A superb all round performance from Sussex under-15s resulted in Sussex being crowned the winners of the A Division Royal London ECB under-15 Cup Final.
Having lost the toss Sussex were invited to field, and Staffs got off to a great start making 54 without loss.
Sussex wicketkeeper Mason Robinson got things moving with a spell-binding flying catch.
Skipper Tom Clark then turned their innings upside down with a double wicket maiden on route to figures of 3 for 17, and from that moment Sussex were on top. Max Lincoln wowed the crowds sprinting 30 yards to take a high catch in the deep, and it was left to Tom Gordon (3 for 39) to have Staffs floundering on 164 all out.
Alastair Orr completed the job with a well timed catch on the ropes.
In reply our openers faced a real barrage of pace and bounce as Staffs were not going to lie down easily.
The players jump for joy
At 68 for 5 Sussex were having their first and only wobble throughout the whole campaign. However our team is resilient and man of the match Tom Gordon lead the recovery with perhaps one of his most important innings thus far, and against a spirited and energised attack Tom grafted hard making a match winning 68 runs. He was backed up by Oliver Carter (39 not out) who demonstrated a very straight bat from the off. He was rewarded by hitting back to back cover drives to win the match.
Huge celebrations then ensued as Sussex became the 2016 Royal London ECB U15 Champions.
The squad: Oliver Carter - Seaford, Tom Clark - Horsham, Henry Crocombe - Hailsham, Tom Gordon - Eastbourne, Tom Hinley - Lindfield,
Scott Lenham - Eastbourne, Max Lincoln - Preston Nomads, Dominic Morgan - Lindfield, Alastair Orr - Lindfield, Joe Pocklington - Eastbourne, Mason Robinson - Preston Nomads, Louis Storey - East Preston, Freddie Longley - Lindfield
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Sussex under-15 win the Royal London ECB Cup final


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Deus Ex has you spoilt for choice.
Mankind Divided and so am I when it comes to reviewing the latest Deus Ex game after its launch last week.
There is so much to rave about in DEMD and I’m still enjoying it now over a week into the game.
But there are a number of elements which do not quite sit right with me.
Let’s start with the positives, though, and there are plenty of them.
There is layer upon layer in this game all expertly crafted together and beautifully designed.
The gameplay stands up to the high standards set by previous Deus Ex games and goes beyond them in many respects.
This is a game that will suit all types of gamers too.
Looking for a quick blast for an hour, you can jump on and get enough done to enjoy the experience, looking for longer, more involved sessions on your console then the gameplay rewards your patience, curiosity and creativity.
You play augmented human Jensen who is essentially the most deadly Power Ranger on the planet. I mean this guy has everything and would even give Superman a run for his money.
There are so many options to negotiate each scenario
And this is where my first problem lies with DEMD.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy.
‘Ramp up the difficulty setting!’ I hear you cry.
Well yes there’s that but my point is no matter what level you are playing at, Jensen just has too much at his disposal for his enemies to trouble him.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy. Damien Lucas, gaming columnist
But don’t get me wrong it’s still great fun entering a room littered with foes and walking out past a pile of them without breaking a sweat.
Another thing that doesn’t quite land for me is the Apartheid type references between the humans (naturals) and the augmented race. It is a poor attempt to give the storyline resonance with real life - for example there are posters dotted around saying things like ‘Augmented Lives Matter’ and it just feels a little frivolous.
I’m being hyper critical, though, and Deus Ex will go down as one of the games of the year of that there is no doubt.
Rating: 8.5/10

Console Corner: Deus Ex Mankind Divided review


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A nail-biting wait for thousands of pupils across East Sussex came to an end yesterday as this year’s GCSE results were announced.
With 26 results in from 27 of the county’s schools, provisional results show 60 per cent of students received five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths.
That represents a significant increase on last year’s figure of 56 per cent and was described by East Sussex County Council as ‘fantastic news for young people and their schools’.
A total of 22 out of the 26 secondary schools and academies that have currently reported their results either maintained previously strong performance or improved on their performance last year.
The average for the county in terms of 5 A* to C including English and maths has improved for the second year running by approximately 4%.
Outstanding improvements against this measure can be seen at Rye College which has gone up by 19 per cent, The Eastbourne Academy up by 18 per cent, Heathfield Community College up by 12 per cent.
There are a further nine schools which have improved by more than five per cent including Beacon Academy, Bexhill High Academy, Chailey School, Hailsham Community College, Peacehaven Community School, Seahaven Academy, St Richard’s Catholic College, The Cavendish School and The Hastings Academy.
For the first time, this year’s results are also measured against the new Attainment 8 indicator – the new national benchmark for performance at key stage four.
In East Sussex, the average Attainment 8 score, which measures a student’s average grade across eight subjects, was 4.9.
Cllr Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council lead member for education and inclusion, special educational needs and disability, said: “This is always a nerve-wracking time for young people awaiting their GCSE results.
“Achieving good grades gives them a solid step on the ladder towards a successful future in their educational and professional life.
“I’d like to congratulate all our students for the effort they’ve put in not just in the run-up to their exams but over the last two years, and to wish them every success as they go on to further education or training.
“We’re very pleased to see an improvement in this year’s results, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our young people and the teachers who’ve guided them.”
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East Sussex bucks national trend and records better GCSE results


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Fickle Friends may be under the radar at the moment, but Charlotte Pearson predicts big things.
For anyone heading to Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend or Together the People next month, you might be forgiven for thinking that Fickle Friends are the new kids on the block.
However, the Brighton band have been a firm fixture on the festival circuit for the last two years playing Bestival, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Secret Garden Party.
“We have been going for a while,” says lead singer Natti Shiner. “But it isn’t until you get played on commercial radio that people say ‘oh wow those guys have come from nowhere’.
“The 1975 have been going for about eight years under different guises but it is only really now people are starting to take notice.”
Natti formed the band, made up of Harry Herrington on bass; Chris Hall on lead guitar; Sam Morris on drums and Jack Wilson on keyboards, about three years ago when the quintet met at the University of Brighton.
The name came not long after they formed, with Natti explaining that Fickle Friends was just meant to be a name to tide them over and the plan was initially to change it to something else.
“As time went on it kind of just stuck so we kept with it,” she smiles.
The band’s first EP Velvet was released in 2015 and Natti says they were very much a ‘DIY band’.
“That has shifted now as we have signed with a record label,” she explains. “The first EP we did ourselves and worked really hard to get it out.
“We have the luxury of someone else doing the work now and telling us when the singles are coming out.
“It is exciting and everything is a lot more structured than it was before.”
Releasing an EP was a great way for the band to show people what they are all about and Natti reveals that it got the band the buzz they needed to get noticed.
This lead to them being signed, with work then able to begin on an album which should be released at the end of this year.
The plan for the band is to record 17 songs and then pick the ones that will make the album.
“We are always writing and figuring out what we want the album to be,” explains Natti.
Fickle Friends’ sound has been described as upbeat with an 80s synth-pop feel to it, which is probably best illustrated by single ‘Swim’.
It is clear that many of their songs wouldn’t sound out of place on the 2011 film Drive’s motion picture soundtrack – something that crossed Natti’s mind when she heard former Radio 1’s DJ Zane Lowe curate such a thing with the likes of Bastille, The 1975, and CHVRCHES.
“I would love for the BBC, or anyone, to do a re-imagining of the soundtrack again. We would love to get on it and think our sound would fit really well,” she enthuses.
As for musical influences, Natti lists bands like Bombay Bicycle Club, Justice, Two Door Cinema Club, Friendly Fires and Michael Jackson, and admits you can hear a bit of all of them in Fickle Friends.
“Our sound has changed a lot over the years. I think it has got a lot more intelligent,” she reveals.
“Before it was really hectic and chaotic, but it would be because we would play bits and be like ‘oh I love that, put that in’, ‘that is great we need to have that’, so we would get it all in.
“Now we use sounds that complement each other so it works better as a song.”
The last few months have been hectic for the band, with a diary filled with festival appearances as well as trying to fit in recording their new album in LA.
“Our weekends would be filled with festivals then we would head over to America to record the album and then back over here for a performance,” reveals Natti.
The band have never played a festival in Brighton before so Natti says they are really looking forward to performing at Together the People this month at Preston Park.
The summer may be over, although many might debate it never really started, but thanks to Fickle Friends at least the sound of summer can continue well until the end of the year.
Fickle Friends will play the NME/Radio 1 stage at Reading Festival on Friday, August 26, and the same stage at Leeds Festival on Saturday, August 27.
Together the People takes place on September 3 and 4 at Preston Park, Brighton.
Other performers include Suede, Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds, Peter Hook and the Light, The Horrors and Turin Breaks.
For more information on the line up and to buy tickets, visit www.togetherthepeople.co.uk
To find out more about Fickle Friends, visit www.ficklefriends.co.uk
For more features like this visit etcmag.net

Brighton band Fickle Friends to play at Reading and Leeds


Midfielder Danny Holla has left Albion after the club and player agreed to mutually terminate his contract.
The 28-year-old Dutch midfielder did have a year left to run on a three-year deal, signed when he joined Albion in 2014 on a free transfer from Den Haag.
He has played in Albion’s two EFL Cup fixtures against Colchester and Oxford this season but had limited other first-team opportunities.
Seagulls boss Chris Hughton said: “With the options and competition we have in midfield, Danny has found his chances very limited, and that situation is unlikely to change.
“It hasn’t really worked out as Danny or the club had hoped. That can sometimes happen in football, but what I can say is that he has been really professional in his approach and his attitude to training has been first class throughout my time as manager.
“He works hard in training, and he has been ready to play when needed, but those times have been far too infrequent for his liking, and at this stage of his career he wants to be playing regular football, so this is the right move for the club and player.”
Holla scored once in 33 appearances for the club.
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It was always easy to work out how well a school had performed when it came to GCSEs.
You took the latest batch of A*s and compared them to last year’s results. Simple.
Millais School Head Teacher Alison Lodwick (Pic by Jon Rigby) SUS-150510-170504008
Things have changed now, and this year’s youngsters were the last to have their results rated at A*-G.
They will also be the last to take re-sits in November and were the first to have their progress examined under a tough new government system, which will see under-performing schools facing the wrath of Ofsted.
It’s all a little confusing and a lot to take in in one go, but let’s look at the changes one by one.
First, the grade changes. Next year’s results will be graded 9-1 rather than A*-G, with 9 being the highest.
It’s entirely up to the schools what they publish but the only thing that counts from this year is Progress 8. Department for Education
At the top of the pile, grades 9, 8 and 7 will be the equivalent of the current A*/A. The top 20 per cent of those students will receive a grade 9, which has been described as something akin to an A**.
There’s a new top target to aim for.
At the other end of the scale, grade 4 will be the equivalent of scraping a C pass, with grade 5 likely to be the standard set for what is now called a ‘good’ pass.
When it comes to re-sits, students will only be able to retake maths and English in November. No other subject re-sits will be allowed.
There had become something of a culture of re-sits over the past few years. If a child failed an exam, they could retake it until they got the result they wanted – and the result that looked best in the school’s league tables.
It was a bit like messing up a battle when playing a computer game then reloading and reloading until the battle was won. The end result was good but it didn’t really demonstrate any skill – just the ability to avoid making the same mistakes.
Finally we come to Progress 8, which is something of a headache to understand but has been well received by Sussex headteachers.
It’s also the important score when it comes to meeting the government’s required standards.
As one spokesman from the Department for Education put it: “It’s entirely up to the schools what they publish but the only thing that counts from this year is Progress 8.”
To put it simply, it’s a way of measuring the progress made by pupils from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.
Each child’s progress is measured across eight subjects and then compared to the progress made by children all over the country who started with the same attainment level.
For example, if Anna started secondary school with high Key Stage 2 SATs results, her progress at the end of Year 11 would be judged against children who started from an equally high point.
If she entered secondary school with low SATs results, her progress would be measured against others who had an equally low starting point.
Children who attend independent schools, special schools, pupil referral units, alternative provision or hospital schools are not included in this system.
Anna’s Key Stage 2 score would have been used to predict her results in eight subject areas. Whether or nor she meets those expectations determines her Progress 8 score.
A score of zero means Anna performed exactly as predicted – all is well, progress has been made. Anything above zero means she made better than expected progress – which is good news for her school.
Anything below zero means her progress was not as high as expected.
That would be worrying for Anna’s school, because its overall Progress 8 score is calculated using the mean average of all its pupils’ scores.
The government has set a baseline standard of -0.5 for schools. If a school fails to reach that standard, an Ofsted inspection will be triggered.
As for the eight subjects which give Progress 8 its name, there is a heavy focus on core areas.
Each child must take maths and English plus three English Baccalaureate subjects such as science, computer science, history, geography and languages.
The maths is worth double points as is the English if the students takes both English language and English literature.
They can then include three subjects of choice – which must come from an approved list of qualifications if they are to count towards their score.
As mentioned, Progress 8 has been welcomed by many headteachers in Sussex.
Jules White, head of Tanbridge House School, said the new system was “much fairer”.
He added: “It ensures that a broader basket of subjects are counted but maths and English are still weighted - quite rightly - more heavily than other subjects.
“The old thresholds made a ‘C’ too important and now every grade counts. There still remains a problem that progress is measured from Key Stage 2 results which are far too variable at the moment.”
Dr Alison Lodwick, head of Millais School, agreed. She said: “I consider that measuring progress is a far more accurate method of judging achievement. Attainment can give a false impression of progress and therefore the starting point must be the baseline data for each child if progress is be accurately assessed.
“Therefore, when parents, employers, the press and the public in general gets used to the new way of looking and reporting results - as it sounds a bit complicated to many at the moment - it will be a fairer judgement on how much actual progress has been made by students and schools.”
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Entries are being sought for the Stride Open Art 2016 which will run at Chichester’s Oxmarket Centre of Arts from October 11-23.
Centre spokesman David Souter: “The Oxmarket Centre of Arts is indebted to Stride & Son for their sponsorship of our recent success, the 40th Anniversary Retrospective Exhibition. The Oxmarket is also sponsored each year for £1,000 prize money for the Stride Open Art Competition and is calling for entries online for the first time.
“With a £500 first prize for painting (along with the Stride Trophy), £250 second prize, £250 for the drawing prize and £100 for the Lawrence Williams Prize for Abstract Painting, the competition is open to all artists in East and West Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey, with the exhibition taking place between October 11-23.”
Full details on how to enter the competition are online at the Oxmarket website: oxmarket.com/stride-open-art-2016
Initial entry is by email: artists should send up to six images to info@oxmarket.com with STRIDE 2016 as the subject line. Entry cost is £12 per image (£10 per image for members) and payment can be by cash, cheque, or debit/credit card. The email should include the name of the artist and their postal address and phone number, along with the title, medium, size and price of each entry. The JPEG images should be named as the artist and title of the work.
The deadline for entry is Monday, September 26. Artists will be notified by email by October 1 if their work has been selected for the exhibition, and the work must be delivered on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9, 10am-4.30pm.

Entries sought for Chichester-based art competition and exhibition


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Police have confirmed they are looking for a missing swimmer at Camber Sands – days after five men lost their lives at the beach.
A coastguard helicopter is circling above Camber Sands, and a spokesperson for the RNLI confirmed they had lifeboats at the scene.
Sussex Police said they were called to the scene after a member of the public contacted them and the coastguard at Camber Sands after seeing an abandoned pair of flip flops next to the sea and a female diving into the water at this location.
A spokesperson added: “Officers at the scene are doing coastal checks to see if there are any persons swimming having difficulty”.
An RNLI spokesperson said the search for the ‘potentially missing swimmer’ was being co-ordinated by Sussex Police and the coastguard, and that their lifeguards were keeping watch from the beach with binoculars.
This search comes after five men lost their lives at Camber Sands last week, and the RNLI donated lifeguards to patrol the beach over the Bank Holiday weekend. Click here to read more.
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BREAKING: Search for ‘missing swimmer’ at Camber Sands


iy_project is a spectacular immersive installation developed by world-renowned light artist Chris Levine in collaboration with Edenlab, Eden Project’s international creative partner.
Chris will create a unique event for Hastings on the evening of September 10 from 8pm, illuminating the townscape like never before with a spectacular sound and light using stunning high-powered lasers.
Be in the thick of it at the end of the pier (booking required) or watch from the beach, promenade, East Hill or West Hill. The East and West Hill lifts will stay open until 10pm.
Chris is fast becoming recognised as one of the most original artists working in light today and he has collaborated with a diverse range of creative talents ranging from Massive Attack, Hussein Chalayan, Antony and the Johnsons, Grace Jones and Jon Hopkins.
His iconic work Lightness of Being, the historic portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is part of his Equanimity body of work that was commissioned by the Island of Jersey to commemorate 800 years of allegiance to the crown. The work has been acclaimed internationally and shown at Buckingham Palace, the Royal Academy and the Houses of Parliament, London.
He has had one man shows in London, Paris and Singapore and a travelling exhibition with the British Council which went to 12 countries worldwide.
Most recently he has had work exhibited by the Museum of Art and Design in NY, the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Fine Art Society. He has just completed another historic portrait to commemorate the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday and to raise funds for the victims of Nepal’s recent earthquake.
An interactive app, designed to co-ordinate with the performance, will be available soon.
Tickets are free but there is an option to donate to Hastings Pier Charity.

Light and sound in one incredible Root1066 event


The suspected murder of a teenager has been reported to the body that oversees complaints against the police, Sussex Police has said.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission was notified by Sussex Police following the discovery of the 19-year-old woman’s body at an address in Chrisdory Road, Mile Oak yesterday.
Sussex Police said: “The death has been notified to the IPCC owing to there having been previous police contact with the deceased and other people.
“Her family have been informed of this development. We await the IPCC’s decision as to how any internal investigation will be conducted.”
As previously reported, a 27-year-old man from Portslade was arrested in Burgess Hill yesterday on suspicion of murder after the body was found. Click here for the full story.
Police added that a post-mortem is expected to take place in Brighton later today, and that the address is still a crime scene as forensic work continues.
They are not formally identifying the dead woman at this stage but said they will do so as soon as possible.
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UPDATE: Murder reported to police complaints body


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A body has been found on a busy Sussex beach.
Sussex Police confirmed officers are currently dealing with a deceased person on Brighton beach, opposite the Grand Hotel and near the British Airways i360.
Brighton beach, taken in July this year by Eddie Mitchell
A police spokesperson said they were called at just before 1.50pm to the scene, and one vehicle was dispatched.
They confirmed that the ambulance service was also at the scene and undertakers had been called.
They also dismissed rumours that the body had been washed up.
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Bill Bryson didn’t pull any punches when he compared a Sussex town to a ‘patient on life support’ in his latest book.
The famous travel author made the comment about Bognor Regis in The Road to Little Dribbling, which documents Bryson’s journey from the West Sussex seaside town to Cape Wrath in Scotland.
In the book, Bryson criticises the local authority for its handling of the Bognor Regis Regeneration Task Force initiative, which he said had an initial goal to bring £500million of investment into the town before being ‘quietly reduced’ to £100million and then £25million before being ‘wound up’.
He then went on to say: “As far as I could tell, all the authorities are doing for Bognor is just keeping it ticking over, like a patient on life support”.
Despite his criticisms – and his observation that the second-most popular Bognor Regis attraction behind Hotham Park was ‘a shop selling mobility scooters’ – he goes on to say that Bognor ‘isn’t such a bad place’, complimenting its ‘long beach with a curving concrete promenade’.
He is more reserved about the town centre, describing it as ‘compact and tidy, if not thriving’.
As far as I could tell, all the authorities are doing for Bognor is just keeping it ticking over, like a patient on life support Bill Bryson
Do you agree with his comments? Have your say with our poll.
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POLL: Bill Bryson bashes Sussex town in new book


A plucky puss who saved the day by waking a family as a fire engulfed their home has been crowned overall winner in Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards 2016, sponsored by PURINA®.
Five-year-old Tink leapt onto a bed to raise the alarm as the blaze took hold while owners Claire and Russell Hopkinson and sons Jake, 19, and Scott, 22, slept in their home in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
At the awards ceremony, held at The Savoy in London on Thursday (4 August), the brave tortoiseshell moggy was crowned overall winner after first scooping the Hero Cat category.
Claire, who was at the ceremony to accept Tink’s award, said: “Tink has always been a much-loved pet but not a day goes past when I’m not grateful for her actions on that day. If it wasn’t for her the outcome could have been horrific, she is our true hero.”
The family had been sleeping at their home in the early hours one morning in February when an electrical fault in a neighbouring property sparked the fire.
Claire said: “I was fast asleep when I felt this thud on my legs and realised it was Tink. She doesn’t sleep on our bed and it was unlike her to be on it. As soon as I opened my eyes all I could see was white smoke.
“My two sons sleep with their doors shut and when I opened Scott’s door, this thick black smoke bellowed out. The smoke had passed through the vent straight into his room and he was fast asleep. Because his door was shut the smoke hadn’t yet reached the fire alarm – without Tink waking me Scott would have been in huge danger.
“We quickly got out of the house but, in the commotion, Tink took fright and hid behind a cupboard. When the firefighters arrived they asked if anyone was in the house and we explained our cat was.
“A firefighter went in and found her but, when he brought her out, she was unconscious and limp. We were heartbroken and thought we’d lost her. But the firefighters had a special oxygen mask for animals and Scott sat in the fire engine holding it on her for an hour until she came round.
“I can’t explain how relieved and happy we were she pulled through. Tink is a truly special cat, we love her to bits. She’s our hero and an essential part of our family and we’re so proud of her for what she did.”
Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards is the UK’s largest celebration of real-life stories of companionship, bravery and survival in the cat world.
Tink was first chosen as the winner of the Hero Cat category by celebrity judge, actress Anita Dobson, before being chosen as overall winner by a panel of judges comprising of actor Paul Copley, singer Saffron Sprackling, former Hollyoaks actors Carley Stenson and Danny Mac and musician Rick Wakeman.
Other celebrities at the ceremony - hosted by BBC announcer and “voice of the balls” Alan Dedicoat – were TV psychologist Jo Hemmings, and Commonwealth Games gold medallist clay target shooter Charlotte Kerwood.
Anita said: “Tink’s story really stood out because it really tugged on my heartstrings, particularly the part where he passed out and had to be resuscitated by firefighters. He is a true hero!”
As well as the honour of being crowned National Cat of the Year, Tink and her owners received a prize of a trophy, a pet store voucher, a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s The Cat magazine and a three-month supply of PURINA® pet food.
Kate Bunting, the awards organiser at Cats Protection, said Tink’s story was an inspiring one.
“Tink’s truly remarkable and it just goes to show how important cats are to family life. Her quick thinking alerted the whole family to a potential disaster,” she said.
“It was particularly poignant to hear how devastated the family were when they thought Tink had succumbed to smoke inhalation. It shows how important cats are to family life and we are so pleased that she managed to pull through.”
Tink follows in the paw prints of a long line of feline heroes honoured by Cats Protection. Previous winners have included Jessi-Cat, who was celebrated for helping a seven-year-old boy cope with Selective Mutism, a condition which affects his ability to speak and Nelson, a one-eyed former stray from County Durham, who survived nearly drowning and 15 years living rough.
The winners of the other categories were:
- Houdini from Stoke-On-Trent who won the Furr-ever Friends prize – For the family of schoolboy Harri Cossburn, Houdini is not only a much-loved pet but he is also an in-house therapy cat. Harri, 10, is on the autistic spectrum and suffers from anxiety attacks, finding it difficult to be alone. But since two-year-old Houdini came into his life, Harri has found a constant source of comfort, support and friendship.
- Jessie from Peterborough who won Outstanding Rescue Cat - Life for Tracey Jessop-Thompson and her husband Stephen changed forever when their 18-year-old daughter Lucy died suddenly from a cardiac arrest as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition. As the devastated couple went about slowly rebuilding their lives, they found comfort, support and joy in the most unexpected of places – a tiny rescue kitten called Jessie. Now aged one, fun-loving Jessie has given the couple the strength to embark on charity work to raise awareness of heart conditions in young people.
- Peggy from Dundee who took home the Cats Protection Special Recognition Award - Tortoiseshell puss Peggy was recognised for her companionship, loyalty and support which transformed the life of owner Kirsty Oliphant. Kirsty, 23, was at rock bottom when she adopted Peggy – then aged 16 and suffering from FIV- from Cats Protection’s Dundee & District Branch in 2014. With a long history of mental health issues, Kirsty had frequently been admitted to a psychiatric hospital following a series of suicide attempts. But after adopting Peggy, life changed almost overnight for Kirsty and she is now well enough to undertake a university course to study mental health nursing later this year.
- Smokie from Woking who won the Purina® Better Together category - Six-year-old Smokie was in a bad way when she turned up as a bedraggled stray on Jane Leggott’s doorstep. Suffering with a congenital eye problem, her vision was impaired and she was desperately in need of someone to take care of her. Deciding to keep her, Jane had no idea how much Smokie would come to mean to her family, especially son Stefan, then aged 18, who was struggling to cope with the death of his stepfather.
- Spike from Abergavenny who was awarded Most Caring Cat - When a rare illness left Maria Price paralysed almost overnight, her world fell apart around her. After a month in hospital, the 38-year-old faced a long battle to adjust to her condition and find the strength to recover. Support, companionship and inspiration came in the form of her seven-year-old cat Spike.

Video: ‘Cat of the Year’ announced at national awards


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Seeing any play by Harold Pinter demands several questions of its audience: What is actually going on? What do we think is going on? What does the playwright believe is going on? What do the characters think is going on?
Even if you can’t answer these on one side of a sheet of A4 paper, you should fight for seats to Pinter at his most absurd - such is the quality of the touring and London-bound production of No Man’s Land.
At its most basic level No Man’s Land is a play about nostalgia (the mood is established by each of the characters being named after famous cricketers and for Pinter cricket was bound up with such wistfulness – though the cricket references are also more subliminally important throughout), what it means to be human with all our struggles, and the nightmares and joys of being haunted by memories and dreams.
In the hands of two of our finest theatrical knights (and indeed two storming supporting players) we know we are going to be treated to a masterclass of interpretation, line reading and presentation. What isn’t so immediately obvious to the newcomer are the layers upon layers that are unravelled – leading to plenty of moments that are very funny quickly balanced by something unnerving, uncertain, or just plain baffling.
Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart return to this 1975 play having appeared in it on Broadway in 2013 alongside Waiting for Godot. The performances are, of course, exquisite, but they also have the knack of making their roles, the script and their vital interplay fresh. It’s almost as if they were discovering it all for the first time, though it would surely not be beyond imagining that the play itself demands such originality, as though the characters were trapped in a loop, having to repeat the lines and scenes again and again.
As Spooner Ian McKellen appears to be the outsider, a loquacious poet who meets a like-minded spirit in a pub near Hampstead Heath and is invited home – but for what purpose? To discuss mutual literary interests, to share memories as old friends, or for something more physical? McKellen’s Spooner is dishevelled and seedy, but with a sharp mind and wit and a laconic humour; yet there is also a vulnerability as he tries to inveigle himself into his drinking companion’s life and home.
Patrick Stewart’s Hirst seems at first to waver between drunkenness and sobriety but the actor gives the role an extra dimension of a once strong and intelligent writer on the scary edge of senility. There is a chilling sense of his delusions ensnaring the others in the house to the point where all become helpless.
Damien Molony and Owen Teale as Foster and Briggs stay just on the right side of being threatening – are they staff, family, lovers or jailers? Often coming across as bullies, they reveal themselves as educated and eloquent in their own ways, and perhaps there is no escape for them either.
Director Sean Mathias ensures that the play works on so many levels, with its complicated characters, enchanting poetic quality and a humour darker than night and colder than winter. He is aided brilliantly by Stephen Brimson Lewis’s set design, Adam Cork’s sound design and Nina Dunn’s projection design, which all add to the questioning about whether this is something unfinished, artificial, ethereal or imaginary.
By the end we continue wondering if this no man’s land is a place of limbo between life and death, or a dreamlike state between waking and sleeping, or a place between battlegrounds. And are the characters individuals with uncertain memories or aspects of each other?
The sheer quality of this production, with a cast dramatically bowling the most amazing googlies, means that however hard Pinter’s work may be to define, the audience wants to know the answers. It may leave the theatre in a state of bemusement, but it has been rewarded by a sublime and beautiful production.

Review: No Man’s Land (Theatre Royal, Brighton, until Saturday, August 27)


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Graham Wagg’s three wicket burst in four balls completely changed the course of Sussex’s innings and also the game as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for only 51 runs in 25 overs.
The Glamorgan seamer thrived in the cloudy conditions, and during his spell also claimed his 200th first class wicket for Glamorgan.
Sussex were indebted to Chris Nash, who struck the 22nd century of his career, before Glamorgan reached 50 for 1 in their second innings- a lead of 19.
Sussex had resumed on 111 for 1 with night watchman Danny Briggs giving Nash useful support, and the second wicket pair had added 69 before Nash called his partner for a risky single in the last over before lunch with Briggs comfortably run out for 36.
Briggs had been fortunate to survive an excellent opening spell against Tim Van Der Gugten who regularly passed the outside edge, but Briggs’ determination carried him through until his dismissal.
Nash, meanwhile played watchfully, sharing a partnership of 52 with Luke Wells before Wells was bowled by Craig Meschede, and at 232 for 3, Sussex were in sight of a substantial first innings lead before Wagg’s dramatic over and the subsequent collapse.
Nash had completed his third championship century of the season from 284 balls with 18 fours, when Wagg began his 18th over; with his second ball Christian Davies edged to the wicketkeeper, his fourth dismissed Luke Wright who wafted outside the off stump, then the next delivery bowled David Wiese.
An early tea was then taken because of bad light, which might have made the three batsmen dismissed by Wagg wonder why the decision had not been taken before the over had started.
After the break, Nash’s six and half hour vigil ended when he was bowled by Van Der Gugten for 132, and the tail quickly followed with Glamorgan’s seamers rewarded for their accuracy throughout the innings.
Apart from David Lloyd, who only bowled one over, Van der Gugten, Meschede and Wagg’s economy rate was under three runs an over with Hogan’s under two.
When Glamorgan started their second innings, 31 runs adrift, Selman did manage to get off the mark after four successive ducks, but did not last long before he was leg before in Steve Magoffin’s second over.
Nash praised Glamorgan’s bowlers after his century: “They bowled really well, in the right areas, and kept it tight throughout the innings”.
He also praised Briggs who as nightwatchman put on 69 for the second wicket, saying: “Danny helped me a lot and is in the form of his life with the bat these days. We are still in the game, and need to fight back tomorrow.”
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Sussex collapse changes course of Glamorgan clash


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BIDWELL, Ohio — This time, the Lady Raiders were on the right end of a four-set affair against a TVC-Hocking squad.
That’s because the River Valley High School volleyball team captured a four-set victory on Thursday night, defeating visiting Belpre by counts of 25-13, 25-18, 16-25 and 25-22.
The win was the Raiders’ first of the season, as River Valley had lost two road tilts at two Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division clubs — at Eastern on Monday and Federal Hocking on Wednesday.
Both of those contests were also decided in four sets, as River Valley is a member of the TVC-Ohio.
Against Belpre, the Lady Raiders racked up 28 kills and 28 assists, with a serving percentage of 90-percent.
They also served up 11 aces, along with collecting 26 digs and five-and-a-half blocks.
Carly Gilmore garnered good all-around efforts with 11 kills, three blocks, eight digs and a pair of aces.
Jaden Neal notched seven kills for River Valley, while Rachael Horner and Emily Adkins added three apiece.
The team’s two setters — Angel Toler (13) and Isabella Mershon (11) — combined for all but four of the club’s assists.
Toler tallied five of the 11 aces as well, while Mershon — like Gilmore — mustered two.
Toler trailed Gilmore in digs by two (six).
The Lady Raiders return to the road, and return to non-league action, against another TVC-Hocking team in Southern on Monday.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106


TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say the driver of a boat has died after hitting a dock on a river along the Ohio-Michigan state line.
Three people were hurt and two men were in critical condition following the crash on the Ottawa River near Toledo.
The crash happened early Monday around midnight.
Police in Erie Township, Mich., identified the victim as 45-year-old Thomas Duquette II of Holland, Ohio.
___
Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/

1 dead after boat hits dock near Ohio-Michigan state line


MENTOR, Ohio (AP) — A high school near Cleveland is forfeiting its football season opener after suspending several players.
Media outlets in Cleveland report the school has been investigating possible hazing during an overnight summer football camp in July.
Lake Catholic High School in Mentor confirms that it has forfeited its game against Toledo St. John’s Jesuit that had been scheduled for Saturday night.
The school says several players were suspended for one game. The school’s principal says in a letter that it won’t tolerate actions by students or staff members that are contrary to its values and character.
Most high schools around Ohio kick off the football season this weekend.

Cleveland-area team forfeits season opener after suspensions


CLEVELAND (AP) _ These Ohio lotteries were drawn Saturday:
10-11-19-20-28-42, Kicker: 6-7-7-4-3-0
(ten, eleven, nineteen, twenty, twenty-eight, forty-two; Kicker: six, seven, seven, four, three, zero)
Estimated jackpot: $1.6 million
Estimated jackpot: $84 million
4-8-8
(four, eight, eight)
6-2-9
(six, two, nine)
1-0-6-7
(one, zero, six, seven)
2-6-9-0
(two, six, nine, zero)
7-0-6-9-0
(seven, zero, six, nine, zero)
4-1-6-5-1
(four, one, six, five, one)
04-32-48-49-63, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
(four, thirty-two, forty-eight, forty-nine, sixty-three; Powerball: twenty; Power Play: two)
Estimated jackpot: $142 million
18-23-31-32-35
(eighteen, twenty-three, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-five)
Estimated jackpot: $130,000


CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Ohio Gov. John Kasich is endorsing Chris Sununu in the state’s tightly contested Republican gubernatorial primary, calling the executive councilor a pragmatic conservative in his own mold.
“I only have a couple years left in my term and my job now is to try to figure out who I can pass the baton too, the pragmatic conservative baton, so they can carry on with the next leg of the run,” Kasich said Monday.
Sununu is the only non-incumbent in a contested primary who the Ohio governor is endorsing, Kasich’s advisers said. The support raises Sununu’s visibility in the final weeks of a primary that’s flown largely under the radar. Sununu faces Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, state Sen. Jeanie Forrester and state Rep. Frank Edelblut in the Sept. 13 primary.
Sununu said he’s “humbled,” to win the support of Kasich, given his record during two terms leading Ohio. Sununu did not endorse Kasich in the New Hampshire presidential primary, but his brother, former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu did. The family ties seemed to play a large role in the endorsement.
“He understands what it takes to run a state, to do it in a compassionate sound way,” Sununu said of Kasich while accepting the endorsement.
The two campaigned in Exeter on Monday afternoon and were scheduled to attend an evening fundraiser in Boston.
Sununu said he’s a stronger candidate than his rivals because, as a business executive, he “lives and breathes” New Hampshire’s challenges every day. As chief executive of Waterville Valley ski resort, he said he understands the burden that comes from high health care and energy costs and what it takes to employ and pay hundreds of workers.
But his business has come under scrutiny recently, with published reports that a stake of Waterville Valley is held by out-of-state investors. Sununu has touted the resort as under local control, but the Union Leader reported a Virginia-based charity called SAFA Trust holds a share in the company. Sununu’s campaign confirmed that SAFA has a stake in the company.
Sununu said Monday all of Waterville’s investors are friends, family and locals. Sununu’s campaign said Yaqub Mirza, an executive of the charity, is a longtime Sununu family friend.

Kasich backs Sununu in tight GOP primary for governor


LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two defendants became the first to plead guilty Thursday to federal charges in an armed confrontation with U.S. officials over grazing rights near cattleman and open-range advocate Cliven Bundy’s ranch in Nevada.
Gerald “Jerry” DeLemus and Blaine Cooper each admitted to conspiring with others who engaged in a tense gunpoint standoff with federal Bureau of Land Management agents in April 2014 near Bundy’s property about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Both told U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro they weren’t physically present for the standoff.
But they acknowledged interfering with the execution of federal court orders by recruiting and organizing armed gunmen to support Bundy and sons Ammon, Ryan, Mel and Dave Bundy in efforts to prevent the roundup of Bundy cattle from the scenic Gold Butte area.
Their plea deals call for sentences of six years in federal prison, although their defense attorneys can seek leniency at sentencing Dec. 1. Each also could be fined up to $500,000 and be subject to up to three years of government supervision after prison.
Cooper, 37, from Humboldt, Arizona, also pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer.
DeLemus, 61, of Rochester, New Hampshire, arrived in Nevada hours after the confrontation. He pleaded guilty to an interstate extortion charge admitting he drove cross-country with guns with an intent to display “force and aggression” to stop the roundup.
DeLemus, a former U.S. Marine, spent weeks afterward living in a tent and organizing armed patrols near the Bundy ranch outside Bunkerville.
DeLemus was also politically active at home in New Hampshire, where his wife, Susan DeLemus, is a Republican state assemblywoman.
He stopped several times Thursday to confer with his attorney while entering his guilty pleas.
“I don’t know that I threatened anyone,” DeLemus told the judge at one point, “but I made public statements hoping it would end peacefully.”
Prosecutors characterized DeLemus and Cooper as “mid-level organizers” and leaders of the conspiracy to prevent federal agents and contract cowboys from rounding up Bundy cattle that federal officials said were trespassing on public land.
“Federal law enforcement officers must be able to engage in their official duties, including executing federal court orders, without fear of assault or losing their lives,” U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said in a statement after the pleas.
DeLemus and Cooper became the first among 19 defendants to take plea deals in the case in Las Vegas.
Trial for some of the remaining 17 defendants is scheduled to begin Feb. 2 on charges also including threatening a federal officer, carrying a firearm in a crime of violence, and obstruction.
Seven defendants in the Nevada case, including Cooper and Bundy’s sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy, are also among 26 people charged in Portland, Oregon, in connection with a 41-day occupation of a wildlife refuge earlier this year.
Eleven people have taken plea deals in the Oregon case, including Cooper. The Oregon trial is scheduled to begin next month.

2 men in Nevada standoff case plead guilty in federal court


CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening’s drawing of the Ohio Lottery’s “Pick 3 Evening” game were:
0-4-0
(zero, four, zero)

Winning numbers drawn in ‘Pick 3 Evening’ game


AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A 29-year-old northeast Ohio man has been sentenced to seven years behind bars after he admitted to dragging an officer for two blocks while fleeing a traffic stop.
Demardre Johnson pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges including felonious assault, resisting arrest and obstructing justice. Johnson apologized for his actions in court.
Authorities say Akron police officers pulled Johnson over in February and asked him for his driver’s license. The man told police he didn’t have one and refused an officer’s request to step out of his vehicle.
Police say when they tried to open his door, Johnson shifted into drive and took off with an officer hanging on the vehicle’s door. The SUV eventually crashed and Johnson was taken into custody.
The officer was treated for minor injuries.

Man, 29, gets prison for dragging officer in traffic stop


LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Two Michigan universities have received state funding to develop technologies that would help identify and track harmful algae blooms in the Great Lakes.
The state Department of Environmental Quality awarded Oakland University $158,314 to produce harmful algae hazard maps that can be continually updated. Researchers also will explore development of a smartphone app that citizen volunteers could use to detect the blooms.
Grand Valley State University was given $83,573 to find methods for rapidly determining whether certain types of algae are producing toxins at the cellular level. The project is meant to help create early-warning systems and provide information on ecological factors that cause blooms to form.
Harmful algae blooms consist of bacteria that are fed by nutrients that flow into waterways from farms, wastewater treatment plants and other sources.

Universities awarded grants to study harmful algae blooms


The National Weather Service says four tornadoes touched down in one western Ohio county during a storm that moved across Indiana and Ohio.
Emergency officials in Van Wert County near the Indiana state line say they’re fortunate that the tornadoes rolled across mostly rural farmland during the storms Wednesday night. They say six properties had just minor damage.
The weather service also confirms that it was a tornado that damaged eight homes in Putnam County.
A county official says the homes lost siding, shingles and have a few broken windows.
Crews are still assessing the damage in Paulding and Defiance counties where suspected tornadoes blew the roofs off homes and tore through a mobile home park.
Officials in Ohio say there haven’t been any reports of injuries from the storm.

Weather Service confirms 4 tornadoes in western Ohio county


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on tornadoes that touched down in Indiana and Ohio (all times local):
6:15 p.m.
Wednesday’s tornado outbreak that swept Indiana came only about a week after another big August outbreak of tornadoes hit the state.
The National Weather Service said last week that eight tornadoes touched down across Indiana on Aug. 15. The previous August record was an outbreak on Aug. 9, 1969, that spawned five tornadoes.
Mike Ryan is a meteorologist with the weather service’s Indianapolis office. He says Wednesday’s outbreak could eclipse that record set only last week, if the storm tally reaches nine or more tornadoes.
As of late Thursday afternoon, weather service survey crews had confirmed that seven tornadoes hit Indiana on Wednesday. Ryan says he expects that tally to increase.
___
5:50 p.m.
The National Weather Service says at least seven tornadoes swept parts of central and northern Indiana during Wednesday’s outbreak.
Meteorologist Mike Ryan with the weather service’s Indianapolis office says five tornado touchdowns have been confirmed in central Indiana and two have been confirmed in two northeastern Indiana counties.
But he says weather service survey crews are still surveying storm damage and he expects the tornado tally to continue to rise.
One of the tornadoes that hit central Indiana was an EF3 with winds up to 165 mph that damaged and destroyed homes and business in the city of Kokomo, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis.
The weather service says a tornado that hit northeastern Indiana’s Allen County appears to have also been an EF3, although a final assessment is pending.
___
1:40 p.m.
Howard County and the city of Kokomo have only 10 tornado sirens, but a telephone and text-messaging system spread the word about dangerous storms bearing down on the central Indiana community.
WRTV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2bCZFhp ) the emergency alert system was installed in the county after a 2013 tornado.
Before the first tornado struck Wednesday, thousands of people received telephone calls or text messages.
Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman says “thousands upon thousands of people in Howard County” have signed up for the notifications and “it worked unbelievably well. … People were getting notifications well in advance of these tornadoes touching down.”
The National Weather Service says one tornado was an EF3 with 165 mph winds. Authorities report only 10-15 minor injuries in Howard County.
___
12:30 p.m.
Not even KISS could rock ‘n’ roll all night with tornado sirens blaring.
Frontman Gene Simmons tweeted that the band’s show in Toledo, Ohio, was stopped briefly Wednesday night during a tornado warning.
He says some people went into the arena to seek shelter until the storm passed.
While no tornadoes touched down in Toledo, there was a long line of damage across the northwestern part of the state from the storm that first hit central and northern Indiana.
About six trailers were damaged at a mobile home park near Hicksville in Ohio.
Officials in Van Wert County say at least two tornadoes touched down about 2 miles apart, tearing roofs off homes and flattening barns.
___
12:15 p.m.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence says it is a miracle that no one was killed or badly hurt by a tornado that hit the city of Kokomo.
Pence spoke Thursday after touring a neighborhood and businesses hit by Wednesday’s tornado. The National Weather Service says it was an EF3 tornado, packing winds of up to 165 mph.
Pence also visited a Red Cross shelter where some 200 people spent the night.
He credited quick thinking and early warnings of the approaching storm for the lack of serious injuries.
Pence and U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly were among officials who talked with residents in a neighborhood where homes were also damaged by a 2013 tornado.
Donnelly said Kokomo is a resilient, tough community and that all the residents he spoke with vowed to rebuild.
___
12:05 p.m.
The National Weather Service says it’s still unclear how many tornadoes touched down in Indiana on Wednesday.
The state’s Department of Homeland Security reported early Thursday that 12 tornadoes hit the state, but later the agency revised that number to eight.
Weather service meteorologist Joseph Nield says it’s not yet clear how many tornadoes touched down, although an EF3 tornado did strike Kokomo and an EF2 swept part of Montgomery County.
Nield says it’s likely several more tornadoes struck Indiana, but that those findings won’t come until later Thursday.
He says five separate weather service survey crews are scouring areas with storm damage in central and northern Indiana to determine if tornadoes struck there.
___
10:55 a.m.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has been hugging and chatting with people whose homes were destroyed or damaged when a tornado whipped through the city of Kokomo.
Donald Trump’s running mate arrived in Kokomo by helicopter to view the damage Thursday morning, a day after heavy storms spawned tornadoes across north and central Indiana.
Many trees were knocked down in the storm, and a large truck was hurled onto its side. Some homes are ruined while others were largely untouched.
Pence returned to Indiana after campaign stops in North Carolina on Wednesday. He has cancelled a campaign trip planned for Thursday.
___
8:35 a.m.
The mayor of Kokomo says crews from elsewhere in the state are coming to the central Indiana city to help restore power and clean up debris in the tornado-hit community.
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said Thursday morning that he’s grateful that no one was killed or seriously injured by the storm that struck Wednesday afternoon, damaging numerous houses, apartments and businesses.
He says about 220 people stayed overnight in a temporary shelter in Kokomo, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis.
Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers says 10 to 15 people suffered minor injuries.
Utility companies report at least 15,000 homes and businesses remain without electricity in Howard County.
Police have restricted access to storm-damage neighborhoods, saying residents must show identification to officers before entering.
___
8:15 a.m.
Indiana’s Department of Homeland Security says a tornado outbreak produced at least 12 tornadoes.
Agency spokesman John Erickson says officials are still assessing the storm damage Thursday, but that the tally as of Wednesday night showed 12 tornadoes touched down in Adams, Allen, Blackford, Cass, Grant, Howard, Marion and Montgomery counties in northern and central Indiana.
Several of those tornadoes struck Howard County, where the south side of the city of Kokomo suffered extensive damage.
National Weather Service surveys Thursday should determine whether additional storm damage in other areas was caused by tornadoes or high winds in severe thunderstorms.
___
7:45 a.m.
Emergency officials and the Red Cross have set up shelters for victims of tornadoes that swept across central Indiana.
One shelter is at the Kokomo Event and Conference Center. The Indianapolis Star reports that about 200 people were being housed and fed at the center at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, hours after the storms moved through. Kokomo is about 50 miles north of Indianapolis.
Another shelter is at Walnut Elementary School in New Ross, northwest of Indianapolis.
The Indiana Red Cross regional headquarters in Indianapolis has a team of employees and volunteers working at an operations center.
The National Weather Service says at least eight tornadoes touched down on Wednesday causing substantial damage. Authorities say between 15 and 20 people suffered injuries but none were severe.
___
7:05 a.m.
The National Weather Service says at least seven tornadoes swept parts of central and northern Indiana during Wednesday’s outbreak.
One was an EF3 with winds up to 165 mph that damaged and destroyed homes and business in the city of Kokomo, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis.
The weather service says a tornado that hit northeastern Indiana’s Allen County appears to have also been an EF3, although a final assessment is pending.
GOP vice presidential candidate and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence plans to leave the campaign trail Thursday to assess storm damage.
The weather service says two other thunderstorms produced separate tornadoes, one in Avon west of Indianapolis and one northwest of Lafayette, which is southwest of Indianapolis.
(This item has been corrected to show that the National Weather Service said at least seven, not eight, tornadoes hit during Wednesday’s storm. The original item relied on information from the weather service’s tally of an Aug. 15 tornado outbreak, not Wednesday’s storm.)
___
9:20 p.m.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence says he’ll tour Howard and Montgomery counties and possibly other areas Thursday to assess the storm damage.
The Republican vice presidential candidate returned to Indiana from the campaign trail Wednesday evening after the National Weather Service said several tornadoes struck the state. One that hit Kokomo has been determined to be an EF3 with 165 mph winds.
Pence says he’ll remain in the state as long as necessary to ensure people affected by the storms have the support they need. He says 200 people have checked in to a Red Cross shelter in Kokomo.
Indiana State Police spokesman Capt. David Bursten says about a dozen people were injured, but none seriously.

The Latest: Final tally of tornadoes could break record


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A committee of state lawmakers has held its first of five meetings aimed at determining whether Ohio’s jobless benefits system for workers is sustainable and whether any solvency issues need to be addressed.
The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/2bUwzM1 ) the state Department of Job and Family Services warned the panel of six Republicans and two Democrats Thursday that even a small recession would “render us insolvent.”
The agency says the state could increase employer taxes, levy a surcharge on businesses or suspend or lower benefit amounts.
Other possible reforms include lengthening benefit wait periods or shortening the amount of time benefits can be received.
The panel was created last year after a bill stalled that aimed at resolving the challenges facing the state’s unemployment compensation system.
___
Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

State agency proposes reform to unemployment benefits system


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday evening’s drawing of the “Powerball” game were:
04-32-48-49-63, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
(four, thirty-two, forty-eight, forty-nine, sixty-three; Powerball: twenty; Power Play: two)
Estimated jackpot: $142 million
¶ ___ ¶ Online: ¶ Multi-State Lottery Association: http://www.powerball.com/

Winning numbers drawn in ‘Powerball’ game


CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Ohio Gov. John Kasich is endorsing Chris Sununu in the state’s tightly contested Republican gubernatorial primary, calling the executive councilor a pragmatic conservative in his own mold.
“I only have a couple years left in my term and my job now is to try to figure out who I can pass the baton too, the pragmatic conservative baton, so they can carry on with the next leg of the run,” Kasich said Monday.
Sununu is the only non-incumbent in a contested primary who the Ohio governor is endorsing, Kasich’s advisers said. The support raises Sununu’s visibility in the final weeks of a primary that’s flown largely under the radar. Sununu faces Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, state Sen. Jeanie Forrester and state Rep. Frank Edelblut in the Sept. 13 primary.
Sununu said he’s “humbled,” to win the support of Kasich, given his record during two terms leading Ohio. Sununu did not endorse Kasich in the New Hampshire presidential primary, but his brother, former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu did. The family ties seemed to play a large role in the endorsement.
“He understands what it takes to run a state, to do it in a compassionate sound way,” Sununu said of Kasich while accepting the endorsement.
The two campaigned in Exeter on Monday afternoon and were scheduled to attend an evening fundraiser in Boston.
Sununu said he’s a stronger candidate than his rivals because, as a business executive, he “lives and breathes” New Hampshire’s challenges every day. As chief executive of Waterville Valley ski resort, he said he understands the burden that comes from high health care and energy costs and what it takes to employ and pay hundreds of workers.
But his business has come under scrutiny recently, with published reports that a stake of Waterville Valley is held by out-of-state investors. Sununu has touted the resort as under local control, but the Union Leader reported a Virginia-based charity called SAFA Trust holds a share in the company. Sununu’s campaign confirmed that SAFA has a stake in the company and that Yaqub Mirza, an executive of the charity, is a longtime Sununu family friend. Sununu said all of Waterville’s investors are friends, family and locals.
The ski resort is set to announce expansion plans Wednesday that will include 10 new trails and 45 acres of skiing. Known as the Green Peak Expansion, it will be finished this season and bring to 70 the total number of trails. It will be the resort’s biggest expansion in 30 years.

Kasich backs Sununu in tight GOP primary for governor


SOLON, Ohio (AP) — The suspect in the fatal shooting of a woman after a traffic accident in a Cleveland suburb has been ordered held on a $1 million bond.
Twenty-nine-year-old Matthew Desha (DESH’-uh), of North Ridgeville, had a video arraignment Monday in Bedford Municipal Court. A judge says he will assign Desha an attorney.
Solon police say Desha shot 53-year-old Deborah Pearl, of Twinsburg, multiple times with an AR-15 rifle after he ran a red light at an intersection and crashed into Pearl’s car as she drove to work. Cleveland.com has reported that a witness said Pearl’s arms were raised when she was shot.
Solon police Lt. Bruce Felton says there’s no indication Desha knew Pearl and no witness reports of a confrontation between them before Desha opened fire.
___
Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com

Ohio man held on $1M bond in fatal shooting after accident


CLEVELAND (AP) _ These Ohio lotteries were drawn Thursday:
08-30-35-36-42, Lucky Ball: 7
(eight, thirty, thirty-five, thirty-six, forty-two; Lucky Ball: seven)
Estimated jackpot: $76 million
0-4-0
(zero, four, zero)
4-9-5
(four, nine, five)
3-0-5-2
(three, zero, five, two)
7-8-0-0
(seven, eight, zero, zero)
7-7-6-2-7
(seven, seven, six, two, seven)
7-6-0-9-7
(seven, six, zero, nine, seven)
Estimated jackpot: $142 million
03-06-08-31-38
(three, six, eight, thirty-one, thirty-eight)
Estimated jackpot: $110,000


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A relative of a Civil War soldier who was misidentified when he was buried at a cemetery more than a century ago has asked officials to correct the mistake.
The Columbus Dispatch (http://bit.ly/2bzX8Ji ) reports that Confederate soldier Augustus Beckmann was fatally wounded in the Battle of Shiloh on April 7, 1862. But he was buried at the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery in Columbus under the wrong name, A. Bergman, and company.
Beckmann’s brother’s great-great-grandson, Greg Beckman, discovered the error when he visited Camp Chase last Memorial Day with his son. He put together the necessary documentation and asked the National Cemetery Administration to fix the headstone. He recently learned that the change had been approved.
A spokeswoman for the administration says approved stones are typically in place within 60 days.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

Headstone of Civil War soldier to be fixed after 154 years


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden is headed to northeast Ohio to campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
The Clinton campaign says exact details of Biden’s trip Thursday will be released soon. He’s expected to attend an event in the Mahoning Valley centered in Youngstown and another in Cleveland.
The region is considered critical to winning Ohio, a key political battleground. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been in both Akron and Youngstown this month.
Large numbers of Democrats in Mahoning County crossed over this spring to vote in the Republican primary — raising the possibility the blue-collar county, once a Democratic stronghold, could go for Trump this fall.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sik), then a presidential candidate, defeated Trump and other Republicans in Ohio’s GOP primary.

Biden headed to Clinton rally in Youngstown on Thursday


CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening’s drawing of the Ohio Lottery’s “Rolling Cash 5” game were:
03-06-08-31-38
(three, six, eight, thirty-one, thirty-eight)
Estimated jackpot: $110,000

Winning numbers drawn in ‘Rolling Cash 5’ game


Associated Press Ohio Daybook for Monday, Aug. 29.
The daybook is for planning purposes only and is not intended for publication or broadcast. You should verify any event you plan to cover.
Please keep the AP in mind when news develops. The Columbus bureau is reachable at 614-885-2727. Send daybook items to [email protected]
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Monday, Aug. 29 10:00 AM OHROC and Ohio GOP highlight Ohio state Rep. Jeff Rezabek’s ‘accomplishments in the House’ – Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee and Ohio Republican Party hold press conference to ‘highlight the stark contrast between Ohio state Rep. Jeff Rezabek and his challenger David Sparks’, and ‘call attention to past comments by Sparks that include lewd and sexually explicit language toward women, as well as comments about drug use.’ Participants include Ohio state Rep. Jeff Rezabek, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges, Trotwood Mayor Mary McDonald, and Ohio House Republican members
Location: Dayton Racquet Club, 40 N. Main Street, Dayton, OH Dayton http://www.ohroc.com/ https://twitter.com/OhioHouseGOP
Contacts: OHROC [email protected]
——————–
Monday, Aug. 29 10:00 AM Ohio Tax Credit Authority meeting
Location: Vern Riffe Center, 77 S High St, Columbus, OH Columbus http://development.ohio.gov/ https://twitter.com/OhioDevelopment
Contacts: Stephanie Gostomski Ohio Development Services Agency [email protected] 1 614 466 6619
——————–
Monday, Aug. 29 11:30 AM GOP New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Chris Sununu on campaign trail with Ohio Gov. Kasich – Republican New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Chris Sununu campaigns in New Hampshire with Ohio Governor John Kasich, with events including press conference with former Republican Senator John Sununu, New Hampshire Legislative Office Bldg, 33 North State St, Concord, NH (11:30 AM EDT) and downtown walk in Exeter with New Hampshire State Senator Russell Prescott, starting at 11 Court St, Exeter, NH (12:45 PM EDT)
Location: Concord http://www.chrissununu.com/
Contacts: Chris Sununu for Governor [email protected]
Open press
——————–
Monday, Aug. 29 6:00 PM Amber Tamblyn campaigns for Hillary Clinton in Ohio – Actress Amber Tamblyn (‘General Hospital’, ‘Joan of Arcadia’) campaigns for Hillary Clinton in Ohio, attending an organizing office opening, where she and supporters discuss Hillary Clinton’s ‘agenda for supporting the local economy compared with Donald Trump’s plan to give large tax breaks to the wealthy’
Location: 224 Park Ave., Hamilton, OH Hamilton www.hillaryclinton.com https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton #OHHillYes
Contacts: Rachel Harvey Katz Hillary for America [email protected]
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 8:30 AM Abercrombie & Fitch: Q2 2016 Earning conference call / Webcast
Location: TBD http://www.abercrombie.co.uk/anf/lifestyles/html/investorrelations.html https://twitter.com/Abercrombie
Contacts: Hampton Carney Paul Wilmot Communications [email protected] 1 212 206 7447
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 1:30 PM Akron Mayor Horrigan kicks off University of Akron 2016 football season – Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan kicks off University of Akron 2016 football season with press conference with Zips’ Director of Athletics Larry Williams and head coach Terry Bowden
Location: InfoCision Stadium, 373 E. Exchange Street, Akron, OH Akron www.akronohio.gov
Contacts: Christine R. Curry City of Akron [email protected] 1 330 375 2209
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 5:30 PM Candidate for Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Dreihaus speaks at event – Candidate for Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Dreihaus speaks at House Party hosted by Brian Garry and the Host Committee, discussing her ‘great plans for the future of Hamilton County’
Location: 128 Lafayette Lane, Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati http://www.denisedriehaus.com/ https://twitter.com/DeniseDriehaus
Contacts: Beverly Thomas MCR Marketing [email protected] Michael Ramundo MCR Marketing [email protected]
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 6:30 PM Ohio bicentennial farm recognized at Morrow County Fair – Ohio Department of Agriculture representatives and supporters of agriculture honor wetland family before the Morrow County Fair’s King and Queen Presentation. * The Swetland family has maintained their farm for 200 years
Location: Morrow County Fairgrounds, 195 South Main Street, Mt. Gilead, OH http://www.agri.ohio.gov/ https://twitter.com/OhioDeptofAg
Contacts: Ashley McDonald Ohio Department of Agriculture [email protected] 1 614 752 9817
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 6:30 PM AARP Ohio host ‘Take a Stand’ Cleveland field office opening – AARP Ohio host grand opening of the Cleveland field office for their ‘Take a Stand’ campaign, a national effort focused on ‘holding each presidential candidate accountable for a plan to address the future of Social Security and demands that the candidates share the specific details of their plan with voters throughout the entire campaign season’
Location: 14200 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH Lakewood http://www.aarp.org https://twitter.com/AARP
Contacts: Zach Bernstein AARP 1 917 637 0030
To RSVP, call 216.973.5966 or email [email protected]
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 Abercrombie & Fitch: Q2 2016 Results
Location: TBD http://www.abercrombie.co.uk/anf/lifestyles/html/investorrelations.html https://twitter.com/Abercrombie
Contacts: Hampton Carney Paul Wilmot Communications [email protected] 1 212 206 7447
——————–
Tuesday, Aug. 30 The Wendy’s Company: Q3 2016 Ex-dividend date
Location: TBD http://www.aboutwendys.com/Investors/ https://twitter.com/Wendys
Contacts: David D. Poplar Wendy’s Investor Relations [email protected] 1 614 764 3311
——————–
Wednesday, Aug. 31 8:00 AM Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority meeting – Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority meeting to consider acceptance of Federal Aviation Administration grant
Location: at One Maritime Plaza, Toledo, OH Toledo http://www.toledoportauthority.org/
Contacts: Connie Sobczak Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority [email protected]
——————–
Wednesday, Aug. 31 9:00 AM Ohio Board of Building Standards Residential Construction Advisory Committee meeting
Location: Division of Industrial Compliance, 6606 Tussing Road, Training Room 3, Reynoldsburg, OH Reynoldsburg www.com.ohio.gov https://twitter.com/OhioCommerce
Contacts: Lindsey Burnworth Ohio Department of Commerce [email protected] 1 614 995 5791
——————–
Wednesday, Aug. 31 4:00 PM Columbus City Councilmember Michael Stinziano holds Community Hours
Location: Panera Bread, 300 W. Lane Ave, Columbus, OH Columbus http://www.columbus.gov/ https://twitter.com/ColumbusCouncil
Contacts: Stephanie Megas City of Columbus 1 614 645 8311
——————–
Wednesday, Aug. 31 Abercrombie & Fitch: Q3 2016 Ex-dividend date
Location: TBD http://www.abercrombie.co.uk/anf/lifestyles/html/investorrelations.html https://twitter.com/Abercrombie
Contacts: Thomas D. Lennox Abercrombie & Fitch corporate communications [email protected] 1 614 283 6751
——————–
Wednesday, Aug. 31 Sleigh Bells begin North American tour in wake of Demi Lovato copyright lawsuit – Sleigh Bells begin North American tour * Band members Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller recently filed a complaint in California federal court alleging that Demi Lovato’s song ‘Stars’, taken from her fifth album ‘Confident’, contains similarities to their 2010 track ‘Infinity Guitars’ that ‘transcend the realm of coincidence’. The lawsuit names Lovato, UMG Recordings and producers Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub as defendants
Location: Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH Cleveland https://twitter.com/sleighbells
Contacts: Jen Appel Grandstand Media & Management [email protected]
——————–
Wednesday, Aug. 31 Hillary Clinton addresses The American Legion National Convention – The American Legion National Convention continues, with today’s speakers including 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton * Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks tomorrow
Location: Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati www.legion.org https://twitter.com/AmericanLegion
Contacts: The American Legion press [email protected] 1 317 630 1253
_____
Keywords: Daybook, Ohio


CLEVELAND (AP) _ These Ohio lotteries were drawn Saturday:
Estimated jackpot: $84 million
6-2-9
(six, two, nine)
2-6-9-0
(two, six, nine, zero)
4-1-6-5-1
(four, one, six, five, one)
Estimated jackpot: $142 million


BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) — A new solar field set to become Ohio’s largest installation is on track to open by the end of the year.
The 20-megawatt solar field in Bowling Green in northwestern Ohio will surpass the 12-megawatt Wyandot Solar Farm in the north-central part of the state.
Daryl Stockburger, Bowling Green’s assistant utilities director, said about 38 percent of the city’s energy will come from renewable sources once the solar project in complete. That’s up from its current level of about 12 percent.
The Blade (http://bit.ly/2bSELf5 ) newspaper in Toledo reported that percentage is 1.5 percent across the state.
The Bowling Green solar field is the largest within an 80-megawatt project that will be spread across 26 sites that are mostly in Ohio, Stockburger said.
“Ohio’s changing rapidly,” Luke Sulfridge, program director for OH SUN, a statewide group that promotes community solar projects. “This will be an interesting year.”
The federal Environmental Protection Agency has said the average amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere every year is now more than 400 parts per million for the first time in at least 800,000 years.
The White House has promoted a mix of natural gas and renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions.
Neocles Leontis, a chemistry professor at Bowling Green State University, said the big picture question is how much carbon dioxide emissions can be lowered.
Climate change “is not a question of 20 years from now,” he said. “It’s happening right now.”
___
Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/

Ohio’s largest solar project to be finished by year’s end


CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening’s drawing of the Ohio Lottery’s “Pick 4 Evening” game were:
3-0-5-2
(three, zero, five, two)

Winning numbers drawn in ‘Pick 4 Evening’ game


LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two defendants became the first to plead guilty Thursday to federal charges in an armed confrontation with U.S. officials over grazing rights near cattleman and open-range advocate Cliven Bundy’s ranch in Nevada.
Gerald “Jerry” DeLemus and Blaine Cooper each admitted to conspiring with others who engaged in a tense gunpoint standoff with federal Bureau of Land Management agents in April 2014 near Bundy’s property about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.
Both told U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro they weren’t physically present for the standoff.
But they acknowledged interfering with the execution of federal court orders by recruiting and organizing armed gunmen to support Bundy and sons Ammon, Ryan, Mel and Dave Bundy in efforts to prevent the roundup of Bundy cattle from the scenic Gold Butte area.
Their plea deals call for sentences of six years in federal prison, although their defense attorneys can seek leniency at sentencing Dec. 1. Each also could be fined up to $500,000 and be subject to up to three years of government supervision after prison.
Cooper, 37, from Humboldt, Arizona, also pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer.
DeLemus, 61, of Rochester, New Hampshire, arrived in Nevada hours after the confrontation started. His second felony plea was to an interstate extortion charge, admitting he drove cross-country with guns with an intent to display “force and aggression” to stop the roundup.
DeLemus, a former U.S. Marine, spent weeks afterward living in a tent and organizing armed patrols near the Bundy ranch outside Bunkerville.
DeLemus was also politically active at home in New Hampshire, where his wife, Susan DeLemus, is a Republican state assemblywoman. He stopped several times Thursday to confer with his attorney while entering his guilty pleas.
“I don’t know that I threatened anyone,” DeLemus told the judge at one point, “but I made public statements hoping it would end peacefully.”
Prosecutors characterized DeLemus and Cooper as “mid-level organizers” and leaders of the conspiracy to prevent federal agents and contract cowboys from rounding up Bundy cattle that federal officials said were trespassing on public land.
“Federal law enforcement officers must be able to engage in their official duties, including executing federal court orders, without fear of assault or losing their lives,” U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said in a statement after the pleas.
DeLemus and Cooper became the first among 19 defendants to take plea deals in the case in Las Vegas.
Trial for some of the remaining 17 defendants is scheduled to begin Feb. 2 on charges including threatening a federal officer, carrying a firearm in a crime of violence and obstruction.
Seven defendants in the Nevada case, including Cooper and Bundy’s sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy, are also among 26 people charged in Portland, Oregon, in connection with a 41-day occupation of a wildlife refuge earlier this year.
Eleven people have taken plea deals in the Oregon case, including Cooper. The Oregon trial is scheduled to begin next month.

2 men in Nevada standoff case plead guilty in federal court


CINCINNATI (AP) — An unprecedented spike of drug overdoses in the Cincinnati area seem to be leveling off, although are still at higher than normal levels, after a stunning wave last week, authorities said.
Newtown Police Chief Thomas Synan, who heads the Hamilton County Drug Coalition task force, said reports show heroin overdoses dropped to 10 to 15 a day over the weekend. Just Friday, emergency rooms reported 174 overdose cases over six days, for an average of 29 per day, although Synan said some likely were not from heroin. But he said 20 to 25 overdoses in a week would be more typical.
“We’re not seeing anything like we did last week, but it’s still a little elevated,” he said.
He said authorities have samples of heroin that was being sold and they will test it, hoping to determine the source. They suspect it was mixed with another drug, such as the powerful painkiller fentanyl or the elephant tranquilizer carfentanil.
“I think it shows the callousness of those who are dealing this drug,” Synan said. “They do not care about the person they are selling to, they do not care about the communities they affect.”
Communities in the neighboring states of Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia also saw overdose spikes last week. Meanwhile, Tennessee state officials on Monday urged increased public awareness of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s also being mixed with other drugs or as cheap counterfeits, and the increased risk of overdoses and fatalities.
Ohio health authorities reported last week that fentanyl helped fuel a record number of overdoses in 2015, when accidental drug overdoses killed 3,050 people in the state. A record high of 47,055 people died from drug overdoses in the United States in 2014, according to the latest figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overdose death tolls likely would be even worse without naloxone, a now widely available overdose antidote that many first responders carry. In Ohio alone, emergency medical personnel last year administered nearly 19,800 doses of naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan.
The state pharmacy board said Monday that 1,000 Ohio pharmacies, or about 47 percent of them, now offer the overdose antidote naloxone without a prescription. Expanding access to it beyond emergency responders has been a major part of Ohio’s strategy to curb the increasing overdoses and deaths.
However, authorities say use of fentanyl, which the CDC says is 50 to 100 times more potent that morphine, and even-stronger carfentanil, makes reviving users more difficult. Cincinnati first responders used multiple Narcan doses to save some users last week.
In southeastern Indiana, Jennings County Sheriff Gary Driver said Monday some of those who overdosed during last week’s wave there needed three or four doses to be revived. He said heroin taken from overdosers’ homes has been sent to an Indiana State Police laboratory for analysis to determine if it was laced with fentanyl or another drug.
“We hope that what happened scared people, made them aware that it might be laced. But people are still using heroin, and that stuff is deadly whether it’s laced or not,” Driver said.
Autopsy results are pending on a woman who died in one of the Jennings County cases.
Authorities in Cincinnati said three to five deaths there are believed connected to the overdose wave last week.
Synan praised “astonishing work” by Cincinnati firefighters and other first responders for saving as many people as they did during an exhausting wave, while adding there are rarely any calm days in the anti-drug effort.
“This has been an event, a spike,” Synan said. “But this is a continual battle that we have every single day throughout the region.”
___
Associated Press writers Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, and Rick Callahan in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
___
Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell
For some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/dan-sewell

Unprecedented overdose spike slows in Cincinnati


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A divided Ohio Supreme Court says the state’s good Samaritan law applies to individuals trying to provide non-medical help in emergencies.
The court ruled 4-3 Tuesday in favor of a man sued after his unsuccessful efforts to free another man whose leg was pinned between a truck and a loading dock in Fairfield.
Dennis Carter lost his leg after Larry Reese, the man trying to help him, inadvertently caused the truck to roll back and crush Carter’s leg.
Attorneys for Reese said he shouldn’t be held liable for the accident because Ohio’s good Samaritan law protects people trying to help in such circumstances.
Justice Terrence O’Donnell, writing for the majority, says the law applies to anyone providing emergency care or treatment, not just health care professionals.

Ohio court rules that immunity law covers non-medical help