Thursday, March 15, 2012
Play it cool on the road // Products make heat bearable
UN accuses Syria forces of crimes against humanity
BEIRUT (AP) — A U.N. investigation released Monday accused Syrian forces of killing and torturing children and other crimes against humanity over the past eight months as President Bashar Assad's regime tried to crush an unprecedented uprising.
The investigation added to mounting international pressure on Assad. On Sunday, the Arab League approved sweeping sanctions to push his embattled regime to end the violence against mostly unarmed protesters.
The report by a U.N. Human Rights Council panel, released in Geneva, found that at least 256 children were killed by government forces between mid-March and early November, with some of them tortured to death.
"Torture was …
Reutimann cruises to win at NASCAR Chicagoland
David Reutimann blew by Jeff Gordon and cruised to the victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday.
Carl Edwards made a charge in the closing laps, cutting Reutimann's lead to less than a second, but he couldn't get close enough and finished second. Gordon was third, followed by Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray.
It was the second career victory for Reutimann, who also won a rain-shortened race at Charlotte in May 2009. This one was much more satisfying.
"No rain tonight," Reutimann said. "We earned this one. Nobody gave it to us and that feels really good."
And it was a relief for a …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
SAVING GRACE
Pat Grenier, a financial planner with BRP Grenier based in Springfield, has been practicing for 22 years and said she's seen a notable shift in how people approach money, and the saving thereof, in that time.
"Twenty years ago, if a young couple came to see me which was rare - their outlook was much different," she said. "They were looking at specific investment ideas, because the wide variety of options that we have today wasn't available.
"Now," she continued, "people are looking not for a product, but a plan, to create the financial future that they envision."
Several factors contribute to this shift in financial planning trends among younger clients, said Grenier, …
Wall Street Has Worst Day in 4 Months
NEW YORK - Wall Street had its worst day in more than four months Monday as the dollar weakened and concerns about the strength of the retail industry arose following a rare sales decline at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The Dow Jones industrials fell 158 points.
Investors were uneasy after the dollar fell for the fifth straight day and after Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, reported a 0.1 percent drop in same-store sales, those from stores open at least a year. Same-store sales are the industry standard for assessing a retailer's strength, and while overall retail sales appeared strong last weekend, Wal-Mart's first deficit in a decade raised concerns about the strength of consumer …
State lawmakers bet gambling can help with budgets
A tell-tale sign America's chips are down: States are increasingly turning to gambling to plug budget holes.
Proposals to allow or expand slots or casinos are percolating in at least 14 states, tempting legislators and governors at a time when many must decide between cutting services and raising taxes.
Gambling has hard-core detractors in every state, but when the budget-balancing alternatives lawmakers must consider include reducing education funding or lifting sales taxes, resistance is easier to overcome, political analysts said.
"Who wouldn't be interested if you're a politician who needs to fund programs?" said Bo Bernhard, director …
What'll daughter think of their open marriage?
Dear Zazz: I've been married for four years and have a3-year-old daughter.
My husband and I enjoy the company of others, so we have an openmarriage. This arrangement works quite well for us, and we're happyabout it. The problem is that my daughter is noticing that other menor women sometimes spend the night.
Is it wise to continue the open marriage? I love my husband andenjoy this sexual freedom. But I also love my child and wonder if itwill be healthy for her, especially as she gets older, to observewhat's going on. SECOND THOUGHTS
Dear S.T.: You're right: Your open marriage surely will confuseyour daughter. Eventually, she may even be outraged by …
Joey Bishop Dead at 89
LOS ANGELES - Joey Bishop, the stone-faced comedian who found success in nightclubs, television and movies but became most famous as a member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack, has died at 89.
He was the group's last surviving …
Dollar drops as Germany, France see growth
The dollar dropped Thursday as Germany and France returned to economic growth and U.S. retail sales slipped unexpectedly last month.
The 16-nation euro rose to $1.4265 in late trading from $1.4214 late Wednesday, while the British pound gained to $1.6556 from $1.6511.
The dollar dropped to 95.13 Japanese yen from 96.23 yen.
On Thursday, Europe's two biggest economies, Germany and France, unexpectedly said their respective gross domestic product rose 0.3 percent in the second quarter.
That technically ends the recession in both countries. In the first quarter, Germany shrank 3.5 percent and France contracted 1.3 percent.
…Wis. Joins Anti-Tax Bandwagon
In what's getting to be a familiar scenario, Wisconsin has becomethe latest state to give property tax payers a break when it comes tofinancing public schools.
Under a bill signed Monday by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson,Wisconsin's share of local school funding will increase to two-thirdsfrom the present 42 percent (compared with Illinois' miserlyone-third). The move is expected to produce about $1 billion forlocal property tax relief. The source of the additional fundsremains a partisan issue, but natural revenue growth, state spendingcuts and higher state income and sales taxes are named aspossibilities.
The law is …
Brazil's ruling party candidate ahead in poll
SAO PAULO (AP) — A new poll says that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's hand-picked successor has jumped ahead of the leading opposition candidate.
The Datafolha polling institute says Dilma Rousseff of the ruling Workers' Party is favored by 41 percent of those surveyed compared to 33 percent for Jose Serra of the …
Chrysler to temporarily close 4 factories
Chrysler LLC says it will temporarily close four assembly plants next week because of weak U.S. sales.
The company says it will idle factories in Brampton, Ontario; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Belvidere, Illinois; and Detroit from Feb. 9-13.
Spokesman Max Gates says it's because of economic conditions. Additional closures are possible because the company reviews its …
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Refinancing costs hiked by new title insurance
From the lender's standpoint, a refinanced loan is like anyother mortgage loan, said William Halvorsen, vice president ofChicago Title Insurance Co.
This means the homeowner will have to pay the usual service feesor points and other expenses typically associated with closing asale, including a new charge for title insurance, he said.
"Because no change in ownership is involved, some owners whopurchased a title insurance policy when they bought their homeswonder why they should be saddled with the expense again.
"The reason is because two sets of interest - the owner's and thelender's - are involved in any home financing transaction. Each iscovered by title insurance in different ways," Halvorsen said.
Title insurance insures the rights to real estate. Beforeissuing a policy, the title insurer searches public records todetermine if there are any liens or claims against the property thatcould affect the validity of the title.
Unlike most forms of insurance, the primary purpose of titleinsurance is to eliminate risks and prevent losses caused by defectsin title arising out of events that have taken place in the past.Other forms of insurance protect against losses that may arise in thefuture, such as accidents or death, Halvorsen said.
From the owner's perspective, a title policy protects againstany loss that could result if it is determined that the insured didnot own the property or that the property was subject to the claimsof others not previously disclosed to the insured at the time of thesale.
The title company pays for any losses up to the stated amount ofthe policy, and also pays any legal expenses involved in defendingthe insured against adverse claims.
Often, in the sale of a home, two separate title policies arepurchased to protect the different interests of owners and lenders.
At the time of purchase, owners can buy a one-time owner'spolicy that protects against any previously undetected title defectsfor as long as they own the home. However, when refinancing,lenders insist on a new lender's policy to protect against eventsthat may have occurred between the time the buyer purchased theproperty and when it is refinanced.
For example, there could be legal judgments against the presentowner or perhaps a lien was placed against the property by a supplierwho was not paid for home improvements.
Quadriplegic savors joy of no more eyeglasses: Free surgery clears his vision, leaves him with one less worry
It was a week before Thanksgiving, and Eric Johnson, a 31-year-old quadriplegic, was in the Loop office of ophthalmologist Colman R.Kraff, reflecting on God's gift of sight.
"Sometimes it's hard to describe to people what it's like not tobe able to see without glasses. Everything is pretty much just ablob," said the Chesterton, Ind., man, who was partly paralyzed in adiving accident at the age of 22.
But Johnson, who has worn eyeglasses since elementary school, wasto receive the gift that day through a new national program sponsoredby the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Started by academy member Dr. Robert Maloney of California -- theexclusive eye surgeon on ABC-TV's reality show "Extreme Makeover" --Gift of Sight offers free Lasik vision corrective surgery toquadriplegics nationwide.
It's available to patients over the age of 18 who have suffered atraumatic spinal cord injury and lost the use of their hands and/orarms, making it difficult or impossible to put on or take off glassesor contacts without assistance.
PARALYZED SINCE '96
"I was reading this disability magazine, and there was this ad,'Free Lasik for Quads.' My heart jumped. I've wanted it for years andyears," said Johnson. "For the longest time, people were putting onand taking off my glasses. As for contacts, getting them out was farworse than getting them in, and painful, too."
According to the academy, 130,000 Americans are quadriplegics.Johnson, who is married and has a 9-year-old stepson, broke his neckwhen he dived into a shallow lake in 1996.
"Wearing glasses is an inconvenience for anyone. Just think howit's magnified if you don't have full use of your hands and/or arms,"said Kraff, a partner and director of refractive services at KraffEye Institute, 25 E. Washington.
'THIS IS JUST A MIRACLE'
"They can't adjust them, clean them, put them on or take them offwithout help. When [Dr. Maloney] approached me about the program, Iimmediately said yes," said the ophthalmologist, who is also on staffat the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
It is now almost two weeks later, and Wednesday, a very excitedJohnson returned to Kraff's office for a checkup.
"Look up. Look way up," Kraff tells Johnson, whose eyes arepressed against a slit lamp microscope for examining.
"It looks great, Eric. It looks just perfect. How do you feel?"Kraff asks.
Johnson beams from ear to ear. "That very first morning afterward,I woke up and just started giggling. It was like, 'Wow! I can see!' Idon't have to worry about how to get my contact lens on because mywife works and she's not always around. It takes me long enough toget ready in the morning, and now it's one less thing I have toagonize over.
"I've wanted this for years, but I'm on disability and the expensewas a barrier. This is just a miracle," he said.
Millions in Australia, NZ pay homage to military
The solemn silence of pre-dawn services gave way to booming marching bands and the clink of beer glasses Saturday as Australians and New Zealanders marked their annual tribute to military veterans.
Millions turned out for events in both countries to mark the 94th annual ANZAC Day, a celebration named for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served in the nations' famous defeat at the battle of Gallipoli. More than 11,000 Australian and New Zealand troops died at Gallipoli, a futile effort by British Commonwealth forces to invade Turkey during World War I.
The day honors all past and present military personnel _ particularly the World War I and World War II forces Australians call "Diggers" _ with ticker-tape parades and services in both countries.
In Sydney, people stood shoulder-to-shoulder in darkness with heads bowed to observe a minute of silence at the Cenotaph war memorial. Many laid wreaths on the memorial after a lone bugler played "The Last Post."
"As the dawn is even now about to pierce the night, so let their memory inspire us to work for the coming new light into the dark places of the world," New South Wales state Governor Marie Bashir said at the Sydney service.
In the Australian capital of Canberra, about 20,000 people _ including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd _ braved chilly winds to attend a pre-dawn service at the Australian War Memorial, where navy chaplain Collin Acton recalled the sacrifices at Gallipoli and the thousands killed in subsequent conflicts.
Australians and New Zealanders lined the streets of major cities in both countries for parades following the early services. The thumping of drums and the whine of bagpipes echoed throughout downtown Sydney as veterans and their descendants marched alongside active military personnel before thousands of cheering, flag-waving spectators.
Veteran Pat Lee, who served with the Royal Australian Air Force from 1939 to 1946, leaned on his cane and swept his eyes over the veterans waiting to march alongside him. He has attended nearly every ANZAC celebration since 1946, always donning the tin helmet he wore in the war.
"It's getting a bit heavy," the 87-year-old said with a rueful smile, gently touching his helmet, which is adorned with the words: "Lest we forget." "In a couple years, I'll be 90 and a lot of the mates I served with have either died or can't do it anymore. I'm representing those that can no longer be in the ANZAC march."
As is tradition, servicemen and veterans flooded pubs following the parades to knock back a few beers and play games of "two-up" _ a two-coin heads vs. tails competition that was popular among Diggers. Restrictions on gambling are loosened on ANZAC Day to allow for the game.
Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders gathered for a dawn service at Gallipoli, where Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith paid tribute to the fallen soldiers.
"Over the years, Australians have come to learn much of the courage and sacrifice of the Turkish soldiers _ often less well equipped than our own _ who died defending their homeland," Smith said. "We have learned of the remarkable respect that grew between the soldiers who faced each other in battle across a line of trenches. We have seen that respect grow into a wider respect between our nations."
NASCAR: ; Hamlin, Logano feel tide turning after tough spell
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Denny Hamlin had three wins at this point lastseason and clearly was the strongest challenger to Jimmie Johnson'sNASCAR Sprint Cup title.
Joey Logano was inconsistent, but showing enough improvement thateveryone believed he was headed toward Victory Lane.
When the season ended, Hamlin was an eight-time winner who hadnearly ended Johnson's five-year reign and Logano was predicted tobecome a legitimate contender for the Chase for the Sprint Cupchampionship.
Neither is driving up to expectations.
Nobody, though, is panicking.
"There's no doubt we'll be in the Chase," said Hamlin, who goesto Kansas Speedway for Sunday's STP 400 inside the top 12 for thefirst time since the third week of the season.
"It's just never giving up, man," said Logano, who grabbed aseason-best third-place Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Their disappointing starts to the season have thrust the driversinto the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
An unconfirmed report last month said Joe Gibbs Racing was on theverge of swapping Logano crew chief Greg Zipadelli with Hamlin crewchief Mike Ford, and even though team president J.D. Gibbs stronglydenied that had ever been discussed, the whispers have lingered.
It didn't matter that Hamlin responded with finishes of secondand sixth immediately after the rumor surfaced, as soon as he loggeda 16th at Dover - a track that has consistently caused him fits andwhere his average finish is 20.9 - people again began clamoring forFord's head.
It didn't help, either, when Logano and Zipadelli bickered overtheir in-car radio the next week after Logano failed to race his wayinto the All-Star race.
Both drivers continue to insist everything is just fine.
"We're a couple Yankees from up North, and we yell and scream ateach other," said Logano, who like Zipadelli hails from Connecticut.
"That's just how we communicate. I think that's how everyonecommunicates that's from up there. So that's not a big deal. I justsaw both of us getting frustrated, and it is what it is. It worksout all right. We don't hold grudges. We just keep going."
And Hamlin, who has been with Ford all six years in the SprintCup Series, can't imagine working with anyone but his current crewchief.
"Everybody thinks that Chad Knaus is the best crew chief in thegarage, if you had him move over to the 11 car, I guarantee you werun worse for a long while," Hamlin said. "It just works for meright now. We have the same personality. He knows how I work; I knowhow he works.
"So I just don't think that anybody is going to help me rightnow. I've got to work through all that stuff myself."
Both drivers are trying to do exactly that right now.
Hamlin was decent during the Coca-Cola 600 despite engine issuesthat plagued him over the course of NASCAR's longest race of theseason. But he was still fourth as the race closed in on the final100 laps, and Ford called him to pit road to change the carburetorand correct the engine issue once and for all.
It dropped Hamlin to 27th on the board, but he worked his wayback into the top five in the closing laps, only to run out of gasand finish 10th.
Logano, meanwhile, was in danger of going a lap down early in therace, but through pointed and direct conversation with Zipadellithey were able to make enough adjustments on his Toyota to worktheir way through the field.
His final finish was aided by the many cars in front of him thatran out of gas, but Logano had still hung in for what would havebeen a top-10 finish regardless of other drivers' fuel issues.
Although Logano is currently 23rd in points and Charlotte wasjust his second top-10 finish of the season, he and Zipadelli bothknow they've run better than what the statistics show. A combinationof driver mistakes and really bad luck put them in their currenthole, and a few good finishes might be all it takes to turn theseason around.
"I'm just happy to get (a good finish at Charlotte), as many aswe got taken away this year," Logano said. "Hopefully, this will putsome momentum on our side and we have some good race tracks comingup for us."
So does Hamlin, including next week's race at Pocono, where he'sa four-time winner. He's not taking it for granted that histurnaround will continue at Pocono, but he's excited about thestretch of summer racing that's ahead.
"We have great tracks (coming up), but it's not only that, it'shot race tracks," he said. "I need hot race tracks to really performwell. That suits my style. That's the way I've always raced. ...Quick, fast everywhere we go setting track records is not my styleof driving.
"I'm more of a smooth driver who takes care of his equipment forthe end. That doesn't get rewarded when we're setting track recordseverywhere."
Hamlin also praised team owner Joe Gibbs, who he said is workingtirelessly on making the improvements Hamlin and Logano need to geton pace with teammate Kyle Busch.
Busch has been immune from the struggles the other two have had,and he's got two Sprint Cup wins already this season.
"Kyle is running really well with everything right now, so that'sgood from that standpoint," Hamlin said. "But we still have issueswithin the team that we need to continue to work through. And wecontinue to work on them. That's the good part, is Joe Gibbs, if Ibring an issue up to him, he's working overtime."
Ravens end Miami's road run, 26-10
BALTIMORE (AP) — Billy Cundiff and the Baltimore Ravens got a kick out of ending the Miami Dolphins' run of success on the road.
Cundiff made four field goals, and the Ravens cranked up the defense in the second half Sunday in a 26-10 victory over the Dolphins, who absorbed their first road loss.
Baltimore (6-2) won its seventh straight home game behind Cundiff and a defense that blanked Miami (4-4) after halftime. Cundiff connected from 26, 39, 20, 24 yards and the Ravens limited the Dolphins to 24 yards rushing over the final 30 minutes.
Miami quarterback Chad Henne went 22 for 34 for 231 yards and three interceptions. Miami came in 4-0 on the road, but the Ravens were seemingly unimpressed. Baltimore never trailed and pulled away after taking a 13-10 halftime lead.
Joe Flacco completed 20 of 27 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens, who are 6-0 at home since 2001 after a bye.
The Ravens finished with a 16-minute advantage in time of possession thanks heavily to the running of Ray Rice, who gained 83 yards on 22 carries.
Baltimore expanded its 13-10 halftime lead by moving 81 yards for a touchdown on its first possession of the third quarter. Rice caught three passes for 61 yards before Flacco hit Derrick Mason in the end zone from 12 yards.
Minutes later, Baltimore used a fake punt to get to the Miami 26. But Cundiff missed a 37-yard field goal.
The Dolphins then moved downfield before Dan Carpenter was wide left on a 46-yard field goal try, ending a run of 14 straight successful attempts.
Cundiff added a field goal with 6:45 left, and an interception by Ed Reed set up Cundiff's final 3-pointer with 2:07 to go.
Baltimore scored a touchdown on its opening possession for the first time this season. The drive ended when Willis McGahee took a screen pass from Flacco, broke free behind a block by Ben Grubbs and weaved his way to a 32-yard score.
Miami then became the first team to score a touchdown on its opening drive against the Ravens. Ronnie Brown carried six times for 45 yards, including a 12-yard TD run.
After a 26-yard field goal by Cundiff put Baltimore up 10-7, Lardarius Webb went 32 yards with an interception to the Miami 4. Baltimore was pushed back to the 20 before holder Sam Koch muffed the snap on a field goal try.
The Dolphins were forced to punt, and a 10-play drive by the Ravens ended with a field goal for a 13-7 lead.
Later in the half, Miami moved 79 yards to the Baltimore 1, before Carpenter kicked a field goal.
That, however, would be the extent of the Dolphins' scoring.
Festival lands '8 Mile'
The upcoming Eminem film "8 Mile" will be shown Sept. 8 as a "workin progress" as part of the Toronto Film Festival. The film, whichopens Nov. 8 in U.S. theaters, was directed by Curtis Hanson ("WonderBoys," "L.A. Confidential") and also stars Kim Basinger and BrittanyMurphy.
Billboard
Magic strong from arc to beat Raptors
Potent 3-point shooting helped the Orlando Magic to a 118-99 win over the Toronto Raptors in the NBA on Wednesday.
Dwight Howard had 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks for the Magic, while Rashard Lewis added 21 points.
Orlando shot 14 of 30 from beyond the arc.
Toronto's Hedo Turkoglu was showered with a mix of cheers and boos and scored 14 points as he returned to Orlando, where he was a fan favorite before parting ways in the offseason.
Hawks 110, Grizzlies 97
In Atlanta, the hosts pulled away in the second half for their fifth straight win, beating Memphis.
Despite playing only 29 minutes, Joe Johnson scored 26 points, making 10 of 16 shots from the field, including a couple of 3-pointers, and chipped in with eight rebounds and three assists.
Sam Young led Memphis with 20 points.
Cavaliers 108, 76ers 101
In Philadelphia, LeBron James hit two clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and scored 36 points to lead Cleveland over Philadelphia.
James was in trademark form against one of the worst teams in the NBA, shooting 12 of 26 from the floor.
Mo Williams hit back-to-back shots in the fourth that gave the Cavaliers a lead they would never relinquish, and scored 12 points.
Andre Iguodala's 26 point led the Sixers, who have lost 13 of 14 games.
Pacers 101, Bobcats 98
In Indianapolis, Troy Murphy had 26 points and 15 rebounds, leading Indiana over Charlotte.
T.J. Ford added 15 points and 13 assists for the Pacers.
Gerald Wallace had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Bobcats, who are 1-11 on the road.
Jazz 108, Nets 92
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer recorded double-doubles, and Utah added to hapless New Jersey's woes.
Williams had 20 points and 14 assists, while Boozer added 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Jazz handed the Nets their fifth straight loss.
Brook Lopez had 23 points and 10 rebounds for New Jersey, which got one piece of good news on Wednesday when it was announced that Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov had moved a step closer to becoming the NBA's first non-North American owner.
Ireland A beat Canada, Argentines down US in rugby
A late surge propelled Ireland A past Canada 30-19 while the Argentina Jaguars romped over the United States 35-14 in Churchill Cup rugby on Wednesday.
Ireland A's opening tournament win set it up for a berth in next week's final, while eliminating Canada from reaching its first Churchill final.
The Irish need only win on Sunday against Georgia _ which was beaten by Canada 42-10 last weekend _ to guarantee making the June 21 final. Favored from the other pool are the England Saxons, which beat the Jaguars 28-20 last Saturday and meet the U.S. this weekend at Infinity Park.
Canada, thanks to the boot of Ander Monro, who netted 14 points, clung to a 19-16 lead with 11 minutes to go against Ireland A. But then the Irish earned a penalty try to take the lead for a third and final time, and added their fourth try in the last minute through replacement hooker Denis Fogarty.
Jaguars midfielder Benjamin Urdapilleta made the United States pay for its mistakes with a 22-point haul, including six penalties and conversions to both second-half tries for wingers Agustin Gosio and Belisario Agulla.
The U.S. went ahead 11-6 in the 31st minute when fullback Gavin DeBartolo crossed while Jaguars flanker Leonardo Senatore was in the sinbin. However, a drop goal by Lucas Barrera Oro and Urdapilleta's third penalty restored the lead for the Jaguars by halftime.
Gosio's converted try in the first minute of the new half pushed the Jaguars to 19-11, the U.S. closed to within five, but three more penalties put the Jaguars out of reach, capped by Agulla's converted try with six minutes to go.
___
Scores:
Ireland A 30 (Denis Hurley, Fergus McFadden, Denis Fogarty tries, penalty try; Jonathan Sexton 2 conversions, Niall O'Connor 2 penalties), Canada 19 (Phil Mack try; Ander Monro 3 penalties, conversion, drop goal). HT: 13-16.
Argentina Jaguars 35 (Agustin Gosio, Belisario Agulla tries; Benjamin Urdapilleta 6 penalties, 2 conversions, Lucas Barrera Oro drop goal), United States 14 (Gavin DeBartolo try, 2 penalties, Dan Power penalty). HT: 12-11.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Garment company 28 attracting attention
Garment Company 28 Attracting Attention
Garment Company 28 is attracting attention as a fast-growing apparel firm in Vietnam. Based on OEM production, the company manufactures apparel for "Hugo Boss". Garment Company 28 uses fabrics made at its own textile factory for apparel production. In addition to garments, Hugo Boss imports several million meters of fabrics yearly from Garment Company 28.
Equipped with Rieter spinning machines and Picanol looms, Garment Company 28 produces 12-- 15 million meters of fabrics yearly. Seven million meters are high-quality fabrics which can be exported to overseas markets. This company is not a member of VINATEX, and belongs to the Department of Defense.
More questions than answers Tests still inconclusive, so cautious Bulls will sit frustrated Curry
The announcement that center Eddy Curry will be sidelined for theremainder of the regular season and the playoffs was about the onlydefinitive news to come out of the Bulls' half-hour news conferenceThursday night.
There has been no final diagnosis of the irregular heartbeat Currysuffered two weeks ago, and he will continue to undergo testing onhis heart for six more weeks.
While Curry, 22, said he's not overly concerned, the Bulls aretaking a cautious approach.
"Our goal throughout this process has been to rule out anypossibility of increased risk to Eddy Curry's long-term health byplaying basketball," general manager John Paxson said. "As of today,the results still remain inconclusive. Unfortunately, the next stepis more tests.
"We all know what a huge impact Eddy provided for our club thisyear, but Eddy's long-term health is now and always has been our toppriority."
Since first experiencing the irregular heartbeat before a game inCharlotte on March 30, Curry has undergone a series of cardiac testsat a Charlotte hospital and Rush University Medical Center. He alsotraveled to Boston and Minneapolis for tests in the last week.
"Unfortunately, these tests have come back favorably but yetinconclusive," team physician Brian Cole said. "As difficult as thatmay be to understand, this is a complicated issue when you're dealingwith the heart. So in order to make sure that Eddy is safe to play,it's been determined by our cardiac experts that it will take anadditional six weeks to have a conclusion to this where we can allfeel comfortable that Eddy is safe to return to the court."
Kathy Weber, another team doctor, said none of the tests hasrevealed any sort of problem and the preliminary diagnosis is thatCurry suffered a "non-sustained ventricular tachycardia" or anarrhythmia.
"Although everything has been positive, we still have someunanswered questions," Weber said. "Until we have that completely putto rest, we have opted to do further testing."
Curry, who recently told teammate Tyson Chandler that he felt likea "lab rat" during the testing, said Thursday that he is frustratedby the lengthy process and by not being able to play but understandsthe team's cautious approach.
"I definitely feel confident that I'll be back," said Curry, whowas joined by his mother and fiancee. "That's why I'm not stressedout about it. I see a lot of people, and when they see me, theyexpect me to be depressed and down about it. At this point, there'snothing to be depressed about. That's only going to make thesituation worse.
"Right now, I just have to be strong with myself and my family andmy teammates. This is no time for people to be worrying about it. Myteammates have to go out there and get the job done. Worry about meafter the season."
The timing of Curry being sidelined couldn't be worse. Besides theBulls on the verge of their first playoff appearance in seven years,Curry, who leads the team in scoring with a 16.1-point average, willbe a restricted free agent after this season looking for a big-money, long-term contract. He was asked if he was worried that thismight affect his free agency.
"He's a restricted free agent," Paxson jumped in. "Everybody wantsto make him an unrestricted free agent. He's a restricted free agent,and that puts the ball in our court. He's going to be back."
"Eddy's been very patient with everything. I know he's beenfrustrated. I respect very much that he wants to be back on thefloor. Based on what we know, we all want to be confident thateverything's going to work out. Hopefully, in six weeks, we can sithere and say he's good to go."
No one will be happier to hear that news than Curry. He has hadenough tests to last a lifetime.
"It's terrible, terrible -- and I hate needles, too," he said. "Ihave a lot of tattoos, but I hate needles. It's definitely somethingI don't want to go through again, so this is why I'm really takingthis time to do every single test possible so we can just really tryto get this behind us, and hopefully I don't have to do this again."
Although no cause has been found, the doctors said prescriptiondrugs, supplements and Curry's dramatic weight loss last summer havebeen eliminated as possibilities.
"Arrhythmias can be benign and they can be dangerous, so itdepends on what kind of an arrhythmia you're talking about," Webersaid. "In this case, [it] appears to be a benign arrhythmia."
Paxson said the cautious approach is the only way the Bulls couldhave approached the situation given what could be at stake if thereis a problem.
"Let's be honest, things go through your mind," Paxson said."There have been athletes that have had issues and things havehappened.
All of these things, we're confident we're ruling out. No one cansit here and say things don't cross your mind, but we're going tofocus on these next six weeks and the testing we have to do and thenwe'll have our answers. We're all confident that day's going to be apositive one."
Cyber Monday bargain hunters bought more, spent less this year
fknowles@suntimes.com
Shoppers on the hunt for deals helped drive total Cyber Monday sales higher than last year, but on average they spent less, preliminary data showed.
Online sales were up 11 percent over the same time last year, as of 5:30 p.m. Monday, but the average order value was down 13.2 percent, according to Coremetrics, a California-based Web analytics company.
There were deals to be had. Amazon.com was discounting the Apple iPod Touch 8GB for $158, $20 less than Sunday and $40 off the retail price of about $200. Target.com offered a deal Monday for a Garmin GPS system for $186.99, down from $249.99. Free shipping was also prevalent.
A National Retail Federation survey released last week found that 87.1 percent of retailers responding said they would have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 83.7 percent last year and 72.2 percent in 2007.
By the end of the day some 96.5 million Americans were expected to have shopped online Monday, up 13.5 percent from 85 million in 2008, based on a BIGresearch survey for Shop.org, the Retail federation noted. The majority were expected to shop from home. But by the end of the holiday season some 69 million are expected to have shopped online at work.
Data released by Chicago-based ShopperTrak Monday said retail spending at brick and mortar stores Black Friday and over the weekend edged up 0.9 percent from a year ago to $16.77 billion. The firm, which tracks sales and traffic at more than 50,000 outlets, said foot traffic slipped 2.5 percent on Friday and 3.2 percent Saturday.
That contrasts with the National Retail Federation estimates Sunday that store and Web retail traffic rose 13.4 percent from last year, but sales edged up only 0.5 percent to $41.2 billion.
Comment at suntimes.com.
96.5 mil.
The number of Americans who were expected to have shopped online Monday, up from 85 million last year.
11%, 13.2%
Sales were up 11% over same time last year -- but average order value was down 13.2 percent.
Photo: Robyn Beck, AFP, Getty Images / Nearly 90 percent of retailers in a survey last week said they would offer Cyber Monday deals.
Final Inspection As Shuttle Heads Home
HOUSTON - Space shuttle Atlantis headed for Earth on Wednesday as its crew awaited the results of a final heat shield inspection.
A camera attached to the shuttle's robotic arm surveyed the wings and nose cap after Atlantis undocked from the international space station Tuesday.
NASA engineers study those images to make sure the shuttle can withstand the intense heat of re-entering Earth's atmosphere before they give final approval for a Thursday landing at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The inspections became routine after shuttle Columbia broke apart on re-entry in 2003, killing seven astronauts.
Flight director Cathy Koerner said Wednesday she didn't anticipate any problems.
During their nearly 10 days at the space station, Atlantis' astronauts installed a new truss segment on the orbiting outpost, unfurled a new pair of power-generating solar arrays, and activated a rotating joint that allows the new solar arrays to track the sun.
Their 11-day mission was extended to 13 days to also give them time to repair a thermal blanket on the shuttle that partially peeled back during lift off.
On Wednesday, Atlantis' astronauts were scheduled to check the shuttle's engine and thermal control systems.
Even if the shuttle's heat shield is cleared for landing, the weather might not cooperate.
A front in the Florida panhandle was expected to send showers to the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and Friday.
"Get us some good weather for Thursday if you can. It doesn't have to be good. It just has to be good enough," shuttle commander Rick Sturckow told Mission Control.
Atlantis has enough fuel to orbit until Sunday, but managers want the shuttle to land by Saturday. The flight would only be extended to Sunday if there were technical problems that needed to be fixed.
In a daily report sent up to the astronauts Wednesday morning, Mission Control said landing opportunities at Kennedy, the primary landing site, look slightly better on Friday and Saturday. A backup landing site in California might be considered on Friday. That backup site plus another in New Mexico would be activated Saturday if necessary.
Atlantis was only cleared to leave the space station after Russian computers there passed a test Monday to take control of the station's thrusters. The computers had crashed last week but were revived over the weekend. On Atlantis, the astronauts had turned off equipment to conserve fuel in case the shuttle needed to stay longer.
More than an hour after the shuttle undocked Tuesday, a piece of debris that looked like a blanket and at least five tiny flashing particles floated past the space station. Engineers were still reviewing video and photographs to identify the debris.
"It's not a big concern," said Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager.
The shuttle is bringing back astronaut and former space station resident Sunita Williams, whose more than six months in space set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman. Astronaut Clay Anderson, her replacement, was taken to the station aboard Atlantis.
"I just can't wait to be home," Williams said Wednesday.
NASA said the space station and the space shuttle would be visible Wednesday night from the United States. Cities with the best chances of getting a view were Denver, Detroit, San Francisco and Washington, said NASA spokeswoman Kylie Clem.
---
Associated Press writer Mike Schneider contributed to this report.
---
On the Net:
Shuttle: http://www.nasa.gov/mission-pages/shuttle/main/index.html
Randall, Petukhov win cross-country skiing sprints
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Kikkan Randall of the United States won her second straight freestyle sprint in cross-country skiing's World Cup on Sunday, and Russian Alexey Petukhov won the men's race.
Randall got her fifth career World Cup victory by completing the 1.5-kilometer course in three minutes, 2.4 seconds.
Natalia Matveeva of Russia trailed Randall by 1.7 seconds. Norway's Maiken Caspersen Falla was third.
Randall, who won last weekend in Duesseldorf, Germany, climbed to third in the overall standings. Leader Marit Bjoergen of Norway placed seventh Sunday.
Petukhov timed two minutes, 41.7 seconds for his third individual win. Swedish racers Teodor Peterson and Emil Joensson took the other podium places.
Overall leader Petter Northug of Norway was fifth.
Sounders beat Wizards, clinch playoff spot
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sanna Nyassi and Alvaro Fernandez each scored a second-half goal, and the Seattle Sounders secured a playoff berth with a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night.
Counting his two goals in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Columbus in the U.S. Open Cup title game, Nyassi has scored four times in the last eight days for Seattle (13-9-6).
Kansas City (9-12-6), which got a late penalty-kick goal from Davy Arnaud, lost its third straight and moved to the verge of playoff elimination. The Wizards must win their last three games, two on the road, and hope Colorado loses its final two.
Nyassi put the Sounders up 1-0 in the 66th minute with a heads-up play. Wizards keeper Jimmy Nielsen got a hand on Nyassi's left-footed shot, but Nyassi was in position to collect the ball and put it past Nielsen on the second attempt.
Fernandez, who came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, scored three minutes later to make it 2-0.
Arnaud converted his penalty opportunity in the 85th minute, after Seattle's Jeff Parke fouled Teal Bunbury near the end line. The Wizards missed an opportunity to tie when Kei Kamara's shot hit the post early in stoppage time.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Ellis Caps Rally As Warriors Stun Nets
OAKLAND, Calif. - Monta Ellis hit a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer, and the Golden State Warriors rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 4 1/2 minutes to stun the New Jersey Nets, 110-109 on Wednesday night.
Al Harrington scored 29 points and hit two late free throws for Golden State in his first victory in three games with his new team. Ellis had 20 - and he finished an improbable victory with a perfect …
HOW TO ACHIEVE PERFECT BALANCE; SELF.
Byline: Jane Alexander
BALANCE is the key to good health. If your body and life are in balance, you will feet fit and healthy, relaxed and happy. But, if you allow yourself to fall badly out of balance, the result is generally poor health, even illness.
Keeping our bodies and minds in true equilibrium is a delicate matter which takes far more than eating a lean salad meal after a blow-out the day before. True balance involves working out what best suits your mind and body - and then providing it.
Balance is the aim of virtually all natural health. See a naturopath, an ayurvedic physician, osteopath, practitioner of (TCM) Traditional Chinese Medicine or any other natural health therapist and their aims will be the same - to bring your body and mind into their correct balance.
One of the most popular approaches is that of TCM. Chinese medicine sees imbalance quite starkly: the world is divided into two forces - yin and yang. Yin is dark, cold, negative, passive and feminine; yang is light, active, warm, positive and male.
Disturb the balance of yin and yang, and the result is disharmony, and eventually ill-health. In addition there are five elements (fire, earth, air, water, wood) to keep balanced.
So when a TCM practitioner diagnoses, he or she looks to see how much of each element is within the body and what kind of energy is being transmitted. Then it is possible to stimulate or quieten unbalanced organs by food, exercise, massage, herbs or, as a last resort, acupuncture.
At this time of year, with winter fast approaching, the need for balance is even more urgent. As profound shifts occur in the natural world, so, too, do they take place within our bodies and minds. Such turbulent energy can easily fall out of kilter and so, as we see the back of summer, we need to keep ourselves in balance to stave off illness.
GAINING BALANCE THE CHINESE WAY
ADAPT YOUR DIET: Oriental medical practitioners studiously avoid strict rules because they say no single diet is suitable for everyone. However, good guidelines are as follows:
* EAT sparingly. The Chinese say you should eat, not until you can barely move (as is the Western custom) but until you are 70-80 per cent full.
* ALL food should be chewed thoroughly to allow the enzymes in the saliva to start digestion.
* FOOD should be fresh, organic and in season.
* AVOID extremes of temperature. Ideally food should be steamed, poached or stir-fried.
The traditional diet follows medical guidelines almost exactly, being high in complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits, while low in saturated fat. Fish is rated highly and meat is eaten only in small quantities.
EXERCISE
TCM says exercise helps to balance the organs and allows vital energy, chi, to flow freely. However, they prefer less vigorous forms of exercise than we in the West. The reason, say the authors of Back To Balance, is that while highly aerobic forms of exercise build musculature and strengthen the body's frame, they actually deplete energy.
Yoga is an alternative system which builds up the energy supply rather than depleting it. If you aren't keen on learning something new, try walking - it's great for your health.
MEDITATION
THE ancient sages called it `mental fasting' believing that by withdrawing all distracting thoughts and disturbing emotions from the mind, they could purify the mind and restore the body.
Simply spend a few minutes each day sitting quietly and following your breathing, Alternatively you could focus on a candle flame.
You don't even necessarily have to meditate, says Dylana Accolla in Back To Balance: `Just sitting and taking stock of the day or your state of mind can do wonders.'
BREATHING
GOOD, balanced, deep breathing massages and stimulates all the internal organs. It allows the free flow of oxygen around the body, vitalising the whole body. It can calm you down and keep you free from stress.
* BACK to Balance, by Dylana Accolla with Peter Yates (newleaf [pounds sterling]12.99).
Available in bookshops or mail order on 01903 732596.
HOW TO ACHIEVE PERFECT BALANCE; SELF.Byline: Jane Alexander
BALANCE is the key to good health. If your body and life are in balance, you will feet fit and healthy, relaxed and happy. But, if you allow yourself to fall badly out of balance, the result is generally poor health, even illness.
Keeping our bodies and minds in true equilibrium is a delicate matter which takes far more than eating a lean salad meal after a blow-out the day before. True balance involves working out what best suits your mind and body - and then providing it.
Balance is the aim of virtually all natural health. See a naturopath, an ayurvedic physician, osteopath, practitioner of (TCM) Traditional Chinese Medicine or any other natural health therapist and their aims will be the same - to bring your body and mind into their correct balance.
One of the most popular approaches is that of TCM. Chinese medicine sees imbalance quite starkly: the world is divided into two forces - yin and yang. Yin is dark, cold, negative, passive and feminine; yang is light, active, warm, positive and male.
Disturb the balance of yin and yang, and the result is disharmony, and eventually ill-health. In addition there are five elements (fire, earth, air, water, wood) to keep balanced.
So when a TCM practitioner diagnoses, he or she looks to see how much of each element is within the body and what kind of energy is being transmitted. Then it is possible to stimulate or quieten unbalanced organs by food, exercise, massage, herbs or, as a last resort, acupuncture.
At this time of year, with winter fast approaching, the need for balance is even more urgent. As profound shifts occur in the natural world, so, too, do they take place within our bodies and minds. Such turbulent energy can easily fall out of kilter and so, as we see the back of summer, we need to keep ourselves in balance to stave off illness.
GAINING BALANCE THE CHINESE WAY
ADAPT YOUR DIET: Oriental medical practitioners studiously avoid strict rules because they say no single diet is suitable for everyone. However, good guidelines are as follows:
* EAT sparingly. The Chinese say you should eat, not until you can barely move (as is the Western custom) but until you are 70-80 per cent full.
* ALL food should be chewed thoroughly to allow the enzymes in the saliva to start digestion.
* FOOD should be fresh, organic and in season.
* AVOID extremes of temperature. Ideally food should be steamed, poached or stir-fried.
The traditional diet follows medical guidelines almost exactly, being high in complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits, while low in saturated fat. Fish is rated highly and meat is eaten only in small quantities.
EXERCISE
TCM says exercise helps to balance the organs and allows vital energy, chi, to flow freely. However, they prefer less vigorous forms of exercise than we in the West. The reason, say the authors of Back To Balance, is that while highly aerobic forms of exercise build musculature and strengthen the body's frame, they actually deplete energy.
Yoga is an alternative system which builds up the energy supply rather than depleting it. If you aren't keen on learning something new, try walking - it's great for your health.
MEDITATION
THE ancient sages called it `mental fasting' believing that by withdrawing all distracting thoughts and disturbing emotions from the mind, they could purify the mind and restore the body.
Simply spend a few minutes each day sitting quietly and following your breathing, Alternatively you could focus on a candle flame.
You don't even necessarily have to meditate, says Dylana Accolla in Back To Balance: `Just sitting and taking stock of the day or your state of mind can do wonders.'
BREATHING
GOOD, balanced, deep breathing massages and stimulates all the internal organs. It allows the free flow of oxygen around the body, vitalising the whole body. It can calm you down and keep you free from stress.
* BACK to Balance, by Dylana Accolla with Peter Yates (newleaf [pounds sterling]12.99).
Available in bookshops or mail order on 01903 732596.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Northrop Grumman Rolls Out Production Variant of Fire Scout UAV.
Northrop Grumman [NOC] recently unveiled its first production configuration version of its RQ-8A Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) for the Navy.
"The first production-configuration vehicle is a critical element of the program's continued success and imperative to Fire Scout's future performance as both a demonstration system and as a potential operational asset for the Navy and Marine Corps," Scott Winship, Northrop Grumman's director and program manager for Fire Scout, said in a statement.
The production version of Fire Scout is configured with the operational sensor package, avionics, and flight control system. …
Terrified foreigners flee from attacks.(News)
BYLINE: Paul Fauvet, Political
Bureau and Sapa
MAPUTO: Mozambique has declared an emergency as thousands of its citizens fleeing the xenophobic attacks in South Africa stream back into their home country.
The decision was taken at an emergency cabinet meeting called to discuss the violence in South Africa, Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi said yesterday.
More than 10 000 Mozambicans have arrived at the Ressano Garcia border crossing. Most are destitute. They lost their possessions and in many cases could only watch helplessly as mobs burned down their homes.
The exodus is likely to grow.
Baloi said thousands of Mozambicans were …
SCHENECTADY MAN INDICTED IN HEROIN POSSESSION CASE.(CAPITAL REGION)
SCHENECTADY Heroin possession cropped up among grand jury indictments along with rape, cocaine possession and sale, and a bribery and forgery allegedly attempted at police headquarters.
Elioadis Rosado, 29, of State Street was indicted on charges of third-, fourth- and seventh-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. He is accused of possessing heroin at 720 State St. on Feb. 2 with intent to sell it.
In another case, Michael Luffman, 25, of Frank Street was indicted Tuesday on charges of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, first-degree bribery and unlawful …
Iowa plants to offer farmers cash for corn cobs
Two new technologies offer the promise that corn growers could turn their cobs into cash.
Cobs, the refuse left behind after harvest, are now plowed back into fields. But companies from California and South Dakota plan to start changing that by building two plants in Iowa, one to turn the material into ethanol and another to produce fertilizer.
"We're excited about it," corn farmer Jim Boyer said, "that there's an opportunity for another profit stream off our farm."
Boyer already sells much of the corn from his farm in Ringsted in northern Iowa to a traditional ethanol plant in nearby Emmetsburg. Most ethanol in the U.S. is made from corn kernels.
But a $200 …
The Principles for Cooperation in the Mutual Protection and Transfer of Cultural Material
I. INTRODUCTION
The Principles for Cooperation in the Mutual Protection and Transfer of Cultural Material ("Principles")1 provide a substantive framework for helping to avoid and to resolve disputes arising out of requests for the transfer of cultural material, usuaUy involving its return or restitution to countries of origin or indigenous groups. Adopted in 2006 by the International Law Association ("ILA"), the nine Principles were drafted by the ILA's Committee on Cultural Heritage Law after several years of research, prekminary reports, and review sessions.2
The Preamble to the Principles emphasizes the need for a guiding spirit of partnership among private and pubkc …
DMG MEDIA PURCHASES 25% INTEREST IN WESTERN EXHIBITORS.
dmg world media (London), a unit of Daily Mail & General Trust, has acquired a 25% stake in trade show organizer Western Exhibitors (San Francisco, CA) from parent Universal Shows for $10 million. As part of the deal, ding world media has agreed to acquire the remaining 75% of Western in five years.. Universal will continue to manage the shows for the next five years and at its option after that period.
Western Exhibitors is the largest producer of gifts shows in the western U.S. and operates six …
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Ranexa label.(RXs)(CV Therapeutics Inc. get approval from FDA)(Brief article)
CV Therapeutics Inc. says that the FDA has approved its drug Ranexa as a primary treatment for chronic angina. According to the revised label, the medication may be …
COUNTY SPOTLIGHTS ITS BEST THIS WEEK.(CAPITAL REGION)
Byline: DENNIS YUSKO Staff writer -
Farmers, antique collectors and performers brought their best to the 163rd Saratoga County Fair on Tuesday, signaling the start of fair season and a chance for upstate agriculture to strut its stuff.
Fairgoers experienced the unmistakable sights, sounds and smells of summer with 10 new piglets born on the fairgrounds and a record number of cows, draft horses and antiques on display.
``To me, the fair means all the farmers bringing out and showcasing their livestock and food,'' said chef Ken Lingle of Glens Falls, admiring the newborn pigs from South Farms of Charlton. They belonged to ``Honey,'' an 11-month-old …
'EXODUS' BRINGS BACK PAST GLORY.(TV Magazine)
Byline: Crosby Day Orlando Sentinel
"Exodus" (1960), a marathon undertaking by producer/ director Otto Preminger, is among film epics such as "Quo Vadis," "War and Peace," "Ben-Hur," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Spartacus" that were churned out during the 1950s and '60s.
The film, which airs at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9 on Cinemax, tells the story of the escape of 30,000 European Jewish refugees from Cyprus to Palestine, the founding of the state of Israel and the subsequent conflict between Jews and Arabs. At the film's preview, its three-hour- and-32-minute length prompted satirist Mort Sahl to stand up and plead, "Otto, let my people go."
…
Air show fuels hope of better days for airlines
A flurry of orders for arch rival plane makers Boeing Co. and Airbus signaled an optimistic start to the Farnborough International Airshow _ and more began to roll in on Tuesday at the industry's premier event.
Adding to deals worth more than $18 billion signed on Monday, European regional airline Flybe announced an order for up to 140 Embraer planes, worth as much as $5 billion at list prices, to be delivered between 2011 and 2017 to support its expansion plans.
The deals at Farnborough, considered a barometer of the aviation and defence industry along with its sister show at Le Bourget in Paris in alternate years, are giving rise to hopes that the worst …
Michigan State's Rucker arraigned of DWI charge
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State cornerback Chris L. Rucker has been arraigned on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
East Lansing District Court records show Rucker's written waiver was processed Wednesday. He is suspended indefinitely and isn't listed on the depth chart for the eighth-ranked Spartans' game this week at Northwestern.
Rucker had …
Medical complex fans city's growth. (Special Advertising Section: Regional Focus).
Beauty and brains. Not a bad combination. And Greenville is a wellspring for both with a thriving student community and world-class health care, education and business.
The Eastern North Carolina city is home to 20 parks and six museums. That's the beauty. And some of the world's leading academic, health-care and industry professionals call it home. That's the brains. It adds up to a spot in Money magazine's Top 50 places to live.
One of its hospitals, Pitt County Memorial, also recently was named among the nation's top 100 centers for treatment of cardiovascular disease by Evanston, Ill.-based Solucient Leadership Institute, a hospital-grading company. This ranking should turn heads and make North Carolinians take another look at Greenville -- which is a far cry from the hog-farming, tobacco-growing stereotype usually associated with Eastern North Carolina. "As someone who is originally from Ohio and who has lived and traveled around the world, I truly believe that the quality of life in Greenville rivals that of any city," says Tony Khoury, president of The East Group, an engineering and architectural design firm with offices around the country and headquarters in Greenville.
Greenville, population 60,966, is one of North Carolina's fastest-growing cities. Now the state's 13th-largest, its population has grown nearly 36% since 1990. Pitt County's 2001 population was about 135,000, the 14th largest in the state, and officials expect that number to grow to nearly 200,000 by 2030.
The driving forces behind Greenville's growth and development have been East Carolina University, its Brody School of Medicine and Pitt County Memorial Hospital. "The city has grown as a result of the medical school and regional hospital growth, which has created affiliated businesses and organizations in Greenville," Mayor Don Parrott says. The resulting influx of doctors, students, health-care providers and other …
Parkhurst, Philip.(Obituaries)
GUILDERLAND Philip Parkhurst, 80, at rest Thursday, October 30, 2008. Born in New York City, Philip was the son of the late Homer "Charles" and Henrietta Park-hurst. Philip served in the Army, field artillery from 1947 to 1950. For many years, he was the manager of Greylock Electronics based in Kingston. He resided locally for over 50 years. He was a communicant of St. Madeleine Sophie Church and was a member and past exalted ruler of the Guilderland Elks Lodge 2480. He is survived by beloved Kay Dickinson, Michael Dickinson, Juan delaRosa and his son Keith and his wife Judy Parkhurst of Guilderland; his grandchildren, Tiffinay, Aaron, Tara and Allison; a brother, Charles …
Saturday, March 3, 2012
MASTER PLAN WINS PRAISE, WITH A DOSE OF CRITICISM.(CAPITAL REGION)
Byline: KENNETH C. CROWE II Staff writer
A two-hour hearing Monday night on the city's proposed comprehensive plan drew generally positive reviews.
But some residents expressed concerns with some technical details and the financial information in the document, which outlines the city's future development.
``This is a pretty darn good plan, especially the focus on main street,'' said Christian Gunther, a city resident with past work experience as a planner for organizations that concentrate on communities' downtown business districts.
While most of the speakers who addressed the City Council seemed to agree about the plan's positive aspects, …
Dodge to launch 3 versions of Magnum at same time.(News)
Byline: Mary Connelly
Dodge will launch three versions of the 2005 Magnum simultaneously in a bid to avoid repeating the mistake made during the Chrysler Pacifica introduction.
The Pacifica launch misfired when Chrysler placed only high-end models in dealerships.
"We will have all three price points on the showroom floor,'' says Darryl Jackson, Dodge marketing vice president.
The Magnum will be offered in SE, SXT and RT versions. The SXT will be the volume leader. The RT is powered by the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8.
Stickers, including destination charges, begin at $22,495 for the SE; $25,995 for the SXT; and $29,995 for the RT.
…
Military Aims to Cut Back on 'Stop Loss'
WASHINGTON - In an action branded a backdoor draft by some critics, the military over the past several years has held tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines on the job and in war zones beyond their retirement dates or enlistment length.
It is a widely disliked practice that the Pentagon, under new Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is trying to figure out how to cut back on.
Gates has ordered that the practice - known as "stop loss" - must "be minimized." At the same time, he is looking for ways to decrease the hardship for troops and their families, recruit more people for a larger military and reassess how the active duty and reserves are used.
…
Research by T. Heir and Colleagues in Cardiovascular Research Provides New Insights.
"Large epidemiological studies of non-smokers have demonstrated an association between overweight during midlife and increased mortality. However, little is known about whether this association may be explained by physical fitness," investigators in Oslo, Norway report (see also Cardiovascular Research).
"Thus, we aimed to examine this association in a long-term follow-up, with adjustment for fitness. We prospectively studied mortality in relation to overweight in 2014 healthy Norwegian men 40-59 years of age at enrolment in 1972-1975, and recorded cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality during 25-27 years follow-up. Physical fitness was measured in a maximal exercise …
ON COMMON GROUND DRAWN BY CHEAP LAND AND FERTILE SOIL, SETTLERS HAVE BROUGHT A NEW COMMUNITY TO MOHAWK VALLEY, AND A NEW VITALITY TO STRUGGLING AREA.(MAIN)
Byline: MIKE GOODWIN Staff writer
SPRINGFIELD -- On a sunny late-summer afternoon, John Miller stopped his draft horses along the road that bisects his farm and prepared to hitch the team to a rake before heading into a field of new-mown hay. Though his farming methods seem ancient, he is a newcomer to the fields of upstate New York.
Just three years ago, Miller joined a new Amish settlement in the rolling green hills of the Mohawk Valley, moving north from Dover, Del., where he and other Amish farmers were pushed out by suburban expansion. Here, they have found the rich land and solitude needed to sustain a growing Amish community in a string of economically depressed small towns along Route 20.
``There was land available here with farms,'' said the 38-year-old father of eight. ``If a farm was being bought in Delaware, it was being bought by a developer. We couldn't compete with the price they would pay.''
Over the past 2 years, the Millers and 25 other Amish families have found affordable acres and rural isolation in a cluster of dairy farms in Otsego and Herkimer counties. At $1,000 an acre, the best land in this region 55 miles west of Albany costs 90 percent less than in Delaware.
``It's real good soil, good farming country,'' said Eli Byler, who has settled his family in Springfield.
For local farmers who have struggled for …
Accentia buys contract firm biovest. (Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals).(Brief Article)
Specialty pharmaceuticals firm Accentia (Tampa, FL) has acquired an 81% controlling stake in bidpharma developer and contract manufacturer Biovest (Minneapolis) for $20 million in cash and notes. Biovest specializes in contract manufacturing of biologics, including protein therapeutics, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, and cell amplification technologies.' Biovest's patented production technology, a hollow-fiber bioreactor, isa cost-effective route for …
Taking a holistic approach to retention. (Special report: recruitment & retention).(first year college students at University of Kansas)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
The University of Kansas is well-known for its tough Jayhawks basketball team and stellar programs in aerospace engineering and accounting. In recent months, however, the university has earned a reputation as an institution where many students of color are excelling at a rate that has outpaced their peers. Campus officials credit HAWK Link, a freshman retention program that currently boasts an 87 percent retention rate, for this phenomenon.
Ever since HAWK Link won this year's Noel-Levitz Retention Excellence Award, the university has pumped more money into the program. As well, minority enrollment at the university is up by 2.3 percent, and enrollment in HAWK Link is up by more than 52 percent over last year, according to Robert N. Page Jr., who oversees the project in his capacity as the university's director of multicultural affairs. Program coordinators Natalie Lucas and Teresa Clouch manage HAWK Link's daily operations.
When the program was launched in 1998, freshmen retention rates among minority …
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