Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to take position after Michael Glos unexpectedly resigns.
Glos had been criticised for keeping too low a profile during the global economic crisis, and he was reportedly unhappy with the support he received from Merkel.
The new economy minister, who has become the youngest person to hold the role in Germany's post-war history, said he was ready to take on the position.
"We are in one of the greatest crises of the past years, a global crisis," Guttenberg said, adding that he aimed to bring new strength and resolve to tackling the downturn.
Horst Seehofer, leader of the CSU, said Guttenberg had a sound economic background.
Germany's economy is predicted to shrink by 2.5 per cent in 2009, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Unemployment is also on the rise, with economists warning 10 per cent of the workforce could be unemployed by September 27, when national elections are due to be held.


Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, one of India’s biggest stock market investors, advised caution ahead of Lok Sabha elections even as he said that the ruling government is likely to come back to power.
He was speaking on a day when the market hit new highs with a little over a month to go before election results. He was part of a panel discussion marking the launch of the latest entrant in the mutual fund industry -- the Sun Pharmaceutical Industries copromoter Sudhir Valia-backed ITI Mutual Fund. Others on the panel were Ramesh Damani, member, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE); Nimesh Shah, Managing Director and chief executive officer at ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company; and George Heber Joseph, chief executive officer and chief investment officer at ITI Mutual Fund.
Both the benchmark indices closed at all-time highs on Tuesday -- the S&P BSE Sensex closed at 39,275.64 while the National Stock Exchange's Nifty 50 ended at 11,787.15.
“Today is a new high in the market but all the bars are empty!” said Jhunjhunwala, suggesting that the market has been driven higher by a few stocks, rather than seeing a broad-based rally. However, he remained bullish on expectations of a pickup in the capex cycle and said that the phase of the bad loan crisis has passed.
Jhunjunwala said he expects the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to come back to power at the Centre. He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may not win a single-party majority in the Lok Sabha. However, he expects the ruling party to be a dominant partner in the new government.
Ramesh Damani advised investors against positioning themselves on the certainty of a particular party coming to power. He said markets have had a bad track-record in predicting election outcomes, and investors should be careful of being overly assured about a given outcome.
“I think the market is pricing another comfortable majority for the NDA, which may not happen,” he said.
Nimesh Shah said certain government-owned companies with good returns on equity and banks with a good liability franchise look good. He was also bullish on pharmaceutical and healthcare segments.
George Heber Joseph, chief executive officer and chief investment officer at ITI Mutual Fund, too was bullish on the pharma and healthcare segment, pointing out that the share of the wallet for these segments is likely to increase.
Jhunjhunwala also sounded another note of caution on the nature of the latest bull-run. He said it has failed to benefit the majority of people, which could result in the imposition of taxes for redistribution.


Posted on Thu, Feb 16, 2012 : 9:12 a.m.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis return to Hill Auditorium on Wednesday.
Last winter, when the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was booked to play in Ann Arbor, a blizzard prevented them from traveling to town. The way the weather’s been this year, the group, led by Wynton Marsalis, will probably make it here just fine, and they’ll have something more to celebrate than just their successful arrival.
The acclaimed, 15-member jazz ensemble is touring to mark Marsalis’ 50th birthday with a program that showcases a retrospective of Marsalis’ music written for big band. The group will perform Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Hill Auditorium under the auspices of the University Musical Society. This concert marks Marsalis’ 14th UMS performance.
Goines has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet since 1993. Currently, he is the director of Jazz Studies/professor of music at Northwestern University.
Who: Leading jazz ensemble led by Wynton Marsalis.
What: A retrospective of Marsalis’ music written for big band, to celebrate his 50th birthday.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22.
How much: $10-$54. For tickets or additional information, contact UMS at 734-764-2538 or online at www.ums.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the League Ticket Office, 911 N. University Ave., Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m., closed Sunday.
The hugely popular Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra has been the resident ensemble of Jazz at Lincoln Center since 1988. Marsalis is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards. In 1983 he became the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical records; he repeated this distinction by winning jazz and classical Grammy Awards again in 1984. He is also the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards in five consecutive years (1983-1987). Honorary degrees have been conferred upon him by more than 25 of America’s leading academic institutions.
But even with all that he’s accomplished so far, it seems like Marsalis is just hitting his stride.
“Don’t tell him he’s 50—he definitely hasn’t slowed down,” Goines said. “It seems like he’s added more to his plate. One of the most recent things he’s added is cultural correspondent to CBS News (on "CBS This Morning" and "CBS Sunday Morning”).
As an educator and as a performer, Marsalis is like no other, Goines added, although it can be difficult to separate the two.
“The thing that’s really unique about him is his ability to really identify both strengths and weaknesses in the blink of an eye.
Your true knowledge and ability to educate comes about when you have the opportunity to be in the room with someone and assist them in whatever their challenges might be, music or life. He is extraordinary in that regard, being able to really look into what’s going on in their life at that particular time and add suggestions that would hopefully make them a better person as well as a better performer. He’s truly been a major contributor.
“From a performance point of view, his legacy and his music speak for themselves. He’s been documented extensively over the years in both classical and jazz, he opted to go obviously into jazz. That’s what he loves.
It was just a choice, it’s what all of us aspire to, to have a choice. And he chose to be a jazz musician. And I think the musical world is better for it,” Goines said.


The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would no longer detain select migrant families who illegally cross the border in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The administration has struggled to manage the recent surge in illegal crossings and detention facilities have been pushed to occupancy limits. Additionally, immigration officials have come under fire for safety issues, including the December 2018 deaths of two Guatemalan children in custody.
The policy means Border Patrol agents will release hundreds of families instead of transferring them to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detention. Not all families will be released, the numbers of which will be determined by actual facility populations.
Those released by the Border Patrol will be given notices to appear, which orders them to report at a later date to immigration authorities for asylum requests or deportation. Families are allowed to live in the U.S. while waiting for the asylum process.
The Rio Grande Valley has produced 42 percent of the 136,000 arrests made for illegal border crossings nationally. Migrants are largely from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Families with children are currently permitted 20 days in one of three family detention centers, which hold thousands of people.


Apple is opening a new training camp designed to address the technology industry's scarcity of women in executive and computer programming jobs.
Apple has been trying to lessen its dependence on men in high-paying programming jobs.
Apple is launching a new program designed to address the technology industry’s scarcity of women in executive and computer programming jobs. Under the initiative announced Monday, female entrepreneurs and programmers will attend two-week tutorial sessions at the company’s Cupertino, California, headquarters. The camps will be held every three months beginning in January. For each round, Apple will accept up to 20 app makers founded or led by a woman. The app maker must have at least one female programmer in its ranks to qualify. Apple will cover travel expenses for up to three workers from each accepted company.
Like other major tech companies, Apple has been trying to lessen its dependence on men in high-paying programming jobs. Women filled just 23 per cent of Apple’s technology jobs in 2017, according to the company’s latest breakdown. That’s only a slight improvement from 20 per cent in 2014, despite the company’s pledge to diversify its workforce. The idea behind the new camp is to keep women interested and immersed in the field, said Esther Hare, Apple’s senior director of world developer marketing.
Apple’s training camp is “a great step forward,” said Lorraine Hariton, CEO of Catalyst, a group that fights for equal rights for women workers. “There a lot of talented women in technology. Hopefully, this helps set a tone for the entire industry.” But it’s not clear how much of a dent Apple’s new program will make. Google also offers training for girls and women pursuing careers in technology, but its program hasn’t done much to diversify the workforce so far. Women were hired for nearly 25 per cent of Google’s technology jobs in 2017, up from nearly 21 per cent in 2014, according to the company.
Apple and other technology companies maintain that one of the main reasons so many men are on their payrolls is that women traditionally haven’t specialized in the mathematical and science curriculum needed to program. But industry critics have accused the technology companies of discriminating against women through a male-dominated hierarchy that has ruled the industry for decades. Apple isn’t saying how much it is spending on the initiative, though beyond travel expenses, the company will be relying on its current employees to lead the sessions.


Documentary maker Ed Prosser was behind the whole thing, and he was fun to work with. I really like the way he’s cut it together so that you can see parallels between our experiences—especially the way the fear of hell played a role in all our experiences. You’ll also learn how listening to Def Leppard helped me become an atheist, although strangely this experience was not mirrored by the other speakers.
In a half hour documentary, you don’t get to hear anything like the whole story. Part of my story, which I never say explicitly, was the realisation that there were real Muslims and Hindus who were just as devout as me. I think this documentary would have been a very helpful thing to hear when I was 16 or 17. I grew up believing the ‘problem’ with the world was that not enough people had heard the Gospel. When I realised that hearing the Gospel would not make any difference to them, for the same reasons that hearing about the Qu’ran made no difference to me, it was a pivotal moment. This documentary makes that point nicely without anyone ever saying it.
You can listen or download it from the BBC website.
Speaking of Leaving the Fold, if you enjoy this documentary, I recommend Edward T. Babinski’s book of the same name. It’s only about Christianity, but it’s an excellent collection of testimonies by people who left fundamentalism.


Turkey's Gamze Bulut will not be awarded the London 2012 Olympic gold medal she was in line to receive from compatriot Aslı Çakır Alptekin after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) annulled her results from 2011 onwards.
The IAAF announced today that Bulut, second in the notorious 1,500 metres race at London 2012, will also lose the European title she won in Helsinki in 2012 as a result of an "athlete biological passport (ABP) case".
Bulut's team-mate Elvan Abeylegesse is also set to be stripped of the two silver medals she claimed at the Beijing 2008 Olympics over 5,000m and 10,000m.
She was banned for two years last year by the Turkish Athletics Federation after being revealed as one of 28 athletes for whom adverse findings were revealed by the IAAF.
This followed re-testing of samples from the 2005 and 2007 World Championships with the 34-year-old Ethiopian-born runner also relinquishing her 10,000m silver medal from the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
It comes after the IAAF confirmed she had failed a test at the event in the Japanese city, meaning her results from July 25, 2007 to July 25, 2009 were annulled.
Turkish newspaper Zaman claimed in 2016 that 24-year-old Bulut had fallen foul of doping rules.
She was detected following analysis of her ABP, which monitors selected biological variables over time that indirectly reveal the effects of doping rather than attempting to detect the doping substance or method itself.
Alptekin, who lost her 1,500m gold at London 2012 due to ABP abnormalities, was allegedly told she could keep her medal if she paid a bribe of €650,000 (£560,000/$700,000) to Papa Massata Diack, the son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack.
Her medal was never reallocated to Bulut.
Today's confirmation from the IAAF means Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain is in line to claim the London 2012 Olympic 1,500m gold medal, with Russia's Tatyana Tomashova set to be upgraded to silver.
Tomashova, however, served a two year doping ban from 2008.
Sweden's Abeba Aregawi, a former world champion, finished fifth in London and stands to receive bronze but she has also been implicated in doping after she failed for meldonium last year.
The 26-year-old was facing a four-year ban before her suspension was lifted by the Swedish Doping Commission in July after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued new guidelines.
Seventh-placed Natallia Kareiva of Belarus was banned in 2014 following abnormalities in her ABP and ninth-placed Russian Ekaterina Kostetskaya was also also given a two-year sanction in the same year.
Shalane Flanagan of the United States is set to be awarded Abeylegesse's Beijing 2008 5,000m silver, with Kenya's Linet Masai taking bronze.
Ethiopia's Meseret Defar is in line for 10,000m silver from the Games in the Chinese capital, while bronze will be claimed by Sylvia Kibet, also of Kenya.
Abeylegesse was second behind Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia in the 10,000m at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
Her silver should go to original bronze medallist Kara Goucher of the US, with Great Britain's Jo Pavey taking possession of the bronze.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Pavey said despite the upgrade, it is still "frustrating".
"I am thrilled with the news, but it is kind of bittersweet because when I think back to those championships I was running as hard as I could, I had got myself in the best shape and it was a hot and humid day," she said.
"Instead of being a moment where I was thrilled at getting my first medal, I was lying on the track feeling totally despondent and frustrated, I felt that I had let everyone down."
Russian doctor Sergei Nikolaevich was among the others named on a list of cases by the IAAF in their monthly newsletter and he will serve a life ban from the sport.
He was found to have "possessed, trafficked and administrated" prohibited substances.
Yarelys Barrios of Cuba, stripped of her Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medal in the discus for retrospectively failing a drugs test, will keep hold of the silver she won at the World Championships in Berlin the following year.
The Cuban will not be forced to return her medal as the 12-month period of removal of results as a result of the positive test from the 2008 Games expired before the event in the German capital began.


The cloud continued its march, the cybersecurity game changed, Apple sputtered, government cuts faced the music, and the PC zombie reanimated. Learn why 2016 was beautiful and terrible in tech.
Every week, we sound off on the most important technology trends in our Monday Morning Opener. Looking back on 2016, we've identified the five tectonic plate shifts that have made the biggest impact on the industry and our readers who use these tools to drive the progress of the planet.
It's almost a cop out to declare 2016 the year of the data breach since you could say something similar each year since 2000 or so. But 2016 brought maturity to data breaches and a marketplace where attacks from years ago still deliver value for cybercriminals. Yahoo closed out the year by disclosing 1 billion accounts were breached and that incident was separate from a previous attack that compromised 500 million folks. Yahoo takes the cybersecurity whipping boy prize for 2016.
Yahoo disclosed an attack that compromised 1 billion accounts.
Yahoo had 500 million names swiped just as Verizon was about to close an acquisition of the company.
Oracle's Micros unit had its payment systems hacked.
400 million users of AdultFriendFinder were exposed.
Meanwhile, data from older attacks resurfaced again. Just ask LinkedIn.
Distributed denial of service attacks also regained momentum. Dyn, a managed DNS service, was hit with a DDoS that ultimately turned out to be an attack that revolved around using Internet of things devices as a weapon.
The one common theme that always remains is that humans are the weakest link in the security food chain even as the attacks become a bit more creative.
What was most interesting about the Amazon Web Services re:Invent powwow was how far the company has come in landing enterprise customers as well as all-in bets on its infrastructure as a service. Not that the rest of the field was standing still, but AWS easily became Amazon's most profitable business. Amazon is basically an enterprise cloud company that engages in e-commerce for giggles (at least based on the bottom line).
Google is clearly betting on artificial intelligence and machine learning as its primary differentiator. Machine learning and AI will be the cloud driver for all the major players.
Microsoft Azure is gaining hybrid momentum and has embraced open source and technologies like Docker at a clip that continues to surprise.
And IBM is building out its platform as a service efforts to ultimately tie them to Watson.
On other fronts, Oracle's cloud business grew at a rapid clip and will expand more via the acquisition of NetSuite. Salesforce rolled out Einstein, an effort to infuse its services with artificial intelligence.
When we look back at 2016 the inflection point of the cloud will be obvious. Earlier this decade we talked a lot about the cloud. Today, cloud services will fade to the background as the primary way to build enterprise architecture. The revolution will continue, but move more to the background. Sound familiar? Think Linux. Linux made a big splash and wound up being in every data center--once we stopped yapping about it.
We can't help but look at 2016 as a year of Apple sliding back toward mediocrity--despite the fact that it remains the most profitable company in tech and the most valuable business in the world. Nevertheless, it did little to dispel our long-term skepticism about the company as its competitors continue to gain ground and Apple shows few signs of opening new markets or finding its next big thing.
The greatest indictment against Apple may be its sheer number of frayed edges. For a company that now has over 100,000 employees, the lack of focus is beginning to show. Its iCloud services remain second class behind Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. The latest Apple Watch still fails to live up to Apple's design prowess. Its new laptops continue to tax the loyalty of power users. Its flagship iWork suite is one of several crusty software relics that continue to lag on the Mac. The iPad Pro line still leaves us scratching our heads about who it's actually for.
The company's biggest bright spot in 2016 was the success of the iPhone 7, which exceeded expectations. Still, it's important to remember that Apple spent most of the year lowering expectations ahead of the launch of the latest iPhone in September. And, both interest and sales were artificially bolstered by Samsung's epic fail with the Galaxy Note7.
Despite the iPhone 7 turning into a win, overall iPhone sales decelerated in 2016 as high-quality, low-cost Android devices siphoned off demand in China. Since the iPhone makes up roughly 70% of Apple's revenue, that's the biggest danger sign of the year in Cupertino. In 2017, Apple has a lot of cleanup work to do across board--especially in software and services--and it needs to hit a homerun with the 10-year anniversary iPhone.
Microsoft's Surface Pro and Surface Studio, Apple's MacBook with Touch Bar, various gymnastic Yoga devices from Lenovo; after years in the doldrums, the PC is suddenly interesting again.
A few years back it looked like tablets and smartphones would drive the PC into extinction. And that might still be true: PC shipments are sliding and there's little likelihood that they will leap back up again. And even worse, voice-powered digital assistants packed into new devices like the Amazon Echo are also taking on the jobs that PCs used to do in the home. Business users will remain PC loyalists--they're the people who need to type or write or draw and so the PC is evolving to suit them better. That means lower volumes, higher prices and better design than ever before.
In future, the PC will be more of a niche device, and unexpectedly all the cooler for it. Perhaps PCs will go the same way as vinyl records--spurned by the majority and loved by the hipster connoisseur.
As we look back at the OPM hack of 2015, it was not a one-off, and instead signalled a new normal in the state of affairs for governments handling technology.
For as much as concerned citizens may fear Facebook sweeping up all personal information put into its systems, it is yet to surpass the treasure trove of data compiled by governments, and you have no choice but to hand over that personal information for their safekeeping.
While governments are looking to appear innovative with big data projects to defeat slumlords, or want to "uberify" buses, there remain legacy systems and underfunded departments struggling to keep pace.
Years of budget cuts to public agencies in jurisdictions the world over have led to institutional knowledge and capability disappearing in droves--ironically at a time when governments need to be smarter than ever.
The Australian Census debacle stands tall as an example of an agency trying to deal with a dismal budget, a multinational vendor with bad plans in the shape of IBM, and a structural inability to change its ways.
To cap off 2016, Australia's version of the IRS, the Australian Taxation Office was victim to a two-day outage thanks to its HPE storage arrays falling over.
Until governments start to refund agencies to handle IT and protect their data properly, there will be a cavalcade of governmental security and infrastructure bungles that should serve as a warning to the private sector on what not to do.
And these are only the mishaps and problems we know about.


He may have lacked a nifty button, but President Obama tried to reset relations with Russia on Tuesday as he does best: with a speech. "Progress must be shared,” Obama said in Moscow, adding “America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia” and the countries are not “destined to be antagonists.” The speech was sprinkled with his trademarks—“by no means is America perfect,” he said at one point, and he mentioned his own unique background. Still, did Russians pay attention? It was not broadcast on any of the main Russian television channels or radio stations. Earlier in the day, Obama had a two-hour private breakfast with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.


Nearly one-third of Arizona hospitals rated in the federal government's latest quality ratings received low scores of one or two stars out of five.
Eighteen Arizona hospitals had low scores of one or two stars out of five, according to new federal ratings intended to gauge patient safety and quality.
One- and two-star rated Arizona hospitals represented nearly one-third of all hospitals in the state that were included in the star ratings, a recently updated federal ratings system that relied on data submitted by hospitals to the federal government. The national and state average was three stars.
The overall star ratings, released by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, mark the first update in nearly 15 months.
Of the 3,724 U.S. hospitals that received a star rating in the latest data release, 7.6 percent earned one star, an Arizona Republic analysis found.
In Arizona, two hospitals received that worst-level one-star rating: Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista and Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City.
Four Arizona hospitals were among 293 hospitals nationwide to receive the best, five-star rating. Those hospitals are Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff; Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix; HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center in Scottsdale; and Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood.
The 'star' ratings aim to give consumers patient safety and quality information about Medicare-certified hospitals based on measures in seven categories, including mortality and hospital-acquired infections. Among the specific measures are emergency department wait times, sepsis care, and infection rates caused by the bacterium clostridium difficile, often called c. diff. Both sepsis and c.diff can be fatal.
The star ratings are posted on a federal website called Hospital Compare that allows consumers to look up measures such as infection rates at hospitals and compare them other hospitals.
Hospital leaders have complained that the star ratings unfairly punish hospitals that handle a more complex and sicker patient population, and that most of the data used to calculate the rating is more than a year old. Some patient safety experts say the star ratings are positive for health care because they provide much-needed transparency, which spurs improvement and builds trust.
Lisa McGiffert, a national patient safety expert who ran the Safe Patient Project for "Consumer Reports" for 15 years, said the data on Hospital Compare is uniform for all hospitals and the system is fair to them.
Hospitals have complained about the data lag for years to explain away poor results, she said.
"When you look at Hospital Compare, that is the most up-to-date data out there," said McGiffert, now a patient safety advocate for the Patient Safety Action Network. "And there's nothing preventing hospitals from giving more information to people in their community."
The recently released overall star ratings did not address "major concerns" about methodology and usefulness, the American Hospital Association said in a statement.
The association, an industry group, had asked for the release of the latest ratings to be postponed.
Federal officials say they are considering changes to the star rating program in an effort to make it more precise and consistent. One change under consideration would place hospitals with similar characteristics in "peer groups" that would allow, for example, teaching hospitals to be compared against other teaching hospitals — rather than against all hospitals.
A federal public comment period on the proposed changes is open through March 29.
Hospitals that rate one star or two stars may have strengths that aren't reflected in the overall score.
Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, for example, earned one star overall, but has the best rate in the state for its response to severe sepsis. The hospital also has the best score in the state for its percentage of its health-care workers vaccinated against the flu virus — 95 percent.
Canyon Vista did not perform as well in emergency department wait times. At 54 minutes, the median time spent in the emergency department before seeing a health-care professional was the longest in the state, the data shows.
Canyon Vista's heart attack care also lagged. Its 12-minute average number of minutes before outpatients with chest pain or a possible heart attack got an electrocardiogram was longer than the state average of eight minutes.
In addition to earning a one-star rating, Canyon Vista is one of 15 Arizona hospitals that will incur a federal penalty this fiscal year for its rate of hospital-acquired conditions.
Canyon Vista issued a statement to The Arizona Republic that said positive changes to enhance safety and quality are not reflected in the rating, nor in its federal penalty, because of the lag in data.
Officials with the Sierra Vista hospital added that they appreciate public hospital quality reports, and will continue using them to "continuously improve patient care and experience."
Leaders with the other Arizona hospital to receive a one-star rating, Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City also said the hospital's more recent patient safety improvements aren't reflected in the rating.
Among factors that worked against the Bullhead City hospital in its rating was having one of the worst Arizona rates of health-care workers vaccinated against the flu. Also, the percentage of the hospital's patients who went to its emergency department and then left without being seen was higher than both the state and national average.
Sarah Caddick, the hospital's chief quality officer, said the hospital has lower than average mortality rates for the population it serves, and is performing well in infection prevention. Its rate of appropriately responding to patients with sepsis and septic shock was already above the national average, she said, and that is confirmed in the federal data.
Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, which has been penalized by the federal government five years in a row for its rate of hospital-acquired conditions, did better in the most recent overall star rating, earning three stars.
The star rating takes into account hospital-acquired conditions, but includes other measures, too. The county safety-net hospital scored well on its rate of patients and employees getting flu vaccines, on its blood clot prevention rates and on patient satisfaction.
In its previous overall star rating, Maricopa Medical Center had earned two stars.
"A lot of the improvement came about by having a more collaborative approach to addressing things," said Sherry Stotler, the chief nursing officer and senior vice president of clinical services at Maricopa Integrated Health System.
The hospital is making quality changes by bringing more people to the table — not just doctors and nurses but other health-care workers like respiratory therapists and pharmacists, among others, Stotler said.
Maricopa Medical Center also has what many patient safety experts say is a positive way to ensure overall quality that is not found at all hospitals: a patient advisory committee that provides input from current and former patients on how the hospital could improve.
Numerous metrics measure hospital quality, and ratings and penalties provide a snapshot, Stotler said. The existing federal penalty and star-ratings programs are nonetheless positive for hospitals, she said.
"I know you have to have some measure. ... There's probably never a perfect one," Stotler said. "I take it as a continued opportunity to improve, see what others are doing."
Reach health-care reporter Stephanie Innes at stephanie.innes@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter: @stephanieinnes.
Agnel Philip is an investigative reporter at The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com. Reach him at aphilip@gannett.com, on Twitter at @agnel88_philip, or on Facebook.


Boil with no toil Changing the degree to which a surface repels water can alter how violently water boils, report researchers, a finding that could help improve the efficiency of heating.
Professor Derek Chan of the University of Melbourne and colleagues report their findings today in the journal Nature.
One of the factors determining the efficiency of heating water is the contact that the water has with the heating surface.
The problem is the hotter a surface gets, the more likely it is that efficiency will suffer due to a phenomenon known as the Leidenfrost effect.
A common demonstration of this phenomenon is when drops of water skitter across a hot barbeque plate without evaporating.
The drops don't evaporate because the extreme heat causes an insulating layer of vapour to form between the water drops and the hot surface.
The insulation slows heat transfer and that can be a problem in some situations if you want to heat water quickly, for example in a power station.
"If you want efficient heating you do not want to form a Leidenfrost layer," says Chan.
Chan and colleagues, including Dr Ivan Vakarelski of the King Abdul University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, have now found that changing the coating on a hot surface can control whether a Leidenfrost vapour layer forms.
In their experiment they coated 2-centimetre diameter steel balls in four different coatings ranging from very hydrophilic (water-loving) to superhydrophobic (very water-repellent).
They heated the balls to hundreds of degrees Celsius, then plunged them into water at room temperature and filmed what happened as each ball cooled in the water.
Initially, each ball transferred its heat to the water without causing bubbles.
In this situation, the Leidenfrost effect was operating - the ball was extremely hot and, like the barbeque plate, was causing an insulating vapour layer to form between it and the water.
In the case of the three balls that had the least water-repellent coatings, water around them eventually started to bubble violently.
"As the ball cools down, the water breaks through the vapour layer and makes direct contact with the hot surface," says Chan. "When that happens you get an explosion of bubbles."
But the ball with the most hydrophobic surface behaved differently. It had a surface chemically modified to be water-repelling, but also textured so the water around it effectively sat on a tiny 'bed of nails'.
Chan says a Leidenfrost vapour layer was generated around the ball the minute it hit the water and insulated it from the liquid, slowing down the transfer of heat so it cooled completely without any bubbles forming at all.
"That's never been seen before," he says.
If the new findings apply more generally they could be used to create surfaces that help improve the efficiency of heat transfer in engineering applications, such as power stations.
"If you are an engineer designing a boiler to heat water, you want to avoid the formation of a vapour layer because that makes heat transfer inefficient," says Chan.
"Therefore you want to use hydrophilic surfaces which transfer heat much better than superhydrophobic surfaces which always form a vapour layer."
On the other hand, superhydrophobic surfaces could be used to bring about a slower gentle bubble-free boiling - perhaps creating safer kettles, Chan muses.
Superhydrophobic surfaces could also be used to coat powerlines, he says, to prevent water from cooling and forming frost on them.
And because vapour layers also reduce the drag between different surfaces, superhydrophobic surfaces might also be useful in the development of self-cleaning coatings on buildings and windows, says Chan.
Use these social-bookmarking links to share Surface dictates how violently water boils.


Regina Jacobs thought she was set to run the 1,500 meters at the Olympics after winning that event at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials last Sunday.
Her husband and coach, Tom Craig, said Jacobs could run the 5,000 instead after she won that race at the Olympic trials Friday.
That was a surprise to Jacobs, even if she had just broken her U.S. record for the 5,000 with a winning time of 14 minutes 45.35 seconds. She set the old mark of 14:52.49 in 1998.
"There goes our marital bliss," she said. "I'm going to have to call the hotel and have our keys changed. There obviously are going to be many days of discussion."
Craig wants to wait at least until a 3,000-meter race Aug. 11 in Zurich to make a decision. Jacobs expects to meet the world's top 5,000 runners, including Gabriela Szabo of Romania, Gete Wami of Ethiopia and Sonia O'Sullivan of Ireland, in that race.
The only sure thing is that Jacobs will not double in the 5,000, which comes first on the Olympic schedule, and the 1,500.
"We have made a covenant," Craig said, "not to covet things out of our reach, not to get greedy, not to risk a possible medal in the 1,500. After this, though, she could do the 5,000 if some of the other players get shaky."
Jacobs has won consecutive world-championship silver medals in the 1,500 but has "unfinished business" in the Olympic 1,500, which she has run three times. Each one has been an improvement: 11th in a preliminary heat in 1988, 12th in the semifinals in 1992, 10th in the final in 1996.
"I have been trying to get a medal in the 1,500 for many many years," Jacobs said. "If I could get a medal of any color and break Mary Slaney's record, you would see me speechless for the first time."
At 37, with a bachelor's degree from Stanford and a master's in business administration from Cal-Berkeley, Jacobs has begun dominating a range of distances on the U.S. scene the way Slaney did for more than a decade.
"One of the most incredible things is not the longevity or the improved performances but the lack of injury," Jacobs said.
Jacobs has had a top 10 U.S. ranking in at least one event for 13 of the last 15 seasons. This season she has a U.S. leading time in the 800 and has won the trials in both the 1,500 and 5,000, joining Marion Jones as the only double winners here.
Ancient hammerers: Lance Deal, 38, and Jud Logan, 41, were 1-3 in the men's hammer Friday night. "When I was growing up, Lance and Jud were my heroes," said runner-up Kevin McMahon, 28.
Notes: Reigning NCAA champion Tom Pappas, 23, of the University of Tennessee, upset favored Chris Huffins in the decathlon Friday. Huffins had won a bronze medal at the 1999 world championships. ... Connie Price-Smith, 38, won her 11th outdoor shot put title (the trials also count as the U.S. championship) to make a fourth Olympic team.


PARIS (Reuters) – Thierry Henry’s Monaco stretched their winless run in Ligue 1 to four games as they drew 1-1 with Patrick Vieira’s Nice on Wednesday as the two former Arsenal greats did battle in the dugout.
Former France internationals Henry and Vieira played 313 games together at Arsenal, under the Premier League club’s former boss Arsene Wenger, and with Les Bleus, but their former loyalties were put to one side as Monaco chased a first league win since Dec. 4.
The result left Monaco second from bottom with 15 points from 20 games while Nice, who played the second half with 10 men following Ihsan Sacko’s red card, stayed sixth on 30 points.
Olympique Lyonnais edged closer to second-placed Lille as Nabil Fekir’s late strike salvaged a 2-2 draw at Toulouse in one of five rescheduled matches while Olympique de Marseille’s winless streak stretched to five games in a 2-1 defeat at St Etienne. The limelight, however, was on 1998 World Cup winners Henry and Vieira.
Henry had to make do without Cesc Fabregas as the Spanish midfielder, who joined the club last week from Chelsea, was not qualified to play when the game was initially scheduled.
Allan Saint Maximin put the visitors ahead with a low shot from inside the box after easing past Jemerson, exposing Monaco’s weak defence.
Benoit Badiashile headed the equaliser home from a Rony Lopes corner as Monaco made their dominance count following the exclusion of Sacko on the stroke of halftime.
Lyon went 2-0 down in Toulouse after a Jimmy Durmaz double but Moussa Dembele pulled one back in the 75th, and substitute Fekir levelled with a perfectly curled free kick in the 87th.
Lyon are fourth on 34 points, three behind Lille with runaway leaders Paris St Germain on 50 points with two games in hand.
St Etienne are third on 36 points after a Wahbi Khazri double helped them beat a Marseille side who were without a proper striker in their starting 11.
The visitors went ahead, however, when Kevin Strootman headed home in the 16th minute, only for Khazri to equalise with a 58th-minute penalty and then give St Etienne all three points with a fierce shot into the top corner one minute from fulltime.


New Orleans' massive education gamble has paid off in higher test scores, according to Tulane University's Education Research Alliance for New Orleans.
"The reforms produced large academic improvements," alliance Director Doug Harris said. He presented his team's work Friday and Saturday (June 19-20) at the alliance's Katrina + 10 conference that examined the last decade and opened the door to the next.
After the storm, the state Recovery School District took over more than 100 long-struggling public schools. Many closed; almost all that still exist became independently run charters that enroll students from all over the city. The change has been central to the city in its recovery and inspired educators and policymakers nationwide. One can only imagine the economic impact of all the researchers, consultants, politicians and journalists who have showed up in New Orleans to see the reforms for themselves.
The result, among elementary and middle school students through 2012: Test score gains of eight to 13 percentile points, Harris said. A child who once scored in the 40th percentile is now just about average.
That may not sound like much, but it's "very rare to see movement like that," Harris said. "It's hard to achieve real gains." The improvements are bigger than those other studies have found for popular interventions such as shrinking class sizes or expanding preschool.
Unlike data put out by the state, the Tulane researchers controlled for various factors that might affect scores, including the trauma of loss and displacement, the change in the city's population and the schools children attended while they were gone.
The conference appears to be the biggest dedicated to New Orleans post-Katrina education. It attracted major national and local players. Some were opponents who questioned the reforms. But far louder was the self-questioning by the very people who championed the changes.
They came with costs, Marquette University Professor Howard Fuller said: "If you only concentrate on the fact that the schools are much better than they were pre-Katrina for a lot of kids ... I think you're going to miss a larger point."
Consensus has grown that the new system had a lot of problems at first. Some public schools excluded or mistreated challenging children. Some hired young teachers without a thought of making sure a decent number of them looked like the students they taught.
Several speakers thought those particular problems were well on their way to being fixed. But some have barely been touched, they said.
"We have to do more and different," Education Superintendent John White said. He noted that the public schools are still largely segregated. Almost three-quarters enrolled fewer than 10 white students last fall, according to state data. In addition, "We remain third in the nation as a metropolitan area for the number of disconnected 16- to 24-year-olds," who are neither working nor in school, White said. "We have to acknowledge these are realities."
Despite the gains, scores remain low. "At one point 60 percent of our kids were in the last decile statewide. Now it's 16 percent. That is a dramatic improvement," said Michael Stone, co-CEO of New Schools for New Orleans. But "we're trumpeting these gains that are getting us to the state average in a state that's 49th." Fewer than 20 percent of students have state test scores the country would consider proficient.
Harris said not all groups of students benefited equally. The achievement gap widened between the African American students and the few white public school students. He said it was because black students' scores plunged when they returned, likely because they experienced more trauma or attended bad schools or even no school in the Katrina year.
Fuller co-founded the Black Alliance for Educational Options and supports the reforms. Still, he said the firing of more than 7,000 public school employees, mostly African Americans, remained an open wound. He said black New Orleanians generally feel the reforms "have been to us, not with us," a disempowerment that threatens the schools' long-term success.
The research didn't show what worked and why -- a necessary step if New Orleans is to influence the rest of the country. The freedom from red tape that lets principals choose whom they hire and how they teach? The influx of disaster relief and philanthropy money? After the storm, New Orleans school spending shot up by $8,000 per student, Harris said. It has since fallen to $1,000 extra.
Has the city even focused on the right places to change poverty? "Students can't eat a test score," former Loyola professor Andre Perry said.
"If Louisiana were its own country it would have the highest incarceration rate in the world, and New Orleans has the highest incarceration rate in Louisiana," Stone said. If that had gotten as much attention as education, "I think our city would be in a much healthier place."
Facing an avalanche of papers, articles and op-eds this summer examining whether the New Orleans reforms worked, Stone was one of many who said they were moving on to the next set of problems.
"I'm getting tired talking about where we were in 2005 and where we are now," he said. "I'm very excited to start talking about where we'll be in 2025."


Audio Push are back with another project just a few months after releasing The Good Vibe Tribe earlier this year. The duo of Oktane and Price hit fans with a sequel to their 2011 release My Turn earlier today and their latest uses production from the likes of Future, Mobb Deep, and K Camp to similar effect.
Audio Push are currently prepping a yet-to-be-titled album due out later this year. “Our album is just about done,” Price said. “And the only way to get stuff out at this point is just to do that. We have a ton of music that we have stored of it, a ton of it we’ve done with other beats and stuff."
Stream all six tracks from My Turn II below.


Welcome back to another edition of FishbowlNY’s weekly Cover Battle. This round we have Variety taking on Politico Magazine.
Variety features an illustration of Donald Trump getting primped by the media. Trump’s hair has never looked better.
Politico’s annual Media Issue also features Trump and—more disturbingly—someone taking a photo using an iPad.
Which Cover is Better, Variety or Politico?


After Donald Trump sniped back at LeBron James' suggestion that he fuels American racial divides, support has flooded in for the NBA great -- including from the US president's own wife, Melania.
In an interview on Tuesday -- also broadcast late Friday -- Los Angeles Lakers player and philanthropist James told CNN he believed Trump "is kind of trying to divide us."
"He's kind of used sport to... divide us and that's something I can't relate to, because I know that sport was the first time I ever was around someone white. You know?" said James, who on Monday opened an elementary school for at-risk youth in his native Akron, Ohio.
For the rest of the week, Trump was uncharacteristically silent -- until Friday night, when he finally shot back.
"Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, (CNN presenter) Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn't easy to do," the president tweeted.
Stephanie Grisham was quoted by CNN as saying James appeared to be "working to do good things on behalf of our next generation."
"Just as she always has, the First Lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today," she said.
Grisham added the first lady "would be open to visiting" James' new school.
Meanwhile, Don Lemon, the presenter who had interviewed James, also got Melania Trump involved.
"Who's the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest", Lemon tweeted, using the hashtag of her youth wellbeing awareness campaign, which advocates against cyberbullying.
Elsewhere, Trump's former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton backed James as a "great family man" and "incredible ballplayer" who "gives back to his community, and isn't afraid to speak his mind."
"He's a world class athlete and a class act. We need more like him in this world," she tweeted.
"Keep doing you @KingJames!" Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry tweeted in a succinct message of support.
"We got your back @KingJames Someone sure sound like they wish they was you," tweeted linebacker Bobby Wagner of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
Even NBA icon Michael Jordan -- known for his reluctance to comment on political and societal matters in his prime -- weighed in, after Trump closed his tweet saying "I like Mike!"
"I support LJ," Jordan, now the owner of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, said in a statement released through his publicist. "He's doing an amazing job for his community."
But James himself steered clear of the matter on social media, on Saturday tweeting only a picture of students at his new school with the message: "Let's get it kids!! Love you guys."
This weekend's controversy was just the latest in a long-running feud between James and the president.
He was responding to remarks by then-Cavs star James as well as Curry, who both said they would not attend a White House reception.
Last year, Trump also withdrew an invitation to the NBA champions Warriors after Curry and several teammates indicated misgivings about attending a White House event.


A delegation of pro-Israel MPs visited Hevron for the first time while in Israel to support Jewish rights to the land.
A delegation of 18 parliamentarians from around the world visited Hevron today, alongside the thousands of other visitors who came to the city's holy sites over the Intermediate Days of Sukkot.
The MPs, all members of their local Israel Allies Caucuses, visited the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the Hevron Museum in Hadassah house and the Tel Rumeida lookout point.
This tour was the first of its kind. Never before have so many parliamentarians from around the world come to Hevron.
They came to show their support for the residents of Hevron and to experience the holy sites.
The MPs came to Israel to participate in the 5th annual Israel Allies Foundation Jerusalem Chairman’s Conference at the Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Israel's capital.
During the conference the MPs agreed to work towards the passing of resolutions recognizing Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel in their home countries. This is the first international response to the recent UNESCO vote denying any link between the Jewish people and Jerusalem.
Saeb Erkat condemned the visit of the MPs to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Hevron. He attempted to pressure the governments of the countries the MPs came from to prevent the MPs from coming to the conference. South African MP Kenneth Meshoe received explicit threats but still came to Israel.
Among the prominent MPs who came to the conference were Italian Senator Lucio Malan, who passed a bill prohibiting Holocaust denial, Dutch MP Kees van der Staaij,who passed a bill banning funding for BDS, and MEP Bas Belder, the head of the Israel Allies Caucus in the European Parliament.
MPs also came from Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Greece, Portugal, Brazil, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Chile, and Malawi.
South African MP Kenneth Meshoe said "I stand here today in a place that has been called 'Judea' for more than 3,000 years. To say that the Jews are occupiers in Judea is no less absurd than to say that the Arabs are occupiers in the Arab countries."
The director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, Josh Reinstein, said that "It was important to bring the delegation of MPs to Hevron, the city of our ancestors, especially in light of the UNESCO vote. Here you can clearly see the connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel."


Summer fun is already on the cards for one set of enthusiastic villagers.
Banishing the winter blues are the organisers of the annual Misterton Gala who are already putting plans in place for this year’s event.
The 2015 community day takes place on Saturday July 4 at Misterton Sports Social Club from noon until 5pm.
Once again, there will be a programme of live music, arena attractions, stalls, children’s activities, and food and drink.
And this year, as the gala falls on the USA’s Independence Day, there will be a fancy dress competition with an American theme.
q Children’s activities –Liz 014278 891991.
Anyone that can also spare an hour or two to help on the gate is asked to telephone Rick on 01427 891376. Other offers of help are appreciated – call Hazel on 01427 891376.
A spokesman said: “The organising team also invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced individuals and organisations able to provide the catering service.


Nestled in a serene sun-drenched setting of mature gardens, this 3732 sqft. custom-built craftsman home is a tasteful blend of design & quality workmanship. The spacious open concept floor plan is an entertainer’s dream highlighted by a showstopper kitchen with massive granite island, 2 ovens, handcrafted wood cabinetry & Wolf stove. The outdoor wrap-around-deck is a private oasis complete with tropical plants, rock feature, outdoor sink&a unique west coast hand painted mural. Upstairs you’ll find 3 large beds, 2 baths, laundry & vaulted ceilings infusing natural light throughout. Thoughtfully designed his & her walk-in closets, a spa-inspired ensuite with rain shower, Nuheat, dual sinks & jacuzzi tub are just some of the luxurious features that set this home apart. Downstairs boasts a large media/rec room(option for 4th bed) additional laundry, steamshower & access to a 2 car, heated man cave. Additional highlights include a stone gas fireplace, video security, AC, surround sound, garden irrigation, Sonos, Control 4, bike storage locker & a 240 sqft bonus storage unit. Just one block from the beach, close to schools, parks, shopping, restaurants & all Deep Cove has to offer.
Perched above the horizon on a quiet West Van cul-de-sac, this completely renovated 2300sqft., rancher boasts spectacular jetliner views from almost every room in the home. The boomer friendly, one level, functional floor plan is conducive to both indoor-outdoor living with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms&12’ skylit vaulted ceilings that transmit natural light throughout. Features include heated bathroom floors, Kohler fixtures, wainscotting, brand new Fisher Paykel w/d,& a beautiful view kitchen with granite island, counters and backsplash. The partially covered patio overlooks the private and child safe, fully fenced, flat back yard with easy to maintain landscaped gardens. Enjoy yourmorning coffee while watching the sunrise over Mt. Baker. This million dollar view will not disappoint. No wires, just skyline from as far as the eye can see. Close to Collingwood, Capilano Golf Club and only one block to transit.


Featured Investigation Civil War Sabotage?
The steamship Sultana exploded one night in 1865, killing more than 1,800 people. Was the disaster a result of Civil War sabotage?
Civil War Cannon Season 9, Episode 1 How did the contents of this glass tube impact the first hours of the Civil War?
The Ni'ihau Incident Season 9, Episode 1 What do these metal parts reveal about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor?
Yakima Canutt's Saddle Season 9, Episode 1 What leading role did this saddle play in the birth of the Hollywood cowboy?
Spanish Civil War Eulogy Season 9, Episode 2 What can this faded document tell about a US volunteer fighting in another country’s civil war?
Tiffany Window Season 9, Episode 2 What can this watercolor reveal about the unexpected world of one of America’s great artists?
World War II Leaflets Season 9, Episode 2 How did this scrap of paper help change the course of World War II?
John Brown Pike Season 9, Episode 3 How did this metal blade spark violent tension between the North and the South?
Siberian Bullet Season 9, Episode 3 What can this bullet reveal about the hidden agenda of American forces in a fight against Soviet Communism?
Ronald McDonald Costume Season 9, Episode 3 Is this the costume that helped serve up a billion Happy Meals?
African American Comic Book Season 9, Episode 4 Did the makers of this 1950s comic book have more than romance on their minds?
Civil War Letters Season 9, Episode 4 What can these letters reveal about a racially-charged massacre on a Civil War battlefield?
Lindbergh-Sikorsky Fabric Season 9, Episode 4 How do the signatures on this patch of fabric connect Charles Lindbergh to another first in flight?
Clara Barton Letter Season 9, Episode 5 What does this letter reveal about America's early efforts to honor its war dead?
Drone Propellor Season 9, Episode 5 Could this propellor have powered a top secret weapon that transformed modern warfare?
Teddy Roosevelt War Club Season 9, Episode 5 What could this strange object have to do with Teddy Roosevelt and his run for a third term presidency?
Baker's Gold Season 9, Episode 6 What role did these unusual drawings play in one of the largest mass migrations in American history?
Japanese Carved Cane Season 9, Episode 6 What can the message on this cane expose about life behind barbed wire in World War II America?
Kittery Telescope Season 9, Episode 6 What can this telescope reveal about America’s earliest struggles for independence?
Andrew Jackson's Mouth Season 9, Episode 7 How was this wood fragment connected to one of the most celebrated political protests of the 19th century?
Modoc Basket Season 9, Episode 7 What tales does this basket weave of the heroism of an American-Indian woman?
Hot Town Poster Season 9, Episode 7 What role did this striking poster play in the explosive events of 1960s America?
Drug Smuggling Doll Season 9, Episode 8 What does this doll reveal about disease, death and daring during the Civil War?
Florida Map Season 9, Episode 8 How did this faded map help unlock the riches of the New World?
Marion Carpenter Camera Season 9, Episode 8 What might this battered camera reveal about a photographer who changed the image of a U.S president?
1775 Almanac Season 9, Episode 9 What do these crumbling pages reveal about divided loyalties during the American Revolution?
Exercise Records Season 9, Episode 9 What role did these records play in the sculpting of america's fixation with fitness?
Moon Museum Season 9, Episode 9 Was work by major artists, including Andy Warhol, smuggled to the moon?
Leopold Medal Season 9, Episode 10 What does this medal reveal about a top-secret American Military project during WWII?
Suffrage Pennant Season 9, Episode 10 What can this pennant tell us about one woman's role at a crucial point in Women's Suffrage movement?
WB Cartoons Season 9, Episode 10 What can this curious artwork tell us about some of our most beloved cartoon characters?
St Valentine's Day Massacre Season 9, Episode 11 Was this weapon fired in one of the nation's most infamous crimes?
Continental Club Card Season 9, Episode 11 What secrets can this business card reveal about glamour and vice in 1930s Los Angeles?
Society Circus Program Season 9, Episode 11 Why are some of New York's wealthiest planning a circus at the depth of the Great Depression?
Chandler Tintype Season 9, Episode 12 How did this Civil War era tintype help re-ignite a fiery debate about African Americans bearing arms for the confederacy?
Harlem Heirs Season 9, Episode 12 How is this ornate document connected to the earliest settlers of New York City and a potential multi-million dollar land dispute?
Ince Ledger Season 9, Episode 12 What does this accounts ledger for a movie company have to do with the changing world of the Lakota Sioux?
Browse by location Find investigations by their location using the History Detectives interactive map.


Family caregivers have a huge responsibility, and on January 1, 2017, a new law takes effect that will make life a little bit easier for them.
November is National Family Caregiver's Month.
Nearly 600,000 Minnesotans care for older parents, spouses or loved ones, helping them to live independently in their own homes. These family caregivers have a huge responsibility, and on January 1, 2017, a new law takes effect that will make life a little bit easier for them.
Provide your loved one the opportunity to designate a family caregiver in the medical record.
Notify the family caregiver when your loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home.
Give description and instruction of the medical tasks that the family caregiver will need to perform at home.
Download the CARE Act wallet card. Keep it in your wallet, clipped to your insurance card, so you have important information about the CARE Act when you need it most.
AARP Minnesota fought for the CARE Act because supporting caregivers is a top priority for all of us. We hope you will save this article in case your loved one needs medical care. That way, you’ll have important information about this new law available when you need it most.
Download the CARE Act wallet card.
This article and information sponsored by AARP Minnesota.


Repairs to the Larrywaug Bridge on Route 183 in Stockbridge are being backed by a grant through a state program created in 2016.
Berkshire County leaders are welcoming new state aid to fix deteriorating small bridges ineligible for federal funding. But the money won’t solve the problem.
The county has 109 small bridges that aren’t eligible for federal funding.
“I think that [the program] could be a tremendous help. I wish the state would put a lot more money into it,” said David Turocy, commissioner of public services for the city of Pittsfield.
Small bridges are the responsibility of the towns, which don’t have the funding to pay for needed repairs and replacement.
“[Small bridges] are on the town’s dime, and they don’t have the dime to do it,” said Clete Kus, transportation program manager for the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.
Enter the Municipal Small Bridge Program, a five-year, $50 million life raft signed into law last year. After a Charlemont woman contacted the office, the state Department of Transportation became aware of a lack of state funding for municipally owned small bridges that led to delayed repairs and maintenance.
The small bridge program plans to help towns handle an issue that has traditionally fallen squarely on towns’ shoulders: fixing, repairing and maintaining municipally-owned small bridges that don’t qualify for federal funding. The federal definition of a bridge requires a span of greater than 20 feet, while Massachusetts recognizes bridges with spans greater than 10 feet.
Approximately 1,300 municipally owned bridges in Massachusetts are between 10 and 20 feet in length. Since they don’t meet the federal definition of a bridge, towns can’t get federal aid for them.
And many towns don’t have the funds to make necessary — and costly — repairs on their own.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association, which lobbies for the interests of cities and towns, enthusiastically supported the small bridge program, said Geoffrey Beckwith, executive director of the association.
The program provides up to $500,000 per year per municipality in reimbursement to fix, replace or preserve municipally owned bridges.
After years of saving Chapter 90 aid funding — or simply being unable to fix their deteriorating small bridges — highway officials in Berkshire County towns anticipate progress. But others have bypassed applying for funding, knowing their sick bridges need more help than the program allots.
Four towns in Berkshire County received awards in the first round of funding, announced in late March: Sheffield, Stockbridge, Washington and Windsor.
The city of Pittsfield applied to the program for a bridge on Hancock Road, but Turocy received notification in February that the application wasn’t selected.
Knowing the severity of some bridge issues in the county, Turocy is not optimistic that Pittsfield will be selected for the program anytime soon.
The small bridge program is a good starting point — funding for roads and bridges has been stagnant for 20 years, he said.
Some towns in Berkshire County with deteriorating bridges haven’t even applied for the program, knowing it doesn’t fit their needs.
The short bridge span requirements of the program aren’t a match for Lee — the town’s bridges are larger than the span encompassed by the program, said Chris Pompi, superintendent of the the Lee Department of Public Works.
The only obstacle to fixing the bridges?
Great Barrington doesn’t have much use for the small bridge program, either.
Bridges in Great Barrington that would qualify for the program are actually in good shape, said Sean VanDeusen, public works superintendent.
But for at least a few towns in Berkshire County, the small bridge program stands to make a dent in their bridge needs.
Washington was awarded $250,000 to replace a bridge on Middlefield Road over Coles Brook through the small bridge program. Stockbridge and Windsor were each awarded the maximum amount — $500,000. Sheffield was awarded $420,000 to rehabilitate a bridge on County Road over Ironwork Brook.
“This is really the only funding source that these towns have,” said Kus of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Very few towns choose to authorize borrowing for bridge work, he said.
The program’s requirements could be improved, Kus said.
The small bridge program requires municipalities to choose from engineering consultants and construction contractors who have been pre-qualified by MassDOT.
This requirement drives high design costs, Kus said.
MassDOT requires municipalities to use pre-qualified consultants and contractors for the dual purposes of efficiency and assurance that towns will be able to work with someone qualified, said Alexander Bardow, state bridge engineer for MassDOT. This way, towns have reliable people who can give them good advice and assistance during the construction process, he said.
‘If you want somebody designing a bridge, you want somebody who’s knowledgeable in bridge design,” he said.
Kus said he understands the purpose behind the pre-qualification requirement.
In Berkshire County, some of the towns that got help expect the money will cover replacement or repair costs.
That’s true for Washington — but the town’s problems don’t stop with the bridge on Middlefield Road over Coles Brook.
The town recently had to close two small bridges on Lower Valley Road.
Although it’s not enough to cover the whole project, Stockbridge’s award of $500,000 will move the town forward towards replacement of the Larrywaug Bridge, said Leonard Tisdale, highway superintendent.
Estimates put the bridge replacement costs at $3.5 million, he said.
Windsor was awarded $500,000 to rehabilitate a bridge on Flintstone Road over Tyler Brook.
“I have to say this is the worst bridge [in town],” he said. Deteriorating beams and deck contribute to the bridge’s poor condition.
“It’s kind of one of those things — the more you look, the more you find [wrong],” he said.
Without a program like this, the town would likely have had to take out a loan for the project, he said.


MIAMI (AP) — Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene of a pedestrian bridge collapse near a Florida university campus even before witnesses could finish making 911 calls for help, according to audio files released Thursday.
Miami-Dade Police released 15 calls made to 911 dispatchers in the moments after the collapse on March 15.
Sirens could be heard blaring behind several frantic callers moments after the 950-ton (860-metric ton) structure fell into traffic.
Associated Press writers Jason Dearen in Gainesville, Florida, and Curt Anderson in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.


If you know you could or should be saving more but don't know where or how to start, consider this your crash course.
Each edition of this Women Entrepreneur series, Behind the Numbers, presents a stat about a disadvantage women face at work and in business, examines the dynamics at play and provides guidance to help women overcome obstacles.
The gender pay gap is an issue that comes up often, but the gender savings gap is just as troubling. Women are less likely than men to participate in their workplace 401(k) plans, and those who do tend to save less than their male counterparts, a T. Rowe Price survey found.
The average woman’s 401(k) balance among those surveyed was $38,000, while the average man’s was $74,000. Women contributed an average of 7.2 percent of their annual salary to these retirement plans, compared to men at 8.4 percent.
T. Rowe Price found that both men and women who were eligible to save but opted out of their 401(k) made less money and had more student debt -- and that women made up 68 percent of that group. The median income of men and women who did not participate in their savings plans was $28,000 (with a median student debt of $22,000), versus $57,000 who were participating (with a median student debt of $16,000). Furthermore, just above 40 percent of both income groups had a four-year degree, ruling out education level as a savings indicator.
The difference in average income is one of many possible explanations for why women save less than men. Women earn an average of 81.8 percent of what men earn, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, while black women earn 61.7 percent of what white men earn and Hispanic women earn 56.6 percent of what non-Hispanic white men earn.
Another explanation (which ties into the pay gap) for why women save less than men over the long run is that they’re more likely to sacrifice work hours, career advancement or their careers entirely due to caregiving responsibilities. Whether they’re raising kids or tending to elderly loved ones, 66 percent of all caregivers are female, according to the Family Caregiving Alliance. Caregiving costs women about $40,000 more than men from their retirement fund balance, and women caregivers are 2.5 times more likely than non-caregivers to live in poverty.
Cautious behavior may also contribute to women’s lower average savings. While this isn’t true of all women, surveys have found that women tend to be more risk-averse investors compared to men. The 2015 Global Investor Pulse Survey from BlackRock found that 45 percent of men reported a willingness to take on a high-risk, potentially high-return investment, compared with just 28 percent of women.
Ward shares four tips for women who want to make sure they’re saving enough for the future, whether their employer offers a savings plan or they’re on their own. These mental shifts and saving strategies especially apply to women in their twenties and thirties, who have the most to gain.
1. Get started now, and learn along the way.
Ward’s advice is to get started making contributions to a retirement fund and not overthink it. Sign up for your workplace-offered 401(k) plan, if one is available, and definitely take advantage of “matching” (a.k.a. free money) if your company offers to contribute on top of what you’re putting in from your pre-tax income.
Ward suggests investing in a balanced fund or a target-date option, with an allocation based on your current age and expected retirement age. With either, “your money is diversified and allocated appropriately,” she says, across a mixture of stocks and bonds, and “will start working for you.” In the meantime, figure out if your company offers any “financial wellness” advisory programs and, if so, take advantage of those.
Whether you’re saving through a 401(k) plan or an IRA (individual retirement account), automate the process as much as you can. Don’t rely on yourself to manually contribute -- in a financially tight month, you might be tempted to forego your contribution, or you might just forget. “Whatever we can do to help nudge our behavior in the right direction, I think is fantastic,” Ward says. If you’re opposed to the idea of automating your contributions, or if your income is too sporadic to do so (shout out to all of the self-employed women), you can at least automate your reminders. Use calendar alerts, Amazon Alexa or another tech platform, Ward says.
Along with the idea of automating is making your financial literacy part of your routine. If you have a busy schedule, queue up some personal finance podcasts while you exercise or commute. If you’re already in a book club, maybe float the idea of reading and discussing a book on finance, turning it into a financial support group of sorts.
Start by saving 6 percent of your salary -- including the amount your company pitches in, if it offers matching. Then, try to increase the amount you’re saving by 1 percent each year until you reach 15 percent of your salary.
If this breakdown doesn’t work for you, do a Google search for free retirement planning calculators and plug in your income and expectations into a few of them. This will give you a sense of what you should be saving to be on track.
“I wouldn’t get too discouraged if the numbers come up that say, oh you need to be saving 50 percent of your paycheck or something,” Ward reassures. Consider the results directional, and a concrete, numerical alternative to the vague “save for retirement” directive many women hear despite not knowing where or how to start.
Related: Today Is Equal Pay Day. So, If You're a Woman Asking for More Money, Think Like a Man. Just Don't Act Like One.
4. Break it down into smaller steps.
Chances are, you already may be paying off some student loans, but don’t view all debt as an excuse not to save. “I would hate for someone to wait until their student loan debt is paid off -- that could be like 10 years -- before they start thinking about how to start investing for retirement,” Ward says. Look at your repayment options and see if you can afford minimum payments plus retirement investments, and don’t get overwhelmed by your total sum of debt. Just be mindful of debt interest rates and think about paying off high-interest debt (e.g. credit card debt) before anything else.
Regardless of what other financial obligations you’re balancing, take it month by month and think about, “What am I going to achieve this year? What am I going to do in the next six months?” Ward says. Pay down a bit and save a bit, little by little.


A woman who went on an intense grapefruit-based diet developed a blood clot in her leg and risked losing the limb, US doctors have reported.
The unusual case, written up in the Lancet medical journal, occurred in Washington state in November last year.
Medics concluded grapefruit had affected the way the 42-year-old's body processed her contraceptive pill.
A UK expert stressed this was an unusual case, but said extreme diets may have "unpredictable consequences".
In November 2008, the woman came to the casualty department of the Providence St Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington state.
The day before, she had gone on a long car journey, after which she felt pain radiating from her lower back down to her left ankle.
When she arrived at the hospital she was experiencing difficulty walking, shortness of breath, and light-headedness.
By the next day her left leg had turned purple.
The woman was generally in good health but was slightly overweight and had decided to diet.
Three days before falling ill, she had begun a crash diet which included eating 225g of grapefruit each morning, after rarely eating the fruit in the past.
When doctors examined her, an ultrasound scan confirmed the woman had a large blood clot within the veins of her left leg, which stretched from her hip down to her calf and she was deemed to be at risk of losing her leg because of gangrene.
The woman was given clot-busting treatment and had a stent, a kind of tube, fitted in order to widen her vein.
The doctors treating her said a number of risk factors had contributed to the woman developing the clot.
She had an inherited disorder which increased her risk, as did being on the combined Pill. Being immobile in a car probably also contributed to the clot forming.
Writing in the Lancet, the authors led by Dr Lucinda Grande, called it a "constellation of potential risk factors".
But they added: "The increased [oestrogen] serum concentration due to her three days of grapefruit for breakfast may well have tipped the balance."
They suggest the fruit blocked the action of a key enzyme that normally breaks down the form of oestrogen in her contraceptive.
Dr Trevor Baglin, a consultant haematologist at Addenbrooke's NHS Trust in Cambridge, said: "From this case study it appears as if the grapefruit enhanced the thrombotic effect of the contraceptive pill in the presence of a genetic predisposition.
"However, it is worth pointing out that this is a single case study and a very unusual case at that.
"I would suggest that any extreme diets should be avoided because they can have unpredictable consequences."
A spokesman for the Florida Department of Citrus - an executive agency of Florida government which markets, researches and regulates the state's citrus industry, said: "The Lancet report looks to be inconsistent with published scientific studies which indicate grapefruit does not cause a clinically significant interaction with oral contraceptives.
"We are aware of no validated evidence that grapefruit affects oral contraceptives, and they are generally considered to be safe to consume with grapefruit."


We are pleased to offer to the market this excellent three bedroom semi-detached family home offered with no onward chain. The property is located in the sought after Butterfield Estate and has lots of living space.
Connells offer to the market this excellent three bedroom semi-detached family home with no onward chain. The property is located in the sought after Butterfield estate and has lots of living space. The property itself comprises of: Spacious kitchen, large study/family room, cloakroom, a lounge/diner, master bedroom with built in wardrobes and en-suite, then a further two bedrooms which are both doubles, family bathroom. The property also benefits from having a rear garden and driveway parking.
Doors to kitchen, study and lounge diner, cloakroom and stairway access to the landing. Built in storage cupboard and radiator.
This spacious kitchen has a range of units both eye level and base level with worktops over, stainless steel sink, space for oven and hob, cooker-hood over, space for washing machine, dishwasher and a tumble drier, space for fridge freeze. Window to front and radiator.
Window to front and radiator, this room is currently used as a bedroom but could be utilised as a large study or a family room.
Low level WC, wash hand basin and radiator.
Spacious lounge with window to rear overlooking back garden, bay window, gas powered fireplace, radiator, archway to dining room.
Dining room with French doors opening into rear garden and radiator.
Access to all three bedrooms, family bathroom, airing cupboard and access to loft.
Large double bedroom with window to front, and radiator. Built in double wardrobe, access to en-suite.
Low level WC, wash hand basin, extractor fan, radiator and shower cubicle.
Another spacious double bedroom with a built in wardrobe, window to rear and radiator.
Double bedroom with window to rear and radiator.
Frosted window to front, radiator, panel enclosed bath with shower over, low level WC, wash hand basin, shaving point and partly tiled.
Driveway parking with some front garden.
Fully enclosed with a decking area and grass area.


Bessie Castro De Gama, 95, of Makawao, Maui, died in Hale Makua, Kahului. She was born in Haiku, Maui. She is survived by sons Roy and Alton, daughters Merle Medeiros and Jean Bermudez, sisters Eva Barglsky and Jane Morikawa, 17 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren. Visitation: 6 p.m. Thursday at Ballard Family Mortuary. Services: 7:30 p.m. Additional visitation: 9 a.m. Friday at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church, Lahaina. Mass: 11:30 a.m. Burial: 2 p.m. at Maui Memorial Park. Online condolences: ballardfamilymortuaries.com.


Hunting is on the decline in Michigan, but Ernie Nostrant is still going strong.
A 96-year-old World War II veteran is getting a swell of social media attention after he bagged an eight-point buck with one shot.
Ernie Nostrant, who is reportedly from Grand Ledge in Michigan's Eaton County, was out crossbow hunting on Nov. 5 when he managed to kill the deer from about 15 yards away.
His friend, Greg Schaible, was stunned after seeing the photo that Nostrant's grandson posted, said TV station Fox 17 (Grand Rapids). He shared a photo himself and received a shower of congratulations on behalf of Nostrant.
"A lot of people don't know that hunting is a lot more than just walking out in the woods and just shooting something. There's a lot of physical work involved," Schaible told Fox.
Nostrant told the outlet he's bagged about 150 bucks since 1990.
Hunting is on the decline in Michigan, as white male baby boomers, who have driven the sport, fall off the map. Since 1998, the number of hunting licences issued decreased by nearly 21 percent.
Regardless of how you feel about hunting, that drop could have negative consequences for wildlife conservation and restoration work, which is mostly funded by hunting and fishing surcharges, the Department for Natural Resources said. Deer overpopulation is a looming possibility, too.
Still, it appears that Nostrant isn't dropping off anytime soon — he'll reportedly be out hunting again next week.
Keith Matheny contributed to this report.


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Belstaff Stratford Jacket, $2,495, available at belstaff.com.


The Reading High baseball team exacted some revenge on Wednesday when they defeated a talented Arlington squad, edging the Spy Ponders, 2-1, in Arlington.
Earlier in the season, the Spy Ponders went to Reading and bested the Rockets by a 2-0 score. Once again, this was another good high school baseball contest.
The defeat dropped the Spy Ponders to 8-5 overall.
AHS pitcher Jay Masci threw well in the loss, rarely getting into trouble. Unfortunately for Arlington, Reading took advantage of the very few mistakes the team made.
In that same inning, Masci allowed a single to left field, which plated the eventual winning run for the Rockets.
The Arlington offense struggled at the plate for most of the day and really only had two opportunities to score. In the bottom of the second, the Spy Ponders put runners on second and third but could not capitalize. In the fifth, AHS again put runners on second and third again, this time with no outs.
With Reading’s infield playing in, Masci blasted a low, line drive at the Rocket shortstop, who made a nice catch, then doubled off the runner at third base.
Ryan Davies stepped up and laced an RBI single, driving in Arlington’s lone run of the day.
Arlington will host Woburn on Friday.


Although the bulk of that money has gone to colleges and universities, precollegiate education's share has increased by almost 50 percent during the same period, from 6 percent of the total to nearly 9 percent, says Paul Miller, vice president of the council. The increased corporate interest in elementary and secondary education can also be seen in grants to colleges to improve teacher training, he notes.
The Coca-Cola Foundation will award grants totaling at least $4 million to precollegiate and postsecondary programs selected on an annual basis. In addition, the foundation will commit to education all of the money generated by its endowment, which represents another $10 million a year. The grants will focus on literacy programs, minority education and faculty development, and leadership training for teachers.
The Coca-Cola Company historically has allocated about one-third of its annual charitable giving for education. The new commitment, however, represents "more than half of our total giving,'' Preisinger notes.
Although the company has not determined how much of its annual contribution will go to precollegiate education, several of the first grants announced will go to public schools: $2 million to the University System of Georgia to improve public elementary and secondary education in the state; $2 million for Hispanic family-literacy programs in Texas, California, and Florida; and $360,000 for a pilot program, Atlanta Peer Group Connection, which assigns seniors as mentors to freshmen in 11 Atlanta high schools.
The IBM grant program is designed to bolster teacher training in computerbased instruction and to encourage innovation in the use of educational technology.
The company says it expects to make as many as 70 grants to teachertraining institutions and another 10 to partnerships between school districts and schools of education.
Both the RJR Nabisco and General Electric grants are aimed at improving public K-12 education. Nabisco, for example, plans to provide three-year grants of up to $250,000 a year each to schools that agree to explore innovative ideas for reform. The company hopes the schools will become "laboratories for change,'' says Louis Gerstner Jr., chairman and chief executive officer.
General Electric's $20 million "College Bound'' program, which was launched in June, is aimed at doubling the number of students from inner-city high schools who go on to college. Over the next five years, the company will give between $750,000 and $1 million each to schools in Albuquerque, N.M.; Cincinnati; Louisville, Ky.; and Milwaukee. The schools chosen will develop their own improvement plans.


The number of projects completed increased manifold showing progress in one year what had not been achieved in the two years previous to it.
The worth of projects grounded or completed stood at Rs 19,041 crore in January 2018. This increased by 319 per cent to Rs 79,780 crore in February 2019.
Ahead of the parliamentary elections, the Modi government’s ambitious flagship programme to “smarten” up 100 cities is finally showing some tangible results. Overseen by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and meticulously monitored through a scientifically devised system by the housing and urban affairs ministry, the Smart City Mission has achieved in one year what it had not over the previous two years put together.
As per official data of the ministry of housing and urban affairs accessed by ET, between January 2016 (when the first batch of 20 smart cities were chosen through a competitive process) and January 2018, projects worth Rs 33,970 crore were tendered. This grew by 270% in a year to Rs 1,26,000 crore by February 2019. Even the number of projects completed increased manifold showing progress in one year what had not been achieved in the two years previous to it. The worth of projects grounded or completed stood at Rs 19,041 crore in January 2018. This increased by 319% to Rs 79,780 crore in February 2019.
The mission was launched in June 2015 and six months later, in January 2016, the first batch of 20 cities were chosen. The mission took time to take off as the cities formed special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and appointed consultants to handhold them through the implementation process. However, some cities showed more progress than the others. Seeing the better performers, the ministry put together an implementation and monitoring process to improve the performance of others.
The entire country was divided in two zones under two directors in the Smart City Mission. All the 100 smart cities were organised into clusters of 20 in five zones –– east, west, north, south and central. A mission was then identified. It was internally called “Mission One Lakh Crore” to be achieved by December 31, 2018. Mission director Kunal Kumar told ET, “We appointed city support coordinators, from within members of our team. Each member from our Mission Management Unit at Delhi and the Technical Assistance team was mapped to some cities and they continuously engaged with their representatives. They were tasked with the responsibility of identifying projects that were stuck and the overall achievement of the.” Kumar explained that rather than asking the cities what had they done, the ministry asked them where they were getting stuck and helped them troubleshoot..
The ministry then introduced the concept of “Implementathons” with the tag line “Getting projects from paper to ground”. Between June and December 2018, all the five zones held these meetings where the cities identified projects that could not take off and brainstormed with cities where similar projects had been implemented. At the end of two days, Implementathons yielded a list of projects that needed troubleshooting and the ministry followed it up with fortnightly videoconferencings.


As ALL ACCESS reported late YESTERDAY, the 2015 NAB MARCONI RADIO AWARDS were bestowed last night (10/1) at the annual dinner and show at the NAB and RAB's RADIO SHOW in ATLANTA, hosted by RICKEY SMILEY and featuring a performance by GAVIN DEGRAW.
HUBBARD BROADCASTING stations took home six awards to lead all ownership groups this year, with COX MEDIA GROUP right behind with five; CBS RADIO News KYW-A/PHILADELPHIA, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, won Legendary Station of the Year honors.
Major-Market Station Of The Year: HUBBARD News WTOP/WASHINGTON, D.C.
Religious Station Of The Year: RADIO ONE Gospel WPRS (PRAISE 104.1 FM)/WASHINGTON, D.C.


GRAND HAVEN, MI – When Jesse White picked up the phone on a day last week, the last thing he expected was news about a long lost family member.
, 6130 Airline Road in Fruitport, was a good one – the staff had found Cory, the Whites' medium-haired gray-and-white cat who had been missing for more than a year.
"I was like 'Wow.' I didn't really believe it," he said.
Cory went missing from the family's Grand Haven home in January last year, he said, after she darted out a door left open by one of the family's young daughters. The family went looking for the cat and even put up fliers and checked with the humane society, but she was nowhere to be found, White said.
The loss was especially hard on his daughters, who are now 2 and 4 years old, he said.
"They were very sad and they just kept asking about her every day and wanting to go and look for her," White said.
Cory found a new home in August that same year, when Deloris Millard's grandchildren spotted her running along the cattails of the Grand River.
"Don't go down after it," Millard remembered telling her granddaughters. "It's probably a feral cat."
But they went down anyway, she said, and brought Cory to Millard's deck.
"(The cat) was very thin," Millard said. "You could tell he hadn't been eating well."
They fed the cat and nursed it back to health, but Millard and her husband decided to keep the cat – which the grandchildren had renamed Lump – outdoors, thinking she would eventually leave.
But she didn't, Millard said. Instead, the cat grew attached to the couple. She followed them wherever she went and liked to play chase with Millard's husband, she said.
After taking her to the veterinarian to get her shots, the Millards decided the cat should also get fixed. They took her to the West Michigan Spay and Neuter Clinic on April 9 and told the staff that they were not sure if she had already gone through the procedure.
The staff shaved Cory's belly and noticed a little scar that indicated she might have already been fixed, so they decided to scan her for a microchip, said Anne Munford, one of the facility's directors.
Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice, she said, and are placed between a cat's or dog's shoulder blades. Typically, they contain the owners' contact information and details about the pet, like a basic description and whether or not it has been spayed or neutered.
The White family members gather with their long-lost cat after recently being reunited with the pet. The reunion came about after the cat was scanned for a microchip that contained the owner's information.
When the staff scanned Cory, Munford said, they discovered that the Millards were not the cat's registered owners and saw White's name listed instead. They then called White to inform him that his pet had been found.
White and his family stopped by the clinic right away, Munford said.
When pets are found, Munford said, staff members ask owners to bring in a form of identification and, if possible, a photo of the pet. Although Cory had been missing for more than a year, White still had a photo of her on his phone.
Meanwhile, they also informed the Millards of the situation. Deloris Millard said they were taken by surprise, because they didn't know the cat had a microchip inserted.
"Had we realized that, had we been thinking, we could've had the kids' pet back much, much quicker," Millard said.
She said they had mixed feelings about saying goodbye to Cory. They had become attached to the animal, Millard said, but they were also happy she was reunited with her family.
White said he hadn't met the Millards, but was grateful that they had taken such good care of the cat.
White, Millard and Munford said the situation illustrates the importance of having the microchip process completed for pets.
Munford said pet owners have placed chips in dogs for years, but have only recently started doing it for cats, even though the chances of finding a missing feline are slim. She said having the microchip in pets increases the likelihood they'll be found if they go missing.
"When you lose a pet, if the pet's been microchipped, there's always that possibility, even after a long time, that you'll be reunited," she said, adding that organizations like Pound Buddies and the Harbor Humane Society in West Olive scan each animal that comes into their facilities.
White said the decision to have a microchip inserted into Cory made all the difference in bringing her back home.
"If she didn't have (a microchip), we wouldn't have gotten her back," he said.
-- Email Lisha Arino at larino@mlive.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@lishaarino).


It's confirmed! Johnny Depp has been officially dropped from the reboot of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. Depp, who has played the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in five films across 14 years, would not be a part of the upcoming project - set to be written by Deadpool's Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.
The first 'Pirates' film, 'The Curse of the Black Pearl', hit the big screens in 2003, the most recent movie in the franchise, 'Dead Men Tell No Tales', was released in 2015.


Salinas firefighters were busy Sunday afternoon.
Two structure fires kept Salinas firefighters busy Sunday afternoon.
Neither fire caused any injuries, Salinas Fire Chief Jeffrey Johnson said on social media Sunday.
Firefighters were first called out to the 500 block of Archer St. at about 1:09 p.m., where crews found flames burning a two-story home.
They quickly knocked down the fire, which damaged both floors, firefighters said.
About two hours later, firefighters quickly put out a fire in a room of a building in the 1500 block of Madrone Drive.
They kept it from spreading to other parts of the home.
The causes of both fires remain under investigation, chief Johnson said.