An Alabama business has filed a lawsuit against NFL receiver Terrell Owens and his cousin, claiming the two didn't pay expenses from a lease termination agreement for their martini bar.
The Birmingham News reports that the lawsuit was filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court Friday on behalf of Walker Partners Ltd.
The company claims it entered into a lease with Minnifield Owens Lounges in Birmingham on …
Patrolmen Spencer Campbell, left, and Roger Backus of theCharleston Police Department display a costume mask, gun and knifethey discovered during an investigation into an apartment burglary inthe 1500 block of Washington Street East. It happened on April 12,1975.
A mother who lived in the apartment with her three small childrenhad frantically …
Survivors of a cyclone that devastated the southwestern Bangladesh coast greeted U.S. Navy teams Tuesday as they delivered clean water, food and medical supplies to thousands of people left hungry and homeless.
Helicopters from the USS Kearsarge, a multipurpose U.S. ship anchored off the Bangladesh coast, have been airlifting water containers to remote areas of the country's worst-affected districts of Dublar Char, Bagherat and Barguna, said Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff Gen. Moeen U. Ahmed.
"They have come all the way from a distant country to help us. It is a blessing from Allah," said Abdus Shahid, a 50-year-old farmer in Barguna district, one of …
Christina Bates, 23, died after her 1993 Cadillac crashed into a pole and burned at 6:30 p.m. on East 130th Street near Evans.
"We heard the crash and ran across the street," said Flanders McCurdy, 36, one of several men who rushed to Bates' aid. "We tried to get her out, but she was stuck under the steering wheel."
The men smashed the windows to get Bates' daughters, 4-month-old Jakaya …
BOSTON (AP) The judge presiding over a conspiracy case againstLyndon H. LaRouche Jr., six aides and five of his politicalorganizations refused Tuesday to delay the trial or dismiss eightjurors who know a former LaRouche aide was convicted on a relatedcharge.
The rulings by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Keeton cleared theway for trial to begin today.
The defendants are charged with conspiring to obstruct a federalgrand jury investigation into alleged credit card and loan fraud bythe fringe politician's followers during the 1984 presidentialcampaign. Al but one of the organizations are charged with thefraud.
Defense lawyers had asked Keeton to dismiss …
LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears won modified visitation rules Thursday that allow her two boys to spend one overnight a week with her, and the pop star's attorney requested her mother become the required court-appointed monitor.
Spears made a surprise appearance in court after Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon held a morning hearing on her emergency request to expand visitation but declined to rule. He gave attorneys for Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, who was recently granted custody, more time to discuss the matter outside court.
Spears was previously allowed monitored visits with the children but no overnight stays. Neither she nor her attorneys spoke …
Iran's Islamic leadership is prepared to conduct a limited recount of disputed presidential elections, a spokesman said Tuesday, as thousands of people took to the streets to show support for the regime and authorities cracked down on independent media.
The announcement comes after Iran's state radio reported earlier Tuesday that seven people were killed during clashes in the Iranian capital the previous day _ the first official confirmation of deaths linked to the wave of protests and street battles following the disputed election in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.
In downtown Tehran, thousands of people gathered Tuesday in a …
NEW ORLEANS Heels have more fun.
At least it seems the Tar Heels will be able to enjoy themselvesmore than any other team this weekend.
"Players set the curfew, if there is one," North Carolina coachDean Smith said. "I don't think there'll be any distractions otherthan the hoopla surrounding the Final Four."
Looks like second place goes to Kentucky.
"We're going down there to have fun," coach Rick Pitino said."We've never played our games under pressure. Now that you're there,you can go out and have fun."
Kansas will be able to have some freedom during the day because,"We schedule our team meetings late at night," Jayhawks coach …
SAO PAULO (AP) — Sao Paulo coach Ricardo Gomes has been fired after the team's defeat in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores.
Club directors fired Gomes on Friday, but described his work there as "dignified" and "respected."
Nevertheless, club directors said in a statement on Sao Paulo's website it was time the squad was taken in a new direction after not making it to the finals of …
There were no obvious signs of trouble when gunman John Patrick Bedell approached a Pentagon security checkpoint Thursday night. But Pentagon police officer Marvin Carraway had seen that facial expression before. It betrayed Bedell's intentions.
"It's hard to describe that look," Carraway said in an interview Monday. "It's a look you would know if you had been in combat."
Carraway was one of three officers who returned fire after Bedell began shooting at them. Carraway and another officer, Jeffery Amos, suffered minor injuries. The officers fatally wounded Bedell, who was described as having a history of mental illness by his family.
…
Wearing a blazing orange shirt with a dragon on it, a onetimesupporter of Calumet City Mayor Jerry Genova testified Thursday howhe was put on the public payroll to do political work for the mayorand how he put in a fireplace at Genova's home on public time.
Travis Calvillo, whose mild manner in federal court contrastedwith his sartorial sass, also recounted how he helped construct adeck at the home of the then head of the city's public worksdepartment, Jerry Stack.
At the time, Calvillo was working for public works, he said.
Calvillo's testimony touched on many of the charges facing Genovaand Stack at their racketeering trial.
Calvillo was the latest of …
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — A new force of border guards in Libya deployed Thursday at the key crossing with Tunisia, marking the first time an Interior Ministry force from the transitional government has taken responsibility for a main border post since the ouster of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi.
Former rebels had been in control of the Libyan side of Ras Ajdir crossing for at least two months. It is the primary crossing between Tunisia and Libya and is on a major trade route to the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Tunisia had requested that Libya put professional border guards at the crossing. Tunisian authorities closed it for two weeks earlier this month due to repeated confrontations …
DEAR BRUCE: I'm currently a graduate student. My education ispaid for, and I am receiving a stipend. However, I still have to payoff my student loans from my undergraduate years. What's the bestway to do this? Should I defer my loans until after I graduate (andinvest a certain amount every month), or should I pay them off nowwhile they're still interest-free, which would tighten my pursestrings? Also, if I were to invest, how would I go about it?
G.M.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
DEAR G.M.: You are fortunate that your education is being paidfor. As long as student loans can be deferred interest-free, I wouldinvest the money elsewhere. Anytime you have interest-free money -and it is truly interest-free with no penalties - it is wise to takeadvantage of it.
You are obviously an intelligent person, and you should spend alittle time becoming knowledgeable with regard to investmentoptions: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.
This effort now will pay dividends for the rest of your life.
DEAR BRUCE: I recently divorced my husband of 20 years. He istrying to keep me from getting any of his retirement benefits. He isa 30-year federal government employee with a savings plan, a defined-contribution plan and federal-employee retirement-system defined-benefit plan. Can he legally do this? We live in a community-property state. His attorney has been stonewalling for a year andhalf now. I have asked my new attorney to request the financialdocuments through the court.
Reader
via e-mail
DEAR READER: Under most circumstances, you would have an interestin his retirement benefits. I can see why he would not be happyabout that.
You mentioned that his attorney has been "stonewalling." The onlyway an attorney can stonewall for that period of time is because ofinattention by your attorney, and I suspect that's the case becauseyou've hired the new guy. Have him get on it and stay on yourhusband's lawyer. If your guy puts some pressure on him, yourhusband's lawyer will have to come up with whatever information isrequested.
I can't help but observe that it's amazing so many spouses - whoapparently loved their mates for years - fight so vigorously to geta fair and equitable distribution. I will never understand that.
Send your questions to: Smart Money, P.O. Box 2095, Elfers, FL34680. E-mail to: bruce@ brucewilliams.com. Questions of generalinterest will be answered in future columns. Owing to the volume ofmail, personal replies cannot be provided.
If you go What: "The Alps" When: Starts Saturday Where: ClayCenter Info: www.theclaycenter.org or 304-561-3570 FYI: Movie timesare noon, 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The Clay Centers latest offering in its ElectricSky Theater is abreathtaking combination of documentary and drama set in themountain peaks of Switzerland. The Alps weaves history, adventureand geology in a 45-minute tale about one mans decision to trace hislate fathers footsteps on the North Face of Eiger, a peak known forits unpredictable weather changes and dangerous falling rock. Thepeak claimed the life of John Harlin II in 1966 when his ropesnapped and he plunged to his death. His son, John Harlin III, wasjust 9 years old. The elder Harlin was an experienced climber whofounded the International School of Mountaineering. Bad weatherduring his climb slowed his progress and affected the integrity ofhis safety ropes, ultimately causing his death. Fast forward 40years and John Harlin III, himself a father of a young daughter,decides to retrace his fathers steps and conquer the demons thathave plagued him. The 45-minute MacGillivray Freeman film sets upHarlins story and then backtracks a bit to the history of the Alps,explaining how they formed when continents drifted and collided,forming the jagged peaks that form the mountain range system thatstretches from Austria and Slovenia through Italy, Switzerland,Germany and France. Youll also get a little lesson in the perils ofclimbing and the phenomena of avalanches. The trademark of the large-format films, of course, is sweeping views that may leave some alittle motion sick. If thats your tendency, make sure you sit towardthe upper levels and in the center it really does help. SpoilerAlert: Harlin succeeds in reaching Eigers 6,000-foot face, anemotional moment for him and for his wife and daughter, who havebeen watching his progress with the help of strong binoculars at thefoot of the mountain. The movie will leave you wondering how theheck it was made, and apparently that was a feat in itself.According to the films Web site, cinematographer Brad Ohlund dividedthe task into two distinct territories aerial photography done bySpaceCam inventor Ron Goodman and mountain photography done by EmmyAward-winning adventure filmmaker Michael Brown. Producer GregMacGillvray had good training with a previous mountain film,Everest. He said on the Web site that helicopters especially madethe production possible. We had the best access to the mountainsweve ever had because we were able to drop cameras and people in onlong lines just about anywhere, and this allowed our fantasticcamera team to really focus on the filmmaking. At just 45 minutes,the film is perfect for even short attention spans, but its contentis most appropriate for adults, teens and children about fourthgrade and older. And if the film leaves you curious for moreinformation, you can check out Harlins memoir, The Eiger Obsession:Facing the Mountains That Killed My Father.
Bacteria that are able to grow on an electrode can learn how to communicate with it - i.e., get better at transferring electrons from the cathode to the anode. Based on this premise and Darwin's theory of natural selection, researchers at Ghent Univ.'s (Ghent, Belgium; http://labmet.ugent.be) Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology have increased the power output of microbial fuel cell systems from about 0.6 W/m^sup 2^ using an anaerobic inoculum to 4.31 W/m^sup 2^ of electrode surface (664 mV, 30.9 mA) with a selected microbial consortium.
Korneel Rabaey and Willy Verstraete of Ghent Univ.'s faculty of bio-engineering first inoculated the fuel cell with anaerobic, methane-generating sludge (nourished by a biodegradable food source) to ensure a broad-spectrum inoculum. "Those bacteria that were able to transfer electrons to the graphite electrode most efficiently gained a selective advantage, because they could get more energy by losing electrons in that way," explains Rabaey.
Over the course of 70-80 d, analysis of the microbial community via a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), a molecular technique that reveals how many different types of bacteria are present and which ones are dominant, showed that these bacteria did dominate the population, says Rabaey. Consequently, the fuel cells' power output increased, peaking after 92 d of enrichment. Some of the bacteria produced a highly efficient redox mediator that may have facilitated electron transfer, but Rabaey and Verstraete have yet to figure out how to identify the bacteria that are responsible for electron transfer.
Next, the team will decrease the reactor volume (i.e., achieve the same power outputs with smaller "battery" sizes) by adding other redox mediators that further assist electron flow. "Preliminary tests of this strategy have proved promising," says Rabaey. To charge a mobile phone, for instance, the system would need about 1.6 g of glucose at the current efficiency.
BAGHDAD - Suspected al-Qaida insurgents on Wednesday destroyed the two minarets of the Askariya Shiite shrine in Samarra, authorities reported, in a repeat of a 2006 bombing that shattered its famous Golden Dome and unleashed a wave of retaliatory sectarian violence that still bloodies Iraq.
Police said the attack at about 9 a.m. involved explosives and brought down the two minarets, which had flanked the dome's ruins. Iraqiya state television reported the attack involved mortars. No casualties were reported.
A national police force under command of a major general was ordered to move immediately to Samarra, said an Interior Ministry official.
The local U.S. military headquarters had no immediate information about Wednesday's attack. "We're only hearing initial reports ourselves, and we're looking into it," said Capt. Jennifer Nihill, a spokeswoman for Task Force Lightning.
An official close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, citing intelligence reports, said the attack was likely the work of al-Qaida, whose militants have recently moved into Samarra from surrounding areas.
The official and others spoke on condition of anonymity, either because of the sensitivity of the matter or because they were not authorized to share the information.
The Askariya shrine's dome was destroyed on Feb. 22, 2006, in a bombing blamed on Sunni Muslim militants believed linked to al-Qaida. The mosque compound and minarets had remained intact but closed after that bombing.
Police imposed an indefinite curfew on the Sunni city, located 60 miles north of Baghdad, amid fears the bombing might further inflame the sectarian hatreds that swept Baghdad and other areas of Iraq in the months that followed the destruction of the shrine's dome.
The execution-style killings largely blamed on Shiite militias had begun to decline in February, at the start of a major U.S.-Iraqi security push to pacify Baghdad, but the numbers have seen a recent rise as the bombings continued.
But while the numbers of people killed are down in Baghdad, violence has been on the rise elsewhere in Iraq after militants fled the security operation.
The United Nations warned earlier this week that the "situation in Iraq remains precarious."
"Insurgent attacks persist and civilian casualties continue to mount," the report read. "While there was a brief lull in the level of sectarian violence early in the reporting period, it now appears that militia forces are resuming their activities, including targeted killings and kidnappings," the U.N. said in a report on Iraq covering the period from early March to early June.
After Wednesday's bombing, al-Maliki, a Shiite, went into urgent talks with Saleh al-Haidari, chairman of the Shiite Waqf, the government agency that looks after Shiite mosques and religious schools, according to officials in al-Maliki's office.
He later met with the interior and defense ministers, along with other top advisers and security commanders to discuss measures to contain any possible explosion of sectarian violence following the bombing, al-Maliki's office said.
The Askariya mosque contains the tombs of the 10th and 11th imams - Ali al-Hadi, who died in 868, and his son Hassan Askariya, who died in 874. Both are descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, and Shiites consider them to be among his successors.
The shrine also is near the place where the 12th imam, Mohammed al-Mahdi, disappeared. Al-Mahdi, known as the "hidden imam," was the son and grandson of the two imams buried in the Askariya shrine. Shiites believe he will return to Earth restore justice to humanity.
After last year's bombing, the mosque was guarded by about 60 Federal Protection Service forces and 25 local Iraqi police who kept watch on the perimeter, according to Samarra city officials.
In the immediate aftermath of that bombing, U.S. officials and others had promised to help rebuild the landmark dome, completed in 1905, but no rebuilding has begun.
Iraq has been plagued by violence since the war started in 2003, but the carefully orchestrated 2006 explosion, in which suspected al-Qaida assailants wearing uniforms set off two bombs, touched a nerve. The bombing unleashed Shiite militias, who ignored appeals for calm and instead attacked Sunni clerics and mosques. Nearly 140 people were killed the next day.
The United Nations reported that 34,452 civilians lost their lives in 2006 in the sectarian bloodshed that hit the capital hardest. Sunni insurgents carried out bombings almost daily, and Shiite death squads dumped dozens of corpses on the streets and in vacant lots.
At least Peyton Manning dressed for the dreary occasion.
Unlike two years ago, when the Indianapolis quarterback came to Cincinnati and watched the final preseason game wearing a polo shirt and jeans, he was in uniform on the sideline Thursday as the Colts found out about his backup. Jim Sorgi gave a reassuring performance, throwing for a touchdown before the reserves took over, the game degenerated and the Bengals rolled to a 38-7 victory.
These two teams have ended the preseason together for the last seven years, watching their backups slog it out. Neither Manning nor Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer left the sidelines Thursday.
Sorgi missed most of training camp with a pulled right hamstring. Rookie Curtis Painter impressed in his absence and raised questions about which one of them would be Manning's backup. In his only preseason appearance, Sorgi went 11 of 19 for 119 yards with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Taj Smith.
Bengals backup quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan played only one series, which ended with his 14-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell against a defense populated by reserves. After that, the game belonged to the guys trying to make the rosters.
Former Colts coach Tony Dungy customarily sat his starters for the last preseason game. In 2005, he rested all of his starters except for two on defense, and the Bengals won 38-0. Jim Caldwell succeeded Dungy in January and took a page from his no-play book. Defensive right tackle Ed Johnson and linebacker Phillip Wheeler were the only Colts starters who played on Thursday.
The only question for the Bengals was whether the trainers would allow Palmer to play despite a sprained left ankle. Two hours before the game, he worked out on an adjacent practice field, just him and a trainer, doing a series of agility drills for the ankle. His gray Bengals shirt was drenched with sweat.
Palmer dressed in his uniform for the game _ a brace on his left ankle bulged from under his white sock _ but didn't get in. As a result, he'll be heading into the season opener against Denver without much of a preseason.
Palmer suffered a moderate high-ankle sprain in the first preseason game, then sat out the last three. He didn't return to practice until this week. He threw only 11 passes in the preseason games.
The Bengals finished last in the league in offense in 2008, when Palmer missed a dozen games because of an injured passing elbow.
NOTES: Colts rookie WR Jamie Petrowski hurt his left foot in the first quarter and walked off the field. ... K Adam Vinaitieri missed a 48-yard field goal attempt. ... Bengals RB Brian Leonard, trying to win a roster spot, had the most impressive play of the game. He was running at full speed and jumped over DB Travis Key, who dived at his legs. ... RB DeDe Dorsey, also trying to win a spot, blocked a punt and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown. ... WR Chris Henry caught a touchdown pass in each preseason game.
The first team quartet could quit the club when the Januarytransfer window opens at midnight.
They had originally been set a cut off point of New Year's Day tomake up their minds but boss Jimmy Calderwood has revealed they'vebeen given more time.
"We are going to hold talks with them again as we need finalclarification on their plans," said Calderwood.
"However, it's difficult to do that this week with the busyschedule we have at this time of year.
"That's why I'm going to wait until next Monday then we will makea final announcement about what is happening.
"We need to get things sorted out and we're hopeful of a positiveoutcome."
Jamie Langfield hasalready penned a new deal and the club hadhoped his decision would convince the others to stay.
Calderwood plans to revamp his squad in January but any moveswill be governed by what Hart, Diamond, Nicholson and Clark decide.
He would face a real test of his scouting skills to replace allfour on Bosman budget deals although he has already been on scoutingmissions south of the border.
However, he remains confident of persuading his stars to stay andis also ready to open talks with chairman Stewart Milne about hisown future.
Calderwood added:
"Everyone knows that I love the club and the city but I want aninjection of quality into my team so I'll see what the plans are."
Hart and Diamond are both doubtful for the Caley clash onWednesday with hip and ankle problems. Andrew Considine may alsomiss out along with Jackie McNamara.
Brown said Tuesday that he'd play his regulars against the Bulls because the game would decide a playoff berth, but he wanted to give a few players the night off because the game was meaningless to the Bobcats.
''It's a dilemma,'' Brown said. ''I see Gerald [Wallace], he's banged up. Tyrus [Thomas] is banged up. We've got some issues physically, but my gut is to try to play the right way and do the right thing, so hopefully we figure this out.
''I'm going to talk to the team about it. They understand what's at stake for Toronto and Chicago. I'm sure they want to do the right thing, too. My concern is doing the right thing for this franchise as well as the league.''
All the Charlotte regulars played, but no one logged more time than the 26:33 that Thomas, the former Bull, was on the court. He finished with team highs in points (16) and rebounds (nine).
CHANDLER HURT
With the Bobcats having nothing to play for, Brown's biggest concern was one of his key players getting hurt. That happened when center Tyson Chandler, another former Bull, went down with a right hip pointer and left elbow bruise early in the second quarter.
Chandler intercepted a tipped pass intended for James Johnson. Johnson's momentum carried him into Chandler, who fell awkwardly to the court. He didn't return.
PLAYOFF TICKETS
The Bulls were scheduled to begin selling playoff tickets this morning at 10 at the United Center box office, Bulls.com, 1-800-4NBA-TIX and Ticketmaster. Tickets will be available for six games, which will cover the first two rounds.
Comment at suntimes.com.
HASTINGS, Neb. - In a special ceremony, a husband and wife from Central City were awarded Purple Hearts for injuries suffered in separate incidents while serving in Iraq. For Clayton "Eric" and Heidi Erickson, Saturday's Purple Heart ceremony was humbling.
"It's almost embarrassing, the whole deal, you know," Eric said. "I don't deserve a star or anything."
The Purple Heart is given to members of the U.S. armed forces who are wounded as a result of enemy action.
The Ericksons are members of the 295th Ordnance Company, U.S. Army Reserve. They were wounded in August 2004, having been mobilized in fall 2003 with different reserve units.
They arrived in Iraq with their separate units in early 2004.
Eric, 42, drove in convoys around northern Iraq and was wounded on Aug. 4, 2004, near Mosul.
A vehicle carrying explosives drove into the convoy and detonated about 20 yards from Eric's truck.
When the convoy reached safety at a nearby installation, Eric noticed that his ear hurt.
Three days later, he went to a doctor and learned that he had suffered a blast concussion to his right ear and that his ear drum had been bleeding.
"Yep, that's my injury," he said. "You're not going to see the scars from that unless you stick a scope in my ear.
"I can have conversations all day long. That doesn't bother me," he said. But certain frequencies drive him nuts, he said, because he either can't hear the sound or hears a ringing or pounding in his ears.
Fewer than a dozen days after her husband was wounded, Heidi, 37, found herself in danger as part of a convoy headed out to pick up some soldiers.
As she was passing three tanker trucks, one exploded.
One of the men ahead of her convoy in the convoy told her that when he turned around, all he could see was a hood flying across the median, then a big ball of fire.
"'Then here come Mom driving out of the fire just like on TV," the man told Heidi.
A piece of metal flew through her windshield, missing Heidi and her co-driver but showering them with glass fragments that cut their faces.
"We were pretty lucky," she said. "Our rear gunner, he just ended up with first-degree burns when we went through the fire. He looked like he was sunburned. That was the most severe injury: just some cuts and scrapes and a little bit of a sunburn.
"Somebody was watching out for us," she said. "It could have been a lot worse."
Although they were within a hundred miles of each other in Iraq, visits were rare.
Heidi said she enjoyed seeing her husband on those rare visits, but it was hard switching from soldier to wife.
That task was even tougher when she called their children - Nathan, 10; Taylor, 8; and Niklas, 4 - who were being cared for by both sets of grandparents.
"It was hard to call home and talk to my kids. You had to be in the mommy mode with them all crying and upset," Heidi said. "And then I'd have to go out on the road and be a soldier."
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Information from: Hastings Tribune, http://www.hastingstribune.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on Friday muscled a bill toward House passage that would kill federal loans to struggling homeowners as the GOP and Democrats waged their latest fight over how to balance frugality and compassion at a time of massive federal deficits.
The legislation would end a program offering loans to homeowners who can't make mortgage payments because they've lost their jobs or become ill.
Republicans said it makes sense to cut spending for unneeded programs in the face of huge budget deficits.
Democrats say ending the assistance would be cruel at a time when high unemployment and the ailing housing market have put millions of homeowners in financial jeopardy. The White House has threatened to veto the bill.
Friday's debate became emotional on both sides.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, likened the government's growing debt to "fiscal child abuse," while Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said Americans don't want to finance programs that end up sending money "down a rat hole."
"The American people are not rats," countered Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said, "Sometimes I think we forget that this is America."
The $1 billion Emergency Mortgage Relief Program was created in last year's financial overhaul law, but has yet to make any loans.
The House approved a similar GOP bill on Thursday abolishing a program helping people refinance whose homes are worth less than they originally paid for them. In coming days it will debate two other measures erasing two other housing aid initiatives.
TierOne Bank, Lincoln, Neb., has been awarded $4.5 million in damages in connection with a lawsuit filed in 1995 claiming the federal government breached its contract with the bank upon the enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989.
The lawsuit stemmed from FIRREA's elimination of nearly $30 million of goodwill remaining from three supervisory mergers completed in 1982. The loss of the goodwill, which had been included as part of the bank's regulatory capital requirements under federally approved guidelines at the time of the supervisory mergers, forced TierOne to shrink in size, reduce personnel and eliminate several banking offices in order to meet FIRREAs new, stricter capital requirements.
The case was initially stayed pending resolution on appeal of a series of similar cases filed in the mid-1990s. In July 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Winstar case that FIRREA's provisions changing the accounting for supervisory goodwill constituted a breach of contract by the federal government.
In late 2003, the Court of Federal Claims found the federal government was liable to TierOne for breach of contract. In May 2006 a second trial, based solely on the issue of damages resulting from the contract breach, found the bank was entitled to $4.5 million.
Gilbert G. Lundstrom, chairman and CEO of the parent company, TierOne Corp., said the bank is currently reviewing the opinion and both the bank and the federal government retain the right to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Lundstrom said the bank has made no decision whether to appeal the case.
Northern Trust Corp., Chicago, has announced an 8.7 percent increase in its quarterly cash dividend. The dividend is being increased from 23 cents to 25 cents per share. The new dividend rate is payable Jan. 2, 2007, to shareholders of record Dec. 8.
The Northern Trust board of directors has also increased the common stock buyback authorization by approximately 11 million shares, thus allowing the future purchase of up to an aggregate of 12 million shares of the corporation's common stock. Since authorization under the buy-back program was last increased to 12 million shares in mid-2003, Northern Trust Corp. has repurchased approximately 11 million shares.
Capitol Federal Financial, Topeka, has announced its board of directors has declared a special yearend cash dividend of 9 cents per share. This special dividend is the result of the board's commitment announced in January 2005 to distribute to stockholders 25 percent of the annual net income in excess of the total amount of dividends paid in the four regular quarterly dividends during the just-completed fiscal year.
The special dividend was payable Dec. 1 to stockholders of record Nov. 17.
Directors Of Commerce Banc-shares Inc., Kansas City, have approved a 5 percent stock dividend. Certificates are to be distributed on Dec. 13 to shareholders of record Nov. 29. Cash will be paid for fractional shares.
The Commerce board of directors has also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 24.5 cents per share, also payable Dec. 13 to stockholders of record Nov. 29. The dividend will not be payable on the shares issued in the 5 percent stock dividend.
HF Financial Corp., Sioux Falls, S.D., has announced a quarterly cash dividend of 10.5 cents per share for the first quarter of the 2007 fiscal year. This is up from 10.25 cents per share.
The dividend was paid Nov. 15 to stockholders of record Nov. 8.
Heartland Financial USA Inc., Dubuque, Iowa, has announced an agreement with ALD Automotive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Societe Generale Group, to sell its fleet leasing company, ULTEA, to the French company in a cash transaction. The transaction was scheduled to close on or about Oct. 31.
The deal comes after a strategic review by Heartland of its operating subsidiaries, including each entity's projected profit contribution and compatibility with the company's core businesses.
Heardand Financial USA Chairman. President and CEO Lynn B. Fuller commented, "This transaction represents Heartland's commitment to focus its resources on its core banking and consumer finance businesses. It's another step in our plan to maximize shareholder value by divesting non-strategic holdings."
With the deal, ALD Automotive, a subsidiary of one of Europe's largest financial services groups, will acquire all ULTEA assets, amounting to $51.1 million as of Sept. 30, 2006. Additionally, ALD Automotive will offer employment to all of ULTEA's current employees. Currently, ULTEA employs 15 individuals from its Madison, Wis.-based home office.
"The sale accomplishes several important goals for Heartland. It will allow us to redeploy Heartland's resources for the benefit of our shareholders and will enable us to concentrate on our core banking and consumer finance businesses," said Fuller.
Directors of NASB Financial Inc., Grandview, Mo., have approved a $4 million buy-back of shares of the company's common stock.
NASB is the parent company of North American Savings Bank, Grandview.
First Federal Banohares of Arkansas Inc.. Harrison, has completed its previously announced stock repurchase. The action consisted of a repurchase of 248,316 of the outstanding shares.
The shares will be reflected as treasury shares and will be available for general corporate purposes.
The First Federal board of directors has also authorized the repurchase of up to 245,197 shares, or approximately 5 percent of the outstanding common stock.
Expansion in the Kansas City market DV PrivateBancorp Inc., Chicago, is planned through an agreement with a group of experienced commercial bankers led by Calvin Kleinmann to aeate a de novo federal savings bank based in Kansas City.
Kleinmann, former executive vice president and head of private banking at the former Gold Bank, Leawood, Kan., will be chairman and CEO of The PrivateBank-Kansas City. Sherman Titens, former director of marketing for Gold Bane Corp. Inc., will be managing director and chief marketing officer, and Paul Clendening, former president and a founder of First Commercial Bank, Overland Park, Kan., will be president and chief operating officer.
While waiting for the regulatory approvals for the de novo bank, PrivateBancorp will open a loan production office in Kansas City. The PrivateBank-Kansas City, will be located in the Plaza area and plans call for an additional office in the Johnson County (Kan.) market.
QCR Holdings Inc., Moline, Ill., has entered into an agreement to add a Wisconsin-chartered bank to its community bank family. Under terms of its agreement with Security Bank Shares Inc., Iron River, Wis. and Ridgeland Bancorp Inc., Tony, Wis., QCR will acquire from Ridgeland ownership of Farmers State, Ridgeland. After that acquisition, QCR will transfer the Pcwaukcc (Wis.) branch of its Rockford Bank and Trust Co. subsidiary to Farmers State. Farmers State offices in Ridgeland Dallas, Wis., will be sold to Security Bank, New Auburn, Wis., banking subsidiary of Security Bank Shares.
The transactions are expected to close in the 2007 first quarter.
Old National Bancorp, Evansville, Ind., has announced a definitive agreement to acquire St. Joseph Capital Corp. of Mishawaka, Ind. St. Joseph Capital Corp., with some $500 million in assets, is the parent company for St. Joseph Capital Bank.
Old National has branches in Southern Illinois.
Northern Star financial Inc., Mankato, Minn., has entered into a letter of intent with AP Holdings LLC that provides for the sale of up to a 49 percent interest in the Northern Star for $3.5 million.
The company also announced it has entered into a separate letter of intent providing for the sale of its St. Cloud (Minn.) Brandi to Bank Vista of Sartell, Minn.
"The agreements will strengthen our balance sheet and corporate structure and position us to continue the growth and business development of our bank in Mankato" said Tom Stienessen, CEO of Northern Star Financial.
Olney (Tex.) Bancshares Inc. has announced plans to acquire InterBank, Elk City, Okla. The acquisition will give Olney $600 million in assets in Oklahoma and will bring its total assets to more than $1.1 billion.
Pony Express Bancorp, Elwood, Kan., has purchased the Bank of Paxton, Neb., from Beveridge Bancshares.
Pony Express Bancorp is the parent company for Pony Express Community Bank, St. Joseph, Mo.
Applications for prior approvals have been filed for the following actions:
* Charter Bankshares Inc., Eau Claire, Wis., to become a bank holding company by acquiring at least 90 percent of Charter Bank Eau Claire.
* Frandsen Financial Corp., Forest Lake, Minn., to merge with Pine Bankshares Inc., Pine City, Minn., and indirectly acquire First National of Pine City.
* Heywood Bancshares Inc., Northfield, Minn., to become a bank holding company by acquiring 100 percent of First National of Northfield.
* Cabool (Mo.) State Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan to become a bank holding company by acquiring 25.45 percent of Cabool Bancshares Inc.
* Petefish, Skiles Bancshares Inc., Virginia, Ill., to acquire 100 percent of the voting shares of Chandlerville (Ill.) Bancshares Inc. and indirectly acquire Peoples State of Chandlerville.
* DeWitt (Ark.) First Bankshares Corp. to acquire 100 percent of First National of Stuttgart, Ark.
* United Bancorp., Osseo, Wis., to merge with Midwest Bancorp., Billings, Mont.
In Colorado, charter application has been filed for the proposed Larimer Commerce Bank, Fort Collins. The bank would be an affiliate of Capitol Bancorp Ltd., Lansing, Mich.
Joseph Reid will serve as chairman and Mark Kross as president.
Among the directors for the proposed bank is Gerard Nalezny, CEO of Fort Collins Commerece Bank, also an affiliate of Capitol Bancorp. Kross has served as president of Fort Collins Commerce Bank.
Charter application has been filed for the proposed Solera Bank, Lakewood, Colo. The bank will be an affiliate of Solera National Bancorp Inc. The holding company had withdrawn an earlier charter proposal.
Mark Martinez will serve as president and senior lending officer. James Perez Foster is proposed chairman and Robert Fenton is proposed chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
The company said the bank would have its headquarters in Lakewood and a branch in Denver.
In Texas, charter application has been filed for the proposed First Private Bank of Texas. The bank is planned for 8201 Preston Road, Ste. 200 in Dallas.
Capitalization will be $15 million.
Dan Chapman, formerly with Tolleson Wealth Management, will be chairman. Daryl Kirkham, most recently president and CEO of Tolleson Private Bank, Dallas, will be president and CEO.
Other organizing directors are Jim Erwin, managing partner of Erwin Graves and Associates L.P.; Raleigh Hortenstine, retired banker and currently pursuing ranching and private investments; and Ana Rodriguez, a bank regulatory consultant.
Charter application has been filed for the proposed Business Bank of Texas. The bank would be at 1910 W. Braker Lane, Austin.
Spokesperson is Edward L. Lette, Spring Branch, Texas.
Heartland Financial USA Inc., Dubuque, Iowa, has opened a de novo bank in Broomfield, Colo. Summit Bank & Trust's Broomficld office is the first of four locations planned to serve Broomfield and the Northern Front Range area in Colorado.
The new bank is led by John P. Carmichael, who has 21 years of experience as bank president, private banking manager and business banker in the Denver area. Founding directors include Carmichael, James R. Hill, Lynn B. Fuller, Randall Hall, Michael Griffith, Leonard P. Ponte and W. Scott Reichenberg.
Charter approval has been granted for the proposed First Associations Bank. The bank will be at 12001 North Central Expressway, Ste. 1165, Dallas.
Mercantile Bancorp Inc., Quincy, Ill., has completed the previously announced consolidation of three of its Illinois-chartered banks into a single entity. State Bank of Augusta and Security State of Hamilton have been merged into Marine Bank & Trust, Carthage.
President and CEO Dan S. Dugan said, "By the completion of these mergers, we have reduced the number of Illinois-chartered institutions from six to three. Clearly, there should be savings realized from reductions in statutory fees, paperwork and legal expenses and other sources. We will also be a more nimble organization able to better cope with changes in the banking environment. Both our customers and our shareholders should benefit from these changes."
Princeton (Ill.) National Bancorp Inc., parent company of Citizens First National, also in Princeton, has announced Citizens has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the Plainfield (Ill.) office of HomeStar Bank, Manteno, Ill. Citizens will be purchasing the existing facility plus approximately $11 million in deposits and $15 million in loans. The transaction is expected to close in the 2007 first quarter.
Nebraska Bankers' Bank N.A., Lincoln, has filed to convert to a state charter.
Merger applications have been filed for the following actions:
* Lakeside State of Oologah, Okla., and First National of Chelsea, Okla., to merge as Lakeside State.
* First national of Ainsworth, Neb., to merge into First National of Chadron, Neb.
* First Community Bank, Kansas City, Kan., to merge into Security Bank, Kansas City, Kan.
* First Bank of Haskell, Okla., to merge into Citizens Security Bank, Bixby, Okla. Both banks are owned by Mabrey Bancorp, Okmulgee, Okla.
* Northeast National, Mesquite, Texas, to merge into Patriot Bank, Houston.
* First National of Goliad, Texas, to merge into American Bank, Corpus Christi, Texas.
* Texas Premier Bank, Brookshire, to merge into Enterprise Bank, Houston.
Notes, trivia and particulars about departing shows:
*Cited from www.jumptheshark.com
- - -
'Alias'
When it started: 2001
Finale: 8 p.m. May 22 on WLS-Channel 7
Awards: Emmy nominations for make-up, hairstyles, costumes andstunts.
Sex symbols: Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan.
Considered at first to be:
A good spy show.
Ended up being: A totally weird supernatural show featuring afamily of sexy spies.
Pop-culture heat: Garner leaves hubby Scott Foley, dates Vartan,weds Ben Affleck, has baby. The least newsworthy item of all this wasVartan leaving the cast.
*Downward turn: Sydney wakes up in Hong Kong ... two years later.
- - -
'Charmed'
When it started: 1998
Finale: 7 p.m. May 21
(tentative) on WGN-Channel 9
Awards: Best show by the International Horror Guild.
Sex symbols: Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, Julian McMahon.
Considered at first to be:
A serious show about a family
of hot witches.
Ended up being: A silly show about a family of hot witches.
Pop-culture heat: Shannen Doherty leaves, her character Prue dies,and her witchy sisters restore their "power of three" by finding asister they didn't know they had, Paige (Marilyn Manson's ex, RoseMcGowan).
*Downward turn: Death of Prue.
- - -
'Fear Factor'
When it started: 2001
Finale: Returns in summer with new, probably final episodes.
Awards: Teen Choice Award
nomination for grossest
reality moment (squid-eating).
Sex symbols: Joe Rogan?
Considered at first to be: Inpirational show about peopleovercoming irrational phobias.
Ended up being: Disgusting, drawn-out show about people
eating cow balls and puking.
Pop-culture heat: Playboy Playmates compete on a very specialepisode that aired against Fox's 2002 Super Bowl halftime show, agimmick that should have been repeated often.
*Downward turn: Dancing while dining on pig rectums.
- - -
'Joey'
When it started: 2004
Finale: This summer, probably, but not officially canceled.
Awards: Teen Choice nomination for actor (Matt LeBlanc).
Sex symbols: LeBlanc.
Considered at first to be:
Worst sitcom on TV.
Ended up being: Merely stupid.
Pop-culture heat: During its whole run, nasty critics were able toutter the name of the show to express the worst of TV. (Example: "TVhas merits. But then again, there's 'Joey.' ")
*Downward turn: Too many implant jokes.
- - -
'Malcolm in the middle'
When it started: 2000
Finale: 7:30 p.m. May 14 on WFLD-Channel 32
Awards: Emmy nominations for directing, actress (Jane Kaczmarek)and guest actors (Cloris Leachman, Susan Sarandon and Robert Loggia).
Sex symbols: None.
Considered at first to be:
A wacky family comedy.
Ended up being: A mostly well-written, wacky family comedy.
Pop-culture heat: In the first, hitmaking episode, the mom shavesthe naked dad's hairy body in front of the kids.
*Downward turn: Birth of Jamie.
- - -
'7th Heaven'
When it started: 1996
Finale: 7 p.m. May 8 on WGN-Channel 9 (unless it's resuscitated)
Awards: Teen Choice
"Choice TV Parental Units": Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks.
Sex symbols: Jessica Biel and Barry Watson.
Considered at first to be: A serious drama about a family ofprudes.
Ended up being: A non-preachy, sexually aware and somewhat avant-garde show that has featured the minister singing as Elvis and teensdebating the merits of jazz musicians.
Pop-culture heat: At 17, Biel posed topless for Gear magazine toget out of her contract and focus on landing roles in "The TexasChainsaw Massacre" and "Blade: Trinity." She came back for guestappearances, presumably on her hands and naked knees.
*Downward turn: Special guest star Wayne Newton.
- - -
'Yes, Dear'
When it started: 2000
Finale: Season's over; another is unlikely.
Awards: Young Artist Award nominations for child actors.
Sex symbols: None.
Considered at first to be: A family comedy, and worst show on TV.
Ended up being: Merely a poor sitcom.
Pop-culture heat: Darrell Hammond ridiculed "Yes, Dear" at theEmmys, and show star Anthony Clark cracked back, in EntertainmentWeekly, "I can't
believe Darrell Hammond made fun of my show when he has beenshooting a movie in Canada with the Olsen twins. Maybe for his nextmovie, he can be the third lead behind Urkel and Screech from 'Savedby the Bell.' "
*Downward turn: Greg gets addicted to nasal spray.
- - -
'That '70s show'
When it started: 1998
Finale: 7:37 p.m. May 11 on WFLD-Channel 32
Awards: Emmy nominations for hair, makeup, costumes, artdirection.
Sex symbols: Ashton Kutcher (right), Wilmer Valderrama.
Considered at first to be: Hilarious send-up of 1970s stoners.
Ended up being: Pretty funny send-up of 1970s stoners.
Pop-culture heat: Ashton Kutcher hooks up with Demi Moore, makes"Punk'd" and bad movies, while Topher Grace earns acclaim in"Traffic" then gets cast in "Spider-Man 3" -- and both stars leaveshow.
*Downward turn: Special Guest Star (Roger Daltrey) and the rockopera.
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday that anyone demanding deadlines for progress in Iraq should "just back off," because it is too difficult to predict when Iraqis will resume control of their country.
During an often-combative Pentagon news conference, Rumsfeld said that while benchmarks for security, political and economic progress are valuable, "it's difficult. We're looking out into the future. No one can predict the future with absolute certainty."
He said the goals have no specific deadlines or consequences if they are not met by specific dates.
"You're looking for some sort of a guillotine to come falling down if some date isn't met," Rumsfeld told reporters. "That is not what this is about."
His comments came less than two weeks before an election for control of Congress in which the Bush administration's conduct of the war has become a defining issue. They also came two days after a timeline was first announced by U.S. officials in Baghdad and underscored strains that have emerged between the two countries.
Bush administration officials said Tuesday that they and Iraqi leaders had agreed to craft guidelines toward progress in the country. The next day, Iraq's president disavowed them, saying the benchmarks merely reflected campaign season pressures in the U.S.
Noting that this is the political season, Rumsfeld also complained that critics and the media are trying to "make a little mischief" by trying to "find a little daylight between what the Iraqis say or someone in the United States says."
Rumsfeld often spars with reporters at Pentagon briefings, but Thursday his criticism of journalists seemed more pointed than usual.
"That's a rather accusatory way to put it," he said in response to one question about reducing troop levels.
Members of both parties say next month's congressional elections have become a referendum on the war in Iraq. Control of Congress could hinge on whether voters believe the Bush administration is on the right path or if there should be a change in course and significant reduction in U.S. troop levels there.
Rumsfeld's comments on the benchmarks further muddied the waters on whether there is agreement between the Iraqis and the U.S. on how quickly progress must be made there.
"They're still in discussions," he said.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad announced in Baghdad on Tuesday that Iraqi leaders had agreed that by the end of the year, they will have a plan that roughly lays out the times by which they want certain things accomplished.
The next day, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected Khalilzad's announcement and said his government had not agreed to anything. President Bush responded that al-Maliki was correct in saying mandates could not be imposed on Iraq, but said the United States would not have unlimited patience.
"You ought to just back off, take a look at it, relax, understand that it's complicated, it's difficult," Rumsfeld said regarding deadlines. "Honorable people are working on these things together. There isn't any daylight between them."
On Thursday, veteran U.S. diplomat David Satterfield told foreign reporters in Washington that "there is not a significant disagreement" with al-Maliki. "No one is imposing benchmarks," said Satterfield, who is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's coordinator for Iraq.
In fact, he said, the timelines, which apply also to economic progress, were worked out over a long period of discussions with Iraqi officials and they essentially are Iraqi benchmarks.
Echoing the tone used by President Bush on Wednesday, Rumsfeld also said it is "an enormously challenging process to defeat the terrorists" in Iraq. Bush had expressed disappointment with the progress in the war.
In other comments, Rumsfeld said the U.S. is considering whether it should speed up money planned for recruiting, training and equipping Iraqi security forces. Officials have said training Iraqis to take over security is key to withdrawing U.S. and other coalition forces.
Since 2004, the U.S. government has earmarked $11.3 billion for assistance to the Iraqi security forces.
"We intend to increase their budgets" as well as their capabilities, Rumsfeld said, and officials will help make the improvements more quickly. He did not cite any figures, however.
His press secretary, Eric Ruff, said a review of their needs is under way.
---
Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.
---
On the Net:
Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil
Mike Tyson considers it a miracle that he lived to tell his tale. And he's telling it _ in graphic detail _ in a new documentary at the Cannes Film Festival.
"I lived a wild and extreme life," the former heavyweight champion told reporters Saturday. "I used drugs. I had altercations with dangerous people. I slept with guys' wives that wanted to kill me. I'm just happy to be here, you know. It's just a miracle."
The 41-year-old former boxer got a prolonged ovation at the Cannes screening for "Tyson," directed by his old friend James Toback ("Fingers").
In the movie, which blends old video footage and TV interviews, Tyson talks about getting beaten up and stolen from when he was an overweight kid. He chokes up when reminiscing about his late trainer, Cus D'Amato, who transformed the troubled teenager into a world-class champion.
Tyson spares no details in describing his sex life, and covers his career's low points, like biting Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997. He admits to many, many bad decisions.
But on one issue, he still refuses to take responsibility. He insists he is innocent of the 1991 rape of an 18-year-old beauty queen for which he served three years in prison.
"I've been abusive to women before in my life," he acknowledged. But in this case, "I thought (the conviction) was wrong, I thought it was unfair."
Toback, who has known Tyson for 23 years and gave him small parts in "Black and White" and "When Will I Be Loved," said he talked to Tyson in a soothing, hypnotic voice to get him to open up for the film.
Kevin Ferrell generates his share of double-takes from new clients. Chalk it up to all that imposing physical geography, starting with the uninterrupted skyline of his shoulders and the rugged landscape of a classically sculpted physique - not the stereotypical image of a CA.
An award-winning amateur bodybuilder, the 31-year-old Oakville, Ont., resident and former senior tax manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Mississauga, Ont., started lifting weights in high school.
"When I started lifting weights my body responded very well. After attending some competitions as a fan, I decided it was something I had to try." He entered his first competition in 1997. After coming first …
About 400 police officers in Athens demonstrated against violence Thursday, following riots in Greek cities and attacks on police by a terrorist group.
Some protesters were in uniform as they gathered in the city's main Syntagma Square.
Last months' riots were sparked by the fatal police shooting Dec. 6 of a teenage boy. Police were targeted in shootings Dec. 23 and Jan. 5; one officer was seriously wounded.
The far-left group Revolutionary Struggle has claimed responsibility.
"Our colleagues are not afraid," said Giorgos Vlachos of the Greek police officers association. "Of course we remain on guard _ that is our …
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Curtis Martin was lifting weights at daybreak when he saw on television that a bus carrying Bluffton University's baseball team had plunged off an overpass in Georgia.
He and his teammates on the school's football team frantically called their friends who were on the bus, but got no answers. By mid-afternoon Friday, they still didn't know who survived.
"That's the worst part," Martin said. "You know that some of those people who you have classes with aren't going to be there."
Nine hours passed before officials of the 1,200-student university released the names of the four students who were killed in Atlanta along with the bus driver and his …
AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
The US Federal Aviation Administration has awarded AirTran Airways a …
Byline: ADAM GOLDMAN - Associated Press
NEW YORK - The tough job of cleaning up after a steam explosion continued Saturday in a Manhattan neighborhood littered with debris.
Workers in respirator masks and blue protective suits prepared to scrub down buildings and clean up streets sprayed with toxins and mud after a steam main erupted beneath an intersection a block from Grand Central Terminal.
"It's a mess," said contractor Tony Yildirim after he emerged from a building where his firm was removing window frames. "Blown windows and a lot of stuff like that."
After tearing out the frames, Yildirim and his crew were to board up the gaps in …
Byline: Joe Layden
Ray Handley is not in the clear yet. Not even close. Not with his players, not with management and certainly not with the fans.
That much was evident Sunday at Giants Stadium, where the "Ray Must Go" chant was conspicuous by its absence, but cynicism and dark humor were still abundant. Consider this wonderfully sick moment late in the third quarter, shortly after Lawrence Taylor - the greatest linebacker the NFL has ever seen, and one of the most popular players ever to wear a New York Giants uniform - had fallen to the turf.
LT was on his back, twitching and howling in pain, appropriate reactions for a man who has just ruptured …
British market research company Taylor Nelson Sofres PLC stood defiant against a hostile takeover by WPP Group PLC on Wednesday after its preferred partner GfK AG abandoned its own potential takeover bid.
Germany's GfK said that it has given up the idea of making an offer for its British rival after concluding that it was unable to make a "sufficiently compelling" bid.
GfK was mulling an all-cash offer for Taylor Nelson after WPP, the world's second largest advertising company, last month took a 1.08 billion pound (nearly US$2 billion) hostile bid for the company direct to shareholders.
WPP's move then prompted GfK to call off a …
LeAnn Rimes, the most popular teenager in country music, mixesfiction with autobiography in a sentimental ABC movie for familyaudiences.
Parents, children and devoted Rimes fans will be asked to waituntil 11 p.m. Sunday for "Holiday in Your Heart," based on thesinger's new book. Live coverage of a Chicago Bears football game,starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, will delay the Christmas-season fantasy.Rimes and co-author Tom Carter have created a show-biz fablethat emphasizes family values over instant …
Ron Divin has left his position as president and ceo of Chun King Corp. to become president and ceo of Tom's Foods Inc., the Columbus, …
THE chief executive of Banbury based motor company Prodrive and his wife have been involved in a helicopter crash today.
David Richards and his partner were …
Byline: Associated Press
Mets 5 Rockies 2 DENVER -- Timo Perez entered the game soon enough to help the New York Mets snap their long losing streak.
Perez, a fifth-inning insertion for Roger Cedeno, hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as New York snapped a 12-game skid by beating the Colorado Rockies 5-2 Saturday night.
``The whole time Roger was telling me to be ready because his shoulder was bothering him,'' said Perez, who also singled in the seventh inning. ``I was ready from the first inning on and came through for the ballclub in a key situation.''
With the Rockies leading 2-1, closer Jose Jimenez (2-9) retired …
Byline: Laura Vecsey Staff writer
Unlike in traditional soccer games, where goalkeepers have time to pursue activities like yawning, scratching and calisthenics, goalies in indoor soccer are busier than flippers on pinball machines.
The two keepers for the New York Kick say they're getting used to being bombarded.
"Outdoors, you can anticipate," said 25-year-old Martin Vulevic, who played last season with the Albany Capitals. "Indoors, you can only react. There's no time to think."
It's a good thing.
If Vulevic or former University of Vermont All-American Jim St. Andre thought about what they were subjecting themselves to, they'd …
Prosecutors in Missouri have filed 15 additional charges against a father and his sons who are all accused of sexually abusing children.
The additional charges against 77-year-old Burrell Mohler Sr., and his four adult sons include rape, sodomy and use of a child in a sexual performance. The new charges were filed Monday.
All five men are to be arraigned Tuesday on …
WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats stepped hungrily to the brink of power on Wednesday, promising immediate action to limit the influence of lobbyists and pledging to constantly prod the Bush administration to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq.
President Bush pushed back against the political opposition as he contemplated divided government for his final two years in the White House. He said he would soon propose a five-year plan to balance the budget, and he challenged Democrats to avoid passing "bills that are simply political" statements.
"There is nothing political about finding a policy to end the war in Iraq, raising the minimum wage, achieving energy independence …
WASHINGTON
Officials with Abilene, a national Internet2 network, have announced that state education computer networks in Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia and Washington will have Internet2 connectivity. Internet2, a research university-backed upgraded version of the current Internet, largely facilitates educational use with high-performance, high-bandwidth computer networks.
The newly announced partnerships with Internet2 universities and regional networking organizations will give institutions such as elementary schools, secondary schools, community colleges, museums and libraries access to the national high-performance network.
"Expanded …
Byline: National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
WASHINGTON, March 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- A significant number of private colleges and universities report reductions in student loan availability and borrower benefits, according to the results of a survey conducted by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and released today.
"While the comments offered by survey respondents indicate that there is little evidence of the credit crunch limiting access to student loans at the specific time of the survey, the data collected serves as a warning flare," said NAICU President David L. Warren.
"There is widespread uncertainty about what the full extent of the credit crunch and its impact on student borrowers will be, and what safeguards the federal government will have in place to avert a …
CHILSON -- Bernard Robert Osler, 91, of Putts Pond Road, died Monday, August 4, 1997, at his residence. Born in Ticonderoga, May 15, 1906, he was the son of George and Amelia (Tebott) Osler. Mr. Osler was a lifetime Chilson resident. He was employed by the Environmental Conservation Department as a caretaker of Putts Pond Campsite. He retired in 1973. He worked for Green Thumb in the maintenance department at the Moses Ludington Hospital of Ticonderoga. He was predeceased by eight brothers and sisters and recently a daughter-in-law, Elaine Osler. Survivors include his wife, Alice (Moore) Osler; two sons, Gary R. Osler and Keith R.; …
Publicists for Boney James say the Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist has canceled a show after being struck by a suspected drunken driver in Long Beach.
They say James was driving home from a jazz festival in Newport Beach on Saturday when his car was rear-ended while he was stopped in traffic on Interstate …
