbach, daughter of Jim and Phyllis of Cozad, who now lives in Omaha, was severely injured from an assault in November of 2012, and although her abuser was sent to prison, her journey of recovery continues ahead with two years of repairing damage to her teeth. The Teal Lotus project has teamed up with “Team Jacey” of social media to begin fundraising efforts with “Save Jacey’s Smile” and will host a Teal Lotus Run on April 26 in her honor.—reported in the Tri-City Trib. North Park Gym quietly dedicated to coaches BROKEN BOW—The North Park Gym was quietly dedicated on Saturday, Jan. 25. No ribbons were cut, no speeches were given, no food was served. A plaque was quietly put on the wall and a basketball game was played. The day, however, was special. The North Park Gym, and its basketball court, was dedicated to the memory of teachers/coaches Zane Harvey and Anthony Blum, Broken Bow basketball coaches who lost their lives in a June 2012 accident. Family members and friends participated in the game as referees and cheering on the teams as part of a dedication ceremony.—reported in the Custer County Chief. Lake landmark slab to receive needed TLC OGALLALA—For the first time in more than a decade, Keep Keith County Beautiful is preparing to paint the large cement marker near Martin Bay, often known as “The Slab.” The slab has greeted visitors to the lake for more than a decade and has signs of wear. Plans are being made for painting in the spring with a process in the works of seeking grants to help support the effort. The project is expected to take about 10 days to complete. The slab is 150 feet long, 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide with the message, “Leave only your footprints please” painted on both sides.—reported in the Keith County News. Plane goes down in a cornfield by Eustis CURTIS—Late Friday evening on Jan. 24, the Frontier County Sheriff’s Office had received a call from the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office at 6:02 p.m. about a plane that went down 10 miles north of Eustis. Sheriff Dan Rupp and Deputy Brett Whitaker who reside in Eustis went out to the scene of the accident where the plane was down in a cornfield beside a pivot. According to Sheriff Rupp there were no injuries. The name of the pilot was not released at the time.—reported in the Frontier County Enterprise. Highway maintenance yard to see changes ARNOLD—During a snow event, Arnold has been the starting point for trucks to remove snow from highways for decades. However, that will change next fall when a new Nebraska Department of Roads supervisor’s yard is completed at the junction of Highways 21 and 40 near Oconto. Although Arnold’s yard will remain open, it will no longer be manned and would continue to be a reload station for salt and gravel. As Arnold will now become the end of a run instead of the beginning, no significant change in services is expected.—reported in the Arnold Sentinel. ‘Have a Heart Food Drive’ contest underway CALLAWAY—The Have a Heart Food Bank Challenge is underway with the competition to last two weeks or through Feb. 7. Participating businesses are taking donations for the local community food banks to restock their selves. The project involves a competition comprised of different categories including big business, small business, grade schools, middle and high school, churches and service groups and clubs. Winners will be published at the end of the contest as the “Heart of Custer County Winners.” Callaway Food Pantry would be among those beneficiaries of the collected food and other items.—reported in the Callaway Courier.

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The North Hudson Sewage Authority accomplished its goals Dec 02, 2012 | 4053 views | 0 | 12 | | Dear Editor:In the hall of unsung heroes surrounding Hurricane Sandy, I would like to draw attention to the men and women of The North Hudson Sewerage Authority. As the Authority Chairman, I may not be an entirely objective voice, but the facts speak for themselves. The Authority accomplished it goals: to keep the sewerage treatment plants and pump stations operational in the face of the storm. Achieving those objectives minimized health and environmental hazards and freed the streets of water 48 hours faster than would have otherwise been the case. We are very proud of what our men and women accomplished in the teeth of this incredible storm. They were prepared, organized, and very brave throughout the whole ordeal. Expert planning and heroic execution during the storm itself (both facts later recognized by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection) kept one treatment plant fully functional throughout the hurricane, protected all our pump stations, and brought back into primary operation the Hoboken treatment plant just 24 hours after it was submerged and cut off from the rest of City by storm surge.The Authority and its Operator, CH2MHill/OMI, mobilized its entire staff of 42, plus10 CH2MHill workers from as far away as Mississippi, Ohio, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, and an additional 20 subcontractors. Because this large contingent of trained workers were on site 24/7 during the entire week, the system was able to take the hard punches from Sandy and get back up and running in record time. The Hoboken treatment plant was engulfed in 10 feet of storm surge which raced down 16th Street on Monday night in a torrent of waves and white caps. Much of its equipment flooded, the plant was inoperable on the first night of the storm. But emergency generators and quick work by the staff to dry out pumps and equipment had the plant at primary treatment within 24 hours. For the entire week, crews worked around the clock to make repairs, with additional personnel and resources such as pumps, generators, vehicles and other supplies being brought in from CH2M HILL locations across the country.The Authority’s decision to sandbag and shut down pump stations in danger of being engulfed in storm surge allowed workers to save the pumps and then turn them back on at critical junctures during the storm and its aftermath. While the devastation in Hoboken and parts of Weehawken was in many ways unfathomable, it would have been much worse had the wet weather pump stations not worked continuously throughout the storm and immediately afterwards. The pumps on Observer Highway in Hoboken and 18th Street in Weehawken dried out the streets in Southwest Hoboken and the Shades in Weehawken fast and effectively.This tremendous recovery is a testament to our dedicated staff who worked tirelessly despite the fact that many of their own homes suffered damage and were without power, water and other essentials. The Authority and its commissioners are very proud of their effort.Sincerely,Dr. Richard J. WolffChairmanNorth Hudson Sewerage Authority Secaucus Mayor endorses Tom DeGise for County Executive Hudson County on the ball for the World Cup Businesses report more excitement than ever Carlo Davis Reporter staff writer

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When getting it first isn’t necessarily bestSix months after Hoboken man was misidentified as Newtown shooter – what was learned? by Dean DeChiaroReporter staff writer May 19, 2013 | 3565 views | 0 | 21 | | slideshow As details about the massacre of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., began to emerge on Friday, Dec. 14, the name Ryan Lanza started circulating on major media outlets and social media as a possible suspect. Ryan, a 26-year-old Hoboken resident who was at work at Ernst & Young in New York City at the time, took to his Facebook account and wrote, “IT WASN’T ME I WAS AT WORK IT WASN’T ME.”The shooter turned out to be 20-year-old Adam Lanza, Ryan’s younger brother, whom Ryan said he hadn’t been in contact with since 2010. But the mistake was not corrected until the end of that Friday. Meanwhile, reporters converged at Ryan’s apartment building in uptown Hoboken, he was taken away by police when he got home from work, and rumors flew among the crowd that his father had been murdered in Hoboken that day.Apparently, after the incorrect name was leaked by a law enforcement source that morning, many people found Ryan’s Facebook page, saw that he had lived in Newtown and Hoboken, and assumed he was the gunman.The details as to how Ryan was initially named are fuzzy, but it’s been reported that Adam may have been carrying his older brother’s identification at the time of the shooting. Lt. Paul Vance, the Connecticut State Police spokesman who handled press inquiries following the shootings, said last week that police are still not sure how Ryan’s name was released.When the Reporter reached Ryan Lanza by phone last week, he politely declined to comment on the situation.By the time Adam was officially named the shooter, Ryan’s Facebook photo had been published on television and various websites, but it was also shared on the social networking platform almost 15,000 times, according to conservative news site The Daily Caller. Vance said that he imagined the effect of being falsely accused of such a crime as “very hurtful.”“When inaccurate information is out there, it’s picked up by social media, naysayers, truthers, whoever, and it’s taken as being accurate, when in fact it’s inaccurate,” said Vance. _____________ “The audience wants information fast versus getting the correct information.” – Barna Donovan, Ph.D.____________ One thing is clear: As the number of people who get their news from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter grows, so does the power of those sites to dictate what is considered fact, and what isn’t. A consequence for the media is an immense pressure to publish information first, even if all the facts have yet to be confirmed. The pressure escalates when social media users and bloggers, who ask why mainstream sources haven’t printed the same information they’re getting from unreliable sources, begin to accuse news outlets of cover-ups. BlunderedStill, the mainstream media has had a few major blunders in the last few months, including the New York Post’s recent cover photo of two men whom they said were suspected of being the Boston Marathon Bombers. The men were not suspects.“These have been a bad few months for journalism,” said Scott Pelley, CBS Evening News’ highly-acclaimed anchor, in a speech at Quinnipiac University earlier this month. “We’re getting the big stories wrong, over and over again.”Pelley himself incorrectly reported on the day of the Newtown shootings that Nancy Lanza, Adam and Ryan’s mother and the massacre’s first victim, was a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary. Many media outlets, as well as blogs and social media sites, reported that information as fact. Lanza was not a teacher at the school.“Never before in human history has more information been available to more people,” Pelley said. “But at the same time, never before in human history has more bad information been available to more people.”Chaos-driven journalismOn the day of the shooting, FBI agents and the Hoboken Police Department descended on Lanza’s Grand Street apartment building. A crowd got bigger and bigger and gossip abounded. “It was like a big game of telephone,” said Amanda Palasciano, the former Hoboken beat reporter for the Hudson Reporter, who was on the scene for more than five hours that day. “Things kind of just got to the point where the media was all helping each other trying to put things together, but no one really had any idea what was true.”A police spokesman came outside and talked to the media. Later, a machine was brought in to check for explosives, further fueling speculation about what might be inside Ryan’s apartment. Ryan himself was taken in for questioning.Palasciano noted that despite confirmations from law enforcement in Connecticut that the shooter was dead inside the school, no one gave the media any indication that ruled out Ryan as having been involved. “It was botched from the beginning,” Palasciano said. “Maybe there was a Ryan Lanza impersonator, maybe there wasn’t. Maybe he was staying with his brother. There was a dad; there wasn’t. Even when it came out that it wasn’t [Ryan], there was this idea that maybe [Adam] had been staying there.”Palasciano left the scene without a better idea of the situation than when she’d arrived.“Even when I left, no one still knew really what to believe,” she said. “I thought it was an anomaly for the media to have screwed up so royally.”Who’s to blame?Barna Donovan, Ph.D., the chairman of the communications department at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, said last week that although he teaches his students about the ethics of journalism and the consequences of reporting false facts, he doesn’t fully place the blame of misinformation on reporters. “The blame for this is spread around. This is not just the fault of the media. The major fault lies with the audiences and their demanding fast information,” he said. “The audience wants information fast versus getting the correct information.”Donovan explained that in cases of major tragedy, such as the Newtown shootings or the Boston Marathon bombings that took place last month, social media users take to their smartphones in the same manner that journalists take to their notepads – and often with similar objectives. “People like to be in the know, to be the first one, to spread the information. They want to be the first one to break news,” he said. “It’s, ‘I get the information before the professional guys did.’ ”Independent news sites and “citizen journalists” often spread conspiracies about why a mainstream media outlet isn’t reporting a certain fact, when that outlet may be taking time to research it.“You’re fighting the ‘We want the information right now’ audience demand,” said Donovan. “[People] are not necessarily asking for the most accurate update, and this is when mistakes can happen. Everyone’s trying to out-scoop the competition.”Cautionary taleVance said that Ryan’s case should stand as a cautionary tale for the media. “It sends a message that if you’re going to rely on social media, you may be taking a risk,” he said. It’s possible that social media sites are having an adverse effect on the state of American journalism, but, as Pelley noted, it is of the utmost importance to remember that they’re simply not the same thing.“Twitter and Facebook are not journalism. They are gossip,” said Pelley. “Journalism was invented as an antidote to gossip.”Staff writer Joseph Passantino contributed to this report.DeanDeChiaro may be reached at [email protected]. Hudson Reporter scores big in graphics and reporting in two competitions HOBOKEN BRIEFS More money for charter school fight But no room in school budget for 13 kindergarten aides who are cut

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Full Print Edition Group urges local rep. to support energy bill June 22, 2012By Peter ShanleyEnvironment Massachusetts, a local chapter of a national environmental advocacy organization, is going door to door in Jamaica Plain attempting to elicit support for a renewable energy bill. The group is urging residents to send state Reps. Liz Malia and Jeffrey Sánchez a postcard asking them to support the bill. “Sometimes it is hard to raise issues to the level where something is done unless representatives hear from their constituents,” said Ben Wright, an advocate for Environment Massachusetts and a JP resident. One part of the bill that Environment Massachusetts is particularly championing would roughly double the amount of electricity solar-panel users are allowed to sell back to utility companies. Solar-panel users are allowed to sell back excess electricity they generate and do not use to the utility companies. Malia, who has heard of but is not that familiar with Environment Massachusetts, said of its door-to-door campaign, “I think it is the best form of advocating for something. It’s great.” She added, “I wish people would do that for some other issues, too.” Malia also said she is not aware of the particular legislation that Environment Massachusetts is advocating for, but said the idea to increase the amount of electricity allowed to sell back “makes a lot of sense to me.” State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz voted for the renewable energy bill (S. 2214) in the state Senate, where it passed. The House Ways and Means Committee is currently reviewing the legislation. “She was doing right by her constituents in Boston,” Wright said of Chang-Díaz.

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Over there and back again Before we visited we knew very little about Turkmenistan, a small, mysterious, desert republic squeezed between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and the Caspian Sea, except that it was a totalitarian state with leaders who sounded decidedly weird: the previous President had changed his name to Turkmenbashi (Leader of the Turkmen), renamed the days of week and months of year after himself and family members and – declaring his “reign” a new Golden Age of Turkmenistan – erected enormous golden statues of himself around the town. We’d heard that since his death in 2006 his successor had toned things down a little, and implemented some much needed reforms but with the media so controlled we had no real idea what to expect. Unfortunately, the restrictions placed on foreign travellers meant that we were limited to just a few days in the country. Yet even in our fleeting visit we saw that the cult of personality of the President continues to be cultivated: photos of the new President are everywhere and he has even built a National Museum focused on himself. We were fascinated by the contrast and contradictions between the ostentation of the grand buildings of Ashgabat and the apparent paranoia of the regime, and the gulf between the wealth and grandeur of the city and the poverty of the provincial towns and villages we saw.Ashgabat seems designed as a showcase city to show-off the brilliance and wealth of Turkmenistan. It’s a mix of lavish white marble palaces, gold statues and domes, huge manicured parks and extravagant water features. The city is so green with trees and glorious flowerbeds it seemed unbelievable we were in the midst of a desert. The huge Government Ministries, all white marble of course, line the central streets, with fabulous Orwellian names like the Ministry of Fairness. Yet the buildings all seemed curiously quiet and we couldn’t quite believe there were enough staff to fill them. On the edge of the city are row after row of neoclassical mansion blocks of flat, all 12-15 stories high and clad in the obligatory white marble. At night the city is illuminated in garish colours, which seemed reminiscent of Las Vegas and a long way from the old Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan.The President’s “main goal is...reviving the cultural and spiritual heritage of our nation”. This is clearly visible throughout the country: women are encouraged to wear only the national dress, while the output of the five domestic tv channels is limited to folk singing and dancing, and the statues around Ashgabat depict traditional nomadic Turkmen and their glorious and ancient past. These conveniently ignore both the Soviet period and that nomadic Turkmen were notorious for abducting and enslaving Russians and Persians. Our first day in Ashgabat we chanced upon a parade celebrating the end of the school year and it was fascinating to see a large choreographed set piece. Thousands of students in matching national dress were assembled to march in the parade, line the streets waving huge flags, or take part in traditional dances. Bizarrely though, we seemed to be the only spectators as it was largely being filmed for national television. Walking about in Ashgabat there is no doubting that you are in a police state. There are policemen or soldiers on every corner and guarding every building and park. On many streets they outnumber the pedestrians. Armed with frequently used whistles, they continually direct people to one side of the street or the other, often for no apparent reason, and become agitated if you venture within about 30m of any building or loiter near one. Photographing any public building is strictly forbidden and so we had to become quite clandestine about taking photos and confine ourselves to capturing the residential buildings and parks outside the centre, which are less grand and less well guarded. These restrictions were mirrored in the rules for foreign tourists, who are obliged to travel with a Government authorised guide and are only permitted to stay in the few hotels set aside for foreigners (all apparently bugged). Turkmenistan’s wealth comes from its huge reserves of gas and oil (it has the world's fourth-largest reserves of gas and substantial oil resources) and on our drive to the Caspian we saw the oil rigs stretching out across the desert. A great deal of this wealth has been spent on Presidential ‘vanity projects’, such as the new 66,000 capacity Olympic Stadium, which is curious as sports have declined in Turkmenistan since independence and apparently no Turkmen has ever qualified for an Olympic event. Similarly, a huge amount of money is being spent on developing the Caspian Sea coast as a tourist destination but unless travel restrictions and exorbitant visa fees are waived we can’t see which tourists they will attract for a break in the sun.Much of this spending has probably resulted in less investment in other much needed infrastructure in the country, but a lot of oil and gas revenue does subsidise life in Turkmenistan. Gas, electricity and water are all free. Food – even imported foods - are heavily subsidized in the shops (for example a 500ml bottle of coke or a Mars Bar are both about 20 pence), as is transport with car drivers entitled to 120 litres of free petrol a month (and petrol costing 12 pence a litre after that) and a bus ticket in the city costing only 4 pence. The Government provides credit for people to buy property and only charges 1% interest on loans. Taxes too are kept very low: the maximum rate is only 2% and those who work in agriculture pay no tax whatsoever. Our guide, an ethic Russian with Turkmen citizenship, was – at least to us – an emphatic supporter of the regime and extolled the virtues of the high quality of life of people experience in Turkmenistan. It certainly feels much more affluent than either Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan, not least on the roads where battered Ladas have given way to gleaming new Toyotas and Mercedes Benz. However these perks were less relevant in a village we visited in the centre of the country where there were no mains energy supplies, little public transport and housing looked extremely dilapidated. A group of American Peace Corps volunteers working in Turkmenistan we met disputed our guide’s account, and believed that most of the population remained very poor. From visiting the President’s National Museum, we learnt that the current President was elected in 2006 following the death of the first President with a staggering 89.2% of the vote – even his main opponents supported him. The museum is hilariously packed with badly staged and photoshopped images of the President engaged in cultural pursuits: sitting outside a yurt, cooking plov, the national dish, on a mud stove, or riding a horse, as well as more modern pastimes like driving a speedboat, riding a bicycle, playing a guitar and at a shooting range. His target is even on display with the label noting his “unbelievable” perfect score! There are also photos of the President with all the world leaders he has ever met and the gifts he’s received from them. Despite the President’s pre-election promises of reform, he remains all powerful and there is no separation of powers in Turkmenistan (the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary all report to him) and thus there are no checks and balances on his power. The museum even states that the role of Parliament is to “accept laws” the President has decreed. The President has said that “the greatest value of our society is an individual, its rights and freedoms. Today it is at the centre of our state policies”. Yet the Peace Corps volunteers we talked to suggested that life was still extremely oppressive for the people they lived and worked with, as well as for them as foreigners. Even after only a few days we found the continual police presence oppressive and were disturbed to learn that Reporters Without Borders ranked the country second to last in the press freedom index, only ahead of North Korea.We’d entered Turkmenistan from the north, in a region that offers another example of Stalin’s damaging carve up of Central Asia. The ancient kingdom of Khorezm which existed in this region was divided up between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, meaning that there is a large Uzbek population in this part of Turkmenistan and that there are similarities between the local ancient architecture and that we saw in Uzbekistan. For example, a 12th century Mausoleum, the II-Arslan Mausoleum, features a conical dome tiled with turquoise tiles in a zigzag design, which is the first of its kind and was exported to Samarkand by Timur. It was also interesting to see the different approaches Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have taken to conservation and restoration. In Uzbekistan most ancient buildings have been restored (and even rebuilt) to reflect what they may have looked like when new. In Turkmenistan the focus has been on only rebuilding sections that threaten the collapse of the building. No new decorative work has taken place. This may make the monuments less awe inspiring on first sight but chancing upon an original and perfect piece can be even more rewarding, for example the original 12th century sparkling mosaic ceiling we saw in the Turabeg Khanym Complex. From Konye-Urgench we travelled south to Ashgabat spending a night en route camping at the Darvaza Gas Craters. Sadly the village of Darvaza no longer exists (the old President didn’t like the sight of it when visiting the new nearby highway and ordered its destruction) but the gas craters, 10km off the highway in the desert, are one of the most surreal sights we’ve seen so far. The craters were dug during soviet gas exploration in the 1950s and one was set alight and is still blazing after 60 years. At night the inferno is particularly dramatic, drawing many comparisons to the gates of hell. Similarly bizarre was the Kow-Ata underground lake, another contender for the most unusual sight we’ve seen, and certainly the strangest place we’ve ever swum. As we climbed down into the cave, the air got hotter and the smell of sulphur grew stronger until we reached the lake, 65m underground, which is naturally heated to about 36 degrees where we spent a very enjoyable morning swimming and lazing about while bats flew about overhead in the gloom. Kieran and Rachael We set off in August 2010 to travel overland from the UK to China and back... The Silk Road Cities: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva... Uzbekistan: Tashkent and the Fergana Valley Bishkek and Osh

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West Plant Explosion Investigation Into West, Texas Explosion Stopped Due to Shutdown Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By Emily Mathis & Laura Rice View Slideshow An apartment complex near the West Fertilizer Plant was destroyed in the April explosion. Filipa Rodrigues for KUT News Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA, chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee. @EPWChairBoxer The government shutdown has halted the federal investigation into the West Fertilizer Plant explosion. The explosion in April killed 15 people and injured hundreds of others. “Some of the brightest scientists in the world are home today rather than doing their work to protect, and give us information so that we can have the right rules and regulations to protect our environment,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-MD, said during a press conference yesterday. “The monitoring and enforcement is not being done as it should be done.” Cardin chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife. The ranks of furloughed workers includes most employees on the Chemical Safety Board, which investigates industrial accidents such as the West Fertilizer Plant explosion. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA, chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee. She says 37 of the Chemical Safety Board’s 41 employees are not able to work. “If any explosions at industrial facilities happen during the shutdown, they won’t be investigated. And it also means that ongoing investigations have stopped,” Boxer said yesterday. West Mayor Tommy Muska says the investigation into the plant explosion is no longer happening locally. The fertilizer plant site has been cleared. But he tells KUT News he's been waiting for a final answer as to what started the fire that sparked the explosion. "There's nothing we can obviously do about the Washington issue, but I would love for them to come up with a definitive answer as to what caused that explosion," Muska says. "Now, how long that takes, I don't know. They've had six months to work on it, I would think that would probably be long enough. And they may never be able to come up with a definitive answer to that question." Muska agrees an answer could help provide closure for the community. But, he says, the town is pursuing that closure in other ways right now. "People are moving forward in this town. We've got 150 building permits and we've got about 30 new homes being built right now in zone 3," Muska says. Zone 3 was the area closest to the explosion. Homes there saw the most damage. Sen. Boxer told The Dallas Morning News that the shutdown is also delaying federal agencies from developing proposals to prevent explosions like the one in West. Pres. Barack Obama ordered the recommendations in August, with the first deadline for improvement suggestions due on Nov. 1. Now, it seems that deadline is unlikely to be reached. The recommendations were to include tightening regulations on the use of ammonium nitrate in fertilizer plants across the country. "I think if they could start moving forward with some type of regulation as far as sprinkler systems in these old fertilizer plants, I think that would be a big, positive step," Muska says. "But, of course, they can't do that until they open back up … But I have confidence that they'll get together eventually and work this stuff out. I hope they do – and it's their jobs to get this stuff worked out and moved forward." Muska says his work with FEMA on addressing infrastructure problems has continued through the shutdown and he's optimistic about the future. "A lot of new homes are being built, a lot of houses are being restored and moved back into. I moved into my house two weeks ago," Muska says. "The neighborhood is coming back. It's just slow. But we're moving and very positive about it." Tags: west fertilizer plant explosion Related Content: West Plant Explosion Back to School in West, Four Months After Plant Explosion Officials: Ammonium Nitrate Exploded at West Fertilizer Plant Which Texas Congress Members Are Taking a Salary During the Shutdown?

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Resident Hopes Stuff the Bus Helps Childhood Home Christopher Bickel, who grew up in Ventnor helped arrange the latest Stuff the Bus. Chris Bickel has never forgotten the help he received from his hometown. The Ventnor, NJ native, who has since relocated to Livingston, helped spearhead the latest Stuff the Bus, which collected healthy, unexpired, non-perishables, personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies for the residents in Ventnor, who were crippled by last month’s storm. “I’m proud of the Livingston community for what we were able to do,” Bickel said. “The businesses, the clergy, the schools, the town, everybody came out of the woodwork to help. It was just amazing. And the last time I remember a community outpouring of support like that was when I was a resident here (in Ventnor).” The second youngest in a family of ten, Bickel, then 16, found himself and his siblings homeless after his mother passed away and his father left. The Ventnor community rallied around the Bickel family with food and shelter. Most notable was Bob Garbutt, the family’s neighbor, who arranged a place to stay with an English Teacher at the high school where he taught and Chris attended. “With his mom and dad (no longer there), it was rough,” said Garbutt, now retired from the Ventnor school district. “It takes a community to help each other out and he got by. They are now all doing well, the whole Bickel family.” After receiving help from the community as a teenager, Bickel saw the opportunity to give back, following Hurricane Sandy. Ventnor, just south of Atlantic City and with a population of 10,650, suffered extensive damage during the storm. The city was part of the Atlantic County evacuations. It took days for many residents and businesses to return home. Bickel, the K-8 Social Studies supervisor for Livingston Public Schools and a member of the township’s Food Day committee, was asked by the school district to come up with a way that the students could help those in need that were affected by the superstorm. Administration members of the district sat with him to decide where the latest Stuff the Bus could make the biggest difference. When they said they wanted to help an “at-risk” community that had residents year-round, Bickel immediately thought of his childhood home. “I said that I have good contacts in Ventnor, so we can really make this a collaborative school-to-school, mayor-to-mayor, council-to-council event,” said Bickel. Bickel accomplished his goal to bring two packed buses of food and supplies to Ventnor. The buses, provided by Livingston Public Schools, picked up the food and supplies on Friday, stopping at all nine schools in the district, Aquinas Academy, Temple Beth Shalom Preschool, Little Learners and Kushner Hebrew Academy and multiple businesses. “It’s amazing to be able to do something like this for a community that gave me so much growing up,” said Bickel. “I can’t believe the turnout, not only from our end, but we have people here from the town, the school district and businesses. The amount of resources that people committed and gave us to bring down here is just overwhelming.” Bickel describes Ventnor as a great “Shore community.” He says the gem is the city’s boardwalk, which doesn’t feature businesses, but instead is just purely there for the beach. “Many of the leaders there knew they could make more money if they added entertainment (to the boardwalk), but they wanted to keep as pure and pristine as they can,” said Bickel. For Bickel, while he and most of his family has moved off the island, he still feels the connection to Ventnor and is happy to see so many people getting involved in his childhood home. “It’s really amazing because there are people (in Livingston) who look at Ventnor as like a novelty, they knew nothing about it and now they are really starting to inquire and look things up,” Bickel said. For the residents of Ventnor though, they are just happy to see their native son doing well and helping others. “I think (Stuff the Bus) is a great thing that Chris has undertaken,” said Garbutt. “He grew up across the street from me and he has given back to the community which is really super. He could’ve gone other places, but he came back to his roots.”

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Justin Drew Bieber ( /ˈbiːbər/ BEE-bər, born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, producer, entrepreneur, investor, and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by American talent manager Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with entertainer Usher Raymond in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), and then to an Island Records recording contract offered by record executive L.A. Reid.His debut extended play, the seven-track My World, was released in November 2009, and was certified platinum in the United States. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Bieber's first full-length studio album My World 2.0, was released in March 2010. It debuted at or near number-one in several countries and was certified platinum in the United States. It was preceded by the worldwide top-ten single "Baby". He... Tom Hanks Brings the Old School Back Dancing to 'This Is How We Do It' #thatdancetho Must Reads: The Trouble With Virtual Reality, Reporting on Crack and More Written by Megan Hess Our weekly installation of 'Mashable' Must Reads, a curated collection of can't-miss stories from around the web to read and reflect on. There's No Excuse for Justin Bieber's Adolescent Racism Written by Armand Valdes There's no excuse for Justin Bieber's Racsim The Strange Bubble Economics of Selfies Written by The Conversation A couple of months ago my 13-year-old son came to me with a true story. One of his acquaintances had given him control of an Instagram profile with roughly 3,500 followers as a gift. A few days later, my son and his friends met some famous rappers. They took a few selfies with them and posted the images on the Instagram profile. Almost immediately the number of followers exploded from 3,500 to about 9,000. Then my son’s friend offered to buy the profile from him. Justin Bieber Is Accused of Trying to Steal a Woman's Cellphone Written by Colin Daileda You all better sit down for this: Justin Bieber was accused of trying to rob a woman in Los Angeles on Monday. Bieber Asked Rob Ford If He Brought Crack to a Club, Report Says Written by Brian Ries Justin Bieber reportedly bumped into Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at a club one night in March -- and unbeliebably ticked him off. The cocksure Canadian "Baby" singer was partying at the same exclusive night club as the crack-smoking embattled mayor on March 15 when the two bumped into each other in a common area, the Toronto Star reported, according to witnesses. 2014 Webby Awards: And the Winners Are... Written by Kurt Wagner The 2014 Webby Award winners include, Zach Galifianakis, Jimmy Kimmel, and the Jamaican Bobsled Team. Social Media Here's What Happens When Justin Bieber Follows You On Twitter Justin Bieber followed me on Twitter. But it's what happened next that will leave you crying, 'Baby!' A-List Investors, 1 Million Downloads: Is Selfie App 'Shots' For Real? There are two days that Shots CEO John Shahidi says he will never forget. The first happened in December of 2011, when Shahidi was still running the mobile gaming company RockLive. He woke up to find one of his company's top mobile games, Heads Up, had crashed inexplicably. After quickly scanning Twitter to see what the game's users were saying, he found the problem. See also: Top 25 Free iPhone Apps of All Time Justin Bieber had played the game and posted his top score on Twitter. The Top 10 Most-Followed Twitter Accounts Friday is Twitter's eighth birthday -- and boy, has it come a long way. In that time, the social networking site has evolved into an invaluable resource for news (and it's not a bad place to find out what Katy Perry is up to). With more than 51 million followers, the pop star is -- for now, at least -- the reigning queen of Twitter. So who's her competition? We compiled the top 10 most-followed Twitter accounts -- five women, three men and two brands -- to see how they compare. Shut Up, Justin Bieber. Seriously, Just Shut Up If your Bieber-senses were tingling, then you're in for a treat. The Canadian hooligan's deposition video was leaked by TMZ earlier this week. The footage featuring an extremely arrogant, uncooperative and sometimes incoherent Bieber stems from an incident last June in which his bodyguard was accused of attacking a photographer. See also: It's OK to Feel a Little 'Biebenfreude' Here with a surprise "interview" with the Biebs himself (sort of), is YouTuber extraordinaire Lamarr Wilson. Students Pay School to Stop Them Playing Bieber Written by Dennis Green Justin Bieber's music is so grating that people will pay money to make it stop. Starting Monday, administrators at a Washington state high school played the troubled pop singer's 2010 hit "Baby" over the loudspeaker during lunch and between classes. They told students that the only way the music would stop playing was if they collectively donated a total of $500 for a school in Ghana. Selfie Perfectly Captures Your Feelings About a Surprise Bieber Set AUSTIN, Texas -- In what is sure to be just one of many unscheduled celebrity appearances during South by Southwest this year, Justin Bieber gave a surprise performance at sausage and beer joint Banger's on Sunday night. Watch the Footage of Justin Bieber's DUI Arrest

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New city/county government center talks begin; aimed at creating economic growth By Billy W. Hobbs In coming months, much of the talk between officials in Thomson and McDuffie County will focus on one particular subject - a joint city/county government center The concept behind the idea is aimed at generating downtown economic development. "The number one reason for wanting to build a city/county government complex is to provide a cost effective way for city/county employees to work better, in addition to generating economic development downtown," said City of Thomson Administrator Don Powers. "This will be talked about a lot over the next 12 months." Officials aren't sure where the funding to build the joint government center will come from at this time. "Anything mentioned about the funding, at this stage, would be pure speculation," said Mr. Powers. He noted that it could come from SPLOST, borrowing the money through a loan from a financial institution, through bonds or possibly a combination of some of those things. "A city/county government complex would greatly enhance the growth and revitalization of downtown Thomson," said McDuffie County Manager Don Norton. "We could virtually have everything under one roof, as far as city/county government services go. I think that would greatly benefit the people who live here." A six-member city/county government center committee met last Wednesday to discuss various issues confronting them at this time. The committee consists of: Thomson Mayor Robert E. Knox Jr., McDuffie County Commissioner Fred Favors, McDuffie County Manager Don Norton, Thomson City Administrator Don Powers, Thomson-McDuffie County Planning Board Director Fred Guerrant and Thomson-McDuffie County Economic Development Director Mike Carrington. Mayor Knox suggested that an appraiser and an architect be hired to "tighten up the plan" for a joint government center. "I think that is the most important thing facing us right now," Mayor Knox said. "We need to find some quality people to help us with this project." He recommended that an outside appraiser be hired instead of a local appraiser, so as to prevent any problem with possible local interests. There are a number of properties that would have to be purchased, including some existing businesses, three vacant buildings and 16 vacant lots. Those properties lie over a 20.6 acre area. Based on the current value of the property, committee members believe it would take more than $1.3 million to purchase those properties. The city/county government center, which is planned to be built along Railroad Street, could be five years away from being built. "We've got a lot of things to figure out before we can even start thinking about construction," Mr. Norton said. The government center, projected to cost $17.7 million, is expected to be a two-story building that would include many of the city/county offices. The center also would become the new home of several state offices within the county, including the Georgia Department of Labor and the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. Asked if the Georgia State Patrol post, currently located on Washington Road, just beyond I-20 might be moved there, too, Mr. Powers said such had not been discussed. "I would think that they would want to stay where they are, since they are so close to the interstate," Mr. Powers said. He believes if such a government center is built that it might create additional economic growth in downtown Thomson. "I think it would be great for our downtown and tie right in with what we're doing with our downtown revitalization project," Mr. Powers added. The committee is expected to meet again in about two weeks. Web posted on Thursday, September 06, 2007

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VIDEO: Rare Clip Shows Roosevelt's Use Of Wheelchair Share Tweet E-mail Print By Mark Memmott Originally published on Wed July 10, 2013 9:26 am Photos of President Franklin D. Roosevelt sitting in a wheelchair are also rare and weren't shown to the public while he was in office. In this image from 1941 he's with his dog Fala and Ruthie Bie, the granddaughter of a gardener who worked for the Roosevelt family. Landov The press and the president's aides kept Franklin D. Roosevelt's use of a wheelchair hidden from most of the public during his more than 12 years as the nation's leader. So hidden, in fact, that an Indiana college professor's discovery of just 8 seconds of film that shows Roosevelt gliding down a ramp aboard the U.S.S. Baltimore in July 1944 is making news this week. According to The Associated Press: "Bob Clark, supervisory archivist at the Roosevelt library in New York, said he wasn't aware of any other similar film. A spokeswoman for the National Archives concurred. " 'With respect to whether or not this is the earliest or only existing footage of FDR in a wheelchair, we cannot state that this is definitively the case, although such footage is certainly rare,' Laura Diachenko said in an email." The Indianapolis Star writes that "Franklin College Professor Ray Begovich actually was most interested in finding photos of alumni Elmer Davis, a Hoosier journalist who became a war information specialist for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt." It was by accident, the Star says, that Begovich came across the film clip while he was researching at the National Archives in 2009 or 2010. As you can see in the clip, Roosevelt's wheelchair is blocked from the camera's view by sailors lining the ramp. But the motion clearly shows the white-hatted president gliding past them. Begovich told the FDR Presidential Museum and Library about the clip in 2010. The Star says he "hopes that its wider release now will spur other researchers to comb through old files that might contain other images of FDR in his wheelchair." The AP reminds readers that: "Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921 at age 39 and was unable to walk without leg braces or assistance. During his four terms as president, Roosevelt often used a wheelchair in private, but not for public appearances. News photographers cooperated in concealing Roosevelt's disability, and those who did not found their camera views blocked by Secret Service agents, according to the FDR Presidential Museum and Library's website." Roosevelt's biography on the White House's website says that: "In the summer of 1921, when he was 39, disaster hit — he was stricken with poliomyelitis. Demonstrating indomitable courage, he fought to regain the use of his legs, particularly through swimming. At the 1924 Democratic Convention he dramatically appeared on crutches to nominate Alfred E. Smith as 'the Happy Warrior.' In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of New York." Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. Peoria Public Radio

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22 November: A Personal Reflection Today, 22 November 2011, we commemorate the 48th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. I leave it to political pundits and scholars to hypothesize about the impact of JFK's loss on our nation. For now, though, I simply offer one man's personal reflection. On 22 November 1963, I was a freshman in high school seminary: St. Henry Preparatory Seminary in Belleville, Illinois. I was studying to become a priest in the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), hoping to become a missionary priest. Three years before, while still in grade school at St. Patrick's Parish in Peoria, Illinois, my class had staged our own version of the Nixon-Kennedy presidential debates, as we learned that, for the first time ever, the United States might actually elect a Catholic to be president! Not everyone was a Kennedy supporter: even at home, my Dad was firmly behind Richard Nixon. After the election, Kennedy had won and then came that marvelous inaugural address! "Ask not what your country can do for you. . . ." What an exciting time! As JFK was preparing to run for president, of course, things were changing in the Church, too -- the other great influence on those of us in Catholic grade school. In 1958, the long-serving Pope Pius XII died, and Cardinal Angelo Roncalli was elected pope, taking the name of John XXIII. There was such excitement about the new pope, especially when, in January 1959, he announced that he was convening a general Council of the Church: Vatican II. To me, as a young Catholic boy who had already decided that he wanted to go to the seminary, it seemed like everything and anything was going to be possible in the church and the world. 1962: the year of the opening of the Council and the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and as a 12-year old, I watched with my Mom and Dad as President Kennedy showed those frightening photos of the missile launchers in Cuba and announced the naval blockade. If I could have enlisted in the Navy that night, I would have. The world was rapidly changing, and we wanted to be part of it. In 1963, suddenly, things began to change in a negative direction, including the death of "good Pope John" and then the assassination of President Kennedy. Even though I was only 13, I made two scrapbooks that year, and I still have them: one on the President and one on the Pope. Suddenly, our generation had to start to grow up and face unpleasant realities. A new word, "Vietnam" replaced "French Indochina" in our news, and tensions increased in both our government and in our church. This would seem to build until the awful year of 1968: the year of the Tet Offensive, and the year of the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. While those events would really steer our generation in many ways, the process really began with that shocking day, 48 years ago, in Dallas. Ultimately, it's not helpful to wonder "what if" JFK hadn't been cut down. At the same time, it does seem opportune to see if we can recover some of the optimism and enthusiasm we all had for the Church and Country back then! Wouldn't it be wonderful too see and encourage the possibilities of the future, and not all of the things that keep us angry and divided? RIP, President Kennedy. We're still here, still trying to live up to the potential of your inaugural challenge! Deacon MiguelNovember 22, 2011 at 6:19 PMWilliam I was 3 years old when JFK was assasinated and 8 when Bobby Kenndy and Dr. King were assasinated. I recall the Vatican II changes. These were without a doubt some significant changes in our society and the life of the church.Deacon Miguel PaganOrlando, FlReplyDeleteNorbertNovember 23, 2011 at 11:21 AMIn case anyone is interested:The United State Air Force VC137-C -- Tail Number 26000 -- which, as "Air Force One," took President Kennedy to Dallas, and the one where President Johnson was sworn in on, and the one that brought all the entourage back to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC-- is available for visits.It is housed in "The Presidential Collection" of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.I volunteer in that gallery usually eight hours a month. I have had visitors go through Kennedy's Air Force One crying; I have had folks speak to me in awkward English that they had traveled half-way across the world to touch that plane; I have even had folks who have tried to convince me that the "ghosts" in that plane talked to them.That is one of the "secular ministries" that I do.Deacon Norb in OhioReplyDeleteJohn KropfNovember 29, 2011 at 9:44 AMDear Deacon Bill, I recently completed a year of Aspirancy and was not called to formation. The diocese "discerned" that I am not called to the diaconate. I have had much difficulty dealing with this decision and would very much appreciate your feedback and would like to correspond with you about my situation.Is there someway we could do that? I would appreciaet your time and wisdom. I can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks and blessings, John KropfReplyDeleteAdd commentLoad more... Being Catholic: What Difference Does It Make, Real... Time for a little levity: Priests and Deacons work... Coming soon to the Archdiocese of Vancouver: Deaco... The Renewed Diaconate at Vatican II: Gift of the H...

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hide California governor denies parole for Manson Family member Friday, March 01, 2013 4:53 p.m. CST By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown denied parole on Friday for a member of the Manson Family who was sentenced to life in prison for two 1969 murders carried out with other members of the cult, saying that he remained a danger to the public. In rejecting parole for Bruce Davis, 70, Brown reversed the decision of a California parole board that found him eligible for release after his 27th parole hearing last October. "As our Supreme Court has acknowledged, in rare circumstances, a murder is so heinous that it provides evidence of current dangerousness by itself," the governor wrote in his six-page decision. "This is such a case." Brown commended Davis for his efforts to improve himself during his four decades behind bars, including earning degrees in religion and philosophy, leading counseling groups and teaching Bible classes. But he said the convicted killer had continued to minimize the extent of his involvement and leadership in the Manson Family, a collection of runaways and outcasts brought together by ex-convict Charles Manson whose spree of killings horrified the nation in the late 1960s. "Until he can acknowledge and explain why he actively championed the Family's interests, and shed more light on the nature of his involvement, I am not prepared to release him," the governor wrote. Davis has been serving a life sentence in a California state prison since his 1972 conviction for the murders of music teacher Gary Hinman, who was stabbed to death in July 1969, and stunt man Donald "Shorty" Shea, who was killed the following month. He was arrested in 1970 after nearly a year on the run. 'HEALTER SKELTER' Manson became one of the 20th century's most infamous criminals in the summer of 1969, when he directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people in what prosecutors said was part of a plan to incite a race war between whites and blacks. Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski. She was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of August 9, 1969. Four other people were also stabbed or shot to death at Tate's home that night by the Manson followers, who scrawled the word "Pig" in blood on the front door before leaving. The following night, Manson's group stabbed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca to death, using their blood to write "Rise," "Death to Pigs" and "Healter Skelter" - a misspelled reference to the Beatles song "Helter Skelter" - on the walls and refrigerator door. Davis did not take part in those murders. Manson was originally sentenced to death but was spared execution after the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972. Now 78, he is serving a life sentence at Corcoran State Prison for the seven Tate-LaBianca killings and the murder of Hinman. He has been repeatedly denied parole. Steve Grogan, a Manson Family member who was convicted of murdering Shea at Manson's direction, was released in the mid-1980s. Davis was previously granted parole in 2010 but remained incarcerated after that decision was reversed by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and David Gregorio)

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News Communities Sports Opinion Milestones Sections Ads Classifieds Jobs Extras CU Customer Service Local News « Elkins landmark undergoes re... Buckhannon man facing felony...» EHS to host blood drive on Monday By Chad Clem - Staff Writer , Save | Post a comment | ELKINS - Students from Elkins High School are teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on Monday in honor of March being Red Cross Month. EHS senior Becky Smith is the student coordinator of the event, which will be held in the auxiliary gym from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The blood drive is open to the public. Smith said this is her second year of involvement, and her first time coordinating. "It's really hard to get high-schoolers to donate but it's important for as many people who are able to do so," she said. "Even one donation can save lives. In fact, one pint of blood can save up to three lives." Smith said this is the third blood drive this year at EHS, and a fourth is scheduled in May. The blood drives are sponsored by the Youth Leadership Club and Tiger Express. Barbara Zimmerman, the faculty advisor who oversees the events, said the blood drives require that students coordinate "a lot of planning and follow through." "These guys work really hard to get these events to work," Zimmerman said. "It's good to see them doing these things and finding success." Tanner Boatwright, another EHS senior, knows the importance of donating blood, as he has first-hand experience. Boatwright was shot in a hunting accident - "a direct shot to the femoral artery" he said - and he lost six pints of blood in the process. A paramedic was able to save his life by pumping blood back into his body, he said. Boatwright lost his leg - he now wears a prosthesis - but donated blood saved his life, he said. Now Boatwright encourages people to donate whenever possible. "I've been very lucky," he said. "Donated blood saves lives everyday. Since my accident, I've been able to continue my athletic career by participating in pre-Olympic qualifying events for snowboarding. All of that is possible because someone, somewhere took a few minutes out of their day and donated blood." Parental permission is required for all 16-year-olds to donate blood, although 17-year-olds can donate without parental consent in West Virginia. Every donation is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, and other infectious diseases. According to the American Red Cross, student athletes should wait about 12 hours or more to resume strenuous exercise after blood donation, due to a temporary loss of fluids. The body usually replaces those fluids within 24 hours or sooner if the donor drinks extra fluids. Athletes are cautioned to not donate on the same day of a competition or strenuous exercise. The EHS Tiger Express School Community Christmas Project is also scheduled on Monday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bob Evans in Elkins. The restaurant will donate 15 percent of sales to the project when presented with the flyer for the event. Contact Chad Clem by email at [email protected]. © Copyright 2014 The Inter-Mountain. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Opinion and commentary on the news, human liberty, politics, gun rights, current events, and modern culture. Copyright 2006-2014 by The Liberty Sphere. National Conservative Examiner Click on the image for political commentary from a conservative perspective Musings After Midnight Series My popular series indexed here, in one place. Contact MeAnthonyGMartin1 (at) gmail (dot) comPlace the word 'ADS' in the subject menu.************************* Schedule Me to Speak at Your Event How Both Parties Have Failed America Gas Prices Down, Bush Numbers Up Muslim Rage Against the Pope U.S. Policy on Illegal Drugs Interrogating Terrorists CNSNews Headlines A Voice for Freedom Radio Glenn Beck Radio Glenn Beck TV Carolina News WORD NewsRadio Conservative Examiners Gun Rights Examiner St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner Armed and United Around O-Town Behind the Parapet Blogstitution Cajun Bass Dark Blog Dustin's Gun Blog Greg W. Howard Insight on Freedom John Jacob H Kharma Futures MOWCA Blog Occupied Nashville The Ninth Stage The Oxpecker The Stiletto Melanie Phillips in the U.K. William F. Buckley, Jr. Conservative Nexus Reproach of Men Texas Gun Owners Association The Twisters The leaders of both of the major political parties in Washington have a vested interest in not addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time--immigration reform. The Democrats have long favored immigration as a means of expanding their voting base. The Republicans have long favored immigration, albeit not publicly, as a means of getting cheap labor. Now that it has been clearly stated what everybody has known all along but refused to admit, it is easy to see why this problem is not easily fixed.For the past 26 years or so the shifting sands of the political landscape have not favored Democrats. They have held the White House only eight of those 26 years, and their majorities in the houses of Congress were either shortlived or non-existent during the same period of time. Those who peer into future political shifts have long noted that the Democrats' main voting base is shrinking and that the percentage of the populace that resonates with the Party's message is down significantly from 60s. The one thing that the Democrats have had in their favor is the nation's immigration policy, which has tended to be a haphazard endeavor with gaps so deep and broad that terrorists could enter and leave the country practically under the radar screen. And with the majority of those who immigrate being from impoverished nations, the Democrats could find a willing audience among the millions who have come to our shores over the past 20 years.The Republicans' record is no better. In fact, one can make the case that it is a worse record than the Democrats because the Republicans have been the ones putting the issue on center stage year after year, and yet doing nothing. The reason is not far to find. Cheap labor. Employers of illegal immigrants can save millions of dollars per year by employing people who will work in the hot sun for much less than minimum wage and who do not demand 'fringe benefits.' In the housing sector alone, it is estimated that the average cost of a home in southeastern Texas, for example, would rise by at least $20,000 were it not illegals. In other words, give an American a job, pay him right, treat him right, and your costs will soar. Despite the rhetoric of some within the Party, the Republicans have the dubious record of talking a good game but doing very little to control the flow of illegals to this country. The current President and the U.S. Congress have plenty of blame to share on this issue.Perhaps we should stop for a moment and ask ourselves some sobering questions as a society--Is this ultimately good for America? If so, who does it benefit mostly? If not, then what are the damaging effects of continuing with business as usual in our immigration policy?Should we expect people who immigrate here to obey the law? If not, then why should we expect ANY citizen to obey the law, ever? What makes an immigrant so special that this society can wink and nod at illegal activity associated with them, while affording law-abiding citizens who have been here all along no such break?At what point does the practice of employing cheap labor outside the bounds of U.S. law become unAmerican? Is it not more important for the long-term stability of the nation that we have a law-abiding populace rather than providing them a temporary break from costs by employing law-breakers?And finally, to the Democrats who see votes in all this, how many years does it take in selling your soul to expediency for you to cease to be a viable political party working for the good of America? The answers to these questions will require much soul-searching and a gut-wrenching honesty that one is not likely to see in politics. But we must consider these issues and amend our policies accordingly. Time is running out. Welshman Is it really just the economy, stupid?One can make a case that there are many other weightier matters on the political agenda since the war on terror ensued. However, when it comes to the President's everyday poll numbers, apparently one need look no further than the trends in gas prices. As the prices at the pump go up, Bush's numbers go down. As the prices at the pump plumment, Bush's numbers start back up.The Presiden't popularity now stands at 44%, according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. This represents a five-point gain since the last poll was taken. Within that short period of time, the one variable that changed was the price of oil. For example, in one area of the country gas prices topped out at $2.94 per gallon at the end of August. Today that figure is $2.35 per gallon. Some areas of the country are reporting a much steeper decline. One pundit who follows trends in oil prices suggested the possibility of a nationwide average of just $1.15 per gallon at the pump by the time the declines in prices are over.Consumer confidence has been emboldened by the latest trends. As oil prices decline Americans feel more confident about the economy. And the more confident they feel about the economy the more confidence they tend to have in their elected officials. This would seem to improve dramatcially the prospects of the Republicans retaining majorities in both houses of Congress. Recent polls show that the Republicans are quickly closing the gap on early Democrat leads in key races around the country, in both the House and Senate.However, it is probably too early for the Republicans to start their victory celebrations just yet. It is still quite a long time until the November elections. Much can happen in that period of time to change the nature of the political landscape. We still face a ticking timb-bomb in Iraq as Americans increasingly grow weary of our seemingly endless campaign there. Iran may perhaps pose an ever greater threat than Iraq as they stand on the brink of becoming a nuclear power. The tension between Isreal and the Muslim world is not going away, and one has to wonder how long it will take for the violence to flair in that region once again.These landmines and others can be very tricky during an election cycle. The bit of good news for the President, however, is that local races tend to be about local issues. Certainly this is not always the case as Congressional and Senate candidates are prone to hitch their wagons to issues of national interest. The problem so far has been that each time the Democrats have pushed the notion that midterms elections are a referendum on the President's handling of his job, they lose. Yet they continue down this path, even today, making George W. Bush the 'star' of their latest ad campaign, as if this is somehow doing to help them gain seats in Congress.It may well be that one of these days their ill-fated plan may work. On the other hand, it has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time.And, as long as gas prices continue downward, particularly over the Fall and Winter, it may well turn out to be a very long season for the Democrats. I will say at the outset that Muslim extremists all over the world are not doing themselves any favors by their blatant and violent overreaction to a quote that the Pope made during a recent lecture. Let's take a look at the reasonable vs. the unreasonable for a moment.The Pope had returned to his alma mater recently to deliver a lecture to the theologians present. Within the theological world all historic documents are considered. Granted, much of what was written in years passed has been repudiated. Yet it is the mark of a good theological school and a good theologian to consider past statements from others who were considered major voices in the field. The Pope offered a quotation that clearly delineated the differences between Catholicsm and Christianity on the one hand, and Islam on the other. The intent was to provide a basis for discussion and dialogue with other theologians. The quote, admittedly, placed Islam in a very negative light. Yet no one as of yet has been able to show that what was said in that quotation was not true. In fact, the reaction of the extremists Muslims to the quotation only proves that the quotation IS true.The statements cited in the Pope's lecture centered on the concepts of holy war and the spread of Islam by the sword. The result has been a venomous and hate-filled reaction among many Muslim sectors around the world, including death threats against the Pope, the desire to assassinate the Pope and other Catholics, and the hanging and burning of the Pope in effagy. These extremists have vowed holy war against the Vatican.This being the case, then how is the quotation the Pope used in his lecture erroneous in any way? The extremists' reaction is only serving to prove the point.Admittedly, not all Muslims stand in accord with the extremists, and this cannot be stressed enough. There have been many voices among Muslim populations that have disavowed any association or approval of the actions and words of the Fundamentalist extremists. Further, the Catholic church has had its own seasons of less-than-admirable tactics in the desire to spread Christianity, i.e., the Crusades. However, the Pope made it clear in the lecture that Catholicism has come a long way since that time, resting on a rational and reasonable approach of peace, acceptance, open dialogue, and understanding. Perhaps his point was that Muslims can do the same thing since both groups have had their experience with more violent methods. Sadly, this point has been lost in the hostility that has ensued among Muslim extremists.In the meantime, we must bear in mind that the extremists are very dangerous. This IS a life and death matter. As long as there are those who are intent on wiping 'the Infidels' from the face of the earth, we all must take heed. I am afraid that even more violent times are ahead. William F. Buckley, long-time conservative columnist, author, and magazine publisher raised more than a few eyebrows several years ago when he advocated for a revamping of U.S. policy on illegal drugs. Buckley's premise in a nutshell was that the policy itself is ill-conceived and reminiscent of Prohibition, which was an abject failure. Government should not be in the business of regulating the private behavior of private citizens. Experience has been a great teacher. When government has attempted such ill-fated schemes in the past, the result has been an increase of the very behavior it was seeking to squelch, i.e. the consumption of alcohol, and a dangerous proliferation of illegal activity on the black market. The speak-easies were the only ones making huge tax-free profits during Prohibition.The same principle applies to illegal drugs.The illegality of these substances has created a massive underground black market where shadowy figures overseas, and their foot-soldiers on U.S. streets, rake in millions of dollars per year that pass under the radar screen. Such a dubious enterprise is not subject to regulation or taxes. The purity of the substances sold is often questionable, resulting in untold numbers of deaths. The means by which the collection of the huge price tag of these subtances is procured creates an ever heavier strain on the already crime laden streets of our largest metropolitan areas. Thus, our decades old so-called 'war on drugs' has been deemed every bit as much a failure as Prohibition.Alternative approaches to this still-growing problem are long overdue. Perhaps we could learn a few lessons from our Dutch counterparts who have discovered that the de-criminalization and legalization of certain illegal substances has resulted in observable benefit to society. For one, prisons are not overcrowded due to simple possession charges. In addition, these drugs are sold in certain specified shops, under government regulation, and subject to government taxes. Dutch society as a whole has been enhanced by such a public policy.It is difficult to imagine the United States legalizing the sale of such substances, in spite of the fact that the tax revenues from such a policy could ease the tax burden on individual citizens. Our historic sense of moral responsibility is so deeply ingrained that one is hard-pressed to imagine any such change in the near future. However, a good start could be made by the de-criminalization of simple possession and use.Estimates from the most reliable sources indicate that upwards of 60% of the prison population in America is drug-related, and most of this is attributed to charges of simple possession. In an era where prison overcrowding has led to dangerous decisions to release violent criminals and to overburdening the taxpayers with the costs of building new prisons, or even worse, forcing prisoners to live under massive tents in 100-degree heat, leading to violent confrontations between inmates, it would seem that implementing a reasonable policy of decriminalizing the use and possession of illegal drugs is the prudent course. It is much more vital to the security of our society to keep violent criminals behind bars than to incarcerate non-violent drug offenders who are presently inhabiting prison space that could be free for the imprisonment of the truly dangerous ciminals. Prison overcrowding would immediately become a non-issue. The burden on the taxpayers to build new prisons would be eased.California's practice of sentencing non-violent drug offenders to treatment programs rather than prison is an idea worth considering. What sense does it make for a pot-smoking 20 year old college student to occupy a cell next to a violent criminal? There are numerous and effective programs that help drug addicts get clean and sober. The medical community considers the problem a disease. This being the case, treatment is the answer rather than imprisonment. Leave the jail cells to the truly violent criminals.The costs of the present public policy toward illegal drugs to the society is staggering. Surely we can do better. By implementing prudent measures to decriminalize non-violent drug offenders we can begin to address a decades old problem that isn't going away but getting worse. We can all do ourselves as citizens a big favor by writing to our state and national representatives and expressing our desire to see a change in public policy toward illegal drugs. The big debate in Washington this week focussed on the Bush Administration's request that Congress clarify the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, General Article 3, concerning the treatment of non-military personnel who are involved in acts of war. Three major U.S. Senators--John McCain, John Warner, and Lindsey Graham broke with the President on the issue, insisting that the wording of the Geneva Conventions remain intact as they have stood for decades. The President came out swinging at a news conference this week, delineating his case that the present CIA methods of interrogating terrorists have yielded life-saving information that has prevented another terrorist attack on U.S. soil and that to suggest we have lost our moral authority in the world is tantamount to lumping us together with the terrorists.The major news organizations have tended to overplay the debate as a major rift among Republicans in Congress who have apparently decided to defy the President on this issue. Perhaps there is a story on that somewhere in the mix, but it misses the point. The point is that both the White House and Senate Republicans have succeeded in placing on center stage the issue of the war on terror...and with good reason. Recent polls have suggested that the fear of another terrorist attack on American soil is still at the forefront of the minds of most Americans and that the war on terror ranks in the top three most important issues facing voters in the upcoming elections.That being said, removing yet another layer of the public discourse on this issue reveals several key considerations--the interface of U.S. Law and International Law,the protection of both the safety of U.S. citizens AND the rights of detainees, and the legal protection afforded to CIA interrogators who must receive concrete assurances that their tactics are legal.One must bear in mind that the law of the land in this country is the United States Code. It is not unusual for this nation to clarify provisions of International Law for the purposes of conformity to U.S. Code. Given that the wording of General Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions is vague and open to speculation and interpretation, and given that the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that methods of interrogating terror suspects must conform to the Geneva Conventions, it is perhaps prudent that Congress take a look at spelling out in black and white what, exactly, is acceptable. The U.S. Supreme Court has essentially mandated adherence to a provision of International Law that is too vague. It is up to the Legislative Branch to thus clarify General Article 3 so that the interface between International Law and the U.S. Code is consistent with U.S. Law. This can be done without tampering with or violating the wording of the Geneval Conventions. Senator McCain stated this morning on ABC News with George Stephanopolis that he believes such a compromise can be accomplished.In addition, one must not forget that the fact that we have not been the recipient of a terrorist attack since 9/11 is a major argument in the President's favor. Americans are still afraid, and they still expect their government to pursue reasonaable means of providing protection and security. The fact that we have remained relatively unscathed since 9/11 does give one some sense of gratification. However, most of us are yet ever so aware of the prevailing threat. At the same time, one must bear in mind that detainees are misguided and dangerous human beings, but human beings nonetheless. Our methods of interrogation must not be so over the top that we lose our sense of values. America must always take the moral high road. That is who we are. Part of the reason for the respect and admiration we have historically received in the world is due to our values. If we lose that then we lose any moral authority we have earned in the eyes of the world.Finally, we must take seriously the expressed needs of CIA intelligence officials on the front lines of the war on terror. They have asked for clarification. This is the least we can do for them. Anything less will subject dedicated American patriots to the looming threat of prosecution. It is not fair to ask our CIA personnel to do all they can to protect American lives without giving THEM the protection of clarity in U.S. Law. The boundary lines must be spelled out in such a way so as to assure interrogators that their methods are within the bounds of the law while at the same time affording them the clear knowledge that anything outside those bounds is illegal and makes them subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. This would seem to be reasonable and fair.At this juncture in the war on terror, clarification of law is essential in order for us to proceed in an orderly fashion to protect our society from the ravages of terrorism. This can be done without in any way changing or amending the provisions of the Geneva Conventions. Senator McCain and the Administration seem to think such a thing can be done. Let's hope that they are right. The world today is at a crossroads of sorts that could determine the future of civilization for many years to come. Never before have there been such opportunities for freedom to flourish, yet never before have the forces opposed to human liberty mounted such herculean efforts to thwart the progression of freedom and advancement. Cultures and societies clash on values, concepts, world-view, religion, philosophy, and ideology. Henry Kissinger has recently suggested that there lies before us the stark possibility of a war of civilizations. I would like to suggest that perhaps that war has already begun.The recent ABC News docu-drama, 'The Path to 9/11,' portrayed for us in striking detail the challenge that we face. This controversial film raised the ire of many politicians, leading to a media feeding frenzy that served to bury the basic message of the film beneath all the rhetoric.This film was not about fixing blame. Neither was it intended to create scapegoats for a mindset in American culture that, prior to 9/11, was based upon a false sense of security that has prevailed ever since the end of the Cold War. Granted, the Clinton Administration's handling of the threat of terrorism was fraught with missteps, oversights, and a rather cavalier attitude that was indicative of American culture in general at the time. It is doubtful that any administration would have acted with any more resolved, except perhaps on a limited level. One can imagine a George W. Bush administration reacting proactively to the attack on the USS Cole, for example, but it is questionable that a Bush administration would have been any more prepared for an attack such as 9/11 when the entire society at the time lived under the assumption that we were invinsible. Little did we know how vulnerable we really were. Even the lone voices within the Clinton Administration who sensed that vulnerability were no doubt taken by surprise when the Towers actually fell. And thus, those who would seize upon 'The Path to 9/11' as a path to indictment or to seek vindication miss the point entirely. The point is we are in grave danger as a society. We are somewhat more prepared to deal with the threat of terrorism than we were prior to 9/11, but we are, after all, a free society. Freedom places limits on what governments can do in dealing proactively with threats that are posed by terrorists, who work covertly and with no single state sponsor. Their backing comes from a variety of sources both in and outside of recognized governments. Never before in the history of modern civilization have we faced such an enemy. Our vulnerability does not stem primarily from a failure of government but from the limits of a free society.The question, thus, remains, how do we forge a path that both protects the precious liberties we cherish as Americans and yet protects the security that we have come to cherish as well? Hello, and welcome to the Liberty Sphere...a website dedicated to the preservation and promotion of human liberty all around the world. I invite you to share your insights, concerns, opinions, and reflections here as we strive to inhabit this planet together amicably.I am your host, D. Martyn Lloyd-Morgan. I am a consultant on public policy to various political and social organizations that are expressly interested in the cause of liberty.I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you here on this vastly important subject, and I look forward to reading yours.Sincerely,D. Martyn Lloyd-Morgan

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Home > The Scoop Blog Longtime Dallas radio and TV newsman Alex Burton died Thursday at the age of 80 By Joe Simnacher [email protected] 1:37 pm on September 13, 2012 | Permalink Alex Burton in a file photo from 2005 taken at Reading and Radio Source Center, where he read to the blind Alex Burton, longtime radio and television newsman, died Thursday of complications of prostate cancer at Treemont Healthcare & Rehab Center in Dallas. He was 80. An adaptable survivor of ever-changing radio and television formats, Mr. Burton had a long and diverse career as a broadcast reporter, narrator, pundit and general observer of the human condition. “I’ve always believed if you can’t be better, you’d better be different–and he was different,” said longtime friend and former coworker Bob Shaw of Dallas. Mr. Burton remained ready for prime time to the very end of his life, even offering his opinion of the state of broadcast journalism from the bed where was confined by cancer. George Toomer, left, and Alex Burton in a file photo taken in 1986 “News would be a hell of a lot better these days if management would stay out of the way,” he said. “I don’t think they allow the newsmen to use their imaginations. That’s a shame, I know they have something to say.” Mr. Burton seemed to have a nose for opportunity. His public persona was forged when he added a $5 a night stint to his duties at WBAP-TV, now KXAS-TV, (Channel 5.) “The midnight news was the thing that made my name,” he said. “By the time the midnight news came around, I was pretty well bored and I tried to perk it up a bit.” By chance, a plant — a prop left on the set from a commercial — became his sidekick. He named the plant Arthur. “The floor man was going to take him away,

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Gov. Christie To Warren Buffett: 'Write A Check And Shut Up' Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By Eyder Peralta New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is making some waves, today, after expressing some harsh words about billionaire Warren Buffett in an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan last night. Christie was talking about New Jersey's efforts to lower taxes on everyone, when Morgan asked him about Buffett, who famously asked the government to raise his taxes. In an editorial in The New York Times last year, Buffett said he paid a lower tax rate than his secretary. Those comments have led President Obama to use him and his secretary as reasons to impose a so-called "Buffett Rule," which would require those making more than $1 million a year to pay at least 30 percent in taxes. Christie seemed annoyed by that conversation. "He should just write a check and shut up," Christie said. "I'm tired of hearing about it. If he wants to give the government more money, he's got the ability to write a check — go ahead and write it." CNN has provided this video of the exchange:Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread.

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U.S. Ambassador Returning To Syria Share Tweet E-mail Comments Print By Mark Memmott Originally published on Tue December 6, 2011 11:14 am U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford on June 20, 2011, in Jisr al-Shughur, Syria. Louai Beshara AFP/Getty Images "Ambassador Robert Ford has completed his consultations in Washington and is returning to Syria," the State Department confirms on its official Twitter page. He left there the weekend of Oct. 22 because of what State said had been "credible threats against his personal safety." As we reported on Sept. 29, Ford had gotten considerable attention for his meetings with opposition figures as protests against the Assad regime continued in recent months. His efforts have not gone over well with the Assad regime. Government supporters at one point threw stones, eggs and tomatoes at Ford's convoy as he went to meet with an opposition leader. They also surrounded the building where the ambassador was meeting with that opposition figure. This morning, the State Department adds that: "Ambassador Ford's presence in Syria is among the most effective ways to send the message that the U.S. stands with the people of Syria." Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. View the discussion thread.

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Health Risks Restrictions On Freedom EU Takeover RFID & Microchip Global Govt Scheme Elitist Mindset War Agenda Societal Break Down Wise Up TV Pentagon puposefully creates another best selling author * The pentagon are no dummies, they’ve done this time and time again. The Guardian offers the media’s usual “U.S. intelligence don’t know what they are doing” piece and most of the public believe that ruse. Chris McGreal “Pentagon tries to buy entire print run of US spy expose Operation Dark Heart “It’s every author’s dream – to write a book that’s so sensationally popular it’s impossible to find a copy in the shops, even as it keeps climbing up the bestseller lists. “And so it is for Anthony Shaffer, thanks to the Pentagon’s desire to buy up all 10,000 copies of the first printing of his new book, Operation Dark Heart. And then pulp them. “The department of defence is in talks with St Martin’s Press to purchase the entire first print run on the grounds of national security. “The publisher is content to sell the books but the two sides are in a grinding dispute over what should appear in a censored version and when it should be released. “Now St Martin’s Press says it will put the partly redacted manuscript on sale next week “The army had cleared the book by Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer, about “black ops” in the Afghan war when he was based at Bagram in 2003, for publication after relatively minor changes. “They said it contained highly classified material including the names of American intelligence agents and accounts of clandestine operations, and demanded the book be withdrawn on the grounds it “could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security”.

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Art professor donates her painting to Hornell airport in memory of Pat Jessup Lise Lemeland with her plane, a Super Decathlon Lise Lemeland, associate professor of drawing and painting in the School of Art & Design at Alfred University, will donate an original mural-sized painting to the City of Hornell, owner of the Hornell Municipal Airport, in memory of the late Patrick Jessup. The oil-on-canvas was created specifically for Patrick and the Hornell aviation community. Jessup was piloting a plane that crashed near the Lock Haven, PA, airport in June 2010, killing Jessup and two passengers. Associated with Sterling Airways, Jessup was a well-respected and popular charter pilot and flight instructor for more than 20 years. He is credited with teaching many local pilots to fly, including Lemeland. More than that, however, Jessup was her husband. Dedication of the painting in his memory is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday (May 30) at the Hornell airport, with Mayor Shawn Hogan, as well as many of Jessup’s family, friends and fellow pilots expected to be in attendance. The public is encouraged to attend as well. JetSmart Aviation, the company that not manages and runs the airport for the city, is hosting the event. With the dedication, the City of Hornell will gain a distinction shared with The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum; three of Lemeland’s aviation-themed paintings are in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection. She has said that for her, flying and painting are “inextricably entwined.” She uses flying, particularly aerobatics, as inspiration for her work. “Since Pat’s death, I have continued to pursue my flying, specifically competition aerobatics,” said Lemeland. Last summer, the Federal Aviation Administration granted her a waver for an “aerobatic box” right over the Hornell airport, which allows her to practice her routine right over the airport’s runway. “This is quite a neat thing for me,” said Lemeland. “Not only is it great for practicing my sequence, but if someone happens to be at the airport while I am up practicing, they can see my flying upside down. “Pat would be very proud, I know.”

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« Dan Rather Needs an Intervention | Dan Rather's road » Share | Hsu Faces Fundraising Charges The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu will be charged with several counts of fraud as well as violations of campaign finance law today:The case, to be announced this afternoon by the U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of New York, encompasses complaints by investors who gave tens of millions of dollars to Mr. Hsu, who said he was putting the money into a lucrative apparel operation. It also is expected to charge Mr. Hsu with crimes relating to his legendary fund-raising. See a sortable table of campaign donations from Norman Hsu and other donors whose pattern of donations correlates with his.A lawyer and a spokesman for Mr. Hsu did not immediately return calls for comment this morning... Some of the money that Mr. Hsu donated generously to candidates appears to have come from the business schemes that federal officials are expected to allege were fraudulent.Hsu's entire life was apparently a fraud. One striking thing about the indictments was the amount of money Hsu bilked from his marks. Evidently, he learned a few things when he was overseas, on the lam from his conviction in 1992 for swindling $2 million from investors in a similar scheme to the one his is being charged with today. This crime is many times that amount - close to $60 million according to prosecutors and include not only Source Financing in New York (where many campaign contributions to Hillary Clinton from investors were listed on Hsu company books) but also people in California as well.It should be fascinating to watch as this scheme unravels. How much did Hillary know and when did she know it might be a question that we'll begin to hear with great regularity during the course of the investigation.

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Home » Global Warming & Climate Change » Top Politicos Arriving at Climate Summit Top Politicos Arriving at Climate Summit Posted on 17 December 2009. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 16 (UPI) — Leaders and lawmakers from around the globe began arriving in Copenhagen, Denmark, to attend the final days of the U.N.-sponsored climate change summit. U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., co-author of climate change legislation pending in the upper chamber, was the first high-level U.S. politician to attend the talks, The Boston Globe reported. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was expected to meet with negotiators Thursday and President Barack Obama was scheduled to arrive and speak on Friday. Before leaving, Kerry told the Globe he may agree with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that a deal may be struck over one of the most contentious issues facing climate change negotiators: long-term financing for developing nations to help them adapt to global warming and move to more eco-friendly technologies. The “makings of a deal” existed at the summit, Kerry said, adding, “today (Wednesday) is going to be quite critical.” Kerry said he wanted to assure world negotiators that the United States was serious about reducing its emission output. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who arrived at the conference Tuesday, said the gravity of the talks couldn’t be overstated, The Times of London reported. “It is an uphill struggle, there is a huge amount to be done” in negotiating a climate change treaty, he said. If a deal can be stuck that results in jobs in Britain, it would be worth the effort, Brown said. “But I also think our children, growing up, going to school every day, I don’t want them to live in a world of floods, of droughts, of extreme weather,” he said. “It is really important; therefore, for Britain that we get this deal … .” Environmental and sustainability questions and answers Categorized | Global Warming & Climate Change, International Relations & Treaties, Politics Leave a Reply CategoriesAir, Atmosphere, & Weather West Chester Assisted LivingAssisted Living in Thousand OaksFort Worth Plastic SurgeonTucson Plastic SurgeonSan Jose ChiropractorHow to Backup Your ComputerPrevent laptop theftBackup for Small BusinessesWhat is Online Backup for ComputerOnline Backup for Pictures

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Saving AdvertisingBy Jelly Helm This article was first published in 2000 in Emigre 53. Fifteen minutes before I met James Brown for the first time, I was sitting in the hotel room of his manager, Roosevelt Royce Johnson, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. My partner Stacy and I were planning to feature Mr. Brown in a commercial for Nike, and Roosevelt had invited us to his room to discuss Mr. Brown's marketing potential. Incense burned in the room, the maid was making the bed and Roosevelt had brought in stage-sized speakers so he could play us James Brown's latest single, coincidentally called "Just Do It," which he recommended we use for the soundtrack of the TV spot. That didn't seem very likely, because although the song title was the same as Nike's tagline, it had a slightly different meaning. The lyrics, as I remember them, went "Just do it, do it, do it, do it...all night long." Roosevelt told us about Mr. Brown's other marketing ventures, including two signature fragrances for men and women. The perfume was called "Try Me." The cologne was called "I Smell Good." We went downstairs, briefly met Mr. Brown and joined the police-escorted motorcade towards the convention center. We arrived at the back door, and in a scene reminiscent of the nightclub entrance in Goodfellas, we snaked our way through the bowels of the building towards the dressing room. Lining the sides of the hallway, shoulder to shoulder, were all the convention center employees, in uniform, standing at attention and saying, one by one, "Good evening Mr. Brown," "Hello Mr. Brown." After a blistering show, we returned backstage to present the storyboards to Mr. Brown. It's dangerous meeting legends - they can only disappoint - but an hour and a half with James Brown revealed an intense, warm, sincere, intelligent man. I was already floating before he remarked to me, "You have a broadcasting voice. You ever done any broadcasting?" No, not really. "Radio? Disk jockey? MC?" No, I said again, increasingly embarrassed. Stacy interrupted: "He sang in a rock band." James slapped his hand on the table, pointed at me and erupted, "I knew it! You got the FEELING!" Advertising can be such a fun business. I love the people. Some of the smartest, funniest, kindest, most creative, most alive people I know I've met through advertising. Five of the people in my wedding party were people I met in the business. Including the woman in the white dress. Advertising is rewarding in its ability to let you express yourself. Something about the act of creating something and then sharing it with the world. Industrial designer Victor Papanek compared it to the feeling of building, and then flying a kite. I remember the first ad that I created that actually ran. It was an in-house ad for the college newspaper. I stopped at each news stand and looked at paper after paper to see that my idea was really running in the newspaper. Advertising is a bit of a paradox. While it is a wonderfully fruitful and stimulating and rewarding way to make a living, it is also increasingly criticized. While thousands of people find our work entertaining, a growing number find it disturbing. In a 1999 Gallup poll, advertising ranked 43rd of 45 professions based on ethics and honesty. Adbusters is a thriving, if niche, magazine that sets out to "galvanize resistance against those who would...diminish our lives." Articles critical of advertising are cropping up more frequently in mainstream magazines such as National Public Radio, Harper's, and Newsweek. Why do people criticize us? Are we allowed to ask that question? I had 13 years of Catholic education so I know a little bit about unacceptable questions. In fourth grade we studied Adam and Eve and their two sons, Cain and Abel. "Where did Cain and Abel find girlfriends?" This, I discovered, was an unacceptable question. And when the questions were allowed, the answers often weren't very satisfying. In a discussion about the afterlife in sophomore Scripture class, I asked whether Jews and Protestants who lived good lives could enter heaven. Father didn't have to search long for the answer. "In heaven, God has a beautiful mansion. God sits in the living room with the Catholics gathered around his feet. Jews sit on the porch." We can do a better job asking ourselves tough questions and attempting honest answers. As we stare into the new millennium, it is important that we look with a critical eye at what we do, its effects on the world and how we can do our job better. For the next few pages, let's say there are no unacceptable questions and try our best to examine the issues with an open mind. (I might add that after school I encountered more than a few Catholics who were very willing to entertain tough questions. Doubt, as one priest friend of mine told me, either exposes false gods or strengthens one's faith.) So why is advertising increasingly criticized? One reason, I'm convinced, is because there's so much of �it. Of course there are more magazine, outdoor, TV and radio ads than ever, but the latest category is "guerrilla media," also known as "ambient advertising," or as a friend of mine calls it, "vandalism." As an ad person, putting a "got milk?" sticker on bananas seemed creative, but when I brought one of those bananas home last week, it felt intrusive, which of course was what it was meant to be. Do any of us really want advertising on our food? The Wall Street Journal�recently reported Pizza Hut's failed plan to project their logo on the moon with lasers. They were dissuaded not by common sense or good taste, but because it was technically impossible. It's all part of a trend where more and more public space is becoming privatized. Between the stickered bananas and the ads over the urinals and on the floor of our supermarkets, we're exposed to 3000 commercial messages a day. That's one every fifteen seconds, assuming we sleep for 8 hours, and I'd guess right now there's someone figuring out how to get to us while our eyes are closed. Advertising is a 450 billion dollar business. That's just media advertising. When you throw in packaging, point of purchase and direct mail, it's closer to a trillion. A trillion dollars. This blitzkrieg of advertising is relatively new. Much of advertising's growth - it's grown eight-fold since 1935 - came in reaction to America's new techniques of mass production, which required mass consumption. In 1959, retailing analyst Victor Lebow wrote in the Journal of Retailing: "Our enormously productive economy . . . demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing rate."

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News Sports Opinion Forums Lifestyle Sections Ads Jobs Local Classifieds CU Extras Customer Service Obituaries « L. Dean Higgins Corbett N. Bradeen» Norman Clifford Christensen Save | ESTHERVILLE - Funeral services for Norman Clifford Christensen, 90, of Estherville will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 8, 2014, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Estherville with Pastor Paul Wiegman officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel in Estherville. Interment will be held at East Side Memorial Cemetery in Estherville with military rites by VFW Post 3388 and American Legion Post 91 of Estherville. He died Monday, March 3, 2014, at the Estherville Good Samaritan Society. Norman Clifford Christensen, the youngest child of C.P. and Mary (Pahus) Christensen, was born on June 11, 1923, on a farm by Gruver. Article Photos Norman grew up on a farm near Halfa. He attended school through the seventh grade, dropping out to farm. At that time his family moved to the home place where he resided until 2008. Norman aspired to become an auctioneer but those plans were changed by World War II. In 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Norman became a sergeant and served for three years in the Pacific Theatre. He spent 18 months in New Guinea and 10 months in the Philippines. He spoke little of his WWII years, but one story that was well told was about the time he was chased by head hunters. Sometime after he was Honorably Discharged in 1946 he was dining at an Estherville restaurant. This restaurant had a small dance floor and on a whim he grabbed an older lady and pulled her out on the dance floor. They shared a dance and a good laugh afterwards. Months later Norman found out that he had danced with his future mother-in-law Alice. Norman frequented a feed store where Doris was the bookkeeper. One day he came in for business and after he left Doris asked another man who Norman was. The man replied, "you ought to know him" and she replied "yes, I ought to know him". On Thursday, July 31, 1947, Norman married Doris Natterstad. They engaged in farming until he retired in 1992. Norman and Doris spent their free time playing BINGO and going to casinos. While Doris was at the slots, Norman could be found at the black jack table. For 30 years Norman called numbers for VFW BINGO. He was always a great story teller and could tell any joke with the ease of a stand-up comedian. He had even convinced his grandkids that he had played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters. Norman kept in contact with as many of his fellow soldiers as he could from the war by writing letters and making phone calls. His closest friend from the Army was a man by the name of Bus. Bus was one of the few Iowans Norman had met. While getting acquainted he learned Bus was from Sioux City and delivered fruit to stores. Bus told Norman the only person he had known from Estherville was a man named C.P. Christensen, Norman's dad. Bus died in 1978 but Norman talked about him often. Norman and Doris made the move from the country into town in October 2008. Their biggest fear was that they would hate "town living" but they were surprised by how much they enjoyed their neighbors. Their home quickly became a meeting point for old friends and new to drop by for coffee, one of Doris's homemade desserts and a story or two. He was a member of the Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church south of Gruver and a lifetime member of VFW Post #3388. Norman is survived by his wife of over 66 years, Doris; his two daughters, Norma Guge and her husband, Mark, of Estherville, and Marj Curry of rural Ringsted; his four grandchildren, Alene Curry and her friend Ron Smith, Chris Curry and his wife Bobbi Jo, Sara More and her husband Mark, and Erin Guge, all of Estherville; six great-grandchildren, Riley, Trevor and Bryelle Curry, Madison and Logan More, and Camden McKenney, all of Estherville; six foreign exchange grandkids, JunSun, Cyrill, Daci, Jay, Doris and Dorde; his brother Russell Christensen and his wife, Dorothy, of Belvidere, Ill.; his sister, Geneva Olson, of Fairmont, Minn.; brother-in-law, John Natterstad, and his wife, Martha, of Estherville; sister-in-law, Lois Sunde, of Estherville; his & Doris' two cats, Puff and Blue; nieces, nephews and too many friends to name. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister Elnora, in-laws Ole and Alice Natterstad, brother-in-law Archie Sunde, sister-in-law Joyce Weaver, brother-in-law Jack Weaver and son-in-law Tom Curry. Online condolences may be sent to www.henryolsonfuneral.com Save | Subscribe to Estherville News Estherville Weather Forecast, IA

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Casino resolution not reviewed by Schenectady City Council (NEWS10 ABC) Published: 4/28 11:06 pm SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Schenectady City Council decided not to discuss a resolution regarding a possible casino during their meeting Monday night. The council was going to consider a resolution that would allow for a review of the zoning code as it related to a casino in the city. It was on the agenda with a copy of the resolution included, but in a last minute move, the city council tabled it. Several dozen people filled the council chambers, but the focus was shifted to several smaller, community issues. The Galesi Group is the developer of the former Alco site. They said they submitted the $1 million fee to the state in the hopes of building a casino on part of their property. The Galesi Group owns 57 acres along the Hudson River known as the Mohawk Harbor. They hope to use nearly half of the land for a casino. They did not have any renderings of the plan, but they said they were waiting for the capital requirements from the state. The group also confirmed they haven’t asked the mayor or city council for a resolution of support because they said it was too early and more research was needed. Print Story The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of FOX23 News.

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The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Watch An Intelligence Digest Covering Developments In The Worldwide Muslim Brotherhood Network GMB Wiki Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report 22 RECOMENDED READING: “A Red Carpet For Radicals At The White House” By gmbwatch The Investigative Project has released a report titled “A Red Carpet for Radicals at the White House” that analyzes White House visitor logs and identified numerous vista by representatives of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. The report begins: IPT News October 21, 2012 A year-long investigation by the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) has found that scores of known radical Islamists made hundreds of visits to the Obama White House, meeting with top administration officials. Court documents and other records have identified many of these visitors as belonging to groups serving as fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and other Islamic militant organizations. The IPT made the discovery combing through millions of White House visitor log entries. IPT compared the visitors’ names with lists of known radical Islamists. Among the visitors were officials representing groups which have: Been designated by the Department of Justice as unindicted co-conspirators in terrorist trials; Extolled Islamic terrorist groups including Hamas and Hizballah; Obstructed terrorist investigations by instructing their followers not to cooperate with law enforcement; Promoted the incendiary conspiratorial allegation that the United States is engaged in a ‘war against Islam’— a leading tool in recruiting Muslims to carry out acts of terror; Repeatedly claimed that many of the Islamic terrorists convicted since 9-11 were framed by the U.S government as part of an anti-Muslim profiling campaign. Individuals from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) visited the White House at least 20 times starting in 2009. In 2008, CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorist money laundering case in U.S. history – the trial of the Holy Land Foundation in which five HLF officials were convicted of funneling money to Hamas.”

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Doctors alarmed by health woes in Juba camp February 6 2014 at 12:53pm Comment on this story Two women displaced by the fighting in Bor sit near a mosquito net during the early morning in Minkaman, in Awerial county, South Sudan. Picture: Andreea Campeanu Juba - The public health situation in the biggest camp for displaced people in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, is a “ticking time bomb”, a health charity said on Thursday. There are 27 000 people crowded into Tomping camp, which mushroomed around a UN base close to the airport as terrified civilians fled fighting in the capital that started in mid-December. Doctors Without Borders (MSF - Medecins Sans Frontieres), which operates a clinic at Tomping camp, said conditions in the camp were appalling. “Preliminary data indicate that the number of people dying every day is above the emergency threshold,” MSF said in a statement. “There is really only one way to describe Tomping - exceptionally overcrowded,” said MSF's emergency co-ordinator, Forbes Sharp. “It's clear this compound was never designed to be a displaced camp, nor to hold this number of people. At most it could host 4 000 to 5 000 people and now more than 27 000 people are crowded here in extreme heat,” Sharp said. “From a public health point of view, such crowded conditions are a ticking time bomb,” he said, noting that such chronic overcrowding and inadequate sanitation mean that communicable diseases spread very quickly. As well as diarrhoeal diseases, exacerbated by inadequate hygiene, respiratory tract infections and malaria, MSF said its staff at the camp are seeing more and more cases of measles, a highly contagious disease that weakens the immune system and leaves small children in particular at risk of other infections. “Measles in a camp setting is alarming because it affects young children, spreads quickly and can kill,” MSF said. The conflict in South Sudan, which started in mid-December with clashes between two factions within the army, has left thousands dead and has caused close to 900 000 others to flee their homes. A ceasefire agreement signed in January did not bring an end to the fighting. The situation in Juba is relatively calm but given that many of those who took refuge in Tomping camp and at a second UN base, said they were targeted because of their ethnic origin they are still afraid to return home. - AFP Related Stories UN: South Sudan needs aid urgently IOL / News / Africa / Doctors alarmed by health woes in Juba camp

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Arafat’s tomb resealed after tests November 27 2012 at 11:06pm By Jihan Abdalla Samples have been taken from the body of Yasser Arafat (pictured) to determine whether the late Palestinian leader was poisoned. Ramallah, West Bank - Forensic experts took samples from Yasser Arafat's corpse in the West Bank on Tuesday, trying to determine if he was murdered with the hard-to-trace radioactive poison, polonium. Palestinians witnessed the funeral of their hero and longtime leader eight years ago, but conspiracy theories surrounding his death have never been laid to rest. Many are convinced their icon was the victim of assassination by Israeli agents, and may have been poisoned wittingly or unwittingly by a Palestinian. They may remain convinced of that, whatever the outcome of this autopsy. Arafat's body was uncovered in the grave and samples removed without moving the corpse. The tomb was resealed in hours and wreaths placed by Palestinian leaders including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The head of the Palestinian investigation committee, Tawfiq Tirawi, said the procedure went smoothly. A Palestinian medical team took samples and gave them to each of the Swiss, French and Russian forensic teams. “We need proof in order to find those who are behind this assassination and take it to the ICC (International Criminal Court),” he said. “Israel is occupying our land, and assassinations are not new, they have committed several, publicly and secretly... What's to stop them from assassinating Abu Ammar (Arafat)?” French magistrates in August opened a murder inquiry into Arafat's death in Paris in 2004, after a Swiss institute said it had discovered high levels of polonium on clothing of his which was supplied by his widow, Suha, for a television documentary. “The state of the body was exactly what you would expect to find for someone who has been buried for eight years,” Health Minister Hani Abdeen told a news conference. “There was nothing out of the ordinary.” Jordanian doctor Abdullah al Bashir, head of the Palestinian medical committee, said about 20 samples were taken and analysis would take at least three months. “In order to do these analyses, to check, cross-check and double cross-check, it will take several months and I don't think we'll have anything tangible available before March or April next year,” said Darcy Christen, spokesperson for Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland that carried out the original tests on Arafat's clothes. Arafat was always a freedom fighter to Palestinians but a terrorist to Israelis first, and a partner for peace only later. He led the bid for a Palestinian state through years of war and peacemaking, then died in a French hospital aged 75 after a short, mysterious illness. No autopsy was carried out at the time, at the request of Suha, and French doctors who treated him said they were unable to determine the cause of death. But allegations of foul play surfaced immediately. Arafat had enemies among his own people, but many Palestinians pointed the finger at Israel, which confined the leader to his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah for the final two and a half years of his life, after a Palestinian uprising erupted. Israel denies killing him. Its leader at the time, Ariel Sharon, now lies in a coma from which he is expected never to awake. Israel invited the Palestinian leadership to release all Arafat's medical records, which were never made public following his death and still have not been opened. Polonium, apparently ingested with food, was found to have caused the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. But some experts have questioned whether Arafat could have died in this way, pointing to a brief recovery during his illness that they said was not consistent with radioactive poisoning. They also noted he did not lose all his hair. Eight years is considered the limit to detect any traces of the fast-decaying polonium and Lausanne hospital questioned in August if it would be worth seeking any samples, if access to Arafat's body was delayed as late as “October or November”. Not all of Arafat's family agreed to the exhumation. Arafat's widow watched on television from her house in Malta. “This will bring closure, we will know the truth about why he died. I owe this answer to the Palestinian people, to the new generation, and to his daughter,” a tearful Suha told timesofmalta.com. - Reuters Comment Guidelines IOL / News / World / Arafat’s tomb resealed after tests

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Mengi scoops international Business for Peace award By Judica Tarimo The Vice-Mayor for Cultural Affairs & Business Development of the city of Oslo, Hallstein Bjercke present the 2012 Oslo Business Award to IPP Executive Chairman Dr. Reginald Mengi. Extreme right is the event`s master of ceremonies, Einar Lunde, a prominent Norwegian personality. (Photo:Guardian Correspondent) At last, IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi has been awarded an international Business for Peace Award, with global business experts stressing the importance of corporate social responsibility as a key driver for success in business operations. Dr Mengi received the award recently at a colourful ceremony held in Oslo, Norway, and attended by high-profile figures, including business executives and diplomats from different parts of the world. He was one of six prominent members of the business community who won the award, the highest recognition available that can be bestowed upon a person engaged in business. Most speakers at the ceremony underlined the need for global businesses to adopt and internalize in their operations the idea of corporate social responsibility, meaning doing business and taking care of the surrounding society, describing it as a viable strategy for successful business in today’s globalizing world. In his remarks, Halistein Bjercke, vice-mayor for Cultural Affairs and Business Development of the city of Oslo, noted that “successful business requires two important things - observing ethics and support to communities.” Roberto Servitje Sendra, a founding member and chairman of Grupo Bimbo, and a 2000 Business for Peace honouree, said prestigious awards “are usually attached with corporate social responsibility (CSR)….businesses must contribute to the development of society in which they operate.” He mentioned several qualities of successful business leaders as including integrity, intelligence, honesty, inspiring subordinates and having business sense, but noted that “business cannot succeed if it ignores CSR.” Erick Belfrage, chairman of the Corporate Responsibility and Anti-Corruption Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said profitability as a crucial element in business must now be connected with CSR if businesspeople want to excel to the highest level. Founding partner of Norden Realkapital group and Norden Investment Banking, Per L. Saxegaard, said, “Everybody in today’s business should take responsibility beyond the bottom lines of money….this award considered individuals who assisted to make society a better place to live in.” Speaking after receiving the award, Dr. Mengi urged businesspeople around the world to cultivate the culture of giving back to the society part of the profits they generated from the same society. Drawing reference from his routine business practices, he said, “If you share with people the profits you generate, your business will automatically grow and profitability will increase…society members will feel obliged to buy your products or services because you are taking care of them. This is what I have been doing throughout my business life.” “On top of that, we have to note that at the end of our lives we should not be remembered for how much money we accumulated, but by what we did with the riches bestowed on us by the Lord God,” noted Mengi. He stressed the importance of putting God first in business operations, something which he said many people tended to ignore. Some Tanzanian university students currently studying in Norway, who attended the award-giving ceremony, expressed their happiness for the global recognition given to the Tanzanian business figure. Godrick Lyimo, a student at Oslo University, said, “Mengi has contributed a lot to health, education and youth development in Tanzania. We have to support him and emulate his example.” Doris Ndossi, a doctoral student at the Norwegian Veterinary College, said, “The award given to Mengi signifies respect…respect for himself and respect for our country. His contribution to society is now recognized worldwide.” Daniel Machemba, executive director of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), which serves as an ICC coordinator of the award in Tanzania, saluted Mengi for the award and for making Tanzania proud and visible globally. “I call upon other businesspersons to emulate him by sharing their success with the poor,” he said. He similarly noted that Mengi was among 90 strong nominees for the prestigious award which is organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Oslo-based Business for Peace Foundation. Other winners of the 2012 Award were Ibrahim Abouleish (Egypt), Anil Agarwal (India), Eduardo Eunekian (Argentina),Vladas Lasas (Lithuania), David W. Maclennan (US), and Latifur Rahman (Bangladesh). SOURCE:

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Tim Pat Coogan slams American Embassy as ‘Kafkaesque’ after visa refusal - Responds to Ambassador Rooney statement that rules were followed @niallodowd December 01,2012 Tim Pat CooganWriter and historian Tim Pat Coogan has slammed the U.S. Embassy in Dublin as “Kafkaesque” in their dealing with Irish citizens when they apply for visas.Coogan’s comments come after U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney defended the consular staff and how they treat individuals.The exchange comes after Coogan was denied a U.S. visa twice for a book tour and was only granted one after the intervention of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer who was responding to Irish American concerns.In his statement given to IrishCentral, Tim Pat Coogan said: “As I suspect I am the only prominent Irish writer to have been barred from the U.S. in the recent past I feel I must reply to the Ambassador Rooney statement.“I have only the friendliest feelings towards Ambassador Rooney personally but have found dealing with the U.S. Embassy Kafkaesque.“I have been reliably informed many others less prominent than I have had very bad experiences also.“There is no reason for such difficult behavior towards a friendly country.”Read More: Diplomats gone wild at U.S. Embassy in Dublin say concerned Irish“My case is simple. I was unexpectedly turned down on two visas and was only phoned out of the blue by an anonymous Embassy spokesman a day after my book tour was due to begin to say my third application had been successful.“This success followed a major campaign of protest from Irish Americans, which prompted Senator Charles Schumer to intervene on my behalf. By then it was too late for my book tour.“The refusal came as a great blow to me personally given my record of friendship towards the U.S. And at no time was I given an explanation by Embassy officials as to the reasons.”Ambassador Rooney in his statement said: “I want to respond to a series of media reports about a delay in a visa for a prominent Irish writer. These reports were particularly harsh and showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the visa process. "Although we cannot comment on individual cases, I do want to say that during my time as Ambassador to Ireland I have seen how our consular officers at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin are dedicated to facilitating travel between Ireland and the U.S. "Our consular officers, like their counterparts all over the world, have the difficult job of enforcing U.S. Immigration laws. They do vital work, but their service often goes unsung and can even be derided by those who don’t understand the law and the process or don’t like the outcome. Let me say that each applicant’s eligibility for a visa is evaluated individually and objectively under U.S. law. No Embassy officer, including the Ambassador, has the legal discretion to disregard a finding of ineligibility or to waive any requirement for administrative processing. "The service to their country that U.S. consular officers provide is essential to keeping our borders safe,” the statement ends.I have to say the Rooney statement is problematic to me. Everyone agrees in keeping U.S. borders safe but making it incredibly difficult for Ireland’s leading historian and most pro-American writer to come here hardly qualifies for positive border security measures.Ambassador Rooney’s point that the letter of the law is always applied is debatable. How is it that when Senator Schumer intervened the rules changed and a visa magically materialized?Read More: United States visa ban on Tim Pat Coogan removed after Senator Schumer steps inRooney seems to be in the paw of the Embassy securocrats, most notably US Consular official Bradley Wilde who has drawn huge criticism for his attitude from those Irish who deal with him and some of his staff.As I understand it, there have been high level expressions of concern from the Irish government about the refusal of visas to several Irish people, none as famous as Coogan before this but nothing has changed.Perhaps Ambassador Rooney could refer back to what a predecessor, Jean Kennedy Smith said about Coogan and his new book ‘The Famine Plot’“He has the wisdom of a craftsman, the urgency of a journalist the depth of a historian..... he is one of the greatest social commentators of our time’Surely a dangerous man to allow into the United States!

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London's St. James Church Uses Christmas to Slam Israel Tuesday, December 31, 2013 | Israel Today Staff A somber Christmas for Gaza's Christians Storm Rages Over Status of Israeli Christians Messianic Israelis, Christian friends gather for Shavuot London’s iconic St. James Church joined the growing trend of utilizing the Christmas season to criticize or outright slander Israel. In the days leading up to the Christian world’s biggest holiday, St. James erected a massive replica of the portion of Israel’s security wall that divides Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Under the banner “Bethlehem Unwrapped,” the wall served as the backdrop for a festive Christmas gathering that put Israel directly in the crosshairs. Visitors were invited to write messages of solidarity with the Palestinians or condemnations of Israeli security measures on the replica wall, Palestinian children’s art highlighting their victimhood was on display, and a popular Palestinian singer performed. As usual, the security wall and the current situation in the land were grossly misrepresented. Similar to other events of its kind, “Bethlehem Unwrapped” presented Israel’s security wall as an arbitrary act of cruelty. There was seemingly no mention of the fact that the wall wasn’t there 10 years ago, or that Israel only reluctantly decided to build the barrier following a major escalation in Palestinian terrorism. At one point in the mid–2000s, Jerusalem was being attacked by gunfire and suicide bombers on an almost daily basis, many of those attacks originating in Bethlehem or areas beyond in Judea. Most Jerusalemites don’t like the wall, either, but very few would trade it for a return to nearly unchecked terrorism that until recently plagued our city (Israel previously tried to stem the attacks with anti-terror military operations, but was similarly condemned for that). A good read regarding the topic, and St. James’ deplorable foray into this political issue was penned by Jewish terror victim Kay Wilson, whose Christian friend Kristine Luken was murdered when the two women were attacked by knife-wielding Palestinians south of Jerusalem in 2010. CLICK HERE to read Wilson’s take over at Times of Israel.

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Politics Scott Walker: Son was free to act as witness at gay wedding By Associated Press, Associated Press July 8, 2014 HUD: State must repay $12.3 million Burke helped award | July 8, 2014 (306) Oregon — Gov. Scott Walker says his 19-year-old son's decision to act as a witness at the same-sex marriage of a relative is not a policy statement. Walker was asked Tuesday about his son Alex's decision to serve as a witness to the June 9 wedding in Waukesha County. The marriage was between the first cousin of Walker's wife, Tonette, and her female partner. Walker says he was aware that his son was attending the wedding, but Walker himself was in New York at the time of the ceremony. Walker says of Alex's decision to be a witness, "He doesn't need my blessing to do anything he does." Walker is a longtime opponent of same-sex marriages and is defending the state's ban, which a federal court judge last month said was unconstitutional. Get the Newsletter! Login or Register to manage all your newsletter preferences. Manage all your newsletter preferences. All Politics Blog From Madison and around the state, to Washington D.C., a daily dose of political news and glimpses behind the scenes. Inside State Politics Journal Sentinel coverage of the legislature, governor's office and other state politics in Madison and around Wisconsin. Public access ensures transparent, accountable government State high court won’t hear arguments in John Doe cases State to pay $1.1 million to ACLU for gay marriage battle

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More Jobs for Colorado Updated: Mon 8:27 AM, Feb 10, 2003 Gov. Owens won't name the company or the number of jobs, but the agreement involves a company already in Colorado that will expand its existing operations in the state in about two months. Owens says the groundwork for the business expansion that will yield the new jobs had been in the works before the European trip, and he solidified the deal with the company's executives while in Switzerland. Over the last two years, thousands of Coloradans have lost their jobs. And state government has suffered its worst fiscal shortfall since the 1930s, as tax revenues dropped due to rising unemployment and consumers spending less. Despite the sofening economy, 20,000 more people moved to Colorado than left it last year. Similar numbers are expected to settle in the state this year. Though migration slowed by 70% last year, Colorado needed to add about 8,000 jobs for the newcomers it received. Instead it lost 32,000. Economists say the state needs job growth of about 2% per year just to meet its own internal growth, but only 1% is expected. During the 1990's, Colorado boasted the country's fourth fastest job growth rate as it churned out thousands of technology, telecommunications and service jobs. The state created so many jobs that an average of 70,000 newcomers a year moved here during that decade. Even then, the unemployment rate kept falling.

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Superstorm Sandy Slams Northeast By: CBS News Updated: Mon 10:55 PM, Oct 29, 2012 By: CBS News Home Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline with 80 mph winds Monday night and hurled an unprecedented 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, flooding its tunnels, subway stations and the electrical system that powers Wall Street. At least 10 U.S. deaths were blamed on the storm, which brought the presidential campaign to a halt a week before Election Day. For New York City at least, Sandy was not the dayslong onslaught many had feared, and the wind and rain that sent water sloshing into Manhattan from three sides began dying down within hours. Still, the power was out for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and an estimated 5.2 million people altogether across the East. And the full extent of the storm's damage across the region was unclear, and unlikely to be known until daybreak. In addition, heavy rain and further flooding remain major threats over the next couple of days as the storm makes its way into Pennsylvania and up into New York State. Near midnight, the center of the storm was just outside Philadelphia, and its winds were down to 75 mph, just barely hurricane strength. "It was nerve-racking for a while, before the storm hit. Everything was rattling," said Don Schweikert, who owns a bed-and-breakfast in Cape May, N.J., near where Sandy roared ashore. "I don't see anything wrong, but I won't see everything until morning." As the storm closed in, it converged with a cold-weather system that turned it into a superstorm, a monstrous hybrid consisting not only of rain and high wind but snow in West Virginia and other mountainous areas inland. It smacked the boarded-up big cities of the Northeast corridor — Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston — with stinging rain and gusts of more than 85 mph. Just before Sandy reached land, forecasters stripped it of hurricane status, but the distinction was purely technical, based on its shape and internal temperature. It still packed hurricane-force wind, and forecasters were careful to say it was still dangerous to the tens of millions in its path. Sandy made landfall at 8 p.m. near Atlantic City, which was already mostly under water and saw an old, 50-foot piece of its world-famous Boardwalk washed away earlier in the day. Authorities reported a record surge 13 feet high at the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan, from the storm and high tide combined. In an attempt to lessen damage from saltwater to the subway system and the electrical network beneath the city's financial district, New York City's main utility cut power to about 6,500 customers in lower Manhattan. But a far wider swath of the city was hit with blackouts caused by flooding and transformer explosions. The city's transit agency said water surged into two major commuter tunnels, the Queens Midtown and the Brooklyn-Battery, and it cut power to some subway tunnels in lower Manhattan after water flowed into the stations and onto the tracks. The subway system was shut down Sunday night, and the stock markets never opened Monday and would be closed Tuesday as well. The surge hit New York City hours after a construction crane atop a luxury high-rise collapsed in the wind and dangled precariously 74 floors above the street. Forecasters said the wind at the top the building may have been close to 95 mph. As the storm drew near, airlines canceled more than 12,000 flights, disrupting the plans of travelers all over the world. Storm damage was projected at $10 billion to $20 billion, meaning it could prove to be one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Ten deaths were reported in New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Some of the victims were killed by falling trees. At least one death was blamed on the storm in Canada. President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney canceled their campaign appearances at the very height of the race, with just over a week to go before Election Day. The president pledged the government's help and made a direct plea from the White House to those in the storm's path. "When they tell you to evacuate, you need to evacuate," he said. "Don't delay, don't pause, don't question the instructions that are being given, because this is a powerful storm." Sandy, which killed 69 people in the Caribbean before making its way up the Atlantic, began to hook left at midday toward the New Jersey coast. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said people were stranded in Atlantic City, which sits on a barrier island. He accused the mayor of allowing them to stay there. With the hurricane roaring through, Christie warned it was no longer safe for rescuers, and advised people who didn't evacuate the coast to "hunker down" until morning. "I hope, I pray, that there won't be any loss of life because of it," he said. While the hurricane's 90 mph winds registered as only a Category 1 on a scale of five, it packed "astoundingly low" barometric pressure, giving it terrific energy to push water inland, said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of meteorology at MIT. And the New York metropolitan area apparently got the worst of it, because it was on the dangerous northeastern wall of the storm. "We are looking at the highest storm surges ever recorded" in the Northeast, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director for Weather Underground, a private forecasting service. "The energy of the storm surge is off the charts, basically." Hours before landfall, there was graphic evidence of the storm's power. Off North Carolina, a replica of the 18th-century sailing ship HMS Bounty that was built for the 1962 Marlon Brando movie "Mutiny on the Bounty" went down in the storm, and 14 crew members were rescued by helicopter from rubber lifeboats bobbing in 18-foot seas. Another crew member was found hours later but was unresponsive. The captain was missing. At Cape May, water sloshed over the seawall, and it punched through dunes in other seaside communities. "When I think about how much water is already in the streets, and how much more is going to come with high tide tonight, this is going to be devastating," said Bob McDevitt, president of the main Atlantic City casino workers union. "I think this is going to be a really bad situation tonight." In Maryland, at least 100 feet of a fishing pier at the beach resort of Ocean City was destroyed. CBS News correspondent Chip Reid reported from Ocean City that sea levels could rise 8 feet above normal - enough to flood much of the city. Reid reported that some, like surfer Brian Dean, said they have decided to stay. "We've got everything pretty well situated, bunkered down, generators, [we'll] hang out, ride it out. We rode out Irene last year, it wasn't that bad," he said. At least half a million people along the East Coast had been ordered to evacuate, including 375,000 from low-lying parts of New York City. Sheila Gladden left her home in Philadelphia's flood-prone Eastwick neighborhood, which took on 5 1/2 feet of water during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, and headed for a hotel. "I'm not going through this again," she said. Those who stayed behind had few ways to get out. Not only was the New York subway shut down, but the Holland Tunnel connecting New York to New Jersey was closed, as was a tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and several other spans were closed because of high winds.

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Mood muted during last holiday shopping weekend By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO and MAE ANDERSON, AP Retail Writers ATLANTA (AP) - Last-minute shoppers crowded into malls and stores during the last weekend before Christmas, but many didn't seem to be in the spending spirit.This holiday season, Americans have a lot on their minds on top of the now familiar job worries.Consumers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, which account for 24 percent of retail sales nationwide, were tripped up by Superstorm Sandy. The storm hit in late October and disrupted businesses and households for several weeks.Shoppers are also increasingly worried about the fast approaching "fiscal cliff" deadline - the possibility that a stalemate between Congress and the White House over the U.S. budget could trigger a series of tax increases and spending cuts starting Jan. 1. Confidence among U.S. consumers dropped to its lowest point in December since July because of growing concerns about the economy, according to a monthly index released Friday.And the recent Newtown, Conn., school shooting also dampened shoppers' spirits, analysts said.This confluence of factors has led to a muted approach to holiday shopping - bad news for retailers, which can make up to 40 percent of annual sales during November and December and were counting on the last weekend before Christmas to make up for lost dollars earlier in the season. The Saturday before Christmas was expected to be the second biggest sales day behind the Friday after Thanksgiving."It's so hard to put yourself in the mood," said Linda Fitzgerald, a 51-year-old nurse from Yonkers who was with her 17-month-old granddaughter at The Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., on Saturday. She was out Christmas shopping for the first time this year.She planned to spend $1,500 on gifts such as clothes for her boyfriend, down dramatically from $4,000 last year. She had expected to start shopping last weekend, but simply didn't feel like it, facing a sister's cancer diagnosis and worry about the economy and the Connecticut shooting.Similarly, Deborah O'Conner, 51, from Westwood, N.J., also at Garden State Plaza on Saturday, had intentions of finishing her holiday shopping early, but Superstorm Sandy put a wrench in her plans. She spent all last month helping out her parents and her cousin, whose Long Island, N.Y., homes suffered damage"I had planned to be out early but it didn't happen," said O'Conner, the mother of three children, ages 22, 19 and 15. "If it weren't for the storm, I would have been done."Marshal Cohen, chief research analyst at NPD Inc., a market research firm with a network of analysts at shopping centers around the country, estimates that customer traffic over the weekend was in line with the same time a year ago, but shoppers seem to be spending less."There was this absence of joy for the holiday," he said. "There was no Christmas spirit. There have been just too many distractions."After a strong Black Friday weekend, the four-day weekend that starts on Thanksgiving, when sales rose 2.7 percent, the lull that usually follows has been even more pronounced. Sales fell 4.3 percent for the week ended Dec. 15, according to the latest figures from ShopperTrak, which counts foot traffic and its own proprietary sales numbers from 40,000 retail outlets across the country. On Wednesday, ShopperTrak cut its forecast for holiday spending down to 2.5 percent growth to $257.7 billion, from prior expectations of a 3.3 percent rise.Attempting to drum up enthusiasm, retailers have expanded hours and stepped up discounts. Toys R Us stores are staying open for 88 consecutive hours beginning Friday at 6 a.m. through Christmas Eve at 10 p.m. Macy's opened most stores from Friday at 7 a.m. until Sunday at midnight. And other retailers like Target and Nordstrom expanded hours at some locations.At the malls, overall promotions were up 2 to 3 percent from last year heading into the weekend, after being down 5 percent earlier in the season, according to BMO Capital Markets sales rack index, which tracks the depth and breadth of discounts.At The Garden State Plaza, teen retailer Aeropostale discounted all clothing and accessories by 60 percent. Charles David, Cachet and AnnTaylor had cut prices by 50 percent of all merchandise. At AnnTaylor, racks of discounted clothes had been marked down by an additional 25 percent. One dress, originally priced at $118, was marked down to $49 but with the additional 25 percent, it cost $21.30.But the deals at the mall failed to impress Wendy McCloskey, 35, of Lebanon, Ind., who started her holiday shopping Sunday at the Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis. The snow storm that blew through the Midwest this week delayed her shopping plans, and a busy schedule with her children also got in the way. She has two teenagers and a 12-year-old, and they are all involved in sports.She wanted to buy shoes at the Finish Line online, but balked at paying $40 for shipping. In the store, she bought five pairs of sneakers for $390. But she'd expected to see bigger discounts at the mall."I was so surprised, I figured they'd have better deals," she said.___Anne D'Innocenzio reported from New York. Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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Search this site: Your World Today - July 2, 2012 Jump to: Sports • Obituaries • Weather NOTICE! Due to the extreme heat and the unusually dry conditions, ALL activities scheduled for July 4th at The Commons have been cancelled. The City of Salem Fireworks Display has been postponed indefinitely, but the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Parade will be held Wednesday, July 4th starting at 6:00 PM from the old fairgrounds and conclude at the Dent County Courthouse. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon spent part of his day Saturday surveying the damage done by a wildfire burning in the Mark Twain Forest. More than 550 acres are involved in a fire in Iron County near Bixby. A helicopter from Arkansas is dropping water on the blaze. There are no evacuations at this time. It has been reported that the blaze is over 50% contained at this time. Governor Nixon has directed the Missouri National Guard to be ready with supplies and personnel to support firefighting operations if needed. USDA Forest Service’s Eastern Area Type 2 Incident Management Team has also been brought in to assist managing Mark Twain National Forest wildfires. The incident management team is composed of experienced federal, state, and local fire and emergency response personnel from 20 states in Forest Service’s Eastern Region, which stretches from Missouri north to the Great Lakes states east to Delaware and up to Maine. Given current fire conditions, predicted hot and dry weather in the days ahead, and no precipitation in the forecast, additional resources, including the incident management team, were ordered. The team will assist Mark Twain National Forest, as needed, during this high fire danger period, ensuring that firefighting resources are managed effectively, and timely and accurate information is provided. The Salem R-80 Board of Education held their regular meeting Thursday evening at the administrative boardroom. At the meeting, new Superintendent Steve Carvajal reported that the Rotary Club plans on installing a pavilion at the football field adjacent to the restrooms for the selling of food items. He also said that the roof work at the White House building at the school has been completed and the conversion to natural gas is about 50% completed. Assistant Superintendent John McCulloch went on to report that the administration is still looking to beautify the campus where possible, and that a Tiger logo will be installed on the gym lobby floor with the leftover Senior Class money. William Lynch Principal Kriste Crocker reported that 310 children from Kindergarten through 7th grade attended summer school and that did include about 60 kindergarten children who attend William Lynch School for the first time. Senior High Principal John Smith indicated that 14 or 15 students attended summer school and received credit for high school courses. The board approved the Board of Education committee assignments before approving a transfer of $362,812 into Fund 4 for capital projects. The board approved a non-resident student from Northwood R-4 to attend the Salem R-80 district and also approved the Developmental Preschool Building Lease. The board approved the continued support of $10,000 for the Salem TCRC for adult education and also workshop use. The board approved updated job descriptions for the Federal Programs Director position and the grounds for summer program. Superintendent Carvajal stated that Allied Bus would no longer be providing in-house financing and the board approved making the change to an outside financial service for bus purchases and leases. The board policies were then approved before five resignations were accepted. Resigning were Assistant Junior High Principal John Johnson, Process Coordinator Krista Barnes, 7th Grade English Teacher Francis Bay, 6th Grade Math Teacher Linda Hagen and Tammy Davidson as the Assistant Girls Softball Coach. The board then went into closed session. An accident occurred at 12:06 Sunday afternoon in Texas County on Highway 60 about a mile east of Cabool that took the life of two Mt. Grove individuals. According to the highway patrol report, 89-year old Rose Gochal of Mt. Grove, while driving a 1995 Chevy van, failed to yield at the crossover, drove onto the highway, and was struck in the side by a 2012 Dodge truck driven by 35-year old James Sorrell of Urbana. The impact caused the Dodge to strike a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire driven by 49-year old Kevin Enderle of West Plains. Rose Gochal and an occupant in the Chevy, 64-year old Raymond Gochal of Mt. Grove, were pronounced dead at the scene by Texas County Coroner Thomas Whitaker at 1:30 and their bodies were taken to the Elliot Gentry Funeral Home in Cabool. Enderle suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Ozarks Medical Center. James Sorrell and three occupants in the Dodge from Urbana, 25-year old Karrie Sorrell, 9-year old Cameron Adams, and 3-year old Brieanna Sorrell, suffered moderate injuries and were also taken to the Ozarks Medical Center. An additional occupant in the Dodge, 5-year old James Sorrell of Urbana, suffered serious injuries and was flown by Air Evac to the Mercy Hospital. Everyone involved was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. All three vehicles were totaled and removed from the scene by Cabool Towing. Sports [TOP] The 7th & 8th grade FOOTBALL CAMP will start Monday, July 9th at 9:00 AM and will continue thru Friday, July 13th. Campers should meet at the Salem High School Weight Room on July 9th for registration and the start of camp. The 9th through 12th grade FOOTBALL CAMP will start on Monday, July 9th at 5:30 PM and will continue thru Friday, July 20th with a Team Camp Scrimmage. The cost of either camp is $25. If you have any questions, call Coach Bill Schuchardt at 729-6644. Allen Craig hit a two-run homer and Yadier Molina added a solo shot as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-4, to avoid a three-game series sweep. Matt Holliday and Shane Robinson also drove in runs for the Cardinals, who snapped a three-game slide. Jake Westbrook (7-6) allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk over six innings to earn the win. The Cardinals will start a four-game series with the Rockies and you can hear that game on KSMO Radio at 6:40. Drew Butera's three-run homer in the eighth proved to be the difference as the Minnesota Twins survived to take a 10-8 win over the Kansas City Royals to wrap up a four-game set. Irving Falu had three hits and drove in four while Eric Hosmer added three hits and scored twice for the Royals. Bruce Chen (7-7) was tagged for six runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. The Royals start a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Four Cardinals were selected to play in the 83rd MLB All-Star Game, set for July 10th. Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran were selected as starters, while Yadier Molina and Lance Lynn were also selected. Beltran was also selected to participate in the Home Run Derby. Kansas City designated hitter Billy Butler was selected as a reserve and is the Royals’ lone representative. Cardinal third baseman David Freese and Royals’ closer Jonathon Broxton are among the five players vying for the final roster spot on each team through online fan voting. Obituaries [TOP] Funeral services for Joyce Ann Jackson of Salem, age 55, will be held this morning at 1:00 at the Wilson Mortuary in Salem. Visitation will be from 11:00 until service time. Interment will be in the Jadwin Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Joyce Jackson family. Funeral services for Bobby Earl Gamblin of Salem, age 76, will be held Thursday at 1:00 at the Wilson Mortuary in Salem. Visitation will be from 11:00 until service time. Interment will be in the Green Forest Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Bobby Gamblin Family. Weather [TOP] Today..Sunny and hot with a 20% chance of thunderstorms, high of 98. Tonight..Partly cloudy, low of 69. Tuesday..Mostly sunny and hot, high of 94. Tuesday night..Partly cloudy, low of 69. Wednesday..Sunny and hot, high of 98. Wednesday night..Mostly clear, low of 73. HOME | OPEN MARKET | STREAMING BROADCASTS | YOUR WORLD TODAY | BUSINESS DIRECTORY CONTEST RULES | NEWS & PUZZLES | ADVERTISING | CONTACT US KSMO Radio • 800 South Main Street • Salem, MO 65560 • 573-729-6117 • 573-729-7337 (Fax) Copyright ©2015 - KSMO Radio. Website by Zcom.

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Siblings sue Arizona candidate over trust money By Associated Press, | July 22, 2014 @ 12:26 pm Wil Cardon (Facebook Photo) PHOENIX -- A lawsuit filed by six siblings of Wil Cardon accused the candidate for Arizona secretary of state of abusing family trust funds with spending on his unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidacy in 2012 and to support a lavish lifestyle. The suit filed July 16 in Maricopa County Superior Court by six of Cardon's seven siblings contends that he abused his role as trustee by improperly transferring $6.5 million for the 2012 campaign and an additional $3.2 million to himself this year. Cardon "has misused Cardon family assets to afford himself an excessive and lavish lifestyle," the lawsuit alleges. Cardon's campaign consultant, Chris Baker, said the lawsuit is spurious and an attempt to weaken Cardon in negotiations with his siblings. "This is nothing but rank greed," Baker said. Cardon is one of three candidates running for the Republican nomination for secretary of state, which is the state's chief election officer and first in line to become governor if there's a midterm vacancy. The suit challenges a November 2013 renegotiation of the Cardon family's assets, which the siblings contend is null and void because it violates previous agreements and was not signed by most of the family. Patrick Cardon, who is Wil Cardon's brother and the only sibling to sign the 2013 agreement, claimed in the lawsuit that he filed it under duress and based on false pretenses. The suit asks a judge to affirm the family's removal of Cardon as the family trust's trustee, remove him as the head of another trust, nullify the November 2013 agreement and bar him from any decision-making power over family assets. Wil Cardon's attorney, Mike Manning, said the expenditures were allowed by the family's agreement on the trust accounts and were done within "the letter and spirit" of that agreement. Manning said Cardon's father, Wilford A. Cardon, was actively involved in his son's campaign and was empowered by the family to make financial decisions related to that run. Manning said he did not know the overall value of the Cardons' holdings, and the lawsuit did not specify a total. The family's wealth is traced to Cardon Oil Co. founder Wilford Pratt "Pat" Cardon, who is Wil Cardon's grandfather and died in 1969. Wilford A. Cardon expanded the family business from the petroleum and gas-station industry into real estate and other interests.

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Meet Melissa Lopez Editor's Note: Melissa was referred by her sister Zulay. She said, "I hope you pick her she is an amazing little sister and a great friend! No one else deserves this more!" Name: Melissa Lopez Hometown: Bronx, NY Education: BA in Communications, MBA in Marketing Profession/Career: Marketing professional spending her "after nine-to-five" teaching fitness and dance classes Web site: www.funfitchic.net When you were a child, what did you want to be when you "grew up?" I wanted to be a Rockette! Actually, I wanted to be a dancer - a ballet dancer, a back-up dancer (specifically Janet Jackson' back-up dancer), or a Broadway dancer. Deep down inside I always knew that I wanted to tap into my creative side. Where were you born and where did you grow up for the most part of your life? I was born in the South Bronx and I lived there until I graduated High School and moved into a dorm at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. A completely different world. What (if any) adversaries or discouragements did you face growing up? I can't say I had any specific discouragements but I could say that it was difficult growing up around complacency while being a dreamer. I really believed and still do believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. Where I grew up, I always felt like most people accepted things the way they were and whether or not they were okay with it, they never made a change. It was a constant discouragement for most and many times, I felt like giving in but that's not me. I don't accept the status quo and I really do believe that my life and my choices can change the world. What has been the "proudest" moment in your life" Purchasing my very own home before 30! I don't make a big deal about many things but this was very personal to me. Having lived in a rental my entire life with my family, it was very important to me to finally own a piece of "the American dream." It's not a big space but its mine and I am so proud of it. I have led many personal firsts in my family, yet this one had a special meaning to me because I was able to save up all the money necessary in a year. I ate rice with no beans and no chicken everyday BUT I did it. What does being a Latina woman mean to you? It means strength, love, passion and family. It means breaking down the stereotypes while staying true to your culture. I love being a Latina, I love speaking Spanish with my girlfriends and I love to see the mouths drop when I tell people I am Puerto Rican raised in the South Bronx. You have to carry it with a badge of honor wherever you go. What advice do you have for today's young Latinas? I've learned that education takes you very far - beyond the classroom. Continue learning, always be aware of your surroundings and let your intelligence lead the way. Latinos are hard-working. People know us as hustlers and I don't mean it in it's negative connotation. We put our hearts and our pride into our work and when you combine that with intelligence, you will always be a tough act to follow. What Latina in your life has been a major inspiration and role model? As a kid, I would have said Rita Moreno! What a woman. I still look up to her very much but as an adult, I have to say my mother. We were fortunate enough to live in a two-parent household but at that time my father worked a lot and my mother held down the home. I know now all the pride she had to put aside to keep things together in our family. She taught us how to care for one another, how to love, and how to be humble. My favorite memory (and it might be quite foggy) was the day my mother arrived back home from a very bad day at work. She cried and told my dad she NEVER wanted to go there again. My father understood and told her that she didn't have to. After that, my mother used her creativity to design pieces of art and then sell them to her friends and their family during all holidays, she babysat children, she did everything she could to hold up her end of the bargain. I see that in myself - the entrepreneurial spirit and the creativity. I've had some rough times during this economy, but I always stayed afloat - I credit that ability to my parents. What is your favorite quote or saying that you live by in life? "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much" by Mother Teresa. In trying times, you have to have the faith and belief in yourself and the universe that you will overcome whatever obstacle is placed in front of you and you will be stronger for it. Name a fellow Latina, in your professional world, that inspires you. Why? Supreme Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a great inspiration. Like me, she grew up in the South Bronx. She was smart and didn't always fit in. She has had to overcome opposition and stereotypical views in front of an entire nation, and she always did it with grace. I previously worked in government and know first-hand that our nation's governmental institutions are lacking Latinas. She's a trailblazer and a woman of strength and integrity. Meet, Melissa Lopez, Fun. Fit. Chic. Thank you for featuring me. I am honored. www.funfitchic.net That's my sister!!! I am so honored to call her my sister thank you for helping show her my appreciation by featuring her here! This is AWESOME! Go Mel! You truly are an inspiration for many reasons. I have honestly mentioned your name in "inspirational conversations" more than once! Glad you are recognized! :) Inspired through Email The Inspired Meet Lisann Valentin Editor's Note: Li was one of "the" first Latina bloggers I found when I created Blogs by Latinas. I am in awe of her inspirat... Editor's Note: Melissa was referred by her sister Zulay. She said, "I hope you pick her she is an amazing little sister and a grea... Meet Ana Garcia Rivera Editor's Note: Ana was referred by "all the curvy women in Puerto Rico." I love it. I do remember her from the Torrid Model Se... Meet Mercedes Sanchez Editor's Note: I've always admired Mercedes and her work, especially Be Chic Mag. We knew each other online, before finally meeting ... Quotes that Inspire Latinas "Intense love does not measure, it just gives." -Mother Teresa This is my motto every day at home, in my business, my communi... Inspirational Blogs LATISM Latinas Inspired by Monique Frausto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Based on a work at www.LatinasInspire.com. Latinas Inspire © 2011 | Designed by Blogger Templates, in collaboration with Modern Warfare 3, Call Of Duty and AlatMusik.com

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Home Sports Lifestyle Business Community Education Opinion CLICK TO WIN! Opinion Greedy King children at it again Published on Thursday, 20 September 2012 22:39 Written by George E. Curry September 20, 2012 By George E. Curry In his “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered at the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said he dreamed of the day his children would be judged not by the color of their skin but the content of their character. If Dr. King had known how Martin III, Dexter and Bernice would later fight over money generated by commercially exploiting his name, he might have omitted any reference to their character. When it comes to money, King’s remaining children have no character. The latest of many examples is their profiting from the construction of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. They – and all Americans – should be grateful that Harry E. Johnson, Sr. and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity had the vision and unflagging commitment to believe they could erect a memorial to Dr. King on the National Mall. Last year, the 30-foot, 8-inch statue of King was unveiled, dwarfing the 19-foot statue of Thomas Jefferson and the Abraham Lincoln memorial, which is 19 feet, 6 inches. Instead of being satisfied with this impressive memorial to their father – the first monument to an African American on the Mall – the King children saw dollar signs. They have collected more than $3 million in licensing fees from the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. The fees were charged in exchange for allowing the foundation to use King’s words and likeness in fundraising appeals and as part of the memorial complex itself. Harry Johnson has raised $119 million of the $120 million needed to build the memorial. But I doubt that any donor gave money to the project with the expectation that the King children would be able to line their pockets with their contribution. David Garrow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning King biographer, told the Associated Press that Dr. King would have been “absolutely scandalized by the profiteering behavior of his children.” He added, “I don’t think the Jefferson family, the Lincoln family…I don’t think any other group of family ancestors has been paid a licensing fee for a memorial in Washington. One would think any family would be so thrilled to have their forefather celebrated and memorialized in D.C. that it would never dawn on them to ask for a penny.” The King family is not looking for pennies or dollars. They are looking for millions. They are already making millions from King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” King was a very public man, giving a public speech at the Lincoln Memorial, yet the King children claim that he was a private citizen and therefore they are entitled to profit from his public pronouncements. They successfully sued CBS to prevent the network from airing the “I Have a Dream Speech” – without paying them. But would they win such a suit today? Fortunately for them, people are willing to give them a pass because they are Dr. King’s dysfunctional children, not because of anything they have done. Private citizens don’t have federal holidays named in their honor. Monuments aren’t erected to them on the National Mall. If Dr. King isn’t a public figure, no one is. Even worse than charging the foundation that erected the King Memorial for use of King’s words and images, the King family has now told the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation that their licensing agreement has expired and the family will not extend it. Not even for a sizeable fee. And by the way, the foundation can no longer use King in its name and will have to change that, too.. So what is their angle? You know the money grubbing Kings had to have one. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, announced a year-long celebration leading to the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. “We are excited by the four days of activities we have organized to commemorate my father’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, in cooperation with the MLK, Jr. National Historic Site and the CDC,” she said. “As we launch the year-long countdown to the global observance of the 50th anniversary, the Dreamkeepers Program events will help us address the still relevant challenge of creating a more just society through nonviolent activism.” The King Center – which has been managed by Dexter, Martin III and now Bernice – hopes to raise $170 million from the events. The famous march was about more than a young preacher from Atlanta delivering a sterling speech that mesmerized the nation. Rather, it was called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was organized by A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. With an official Black unemployment rate of 14.4 percent, the emphasis should again be on jobs, not Dr. King’s speech. But a focus on jobs wouldn’t put any money into the King coffers. And they’ve already shown that is one of their major objectives. They had arranged for Sotheby to auction King’s papers in 2006. But Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin stepped in and organized a private group that paid $32 million for the papers and donated them to Morehouse College, King’s alma mater. Had he been alive, that’s something Dr. King probably would have done. But unlike his children, he wouldn’t do it to make a buck. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine. He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/ currygeorge. < Prev

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SCHEER Pages (100+) SCHEER Mentions See More > Jane Austin SCHEER SCHEER, Jane Austin91, of Juno Beach, FL, passed away on July 29, 2014, on her 64th wedding anniversary. Daughter of Roland Austin and Edith Martin, Jane was born in Hartford, CT, and raised in Hartford and West Hartford. She attended Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Virginia, worked and studied at Woods Hole Marine Biological Institute in Massachusetts, and spent a summer at Lisle Fellowship International in Colorado, experiences that shaped the course of her life. Jane also attended the School of Public Health at Yale University, earning a master's degree, which led to a job in Fond du Lac, WI, as health educator for the public schools. In Fond du Lac she met her future husband Bill, an engineer, whom she married in 1950 and with whom she raised two children. The family returned to Connecticut and later relocated to Palm Beach Gardens, FL, where Jane and Bill lived for over three decades. A loving and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, Jane is survived by her devoted husband Bill; son William Scheer of Jupiter; granddaughters Kim Goldberg and Kristy Pilote of Windermere, FL; great-grandchildren Ethan, Julianna, Tyler, Rory, and Arden Goldberg and Ansley Pilote; sister Shirley Murphy of Rockville, MD; nieces Linda Dinger of Hamburg, NY, and Barbara Warman of Rockville, MD; nephew Steven Murphy of Olney, MD; and family dog Archie. Jane was preceded in death by her beloved daughter Julie Esposito. A woman of integrity and compassion and quiet strength, Jane committed her life to family, friends, church, environmental causes, and animal welfare. As a child, she spent summers with grandparents in Plymouth, CT, where she gained a love for horses and an appreciation of plants and wildlife. As an adult, Jane was active in many projects through Audubon and led native-habitat preservation efforts at her Methodist church and in the community. She spent countless hours helping friends who needed a caring smile, a gentle touch, a word of encouragement. She was selfless and generous, living for others. A memorial service to celebrate Jane's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, 2014, in the auditorium of The Waterford, 601 Universe Blvd., Juno Beach. To honor Jane, friends might consider a donation to Audubon Florida, the Florida ALS Association, CROS Ministries, or Hospice of Palm Beach County.To express condolences and/or make donations: Visit PalmBeachPost.com/obituaries Published in The Palm Beach Post from Aug. 3 to Aug. 4, 2014 Listen to Obituary What will you miss most about Jane Austin SCHEER? Please add or record a video for the family of Jane SCHEER Please add a photo and share in the life story for Jane SCHEER

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