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Ozzy Osbourne accepts libel damages and apology

2012-03-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ozzy Osbourne has accepted undisclosed libel damages and an apology over a newspaper claim that he was ill at the Brit Awards.

The 59-year-old rocker sued over a story in the Daily Star that alleged he had toppled over twice just before the televised ceremony and that he was moved around the awards in an electric buggy.

Osbourne's lawyer, …

Man shot to death in Proviso East lot

2012-03-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

The west parking lot of Proviso East High School in south suburbanMaywood, which opened to freshmen students Friday, was the scene of afatal shooting Monday afternoon.

German Ocejueda, 22, of Melrose Park, was sitting in his car about2:30 p.m. when another vehicle pulled up, Maywood Police said. He gotout and spoke with the car's occupants.

Ocejueda was shot twice in the abdomen after the talk turned intoa …

BOXED IN, Corrugated box manufacturers see slowdown

2012-03-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

Chuck Wolf, like many business people, is playing a guessing game.

"It sounds like either we're in a slowdown, it's already happened, or a slowdown is about to happen," he said. "Get your crystal ball out."

Wolf, executive vice president of York Container Co., 138 Mount Zion Road, Springettsbury Township, estimated that the year-to-date square footage, output for the region's corrugated box manufacturers fell 4 percent to 5 percent since last year.

York County has a concentration of corrugated box manufacturers including H&A Corrugated Box Co. Inc., Strine Corrugated Products, and Packaging Corporation of America. It isn't the only area where production has …

Cameraman of videotaped execution testifies

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

A Serb paramilitary soldier who videotaped the execution by his fellow-troops of a group of Muslims testified Monday he made the footage on orders from the unit commander.

The recording of the killings of six imprisoned Muslims shocked Serbia when it surfaced in 2005, forcing the country to acknowledge its role in Europe's worst massacre since World War II.

The video was first released during the U.N. war crimes trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.

Some 8,000 Muslim boys and men were killed in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica when it was overrun by the Bosnian Serb troops in July …

Mum Shares In GBP63m Windfall

2012-03-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

A Bristol mum is among 160,000 Tesco staff sharing a multi-million windfall from their employer. All eligible staff are beinggiven free shares equivalent to 3.6 per cent of their salary as athank-you for their hard work. That is worth GBP63 million across thecompany. The shares are kept in a trust and are available tax-freeafter five years. This is in addition to GBP34m of free shares givenout to staff as a result of the 2001 Profit Share Scheme, whichmatured last month. Tesco chief …

FiveQs; Not ready to cool down, Ice Cube takes on cary grant in tasty new version of 'blandings'

2012-03-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ice Cube isn't the type of guy to have a meltdown. When asked whyhe still works hard after rising to the top of the music game withhip-hop pioneers NWA and starring in big box-office movies, such asthe "Friday" series, he doesn't even flinch.

"I've had people say, 'Cube, why don't you ride off into thesunset? You don't have to look back because you have the money.' Butthat's not cool or right," he says.

"I have cousins, family and friends who are still struggling inSouth Central," says the star of the classic film "Boyz N the Hood.""I will still speak for them and continue to speak to them. That'swho I am. The past is me. The future is me, too."

His …

Garnett Leads Boston Past Wizards 103-83

2012-03-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

Kevin Garnett's dazzling debut with the Celtics gave their fans and long-suffering Paul Pierce plenty to celebrate. Garnett had 22 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, Pierce scored 28 points and sparked Boston's take-charge rally in the first half, and the Celtics opened their promising season with a 103-83 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Add 17 points from Ray Allen, another veteran newcomer, and the Celtics looked nothing like the teams Pierce played for in his first nine seasons with Boston. Those teams won just three playoff series.

Now, after offseason trades for Garnett and Allen, the Celtics are a …

American serviceman will play with Woods in Dubai

2012-03-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An American army officer serving in war-torn Afghanistan has won the chance to play with Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic pro-am on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Michael Rowells, who has a nine handicap and is deployed currently with the 401st Army Field Support Brigade, beat 16,000 other amateur golfers in a draw ahead of the tournament's traditional curtain raiser at the Emirates Golf Club.

"I am thrilled and can't believe my luck," Rowells said in a statement.

"I registered with little hope of actually being selected," he said. "Miracles do happen, and I …

Bayer Acquires Facility from Novartis

2012-03-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Bayer Schering Pharma AG, (Berlin, Germany) has completed the acquisition of Novartis's biologies manufacturing facility in Emeryville, CA. Bayer will manufacture its multiple sclerosis drug, Betaseron, at the Emeryville site and retain full control of all manufacturing and process technology used in the production of Betaseron (interferon …

US trade deficit grow as imports, crude oil prices hit record highs

2012-03-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

The government reports that the United States' trade deficit grew larger in January as imports _ including crude-oil prices _ zoomed to all-time highs.

A new report from the U.S. …

Funeral date for dad

2012-03-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

The funeral of a man who died while on holiday in Thailand is tobe held on Thursday.

Aberdeen-born Damion Harrison, 39, died of a heart attack.

The father-of-two had been working as a base manager for oil andgas company Pathfinder in Saudi …

4-27 Field Artillery-The Army's Fires Test Unit

2012-03-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

Based at Fort Bliss/Texas, the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery (4-27 FA), part, of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, is the Army and Fires Center of Excellence /Fort Sill's field artillery "test battalion."

"We test all new equipment, concepts, and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs)," explained [ETC Christopher Moretti, commander, 4-27 FA. "And that's not just for cannon-related fires, but all fires. For example, how does the network support the fires? How do we communicate our fires and support requests over the network? That's where we are really 'cutting edge' right now."

The 4-27 is not a new unit. It was stationed in Germany, liad its colors cased …

Gloomy outlook for raises: ; When the state's budget is revealed next week, public employees probably will not see a pay increase

2012-03-14T02:41:00.000-07:00

The outlook for West Virginia public employees, includingteachers, to get any new pay raises this year is gloomier than ever,considering the deterioration of the state's economy and a projectedrevenue shortfall.

Still, that won't stop union officials from calling for raises,which they say are long overdue.

Gov. Joe Manchin's spokesman, Matt Turner, said Monday hewouldn't comment on details of the budget before it's unveiled nextweek, along with the governor's State of the State address. But in2009, Manchin didn't give raises because of the economic outlook,and 2010 is already shaping up to be worse.

"This administration has been careful with its spending, andwe're going to have to be even more careful," Turner said.

Turner emphasized the state will continue to pay out the annual,incremental raises guaranteed to state employees for each year ofservice.

All public employees get $60 a year for each year of serviceafter three years. Teachers typically get a few hundred dollars peryear. Even without a new raise from the state, for instance, someKanawha County schoolteachers who are beginning their sixth year inthe classroom will get a $397 boost in pay, to a total of $31,078 ayear. Other teachers, depending on their degree level, could receiveeven more each year.

Many other states have cut out public employees' pay raisesaltogether, or worse.

Across the U.S., about 132,000 state and local governmentemployees have been laid off since Aug. 2008, according to federaldata examined by the national Center on Budget and PolicyPriorities. That figure doesn't include furloughs, which areessentially pay cuts.

In West Virginia, there still are no plans to furlough or lay offstate employees, Turner said.

But union officials say employees already are dealing with heavyworkloads and low pay compared to other states, and they now facerising premiums from the Public Employees Insurance Agency, allthings they say the governor needs to deal with soon.

"Since the governor broke his promise to share any surplus inlast fiscal year's budget with employees - a surplus generated bynot filling vacancies, meaning more workload for the remainingworkforce - and PEIA is, again, putting its hand in public workers'pockets, it's only fair that there be consideration for employees,"said Gordon Simmons, a field organizer for West Virginia PublicWorkers Union UE Local 170.

Manchin did attempt to give most state workers a $500 bonus lastyear, but the plan fell apart in a special legislative session and,almost weeks after that, the state announced it needed money to fillbudget holes.

Simmons said UE Local 170 plans to ask, again, for a $1,000across-the-board pay raise, which officials call a cost-of-livingadjustment.

State officials point out that under Manchin the state has, infact, given several pay raises. Manchin increased the annualincremental raise from $50 to $60 and provided raises that gave themajority of educators a 10 percent to 19 percent raise since 2004,according to the governor's office. Also, there have been targetedraises for some groups of employees almost every year since Manchintook office, including judges, state troopers and correctionsofficers.

Teachers unions also will lobby for salary increases, though someofficials appear open to ideas other than across-the-boardincreases.

Both major teachers unions acknowledge the governor's fiscalrestraint, which includes not giving the unions as much as theyasked for in years past, has played a role in there so far being nofurloughs or layoffs for West Virginia public employees.

"Under the governor's leadership and the Legislature's leadershipwe have our financial house in much better shape than most states,"said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.

But Lee also argues that the percent of the state budget actuallygoing into the classroom has been on the decline, something thatneeds to be fixed. Starting teacher salaries, he said, are about$8,000 lower in West Virginia than in neighboring states.

Similarly, Judy Hale, the president of the state chapter of theAmerican Federation of Teachers, said she gives Manchin credit forkeeping the state budget in check, but she still plans to ask formore money to make sure the state can attract classroom teacherscertified to teach the classes they teach. About 7 percent of stateteachers are not considered "highly qualified" for the positionsthey hold, according to state data.

"I think he gets credit for being fiscally responsible in thefact that we're not having lay offs and we're not having furloughs,and I understand the situation we're in," Hale said of the governor."But I also think about that student in the 12th or 11th grade whois trying to get the Promise Scholarship who is sitting in achemistry classroom without a teacher certified in chemistry or anyscience."

AFT-WV plans to lobby for a three-year, $5,000 raise. It's thesame compensation package it has lobbied for unsuccessfully inbetter financial years.

Hale said she is aware of dire state revenue projections.

Manchin just announced a $120 million mid-year budget cut thatwill begin this month, and he already has asked for a 5 percent cutto next year's state budget.

Hale said there is room for discussion.

"You could put something in place that could take effectgradually or be funded gradually, but I hope we can at least getsomething started in that direction," she said.

Hale said the union also is exploring alternative ways to raiseteacher salaries based on performance.

The plan, which is still being worked out, could give raises toan entire school full of teachers if the school sets and meetsperformance goals. This is different from so-called merit pay, whichrewards individual teachers based on student performance. Both AFT-WV and WVEA oppose merit pay.

Senate Education Committee vice chairman Erik Wells, D-Kanawha,said he was skeptical of the idea and suggested the state attempt topay high-demand math and science teachers more than other teachers.

Right now, there is a shortage of those teachers in West Virginiaand across the country, a shortage that is only likely to grow worseas veteran teachers retire.

A recent report on teacher salaries by the Committee for EconomicDevelopment, a national group of business and education leaders,noted that uniform pay is partially responsible for such shortagesin the hard sciences "because individuals qualified to take thesepositions have many, often more lucrative, opportunities in theprivate-sector labor market."

Wells said it makes sense to selectively pay some teachers morebecause of supply and demand.

"If you need to pay them more, you pay them more," Wells said.

Even if there isn't the money for it now, there is a growingconsensus that beginning teachers need to be paid more.

A group of state leaders, including first lady Gayle Manchin, amember of the state school board, and the chairs of House and Senateeducation committees, Del. Mary Poling, D-Barbour, and Sen. BobPlymale, D-Wayne, agreed recently that West Virginia should try toraise beginning teacher salaries. Right now, those salaries are thelowest in a 16-state region.

But to raise starting teacher salaries from roughly $30,000 to$38,000 the state would likely have to raise every teacher's salary.If not, new teachers could end up making more than experiencedteachers.

State employees unions also are lobbying for a number of othernon-salary issues.

UE Local 170 President Bruce Dotson said he'd like to see thestate come into compliance with federal workplace safety laws.

He also is worried about the request thousands of state employeesreceived last month informing them to soon outline in detail whatthey do on the job every day.

The state and an outside consulting group asked for theinformation to update the state classification and compensationplans. A spokeswoman for the state personnel department said no jobswould be eliminated as a result of the reclassification, but Dostonsaid he is skeptical.

He said the union has "more questions than we have answers."

"It's something we are concerned about and it's something we'redefinitely going to show our opposition (to)," Doston said.

Union officials also will lean on lawmakers to reverse PEIA'splan to stop paying health care subsidies to future retirees hiredafter this summer. Unions say without the subsidy it will be hard toattract and keep state workers because the workers, if they stayedin West Virginia, would have to spend all or most of their pensionchecks to buy health care once they retire.

"We all know and agree that just taking the subsidy away will nothelp attract and keep people in the system," WVEA's Lee said. "Whatyou will see after three to five years of those people hired (is) arevolving door effect."

Contact writer Ry Rivard at ry. rivard@dailymail.com or 304-348-1796.

TRANSFORMATION TO BRING NEW ROLE TO CSTC

2012-03-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - With Army Transformation in full swing, reorganizations and new commands are the norm these days within the Army community. Commanders everywhere are faced with new challenges and opportunities, and the U.S. Army Combat Support Training Center (CSTC) is no exception.

Transformation brought about a new mission for the CSTC in support the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) model. Based on this model. Army Reserve units will require a place to conduct large-scale collective training during the years three and four of the ARFORGEN cycle. This is where Fort Hunter Liggett's I FHL) expansive 165,000 acres of theater-like terrain comes in. FHL is the Army Reserve's largest installation, and the eighth largest in the Army's inventory. CSTC will fully utilize the Simulation Center at Camp Parks in conjunction with the maneuver areas and ranges at FHL to conduct real world collective training for units in the validation phase of their ARFC)RGEN training cycle.

"Fort Hunter Liggctt has a long-standing and proven history of support tor Soldier training. The new CSTC mission gives the installation an even more important role in Army transformation and providing high quality services to our Soldiers and their Families," said LTG Robert Wilson, assistant chief of staff for installation management and commanding general Installation Management Command (IMCOM).

In February 2007 the CSTC hosted a meeting with the key leaders from the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, IMCOM and the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) at FHL. Wilson led the meeting with USARC Chief of Staff BG Oscar Anderson, ACSIM Army Reserve Director COL Jorge Santiago, IMCOM-West Deputy Director COL Douglas Biggerstaff and both the current and incoming CSTC commanders, COL. W. Scott Wood and COL Kevin Riedler, respectively.

Wilson, along with the other key players was able to brainstorm ideas to further enhance services at the CSTC. He then immediately began to coordinate the action items. One action item which was immediately decided upon was moving the headquarters from Camp Parks to FHL effective May 2007. Some key staff positions had already been relocated to Fort Hunter Liggett prior to that time.

The group got an aerial tour of the installation and many of them also visited the Moffett Field enclave which the CSTC oversees. The Moffett Field enclave will be home to the new 63rd Regional Readiness Sustainment Command, an armed forces reserve training center and a military entry processing station.

"The aerial tour provided me a good perspective of the vast potential of this installation. The terrain is theater-like, and has ideal maneuver space for today's brigade combat team-based Army," said Wilson.

"The outcome of the meeting was successful beyond my wildest dreams, said Wood. I look forward to getting the additional support that will enable me to provide top-notch services to the Soldiers training at the CSTC, and the military Families living at our sites."

[Sidebar]

Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management and Commanding General IMCOM, LTG Robert Wilson, discusses strategies to enhance services at the U.S Army Combat Support Training Center (CSTC), Calif.

[Author Affiliation]

By Amy Phillips

Public Affairs Office

Combat Support Training Center

Bargain Hunters Fuel Gary Housing Market

2012-03-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Gary, Ind., conjures up images of a blue-collar area stillstruggling to recover from steel industry job cutbacks and fightingthe nation's highest murder rate. Now it has a new persona - one ofthe nation's hottest housing markets.

U.S. News & World Report ranks the northwest Indiana housingmarket - including Gary and Hammond - No. 5 among 100 of the nation'smajor metropolitan areas.

The ranking is based on average annual home price increases from1991 to 1994. In northwest Indiana, prices have risen 8 percent.

And according to the April 11 issue, Gary has Chicago to thankfor part of its booming housing market success.

"The demand is there, and the reason housing is in demand inGary is that, compared to the Chicago area, the cost of living ismuch lower," said David Miller, a U.S. News reporter. "The medianprice of housing is 40 percent less, and taxes are two-thirdslower."

Not that Gary doesn't face an uphill battle. The city has thehighest murder rate in the nation, and a jobless level of 7.2 percent- much higher than Illinois' 6 percent. At one time the steelindustry employed about 28,000 full-time workers in Gary; today, thatfigure hovers around 7,500.

Gary was rated 95th among 343 metropolitan areas based on thingssuch as crime, employment, climate and cost of living in the 1993Places Rated Almanac.

"The task ahead of us is much greater than anything we have donealready," said Gary Mayor Thomas V. Barnes. "We still have a job ofrebuilding. But we're fortunate to be recognized and for the degreeof excitement here that's existing right now and has been for thepast several years."

Allen Haymon, managing broker with ERA Haymon & Associates inGary, certainly is excited. His business was up 10 percent last yearand is expected to grow 20 percent this year.

"Gary has some of the best real estate deals on the planet,"Haymon said.

The low prices have pulled in many Chicagoans who work in thebig city but have chosen to live in the Gary area. The median priceof a home there was $82,078 last year, compared with roughly $128,000in Chicago.

According to the U.S. News report, about 40,000 northwestIndiana residents work out-of-state.

Chris Julsrud has worked in Chicago for more than 20 years.About four years ago, he decided to make the move to Gary, where hebought property along Gary's lakefront in an area called MillerBeach.

"I couldn't even look at lakefront property in Chicago or thenorthern suburbs," he said.

"I felt the Miller Beach section of Gary was very attractivebecause of the lake and because the community was very interesting.It's very diverse, both ethnically and economically, and that wasappealing. It has an interesting arts community developing around itand I think there's a lot of opportunity for revitalization."

The city has made that a priority, says Donald L. Thompson,chief executive officer of the Mayor's Office of EconomicDevelopment. He noted over the past decade about $300 million inpublic and private sector investments have been poured into thelakefront area, in building and renovating homes, condos, and retailand commercial operations and improving roadways.

At one time, one of every two jobs in Gary was tied directly orindirectly to the steel industry. But the city has been trying todiversify its jobs base, Barnes said. It's awaiting licensing fortwo riverboat casinos, which could bring an estimated $25 million to$30 million into the city annually and create as many as 5,500 jobs directly and indirectly.

Also under development: an 8,000-acre airport development zone.The city has about $3 million invested in the development of thatindustrial park site, which includes a cargo incubator facility andlight manufacturing operations.

Grand Rapids theater to present Halloween classic

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

Dog Story Theater will present a multi-media live performance of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" at 8 p.m. Oct. 16, 17, 23-25 and 28-31. Based on the short story, this fast-paced show is filled with effects and illusions that bring to life a menacing moment in time for the villagers of this small Dutch settlement.

There is something strange about the new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane. Baltus Van Tassel's war buddy Nicholas has gone missing. May brook, Baltus' other war companion is dead.

Katrina VanTassel chooses the love of her life while the murders keep coming and Brom Bones goes after the killer to save his love. And when a s�ance goes wrong, the Woman in White, Sleepy Hollow's other famous ghost, makes a ghastly appearance. Is there something that Sleepy Hollow's wealthiest land owner, Baltus Van Tassel, isn't telling us?

"Sleepy Hollow" is directed by Jay Harnish and features an all-star ensemble cast with Dog Story favorites Jasinya Sanchez, Philip Baba, Sarah Jean Anderson, Dan Falicki and Josh Fremer. Rounding out the cast is a talented collection of local theater veterans who are new to the Dog Story stage, including Dan Brooks, Ben Green, Rebecca Monterusso and Claire Sinn.

Parents with young children and those with weak stomachs, please be advised: This production is a dark and graphic retelling of a Halloween classic, with no shortage of disturbing imagery and on-stage violence.

Tickets, available online at dogstorytheater.com, are limited and cost $10 ($7 for students and seniors). The show will also be performed Oct. 18 and Oct. 31 at midnight. For more information, call 616-821-8955.

Capitals-Sharks Sums

2012-03-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Washington 0 1 1_2
San Jose 3 2 2_7
First Period_1, San Jose, Marleau 10 (Boyle, Setoguchi), 9:13. 2, San Jose, Clowe 10 (Blake, Michalek), 12:34. 3, San Jose, Setoguchi 12 (Thornton, Marleau), 15:45. Penalties_Brashear, Was, major (fighting), 3:24	Shelley, SJ, major (fighting), 3:24	Murray, SJ (high-sticking), 4:05	Steckel, Was (high-sticking), 13:40.
Second Period_4, Washington, Poti 3 (Bradley, Sloan), 7:56. 5, San Jose, Thornton 5 (Vlasic, Boyle), 12:19 (pp). 6, San Jose, Vlasic 2 (Blake, Cheechoo), 19:27. Penalties_Sloan, Was (high-sticking), 4:56	Nylander, Was (holding), 11:05	Brashear, Was, misconduct, 15:22	Thornton, SJ (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:01	Ovechkin, Was (hooking), 19:07.
Third Period_7, Washington, Fleischmann 8 (Ovechkin, Backstrom), 2:19 (pp). 8, San Jose, Clowe 11 (Blake, Boyle), 5:44 (pp). 9, San Jose, Grier 3 (Roenick, Blake), 19:07. Penalties_Setoguchi, SJ (hooking), 1:35	Poti, Was (holding), 4:35	Erskine, Was (slashing), 5:21	Backstrom, Was (roughing), 11:48	Blake, SJ (slashing), 11:48	Ehrhoff, SJ (hooking), 13:10.
Shots on Goal_Washington 8-8-5_21. San Jose 5-10-13_28.
Power-play opportunities_Washington 1 of 4	San Jose 2 of 6.
Goalies_Washington, Johnson 5-3-2 (28 shots-21 saves). San Jose, Boucher 7-1-1 (21-19).
A_17,496 (17,496). T_2:20.
Referees_Mike Leggo, Dan O'Halloran. Linesmen_Lonnie Cameron, Shane Heyer.

NASA closer to getting extra space shuttle flight

2012-03-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — There's still the matter of money. But it looks increasingly likely that NASA will get an extra space shuttle flight.

President Barack Obama signed a NASA spending bill into law Monday, following last week's approval by Congress. The measure directs NASA to move forward with an additional shuttle flight to the International Space Station, before retiring the fleet.

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space who took part in a White-House ordered review of human spaceflight, said the extra flight represents "an important extension" for supporting the space station.

The orbiting lab is meant to operate until at least 2020, with U.S. astronauts hitching rides on Russian Soyuz capsules until private companies in America can pick up the slack.

During a telephone news conference Monday, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said the funding issue should be resolved once Congress returns next month to Washington in a lame duck session. The space agency expects a final decision no later than December.

Only two shuttle launches officially remain, with the next one coming up Nov. 1. The third, yet-to-be-formalized mission would take place next June. Atlantis already is being prepped in case it needs to rescue the crew of Endeavour, set to fly in February.

Only four astronauts — instead of the usual six or seven — are assigned to that rescue mission. The crew size will remain the same if NASA gets the third shuttle flight. NASA wants to limit the number of crew members who would need to take refuge at the space station in case Atlantis is damaged at liftoff and couldn't be flown back to Earth.

Those four shuttle astronauts would need to return on Soyuz spacecraft over the course of a year.

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center reported last month that the risks associated with an additional shuttle flight — with no shuttle backup — were in line with others accepted by the shuttle and station programs in the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Nelson said an additional flight will ease the impact of shuttle job cuts.

"Instead of the shuttle work force dropping precipitously off of a cliff, it smooths that transition" as work begins on a new heavy-lift rocket and commercial spacecraft pick up steam, the senator said. He described the post-shuttle period as "the new NASA."

Obama's plan for NASA calls for eventual missions by astronauts to asteroids and Mars, and shelves his predecessor's goal of returning to the moon.

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov

Where Has Our Summer Gone?

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

I half expect Jacques Cousteau to climb into the Calypso and setoff "In Search of Summer." Not this pseudo-summer of light jacketsand whitecaps on Lake Michigan. I'm talking about summers we sweatedthrough in the late 1980s, when a high of 90 was considered a coolday. When you could almost walk across the swimming pool because itwas so crowded. When it was so hot even the Good Humor ice creamvendor was grouchy.

Could this prolonged cool spell have anything to do with thatcomet hitting Jupiter? Absolutely not; in fact, there's really noobvious culprit. All we know is the jet stream is about 500 to 800miles farther south than it should be. As a result we are gettingweather typical for southern Canada, and anything hot and stuffy isbeing shoved south of St. Louis.

Rain will begin to taper off this morning, and we'll see alittle sun this evening, with more on tap for tomorrow. Although weshould see some low 80s late in the week, Sunday and Monday shouldbe cool again. Weather Quiz

If you turned on the TV or radio and heard someone talking about a"mesoconvective complex" approaching, you could expect: A) An outbreak of tornadoes. B) Flooding rains. C) A once-in-a-century hurricane. D) A big bill from your therapist.

Answer: (B) These clusters of thunderstorms, sometimes more than100 miles wide, tend to form at night over the Plains, travelinghundreds of miles before weakening in the morning. Weather Fact

A "flash flood" is defined as 6 inches or more of rain falling in6 hours or less. Flash floods are most likely to occur during thesummer months, when steering currents are light and thunderstorms canstall.

Barbara Bush undergoes tests in Texas hospital

2012-03-13T05:26:00.000-07:00

Former first lady Barbara Bush remains hospitalized in Houston, where she's undergoing what a family spokeswoman describes as routine tests.

Spokeswoman Jean Becker said Sunday that Bush has not been diagnosed with anything and doctors aren't looking for anything specific.

Former President George H.W. Bush drove his wife to Methodist Hospital on Saturday morning. Becker said earlier that the former first lady hadn't been feeling well for about a week, and doctors suggested she "undergo a battery of tests."

Mrs. Bush underwent heart surgery in March 2009, for a severe narrowing of the main heart valve. She also was hospitalized in November 2008, when she underwent surgery perforated ulcer.

Suspect in TWA hijacking to be tried as juvenile

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

FRANKFURT, West Germany A Lebanese suspect in the 1985 hijackingof a TWA jetliner and murder of a U.S. sailor will be tried by ajuvenile tribunal because he was a minor at the time, a court ruledTuesday.

The maximum prison term for the offense is only 10 years for ajuvenile. But the trial court still could impose a life sentence ifit found that Mohammed Ali Hamadi acted as an adult in committing thecrime, authorities said.

Hamadi is accused as an accomplice in the hijacking of TWAFlight 847. It was seized June 14, 1985, on a flight from Athens,Greece, to Rome and diverted to the Beirut airport.

The hijackers held 39 U.S. citizens hostage for 17 days, andNavy diver Robert Stethem was killed.

Prosecutors at first said Hamadi was born June 13, 1964, whichwould have made him an adult under West German law when the hijackingtook place.

But the suspect testified in January that he was born in June,1968, which would make him barely 17 at the time of the crime. Theprosecutors said Tuesday they now have learned that Hamadi actuallyis 21, and thus was 18 at the time.

Grocer Kroger cranks up food manufacturing

2012-03-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

Ice cream swooshes out of metal nozzles and swirls into 38,000 "party pails" per day here, one of many ways Kroger Co. is using its massive manufacturing capability to feed growing demand for low-priced store brands.

Kroger is selling 15 percent more in-house products by volume this year, including these four-quart tubs of ice cream, which cost as little as $2.99 each at Kroger grocery chains like Ralphs and Fry's. National-brand ice creams go for at least four times as much, a contrast that bargain-hunters like Briana Carter, 30, of Tipton, Ind., appreciate.

"Unless it is a name brand that they just really like, a lot of people are going to stay with the store brands," Carter said.

Kroger makes almost half its roughly 14,400 in-house products, while most grocers contract with other companies to make such items. The company _ the nation's largest grocery seller aside from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. _ has the biggest self-owned manufacturing operation with 40 factories, followed by Safeway Inc., which has 32.

Making store-brand products itself gives companies better control over costs and production decisions, a key advantage as consumers' recession-driven frugality eats into sales and grocers cut prices. Less than four weeks after Kroger executives approved producing ice cream in four-quart pails at the plant here, hundreds of thousands had reached stores.

"Speed to market is a benefit," said Krista Faron, a senior analyst for market research firm Mintel International. "To the extent that you can control your production and manufacturing and getting it on your shelf faster, that helps."

Industrywide, sales of store-brand grocery items jumped nearly 10 percent last year. At Kroger, 35 percent of the products sold in its nearly 2,500 stores were house brands, up from 31 percent five years ago.

The initial appeal usually lies in a house-brand's price: A 2-liter bottle of Kroger "Big K" cola was selling recently for 69 cents at a suburban Kroger store, compared with $1.79 for the same quantity of Coke.

Kroger officials won't say how much better their profit margins are on house brands compared to national, though they say they have sacrificed some profit during the recession to get new customers to try the company's brands in the hope of building long-term loyalty.

"We're growing significantly in what we make," Calvin Kaufman, president of Kroger manufacturing, told The Associated Press. "We are adding shifts as well as adding people, and we keep getting more efficient to add to capacity."

Both Kroger and Safeway also make products for smaller chains. But Kaufman said that business is shrinking as Kroger takes more plant capacity for its own.

As Kroger has added store-label versions of soft drinks, cheeses, spaghetti sauce and more in the past year, it has created about 400 manufacturing jobs for a total of 7,400.

Many stores are improving their in-house brands' quality and variety.

"For consumers, it's a glorious thing," said Mintel analyst Faron, who especially likes Supervalu Inc.'s Pork Carnitas Enchilada Casserole and Safeway's quick-lunch Rice Noodle Soup Bowl. "They have more choices than ever before with extremely high quality and lower prices."

Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway says making its store-brand products helps it keep costs and prices down.

"We can produce private label products at a very attractive cost and pass that along to consumers," said Melissa Plaisance, Safeway's senior vice president for finance and investor relations.

Safeway, the only competitor that comes close to Kroger in the volume of in-house manufacturing, didn't release details about its factories' capacity or the number of products it makes in-house.

In-house manufacturing _ which Kroger has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade and expand _ is not for everyone. National grocer Supervalu Inc., based in Minneapolis, doesn't see it fitting "within our current business model, or the strategy we have for our own brands program," spokeswoman Haley Meyer said.

And Wal-Mart spokeswoman Caren Epstein said the world's largest retailer benefits from its scale instead of owning factories to produce low-priced store items, led by the Great Value brand.

Both Safeway and Kroger also hire out to make many store-brand items.

Kaufman said it's crucial that Kroger brands conjure associations with good quality, not just low price. Otherwise, sales may fall away as the recession ends.

"What we're saying as a team is that this is an opportunity: Because of the economy, we're getting a lot more trial (customers)," he said. "We want to keep them coming back."

Floyd Landis Proclaims His Innocence

2012-03-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

MADRID, Spain - Floyd Landis says he has naturally high testosterone levels, and asks not to be judged until a study can show he is innocent of doping at the Tour de France.

Landis is giving a news conference in Madrid about the positive doping result that threatens to wipe out the American's victory in the Tour de France, his lawyer's office said.

It is the American cyclist's first public appearance since Thursday's announcement by his team, Phonak, that he tested positive for abnormal levels of testosterone after the 17th stage of the Tour.

Landis denied any wrongdoing in a teleconference with reporters on Thursday and vowed to clear his name.

"All I'm asking for is that I be given a chance to prove I'm innocent," he said.

Asked repeatedly what might have tripped his test, Landis refused to lay blame on any one thing.

"As to what actually caused it on that particular day, I can only speculate," he said.

Landis had an exemption from the Tour to take cortisone shots for pain in his hip, which will require surgery for a degenerative condition, and was taking an oral medication for hyperthyroidism. He and his doctor were consulting with experts to see if those drugs might have thrown off his testosterone levels.

News of Landis' positive test shocked the cycling world, which has been under a cloud following a wide-ranging doping investigation in Spain that led to the barring of several of the world's leading cyclists from the tournament.

On the eve of the Tour's start, nine riders - including pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso - were ousted, implicated in a Spanish doping investigation.

The names of Ullrich and Basso turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who allegedly had contact with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who's at the center of the Spanish doping probe. Landis was not implicated in that investigation.

Test identifies `safe' human eggs

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

Genes are located in chromosomes, and the cells of any speciescontain a characteristic number of chromosomes - 46 for humans. Eggsand sperm have only half that number so that one 23-chromosome eggplus one 23-chromosome sperm yields one 46-chromosome baby withtraits from each parent.

The polar body test is only useful for families with a historyof inherited ailments, and it depends on the fact that abnormal genesare recessive. That means an individual must have two bad genes tohave the disease. Thus, a disease-free woman from such a family canbe, at worst, a carrier with only one bad gene.

When eggs are formed, only half of the 46 chromosomes are used,and the eggs jettison the unused 23 wrapped in the polar body.

Therefore, if the bad gene is in the polar body, the egg isuntainted. And the reverse is true: If the good gene is in the polarbody, the bad one is presumed to be in the egg, which is discarded.If only healthy eggs are fertilized and returned to the mother, theresulting child would be safe from the disease.

Should such an egg receive a disease gene from the father'ssperm, the baby would be a carrier but would not have the disease.

Ryan defends process for Illinois FIRST funds

2012-03-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

The editorial "Ryan's carte blanche" (Aug. 4) reveals a disturbinglack of knowledge about the legislative process and the way the newIllinois FIRST program has been set up.

The list of projects that you crave can be found in theappropriations legislation that was debated and passed by the GeneralAssembly in May and enacted with my signature in June. Also,transportation projects were itemized in the Department ofTransportation's capital plan for highways and airports.

The Legislature has yet to appropriate a large share of IllinoisFIRST money, recognizing that it is a five-year program. It isimpossible to say what projects will be funded in 2001, 2002 or 2003.It would be irresponsible of the General Assembly to appropriatefunds several years in advance. The annual review of the budget andspending priorities is vital to public accountability, and thatscrutiny is welcome.

What I find most disturbing is the Sun-Times' lack ofunderstanding of how spending projects found their way into IllinoisFIRST. The legislation was the result of lengthy negotiations withthe General Assembly that included input from every legislator.

For instance, Sen. Kathleen Parker (R-Northfield), Rep. JeffreySchoenberg (D-Wilmette) and Rep. Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview) allhad a hand in sponsoring the appropriation for the Kohl Children'sMuseum.

I am glad the Sun-Times believes a state appropriation to assistin the expansion of the Kohl Museum "may be a good idea." TheGeneral Assembly believed the project worthy of state funding.

In addition, you alluded to a "revelation" about $100 million instate funding for a proposed renovation of Soldier Field. Yourconclusion in your editorial indicated that if this mysteriousfunding would go to Soldier Field, it would be done withoutlegislative debate. To suggest that any public appropriation of thatsize would be released without the approval of the General Assemblyis ludicrous.

Illinois FIRST is full of projects that "may be good ideas" - ormay not be good ideas. For instance, there's a $10 millionappropriation to help rehabilitate the Pullman historic site - aproject that is still in the early planning stages. There are nodefinitive plans yet for spending that money. As plans becomeavailable, I'm sure the General Assembly will have a say - as I will- on the validity and the merits of the appropriation before $10million in public money is released.

The point, however, is that every project identified in thelegislation was a proposal from legislators representing their viewof the needs of their districts. I do not agree with the priority ofevery project, but the system requires the Legislature to appropriatethe money. My responsibility is to ensure that the projects arelegitimate and that the money is being spent as the Legislatureintended.

Is Illinois FIRST "carte blanche," as you suggest? No. IllinoisFIRST will continue to face the same public and legislative scrutiny- misguided or not - that accompanies all state spending. Youreditorial proves that point. George H. Ryan, governor of IllinoisLife with the gauche

Today when people go to worship, they dress as if they are goingto a rummage sale. Why do religious leaders allow it?

I understand that there are some unfortunate people who can'tafford to dress the way they would like, and this letter is not forthem. Churches, synagogues, mosques - these are our creator'shouses. Can't we dress our best for our creator?

The social problems we have today may have been created throughthe way we dress. It is not easy to respect someone dressed like abum. People like that do not exude confidence. If they don't careabout their self-image, then maybe they don't care about me as acustomer or the type of service they render.

The one thing that stands out about Europeans is the way theydress. They take pride in their dress, and it shows. In Europe,whether they are going to a nightclub or the supermarket, the womendress their best. The next time you're in a nightclub, take a lookaround - you can't tell the porters from the patrons. Robert Wheat,Westchester Metra's mea culpa

In response to Rodney Perry's letter (Aug. 9) regardingcommunication during the July 30 Electric District power disruption,I offer Metra's apologies to Perry and to anyone whose delayed triphome was worsened by confusion about which trains were stopping atwhich stations. Once we started running trains after a 40-minuteloss of the current that powers the trains, the crews on the firsttrains to depart Randolph Street station were not fully informed ofan altered plan for outlying station stops.

That was corrected, but not soon enough to prevent extra problems.The communication failure already has been the subject of an internalreview. Again, our apologies to all concerned. Frank Malone, mediarelations director, Metra Give us a break

I wish the Democrats would stop whining about the proposed $792billion tax cut. We taxpayers desperately need tax relief, too, butthe plan is phased out over 10 years. Five years would be better,but we'll take it.

The Democrats want to increase spending for more bloatedbureaucratic programs, while saving Social Security and paying downthe national debt (so they say). We would end up deeper in debtbecause we know that they always will spend more than they take in.

I urge all taxpayers to support the Republicans on this badlyneeded tax relief. Karen Skillman, Brookfield The word is the word

The Rev. Bill Hogan demonstrates his ignorance of Catholicteaching and how it is promulgated (Letters, Aug. 5). He fails torecognize that the church itself makes a distinction between truthhanded down through the centuries from Christ's apostles to theirsuccessors, which cannot be changed because divine truth cannotchange, and disciplinary regulations, such as cremation, which may bechanged because they are not essential to the Catholic faith.Terrance J. Hodges, Mount Greenwood Minds shut tight

The recent controversy over Stanley Kubrick's final masterpiece"Eyes Wide Shut" is drenched with irony. In 1950, the film "LaRonde" (directed by Max Ophuls, a man who was a huge influence onKubrick) was banned in this country because it was declared "obscene"by the New York State Board of Regents. Even though this filmcontained no nudity or violence, it had a rather relaxed attitude onadultery. This film was based on a play by Arthur Schnitzler, whowrote Traumovelle, the book on which "Eyes Wide Shut" is based.

The U.S. Supreme Court over-turned the Board of Regents decision,and "La Ronde" was shown in this country in 1954. I'm sure theoriginal version of "Eyes Wide Shut" will make it to video and/orDVD. But it is disheartening that the Motion Picture Association ofAmerica is preventing adults from seeing Kubrick's film the way heoriginally filmed it.

It is sad that in the last 45 years the only progress we've madeis in the field of ignorance. Gregory Runfeldt, Midlothian Twowallets up

With all the outcry to come up with a better rating system formovies, I feel I have the perfect solution. Instead of stars, itwill be a numerical rating system. For example: 7.00 - Denotes amovie you should be willing to pay full price ($7) to see. 3.50 -Wait to rent it on video, so you won't kick yourself when it turnsout to be a stinker. 2.00 - Wait for it to go to the cheap theaters.The sound may not be as good, the film may jump a lot and your feetmay stick to the floor, but you will spend only $2. 0.00 - Wait twoyears and it will be on commercial TV. It may be hard to followbecause of commercial interruptions, censoring and the time allottedfor an evening movie, but the price is right.

Anyone who ever paid full price and sat through 90 minutes ofgarbage knows what I'm talking about. I am still trying to forgetthe time I saw "Dr. Detroit." Pat Todd, Lansing The big whopper

The letter from Ted Schwartz (Aug. 8) said the original charterfor toll roads said they were to be freeways once they are paid for,and he laments that it never happens.

He should know by now that most politicians are compulsive liars.Remember how Gov. Ryan during his campaign boldly promised not toraise taxes? After the election, the first thing the governor andstate legislators did was raise taxes horrendously. I suppose ifyou're going to lie, you might as well make it a big one.

It is time for voters to forget both Republican and Democraticcandidates in the next election, since both parties have lost allsense of honesty and respect for keeping one's word. It is time tothrow the rascals out and take on third-party candidates, such as theU.S. Taxpayers Party. William J. Holdorf, Downers Grove