Republican U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, left, talks with rival candidate businessman Donald Trump during a break in the midst of the Republican U.S. presidential candidates debate sponsored by ABC News at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire Feb. 6, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
WASHINGTON—Republican voters in Arizona and Florida are expected to pick Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio as their respective U.S. Senate nominees when they go to the polls on Tuesday, but one name not on either ballot, Donald Trump, looms large.
The Republican presidential nominee has endorsed both McCain and Rubio in their re-election bids even though he has rocky relations with both senators.
Trump offended McCain and many other Republicans last year by suggesting that the maverick senator and party's 2008 presidential nominee was anything but a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War after his airplane was shot down during a bombing mission.
In March, Trump ended Rubio's presidential bid by trouncing him in the Florida primary to cap a race in which the New York businessman taunted the first-term senator as "little Marco," and Rubio insulted Trump on everything from his hair color and the size of his hands to misspelled words in tweets.
During their re-election efforts, both McCain and Rubio have offered support for Trump as the party's White House nominee. But they have tiptoed around him, mainly out of concern that his provocative comments on illegal immigration, Muslims and U.S. support for NATO could alienate moderate and independent voters in their states.
At the same time, they have steered clear of attacks on Trump that might antagonize his core supporters.
Adding to the intrigue is that the fates of the two senators will likely play a big role in whether Republicans can upset expectations and maintain majority control of the Senate after the Nov. 8 election.
But first, McCain will have to win Tuesday's Republican primary in Arizona and Rubio will have to prevail in Florida.
McCain, who is trying to extend a 30-year Senate career, faces a challenge from physician and former state Senator Kelli Ward, who is aligned with the conservative Tea Party movement.
McCain leads Ward by 55 percent to 29 percent, according to a CNN opinion poll released last week. But Ward is ratcheting up her attacks, arguing: "It's time to defeat the establishment and retire McCain."
In an interview last week with Politico, Ward called McCain, 80, "a pretty sour old guy." Citing her medical background, she questioned whether he would even live long enough to complete another six-year Senate term.
Ward has aligned herself with Trump, who will face Democrat Hillary Clinton in November's presidential election.
Mixing the mortar
Echoing Trump's call for the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, Ward has boasted: "It's time to mix the mortar to fix the border."
Trying to neutralize Ward's appeal with conservatives, McCain has touted his support for gun rights, his vow to cut government waste and endorsements from anti-abortion leaders.
If McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, wins on Tuesday, he would face Democratic U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.
While McCain has said he is in the toughest re-election fight of his career, the CNN poll has him opening a 13-point lead over Kirkpatrick.
Rubio, who decided last year not to seek re-election to the Senate in order to pursue the Republican presidential nomination, jumped into the race in June after his failed White House bid.
His late decision to seek a second Senate term came at the urging of Republican Party leaders, who viewed him as their best hope for preventing Democrats from taking the seat.
That prompted the major Republican Senate candidates to quit, leaving Carlos Beruff, 58, a millionaire homebuilder and newcomer to politics, as Rubio's main primary challenger. Like Ward, Beruff has embraced Trump and has accused Rubio of "tap dancing" around the presidential nominee and only offering him lukewarm support.
Rubio is polling well ahead of Beruff. A win on Tuesday means Rubio would likely face U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who leads the Democratic field.

Trump hovers over McCain, Rubio U.S. Senate re-election contests


A 49-year-old Oklahoma woman has been charged with first-degree murder on suspicion of killing her daughter whom she thought was possessed by the devil by jamming a crucifix down her throat and beating her, court records released on Tuesday showed.
Juanita Gomez was booked last week in the death of Geneva Gomez, whose body was found in an Oklahoma City home with a large cross on her chest, a probable cause affidavit said.
Local media said the daughter was 33 years old.
No lawyer was listed for Gomez in online jail records.
Police said Gomez confessed to the crime, telling officers she forced a crucifix and religious medallion down her daughter's throat until blood came out.
"Juanita saw her daughter die and then placed her body in the shape of a cross," the affidavit said.
Gomez was being held without bond at the Oklahoma County jail.

Oklahoma mother charged with using crucifix to kill 'possessed' daughter


JAMESTOWN, N.D.—When Jamestown Fire Chief Jim Reuther picked up Chloe, an 8-week-old female bloodhound, in Fargo, he wasn't thinking too much about the return trip to Jamestown.
"Try driving with a 20-pound dog on your lap," he said, chuckling at the thought.
Reuther went to Fargo Aug. 21 to meet with Erin and Ryan Solberg, owners of Cedar Ridge Hounds where they raise pure-bred bloodhounds in northern Minnesota. The couple decided to give Reuther the dog because of how he intends to use Chloe—as a search-and-rescue dog.
Reuther said he had talked with Erin Solberg off and on for about eight or nine months about bloodhounds, and he mentioned how he wanted to use Chloe.
"It's an amazing cause (training Chloe to become a search-and-rescue dog), and he (Reuther) seems so gung-ho," Erin Solberg said.
Solberg said a puppy like Chloe would normally cost around $500, and she would be more if she were to certify Chloe as a pure-bred bloodhound. She said two of the dogs from their farm had been sold to other people who have either trained the dogs in search and rescue or are in the process of doing so.
The idea
Reuther said he got the idea to train a bloodhound in search and rescue after seeing what a bloodhound that has received proper training can do at a search-and-rescue scene. In December 2011, he said he watched a bloodhound, which was owned and trained by Earle "Bud" Myers with the Valley Water Rescue Team, search along holes drilled in the ice to help locate the body of Darrin Ackerman, a 49-year-old Jamestown man who was last seen ice fishing on the reservoir. When the bloodhound named Barnaby indicated on the scent of Ackerman on one of the holes, the rescue team used a remote-operated vehicle with a camera attached and located Ackerman.
Reuther said he started exploring the idea of getting his own bloodhound and getting the dog and himself trained in search and rescue after that day. When he saw a similar experience with a different bloodhound earlier this year in the West Fargo, N.D., area and discussed the idea with Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger and Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser, he decided training a bloodhound for search and rescue was something he wanted to do.
Reuther also talked with his veterinarian, Dr. Dawn Entzminger, to make sure she was willing to provide around-the-clock medical attention to Chloe in case she is injured at a search-and-rescue scene.
Training
Reuther said he is doing the training with Chloe and himself with no cost to the city of Jamestown or the Jamestown Fire Department. He said he will pay for any training that he or Chloe takes.
Currently Reuther and Chloe are getting to know each other. He said he has started some basic training with Chloe—basically playing hide and seek.
"I'll have someone hold her, then I will walk away, then have her come to me," he said. "Once we have that down, I'll hide behind something and see if she can find me."
Myers, a retired state's attorney who worked in Grand Forks, Richland and Cass counties, said bloodhounds are trained to be scent-specific searchers.
"We train them so they are only searching for one person, so they can go into a crowd and eliminate everyone in that crowd except for the one scent for which they are looking," he said.
Reuther said Myers will be helping him train Chloe.
Both men said the biggest challenge in training a dog in search and rescue is building the relationship between the dog and the handler.
"They have to be able to read each other, to know what each little sign means, to know each other's mood," Myers said.
Reuther said he hopes to have he and Chloe ready for search-and-rescue work in about a year, maybe more, depending on how he and the dog learn the training.

Fire chief to train dog, himself in search and rescue tactics


Damaged mosque is seen in Falluja, Iraq, after government forces recaptured the city from Islamic State militants, June 30, 2016. REUTERS
Destroyed buildings from clashes are seen on the outskirts of Falluja, Iraq, June 20, 2016. REUTERS
WASHINGTON—Shi'ite militias in Iraq detained, tortured and abused far more Sunni civilians during the American-backed capture of the town of Falluja in June than U.S. officials have publicly acknowledged, Reuters has found.
More than 700 Sunni men and boys are still missing more than two months after the Islamic State stronghold fell. The abuses occurred despite U.S. efforts to restrict the militias' role in the operation, including threatening to withdraw American air support, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials.
The U.S. efforts had little effect. Shi'ite militias did not pull back from Falluja, participated in looting there and now vow to defy any American effort to limit their role in coming operations against Islamic State.
All told, militia fighters killed at least 66 Sunni males and, all told, abused at least 1,500 others fleeing the Falluja area, according to interviews with more than 20 survivors, tribal leaders, Iraqi politicians and Western diplomats.
They said men were shot, beaten with rubber hoses and in several cases beheaded. Their accounts were supported by a Reuters review of an investigation by local Iraqi authorities and video testimony and photographs of survivors taken immediately after their release.
The battle against Islamic State is the latest chapter in the conflict between Iraq's Shi'ite majority and Sunni minority, which was unleashed by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The war ended decades of Sunni rule under Saddam Hussein and brought to power a series of governments dominated by Shi'ite Islamist parties patronized by Iran.
Washington's inability to restrain the sectarian violence is now a central concern for Obama administration officials as they move ahead with plans to help Iraqi forces retake the much larger city of Mosul, Islamic State's Iraqi capital. Preliminary operations to clear areas outside the strategic city have been under way for months. Sunni leaders in Iraq and Western diplomats fear the Shi'ite militias might commit worse excesses in Mosul, the country's second-largest city. Islamic State, the Sunni extremist group, seized the majority-Sunni city in June 2014.
'Central topic'
U.S. officials say they fear a repeat of the militia abuses in Mosul could erase any chances of reconciling Iraq's Sunni and Shia communities. "Virtually every conversation that we have had internally with respect to planning for Mosul—and virtually every conversation that we've had with the Iraqis—has this as a central topic," said a senior Obama Administration official.
In public, as reports of the abuses in Falluja emerged from survivors, Iraqi officials and human rights groups, U.S. officials in Washington initially played down the scope of the problem and did not disclose the failed American effort to rein in the militias.
Brett McGurk, the special U.S. envoy for the American-led campaign against Islamic State, expressed concern to reporters at a June 10 White House briefing for reporters about what he called "reports of isolated atrocities" against fleeing Sunnis.
Three days before the briefing, Gov. Sohaib al-Rawi of Anbar Province informed the U.S. ambassador that hundreds of people detained by Shi'ite militias had gone missing around Falluja, the governor told Reuters. By the time of the White House briefing, Iraqi officials, human rights investigators and the United Nations had collected evidence of scores of executions, the torture of hundreds of men and teenagers, and the disappearance of more than 700 others.
Nearly three weeks later, on June 28, McGurk struck a measured tone during testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said reports of abuses had been received in the early days of the operation, "many of which have turned out not to be credible but some of which appear to be credible."
McGurk declined a request for an interview. Mark Toner, the State Department's deputy spokesperson, said American officials had expressed "concern both publicly and privately" about reported atrocities. "We find any abuse totally unacceptable," Toner said, and "any violation of human rights should be investigated with those responsible held accountable."
Militia leaders deny that their groups mistreated civilians. They say the missing men were Islamic State militants killed in battle.
Exacting revenge
Iraqi government officials also challenged the reports of widespread violence against civilians. In an interview, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi's deputy national security adviser, Safa al-Sheikh, said there were a few incidents, but added: "There are a lot of exaggerations, and some of the reports didn't have any basis."
Iraq's main Shi'ite militias, trained and armed by Tehran, emerged during the 2003-2011 U.S. occupation and have grown in power and stature. After helping the government defend Baghdad when Islamic State seized Mosul in 2014, the militias became arms of the Iraqi government. Islamic State has slaughtered thousands of Iraqis, of all faiths.
There now are more than 30 Shi'ite militias whose members receive government salaries. The major groups have government posts and parliament seats.
Their might has also been enhanced by some of the more than $20 billion in military hardware the United States has sold or given to Iraq since 2005. Their weaponry includes armored personnel carriers, trucks, Humvees, artillery and even tanks, according to U.S. officials, independent experts and pictures and videos militia members have posted on the internet.
Collectively, the Shi'ite militias are known as the Hashid Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces. The militias officially answer to Abadi. In reality, the main groups answer only to themselves, display their own flags and emblems, and are advised by the Quds Force—Iran's elite foreign paramilitary and intelligence service.
The Falluja offensive began on May 22. For more than a year, American officials had warned Iraqi officials repeatedly that the United States would suspend air support in areas where militias were operating outside the Iraqi military's formal chain of command. The policy was designed to prevent American planes from inadvertently bombing Iraqi forces and to restrain militias from entering areas considered sensitive to Sunnis, according to U.S. officials.
In the first two days of the Falluja offensive, reports emerged of militiamen separating males from fleeing families. American, Western and U.N. diplomats pressured Abadi, other top Iraqi officials and militia leaders to stop the abuses. Abadi and other political leaders publicly called for protection of civilians.
'Don't be treacherous'
The Americans' influence was hindered by the fact they had no forces in Falluja and couldn't observe specific abuses, according to the Western diplomat who tracked the campaign.
On May 26, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric, pleaded with combatants to protect civilians. Aid agencies estimated at the time that as many as 100,000 people remained inside Falluja.
"Don't be extreme ... don't be treacherous. Don't kill an old man, nor a boy, nor a woman. Don't cut a tree unless you have to," Sistani said, citing sayings of the Prophet Mohammed.
Sistani's pleas and the American threats fell on deaf ears.
The first known instance of systematic abuse by the militias in the Falluja offensive occurred May 27 northeast of the city, in the farming region of Sejar. Militiamen and security forces stopped a group of fleeing Sunnis, pulled aside somewhere between 73 and 95 males aged 15 and older and took them away, according to Gov. al-Rawi of Anbar Province and a Western diplomat who monitored the offensive. Women and children were freed.
"We are still in contact with women and children who were handed to government people," said the Western diplomat. "They still don't know where the men are."
On May 29, militiamen just west of the farming areas of Sejar, separated 20 men from a group of fleeing Sunnis and "started killing them," said the Western diplomat. "The police arrived when there were three left alive. The police took the three and dumped them" in a camp east of Falluja for people displaced by the civil war.
Terrified that the militias would storm the camp and kill them, the trio arranged protection for themselves in Baghdad, the diplomat said. Gov. al-Rawi confirmed this account.
A Sunni academic said he spoke to three survivors of the alleged massacre, two brothers and their cousin. The men said the killings occurred during fighting between Iraqi federal police forces and Islamic State, according to the academic.
Survivor accounts
The three survivors told the academic that they were among some 50 people who had sought shelter in a house when they saw federal police raise the Iraqi flag at a nearby school. The group waved white cloths and was directed to leave the house by the police.
When the group emerged, the three said, the police separated the men from their families. One officer then opened fire and killed 17 men, the academic quoted the survivors as saying, adding that the three were spared when another officer intervened. The shooter was arrested, according to the Anbar governor.
Worse was to come. Shi'ite militiamen seeking vengeance against Islamic State rounded up Sunnis on June 3 from the town of Saqlawiya, according to witnesses interviewed by Reuters, U.N. workers, Iraqi officials and Human Rights Watch.
According to these accounts, more than 5,000 Sunnis, mostly members of the al-Mohamda tribe, left Saqlawiya, a farming community five miles northwest of Falluja. The Sunnis made their way toward what they thought was the safety of government lines marked by Iraqi flags. A gray-haired man described the scene in a video recorded by local officials after he and 604 other men were freed two days later.
"When we arrived there, we discovered they were the Hashid," the Shi'ite militias, the witness said.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein, two senior Iraqi officials, and a 69-year-old survivor interviewed by Reuters identified the militiamen as members of Kataib Hezbollah. One of the most powerful Shi'ite paramilitaries, Kataib Hezbollah was organized by and retains close ties to Iran's Quds Force. Both are deemed to be terrorist groups by the United States.
Kataib Hezbollah denied being involved in abuses in Falluja. "They make these claims based on accusations from politicians that ISIS is depending on," said Kataib spokesman Jaafar al-Husseini. "They are trying to keep us far from the operations of Anbar and Mosul."
The militiamen separated out an estimated 1,500 males aged 15 and older and moved them in groups to different locations, including warehouses and an Iraqi base called Camp Tariq, according to survivors, U.N. investigators and Human Rights Watch.
'Fists, knives and cables'
The survivors described being crammed into small rooms and halls and denied food and water, straining to breathe in the stifling heat. Militiamen using sticks, pipes and hoses beat the detainees and declared that they were taking revenge for Camp Speicher—a June 2014 massacre by Islamic State of 1,566 Shi'ite and other non-Sunni air force cadets.
A 32-year-old man, one of six survivors Reuters interviewed, said he was packed into a room with dozens of other captives, his hands tied behind his back.
"They started hitting us with their fists, knives and cables," he said. "When people fainted, we yelled they were going to die, and the guards told us that's what they wanted."
The guards, the survivor said, told the captives they were avenging the deaths of hundreds of Iraqi soldiers killed in fighting around Falluja since 2014.
In a video recorded by local officials, another survivor told how men craving water were given bottles in which to urinate and told to drink their own waste.
A 47-year-old survivor described how he watched militiamen repeatedly beat his 17-year-old son and carry off the corpses of 15 men who appeared to have been beaten to death. The man was one of the 605 survivors released on June 5. His son was not among them, he said; the boy hasn't been seen since.
"We want to know the destiny of our sons," the man told Reuters. "We consider the Americans responsible for everything that has happened."
Unaccounted for
In all, militiamen killed at least 49 men who were detained in Saqlawiya, four of whom were beheaded, according to the U.N.'s Zeid.
The brutality ended without explanation for some 800 detainees after two days. But 643 Saqlawiya detainees remain unaccounted for. Their names are recorded on a list circulated by local officials to the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and government investigators and reviewed by Reuters.
On June 7, Sheikh Ali Hamad, a leader of the Mohamda, a Sunni tribe, decried on television what he called "a genocidal crime" and the deaths of "tens of our sons."
The same day, the Anbar governor informed U.S. Ambassador Jones that hundreds of Sunni men were missing. U.N. envoy Zeid issued a statement citing "extremely distressing, credible reports" of abuse, including summary executions of men and boys by militiamen.
On June 9, the day before McGurk's White House briefing, Human Rights Watch issued a report on the alleged atrocities in Sejar and Saqlawiya.
The regular Iraqi security forces, including the U.S.-trained Counter-Terrorism Service, eventually established safe corridors and guided civilians out of the city. Some 100,000 civilians escaped as a result.
A piece of the action
Today, the Shi'ite militias are clamoring to join the Mosul offensive, fired by zeal, a desire for revenge and hopes of burnishing their political standing within their sect.
"They will want a piece of the climactic battle," said Kenneth Pollock, a former CIA analyst now with the Brookings Institution, a Washington policy institute.
Ryan Crocker, a career diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2007 to 2009, said the Obama administration has downplayed abuses by both militia and Iraqi forces. "This administration is so determined to be able to declare victory over ISIL (that) they don't really care about any of the rest of it," said Crocker.
Over the disapproval of the Mosul provincial government, Abadi and militia leaders have said that militias will participate in the campaign to liberate the city.
The chief PMF administrator is Jamal Ibrahimi. Known by the nom de guerre Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, he is on the U.S. international terrorist list.
U.S. officials say Ibrahimi is the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, the militia that Iraqi officials, Western diplomats and others hold primarily responsible for the atrocities committed in the Falluja offensive.
Ibrahimi and the militia deny that he heads Kataib Hezbollah.
Abadi's office has announced that a committee will investigate allegations of rights abuses in Falluja. It is uncertain if the inquiry will find anyone responsible beyond a handful of low-level suspects whose arrests Abadi reported on June 13.

New massacre reports show U.S. inability to curb Iraq militias


A bushel of soybeans are shown on display in the Monsanto research facility in Creve Coeur, Missouri, U.S. on July 28, 2014. REUTERS/Tom Gannam/File Photo
BOONE, Iowa—U.S. farmers plan to increase their soybean plantings in 2017 to an all-time high, encouraged by robust demand for the oilseed, while reducing corn and wheat acreage, according to a producer survey released by Farm Futures magazine on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
Growers will plant 84.4 million acres of soybeans next spring, up from 83.7 million in 2016, and 93.1 million acres of corn, down from 94.1 million this year, according to the survey, the magazine's first for the upcoming season.
Low prices will prompt farmers to slash wheat area for a fourth straight season to 49.1 million acres, which would be the lowest U.S. all-wheat acreage since 1970, according to the
online survey of 1,225 farmers conducted in late July and early August.
A moderate increase in white wheat seedings will be more than offset by declines in plantings of all other major classes of wheat, the survey showed.
"Farmers show a tendency to base planting decisions on what worked the previous year, and soybeans were profitable for growers able to take advantage of hedging opportunities this
summer," Bryce Knorr, Farm Futures senior grain market analyst, said in a statement.
"Strong buying from China also provides a much better fundamental underpinning for the market compared to corn and wheat, which lack demand drivers," he said.
The survey also forecast moderate increases in cotton and sorghum acres.

U.S. soybean plantings to rise in 2017, corn to fall


A fighter of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) holds an ISIL flag and a weapon on a street in the city of Mosul, June 23, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
BAGHDAD—Islamic State has claimed a suicide bombing that killed at least 15 people and injured 16 at a wedding party near the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala late on Sunday.
Five assailants including the suicide bomber attacked the celebration in Ain al-Tamr, west of Kerbala in southern Iraq, firing machine guns and throwing hand grenades, the police said. All the attackers were killed by security forces.
The bombing is the first in the Kerbala region since Iraqi forces dislodged Islamic State militants from their stronghold in Falluja, 50 miles north of city.
The ultra-hardline Sunni group has been retreating since last year in the face of government forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition and Iranian-supported Shi'ite militias.
But it remains in control of parts of northern and western Iraq and continues to claim bombings all over the country, targeting mainly Shi'ite districts and cities.
A statement on the Amaq news agency that supports Islamic State said the attack was carried out by four of its suicide fighters against a "gathering of Shi'ites".
Initial reports in local media late, citing security sources, blamed the killings on a dispute between two tribes at the wedding party.
Islamic State claimed a truck bomb that killed at least 325 people in Baghdad's Karrada shopping street in July, the deadliest attack since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Islamic State claims wedding suicide bombing that killed 15 people


Donated blood is seen being transferred into test tubes at United Blood Services in Fargo, N.D., in this file photo.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended on Friday, Aug. 26, that all blood donated in the United States and its territories be tested for Zika virus, as it moves to prevent transmission of the virus through the blood supply.
The agency's move to expand its previous guideline for blood screening comes after Florida officials on Tuesday announced the first case of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Pinellas County, some 265 miles from Miami, where the first locally transmitted U.S. cases were reported.
The FDA last month ordered blood banks in Florida's two most densely populated counties—Miami-Dade County and Broward County—to stop collecting blood.
The FDA also recommended that nearby counties implement the same measures.
Zika was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
Health officials warned pregnant women last week not to travel to Miami Beach after Florida confirmed the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active there.
The agency had recommended in February that blood should no longer be collected from regions where the Zika virus is circulating, and that blood needed for transfusions be obtained from areas of the country without active transmission.
The FDA has authorized the emergency use of several investigational Zika screening tests, including products made by Hologic Inc and Roche Holding AG.

FDA wants donated blood tested for Zika virus


The Nottingham Society of Artists (NSofA) is holding a special event on Bank Holiday Monday to celebrate Leonardo Da Vinci and his work.
Leonardo: His Drawings, Your Drawings, Our Drawings is an interactive family event that will bring art from the public - and local artists - together with the work of the great artist.
The event will take place at the historic society’s Friar Lane gallery between 10am and 4pm. Members of the public will be invited to have a go at drawing a model dressed to reflect one of the sketches in the Leonardo exhibition, or to try to recreate one of his sketches.
The drawings will then be displayed alongside artwork created by local artists for the event. Entry to the event is free, and a £3 contribution is required for those wishing to participate. All ages and abilities are welcome, and certificates will be given for the best entries. Drawing materials will be provided. Refreshments will be available throughout.
To honour Leonardo’s fascination with machines, sculptures created by member’s of the NSofA will be on display. Additionally, to tie the historic 15th century artist’s work with the 21st century, visitors will be able to watch a state of the art 3D printer provided by John E Wright create a miniature sculpture. The machine will be start running for a couple of hours at 1pm.
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The Nottingham Society of Artists (NSofA) is holding a special event on Bank Holiday Monday to celebrate Leonardo Da Vinci and his work.


Derby Comic Festival will be hosted at Derby Silk Mill on Saturday, September 3.
Taking place on the ground floor of the Silk Mill, the event promises to encompass a colourful spectrum of the comic book world with special guests and creators and is organised by Victor Wright, who runs the Birmingham Comics Festival.
With over 50 exhibitors scheduled to attend, the diverse range of publications, rare books, original art, plus the latest titles hot of the press, alongside convention exclusives, will ensure collectors and fans of all ages will find something to put a smile on all their faces.
And there will be a whole lot more to do besides, from getting those one-off photographs with cosplayers expected in full regalia to having your picture taken in film related vehicles.
Mohammed Suleman, director of resources at Derby Museums, said: “We’re very excited here at Derby Museums to host the first Derby Comic Festival at the Silk Mill. I’m a huge comic book fan and I can’t wait to meet all the stars and of course have my photo taken with the storm troopers!”
Vic Wright, from Comic Festival, said: “The Derby Comic Festival 2016 will be a day not to be missed visitors will have a chance to meet stars from Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Harry Potter. Blues Brothers or Batman fan? - you’ll also be able to see The Tumbler car from Batman and The Blues Brothers’ Dodge car!”
There is parking available within walking distance from the venue in Derby city centre. There will also be refreshments available to purchase at the event.
For more information please visit www.derbycomiccon.com or you can contact the organisers via email info@derbycomiccon.com
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Derby Comic Festival will be hosted at Derby Silk Mill on Saturday, September 3.


Aled Jones is to be the host of the first annual eagerly-awaited Donington Live concert, to be held on Sunday, September 4.
Taking place in the picturesque setting of Donington Park, the event is set to be a highlight in the musical and social calendar for the region.
The East Midlands’ newest cultural music event was conceived when the beloved Darley Park concert was unable to continue at its location in Derby.
At the new home of Donington Park, many of the standout features of the Darley Park concert will be retained, including the continued importance of East Midlands-based professional orchestra SinfoniaViva and the magnificent finale firework display, while many new elements will be implemented.
On the bill for Donington Live will be the star names mezzo soprano Laura Wright, Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro and the chart-topping Military Wives Choir, plus, of course, singer and presenter Aled Jones as host.
He will also joining in the concert’s glittering finale.
With over 35,000 music fans descending on to Darley Park last year, the new partnership of Donington Park and Music+Sport presents the opportunity for the event to grow and cater for the whole East Midlands region with Donington’s world-class event infrastructure.
As well as a day of fantastic entertainment, there will be family fun and food for all tastes and budgets available to purchase.
Aled Jones said: “I can’t wait to host Donington Live - the crowds in the East Midlands are always fantastic so I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces. It’s set to be a perfect end to the summer for the whole family and it will be great fun joining Collabro, Laura Wright and the Military Wives Choir on the day, ”
Due to the expansion and change of location, the event will now be ticketed.
Tickets are on sale via doningtonlive.co.uk priced at £15, with children under 13 free when accompanied by an adult.
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Aled Jones is to be the host of the first annual eagerly-awaited Donington Live concert, to be held on Sunday, September 4.


Newstead Brass will start a Brass Explosion this Bank Holiday Sunday as the first of five bands to play at Newark Castle for the annual event, which ends with a firework display at 10pm.
Each band will present an hour-long concert with Newstead performing at 3pm. They will be followed by Pleasley Colliery (4.30pm), Decent Chaps (6pm), Carlton Brass (7.30pm) and the Newark and Sherwood Concert Band (9pm).
The event runs from 2pm to 10pm with free admission. As well as the bands, there will be a circus workshop, face painting, a Teddy Bear Hospital and bouncy castles (chargeable).
Some chairs are provided but audience members are invited to bring picnics and deckchairs or blankets to sit on. Food will be available to purchase on site.
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Newstead Brass will start a Brass Explosion this Bank Holiday Sunday as the first of five bands to play at Newark Castle for the annual event, which ends with a firework display at 10pm.


The Ship Of Fools comedy night returns to Number 28 in Belper on Saturday, September 3, featuring headliner John Whale.
There will be support on the night from Patrick Draper with more support to be announced, and your compere will be Alan Seaman.
Bring your own drink. Admission costs £7 and the show starts at 8pm.
Get your tickets via shipoffoolscomedy@yahoo.co.uk or by calling 07804 563371.
Number 28 is based on the Market Place at Belper.
After starting stand up in Edinburgh whilst studying at university, John Whale quickly became a regular on the circuit in Edinburgh and Glasgow, performing regularly at the famous Stand Comedy Club.
In his first year in comedy, he reached the semi-finals of So You Think You’re Funny? and has performed twice for BBC Comedy Presents, the second time being at the Edinburgh Festival.
Now based in Newcastle, John gigs regularly for comedy clubs across the country.
Patrick Draper was English Comedian of the Year Finalist 2015 and his head is full of ridiculous stories. Watch him sift through them like a fox rifling through a bin: misery; planetary alignment; things. Expect gloriously dry stand up from a rising star on the circuit.
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The Ship Of Fools comedy night returns to Number 28 in Belper on Saturday, September 3, featuring headliner John Whale.


Matlock and Ilkeston played out a 0-0 bore draw on a hot summers day at the DCJ Group Insurance Arena on Bank Holiday Monday.
The local derby never got out of first gear with clear cut chances limited to just two, both falling to Matlock early and late in the contest.
The Robins will feel far more satisfied with the point than the Gladiators.
This time last week it looked as if the game would not take place with Ilkeston under a league suspension but although the visitors passing looked ring rusty, they deserved their point for their organisation and endeavour with central defenders Luke Foster and captain Matt Baker scarcely putting a foot wrong.
It must be said though that the Robins were aided and abetted by some equally faulty distribution from the Gladiators.
All too often the ball was pumped up high, rather than adopting the slick movement and passing from the final phase of their victory over Sutton Coldfield and in the opening half at Warrington.
Perhaps conceding five goals just two days previously at Warrington played some part in Matlock being ineffective as an attacking unit.
Co managers Glenn Kirkwood and Craig Hopkins had sent out clear instructions not to concede, but it appeared to be taken a little too far with Matlock often being too deep to seriously threaten the visitors defence.
Adam Yates, captain in place of the suspended Laurie Wilson, saw his third minute close range effort booted off the line when it looked certain he would score.
For Ilkeston Dexter Atkinson looked lively breaking forward, an eighth minute run ending with a tame shot at Arron Jameson who shortly afterwards held a drive from Jake Kenworthy.
Ilkeston custodian Ross Durrant grabbed a free kick from former Robins favourite Michael Williams, one of three former Robins facing their old club, the others being home debutant Joe Doyle-Charles and Marc Newsham..
Newsham nodded wide following a bout of head tennis in the Ilkeston box to end a bitterly disappointing opening period.
Ilkeston began the second half the brighter, with a sliced cross by Atkinson striking the top of the bar before the Robins striker shot goalwards and seeing Jameson initially spill the ball.
Matlock’s reply was a left wing cross from Dwayne Wiley being headed over the bar by Newsham.
As the game reached a conclusion Matlock looked the more likely scorers, Newsham turning to have an effort blocked by Foster before a gilt edged chancer went begging as Green’s pass across the box saw Doyle-Charles unmarked 12 yards out. But it was groans all round from the home support as Doyle-Charles pulled his shot wide.
A scruffy 1-0 win would have been just the ticket from a poor game for the hosts, but in truth, the only consolation for Matlock was the clean sheet and point as hey did not do enough to earn a victory.
As for Ilkeston, it’s their first point on the board after a troubled start to the season off the field.
MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Arron Jameson 2 Liam Marsden 3 Dwayne Wiley 4 Joe Doyle-Charles 5 Adam Yates 6 Nico de Girolamo 7 Niall McManus (15 Andy Todd 74) 8 Michael Williams 9 Marc Newsham (12 Arel Amu 84)10 Marcus Dinanga 11 Anthony Griffiths-Junior (14 Jake Green 56) Other subs: 16 Ryan King 17 Ben Partridge.
ILKESTON: 1 Ross Durrant 2 Jake Kenworthy 3 Rory Coleman 4 Danny Gordon 5 Matt Baker 6 Luke Foster 7 Luis Rose 8 Mark Shelton 9 Anthony Dwyer 10 Dexter Atkinson (16 Ben Morris 84) 11 Haydn Goddard Other subs: 12 Connor Walters 14 Ryan Head 15 Reid Owen.
REFEREE: Wade Smith (Manchester).
ATTENDANCE: 419.
BEST GLADIATOR: Nico de Girolamo.
BEST ROBIN: Matt Baker.


Matlock and Ilkeston played out a 0-0 bore draw on a hot summers day at the DCJ Group Insurance Arena on Bank Holiday Monday.


Dethick is a small place, but it has a big place in history – connected with the attempted downfall of the Queen of England.
The early 13th century church there was built as a private chapel to Dethick Manor. A daughter of this family married into the Babington family and by the 15th century the Babingtons had inherited the manor and chapel.
One of the farms there now is said to have the original fireplace and kitchen from this earlier manor house. It was the birthplace, in October 1561, of Anthony Babington, involved in the later named ‘Babington Plot’, which was an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and install her imprisoned sister Mary Queen of Scots, on the English throne.
The Babingtons were secret Roman Catholics and thought that Catholic Mary was the rightful monarch, not Protestant Elizabeth.
The young lad – an ardent admirer of Mary – became associated with other sympathisers working on getting rid of Elizabeth, inclding John Ballard, a Catholic priest who also wanted Mary on the throne.
The plotters began writing letters to Mary to let her know their progress and plans. The letters between the two were encoded, but easily cracked when they were intercepted by the spies of Elizabeth’s secretary Sir Francis Walsingham. The originals were then resealed and sent on so the plotters would be none the wiser.
In one letter, Babington asked for Mary’s permission to assassinate Elizabeth. Mary responded in agreement but didn’t exactly endorse things. When the intercepted letter was deciphered and copied however, it had gained a postscript that did – probably a forged addition from Walsingham, also asking for the names of the plotters. This was the proof Walsingham needed to pounce.
In August 1586, Ballard was arrested and tortured and gave away Babington’s part in the plot. Babington tried to escape but was caught and sent to the Tower of London. He was tried with the other plotters and condemned to death for high treason.
So on September 20, Anthony Babington from the quiet little village in Derbyshire, met a very public and gruesome end in London being hung, drawn and quartered.

COLUMN: A big history for a small village


Dethick is a small place, but it has a big place in history – connected with the attempted downfall of the Queen of England.


Tributes have been paid to former Ilkeston Town, Derby County and Nottingham Forest footballer Ken Ledger following his death last week.
Mr Ledger, who was a popular player who was remembered for his pace and superb passing ability, died on August 19 aged 92 in Nottingham.
The Stapleford-born right winger made his Ilkeston debut against Warsop Working Mens’ Club in August 1948 and went on to play more than 300 times for the club.
He won a number of honours for Ilkeston, including the Central Alliance League four years in row and the Derbyshire Senior Cup.
Ledger joined Derby County during the War but, unable to break into the first team, he tried his luck with Notts County where he scored four goals in 16 Wartime appearances.
He then crossed over the Trent and played 10 times for neighbours Forest, adding a further goal to his collection.
After the War he remained with The Reds until the summer of 1949 despite not making the first team again.
During his time as a Forest player he made a single appearance for Ilkeston at the start of the 1948/49 season although it was a year later before he joined Town on a permanent basis.
Ken is Ilkeston’s fifth all-time top appearance maker and only five Town players have scored a greater number of goals.

Tributes paid to former llkeston, Derby County and Nottingham Forest player Ken Ledger


Tributes have been paid to former Ilkeston Town, Derby County and Nottingham Forest footballer Ken Ledger following his death last week.


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Fundraising gig for Ripley Music Festival


Ripley Music Festival organisers are hosting a fundraiser at the Holly Bush, Marehay on Saturday, August 27.


Firefighters called out to Long Eaton house blaze


Firefighters from Long Eaton were called out to a house fire on South Street yesterday.


While a weather warning still looms over the weekend, expect sun acrross the East Midlands today (Friday, August 26).
After a fine and sunny start, and whilst some fair weather cloud could develop during the day, it will remain dry. Although less humid than recently, it will be feeling warm in the sunshine. Maximum Temperature 22 °C.
Tonight will have a dry and clear start with only light winds, turning rather chilly, with the odd patch of mist or fog possible by dawn. Minimum Temperature 9 °C.
The Met Office had placed a four-day yellow weather alert over the region, expecting heavy rain and thunder across the midlands for the rest of the week.
The warning has now been lifted for Friday but is still in place for Saturday and Sunday.
Forecasters said: "Outbreaks of rain will develop over central UK through the course of Saturday, and by the evening are likely to be heavy at times. This rain is likely to be prolonged over many areas overnight into Sunday morning, gradually becoming lighter and dying out later on Sunday. Please be aware of the risk of local disruption to transport and outdoor activities.
"A frontal zone associated with very warm and moist air over southern UK early Saturday will ease northwards during Saturday, and become slow moving over central areas of England and Wales later Saturday, persisting overnight, before slowly easing away to the east during the course of Sunday. Rainfall will be heavy at times, and locally prolonged. Rainfall totals are likely to be in the range of 20-40 mm, but 50-75 mm is possible in some areas."
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While a weather warning still looms over the weekend, expect sun acrross the East Midlands today (Friday, August 26).


The Met Office forecast for the East Midlands for today Wednesday, August 31 is for a cloudy day with sunny spells later.
Any early brightness will be short lived, as cloud and outbreaks of light rain spread east around the middle of the day.
However these should ease away through the afternoon, with sunny spells developing.
Maximum Temperature 22 °C.
Tonight the cloud will fade away with clear skies developing for most overnight.
There will be light winds and the risk of a few mist or fog patches by dawn.
Minimum Temperature 10 °C.

A cloudy day for the East Midlands with sunny spells later


The Met Office forecast for the East Midlands for today Wednesday, August 31 is for a cloudy day with sunny spells later.


After months of rumours, Apple has all but confirmed that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be officially unveiled on 7 September.
The tech giant has confirmed plans for a major media event in San Francisco next Wednesday where it is expected to take the wraps off the newest version of its groundbreaking mobile.
A second-generation iWatch is also expected to be revealed at the event.
Rumours around the iPhone 7’s specifications have been flying around for months. It is expected to be slimmer and lighter than the current iPhone 6S and there is a suggestion it could be waterproof.
Leaked photos also suggest it could do away completely with a headphone jack, replacing the traditional tangle of white wires with wireless Bluetooth-connected headphones.
There is also speculation that the larger 7 Plus will come with a dual-camera system.
It is likely to get a full HD 1080p edge-to-edge screen and a larger battery to keep users online for longer and address criticisms about the longevity of the iPhone 6.
Speculation about processing power has ranged from a dual-core processor like the 6S up to an unlikely hex-core but RAM is expected to remain at 2GB. Whatever the hardware, it’s likely to come with iOS 10 and the variety of functionality upgrades that brings with it.
Pricing is expected to follow Apple’s trend of keeping the cost of new handsets stable so the iPhone 7 will cost around £539 but that’s likely to come with 32GB of storage, a jump over its predecessor’s 16GB.

iPhone 7 launch date confirmed - and it’s soon


After months of rumours, Apple has all but confirmed that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be officially unveiled on 7 September.


As we begin to look ahead to the winter months, there’s no doubt those eligible to take their pensions may be thinking about dipping into their pension pots, whether it’s to embark on that long-awaited skiing trip or purchase that much needed new central heating system in time for the cold snap. To fulfil such ambitions, some people may be considering the new pension drawdown option. So what is the pension drawdown? And what are the advantages and disadvantages to this method?
Drawdown is a way of achieving greater flexibility with your pension funds. Every time you move your money into drawdown, you’re allowed to take 25 per cent of this as a lump sum, tax free. Sounds good, but be warned, there are downsides too. The rest of the fund continues as an investment, with taxable income able to be drawn straight from your pension whenever you choose. The tax-free lump sum must be taken at the start, but as you don’t have to move your whole pension at once multiple lump sums can potentially be taken. Another attractive feature of drawdown is the greater flexibility it allows you in withdrawing your pension. You can choose regular withdrawals monthly, quarterly, biannually or annually, as well as having the option of taking one-off lump sums or taking a break from withdrawing whenever you like. Anything left after your death can be passed on to beneficiaries nominated by you. However, here comes the disadvantage and something you must be aware of. If you withdraw more than the amount by which your pension is growing, choosing to draw on capital will lead to your pension value going down over time. Another important aspect of drawdown is that it does not offer the secure income that other forms of pension do, such as an annuity. Your money could run out if you live for longer than you anticipated, you simply withdraw too much, or your investments underperform based on your expectations. A further risk to drawdown is that there will be variations in your yields over time, and you may end up receiving less than the amount you invested. So in brief, whether drawdown is right for you ultimately depends on how you weigh up the benefits of greater flexibility against the risks of investment and the possibility of running out of money.
No individual investment advice is given, nor intended to be given in this article and liability will be accepted in respect of any action you may take as a result of reading this article. If you are unsure you are urged to take independent investment advice.

COLUMN: Top tips on ‘drawdown’ pension scheme


As we begin to look ahead to the winter months, there’s no doubt those eligible to take their pensions may be thinking about dipping into their pension pots, whether it’s to embark on that long-awaited skiing trip or purchase that much needed new central heating system in time for the cold snap.
To fulfil such ambitions, some people may be considering the new pension drawdown option. So what is the pension drawdown? And what are the advantages and disadvantages to this method?


As the county championship summer enters the business end of the season, Derbyshire have some significant boxes to tick.
When they return to four day action next Wednesday after a two week break, Derbyshire will be trying to avoid unwanted records in the three games remaining.
They are currently bottom of Division Two and are the only team in the country without a victory in the championship.
Derbyshire last went through a season without a championship victory in 1924 and it is nearly two years since they won a game at home so there is a lot to play for in the next month, starting with the visit of Gloucestershire next week.
Injuries have depleted the seam attack and Shiv Thakor will not play again this season because of a stress fracture in his back but Derbyshire have to find a way to end a disappointing campaign on a high.
Former skipper Wayne Madsen, who passed 1,000 championship runs in the previous game against Essex, admitted: “We only had three seamers so we are a bit light on bowlers but you have to make do with what you’ve got in terms of your attack.
“We have to find a way of taking 20 wickets in order to win games and we haven’t quite got that right yet.
“We are doing everything in our power to make sure we win not just a game but a couple of games this season.
“We’ve got two home games and we haven’t won a game at home for a while so we have to make sure our performances are improving and we have to find a way to take 20 wickets.”
Madsen was the first player in Division Two to score 1,000 runs but recognises the most important statistic is what is in the wins column.
“It’s very special and it’s an accolade but at the end of the day, I would love to be winning more games of cricket. So yes, it’s great and it means a lot but I want to be winning so, for me, it’s about helping this team to win games and be more consistent and there’s a lot of work to do in that respect. As a team we have to improve.”
Madsen will have a benefit in 2017 when he and Derbyshire will hope for a much more productive season.
“I feel very honoured and privileged to be awarded a benefit and it’s going to be an exciting year and for me, I’d like to make it a good year on and off the field and that means turning the results around and winning more games.”

Derbyshire CCC aiming to finally win a Championship game


As the county championship summer enters the business end of the season, Derbyshire have some significant boxes to tick.


The Woman In Black is back on the road with a major UK tour and will be coming to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal from February 20-25.
Celebrating its 27th anniversary in the West End, The Woman In Black was first performed in Scarborough in 1987 to rave reviews.
The production opened in the West End in 1989.
Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel tells the story of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family by the spectre of a Woman in Black.
He engages a young actor to help him tell his story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It begins innocently enough, but as they reach further into his darkest memories, they find themselves caught up in a world of eerie marshes and moaning winds.
The borders between make believe and reality begin to blur and the flesh begins to creep.
Call the box office on 0115 9895555 for ticket details.
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The Woman In Black is back on the road with a major UK tour and will be coming to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal from February 20-25.


Derby LIVE and Paul Holman Associates have announced the date for their annual pantomime dance auditions.
Cinderella will be staged at Derby Arena from December 6–January 3, and the dance auditions will take place at the Arena on Sunday, September 11.
Derby’s all-star traditional family pantomime will feature top TV performers Richard Blackwood, Eilish O’Carroll (Winnie from Mrs Brown’s Boys) and Lloyd Warbey, directed by Alan Cohen and choreographed by Robert Wheeler.
Producer Paul Holman Associates will be requiring girls aged between 9 and 12 years, with a maximum height of 4’11”. They must be at least the equivalent standard of ISTD Grade One in Ballet, Tap and Modern and following a recognised syllabus (IDTA, ISTD, RAD etc) and should also have strong performance skills.
Girls attending auditions must be accompanied and must have a valid signed parental permission form. If they are not attending with their own parent/guardian, this form can be obtained by emailing Fiona Watson on fwatson0705@yahoo.co.uk and must be brought along on the day.
Those auditioning must take all relevant shoes and be prepared to stay for some hours if recalled for the final shortlist. Successful children must be available for the whole of the rehearsal and performance period and live within a maximum of 30 minutes’ travelling distance between school, home and the Arena. They must be available for rehearsals from November 25, until the opening of the pantomime on December 6, and be available throughout the run until January 3.
Auditions will be held at Derby Arena (Infield), Royal Way, Pride Park, Derby, on September 11, with registration at 9am. All successful applicants are subject to local education authority performance licensing.
Children should only attend the auditions if accompanied by an adult able to give parental consent for participation and media coverage; however, parental consent forms may be obtained in advance to allow one adult to bring a group of children if necessary, by calling dance co-ordinator Fiona Watson on 07783031067 or fwatson0705@yahoo.co.uk.
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Derby LIVE and Paul Holman Associates have announced the date for their annual pantomime dance auditions.


Panto audition call for Derby Arena dancers


A man who cut his wife’s face after a shard of glass struck her when he turned over a table has been given a 12 month community order.
Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, August 24, how Martin Claridge, 32, of Morley Close, Heanor, up-turned the table and a fruit bowl was smashed and his partner Kirsty Allen was injured.
Prosecuting solicitor Rod Chapman told a previous court hearing that Ms Allen had returned home and there was an argument and Claridge up-turned a glass-topped dining table with a fruit bowl which was smashed.
Mr Chapman added that a shard of glass struck the complainant leaving a two centimetre long laceration.
Ms Allen phoned her mother and her mother phoned the police, according to Mr Chapman.
Claridge also visited Ms Allen’s work on the following day where he grabbed her by the arm and followed her, according to Mr Chapman.
The defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of assault which were committed on July 9 and July 10 in Ripley.
Defence solicitor David Gittins said the day after the first assault Claridge went looking for the complainant and spoke to her because he wanted to apologise and he grabbed her because he was trying to hug her.
Magistrates sentenced Claridge to a 12 month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.
He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and must pay £100 compensation, an £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
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A man who cut his wife’s face after a shard of glass struck her when he turned over a table has been given a 12 month community order.


Man who cut his wife’s face is given a community order


Here are this week’s record reviews, courtesy of Kevin Bryan.
Johnny Winter -I’m A Bluesman (Talking Elephant). Johnny Winter was a rather frail 60-year-old when I’m A Bluesman first saw the light of day in 2004, returning to the fray slightly tentatively after being debilitated for several years by a string of troubling health issues. The power and potency which had been such a feature of the veteran bluesman’s work in times past may have been sadly absent by this stage of his career, but his passion for the genre remained undimmed, and Winter devotees would be well advised to lend an ear to fine tracks such as Sugar Coated Love or the acoustic country blues of fellow Texan Hop Wilson’s That Wouldn’t Satisfy.
Colosseum - Live (Esoteric/Cherry Red). Drummer Jon Hiseman’s trailblazing jazzrock outfit recorded the original Colosseum Live at Manchester University and the Big Apple in Brighton in March 1971, showcasing some of the genuinely progressive material which had made them such a force on the concert circuit during those faroff years. This CD reissue expands on the original album with a bonus disc culled from the same 1971 shows, including alternative versions of gems such as Rope Ladder To The Moon and Skellington and an impressive rendition of the epic Valentyne Suite.
Skinny Lister - The Devil, The Heart & The Fight (Xtra Mile). This six-piece London-based band’s heady fusion of rock, folk and punk is captured in all its rabble rousing glory as Skinny Lister unveil their third studio album. This infectious package channels the spirit of admirable outfits such as The Pogues and The Clash via memorable ditties such as Hamburg Drunk and Wanted and Dexys soundalike Fair Winds & Following Seas is also well worth a few minutes of anyone’s time. Splendid stuff.
John McCusker - Hello, Goodbye (Under One Sky Records). Award-winning Scottish folkie McCusker celebrates his 25th anniversary as a professional musician with the release of this delightfully evocative package, which was penned during the quieter moments of his recent world tour with Mark Knopfler. The producer, composer and multiinstrumentalist has drawn on the services of some fine roots music performers to underpin his sterling efforts here, including two of the understated stars of the BBC’s excellent Transatlantic Sessions, accordionist Phil Cunningham and bluegrass mandolin ace.
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Here are this week’s record reviews, courtesy of Kevin Bryan.


Yorkshire's Strictly Come Dancing ex-champions Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova will quick step back home this weekend - to give free dance lessons to fans.
It coincides with the start of a new season of the hit BBC One show.
Strictly's most successful couple, now parents to one-year-old Valentina Rose, are returning to their family's City Limits Dancentre studio in Penistone Road, Sheffield.
They will take part in free taster sessions on Saturday, September 3, from noon to 2pm. Full details and more at www.city-limits.co.uk
City Limits is run by Sheffield born Darren's parents, former dance champions, Tony and Judith, and his twin brother Dale.
Darren, aged 39, and his Moscow wife Lilia, 37, are the most successful competitor couple of their generation, winning four British amateur championships, three UK championships and representing Great Britain at the World and European Championships.
They turned professional in 2003, winning the British National Professional Championship two years running and made the final of the World and European Championships.
But they became household names when they joined the cast of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and won the show in consecutive years.
At his first attempt Darren, dancing with Jill Halfpenny from Eastenders, won the show and then went on to win the Champion of Champions dance off.
In 2005, Lilia waltzed off with the title while partnering Barnsley's own former Yorkshire and England cricketing star Darren Gough, after which they also went on to win the International Christmas special.
They went on to host their own West End show, Latin Fever, which they toured nationally and are today still regarded as one of Britain’s finest Latin American dance couples.
More recently they have worked on the Turkish and Lebanese versions of the Strictly TV show, Darren, born in Deepcar and brought up in Todwick, as a judge and Lilia as a consultant choreographer to the professional dancers.
Darren has also consulted on Danse Avec la Stars, the first series of the French version of Dancing with the Stars.
As well as being successful competitors and performers they have built up an International reputation as coaches, choreographers and first class trainers in both dance and corporate arenas.
They have also trained many of the top junior, youth and amateur couples, including the British Junior champions and No. 1 youth couple in the UK.
Darren's twin Dale said: "Strictly is back and we have Darren and Lilia joining us for an open day, with free taster sessions for children and adults to come along and see what being a student at City Limits is like.
"Fans can take part in one of our Ballroom and Latin classes led by Darren and Lilia.
"It runs from 2pm until 4pm, and we have a timetable of taster sessions throughout the day. Plus visitors can chat to our teachers and find out more about our new beginners' classes starting in September.
OPEN DAY TASTER CLASS SESSIONS
12.15-12.45pm: BALLROOM & LATIN WITH DARREN AND LILIA ALL AGES
12.30-1.00pm: STREETDANCE FOR ALL AGES 4-ADULT
12.30-1pm: BABY BALLET AND TAP
1.00-1.30pm : SALSA AND LATIN WITH DARREN AND LILIA
1.15-2pm: ZUMBA AND FITSTEPS TASTER
1.15-1.45pm: ADULT TAP
The pole fitness studio will also be open, for demonstrations and free workshops, from 12-2pm.
There will also be three Ballroom and Latin technique workshops for those wishing to develop their skills
2pm: Juvenile (under 12's), 45min, cost £5.
2.45pm: Junior (age 12 to 15), 45min, cost £5.
3.30pm, - Adult (age 16+), 60min, cost £8.
For more information about the open day and new class timetable, call he studio on 0114 234 4866 or visit www.city-limits.co.uk
Also visit Darren and Lilia's official website at www.darrenandlilia.com
* Strictly Come Dancing has confirmed this year's celebrity cast for the show, which returns on BBC One on Saturday, September 3, 6.50pm.
The line-up features EastEnders actor Tameka Empson, Birds of a Feather’s Lesley Joseph, former shadow chancellor Ed Balls, Pop Idol winner Will Young, former Eternal singer Louise Redknapp, actor Danny Mac, newsreader Naga Munchetty, reality TV’s Judge Rinder, US singer Anastacia, model Daisy Lowe, GB long-jumper Greg Rutherford, gymnast Claudia Fragapane, presenters Laura Whitmore and Ore Oduba, DJ and presenter Melvin Odoom.
TV stars Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be on hosting duties with the judging panel of Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and – in his final year – Len Goodman. For more visit www.bbc.co.uk

Yorkshire's Strictly ex-champs to give free dance lessons at City Limits


The Great Food and Drink Festival is coming to Calke Abbey this weekend for the very first time ever, with a tantalising line-up of top chefs.
MasterChef’s very own John Torode and Gregg Wallace will be giving live demonstrations, as will ITV regular Dean Edwards. The abbey is a stunning site, so throw lots of great food, drink, crafts and entertainment into the mix and you’ll certainly be in for a fantastic couple of days There will be a lots of stalls and stages running throughout, plus kids’ baking and cooking workshops and a masterclass on cocktail making. Tickets £8 on the day, or £6 in advance via http://bit.ly/2bEnpFg.
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The Great Food and Drink Festival is coming to Calke Abbey this weekend for the very first time ever, with a tantalising line-up of top chefs.


Sitting down to watch a cup draw of any nature as a Nottingham Forest fan has become a mundane task over the years.
Some of the more tedious ties in the past have included drawing teams such as Rochdale, Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers.
Defeats to the likes Accrington Stanley and Chester City also deserve a sizeable mention.
Last night became the exception for the first time in my 17-season tenure as a season ticket holder and after the Reds were the first ball pulled from the hat I fully expected to see Brighton or Gillingham pulled next, maybe even the ultimate underdogs Stanley once again.
When George Gavin of Sky Sports uttered the words Arsenal, I nearly choked on my peppermint tea.
I was fully expecting this to be a rehearsal, or a dream, such was my shock at Forest actually being handed a decent draw and under the City Ground lights too!
The 3-0 reverse at the hands of Chester will forever stick in my memory and goes down as my lowest moment supporting Forest.
Four hours and various trains to get there, peeing it down with rain for the entire 90 minutes and Gary Holt’s needless red card in the first-half all contributing to an horrific afternoon.
Arsenal is an intriguing and exciting tie for us long-suffering Forest fans and less than 24 hours after the draw, I can already feel excitement gathering among supporters on social media.
The Gunners are notorious for resting players in the League Cup and the question I ask is, after being embarrassed by Championship side Sheffield Wednesday last season in the competition, will boss Arsene Wenger make the same mistake again and name a weakened side?
If he does he could be in for a shock once more.
After a summer of inactivity in the transfer market I am not entirely sure the French manager can afford to be sacking off competitions with such ease, with sections of the Gunners faithful already calling for his head.
After waiting so long for a marquee side to arrive at the City Ground I am kind of hoping he sends several members of his star-studded squad.
Okay, so the likes of Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez rocking up on Trentside would probably ensure an emphatic defeat for the Reds, but how often are we likely to see these types of players as supporters of Nottingham Forest?
In hindsight, with Arsenal facing Chelsea in the Premier League the Saturday after their trip to the East Midlands, it is probably more Chuba Akpom, Calum Chambers and Alex Iwobi that we can look forward to instead.
Talk among supporters has turned towards tickets for the game with many seemingly unhappy that a lot of so-called ‘armchair’ fans will be at the game. You know the ones who buy a shirt, watch a few games on television and call themselves the oracle of all knowledge in relation to a certain team.
This is Nottingham Forest we are talking about.
Armchair or plastic supporters are, to me, the ones who support the likes of Manchester United while living in Mansfield, yet couldn’t navigate their way to Manchester, let alone recite the 1999 Champions League winning side.
I am sure that Forest has a lot of supporters who don’t go to the City Ground anymore.
Some might have family or work commitments now while others might just be disgruntled at year after year of disappointment.
Others might not be able to keep up with the financial implications which modern day football now has on people.
Do the above factors make it a bad thing that they want to come and be a part of a potentially special night in their club’s history? I don’t think so.
If anything they might come, enjoy being back at the City Ground and opt to come and see us entertain the likes of Aston Villa, Derby County and Newcastle United later on in the season.
A packed out City Ground under the midweek floodlights is a thing of beauty and I for one cannot wait for Arsenal to arrive!
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Sitting down to watch a cup draw of any nature as a Nottingham Forest fan has become a mundane task over the years.


FOREST BLOG: At last a good cup draw for the Reds!


Anything could happen today with the summer transfer window closing tonight.
Premier League clubs have already broken all known spending records for this summer’s transfer window with 12 clubs setting new transfer records for single deals, benefiting from the new £5.1bn television deal.
Arsenal’s £52m double signing of Lucas Perez and Shkodran Mustafi pushed top-flight summer transfer window spending close to the £1bn mark.
It has already surpassed the previous high of £870m set last year.
Here are the rumours floating around on deadline day . . . .
Monaco defender Fabinho could be a ‘left field’ arrival at Manchester United on deadline day, according to the M.E.N.’s Stuart Mathieson. “He’s one I wouldn’t rule out at all,” Stuart said at the M.E.N.’s live football event in Manchester on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old was interesting United a year ago but a move for the right-back failed to materialise. Despite Louis van Gaal’s departure, reports have suggested Fabinho could still move to Manchester.
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Jose Mourinho is furious with Bastian Schweinsteiger over the German’s refusal to leave Manchester United, according to reports. The midfielder has been told he won’t be part of Mourinho’s plans this season. But Schweinsteiger is happy to see out the remaining two years of his contract even if it means not playing. Reports earlier today claimed Sporting Lisbon had made an offer to bring him to Portugal. (Daily Express).
Click HERE to read more
Chelsea have made a surprise £32million move to bring David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge. The Brazil defender left for Paris Saint-Germain in June 2014 for £50million, a world record fee for a defender, but is ready to return to west London. (Daily Mail).
Click HERE to read more
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is set to join Crystal Palace or Bournemouth for the rest of the season so he can play regular first-team football. The 24-year-old met Palace manager Alan Pardew and Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe for talks on Tuesday. He played six times for England over the summer - including three games at Euro 2016 - but was not named in Sam Allardyce’s first squad this week. (BBC Sport).
Click HERE to read more
Tottenham have made a bid for Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko, according to Sky sources. The 27-year-old attacking-midfielder has wanted to leave the Magpies all summer after a successful Euro 2016 campaign with France. It is understood the offer is £16m, but Newcastle have reportedly been asking for as much as £30m for the player in recent weeks. (Sky Sports).
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Real Madrid star Isco wants a move to Tottenham, according to reports. It’s suggested north London is the midfielder’s preferred destination if he’s forced to leave the La Liga giants. A reporter at Spanish media outlet El Chiringuito of Mega said: “Isco’s situation at Real Madrid cannot continue. If he left his first choice would be to Tottenham.” (Daily Star).
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Burnley are poised to seal a deal worth in excess of £10million for Derby County midfielder Jeff Hendrick. The transfer would represent a club record fee for Burnley, topping the £8m cost of bringing Steven Defour to the club. Hendrick, the Republic of Ireland international, impressed for his country at Euro 2016 and Sean Dyche has been in pursuit all summer, originally opening with a £3m offer. (Daily Mail).
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Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story FOOTBALL RUMOURS: United deadline day deal? Anger over Schweinsteiger, Luiz Chelsea return? Eagles and Cherries chase England star Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area...


Anything could happen today with the summer transfer window closing tonight.


FOOTBALL RUMOURS: United deadline day deal? Anger over Schweinsteiger, Luiz Chelsea return? Eagles and Cherries chase England star


Today’s rumours from the world of football on Wednesday, 24th August 2016 . . .
Wayne Rooney could be heading to the MLS at the end of his contract with clubs ready to throw cash at Manchester United’s captain. SunSport revealed last week that Rooney will not be offered a contract extension at Old Trafford for at least 18 months. According to Portland Chief’s owner, Merritt Paulson, MLS sides are closely monitoring the forward’s situation and are ready to throw “big dollars” to lure Rooney to America. (The Sun).
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Antonio Conte insists only John Terry and Sam Allardyce can decide whether the Chelsea captain should end his self-imposed England exile. Terry retired from international football in 2012 but Allardyce, who names his first England squad on Sunday, has indicted he may speak with the 35-year-old defender over the possibility of a return. (Daily Mail).
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Manchester United are set to play a waiting game as the summer transfer window draws to a close. There is still interest in Southampton defender Jose Fonte, who would be Mourinho’s fifth summer signing. But any deal will depend on Southampton softening their stance on the 32-year-old. It is understood United are willing to wait until deadline day in a bid to test their resolve. (Manchester Evening News).
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Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is set for a medical at Manchester City. The Chile international, 33, flew into Manchester on Tuesday afternoon. City manager Guardiola said: “I cannot deny what everyone knows. The deal is not complete. After I will answer about a player who at the moment is not our player.” Joe Hart, who has not played for City this season, will start Wednesday’s home Champions League qualifier second leg against Steaua Bucharest. (BBC Sport).
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Gareth Bale will cement his position as one of the top players in the world with a bumper new £375,000-a-week contract. He will sign the two-year extension to his Real Madrid deal that will tie him to the Spanish giants until 2021.
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Philippe Montanier expects Nottingham Forest’s search for a goalkeeper to end on Wednesday – with the club working to complete a deal, understood to be for Serbian international Vladimir Stojkovic. (Nottingham Post).
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Hull have opened talks with Tottenham over a deal for midfielder Ryan Mason, according to Sky sources. The 25-year-old has fallen behind Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele and new signing Victor Wanyama in the pecking order for places in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield. (Sky Sports).
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Today’s rumours from the world of football on Wednesday, 24th August 2016 . . .


Rooney off to USA? Terry England return? United chase Fonte, Bravo for City, Serbian star for Forest


Feature film One More Time With Feeling will screen in cinemas for one night only on September 8, launching the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album Skeleton Tree, released on September 9.
The first opportunity anyone will have to hear any of the songs from Skeleton Tree, will be to watch One More Time With Feeling, directed by Andrew Dominik (Chopper, Killing Them Softly).
The film will be shown in 150 cinemas across the UK and Ireland including QUAD in Derby and Nottingham’s Showcase and Broadway cinemas.
Dominik delves into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album.
Interwoven throughout the Bad Seeds’ filmed performance of the new album are interviews and footage shot by Dominik, accompanied by Cave’s intermittent narration and improvised rumination.
Filmed in black-and-white and colour, in both 3D and 2D, the result is stark, fragile and raw.
Director Andrew Dominik has issued the very first public statement about working with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on new 3D black-and-white feature film One More Time With Feeling:
“When Nick approached me about making a film around the recording and performing of the new Bad Seeds album, I’d been seeing quite a lot of him as we rallied around him and his family at the time of his son’s death.
“My immediate response was “Why do you want to do this?” Nick told me that he had some things he needed to say, but he didn’t know who to say them to. The idea of a traditional interview, he said, was simply unfeasible but that he felt a need to let the people who cared about his music understand the basic state of things. It seemed to me that he was trapped somewhere and just needed to do something – anything - to at least give the impression of forward movement.”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ 16th studio album, Skeleton Tree, will be released globally on vinyl, CD and across all digital platforms on September 9. The album began its journey in late 2014 at Retreat Studios, Brighton, with further sessions at La Frette Studios, France in autumn 2015. The album was mixed at AIR Studios, London in early 2016.
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Feature film One More Time With Feeling will screen in cinemas for one night only on September 8, launching the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album Skeleton Tree, released on September 9.


A booze-fuelled man who attacked his ex after he turned up at her home after a night-out has been given 120 hours of unpaid work.
Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, August 24, how 24-year-old James Edge, of Queen’s Road, Hodthorpe, had drunk around seven or eight pints of beer before the assault happened.
Rod Chapman, prosecuting, told a previous hearing that Edge and the complainant had been in a relationship for about three years.
Mr Chapman said the reason for the end of the relationship was that the complainant had suffered a miscarriage and that had created difficulties but Edge visited the complainant’s home, on July 17, when he was drunk.
Edge barged through the front door, according to Mr Chapman, and grabbed the complainant and demanded to know who she was seeing.
Mr Chapman added that the complainant was able to phone the police but Edge pulled her by her hair and took and threw the phone at a door causing it to come apart.
Edge told police he had about seven or eight pints of beer and the relationship break-up had been playing on his mind.
He admitted pushing the complainant and taking her phone off her.
Edge pleaded guilty to the assault, which happened in Whitwell.
The court heard the complainant had indicated she did not support the prosecution case.
John Wilford, mitigating, said Edge accepts it was wrong to go around in a drunken state.
Magistrates sentenced Edge to a 12 month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
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A booze-fuelled man who attacked his ex after he turned up at her home after a night-out has been given 120 hours of unpaid work.


Drunken man is given a community order after assaulting his ex-partner


Izzy, wizzy, Sooty is getting busy conjuring up a fantastic treat for all the family.
The lovable puppet and pals Sweep, Soo and CITV’s Richard Cadell will bring a magic show to Buxton Opera House on the morning of September 10.
The show includes Mel Harvey and his singalong session, magician Tim Bat and twinkle-toed magic man Dion Van Rijt.
That night the International Stars of Magic and Variety will light up the Opera House at 7.30pm. American magician David Kaplan will bring together illusion, juggling and comedy, there will be a magic laser show by Visualize, illusion fom Hungarian act Veres and Alana from Germany will make you wonder just how many hands does she have.
The shows are part of the 80th British Ring Annual Magic Convention.
Tickets for Sooty and Friends Magic Show are £12 (adult), £9 (child) and £28-£38 (family). Tickets for International Stars of Magic and Variety are priced £18.50-£20.50 with £3 off for children.
We have Sooty, Sweep and Soo puppets to give away and four tickets for their show on September 10 at 10.30am.
Tell us who originally created Sooty. Email your answer with contact details, marking Sooty in subject line to: gay.bolton@jpress.co.uk. Entries close on September 5.


Izzy, wizzy, Sooty is getting busy conjuring up a fantastic treat for all the family.


Police are concerned for the safety of a Derbyshire man who has been missing for five days.
Matthew Oakes, 20, who has links to Long Eaton and Ilkeston, is five feet ten inches tall and has short fair hair.
He was wearing a baggy faded black Nike hooded top, grey tracksuit bottoms and grey Nike trainers. He may be wearing a flat cap.
Police are appealing to Mr Oakes - who was reported missing on Monday - to get in touch.
Anyone who has seen him or who knows where he is asked to contact Derbyshire police on 101.


Police are concerned for the safety of a Derbyshire man who has been missing for five days.


A husband who attacked his pregnant wife while she was holding their 13-month-old baby has been given a community order.
Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, August 24, how Bradley Haines, 26, formerly of Broughton Close, Riddings, Alfreton, grabbed his wife’s hair to stop her cutting his clothes and grabbed her again as she was holding their baby son.
Prosecuting solicitor Rod Chapman told a previous hearing the defendant’s wife had thought he had enjoyed a night out in Derby but when he arrived home he said he had been attacked by taxi drivers at Burton-upon-Trent and he later received a text from a woman.
His wife challenged him over the details and poured a bottle of water on him, according to Mr Chapman, and she pushed him down and told him to leave before threatening to cut his clothes with scissors.
Mr Chapman added that Haines took his wife by the hair and dragged her around the room and put her to the floor before she got up.
Mrs Haines then picked up her baby, according to Mr Chapman, and went onto the landing where the defendant took hold of her hair again.
Haines admitted to police he had grabbed his wife’s hair because he could not afford to replace his clothes and had pulled his wife to the floor and let go as she released the scissors.
He also admitted grabbing his wife by her hair again and pulling her to the floor when she had been holding the baby and was pregnant at the time.
Haines, of Butterfield Lane, Brackenfield, Alfreton, pleaded guilty to the assault after the incident on July 9.
Defence solicitor John Wilford said his client stated he had been acting in self-defence until he was on the landing.
Magistrates sentenced Haines to a 12 month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 180 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge.
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A husband who attacked his pregnant wife while she was holding their 13-month-old baby has been given a community order.


Husband gets community order after attacking pregnant wife


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There is entertainment planned at The Old Black Swan, Crich, on Friday, August 26.


Tickets are on sale now for a major gig at The Flowerpot in Derby.
The Rutles, featuring Neil Innes and John Halsey will be performing there on October 6.
Doors open at 8pm for the gig. Advance tickets now on sale at a cost of £20, from The Flowerpot and RAW Promotions and online at
www.rawpromo.co.uk
The Rutles are on their Isn’t It A Pity tour.
One of the most beloved bands of their time, the stars of the film All You Need Is Cash, tickets for the performance are limited to 250 so don’t miss out!
Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story It’ll be a pity if you miss Rutles’ visit to Derby Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area...


Tickets are on sale now for a major gig at The Flowerpot in Derby.


It’ll be a pity if you miss Rutles’ visit to Derby