Rumors

Mississippi State routs Centenary 77-55

2012-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Ravern Johnson had 15 points and Jarvis Varnado added 11 rebounds and seven blocks to lead Mississippi State to a 77-55 victory over Centenary on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (1-0) advance to 9-2 in season openers under head coach Rick Stansbury.

Mississippi State has beaten Centenary in all six meetings, the last coming in 1999, by an average of 20.8 points.

Centenary (0-1) hit 7-of-13 3-pointers in the second …

HD satellite Wagner show

2012-03-15T04:51:00.000-07:00

SIEGFRIED by Wagner will be screened live in HD at Theatr Mwldan,Cardigan, via a satellite from New York on Saturday at 4pm.

Starring Bryn Terfel in his first-ever performances of the thirdopera in Wagner's Der Ring des …

Peavy Ks 10 Giants En Route to 18th Win

2012-03-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO - Jake Peavy is putting together an impressive Cy Young resume. Peavy lowered his major league-leading ERA to 2.39, struck out 10 to take over the big league lead and pitched the San Diego Padres to a 5-1 win over the last-place San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Kevin Kouzmanoff had three hits and an RBI for the Padres, who maintained their 1 1/2-game lead in the NL wild-card race. They went into the day trailing first-place Arizona by two games in the NL West. San Diego swept the Giants, winning its eighth straight against San Francisco.

Peavy's 18 wins are the most in the NL and a personal best. He allowed four hits in 7 1-3 innings and won for the ninth time in …

Russia's Medvedev wants law on NGOs softened

2012-03-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

President Dmitry Medvedev has introduced legislation intended to make it easier for human rights groups and other nongovernmental organizations to operate in Russia.

Medvedev said the legislation sent to parliament Wednesday would decrease the number of documents NGOs would be required to provide and ease the registration process.

The changes would soften a law passed three years ago …

Rotarians raise Pounds 250 for deprived children ; In brief [Edition 3]

2012-03-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

BILLERICAY: A philanthropic group is celebrating after collectingmore than Pounds 250 during a charity tin shake in the town centre.

Members of the Rotary Club of Billericay received Pounds 251.47from generous shoppers during a collection in the High Street onFebruary …

Navy-base bus rides up

2012-03-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Par ticipation in Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg's transportation-incentive program has increased by about 40 percent since the program's May 2006 inception.

More than 100 employees at the Hampden Township-based Navy base use the program, which provides commuter-bus service through a partnership with Capital Area Transit. Twenty-six riders have joined since May 2008. The program …

Indonesia to cut fuel subsidies to balance budget

2012-03-14T17:04:00.000-07:00

Indonesia will soon raise fuel prices by up to 30 percent to avoid a budget blowout amid the soaring cost of oil on the global market, the government said Monday.

The decision to cut subsidies that keep gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene affordable to the country's millions of poor risks nationwide demonstrations and political opposition from parties jockeying for position ahead of elections next year.

The government last raised prices in 2005, defying protests and winning praise from international donors. To cushion the blow, it provided direct cash payments to the poor _ a policy it is sure to repeat this time around.

President Susilo Bambang …

Defense difference for Colts

2012-03-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Colts 19

Texans 3

INDIANAPOLIS--The Indianapolis Colts aren't just winning shootoutsanymore. Their defense is winning games, too.

The Colts converted two first-quarter fumbles into 10 points, gottwo field goals from Mike Vanderjagt and used a late touchdown runfrom James Mungro as the defense dominated in a 19-3 victory overHouston on Sunday.

"We were able to take control of the game and not let them beat usin anything," defensive end Brad Scioli said. "It seemed every timethey got something going, we just came back and stopped them."

Indianapolis (8-4) won its fourth straight and stayed one gameahead of Tennessee, setting up a showdown for the …

Security Council struggles on Iraq; France offers new compromise

2012-03-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL remained deadlocked in June over competing strategies for restoring UN weapons inspections and monitoring activities in Iraq. In closed-door debates, Security Council members considered three resolutions, including a new French proposal, that seek to balance incentives for Iraq, in the form of sanctions relief, with continued insistence that Baghdad eliminate all of its proscribed weapons capabilities. Much of the Security Council has indicated its support for a proposal offered by Britain and the Netherlands that, despite several revisions, remains unacceptable to France, Russia and China.

The five permanent members of the council have long been divided …

Philippine economic growth at slowest in 3 years

2012-03-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Philippine economic growth in the second quarter slowed to its lowest rate in three years as higher inflation hurt consumption and mining output contracted, the government said Thursday

Gross domestic product in April-June quarter grew 4.6 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Growth in the first quarter was revised to 4.7 percent from an earlier 5.2 percent. GDP growth in the second quarter of 2007 was a much stronger 8.3 percent.

The "uninspiring growth" in the country's economy was driven the the relatively strong performance of manufacturing, agriculture and construction, the National Statistics and Coordinating Board said in a …

A new benchmark for lending ; The new base rate will make lending more transparent, but it is unlikely to change the interest rates for borrowers immediately and will benefit them only in the long term.

2012-03-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

From July 1, banks have switched over to the base rate mechanismfor pricing loans. This marks the end of the benchmark prime lendingrate (BPLR) regime, which was particularly disadvantageous to retailborrowers.

While banks were quick to raise rates every time the Reserve Bankof India (RBI) hiked its rates, the reverse did not happen. The baserate, say experts, will give even the existing borrowers the optionto shift to lower rates.

Base rate is the minimum rate at which banks can lend (barringspecified exemptions, such as to export and agricultural sectors).According to the RBI guidelines, it is calculated on the basis ofthe cost of deposits. This will also …

Baritone sings of peace, understanding in East Asia

2012-03-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Nanchong, China, and Sapporo, Japan

As the last note hung in the otherwise silent auditorium, listeners sat in wonder of Anthony Brown's voice, wiping tear-damp eyes. Then the crowd burst into applause, the sound of their hands ringing into the building's rafters.

Brown, well versed in opera, oratorio, art song, contemporary works and spirituals, made his Asian debut on a tour May 9 through June 13. Hosted by Mennonite Church Canada Witness partners China Educational Exchange (CEE) and Mennonite Mission Network (MMN), the baritone gave concerts and lectures in China and Japan at universities, concert halls, churches and Mennonite centres. In each venue, Brown's goal was to …

Stranded, angry air travelers overrun ticket counters, destroy equipment at Argentine airport

2012-03-14T02:48:00.000-07:00

Stranded travelers attacked ticketing counters at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza international airport on Saturday, tossing computers in the air and shoving security guards after Aerolineas Argentinas suspended most of its flights there.

Local television broadcasts showed passengers overrunning the ticketing counters, throwing computers and wrestling with airport personnel, even as a spokesman for the airline attempted to explain the cause of delays.

Tempers flared as hundreds of travelers awaited word on suspended and canceled flights. Aerolineas Argentinas attributed delays to a labor conflict involving a pilots' union and a union for airport tarmac workers. But union officials said the disruptions were caused by overbooked flights.

Ticketing counters were abandoned in the afternoon after passengers assaulted a worker at a check-in desk, said Maria de los Angeles Aguer, a spokeswoman for the Association of Aeronautical Personnel.

Charles River Endosafe

2012-03-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

Charles River Endosafe 1023 Wappoo Road Suite 43-B Charleston, SC 29407 Tel: (800) 762-7016 (843) 766-7575 Fax: (843) 766-7576 www.endosafe.com endo-comments@criver.com Founded:1987

Description

Endosafe was founded in 1987 by James F. Cooper, a pioneer in the field of Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL), with the goal of offering the most innovative products and the best technical support in the industry, The company's strength has been its close affiliation with its customers. This unique relationship allows Endosafe to respond to customer needs and react quickly to changing regulatory trends. This customer approach is apparent in the quality of both the products and the personnel at Endosafe.

Markets

Endosafe endotoxin detection products and services are used in the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, clinical, and contract testing industries. Endosafe sells direct to customers in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain. Other European, Latin American, and Asian countries are supplied by Endosafe's network of distributors.

Services

Technical services provided by Endosafe include the following:

*Contract testing

* Methods development

* Product validation assistance

* Regulatory compliance consultation * Ont-site training and demos

* Training workshops and seminars

* Instrument qualification

* Technical response by phone, fax, and through the Internet

Products

The EndoScan-V Endotoxin measuring software program and BioTrend database trending software are new additions to Endosafe's high-quality line of endotoxin detection products. Both software programs are fully validated and compatible with most instruments in the market. Other Endosafe LAL products include the following:

* Two turbidimetric lysates, including KTA2, a revolutionary lysate unique to Endosafe which offers the best sensitivity and linearity in the industry

* A kinetic chromogenic lysate with extended stability, available in kits or in bulk

* An endpoint chromogenic assay that offers quick results over a limited standard curve range

* Single-test and multi-test gel clot lysate

* A full line of LAL accessory products along with certificates of quality.

Facilities

All of Charles River Endosafe's endotoxin detection products are manufactured in an FDA-licensed facility located in Charleston, SC. This facility has recently been expanded to 16,000 ft2 and is ISO9002 certified. The building includes two Class 100 clean rooms and houses all critical manufacturing operations. Those operations include receiving and inspection of raw materials, sterilization and depyrogenation of solutions and containers, aseptic filling, quality laboratory functions, and the warehousing of finished goods. Strict environmental monitoring and regular training in all areas ensure continued compliance with applicable regulations.

Contaminated Austrian cheese kills 6

2012-03-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Austria's health ministry says contaminated cheese has killed six people.

The ministry says the deaths _ four in Austria and two in Germany _ occurred last year and were caused by listeria, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

The ministry says the four Austrians who died were senior citizens.

The contaminated cheese was made in the southern province of Styria by Prolactal GmbH. It issued a recall last month and said Tuesday it had halted production until the case is cleared up.

In 2009, Austria recorded 45 listeria infections that led to a total of 11 deaths.

Training and Doctrine Command: All About the Soldier

2012-03-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

Extensive transformation and modernization efforts astride a heightened operational tempo have stressed the Army and tested the mettle and resolve of our soldiers and their families. Despite these challenges, the resilience and character of our fighting men and women and the respect of our organization could not be stronger. Through it all, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's (TRADOC) central focus has remained unchanged: to develop and provide quality training, doctrine, equipment and support to empower leaders and soldiers to prevail in any situation today and in the future. It's all about the soldier.

The ever changing operational environment requires greater judgment at lower and lower levels of authority, as well as soldiers intuitive and adaptive enough to excel in this most uncertain of environments. TRADOC has modified its training, education, leader development and modernization programs to provide a more comprehensive approach to full spectrum operations.

Doctrine. In February, the Army published its revised operations manual, FM 3-0 Operations. Providing the foundation for full spectrum operations, FM 3-0 is a catalyst for change and transformation across the entire force. The Army is now in the process of updating its entire complement of field manuals, concepts and programs of instruction to incorporate and infuse such operations into training and leader development.

In addition to releasing updated doctrinal manuals including FM 1-0 The Army, FM 3-07 Stability Operations and Support Operations, FM 4-0 Combat Service Support, FM 7-0 Training the Force and FM 3-28 Civil Support Operations, TRADOC is working closely with its Joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational partners, as well as with business, academia and other nongovernmental organizations, to fully develop full spectrum operations into decisive, unified action reflecting a "whole of government" approach.

TRADOC is dedicated to advancing the intellectual progress and practical application of full spectrum operations into soldier training. From implementing the commander's appreciation and campaign design and developing the Army's human dimension concept to increased emphasis on cultural and foreign language training and professional military ethic, every program and initiative in TRADOC is intended to further develop leaders and soldiers.

Organization. To meet the challenges of today's operational environment and develop a campaign-quality force with Joint and expeditionary capabilities, TRADOC is continuing to restructure the generating force to better meet the needs of the operating force. We are well on the way to realigning TRADOC from 13 schools and centers to nine centers of excellence (COE), in addition to establishing the Army's COE for the Professional Military Ethic. As the Department of the Army works to rebalance the force, TRADOC continues to evaluate the design and force structure of Army service component commands and modular corps and division headquarters and reassess the size, organization, composition and manning of all modular brigade combat teams.

In addition, TRADOC is committed to delivering increased capability and support to the operational Army. One of TRADOC's premier initiatives is the human terrain system, an alliance of forward-deployed social scientists and military advisers with expert reach-back capability to assist commanders and soldiers in better understanding societies and culture so they operate more effectively. By October 2008 there will be 25 human terrain teams deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. TRADOC intends to further develop these skills and capabilities in the force through a pervasive culture and foreign language training strategy.

We recognize that the generating force has an obligation to provide soldiers with a quality education, whether in the schoolhouse or at home station. To that end, we've extended noncommissioned officer education system (NCOES) and functional skills training to the soldier through increased use of mobile training teams (MTT), reducing soldier and family stress. Through fiscal year (FY) 2008, TRADOC conducted 247 separate NCOES mobile training team courses and 498 functional MTT courses supporting Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) training cycle and NCOES requirements. This represents a 45 percent increase in MTT utilization since FY 2007. TRACXDC remains fully committed to MTTs as a training support strategy to enable both the ARFORGEN process and soldier leadership development.

Training. TRADOC places a premium on the training and development of soldiers. In addition to increasing the rigor and relevance of initial entry training (IET), beginning in FY 2009 basic training will be expanded from nine weeks to 10 weeks without adding more training tasks. Drill sergeants and soldiers resoundingly appreciate and support the additional training time. One IET instructor precisely captured the merit of this initiative, stating, "The real [benefit] of the additional time is not all apparent in metrics. It shows in improved [soldier] confidence and commitment across the board, as well as better proficiency and skill retention caused by increased repetition."

In January, TRADOC replaced drill sergeants in advanced individual training with platoon sergeants. The transition of soldiers from a highly controlled environment at IET to a position of increased responsibility and independence in their first unit is now absorbed by the training base to better prepare them for conditions they will encounter in the operational Army.

With the transformation of the Army nearly 70 percent complete, TRADOC continues to redesign its combat training centers {CTQ to more effectively train for full spectrum operations. TRADOC wants to increase home-station training capacity to approach the quality and standards of CTC training by increasing exportable training capabilities. TRADOC is leveraging embedded trainers, exportable training systems, collaborative tools and virtual-world technologies to train, educate and further develop soldiers beyond the walls of the institutional Army. This is a vital component of the Army's overall training strategy for modular brigades, especially for modular support brigades, which may or may not have the opportunity to attend a CTC prior to deployment.

Materiel. Army modernization is about optimizing warrior performance and empowering soldiers. Our modernization strategy is designed to provide greater precision as well as project, protect and connect soldiers and formations through a robust and extensive network that enables full spectrum operations. The Army is in the process of accelerating Future Combat Systems (FCS) equipment fielding to push tomorrow's capabilities to units in combat today.

The FCS program was recently restructured to enhance infantry brigade combat teams (IBCT) first and bring the soldier into the network. With initiatives like the soldieras-a-system program and LandWarNet, the Army's enterprise, system-of-systems approach to modernization is rapidly developing force capability from concept through employment to significantly increase the Joint warfighter's lethality, survivability and responsiveness.

Other emerging capabilities within the FCS program continue to make great progress, including several successful tests of the non-line-of-sight launch system's precision attack missile at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. As part of the Army's effort to provide FCS technologies to its IBCTs, "fires-in-a-box" will provide Infantry soldiers with a rapidly deployable and network-linked long-range precision fires delivery system.

Leadership and Education. In January, the secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff designated TRAEXDC as the executive agency for Army leader development. TRADOC established the Army Leadership Development Office to manage and facilitate the Army's leadership development program (ALDP), instituted to merge existing Army leader development initiatives and management processes into a single program to develop adaptive, discerning and innovative leaders over the course of a career.

Given the complexities of today's operational environment and the moral and ethical challenges that confront soldiers operating "among the people," TRADOC is integrating professional military ethics into every facet of training and education. FM 3-0 asserts that to "counter the uncertainty of war," commanders should "delegate the greatest possible authority to subordinates [to help them] adapt operations to the situation quickly and retain the initiative." TRADOC is migrating leadership responsibility downward, broadening the scope of courses and accelerating NCO development using a "train ahead" approach. It truly is all about the soldier.

In addition, TRADOC is in the process of implementing a wide range of headquarters Department of the Army-approved leadership development initiatives that will help shape and lead the Army into the 21st century. Initiatives like the Army's strategy for lifelong learning, structured/ guided self-development program, Army Civilian University and the College of the American Soldier will contribute to accelerating leader development across the Army. These are but a small sampling of a prioritized list of resourced initiatives being implemented through the ALDP.

Personnel. For the generating force to remain relevant and ready to assist the operational Army, it is imperative that TRADOC sustain manpower and resourcing. To ensure that we have high-quality leaders both in uniform and in support, now and in the future, TRADOC is pursuing multiple initiatives-including the Army career tracker program, the multisource assessment and feedback program, the civilian leadership development program and the wellness assessment education program-to meet the needs of the Army and the professional development of our soldiers and leaders.

Another significant TRADOC personnel initiative focuses on the future soldier and an effort to address the declining numbers of youth qualified to serve. In July, secretary of the Army Pete Geren authorized the establishment of the Army Preparatory School pilot program at Fort Jackson, S.C., to give high-quality youth who are "smart but not educated" the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and serve their country. This critical first step will have a profound impact on the future of our nation's youth.

Facilities. In conjunction with Base Realignment and Closure requirements and establishing TRADOC codes of ethics, billions of dollars in major renovations and new construction are being spent to ready installations for increased community and training capacity.

TRADOC is heavily investing in its communities of practice, simulations, distributed learning and knowledge management/information management capabilities. Beyond bricks and mortar, TRADOC is encouraging a culture of conveyed experiences, shared information and cooperative interaction utilizing "virtual" facilities.

In tandem with the operational Army, TRADOC is in the process of creating multiple avenues for exchange such as warfighter forums, Virtual Warrior University and Army/ TRADOC Island in second Life. Digital training facilities, deployed digital training campuses, and systems integration modeling and simulations efforts further expand TRADOC's ability to empower soldiers. TRADOC is committed to giving soldiers the opportunity to learn and grow professionally both in and outside institutional Army architecture.

As I travel around the Army, I constantly remind soldiers and civilians that their contributions to the war effort are not measured by their proximity to the enemy but by their commitment and dedication to the mission, our soldiers and their families. Since its inception in 1973, TRADOC has primarily focused on developing young soldiers and leaders. That will remain the top priority of TRADOC today and in the future. Our soldiers and leaders must think, act and thrive in the world of Joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational partnerships to remain dominant in the land domain into the 21st century. Through continued institutional adaptation across doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel and facilities domains and leveraging of full spectrum operations, TRADOC will continue to ensure that victory truly does start here.

[Sidebar]

A soldier learns the enhanced position location recording system network in a basic computer class.

[Sidebar]

Recruits go on patrol during basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) develops the doctrine used to train new soldiers.

[Sidebar]

Gen. William S. Wallace, TRADOC commanding general, congratulates the students of Sergeants Major Course Class 58 before presenting them with their diplomas. TRADOC has tailored education, leader development and training to the demands of full spectrum operations.

[Sidebar]

SFC Brian Eisch signals that he's ready to engage targets during an M4 rifle qualification exercise, part of the 2008 TRADOC Soldier and NCO of the Year competition. SFC Eisch won NCO of the Year.

Army Preparatory School instructor Tom Gandy goes over coursework with Pvt. Kyle Rucker, a participant in a new program that provides soldiers their GED before they ship out to basic training.

[Author Affiliation]

By Gen .William S. Wallace

Commanding General

U.S. Army Training

and Doctrine Command

[Author Affiliation]

GEN. WILLIAM. S. WALLACE is commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. His previous assignment was commanding general, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Gen. Wallace was commissioned through the U.S. Military Academy in 1969. He has commanded at every level from platoon to corps and, on two separate occasions, has led soldiers in combat. He served as an assistant district adviser and later as an operations adviser in the Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam. As the V Corps commander, Gen. Wallace led the Army's attack to Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gen. Wallace's first assignment was as a platoon leader and troop executive officer in the 2nd Squadron, 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment, at Fort Meade, Md. After returning from his first combat tour, he commanded a company at Fort Bragg, N.C., in the 4th Battalion (Light) (Airborne), 68th Armored Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. During the first of three tours to Germany, he took command of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Following an assignment as the senior Armored Task Force trainer and chief of staff at the Army's National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, Calif., Gen. Wallace returned to Germany and became the 55th colonel of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Fulda. After regimental command, he returned to Fort Irwin, where he commanded the NTC's operation group and later became commander of the NTC. He also commanded the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Hood, Texas. Following division command, he served as commander, Joint Warfighting Center, and as the director, Joint Training J-7, in the U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Va. Returning to Germany for his third tour, Gen. Wallace assumed command of V Corps. Gen. Wallace attended both the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.; the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth; and the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. He has master's degrees in operations research, international relations and national security and strategic studies.

Wednesday's Sports Scoreboard

2012-03-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

All Times Eastern

American League
Minnesota 6, Kansas City 4 F
Boston 7, L.A. Angels 3 F
N.Y. Yankees 4, Cleveland 0 -2
Toronto 1, Baltimore 0 -6
Tampa Bay 5, Detroit 3 -5
Oakland 0, Texas 0 -3
Seattle 3, Chicago White Sox 1 -2

National League

Houston 8, Chicago Cubs 1 F
Cincinnati 10, Milwaukee 2 F
Philadelphia 2, Arizona 0 -6
Atlanta 3, Washington 1 -5
San Francisco 7, Florida 2 -6
St. Louis 6, N.Y. Mets 2 -5
Pittsburgh 0, Colorado 0 -1
L.A. Dodgers vs San Diego, 10:05 p.m.

Top 25 College Football Preseason
No games today.

WNBA Basketball
No games today.

Major League Soccer
Machester United vs MLS All-Stars, 8:30 p.m.

Fewer multifamily units built so far

2012-03-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

The single-family home market remained strong in the Chicagoarea during the first half of 1987, but there was decidedly lessmultifamily housing construction, especially apartment buildings.

Bell Federal Savings and Loan Association reported that buildersobtained permits to construct 12,285 single-family houses here inJanuary, 11 percent more than the 11,078 permits obtained in the sameperiod in 1986.

Permits for multifamily housing units fell to 6,488 from 8,767.

"A decline in new multifamily housing was expected because thetax reform act Congress passed last year made investing in realestate less desirable as a tax shelter," said Edmond M. Shanahan,president of Bell Federal.

"If the upward trend continues the rest of the year, permits forsingle-family housing units in the area will exceed each of the lasteight years," Shanahan said.

During June, permits were issued here for 3,626 housing units -single-family, condos, town houses, duplexes and apartments -compared with 4,442 the same month last year.

For the first half of 1987, Naperville is by far the leader innew housing. During the period, the west suburb issued permits for989 units, all but 48 of them for single-family homes.

Second in the number of units was Schaumburg with 725 permits -297 of them single-family and 429 multifamily. Downers Grove wasthird with 656 permits - 236 single-family and 420 multifamily.

"Projections for the full year depend upon stable interest ratesduring the last half of 1987," Shanahan said.

He estimated the area would issue permits for 37,000 units thisyear, down from 41,141 in 1986.

But that still would make 1987 the second best year for the newhousing industry since 1986, when the area had 46,066 housing starts.

Capitals set record with 11th straight win

2012-03-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals set a franchise record with their 11th straight win and sent the Boston Bruins to their eighth consecutive loss with a 4-1 result in the NHL on Tuesday.

Washington _ the league's highest-scoring team _ trailed Boston _ the league's lowest-scoring team _ after David Krejci's first-period goal.

But the Capitals tied it through Mike Knuble's early in the second, and Brooks Laich put the visitors ahead in the third. That was followed soon after by Boyd Gordon's goal and Alex Ovechkin added the late empty-netter.

The Capitals broke the club record streak set in 1983-84 and have the NHL's longest winning streak since San Jose also won 11 in a row late in the 2007-08 season.

Coyotes 1, Predators 0, SO

In Nashville, Tennessee, Adrian Aucoin lifted a wrister over the glove of Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne in the 10th round of the shootout to give Phoenix its fifth straight win.

Phoenix's Lauri Korpikoski scored in the second round of the shootout, but David Legwand tied it as Nashville's third shooter. The Predators had a chance to keep the shootout going after Aucoin scored, but Shea Weber's shot went wide.

The Coyotes matched their best winning streak of the season.

Canadiens 3, Canucks 2

In Montreal, Vancouver's seven-game winning run was ended by Montreal.

Jaroslav Halak made 45 saves, while Sergei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre and Tomas Plekanec scored for the Canadiens, who won their first game in four.

Mikael Samuelsson and Ryan Kesler scored power-play goals for the Canucks, who were playing the second of 14 straight away games caused by Vancouver hosting the Olympics.

Maple Leafs 3, Devils 0

In Toronto, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Dion Phaneuf made the most of their Maple Leafs debuts as Toronto topped New Jersey to snap a six-game losing streak.

Giguere finished with 30 saves, becoming only the second goalie in team history to record a shutout in his debut. By the end of the first period, Phaneuf had landed a hit, took part in a fight, and received an ovation.

Nikolai Kulemin, Phil Kessel and defenseman Francois Beauchemin scored for the Leafs.

Stars 4, Wild 2

In Dallas, the hosts stretched their run of home wins over Minnesota to 12.

Marty Turco made a season-high 40 saves and Mike Modano scored his 556th career goal for the Stars.

Brad Richards added a power-play tally, James Neal notched his team-high 22nd goal, and rookie Jamie Benn scored in the third period for Dallas.

The Stars improved to 6-1 in their past seven home games despite being outshot 42-18.

Lightning 2, Thrashers 1

In Atlanta, Tampa Bay goalie Antero Niittymaki stopped 26 shots for his 16th straight win over Atlanta.

Stephane Veilleux and Martin St. Louis scored first-period goals and Niittymaki protected the lead, giving up only a second-period goal to Todd White.

Tampa Bay recorded only its ninth road win this season from 29 games.

AMERICAS NEWS AT 0500 GMT

2012-03-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

SBA takes renewed interest in cities

2012-03-13T02:08:00.000-07:00

After years down on the farm, the Small Business Administrationis rediscovering cities.

"We must enable small business to flourish in Chicago," saidEdward D. Murnane, the SBA's Chicago regional administrator. "It's aninvestment in our future."

He recently launched a pilot program here to get the most out offederal, state, county, city and private aid for entrepreneurs andexisting companies with 500 or fewer employees.

The project is designed to close loopholes between the agenciesin order to help the businesses without costing Uncle Sam any moremoney.

Currently, city, county state and federal agencies operate 29financial programs to assist businesses, but the heads of the variousorganizations may not be aware of what the others are doing, Murnanesaid.

"They may be duplicating each other's efforts. What we have todo is look at what each agency is doing and what's not being done.We want to create an environment that's supporative of smallbusiness," he said during an interview in his Loop office.

The payoff can be impressive.

"Between 1976 and 1986, more than 389,000 new jobs were createdin Illinois and of that total, 96.2 percent were created by smallbusiness," Murnane said.

Besides Illinois, the SBA's Chicago region encompasses Indiana,Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota.

The six states are the home to 3.7 million of the nation's 16million small businesses.

The SBA's renewed interest in the urban landscape comes yearsafter the Reagan administration failed after hard pushing to phaseout the agency. Also James Abdnor, who headed the SBA from March,1987, to April, 1989, emphasized the development programs in ruralareas over inner-city neighborhoods.

His successor, Susan Engeleiter, has placed economic developmentin major cities high on her priority list - with President Bush'sendorsement.

Murnane said officials from the city's Department of EconomicDevelopment, the Illinois Department of Commerce and CommunityAffairs and Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry haveorganized the Small Business Coordinating Council to identify andreview various programs.

Joseph J. James, Chicago's commissioner for economicdevelopment, said the cooperative effort will help to promote moreminority and women-owned businesses.

"The economies of major urban areas are dependent, in part, uponthe health of their small businesses," he said.

"The various agencies need to develop a close workingrelationship with each other."

Murnane plans to develop similar programs in Detroit andCleveland, and other SBA regions also are keep an eye on progress.

Joseph Pellegrino, deputy regional administrator for the Bostonregion, said he is considering a similiar program because of thesimilarity of the demographics in Boston and Chicago.

"Wiki" Sites

2012-03-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

What is a Wiki?

A "wiki" is a website where anybody can post material or make changes to existing material without having to know any special commands or programming languages. All the contributor needs to do is click the "edit" link on the page, and he or she will be taken to an online form that allows them to edit the content.

The wiki was originally invented by a software developer named Ward Cunningham in 1995 to facilitate an online discussion about software development. Since then, the wild's practicality and ease of use has led to its adoption for countless business, social, and personal projects.

What about vandals?

Given that it's so easy to add content to or delete content from a wiki page, you're probably wondering how this kind of site could possibly work. After all, what's to prevent vandals from deleting information or adding misinformation?

A wiki works if it has a healthy, active community of contributors. Typing up a page of misinformation can take some time, but it only takes a subsequent visitor a minute or two to revert the page to a previous correct version. This tends to deter vandals.

The possibility of well-intentioned contributors inadvertently adding incorrect information to a wiki is another story. But again, having a healthy community means that someone else will be along soon to make corrections.

Some wikis (like "Twiki," which is described below) have a permissions system you can use to regulate read or write access to different sections of the site-an especially valuable feature for wikis used in business settings. Other wikis, such as "Wikipedia" (also described below) have developed their own unique systems for dealing with vandals and for handling disputes between contributors (you can imagine the tug-of-war created between contributors on hot-button topic pages).

Some wiki software

Since the wiki's creation in 1995, many versions have been written in many different programming languages. If you want to create a wiki of your own, here are a few options:

Wiki farms

(http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiFarms): A wiki farm is a service that allows you to set up your own wiki without having to install, set up, or host the software yourself. Check out this page on the "MeatballWiki" site for a listing of both free and commercial wiki farms.

Twiki (www.twiki.org): Twiki is a complex program with a lot of features, among them a permission system you can use to regulate read and write access to different sections of the wiki, and a categorization system you can use to classify the individual pages. To use this program, you'll probably need somebody with some time and technical expertise to learn it and set it up. (For those of you who know something about programming languages, Twiki is an open-source, cgi-bin script written in Perl.)

For a more extensive list of user-installable wiki programs, check the listing at the bottom of the "What is a Wiki?" article by Nathan Matias on the SitePoint website at www.sitepoint.com/article/what-is-a-wiki. (SitePoint publishes an online magazine, newsletters, and books on Web development, and also hosts online forums.)

Sample wikis

If you've never seen a wiki, here are some good examples:

Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org): Probably the largest wiki in the world, Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that has grown to over 289,000 articles since it was created in January 2001. Anybody around the world can contribute to the articles-all you have to do is go to an article and click the "edit" button. Clicking on the "history" link will give you the full list of changes that have already been made to that article. If a vandal comes along and defaces or adds incorrect information to an article, the next person who comes along can use the history list to revert the article back to its previous correct version.

Quicksilver Metaweb (http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.pht ml): Science-fiction author Neal Stephenson created the Metaweb to annotate his novel Quicksilver, but his ultimate goal is to create a body of knowledge that will grow beyond the confines of this one novel. If you have questions about Quicksilver, this wiki should give you the answers. And you might also find many other articles that have nothing to do with the novel-articles on subjects contributors knew something about and found interesting.

Wikitravel (www.wikitravel.org): Inspired by Wikipedia, Wikitravel aims to create a free worldwide travel guide. The site currently has 1,930 destination guides and other articles. To contribute to any article just click the "edit this page" link.

[Author Affiliation]

By Rita Mikusch, Webmaster

On the same page

2012-03-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Although the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council's fourth-floor offices at 225 Market St., Harrisburg, may be cramped, they hold a massive data collection and processing operation.

Every year, the council's 53 employees analyze millions of pieces of data, measuring everything from hospital revenues to surgical complication rates.

Given the sensitive nature of the information and how negative data such as falling revenues or increased mortality rates could affect the public's perception, of the health care system, hospitals and other health care organizations often criticize the council's findings.

Despite the sometimes tense relationship between the council and health care groups, both sides said they are working to find common ground.

Rocky start

Created by the General Assembly in 1986 as an independent state agency, the council collects and analyzes financial data, as well as quality performance data, from hospitals, doctors and managed-care plans statewide. The council publishes about six reports a year on its findings. These reports are free to the public.

Marc Volavka, who became its executive director in 1998, said many of the council's initial reports came under fire from the hospital community in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Hospitals complained that the council's early reports used old data and estimates rather than current statistics to measure the cost and quality of health care, according to a Philadelphia Daily News article published in 1991. The Pennsylvania Medical Society, Lower Paxton Township, lobbied to get rid of the council in the early 1990s.

"The first two or three reports (the council) put out were highly controversial," Volavka explained. "When we put a report out and a local newspaper puts a headline that says 'hospitals kill people,' hospitals don't like that."

And while criticism of the council's data has not disappeared, both Volavka and representatives of area health care organizations said the relationship between the council and providers has become more productive.

For example, 60 percent of those who use the council's data represent hospitals, doctors and managed-care plans, according to Volavka.

"At first, doctors were sort of alarmed that performance and financial data was going to be available," said Bernie Lynch, director of medical economics for the Pennsylvania Medical Society. "But thee information (put out by the council) cannot be ignored. Ignorance is not bliss."

How it started

In 1986, two opposing forces - business and labor came together to fight a common foe: rising health care costs.

After several failed attempts to solve the problem on their own, business and labor groups asked the state to step in. Although some legislators suggested government price controls on health care products, a free-market approach instead guided the formation of the council.

"The concept was that (business and labor groups) would have information available to them where they could look at the quality and cost of health care and make their own choices about where they wanted to buy their health care," Volavka explained. "So the purchasers wanted to have a better idea of where they should buy their health care."

Today, the council's publicly available reports include:

* a report on hospital finances, including net patient revenue, total margins and operating margins;

* a report on hospital quality, including risk-adjusted mortality rates, risk-adjusted average lengths of stay, and average hospital charges; and

* an HMO-quality report measuring clinical results, preventive measures and member satisfaction information.

The council also sells customized reports and raw data to groups such as researchers and health care organizations. These reports cost from $200 to several thousand dollars," said Volavka. The council sells about 50 customized reports and 200 data sets per year.

The council receives about $3.8 million in annual state funding, but also makes about $700,000 through the sale of its data, Volavka said. Increases in state funding and in outside sales have boosted total revenue for the council from $2.7 million to $4.5 million over the past four years.

Under state law, hospitals have 90 days and managedcare plans have six months after the close of a quarter to provide data to the council. If the data is not provided in time, health care organizations may face fines of up to $10,000 a day, Volavka said. However, no one has ever been fined, he added.

Volavka said most organizations comply with the council's requests. for information.

Tension

Still, tensions remain. In late April, the council released a preview of its hospital financial report for FY 2000 and reported that net income for the state's hospitals more than doubled, from $295 million to $608 million.

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania in Swatara Township, which has voiced concerns over hospitals' financial struggles, responded with a press release expressing "strong reservations about the precision and usefulness" of the report.

"Even when viewed in a favorable light, this report is misleading," association president and CEO Carolyn Scanlan said in the release. "It gives policy-makers and the public the impression that, overall, hospitals are in good fiscal health - when precisely the opposite is the case."

Martin Ciccocioppo, the association's vice president of research, carefully chose his words when asked about the association's relationship with the council.

"The council's role in gathering information is important," Ciccocioppo said. "But we have some concerns about the council's methodology and agenda."

For example, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association "knew nothing about" the council's financial preview until it was released to the public on April 25, he claimed.

Ciccocioppo also questioned the validity of some council data.

Consumers should not base their health care choices solely on the council's information, added Amy Fink, spokeswoman for Memorial Hospital in Spring Garden Township.

"You can't really compare hospital to hospital, because there's different reporting criteria for differentsized hospitals," Fink said. For example, some hospitals split functions to other companies that don't have to report to the council. "The council, in our minds, is there to collect data and redistribute it to the community, but sometimes they try to interpret that data, and I don't know if that's its mission."

But Lynch said the Pennsylvania Medical Society was able to create a better working relationship with the council by voicing some of its concerns about the accuracy of the data.

Even Ciccocioppo admitted that working with the council can have positive results. Despite its reservations about some of the council's data, the association has increased its efforts to get hospitals to give data to the council in a timely manner.

"Now there's much greater compliance among hospitals sending in information to the council," he said. "That's a result of the council and (the association) working together."

Getting the word out

As it works to improve its relationship with health care providers, the council must also make the public more aware of the information the council provides, said Jim Godfrey, president of HealthGuard and a council member.

"Our goal is to attract more public interest," Godfrey said. "There's so much information out there, but we have to get the word out about it."

Godfrey said the council is making efforts to make its reports more readable and understandable to health care consurners.

For more information visit the website at www.phc4.org.

Fla. teen beating victim getting ready to go home

2012-03-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

The 15-year-old Florida girl brutally attacked by another teen at a middle school is getting ready to go home.

Lawyer Sean Domnick says Josie Lou Ratley is undergoing physical, speech and occupational therapy at an undisclosed rehabilitation center. But Domnick says Ratley still faces a lengthy recovery.

Domnick has not said when Ratley will go home. Her mother will discuss Ratley's progress Wednesday at a news conference.

Fifteen-year-old Wayne Treacy is charged as an adult with first-degree attempted murder for the March 17 attack in Deerfield Beach, north of Fort Lauderdale. He has pleaded not guilty and has apologized through his lawyer for the beating. Ratley suffered brain damage in the assault.

___

Information from: South Florida Sun Sentinel, http://www.sun-sentinel.com

McDonald's initiatives beginning outside Chicago

2012-03-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Chicago area residents won't immediately see the results ofMcDonald's Corp.'s plans to simplify its fast-food menu, improveworker training and sell cappuccino at a McCafe.

In the Tampa, Fla., market, a computer-based e-learning program at180 McDonald's restaurants helps employees train for tough scenarios.

At an analysts' meeting Monday, McDonald's showed an example of aworker being coached on how to placate a man who had been fuming ashe waited in line behind a bus load of children.

The training program will be rolled out worldwide and is expectedto cut training costs by 15 percent. No timetable or training expensewas available.

Self-order kiosks, which let customers order via a machine akin toa bank's ATM, are being tested in five McDonald's in the Denver area.

CEO Jim Cantalupo touted the efficiency of the kiosks, saying theyovercome language barriers, speed up service and, when usedcorrectly, ensure no mistakes in ordering.

The kiosks will be introduced in a new market by the end of theyear, but McDonald's wouldn't say where. Each restaurant will havefour to five kiosks, which would sit on the right side of the servicecounter.

The next trial will feature kiosks at McDonald's PlayPlace areas,so parents with small children can order without having to go to thecounter. An employee will bring the food to a table.

Separately, Chicago will not see a return this year of the OakBrook-based chain's coffee shop, called McCafe. The 10 McCafes slatedto open this year will be in the Northwest and in the Washington,D.C., area.

McDonald's opened its first McCafe in the United States at 115 N.Wabash Ave. in May 2001, but closed it seven months later to make wayfor a 57-story condo high-rise.

However, Chicago area residents will benefit from another ofMcDonald's efforts to boost its appeal to young people ages 18-29.Later this year, an undetermined number of Chicago area McDonald'srestaurants will be outfitted with wireless Internet access, calledWi-Fi.

McDonald's will offer one hour of free high-speed access to anyonewho buys a combination meal at select restaurants in New York,Chicago and an as-yet-unnamed city in California.

The company also will expand its advertising beyond TV, presumablyplacing a greater emphasis on the Web, and give Ronald McDonald morevisibility in its efforts to attract young adults.

In the Rockford area and in Ohio, McDonald's has introducedsimpler menus and cash registers designed to speed service. The menuitems have prices that end in zeros and fives so customers can easilyadd and subtract as they decide what to order.

Behind the counter, automatic beverage dispensers in the drive-through and automatic cooking-oil systems in the kitchen are beinginstalled to further cut service times and simplify operations.

Cantalupo and other executives described the company's "Plan toWin" at the analyst meeting Monday.

It was a case of good news preceding bad, one analyst cautioned.McDonald's will release its sales results for March on Thursday andits first-quarter 2003 earnings on April 28--results that likely willresult in negative investor reaction, said Citigroup Smith Barneyanalyst Mark Kalinowski.

Analysts questioned how much the new efforts will help McDonald's,which has suffered 12 months of sales declines.

Mitchell Speiser, analyst at Lehman Brothers, wrote in a note toclients that improving speed of service amid much change "will betough," especially as McDonald's rivals tout their own innovations.