Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — After a two-hour-long closed session with legal counsel during their board meeting Tuesday, Nobles County commissioners decided there will be “no discipline of any employee because the allegations were not sustained by an independent investigation.”

The Daily Globe reported more than a month ago that Nobles County Administrator Mel Ruppert was being investigated as a result of claims he contributed to an adverse work environment in the county offices. Ruppert was present for the announcement Tuesday, which was made by board chairman David Benson.

Benson said the board evaluated the complaint against the county employee, and the tape of the proceedings was sealed by him as board chair and will be safely stored.

He also said the board will continue to have a relationship with the attorney, Jessica Schwie, a partner with the Lake Elmo law firm of Jardine, Logan O’Brien, PLLP.

Schwie called the Daily Globe Tuesday afternoon to issue a press statement. In it, she said, “The county has completed an investigation into concerns that members of staff were being treated in a disparate and harassing manner. The investigation revealed the discrimination and harassment are not present in the Nobles County workplace. Staff and officials were patient during the process, maintained professional relations and continued to work together, which was greatly appreciated by the county board. The county board has identified some areas for improvement in staff communication, which it will continue to work on.”

Schwie will be retained by the county for future work related to the issue of staff communication. She has not yet submitted a bill to the county for her services, but said late Tuesday she charges a rate of $190 per hour.

Several questions posed to Schwie late Tuesday, including a request for information on how many employees filed a complaint against Ruppert, and how many people were interviewed by a separate attorney during the course of the investigation, fell under the data practices act, she said, and would not be answered.

She also said the formal complaint leading to the investigation was covered under the data practices act.

In other action, the board:

l On recommendation of the administration committee, appointed Kathleen Kusz as the new Nobles County Attorney, effective March 1. She will be paid an annual salary of $92,143 for the first six months, and then earn an annual salary of $95,797 on Sept. 1.

l Ratified a labor agreement with Teamsters Local 320 representing courthouse and library employees. The two-year agreement calls for no cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2012, a 1.25 percent COLA increase in 2013 and a 2 percent COLA in 2014.

l Approved a development agreement, along with roadway and tile repair agreements, for Zephyr Wind LLC to construct 15 wind generator towers west of Reading and north of CSAH 14 in Summit Lake and Larkin townships. Commissioners Benson and Diane Thier abstained from the vote because of their involvement in this project, developed by Community Wind South. There will be a public meeting to present more information about the project at 2 p.m., March 5 at the Reading Community Center.

l Set 9 a.m. April 3 as the date for a public hearing on Nobles County Ditch 12. The city of Worthington is proposing to straighten the ditch and create a 90-degree turn on the north side of Travelodge Hotel. The reconstruction would allow for future industrial development.

l Approved the 2012-2013 county feedlot program delegation agreement and work plan. The county is required each year to develop a work plan. This year, the county’s feedlot officer plans to inspect at least 7 percent of its feedlots, 32 in all, located primarily within the Heron Lake Watershed District.

l Tabled a request from Jeff Markus to install a third driveway on his property in the southeast quarter of Section 33, Indian Lake Township. Commissioners had several questions regarding the need for the driveway.

l Learned from Public Works Director Stephen Schnieder that the state has decided not to turn back to the county the old section of Minnesota 60 at Bigelow, which was abandoned by the state when the new highway was completed. The decision was made by the state because of the discovery of contaminated soils along that roadway.

“We’ve been maintaining this road with the idea the turnback was coming,” said Schnieder, saying the county has done snow removal and other work on the section for the past two or three years.

He anticipated receiving compensation from the Minnesota Department of Transportation as a result of the turnback — money that was already designated to be spent on an overlay project on County State Aid Highway 14 west of Brewster and CSAH 36, from Minnesota 60 to the Jackson County line.

“The state policy is they do not turn back property with contaminated soil,” he added.

l Appointed Colleen Gruis of Rushmore to the Nobles County Planning Commission.

l Approved a $1,000 contribution (gold level sponsorship) to the Worthington Regional Economic Development Corporation to plan the annual Bioscience Conference. The money will come from the county’s general fund.

l Learned that two candidates were to be interviewed Tuesday afternoon for the Nobles County Assessor position.

Daily Globe Reporter Julie Buntjer can be reached at 376-7330.

Tags:
nobles county administrator, news, breakingnews, ruppert

Article source: http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/55314/

At the recent drawing for this season’s Division III event, he saw a real beast.

“The Central District is always tough,” Cooper said of the tourney which for local squads begins today. “I think it is always one of the better Div. III districts in the state. And in a super district where there are no geographical sectionals, that can make it even tougher.”

Cooper does have one of the tougher teams in the tournament. His Indians are 18-2 and champions of the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference.

Yet his squad is not alone.

The top dog looks to be unbeaten Bloom-Carroll, which was seeded first. The Bulldogs, 20-0, are also the top-ranked Div. III team in the Associated Press state poll.

So strong is Bloom-Carroll, the next three seeded teams stayed as far away from the Bulldogs as possible on the bracket.

Second-seeded Columbus Academy (16-4), third-seeded Mount Gilead, and fourth-seeded Amanda-Clearcreek (13-7) all went into the lower bracket.

“We figured that would be the case,” Cooper said. “Everyone wanted to stay away from Bloom-Carroll.”

Mount Gilead also wanted to avoid an early meeting with Worthington Christian (12-8), which beat North Union and Elgin from the MOAC this winter and lost by only two points to MOAC Red Division winner Buckeye Valley.

“After Bloom-Carroll went to the upper bracket, Academy chose to play a game in the lower so we decided to pass to see where Worthington Christian would go. Once Worthington Christian went to the upper, we went to the lower.”

Cooper said avoiding Bloom-Carroll and Worthington Christian still has its drawbacks.

“That means you have to play a good, quality opponent in your opener or the next game,” Cooper said. “Then it comes down to matchups. The reality is there is no easy route. You’ve got to come to play every game or you go home.”

The Indians’ bye means they will open tourney action at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 29, at Central Crossing High School against the winner of today’s Bishop Ready-Northridge clash.

Ridgedale will have a tall order to fill in its Div. IV opener at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hilliard Bradley High School when the Rockets will face Tree of Life.

Not only is Tree of Life 15-5 and the fourth seed in the division, it beat Ridgedale 72-39 on Jan. 31 in a regular-season encounter.

“They are tall and athletic, they press, and they can shoot,” said Ridgedale coach Jon Otterbacher. “We’ll need to protect the ball, be smarter with our decision making, and slow down their transition.”

Four area boys teams will kick off the postseason today.

Elgin (9-11) will meet 11th-seeded West Jefferson (13-7) at 6 p.m. at Westerville North High School and Cardington (7-13) will play Academy at 7:45 p.m. at Central Crossing in Div. III games.

In Div. II, Highland (3-17) and fourth-seeded Watterson (14-6) will battle at 7:45 p.m. at Dublin Scioto High School while eighth-seeded Buckeye Valley (14-6) and DeSales (9-11) will tangle at 6 p.m. at Heath High School.

Other tournament openers for local boys teams are:

» River Valley (12-8) vs. Bexley (7-13) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Dublin Scioto in Div. II.

» Pleasant (8-11) vs. Madison Plains (9-8) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Westerville North in Div. III.

» North Union (12-8) vs. seventh-seeded Fairbanks (15-5) at 7:45 p.m. Thursday at Central Crossing in Div. III.

» Northmor (11-9) vs. the winner of Pleasant-Madison Plains at 6 p.m. March 2 at Westerville North in Div. III.

» Marion Catholic (4-16) vs. Northside Christian (9-9) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Hilliard Bradley in Div. IV.

» Marion Harding (6-13) vs. Ashland (7-12) at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Willard High School in Div. I.

Article source: http://www.marionstar.com/article/20120222/HSSPORTS03/202220314

Wednesday February 22, 2012 4:59 AM

Swimming and diving

State Championships

At Canton

Today’s schedule

9 a.m.: Boys Division II diving

2 p.m.: Girls Division II diving

Thursday’s schedule

9 a.m.: Boys Division I diving

5 p.m.: Girls and Boys Division II preliminaries

Friday’s schedule

9 a.m.: Girls and Boys Division I preliminaries

5 p.m.: Girls and Boys Division II finals

Saturday’s schedule

9 a.m.: Girls Division I diving

4 p.m.: Girls and Boys Division I finals

Hockey

District Tournament

At Ice Haus

Saturday’s quarterfinals: Springboro vs. Dublin Jerome (1), 1:30 p.m.; Dublin
Coffman (6) vs. Upper Arlington (3), 3:30 p.m.; Olentangy vs. Olentangy Liberty (2), 5:30 p.m.;
Olentangy Orange (4) vs. Cincinnati Moeller (5), 7:30 p.m.

Boys bowling

City League championship

Walnut Ridge 2,198, Centennial 1,635.

Medalist: Dye (WR) 469

Coaching vacancies

• Columbus International is seeking a head girls track. Contact athletic director Terry Nance at
tnance7472@columbus.k12.oh.us.

College signings

• Stevyn Spees of St. Charles will sign to run track and field at Army.

• Tiffany Bise of Logan Elm has signed to play softball at Rio Grande.

• Tayler Henegar of Thomas Worthington will sign to play womens soccer at Tennessee
Wesleyan.

Ticket Sales

• All-session and single-game tickets for the OHSAA boys and girls state basketball tournaments
are available through Ticketmaster or in person at the OSU ticket office at Schottenstein Center.
For information call 1-800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Article source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2012/02/22/high22-g0rg58u2-1.html

Jimmy Hurlburt/ESPNHSBrad Lott and Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) look to recapture the state championship in 2012.Several teams from the midwest region finished 2011 in the POWERADE FAB 50. With powerhouse programs New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) and Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) in addition to several top programs in Ohio vying for ranking, the FAB 50 voters will have plenty to choose from in 2012.

The Starting Lineup

(Position: athlete, year, high school (city, state), college commitment)

G: Ahmed Iftikhar, Sr., Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), Pennsylvania
LSM: Wes Faulkenberry, Sr., Dublin Jerome (Dublin, Ohio), Ohio State
LSM: Chris Walker, Sr., Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Michigan
D: Zach Powers, Sr., Upper Arlington (Ohio), North Carolina
M: Joseph Bano, Sr., Dublin Jerome (Dublin, Ohio), Denver
M: Griffin Cassagne, Sr., St. Mark’s (Dallas), undecided
M: Brad Lott, Sr., Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), Michigan
M: Zach Wood, Sr., Metea Valley (Aurora, Ill.), Virginia
A: Al Barnhart, Sr., Blake School (Minneapolis, Minn.), Denison
A: Ian King, Jr., St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio), Michigan

Sizing Up The Region

Illinois: The road to the state championship runs through New Trier (Ill.), which despite only returning two starters is not rebuilding. The Trevians returns the state’s best goalie Jack Connelly (Providence) and junior face off stud Mike Germano (Navy). Saint Viator (Arlington Heights, Ill.) won’t have to wait long to face New Trier as they host the defending state champions in the season opener for both squads. The Lions should be an athletic bunch and their early games will be a measuring stick for their success. Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) had one of the best defenses in the state last year and made it all the way to the state final. The Ramblers play some of the best out of state teams again this year and will rely on defenseman Nick Wright to anchor the defense. Barrington (Ill.) might be the sleeper team this year after finishing 11-7 last year. The Broncos return attackman Austin Rich (Roanoke) who can score goals in bunches.

Indiana: Nothing will change this year in Indiana as Culver Academy (Culver, Ind.) will be the lead dog again as the best team in the state. Over half of the Eagles games are out of state and they should continue their success in and outside of Indiana this year. Since Culver does not compete for a state championship there will be a few teams looking to take the title. Last year’s defending champion Carmel (Ind.) was dominant, only losing one game. Last season the Greyhounds emerged to win their first state championship and will again look to repeat their success. One team which always is in the hunt is Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.), which returns Keenan Mulherin one of the state’s best playmakers.

Kentucky: Louisville Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) suffered their only loss in last year’s state championship and failed to capture their fifth state title after an impressive regular season. If the Shamrocks can play defense like last season and get production from Brad Lott they should have no problem returning to the title game. The Shamrocks rival Louisville St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) should shine once again in 2012. The Tigers were the only team to defeat Louisville Trinity last season and their tough out of state schedule helped them in the long run. The Tigers upperclassmen leadership will help them with tough tilts against Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, Md.) and Saint Anne’s-Belfield (Charlottesville, Va.) on the schedule. One squad capable of taking down the two lacrosse giants is Louisville Collegiate (Owensboro, Ky.). The Titans are battle tested after last season and have some talented underclassmen.

Michigan: Another year makes no difference in hierarchy of lacrosse in Michigan. This year is no different as the road to greatness runs through Brother Rice (Mich.), which has not lost an in-state game in 10 years. The nine-time defending state champions are loaded on offense led by their star-studded attack unit. Novi (Mich.) returns plenty of talent as four of their top seven scorers return and emerging star defenseman Travis Sparling. Forest Hills Eastern (Ada, Mich.) will look to follow up last year’s success. Even though the Hawks lost some talented seniors they will have the experience to take a deep run in the state tournament. Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) captured the 2011 Division II state championship and return every starter. The Yellow Jackets return goalie Ahmed Iftikhar who was selected to the Warrior 40 and the ESPNHS 100 last year along with and athletic midfielder Harrison Rosenfeld.

Minnesota: Once again the bull’s-eye will be on Benilde St. Margaret (Saint Louis Park, Minn.) in 2012 after unexpectedly running the table in 2011. The Red Knights return Minnesota’s most lethal attack unit. Without the services of the Hugdahl brothers, Eden Prairie (Minn.) will have a steep hill to climb to get back to the state championship. A lot of their offense depends on the development of junior midfielder Jake Woodring (Denver). Blake (Minneapolis) lost a ton of talent due to graduation, but with one of the best coaching staffs in the state this powerhouse can never be counted out. With two all-state players returning for the Wildcats there should be no reason why Eagan (Minn.) should not match last season’s 13-win season. If Minnetonka (Minn.) can find a way to shore up their defense, they will be a dangerous squad despite losing their best player. Stillwater (Minn.) and Eastview (Apple Valley, Minn.) have some terrific individual players and each squad should top their eight win seasons from a year ago.

Missouri: Rockhurst Jesuit (Kansas City, Mo.) will be aiming for their third straight state championship in 2012. This year the athletic Hawklets will be anchored by their All-State goalie Emerson Hodes. John Burroughs (St. Louis, Mo.) has a very young team, which is led by midfielder Logan Gerard looking to make a statement after missing all of last year. Last year’s state finalist Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School (St. Louis, Mo.) will be in the hunt again because of head coach Andy Kay. Chaminade Prep (St. Louis, Mo.) should once again be in the conversation as the best team in the state. The Red Devils early non-league games will be a barometer for the success this season. The wildcard this year is Eureka (Mo.), which despite losing six games last year was very competitive. If the Wildcats can finish out games this season they could win 15 games.

Ohio: With the most talent in the Midwest, the state of Ohio continues to churn out not only great teams, but gifted lacrosse players. Hudson (Ohio) will be looking to build off their Division I state championship and 13-game winning streak. Led by longtime head coach David Blue, the Explorers have great senior leadership complemented by a talented junior class. Worthington Kilbourne (Columbus, Ohio) finished 2011 strong after falling short in the state championship. Led by 2011 Division I faceoff specialist of the year, Tae Young Kim (Ohio State) the Wolves strong attack unit should get plenty of chances to score. Ohio powerhouse Upper Arlington (Ohio) fell just short of their sixth state title in 10 years last season. The Golden Bears tradition of excellence should strive this season led by Defenseman-of-the-Year Zach Powers (North Carolina) and a strong midfield unit anchored by Division I recruits. Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) plays the toughest schedule in the state and that was evident in their 12-10 record last season. Captains Alex Spring (Bucknell) and Michael Gulasey (Fairfield) will look to right the ship competing against some of the best programs in the Midwest. Cincinnati teams Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) and St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) both had successful senior classes graduate and will need strong contributions from underclassman to achieve success. Green (Ohio) returns nine starters from a team that finished 12-7 last season. Seniors Alex Shepley (attack) and Zach Tepus (defense) are committed to Walsh University and will provide leadership. Green should be strong on the defensive side of the ball, with a goalie who has started the past two seasons and six returning defenders. In Division 2 Dublin Jerome (Dublin, Ohio) is the king of the castle and finished as the No. 31 team in the POWERADE FAB 50 last season. The Celtics have the most talent in the state evident by their six Division I recruits, including three players of the year returning. If there is a team which could knock the king off their throne it is St. Francis DeSales (Columbus, Ohio.). The Stallions return nine starters, including three Division I recruits.

Texas: The largest state in the midwest region has quickly emerged to produce big-time talent. With the season already underway teams will be jockeying for early success, which will pay off in May. Dallas Jesuit (Dallas, Texas) usually plays a tough schedule and 2012 is no different, especially on March 17 against Saint Ignatius (San Francisco, Calif.). The Rangers have a few stud underclassmen especially goalie Dan Morris (Maryland) who will need to shine this season as the state championship is within their reach. Crosstown rival Episcopal Dallas (Dallas, Texas) under new head coach Pat Kennedy should have a strong defense and scoring threats at the midfield in Barrett Anigian (Air Force) and Hayden Wilson (Hofstra). St. Mark’s (Dallas) will go as far as their one-two scoring punch Will Perkins (Michigan) and Griffin Cassagne take them. The Woodlands (Texas) returns all four all-district performers including underrated Ian Seale (Fairfield). Austin (Texas) led by versatile scoring threat Mitch Reeder will surprise some people despite losing many players to graduation. Perennial Texas powerhouse Highland Park (University Park, Texas) should rebound after a rebuilding season last year. Coppell (Texas) brings in a new head coach after losing an abundance of talent, but with a promising defense and underrated players with a state championship under their belt, the Cowboys can not be taken lightly.

Wisconsin: As lacrosse continues to grow in Wisconsin so does the talent level. There has been great strides in lacrosse development and talent level. Marquette Univeristy (Milwaukee, Wis.) will be the front runner to win a state championship after coming close last year. The Hilltoppers return a strong nucleus from a 15-win team. Not far behind should be Verona (Wis.), which defeated Marquette in the state championship. The Wildcats will look for some underclassmen to help capture their second straight title after losing All-American Paul Romens. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) looks to make a return to the state title game after a brief hiatus. The Warhawks led by third year head coach Erin Ennis will have a chip on their shoulder to prove after two rebuilding seasons. Waunakee (Wis.) looks to make the next step in 2012 to emerge as a state contender. After losing their four games last year by a combined ten goals, the Warriors should top their 11 win season from a year ago.

Underclassemen To Watch

(Position: athlete, year, high school (State), college commitment)

Attack: JT Blubaugh, Jr., St Francis DeSales (Ohio); Bryce Green, Jr., Highland Park (Texas); Carson Buell, Jr., Dallas Jesuit (Texas); Nick Wood, Jr., Metea Valley (Ill.); Ryan McNamara, Jr., Eastview (Ill.), Marquette.

Midfield: Hayes McKinley, Jr., University School (Ohio), Syracuse; Sergio Perkovic, Jr., Brother Rice (Mich.), Notre Dame; Joel Tinney, Soph., Culver (Ind.), Johns Hopkins; Garrett Van de Ven, Jr., Dallas Jesuit (Texas); Jake Woodring, Jr., Eden Prairie (Minn.), Denver.

Defense: Will Debord, Jr., Saint Charles (Ill.), Air Force; Tanner Landstra, Jr., Indian Hill (Ohio), High Point; Austin Spencer, Jr., Culver (Ind.), Massachusetts.

Goalie: Dan Morris, Jr., Dallas Jesuit (Texas), Maryland; Tyler Zickel, Jr., Hudson (Ohio).

Games To Watch

March 11: St. Mark’s (Texas) vs. Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.), Durham, N.C.
March 28: Louisville Trinity (Ky.) vs. Louisville Saint Xavier (Ky.)
March 29: New Trier (Ill.) vs. Worthington Kilbourne (Ohio)
April 1: Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) vs. Brother Rice (Mich.)
April 20: Dublin Jerome (Ohio) vs. Detroit Country Day (Mich.)

How This Region Affects The FAB 50

The midwest is emerging with talented players and teams. In Texas last year, St. Mark’s (Dallas) spent the majority of the season in the FAB 50 and finished at No. 32. And Coppell (Texas), who won its state championship, finished at No. 28. This season, St. Mark’s takes on the potential preseason No. 1 team when it plays Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.) at the Brine King of Spring tournament.

Dublin Jerome (Ohio) finished at No. 31 last year and 2012 could see Ohio get even more teams into the rankings this season. Upper Arlington should compete for a spot in the rankings this year.

Article source: http://espn.go.com/high-school/lacrosse/story/_/id/7584961/2012-boys-midwest-region-preview

Step-by-step

Prep hair with Charles Worthington Sensitive Ultra Soothing Detangler Spray (£5.10) to ensure hair is totally smooth and knot free.

Work a pump of the new Charles Worthington Hair Elixir (launching October 2012) through the mid lengths to ends by using the thumb and forefinger in pinching upward motions for sleekness and mirror-like shine.

Using a pin tail comb, brush back and create a defined centre parting from the forehead to the crown.

Section the hair from the nape of the neck and working upwards, blow dry each individual section with a round bristle brush until the hairline. Use a nozzle and high heat to smooth the surface cuticles from root to tip.

Spray Charles Worthington Front Row Heat Defence Spray (£5.10) into the hands an coat from mid-lengths to ends to protect hair that and with hair straighteners, iron out from the mid lengths to the ends, using the straightener to gently tuck the hair under.

Use a flat bristle brush and bring all hair into a low pony by the nape of the neck.

For any fly-aways on the parting, smooth a tiny amount of the Charles Worthington Hair Elixir (launching October 2012) onto the hair with the palm of the hand.

Finish by covering the hair elastic with a ribbon for a cute bow that offsets the sleekness of the ponytail.

The products:

Charles Worthington Sensitive Ultra Soothing Detangler Spray (£5.10)
Charles Worthington Front Row Heat Defence Spray (£6.12)
Charles Worthington Hair Elixir (launching October 2012)

Celebrity hairstyle of the day
Best Golden Globes hair
London Fashion Week predictions

Article source: http://www.handbag.com/hair/expert-hair-advice/charles-worthington-erdem-step-by-step-220212

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WORTHINGTON – In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Feb. 15, Maryann Ashton, her husband, Jerome, and their 11 year-old son, Daniel, sat in their car at the edge of their driveway waiting for firefighters to arrive as they helplessly watched the family home go up in flames.

The fire moved fast, engulfing much of the home by the time Worthington firefighters arrived. Though they were assisted by fire crews from Chesterfield, Cummington, Peru, Goshen, Windsor and Hinsdale, it was too late to save the house at 169 Prentice Road.

“I woke up because I heard popping noises in the house that seemed to be coming from upstairs. I went to look outside and all I could see was an orange glow coming from the side of the house,” Maryann Ashton said.

She immediately woke her husband and son and called 911. The three then took refuge in the family car.

“I could hear my mom yelling and I could see this orange glow. I ran out of my room and my mom handed me some photo albums and told me to go to the car. My feet got cold on the way there, but at least I was safe,” Daniel said.

According to the Ashtons’ daughter Julia Thibodo of Easthampton, the family had recently decided to add a second floor to the house and the work was still in progress. As a result, there were no smoke detectors on that floor.

“The fire started in the wood stove and traveled up the pipe that went to the second floor,” Maryann Ashton said.

Jerome Ashton, a self-employed subcontractor, had drawn the original plans for the three-bedroom ranch, which was built in 1989. The family built the home themselves, never had a mortgage and had never purchased homeowner’s insurance.

“It is a total loss,” Maryann Ashton said.

The couple’s 23 year-old son, Army Spc. Aaron Ashton, also lived at the house, but had recently been sent to Fort Bragg, N.C., with the 82nd Airborne Division and was deployed to Afghanistan the day before the fire broke out.

“We decided to send him a Red Cross message because we didn’t know if he might have Internet access and we didn’t want him to find out about it on Facebook,” Thibodo said.

The American Red Cross in Northampton has been assisting the Ashtons with food and clothing. The family is currently living with Maryann’s mother, Sophie Kubacki of Easthampton, and the Ashtons’ daughter Rachel Millin, who lives next to Kubacki.

The family returned to the charred remnants of the home Friday hoping to salvage any valuables and personal items left there. Miraculously, the couple’s wedding rings were recovered, along with Maryann Ashton’s engagement ring and bits and pieces of other jewelry.

“It was amazing to find the three tiniest things in all of that,” Thibodo said. “The other odd thing we found was 50 pounds of potatoes that had baked in the fire.”

For the family, the enormity of the loss is just beginning to sink in.

Maryann Ashton and Thibodo returned to the fire site again on Tuesday morning. The pair remained stoic as they sifted through a lifetime of memories, pointing out blackened and destroyed photos, school yearbooks, Maryann’s prized sketch books, scorched bits and pieces of Aaron’s Civil War re-enactment garb, and a completely demolished piano built in 1863.

“I don’t know if we will get a loan to rebuild or not,” Maryann said “Hopefully, we can get it done before next fall when it starts getting cold again.”

Jerome Ashton is already hard at work drawing up the plans for the new house that they plan to build on the same spot. “It will be the same shape, but it will only have one floor,” Maryann Ashton said.

Thibodo said there has been an outpouring of support and people have been dropping off clothing, gift cards, cash and furniture at her grandmother’s house.

“My parents are proud people. They give to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army and other charities but they never thought that they would be on the receiving end,” Thibodo said. “They try to be optimistic and they’re extremely grateful for all of the support.”

Thibodo and her sister, Rachel, are organizing a benefit for their parents March 10 at the Pulaski Club in Easthampton. There will be tickets for sale, door prizes, a band and food. The event will run from 6 to 11 p.m.

For more information about the benefit or to offer donations, call 575-9590.

Article source: http://www.gazettenet.com/2012/02/22/picking-up-the-pieces

• 
  WHS’s Potter
• 
  WHS’s Traylor
• 
  WHS’s Henning
• 
  WHS’s Vorwald
• 
  WHS’s Weg

WORTHINGTON — The Worthington boys’ basketball team coupled a stout first-half defense with ball control and patiently working its offense Tuesday night to defeat the Martin County West Mavericks in non-conference action.

The Trojans committed no turnovers in the first half and limited the Mavericks to 12 first-half points in the 63-43 victory.

“I thought we played really well in the first half of the ballgame,” WHS head coach Ron Vorwald said. “I thought our defense was really solid the first half. Not to take away what we did the second half as I thought we played well throughout the ballgame.

“We really took things away from Martin County West in the first half and made them work really hard offensively to get any kind of look. We executed well on both sides of the ball.”

Mitch Weg (10 rebounds and two blocks) scored 15 of his team-high 21 points in the first half, while Spencer Grafing added six points (all free throws) and Morgan Traylor (six rebounds), Lucas Henning and Jon Vorwald each added five points in the opening frame.

“We got the ball inside to Mitch, Lucas was hitting from the perimeter and Morgan got going inside as well,” Vorwald added.

Through the first six minutes of the game, both teams countered one another as the score was 8-6 in favor of the hosts at the 12:12 mark.

Traylor opened the game’s scoring off a nice feed along the baseline from Jon Vorwald (six assists), while Weg scored the next six points for WHS.

MCW’s early points came from Austin Krumwiede (game-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds) with four and Kyle Brolsma with a bucket.

However, WHS broke the game open with a 16-1 run over the next six minutes to take a 24-7 lead at the six-minute mark. Weg continued to dominate in the paint with seven points, Henning dropped in a pair of long shots for five points, while Traylor and Grafing added a pair of points.

“We all knew we needed to play well after a tough loss to Marshall,” Weg said. “We came out strong in the first half and played really good team defense and we were patient against their 2-3 zone.

“We were passing the ball really well and getting it to everybody. Guys were hitting shots and they were getting it down low. It was a good offensive game plan.”

The Mavericks made only a pair of shots (Krumwiede shot in the post at 5:39 and a 3 from Mitchell Sitzmann at 1:32) from the field over the last six minutes of the first half as the Trojans finished with a 15-5 run for a 39-12 halftime lead.

WHS’s points in the final stretch of the first half came from Vorwald with five, Grafing with four, a 3-pointer from Marcus Potter (five assists), two from Weg and a free throw from Traylor.

“Their defensive intensity was spectacular in the first half,” MCW head coach Cliff Anderson said. “They pushed our offense way out and we couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end. We didn’t dribble penetrate enough and that’s to Worthington’s credit.

“We got a little intimidated to start the game by knowing how good they are. But our kids bounced back in the second half and played more our style.”

The Mavericks did play better in the second half as they managed to outscore the Trojans by seven over the final 18 minutes but the halftime deficit was too much too overcome.

Krumwiede paced the visitors with 17 points after the break, while also getting five points from Josiah Ebeling, four from Brolsma, three from Sitzmann and a bucket from Cordell Weber.

The Trojans received eight points from both Henning and Traylor after the intermission, six from Weg and a basket from Jon Reller.

The large spread in the second half allowed Coach Vorwald to get everyone on the roster into the ballgame on a special night for the player’s parents.

“It was ‘Parent’s Night’ and we got everyone in,” Vorwald said. “They all played really well. Spence played really well, Jonny Vorwald passed the ball really well and ended up with six assists.

“Lucas Henning did a nice job defensively and was a catalyst for us, putting ball pressure on their point. Our guys fed off that and we took care of business.”

WHS improves to 16-6 with the win and Vorwald knows that the game was important for seeding purposes for the Section 3AA South tournament.

“It was a big game for us,” Vorwald said. “It was a big game as it is the last game that counted toward the seeding process. We seed (today) and we will know where we stand for the tournament after that.”

MCW, which drops to 13-12, also plays out of the same section as WHS and its next game will be in the postseason. Anderson expects that the Trojans will be the No. 1 seed.

However, the Trojans have one more regular season game on the schedule as they host Windom Monday night.

“Windom’s a really good team,” Weg said. “They have two really good posts in the Holt twins and they have good guards that can make plays. You always have to be ready for them as they are a good team in the Southwest Conference. We definitely have to be ready for them. It’s our last home game so it’s a big game.”

MCW 12 31 — 43

WHS 39 24 — 63

MCW (3FG-2FG-FT-TP): Brolsma 0-3-0-6, Sitzmann 2-0-0-6, Weber 0-1-0-2, Krumwiede 0-11-2-24, Ebeling 1-1-0-5. Totals 3-16-2-43.

WHS (3FG-2FG-FT-TP): Vorwald 1-1-0-5, Henning 3-2-0-13, Potter 1-0-0-3, Traylor 0-6-1-13, Grafing 0-0-6-6, Weg 0-9-3-21, Reller 0-1-0-2. Totals 5-19-10-63.

Tags:
sports, prep, trojans, basketball

Article source: http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/55334/

The report includes photographs of a frog, cave crickets and a mosquito, with a mention that a cave salamander was also found inside.

The report also noted that “dozens of sink holes are present in the area above the cave,” which environmental attorney Tom FitzGerald, director of the Kentucky Resources Center, said should be equally problematic for LGE.

FitzGerald, an expert on Kentucky waste laws, said state officials generally frown upon putting landfills in sinkhole areas because of the threat that sinkhole geology poses to groundwater, as well as the threat it poses to the integrity of any landfill that sits atop them.

He pointed to state regulations that require setbacks and other protections for sinkholes at so-called “special waste” landfills, such as the one proposed by LGE.

“The location of the cave, the presence of flowing water within the cave system, and the apparent extent of the solution channels under the property would appear to make the site unsuitable for a landfill, both under the state special waste siting regulations and the state cave protection act,” Fitzgerald said.

The question of how to manage coal-combustion waste has been a national topic since a mountain of ash blanketed several hundred acres, damaged 26 homes and slid into a river at a power-plant impoundment near Knoxville, Tenn., in 2008.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been considering whether to ban storage of ash in ponds in favor of dry storage in lined landfills, which are presumed to be less potentially damaging to the environment. The agency is also weighing whether to designate coal combustion waste as hazardous.

In Trimble County, the Sierra Club has been working with some of the area’s residents who oppose the landfill, fearing it will pollute groundwater, fill the air with soot and other particles, and lower their property values. Some have cited LGE’s troubles with blowing ash at Cane Run.

“People have been very concerned,” said P.J. Nacke, who has a farm near the proposed landfill. “We look at people at Cane Run,” she said. “They have ash coming into their houses.”

Nacke also said she is worried that the toxic pollutants in the ash might contaminate their crops and said she hopes the cave’s presence will stop the landfill.

Kentucky officials have also heard from Lee Worthington Rowe, a Tennessee resident who wrote that her grandfather owned the LGE property until he died in 1980, and his heirs had to sell it to pay taxes.

In a letter to state officials, Rowe said her mother and uncle would have looked for another buyer “had they known the land would be wasted in this way.”

Article source: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120221/NEWS01/302220046/Cave-threatens-to-block-Trimble-coal-ash-landfill?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

NASHVILLE, TENN. — Several Montgomery County insiders converged at the Capitol Tuesday, and a delegation led by County Mayor Carolyn Bowers came home with good news about the future of a proposed veterans nursing home.

The home, which has been trapped in the planning phase for years, finally seems to be gaining headway.

The State Building Commission Executive Subcommittee handily approved the project and will decide on a designer in 7 to 10 days.

“This was essentially the green light for the project,” said Clint Camp, the county’s director of Facilities Development.

Camp said he is hopeful that federal funding will come through in fiscal year 2013.

Bowers was all smiles outside of the meeting, where she congregated with officials including Sidney R. Brown, a former commissioner and the chairman of the special committee focused on the home’s construction.

“We’ve got to get this done,” Bowers said in a Legislative Plaza hallway, acknowledging the bumpy road in the project’s past.

Previous plans that would have placed the home in north Clarksville were squashed by the Tennessee State Veterans Homes board last May.

The plan approved by the subcommittee calls for a 108-bed home on a 9.5-acre plot of land behind the Walmart on Fort Campbell Boulevard.

Once a designer is approved, Bowers said, planning will begin for how the building of almost 100,000 square feet will fit onto the property.

The Regional Planning Commission will tackle a request to rezone the property Wednesday.

Environmental reports on the property are slated to come in the second half of the year. Initial reports have been favorable, according to Camp,

School officials talk policy

Representatives of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System were also in Nashville Tuesday to talk policy with state lawmakers from the area.

School Board Chairman George Giles, board member Horace Murphy Jr., Schools Director Mike Harris and Chief Academic Officer BJ Worthington used their trip as an opportunity to learn more about proposed legislation and policies poised to impact Tennessee schools.

During their meeting with State Rep. Joe Pitts, D-Clarksville, Giles and Murphy found simpatico with the lawmaker, who repeated an “I’m with you” refrain throughout the conversation.

Giles and Murphy stressed their reservations with the teacher evaluation protocol, which they said ties principals to a stringent schedule that might not give the proper weight to problems within schools.

Giles and Murphy also discussed their dissatisfaction with virtual charter schools and the election of schools directors and stressed the need for better incentives for teachers.

While Giles acknowledged their agenda was far-reaching, he said thinking ahead would one day pay off.

“A lot of this stuff, results might come 10 years down the road,” Giles said, “but whenever they come, they’ll be appreciated.”

Article source: http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120222/NEWS01/302210067

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• Quadra FNX takeover step closer to reality

Posted 6 hours ago

Reuters

and Star Staff

Shareholders of Canadian miner Quadra FNX approved a C$3-billion takeover offer from KGHM on Monday, the tie-up is set to geographically diversify the Polish miner’s asset base and boost its copper output.

The friendly deal announced in December gives KGHM control of Quadra’s Sierra Gorda copper project in Chile, one of the world’s largest copper projects, along with other assets spread across Canada, Chile and the United States.

In Sudbury, Quadra FNX employs more than 500 people at three mines – Levack Morrison, McCreedy West and Podolsky – all leased from Vale.

Also, Quadra FNX announced last year it planned a $750-million redevelopment of Victoria Mine near Worthington, with construction scheduled to start in 2012. It also said it was closing Podolsky.

One of Sudbury’s oldest and most prolific mines, Victoria will employ more than 200 full-time workers by the time it is in full production in 2017.

KGHM visited Sudbury earlier this month and said they were attracted the by the potential of the Victoria property, which will produce copper. They also said Sudbury still has “a very, very significant exploration potential.”

Preliminary results from a shareholder vote in Vancouver indicate that 78.6% of the votes cast were in favour of the deal. For KGHM’s bid to succeed, it required two-thirds support of the votes cast by Quadra shareholders.

Earlier this month, proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended that Quadra shareholders vote in favour of Polish miner’s bid.

ISS advised its clients to support the bid for Vancouver-based Quadra, on the basis that “there have been no alternate offers and there are no governance concerns.”

Advertisement

This is the only option for QuardaFNX to grow as it has no cash to fund Sierra Gorda or Victoria.

Post #1
By vale of darth,
6 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

sure mucker

Post #2
By riveting2001,
6 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

There are many financing options out there, especially for proven ore bodies. This is not the only option for QuadraFNX.
Just like when you would state here on a weekly basis that that Vale would never approve the AER. Wrong once again…

Post #3
By AZILDIAN,
6 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

*stated*

Post #4
By AZILDIAN,
6 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

False Azildian. I said they have not received approval for the AER, never said it would not be approved. QuadraFNX is in the same boat INCO was, no money for capital investment to keep operating or grow. There was no interest domestically for funding. Good thing for foreign investment or Sudbury would be dead. Sudbury is now the UN of mining.

Post #5
By vale of darth,
5 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

Lovely twist of words. You specified many times that the AER would never be approved, that Vale would never spend $2B on an environmental expenditure in Sudbury. I’ll find your quotes and stuff em down your throat. Then you can tell me what crow tastes like.

Post #6
By AZILDIAN,
2 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

Kicking the can further down the road. Sudbury’s sulphide concentrate will feed the new Hydromet Smelter in Newfoundland because the Voisey’s Bay underground mine is not economical. Vale will not have to spend billions in Sudbury on the AER because it will need to send concentrate to Newfoundland as per the original agreement with the Newfoundland government.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #16 By vale of darth, 1 month ago
*** AND ***
Agreed Camoman. Vale inherited a disaster form INCO and a time will come when Vale will stop sending money.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #20 By vale of darth, 1 month ago |

Post #7
By AZILDIAN,
2 hours ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

Plan B to meet emission compliance is less emissions through lower production.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #6 By vale of darth, 3 months ago
***
I have always suspected the long range strategy for INCO was to build a modern Hydromet Smelter and Refinery in Newfoundland and ship Sudbury concentrate there. Why spend a billion to meet Ontario emission standards in an area with decreasing reserves. From a strategic standpoint having this facility with a port at their doorstep will give Vale an opportunity to ship in concentrate from anywhere on the globe.
When Vale announced the Hydromet project was a go I thought there was no reason to spend anymore money in Sudbury for smelting and refining. But because Vale had the AER Project listed as a go I was confused and now this. Vale INCO’s Sudbury best before date is approaching faster.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By marcel mucker, 3 years ago

Post #8
By AZILDIAN,
1 hour ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

Totten: All I will say is that I told you so.
AER: I’m telling you now, not going to happen.
Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By vale of darth, 9 months ago
***
JCWelly, that is a very good question. The Vale Sudbury smelter has to meet new emissions standards by 2014. Vale has stated that now it will be 2015 before the project can be completed if approved. What will the Federal and Provincial Governments do about the one year delay?
The big issue with Vale is why spend $2B for a zero net gain? It would be far better to build a new smelter in a region with access to cheaper power and less restrictive environmental standards.
The other alternative to reducing emissions is by lowering production. Vale could also ship some concentrate to another smelter to reduce stack emissions.
If Vale lowers smelter capacity then the local unit costs go up and the feed will have to be of a higher grade therefore reducing the economic reserves in Sudbury.
This is a very complex situation and hard decisions have to be made. The recent actions by Vale concerns me of the direction Vale is going and it will not be good for Sudbury Operations.
Azildian, I am what I am and you can ignore my comments.
(Article: “Totten opening delayed”
By HAROLD CARMICHAEL, THE SUDBURY STAR
Posted 9 months ago)

Post #9
By AZILDIAN,
1 hour ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

“AER: I’m telling you now, not going to happen.” Your own words. Mmmm, crow.

Post #10
By AZILDIAN,
1 hour ago |

0 Votes | Vote:

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Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers.

• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleSinging Bowls Presenter Tenzing Limbu, Owner of Nepal Handicrafts  UPDATE Public Service Announcement For Immediate Release February 21, 2012 RESCHEDULED TO THURSDAY, MARCH 1 @ 6:30 P.M. The Greater Sudbury Public Library Presents: Singing Bowls[...]By: Greater Sudbury Public Library | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleMapping The Titanic  MAPPING THE TITANIC Dr. James Delgado – Marine Archaeologist Dr. Delgado is a Marine Archaeologist and has led or participated in shipwreck expeditions around the world.[...]By: Science Cafes | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleCredit Where It Is Due  Officer’s suspicion lead to arrest of convicted child sex offender, say police: Local NewsHome News Local News Officer’s suspicion lead to arrest of convicted child sex[...]By: Runaway | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / Article#TELLVICEVERYTHING  BILL C-30 is part of the Conservative governments agenda to make Canada a Fascist State. Dear Mr. @ToewsVic Because we love you, I am asking every[...]By: Casanova King | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleBereavement Foundation of Sudbury General Information Session  Topic for the evening: Spousal Bereavement Presenters: Fran McMillan John Snow Tuesday March 13, 2012 @ 7.pm. Marguerite Lougheed Centre 328 Albert St.By: bereavement foundation of sudbury | Comments

• ▪  /  / BlogThe elephant in the room.  Here we are moaning and groaning about the continuing use of deficits that our various governments have handed us for what seems like forever.It seems to[...]By: marauder | Comments
• ▪  /  / Bloga declining sense of direction …  the problem with the government’s proposed ‘on line’ bill is buried in the promise … ‘yes, we’re allied to each and all of your concerns[...]By: mary+mary | Comments
• ▪  /  / Blogbullies in school’s authority  There seems to be an issue in schools with bullying. But what do you do when the bullies are the school authorities, the people who we[...]By: blackraven | Comments
• ▪  /  / BlogPesdestrians  I would just like to say that some drivers in this city have no respect for people walking the sidewalks. It seems like their heads only[...]By: James+Ready | Comments
• ▪  /  / BlogWhy Restricting Rural Residential Development in Greater Sudbury Makes Sense  The following was originally posted in a somewhat different format in response to a comment made on the Sudbury Star’s website in response to a letter[...]By: Steve+May | Comments

Article source: http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3478503

With little discussion, Clark County commissioners awarded the concession to a new venture, Liquor Library, though a final lease is pending. The airport projects the store will generate rents of $300,000 to $400,000 a year from a now-vacant space in the south end of the baggage claim at Terminal 1.

Liquor stores are common in international airports, but are rare in the United States. While bars are common, visitors can’t buy anything to take to the hotel with them.

Three companies submitted proposals for the franchise awarded to Lee’s Liquor in 2010, but after problems within the partnership that was to own the store stymied any progress the airport declared Lee in default and turned to Liquor Library, the second-place finisher.

Two local real estate veterans, Christian Haase, a principal in the affiliated Burnett Haase Construction and Business Properties Group, and Molasky Group of Companies president and chief operating officer Richard Worthington co-own Liquor Library.

Because the space will cover only about 1,350 square feet, the Liquor Library will go vertical with bottles arrayed on library-style shelves with ladder-climbing clerks.

“We’re ready to sign a lease right now,” said Worthington, who said he expects to open in the fall.

Airport managers will evaluate the performance of the shop before deciding whether to add another in the $2.4-billion Terminal 3, due to open on June 27.

Contact reporter Tim O’Reiley at toreiley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.

Article source: http://www.lvrj.com/business/mccarran-again-tries-to-sell-bottled-booze-in-baggage-claim-139908353.html

The increase, and others like it, would bring in an additional $18,000 a year for the city,
based on permits issued in 2010. Still, administrators say the various permit fees are meant to
offset administrative costs, not make money.

Such fees vary greatly in Franklin County communities; some charge more than 10 times what other
suburbs ask. Some cities take pride in keeping their fees low, hoping to entice people to relocate
or to encourage development, but others think all of their costs should be recouped.

In Bexley, City Council members adopted the first increase since 2007 in December. The city had
been charging $40 for permits that cost $60 to process, said Kathy Rose, Building Department
manager. “It just didn’t make sense for us to lose money.”

Dublin and Hilliard have the highest zoning and variance fees of any central Ohio suburb. With
more land to develop, more applicants and larger staffs to manage the applications, the fees
reflect the added complexity in those communities, officials said.

For example, the fee for a commercial variance in Worthington is $50. Hilliard’s fee is $1,000.
A residential zoning application will cost you $100 in Grove City. In Dublin, it’s $1,995.

“I’ve never had anybody stand before me and say, ‘Your fees are too high,’  ” said Steve
Langworthy, Dublin’s director of land use and long-range planning.

Architect Richard Taylor didn’t complain to Langworthy. But he’s frustrated about spending $285
for a permit for an $85 sign he installed at his Dublin firm.

“The cost of that was discouraging,” Taylor said. His clients agree, including some who have
considered scrapping additions or remodeling projects.

Langworthy said each city has its own philosophy about setting fees.

“How much does it cost us to process, and is it fair to put this cost on the taxpayer? I think
it’s fair that the individual asking for the approvals bear the cost,” he said.

Grove City treats fees as an economic-development incentive.

“We don’t view it as a moneymaker or even breaking even,” said Chuck Boso, city
administrator.

Worthington is known for low fees. “We try to encourage people to get approval and go through
the process,” said Lynda Bitar, Worthington’s development coordinator. “We’ve never wanted to put
any roadblocks in the way of getting approval.”

High fees also might encourage people to side-step the application process, which could lead to
poor quality or even dangerous workmanship, she said.

Under Reynoldsburg’s proposed increases, George Igel, who paid $500 in 2010 to turn a house into
an office building, would be paying double that. At $1,000, it would be just shy of deterring his
project, he said.

Still, he considers the fees in Reynoldsburg to be fair. If he were in Dublin, he would be
paying about $4,000, a price he called “kind of ridiculous.”

“For what I’m doing, I wouldn’t pay that,” he said. “A lot of small businesses are barely making
enough for payments and utilities.”

Reynoldsburg’s proposal would mean that nearly all fees would go up. Residential rezoning would
go from $500 to $750; commercial rezoning would double, to $1,000. Development-plan modifications
would jump from $75 to $500. Those permits are rare in the city.

The increases are less drastic for the more-common permits, such as residential zoning
certificates, which would go from $40 to $50; and fence permits, $20 to $35.

The cost of processing planning and zoning permits has gone up since fees were last increased in
2007, said Matt Hansen, Reynoldsburg planning administrator.

“These fees were never considered a major source of revenue for the department,” Hansen said. “
Even with the increase, we’re still not even covering the cost of staffing.”

Council members will discuss the proposal at tonight’s service-committee meeting.

dnarciso@dispatch.com

qtruong@dispatch.com

Article source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/02/21/permit-fees-vary-widely-some-are-rising.html

At least one GOP candidate also is using his opposition to the union-limiting bill to distinguish himself in a three-way contest that includes an incumbent state representative who voted for the legislation.

The measure would have affected more than 350,000 teachers, police, firefighters and other government employees. After an almost $41 million campaign, 62 percent of voters rejected it in November.

The state’s March 6 primary features 14 Democratic and 18 Republican matchups for the Ohio House. The GOP has three races for the Ohio Senate, while Democrats have no primary contests.

The collective bargaining overhaul is giving Republican Eric Spicer of Beavercreek a chance to present himself as a “nonpolitician” looking to avoid partisan fights.

Spicer is a commander with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department who has been in law enforcement for 22 years. Had he been in the House, he said, he would have voted against the legislation because it eliminated binding arbitration.

While his opposition to the bill wasn’t his main motivation for getting into the race, Spicer said, “It’s definitely an example of why good people need to step forward.”

“Let’s get the people who are driven by career politics and by money and trying to profit as much as they can, out of it, and get people up there who actually know these issues from the inside out,” he said.

Spicer is challenging Greene County Commissioner Rick Perales, and incumbent state Rep. Jarrod Martin in the southwest Ohio district.

Democratic candidate Donna O’Connor stood on the steps of the Ohio Capitol with other demonstrators last spring to oppose collective bargaining restrictions.

The Dublin teacher said she soon realized she wanted to represent the voices of her fellow public workers inside the Statehouse. She’s seeking a House seat in the Columbus suburbs for the first time.

“We need educators,” she said. “We need people inside the Statehouse making sound decisions as far as public education and workers’ rights and women’s rights.”

O’Connor’s three-way race includes businessman David Robinson, who narrowly lost a legislative bid in 2010, and David Donofrio, a former Ohio Legislative Service Commission fellow and deputy clerk of courts in Franklin County.

The winner would face state Rep. Mike Duffey, a Republican from Worthington who voted for the collective bargaining bill.

So far, the GOP outpaced their Democratic rivals in campaign cash at the start of the 2012 election cycle.

In their most recent campaign filings, legislative Republicans reported raising nearly $4.2 million. That’s 17 times the cash of their Democratic rivals.

House Republicans raised $2.7 million and have $4.1 million on hand to spend. Senate Republicans raised $1.5 million and have $3.5 million on hand.

House Democrats raised a fraction of that.

They reported collecting about $417,000 in donations, with $411,000 on hand. Senate Democrats raised even less – about $35,000 – and have less than $39,000 in the bank.

Article source: http://www.marionstar.com/article/20120221/NEWS01/202210306

Feb. 21, 2012

Wexford Final Results

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Ohio Men’s Golf completed the first tournament of its 2012 spring season on Tuesday, finishing 12th at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate. In three rounds of play, the Bobcats shot 319, 303 and 303 to finish with a total team score of 925.

The Bobcats finished just two strokes out of 11th place, which was held by Samford’s team score of 923. Georgia State claimed top honors in the tournament, shooting a team score of 892. Furman finished second and shot the best team round of the tournament, carding a 292 the second time through the course.

Byron Firestone (Canton, Ohio) shot the best round of the day for the Green and White, finishing with a 71, a score five full strokes below his career average. This was also an eight-stroke improvement from his second-round score, a 79. He finished 23rd in the field of 89 golfers.

Earning Ohio’s best finish of the tournament was Paul Grauer (Dublin, Ohio). The senior had an impressive tournament, averaging just over 75 strokes per round to finish with a final score of 227 and earn a tie for 18th place.

Michael Lamping (Dublin, Ohio) and Connor Coldwater (Clarks Summit, Pa.) finished a few strokes back of Grauer, shooting a 232 and 239, respectively. Lamping rounded out his final day with a 77 while Coldwater shot a 79.

Rounding out Ohio’s participation in the tournament was Bradley Lucas (Worthington, Ohio). The junior shot a three-round 253 and improved greatly from his second round to the third, shaving 14 strokes to shoot a 78.

The Bobcats will next be in action on March 22 when they play Campbell at Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina.

Follow @OhioBobcats

Article source: http://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/m-golf/recaps/022112aac.html

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — The District 518 Board of Education approved the purchase of long-distance learning equipment for a new high school nursing course which will be introduced during the fourth term of this school year.

Students who complete the course will be certified nursing assistants (CNA), said Superintendent John Landgaard.

“What the equipment will allow us to do is access courses that are being offered by the service co-op (Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative),” Landgaard explained. “It would also allow us to access coursework that they are teaching in other school districts.”

There will be a cost associated with accessing material from the other school districts.

“At least we’ll have the equipment because this district has not had it for a long time,” Landgaard continued, adding the technology cost is estimated at $14,000.

The approval of the equipment purchase stems from a matching grant application submitted by the school district’s media specialist, Maggie Kraemer. The grant will provide the school district with an additional piece of equipment for the upcoming nursing program. Money from the district’s general fund or reserve capital fund will be used to purchase the distance learning equipment.

“It’s nice to see more courses being added so that when students graduate, they can seek employment,” said board member Scott Rosenberg. “One course that was brought to my attention that could be added in the future is some type of personal finance course so kids know how to manage their check books.”

Board member Steve Schnieder explained the school does offer a related course but “maybe more kids should be made aware of the course.”

In other news, board members:

* Approved the 2013 fiscal year revenue budget of $329,260 for the Nobles County Integration Collaborative. In addition, board members also approved the revised plan for the collaborative.

“The plan addresses current programs and adjustments like some funding that can no longer be used for adult programs,” Landgaard said.

* Approved a capital outlay request. Landgaard explained that the initial request for capital outlay was $4,200 over-budget — an amount which would be taken out of the school district’s reserve capital fund. After making several changes, including reducing the request for technology equipment, Landgaard said that the amount requested for capital outlay projects is about $1,300 over the budget of $440,000.

* Approved expulsions of two middle school students. The first student was expelled for behavior related to an inappropriate substance, while the other student expulsion was for possession of a “weapon look-alike,” Landgaard said. Both students will be allowed to return to school next fall.

* Approved resignations of Janey Haren as girls softball coach with the middle school, Jay Scheidt as ninth- grade baseball coach with the high school, and Gillian Singler as play director for the high school, effective immediately.

* Approved the resignation of Jose Ortiz Flores as ESL assistant with the middle school EDGE effective Dec. 23, 2011.

* Approved retirements of Jerry Fiola as director of community education effective June, 30, 2012, Sandra Ahlberg as fourth-grade teacher at Prairie Elementary, Peggy Herrig as speech language pathologist at Prairie Elementary, and Joyce Soderholm as paraprofessional at Prairie Elementary, effective at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

* Approved employments of Shelley Stofferan as kindergarten teacher with the EDGE program, Amber Taarud as enrichment instructor with the EDGE program, Virginia Hibma as ESL assistant with the middle school, Jessica Larson as special education paraprofessional for Setting IV at the middle school, Megan Burnham as 0.44 full-time employee Evening Early Childhood Teacher for Even Start, Nohemi Noerenburg as program assistant with the EDGE program, Ben Derynck as golf coach at the middle school, Kari Pierson as instructor for the EDGE program, Sarah Peterson as long-term eighth-grade English teacher substitute, Tearrany Bixbu as program assistant for the EDGE program, and Amber Raarud as special education paraprofessional Class II at the middle school.

* Approved a donation acceptance for January from Box Tops for Education at Prairie Elementary.

Daily Globe Reporter Ana Anthony can be reached at 376-7321.

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Article source: http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/55327/

Click here to find out which 9 other stocks recently crossed above their 200 day moving average »

Looking at the chart above, WOR’s low point in its 52 week range is $12.84 per share, with $23.75 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $17.96.

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According to the ETF Finder at ETF Channel, WOR makes up 2.31% of the SPDR SP Metals and Mining ETF (AMEX: XME) which is trading up by about 1.8% on the day Tuesday.

See what other ETFs contain WOR »
See what other stocks are held by XME »

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dividendchannel/2012/02/21/worthington-industries-inc-wor-shares-cross-above-200-dma/

Congress banned earmarks in 2011, and when it came time to approve the 2012 budget, turned the responsibility for allocating funds to the Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. The bureau allocated $493,000, which was upped to $5 million after senators and representatives from the three member states met with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. According to Larson, that’s enough to get the next scheduled connection about half-way to Rock Rapids, Iowa. “We’ll be connected to a corn field,” Larson said, adding that the delay in construction will add $8.5 million to the project for 2012 due to inflation.

Meanwhile, communities are losing money. Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian said the city is spending $700,000 for two new water wells and a reclamation basin that wouldn’t have been necessary if the city had been hooked up in 2012 according to schedule. Glenn Thuringer, director of economic development for Worthington, said he knows of expansion plans by the local meat, grain, soybean and ethanol industries put on hold because of the lack of a reliable water source, costing possibly up to 200 jobs.

The Cloquet School Board will cut 10 instructional days from the 2012-13 school to save money, compensating with slightly longer school days, writes Jeff Papas of the Pine Journal.  The school board expects a budget deficit. “This isn’t a good thing because we have 10 days less contact with students, but if we didn’t do this we would need to find an additional $200,000 in savings,” Superintendent Ken Scarbrough said. Cloquet High School’s day will be about 10 minutes longer, which will save about $300,000 in transportation costs. The district faces a shortfall of $686,000 for the current school year.

Southeastern Minnesota farmers are a little better-off than their statewide peers when it comes to ground moisture, reports Nathan Hanson and Chris Hubbuch of the Winona Daily News. While most Minnesota fields are suffering from a moderate to severe drought, much of the Winona area is better off, with parts classified only as dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The National Weather Service predicts the area will receive either normal or above-average rainfalls into spring. Parts of the region are from 3 to 5 inches below normal precipitation since May, said NWS meteorologist Todd Rieck. Last year, Winona dairy farmers Jim and Gary Sobeck faced fields covered in snow and a wet spring delayed planting until May. This year, the fall and winter has been dry. If the weather holds, the Sobecks will get an early start on planting. But if spring doesn’t deliver moisture once the ground thaws, there could be trouble. “The key is to plant it early and hope it stays wet enough to sprout,” Gary said.

Allegiant Airlines and the Bemidji Regional Airport are talking about adding non-stop service between Bemidji and Las Vegas, reports Bethany Wesley of the Bemidji Pioneer.  The talks are in preliminary stages and Harold Van Leeuwen Jr., the airport manager, said he expects to know more by the end of April. Allegiant, an all-jet service, travels from regional cities such as Fargo, Grand Forks and Duluth to cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Orlando, and Los Angeles. If Allegiant does expand to Bemidji, it would not affect services to be provided soon by SkyWest. SkyWest, flying under the Delta Connect flag, will begin providing Bemidji’s commercial air service in March. The recent renovations to the Bemidji Regional Airport and its terminal are the catalysts. “It’s just one of those things that is going to make Bemidji a more attractive place” in recruiting business to the area, said Ron Johnson, an Airport Authority member.

More than 200 Sibley East Public School elementary and junior high students in Gaylord were absent Thursday due to an illness suspected to be norovirus, reports Fritz Busch of the New Ulm Journal. The Minnesota Department of Health called it a norovirus, Principal Mari Lu Martens said. There were 211 students absent Thursday, and 178 were confirmed absent Wednesday. Enrollment is 622. Eleven staff members were also sick. Symptoms included vomiting and diarrhea. Martens said school custodial staff is cleaning every door and locker handle and every desktop, among other surfaces, with QT-TB, a disinfectant designed for hospitals, nursing homes, veterinary clinics, offices, schools, motels and hotels.

Inez Honderich, who died on Feb. 8 at age 92, had the singular honor of being the first “Spam Queen,” writes Chris Schad of the Austin Daily Herald. A 1937 graduate of Austin High School, she worked for Hormel Foods, selling copies of a publication called “Squeal!,” according to Gina Gage, her oldest granddaughter. In 1939, Hormel decided to hold a contest in which the woman who sold the most copies of “Squeal!” would be named the Spam Queen and represent Hormel in ads for the canned meat. Honderich won and appeared in several ads in the Saturday Evening Post, Life, the Ladies Home Journal, Time, and other publications. “We had no idea she was the Spam Queen until we were in our 40s or 50s.” said her son John Clark, owner of Johnny’s Main Event in Austin. “She was kind of ashamed of being the Spam Queen because at that time, people who worked at the Hormel plant were known as ‘Pack Rats.’ She was afraid of being ‘Queen of the Hogs’ so she never told us. … She never smoked; I think I saw her drink a glass of wine once, and she always saw the good in everyone.” I am very thankful to have had her in my life.”

A Farmington woman risked it all in Final Jeopardy and ended up with a wild-card entry into the semifinals of the Teachers Tournament on the televised trivia game show, reports Christa Lawler of the Duluth News Tribune. Kathryn Wendling, a 1991 graduate of Duluth East, was the only contestant on Monday’s episode of “Jeopardy!” to correctly ask “Who is Monet?” in the finale. The social-studies teacher from Burnsville High wagered her entire $9,600. She didn’t win the episode. Instead, Wendling advanced to Wednesday’s show as one of four wild-card picks because she earned the most money of the tournament’s runners-up. When she saw the Final Jeopardy category — the identity of a French painter who said he was good for nothing except painting and gardening — Wendling said she thought she was done. “In my head, I was basically waving goodbye to Alex Trebek,” Wendling said. “I just came up with every French painter I could think of. I knew Monet painted flowers. Everyone thinks (the answer) has to be something tricky. That was the obvious answer.” Wendling, who lives in Farmington, Minn., was on “The Weakest Link” and won $67,500 in 2001, and she won $50,000 on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in 2005.

Article source: http://www.minnpost.com/region/2012/02/budget-problems-slow-southwest-minnesota-water-system-plan-trickle

The Columbus Dispatch

Tuesday February 21, 2012 8:34 AM

The smell of skunk begins near Sawmill Road and persists into the Dublin city limits.

Drivers along the I-270 Outerbelt have noticed it, and so did a Dublin resident who fired off an
email to Bruce Edwards, the city’s website designer and handler of many online complaints and
questions.

“I think they want to know what the city can do with the skunk population,” Edwards said. “But
there’s only so much we can do. It’s their mating season.”

Concerns about odor, noise, city services or taxes are sometimes heard at City Council meetings.
But few residents attend. Increasingly, they’re reaching out to lawmakers via Facebook, Twitter,
phone calls and email, officials say.

“People won’t go to meetings. They won’t go to council,” Edwards said. “We’re opening the doors
of City Hall, and social media’s part of that.”

If a city responds quickly and tactfully, “You can turn those people who question us about city
practices to almost evangelize about them,” he said.

Worthington gets hundreds of complaints annually — recycling containers that disappear, barking
dogs, neighbors’ shaggy shrubs.

One Worthington resident was upset that a live opossum was in her trash can. “I don’t know how
to get rid of it safely and request assistance in doing so,” she wrote to the city’s new
website.

Because Worthington no longer has an animal warden, the woman was referred to a private
pest-control company.

As a civic association president, Rachel Dorothy complained about a flag and pole in disrepair
on city property late last year. Nine minutes after sending her email, she got a reply.

“It was fabulous,” said Dorothy, now a city councilwoman. “I do think we need more interaction
between the public and city employees. It adds an extra emphasis when you show up in person.”

Grove City Council meetings are among the best-attended in Franklin County. Visitors routinely
fill more than half of the nearly 150 seats available to the public. When hot topics are discussed,
some people have to stand.

City Hall is centrally located and an easy walk for many, said Don Walters, city spokesman.
Still, phone calls are by far the most-common method of contacting the city, he said. Typically,
callers want to know about recreational events.

One of the least-attended public meetings is the monthly Columbus Metropolitan Library board of
trustees gathering, where a lone reporter is often the only guest. Yet, the library receives
hundreds of inquiries a year, many of them sent to branch managers and then routed Downtown to
executive offices.

Many of the questions relate to personal accounts, fines or policies.

But one person wanted to know why a library employee with a trowel, and not an expert, was
removing a bird’s nest from the Main Library parking garage.

“Forgive my skepticism, but somehow I don’t think this guy was hired by the library for his
expertise in ornithology,” the author said.

“We definitely want to listen to everything our customers have to say,” said Kim Snell, library
spokeswoman. “And no question goes unanswered. We also know we can’t please everyone all the
time.”

dnarciso@dispatch.com

Article source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/02/21/suburban-gripes-conveyed-via-social-media.html