text:
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot seniors split a pair this week
By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor
The Cabot senior American Legion team went 1-1 this week since losing the championship game of the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic on Sunday. The senior Centennial Bank squad lost 3-2 to Clarksville on Tuesday, then traveled to Searcy on Wednesday and picked up a 5-2 victory.
The team was scheduled to play Thursday in Jacksonville in the Gwatney Chevrolet Senior Invitational, but that first-round game was rained out.
In Wednesday's victory, Cabot picked up nine base hits while allowing just three, and bookended five scoreless innings with a one-run first and a four-run seventh.
Blake McCutchen, Brian Tillery and Michael Crumbly all had two base hits. Tillery, hitting in the three hole, also had a double and the game's only two RBIs.
Brodey Schluter, Rail Gilliam and Jack Broyles each had one base hit.
Brett Brockinton got the win on the mound, pitching six and one-third innings. He gave up two hits and one run, but it was an unearned run, as Cabot committed three defensive errors. The errors came despite very few balls being put into play. Brockinton finished with 13 strikeouts to just three walks.
Dylan Billingsley got the save by recording the final two outs. He gave up one hit and one unearned run with one strikeout.
In the loss at Clarksville on Tuesday, Cabot picked up six base hits, two more than its host, but still lost thanks partly to four more fielding errors.
Caleb Wilson pitched all six innings for Cabot, and pitched well. He allowed only one earned run while striking out five and walking two. Cabot was facing a tough pitcher as well, and struck out 13 times.
Caleb Harpole led Centennial Bank offensively with two base hits, including a triple, as well as one run scored and one RBI.
McCutchen, Broyles, Tillery and Gilliam had one base hit apiece. Gilliam record Cabot's other RBI.
SPORTS STORY >> A Team picks up victory at Searcy
The Cabot junior American Legion team known as The A Team got a win and a tie Wednesday against Searcy. The Centennial Bank squad beat Searcy 8-1 in the opening game at the Cabot Sports Complex, then rallied from a 5-2 deficit to score three in the bottom of the last inning to salvage the nightcap tie.
In game one, Cabot did most of its damage early, scoring all eight runs in the first three innings, including five in the second.
Searcy struggled on the mound. Cabot finished with just three base hits, but they were timely. The A Team had people on base throughout the contest thanks to eight base-on-balls issued by Searcy pitching.
Jacob Caswell had two of those hits for Cabot, both doubles, and both resulting in two RBIs. Leadoff hitter Coy Lovercheck went 1 for 3 at the plate and drove in a run as well. Hayden Wood added two RBIs on a walk and sacrifice fly, and Braylen Moore also drove in a run.
Austin Calhoun had a good game on the mound. He pitched five innings for Cabot and gave up zero earned runs while striking out seven and walking just two.
The nightcap was on a time limit and lasted just four innings. Searcy took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Cabot tied it in the bottom half of the same frame. Searcy then added three more in the top of the second as Cabot went scoreless until the bottom of the fourth.
Both teams managed just three hits in game two, but Searcy issued seven free bases and committed three errors while Cabot walked four and had two errors.
Zach Eveleth went 2 for 2 at the plate for the Centennial Bank squad, and recorded an RBI. Park Ashcraft had the other base hit.
The A team had lost twice previously in the week, falling 10-0 to Vilonia and 6-3 to Mt. Vernon on Tuesday in Cabot. It was scheduled to host Mt. Vernon again on Thursday, but that game was rained out.
The next scheduled game will be another two-team doubleheader, facing Poyen at 6 p.m. Monday, with the makeup game against Mt. Vernon to follow at the Cabot Sports Complex.
SPORTS STORY >> Centennial strikeouts dominate Gwatney
Cabot's Centennial Bank Junior American Legion team traveled to Jacksonville on Tuesday and defeated the Gwatney Chevrolet squad 7-2 at Dupree Park. Cabot got an outstanding performance from starting pitcher Austin Scritchfield. After getting into some trouble out of the gate, Scritchfield dominated.
Jacksonville held Cabot scoreless in the top of the first inning, and then took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half. Leadoff hitter Peyton Williams singled to left field on the first pitch. Robert Johnson then hit a grounder to second place that was missed, leaving runners safe on corners. Jaylon McGee then singled to right field, scoring Williams. He also advanced to second on the unsuccessful throw to the plate. That made the score 1-0, and left two runners in scoring position with no outs.
That's when Scritchfield's domination started. He struck out the next three batters to keep the damage from the bad start to a minimum. In the bottom of the second inning, Jacksonville's Clay Burrows hit a leadoff single to left field, but Scritchfield again answered by striking out the side with the next three batters. In the third inning, Scritchfield sat Jacksonville down in order, again all strikeouts, giving the pitcher nine Ks in three innings of work.
He retired Gwatney in order in the fourth inning, but without a strikeout. He then fanned two of three in the fifth inning to end his night on the mound. Scritchfield pitched five innings, gave up three hits and one earned run while striking out 11 and walking zero. The first nine outs of the game were all strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Cabot took the lead in the top of the second inning and never trailed after that. Blake Buffalo hit a leadoff single to start the rally, and Brock Martin walked. Jake Moudy's sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, and two Jacksonville errors on the next two at-bats brought in two runs.
With two outs, Mason Griffin singled to left field to score Graham Turner and made it a 3-1 Cabot lead.
Neither team scored in the third or fourth innings, but the Centennial Bank squad posted three in the top of the fifth. That rally started with another Jacksonville error after Scritchfield hit a grounder to shortstop. He moved to second on a wild pitch, but caught in a rundown and tagged out after Griffin grounded to third base.
Tanner Wilson was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Masen Wade and Buffalo then hit back-to-back singles to drive in two more runs. Griffin later scored on a wild pitch to give Cabot a 6-1 lead.
Jackson Olivi took the mound for Cabot in the sixth inning. He also struck out the side, but scattered those Ks among four walks that gave Gwatney Chevrolet another run.
The game's final run came in the top of the seventh inning. Martin got a two-out single, and two more infield errors brought him around to set the final margin.
Logan Bell pitched the final inning for Cabot. He sat Jacksonville down in order, striking out two.
Cabot's three pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts over seven innings.
Jacksonville finished with six errors, all in the infield. Of Cabot's seven runs, only the three in the fifth inning were earned.
SPORTS STORYS >> Former Devil wins Gold Glove
One of the least heralded players coming out of one of the most talented Jacksonville baseball teams in recent decades, Ryan Mallison has become the most successful college player from the JHS class of 2015.
Mallison, who just completed his sophomore season as the starting second baseman at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, was just awarded the NJCAA Gold Glove for top defensive second baseman in the nation. He was also given the Gold Glove for his conference, and named to the second team Academic All American team.
But it is the national Gold Glove award that he is most proud of.
"It's a little bit of excitement," said Mallison. "A big part of my game is defense. I take pride in that. It's nice to be rewarded from something I had worked so hard for a long time."
The JHS baseball class of 2015 won 24-straight conference games over its last two years, won back-to-back conference championships, placed nine players on the All-State list, two in the All-Star game and the entire starting lineup received offers to play college baseball.
Mallison made All-State, but was not on the All-Star team, and did not receive many college offers beyond ABC.
But a look at Mallison's season statistics makes it clear how he was chosen as the best junior college defensive second baseman in America. Mallison started all 57 games for ABC this year, and committed just two errors all season long. He finished with a .992 fielding percentage and led the nation in double plays turned with 44.
Players don't just walk onto the field at game time and record season stats like that, and Mallison is no exception. He would stay after practice to field ground balls, and do hand-eye coordination drills whenever the opportunity arose.
He also couldn't have done it alone.
"Some days our pitchers would stay and help out," Mallison said. "Tirrell Brown, our assistant coach, would stay late and hit ground balls. It's definitely something people have helped me achieve."
Brown is also a former Jacksonville player, as is ABC head coach, who is also Ryan's dad, Roger Mallison.
Ryan, however, says playing for his father was no different than any other coaches he played for.
"There was no extra pressure," Ryan said. "It's still the same game. He's a guy who's been pushing me my whole life. I just looked at it as him doing what he's always done. We left the father-son relationship off the field. When we stepped on the field it was coach and player. I enjoyed it, but it was nothing different than what it's always been."
While defense gained him a huge national honor, Mallison was no slouch in other areas. He carried a GPA high enough to earn second team Academic All-American, and the classroom and second base were still not the only places he excelled.
He leaves Arkansas Baptist College as one of the top hitters in school history. Ryan finished his sophomore year with a team-high batting average of .410, which is the third highest in school history. His 21 doubles led the team and set an ABC single-season record. Add to that his 14 doubles from his freshman year, Ryan also holds the school's career record in doubles.
He also had six home runs, and his 75 base hits is another school record for a single season. He's among the leaders in several career categories, including the school record in total double plays at 68.
Ryan finishes his junior college career second in school history with 125 base hits, second in runs scored with 83, and fourth in the ABC record books in RBIs with 73.
Ryan Mallison has been offered scholarships by numerous NCAA Division II schools, but he has his eye on bigger things.
The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff is the only Division I program to offer him a scholarship, but Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas have offered him a preferred walk-on spot.
He plans on accepting one of those three offers by the end of next week.
"The (JUCO) league we played in had, I think, 17 guys drafted and more than that signed DI," Mallison said. "It was like playing DI baseball a lot of the time. I don't like sounding cocky. It's just confidence, but I know I can play at that level."
EDITORIAL >> Replacement hits roadblock
Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton remain silent on the newly unveiled health-care bill introduced Thursday in the Senate after much secrecy. Although Cotton helped fashion the controversial bill, he won't say if he supports it, and neither will Boozman, even if hundreds of thousands of Arkansans will lose their health insurance if the bill passes.
Several Republicans have spoken out against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan, some because it doesn't go far enough in reducing federal spending on health care, while other Republicans are saying the bill will end coverage for millions of Americans.
The proposal remains unpopular, with perhaps just 25 percent of Americans favoring it. While Boozman and Cotton are keeping out of sight, profiles in courage are emerging among Republicans and more are to follow this weekend, putting the future of McConnell's healthcare bill in doubt.
Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) said Friday he will not support the Republican Senate health-care bill without changes, making him the fifth GOP senator to oppose the secretive proposal, which was finally released Thursday.
Heller said millions of people will lose their insurance if Medicaid cuts in the bill are enacted. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office will announce Monday how many working poor will go without insurance, but Heller has good reason to guess it will be in the hundreds of thousands, just like in Arkansas.
But he's willing to speak out, unlike Boozman and Cotton. "I cannot support a piece of legislation that takes away insurance from tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Nevadans," Heller said.
Nevada, like Arkansas, expanded Medicaid, which helped 300,0000 Arkies get insurance for the first time. A quarter of a million could lose their coverage if the Senate bill passes. Why aren't Boozman and Cotton addressing this issue? Dozens of hospitals and clinics will close if the McConnell bill becomes law, which will further hurt our state's fragile health-care system.
Opponents of the health-care proposal include:
The Association of American Medical Colleges says millions of people will go without health coverage.
The American Medical Association opposes limits on Medicaid spending, raising premiums and reducing benefits.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says cutting Medicaid would hurt children.
America's Essential Hospitals says the bill will close hospitals and/or reduce services.
AARP is calling on every senator to vote no.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse says the plan will hurt the fight against opioid addiction.
Catholic hospitals and nursing homes say the Republican health-care bill would have a "devastating impact" on the poor and frail.
The Association of State Medicaid Directors also opposes the Senate bill. They warned this week that "no amount of administrative or regulatory flexibility can compensate for the federal spending reductions that would occur as a result of this bill."
Gov. Hutchinson, the Legislature, our congressional delegation must speak out before the Senate bill comes up for a vote next week. Arkansas would be among the states hardest hit. We've worked too hard to go down that route.
TOP STORY >> Commander attends retiree event
By AIRMAN 1ST CLASS KEVIN SOMMER GIRON
Col. Charles Brown, 19th Airlift Wing commander, gave his farewell remarks as the guest speaker at the monthly retiree breakfast June 16 in Hangar 1080 on Little Rock Air Force Base.
"I'm here to say thank you," Brown said. "The priorities we've laid out as a team start with people – from my airman and their families, to everyone who's served.
"You deserve the best for what you provide and that's support, so we can sustain our next priority, which is readiness," Brown added.
The monthly retiree break-fast helps to foster close relationships with service members and to disseminate information from units to the retired community.
"Even though we're re-tired, we still feel like we're a part of the military family," said (Ret.) Chief Master Sgt. Donald Smith, 19th AW Retiree Activities Office assistant retiree activities director.
"Once you've served for 20 to 30 years, you want to retain the relationships you've made with your fellow military members," Smith said.
During the breakfast buffet, speakers from the 19th Medical Group, and outside organizations spoke as well to the audience about service updates and offers.
Arkansas has more than 58,000 retired service members who provide support to the Combat Airlift mission and the many amenities on base, such as the commissary and base exchange.
"We've had excellent support from the 19th Airlift Wing leadership," Smith said. "Col. Brown and (Vice Commander Col. Christopher) Bennett have been huge supporters — they realize the importance of what retirees brings to the base."
Brown will relinquish command Col. Gerald Donohue in a change of command ceremony on July 11.
Brown has been named senior assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium.SHAPE, as the command is known, is the headquarters of Allied Command Operations, which controls all NATO operations.
Donohue is 86th Opera-tions Group commander at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
TOP STORY >> District salutes staff for service
Tolleson Elementary School secretary Ava Coleman, Jacksonville Middle School attendance clerk Adrienna Williams, district maintenance director Kevin Stalnaker and Bayou Meto cafeteria manager Sherry Ottis were honored at the last district school board meeting for their dedication to students, staff and the district.
Coleman, Williams and Stalnaker were honored with the inaugural Titan Service Awards.
Ottis was named classified employee of the year.
OTTIS
Principal Gary Beck said, "Walking into the cafeteria at Bayou Meto Elementary, one might enter a forest of trufulla trees and Dr. Seuss characters or be transported into a fall wonderland of colors or the magic of winter with Olaf and the cast of Frozen. Why would someone take the time to transform a cafeteria in that way? Because our cafeteria manager, Sherry Ottis works hard to have a warm inviting cafeteria for all to enjoy."
Ask her what she loves about her job and she will tell you it's the kids.
"These kids are her kids and she will do everything she can to help them become the best that they can be," Beck wrote.
He added, "She is open and accessible, hardworking and understanding, letting one know when things are going right and always willing to help when things go awry."
"For you see, it is not just the shiny decorations that adorn the walls of our cafeteria, it is the brilliance of Sherry's character that has touched our hearts and blessed the lives of so many," Beck wrote.
"Ava Coleman is truly the glue that holds Tolleson together," her principal, Angela Stewart, wrote in the nomination, "and I do not know what we would do without her."
The nomination continued, "Ava goes above and beyond to assist our students and parents at Tolleson. She is always accommodating to parents and helps them with resources when they need help. She is friendly to everyone and always has a smile on her face."
"'That is not my job' are words that one will never hear Ms. Coleman say. Anything one asks of her, she will try to do or find someone who knows the answer. She goes out of the way to find things to make the teachers' jobs easier. She is always accessible to parents, teachers and students. Applying that magic band aid to a wounded first grader, rounding up stray supplies needed, to soothing the nerves of a new parent or maximizing partnerships – our nominee does it all," wrote the principal.
The principal added, "Ms. Coleman has such a great sprit. Her joy shines and makes the day brighter."
Stewart closed the nomination by saying, "Ava Coleman feels her role in the school allows her to be a social change agent, to help create a better future for our children and a better tomorrow.
Principal Mike Hutchinson nominated Williams because "she is always willing to help out whenever needed, she goes above and beyond what is expected of her. Williams comes in daily with a big smile and a positive attitude."
Williams joined the middle school staff as attendance clerk after the school year had already started. "Accepting a position that had some instabilities. When she began, there were three weeks of attendance data to review and repair. She had to learn the computer system on the job, as well as become acquainted with the staff and JMS office and school procedures. Despite these challenges, she came to school every day with a smile and a kind heart," the principal write.
He added, "She became our supply orderer, helped with discipline input, managed phones and parents, assisted with timekeeping records, all on top of handling attendance."
STALNAKER
Dr. Janice Walker, the principal at Arnold Drive, nominated Stalnaker.
"Kevin Stalnaker (district maintenance director) exhibits the epitome of professionalism," Walker wrote in her nomination of Stalnaker. "It was a huge undertaking to ensure all schools within the district were ready for students. He not only supervised his limited number of workers, but worked alongside them to make sure our schools were ready."
In his nomination, it stated that, "When he enters a building he is always friendly, professional and focused toward addressing the concern. It is also evident that he has instilled this approach with the individuals he supervises."
Walker closed the nomination by saying, "He is a maintenance director who truly has a passion for his job and working to ensure quality service and customer satisfaction."
All four winners received a trophy, medallion, and gift cards.
TOP STORY >> LRAFB group tops in U.S.
The Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council has received the 2017 Member of the Year Award from the Association of Defense Communities for its support of Little Rock Air Force Base for more than 60 years.
The council includes local leaders who, with residents and businesses in Jacksonville, Little Rock, Cabot, Sherwood and other communities surrounding the base, form "Team Little Rock," which hosts the base and supports its mission and personnel.
Annabelle Davis and Barbara Merrick of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council, which helped bring the air base to Jacksonville in 1955, accepted the award in Washington this week.
Merrick, the council's president, said Friday, "I'm so grateful that Entergy allows me the time to work in support of the base, and not just my company, business and industry leaders all around central Arkansas go the extra mile to care for the airmen here."
"I think ADC also recognize how well the communities in the area join together to support our base," Merrick continued. "It's truly a team effort and a labor of love for all of us."
Davis, who is the group's executive secretary, said Friday, "We were thrilled at being selected as the 2017 ADC member of the year. This just confirms that all the community council and our members do to support LRAFB has been noticed and recognized on a national level."
The Association of Defense Communities praised the council for its support of the base and its outreach program.
"In addition to the great work the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council does locally, it is also an outstanding example of leadership in our organization," said ADC president Michael Cooper. "The council members' work shows their understanding of how to use all resources available to make things better in their community, which perfectly illustrates the ADC mission."
ADC is the nation's leading association representing communities and states with a significant military presence and their partner organizations. The group promotes defense infrastructure, community-military partnerships, defense real estate, mission growth, base redevelopment and support for military families and veterans.
Jacksonville and Arkansas have adopted ordinances and regulations that prevent civilian encroachment that would impede aircraft operation, and many military-civilian partnerships have been formed to provide mutual services that improve quality of life on both sides of the fence, while reducing military expenses.
These partnerships include cooperation in ensuring the availability on base of Central Arkansas library services and materials, the development and use of recreational facilities, collaboration on programs involving traffic signals and recycling, and plans to partner on bulk materials ordering and sharing on-base youth resources with local families.
Throughout the year, the Jacksonville Fire Department and Emergency Services team participates with their military counterparts during exercises and to respond to emergencies and disasters.
"The LRAFB Community Council, made up of local leaders, has been a champion of the base's mission, directing the efforts of both the military and civilian communities to further integrate the two through mutual support," wrote Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Second District Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) in a letter saluting the council's achievements.
"During this time of economic uncertainty, when our defense and Air Force are facing extensive budget cuts that could affect LRAFB, the community council has been indispensable in working with our offices to provide critical information to the LRAFB community, airmen and their families," they wrote.
In 1953, Pulaski County formed a committee that raised $1.2 million to buy 6,000 acres of land in north Pulaski County, which it donated to the Air Force for the base.
Since then, the council has launched many initiatives to ensure that the Air Mobility Command's 19th Airlift Wing and the 314th Airlift Wing, a component of the Air Education and Training Command, can carry out their operations and that those who work at the base feel welcome and cared for by the community.
A council subcommittee has raised more than $70,000 in community sponsor donations to support the 60th anniversary gala, which drew more than 800 military and civilian attendees, including 140 airmen who participated free of charge.
The Jacksonville Museum of Military History hosts many memorials, ceremonies and other events to honor airmen and veterans.
In September 2016, LRAFB and Team Little Rock hosted its first-ever military expo, which included all branches of service in the state, provided displays, demonstrations and performances, raising more than $10,000 in cash and contributions.
In recognition of the council's strong and varied support of the base, Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed immediate past council president Brad Hegeman to chair the Governor's Military Affairs Committee, which was created in 2015 to address the assets, economic impact, benefits and needs of military installations and military-related businesses in Arkansas.
SPORTS STORY >> Gwatney goes 2-1 at Sheridan
By ANN THARP
The Jacksonville Gwatney Chevrolet senior American Legion team won in its third game of pool play in the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic tournament on Saturday night, defeating the Benton Harmony Grove Cardinals by a score of 12-1.
Gwatney, however, had lost to Sheridan's McCoy Tygart team 6-5 on Friday. Sheridan won all three games in pool play to advance to the bracket games on Sunday. Jacksonville had defeated Stuttgart, also 12-1, on Thursday, and finished pool play with a 2-1 tally.
Gwatney, the visitor on the scoreboard, did not score in the first inning, but Harmony Grove did score one run. Jacksonville then scored every inning through the fifth and final frame, while not allowing the Cardinals to score again.
"Thank goodness we didn't have to play as good as we should, but we played good enough to win," Gwatney coach Bob Hickingbotham said after Saturday's game. "We hit the ball a little better at times tonight and got a little bit better pitching tonight than we did last night. We're proud of where we are, and we've got to get ready. We've got sixstraight days next week of playing. We don't miss a day until a week from Sunday. We've got a tournament starting Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Jacksonville."
Gwatney went in order in the first inning.
Harmony Grove's first base runner reached on a strikeout in the dirt. A double by Sean Small gave the Cardinals runners on second and third. A ground out to first base scored the runner from third for the only run and only lead of the game. The next batter grounded out to second on a nice play by Trent Toney.
Jacksonville scored three times in the top of the second inning. Brandon Hickingbotham and Jayden Loving drew base on balls, and DeBoious Cobbs found the grass in short right field for a hit that scored Hickingbotham. Brandon Hawkins walked, Kameron Whitmore was hit by a pitch which scored Loving. Toney reached on an error on which Cobbs scored to give Gwatney a 3-1 advantage.
The Cardinals had a runner reach on an error, but the Jacksonville infield turned a double play to erase him.
Gwatney doubled their score in the third to take a 6-1 lead. Hickingbotham singled to right field, Tyson Flowers walked, and Jordan Wickersham put a perfect bunt down the third base line for a hit to load the bases. Then, after two outs, Hawkins walked which scored Flowers, and Whitmore singled to right center to score Wickersham and Loving.
Harmony Grove had runners reach on a walk and a hit by pitch, but both were caught stealing by catcher Wickersham, one at second, and the next at third.
Jacksonville added two in the fourth on an infield hit by Cobbs that scored two runs as the bases were loaded at the time.
Loving struck out the side in the Cardinal half of the inning. Loving pitched the entire game for Gwatney, and also struck out the last two Harmony Grove batters in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville had scored four runs on two hits and two Cardinal errors in the top of the fifth to set the final score of 12-1. Toney and Cobbs had the hits, and Toney, Caden Sample, Flowers and Bo Self all scored.
Cobbs had three hits to lead Gwatney. Whitmore, Toney, Hickingbotham, and Wickersham all had one hit each. Flowers reached base three times on two walks, on an error, and scored three runs, Wickersham reached twice more on walks, and Hawkins reached base three times on base on balls.
The Gwatney senior team (6-2) added a win on Monday, going on the road and beating Searcy 13-3. Hawkins pitched two innings and got the win. Wickersham pitched two innings and Hickingbotham threw the final three to preserve the victory.
Jacksonville begins hosting its annual Senior American Legion Invitational today at Dupree Park. The tournament opens at 5:30 p.m. with Cabot taking on Searcy. Jacksonville faces the Little Rock Vipers at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Jacksonville plays Cabot at 5:30 p.m while the Vipers and Conway follow. On Friday, Cabot plays Conway and Jacksonville faces Searcy. Saturday's schedule has Little Rock facing Searcy at 1:30 p.m. and Jacksonville playing Conway at 4 p.m. The event closes Sunday with Searcy playing Conway at 1:30 p.m. and the Vipers facing Cabot at 4 p.m. The best record wins the tournament.
The Gwatney junior team lost to Searcy on Monday to fall to 9-5 overall.
SPORTS STORY >> Jumping Jeff after his third U.S. title
Olympic gold medalist Jeff Henderson will defend his 2016 long jump national championship this weekend at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Sacramento. Before taking Gold with his final jump at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last September, Henderson won his second USA title with his personal best jump of 8.58 meters at the 2016 Olympic Trials, which doubles every Olympic year as the USA Championships.
Henderson, a native of McAlmont and 2007 graduate of Sylvan Hills High School, also won the 2014 USA Outdoor championship. He finished second to Marquis Dendy in 2015, though Dendy's winning jump was with a +3.7 wind aid while Henderson's best jump was against a -0.3 wind factor.
Henderson followed the loss in the 2014 national meet by beating Dendy and winning Gold in the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.
Two competitors in this weekend's championships have jumped farther than Henderson this year. One is Dendy. The other is the University of Arkansas' Jarrion Lawson, who caused an unnecessary controversy with his last jump at the Olympics, complaining that his final jump was measured short, though replays clearly showed his right hand dig into the sand several feet behind where his feet landed.
Henderson's friend, Adidas teammate and fellow Olympian Michael Hartfield will also be competing.
He also has multiple wins on the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Diamond League circuit, which is the premier international track and field circuit for professionals.
In two international meets this season, Henderson has had varying results. He fell well short, almost three feet, of his personal best and finished fourth in the Mülluer Grand Prix Indoor Meet in Birmingham, England on Feb. 22.
He got back to form on April 30, winning the Asian Grand Prix Outdoor Championship in Taipei City with a leap of 8.15 meters. It was his fourth victory on the IAAF circuit.
Henderson also has IAAF wins in Glasgow, Scotland, Portland, Ore. and Sacramento.
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin on Thursday, but the men's' long jump will not begin until 10 a.m. on Sunday, the final day of the event.
NBC will televise the meet, splitting coverage between NBC, NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Gold, an internet live streaming app.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot drops Wood Bat final
The Sheridan Yellowjacket Senior American Legion team is beginning to make a habit of knocking off local teams in the finals of its annual Wood Bat Classic. Sheridan defeated Cabot's Centennial Bank squad 5-0 on Sunday to win the tournament for the second consecutive year. Last year, the host team knocked off Jacksonville in the final round.
Cabot managed five base hits and two walks, and Sheridan committed two errors, but the Centennial Bank squad couldn't manage the timely hits in the shutout loss.
One and two hitters Blake McCutchen and Caleb Harpole combined for four of the five hits, two apiece. Only once did the hits come in the same inning, and with wood bats, extra base hits are difficult to accomplish.
Cleanup hitter Dillon Thomas had the other base hit while Brian Tillery and Jack Broyles drew the two walks.
Earlier on Sunday, Cabot scored two ninth-inning runs to beat Magnet Cove 4-2. Starting pitcher Brett Brockinton pitched a gem for seven innings, giving up just two base hits and one earned run with three walks and six strikeouts.
Koletan Eastham and Caleb Wilson finished it off, each pitching one inning of no-hit ball. Wilson got the win for pitching the bottom of the ninth after Cabot took the lead.
Cabot only had six hits, and they were from familiar names. McCutchen and Tillery had two hits apiece. McCutchen and Thomas each hit a double and Harpole had the other base hit for Centennial Bank.
Cabot defeated El Dorado 17-5 on Wednesday to start the tournament. It defeated Sheridan's junior team 11-7 in their first game on Saturday. Sheridan was forced to enter its junior team into the senior tournament after Benton canceled late.
Centennial Bank then lost 4-1 to White Hall Relyance Bank in the 3:00 Saturday game, but the 28 runs scored in the first two victories won pool play for Cabot to advance to the semifinals on Sunday.
In the loss to White Hall, while playing on Oliver Williams Field, home of the 6A state champion Sheridan Yellowjackets, Cabot fell behind 2-0 quickly on a first inning two-run home run over the left field fence off the bat of Relyance Bank's starting pitcher, Layne Hartsfield.
Centennial Bank cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second. Tillery singled to left center and moved to second on a bobble in the outfield. Brockinton and Rail Gilliam both drew base on balls to load the bases, and then Broyles also walked to force in a run.
No runs scored in the third or fourth innings, but Hartsfield hit his second two-run home run of the game, this time to center, in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 4-1.
Cabot's starting pitcher, McCutchen, tripled to right in the bottom of the frame, but did not score. McCutchen pitched the first five innings and struck out seven, while allowing seven hits and no walks. Tillery pitched the sixth and seventh, had two strikeouts, allowed two hits and two walks, but no runs.
Relyance Bank had runners on in the top of the seventh, but Tillery and catcher Gilliam got a runner out at the plate on a squeeze play, and Tillery got a strikeout to end the inning with no runs scoring.
Brockinton also tripled to right field in the bottom of the frame for Centennial Bank, but three strikeouts stranded him there to end the game.
"You saw the two home runs they hit," said Cabot coach Chris Gross after the White Hall loss. "But we've got both our starters coming back tomorrow for the semifinals and the championship, and I think we're sitting really good to win it."
Tillery had one hit and the one run scored for Centennial, and McCutchen and Brockinton had the triples.
EDITORIAL >> Make schools world-class
(An area teacher we know sent us this summertime analysis.)
"World-class" schools are what the Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District is striving for. With their first year in the history books, how did they do?
Well, first one must define "world-class."
Look up that term on Google and 500 million results pop up, immediately telling you that there is no valid, agreed-upon definition.
It seems, according to Merriam-Webster, that the term first came into use in the early 1950s and was used mostly in the sports arena.
So let's look at what David Kirk, captain of a "world-class" rugby team thinks. Why Kirk? He is one of the experts, one of the world-class people interviewed for the book "What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There."
Kirk says, "If world-class teams can be recognized from the outside by a lack of mistakes, an ease of performance that leads to high margins of victory and a joy in going about their business, what is it about them internally that enables them to perform so well?"
It's easy to spot a top-notch sports team, an outstanding business and even a whiz-bang school district. But the details that make them great are often harder to spot, understand and duplicate.
Kirk believes there are four pillars to a world-class organization: Vision, ability, divine discontent and discipline.
Vision, as Kirk sees it, is "something to believe in, something to achieve, something to become." He said, "Visions must be rational, but they must also be emotional. They are often distant. They must excite and engage and frighten. They must be big."
Take a look at the district's vision: Jacksonville-North Pulaski will be a school district of choice that fosters student achievement and success.
Rational? Yes. Emotional? No. Exciting, engaging, frightening? No. Big? Yes.
When it comes to "world-class," the ability of the team is essential. Paraphrasing Kirk, the district needs leaders, teachers and staff who exhibit ability – a mastery of skills. Equally crucial is complementarity – the ability to generate an energy and synergy that make the whole greater than the sum of the parts.
Is the district hiring the masters? The district is rightly concerned about money, and so the focus has been more on hiring the best staff it can find within its budget, and it's shaping up to be a fantastic team with an admirable gestalt.
Cynics may point to winning World Series and Super Bowl teams with high salaries that won it all thanks to too much money, but "Moneyball" strategies built the Golden State Warriors, ended the Red Sox curse and have saved many of the greatest baseball teams in America.
The Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District is still finding itself.
Discipline begins with developing a set of boundaries that define "what is acceptable and unacceptable."
Why so many district expulsions this year? Maybe the boundaries weren't clear or maybe they were clear but higher than what they were in the past. Those boundaries must be non-negotiable and not confusing.
The district is headed in the right direction. It's important to remember that none of the expulsions were contested by parents or students.
Divine discontent is an area where all school districts suffer. It refers to highly analytical and self-critical behaviors. It's about "What mistakes did I make? What mistakes did we make?"
It's hard to get teachers, principals and administrators to admit they were wrong. Spewing over tons of data, the focus is what can we do to raise test scores and lower the discipline rate? Sometimes teachers should admit their mistakes. Yes, teachers do make them.
Divine discontent, according to Kirk, "is an attitude of learning and growth that is never satisfied with past achievements."
The infant district has a lot to be proud of, but to rest on those laurels means the forward movement slows or stops. So let's take a moment to celebrate the good as we move on to better…to world-class. Together we can do it!
TOP STORY >> New 913th AG commander
Maj. Gen. John Stokes, commander of the 22nd Air Force at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., installed Col. Christopher Lay commander of the 913th Airlift Group during a ceremony June 3 at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Lay replaced Col. Craig Drescher, who commanded the 913 AG from April 2015 until July 2016. Col. Anthony Brusca, the group's vice commander, has been in charge since Drescher's departure.
The 913th Airlift Group is an Air Force Reserve unit at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The six squadrons and group staff include nearly 460 people. Approximately 80 of the group's personnel are traditional reservists who at a minimum perform duty one weekend each month and two weeks during the year.
The group's personnel are mostly from central Arkansas.
In his acceptance speech, Lay noted the many mission and aircraft changes the group has undergone since first being activated in July 2014, and he recognized members for their dedication during the unpredictable times.
"The airmen I've talked with are eager to contribute and ready to answer our Air Force's call," he said. "The 913th has had a long-period of uncertainty, but we've now been charged with a clear and important mission. I'm excited to be joining the 913th Airlift Group at such a key moment as we strive to become a combat C-130 Airlift Group."
Lay said his priorities were his people and the group's mission.
"I want the 913th Airlift Group to be a combat-focused organization known for taking care of its airmen while expertly accomplishing its assignment. I expect us to be able to accomplish this and expect our leadership team to remain focused on that which is most important: Our mission and our airmen," he said.
The Reserve Group, which is associated with the 19th Airlift Wing, will continue to work closely with their active-duty counterparts, according to Lay.
"I look forward to identifying opportunities to partner with our base counterparts," he said. "I'm a strong proponent of synergistic training."
Lay was previously assigned to the Pentagon.
The 913th Airlift Group recently completed the group's first readiness exercise, Prime Horizon, since its activation in 2014.
The four-day exercise evaluated the group's ability to move assets between two locations in preparation for real-world deployments or missions.
Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., was used as the forward location during the exercise, since the 403rd Reserve Wing at Keesler supports C-130J aircraft and could assist in the event of mechanical issues during the exercise.
TOP STORY >> Melda Rice turns 100
By JEFFREY SMITHLeader staff writer
Longtime Jacksonville resident and retired banker Melda Rice is turning 100. A birthday celebration will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Jacksonville First United Methodist Church youth building.
Rice was born on June 28, 1917, in Perry County. Her dad was a county judge and state welfare commissioner. Her mother was an assistant postmaster and a school teacher. Together they operated a general mercantile store.
Rice graduated from Perry High School in 1934. She met her husband, Ben, when he came to Perryville. He was a county extension service agent. They married in 1936 and were together for 45 years until his death in 1981.
They had a son, attorney Ben E. Rice, who passed away in 2014. Melda has three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The Rices moved to central Arkansas in 1942, when her husband's two brothers visited and asked him to run the family farm in Furlow.
Melda worked at the Arkansas Ordnance Plant in Jacksonville from 1942 to 1945. She was happy making about $3 a day.
"Farming was not a profitable business. I was cooking for my husband and three helpers at the farm," she said.
She was a secretary and clerk in the shipping and receiving department. She wrote bills of lading on boxcars to return materials as the plant closed down after the end of World War II.
Rice said the plant "was a new and different world of interesting people. I made some mighty good friends."
She drove to work in a carpool with two carpenters Joe Bob Lee and Max Nailling and high school senior Beulah Garringer.
"Military Road was not paved. In the winter the ruts were very deep and in the summer the car had no air conditioning. You either got covered in dust or you rolled up the windows and burned up," Rice recalled.
The Rices sold the farm in 1945 and moved to Jacksonville since Melba was working at the AOP.
The couple lived in the Sunnyside Addition, where houses did not have natural gas but had kerosene tanks. They later built one of the first houses on North James Street.
After the AOP closed in 1945, Rice was hired as a Jacksonville High School secretary for three years.
"It was a good school. Many teachers lived in Little Rock and liked working here," she said.
When Jacksonville State Bank (now First Arkansas Bank and Trust) opened in 1949, Rice she was hired as a cashier. She worked 33 years at the bank until retiring in 1982.
"When we came here there was no bank. The school did not have a football team. A lot of people wanted improvements and worked to get them," she said.
Rice is member of Jacksonville First United Methodist Church, where she was the pianist and organist. She plays cards at the Jacksonville Senior Wellness and Activity Center.
"Some of my best friends are there," she said.
Rice gave some secrets for her longevity.
"God is good, and I used a treadmill 10 minutes a day for exercise," she said.
Rice gives a lot of credit to her daughter-in-law, Susan.
"She is the daughter I didn't have," Rice said.
"She has been like a mother to me," Susan Rice said. "She always wants me to do something for someone else. She is a a sweet lady."
Melda has a brother, Carl Adams, 95, who lives in Hot Springs. Their sister, Farrell, passed away.
Her advice for a long life is, "Do the best you can at what you want to do."
TOP STORY >> Chief to stay on as judge weighs suit
A hearing was held before Circuit Judge Alice Gray on Monday afternoon to determine whether or not Geoffrey Herweg will remain the Jacksonville Police Chief.
He is accused of filing a false police re-port after he crashed his car into a garage almost 17 years ago in Texas and allegedly lying about the termination of a police officer in New Mexico.
Judge Gray said at the end of the hearing she will decide early next week on whether to dismiss the lawsuit against Herweg brought by Alderman Tara Smith, who claims Herweg is ineligible to serve as Jacksonville police chief under the Arkansas Constitution, which bans anyone convicted of an "infamous crime," including a crime of dishonesty, from holding an office of public trust.
Jacksonville attorneys have argued that the law doesn't apply to appointed officials and that Smith has not followed procedures in her effort to oust Herweg.
The last question asked in the nearly 90-minute hearing came from Alex Gray, one of Smith's attorneys, who asked Mayor Gary Fletcher, "Will you remove yourself from office if the police chief is removed?"
He didn't say. A few minutes earlier, Gray had asked if it was true the mayor was staking his reputation on his police chief pick as reported in numerous media.
"Yes, given the chance the chief will do an outstanding job for the city of Jacksonville," Fletcher said.
Gray then continued, "So, if he is removed, will you remove yourself from office?"
This exchange came about five minutes after Gray had asked the mayor if he had met with the police department and told officers their new police chief was a liar.
Smith's attorneys made their case during a two-part hearing to determine whether the judge should side with the city and dismiss the case or if she should side with Smith and have the police chief removed from his position while the case continues through the court system.
Fletcher said removing Herweg would create more chaos and a black hole. "People believe the department is moving forward," he said. "You can't make a decision in fear."
Judge Gray (no relation to Smith's attorney) told the attorneys — Nate Steel and Gray for Smith and City Attorney Robert Bamburg representing the city, the mayor, the police chief and City Clerk Susan Davitt – that she would take the request for dismissal under advisement and decide on the removal of the chief by early next week.
Only three witnesses were called – Herweg, Fletcher and Police Officer Jennifer Corbin -- during the 90-minute proceeding that saw Judge Gray overrule Bamburg's objections more than 20 times.
Steel pushed his position that even though the mayor has the right to hire and fire department heads the state constitution supersedes his power and that Article 9, Section 5 prohibits anyone convicted on a variety of charges including "infamous crimes" cannot hold a position of trust.
Bamburg argued that section of the constitution only applies to elected officials, not those appointed. He cited that all the case law related to that section involved elected officials.
"But does any of the case law specifically state it does not apply to appointed officials?" the judge asked. Bamburg said the cases were all about elected officials as that was what the constitutional section was about. "But show me the words," the judge insisted. "Just because the cases have always been about elected officials doesn't mean it doesn't apply to appointed officials. Show me the words."
Bamburg respectfully disagreed with the judge's stance.
To establish that Herweg is a liar who would jeopardize all cases developed and brought to court by the police department, Steel asked Herweg about the 2002 misdemeanor conviction of filing a false report, then introduced into the record a certified copy of the case and its disposition and then tried to interrogate Herweg again about the case.
All over the objections of Bamburg, who said, "This is all in the record and what does this 17-year-old case have to do with this man serving as a police chief of Jacksonville?" Steel said it had to be brought out to show a pattern of lies as the definition of a so-called Brady cop is one who has a record of lying.
Herweg has not been on a Brady cop list in any state that he worked and is not on any list in Arkansas, according to the Attorney General's Office and the Pulaski County Prosecutor's Office.
Steel brought up three cases in his effort to show Herweg's history of lying: The 2002 Taylor, Texas, conviction, a recent New Mexico civil suit where an officer who resigned filed suit against the Lovington Police Department, as well as then-Deputy Chief Herweg and Police Chief David Rodriguez.
The suit alleges that Travis Anthony Hobbs had to resign because of an investigation conducted by Herweg into Hobbs giving alcohol to underage girls at a party. Even though the Lovington police chief (not Herweg) offered Hobbs a choice of resigning or being fired and Hobbs decided to resign, he blames Herweg for losing his job.
The Leader has requested a copy of all investigative reports from the incident but the New Mexico city and county officials have yet to respond with the requested items.
Steel also brought up a suit to stop Ledell Lee's execution which named the chief, who had only been on duty for eight days, and numerous other county and state officials.
In his efforts to have the judge dismiss the case, Bamburg argued that Smith, as an alderman, had not exhausted all legal means to remove Herweg from office because as a mayor's appointment, Herweg's appointment can be overruled by two-thirds vote of the council.
Judge Gray said the complaint only mentions Smith as an individual and not as an alderman and as an individual she has the right to sue regardless of any other posts or positions she holds.
Bamburg said the complaint did state Smith was an alderman and that her position had to be taken into consideration.
The judge disagreed.
The second paragraph of Smith's original complaint says she is a Jacksonville alderman.
Bamburg also told the judge that if she ruled in favor of Smith, the hiring of every department head in every city in Arkansas would have to be questioned.
"I can't consider that. I'm only looking at this case," the judge said.
Bamburg argued that by Smith and her attorneys calling payment of Herweg's salary as "illegal extraction" was not so. "Federal law says salaries must be paid." He argued that the case was asking for money if that tax money had to be repaid.
Steel said that Smith was not asking for personal damages, but did insist that taxpayers' money be returned.
If there's money involved, Bamburg insisted that city officials had "qualified immunity."
To emphasize his point of Herweg being a Brady cop, Steel called Police Officer Corbin to the stand. Corbin is an eight-year veteran with the department with six of those years as a school resource officer.
Steel thanked Corbin for speaking out even though "you put your job in jeopardy by being here today."
Corbin most likely is protected under the state's Whistleblower's Act and cannot lose her job or suffer retaliation because of her stance.
She told the court that it was her opinion that Herweg was causing problems for the department and the city just by being the police chief. Why? "Because he is a Brady officer and I'm afraid that after we make arrests and build our cases, they will get thrown out."
When Steel asked if Jacksonville and the police department would be better off if Herweg were removed as chief and given a police position equal to Corbin. She replied, "Yes, he'd be removed from the basic chain of command."
Bamburg reminded the court that Corbin was one out of 73 police officers and does not live in Jacksonville. The judge said being a school resource officer or a non-resident did not take away from Corbin's knowledge of the police department or city.
The judge told the attorneys at the end of the hearing that she would rule on the request for the temporary restraining order to remove Herweg early next week and to be ready to appear in court on short notice.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot seniors split a pair this we...
SPORTS STORY >> Centennial strikeouts dominate Gwa...
SPORTS STORY >> Jumping Jeff after his third U.S. ...
TOP STORY >> Chief to stay on as judge weighs su...


Can anyone help me with these queries?
I have just enabled AHCI support for the SATA (ICH9R) drives on my Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6 motherboard. After a little fiddling around they seem to be working perfectly, however they will now not show/get detected within the BIOS screen. Is this normal?
Secondly, as I now have no way of knowing what controller they are on, is there any advantage to having my single HD and single DVD drives on particular SATA ports e.g. HD on SATA0, DVD on SATA2? And if so what would be that recommendation?


This app provides limited Read to End functionality, allowing for continuous reading from the front to the back of a book. Rewind, fast forward, and pause/play are not supported. When you press escape, you may be a few lines off from where you stopped listening.
NOTE: Adobe Digital Editions 1.8 Preview is required.
WE does not work at all well with Adobe Digital Editions, and this app does not work any longer with the newest version of WE or ADE.


text:
India, Pakistan came close to nuclear exchanges soon after Balakot: Pompeo
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed in his latest book that then Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj woke him up for a phone conversation to tell him that Pakistan was preparing for a nuclear attack after the Balakot surgical strike in February 2019 and that India too was preparing to retaliate.
Writing in "Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America", Pompeo says the phone call came when he was in Hanoi for the US-North Korea Summit on February 27-28 and his team then had to work through the night with both New Delhi and Islamabad to avert this crisis.
"I'll never forget the night I was in Hanoi, Vietnam when – as if negotiating with the North Koreans on nuclear weapons wasn't enough – India and Pakistan started threatening each other in connection with a decades-long dispute over the northern border region of Kashmir. I do not think the world properly knows just how close the India-Pakistan rivalry came to spilling over into a nuclear conflagration in February 2019. The truth is, I don't know precisely the answer either; I just know it was too close," wrote Pompeo in the book.
"After an Islamist terrorist attack in Kashmir–probably enabled in part by Pakistan's lax counter-terror policies – killed 40 Indians, India responded with an air strike against terrorists inside Pakistan. The Pakistanis shot down a plane in a subsequent dogfight and kept the Indian pilot prisoner," he said.
"In Hanoi, I was awakened to speak with my Indian counterpart. He believed the Pakistanis had begun to prepare their nuclear weapons for a strike. India, he informed me, was contemplating its own escalation. I asked him to do nothing and give us a minute to sort things out (sic)," wrote Pompeo, mistakenly referring to Swaraj as "he".
"I began to work with Ambassador (then NSA John) Bolton, who was with me in the tiny secure communications facility in our hotel. I reached the actual leader of Pakistan, (Army chief) Gen. (Qamar Javed) Bajwa, with whom I had engaged many times. I told him what the Indians had told me. He said it wasn't true," narrates Pompeo.
"As one might expect, he believed the Indians were preparing their nuclear weapons for deployment. It took us a few hours – and remarkably good work by our teams on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad – to convince each side that the other was not preparing for nuclear war."
There MEA has so far not responded to Pompeo's recollection.
Previous"Worried For…:" Imam-Ul-Haq's Cheeky Reply On Shadab Khan's Wedding Announcement | Cricket News
Nextਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਕੂਲ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਬੋਰਡ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਾਲਾਨਾ ਪ੍ਰੀਖਿਆਵਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਤਰੀਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਐਲਾਨ
Tata Group Veteran R Krishnakumar Dies At 84
'I don't need much makeup, I'm already good-looking': Desi nani's cute banter with make-up artist goes viral
"Calling Lawyers Of World": Ladakh Innovator On Being Asked To Sign Bond
Sidhu Moose Wala Murder Mastermind Goldy Brar Detained In US: Sources

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia
The Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia was formed in January 1993 In response to the rising communalization of South Asian societies.
free education in scotland
In the UK, the government funding agency you apply to depends on which country you normally live in.
You do not have to pay tuition fees to the university yourself. Instead:
Universities in Scotland face a £500m black hole, with the number of lucrative fee-paying students from overseas expected to fall steeply following the Covid-19 pandemic.
As The Sunday Times revealed last month, an analysis of cash reserves and revenues, including money drawn from overseas students, found that about a third of Scotland's 19 higher-education institutions could have insufficient funding to continue by the end of the year.
Find out more about undergraduate and postgraduate tuition fees for our Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney campuses. Tuition fees must be paid for each year of your programme. How and when you pay tuition fees for your programme depends on your level of study.
UK EH14 4AS
There are a few circumstances where you may need to pay additional fees, for example if you need to repeat an assessment. See our Additional Fees page for more information.
Our tuition fees represent excellent value for money – giving you access to world-class teaching, supportive tutors and the facilities you need to achieve your potential. Also, UK degrees are normally shorter and more intensive than in the US or Australia.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scottish-students-face-an-end-to-free-university-education-rcft5jscm
http://www.hw.ac.uk/study/fees/tuition-fees.htm
http://www.stir.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/international-student-tuition-fees/
http://www.mygov.scot/tuition-fees/
what is inclusion in education scotland
who is in charge of education in scotland
local educational authorities
public schools in scotland
scottish education levels
education city scotland
northern irish school system
Proudly powered by WordPress	| Copyright © 2022 VisaHub Lite. All Rights Reserved.


text:
By Neeka Rogers Rodriguez	 On Jan 13, 2021
Producer, song writer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Anders Manga of Bloody Hammers can clearly do it all, and some. This front-man and creator, has continued to write and work hard during the pandemic to keep himself busy and keep putting out music during this difficult time. While you can add many genre's to his ever-growing list of musicianship i.e. doom, gothic, psychedelic, and heavy metal; with Songs of Unspeakable Terror, you can add punk rock to that list. Full of punk riffs and horror related lyrical content, this album has been on repeat since I received it a couple of months ago. It is a fantastical and groovy way to start the new year with a positive upswing.
Bloody Hammers began in 2010 as a lowkey, throw it out on Bandcamp, kind of start. Little did Manga and wife and co-musician Devallia know, record labels would come knocking the next day, ready to make contracts. In 2014, Napalm Records was able to seal the deal, and Bloody Hammers has been with them since. Prior to signing with Napalm they had independently released their self-titled album in 2012, and after signing released second album, Under Satan's Sun in 2014. In 2019 Bloody Hammers released their third album, The Summoning. This week, album number four, Songs of Unspeakable Terror will drop. The record was more of an impromptu, keep busy during Covid creation. Little did Manga know, Napalm would be eager to release it.
Metal Nation had a chance to chat with Manga about this new release among many other topics.
Bloody Hammers just released the album, The Summoning, in 2019 but you had plans to go on tour with your solo project instead, unfortunately obviously that didn't pan out. Then you released Songs of Unspeakable Terror which was kind of an impromptu album.
"Yeah. We had just put out The Summoning, and six months later the pandemic happened. I had put out the Anders Manga album Andromeda in January of 2020, which is an electronic darkwave thing, and the pandemic started. So, I had to cancel some of the long tours we were going to do. I knew I was going to be in for a while, and I knew I had to do something to keep my mind off the horrors that were going on. I assumed Napalm Records wouldn't want to put it out because they typically only want to do no more than one album every two years, but I am always writing. I was inspired when Covid hit New York in March. It was horrifying how many deaths were occurring and I started to think about some of my favorite bands from there back in the day like the Misfits, Ramones, so much of the punk stuff that came from there and I thought, 'I'm going to write some punk songs to keep myself busy'. I was just playing around and I thought maybe I would release it as a solo project, just throw it on Bandcamp or whatever. When I finished it, I sent a few songs over to Napalm just to make sure they were cool with me releasing some music on Bandcamp through a different name, but when they heard it they said, 'No, this is definitely something we want to put out', and they wanted it to be a Bloody Hammers album, so here we are. *laughs*"
That must have felt pretty good for them to not only want to release it but they wanted to break the mold with Bloody Hammers and release it through that band name.
"Yeah, absolutely. I tend to not be very good at staying within my lane as far as genres go. I have always been pretty genre fluid and just like to play around with different styles and they [Napalm] have always been pretty tolerant of that. I guess our fans aren't too surprised. *laughs*"
I think it's great that you are not only able to do that but that it is well received.
"Absolutely. I have always been obsessed with the past and past music like Queen and Alice Cooper, and David Bowie, people like that. You never knew it was going to happen from album to album. Even the Beatles were always experimenting. As much as I love AC/DC and Aerosmith, you know exactly what you're going to get with each album. I liked how Queen or Alice Cooper would do weird shit, like a showtune or something *laughs*. The only drawback is you can't really shock an audience anymore, but you can confuse them *laughs*."
Which I'm sure is a lot of fun when you get to see the physical reactions as opposed to what people are saying online.
"I am so close to the songs since I wrote them all, so maybe it's not as different as I think they are from past stuff."
I think there is some diversity just within this one album. I feel like "Not of This Earth" kind of throws you off a little from the rest of this album. It is faster with a stoner rock feel but still some punk undertones. Then "Lucifer's Light" almost makes me feel emotional, it is a really pretty song.
"Thank you! I probably put it too deep in the album. Now I am kind of wishing I had put it earlier because I notice on Spotify, everybody's records kind of tail off after about six songs *laughs* people kind of lose interest or something. With any band it is statistically known that however long it takes someone to drive to work or something. It was cool in the 70's when Pink Floyd would put some awesome songs on the end. It seems like everyone has to stack their best stuff up front now. I still like to put some surprises toward the end."
I think it fit really well because it slows it down but then picks back up with the last song, 'I Spit on your Corpse' to bring it full circle. It feels like it is going to be the last track, but you get a surprise of one more track after. You will be your own worst critic though.
"Yeah exactly, the songs are never finished, they are just surrendered."
I like that. I know you have said in the past you wish you hadn't named this project Bloody Hammers because you feel it sounds like a death metal band name, which you are obviously not, so I am curious, if you were able to go back and name it something different, what you would have chosen?
"Yeah. I have always been kind of an introvert, songwriter and recording stuff at home, and back in the 90's I used to use a name, Coffin Moth, so I probably would have used that one. With Spotify and streaming cites, it became so hard to find a name that other bands were not using. You would think of a killer name, then find a band on a streaming page with the same name, even if they only had three listeners, and you would think, 'Damnit!' *laughs* The wife and I were trying to think of names and it had taken a long time. We had a bunch, but nothing we really loved. I had forgotten about Coffin Moth, which 'Night of the Witch' on this upcoming album is actually an old Coffin Moth song, you can tell it's a retro song *laughs* We were listening to Roky Erickson who has a song called 'Bloody Hammer' which I think was a song about a lobotomy he had *laughs* and at the time I didn't even think of death metal, well I didn't even think we would be anything, so we chose that and put it up on Bandcamp. I never thought I would sign with Napalm or do any kind of anything *laughs* I thought I would throw it on Bandcamp and go about my day, but the next day I was hit up by labels *laughs* You know, I'm older, I've been around for a while and I thought, 'Where were you guys when I was in my 20's?' *laughs* But here we are. When we first started many people would say, 'Oh I thought this would be death metal, this name doesn't make sense'". *laughs*"
I don't think of death metal when I think of a bloody hammer, I think of horror *laughs* So I think it works.
"I was reading Tony Iommi's autobiography at the same time and in there somewhere he was talking about carpenters who were working on his house while he was trying to record, or something like that, and he said they were bloody hammering and I couldn't record. I thought, 'Oh that's a sign that I should name the band Bloody Hammers' *laughs* it just kept popping up. It was weird. I don't think I have ever told that story before."
You have mentioned how you feel like Songs of Unspeakable Terror is a party album for the apocalypse, with the world kind of going to crap. After I read that, I started it again and listened to "A Night to Dismember" and thought, this is a perfect song for oblivious teens to be partying to while the rest of the world is going to shit around them and they are just living their best lives.
"That's true yes. I also feel like with all the real life doom, I mean, we have been called a doom metal band and a goth metal band, but I wasn't in the mood to do anything doomy because everything with the virus and the election was a nightmare made me just steer more toward melody and juxtaposition of the situation I was in. I just wasn't in the mood to do anything slow."
It is interesting though, because I have looked through the lyrics and I wondered if you intentionally or subconsciously did incorporate some apocalyptic type lyrics that do go with what's going on right now but with more of a creative and fantastical way.
"For one example, I was like 'Shit, maybe I am a seer or something' *laughs* but I wrote a song called 'Waking the Dead' and in that song I wrote, 'And tonight we will watch the cities burn the worse is yet to come', and after I wrote the song and it was all finished I thought, 'Oh shit!' *laughs*"
Well it does fit and I feel it will be a good album that fits with the times, but not in a depressing or triggering way, just kids surviving in their own bliss.
"Yeah, exactly."
You have released two songs already, "A Night to Dismember" and "Hands of the Ripper", how have the reactions been so far?
"'A Night to Dismember' I think got lost a little bit because it came out during the elections, but now that that is over with, maybe people will go back and find it. 'Hands of the Ripper' has done a little better right off the bat because I think people are listening to music more now then back then because everyone was really into politics. So far so good."
Are you planning to release any other singles before the full album releases?
"Yeah, they want to do, 'Not of this Earth' single. You think that is a good choice?"
"Cool, alright. Yeah they want to do that one right before the album drops. It is so hard to do videos right now. Were I live, Covid is up fairly high, so everyone is laying low. It is just a tough time to make videos. I don't know if you have seen the video for 'Night to Dismember', but that is why I did the bad animation thing I did. *laughs*"
*laughs* I kept picturing the Canadians on South Park.
"*laughing* We wanted to take a comedic approach to it and we didn't have help, which made it even more funny."
So you got creative, and it worked. It's a fun video.
"Thank you. *laughs*"
You get most of your inspiration through horror movies and true crime events, do you ever get inspiration through books?
"I am more of an autobiography reader. You hear about how Kiss got their inspiration from the Ed Sullivan show, mine was Alice Cooper on the Muppet Show. *laughs* I remember being around five or six and Kermit coming on saying something like, 'We have the most horrifying performer of all time', and Alice came out of this coffin. *laughs* I didn't understand it, but I knew it was cool. Alice is definitely my biggest influence."
You found your calling at a really young age through the Muppets of all things.
"*laughs* yeah. It was at the beginning of the Satanic panic and my mom would say, 'You can't watch Alice Cooper, he's a Satanist!' *laughs*"
But mom he is on the Muppets! *laughs*
"*laughs* That 80's period was really hysterical. It was right when Geraldo was doing his satanic special. I grew up in the south in North Carolina. There were the tent revivals, Jim Bakker lived nearby and it was really oppressive. If you had an Ozzy Osbourne record, you had to hide it from under your mattress or it would end up in the fire."
You just stuck with it though, it was your thing, so you kept hiding everything.
"Yeah, my grandma would make me go with her to the tent revivals and it ended up basically being a shopping list. Whatever the preacher said to not listen to, is what I would go get. *laughs* It was kind of the same when records in the store had parental advisory warnings."
You play multiple instruments, is there one you enjoy playing the most or one you don't know how to play yet that you would like to learn?
"Yeah, I started with guitar and a friend of mine taught me, 'Holy Diver', and ironically he is the head of a mega church now *laughs* I played bass on the last tour because we had a better guitar player that helped us out on that tour. I prefer to sing though, I like to engage with the audience and not be tied to an instrument. I have been trying to get better at piano since the lockdown. I like keys and synth."
I really dug the vocals on "The Brain that Wouldn't Die", seems like you use more range there.
"Yeah I just go with what I'm feeling, and hopefully that feeling is within my range. I try not to let it get in the way or think to much about it when I'm writing them. I just go with my gut and I think I was inspired by 50's and 60's pop music for that song, like Sam Cooke, who is my favorite of that era. I guess I do have a decent range, but I have really bad allergies and it worries me. The last time we were on tour, something in my voice just closed down. I take allergy shots now to try to help out with that but there are times I will think, 'Do I really want to try to hit this note?' If I am allergic to something, but I'm allergic to everything *laughs* I have been getting shots every week. I live in a conservative, anti-masker town, I will walk in there to get my shot and people will be rolling their eyes at me. I don't know if the masks work or not, but I assume they help and I just wear it because it feels like the right thing to do. There is a higher mentality because there are a lot of old people too, so I try to be courteous of that."
Will you be doing an online show?
"I don't know, it would be trying to find a place to do it mainly. I mean, I could do it in my basement *laughs* I would need to find a drummer, because I play drums on the record, but I can't obviously play drums, and guitar, and sing. *laughs*"
That would be pretty impressive.
"I have thought about using a drum machine or something. *laughs*"
You could put a muppet back there! *laughs*
"*laughs* Yeah Animal! It all comes back full circle. *laughs*"
How can people best support Bloody Hammers right now?
"Just listen I suppose. We live in a fairly cheap area of the world and don't have it as hard as others. We just live in a small cabin in the woods. My New Years resolution is to support fellow musicians more. I have been inspired by Blasko, Rob Nicholson, the bass player for Ozzy Osbourne, he is an unsung hero for the underground music scene. He plugs bands all the time, he has a podcast, and he is always trying to support others. He helped me with my contract with Napalm Records, just for free. He is a really awesome guy. I feel all us musicians need to help plug each other and promote each other. This is my New Years resolution. I have a Bloody Hammers Spotify playlist that I will add stuff I find. I know bands don't get paid squat from Spotify, but at least maybe they will get a new fan and exposure. Spotify has been really helpful for us as far as people finding us. The checks are a joke but *laughs* but what is important to me is people listening."
I sadly had to cut out so much of this interview due to length. It was a really fun conversation with a really incredible musician. Anders ends the interview with congratulating me for my three years with Metal Nation, that is how nice of a dude he is.
Bloody Hammers Songs of Unspeakable Terror is sincerely one of the most fun and entertaining albums I have heard in a while. If you enjoy punk rock, Bloody Hammers, or even music in general, I suggest you give it a listen.
Anders MangaBloody HammersDevalliaSongs of Unspeakable Terror
Neeka Rogers Rodriguez 77 posts 0 comments
I am a small town girl from Idaho with a big time obsession with music. I was the awkward, strange teenager who listened to metal while everyone else was hopping on the pop train. Nothing has changed. I am a counselor by day, a metal writer by night. Life is good.
PHANTOM ELITE Interview: Marina La Torraca Talks…


The sole purpose of a digital menu board is to show the customers the products that are available and to create an upsell opportunity, which is best achieved using animated content as against static images.
Pizza shop owners have adopted the use of digital menu boards at a pretty alarming rate, due to it appearance, flexibility, and ease of use.
It is tough for small businesses to compete with larger organizations, but using digital signage can be a tool to level the playing field for in-house marketing and promotion, which most small companies seriously need to work on.
Selecting the right digital signage solution is crucial as it affects your startup cost and ongoing expenses, based on whether it is a one-time or monthly fee-based purchase.
Using Digital Signage in ice rinks to display scores, menus, and other activities help with improving efficiency and customer experience.
Using Digital Signage in Convenience stores to remain profitable is a necessity because they help in increasing sales and per customer transaction volume.
Digital Menu Boards are now a mandatory replacement for regular poster signs especially considering its ease and economic benefits with no recurring costs.
Hospitals have tons of information that need to be shared with staff, patients and visitors and digital signage is the most cost-effective way to do this.
Digital Signage in marijuana dispensaries are used to increase sales, display pricing and store hours, show pictures of product explain uses, and educate customers.
Digital Screens can be used to efficiently display anniversaries, birthdays, and events on particular days within an organization or event.
Digital Signage in stores can be used to raise brand awareness, share testimonials and recommendations, enhance store environment and provide expert advice on demand.
Digital Signage during the holiday season is a crucial marketing tactic to increase revenue while giving your customers a joyful shopping experience without pushing the sale.
Digital Signage placed strategically at the reception, or welcome area of a business can increase sales, build customer loyalty, and educate potential customers.
You can boost sales from your marketing team by working as a team, allowing respectful communications vertically and horizontally, recognizing efforts made, measuring performance, and supporting all employees.
Digital signage in big corporations and various businesses help increase sales, customer engagement, increase productivity, employee efficiency and build brand recognition.
Digital signage can be used in the real estate industry by realtors to display current information, make real-time changes, educate prospective clients and build trust.
Digital Signage in elevators of a commercial or residential building has the potential to increase customer or tenant engagement, empower its audience and consequently improve rent rates.
Digital Signage usage in manufacturing facilities is now standard practice. These electronic signs are employed for displaying all sorts of information including safety, health, accident-free days, promotions, employees of the month, alerts, notices and internal corporate communication.
Digital Signage being a dynamic medium beats static signage on all fronts whether it is live content like weather and news, ability to change content, remotely manage content, maintain multiple locations simultaneously or low operational costs.
Digital signage is a fast growing industry in itself. With the ability to cater to every business due to its low cost, flexibility, custom content creation, SaaS software, and multimedia options - digital screens are the way to advertise content in competitive markets.
Businesses looking to purchase TV for their digital signage displays should consider buying them during Black Friday when most online sites and stores offer deep discounts and special sales.
Thanksgiving Promotions using Digital Signage Screens!
Thanksgiving holidays and sales are an important time of year for businesses. These holidays are perfect for promoting products and services using digital signage, as this is the most appropriate medium due to it's flexible and customizable nature.
Digital Signage screen usage during Halloween provides a unique opportunity for businesses to lighten up and provide some entertaining content to their customers.
Selecting a digital signage screen or system for your business includes several components such as software and hardware management, fees, types of screens, security, pricing, and flexibility of the contract. Choosing the right system will aid in how much the signage benefits the business.
Digital signage video extenders are used to connect multiple HD TV screens to a single source of digital signage output media player. Using video extenders, it is possible to transmit content to long distances whether the screens are located indoor or outdoors.
Digital signage screens are necessary within the use of sports arenas. Because the arenas are big and the audience is spread out, not every fan can see what is going on, at all times. Digital signage screens allow all fans, regardless of the price they paid to view the game from all angles. Another benefit to digital signage is increased advertising, and consequently sales.
Digital signage systems are in auto showrooms as a new medium to communicate and sell. Car buyers are savvy and usually, interact face to face with clients. Digital Signage provides an additional medium of selling the vehicle and the showrooms services. However, deciding where to place the digital screen and what content to put on the display is a key factor in driving sales within the showroom.
Digital signage is a great way of getting a message across to several employees within a company; this is also known as internal communication. Some of the benefits include boosting employee morale, real-time alerts, increasing productivity, and providing a sense of ownership.
When deciding to go digital, you will want to consider what type of splitter works best for your business. Understanding the main differences in VGA, HDMI, and Cat5 splitters allow you to navigate the right option for your business strategically.
Digital Signage in a world of millennials means increasing sales. One of the ways to do this is by switching conventional vending machines, to digital ones. By enhancing customer experience, ease of use, and interactive capabilities - millennials who have $200 billion in spending power, are the perfect audience to boost sales with this method.
Digital Signage sees a surge in the corporate world as an essential means of internal communication. Some of the benefits include increased productivity, real-time updates, acknowledging top performers, and education.
Digital menu boards have several benefits including quick price changes, attractiveness, ease of use, and specific branding. Once you know to go digital, you will want to purchase the right monitor for your digital menu board, to ensure proper visibility.
The power of remotely managing your advertisements, digital screens, and digital menus are many. Some of these benefits include ease of use, time management, quick changes, and scheduling content in advance.
The future of digital signage includes Interactive Media, Personalization, Augmented Reality and Social Media Interaction. This appeals to both small business owners and larger corporations, as the digital signage industry is set to grow into a $24 Billion dollar industry in the next few years.
Digital Signage has become easy to use and an affordable medium to get your advertised message across digitally. Because of lowered costs, digital signage is a great option for small restaurant owners and stores who are looking to increase sales and target the right audience.
Digital Signage is fast becoming the principal form of signage for Event Management Companies especially for Trade Shows, Conferences, and Corporate Meetings, due to its low cost, portability and ease of operations.
Digital menu boards directly improve restaurant profitability as they lower costs of operation while providing attractive ambiance enhancing TV menus that are well accepted by customers.
Digital signage marketing requires the screen manager to be aware of various factors that will go a long way in making their signage TV screens more useful and productive while maintaining an eye-catching appeal with an enhancement to the locations ambiance.
Digital signage content is an essential part of any digital signage display strategy and it is imperative to take a moment and focus on goals and expectations that you have from your digital signage screens.
Corporate Digital Signage is a simple tool for internal messaging and corporate communications, especially considering that corporates operate from multiple locations and have a need for uniform messaging and communications with their employees, especially considering the lowering cost of adoption and ease of use of current digital signage solutions.
Retail digital signage is like having extra sales people in the store who can unobtrusively educate your customers while having no recurring costs.
School digital signage is now a norm and is fast becoming an indispensable tool for communications and internal messaging. Schools are using digital signage TV for Student and Safety Communications, Digital Menu Boards, Donor Walls and Campus maps, besides other applications.
Chalkboard menus portray wholesome and natural ingredients while looking simple. Customers are known to associate these digital menu boards with organic and fresh products.
The Hospitality industry is a highly competitive business that has to be run with extreme efficiency, where using Digital Signage TV screens is becoming imperative and a way of life.
Communicate emergency messages using digital displays. With the simple click of a button, show emergency messages, maps, alerts and safety instructions in different places on your property and keep your staff and guests safe and informed.
Digital signage is a worthy investment in a business establishment. Customers appreciate quality. Such a technological innovation is sure to increase their numbers.
Accessing digital signage technology free is an ideal starting point. Later on, you do a full installation and pay for maintenance having understood how everything works.
Digital menu boards make your menu updates easy. You can also use their ability to grab customer attention and promote high margin items.
The use of digital signage at the corporate level cuts across boundaries. Companies use them a lot nowadays. It enhances customer interaction.
When digital menu boards for restaurants were new to the market, restaurant owners installed them perhaps only because they were enamored by the lambency of the digital screens. It never really occurred to them how invaluable the technology would prove to be in the long term.
doPublicity Digital Signage Manager and Templates can be setup using regular digital pictures and text.
doPublicity Digital Signage Manager and Templates eliminates the need to use an advertising agency.
Is Digital Signage very technical?
The simplicity of installing and operating doPublicity Digital Signage Manager makes it feasible and profitable.
Digital Signage can be implemented at a fairly low cost and provides a high ROI.
Digital Signage educates customers about products and services.
doPublicity provides Digital Signage Manager software for displaying Content on LED, LCD or Plasma TVs.
Setting up a Digital Signage Media Player for under $150.
Customizable Templates simplifies the task of creating eye-catching Digital Signage Content including displaying LIVE News and Weather.
Setting up a Dual Screen Digital Signage Display using a single PC.
Digital signage features such as rebooting, auto starting display, dayparting, turning screen ON/OFF and advance scheduling is explained.
Use of digital signage for election advertising to micro target audiences with messages tailored to their specific interests and expectations from candidates.
Free digital signage can be setup easily using a TV connected to a computer with doPublicity PRO version free digital signage software.
Digital Signage use in restaurants, bars and similar business has increased with the low cost of digital menu board implementation.