Vehicle Accident, No Injuries: Police responded to Silver Heights Chevron.
Unwanted Subject: St. Francis Newman Center on West 13th Street notified police of a homeless male outside the church.
Welfare Check: A caller in the 1900 block of Little Walnut Road said he did not feel safe and felt someone was watching him. He called back, claiming someone was possibly trying to kill him.
Vehicle Accident, No Injuries: Police were called to Gila Regional Medical Center. Criminal Damage to Property: Single Socks on West College Avenue wanted police to document that someone had egged the west side windows of the business between 4 pm and 9 am.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 1800 block of Little Walnut Road advised her ex was released from GCDC yesterday and was at her home, yelling at her, adding he was not allowed contact with her.
Harassment: A caller from the 1000 block of Pine Street requested communication with an officer.
Accident with Injuries: Police were dispatched to the 3200 block of East Highway 180 where EMS was called for a male suffering from neck pain and dizziness.
Accident with Property Damage: A caller in the 500 block of 29th Street reported another vehicle, also on scene, had backed into her Honda.
Welfare Check: A caller in the 400 block of West 12th Street told police a guy was lying on the ground on the south side of the street.
Unwanted Subject: The Wellness Center on 16th Street complained of an adult male near the loading dock. Police asked him to leave the area.
Welfare Check: Police responded to the 100 block of North Cheyenne Street after Sierra Counseling advised that an individual had threatened to harm himself and was currently aggressive.
Disturbance: Two callers from the 1400 block of North Corbin Street notified police of a disturbed female with a blanket, yelling and pointing at no one.
Intoxicated Driver: A caller near Sunset Vista Residential Care on Fowler Avenue alerted police to an intoxicated male subject in a Toyota who was possibly in route to his partner’s house.
Criminal Trespass Warning: Jalisco Café on South Bullard Street said homeless males were going inside, asking for food. Police issued a CTW to one subject.
Overdose: Police responded to WNMU’s Centennial Hall.
Unwanted Subject: A caller in the 4400 block of Little Walnut Road complained of two individuals, not currently there, who were repeatedly passing by.
Suspicious Vehicle: Police took a report at District Court, involving a Chevy from Arizona.
Welfare Check: A caller from the 300 block of South Arizona Street was yelling about someone running down the street, then disconnected. The runner was then at SCPD. No additional details.
Welfare Check: A caller near Stout Elementary on North Swan Street said a female wearing a hospital gown was walking southbound. She had been released from GRMC.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 2400 block of Cactus Street heard a couple yelling nearby and it sounded physical. Police concluded it was verbal, and the mother would keep them separated.
Welfare Check: A caller in the 300 block of North Corbin Street said a female was yelling outside a residence nearby.
Unwanted Subject: GRMC on East 32nd Street complained of a known subject causing problems, hitting the staff.
Larceny: A caller at La Questa Apartments on Virginia Street wanted it documented that he dropped his wallet yesterday near his vehicle and thinks his neighbor picked it up.
Unwanted Subject: Wells Fargo on Pope Street said a known subject was causing problems in the bank, and they wanted her removed.
Mental Health Complaint: A male caller in the 500 block of South Pinos Altos Street told police he was having a mental breakdown. His mother was there with him.
Aggravated Assault: Police were called to Silver High School on North Silver Street after a caller advised a male subject had pulled a gun on her 16-year-old son who was leaving the school.
Welfare Check: A caller at Grinder Mill on West College Avenue said a male subject had fallen and was seemingly unconscious.
Breaking & Entering: A 14-year-old caller on Little Walnut Road advised he was scared. A man was in the washroom, had broken a house window and was now outside yelling at his mom.
Shoplifting: Walmart reported having a female in the back office. Police issued both a CTW and CTA.
Harassment: Police responded to Stout Elementary School after a caller advised that her son’s father’s partner kept harassing her.
Domestic Disturbance: Police took a report in the 600 block of North Cooper Street after a caller said a male was beating someone, and kids were on scene.
Reckless Driver: A caller on South Highway 90 said she was purposely run off the road and provided police with a license number.
Shoplifting: Walmart reported having a male in the back office. He was released on a citation to appear.
Shoplifting: Police took one female into custody at Walmart, heading to central dispatch to pick up a warrant and transporting her to GCDC.
Welfare Check: A caller in the 2500 block of North Kimberly Drive advised the neighbors had moved, but there was a vehicle parked next door, a trailer parked nearby and a weird smell coming from the house.
Noise Complaint: Police responded to the 500 block of 16th Street.
Assault: Police were called to the Skate Park on West Highway 180 after a caller advised her daughter was just assaulted at the park, which had happened before. A second caller then advised her daughter was assaulted by kids at Penny Park but managed to defend herself.
Welfare Check: A caller at Silver Heights Chevron said a female outside needed assistance but was unsure why. Police gave her a ride to GRMC.
DV Order Violation: A caller at Snappy Mart #19 wanted to report a violation of her DV Order after the subject pulled in at the same time she did and looked at her.
Harassment: A caller in the 400 block of East Kelly Street said she was being harassed by a male subject at the same residence where she cares for an elderly female. He was on drugs and said he would break her legs.
Welfare Check: Police were called to the 4400 block of Little Walnut Road.
Weapons Fired: A caller in the 4200 block of Little Walnut Road heard what sounded like six loud gunshots, possibly coming from a nearby party.
Welfare Check: A non-emergency caller in the 4300 block of Hugh McKeen Drive advised her husband was threatening to take his life. She cancelled the call after hearing the ambulance would also respond, adding her husband was angry and she had locked herself in the bathroom to get away.
Suspicious Vehicle: Police investigated a Ford at Twisted Illusion on North Silver Heights Boulevard.
Reckless Driver: A caller in the 1800 block of East Highway 180 alerted police to a van swerving all over the roadway.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 1400 block of North Gold Street said an individual not wanted there was throwing food and other items. Both parties were uncooperative, telling conflicting stories.
Unwanted Subject: The Gospel Mission on South Texas Street advised an unknown female at the homeless shelter was causing problems, and they wanted her to leave.
Welfare Check: GRMC on East 32nd Street conveyed a female was lying on the grass by the bus stop, not moving.
Shoplifting: Snappy Mart #4 on North Hudson Street said a male in an older-model car stole a bottle of alcohol and left up Broadway.
Criminal Damage to Property: Police took a report in the 400 block of Ohio Street.
Panhandler: Super Snappy on North Swan Street advised an adult female with a black eye was harassing customers for money.
Welfare Check: A caller in the 900 block of Luck Street requested a call because he wanted to see who was with his daughter.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 1700 block of Durango Street informed police a male and female were arguing in the front yard. Police found no argument or altercation.
Unwanted Subject: Silver Heights Chevron advised a female was causing problems, first inside, then outside. She had an indefinite CTW for all W & N Enterprise properties.
Reckless Driver: A caller in the 3200 block of Pinos Altos Road said a red car headed toward GRMC was passing vehicles on the shoulder. Police did not locate it.
Intoxicated Persons: A caller in the 200 block of Luck Street informed police of a large party nearby, likely a college party, and a drunken female was walking up and down the roadway.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 300 block of North Cheyenne Street said a couple were yelling and screaming at each other outside. One had a warrant and was taken into custody.
Larceny: A caller in the 300 block of North Cheyenne Street advised her sister’s boyfriend just stole her I-Phone 6 from her sister’s vehicle. Police did not locate him.
Stolen Motor Vehicle: A caller in the 500 block of West Broadway Street said his vehicle was stolen while he was taking in his groceries. He called back saying the vehicle was returned, but he didn’t see who had gotten out.
Harassment: A caller in the 3900 block of Valley Vista said an informant advised someone was in route to her house with a gun.
Harassment: Police responded to Super Snappy on North Swan Street, and would issue an indefinite CTW if the subject was found.
Private Property Accident: Police responded to the Flame Convention Center.
Welfare Check: A caller at the Moose Lodge advised someone was passed out on the step. The male was in route to Motel 6.
Welfare Check: A caller in the 2200 block of Memory Lane said he could hear a female yelling for help.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 600 block of West Highway 180 reported a known subject had beaten up her daughter. A male was taken into investigative detention.
Unwanted Subject: A caller in the 3900 block of Valley Vista requested her partner be removed from the home. When he then opted to leave, she said she’d call back if he returned.
Criminal Trespass: Food Basket on North Hudson Street informed police of a CTW violation after the individual was seen sitting on their bench.
Criminal Damage to Property: A caller notified police the sprinklers had been on all day at Ybarra Park. A Parks employee reported someone drove over the grass and sprinkler.
Panhandler: A caller at American Laundry on West 12th Street told police of an aggressive panhandler harassing customers for money.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 600 block of East 12th Street reported that a male hit a female with a stick because her son had killed his family. Disturbance: Gila Regional Medical Center security reported a violent, combative subject on site. The third caller said his arm was cut, and he tried to spray employees with his blood. Police deployed a taser.
Unwanted Subject: A caller in the 1700 block of Durango Street reported a male subject had locked his mother out of the house.
Fight: A caller at Silver Cliff Apartments on Little Walnut Road told police the upstairs neighbor was fighting with his wife, yelled at the caller and then fought with the caller’s husband before leaving.
Burglary: A caller in the 1200 block of South Highway 90 returned home after nine days to find the basement door and window had been opened and a pistol stolen.
Suspicious Vehicle: Police were called to Grandma’s Café on Silver Heights Boulevard after a caller said a Toyota was coming and going at the property.
Domestic Disturbance: A caller in the 1700 block of Durango Street advised a known individual was causing problems, hiding in the basement. The subject was heard yelling in the background.
Disturbance: Gila Regional Medical Center house supervisor on East 32nd Street advised a female wanting to leave against doctor’s orders was causing problems. There were insufficient grounds to place her in protective custody.
Welfare Check: A caller near the 700 block of Howell Street advised a female was sitting on the step crying after the caller heard a male yelling at her to get out of the house.
Suspicious Vehicle: Police were dispatched to the 2000 block of North Swan Street.
Loud Music: A caller in the 500 block of 16th Street complained of loud music nearby.
Suspicious Vehicle: Police investigated a Toyota at Fox Field on East 32nd Street.
Welfare Check: Police responded to Lintero Apartments on Leslie Road.
Welfare Check: Police responded to the 400 block of Chihuahua Street after a family member requested a well-check on school-aged girls recently involved in a domestic. Police confirmed they are in school and OK.
Criminal Trespass Warning: Diane’s Bakery notified police of a suspected CTW violation at the HUB. Police re-issued a CTW, and the subject left.
Battery: A caller at the Gospel Mission on South Texas Street wanted it documented that an identified belligerent male on site had headbutted another male and was refusing to leave.
Tampering with a Motor Vehicle: Police met with a caller from Arenas Valley at Ace Hardware after he reported his vehicle incident was captured on video at Ace on Saturday.
Larceny: Police were called to Q’s Southern Bistro on East College Avenue after a caller reported that a known subject had taken an extension cord and levels, one personally engraved, from a job site.
Assault: Police were called to Silver High School after a caller from the first block of Grenfell Drive said her daughter was assaulted and threatened with a knife on Friday, and the school had not yet contacted her about the incident.
Welfare Check: A caller at Hudson Plaza informed police of a male subject lying on the side of the road who said he was “enjoying the sun” but seemed “out of it.” Police confirmed he was just resting.
Unwanted Subject: Cassie Healthcare on East Pine Street complained of a known combative subject causing problems in the parking area. The mother, too, was refusing to leave. Both left upon police arrival.
Unwanted Subject: A caller in the 1700 block of Durango Street said her son was getting in her face and yelling at her. Both parties were told to stay away from each other.
Shoplifting: Albertson’s Store #914 on East Highway 180 advised that a female had taken some items but then ran back and left them in the store. If found, police would issue her a CTW.
Battery: An employee at the Drifter Lounge on Silver Heights Boulevard said she’s been harassed by other employees for about a year, but it had now escalated from yelling and name-calling to a deliberate physical injury.
Hot Pursuit: Police reported a westbound pursuit of a male driver with a female passenger, traveling over 90 mph in the 11500 block of East Highway 180. Tri-City law enforcement was given an attempt-to-locate.
Shoplifting: Snappy Mart #4 on North Hudson Street reported having two videos ready for viewing.
Shoplifting: Walmart reported a young male in sporting goods, in the company of two other males, had just concealed a phone case. He was shown an indefinite CTW for Walmart.
Welfare Check: Police responded to the 2000 block of North Swan Street after a caller stated he’d just spoken on the phone with his father who was intoxicated and wanting to commit suicide.
Accident with Property Damage: Police took an accident report in the 400 block of Ohio Street after a caller collided with a deer, deceased, near Indiana Street and Little Walnut Road.
Welfare Check: Police were summoned to Lintero Apartments on Leslie Road after a caller at nearby Gateway Apartments stated a woman had been screaming for over an hour.
Welfare Check: GRMC on East 32nd Street called for assistance after a patient had just run out. The call was then promptly cancelled since they managed to get him back into the ER.
Noise Complaint: Police were called to Virginia Street Park.
Criminal Trespass Warning: Police were dispatched to Snappy Mart #19 on North Swan Street where one of the two subjects was found to have a CTW.
Disturbance: GRMC on East 32nd Street complained of a known subject causing problems. Police found he’d been discharged and was getting a ride home.
Domestic Disturbance: A neighbor in the 1700 block of Durango Street told police a male and female were fighting at a nearby residence where police found the male especially upset.


There is Finally Harmony in Harmony.
Everyone gets a happy ending as the book on Passions closes.
Kay zaps Father Lonigan to the church and tells him she needs him to baptize Tabitha. He says, “There’s no way in Hell I will ever baptize that witch.” He admits Alistair told him that Tabitha is a witch and he has known for years. He thought he could fight her evil better if she never knew that he knew. Everyone tries to convince him to baptize Tabby or else they will all be dead before dawn. Father Lonigan thinks everyone is trying to trick him and Tabitha lashes out at Father Lonigan. He wonders how she could have been allowed in a church without bursting into flames. Esme fills him in on how Tabitha gave up her powers and Tabitha continues her tirade against the Father. Tabitha asks Endora to zap them out of there so they can leave these mortals to die because it’s what they deserve and she storms out of the room.
After the videotape plays Gwen’s voice confessing, Theresa tells Ethan, “We’re going to be together!” Theresa asks Sam to play the tape so Ethan can hear everything and Gwen and Rebecca try to make a quiet escape. Sam catches them though and Ethan says they will watch the tape along with the rest of them.
Kay stops Tabitha and urges her to stay and get baptized because it’s what Timmy said would save Harmony. Tabitha isn’t questioning Timmy’s honesty, she’s just disgusted with Father Lonigan's holier than thou attitude. Lonigan backs down and says he had no idea she had embraced goodness and sacrificed her powers to save others. He apologizes for judging her and Tabitha accepts. He says he will need to hear Tabitha’s confession before he can baptize her. Tabitha thinks that could take awhile.
The volcano starts to erupt and everyone urges the Father to move this process along and he says he needs to hear Tabitha’s confession and then he’ll happily baptize her. Tabitha says it will take some time and Endora says she’ll put her on fast-forward to save time. After Tabitha’s confession, steam comes out of Father Lonigan’s ears, but he proceeds with the baptism.
The crowd from the basement joins those in the church and they catch everyone up on what just happened with Theresa, Ethan and Juanita. Julian and Eve then reciprocate and explain about the volcano and the lava. The earth starts to shake again and Father Lonigan and Tabitha stand around the holy water, but they are having a hard time because the dark side is trying to prevent her from becoming baptized. Julian asks Endora to use her magic to help things and Endora zaps the bowl of holy water. The shaking stops and Father Lonigan baptizes Tabitha, but the volcano erupts again. Miguel says it didn’t work and Kay thinks the good side just needs some time to prevail over centuries of evil. Everyone is confused and Esme explains how Tabitha is a witch and gave up her powers for the good of the town. Esme tells everyone that Endora and Kay are witches too and Sam is shocked. Kay explains that all the Standish women have powers. They all listen to the volcano as it quiets down and Julian says Timmy was right, baptizing Tabitha saved their lives. Suddenly a bright light shines on everyone and they all stand with arms raised up to it. Tabitha cries and tells Endora that she’s truly happy for the first time in all her lifetimes because she knows what it is to feel happiness born of God’s love. Endora says she’ll live an eternal life like Timmy. Tabitha thanks Timmy because there was forgiveness for her after all and she will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Tabitha says there is only good magic in Harmony now – no more evil or demons. Sam asks, “What about the Cranes?” Julian responds that his father is dead and from now on Crane Industries will only do good things. Ivy says, “Redemption or not; I really need a drink!” Esme is way ahead of her with a bottle of pills and champagne.
Gwen and Rebecca are zapped into janitor’s outfits and Theresa says it’s God’s way of telling them to clean up their acts! Gwen and Rebecca are mortified that they are in hideous polyester and Rebecca recalls that the last time she wore anything this tacky was when they went to Vegas a few years back. Gwen doesn’t remember it and Rebecca says Gwen was really upset about Theresa and Ethan for the millionth time and ended up marrying that guy she met. Gwen freaks out and says Rebecca told her it was all a dream, but Rebecca assures her it was not, but recalls that she never got divorced. Ethan and Theresa realize that his and Gwen’s marriage is null and void and they can get married now. Theresa asks her new sister-in-law Kay to hocus pocus Rebecca and Gwen off to go mop something. Kay zaps them and they disappear. Ethan asks Father Lonigan to marry him and Theresa and he says he’d be honored to.
Everyone takes heir seats and Endora takes off Father Lonigan's sunglasses. When he opens his eyes, he can see! He is thrilled and says everyone is just as he imagined him or her. He thanks Endora for giving him back his eyesight and says, “God bless you.” Endora says he already did because he saved her mommy. Father Lonigan agrees and says God forgives all those who come to him. Ethan interrupts him saying they really want to get married. Father Lonigan says, “Let’s get on with it!” Theresa notices she doesn’t have a proper dress on and Kay zaps her into a bridal gown. Sam says, “Having a witch in the family is going to be fun!” Miguel is finally okay with it too. Endora says this is perfect, but Tabitha say it's almost perfect thinking about Timmy. Endora says she doesn’t have to settle for almost perfect and Timmy’s hand reaches out to Tabitha.
As Theresa walks down the aisle Fancy tells Luis that she’s pregnant. Luis is thrilled and Sheridan tells Antonio that will be them some day. Noah comments to Paloma that they will wait to have babies until they have more money, but Paloma tells him she’s pregnant too. Eve tells Julian there’s finally harmony in Harmony. Julian says all is quiet on every front and sadly looks down at his lap and says, "A little too quiet." Kay and Miguel tell him that everyone knows what happened and Kay offers to fix it. Julian and Eve say they would be most grateful and Kay takes his hand and magically corrects his “member” much to Eve and Julian’s delight.
While they stand in front of Father Lonigan, Theresa and Ethan check to make sure this isn’t another fantasy and when they realize it’s not, Ethan asks what could stop them now? Just then, Rebecca yells out to stop the wedding and Gwen and Rebecca come rushing in. A cop stops them, but they say everyone else got a happy ending why can’t they get one too? Father Lonigan says if they are sincere about being good they can. They both say they are sincere and Rebecca hears a donkey. She smiles and says, “There’s my happy ending!” Gwen wonders about her and the cop says he’s always had a thing for bad girls gone good and tells her to call him once she gets out on bail. This appeases Gwen and she says she’d like that.
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I Wallowed in Love but it's Wrong.


Seb Coe believes middle-distance runner Laura Muir can win Olympic gold in Tokyo next year, with the head of British Athletics labelling her “a phenomenon”.
Muir made history as the first person ever to win a ‘double-double’ of European indoor titles with two totally dominant performances in Glasgow last weekend, helping Britain secure a record haul of 12 medals.
With five European titles over the past two years, there is now no doubting the Scot's superiority at continental level, but she is yet to make a global outdoor podium having finished fifth and fourth at the last two World Championships and seventh at the Olympics.
Devastating bursts of speed at the climax of her 1500m and 3000m victories in Glasgow made light work of her rivals and suggested she has taken another step up in quality after completing her veterinary studies last year and concentrating full-time on her running career.
Asked if Muir is now capable of replicating his own feat of winning Olympic 1500m gold, Coe said: “Absolutely no question about it. She’s come on a bundle.
“The difference between the good and the great is the ability to move your feet – the ability to change pace, whether it’s breaking clear of defenders or running clear of a pack. That’s what she’s got.
The difference between European level of competition and that which Muir will face at the Doha World Championships later this year is vast, with Ethiopia’s 1500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba and Kenyan Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon among the daunting adversaries.
Supporting Coe’s assertion that Muir is ready to challenge the world’s best, British Athletics performance director Neil Black said the diminutive Scot is on track to join the ranks of athletics greats alongside Paula Radcliffe and Mo Farah.
“She clearly has the ability and she has demonstrated the performances that suggest a [Olympic] gold medal is possible,” said Black. “Medals are likely.
Muir won two of the hosts' four gold medals in Glasgow, with Katarina Johnson-Thompson (pentathlon) and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (800m) also victorious as Britain achieved what Black called a “bloody amazing” record medal haul.
Victory for Johnson-Thompson was the third gold medal in her last four international competitions. She claimed silver – behind Olympic and world champion Nafi Thiam, who was absent injured from Glasgow – in the other.
Like Muir, Johnson-Thompson is yet to prove herself in a major global competition, but Coe says she can lead a new generation of British talent.
“She’s fantastic,” he said. “She really has got that X-factor. You could see the way people responded to her and it was lovely to see the following she has now. She’s got her head above the others, which is good.
The Tour de France rules: What do all the jerseys mean and just how do riders go to the toilet?
London Marathon 2019: What time is the race on Sunday, what TV channel is it on and what is the weather forecast?
Comment: Has the Mo Farah mask finally slipped?
Mo Farah's war of words with Haile Gebrselassie Q&A: How is Ethiopian great involved in bizarre bitter row?


KATIE Piper is the latest celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing, losing out to Charles Venn in tonight's dance off.
Fans of the show were furious Katie, who celebrated her 35th birthday yesterday, was sent home while disgraced pair Seann Walsh and Katya Jones advanced following their drunken snog behind their partners' backs.
Taking to Twitter, they fumed: "Cannot believe ppl voted for the lying cheating scumbags. Ffs i have to put up with annoying seann again #Strictly.
"How the hell did seann and Katya get through in strictly wtf.
"OH NO WHY IS SEANN THROUGH #Strictly.
"Shut the flaming front door!!!! No way are Seann and Katya through?! 😳 #Strictly."
The judges’ scores were combined with the results of the viewers’ votes to decide the lowest scoring two couples facing the dance off.
Katie and Gorka Marquez performed their Jive to Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers while Charles and Karen Clifton, featuring in their second consecutive dance off, performed their Salsa to Use It Up and Wear It Out by Odyssey.
The judges' were unanimous in their decision, voting to save Charles and Karen.
Head Judge Shirley Ballas' vote wasn't needed but she said she would have gone the same way as her colleagues.
Gracious in defeat, Katie said: “I have taken a lot from this experience and it has all been really positive, and I’ll never forget this journey.
"Charles was the better dancer out of us two and there are some brilliant dancers in this competition and sadly I don’t think I was one of them! But I have had a great experience you know and I feel really privileged to have been here and thanks for your advice and thank you (Gorka) for all the hours.
After much deliberation, the BBC decided not to axe Seann and Katya for their kiss, leaving them free to perform last night's Charleston.
Beeb bosses decided to give the pair the fun dance instead of the Rumba, to steer the pair clear of a raunchy routine following their scandalous kiss.
The pair publicly apologised for their behaviour earlier this week, after Seann was publicly dumped by his long-term girlfriend Rebecca Humphries.


Luton Town were held to a goalless draw at fellow promotion chasers Carlisle United this evening.
After a subdued first half, the visitors did improve in the second period, and looked the more likely to score against a Cumbrians side low on confidence, but crucially couldn't create enough chances of a clear-cut nature to consistently test home keeper Mark Gillespie.
Hatters boss Nathan Jones made two changes from the 2-0 defeat to Stevenage, with Olly Lee back for his first league start since Boxing Day and Luke Gambin included as well for Scott Cuthbert and Jonathan Smith.
Alan Sheehan, on his 50th Luton appearance, put an early free kick over the top from 25 yards, as Danny Hylton saw an early yellow for his challenge on Danny Grainger.
Town then escaped from a muddle defensively to burst forward through Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, who held off a challenge and found Hylton, the striker dragging his shot wide.
Carlisle hosts had their first effort of note on 18 minutes, after Matty Macey uncomfortably palmed a corner away, he handled Nicky Adams' hopeful follow up.
The hosts looked dangerous from their long, flat throws into the area, with one such delivery allowed to go all the way to the far post, as Jamie Proctor's close range attempt was blocked by a combination of Macey and Sheehan midway through the half.
Jordan Cook, who had impressed on the right hand side in the early stages, reached Gambin's high, hanging cross, sending a downward header that Gillespie was equal to.
Proctor came close again as he got his head to a cross, but Macey gathered, while he was fortunate to see John O'Sullivan's effort deflected narrowly over the top.
After the break, a clever short corner routine saw Grainger thunder his effort into the side-netting, while Hatters looked to respond, Gambin over the top from 25 yards.
The visitors were close again moments later, Cook's deep cross met by the stretching Hylton who couldn't keep his volley down.
That signalled a good spell of pressure, Cook just unable to twinkle his way through the defence to lose the ball at the final moment, while Sheehan's free kick was parried by Gillespie, with Rea's rebound charged down.
Luton kept pressing, knowing their hosts could buckle after coming into the game on the back of four straight defeats and not scoring in any of them either.
O'Donnell saw his low cross blocked by Gillespie, with the Cumbrians keeper producing an even better stop from Hylton's blast, magnificently tipping over the bar just after the hour mark.
Jones swapped Vassell for Jack Marriott midway through the half and the striker sent a rasping drive that wasn't too far away, while Glen Rea had two quickfire efforts charged down.
There was a lengthy stoppage on 70 minutes as Dan Potts went down with a nasty looking head injury, and was stretchered off, with 10 minutes of stoppage time added.
Late on, the game became like a basketball encounter, although neither side appeared to possess the conviction to actually win it, Macey saving from James Hooper and Marriott dragging well wide at the death.
The result saw Luton climb to fifth in the table after Stevenage lost to Blackpool, although they dropped seven points behind third placed Portsmouth, who hammered Grimsby 4-0, putting even more importance on Saturday's home clash with Exeter City.
Cumbrians: Mark Gillespie, Danny Grainger (C), Luke Joyce, Jamie Proctor, Nicky Adams, Shaun Brisley, John O'Sullivan (George Waring 85), Reggie Lambe, Shaun Miller (James Hooper 82), Tom Miller, Gary Liddle.
Subs not used: Max Crocombe, Joe Ward, Cameron Salkeld, Jordan Holt, Alex McQueen.
Hatters: Matt Macey, Stephen O'Donnell, Dan Potts (James Justin 78), Alan Sheehan (C), Glen Rea, Olly Lee, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Cook, Luke Gambin (Ollie Palmer 86), Isaac Vassell (Jack Marriott 65), Danny Hylton.
Subs not used: Stuart Moore, Lawson D'Ath, Jonathan Smith, Akin Famewo.
Booked: Hylton 6, Lee 17, Joyce 20, Brisley 58.


Reality TV Stars Who’ve Been Arrested!
Home › Galleries › Reality TV Stars Who’ve Been Arrested!
Jenelle EvansThe "Teen Mom 2" star has been arrested about 15 times over the course of her reality TV career! She was last taken to jail in May 2015 on a first-degree criminal domestic violence charge after allegedly getting into an altercation with her ex Nathan.


An object lesson involving a rope and an idiom perceived by some Leon County Schools employees as racially insensitive has resulted in the transportation director being reprimanded for his actions.
An object lesson involving a rope and an idiom perceived by some Leon County Schools employees as racially insensitive has resulted in transportation director Manny Joanos being reprimanded for his actions.
Joanos came under review by Deana McAllister, the district’s director of employee and labor relations this week, after she received a complaint about language Joanos used during a meeting in January of his leadership team, the majority of them black.
In an effort to make his point that employees can get into trouble without proper supervision, Joanos brought a stretch of rope to the meeting, and quipped: “Sometimes, if you give people too much rope they'll hang themselves."
LCS spokesman Chris Petley said the employees found the language offensive.
Petley said it was determined Joanos used the rope as a prop to illustrate his message.
McAllister interviewed employees, as well as Joanos.
“Anytime Employee and Labor Relations looks into something we take it seriously,” Petley said.
The employees acknowledged Joanos offered personal apologies after realizing his choice of words — and the use of the rope — could be deemed offensive.
In addition to receiving the reprimand called a "coaching memo," Joanos is required to complete additional professional development training.
“He understands it was not the right thing to say,” Petley said.
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April 11, 2019, 11:09 p.m.
April 11, 2019, 8:16 a.m.


What we are witnessing in Venezuela is a Latin America policy that draws from the Cold War and the era of US interventions, when regard for democracy and international law mattered little and anticommunism was the dominant motif. With John Bolton and Mike Pompeo leading the way, the targeting of Venezuela, along with Cuba and Nicaragua, has become an ideological struggle.
Nicolás Maduro’s government is first on Trump’s hit list.
For several months in 2017 the administration reportedly held discussions with dissident members of the Venezuelan military and security forces about supporting a coup or even an invasion (Julian Borger in The Guardian, July 5, 2018). In this instance Trump’s advisers consulted US diplomats, and they apparently urged the military not to act against Maduro.
Thus, regime change was coordinated with the Venezuelan opposition rather than having been a purely local affair. But this latest version of the “maximum pressure” doctrine applied to North Korea and Iran is entirely misplaced. The Maduro regime is surely undemocratic and corrupt, a one-man show that few Latin American governments recognize since his staged reelection at the end of 2018. But the main problem there is a human security crisis marked by a dramatic decline in health and healthcare, runaway inflation, and an historic exodus of the population.
US reliance on sanctions, as a Congressional Research Service report in November 2018 emphasized, might well exacerbate the crisis, which is why “many Venezuelan civil society groups oppose sanctions that could worsen humanitarian conditions.” Venezuela was actually reaching out for international assistance in response to US sanctions when Trump’s far-right advisers ratcheted up the pressure.
The US is not leading a humanitarian intervention in Venezuela. Regime change has nothing to do with alleviating human rights conditions or promoting democracy, as support of repressive far-right governments in Brazil and Guatemala shows. It matters not that the Organization of American States, the European Union, and several Latin American countries want to see Maduro out—nor that Russia, China, and Mexico are among those that support Maduro. What matters is that interventionism in Latin America is being restored, complete with the appointment of Elliott Abrams, the convicted Reagan adviser in the Iran-Contra affair, to head up the Venezuela effort.
As a member of Mexico’s ruling party said: “Nothing will contribute more to the questioning of the legitimacy and credibility of Juan Guaidó than the support he is receiving from the United States. We are in Latin America and this should be understood by the White House.” If regime change succeeds in Venezuela it may well be applied to Nicaragua and Cuba, the other two targets. Trump has already undermined the gains from Obama’s normalization of ties with Havana.
Washington evidently has given no thought to what unilateral interference means for America’s reputation, international law, US criticisms of Russian and Chinese aggression, and the possibility of fomenting civil war in Venezuela. But there are alternatives to outside intervention. One is that Maduro accepts an amnesty offer from Guaidó and leaves the country, or (as the EU demands) agrees to hold new elections under international supervision. The Venezuelan military would probably be relieved not to have to defend him; it is already divided over loyalty to Maduro.
A second alternative is the UN’s Responsibility to Protect Resolution (R2P), passed by the General Assembly in 2005. That instrument, which requires Security Council approval to invoke, is intended to apply to states in which large numbers of people are under threat and their government is unwilling and unable to provide for its citizens—in other words, large-scale crimes against humanity. But R2P could be used to protect Venezuelans from the outrages of their failing state, though a Russian or Chinese veto makes that unlikely. If Maduro insists on staying on, the UN—not the US alone—could either attempt to broker a deal between him and Guaidó or put the squeeze on the regime economically and politically under provisions of R2P.
Both these alternatives aim at conflict prevention and minimization of human suffering. Use of force must be avoided and the crisis must not become an echo of Reagan-era Cold War competition.


Softball players Katie Weeks and Rebecca Rogers of Hamilton Central and Oriskany's Alyssa Balfe were Class D first-team all-state selections for 2012.
The New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports released its all-state softball list last week.
Three area players were first-team picks – all in Class D – and two came from state semifinalist Hamilton Central. The Emerald Knights’ first-team selections were senior shortstop Katie Weeks and freshman pitcher Rebecca Rogers. They were joined on the first team by Oriskany senior catcher Alyssa Balfe.
Notre Dame senior catcher Delaney Buckley was a second-team selection in Class C.
The other Utica-area players to earn all-state recognition from NYSSCOGS were: Oneida’s Jenna Didio and Maria Rocco (Class A, fourth and fifth teams, respectively); Vernon-Verona-Sherrill’s Ashley Palmer (Class B, fifth team); New York Mills’ Corrin Flihan (Class D, third team); Oriskany’s Meghan Carlo (Class D, fourth team) and Hamilton Central’s Katherine Keever (Class D, fourth team).


Police were searching Friday for the parents of 10 children who were left to fend for themselves in a crack house for three weeks with no running water, heat or electricity.
The children, ages 2 to 16, apparently lived on canned vegetables and brought in buckets of water to use in a toilet.
Authorities also found a hole in the roof, bedspreads covering a back door, dog feces in a hallway and soggy floorboards ready to collapse.
The situation was discovered Thursday when a neighbor complained that the smell of kerosene was emanating from the two-story row house four blocks from the city's casino strip.
When authorities got closer, they also found the house smelled of drugs.
"As soon as you hit the top of the steps, all you could smell was crack," said Garry Alston, the city's chief code enforcement officer. There was evidence of drug use in the house, he said.
When authorities tried to question the children, an 11-year-old boy who appeared to be in charge told them not to talk, according to Hugh Gallagher, a city inspector.
The children were two sets of siblings. One set had six children, the other four.
Seven of the children were taken to Atlantic City Medical Center to be evaluated. No medical treatment was needed, however, and all the children were placed in foster care.
Some of the children told authorities they were from Camden, N.J., and Philadelphia and that one of the mothers dropped them off at the house three weeks ago.
"The younger ones weren't ready to talk to us. The ones that were talking were getting smacked by their 11-year-old brother for talking to us, telling them to shut up," Gallagher said.
An aunt of at least one of the children lived down the street and was checking on them from time to time, but no adults were staying at the house, Gallagher said.
"This is obviously a frustrating situation, one that makes all of us upset, as it would any reasonable person," said Mayor James Whelan.
The city boarded up the house Friday and posted signs that read: "Warning. This structure is unfit for human occupancy."


Mill memoriesIn 1904, William McGillivray's father, Dougal McGillivray, came from Canada to work at the Bloedel Donovan Mill on Lake Whatcom. "There used to be a shack town for the millworkers right there at the mill," said the 94-year-old unofficial mayor of Silver Beach. "I had two sisters born over there."
McGillivray, "Mac" to his friends, sits in the house he built in 1931. Near the shores of Lake Whatcom, his home is half a mile away from Bloedel Donovan Park, former site of the mill. He points out the window to the house next door. "I was born right there in 1909," he said with a grin.
McGillivray finished eighth grade and became a shingle worker at Bloedel Donovan when he was 14. He shared the job with his younger brother, Ray.
"Flatcars would come in on the Milwaukee or the Northern Pacific line and take the shingles to the bay and they'd load 'em up," he said.
Mac can remember expansive log booms floating down the 12-mile lake to the mill.
"It would take the tugboat all day to get the booms to us."
He rifles through a near century of memories and comes up with an old one, when Academy Street was just a stand of trees.
"There was a log chute that went right up Toad Lake hill. It was made out of wood, and they would grease it and then send the logs down. We used to play on the chute when we was kids," he recalled, slapping the arm of his chair with a guffaw. "People don't remember that, but I do!"
Mac worked in the mill until 1957, when Bloedel Donovan closed its doors for good. The end of his career in the timber industry echoes the live of so many others.
"Well, you know, they cut all the timber off from around here," he said. "And when they got all through with the timber, they just shut down and that was it!"


There is a missing piece in the current Senate Bill 169 on Governor Hickenlooper’s desk: psychiatric care.
Being placed in a hospital or a jail in the middle of a mental-health crisis tops any person’s worst-day-ever list. None of us hopes to reach that point, nor do we our family members or friends suffer through such a time without proper psychiatric care.
Much of the conversation surrounding SB169, which aims to broaden the location where a person can be held under an emergency mental-health procedure, focuses on redefining the hold location rather than on the type of treatment offered during a crisis. This focus is shortsighted and overlooks the fact that people in crisis need access to the right treatment at the right time. Psychiatric treatment, the missing piece of this conversation, is simply the right treatment to offer those when they need it most.
While SB169 offers some improvements over the current system, it does not ensure that those who need mental health treatment have adequate access to psychiatric care. The driver in this statewide problem is that we do not have enough psychiatric hospital beds, period. Colorado’s Western Slope, for example, lacks some 32 psychiatric hospital beds needed to care for its population. And the number of people in crisis continues to grow.
Mind Springs Health’s Building Sanctuary, Rebuilding Lives plan seeks to remedy this situation by essentially doubling the size of its West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction, the only psychiatric hospital between Denver and Salt Lake City. But so much more needs to be done. We need to think and act beyond SB169 to secure the mental health care facilities essential for bringing about lasting health and resilience in our communities throughout Colorado.
Sharon Raggio is president and CEO of Mind Springs Health.


Back in the olden days, you took your kids to a farm on the weekend to teach them about the animals. Nowadays, the lessons are about big government regulations and excessive litigation. At least that's the lesson I took away from a recent trip to the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Drumlin Farm. The photos below are pretty much self-explanatory.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that only the farmer feed us."
"Under Massachusetts law, an equine professional is not liable for an injury."
"No food allowed on the farmyard as per USDA regulations."


A Suffolk judge on Wednesday threw out the indictment charging a limo driver with the deaths of four young women in a Cutchogue crash last year, ruling that the charges were the result of a flawed presentation that left grand jurors either too confused or unwilling to follow the law.
The judge’s ruling — which left the victims’ families feeling crushed and angry — means no one is now criminally responsible for the July 18, 2015, crash that killed Amy Grabina, 23, of Commack; Stephanie Belli, 23, of Kings Park; and Lauren Baruch, 24, and Brittney Schulman, 23, both of Smithtown. Four other women in the limousine were injured.
Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota said his office will appeal the decision by State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho. Prosecutors have said the driver created an unreasonable risk by turning in front of traffic without looking.
The limo driver, Carlos Pino, 59, of Old Bethpage, who had been charged with four counts of criminally negligent homicide, misdemeanor assault and traffic offenses, has been sued for wrongful death by several victims’ families.
Camacho sat nine family members of victims and one of the injured survivors in his jury box in Central Islip and explained his decision directly to them as Pino listened. The family members passed a box of tissues among them, and some began sobbing even before Camacho began speaking.
The judge’s voice conveyed his own emotion as he prepared to tell them something he knew they didn’t want to hear. It was an unusually human moment — judges rarely speak directly to victims in such circumstances.
As he began to explain his reasoning, one of the victims’ mothers said, “How can you do that?” and sobbed.
Pino, who has been free on bail, left the courtroom without comment.
On the evening of the crash, Pino was driving a limo with eight women on a winery tour. He was heading east on Route 48 when he made a U-turn, his view obstructed by other vehicles, in front of a pickup truck driven by Steven Romeo, 55, of Southold. Romeo was charged with driving while intoxicated, but prosecutors say he was blameless for the crash and couldn’t have avoided it even if he were sober.
In his 18-page decision, Camacho identified several flaws with the indictment against Pino and said prosecutors failed to overcome the high standard for establishing criminally negligent homicide, set by appellate rulings in earlier cases. In one of those cases, the state Court of Appeals dismissed a criminally negligent homicide indictment against James McGrantham, a Brooklyn limo driver who drove the wrong way on the Belt Parkway in 2006, made a U-turn and got hit by motorcyclist Adam Armstrong, who was killed.
Prosecutors have argued that Pino’s charges were appropriate because he could not have completed the turn safely or legally. Camacho said the McGrantham case negated that argument.
“I am fairly certain that a U-turn across three lanes of traffic, across the median of the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, was also an illegal U-turn,” Camacho wrote.
The judge also said grand jurors were properly instructed about the meaning of the McGrantham case but indicted Pino anyway. He wrote that “suggests either jurors were totally confused” about the importance of that case “or simply chose to disregard” prosecutors.
Camacho quoted the discussion between prosecutors and grand jurors, which included one who was frustrated by the advice.
Defense attorney Leonard Lato of Hauppauge said the district attorney’s office should have abandoned this prosecution long ago.
Instead, prosecutors extended the victims’ misery, Lato said.
The DWI case against Romeo remains in place, but he faces no charges related to the crash itself.
n Limo driver Carlos Pino’s actions did not meet the standard of criminally negligent homicide.
n Pino failed to perceive the risk of oncoming traffic, but he did not create a risk as would be necessary to charge him with a crime.
n In attempting to make a legal U-turn, Pino did not act recklessly.
n The grand jury that indicted Pino either didn’t understand the law or intentionally disregarded it by charging Pino.
Lawyers: Fatal limo crash is not a crimeLawyers for the limo driver charged with the deaths of four young women in a Cutchogue crash last year have argued that Suffolk prosecutors used irrelevant and improper grand jury testimony to get an indictment for a collision that does not amount to a crime. Limo driver’s lawyers: Evidence ‘insufficient’Attorneys for a limousine driver charged in the death of four passengers on a North Fork winery tour last summer want to review grand jury evidence they claim in court papers was "insufficient" to indict their client. Editorial: Limo tragedy shows we need to get seriousHow many more got away with it?


Obama says US economy is improving but remains under "severe stress".
However, he cautioned that the US economy remained under "severe stress" and said there was still "a lot of work" to do.
Among those attending the White House meeting were Timothy Geithner, the US treasury secretary, and Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Lawrence Summers, senior economic adviser to Obama, and Sheila Bair, head of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, were also present.
Obama was also briefed on the "stress tests" being conducted on around 20 of the nation's biggest banks, whereby the banks are being examined to see how they would fare in adverse economic conditions.
The results of the tests, due at the end of April, are highly anticipated by global markets anxious to see which firms are considered healthy and which firms may need more government assistance.
Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said on Thursday he was unaware of any White House plans to reveal the results, but said the administration felt it was "important that there be some transparency around [the issue]."
The government would also use public-private investment funds to soak up banks' toxic assets to help those financial institutions in need.
US government sources told Reuters that regulators would also discuss with Obama what steps may be necessary after the tests, but said officials would not necessarily close any banks based on the results.
The White House talks took place as some financial analysts said the US economy, currently in recession, is showing signs of possible turnaround.
They point to strong profit forecasts from banking giant Wells Fargo, a drop in unemployment benefit filings last week and a shrinking of the US trade deficit.
"I think we can be reasonably confident that that is going to end within the next few months, and we will no longer have that sense of a free fall."


I grew up on a 1,100-acre ranch in Eastern Oklahoma, which taught me the importance of character and the benefits of hard work. That was a lifetime ago, but I have never lost that influence on my life.
The love of sports began at an early age, culminating in playing football for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college and again as a walk-on during my first year at the University of Arkansas where I would graduate in 1975. That love saw me play early-morning basketball games at the YMCA up to just a couple of years ago.
I began sensing God’s call to the ministry during my college years. I pursued a Master of Divinity degree at Oral Roberts School of Theology, at the time, a fully accredited United Methodist Seminary. In 1977, I began my first pastorate at a Free Methodist Church, which was a church plant in a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Ten years later, I accepted an opportunity to pastor a small congregation in Brentwood, Tennessee: New Hope Community Church. At that time, there were 20 families who composed the core group of members. I spent 27 years as the senior pastor and saw growth include two new building projects and an average attendance over 500 for Sunday morning worship during that time. Through the years New Hope gave millions of dollars to oversea and local missions. One year giving nearly a quarter of million dollars and helping to establish New Hope Bible College an English speaking school training pastors from all over India.
In 2014, I stepped down as the senior pastor to become the pastor over pastoral care of the church.
My wife, Cathy and I married in 1976. We have two children, Joel, along with his wife, Joanna, and Laura and her husband, Justin. We are also proud of 6 granddaughters all in their preteen years.


Hank's brave stand, Walt's desperate play and Flynn's bold move pack the eventful episode.
The episode also featured plenty of lines destined to become instant classics. Below we count down our five favorites.
Hank died the way he lived -- without compromise. This pretty much put the nail in the coffin for viewers holding out hope that Walt would be able to negotiate for Hank's life. But Hank knew he was a goner, telling Walt, "You want me to beg? You're the smartest guy I ever met, and you're too stupid to see -- he made up his mind 10 minutes ago."
This is an unspeakably cruel moment. Not only has Walt signed off on Jesse being tortured and killed by Todd, but he revisited the cruelest thing he's done to Jesse and used it to hurt him even more. It's also a callback to season three's "The Fly," when an addled Walt apologized to Jesse and nearly confessed his role in Jane's death. In that case, he was contrite, but here there is nothing but malice.
After seasons of dumping on Skyler (Anna Gunn), Walt Jr. finally sees his dad for who he is -- and takes a stand against him. Like Gomez showing up to help Hank, Walt Jr. finally realizing the truth about his father is something viewers have been waiting for.
At first it seems like cruelty, but Walt gives Skyler an alibi here, performing for the police officers he clearly knows are listening in on the conversation. Walt tweaks the history of the last year, making it seem like he threatened Skyler at every turn in order to get her to become involved in the business. That wasn't the case. Walt is truly playing a different type of game here.
It's on. Like "tread lightly" in the first of the final eight episodes, Walt's final words set up the showdown that is to come in the final two. We can only assume he'll plan an intricate revenge against the Aryan gang. And we hope the plan will somehow put things in motion that will free Jesse, though we aren't counting on it considering how crushing this episode was.
What was your favorite line? Sound off in the comments!
Breaking Bad airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.


Olympics: Bay Area veterans named to U.S….
Bay Area veterans Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Kelley O’Hara and Julie Johnston have been named to the U.S. women’s soccer team Tuesday that is looking to become the first squad to win a World Cup and Olympic gold medal in consecutive years.
Coach Jill Ellis named 18 players to the Rio Games roster with the idea of grooming some newcomers for the 2019 World Cup. Morgan, 27, takes over at forward with the retirements of Abby Wambach and Amy Rodriguez.
The Americans open group play Aug. 3 against New Zealand in Belo Horizonte. They also face France and Colombia before the quarterfinals.
Four-time All-American Foluke Akinradewo of Stanford and setter Carli Lloyd of Cal have been named to the U.S. women’s Olympic volleyball team, coach Karch Kiraly announced.
Lloyd, the 2010 college player of the year who led the Bears to the NCAA championship against Penn State, is the team’s third setter.
Rory McIlroy called out golf for its lax drug-testing procedures and questioned the relevance of his sport being part of the Olympics, saying he wasn’t even sure he’d watch it on television. He called on golf’s major governing bodies to step up their anti-doping efforts, which he said are limited to a handful of urine tests each year.
“I could use HGH and get away with it, so I think blood testing is something that needs to happen in golf just to make sure that it is a clean sport going forward,” he said.


Josh Beckett won�t work under any pitch limits when he returns from the disabled list tonight, but manager Terry Francona said he�ll be cautious with him.
Beckett had his streak of victories in consecutive starts to start the season halted when he had to come out after four innings after tearing skin on the tip of the middle finger of his pitching hand on May 13.
It wasn�t the blister problem that had landed Beckett on the disabled list six times while he was with Florida, but it was at least a cousin to that condition.
Francona said Beckett could have pitched last week and avoided a trip to the DL, but the club wanted to take a cautious approach to make sure the finger was completely healed before putting him back on the mound. It will be interesting to see if Beckett shows any hesitancy to use his curveball, since he suffered his latest injury throwing that pitch.
Manny Delcarmen, who appeared in just one game since being recalled on May 21, was optioned to Pawtucket after last night�s game to make room for Beckett.
David Ortiz sat out his second straight game with sore hamstrings.
The problem apparently started with illness before a doubleheader May 17 against Detroit, then somehow morphed into a hamstring problem.
Ortiz may be back in the lineup tonight � or not.
As with Beckett, the club is being careful with Ortiz, trying to keep him healthy for the whole season. Having a double-digit lead in the standings makes that kind of decision easy, but Francona said the club would do the same thing no matter what the circumstance.
With Ortiz out, Wily Mo Pe�a played left field and Manny Ram�rez was the DH. Kevin Youkilis batted in Ortiz�s third spot.
Tonight�s Pawtucket-Columbus game will have a major league feel with Jon Lester starting and Mike Timlin expected to pitch an inning of relief.
Lester will be limited to 80-85 pitches as he rehabs from cramping in his forearm. When Lester gets to 100 pitches, the club will have to figure out what to do next.
Timlin, who is on the DL with shoulder tendinitis, made his second rehab appearance with Pawtucket on Sunday, and it didn�t go well. He was supposed to pitch a complete inning, but was yanked with two outs as he neared his pitch count of 20. He gave up two hits, two runs and a walk.
Timlin, who declined to speak with reporters before yesterday�s game, also will pitch an inning for Pawtucket on Thursday.
The Sox have matched a 1904 club record when they won their 34th straight game when scoring five runs or more. � Dustin Pedroia was on base four times and had a pair of hits. He�s riding a career-best, eight-game hitting streak, batting .444 during the run. His average is now up to .298. Youkilis insists that he�s a faster base runner, though. .� The Sox observed the death of New England Patriots defensive lineman Marquise Hill with a moment of silence.


What could really help the working class? Paid leave.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to improve the lives of America’s working class. Now he has the chance to deliver. Working class parents often face the unenviable choice between their jobs and spending time with their children, since the U.S. is the only advanced economy without a statutory right to paid parental leave.
During his campaign, Trump proposed 6 weeks of paid leave for mothers. This is the first time a Republican presidential candidate has included paid leave in his policy platform. So far, so good. But as usual, the policy design matters a lot.
America’s lack of family-friendly policies, including paid parental leave, is one reason the female labor force participation in the U.S. lags behind that of many other advanced nations. Guaranteeing access to paid parental leave would improve women’s employment prospects and future wages, encourage fathers to spend more time with their children, and benefit children’s health and development.
Include fathers. If the policy is to minimize the financial burdens of child care and improve child-parent bonding, fathers should get the benefit, too. Restricting the benefit to mothers could lead to hiring discrimination against women of childbearing age.
Use the payroll tax system, not UI. We are very skeptical that there is enough fraud in the existing UI system to finance Trump’s proposal. Every state with a paid family leave policy thus far has financed it (or plans to) through employee payroll contributions. This makes sense because employees are the ones who will ultimately benefit.
Build in job protection. Trump’s plan is, so far, silent on this provision. Without job protection, many workers will be dissuaded from using leave for fear of losing their jobs. At a minimum, job protections should be at least as good as those in the FMLA (which exempts smaller employers).
Let’s get it (mostly) right the first time.
The vast majority of Americans support paid family leave and it is encouraging that members of both parties have shown interest in the issue. A well-designed paid leave policy would show that the president-elect is serious about making America great for working parents, and their children.


Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is not worried about losing Arjen Robben, insisting there is still plenty of time to reach an agreement over a new contract.
The Dutchman’s current deal expires in 2015 and Hoeness is optimistic a new offer will be accepted in good time.
"There are still 18 months to go so I don’t get what all the fuss is about," Hoeness told Kicker magazine.
"Arjen knows what he’s got here and we know what we’ve got with him.
"He’s not putting us under any pressure and we’re not putting him under any either. We will find a solution when the time is right."
Robben moved on to 51 career Bundesliga goals at the weekend with a brace helping Bayern beat Eintracht Braunschweig and make it 39 games in a row without defeat.


SEOUL: North Korean state media said on Wednesday US President Donald Trump had agreed to lift sanctions against the North in addition to providing security guarantees in the summit with the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, the previous day.
Trump was cited by North Korea’s official KCNA news agency as saying he made the promise after pledging to end joint military exercises with South Korea.
There was no immediate comment about sanctions from the US side.
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected in Russia’s far-eastern port Vladivostok in the coming days, according to reports that have prompted excitement and concern among local residents.
Russian media were quick to report preparations were underway for the summit to take place in Vladivostok, home to Moscow’s Pacific Fleet.
The port lies only about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Russia’s short border with North Korea. This proximity is no doubt important for Kim, who is rumored to travel aboard his armored train.
The 35-year-old will be following in the footsteps of his father Kim Jong Il, who met the newly elected Putin in Vladivostok in 2002.
The far eastern city rarely sees major international events, and some locals are happy for the city to be in the spotlight.
“Any visit is good, whether it’s an enemy or a friend,” said Danil, a student at Vladivostok’s Far Eastern Federal University, billed by the media as a possible venue for the summit.
Authorities this week were busy cleaning garbage near railways leading to the city, Russian media reported.
“The depressing view from the train window does not give a positive impression to guests of Vladivostok arriving by train,” an official from the local branch of Russian Railways told the Interfax news agency.
Nadezhda said she was “absolutely not afraid of (North Korea’s) nuclear program” and would like to see the country.
North Korea said this week it was testing nuclear weapons after a round of talks with the US ended in failure.
But Anna Marinina was less enthusiastic about the summit, and said that if Pyongyang did use its weapons, Vladivostok would be in the firing line.
“The people that panic the most about North Korea are safe on the other side of the ocean,” she said.
Putin has long said he was ready to meet with Kim and is preparing to play a bigger role in nuclear negotiations with Moscow’s Cold War-era ally.
The last meeting between Russian and North Korean heads of state was in 2011, when Kim’s father traveled by train to Siberia, where he took a boat ride on Lake Baikal and held tightly guarded talks with then president Dmitry Medvedev.
There is a chance however that fresh talks will not take place at all, as Kim pulled out of 2015 celebrations in Moscow for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II at the last minute.


Gwyneth Goes Goopless at Tavern; Kirk and Michael Douglas Hit CrustaceanThe star goes to Suzanne Goin’s place with an au naturale look.
Lil Wayne to Tour the Country With Nicki MinajAnd Travis Barker.
Travis Barker’s Solo Debut To Feature Hip Hop’s A-ListEminem, Drake and Lil Wayne among the contributors.
Travis Barker Flips on Photographer at Marmalade Cafe; Kim Kardashian Gets HerCelebrity dining drama goes down in the ‘burbs, but not the clubs.
Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Drake Nudge the Grammys Toward RelevanceBut where’s Kanye?
Anne Hathaway Stuffs Her ShortsAlso: Pink beefs with Kanye West.
10 Best Hip-hop Mix Tapes of 2008Our second-annual list of the best in black-market rap, all free for download!
‘Gossip’ Girls Are Causing Mayhem in the Village!Blake walked her dog off the leash while Jessica ran up a $3,000 tab at Bagatelle! And everybody laughed at Bill Clinton’s quip about his own horniness! In today’s gossip roundup!
Kanye West Celebrates His 30th Among Celebs, Leather Goods Are there always scantily clad go-go dancers gyrating among the luxury goods at the Louis Vuitton flagship on 57th Street? We’re guessing not — but there were last night for Kanye West’s 30th birthday party. There was also John Legend, who corralled the five levels of exuberant partiers into a happy-birthday sing-a-long for the dapper birthday boy while Diddy, Jay-Z, Pharrel Williams, Jermaine Dupri, and Mariah Carey hung out onstage and off. Fall Out Boy was there but left early (except Pete Wentz, who stayed on with Ashlee); Gabrielle Union and Ashanti came late. On the well-guarded fourth floor, socialites in short shorts were petting Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker’s endless tattoos. He played show-and-tell.
Diesel’s Got a Brand New BagThe Prada event planners probably slept well last Friday night, sure the amazing Raconteurs show at their Soho store would be the secret-special-musical-guest highlight of Fashion Week. Then they discovered the Diesel after-party booked James Brown. JAMES BROWN. The Godfather of Soul.


With many smartphone launches that we now see we get to hear about numerous specs leading up to the event that can turn out to be accurate, but with the Micromax Canvas 4 we have been seeing a number of teases released by the company, and the device and its details including price have now been officially unveiled that disappoints many potential owners of the handset.
The company has finally unveiled the Micromax Canvas 4 at a launch event that has been dragging on for ages, and has come under a lot of criticism from many watchers on the company’s official Facebook Page.
It was revealed by the company that it took a total of 11,500 pre-bookings for the device with 4,000 made inside the first 24 hours and was with none of the specs or pricing officially known, but it has disappointed many that have seen the specs that include a 5-inch HD IPS display where many were hoping for a Full HD display.
The Micromax Canvas 4 is priced at Rs. 17,999 and will be available from this weekend, and other specifications of the device include a 1.2GHz quad core processor with 1GB of RAM. Camera wise there is a 13-meagpixel rear facing shooter along with a 5-megapixel front facer. There is 16GB of onboard storage that is expandable by a further 32GB via microSD card, and it will be running the Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean operating system.
A number of features were showcased at the event that included being able to unlock the handset by blowing at it and two videos can be played on the device at the same time. The main camera has a five lens setup along with optical image stabilisation that is capable of 1080p video capture.
The smartphone is built from anodized aluminium that will give the device a premium feel and you even get a free flip cover in the box, and the handset also features gesture controls similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4 for watching videos or other options.
To find out more click here and tell us what you think of the Micromax Canvas 4.
is it worth a buy ?
NOT AT ALL! MICROMAX GAME IS OVER.
THEY LOST THE MARKET. THE CAN IMPROVE THE PRICE BUT WITH EXPECTED SPEC.
Sadden by the launch, should have full HD display, 3000Mah Battery life and price around 16K. I shall have to cancel my pre-booked order.
It is similar to its previous version Canvas HD A116 except, camera resolution(13MP> 8MP) and memory(16GB> 4GB). They kept everything same only price tag has increased. Their created hype is fussed. This show how they are technically competent on phone spec. They just have given new name of “Blue Life One” and brought the phone to India from China. There is no innovation in this model. I will say go for Micromax Canvas HD A116 and put a 32 GB ram into it and update its firmware to Android 4.2.1 (it is very easy to upgrade, no need to go to service center). Download MX Player, DicePlayer from Google Play for HD Video Player and “Pixel Media Server” and “Pixel Media Controller” app for DLNA Connectivity. Micromax made us disappointed with this innovation!!!
I have cancelled my order , but I did not get any message when my money would be return or my order is cancelled.
I cancelled my oreder too….I was expecting 2GB RAM,3200MAH battery,full HD display….


Garden State Smiles is a full-service dental practice. We offer all dental services under the same roof. Our hours are design so that you can come and see us either before or after work or school. We even have Saturdays hours for patients that can not come in during the weekdays. Ask us about our new patient specials and get an appointment Today!


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday it would be a mistake if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates when it meets next week, as it is expected to do, continuing his criticism of the U.S. central bank.
“I think that would be foolish, but what can I say?” Trump told Reuters in an interview.
“You have to understand, we’re fighting some trade battles and we’re winning. But I need accommodation too,” he said.
Trump named Jerome Powell as Fed chairman, but has repeatedly railed against him since he took over as head of the U.S. central bank last February. Trump in August told Reuters that he was not “thrilled” with Powell’s raising interest rates.
When asked whether he was concerned there might be a recession when he was running for re-election in 2020, Trump noted that other factors in the world could affect the economy, including Britain’s plans to leave the European Union, known as Brexit, and the unrest in France.
“Well, you have problems in the world, like Brexit, like France - a big problem in France. It’s shocking to see what’s going on in Paris,” Trump said, referring to anti-government protests that have targeted his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron.


One possible effect of standardization is that a company puts out a product that's reliably the same every time.
2 What Is Global Standardization in Marketing?
Standardization is the process by which a company makes it methods, especially its production processes, uniform throughout its organization. Standardization helps cut costs by eliminating duplicated effort and allows a company to take advantage of economies of scale when purchasing supplies. However, some advantages may be lost when a company decided to standardize its operations.
If a company builds up a customer base that values its unique niche products, or if the company serves a specialized market, standardizing its processes may mean it loses some of its former customers. For example, if a restaurant builds its reputation on a varied and exotic menu, then changes to a standardized menu to provide a more predictable customer experience, its former customers may defect to competitors who provide more variety.
When a company expands into new markets, especially in foreign markets, standardization may work against the firm. While it may be cheaper for a restaurant to buy its trademark hamburgers in bulk, if it expands into a new market where people buy chicken much more often, its standardization measures may make it slower to respond to market conditions and end up costing money.
Standardization may be advantageous in some areas of business, such as production, but some aspects of a business should be tailored to the customers' needs. Customer service, advertising, distribution and product pricing must be driven by local market conditions to be successful.
Standardization has the potential to get a business into a rut. Standards, once implemented, soon become the status quo and may become entrenched in the corporate culture, making them hard to change when change is needed. However, market conditions often change, and companies that change quickly are best positioned to take advantage of them. Standardization may also stifle creativity, particularly in product design.
Strain, Mary. "The Disadvantages of a Standardization Business." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-standardization-business-25120.html. Accessed 17 April 2019.


People queue to pay respects to Lech Kaczynski and wife following fatal plane crash.
"Hundreds of people are still here, it is a normal working day but that hasn't stopped people coming," he said.
Parliament has held a special observance in memory of Kaczynski and the politicians killed in the disaster.
The bodies of the first couple are to lie in state in the Columned Hall of the Presidential Palace, where the president appointed and dismissed governments.
The couple are expected to be buried in Wawel castle in the southern city of Krakow on Sunday, Poland's PAP news agency said.
Kaczynski and his entourage had been travelling to mark the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish officers by Soviet secret police near Smolensk when his plane went down in thick fog.
So far, 87 bodies have been recovered and 40 of them identified, Andrzej Seremet, Poland's chief prosecutor said.
The body of the president's wife arrived at Warsaw's Okecie airport shortly after 10:30 local time on Tuesday.
It was greeted by her only child, daughter Marta, who knelt by the casket and wept, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of the late president.
Earlier on Tuesday Poland's acting president said he will announce the date of the country's presidential elections on Wednesday to end uncertainty over the country's leadership.
"The election date must be set. This must be done as soon as possible to shorten the period in which Poland is in a period of uncertainty," Bronislaw Komorowski told TVP Info television.
According to the Polish constitution, the election must take place within 60 days, or two months, of the announcement.
The country had been due to hold a presidential election in October, when Kaczynski, a conservative, was expected to run against Komorowski, a liberal.
Poland has moved to fill important positions in the state administration, after dozens of political and military leaders were among the 96 killed in Saturday's crash.
Russian investigators have suggested human error may have been to blame for the crash, saying that there were no technical problems with the Soviet-made plane.
Alexander Bastrykin, Russia's chief investigator, said on Monday the flight recorders revealed that while there were "no problems with the plane", the pilot decided to land despite warnings about bad weather conditions.
Polish media have speculated that the pilots were pressured by people aboard the jet to land quickly so as not to miss the memorial ceremony.
But Andrzej Seremet, Poland's chief prosecutor, said there was no evidence to support the claim.
Investigators in Poland are expected to listen to cockpit conversations from the flight recorders, also known as "black boxes", to see if there were "any suggestions made to the pilots" from other people aboard the aircraft.


ANAHEIM – John Lackey agreed to a $3.76 million, one-year contract with the Angels on Monday, bypassing salary arbitration.
On Saturday, the AL West champions agreed to multi-year contracts with outfielder Juan Rivera and infielder-outfielder Chone Figgins. Both players had filed for arbitration.
Four Angels now remain eligible for arbitration: closer Francisco Rodriguez, reliever Scot Shields, reliever Brendan Donnelly and catcher Jose Molina.
Schuffenhauer and Jones were silver medalists four years ago, riding in Hays’ sled. This will be the fourth Olympic trip for Jones.
Francis, who missed two games, met with team officials on Monday.
The guard, averaging 16.6 points and 5.4 assists this season, is expected to play Wednesday night at home against Washington.
MIAMI – Dontrelle Willis avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a $4.35 million, one-year contract with the Florida Marlins on Monday.
The 24-year-old left-hander led the major leagues in wins last year. He is 46-27 with a 3.27 ERA in 93 career starts.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Students from Atlantic Coast Conference rivals Duke and North Carolina completed their 2!-day basketball game Monday, finishing with an expected world record for the longest continuous game.
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Texas Rangers and catcher Rod Barajas agreed to a $3.2 million, one-year contract Monday, avoiding salary arbitration.
Barajas set career highs in batting average (.254), home runs (21) and RBIs (60) in 2005, his first full season as a starter. He threw out 21 of 65 runners trying to steal.
He can earn $50,000 bonuses next season for reaching 475 and 500 plate appearances.
Barajas, who played for Rangers manager Buck Showalter in Arizona, came to Texas in 2004 expecting to back up rookie Gerald Laird. When Laird went down with torn thumb ligaments early in the season, Barajas became the starter and stayed in that role when Laird returned.
BASEBALL: Relief pitcher Jeff Nelson agreed to a minor league contract Monday with the St. Louis Cardinals, who need a middle man to replace injured Al Reyes … Left-hander Mark Hendrickson agreed to a $1.95 million, one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Monday, avoiding arbitration.


SOUTH BERWICK — The Compass Program at Marshwood Adult Education is accepting applications for the Spring 2013 semester. Compass is a free college prep program for adults who are looking to improve their skills before applying to college. If interested please contact our office at 207-384-5703. For those thinking of entering an Allied Health Field, we are offering Algebra, Biology and Chemistry - visit www.marshwood.maineadulted.org to register for any of these courses. On January 1, 2014 there will be a new, online version of the GED. Anyone with incomplete scores needs to complete their GED in 2013 before their scores become invalid in 2014. Please contact our office at 207-384-5703 to make an appointment to come in and map out the best way to complete your GED.
To see a complete offering of Spring Courses visit www.marshwood.maineadult.org.
DOVER — Portsmouth Christian Academy is now accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year. There is an informational meeting and campus tour scheduled for parents interested in grades kindergarten through eight on Thursday, January 24, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at 20 Seaborne Drive.
A presentation about the Academy will be given. Dr. Connie Lawrence, Dean of Academics, and teachers will be available for questions. The purpose of the informational meeting is to acquaint interested families with the many opportunities available at Portsmouth Christian Academy.
YORK — York Adult & Community Education reminds readers the current version of the GED test will expire at the end of 2013. The current version, known as the 2002 Series GED test, will be replaced with the new 2014 GED test on January 2, 2014. Those who have taken the 2002 Series GED test, but not passed all five parts, have until the end of 2013 to pass or they will need to start over again in 2014 with the new GED test in order to receive their high school credential.
Interested GED test-takers can find more information at www.yorkadulteducation.org. York Adult & Community Education is at 1 Robert Stevens Drive,York. Call 207-363-7922 or 207-363-4214 x2113.
CONCORD — New Hampshire Retired Educators Association offers two $1500 scholarship awards to graduates of New Hampshire secondary schools. The students must be in their junior year of an accredited college or university, pursuing a course of study that leads to teacher certification. If in a 5-year program, they must be in their senior year of study.
The Irene Hart Memorial Award is given to a student who is completing his/her course of study at a New Hampshire College of university. The NHREA Memorial Award is given to a student completing his/her course of study at a non-New Hampshire college or university.
Completed applications are due on May 1, 2013. The forms may be obtained from a retired educator in your area, Phyllis Simmons at 382-8405, Margaret Pyszka at 472-5716, Nancy Doe at 978-373-0960 or Patricia Bolduc at 524-2662.


North Queensland chief executive Peter Parr says he's been assured by the Roosters Willie Mason will be cleared to play for them after agreeing to a one-year deal on Thursday night.
Mason though will not attend a Cowboys' fan day at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday with his new teammates including captain Johnathan Thurston.
Parr said once the Roosters sign off on all the paperwork to release Mason from his $400,000 a season contract at Bondi Junction he will join the Cowboys, probably early next week.
"(Sydney Roosters chief executive) Steve Noyce told me a little while ago he didn't expect any hiccups with Willie's release," said Parr in Townsville on Friday morning.
"We expect that release will be formalised in the very near future but Steve (Noyce) has given the go ahead to start preparing to get Willie to Townsville."
The Cowboys beat Newcastle to Mason's signature with the 29 year-old Origin and Test forward turning down more money and a longer deal from the Knights believing playing alongside Thurston would enhance his chances of winning another premiership.
Thurston is understood to be thrilled to have Mason in his pack but the players, including another of his former Bulldog teammates, Willie Tonga, have refrained from commenting until he is cleared by the Roosters.
"He gives us a pretty imposing pack alongside the likes of Carl Webb, Luke O'Donnell, Matt Scott, Antonio Kafusi and Manase Manuokafoa, we're getting a good balance with Steve Southern and a bloke like Scott Bolton who had particularly good season," Parr said.
"We also got two of the best young forwards coming through in James Tanu and Steve Rapira and on paper it's looking very strong."
Parr said he'd spoken to Mason during negotiations about what was expected of him by the club and added any clauses about his behaviour in his contract would remain confidential.
"Those discussions have been about the behaviour that is expected of him by the club, from the sponsors and importantly the fans.
"The board is 100 per cent behind Willie coming here and we're looking forward to it."
"As for what's in his contract, that's been Willie and the club."


The Irish Government will deliver a multi-annual Action Plan for Jobs aiming to make Ireland the best small country to do business with in Europe, with quarterly targets from each department.
The first annual Action Plan for Jobs will be published in January, containing numerous measures from across the entire range of government activity, which aims to be implemented during 2012.
All departments in the Government will be involved in the Action Plan. An implementation group consisting of representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Forfás will be responsible for ensuring that these targets are met.
It will aim to improve competitiveness, support start-ups, develop employment initiatives and assist with business growth.
It also hopes to attract inward entrepreneurial start-ups, develop the impact of FDI and exploit opportunities within sectors such as ICT, gaming, life sciences, the green economy and cloud computing.
“The Government’s top priority is jobs and it was the sole focus of today’s Cabinet budget meeting,” said Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
“The challenge for all of us is to bring our national finances under control in a manner that still supports jobs and enterprise. During this budget process, the guiding principle when taking decisions has been to support jobs and growth. To this end, we will be keeping our commitment that there will be no increases in income tax.
“But we also need to be ambitious for the future and so the target of Government remains creating 100,000 extra jobs by 2015. This will be part achieved by delivering on my promise to make Ireland the best small country in the world to do business,” he said.
A Micro Finance Loan Fund will aim to generate up to €100m in additional micro-enterprise lending, aiming to help more than 5,000 businesses over a 10-year period. It will come into place in the first quarter of 2012.
It will provide loans on a commercial basis for start-ups and micro-enterprises using an additional exchequer investment of €10m to leverage further funds from private sourcing.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton will draft legislation on a Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme, which will see the Government partially guarantee loans by traditional lenders to viable businesses at the margins of commercial lending decisions.
The difficulties businesses face could include insufficient collateral or if the lender doesn’t have the skills or experience to undertake a proper assessment of the proposition because of a lack of understanding of new sectors or technologies.
According to the Government, for every €100m of loans guaranteed, the scheme will benefit more than 1,200 business and provide more than €15m in net benefit to the exchequer.
There will be a second call for the Innovation Fund Ireland at the start of 2012 worth €60m. The first call was made last year for the Enterprise Ireland-managed fund and the first of these investments are about to be finalised.
Chambers Ireland welcomed the Action Plan for jobs as "a positive step towards creating growth and stability", but emphasised that the monitoring group needs nominees from the private sector.
“The implementation group charged with ensuring targets are achieved must strike a balance between the public and private sector," said Chambers Ireland’s chief executive Ian Talbot.
"It is vital that the group includes representatives from the private sector to ensure targets are met in what is essentially a scheme to boost private-sector jobs and development," he said.


Yash Singh, head of human resource at a leading corporate house, is more than a tad disappointed in gold. He has been diligently buying one 10 gram gold coin every month for over five years. “It has become a habit now,” says Singh. But in the last few months, his faith in the yellow metal has been shaken. Nowadays, he is constantly seeking advice from his financial planner and other friends on whether he should continue this habit.
With returns from gold down over 5 per cent in the past three months, and more importantly, down over 7 per cent in the past five years, most die-hard fans of gold would be wondering if it is a good idea to keep this asset class in their portfolio.
Not disappointing over the long term: Yes, things have been tepid in the past few years, but over long periods gold has given good competition to equities. For example: Over a 10-year period, gold has returned 12.8 per cent a year whereas the Sensex has returned 10.5 per cent a year. Over the past 20-year period, the Sensex has returned 11.9 per cent annually whereas gold has returned 9.8 per cent a year.
What’s gone wrong? What is interesting about the gold-dollar relationship, especially in the case of India, is this: When the dollar strengthens, gold prices fall. So, clearly, there is an inverse relationship. But at the same time, a falling rupee offsets the fall in gold prices in India. So, while the price of gold may fall 7 per cent in dollar terms, it may drop only 5 per cent in rupee terms. “Gold prices in India at present (Rs 29,570 per 10 grams) are about 11 per cent down from their all-time high (Rs 33,265 per 10 grams),” says Kishore Narne, associate director and head (commodity and currency), Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
Gold's weakness in the international market is primarily on account of the US Federal Reserve's hawkish stance. The US Fed believes that the economy is strong enough to support further increases in interest rates. It has hinted at four rate hikes this year and more next year. The US Fed is also shrinking its balance sheet. “The US Fed is raising rates while other major central banks are not. This has led to a stronger dollar, and that is hurting gold,” says Chirag Mehta, senior fund manager-alternative investments, Quantum Asset Management.
Revival on the anvil? Under normal circumstances, gold would have benefitted from the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, but it has been completely overwhelmed by the dollar's strength. Moreover, risky assets such as equities continue to do well in the US.
The threat of trade wars has only impacted currencies as of now. Analysts are expecting gold prices to start rising with a lag. They say that gold could revive if the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China flares up into a full-fledged trade war.
Moreover, tightening by the US Federal Reserve (US Fed) has reduced the spread between the US two- and 10-year bond yields. If there are a couple more rate hikes in the US, that could lead to an inverted yield curve, giving rise to the threat of recession. This could give a boost to gold. All eyes are also on China, which is sitting on $1.2 trillion worth of US treasury bonds. If China decides to dump some of them into the market as retaliatory tactics, it could cause yields to harden. If the US economy suffers, gold would benefit from this.
Negatives priced in: Experts say that at the current price levels the negatives seem to be more than factored into the price of gold. Given the risks that exist today in the global economy, gold can prove to be a useful portfolio diversification tool and can help reduce overall portfolio risk. “Equities have been running up while gold has not been doing well for the past several years, so investors’ portfolios may have become underweight on gold. They should use the current price levels to build their allocation to the yellow metal,” says Mehta.
Should you have meaningful exposure to gold? Based on how things are panning out, investors should take significant exposure (up to 15 per cent or more of their portfolio, depending on their comfort) to gold right now with at least a two-year horizon, according to Narne of Motilal Oswal. Global inflation, rising interest rates, tightening of monetary policies by central banks, high crude prices are all positives for gold. “Globally, if things worsen from here, gold can surpass its all-time high in India. Investors need to keep a long-term horizon as the price of gold will rise with a lagged effect. We can even see over 30 per cent increase from the current prices,” says Narne. The most prominent cue for investors would be falling equity markets. The global markets are interconnected. Trade wars can impact growth and will then impact the stock market.
One way you may hold gold for the long term is via sovereign gold bonds. They pay an interest of 2.5 per cent annually on the initial purchase price but suffer from lack of liquidity. The government will buy these bonds back from investors only after five years and they trade at a discount in the secondary market. Gold mutual funds offer liquidity, but you will have to pay an annual expense ratio (0.4-1.2 per cent). Avoid the gold deposit schemes run by jewellers. “Investing in these schemes becomes a bet on the jeweller's financial position.
You could lose your entire money if he goes bankrupt,” says Deepesh Raghaw, founder, PersonalFinancePlan.in, a Sebi-registered investment advisor (RIA).
Gold close to bottoming out?


InterTrust Technologies, which makes software that protects songs and videos from being illegally copied, said its president, David Ludvigson, has resigned effective Nov. 1 to pursue other interests. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said it has appointed David Lockwood, the company's executive vice chairman and a board member, to replace Ludvigson. Prior to joining the digital rights management company, Lockwood worked for Reuters Greenhouse, a venture capital fund, as well as Goldman Sachs. In August, InterTrust said it would cut 12 percent of its work force in an effort to reduce costs.
InterTrust Technologies, which makes software that protects songs and videos from being illegally copied, said its president, David Ludvigson, has resigned effective Nov. 1 to pursue other interests. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said it has appointed David Lockwood, the company's executive vice chairman and a board member, to replace Ludvigson.
Prior to joining the digital rights management company, Lockwood worked for Reuters Greenhouse, a venture capital fund, as well as Goldman Sachs. In August, InterTrust said it would cut 12 percent of its work force in an effort to reduce costs.


What do you do when your life has come to a standstill? When you feel that there’s nothing much ahead of you and all your stories centre around how bad it is now or how good it used to be?
There are usually triggers that shoot us into these places where we feel defeated, depressed and needing to live with a sour attitude. It’s common to happen somewhere near the end of one stage of life, when we haven’t started a new stage of life.
It can be like a person who goes to a play that has three acts but mistakenly leaves after the first act ends because they thought the play was over. They leave confused, unfulfilled, warning others not to go because they didn’t stay long enough to know that the end of the first act was not the end of the play.
Some natural triggers can be the death of a loved one, a suicide of a friend, a broken heart, childhood abuse, a divorce, a job loss or even retirement can send us into a helpless hopeless place where we feel lost.
The real question is not how did we arrive in this lost place but how do we exit our all too real valley of despair?
The Lord God would never give us advice on how to renew our strength if it were not possible for us to lose our strength. Remember the God who created us understands that when we go through hard things, those things can drain us of our strength.
The Lord tells Isaiah the prophet to tell Israel not to lose hope in the midst of all their problems. If they would wait on the Lord they shall renew their strength.
We wait on God when we pray and it’s in prayer that we talk to God and more importantly, He talks to us. It’s there in that secret place of praying that the Lord gives us some much needed new information.
If you are ever going to change direction in life you’ll need new information. Without new information about a new direction to take, you’ll follow your old information and end up in the same old place.
It’s on the wings of new information that God gives us fresh revelation. Many people sit in church listening to the message and say things like, “I never saw that truth before, wow God does love me, yes I do have a brighter future.” They leave rejoicing, declaring the Lord has given them a new hope.
I believe if you live long enough we all go through things. Christians and non-Christians alike, no one is immune from the circumstances that bring us sorrow, sadness, and despair. The difference is not what we experience but rather it’s where we turn to for help.
I can’t deny that bad things happen but if you remain in a bad place it only makes matters worse.
Find a good church to attend and receive new information that will give you new direction and a new hope for a brighter future.
I believe in you and your best days are yet to come.