GREENWICH — Police and forensic examiners have concluded that the skeletal remains found in a town park in Old Greenwich were the result of a fairly recent death.
“A few months to a few years,” said police Lt. David Nemecek. The skeleton did not belong to someone who died long ago.
Police have recovered some other human bones in the area as part of an extensive search that began when the remains of the person were found in late April. There is heavy tidal action in a little stream next to where the skeleton was found, connected with Binney Pond. Some of the human bones were found far away from the original site of the discovery in Helen Binney Kitchel Park Natural Park as a result of the water flow.
“Every indication is it’s from the same person,” said the lieutenant.
When Binney Pond is dredged in coming weeks, police investigators will also be scouring the area for any new evidence associated with the finding of the skeletal remains.
“We’ll try to find everything we can,” said Nemecek.
Detectives have also been pursuing other methods to determine why and how the person died in the town park.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is handling the forensic evidence. The gender and age of the person has not been publicly released.
Trump soured relations in Latin America. China and Russia have welcomed the chaos.


President Barack Obama is ending the decades-old wet foot, dry foot policy for Cuban immigrants, the White House announced on Thursday, a major shift in the U.S. approach to the island nation and one that could also put President-elect Donald Trump in a bind.
The Cuban government, Obama said, has agreed to take back Cubans who are deported from the United States. The move, first reported by the Associated Press just eight days before he leaves office, caught the foreign policy establishment off-guard. It’s perhaps the most high-profile step toward normalizing relations with the communist island since Obama began his détente with the Castro regime in December 2014.
And it kicks a major decision to Trump.
Trump could conceivably reverse Obama’s executive action after he moves into the White House next week. That would likely be the preference of the Cuba hard-liners on his foreign policy team, including his chosen deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland and transition official Mauricio Claver-Cuoron, a top pro-embargo activist. However, closing the borders was Trump’s central campaign promise.
Two years ago, Obama announced plans to normalize relations with Cuba, after five decades of a strict embargo. Since then, both countries have opened embassies in their respective capitals, and the U.S. has gradually lifted trade restrictions, and commercial airlines such as Jet Blue, Southwest and Alaska Airlines are now shuttling passengers directly from New York and from Fort Lauderdale to Havana.
Some of Obama’s Cuban ambitions have been stymied by Congress, where questions about Cuba blur party lines. Lawmakers have refused to confirm an ambassador or lift the main trade restrictions. So ending special privileges for Cuban migrants appears to be Obama’s last big, unilateral move.
Lawmakers and advocacy groups that back more engagement with Cuba didn’t wait for an official White House announcement to praise the move.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was sharply critical, complaining that the Obama administration did not consult Congress.
Sen. Marco Rubio said in a statement: "The Cuban Adjustment Act has provided countless Cubans the opportunity to escape the Castro tyranny. However, in recent years it has also led to growing abuses. While some changes were needed, we must work to ensure that Cubans who arrive here to escape political persecution are not summarily returned to the regime, and they are given a fair opportunity to apply for and receive political asylum."
More than 20 years ago, the U.S. offered an unusual and dangerous escape route for Cubans: if the Coast Guard intercepted them at sea, they’d be sent back home. However, if they set foot on a Florida beach (or, increasingly, on the Southern border after a desert trek), they’d be automatically eligible to stay in the U.S. and pursue citizenship.
While refugee status won’t be granted automatically, the U.S. is by no means ruling out taking in Cubans, said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. “Cuban migrants, like everybody elese, will still be able to apply for asylum consistent with our laws,” Johnson said on the press call.
Cuban immigration to the U.S. has spiked since Obama announced the change in posture toward Cuba, with 40,000 immigrants arriving in 2015 and more than 50,000 arriving in 2016, Obama’s national security spokesman Ben Rhodes told reporters on Thursday. That increase – driven in part by fears that the U.S. would end Cuban migrants’ special privileges – “increased the sense of urgency” to do precisely that, Rhodes said.
A bill proposing changing the immigration rules for Cubans was introduced last year by a bipartisan pair from Texas: Rep. Blake Farenthold (R) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D), but did not ultimately make its way to Obama’s desk.
It was unclear whether there’d be any legal roadblocks to prevent Trump from reversing Obama’s action, which took the form of a Department of Homeland Security policy. Asked about such a possibility, Johnson tried to stress that it was Obama who had been the one to “repeal" something: the exceptions granted to Cubans in the 1990s.
“This is not the enactment of a policy that can be repealed by a subsequent administration,” Johnson said.


The revamp of Hong Kong’s century-old Peak Tram is set to boost passenger numbers by double-digit growth in the first year and meet modern needs without changing the classic style of its iconic carriages.
May Tsang Ying-mei, general manager at the Peak Tramways Company, said the forecast was based on the novelty effect following a HK$684 million (2.7 billion baht) facelift. She also expected the figure to climb at an average annual rate of 2% in the following years.
“Our target is to reopen it in early 2021. We hope to do it before Lunar New Year,” she said in an interview with the South China Morning Post last week.
Over the past decade, the operator recorded an average annual ridership of about 6 million. Hong Kong on the whole expects to welcome a record 66.4 million tourists this year, up from 65.1 million in 2018.
Opened in 1888, the tram service catered to British businessmen and Chinese workers. The first two seats in the initial 30-seater doorless compartment were once reserved for the governor.
In its first year of operation, the tram carried 150,000 passengers, equivalent to 80% of Hong Kong’s population at the time.
Tsang said that, to keep up with the times, a Swiss firm and designers were working on a fresh look for the sixth-edition tram cars that could carry 210 passengers each, compared with a current capacity of 120 riders.
The new versions are expected to serve more than 600 extra passengers per hour during peak periods.
“We want to keep the classic characteristics of the trams and also give a better experience to tourists, so they can have a more comfortable ride,” Tsang said.
She added that the waiting time would also be reduced from 90 minutes to about 17 on weekends.
Another major change centred on a fountain at the lower terminus, which would be replaced by an art piece that Tsang hoped would become a landmark. She added the firm was in talks with five foreign artists over proposals for it.
Tsang said the ongoing makeover would also introduce a new haulage system and track rails. But she said the company had yet to decide whether to raise fares after the completion of the privately funded project.
According to Tsang, time management is one of the biggest challenges as the tram service suspension is planned for just seven to eight months, spanning two phases. The first stage will begin on April 23 and last for up to three months.
Tsang said halting the service only once would be cheaper, but the suspension could stretch up to 15 months.
The last overhaul of the service took place in 1989. Over the years, long waiting times have been cited as a major headache for tourists, with some being stuck in queues for up to two hours.
Shirleen Oh Szu Ling, 47, a Singaporean who lives in New Zealand and visited Hong Kong for the first time around the Lunar New Year holiday in February, said she was put off by the long queue.
Tourism lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said he expected shorter waiting times after the revamp, and a larger waiting area would also give the attraction a boost. He predicted individual visitor numbers -- those not under tour groups -- to jump by as much as 20%.
According to Peak Tramways, 90% of passengers are tourists, of whom more than 65% are first-time visitors to the ride. Among the non-local passengers, mainlanders, short-haul market visitors and long-haul market travellers made up equal portions.
“If the attraction can secure good word of mouth, the number of customers will grow even further,” Yiu said.


42 r 1 SAN FRANCISCO · OAKLAND to PALO AlTO SACRAMENTO · FRESNO" lOSANGElES · BEVERLY HUlS PASADENA · SANTA BARBARA · lA JOllA" StATTlE r "'f .. A- ". 4IiI.. j:o n ...._ .'-'........ I .< , !1 r ! - .J :::" .1 . V I øI ,-" ,..' f':" f':': - ::.:: -H -L- f:: ,I. Magnin & CO. likes by Elean'or Green... t · red, royal blue or bla '1Il1o."" -/ .............. . t .. , --=t !\I I;; ............,.,. "I . / I ' "t" < ',- "'-. · e-form chemise ined wool jersey, o 18 sizes 29.95 moil orders (add 55(/. for shipping) to Union Square San Fran sco or t ep one your nearest I. Magnin store firm's secretary and director of research. Charles Perkins was at his desk in a corner office overlooking the display garden-a tall, vigorous man with keen eyes behind g.old-rimmed spectacles and the expression of almost infinite pa- tIence that I have often seen on the faces of people who spend much of their lives waiting for nature to make the next move. Books about roses and cans containing fertilizers and dusting powders filled the bookshelves along one wall, and an enormous Pacific sailfish, with a plaque announcing that my host had caught it, was mounted on another. Observing that Mr. Perkins was chew- ing on a cigar, I was reminded of the saying that a man with a fondness for roses will also have a fondness for fishing and cigars. "I hope you don't mInd my cigar," he remarked as he settled me in a chair. "Many of the ladies I run across in this busin ess just can't stan d th em." I assured him that cigars were quite all right with me. "Good," he said. "Well, you've come at just the right time. The garden's at its height. Three weeks ago, we couldn't have told you wheth- er there'd be a rose in bloom, what with the late spring we've had here- abouts. Why, in May some of the nights were so cold we had to use smudge pots to keep the temperature from falling too low around the plants. But this hot weather has brought the blooms out like the hair on a dog. You can't count on the seasons being regular any more. vVhen our 1956 festival was due to open, the bùshes were still only in bud, and we broadcast announcements over stations in Rochester and Syra- cuse telling people to stay away for a while. Gosh! They flocked here in greater numbers than ever. It rained part of the time, too, but the people seemed to en JOY the festival, in spite of all the soaked 4- H queens and the sop- ping crêpe paper. Here, this will show you where we stand this year." \ir. Perkins handed me a copy of the festival program, and I saw that I had missed, among other thIngs, the crowning of a Rose Princess; a Kiddie Costume Contest, in which the children wore costumes made of real or artificia] roses; the Sterling Bowl Tournament, in which fourteen rose arrangers from all parts of the country competed for a silver bowl donated by the Sterling Silversmiths Guild of .LL\.merica; Camera Day, during which representatives of Eastman Kodak demonstrated how to photograph roses; and a Festival of Fashions, in which models employed by a Rochester department store paraded through the display garden carrYIng CHAMPAGNE ,/ FRANCE'S FINEST SINCE 17:60 I 1# J \ ? "1 t.. 1i.ð , -- .... < ,,"" '\ \ \ ;-. r "' '';;'10: "ZiB 1/I '1c . ff . ("'f; L . .Ã' +,....., --\-( .: .. ' ,. !:'1?-41YCF ....4....... .? ,.:;" 4 "'-IW....,""- .... 0....: Co .n. r "'Ør. .......... .......'" " ORATHJt % ,t it> ,\, , , ,," There's only one question-can"you . fford it? IMP 0 R TED FRO M F RAN C c · S C HEN lEY I M PO R T co. # N. Y.


The Manila police shot three cousins dead in an antidrug operation on Wednesday in Sta. Ana, where they allegedly sold P200 worth of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to undercover agents.
The fatalities identified as Leo Merced Geluz, Joshua Merced and Bimbo Siprano Merced were killed inside their house at Benita Compound, Pasig Line, in a buy-bust operation where PO3 Allan Escramosa, and PO2s Roestrell Ocampo and Francisco Mendoz acted as poseur buyers.
The 3 a.m. operation led by Insp. Alfredo Tan. Jr. recovered 16 sachets of shabu, two revolvers, several bullets and drug paraphernalia from the slain suspects, according to PO3 Aldeen Legaspi of Manila Police District homicide section.
A village chief in Tondo, Manila, was shot dead in front of his barangay hall late Wednesday night.
The victim, Barangay 106 chair Tito Caldozo, was seated next to a tanod (watchman) when two men on a motorcycle approached them around 11 p.m. One of the men shot Caldozo in the chest before fleeing together with his accomplice.


File photo of U..S. Vice President Mike Pence.
JACKSONVILLE — In a clear signal that the final trajectory of his campaign will be shaped by his alliance with President Donald Trump, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis was joined Thursday by Vice President Mike Pence at a Jacksonville rally.
Pence, accompanied by his wife, Karen, and White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, assured the former congressman and a crowd of about 500 supporters at the Prime Osborn Convention Center that DeSantis will have Trump's full support.
"I'm here to tell you. It won't be any great surprise to you. Ron DeSantis has been one of the strongest advocates for the Trump agenda in the Congress of the United States. And President Donald Trump and I support him 100 percent," Pence said.
That support will be amplified by a Trump rally that will be held in Lee County on Wednesday, less than a week before the Nov. 6 election.
DeSantis, who lives outside Jacksonville in Ponte Vedra Beach and served three terms in Congress before stepping down last month, used Trump's support to propel himself to a victory over the better-funded Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Aug. 28 Republican primary for governor.
And now in a general-election campaign against Democrat Andrew Gillum, DeSantis is emphasizing his support from the president in an apparent effort to energize Republican voters and draw them to the polls.
He is also doubling down on his attacks on Gillum, raising questions about the Tallahassee mayor accepting a pricey ticket to attend the Broadway musical "Hamilton" from an undercover FBI agent who Gillum believed to be a developer looking to invest in Tallahassee. The issue was at the center of the candidates' final acrimonious debate Wednesday night at Broward College.
"He didn't pay for it. He lied to the people of Florida," DeSantis told the Jacksonville crowd. "He's got all these excuses. This issue is about integrity. It's not about black or white. It's about right or wrong."
Gillum, who is trying to become the first African-American elected as Florida's governor, has suggested race is playing an issue in DeSantis' attacks. He said he got the ticket from his brother.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Gillum said DeSantis was suggesting "somehow I haven't deserved what I've gotten — I'm unethical, participate in illegal and illicit activities, I mean you name it."
"The goal is obviously to use my candidacy as a way to reinforce, frankly, stereotypes about black men," he said.
But both DeSantis and Pence slammed Gillum on a host of other issues, including his support for dismantling the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and his plan to raise Florida's corporate income taxes by $1 billion to pay for teacher salaries.
"We will never abolish ICE," Pence said, as long as Trump is president, Gov. Rick Scott is elected to the U.S. Senate and DeSantis is governor. "We'll build a wall and we will fix this broken immigration system once and for all."
Pence and DeSantis also criticized Gillum for his support of the Dream Defenders' group, which DeSantis characterized as a "radical" organization that aims to undermine law enforcement.
Pence called Gillum "just one more voice of the resistance."
"His politics, his policies look more like Bernie Sanders' Vermont than the Sunshine State," Pence said.
Pence joined DeSantis in Jacksonville after touring damage from Hurricane Michael in the Panhandle with Scott, who is running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. Pence said the Trump administration is fully committed to helping the state in its rebuilding efforts, including repairing Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City.
Pence also spoke briefly about pipe bombs that were sent this week to several prominent critics of Trump, including 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
"We condemn these attempted acts of violence in the strongest possible terms," Pence said, adding the investigation is the FBI's "highest priority" and that "those responsible will be brought to justice."
DeSantis was also joined at the rally by his wife Casey, a Jacksonville television personality, and his running mate, state Rep. Jeanette Nunez of Miami. U.S. Rep. John Rutherford of Jacksonville and U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho of Gainesville also spoke in support of DeSantis' campaign.


Urgent Update from Keith Fitz-Gerald: Inspector General audits have been uncovered that could entitle you to thousands of dollars –even tens of thousands – in unpaid benefits. In fact, according to the most recent audit in February, 82% of specific people eligible for certain related-benefits were owed money. Most victims of these errors have no idea that they could be owed a sum that could equal $23,441. Click here to learn more before it’s too late.
You could be eligible to collect as much as a $23,441 lump-sum check from the Social Security Administration – recent audits by the Office of the Inspector General reveal tens of thousands of recipients underpaid. Click here to learn about what’s going on.
Does the Social Security Administration owe you $23,441?
Audits done by the Office of the Inspector General found that errors by SSA employees have resulted in 33 years of underpaid benefits to many Americans.
Denise Felton of Hawaii discovered she was underpaid $56,255 in Social Security due to similar types of miscalculations, going back 15 years!
Luckily, after finding the right help, she was able to collect this money in just three days.
The audits alone show that there are tens of thousands of other people just like her.
All you need to know is the necessary steps needed to hold them accountable for paying the unpaid benefits.
We’ve compiled the details about what’s going on for you at this special web page.
The government probably won’t call you to let you know about the money you could be rightfully owed.
And we’re doing something about it. Click here to learn more.


Safety is perhaps the primary reason officials are looking to redo that stretch of highway — now the most-closed stretch of I-70 through the mountain corridor. Other safety improvement will include putting more gentle curves in some areas — the highway was built when the national speed limit was 55 mph.
That’s why transportation officials are working with other state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, on ways to improve recreation and be more kind to wildlife.
At a Thursday evening open house at Vail’s Donovan Pavilion, Hansen, who lives near the highway in East Vail, said noise also will be a consideration for him and his neighbors.
“That’s a major concern,” Hansen said, adding that the bike path along the pass also needs a number of safety improvements.


Back in February, Twitter finally rolled out its Windows Phone app update after months of agonizing anticipation.
And this week, the Twitter for Windows app gets another update – but this time, it boasts a feature that no other Twitter app has.
Windows Phone users can now view Vine videos in-stream in the official Twitter app.
Pretty nifty – and fitting with the Lead Generation Cards functionality recently released that enables user signups in-app. More and more, Twitter is recognizing the desired ease of taking actions without leaving the app for another one.
Windows users can now also apply filters to and do basic editing of photos before uploading them to Twitter, a feature added to the Android and iPhone apps in December.
Since there is still no official Instagram app for Windows, it seems like Twitter might be taking advantage of that hole to beef up its own audiovisual muscle. And with Windows’ tile functionality, it’s a pretty snazzy platform for photo display.
If you’re one of the more than 200 million users of the Twitter for Windows app, let us know what you think of the update.


We are currently seeking an excellent individual to spearhead our activist-led campaigning in our Southern Africa Country Coordinator team.
As part of our Country Coordinator forum, you will work in your regional team to involve activists from across the UK to deliver real human rights change.
This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in Amnesty International’s work. Country coordinators deliver campaigning on Amnesty UK’s portfolio of Individuals at Risk cases along with thematic projects and country campaigning relating to their geographical region.
A passionate advocate for human rights, you have a demonstrable commitment to the goals and objectives of Amnesty International. You are an excellent communicator with an eye for detail and a strong sense of responsibility.
While the Country Coordinator role requires independent activity, the role will be best suited to individuals who are keen to be part of developing a community of Country Coordinators.


The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has added a Chattanooga man to their Top 10 Most Wanted list. Jereme Dannuel Little, 40, is wanted by the TBI and Chattanooga police for Especially Aggravated Kidnapping.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has added a Chattanooga man to their Top 10 Most Wanted list.
Jereme Dannuel Little, 40, is wanted by the TBI and Chattanooga police for Especially Aggravated Kidnapping. TBI says Little has a history with violence and is a known gang member of the Vice Lords gang. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.


The Pratt County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture out of Woodward, Okla., is looking for information on the possible theft of 17 head of 650 lb heifers.
The cattle are mostly black with one red heifer. One of the animals has letter "K" brand on the far back left hip.
The Construction, Agriculture, Livestock Information Network reported Monday morning that two individuals out of the Pratt County area took the livestock to a sale barn in Oklahoma but did not have any real involvement in the cattle business.
The agencies are looking to locate if any person has not reported the cattle missing or to make the owner aware of the missing cattle.


An Irish nanny accused of murdering a toddler in her care will face trial next April, her lawyers have told a Massachusetts Court.
On Wednesday Aisling Mc Carthy Brady’s defense attorney appeared in Middlesex Superior Court outside Boston for the brief update hearing.
McCarthy Brady of Quincy is charged with murder and assault and battery on a child in the death of Rehma Sabir last January. The toddler was admitted to hospital on her first birthday with severe head injuries and died two days later on January 16. The Irish nanny has plead not guilty to the charges and has been in custody since her arrest on January 22.
The 35-year-old Irish immigrant, originally from Lavey, Co. Cavan was not in court for the short pre-hearing.
On Wednesday Defense Attorney Melinda Thompson told the court her legal team was still awaiting medical and radiology reports from the District Attorney regarding the existence of bone fractures.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said during the five minute hearing that he was 'hopeful' the trial would proceed next April.
Judge S. Jane Haggerty urged the prosecution and defense teams to “exchange what you need to exchange” so the trial would remain on track.
Judge Haggerty said she was still considering a motion from McCarthy Brady’s attorney to have the charges dismissed on their claim that 90 percent of the evidence presented before her indictment was inadmissible.
Another hearing is scheduled for November19. The defendant is expected to attend that hearing.


Not every new mum finds the first few months at home with baby to be as magical as they’ve been led to believe. The reality can be difficult, and very lonely.
Cot – check. Moses basket – check. Preparation for loneliness? Well no, it’s not top of the list for any expectant mother awaiting the birth of her first child.
There’s a wealth of information available to expectant parents who want to know how to prepare – books, websites and friends – all advising on what to buy and what to expect. Baby lists with everything they need, and many things they don’t. But one element that few people talk about is how lonely first-time motherhood can be.
Not everyone is lonely. Many first-time mothers find their true calling during those early months, and embrace it. They may not know exactly what to do all the time, but they don’t let it derail them.
However, some mothers are lonely, and very few are prepared for that. Being at home with a new baby can be an utterly overwhelming experience, and this is compounded when mothers feel they are the only ones who are struggling.
Liza Finnegan (30), mother of nine-month-old Harry, was surprised at how challenging she found her first few months as a parent. “I’d wake up and wonder how long until he would go to bed, so I’d have a few hours for myself,” says the former medical secretary from Goatstown in Dublin.
“Harry had silent reflux, and as a result, he cried a lot. Because of it, he hardly slept at all. I was at my wits’ end a lot of the time because he cried so much. And people would turn around and say, ‘but sure all babies cry, that’s normal’, so I thought it was just one of those things,” she says.
And that’s the problem; first-time mothers are muddling through as best they can, and can find it difficult to know which advice to listen to and which to ignore. Many books set unrealistic expectations about feeding and sleeping, so the new mother who reads that babies nap for five hours a day looks at her wide-awake, crying child and wonders what she’s doing wrong and if she’s the only one struggling. But as Finnegan realised over time, “with babies, there is no normal”.
So why does this happen? How do mothers find themselves feeling unexpectedly lonely?
She points out that tiredness is a factor, and that if parents don’t know people with babies, they don’t know what to expect. “I’d say it’s more common for mothers to have times when they feel overwhelmed and lonely than to just sail through the early months,” says O’Byrne.
Marketing professional Elaine Carroll (36), mum to two-year-old Maya, found that the transition from full-time employee to first-time motherhood was a huge adjustment. “I missed talking to people, I missed my brain working,” she says.
“I remember overwhelming loneliness at times – hearing a car outside and hoping it was my husband. I found maternity leave challenging, and I was looking forward to going back to work.” It’s clear that this is a huge adjustment, but many mothers don’t make allowances for it.
Helen Plass, yoga instructor and owner of Mumandbaby.ie, a website dedicated to pregnant women and new mums, points out that mothers are not used to being on their own during the day. “They are used to using their brains, having hobbies and adult conversation. Any form of social interaction can help. Try mum and baby groups, music classes, baby yoga, baby massage, or breastfeeding groups,” she suggests.
What about the pressure to ‘enjoy’ everything? Finnegan recalls visiting work with her baby, and being asked if it was the best time of her life. “I thought ‘why don’t I feel that?’ You feel you can’t tell anyone you’re not happy every minute of the day.
So the message from new mothers is to get up and get out, no matter how hard it seems. And above all else, don’t beat yourself up if you’re not loving the early days of parenthood; it does get easier.


After providing home brewers supplies for almost 25 years, Xtreme Brewing Supplies is closing its doors.
The business posted on its Facebook and sent an email out to customers in late October announcing the closure. The company's Millsboro location is already closed, while the Laurel store will close Saturday, Nov. 17.
"For us it's always been about more than just selling stuff. So, now it's about more than just selling a retail store. And right now, we honestly can't convey how we thank you for supporting us on this wonderful adventure and along the way becoming people we treasure," the business' Facebook post read signed by "Patti ... Doug, Shawn and Donna."
In the email to customers, the business wrote the building and property in Laurel has been for sale since July.
"When the for sale sign went up, we began telling you as you came to either store that when we have a confirmed buyer for the Laurel property, a closing date would be set for both stores and the website," the email read.
The owners decided to close the business instead of selling it, according to the email.
Customers who want to grab final supplies can head to Laurel for the closing sale going on now.


Desi Smith/Staff Photo. Steve Canning of Gloucester,and Pete Haskell of Rockport, place one of the 24 sections of the 250 foot Veterians Memorial Wall being set up at the Fuller School Wednesday morning. July 8,2015.


Plentiful sunshine. High 84F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..
About 80,000 diapers were distributed in Copperas Cove to those who needed them, thanks to a local nonprofit and a manufacturing plant that is shutting down.
Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter distributed the 80,000 diapers to community members Friday, said Brian Hawkins, the shelter’s executive director. The diapers were from a donation from Dontar Personal Care from a plant it was shutting down in Waco, Hawkins said.
Dontar Personal Care has two other plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania that will remain operational, he said.
Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter distributed 74,000 size 1 and 2 kids diapers to 96 individuals who visited their facility on Halstead Avenue in Copperas Cove, and also made deliveries to the YMCA, the CPS office and Rainbow Room in Copperas Cove, Hawkins said.
They distributed 3,000 adult diapers each to Stoney Brook of Copperas Cove and Hill Country Rehab and Nursing Center in Copperas Cove as well, he said.
Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter also distributed surplus food Friday, including 820 pounds of rice, 576 pounds of beans and 540 pounds of oatmeal, Hawkins said.


The Irish Senate voted on Wednesday to pass a bill to boycott the trade and importing of goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The bill was submitted to the Senate by independent Senator Francis Black who hopes that with support, the vital bill will become law. Palestinian ambassador Ahmed Abdelrazek along with lawyers who worked on the drafting the bill and the legislation’s sponsoring organisations Trócaire, Christian Aid and Ictu (Irish Congress of Trade Unions) all applauded the passing of the bill.
Trocaire’s CEO, Caoimhe de Barra stated, “This legislation is a vote for human rights and peace, this is a critical moment for the world to take a stand against illegal occupation”.
The bill now needs the endorsement of the lower house of the parliament, known as the Dáil Éireann, before the Irish president signs and makes it into law.
The draft bill has been met with severe criticism from Israel’s foreign minister spokeman, Emmanuel Nashon, who states that Ireland has chosen to support the “most extreme anti-Israel piece of boycott legislation in Europe”. He argues that the bill was “hateful” and that it won’t help Palestinians.
This historic move could see Ireland as the first EU country to end trade with Israeli settlements in Palestine. The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill declares it an offense “for a person to import or attempt to import settlement goods.” It also states that those who “assist another person to import or attempt to import settlement goods” would be committing a crime punishable by up to five years in prison or a €250,000 fine.
The bill forms part of a larger international movement known as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a Palestinian-led international campaign founded in 2005 with the aim of ending the occupation in Palestine.
Around 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built illegally according to international law since the 1967 occupation of the Palestinian lands.


>Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick recently secured the resignation of the executive director and five members of the seven member Massachusetts parole board, including its chair, after paroled career criminal Domenic Cinelli killed veteran police officer Jack Maguire during a botched robbery attempt in late December 2010. Not surprisingly the murder of a police officer by a parolee sparked widespread outrage and demands for drastic parole reforms, including an immediate suspension of parole hearings. After a subsequent inquiry found serious mistakes in the conduct of Cinelli's hearing and a serious failure of supervision when he was released, Patrick's shake-up of the agency, which was met with the surprised approval of his conservative critics and the dismay of liberal criminal justice advocates, seemed inevitable. When you hold a high-stakes, high-profile job, you should probably not expect political forgiveness for a series of fatal or near fatal mistakes -- unless you're a prosecutor.
Prosecutorial misconduct is a familiar if not common occurrence that results in the imprisonment of innocent people, the failure even to arrest the guilty, or lenient sentences for offenders when prosecutors are caught engaging in misconduct and enter into plea bargains to avoid exposure. (I wrote about it here some 10 years ago.) Yet, prosecutors continue to "commit misconduct with impunity," as Kathleen Ridolfi, Director of the Northern California Innocence Project remarked to USA Today, which published an extensive investigation of misconduct last year.
Reviewing federal cases, USA Today found 201 instances of prosecutorial misconduct confirmed by federal courts (in about a ten year period). In a study of the California justice system, the Northern California Innocence Project found over 700 cases (during a 10 year period) in which "courts explicitly found that prosecutors committed misconduct." Usually they get away with it (and some are repeat offenders), according to the Innocence Project report: The California state bar disciplined only a tiny fraction of prosecutors found by courts to have engaged in misconduct.
Exposing abuses in the administration of the death penalty has helped deter its practice: In Illinois, which declared a moratorium on capital punishment in 2000, the legislature has voted to repeal the state's death penalty. Even in Texas, the number of death sentences has declined. (Texas probably executed an innocent man in 2004, as David Grann famously demonstrated in The New Yorker.) But in less dramatic cases, including those involving lengthy, wrongful imprisonments, prosecutorial misconduct is often tolerated, if not trivialized, as its persistence shows. The wrongful imprisonment of innocent people and ruination of innocent lives resulting from intentional government misconduct simply does not arouse the outrage and demands for reform that follow a fateful parole decision, resulting from unintentional mistakes.
In fact, the call for harsher penal laws sparked by a mistaken grant of parole can exacerbate the problem of misconduct by increasing the generally unaccountable, discretionary power of prosecutors through mandatory sentencing schemes, which (as I've noted here) effectively consolidate charging and sentencing authority in the prosecutor's office. In Massachusetts, police and some legislators are pressing for passage of an emotionally charged law (named for murder victim, Melissa Gosule) that would impose mandatory maximum penalties on many third time felony offenders, eliminating opportunities for parole.
But three strikes laws, popularized in the 1990s, are more reliably effective in increasing prison overcrowding than reducing violent crime (outside prison), and in an apparent effort to stave off passage of "Melissa's Law," Governor Patrick has proposed a compromise bill that would increase sentences for some repeat felons and limit but not abolish parole for them: Most offenders will be released eventually if only for a lack of resources to imprison all of them forever. Parole provides at least hope of supervising and easing their re-entry. Patrick calls his proposal a more "sensible," and smarter approach to crime control, although it may be less sensible than no proposal to increase already stiff sentences for felonies and impose new limits on parole, which parole board members will be more fearful of granting anyway, after the Cinelli fiasco. And, the Governor's bill obviously lacks the visceral appeal of a harsher law named for a young female homicide victim.
If only people were consistent in their mistrust of government: Parole board members are not to be trusted with discretion in granting parole, and judges are not to be trusted with discretion in sentencing convicted defendants; but prosecutors are invariably trusted with significantly increased discretion, despite their track records of abusing it. The illogic of popular, putatively tough anti-crime strategies has long frustrated death penalty opponents and other criminal justice reformers: People who tend not to trust the government with its civil, regulatory power, notably over business or health care, will trust it enthusiastically with awesome, inadequately checked prosecutorial power. They trust that it will prosecute and occasionally execute other people, (only very bad and guilty people) with consistent accuracy and fairness, despite all evidence to the contrary.


Sony Pictures placed the blame on movie theaters for “The Interview” being pulled.
The new statement comes on the heels of President Barack Obama blasting the studio for their decision to pull the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy after hackers issued a threat of physical violence against movie theaters that showed the film.
Obama held a press conference on Friday, just hours after the FBI named North Korea responsible for the hacking of and brutal threats against Sony.
“I think they made a mistake,” Obama told the nation from the White House, referring to Sony’s actions in pulling “The Interview” in the face of the crippling cyberattack.
“We cannot have a society in which some dictator in some place can start imposing censorship here in the U.S,” he continued in his remarks. “If somebody can intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical comedy, imagine what they’ll do when they see a documentary or political film they don’t like?
“That’s not what we are, that’s not what America’s about. I’m sympathetic that some private company was worried about liabilities. I wish they’d spoken to me first. Do not get into a pattern in which we’re intimidated by these kind of criminal attacks,” he emphasized.


On Wednesday 21th of March, the United Nations and the World Bank came together in Brussels to present their first-of-its-kind joint study on the prevention agenda. The flagship report ‘Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict’, centers on the business case behind the international community refocusing resources and investments in the area of prevention.
Although the mandates of the UN and World Bank differ, their shared commitment towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provided the perfect platform for such a collaboration. However, Alexandre Marc, Chief Specialist Fragility, Conflict and Violence of the World Bank, noted that “development has been the missing element in prevention.” Just as with the Sustainable Development Goals, this study now combines economic with social arguments and recommendations.
The study found that prevention requires deep and concrete changes in the way in which national, regional, and international actors operate and cooperate. However, few incentives have existed for this to happen – that is why ‘Pathways for Peace’ highlights three core principles of prevention. First, prevention must not be seen as a trade-off between the short and long term. Instead, prevention must be sustained over the time needed to address structural issues, strengthen institutions, and provide incentives for actors to manage conflict without violence. Second, “it is of the utmost importance that prevention is inclusive” stressed Alexandre Marc. Too often, preventative action is geared towards the demands of actors that control the means of power and violence. In contrast, an inclusive approach must place understanding societal grievances at the heart of all national and international engagements. Lastly, modern conflicts arise when groups contest access to power, resources, and security, among others.
As the title of the report indicates, conflict is path-dependent and once a country finds itself on a violent path, reversing the trend is extremely difficult and costly. Prevention has the power to steer countries away from negative spirals; a “shift from conflict management to inclusive prevention is desperately needed” underlined Jago Salmon, advisor on the UN/WB Partnership on Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations at the UN. That is the reason why ‘Pathways for peace’ advocates the narrative of a ‘business case for prevention’.
Even though most societies regularly implement strategies to address the potential causes of conflict and launch initiatives to prevent violence, current spending on prevention by the multilateral system amounts to a fraction of what is spent on responding to crises or on rebuilding afterwards. A scaled-up system for preventative action could save between US$5 and $70 billion per year, which could be reinvested in reducing poverty and improving populations’ well-being. For this to happen, a much stronger focus is needed on identifying and acting early to address the risks of violence.


The chip maker is responding to tests by multiple sites that show the new graphics card is drawing more power than it's rated for.
Advanced Micro Devices engineers are addressing reports from several test sites that its new Radeon RX 480 graphics card, officially launched last week, is drawing more power than advertised.
In tests run by such sites as Tom's Hardware, TecLab and PC Perspective, it was found that the new GPU, which was rated as a 150-watt graphics card, was drawing an average of 168 watts under load, and that the RX 480 was pulling as much as 90 watts over its PCIe slot, more than the 75 watts maximum the slot is rated for. That could cause problems with some motherboards.
Power consumption is a key metric for GPUs and other PC and server components, and it's a point that AMD officials have been prompting as a key differentiator in the company's ongoing competition with Intel and Nvidia.
AMD over the holiday weekend responded to the reports, saying in a statement that engineers are working on the issues.
"As you know, we continuously tune our GPUs in order to maximize their performance within their given power envelopes and the speed of the memory interface, which in this case is an unprecedented 8Gbps for GDDR5," AMD officials said in the statement. "Recently, we identified select scenarios where the tuning of some RX 480 boards was not optimal. Fortunately, we can adjust the GPU's tuning via software in order to resolve this issue. We are already testing a driver that implements a fix, and we will provide an update to the community on our progress on Tuesday (July 5, 2016)."
GPUs are a key part of the larger effort by AMD officials to make the company more competitive in a number of growth areas, such as immersive computing and gaming. AMD earlier this year introduced its new Polaris GPU architecture, which includes graphics cards on a 14-nanomter 3D FinFET transistor design for improved performance and power efficiency and includes such features as High-Bandwidth Memory. Officials said the architecture will more than double the performance-per-watt of previous Radeon graphics technologies. The Radeon RX 480 card was the first of the Polaris-based GPUs.
The graphics cards will start at $199 for the 4GB chip and $239 for the 8GB card, and will support emerging virtual reality products. The new GPUs are getting support not only from system makers like Dell's Alienware business, HP Inc. and Lenovo, but also from game and VR software makers, including Bethesda, EA and Ubisoft and VR headset manufacturers Oculus and HTC.


BBC Sport Online explains how the Moonies religious cult would be more than just money to Queens Park Rangers.
It seems that Queens Park Rangers may have had their prayers answered - quite literally.
The Division Two side have had a tough time over the past few months, tumbling down a league and going into administration with debts of �11m.
But the path to enlightenment may have been revealed in the form of the Unification Church, otherwise known as the Moonies.
QPR spokesman Mike Hartwell has admitted that the religious movement has shown an interest in buying the club.
Involvement with the Unification Church, famous for their mass wedding ceremonies, may be worrying to some at Loftus Road.
But it would mean belonging to a huge financial empire.
The Moonies are estimated to have over $10bn in business assets, including an American daily newspaper, the University of Bridgeport and a major publishing company.
The church also owns a number of other clubs across the world, including teams in Brazil and Korea.
Clearly QPR might never have to worry about money again if the cult's leader Reverend Sun Myung Moon was at the helm, but many fans say that it is about more than just finance.
Loyal Supporters Association secretary Joe English is cynical about their intentions.
"People think that if someone comes in with a big fat cheque book, then QPR will get into bed with anyone, but that's not the case," said English.
"I think it's dangerous getting involved with those people. What's their motive?"
Certainly, the Moonies may have some hard beliefs for the Loftus Road faithful to swallow, claiming that Reverend Moon is effectively the Messiah.
According to Unification theory, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden before they could produce the "good family" and Christ was murdered before he, too, could marry and procreate.
Hence, Moon has stated that he and his wife are the first "true parents" - something that many fans might not want to digest with their halftime pie.
"You don't want religion, even subtly pushed down your throat at a football match. You go there to get away from things like that," said English.
"I mean, what's going to happen? Is swearing going to be banned at the training ground?"
Certainly, the Moonies might try to instil the players with a sense of divine purpose.
As long ago as 1979, the spiritual leader Moon said: "A Moonie soccer champion will still be kicking the ball, even if his leg is broken."
Watching a team play with broken limbs may be an uncomfortable experience for QPR fans, but a name-change would be more than they could bear.
Last year, the Unification Church set up a new professional team in Brazil called "New Hope".
It remains to be seen whether they intend to inspire the same brand loyalty with QPR, perhaps renaming them "New Hoops".
But fans, who so vociferously opposed a merger with Wimbledon a few months ago, are unlikely to want any tampering of that kind.
Links to more QPR stories are at the foot of the page.


The number inmates participating in a hunger strike at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has risen sharply in the past few weeks to include more than half of those held at the military-run facility.
Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale, a spokesman on detainee issues for the Pentagon, said on Monday the number stood at 84, up from just over 30 less than a month ago.
Alan and Judy Gross during a vacation trip to Israel.
An American imprisoned in Cuba, along with his wife in the United States, is suing the U.S. government and the group for which he worked, citing what they call an "abject failure to advise, train and protect him."
Alan Gross, 63, has been held in a Cuban prison since December 2009. He was arrested for bringing in banned communications equipment as part of a State Department program to spread democracy and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The Grosses claim that both the U.S. government and the contractor, Development Alternatives Inc., based in Bethesda, Maryland, "failed to disclose adequately to Mr. Gross, both before and after he began traveling to Cuba, the material risks that he faced due to his participation in the project."
The suit also charges that the State Department and DAI failed to provide him with education and training that were necessary to minimize the risk of harm to him, and should have delayed the project "until the risks subsided."
Fifty years ago, 15-year-old Omar Lopez knew a secret that governments around the world would have killed to learn or safeguard: Soviet troops were building hidden military installations in Cuba.
One of those installations was on the farm where his family raised chickens and pigs.
In 1962, Fidel Castro's revolution was just beginning to reshape Cuba. Thousands of Cubans had fled the country, and the year before, Castro's troops had routed a U.S.-backed invasion at the Bay of Pigs.
But little of the drama of those times reached the remote Lopez farm in western Cuba, where palm trees vastly outnumber human residents.
ING Bank has agreed to pay a $619 million penalty for moving billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system at the behest of Cuban and Iranian clients, acts that violated economic sanctions.
Appeals from seven detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, contesting their open-ended custody, were turned aside by the Supreme Court on Monday.
Without comment, the justices refused to take a fresh look at the "habeas" petitions by the suspected foreign enemy fighters and what rights they have to make their claims in federal court.
In the so-called Boumediene ruling in 2008, the high court said "enemy combatants" held overseas in U.S. military custody have a right to a "meaningful review" of their detention in the civilian legal justice system. It would force the government to present evidence and justify keeping the prisoners indefinitely, without charges.
But a federal appeals court in Washington has since refused to order the release of any detainee filing a habeas corpus writ, in some cases rejecting such orders from lower-court judges.
According to Pentagon figures, 169 foreign men are still at the Guantanamo facility, including five "high-value" suspected terrorists from the 9/11 attacks set to go on military trial.
Her name says its all – Castro. Mariela Castro Espin, the daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro has been granted a visa to travel to the United States next week to attend an academic conference. That decision by the U.S. government has ignited a firestorm of controversy on Capitol Hill and the streets of Miami. Jill Dougherty reports.
Detainee "too dangerous to release"
Mahmoud Abd al Aziz is a balding 34-year-old Yemeni who has spent most of his adult life detained at Guantanamo Bay. He was one of the very first to be taken there, ten years ago this month, after being captured on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Al Aziz is one of 35 detainees who have been held at Guantanamo Bay since January 2002. Most are Yemeni; all are adjudged to represent a continuing threat to the United States. Al Aziz says he only confessed to knowing Osama bin Laden under duress; he’d gone to Kandahar to study the Koran. Prosecutors maintain others saw him at al Qaeda safehouses and a training camp.
Another Yemeni detainee, Allal Ab Aljallil abd al Rahman, said he went to Afghanistan for medical treatment; prosecutors say his name appeared on computer files recovered from al Qaeda safehouses.
Saying he is "disappointed and perplexed," former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Tuesday he is leaving Cuba without any progress in seeking the release of jailed American Alan Gross.
Richardson, speaking to media in Havana, said he would be leaving Cuba Wednesday morning.
"I have exhausted all possibilities after one week to visit Alan Gross," Richardson said. "I tried all channels."
Richardson, who arrived in Havana September 7, was given the cold shoulder by the Cuban government. He was not able to see Gross, nor did he meet with Cuban leader Raul Castro. "My conclusions are that it is possible the Cuban government has made a decision not to improve relations with the United States," he said Tuesday.


Ava DuVernay's adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle novel is ambitious and has a worthwhile message, but it's undermined by frequent stumbles.
Also, check out a trio of motion posters featuring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling.
Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine go galactic in the first trailer for the Disney adventure.


The U.S. government may soon lean on someone new to help lower health care costs: you.
Michael Schwarz is a self-employed business owner who buys his own health insurance. The subsidized coverage "Obamacare" offers provides protection from life's unpredictable changes and freedom to pursue his vocation, he says. Brett Dorsch is also self-employed and buys his own health insurance. But he gets no financial break from the Affordable Care Act.
Top House Republicans say their outline for replacing President Barack Obama's health care law is a pathway to greater flexibility and lower costs for consumers. Democrats see a road to ruin for millions who'd face lost coverage and higher medical expenses, particularly the poor.
House Republican leaders sketched broad outlines of a replacement for President Barack Obama's health care law that left rank-and-file GOP members at odds and questioning details and timing of how the GOP intends to deliver on its long-promised alternative.
Republicans insisted Monday that they're moving ahead on their effort to void the health care law, even as President Donald Trump's latest remarks conceded that the effort could well stretch into next year.
From a return to higher premiums based on gender, to gaps in coverage for birth control and breast pumps, experts say women could end up paying more for less if the Obama-era health care law is repealed.
The nation's third-largest health insurer is painting a cloudy picture of its future on the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges.
The state Insurance Department is taking an active role in laying a foundation for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act.


Edging along a picket fence prevents grass, weeds and garden plants from spreading under the fence.
Picket fences, commonly used in front yards, create boundaries to restrict unwanted traffic, but more importantly, this traditional fence style highlights your home and garden. Picket fences look best against neatly trimmed lawns and well-manicured plant beds. Edging the garden along a picket fence clears out any vegetation growing under the fence, eliminating the need for weed trimmers that can damage your fence. Edging is especially important if you plant aggressive or potentially invasive plants in the garden because the edging line prevents the plants from spreading to the other side of the fence.
Cut a line along the picket fence with a half-moon edger or spade. Cut the line about 6 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches out from the fence.
Pull back on the handle of the spade or edging tool to lift and separate the soil from under the fence.
Pull the vegetation away from the fence, revealing a trench along the fence line.
Cut a second edging line on the other side of the picket fence and remove the vegetation to complete the trench.
Fill in the trench with mulch, if desired, to prevent mud and water from pooling up at the base of the fence, which can cause the fence pickets to rot faster. If the garden is also mulched, use the same type of mulch so the edging trench is unnoticeable.
Cut the edging lines on both sides of the fence with the edging tool about once monthly to keep the garden vegetation from spreading into the trench. This repeated cutting might not be necessary if you mulch the edging trench because mulch helps to suppress weed growth. If desired, you can use an electric or gasoline-powered rotary edging tool in place of the hand tools.
Another option is to install polyvinyl landscape edging against the sides of the trench. Press the edging against the straight sides of the trench, and drive 10-inch steel spikes through the guide holes in the edging.
Allonsy, Amelia. "How to Edge a Garden By a Picket Fence." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/edge-garden-picket-fence-48721.html. Accessed 19 April 2019.


SAN FRANCISCO — A California public water district that earned a rare federal penalty over what it described as “a little Enron accounting” loaned one of its executives $1.4 million to buy a riverfront home, and the loan remains unpaid nine years later although the official has left the agency, according to records and interviews.
Westlands Water District says its 2007 loan to deputy general manager Jason Peltier — now at $1.57 million with a 0.84 percent annual interest rate — is allowed under agency rules on salary.
But experts in governance say the deal raises red flags, not just over the unpaid loan and its generous terms but over whether Peltier and Westlands complied with laws mandating disclosure of the use of public funds.
“Show me the statute that allows this,” said Peter Detwiler, long the top consultant, now retired, to the California Senate on local government finance.
The Securities and Exchange Commission had concluded Westlands misled bond investors about its financial condition.
A heavyweight in California water politics, Westlands currently is negotiating two multi-billion-dollar deals with local, state and federal agencies that would reshape water distribution in California, the country’s agriculture leader.
Peltier described the loan from Westland’s reserve funds as a good deal for the water agency and for him.
“It was what was attractive to me, and I guess it worked for them relative to where their reserves were,” said Peltier, who has since bought an additional house in Pebble Beach while his loan to Westlands for his home on “Millionaires Row” along the Sacramento River has remained unpaid.
Governance experts say public agencies sometimes provide home loans to help recruit executives, but say Peltier’s appears unusual because it was extended for years at a fraction of the interest rates of commercial mortgages, the district’s various actions on the loan were not disclosed publicly although Peltier is a public official, and the loan will continue for years after he stopped working at Westlands.
“Each of the individual features is a bit unusual. Taken together these features are very unusual,” Fred Whittlesey, a consultant on employee compensation based in Washington state, said of the circumstances of the loan.
In March 2007, Peltier, whose Interior job included overseeing California water issues, notified the department he was looking for a job elsewhere. Two months later, he signed a $1.4 million purchase agreement for his home with a new, “state of the art” $115,000 boat dock and a $100,000 swimming pool.
Peltier said he had already signed the paperwork before getting the Westlands job offer. Westlands hired Peltier June 25, 2007, as chief deputy general manager, and a short time later loaned him the full $1.4 million home price, agency records show.
Terms initially required Peltier to repay the money within a year, when he sold his old house in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. But Peltier said the home didn’t move after the 2007 housing crash, and records show he signed repeated one-year loan extensions.
In 2012, he and Westlands revamped their agreement giving him until 2021 to pay off the loan, with a final payment of more than $1 million, according to district records. Peltier made monthly payments of about $5,000 from January 2013 to February 2015.
Peltier, whose salary ranged between $185,000 and $200,000 according to state records, finally sold the house back East in February 2014, and left Westlands for a job at an affiliated water agency in summer 2015, with the Westlands loan still unpaid.
Current Westlands Deputy General Manager Johnny Amaral defended the transaction.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Peltier, like millions of other Americans, was unable to sell his property in Virginia because of the collapse of the housing market and the bridge loan was converted to a long-term loan,” Amaral said in an email.
The Associated Press had asked Westlands under open records laws to provide all documents on the loan, including any showing whether the district disclosed the deal publicly.
In response to written questions, Chief Operating Officer Dan Pope said the home loan was allowed under a district rule that gives officials the authority to set salaries. There was no public record of the district board’s loan decision, Pope wrote, because it was made in a closed session.
The AP could find public mention of the loan only on the website of a federal agency that oversees municipal bonds. Posted there were Westlands’ annual audits, which from 2010 on reported a $1.4 million loan to an unidentified management-level employee.
Peter Scheer, head of the California-based non-profit First Amendment Coalition, said Westlands as a public agency should have disclosed all of its actions on Peltier’s loan, noting that the public has a right to know those details. Scheer’s group has been supported by donations from some news organizations, including the AP.
California law requires public officials like Peltier to file annual financial disclosure forms, which includes reporting some loans.
Peltier said he had begun reporting the loan in his most recent annual disclosures. However, his reports through 2015, obtained from the state, make no mention of an outstanding loan from Westlands.
Asked about the apparent discrepancy, Peltier said he thought he had included the information.


I write in response to Mr Trickett’s letter calling on council to ban the use of devices during meetings. He particularly referred to texting between councillors. Whilst his letter on the surface appears to be reasonable and appears to be a call to be courteous, a call which we all would support, he is well off the mark. I cannot speak for all councillors but I can for those who sit near me. None of those four, as well as me, sends texts or uses our devices (phone laptops) inappropriately. We do not text councillors. It is a nonsense to suggest councillors do so to collude on decisions. Our phones are on silent and for those who work they may receive urgent texts on occasions. Dr Keegan for instance, may be on call. I have on occasions received texts to attend to deaths and other emergencies. In this technological age the devices are how we receive our business papers, keep notes on matters before us and undertake research. Gone are the days of copious paper files. I am reminded of a pastor who was approached by older members of his congregation who complained about the young people’s behaviour who were fiddling with their phones whilst he was preaching. “They should be looking at their Bibles and following you,” they complained. “Oh no,” he said,” they are following; their Bibles are on their phones!” I use my phone for everything, diary, kindle, Bible and direct handwriting notes. I long for the day only needing one device. In fact, I long for the old days when you could read a book under a tree without the interruption of beeps and ring tones. But sadly those days are gone.
I write in response to Mr Trickett’s letter calling on council to ban the use of devices during meetings. He particularly referred to texting between councillors.
Whilst his letter on the surface appears to be reasonable and appears to be a call to be courteous, a call which we all would support, he is well off the mark.
I cannot speak for all councillors but I can for those who sit near me. None of those four, as well as me, sends texts or uses our devices (phone laptops) inappropriately. We do not text councillors. It is a nonsense to suggest councillors do so to collude on decisions.
Our phones are on silent and for those who work they may receive urgent texts on occasions. Dr Keegan for instance, may be on call. I have on occasions received texts to attend to deaths and other emergencies.
In this technological age the devices are how we receive our business papers, keep notes on matters before us and undertake research. Gone are the days of copious paper files.
I use my phone for everything, diary, kindle, Bible and direct handwriting notes.
I long for the day only needing one device. In fact, I long for the old days when you could read a book under a tree without the interruption of beeps and ring tones. But sadly those days are gone.


Ryder Cup debutant Tommy Fleetwood claims neither he nor his European team-mates will be overawed by the presence of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the United States line-up at the biennial trans-Atlantic head-to-head later this month.
Woods and Mickelson were included among US team Jim Furyk’s picks for the clash, which will be held at Le Golf National course just outside Paris from Sept. 28 to 30.
Fleetwood believes his team ates’ familiarity with the duo as well as home advantage will boost their bid to reclaim the Ryder Cup.
“Most of us guys on the European team play in the same tournaments against Phil and Tiger week in and week out at the moment,” he said on a conference call to confirm his involvement in this year’s Hong Kong Open.
“You can’t deny they’re two of the best golfers ever and they always will be, but when you tee it up you’re just playing another golfer, it doesn’t matter who it is.
“They were always guaranteed to be picked and they’ve had good years themselves. Phil won a World Golf Championship and Tiger could have won three or four events on his comeback and he’s done better than anybody thought he was going to do, especially this year, and he’s playing some great stuff.
The Americans are looking to win on European soil for the first time since 1993 and Fleetwood feels the advantage of playing on a course regularly used for European Tour events could give the home team the edge over a talented US team.
“It can’t do any harm on a golf course that we’ve all played on quite a lot,” said Fleetwood, who won the French Open at Le Golf National last year.
“It’s difficult to say that against the best players in the world who play at major venues that it will make that much difference, but if it’s going to go in anybody’s favour it will go in Europe’s, to be at home and to be on that golf course.
On that occasion the Europeans suffered a heavy 17-11 defeat at Hazeltine National, but Fleetwood is expecting a much more competitive contest this time after Europe captain Thomas Bjorn selected Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson to bolster his squad.
“I think both teams look great this year,” he said.
“I know there’s been a lot of talk about how good the Americans are this year and there’s no doubt about it they’ve got an unbelievable team. But at the same time, for Europe to be able to pick the four guys that got picked just shows the strength in European golf.


Staying in tonight? Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of your evening at home.
Our staff has come up with all sorts of options, including the best of what's on television, a DVD to watch, a book you might want to read, even a recipe to try - complete with shopping and pantry item lists - from our Chronicle Food and Wine staff.
So kick back, hit the kitchen or the couch, and enjoy.
A Northern California version of the traditional Vietnamese sandwich.
"Glee" has been MIA for a couple of weeks, but it's back tonight with a new episode called "Pot of Gold." It's about a foreign exchange student whom Brittany thinks is a leprechaun. The show airs at 8 p.m. on Fox. By the way, did you catch Jane Lynch's guest spot on "Two and a Half Men" on Oct. 24? It was the only good thing in that show. Sorry, but I'm really over the Ashton thing. Lynch reprised her previous guest spot as a shrink.
USA's "Covert Affairs" returns at 10 p.m., right up against "Unforgettable" on CBS and "Body of Proof" on ABC. Unless you have a DVR, there is no justice in the world. All three are great fun. Piper Perabo and the rest of the "Covert" cast are back and there's a significant staffing change at the Agency. Meanwhile, will Annie's sister forgive her for not telling her about her real job?
A few boxing classics on ESPN Classic. First, at 4 p.m., is the 1990 World Lightweight Title between Pernell Whitaker and Azumah Nelson. Then at 5 p.m. is the 1990 WBA Welterweight Title between Mark Breland and Aaron Davis. Then it's Evander Holyfield versus George Foreman at 6 p.m. in a 1991 World Heavyweight Title bout. Bet you could watch those matches during dinner made with a certain grill (wink, wink).
Beautiful Boy: Parents deal with grief at their son's death and horror at finding out that he is a mass murderer in this well-acted (Michael Sheen and Maria Bello) but ultimately compromised exploration of the aftermath of a campus shooting rampage. Rated R. 100 minutes.
Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, water and sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Peel the daikon and shred in a food processor or on the large holes of a cheese grater. Repeat with the carrots. Place the daikon and the carrots in separate bowls and divide the fish sauce mixture between them. Toss well and set aside.
Season the tuna well on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet with the vegetable oil. When very hot, add the tuna. Sear on one side for 2 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Remove from the pan and let rest while you prepare the bread.
Slice the baguette into 4 pieces. Carefully butterfly each piece by cutting in half lengthwise into a long hot-dog-bun shape but not cutting all the way through. Scoop out about a 1/2-inch layer of bread from both flaps in the bread. Spread both cut sides of each baguette with mayonnaise.
Cut the tuna pieces to fit on the baguette, and place on top. Gently squeeze as much liquid as you can from the shredded vegetables and place them atop the fish. Arrange the cilantro and chile slices over vegetables. If you like, squeeze a little lemon or lime juice over the inside of the sandwich. Slice into 4 segments and serve right away.
Per serving: 460 calories, 34 g protein, 54 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (3 g saturated), 47 mg cholesterol, 934 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.


Good luck trying to get an explanation in English — though an official Microsoft post in Japanese has a few hints.
If you’re trying to apply this month’s patches — an exercise in futility that I continue to discourage — you may have found that this month’s patches and their documentation read like a da Vinci script, mirrored upside down and backwards.
According to the Windows Servicing team, for the non Windows Server 2016 operating systems, it is required that the update released on July 10th be installed for Windows update to offer the new update. [This] is because the update is a patch to the previous package. Windows update chooses updates based upon packages previously installed on these operating systems.
KB4338831... reads, “This non-security update includes improvements and fixes that were a part KB4338815 (released July 10, 2018) and also includes these new quality improvements as a preview of the next Monthly Rollup update..”, implying it is a replacement like the KB4345418 for WS2016. It seems that for older OS’es there is an update (for the related security update) and a replacement (for the July update).
So we have a case where, at least on the face of it, a “cumulative” update (advancing the build number) requires a previous cumulative update. Otherwise the newer update won't install. Which makes no sense at all, to my admittedly Dummy mind.
Please apply the update with the (0xD1 Stop error) problem fixed based on the following list.
If you are experiencing a problematic update, please apply the update that fixes the problem ( even if you apply the problematic update at the same time ) .
If you have applied the problematic update, please apply additional updates that fix the problem.
There follows a list of “Problematic updates” and “Patches that fix the problem” for every version of Windows and Windows Server. For example, the patch that installs Win10 1803 build 17134.165 causes the problem, but build 17134.166 fixes the problem. Which is all hunky-dory, except the latest build is 17134.167, even though the docs referred to 17134.166 when the patch was first released.
You can also, uh, plainly see that if you want to fix the 0xD1 bug in Win7, you need to either install the July Monthly Rollup KB 4338819 followed by the manual-install-only KB 4345459, or you need to jump to next month’s Monthly Rollup Preview, KB 4338821.
To address a known issue in the security updates released on July 10, Microsoft is releasing Alternate Cumulative update packages for Windows 10, and Standalone and Preview Rollup packages for all other supported editions of Windows. These packages are available via Microsoft Update catalog, WSUS, or by manually searching Windows Update. Customers who are experiencing issues after installing the July Windows security updates should install the replacement packages as applicable. Please refer to the Affected Products table for the replacement package KB numbers. Customers who have successfully installed the security updates and who are not experiencing any issues do not need to take any action.
If you can slice through that Gordian knot in plain English (or Japanese), I’m all ears.
Bottom line: Don’t patch. There are no major exploits in the wild that take advantage of holes plugged in July. Sit back and wait for the cavalry to swoop in. Or come back from vacation.
Are you as tired of this Northern hemisphere summertime offal as I am? Join us on the AskWoody Lounge which, I’m happy to say, no longer throws security alerts.


The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reportedly raised a record-breaking $11.6 million during the month of February, according to a Wednesday Politico report.
The amount is more than the Democratic campaign arm has raised over the course of any other February, including those that fall on presidential election years. The DCCC reported that $3 million came from online donations, with an average online donation of $18.
Democrats across America aren’t wasting a second to protect and expand our new majority. The fact that we just had our strongest February in the history of the DCCC shows that our momentum is only growing. I’m proud to lead a DCCC that’s supported by grassroots donors who believe in bringing down the cost of health care, raising wages for everyday Americans and holding Washington Republicans accountable for their culture of corruption.
BREAKING: After flipping FORTY seats from red to blue in 2018, we’ve officially got our sights set on THIRTY-THREE more — and we’re ready to get to work!
It’s been a good year so far for some Democrats. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke reportedly earned more than $6 million during the first 24 hours after he officially announced he was running for president in the 2020 Democratic primary, breaking a presidential fundraising record.
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders broke the same record just weeks before O’Rourke’s announcement when he also raised nearly $6 million from roughly 223,000 people in the first 24 hours after his announcement.


Salmon all the way from the Fiords.
Linda’s restaurant in Jomtien (opposite the Jomtien Complex) has been in business for almost 12 years, making it one of the standout restaurants in Pattaya/Jomtien. Whilst it has much in the menu as Norwegian items (because Linda spent many years in Norway running her own restaurant there), there are also the more ‘usual’ European items, plus seafood and Thai.
Linda’s Restaurant is large being a triple shophouse with seating for 200 people, with a covered al fresco verandah outside for those who wish to smoke. Inside, in air-conditioned comfort, there are comfortable chairs and decent sized tables, with white starched napery. Along the back wall is the cocktail bar, and you are looked after by very attentive service staff in maroon uniforms. Linda herself is also touring the tables most nights to ensure customer satisfaction.
As the dining out team was three on that evening, Linda arranged for three of each item with salmon, mussels and mozzarella amongst the appetizers, and mains with a mixed grill, salmon steak and a Norwegian cod dish (Bacalao) and desserts including Crème brulee, chocolate mousse and an apple cake.
The Duo of Norwegian salmon (B. 295) was very pleasant, and I drizzled some lemon juice over it which made it excellent for my taste.
The Mozzarella Caprese (B. 280) was followed by White wine poached blue mussels (B. 360) and this was the dish of the night in my judging. Plump and juicy and smooth taste.
The archetypical Mixed grill (B. 495) was the first of the mains to the table. The spare ribs had the meat just falling off the bone and the crispy pork added even more flavor.
The next item was a Pan-fried salmon (B. 595) which came in British style with a boiled potato and tartar sauce, which was a treat for native English speakers.
As a contrast, Linda then presented us with the very Norwegian Bacalao (B. 580), with dry salted cod fish with olives and garlic and NZ green shells with cayenne pepper and tomato sauce.
Linda also fed us with three different desserts (all around B. 220-230), but Miss Terry was too full, but my guests certainly polished them all off with no complaints.
Whatever, we can recommend Linda’s as being a very good restaurant with some different (Norwegian) dishes and very reasonable pricing. Do try.
Linda’s Restaurant, 315/177-180 Moo 12, opposite the Jomtien Complex. Thappraya Road, Jomtien. Open seven days from 7.30 a.m. until late. Tel: Reservations: 038 252 726, www.lindasrestaurant.com, street-side parking. Email [email protected]. GPS 12.901655 N 100.869.


The El Paso streetcar project will mean intermittent closures on Stanton Street, Oregon Street, Glory Road and Baltimore Drive over the next month.
Overhead wire work on El Paso's Streetcar Project will close some traffic lanes and sidewalks along the route.
The intermittent closures will affect parts of Stanton Street, Oregon Street, Glory Road and Baltimore Drive over the next month.
Crews from Paso del Norte Trackworks are working to complete the overhead wire installation for the project on the uptown loop, the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority said.
Officials warn that the overhead wires carry 650 DC volts and should always be considered energized.
Some of the overhead wires on the Downtown loop already have been installed, including on Franklin Avenue, Kansas Street, Father Rahm Avenue and Santa Fe Street.
Officials said installation on the uptown loop will begin on Stanton Street and Oregon Street south of Crosby Avenue. Once that work is complete, crews will work on the area north of Crosby, including Glory Road and Baltimore Drive.
The work will require minimal lane closures that should only last a few hours each, a news release said. This portion of the streetcar work is scheduled to be done in mid-May.
El Paso Streetcar No. 1506 already has been restored and has had test runs on sections of the tracks.
The streetcar and five other vintage President’s Conference Committee streetcars left El Paso for Brookville, Pa., more than two years ago for renovation.
The $97 million project will restore streetcar service on a route from South El Paso to the University of Texas at El Paso starting late this year.
The five other streetcars will return later this year from Pennsylvania and take to the rails in El Paso for the first time in more than 40 years.
Samuel Gaytan may be reached at 546-6175; sgaytan@elpasotimes.com; @SamuelGaytan on Twitter.


Get ready for a fun filled night of laughter! From church folk, to relationships and family. These well known comedians will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat! Host of ION TV's, TheeMARiO Show, was born Mario L. Martin, and raised in the metropolitan area of Louisville, Ky. He is the founder of Thee MARiO Entertainment Group LLC, and has his hands in several forms of ministry. Thee MARiO is most popular because of his radical, random, and explosive sense of humor, an unmitigated praise, and bold speech! Thee Mario, awarded Up and Coming Comic of 2010 by Streatway Ent, has since went on to win the Louisville improv comedy competition, host TV shows, and create charitable events for talented youth who lack the financial ability to enhance their talents! T. Ray is a 24 year veteran in the comedy game, and has been on BET and several other sets. The Chrsiti Show's - Ms. Shirleen's is hillarious and keeps the social media outlets buzzing with her many characters. Last and definitely not least, KevOnStage is going to bring down the house with his power packed stand up act. You don't want to miss this! Look up our Couples Event featuring Mr. & MRS. KEVONSTAGE: LOVE HOUR RADCLIFF(12MINUTES FROM Elizabethtown) 2/18/18 5p-7p We have a deal for you to attend both events! Like us on Facebook: MIRACULOUS MOMENTS PRODUCTIONS!


Isabella Bank Corp.’s board of directors has declared a third quarter cash dividend of 19 cents per share.
The dividend will be payable on Sept. 28 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 23. This cash dividend represents a 5.56 percent increase when compared to the third quarter dividend of 2010.
For more information about Isabella Bank Corp., visit the Investor Relations link at www.isabellabank.com. Isabella Bank Corp. common stock is quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Markets Group, Inc.’s electronic quotation system (www.pinksheets.com) under the symbol ISBA.


WASHINGTON — President Trump’s short list of candidates for Federal Reserve chairman all have this much in common: They do not share his frequently professed passion for financial deregulation.
Jerome H. Powell, the Fed governor whose candidacy is said to be backed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, participated in the construction of the current rules, and he has defended the bulk of the changes made after the 2008 financial crisis as necessary safeguards for the broader economy.
The other names on Mr. Trump’s short list are also not champions of deregulation. Janet L. Yellen, the current Fed chairwoman, is a vocal proponent of regulation, while John B. Taylor, a Stanford economist, is primarily a critic of the Fed’s monetary policy.
Mr. Trump said on Friday that he planned to announce a nominee for the job this week. The nominee must then be confirmed by the Senate. Ms. Yellen’s term as chairwoman ends on Feb. 3.
Choosing Mr. Powell would reflect a judgment by the Trump administration that it can loosen Wall Street’s chains even without the enthusiastic participation of the next Fed chairman. Mr. Trump likes Ms. Yellen’s approach to monetary policy, which has yielded strong economic growth and low unemployment, and aides including Mr. Mnuchin have argued that appointing Mr. Powell is the best way to maintain continuity while satisfying Republican demands that Ms. Yellen be replaced, according to people familiar with the internal discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.
Mr. Trump has already chosen Randal K. Quarles to lead the push for deregulation at the Fed. Mr. Quarles was sworn in earlier this month as the Fed’s first vice chairman for supervision, a position created after the financial crisis to oversee the Fed’s work on regulatory issues.
Administration officials have also told some conservatives that Mr. Powell is more sympathetic to deregulation than may be suggested by his public comments, according to a person who participated in one such meeting, and described it on condition of anonymity.
But some independent analysts and congressional Republicans argue that choosing Mr. Powell would be a gamble.
Mr. Powell’s regulatory views are also raising eyebrows among conservatives on Capitol Hill. Mr. Powell joined the Fed in 2012 but, because of a procedural quirk, he had to be confirmed again in 2014. Twenty-three Republicans voted against him, with several citing his record of support for new financial regulations; all but two of those senators are still serving.
“Senator Scott is looking for fresh leadership at the Federal Reserve, and Mr. Powell would have to answer serious concerns both old and new at any potential nomination hearing he might have before the Senate Banking Committee,” said a spokesman for Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican who voted against Mr. Powell’s confirmation.
If Mr. Trump does not choose Ms. Yellen, she would become the first person in the Fed’s modern history to complete a term as chairman without being nominated for a second. A major reason is that the White House does not share her views on financial regulation. In a speech in August, she warned against forgetting the lessons of 2008.
“The events of the crisis demanded action, needed reforms were implemented and these reforms have made the system safer,” she said.
Mr. Taylor’s outspoken critiques of the Fed’s economic stimulus campaign have won him the backing of conservatives including Vice President Mike Pence, according to the people familiar with the internal discussions. But his comments about regulatory issues have been less frequent and less critical of regulation. He has said that banks were allowed to take too many risks before the crisis and, in a 2015 interview, he said he had “no problem” with requiring the biggest banks to raise more capital after the crisis.
Mr. Trump and Republicans in Congress argue that excessive financial regulation, much of it created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, is inhibiting economic growth.
The Trump administration in June released a plan for reducing regulation, much of which can be carried out by the Fed and other regulators without legislation. The changes would exempt smaller banks from many postcrisis regulations, and loosen restrictions on larger banks. That would let banks borrow more freely, and take more risks with that money.
Since joining the Fed in May 2012, Mr. Powell has voted in favor of every action to tighten regulation the Fed has undertaken. But he has sometimes expressed concerns in internal discussions about the effects of those decisions, and about the aggregate weight of so many new regulations.
At the June hearing, he said that there were clear opportunities for improvement.
“The whole idea is to preserve the significant core reforms that were made but to go back and clean up our work,” he said.
Specifically, Mr. Powell wants to overhaul the Volcker Rule, which is intended to prevent big banks from making certain kinds of risky investments with their own money. Mr. Powell and other Fed officials have long regarded the rule as costly and ineffective, in part because they say it duplicates other measures aimed at limiting risk-taking.
He said regulators were working on revisions that would limit its application to smaller banks and loosen the strictures on larger banks.
Mr. Powell also expressed support for cost-benefit analysis of proposed rules, an idea backed by the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers. He said the Fed was pushing to improve its analysis of regulatory costs. “We have an obligation to make our regulation no more costly than it needs to be,” he said.
And he has endorsed greater transparency regarding the Fed’s annual “stress tests” of large banks, aimed at assessing their ability to weather economic downturns.
But on the issue at the center of the debate over regulation, Mr. Powell broke ranks with the administration. Banking regulators have significantly limited the use of borrowed money as a source of funding, requiring banks to raise more capital.
The Trump administration has proposed a host of changes to loosen those restrictions. Mr. Powell said he supported the current regulations.
“I happen to think we’ve gotten it about right,” he said.
Importantly, the White House expects Mr. Quarles, and not the next Fed chairman, to take the lead role in sorting out these questions.
Mr. Quarles’s job was created by the Dodd-Frank Act to sharpen the Fed’s focus on regulation. At his confirmation hearing in July, he echoed Mr. Powell’s characterization of postcrisis regulation as a rough draft that required editing.
Mr. Powell and Mr. Quarles are friends. The two men were colleagues at the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm based in Washington.
Mr. Trump can also stock the Fed’s board with officials committed to deregulation. There are seven seats on the board, and Mr. Trump can quickly fill as many as six of those seats with his own nominees, assuming Ms. Yellen steps down in February.
The presidents of the regional reserve banks, some of whom are proponents of financial regulation, only vote on monetary policy.


SAPPHIRE introduces a second Radeon R9 290X video card with 8GB of VRAM to its growing arsenal, this time with its Tri-X cooler.
I've only been in the shoes of the Video Card Editor for just over a month now, but I've written four reviews of NVIDIA cards with this review being the first AMD review I've written. I wrote some news a couple of weeks ago when SAPPHIRE announced its new SAPPHIRE Radeon R9 290X 8GB Tri-X video card, so I reached out to the company to secure a sample for review.
Well, days later it arrived, so I got right into it. I already have the Vapor-X version of the 8GB card from SAPPHIRE, but this is the new Tri-X version that I was excited to test out. SAPPHIRE has had a great run with its Tri-X coolers, as they've been popular among all types of consumers.
There aren't many cards with 8GB of VRAM, but there are less games that can fully utilize the 8GB of VRAM, so we will do some specific testing on the SAPPHIRE Radeon R9 290X 8GB Tri-X to see if the 8GB of VRAM makes a difference. I don't think it will, but we have some tricks up our sleeve that will try and get that 8GB of VRAM crying for mercy.
SAPPHIRE is using the ageing, but still impressive Hawaii XT GPU, which has SAPPHIRE's excellent Tri-X cooler on top. We have 8GB of VRAM versus the usual 4GB of VRAM, a 512-bit memory bus coming in off the back of the various 128-bit and 256-bit memory buses we've been using on the Maxwell-based cards from NVIDIA.
We're seeing SAPPHIRE tweak an architecture that AMD unveiled back in 2013, so there's not much more they can do with the card unless they think outside of the box like SAPPHIRE has, providing 8GB of VRAM and splashing an improved cooler with its Tri-X technology.
SAPPHIRE is selling the Radeon R9 290X 8GB Tri-X video card on Newegg right now for $459.99, which is not too bad at all considering you get 8GB of VRAM. There is plenty of stock, with a limit of 5 per customer enforced by Newegg.


By David Singer - posted Monday, 15 May 2017 Sign Up for free e-mail updates!
The United Nations publication "The Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem 1917-1988" ("Study") has falsely misrepresented that the Mandate for Palestine was a class A Mandate – deceiving the International Court of Justice and many other reputable sources.
All the mandates over Arab countries, including Palestine, were treated as class 'A' Mandates, applicable to territories whose independence had been provisionally recognized in the Covenant of the League of Nations.
Only in the case of Palestine did the Mandate, with its inherent contradictions, lead not to the independence provisionally recognized in the Covenant, but towards conflict that was to continue six decades later.
The Mandate [for Palestine] is of a different type from the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon and the draft Mandate for Iraq. These latter, which were called for convenience "A" Mandates, accorded with the fourth paragraph of Article 22. Thus the Syrian Mandate provided that the government should be based on an organic law which should take into account the rights, interests and wishes of all the inhabitants, and that measures should be enacted 'to facilitate the progressive development of Syria and the Lebanon as independent States.' The corresponding sentences of the draft Mandate for Iraq were the same. In compliance with them National Legislatures were established in due course on an elective basis. Article 1 of the Palestine Mandate, on the other hand, vests 'full powers of legislation and of administration,' within the limits of the Mandate, in the Mandatory.
The Study for reasons unknown completely ignores this detailed Peel Commission rebuttal.
1. The Rights Forum – which claims to strive for a rights-based policy of the Netherlands and the European Union with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On 10 December 2009, the International Day of Human Rights, The Rights Forum was launched by its Chairman former Dutch Prime Minister Andreas van Agt - assisted by an Advisory Council of former Ministers and Professors in International Law.
2. The Global Education Project – which states it adheres to rigorous standards and strives for an impartial and comprehensive presentation of the most relevant information necessary for both accurate and adequate education.


WASHINGTON – President Bush refused to lift U.S. sanctions against Libya (search) on Monday, saying Moammar Gadhafi (search) must take concrete steps to fulfill a pledge to scrap his chemical and nuclear weapons programs.
Bush said he was keeping in force a declaration of national emergency first issued by President Reagan in 1986 when the United States blocked Libyan assets in the United States, accusing Gadhafi's regime of sponsoring terrorism.
The U.S. sanctions have denied Libya access to hundreds of millions of dollars in property and bank assets, according to U.S. estimates.
Bush, in a written notice, said Libya's promise last month to abandon weapons of mass destruction marked "an important and welcome step toward addressing the concerns of the world community."
"As Libya takes tangible steps to address those concerns, the United States will in turn take reciprocal tangible steps to recognize Libya's progress," Bush said. "Libya's agreement marks the beginning of a process of rejoining the community of nations, but its declaration of December 19, 2003, must be followed by verification of concrete steps."
The declaration of national emergency has been renewed every year since 1986.
Bush said that "the crisis between the United States and Libya that led to the declaration of a national emergency ... has not been fully resolved, although there have been some positive developments."
The United States abstained from voting last year when the United Nations Security Council (search) acted to end U.N. sanctions against Libya. The U.N. acted after Libya agreed to compensate families of the victims of the Pan Am 103 (search) bombing and to take responsibility for the actions of Libyan officials in the bombing.
Explaining Monday's decision to keep U.S. sanctions in tact, Bush said the United States has "serious concerns" about other Libyan policies and actions, including Libya's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, Libya's role with respect to terrorism, and Libya's poor human rights record.
The White House noted that while Bush is keeping the sanctions in place, he has the power to modify or end the declaration of national emergency whenever he believes it appropriate.