text:
Anonymous Tip Leads To Arrest Of Teen For Irving Murder
Filed Under:anonymous tip, Car Crash, Deadly Shooting, Irving Police, Jose Alexander Lopez, Juan Jose Casas-Cruz, Murder
IRVING, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Irving Police have made an arrest in a deadly shooting on October 7 after an anonymous tip led detectives to the suspect's vehicle and ultimately the suspect.
Jose Alexander Lopez, 18, is charged with the murder of Juan Jose Casas-Cruz, 34.
Lopez's bond is set at $1 million.
Jose Alexander Lopez
Police said Lopez shot and killed Casas-Cruz during an argument after a minor car crash in Dallas.
Juan Jose Casas-Cruz – victim of deadly shooting (Irving Police Dept.)
Police said Casas-Cruz was a passenger in a vehicle going southbound on State Loop 12 near State Highway 183.
A small pickup truck pulled up next to Casas-Cruz and began shooting, police said.
His family said he had been at a restaurant watching a game before the shooting.
He was in a car with his brother and nephew when bullets started flying out of nowhere.
Casas, a father of two who planned to return home to his wife and kids in one month, was hit in the head.
"We got scared and started screaming," said Orlando Casas, the victim's nephew. "We pulled over and called police for help."
By the time police arrived, the shooter in the truck was long gone without anyone getting a license plate.


text:
Q: algebraic surface singling out an algebraic curve $\newcommand\P{\mathbb P}$I read the following classic result which does not give a proof but refers to a very old Italian work (Gallarati) that I cannot get hold of (and even if I do, probably I wouldn't understand it as it is in Italian):

Suppose that $X$ is an irreducible surface nonsingular in codimension 1 in $\P^3$
and $Y,Y'\ne X$ are surfaces in $\P^3$ such that
$$X\cap Y = C_1\cup \dots \cup C_k$$
and $X\cap Y' = C_1$
, where $C_i$ are irreducible curves.
Then there exists another surface $Z$
such that $$X\cap Z = C_2 \cup \dots \cup C_k$$

By curve, surface etc. I mean in the context of algebraic geometry i.e. algebraic and over an algebraically closed field. Maybe this is trivial in modern algebraic geometry but I cannot see the proof. In fact I am more interested in the construction of $Z$ rather than the proof. Can anyone assist me in constructing $Z$ or at least give a proof of this (or maybe cite a reference that is accessible)?

A: The first equality gives a linear equivalence
$$
dH \sim n_1C_1 + n_2C_2 + \dots + n_kC_k
$$
of Weil divisors on $X$, where $H$ is the hyperplane class, $d$ is the degree of $Y$, and $n_i$ are some positive integers. Similarly, the second equality means
$$
d'H \sim n'C_1.
$$
Therefore
$$
(n'd - d'n_1)H \sim n'n_2C_2 + \dots + n'n_kC_k.
$$
The right side is effective, hence $n'd - d'n_1 > 0$. Since $X$ is a hypersurface, the linear system $\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^3}(n'd - d'n_1)$ cuts the complete linear system $|(n'd - d'n_1)H|$ on $X$, which implies the existence of a surface $Z$ as required.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Die Viessmann Group GmbH & Co. KG ist die Konzernobergesellschaft eines 1917 gegründeten Familienunternehmens, das Heiztechnik-Produkte sowie Klima- und Kühlsysteme entwickelt und herstellt.

Viessmann ist mit 22 Produktionsgesellschaften in 12 Ländern, 68 Vertriebsgesellschaften in 31 Ländern und 120 Verkaufsniederlassungen vertreten.

Aktivitäten
Mit 22 Produktionsgesellschaften in 12 Ländern und weltweit mit Vertriebsgesellschaften, Vertretungen und Handelspartnern in 74 Ländern ist Viessmann international ausgerichtet. 56 Prozent des Umsatzes entfallen auf das Ausland.

Anlässlich des 100-jährigen Firmenjubiläums wurde 2017 ein neues Forschungs- und Entwicklungszentrum am Hauptsitz in Allendorf im Beisein der Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel eingeweiht. Mit einem Volumen von 50 Millionen Euro stellt das sogenannte Technikum die größte Einzelinvestition der Unternehmensgeschichte dar.

Neben den Geschäftsfeldern Klima- und Kühllösungen ist Viessmann unter anderem in den Bereichen Investment, Real Estate und VC/O tätig. Viessmann Investment erschließt mit gezielten Akquisitionen im Mittelstand Wachstumspotenziale sowie neue Märkte. Viessmann Real Estate beschäftigt sich mit Immobilien, Hotels und Gastronomie. VC/O ist Viessmanns Digitaleinheit, welche Entwicklungen hinsichtlich Digitalisierung und neuen Geschäftsmodellen beobachtet und gestaltet. Zur VC/O gehört unter anderem der Maschinenraum in Berlin. Das Ziel des Maschinenraums ist es, den deutschen Mittelstand zusammenzubringen. Seit 2016 betreibt Viessmann in Berlin auch die Firma Builder wattx.

Im September 2016 startete Viessmann ein Informations- und Ratgeberportal, das sich gezielt an Endanwender wie Neubauer und Modernisierer richtet.

Viessmann Investment hält außerdem Beteiligungen am polnischen Hersteller Kospel, der Durchlauferhitzer, Elektrokessel und Warmwasserspeicher produziert, Pewo (Spezialist für Wärmeübergabestationen im Bereich der Nah- und Fernwärme mit Sitz in Dresden) und dem Installations- und Service-Anbieter für komplexe Heizzentralen Thermowise in Südafrika. Außerdem befindet sich auch LämpöYkkönen (Komplettanbieter für Wärmepumpen in Finnland), dem Elektro- und Infrarotheizungshersteller Etherma in Österreich sowie der britische Onlinehändler für Viessmann Produkte und Ersatzteile Viessmann Direct in Großbritannien im Portfolio der Viessmann Investment.

Ebenfalls 2018 errichtete das Unternehmen neben seinem Sitz in Allendorf einen Solarpark zur Deckung von bis zu 7 Prozent des unternehmenseigenen Strombedarfs. Die Anlage besitzt eine Leistung von 2 MW und wurde ohne staatliche Förderung gebaut. Finanziert wird das Projekt stattdessen über den Eigenverbrauch der elektrischen Energie.

Im Mai 2022 kündigte das Unternehmen an, binnen 3 Jahren eine Milliarde Euro in Entwicklung von und Produktionskapazitäten für Wärmepumpenheizungen investieren zu wollen. Mit den Wärmepumpen soll sowohl der Klimaschutz im Gebäudesektor vorangetrieben werden als auch die Abhängigkeit von fossilen Energieimporten reduziert werden.

Produkte
Auf rein technischer Seite umfasst das Produktsortiment Wärmeerzeuger mit einer Leistung von 1 kW bis 120 MW. Dazu gehören bodenstehende und wandhängende Heizkessel für Öl und Gas in Niedertemperatur- und Brennwerttechnik, Mikro-KWK-Systeme mit PEM-Brennstoffzelle und Blockheizkraftwerke sowie regenerative Energiesysteme wie Wärmepumpen, Solarsysteme und Heizkessel für nachwachsende Rohstoffe.

Viessmann bietet in seinem Integrierten Lösungsangebot folgende Produkte an:
 Heizkessel
 gas- oder ölgefeuert
 als Holzheizung (Scheitholz oder Pellets)
 als Brennwertkessel
 Solarheizung
 Photovoltaik
 Wärmepumpen
 Kontrollierte Wohnraumlüftung
 Klimatechnik
 Blockheizkraftwerke und Mikro-KWK-Systeme auf Basis PEM-Brennstoffzelle bzw. Stirlingmotor
 Heizkörper
 Großwasserraumkessel für Industrieanwendungen (Heißwasser, Dampf und überhitzter Dampf)
 Regelungstechnik, Automatisierungstechnik und Kommunikationstechnik
 Zubehör (u. a.: Pumpen, Armaturen)
 Kühlsysteme für gewerbliche Anwendungen
 Eisspeicher
 Digitale Services zur nahtlosen Vernetzung mit Produkten und Systemen

Auszeichnungen
 Umweltschutzpreis für die Industrie – 1994 (Für den schadstoffarmen MatriX-Strahlungsbrenner)
 ASU-Umweltpreis – 1998 (Für hervorragende Leistungen von Viessmann im Bereich umweltbewusste Unternehmensführung)
 IF Produkt Design Award – 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2019
 red dot design award – 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013
 Internationaler Designpreis Baden-Württemberg – 2002, 2010
 Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis – 2009, 2011, 2013 (Deutschlands nachhaltigste Produktion/Marke, Sonderpreis "Ressourceneffizienz")
 Energy Efficiency Award – 2010 (Energetische Optimierung eines Produktionsstandortes)
 Testsieger bei Stiftung Warentest – 2010 (Vitodens 300-W)
 B.A.U.M. Umweltpreis – 2011 (Herausragendes Engagement für Umweltschutz und nachhaltige Entwicklung)
 Focus Designpreis – 2011 (Gold: Für Speicherprogrammierbare Steuerung Vitocontrol, Silber: Für Fernbedienung Vitotrol 300 RF)
 Energy Globe Award – 2012
 REDcert-Zertifizierung und die Auszeichnung Biogaspartnerschaft  – 2015 (Power-to-Gas Anlage in Allendorf (Eder))
 "Schlauer Fuchs" der Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall – 2015
 "Trophée des Usines" – 2016 (Für ThermProtect in den Flachkollektoren Vitosol 200-FM und 100-FM)
 Sonderpreis für Innovation und Klimaschutz der Deutschen Gaswirtschaft – 2016 (Für Verfahren der biologischen Methanisierung des Viessmann Unternehmens microbEnergy GmbH)
 Rudolf-Diesel-Medaille des Deutschen Instituts für Erfindungswesen e.V. (DIE): Kategorie "Nachhaltigste Innovationsleistung" – 2017 (Für bedeutende Persönlichkeiten, Unternehmen und Organisationen der deutschen Innovationsszene des Viessmann Tochterunternehmens microbEnergy GmbH)
 Deutschen Innovationspreis für Klima und Umwelt (IKU-Award): 1. Platz in der Kategorie "Prozessinnovationen für den Klimaschutz" – 2018 (Energiesystem ESyCool green der Viessmann Kühlsysteme GmbH)
 Produkt des Jahres: Kategorie "Wärmepumpen" – 2019 (Vitocal 200-A und 222-A)
 Fachpartner des Jahres – 2019
 Designplus Award – 2019 (Für Vitodens 300 und Vitovalor PT2)
 IF Gold Design Award – 2019 (Für Vitodens 300-W)
 Plus X Award – 2019 (Für Vitovalor PT2)
 "Beste Marke des Jahres" für Brennstoffzellen-Heizgeräte – 2019
 IF Gold Design Award - 2021 (Für Vitocal Wärmepumpe)
 Der Brancheninformationsdienst markt intern kürte Viessmann zum 15. Mal in Folge zum Handelspartner Nr. 1.

Berufsbildung
Seit Sommer 2011 bietet Viessmann zusammen mit der Edertalschule in Frankenberg und der Technischen Hochschule Mittelhessen in dem Projekt Young Engineer Academy Schülern der Oberstufe einen Einblick in den Ingenieursberuf mit den Themen Robotik und Informatik. Zudem werden diverse darüber hinausgehende Exkurse angeboten.

Zudem bietet Viessmann Schülerinnen und Schülern der Mittelstufe in Kooperation mit der Gesamtschule Battenberg die Möglichkeit, sich intensiv mit technischen Ausbildungsberufen im MINT-Bereich zu beschäftigen. Das Projekt heißt "Young Technician Academy" (YOTA).

Sponsoring
Viessmann tritt in diversen Wintersportarten als Sponsor auf. Außerdem werden verschiedene deutsche Athleten aus dem Wintersport unterstützt. Schon seit Jahrzehnten sind diverse Weltmeister, Olympiasieger und Gesamtweltcupsieger Viessmann Markenbotschafter. Im Biathlon gehören Sven Fischer, Laura Dahlmeier, Denise Herrmann, Franziska Hildebrand, Benedikt Doll und Arnd Peiffer zum Team. Die Nordischen Kombinierer Eric Frenzel und Johannes Rydzek sind ebenso wie Skispringerin Katharina Althaus und die erfolgreichen Skispringer Stephan Leyhe, Richard Freitag und Markus Eisenbichler sowie eines der größten deutschen Talente Constantin Schmid im Viessmann Team.

Seit September 2017 ist das Unternehmen außerdem Werbepartner des Panasonic Jaguar Racing Teams in der FIA-Formula-E-Weltmeisterschaft und seit 2019 Regionalpartner des FC Bayern München in China und Hongkong.

Weblinks

 Viessmann Werke Deutschland
 Viessmann Werke Österreich
 Viessmann Werke Schweiz
 Viessmann Werke International

Einzelnachweise

Heiztechnikhersteller
Solarthermiehersteller
Photovoltaikhersteller (Deutschland)
Produzierendes Unternehmen (Landkreis Waldeck-Frankenberg)
Allendorf (Eder)
Gegründet 1917

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Colorizing History
By Michael Balderston
WASHINGTON—The invention and implementation of motion pictures in the late 19th and early 20th centuries helped capture some of the most important events in American history. Footage of Babe Ruth swatting a home run, the celebration of VE and VJ Day, and Martin Luther King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial is burned into our memories. When we think about them though, it is almost certainly in black and white.
Americans celebrate at the end of World War II
PHOTO CREDIT: Smithsonian Channel
For the first 60 so years of the 20th century, black and white was essentially the defacto medium for capturing our daily lives, with color being an expensive, rare luxury. As a result, colorized versions of some historical events aren't readily available. But not anymore.
The Smithsonian Channel has released a new series that tells the stories of the 1920s through the 1960s as they happened—in color. Featuring restored footage from archives to home movies, "America in Color" was a year in the making production of five episodes tackling each decade.
"This is the way that people lived it and experienced it," said John Cavanagh, executive producer of "America in Color," which debuted on July 2.
THE COLOR PALETTE
The process of colorization has been around essentially as long as film has. One of the most famous colorized films is "The Great Train Robbery" in 1903, when individual frames were literally painted. Things have changed a lot since then.
To take on the endeavor of updating the 200 minutes of black and white footage, comprised of around 3,500 individual shots, for "America in Color," Smithsonian Channel turned to Samuel François-Steininger and his company Composite Films in Paris. Specializing in restoration and colorization, Composite Films has worked on a number of historical film and TV documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated doc "I Am Not Your Negro."
Construction of the Chrysler Building
The first step in the process after acquiring and editing the footage together was scanning it to convert it to UHD resolution, something that has only recently been available. Composite also handled the restoration of any footage that might be damaged, utilizing gear like the DaVinci Revival from Blackmagic Design to remove moisture, dirt and other artifacts that might have affected the film over time. "Like bringing a new life in black and white," François-Steininger said of the process.
Once restored, colorization began. There was more to the process, however, than simply adding in the color. The Composite team was comprised of researchers, archivists and investigators who were responsible for determining the appropriate colors to be used on each shot. Some sequences had historical reference to determine the color—like when the Wheaties box went from a dark maroon shade to its now familiar orange—but in instances were civilians were present, things became more difficult.
"It's a mix between analysis of the black and white information, so we know what range, what tone of color it could and couldn't be, which gives us the first information," François-Steininger explained. "Also the second step, which is more deduction because we know the year, the city, the brand of the car, or the kind of clothes. Finding the fashion of the particular era… this designer or this brand of car... we can do some crossing deduction, which are results of this investigation, to find not 100 percent sure color, but we are quite close to what it might have been."
Once colors are determined, François- Steininger and Composite do not rely on a single commercial product, but rather a combination of software from Adobe PhotoShop, DaVinci Resolve and more. Using these techniques, the team would spend perhaps a few hours on a five second shot that just involved two people, or could spend as much as weeks for a 30-second shot of Charles Lindbergh's ticker-tape parade in New York City. In total, an estimated 6,000 hours of work was put into the colorization of these episodes.
More than 30 years ago there was an even larger undertaking on colorization going on, as Ted Turner controversially attempted to colorize classic Hollywood films that he held the rights to for broadcast on television. Some of the titles Turner attempted to bring to color included "The Maltese Falcon," "Casablanca" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice," among others.
"The last time I checked, I owned the films that we're in the process of coloring," Turner was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article in 1986. "I can do whatever I want with them, and if they're going to be shown on television, they're going to be in color."
Composite Films used a combination of software programs, including the DaVinci Resolve and Photoshop, to handle the colorization.
(Photo credit: screenshots from a video by Etienne Semelet / Composite Films)
This did not sit well with many. Filmmakers like Woody Allen, Billy Wilder and Sydney Pollack vehemently protested—including to Congress—about the colorization of these films. While some did air on Turner��s stations, eventually the opposition won out and the colorized films are more or less hidden from view.
So what is different about the attempts of "America in Color" to convert these historical documents? Cavanagh sees it as an editorial decision, not a business one.
"Colorizing these documentary images brings out the details of everyday life they captured—green New York City buses in the 1920s, the navy blue of a 1930's Pullman Porter uniform, or the color of FDR's lapel pin—in a way that enriches and transforms a past that often seems gray and distant into something more immediate, and presents these iconic moments of the 20th century in a new light," he said.
François-Steininger believes that historians who shot the original films in "America in Color" would have done so in color if they could, so he sees it as fulfillment of their original vision. "Colorizing this footage is more like bringing back its color to history, thanks to the art direction, historical research and technology," he said. Fictional films, however, had a different purpose. "It's a work of art. And the creators of the original films might not like seeing them redesigned in color."
He doesn't outright reject the idea though. He is currently colorizing a couple of black and white films from the 1960s and 1970s with the blessing of the director and has an interest in doing more. "I would love to colorize some genre films/cult films or classic TV series, where color could really bring an essential new dimension to the story."
Michael Balderston
America in Color
Murdoch Abandons Fox, News Corp. Merger Plans
Blackmagic Design's Technologies Used in 60+ 2023 Sundance Film Festival Projects
Keisha Taylor Starr Named Scripps' New Chief Marketing Officer
Justice Department Sues Google for Monopolizing Digital Advertising Technologies
Impossible Objects Selects NantStudios, Brompton for Virtual Productions

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It's been over a month since the Jordyn Woods/Tristan Thompson cheating scandal broke (can you believe?) and the 21-year-old is moving on with her life.
She's back to work promoting her eyelashes range with Eyelure, and is currently having an brilliant time exploring London.
Jordyn has been on an Instagram spree, sharing pictures and stories of her time in the UK for her followers to see. Yesterday she posted an impressive four pictures – three of her excellent dress/leather trench coat/Louis Vuitton bag combo, and one in a more casual grey sweatpants and oversized coat look.
She also shared a bunch of video on her stories from inside cabs.
At the time of all the drama, Jordyn appeared on Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk, to give her side of the story and apologize for what had happened. But apparently, that did nothing but annoy Kylie more.
Hopefully, it'll all work out soon.


Puppy crying up a storm every time you leave the house? Unless you're willing to become a stay-at-home mom, your furry kid must get used to being alone. So toughen up and teach Fido a lesson on no-more-whining. Don't expect miracles -- it might take a little time.
Go out for a run with puppy right before you have to leave. Or take him to the yard and play catch or "throw the Frisbee" or "chase Mom like crazy" for a while. Don't leave him alone in the house until he's so tired he can barely keeps his eyes open. A puppy full of energy alone at home? Whining is guaranteed.
Now, you have two options. Either lock your pup in the kennel before you leave or train him to use the kennel as his safe place but leave the gate open. If you don't want to lock him up while you're out, a kennel can still become a good place to hide and look for security when the world feels like a big, bad place.
Doggie might be whining because he hears sounds from outside -- either fun sounds (e.g. dogs barking and playing that he can't join) or bad sounds (e.g. thunderstorms). Experiment with different volumes and channels to see what's more effective. In order to compare, though, you'll either have to leave a nanny camera on so you can observe him or you can step outside and pretend you're leaving, but stay close enough to see how long the whining lasts.
Give puppy something to do while you're gone. How about a Kong toy so he can fish for treats? If he's busy thinking about food and fun, he's less likely to remember you're gone.


text:
Q: Creating Multiple Pandas Data Frames in a loop Trying to create a pandas data frame for each stock ticker in a list
My Code:
for ticker in stock_tickers:

     data = pd.read_csv(f'{ticker}_{get_date()}.csv')

it will only create one pandas data frame for the last stock ticker... is there anyway for this to be done all of them?

A: You end up with only one data set because the data variable gets overwritten on every step of the loop.
You could store your data in a dictionary (assuming here that ticker is a string):
data = {}

for ticker in stock_tickers:
    data[ticker] = pd.read_csv(f'{ticker}_{get_date()}.csv')

More compact version using a dict comprehension:
data = {ticker: pd.read_csv(f'{ticker}_{get_date()}.csv')
        for ticker in stock_tickers}


Bridging Cultures: Who Imports Those Clothes?
Thousands of indigenous ladies, all across Yucatan, turn out exquisite embroidered clothing year after year. Where does it go? Who imports it? Are they being paid a fair price for their work? They are if they know Tressa Castro. This lady lives in San Antonio, Texas, and has grown a business from a little neighborhood business in her living room to a multi-location wholesale business. She now has customers from as far away as Spain. The most wonderful thing about Tressa Castro is that she is a responsible human being. She educates her customers about the history of the garments she brings them and she educates the ladies who do the embroidery about fair trade. It is amazing to see a wholesaler teaching indigenous women how to get more for their work, rather than trying to get their work from them for less. To learn more about Tressa Castro and what she is doing for the women producers in Yucatan, visit Nativa Fine Mexican Clothing.
It seems that a week never goes by that someone or some organization from Michigan doesn't participate in supporting one or more community service projects in Yucatan. This week, its GraMedica and the students at Barry University's School of Podiatric Medicine. Together, they put the school's annual 5K Run/Walk and Variety Show, called "Heal the Stride," and raised nearly $4,300 for the Yucatan Crippled Children's Project. Yucatan has an increasing number of expats who are originally from Michigan and who are quite active in any number of community service organizations here in Yucatan. Our thanks to GraMedica and to the students at Barry University's School of Podiatric Medicine for recognizing the need in Yucatan and for making dreams come true by providing medical care for crippled children, as well as kudos to all of our hard working Michigan expats. All are deeply appreciated.
The tourism ministers of the G-20 nations met in Yucatan and quite a number of celebrities where there to offer their take on various facets of tourism in the future of Latin American nations. They included the President of Mexico, Carlos Slim, and even Robert Redford. It was interesting to note that Chile's economy is growing at such a rate that it is expected to increase tourism at a much faster rate than even Mexico. Robert Redford spoke on the need to develop sustainable tourism while, at the same time, protecting the environment. For any who might believe that tourism is not an important part of the economy of Latin America, it is worthy of note that this is an industry that generates $250 billion dollars in exports, contributes 9% of GDP and supports one in ten jobs. Tourism is also important because it brings people from different cultures together and, by extension, brings their nations together. We look forward to the June G-20 Conference to see how tourism in the Americas fits into the overall economic picture for all of the G-20 nations.
Now, that's a headline that will make you stop and read, even if you were not originally interested in birds or Florida. However, since the birds in the article were migrating north from Yucatan, we stopped to see what they were talking about. It seems that some of our birds from Yucatan were on their way north when they ran into the latest tropical storm. Not to worry about the birds. They simply sat down in Florida and took their own mini-vacation until the danger passed. This is called fallout. The best thing about this incident was that birders in Florida were able to see some migrating birds that they haven't seen in anyone's recent memory. Bird watching is a hobby that fascinates millions, around the world. We are lucky to have the numbers of birds that migrate to and through Yucatan each year. Perhaps, this Fall, the birders of Florida will come down to Yucatan, where they will have plenty of time to see all of the birds that landed in their backyards during the rare bird fallout. If you are a bird watcher, keep time available in your November and December schedule to participate in some or all of the events in Yucatan's annual Bird Festival.
It has been several years since the first tilapia ranch began in Yucatan. Most thought the above-ground ponds quite odd and wondered if much would come of it. They didn't take the skill of the Yucateco fish farmers into account, nor the ease of growing this hearty fish. More than a few expats include tilapia regularly in their diets. Today, Yucatan producers keep a steady supply of tilapia headed out for export and Yucatan tilapia has actually made it to the web pages of MexGrocer.com. This week, MexGrocer has published a great tilapia recipe in a very nice little article by Dave Dewitt, recent visitor, along with his wife, to Chelem. While they were in Yucatan, they visited a tilapia ranch and wrote about their experience. Dave's article and recipes can be found on MexGrocer.
UADY: What Goes On Over There?
As expats make their way through the centro, the streets regularly fill with thousands of young adults, all seemingly in a rush to get somewhere and all seemingly headed in the same direction. Who are these busy young people and where are they going? Chances are they are students at UADY and they are either rushing to or from class, or they are headed to or from a conference at the school. This week, there will be conferences on the environment, hosted by the Department of Architecture, on the place of mercados in an era of economic globalization, and on health problems in the 21st century, hosted by the Medical School. Many of these conferences draw attendees from around the nation and the world. UADY continues to grow in size and importance and Yucatan is blessed to have this university, as well as almost 20 others, right here in Merida.
Sometimes, the rest of the story is as important as the headline. Jose Lino Montes is a young man from the southern part of the State of Yucatan. He is affectionately called Hercules and will represent Mexico, as a weight lifter, in the 2012 Olympics in London. His parents rarely see him because he is away for months at a time for either coaching or competition. Now, their younger son, age 16, is following in his brother's footsteps and is good enough to be away in Mexico City and scheduled to continue traveling for competition, rather than coming home. While both boys have stipends that should cover their expenses, the parents often have to stand in the gap when money for supplies or plane tickets home runs short. This is a hardship on a family with other children to support and has kept the family from finishing much needed repairs to their home. We are all so very proud when an athlete from Yucatan brings honor to Mexico. This time, we would like to congratulate the parents and siblings of both of the Montes Gongora weight lifters. Their hard work and sacrifice have made it possible for all of Mexico to shine in London this summer. No matter the outcome of this summer's competitions, these parents are the clear winners. We hope they get to see both of their boys soon.
The last days before the end of the school year are filled with boring end-of-the-year standardized testing and children, the world over, wishing they were outside in the sunshine. Children in Valladolid not only got to get out of class, but got to learn something while they did it. This past week, there was a simulated escape from a fire in Valladolid. The children played the victims, while the Red Cross, the Municipal Police and firefighters "saved" them. This type of exercise is far more likely to be remembered by children than classroom instruction by officials. Hopefully, there will never be a need for any of these children to put what they have learned to use. However, if there is, they now know how to get out, where to go, and what to do if they are hurt. We also suspect that a few of these participants will be so impressed with an exercise such as this that it will inspire them to continue their studies so that they can be the rescuers of the future. This exercise was a wonderful idea and all of the agencies that participated in it are to be commended.
Yucatan's Boa Headed Toward Extinction?
Here is a question that no one really knows the answer to. Environmentalists say yes. The encroachment of cattle farming, human settlements, the snake skin trade and the pet trade all are serving to spell the end for Yucatan's smaller cousin of the Anaconda. Biologists say there are no studies that show if this is true or if it isn't because the original project to survey this snake's numbers was never fully funded. For now, Yucatan's boa, non-poisonous and not a danger to humans, is on its own. Hopefully, we will not find out the answer to the question of whether it is headed for extinction by discovering, one day, that no one has seen a Yucatan boa in a very long time. With 87 species of reptiles calling Yucatan home, it is estimated that almost 40 are at risk and noted that there are very few studies available to measure their current status or to predict their future.
Its sad to say that misfortune in one place often leads to increases in other places, and such is the case with security. Twenty companies, from the less secure areas of Mexico, have now expressed an interest in moving to Yucatan. There are several reasons for Yucatan to encourage these companies, not in the least of which is that they will bring higher paying jobs to the state at a time when workers are leaving because of low pay. However, with these new jobs will come an increase in population that is expected to put a strain on housing and health care resources. Balancing each of these variables for the benefit of all is going to be a narrow passage to go through if it is to be successful, but this is an opportunity that doesn't come around often and Yucatan is blessed with the security to make it happen.
This week, during the Day of the Marina ceremonies, it was announced that ten weather events are predicted for the region during hurricane season this year. Six are predicted to be tropical storms, two are predicted to be hurricanes and two more are predicted to be hurricanes that have already been degraded before reaching the peninsula. Then, terminology was addressed. Hurricanes, they said, develop in the Pacific, while these same weather events that develop in the Atlantic, the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico are called cyclones. Many of us are accustomed to using the term hurricane for all of these weather events. However, what this differentiation in terminology now means to us is that we should not be looking only for hurricane warnings during these months, but cyclone warnings as well. Although Yucatan does not often get hit directly by hurricanes, we have had hurricane rain events sit on our area for up to a week, so do be prepared, just in case.
Thank you, Dr. Cogburn, for the wonderful compliment! We don't have the bandwidth at the moment to translate all our articles, though we would love to do that at some point. We'll definitely put that a little higher on our to-do list!
I've been reading your magazine for several years and absolutely love it. I show it from time to time in my high school Spanish classes, but I would actually use it from which to teach language if there were an edition available in Spanish. Just a thought, and idea for you.


for Scullyfic's 155-word Scully challenge.
That was the heart monitor. That was hers.
For a moment, she hears a machine breathing for someone. She should be grateful it hasn't come to that yet.
Hers again, the loudest sound she will make for this. It hurts. It hurts everywhere, deep inside her bones. She's so tired and she feels nauseous, and *god* how her head hurts.
The sweep of her mother's hand across her hair, down her arm, across the sheet. She is sorry to admit that she is indifferent to it, but it helps her mother, somehow.
The noise her brother makes as he exits. Every time.
The doctor's shoes as he comes in, smiles, and tries not to look too sorry for her.
The silent skip of her heart every time Mulder presses his mouth, soft and dry and large, against her cheek, forehead, hand.


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Home News Iranian Opposition Khamenei's advisor: Iran's defensive line is in Lebanon and Syria
Khamenei's advisor: Iran's defensive line is in Lebanon and Syria
NCRI – Former Revolutionary Guards commander Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Khamenei's military advisor, recently delivered a speech in an IRGC center in Isfahan, admitting the Guards' presence in Syria and Lebanon, the regime's role in the massacre of the Syrian people and preventing Bashar Assad's overthrow.
"Iran's influence has been extended from Iran, Iraq and Syria axis to the Mediterranean, and this is the third time that Iran's influence has expanded to the Mediterranean. Our line of defense is no longer in Shalamche (a border town in Iran which was one of main sites of Iran-Iraq war); our defensive lines are in southern Lebanon border with Israel, and our strategic depth has reached areas adjacent to the Mediterranean above Israel. The West is concerned about Iran's influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean," he said.
Rahim Safavi described the 40 months of crimes against humanity and massacre of defenseless people as "over 120,000 people killed and 3 million displaced", adding that this is a strategic victory for the regime.
"Currently, 40 months later, the military and political scene in Syria depicts victory for the Syrian government and this is a strategic victory. Syria is a bridge connecting North Africa to Asia," he added.
"Most definitely the strategy of the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and European countries aimed at overthrowing Bashar Assad has failed, and this failure is a strategic failure for the West, Arabic and Zionist front resulting in a great strategic victory for the Islamic Republic of Iran," Safavi continued.
These remarks clearly show how the international community's inaction in the face of crimes committed by the mullahs' regime and Bashar Assad in Syria has to such an extent emboldened the clerical dictatorship ruling Iran to further meddling.
Rahim Safavi was one of the main commanders of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, and who also had a direct role in the killings of hundreds of thousands of people in Iran and Iraq. Describing the regime's strategic ties with the Syrian regime's bloodthirsty dictator, he said: "Syria's support for our country in the imposed war against the Iranian nation cannot be forgotten… with the start of the war the Syrian government… at our request blocked the Iraqi oil pipeline passing through Syria to the Mediterranean Sea…; for missile training… at the time we sent senior IRGC commander Hassan Tehrani Moghadam and more than twenty other IRGC members to Syria."
Prior to this Khamenei had emphasized to the regime's senior officials that: "Syria is a red line for the regime. Therefore, despite difficult and complicated conditions, one must not lose hope and they must support Assad to the very end."
Ali Akbar Velayati, Khamenei's advisor, described the Syrian dictatorship as the "golden ring of resistance" and said: "If Syria had not supported Hezbollah logistically, Hezbollah in the 33 day war and Hamas in the 22 day war would have not reached victory. Syria has a very fundamental and key role in the region… that is why an attack on Syria is considered an attack on Iran and its allies", (State-run news outlets, 26 January 2013).
Larijani said in a meeting with the Assad regime officials in Syria: "Iran will not stop supporting Syria and its president Bashar Assad", (Al Jazeera TV, 25 November 2012).
Cleric Ammar Ta'eb, an inner circle of Khamenei and leader of the Ansar-e Hezbollah openly admitted: "Syria is Iran's 35th province… if the enemy wants to take over Syria and Khouzestan (southern Iranian province), saving Syria is top priority, if it falls out of our hand we will not be able to hold Tehran", (State-run news outlets, 15 February 2014).
The shocking confessions of Yahya Rahim Safavi and other regime officials increases the need for urgent international action to stop the active and all-out intervention of the mullahs' regime and the IRGC in the killing of the Syrian people, and to prevent its warmongering and destruction of the entire region.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
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Otto's  est une entreprise de distribution suisse fondée en 1985 par Otto Ineichen, conseiller national lucernois.

Histoire
 Fin août 1978, une grande partie du canton du Tessin est inondée, Otto Ineichen acheta toute la marchandise d'un centre d'achat pour revendeurs à Losone et loua un magasin à Lucerne où il vendit sa marchandise sous la raison sociale « Ottos's Schadenposten »
 1984, changement de stratégie, il ne vend plus que des produits de qualité, d'où le changement de nom en 1985 en « Otto's Warenposten »
 1988, construction à Sursee, d'un grand complexe administratif et d'entrepôts.
 1989, premier magasin en Suisse romande à Yverdon sous le nom « Otto le soldeur ».
 1999, changement de nom en « Otto's »
 2001, Otto Ineichen passe la direction à son fils Mark
 Décembre 2003, Otto Ineichen devient Conseiller National à Lucerne
  décès de Otto Ineichen d'un arrêt cardiaque deux jours avant ses 71 ans.

Liens internes
 Soldes
 Hard discount
 Commerce

Liens externes
 Site de l'entreprise

Références

Entreprise de la distribution ayant son siège en Suisse
Entreprise fondée en 1985
Entreprise ayant son siège dans le canton de Lucerne
Enseigne de supermarchés ayant son siège en Suisse


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text:
Prev UAAP 81: UP vs UST (Feb 24, 2019)28 February 2019Next UAAP 81: UP vs DLSU (March 2, 2019)07 March 2019
March 2, 20194 Likes
The UP Lady Fighting Maroons served the De La Salle Lady Archers its first loss in UAAP 81. The Maroons played like a well-oiled machine, scoring a five-set upset over the defending champions.
The Archers started strong, going for 3 straight points in the first. Not letting up, the Maroons answered with a small run of their own.
It was a close back and forth, with UP taking a slight lead for most of the set. But the 7 service aces of La Salle and a late-set surge helped them secure the win, 21-25.
The tight competition continued in the second as both teams took turns with the lead.
But a team effort from the UP veterans coupled with 11 errors by the opponents were too much to overcome for DLSU as the Maroons win the second, 25-20, to tie the match at one set each.
The third set had the same story, but the leadership and relentlessness of Justine Dorog, Isa Mole and Ayel Enstrañero helped push UP to a 2-1 lead, 25-21.
The squad from Taft found better footing in the fourth. While UP stayed within striking distance with Tots Carlos' strong plays, the Ramil De Jesus-led team had more fire to end the set with a W, 20-25.
It was all Carlos and Molde in the fifth and final set, as both captains took on the scoring load for UPWVT. Ending the match with 19 and 20 apiece, their efforts paid off as the UP Lady Fighting Maroons scored a major upset against the unbeaten defending champions.
Marist Layug added 11 points, while Dorog had 8. Entrañero had 38 of the 39 excellent sets of the team.
Jolina Dela Cruz had 19, while Desiree Cheng was limited to just 12 for DLSU.
The UPWVT will aim to continue its winning ways against the Ateneo Lady Eagles on Sunday (March 10), 4pm at the Filoil Flying V Arena.


This is the Adverb Of Place Worksheet For Grade 1 section. Here you will find all we have for Adverb Of Place Worksheet For Grade 1. For instance there are many worksheet that you can print here, and if you want to preview the Adverb Of Place Worksheet For Grade 1 simply click the link or image and you will take to save page section.


DUBAI: Contracts awarded to build economic projects in the Gulf's rich Arab oil exporting states slumped in the first half of this year but are expected to pick up in the second half, a data service tracking the industry said on Saturday.
Awards in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council dropped to $56.1 billion in the January-June period from $69.3 billion a year earlier, according to MEED Projects. Low oil prices have forced governments in the region into tough austerity policies.
With the exception of Saudi Arabia, where contract awards rose 12 percent from a year ago to $15.8 billion as the government showed signs of spending a little more freely with a modest improvement in its budget position, awards fell in every GCC state.
Kuwait saw a 46 percent drop to $6.9 billion and awards in Bahrain plunged 84 percent to $917 million. Even Dubai experienced a slight fall, MEED said; awards in the United Arab Emirates dropped 13 percent to $21.3 billion.
However, MEED forecast $61 billion of project awards in the GCC during the second half of this year, bringing the total for 2017 to about $117 billion, roughly the same as in 2016.
"There's no doubt that the past two years have been tough for the projects supply chain as government spending has slowed," said Ed James, director of content and analysis at MEED Projects.
"But with construction companies now more efficient, the private sector more active and the number of public-private partnership projects growing by the week, there is cause for optimism."
This year's total is expected to be boosted by Oman, where the venture planning a 230,000 barrel of oil per day refinery at Duqm said in early August that it was likely to award over $5 billion of engineering, procurement and construction contracts to Petrofac , Samsung Engineering , Technicas Reunidas , Daewoo Engineering and Construction and Saipem .
In Saudi Arabia, sources told Reuters this week that the government was preparing to restart work on projects that are important to its drive to boost Islamic tourism, including expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and a $3.5 billion hotel complex in that city.
James said there were over $2 trillion of known, active projects in the pipeline across the GCC.
"The majority of these are infrastructure schemes that are essential to the future prosperity of the region, job creation and economic diversification," he said.
"While inevitably not all will come to fruition, we can be confident that there is still a large amount of work to come regardless of the oil price."


Meaning and definitions of pyrimidine, translation in Gujarati language for pyrimidine with similar and opposite words. Also find spoken pronunciation of pyrimidine in Gujarati and in English language.
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If you happen to come across a casualty, you will need to assess the situation before anything else. It can be useful to remember DRABC, which stands for Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation.
First and foremost, ensure that you or the casualty aren't in any danger. First of all, make the situation safe and then assess the casualty.
'Hello', 'Can you hear me?', repeat this while gently shaking their shoulders.
If you can see no further danger, leave the casualty in the position that you found them and call for help (999) if needed.
Treat any injuries found, if you can. Make sure you monitor crucial signs, including their level of response, their pulse and their breathing.
Continue monitoring and speaking to the casualty either until help arrives or they recovers.
Shout out for help to people passing by, they can then call for help while you stay with the casualty.
If at all possible, try to leave the casualty in the position you found them in and open their airway.
If this is not possible, gently roll the casualty onto their back and then open their airway.
To open the airway, put one hand on the casualty's forehead while gently tilting their head back.
This will move the casualty's tongue away from the back of the mouth insuring they do not choke.
Look, feel and listen and for a maximum of 10 seconds to see if the casualty is breathing regularly.
Look to see if the chest is inflating and deflating while listening for signs of breathing.
You can also feel for breath against your cheek.


The Oakland County Bar association will present "Appeals in the Juvenile Arena" on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m. at the OCBA offices in Bloomfield Hills.
Attendees can bring a lunch and join for in-depth discussions of hot topics, emerging issues, and practice pointers in juvenile law. The seminar is worth 1.5 credits for attorneys accepting juvenile appointments.
Appeals in juvenile cases are not uncommon. Juvenile attorneys must concentrate on winning their case at trial while at the same time ensuring the case can go to an appeals court if necessary.
Speaking at the program will be Melinda N. Deel of Melinda N. Deel PLLC.
Cost for the seminar for OCBA members is $12 pre-registration or $25 at the door; non-members pay $25 pre-registration or $40 at the door. Court appointed attorneys can attend for free.


Mal Fletcher is a global conference and event speaker, author, media commentator, leadership consultant and TV and radio broadcaster based in London.
He is also the founder and director of Next Wave International, a Christian mission to contemporary cultures in Europe and the founder and host of the annual Strategic Leadership Consultation think-tank in Europe. This pan-European leadership summit aims to facilitate a brighter future for Europe through social renewal.
He also leads 2020Plus, a London-based leadership and communications consultancy which is helping business, media and community groups to proactively engage future change. He was formerly the founding national director of Youth Alive Australia.
As a speaker, Mal is in demand around the world and has often shared the stage with noted leaders such as Reinhard Bonnke, T.L. Osborne, Ray McCauley, Brian Houston, Tony Campolo and many more.
In more than 25 years of ministry, he has featured at major events including Hillsong Conference (Aust), Spring Harvest (UK), Grapevine (UK), Outpouring (USA), Opwekking (Netherlands) and many others.
Mal's award-winning TV magazine-documentary programme, 'EDGES with Mal Fletcher', is now available in many nations, on cable and terrestrial networks. It has aired on major outlets including the Nine Network and Seven Network (Australia), FamilyNet (USA), SABC1 (South Africa) and TVDenmark.
Mal is also a social commentator who is often called upon for expert views on social issues for TV, radio, the press and the 'new media' in various parts of the world. He has appeared as a commentator on BBC World News (global), PressTV (UK, Europe, Iran) and many other radio and TV programmes and for the press.
Mal is the author of ten books on cultural and generational change, future trends, leadership and spirituality, some of which have been translated into five languages. He regularly contributes to magazines in different countries.


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Immunity connects gut bacteria and aging
A Drosophila fruit-fly (iStock photos)
EPFL scientists have discovered how a dysfunction in the immune system can cause an overload of a gut bacterium. The bacterium produces excess lactic acid, which in turn triggers the production of reactive oxygen species that cause damage to cells and many age-related pathologies.
There is no doubt that gut bacteria have become one of the most important focuses of biological and medical research today. Over the years, we have learned that the different populations of bacteria that inhabit the gut can often have significant effects on various functions of the body, including the immune system.
The different populations of gut bacteria, are sometimes called "commensal", and exist in virtually all animals, living under a certain functional balance. When this balance is disrupted – for example, because of disease or medication – this gives rise to a condition known as "commensal dysbiosis", which is associated with a number of pathologies and even a decreased lifespan. Despite this knowledge, little is known as how exactly the gut bacteria affect general health and vice versa.
Now, Igor Iatsenko, a scientist from the lab of Bruno Lemaitre at EPFL's Global Health Institute has discovered a mechanism by which problems of the immune system can cause commensal dysbiosis that in turn promotes age-related pathologies.
The team used the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster, which is often used to study the biology of gut bacteria. Because they wanted to explore the interplay between gut bacteria and the immune system, they focused on a receptor protein called "peptidoglycan recognition protein SD" (PGRP-SD). This protein belongs to a class of pattern-recognition receptors, and in 2016, Igor Iatsenko already showed that PGRP-SD detects foreign bacterial pathogens and turns the fly's immune system against them.
In the present study, the scientists turned off the gene for PGRP-SD, thus creating flies with disrupted immune system. The mutant flies proved to have shorter lifespans than normal ones, and when the researchers examined them, they found that they also had an abnormally high number of the gut bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum, a widespread species of bacteria that produce lactic acid.
Looking into the biological impact of this, the scientists found that the bacteria also produced an excessive amount of lactic acid. This, in turn, triggered the generation of reactive oxygen species, which cause damage to cells and contribute to the aging of tissues. In contrast, when the scientists increased the production of PGRP-SD, they found that it prevented commensal dysbiosis, and even extended the lifespan of the flies.
"Here we have a metabolic interplay between the commensal bacteria and the host," says Bruno Lemaitre. "Lactic acid, a metabolite produced by the bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum is incorporated and processed in the fly intestine, with the side-effect of producing reactive oxygen species that promote epithelial damage." The researchers speculate that similar mechanisms are taking place in the mammalian intestine.
"Our study identifies a specific microbiota member and its metabolite that can influence aging in the host organism," says Igor Iatsenko. "There are definitely many more examples like this, and a better understanding of host-microbiota metabolic interactions during aging is needed in order to develop strategies against age-associated pathologies."
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Igor Iatsenko, Jean-Philippe Boquete, Bruno Lemaitre. Microbiota-derived lactate activates production of reactive oxygen species by the intestinal NADPH oxidase Nox and shortens Drosophila lifespan. Immunity 13 November 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.09.017
Bruno Lemaitrelife sciencesmetabolismProf. Lemaitre Group (UPLEMAITRRE)researchSchool of Life SciencesSV


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The very first Marches of Life in Switzerland took place on May 4th and May 5th, 2016 on the occasion of Yom HaShoah.
On May 4th, the first "March of Life for Israel," as it is called in Switzerland, proceeded through St. Gallen. On the following day, a march took place in the border city of Riehen, Basel. All in all, a total of around 400 people took to the streets against forgetting and for Israel. At the end of 2015, Jobst Bittner had introduced the March of Life Movement to 40 leaders of various Christian Israel organizations and congregations, at a vision meeting in Switzerland.
Christoph Meister, who heads the Israel organizations) in Switzerland and who was one of the main organizers of the March in Riehen, was quoted in the "Riehener Zeitung" (Riehen Newspaper) saying, "It is not about copying the German example, as the situation in Switzerland was different. And yet, we must be aware that terrible things also happened here right at our doorstep." That is especially true in Riehen, where many Jews, who attempted to flee from the Nazis in Germany into Switzerland, were arrested by the border police and sent back, which meant their certain death for most of them.
There is a memorial for these refugees in Riehen which also served as the official co-organizer of the March of Life. The opening ceremony took place at the memorial. The Evangelical Alliance in Basel also supported the invitation.
The regional rabbi of Baden, Moshe Flomenmann, described the commitment of Christians to the March of Life as a "sign of hope." In memory of the victims of the Holocaust, he sang the Jewish Prayer El Male Rachamim at the event.
An eyewitness to the historic events and longtime president of the Swiss Jewish Refugee Aid, Myrthe Dreyfuss spoke about the difficult past in the Basel region. One of the worst things had been the implementation of the "Jewish stamp" in passports, for which the Swiss authorities had also been responsible. She explained how as early as 1938 this stamp had made it virtually impossible for persecuted Jews to enter Switzerland legally. Not only this, but Jewish refugees were only tolerated, if they could prove that they planned to continue their journey and leave Switzerland again.
At the March of Life in St. Gallen, over a hundred participants publicly signed a statement in which they determined to never be silent in the face of anti-Semitism again. They presented this declaration to the city's Jewish residents together with a donation .


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Home ice: Backyard hockey on the rise in B.C. as The Rink adapts amid pandemic
Changes in the wind at alternative school
Safiya Merchant
About 15 years ago, what is now known as Calhoun Community High School was born.
At that time, the alternative high school, which currently serves about 175 students, grew out of a taskforce that included the superintendents of the four Battle Creek-area public school districts and the Kellogg Community College president.
The idea, CCHS Director Tim Allard says, was that if there was one alternative high school, the four K-12 systems would not have to duplicate those services in each district.
KCC chartered the public school academy as the Battle Creek Area Learning Center, a relationship that continues to this day.
But the way CCHS operates may soon change, as the school is re-evaluating its current operating model. The chartering agreement for the school is set to expire in June. The KCC Board of Trustees would have to vote to extend the charter.
The timeline has already been pushed back; the college board agreed to extend the chartering agreement for a year last year.
The alternative high school is a center for second chances for many kids who have struggled in other school systems. Its mission is to help and enroll high school-age kids who have lost credits or fallen behind graduate. Kids can also lose credits at their home schools through poor attendance, which could be based on family issues or losing time at school because of behavioral issues, Allard said.
In some cases, the school also helps "true freshmen" who may feel they don't fit in a bigger school system and want the individualized attention that CCHS' small school and class sizes can provide.
At CCHS, Allard says, every one of his kids has a story.
"Many of them have had tragic situations in their family, the loss of a parent or the loss of a grandparent who was a significant person in their lives, that causes trauma," he said at the beginning of the school year. "Substance abuse, homelessness. You stack all those things on top of a child as they're growing up and sometimes school isn't the most important part of their day."
Operational Changes?
Earlier this month, KCC Interim President Mark O'Connell said he has called for a meeting with the four local K-12 superintendents to discuss their alternative education needs and how they want to move forward with the chartering agreement.
"So what we'd like to do is to get an update on what are the needs," O'Connell said. "Now, we know what the school is doing right now. What are the needs? Have those needs changed in 15 years and if so, how do we want to work together in serving that population in Calhoun County? Because again it was those four school districts who signed that charter."
O'Connell said CCHS is unique.
"We get chartering requests all the time," O'Connell said. "We normally do not charter. But we had this request from the four schools and we chartered."
Along with evaluating the charter agreement, CCHS has been looking at new operating models for the school.
For several years, CCHS has operated under a management agreement with Lakeview School District. In this relationship, staff who work for CCHS are technically employees of Lakeview but their salaries are funded through the revenues brought in by CCHS as a public school academy -- mainly state and federal assistance. Because CCHS is a charter school, it does not have a local taxable base.
In the current agreement, Lakeview also provides several services to CCHS for a fee, such as human resources and payroll/benefits work. CCHS also rents space in the school building on Territorial Road.
Annette Chapman, who chairs the board overseeing CCHS -- it retains the Battle Creek Area Learning Center name -- said CCHS has been working on a new management structure for the past year.
"We have employed professionals in school finance and charter school policy to assist us with this task, and worked closely with the Lakeview business office," according to the board's statement. "We have met extensively with teachers and other staff."
"We have been fortunate to have Kellogg Community College as our chartering entity and have a great deal of respect for all they have done to make alternative education available in our area," the statement saidl. "We believe that when we next sit down with KCC administration that they will be as pleased as we are with the plans we have laid out for the future operation and success of the school."
Chapman said the decision to reconfigure the school's structure was a mutual one between Lakeview and the CCHS board.
"The General Counsel for the Lakeview School District brought to our attention several inadequacies as it relates to the current employment structure of the school," Chapman wrote in an email. "There had never been a problem but the potential existed for there to be. It was a mutual decision to reconfigure the structure of the school. Lakeview has been a huge supporter of CCHS and we have a wonderful relationship with them."
Chapman told the Enquirer in several emails that the CCHS board studied the feasibility of employing staff itself or through an Educational Service Provider that has experience with charters.
"We are recommending a model that will employ staff using an Educational Service Provider but with local control," Chapman wrote. "It is important to the CCHS Board and administration that we continue to have local accountability and excellence in the educational experience for our students."
With the recommended model, the CCHS and KCC boards would retain local governance powers, but staff would be employed directly by the service provider. Educational service providers offer other services, like accounts payable and investment benefits, but Chapman said they have not yet decided on those. If the model is approved, it would go into effect July 1. Chapman said the model will be presented to the KCC board at a future meeting.
"We are unsure who the Educational Service Provider will be at this time as we will be issuing an RFP [request for proposals] for those services to make a future decision," Chapman wrote.
Under the proposed model, Chapman said "staffing may change as they will have to apply for a position at CCHS," but instruction should be the same.
The CCHS current management arrangement with Lakeview, Allard said, has created some shades of gray when it comes to staffing and prompted some financial concerns.
"In the initial part of it, they did it relatively cheaply," Allard said. "And over time, the costs have gone up because the one thing that they can't do is supplement our school with their own district's finances."
"So a couple of things that are sort of happening," Allard said, "is that the fee that Lakeview sees that it would need to continue this relationship is a little bit cost-prohibitive for us. So there's that."
Another issue is that although the board for CCHS oversees policy and makes decisions for the school, all of the school's employees are technically working for Lakeview.
"So in my case, who evaluates me? Does Lakeview evaluate me?" Allard said. "Does the BCLAC board evaluate me? Does the KCC board evaluate me? Well the KCC board has never evaluated the director; they see copies of the evaluation."
Because the employees work for Lakeview, CCHS also has to honor collective bargaining agreements that are approved by the Lakeview Board of Education.
That can pose a problem for a charter school with limited revenues. According to its online 2015-16 budget assumptions, the school will see about $1,473,154 in revenues. With its $231,909 fund balance, the district can spend up to $1,705,063. Its anticipated expenditures are $1,486,736.
"So if they negotiate a contract that is more lucrative than we can afford based on our state aid, we're still on the hook to follow it," Allard said.
Allard said Lakeview sees potential conflicts of interest in the current arrangement and liabilities for CCHS if the agreement does not change.
"When I say liability, it's expensive, right?" Allard said. "We have to honor their contracts so it's not like they came down here and said 'We don't want you any more,' but in working with their business office ... you start to see a point where the expenses are not going to match with the revenues. So it's really not an issue of them saying 'we don't want you,' it's an issue of all of us saying 'the school is bigger than the contract, the school is bigger than the person, the school is valuable.' How can we keep this school and keep it fiscally sustainable and how can we make sure that we don't have conflicts of interest when it comes to personnel, because there's these gray areas."
Understanding life happens
Despite the obstacles his students have faced, Allard maintains his school is not just for troubled young people. He says that's a huge misconception.
"I think it is with anybody who hears the term 'alternative school,'" he said. "Because I think everybody thinks, 'Well those kids got in trouble, they're troublemakers, therefore they go to a school for troubled kids.' We have girls who have gotten pregnant and had to miss school for a while to be home with their babies. They're not troublemakers; they had a life situation that caused them to be away from school for a while. ... We have kids who sometimes just don't fit in. They're odd and they get teased and picked on and bullied and they can come here and feel like they do fit in. We have kids who probably have all sorts of leadership potential but are never given those opportunities because sometimes in traditional schools there is popularity and there's cliques."
While CCHS gives kids a bricks-and-mortar facility where they can take classes in subjects like English and science, the charter school does not have the revenue stream of other school districts.
It can't get a brand-new facility because the school can't capture local tax dollars. It does not have the means to provide transportation for its kids to get to and from school. It also lacks some of the more traditional aspects of student life, such as music classes and prom.
But what the school does offer, Allard says, is community service opportunities and hands-on learning experiences for its kids. Students have learned to build fires based on reading "To Build a Fire," and have worked in the school's hoop house garden. Kids have chaperoned elderly disabled people at Binder Park Zoo. They've volunteered at local food banks and soup kitchens, and worked on the Toys for Tots collection drive.
For CCHS student Sunny Hayes, although she misses the amenities of traditional high schools, what CCHS offers is much more practical.
Hayes, 18, will soon be graduating from CCHS. Before coming to the alternative high school, she attended Lakeview High School and another high school based in Colorado.
At both traditional high schools, she says she had poor attendance and failed classes.
"Both schools are larger high schools," Hayes said. "... I just felt like they don't care whether or not I pass or fail, I don't care whether or not I pass or fail. ... I also have issues with anxiety and other stuff like that, so that kind of puts me down under other people already."
She says she did not feel a connection with staff at either school, and has dealt with depression.
Coming to CCHS has turned things around for Hayes. She said being at the alternative school feels more comfortable and there is much more support.
"They understand that life happens," Hayes said. "Life happens, and they get it."
Hayes said because students understand that "everybody has something," they respect each other.
"We all have our things that hinder us from going to school or work, we all have our own stories, and CCHS works with us," she said. "They help. I feel like a lot of teachers at other schools are there to teach you, of course, but here, they're here to help. And they want to and they want to see you succeed."
Last year, Hayes finished the school year with a 3.8 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. She said she plans to attend KCC after finishing high school.
"Because of this school, I've decided I want to be a teacher," Hayes said.
Hayes is an example of Allard's goals for his school. He said he wants their kids "to dream bigger than they dream."
"... And to understand the effort that goes behind achieving those dreams," he said. "That they, too, can be anything they want to be and they can realize that American dream and all that kind of stuff if they just really believe that it's accessible."
Contact Safiya Merchant at 269-966-0684 or smerchant@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SafiyaMerchant


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Greece dismisses reports Turkish troops occupied border strip
Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias during a press conference on November 26, 2019. (File photo: AFP)
Published: 24 May ,2020: 08:33 PM GST Updated: 24 May ,2020: 08:46 PM GST
Greece on Sunday dismissed reports that Turkish soldiers had occupied a strip of Greek territory in the Evros border region, where Athens is expanding a fence to keep migrants out.
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said allegations, picked up by the the British press, that Turkish troops had occupied a patch of land that is normally submerged at this time of year on Greece's side of the border were "utterly false."
Dendias acknowledged, in an interview with Skai TV, that "a presence of Turkish forces has been observed in a strip of land where some preparatory works had been made by the Greek army" after Athens would not give Turkey the coordinates of its fence expansion in Evros in advance.
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But Greece had asked Turkey "not to make any other move in the area," he said.
The Greek defense ministry had already on Saturday said that "at no time Greek soil has been occupied by foreign forces."
Turkish special forces have been present in recent weeks as the Greek Army conducts preparatory work for the expansion of the border fence to prevent massive crossings from migrants.
"We will proceed with the fence expansion. It is our constitutional obligation to protect Greek soil," Dendias said.
Tensions ran high in March when Turkey encouraged tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to travel to the border with Greece and try to cross into the European Union.
For days, there were skirmishes on the border as migrants trying to break through threw stones at Greek riot police who fired tear gas at them.
Turkish police also bombarded Greek forces with tear gas, and Athens accused the Turkish police of handing out wire cutters to migrants to help them break through the fence.
Greek border forces have also claimed that Turkish troops have recently fired shots into the air.
Ankara has accused Athens of beating migrants and firing live rounds at them, alleging that some died of bullet injuries.
The Greek government has denied using undue force.
Greece makes a formal protest to Turkey over border riverbed dispute
Turkey deploys 1,000 police at Greek border to stem pushback of refugees
Bella Caio blasts from hijacked Turkish mosques' speaker systems
Greece to move hundreds of migrants to mainland from camp on Lesbos
Greece will move hundreds of migrants from a camp on the island of Lesbos to mainland facilities on Sunday as part of efforts to ease overcrowding ... Coronavirus
Two migrants in Greece shot after breaking coronavirus quarantine
Two asylum-seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos were shot and injured after apparently violating coronavirus quarantine rules, officials said ... Coronavirus
Greece kicks off scheme to relocate migrant children from war-torn countries
A group of 12 migrant children left Greece for Luxembourg on Wednesday, beginning an attempt to relocate 1,600 minors from war-torn countries stranded ... Coronavirus
Turkey, UAE sign FX swap deal worth $5 billion


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Career Pursuit: An Interview with Chantelle Aimée Osman
Features, Latest Books
October 31, 2019 by ITW
Helping Writers with Life-Changing Decisions
Chantelle Aimée Osman
By E. A. Aymar
ITW offers a wealth of opportunities and resources for both aspiring and debut writers, but what about writers at a turning point in their careers? Likely, you've been there yourself—pondering some sort of dramatic change in regards to your representation, publisher, genre, series, etc. To that end, ITW has launched Career Pursuit, a new program dedicated to providing resources and support for writers facing those life-changing decisions.
Chantelle Aimee Osman (Publisher, Agora Books) will be heading the program, and ITW will provide author interviews, webinars, Q&A sessions, and more. So what can you expect from Career Pursuit and Chantelle's vision for the program? She explains in the interview below:
Career Pursuit is targeted to published writers who are interested in some sort of career change—either switching to a new genre, new series, changing agents and/or publishers, etc. Have you seen writers successfully make that kind of transition, and can you provide an example?
From my own experience, the first three books in the Agora line are definitely cross-genre, and in our winter line, we have the first crime novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, who is known for writing literary fantasy. It's increasingly proving to be a myth that an author has to be pigeonholed into one series or genre. Another example is Jay Stringer, mostly known for his noir crime novels, recently released the first book in a new action series with a female Indiana Jones-esque protagonist to great acclaim.
This industry is notable for the sheer number of paths to success. There's not just one story or any one right way. I know people who have had the same agent (or publisher) for 20+ years, and I know just as many who worked with an initial agent before moving up and cementing their career. Even more important than changing agents or genres, it's important for the author to educate themselves about the business—know what the options are, what the market is, and most of all, know what type of career they want to have. Hopefully, this new program will help with that.
Do you worry about writers and experts you bring to this program giving poor advice? Are you ready to be sued?
I was born ready.
There's a lot of bad advice out there, people who skew the facts to make their career seem better, or yours worse. It's important to know who you're listening to and why you should listen to them. That's why we're committed to vetting the people and content in Career Pursuit before we endorse it.
How does a writer know when a situation in their career isn't working out and requires a dramatic change, versus an obstacle that every writer faces and pushes through?
Really, it goes back to educating yourself. You don't know what you don't know until it becomes obvious you don't know it.
Getting as much information before going into a situation to begin with is key. Know how the industry works—it's pretty straightforward, but people treat it like an unknowable secret, even though it's a business like any other. Then you'll know if your concern is just insecurity, or if it's something that needs a massive, immediate change. Agents also help you figure that out, but again, you have to have a good one. The agent/author relationship is one of the most important out there. Everyone thinks writing is solitary, but you're, in fact, building a team, and your agent may be the most important person on it. This person will be your representative out there in the world, both of you and your words. It's good to have that person be someone you can be honest with, and will be honest with you.
You're the managing editor of a shiny new publishing house (Agora Books, an imprint of Polis), you constantly travel to conferences in the service of either promoting your authors or educating writers on craft/publishing, and you're an active freelance editor and writer. How do you possibly have enough time to run the Career Pursuit initiative? Is this going to be completely abandoned, and end up a tumbleweed blowing through ITW?
I've already forgotten what the program is, but the name sounds good!
Also, "in the service of" makes me sound so much more altruistic than I really am.
And a lot more James Bond.
I'm good with that.
You can see the first offering from Career Pursuit HERE – a Facebook Live webinar conducted by social media maven Jillian Stein. For future offerings, sign up for The Thrill Begins newsletter.
International Thriller Writers Inc represents professional authors from around the world. Learn more about them, their work, and the sources from which they draw their inspiration at the Official ITW Organization Website.
Interested in becoming a member of the International Thriller Writers? ITW offers Active and Associate memberships.
Latest posts by ITW (see all)
January 20 – 26: "What is your favorite thriller sub-genre?" - January 20, 2020
January 13 – 19: "What About Language?" - January 12, 2020
January 6 – 12: "Please share with us your writing-related resolutions for 2020?" - January 5, 2020
Old Earth by Gary Grossman
Author Guided Tour: Barry Lancet on Kyoto
Titanshade by Dan Stout


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Arroyos on the Run?
As the number of allegations of corruption pile up, Gloria and Mike Arroyo have suddenly started feeling ill.
With legal cases being filed against them from left and right, the Arroyos have inevitably stayed in the spotlight since former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stepped down last year.
The former first couple of Gloria and Mike Arroyo have been forced to contend with a growing pile of claims over issues ranging from financial corruption while in office to the manipulation of the 2004 presidential race. And, just as the current Aquino administration has started investigating the Arroyos, the couple have claimed that they now have serious health problems that will interfere with the ongoing scrutiny.
The former First Gentleman, who has recently been implicated in a controversial helicopter transaction with the Philippine National Police, has been excusing himself from Senate hearings because of a heart condition. His wife, meanwhile, has been in hospital for delicate surgery to treat a pinched nerve. She has also excused herself from the ongoing investigations and media glare.
Critics of the couple have noted that feigning illness has for years been a tried and tested excuse in Philippine politics. And, when all other excuses fail, some former politicians and officials play the trump card of needing to seek specialist medical attention abroad. Such self-exile was even tried by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who fled to the United States to escape retribution at home. Other politicians have followed suit.
Of course, things have changed, with an extradition treaty in effect between the United States and the Philippines meaning the former colonial master can no longer be used as an escape route. The solution for politicians under fire now, then, is to go to a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the Philippine government, as well as a banking system that allows individuals to hide their ill-gotten wealth.
That country would seem to be Germany. Certainly, during the height of the national broadband corruption scandal that almost toppled the Arroyo administration, the First Gentleman was quick to hop on a plane to Germany, disappearing for weeks on end until the storm died down. Back then, critics were saying that the First Gentleman had been preparing the ground – including opening bank accounts – for a possible safe haven in case things got really hot in the Philippines.
Now that they are, Mike Arroyo has reportedly taken another trip to Germany for a medical check-up. Will he be making some finishing touches to a 'safe house' there as well?
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Philippines politics
Former Philippines President Arrested...Again
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is accused of misusing US$8.8 million of funds from the state lottery.
Survey: Just 11% of Filipinos Are 'Dissatisfied' With Rodrigo Duterte
Public opinion data reaffirms widespread satisfaction with Rodrigo Duterte's performance in the Philippines.
Philippines Senator Accused of Plagiarism... Twice
The issue of intellectual property has been a topic of much debate thanks to one Filipino Senator's choice of words.
Beating Corruption in Philippines
If the Philippines wants to beat corruption, it may need to change the relationship between citizens and officials.


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text:
Anthrax - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2016
Anthrax continues to be a rare disease in humans in Europe, with only a few cases reported every year. In 2016, two EU/EEA countries reported six laboratory-confirmed anthrax cases: Romania (5) and Spain (1). The remaining 28 reporting countries notified no cases.
Anthrax - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2016 - EN - [PDF-322.24 KB]
Surveillance report - 27 Apr 2018
This report is based on data for 2015 retrieved from The European Surveillance System (TESSy) on 12 December 2016.
Anthrax - AER 2015 - EN - [PDF-371.22 KB]
Number and rates of confirmed anthrax reported cases, EU/EEA, 2008–2012
Table - 20 Nov 2014
Period: 01 Jan 2008 - 31 Dec 2012
Downloadable Excel table: Number and rates of confirmed anthrax reported cases, EU/EEA, 2008–2012
Distribution of confirmed anthrax reported cases by month, EU/EEA, 2008–2012
Graph - 20 Nov 2014
Downloadable image: Distribution of confirmed anthrax reported cases by month, EU/EEA, 2008–2012
Communicable disease threats report, Week 30, 19-25 July 2015
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 19-25 July 2015, and includes updates on anthrax, West Nile virus, Schistosoma haematobium, MERS, Ebola virus and polio.
Communicable Disease Threats Report, 25 July 2017 - EN - [PDF-5.09 MB]
Table 1. Distribution of confirmed reported anthrax cases, EU/EEA, 2010–2014
Table - 30 Jan 2017
In 2014, 16 sporadic cases of anthrax were reported: nine from Hungary, four from Spain, two from Romania, and one from Greece. Of these, one case from Spain was laboratory-confirmed.
Anthrax: 2014 graphics
Presentation - 30 Jan 2017
In 2014, a total of 16 cases of anthrax was reported by four EU/EEA countries. One case was reported as a confirmed case. The remaining 26 reporting countries notified zero cases.


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Detroit Tigers: Free Agent Pitching Targets
Casey Mize is one of the best Detroit pitching prospects.Kris Dunn, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
By Joe Underhill
The Detroit Tigers are expected to be major players in free agency this off-season. A lot of time and space will be devoted to shortstop, as it is a glaring need on a Tigers team that posted a winning record after May 8th. The Tigers will sign a shortstop but that is something we probably won't know until January or February, depending on the new CBA being signed.
The Tigers have already addressed their catching need, agreeing to a trade for former Cincinnati Reds backstop Tucker Barnhart, a two-time Gold Glover who will lead that position along with 2021 breakout player Eric Haase. The catching market was going to be thin anyway, so adding via trade and only giving up Nick Quintana (without a great start to his minor-league career) is a strong first move.
With the star market most likely to be delayed, and catching checked off the to-do list, there is only one (actually two) spot Tigers GM Al Avila has identified on his off-season priority check list: starting pitching.
In his off-season comments Avila has stated the Tigers would like to add a pair of starters. That is especially important as the young trio of starters (Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning) continue to establish themselves at the major-league level.
While as a fan I would love it, there has been and will be plenty written about Justin Verlander, so in looking at four starters who might interest the Tigers, I'll skip JV for the time being.
Marcus Stroman: 10-13, 3.02 ERA, 179 IP, 1.145 WHIP, 3.6 WAR (baseball-reference).
Stroman put up a solid year for a pretty disappointing Mets team. He made 33 starts in 2021 and only gave up more than three earned runs in four starts. He doesn't wow with his strikeout numbers, punching out just 21.6% of batters faced, but he balances that with a low walk rate at just 6.0% and low home run rate of 2.3%. Stroman would give the Tigers a consistent presence in the rotation and be a good mentor for the younger pitchers. He is not eligible for a qualifying offer, so the Tigers would not lose any draft capital to sign him.
Jon Gray: 8-12, 4.59 ERA, 149 IP, 1.329 WIHP, 1.3 WAR (baseball-reference).
Jon Gray is an interesting pitcher. He actually had a better ERA at home (4.02 vs 5.22), which is unusual for a Colorado pitcher. The overall ERA was probably connected to fatigue as there is a large gap between his first and second-half ERA (3.77 vs 5.77). Gray is a former No. 3 overall pick from the 2013 draft. There is still some untapped potential with Gray and the Tigers would be betting on pitching coach Chris Fetter being able to help Gray realize more of the potential that made him a high pick. Gray is right about league average in his strikeout, walk, home run, and hard-hit ratios, with slightly above-average ground ball and fly ball ratios. Gray would give the Tigers a back-end starter with upside.
Eduardo Rodriguez: 13-8, 4.74 ERA, 157.2 IP, 1.389 WHIP, 1.8 WAR (baseball-reference)
E-Rod had a solid year for Boston in 2021. In 2020 he contracted Covid and had a heart condition develop as a complication. He was fully healthy in 2021 and had career-best strikeout (27.4%) and walk rates (7.0%). At worst, he is a solid middle-to-back of the rotation starter with some upside remaining. Rodriguez also has post-season experience, which will help lead a young rotation. Rodriguez did receive a QO from Boston, so the Tigers will have to weigh the cost of the draft compensation. However, for a quality LHP who can provide stability with upside, that shouldn't be a hindrance.
Wily Peralta: 4-5, 3.07 ERA, 93.2 IP, 1.335 WHIP, 2.0 WAR (baseball-reference)
Tigers' fans are familiar with Peralta, who was arguably one of the key reasons the Tigers finished 2021 with a winning second half. Peralta was signed as a minor-league free agent after being out of organized baseball in 2020. At 32, Peralta is not a young pitcher with upside, but he represents a veteran who can be relied on to provide quality innings and serve as a mentor for the younger pitchers on the staff. Peralta is a pitcher who relies on pitching to contact (14.4% SO rate) and heavy ground-ball rate (49.8%). While Peralta might not be the most exciting free agent signing, he is one of the more likely targets, both for his effectiveness and is perceived affordability.
The days of the Tigers adding only bounce-back, lotto ticket starters are over. The Tigers want to compete for the division crown and make a push for the playoffs. To accomplish those goals, the Tigers will need to fortify their rotation. Targeting one or more of the above pitchers will help in that pursuit of the playoffs and the elusive World Series title.
Joe Underhill is a diehard baseball fan and fan of the city of Detroit. Joe currently writes for www.tigstown.com. E.mail joe.underhill@auburn.org or follow Joe on Twitter @TransplantedDet.