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QUESTION: An incident at the Missouri State Fair has a sparked a lot of discussion across the state. The incident centers on a rodeo clown performer donning a mask with the likeness of President Obama and asking if the crowd would like to see Obama run over by a bull during the show. Most Missouri politicians from both parties called the act not representative of the state. Where do you weigh in on this situation?
QUESTION: An incident at the Missouri State Fair has a sparked a lot of discussion across the state. The incident centers on a rodeo clown performer donning a mask with the likeness of President Obama and asking if the crowd would like to see Obama run over by a bull during the show. Most Missouri politicians from both parties called the act not representative of the state. Where do you weigh in on this situation?
Incidents are all right or all wrong
I am of the opinion that any such actions are disrespectful of a sitting president and this was an incredibly dumb thing to do and also appalling. I can, however, recall similar acts committed during George W. Bush's presidency with little or no murmur from the press. This is hypocritical and just as appalling. These types of shenanigans are either right for all or wrong for all. Anything else is hypocrisy, which apparently has no bounds.
Farrell Thompson
Honor the office
I was outraged and disgusted by the actions of the rodeo clown at the Missouri State Fair. He was not alone in this farce. The announcer and the wranglers who handled that bull are also guilty of dishonoring our President and our country. I don't care who our President is, we all should honor and respect the office and what it stands for.
This incident also had racial overtones to it that disturbed me. We are not so far removed from segregated schools and white-only drinking fountains! In the 1950s, white men in this state were painting their faces black and performing in minstrel shows. Back in the early 1900s, some black folks were lynched in Springfield. This drove many of them out of town for fear of their lives. I thought that as a society we had gotten past all of that hate, bigotry, and lack of opportunity. Opportunity must be earned, but without education, opportunities are denied.
There has been some discussion about this being a matter of free speech. We do have the privilege to disagree with our lawmakers and the President. I do not think that privilege extends to having their likeness gored by a bull! Those of you of faith know the words of the Lord Jesus when He said "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, but unto God what is God's." That Apostle Paul addressed this also when he talked about honoring the king and praying for him because he bears the sword. That is a huge statement coming from a man who knew he would die at the hands of the Roman government for the sake of the gospel. We have no right to burn the flag or dishonor the President of this country. Too many people have died to ensure our liberty and prosperity for us to take it lightly.
James Hall
Witch hunt against performer is shameful
I am outraged over the outrage spouted by the "politically correct" bunch in this country. A certain divisive group is out in force to destroy this performers life and livelihood.
They are pushing the Secret Service and Holder's Justice Department to investigate this poor man who won't have the means to fight against the resources of (our) national treasury. He has already lost his job as a rodeo performer and banned for life and his superior has resigned over this clown's freedom of speech right to express his sense of humor, play a prank and joke about our first white/black president. They are also pushing for him to be fired from his full time job with a school district.
This is the United States of America, not a communist country where anyone who is perceived to disrespect the dictator is punished and destroyed for any hint of opposition to the oligarchy. I heard an actor on a late night TV show say that our then Vice-President Cheney should be stoned!
Perhaps hoping one of his rabid fans would do the deed? There was no public outrage by the PC bunch. President Bush and many other republicans were hung in effigy, ridiculed, threatened and defamed by this very bunch, but that was perfectly fine. And it will be interesting to find out if this citizen clown and gainfully employed bread winner will be turned down if he needs government assistance after his life is destroyed. I think the "powers that be" would deny him any sustenance. I pray a group of civil rights and Constitutional lawyers will come to this mans defense pro bono and save him, and us.
Brenda Goodman
Different ways to express displeasure
The first Presidential election I was privileged to participate in was LBJ. I have lived through nine Presidential terms in which their policies directly affected me. Some I agreed with and some I didn't. I was always happy to discuss my position, either for or against, with anyone. I feel I was able to put forth my position based on my knowledge of the policies and not just a gut reaction to what others were saying.
I have always respected the Office of the President and have only had two occasions to disrespect the person in the office. I didn't express my displeasure with such a stunt. I'm personally a little ashamed that this somehow is a reflection on my character as a resident of Missouri.
Brad Mitchell
Sunrise Beach
Sick attempt at humor
Anyone who can laugh at a suggestion of harm to our president must be too young to remember Nov. 1963 and the anguish we all lived through at that time.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of that horrific event. It's a sign of the times that beset our country that any entertainer would resort to such a sick attempt at humor. What's worse is the reaction of the crowd.
Francis Carr
Sunrise Beach
Issues is smoke and mirrors
I have watched shows where the Presidents of our country have been mocked and no one said a word. I even, in our own town, watched a local politician's son dress like President George W. Bush and walk a Dogwood Parade. We laughed then and yes some people laughed at the State Fair Rodeo. The difference is simply the race card which is thrown out like an overzealous referee at a soccer game. It was a joke that was in a state that is dominately republican.
If a clown had made fun of George W. Bush at a Cubs game at Wrigley Field no one would care. All this is smoke, that distorts the view of the real issues. The looming government shutdown, the IRS scandals and the fact that video has been uncovered which clearly shows Lois Lerner was ordered by higher ups to focus on conservative groups.
Let's not think about a 13-year-old white boy who was maliciously beaten by three 15-year-old black boys. We are not paying attention to the Benghazi hearing and Hillary's comment of 'What does it matter?' The fact that President Obama did not go through congress to delay a portion of the health care law, which he clearly broke the rule to enforce the laws of the land. Let's all pay attention to a clown that we a) couldn't pick out of a crowd, for a joke, put on a Obama mask, and b) in a rodeo where grown men jump on untamed bulls to get bucked off of — a truly "redneck" event that I personally like to watch.
Then call it a national tragedy really?
Nancy Steward
Linn Creek
Violation of freedom of speech
People have forgotten how to enjoy life. Everyone is so wrapped so tightly with PC (political correctness) they can hardly breathe. It was a clown. Clowns mock people, and who better to mock than the current failing president. Presidents and high level politicians are in the public's eye, they're going to be mocked. Half the people won't like it, half will love it. Doesn't make it right or wrong. If the politicians can't stand the heat they should get out of the kitchen. Has Obama complained about it?
This whole thing about Missouri's elected officials investigating this rodeo clown's activities as being disrespectful is a crock. This is what our elected officials think is important? This is how Missouri tax dollars are being spent?
How many hungry kids would this 'investigation' feed? How many homeless would receive temporary housing from these tax dollars? How many kids could get a college grant instead. No, let's throw a whole bunch of money after a joke and see who we can blame and throw under the bus. I find it grossly disappointing. And as far as respectful, well, while the Office of the President demands a certain level of respect, Obama has failed to earn any of mine. And the politicians who support him, even less. I'd vote for the clown in the next election.
And where does the Missouri State Fair Board get off banning this clown from ever performing there again? What about his rights? Anyone ever hear of this rapidly disintegrating document called the constitution? What about the first amendment? And I quote, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech….." Isn't this a form of Freedom of Speech? He's just demonstrating his belief. And who knows maybe the guy is a Democrat. He certainly has room to criticize then.
And just one last comment. Had the media let this go, not flagrantly displayed it on national news, not made a big deal about it, then it would have died the proper death. But, no. We had to sensationalize it, rub it in the noses of every American who wasn't there. And now you've got good people resigning their positions trying to save their jobs over one silly event. It's ridiculous.
Scott Hagan
Lake Ozark
A true patriot would condemn the stunt
I found the incident dark, disgusting and beyond any boundary of humor.
The Kansas City Star quoted the Show Me Progress website which reported a Facebook account of this incident;
"The announcer wanted to know if anyone would like to see Obama run down by a bull," the posting said. "The crowd went wild. He asked it again and again, louder each time, whipping the audience into a lather."
Another clown then apparently joined the performance.
"One of the clowns ran up and started bobbling the lips on the mask and the people went crazy," the posting said. "Finally a bull came close enough to him that he had to move so he jumped up and ran away to the delight of the onlookers hooting and hollering from the stands."
What a sad reflection on the citizens of Missouri.
"Bobbling the lips"? Could anything be more racist?
A friend from across the country sent me the Washington Post's account of the same.
Evidently the clown has been banned from Missouri State Fair for life and action is also being considered against the contractor responsible.
Republicans and Democrats both have condemned the incident.
And all Missouri citizens with an ounce of patriotism should do so as well.
Despite how you feel about our president and his policies he is the leader of our country and the free world.
Criticize but do so with respect for the office, the institution and our democracy.
A shallow, racist depiction of running the president out of town has no place at our state fair and the onlookers that cheered should be ashamed of themselves.
Craig Bischof
More important issues
I, for one am glad to see this question come up, especially after reading the "My View" opinion in Tuesday' s paper. It was a learning experience for me.
I have learned that this paper is as liberal-minded as the rest of the so called main stream media, I have learned that you cannot laugh at a joke about the President of the United States unless his name is Bush or Nixon, I have learned that anything that's said about Obama somehow becomes a race issue i.e. the reference in your article about the Klan.
I have learned that politicians on both sides of the aisle are hypocrites, oh wait! I already knew that. I'm referring to the comment about Mo. politicians saying this does not represent the people of Mo., hell half the time they don't either.
I wish that the media would learn to quit blowing things out of proportion that are really insignificant, and dwell more on the things that are really going on in this country, things much more important than a rodeo clown at a state fair.
Mike Donovan


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Report: Gas pipeline not enough to avert New England energy crisisBy DAVE SOLOMON
New Hampshire Union Leader
February 17. 2014 9:28PM
New England is facing an energy crisis brought on by high natural gas prices, and the call by governors in the six states for a new, publicly funded natural gas pipeline does not go far enough to solve the problem, according to a detailed analysis of the region's energy options.
The 30-page analysis, released on Feb. 11, was conducted by a consulting group, Competitive Energy Services of Portland, Maine, on behalf of the Industrial Energy Consumer Group, which represents large-scale users of electricity in New England.
"The governors' recommended addition of one billion cubic feet of natural gas pipeline capacity will help lower energy prices," according to the analysis, "but will still leave New England paying $600 million more for energy annually than if adequate pipeline capacity existed."
The consultants used 12 months of 2013 data to estimate future trends, and concluded that New England needs two billion cubic feet of new natural gas pipeline capacity — twice what the governors are calling for.
"Since 2012, a fundamental shift toward higher costs due to inadequate gas pipeline capacity has occurred in New England," they wrote.
It was just a year ago that the ratepayers in the region were enjoying lower costs attributed to new sources of natural gas tapped in nearby Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Although some experts predicted that the honeymoon would be short-lived, few if any anticipated the dramatic price swings alluded to in the CES analysis, which stated, "Previous studies did not perceive this fundamental shift because of the unavailability of 2013 data."
According to Maine attorney Anthony Buxton, counsel to the Industrial Energy Consumer Group, "This winter has provided frigid witness to the highest energy prices ever experienced by New England — prices routinely twice as high as those of last winter."
The human and economic costs have been significant, he said: "On just one Friday in January, the total cost of electricity in New England was $100 million more than what it would otherwise have been if New England experienced prices like the rest of the nation. The total above-market energy costs to New England in 2014 will be in the billions of dollars."
Buxton points out that in neighboring New York and Pennsylvania, natural gas is available at prices that often dip below $3 per million BTU, but because New England lacks adequate natural gas pipeline capacity, natural gas prices in cold weather have routinely been above $20 per million BTU.
A unique NE burden
"To make matters worse, these prices drive up the price of electricity astronomically for virtually all New England consumers," Buxton wrote. "Electricity prices have routinely doubled this winter ... These prices have closed New England mills for weeks on end, strained home budgets and burdened New England's economy uniquely among regions in the nation."
The worst is yet to come, he continued, "as customers with fixed-price contracts this year see those contracts expire and must now face the grim reality of much, much higher energy costs next winter."
Unregulated competitive energy suppliers who found it easy to compete with regulated utilities on price in 2012 are now struggling to offer a better buy to consumers, if they can.
Any new hydroelectric lines into the region from Quebec or Eastern Canada will help replace the region's aging coal, oil and nuclear plants, but will do nothing to reduce the need for two billion cubic feet of new natural gas pipeline capacity into the region, according to the analysis.
The consultants warn that failure to create new pipeline capacity will make hydro-electricity from Canada more expensive, even if the Northern Pass is built, as high electricity prices in the region are used as a basis for bids from Hydro-Quebec.
"Additional pipeline capacity into New England serves to discipline Canadian energy suppliers by reducing their pricing power," the report states. "To be assured of obtaining low prices for any imported Canadian electric energy, New England must move forward with developing additional pipeline capacity as soon as possible, and before entering into any electricity purchase agreements with Canadian suppliers."
New England is currently served by five interstate natural gas pipelines, the two largest being Algonquin Gas Transmission, owned by Spectra Energy and the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, owned by Kinder Morgan.
Both Spectra and Kinder Morgan have indicated a willingness to spend millions on gas line expansion into New England if they can get guaranteed 15- to 20-year contracts at fixed prices for the capacity. With New England governors willing to put ratepayer dollars on the line to execute those contracts, some construction now appears likely, although no new capacity is likely to go online before 2018.
A promising initiative
One of the most promising initiatives is the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Northeast Expansion Project, which would result in 250 miles of new pipeline, meter stations and upgrades to existing pipeline in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut.
"We are currently assessing market interest," said Richard N. Wheatley, director of corporate communications for Kinder Morgan in Houston. "Customer and shipper commitments are required before a project such as this might move forward."
Even though Kinder Morgan has not formally applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approvals, the company has already begun to contact landowners along the proposed route, mostly in northern Massachusetts, according to notices sent to town Planning Departments in early January.
"Tennessee anticipates that it will be able to locate a significant portion of the pipeline adjacent, or generally parallel, to existing pipeline and electric utility corridors," wrote a Kinder Morgan official in a letter to the Planning Department in Dunstable, Mass. "Pending receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, the proposed project is estimated to be placed in service by November 2018."
The commitments to purchase, promised by the New England governors, could move the Kinder Morgan project forward, but not everyone agrees that "socializing" the cost of a new pipeline is such a good idea.
"Pipeline expansion is a worthy endeavor — one that should be undertaken by the private investment of pipeline companies based on capacity commitments from natural gas generators and local distribution companies," said Marc Brown, executive director of the nonprofit New England Ratepayers Association.
"What happens if we build the pipeline and the price of natural gas climbs to levels we saw as few as 10 years ago? Then ratepayers will get hit twice — once for the pipeline and again for the expensive electricity. If we have learned anything over the past decade, it is that government doesn't make very good decisions when it comes to energy policy."
Brown said a better solution would be for the governors to create an environment that encourages private investment.
Whatever method is chosen, time is of the essence, according to the consultant report: "The additional pipeline capacity is necessary to enable New England electricity consumers to realize the benefits of the natural gas revolution that is benefitting the rest of the country."
New Hampshire Politics Energy NH's Energy Future Top Section Stories Business Headlines


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My New Best Friend: A Knife From Coltelleria Saladini
Thinking of the knife in your back pocket as a best friend might be a little over the top, but if you've ever owned a Saladini knife, that's likely exactly how you feel. My newest pocket knife comes from these famed Italian knife makers and I cannot sing its praises enough.
Coltelleria Saladini is based in Scarperia, situated just north of Florence. It is an ancient, medieval village that was built by the Florentine Republic in the 14th century. Known as "the town of knives," it has a long knife-making tradition, dating back to when it was first settled. All of their knives are made by hand, one by one, with high quality stainless steel and amazing ox horn, buffalo horn or Tuscan olive wood handles. We place orders for their knives three times a year and stock several different sizes and models, including a variety of folding knives, cheese knives, cigar cutters, bread knives, steak knives, forks, spoons, etc. The style of knife that I chose is called Mozzetta.
A Mozzetta has a traditional blunt blade that harks back to a time in Italy when knives with pointed blades were outlawed, or at least strictly controlled, and this style became the only legal option. In addition to referring to a particular knife style, the word "mozzetta" can also refer to a short cloak worn by clergy of the Catholic faith. What the two things – a knife and a cloak – have in common is the fact that they are cropped. The Italian verb "mozzare" translates into English as "to crop" or "to cut off."
I have gone through a fair share of cheese knives over my years here as a cheesemonger. The Laguiole I had was great. The knife even had a pouch that attached to my belt – yes, kind of a pocket protector for my knife. I lost that one and bought the simpler Couteau des Sorgues, which was gracefully taken by a colleague, by virtue of squatters rights. I'm not too heartbroken about that though – without a pocket protector, it was perpetually tearing the back pockets of my jeans.
After the Couteau, I went to the ol' favorite: Opinel. Opinels are sturdy with a carbon steel blade that is super sharp and very easy to touch up. It's a knife that's hard to beat, unless you lose it, which I did. Without a pocket knife, I was going crazy. Cheese planers were just not cutting it – literally and figuratively. After selling Saladini knives for years, I finally took a closer look at them to see if one might be up to the challenge. This is how I found my new best friend.
His name is Pepe. He is a good sized knife when open and compact when folded. His blade is shining stainless steel with a stubby end and some great detailing on the spine. His handle is gorgeous – made from ox horn, beige, caramel, unicorn white and a little bit of dark brown, a combo that gives this guy all the looks.
I encourage you to stop by the shop and check out the family of Saladini knives. My next purchase is a toss-up between the Saladini steak knife set and the bread knife.
For more about the producer of this knife, check out this blog post which explains how we first found out about Coltelleria Saladini.
And, if you are ever interested in placing a special order for a Saladini item we don't have on hand, please do not hesitate to e-mail our buyer, Tim at: email@example.com.
Kurt Gurdal is the General Manager and lead cheese buyer at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge.


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STOCKTON - Police reported five shootings during a one-hour period Monday night that resulted in one person shot, three dwellings struck and three vehicles hit by bullets.
STOCKTON - Police reported five shootings during a one-hour period Monday night that resulted in one person shot, three dwellings struck and three vehicles hit by bullets.
"We are looking at the possibility of these shootings or some of them being related based on their close proximity in time and locations," Stockton police spokesman Officer Joe Silva said Tuesday.
An 18-year-old man walking near EWS Woods and William Moss boulevards about 8:50 p.m. Monday was fired upon by an occupant of a gray Ford Taurus, police said. Several rounds were fired and the man was hit, resulting in a nonlife-threatening injury that was treated at a hospital. No further information was available.
About an hour earlier, a 38-year-old resident of the 600 block of West Park Street reported he heard gunfire and realized his residence had been hit. Responding officers found shell casings outside but no information leading to an assailant.
At 8:27 p.m. in the 2100 block of Long Island Drive, a woman reported her house was hit by gunfire. Shell casings were found at the scene, and a witness reported seeing a white midsize vehicle leaving the area.
Twelve minutes later, police received a call from a 52-year-old resident of the 2100 block of Scribner Street reporting that she heard gunfire and discovered both of her vehicles had been struck. Again, shell casings were discovered, but no information was immediately available leading to a suspect.
Another shooting report came in to police during that time from a 35-year-old resident of the 2600 block of Clearfield Drive. When the resident returned home, she discovered her house and one of her vehicles had been hit by gunfire. Shell casings were found, but no information on a shooter was immediately reported.


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For more than 30 years, Pennsylvanians have been calling for real property tax reform. Skyrocketing property taxes have paralyzed our state. Our neighbors have been losing their homes. The elderly have to determine whether they pay their taxes or visit the doctor. Many young families are unable to become homeowners because of high taxes making homes unaffordable.
It's time to fix the problem. Senate Bill 76 would do just that.
SB 76 is a common-sense, comprehensive and bold plan to eliminate property taxes for local schools, saving homeowners thousands while holding our local school districts harmless.
The Pennsylvania Senate is debating property tax reform over the next few weeks. Simultaneously, Real Reform 76 is advocating Senators to pass SB 76.
It is imperative that taxpayers across the state contact their respective senator. It will take a true grassroots approach to ensure victory. We simply need each of us to take action.
Be informed: Attend the town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 in the Tanglewood Event Center, 10 Austin Ave., Lyndora.


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There probably were several plays Augusta's girls basketball team would like to have back.
Twice in the final minute, the Orioles had chances to take the lead or tie Circle after forcing turnovers, but the Orioles mishandled the plays and came up empty-handed. Those little plays thwarted Augusta's bid for a comeback win as Circle held on to win Friday's game 34-32.
"We had two opportunities in the final 30 seconds with a breakaway and numbers, and we turned the ball over," coach Tracy Anderson said. "Just one play...But I can't fault our effort."
The Orioles trailed by as many as 10 points early in the third quarter. But like they've done several times now this season, they rallied to make a game of it. During the third quarter, Casady Marlnee made a sweet pass to Abby Tipton on a pick-and-roll. Tipton banked in the shot, which started a 10-4 run that spilled in the fourth quarter.
Kalie Robinson scored a layup in transition and drew a foul to give Augusta its first lead since the first quarter at 30-28. But Circle's Jamie Wright made a basket on a clever inbound pass—the third time Circle scored on such a play—to tie the game 30-30. Jacy Gibbs later gave the Thunderbirds a 34-30 lead, and that proved to be enough for Circle.
The Orioles fell behind in the first half because of turnovers and rushing their offense. Circle's pressure defense forced 12 first-half turnovers. The Orioles' effort kept them afloat, though. They outrebounded Circle 22-9 in the first half and scored nine second-chance points.
Marlnee scored 13 points to lead the Orioles. Taylor Childers had several rebounds and scored six points.


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Jason KrugmanAlumni, Class of 2009
Jason Krugman designs kinetic light sculptures shaped by the confluence of the organic and machine-made. His sculptures utilize mechanical elements to create visually stimulating experiences that provoke audience interaction. Simple physical mechanisms express current energy patterns, changing their form to produce new energy patterns. Each sculpture inherits and is activated by the natural phenomena of its given site.


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Obamacare fixes: Shaheen and the big reconsiderationEDITORIAL
December 28. 2013 1:00AM
The day after Christmas, The Washington Post ran a fact-check on a claim often made by Democrats in the wake of the Obamacare rollout debacle. It is one to keep in mind when Democratic National Committee Chairman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz speaks at the New Hampshire Institute of Politcs on Thursday.
The claim is that Democrats are trying to fix Obamacare while Republicans only want to repeal it. Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler gave it two Pinocchios. He noted that Republicans have proposed several bills to fix problems with Obamacare, some of which were passed into law and some of which were blocked by Democrats. He mentions two specific changes - eliminating the medical device tax and delaying the individual mandate for a year - that Senate Democratic leaders will not allow to come to a vote.
There also was the huge 2010 fix proposed by Republicans. It would have allowed people to keep their insurance plans if they liked them. Had it passed, Obamacare would be more popular today because millions of Americans would not have received insurance cancellation notices. But Senate Democrats, including Jeanne Shaheen, voted to kill it.
Shaheen is one of 15 Democratic senators up for election in 2014 who have been trying to strategize with the White House to protect themselves from voter backlash over the deeply unpopular law. The strategy so far is to tout the goals of Obamacare (rather than the results) and attack Republicans for wanting to repeal the law.
But Republicans have offered legislative fixes, usually to be told that the law does not need any. The Democrats' strategy has been for Obama to order fixes administratively (and arguably unconstitutionally) so they will not be put to a vote in Congress, which would allow for a broader reconsideration of the law.Not only did we have to pass the law to find out what was in it, but now we cannot pass fixes after we know that what is in it does not work. No wonder Jeanne Shaheen is nervous.


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Kansas State junior guard/forward Shane Southwell is having a breakthrough season for the nationally-ranked Wildcats, as the Harlem, N.Y., native is averaging 8.3 points on 50 percent shooting with 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. He came into the season averaging a mere 2.5 points on 36.1 percent shooting with 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 62 career games.
While Southwell is enjoying his highest amount of individual success in his career this season, his first two seasons as a Wildcat were filled with adjustments he had to make on and off the court.
"I guess I'm still adjusting, but they were really hard during my freshman year," Southwell said. "New York City is a big city. It is one of the biggest cities in the world and I felt like I needed to go to a smaller city, so I could mature into a young man. Coming to Manhattan has helped me mature a lot."
It is never easy on an athlete when they are not playing as much as they would like to. Athletes either will make the best of it or give up and quit their sport. Instead of quitting, Southwell used his lack of playing time as motivation.
"It was hard not playing a lot and not playing as much as I wanted. However, I had to keep motivated and get better every day because I knew I would get my chance one day," said Southwell. "When I got that chance, I knew I had to make sure and take full advantage of it."
This year, Southwell is much more comfortable with the system in place than his previous two seasons, in large part because of head coach Bruce Weber's motion offense.
"The motion offense is better designed for the small and power forwards that know how to make plays, which really fits my game," Southwell said. "Last year, our system did not fit me very well. Coach Weber has helped me a lot with maturing my game and maturing a person. This system has helped me a great deal."
Up until this year, Southwell was primary a small forward that played some shooting guard. This season, he spends most of his time on the court as a power forward. Although he has thrived as a power forward, there are advantages and disadvantages to the position because of his size.
"It is hard going against bigger players than me," Southwell said. "This wears me out at times because I am not naturally as big as other players I am playing against (at the power forward spot. On the other side, players are not used to guarding me or someone like me who has been a shooting guard or a small forward their whole career, so it is a win-win situation."
Going from not playing very many minutes a game for two years to playing starter-type minutes can take a toll on the body of a basketball player. Due to this, Southwell has worked harder than ever before to keep his body in peak condition.
"More rest, water and Gatorade," Southwell said. "I have to lift harder than I ever did to gain more muscle and not lose any muscle at the same time. That is because I am playing bigger players. The biggest thing is to rest and eat right just to stay healthy."
All of the hard work Southwell has put into this season has been noticed by Weber. He has seen him have a major impact on the team.
"First off, he is very talented," Weber said. "When I got here, I asked each individual player when I had individual meetings about who here is talented and they said that Rodney (McGruder) put up the best stats. "However, the majority of the players said the second-most talented player on the team was Shane."
"As the season started, we talked to him and Nino (Williams) and asked who wanted to play the small/power forward role," Weber said.
Southwell was excited at first, but wasn't sure if it fit him as a basketball. That hesitation allowed Williams to grab the spot. However, just a few games in, Williams got hurt, allowing Southwell another shot and this time Southwell seized the opportunity.
"He is smart and one of the two savviest players we have," said Weber. "Shane can be a point forward and is one of our better passers. When he screens for Rodney, he finds himself open to make 3-point shots and stretch the defense."
Southwell has scored in double figures in four of the last five games and is averaging 11.9 points on 52.5 percent shooting with 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 25.9 minutes per game in the last seven games. Recently, he achieved a career-high in points, scoring 19 points against the current No. 1 team Kansas on Jan. 22.
Southwell's improvement has been noticed by other Big 12 coaches as well.
"I think he is being more assertive, is more serious and has worked on his shot. From working on his shot, his 3-point percentage has improved," Weber said. "(Kansas head coach) Bill Self said he is one of the most improved players in the conference, which is a credit to him. We knew he had talent when we first worked him out. Now it will be about him putting it all together."
Southwell is also pleased to see other coaches across the Big 12 see his hard work and perseverance pay off, but is not satisfied with where he is at the moment.
"Coach Self is one of the best coaches in the country, so for him to say that I am one of the most improved players in the conference is a big deal to me," Southwell said. However, I still have to improve. We are just in the middle of our conference schedule. There are still a lot more games left, so I have to keep playing hard and get better each day."
The one thing Weber likes the most about Southwell is his court intelligence.
"He has a great feel of the game," Weber said. "Shane has made suggestions in huddles while not even in the game. An example was during the Oklahoma State game, Nino was playing so well that Shane told the coaches not to put him in the game and let him keep playing. Shane was happy to be on the bench cheering the team on. He is a team-first player, which is a very positive quality."
Southwell knows now from the experience he has gained this season what it will take to finish the season strong.
"I just have to keep working and keep helping my teammates, so we can win games," Southwell said. "We took two losses to quality teams in Kansas and Iowa State last week, so our game against Texas on Wednesday is an important game. We have to keep improving as a team and I have to keep improving individually because if I get satisfied, that is when I will not get better."
Kansas State junior guard/forward Shane Southwell is having a breakthrough season for the nationally-ranked Wildcats, as the Harlem, N.Y., native is averaging 8.3 points on 50 percent shooting with 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. He came into the season averaging a mere 2.5 points on 36.1 percent shooting with 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 62 career games.


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SPOKANE — Researchers are examining potential farm and commercial uses for gasified charred organic matter — biochar — in soil applications as a possible additional use for waste products.
USDA Agricultural Research Service research plant physiologist Steve Griffith shared initial results of his project using biochar on acidic soils at David Gady's Rockford, Wash., farm. Griffith used biochar made from gasified Kentucky bluegrass seed screenings.
The biochar he worked with may conserve soil moisture, provide nutrients or raise soil pH as a liming agent in a dryland wheat climate, he said. Using biochar as a soil amendment increased wheat yield from 26 bushels per acre on untreated soil to 67 bushels per acre, Griffith said.
The biochar was made using a farm-scale gasifier.
Peer-reviewed research on biochar varies greatly, Griffith said.
Before buying biochar, Griffith recommends asking for the chemical and physical characteristics, as well as cost.
"The reason we're involved in this is there's very little science to much of the biochar knowledge out there," he said. "People are kind of guessing what biochar might do. People say biochar shows a great effect on growth, but where's the data?"
Gasification also produces combustible gases that can be used to generate electricity and heat, which could be captured for use in greenhouses, said Gary Banowetz, research leader for USDA ARS in Corvallis, Ore.
Researchers will examine whether a gasification system could add income opportunities for farmers and seed mills.
"Our biggest implication is, can we take a waste product and create a value-added product out of it?" Banowetz said.
One company that hopes to commercialize biochar technology is Synthigen. Jed Morris, managing member for Synthigen and an attorney in Spokane, said the company formed several years ago to promote the technology.
"How that's going to be done is yet to be determined," he said. "Is it going to be a sale of the technology all together? Will it be licensing the technology? Will it be actually producing gasification units and selling them on the commercial market?"
The company hopes to ensure the gasification equipment remains farm-scale, so every medium-sized farm could buy a gasifier for less than the cost of a combine and use it on the farm, Morris said.
"You can't afford to truck the raw material, the feed source, very far because it's so light," he said.
The current research uses bluegrass seed mill endings, but Morris thinks the technology and process could transfer to wheat or grass straw and wood products.
Griffith is adding plots on Gady's farm next to his research plots from last year. He wants to see if pH and water-holding capacity are maintained and examine the effects of storage on biochar. He also wants to know more about the product's ability to bind heavy metals.


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Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin and other body organs. When it involves the skin, it causes a specific rash. The rash looks like bruising or small dots in the skin, referred to as purpura.
HSP is caused by an abnormal reaction of the immune system. Normally, the immune system marks and attacks foreign items like viruses and bacteria. However, with HSP, the immune system attacks the blood vessels. It is not clear why the immune system attacks the body.
The change in the immune system may be triggered by:
- Bacterial or viral infections
- Certain medications
- Recent exposure to certain vaccines
- Infection by insect bites
HSP occurs most often after a respiratory infection. HSP is not contagious.
Risk Factors
HSP is most common in children aged 2 to 11 years old, but it can occur at any age. Factors that increase your risk of HSP include:
- Recent upper respiratory illness, such as a cold
- Recent exposure to vaccines, chemicals, cold weather, or insect bites
Symptoms may last for 4 to 6 weeks and may include:
Skin rash:
- Reddish-purple spots that can be felt and are not itchy
- Often appears on the buttocks or legs, may appear on the elbows
- Red spots of various sizes
- Bruising, usually below the waist
- Pain in the joints, especially knees and ankles
- Abdominal pain
- Blood in the urine
- Swelling of the ankles
- Swelling of the scrotum in males
- Fever
- Blood in the stool
- Vomiting
You will be asked your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Your bodily fluids, tissues, and waste may be tested. This can be done with:
- Blood tests
- Urinalysis
- Stool sample
- Skin biopsy from an area of the rash
HSP usually gets better on its own. Your doctor may prescribe medications if symptoms or complications are causing problems. Medications may include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—to lessen joint pain and arthritis
- Steroid medication—for significant abdominal pain, joint pain, or kidney disease
- Antibiotics—to treat bacterial infection
- Immune system suppressants when you have symptoms of severe kidney disease
There are no guidelines to prevent HSP. Relapse occurs in about half of all cases.
It is important to make sure that you have long-term, follow-up visits with your doctor to be sure that kidney disease doesn't develop.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Michael J. Fucci, DO
- Review Date: 06/2016 -
- Update Date: 05/11/2013 -


text:
Polarized Goggles at the lowest discount prices available online. Shop for polarized goggles online and see how much time and money you can save. Buy polarized goggles online from a reputable dealer. Authentic polarized goggles can be found in our vast selection of eyewear. Polarized Goggles is a superb choice for those looking for . Find the perfect polarized goggles to complement your features and style. With polarized goggles comes a variety of stylish options in Most Popular, Mens, Womens and much more. Affordable eyewear, designer glasses brands and styles are readily available to choose from.
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Georgetown Town Council introduced a revised version of its controversial yard sale ordinance last week.
Georgetown Town Council introduced a revised version of its controversial yard sale ordinance last week that drops a proposed permitting requirement and would lift a long-standing ban on more than two sales per year.
"The original proposal was very restrictive," Georgetown Mayor Mike Wyatt said this week. "From listening to the other council members, I think this (proposal) will cover it."
Town officials have said the proposed ordinance is intended to target the handful of out-of-town roadside proprietors who frequently sell items along the entrance to the Georgetown Little League ball fields off of East Market Street, just south of the Georgetown Square shopping center.
"Our interest is in keeping people from setting up a blanket on someone else's property, creating a mess and then leaving," Wyatt said. "But if you own your property, I believe you should be able to have a yard sale whenever you want, so long as you clean up afterward and don't mess up the flow of traffic."
Town council introduced the first draft of its proposed yard sale ordinance Feb. 13.
That version would have required town residents to purchase a $10 yard sale permit that would have been valid only for specified date, as well as a potential rain date.
If approved, the proposal also would have capped the number of allowable yard sales at two per 12-month period. Town law currently limits residents from holding more than two yard sales per calendar year.
While the new version of the proposed ordinance does not include a permitting requirement and would eliminate the annual cap on yard sales, it would institute certain limitations included in the original draft.
They include a ban on yard sales in vacant lots or property with a structure "that is utilized primarily for any use other than residential purposes."
The proposal also would place limitations on the advertising of yard sales, including a ban on signs and handbills attached public property such as utility poles and rights-of-way. No more than two, non-illuminated signs – each limited to no more than 4 square feet – could be used to advertise yard sales. Advertising signs also would not be allowed on private property other than the location where the sale would be taking place. Even then, signs could only be displayed one day prior to a sale and would have to be removed immediately afterward.
The proposed ordinance also would limit yard sales hours to between 7 a.m. and dusk, a slight change from the previous draft that set closing time at sunset.
A violation of the proposed ordinance would still carry the threat of a $50 fine for each offense.
Town council could vote on the amended yard sale proposal as early as March 13. If adopted at that time, the new rules would take effect immeditately.
Wyatt said he believes the new proposal will address the issues with fly-by-night, roadside knick-knack dealers without adversely impacting the small town tradition of family yard sales.
"I think we all support the concept of yard sales," he said. "But if you're doing it as a business, you need to have business license and do it the right way. These people, in my opinion, are trying to get around doing it right."
Wyatt said he does not support the notion that the presence of unlicensed roadside merchants is an opportunity for a municipally-operated flea market.
"I don't think that's something we want to get into," he said. "If these people really want to do something like that, they can go to (Laurel Junction, formerly Bargain Bills) in Laurel and pay to rent a table."


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Actuate has introduced a new generation of BIRT iHub with options to provide "personalized analytics and insights". The new generation BIRT (Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools) iHub 3 visualization platform purports to offer BIRT developers increased power, control, and functionality; allowing them to create effective customer-facing applications that enable better engagement with customers.
"BIRT iHub 3 supports new heights of developer creativity, efficiency, and productivity with broader scope of control for customer-facing applications," said Nobby Akiha, of Actuate. "BIRT iHub 3 also bolsters outside the firewall, cloud-based installation, and management. While other BI vendors are fiddling with "free cloud systems" we have a fully deployed, live, multi-instance, multi-tenant cloud product for enterprises and OEMs.
The company says that its three million BIRT developers and OEMs can design personalized and secure data visualizations within customer-facing applications using any volume, variety, or velocity of data.
BIRT iHub 3 sports an entirely new user experience based on current consumer industry standards and web metaphors, and is instantly familiar from today's ubiquitous smart phone and touch device interfaces.
Developers' end users will immediately notice a cleaner, more intuitive UI that puts the information "frame" into the background to enable data content and resulting insights to take center stage. Navigational and editor improvements allow users to instinctually know how to customize dashboards and reports, supporting self-service. The new interface improves adoptability and enjoyment for all end users of BIRT-built applications.
Animated HTML5 visualizations are now default and augment Flash output for all charts, gadgets, and maps to enable full, cross-platform, mobile and web compatibility, which is especially helpful for iOS, Android, and BYOD environments.


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You have converted 72400 EUR to NGN: 30 853 998,02 Nigerian Naira's. For this operation we used International Currency Rate: 426,16019. The result will appear with every reload of the page. You can convert Euros to other different currencies with the form on right sidebar. If you want to know money equivalents of 72400 Euro in other currencies see "In other currencies".
Convert currency 72400 EUR to NGN. How much 72400 Euros to Nigerian Naira? — 30 853 998,02 Nigerian Naira's
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Huskers Set to Face First Big Ten Foe
No. 9 Nebraska, UIC at No. 6 Minnesota
Saturday, Feb. 2 | 7 p.m. CST
Minneapolis, Minn. (Sports Pavillion)
No. 9 Nebraska, UIC at No. 6 Minnesota
Saturday, Feb. 2 | 7 p.m. CST
Minneapolis, Minn. (Sports Pavillion)
Grabbing their first victory of the season, the Nebraska men's gymnastics team looks to continue their success on the road as they travel to Minnesota this weekend. The Huskers will face the Golden Gophers, as well as meet the UIC Flames once again. NU will compete in the Sports Pavillion at 7 p.m. CST on Feb. 2. Fans who can't make it to the meet can follow the team on Twitter (@NebraskaMGym) or on Facebook (facebook.com/NebraskaMGym) for live updates from the meet. Live video will also be available at GopherSports.com for a fee.
The Huskers and the Golden Gophers look to earn their second win of the season Saturday. Nebraska dominated at home against UIC, claiming the top spots both individually and as a team on all six events, as well as in the individual all-around. Minnesota won their home opener as well, triumphing over the Air Force Falcons 430.600-404.450. Nebraska faced the Golden Gophers three times during the regular season, most recently on March 11 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Scouting the Flames
A Glance at UIC
Head Coach: Charley Nelson
2013 Record: 0-8
2013 High Score: 401.600 (Windy City Invitational, 1/19/13)
UIC started their 2013 season with a pair of home meets, coming out on the bottom of both. They hosted Illinois on Jan. 12, falling to the Illini with a score of 425.45-385.75. The Flames then held the 43rd Annual Windy City Invitational inside the Physical Education Building. The team posted a season-best team score of 401.600. Coming off a season-high, the Flames traveled to Lincoln to face the Huskers, where they lost 423.300-397.500. UIC looks to improve on their scores in Minneapolis by continuing to face top-ten teams for the third week in a row.
Scouting the Golden Gophers
A Glance at Minnesota
Head Coach: Mike Burns
2013 Record: 2-3-1 (0-3-1 Big Ten)
2013 High Score: 430.600 (vs. Air Force, 1/26/13)
No. 6 Minnesota started their 2013 season off tying for fourth with Iowa at the Windy City Invitational. The Golden Gophers were unable to match conference foes Michigan, Illinois and Ohio State, who claimed the top three spots. Minnesota outmatched UIC 422.350-401.600. The Golden Gophers then returned home, where they took the win over No. 11 Air Force in the Sports Pavillion.
Looking Ahead
Nebraska faces their first break of the season after facing Minnesota and UIC this weekend. Grant Perdue and Eric Schryver will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the Winter Cup on Feb. 7-9. The Huskers will recooperate during their two-week break before hitting the road again. They will travel to Iowa City, Iowa to face the Hawkeyes on Feb. 23. The meet will start at 5 p.m. CST.
Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep Flames in First Win
NU earned it's first win of the 2013 season at home, grabbing all six event titles both individually and as a team. Junior C.J. Schaaf also took home the all-around title after setting a personal-best score of 81.050.
Sophomore Josh Ungar opened his 2013 season with a bang, earning a 14.85 on vault and taking home the event title. He also competed on high bar, where he placed second overall (14.15).
Eric Schryver took home two individual event titles, while also completing the most attention-grabbing routine of the meet. The junior received a 14.15 on parallel bars, making him the only competitor to break 14.00 on the aparatus. He also took home the high bar title after earning a 14.30. Schryver routine and stuck landing on high bar put the crowd into an uproar at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
NU set season-high event scores on pommel horse (71.550) and rings (71.000), which helped the team set their season-best team total of 423.300. Despite their total score, the Huskers continued to struggle on parallel bars and saw some difficulty on floor.
Micah Christensen and Grant Perdue were the only two Huskers able to break 14.00 on floor. Perdue grabbed a 15.05 on the event, earning him the event title. The sophomore continued to struggle on vault, finishing with a 12.80.
Nebraska Maintains Top-Ten Status
Sophomores Josh Ungar and Grant Perdue helped anchor the Huskers in their No. 9 position in the national rankings this week after solid performances from them on vault and floor respectively. Ungar's 14.85 on vault earned him a spot in the individual rankings, tying him at ninth with Olympian Syque Caesar from Michigan.
All-arounders Wyatt Aycock and CJ Schaaf were the only Huskers to stay in the individual rankings from last week to this week. Aycock jumped five positions in the pommel horse rankings, moving him to 15th with an average score of 14.533. He also continued to hold his place in the all-around rankings, dropping to 12th with his score of 82.100. Schaaf maintained a place in the all-around rankings for the third week in a row, moving to 18th with his average of 80.783.
NU dropped one place in the team rankings on floor and parallel bars, despite increased averages after their win at home. Nebraska saw higher rankings on high bar and vault, thanks to strong performances on both aparatus'.
Men's Gymnastics Aug. 20
Men's Gymnastics Aug. 16
Men's Gymnastics Jul. 11
Men's Gymnastics Jun. 22
Men's Gymnastics Apr. 22
Men's Gymnastics Apr. 20


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Tulane Law School strives to create opportunities that enhance our students' practical skillsets in order to better prepare them for their jobs following law school. Through partnerships with local legal professionals, alumni, employers and law school faculty, Tulane Law works to supplement the classroom experience with programs such as Intersession "Boot Camp", externships, judicial clerkships and pro bono opportunities.
Choose the links below to navigate through the course descriptions. You can view the courses by Category (1st Year, Upperclass, Seminars, etc.) or by Academic Area (Sports Law, Family Law, Civil Law, etc.). The "Course Descriptions Home" shows a list of all courses.
Academic Programs Contact:Office of Academic Services
Weinmann Hall, Suite 204
6329 Freret Street
New Orleans, LA 70118tel 504.865.5935fax firstname.lastname@example.com
Admission Contact:Office of Admission
Weinmann Hall, Suite 203
6329 Freret Street
New Orleans, LA 70118tel 504.865.5930fax email@example.com


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 7th Sep 2009 17:43 UTC
Last week, Culf of Mac published an article showing off some of Snow Leopard's beautiful 512x512 icons, revealing some interesting tidbits about them you could only see when the icons are fully maximised. In this article, I compare some of Snow Leopard's icons to those of Windows 7, and you'll see while both operating systems have beautiful icons, there are some key differences between the styles of these icons. Note that this article contains some large images, so if you're on dial-up, you've been warned.
Permalink for comment 382677
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
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RE[2]: Give me functional
by badtz on Mon 7th Sep 2009 22:01 UTC in reply to "RE: Give me functional"


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Barrefors, Weatherholt Earn Top Honors
LINCOLN – A Big Ten Conference decathlon champion destined to become the first four-time Academic All-American in Nebraska athletic history and the 2012 Big Ten Women's Tennis Athlete of the Year were named 2013 Student-Athletes of the Year Sunday night at the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet. A crowd of more than 700 people gave Björn Barrefors (pronounced Bih-yurn BAR-eh-FORSH) and Mary Weatherholt standing ovations at Lincoln's downtown Embassy Suites Hotel, which hosted the banquet for the first time in 23 years.
Barrefors is a senior combined events competitor from Stockholm, Sweden, and Weatherholt is a senior record-setting tennis player from Shawnee Mission, Kan. South High School. A Sunday afternoon match at Michigan State prevented Weatherholt, NU's career record-holder for singles winning percentage (.809), from attending Sunday night's banquet. Her mother, Nancy Weatherholt, accepted the award. Both Husker seniors are team captains and excel at the highest academic levels, and both are active contributors to Nebraska's nationally prominent Life Skills program.
Barrefors was a Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2010 and a First-Team Academic All-American in each of the last two years. If he earns a fourth Academic All-American honor later this spring, Barrefors will be the first Husker ever to achieve that milestone. Weatherholt has received multiple first-team academic awards from the Big 12 and Big Ten Conferences, plus an ITA Scholar-Athlete Award, the Faculty Athletics Representative Academic Excellence Award, four George Beadle Scholarships and a Central Region Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership/Sportsmanship Award.
Barrefors is a computer science major. He was a leader on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and became part of the track and field team's Leadership Council. "I have many great role models and one is Tom Osborne," Barrefors said. "His views can seem very different from mine at first glance, but I admired how he always wanted the best for others and acted just the way he teaches others to act."
Weatherholt is a business administration major. "Playing tennis at Nebraska is the best decision I could have made," she said. "I've come across people who think that college athletics can hinder your education, but I think it's just the opposite. I can think of nothing that would have enhanced my learning more than playing tennis and studying hard at Nebraska."
Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman and NU Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst were the featured speakers at the recognition banquet, and Omaha news anchor Serese Cole was the emcee.
Senior associate athletic director Dennis Leblanc presented Herman Awards to the Nebraska women's tennis team and the men's golf program for having the top team grade-point-averages on campus. Both were repeat winners from the previous year. Associate athletic director Keith Zimmer presented Life Skills Awards of Excellence to the Nebraska women's swimming and diving team and to the Husker wrestling program. The swimming and diving team repeated its Life Skills award and wrestling received its first department-wide award for community outreach and service. Over the past year, Nebraska teams and student-athletes participated in more than 300 service projects.
Jo Potuto, the Richard H. Larson Professor of Constitutional Law at UNL and Nebraska's Faculty Athletics Representative, presented the 2013 Student-Athlete-of-the-Year awards to Barrefors and Weatherholt. Forty-eight Nebraska student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition this past fall term. Eichorst and representatives from each college within UNL's system handed out 255 medallions for academic excellence Sunday night – 72 gold for Highest Honors (3.750 to 4.000 GPA), 56 silver for High Honors (3.500 to 3.749 GPA) and 127 bronze for Honors (3.000 to 3.499 GPA).
Previous Student-Athletes of the Year
- Ashley Miller (Track & Field/CC)
- Tyler Hitchler (Track & Field)
- Nicholas Gordon (Track & Field)
- Natalie Willer (Track & Field)
- Craig Brester (Wrestling)
- Kelsey Griffin (Basketball)
- Nick Sullivan (Baseball)
- Amanda Gates (Volleyball)
- Stephen Tetrault (Gymnastics)
- Sarah Pavan (Volleyball)
- Stephanie Carter (Gymnastics)
- Dane Todd (Football)
- Ashley Selig (Track and Field)
- Aaron Plas (Track and Field)
- Richelle Simpson (Gymnastics)
- Daniel Bruce (Baseball)
- Judd Davies (Football)
- Anne Gaffigan (Track and Field/CC)
- Jeff Leise (Baseball)
- Laura Pilakowski (Volleyball)
- Bryan Snyder (Wrestling)
- Diandra Hyman (Bowling)
- Kyle Vanden Bosch (Football)
- Angie Oxley (Volleyball)
- Brian Shaw (Football)
- Janet Dutton (Track and Field)
- Jim Koziol (Gymnastics)
- Fiona Nepo (Volleyball)
- Ryan Tobin (Wrestling)
- Jenny Smith (Softball)
- Ted Harris (Gymnastics)
- Shelly Bartlett (Gymnastics)
- Jason Christie (Gymnastics)
- Billie Fletcher (Volleyball)
- Rob Zatechka (Football)
- Nicole Duval (Gymnastics)
- Trev Alberts (Football)
- Theresa Stelling (Track and Field/CC)
- Mike Stigge (Football)
- Karen Jennings (Basketball)
- Pat Engelbert (Football)
- Janet Kruse (Volleyball)
- David Edeal (Football)
- Lynne Frey (Track and Field)


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IgA nephropathy is a disorder of the kidney. It may start with minor changes in the kidneys, but it can lead to chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
IgA nephropathy is caused by a buildup of the IgA protein in the kidneys. IgA proteins help the body fight infections. There are more of these proteins when you have an infection like the cold or flu.
The protein buildup can damage the filters of the kidneys. These filters are needed to clean the blood as it passes through. If the filters are damaged, then the kidneys are not able to clean the blood. Minor damage to the filters will not cause any changes. Major damage will worsen your health. IgA nephropathy can also cause some blood and protein to leak into the urine.
Genetics may play a role in the buildup of IgA proteins in the kidney.
Risk Factors
Factors that increase may your chance of IgA nephropathy include:
- Gastrointestinal disorders, such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease
- Infectious diseases, such as HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis
- Pulmonary diseases, such as bronchiolitis and small cell lung cancer
- Liver disease, such as cirrhosis
- Lymphoma
- Family history
Early stages of IgA nephropathy rarely have symptoms.
The first sign of IgA nephropathy is often blood in the urine. It often occurs after an infection like a cold. Small amounts of blood in the urine may only be detected with a test. Larger amounts of blood in the urine can make the urine a pink or cola color.
Later stage symptoms may also include:
- Swelling of the hands and feet
- Repeated upper respiratory infections
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Fever
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Your bodily fluids and tissues may be tested. This can be done with:
- Urine tests
- Blood tests
- Biopsy
There is no cure for IgA nephropathy. The goal of treatment is to slow damage to the kidneys. Your doctor will also make a plan to manage related symptoms, such as high blood pressure.
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment options include:
Depending on your symptoms and overall health, your doctor may suggest:
- Medications to help control blood pressure and decrease protein loss in the urine
- Cholesterol lowering medication
- Corticosteroids to decrease inflammation in the body
- Medications to suppress the immune system
Dietary Changes
Your doctor may recommend certain changes to your diet. The changes will depend on your overall health and your kidney function. Some changes may include:
Controlling protein in the diet by limiting or avoiding:
- Most meats and dairy products
- Gluten—protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats
- Controlling salt in the diet
- Dietary changes to manage blood cholesterol levels
Your doctor may recommend certain supplements like fish oil. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplements.
Lifestyle Changes
Exercise can help with overall health. It can also help manage cholesterol and blood pressure.
If you smoke, talk to your doctor about how to successfully quit.
Kidney Support
Dialysis takes over the job of the kidneys if they are not able to work well. It cannot cure the kidney damage, but it will help you feel better and decrease symptoms like high blood pressure.
A kidney transplant may be needed when illness has progressed and the kidneys have failed.
The cause of IgA nephropathy is not clear, so there are no known steps to prevent it.
Tell your doctor if you have a family history of IgA nephropathy. You and your doctor can watch for signs of the disease and manage issues like high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Adrienne Carmack, MD
- Review Date: 06/2016 -
- Update Date: 05/28/2014 -


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Column published Feb. 1, 2013 in The Mexico Ledger
100 Years Ago
"At a meeting of representatives from 16 mutual telephone lines of Audrain County Saturday afternoon at the Court House a resolution was adopted stating that each representative should report to the community which he represented that it was thought best by those at the meeting for the lines to combine and buy the Mexico Mutual Exchange for $2,000 and maintain it. This will improve the entire system and give the farmers better facilities of talking to Mexico. At the meeting held in the morning at 10 o'clock, Val Erdel Jr., was elected chairman, and John Beal, secretary. Mr. Erdel stated that the different lines would have to combine, and buy the Mexico exchange and support it, or it would have to be sold to some other party. All present seemed to think that it should be bought by the Audrain lines and a committee was appointed to discuss the matter and report at the afternoon meeting. The committee was as follows: Vandalia, Judge Guy McCune; Laddonia, George Ferris; Worcester, J.E. Hodge; Molino, Thod Boulware; Benton City, R.J. Offutt; Auxvasse, W. Ed Boyd; Farber, W.J. Crow; Centralia, B.F. Pulis; Skinner, Chas. Tanner; Rowena, Melvin Beamer; Gant, W.O. Smith; Martinsburg, George Kellerhals; Cuivre, T.J. Parker; Rush Hill, Val Erdel; Carver Dam, J.T. Crews, and Pfitzer, Noble Barnes."
50 years Ago
"Sixty-four persons attended a meeting last night at the Community Room of the courthouse to gather facts to lead discussion groups on the theme 'Opportunities for Missourians.' Those at last night's meeting will hold three meetings this month in their communities, inviting three to five couples for discussions of boosting business and industry opportunities, improving the communities and opportunities in agriculture. The discussion groups will use material prepared by the University of Missouri Extension Division, designed to inform the people about the three subjects and help them form opinions based on facts, County Extension Director Hugh Keith said. After the discussions in the various communities, each participant will be asked to fill out a ballot giving his opinions on the subject. The ballots will be tabulated and the information turned over to various agencies."
25 Years Ago
" 'It was a short spring,' was the comment of many Ledger area residents early this morning when they discovered their cars covered with ice after record high temperatures the past few days. But the worst was yet to come. By midmorning, streets, county roads and highways in the area were covered with ice from the misting rain that was freezing. By 11 a.m., officers were investigating three Audrain County accidents caused by the slick roadways. One was in Vandalia, another was an injury accident on Highway 15, according to Sheriff Stuart Miller. Late this morning, Sheriff Miller said he had reports that heavy freezing rain would be in Columbia by noon, headed this way and expected to be in the Mexico area by afternoon. Later reports were that the heavy freezing rain had hit Columbia by 11:30. Ed Ferguson, superintendent of Mexico Public Schools, said all Mexico schools would close at 1 p.m. except the high school, which would be dismissed at 1:15. All classes tonight at the Vo-Tech School were canceled."
10 Years Ago
"Police responses went up 9 percent but reported crimes went down by the same percentage in 2002 in Mexico, according to figures published by the Public Safety Department's annual report. Total crimes in Mexico were the lowest reported since 1996 and crimes against persons were the lowest since 1993. Mexico Public Safety Chief Greg Miller said the report was a sign that the community is a safe place. 'There's always going to be crime, but that's what we're here for. We're pleased to serve a community that's in such great shape,' said Miller. The annual report, released this week by the PSD, breaks down crimes and other police related statistics in every category and tracks them over a 10-year period. According to the annual crime index, there were 428 crimes reported in 2002, down 9.5 percent from 452 in 2001. The number of crimes reported peaked in 1999 with 488, and since then have dropped every year. 2002's total was the lowest amount of crime reported since 1996, when 387 crimes were reported. Despite the lower crime rate, Mexico Public Safety responded to a record number of calls. There were 117,745 police responses in 2002, up 9 percent."
The Yesterday In Mexico column is published daily in The Mexico Ledger.
An expanded column is published on Fridays.
Call the circulation department (573) 581-1111 for subscription information.


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Financials: Mar. Bonds are currently 14 lower at 143'01 and the 10 Yr. Note 7 lower at 131'09. Continue to treat as a trading affair between 142'19 and 145'24. Trend remains down for the mid-term and neutral for the short term.
Grains: Mar. Corn is currently 4'0 lower at 730'2, Mar. Beans about 2'0 lower at 1487'0, Mar. Wheat fractionally lower at 762'2 and Dec. Wheat 1'0 lower at 801'2. I am looking to treat Mar. Corn as a trading market between 725'0 and 744'0 with a bias to the long side of the market. A close below the 722'0 level could indicate a return to the 712'0 area. I continue to recommend out-of-the-money call spreads in Dec. Wheat as a long-term position. Of note: It's the time of year to start paying close attention to South American harvest conditions and crop yields, particularly for Beans. Current support and resistance for Mar. Beans: 1460'0-1500'0.
Cattle: Apr. LC are currently 32 higher at 132.60 and Mar. FC 55 higher at 149.42. Yesterday Apr. LC gave a profit taking opportunity for long positions early in the session as the market made a high of 133.20. If you remain long either take profits or raise your protective sell stop to the 131.45 level. If the market trades above the 133.00 level raise your stop to the 132.12 level.
Silver: Mar. Silver is currently $0.20 higher at $31.92 and Apr. Gold about unchanged at $1,677.00. We remain long Silver. Treat Gold as a trading market between $1,657.00 and $1,688.00.
S&Ps: Mar. S&Ps are currently 6.50 higher at 1500.00. Yesterday's sharp break has established a new short term level of support in the 1492.00 area and resistance remains the contract high of 1510.00. If the 1490.50 level is broken it may indicate a break to the 1483.00. I continue to hold a small short position.
Currencies: As of this writing the Mar. Euro is currently 4 higher at 1.3527, the Swiss 5 lower at 1.1011, the Yen 94 lower at 1.0733 and the Pound 49 lower at 1.5710. Between yesterday morning and early this morning the Yen traded above the 1.0815 level, making a high of 1.0866, giving us an opportunity to take a short term profit from recent long positions or to raise your protective sell stop to the 1.0770 level which has been penetrated.


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As humans, "we're all primordial architects. We all want to create shelters," says Ottawa architect Sarah Murray.
Murray, a partner with husband Nicholas Caragianis at Nicholas Caragianis Architect Inc., peppers her conversation with such nuggets. She clearly not only practises architecture, but thinks about her profession, one that appeals to her because of its intrinsic optimism: "You're surrounded by people who believe in the future and want to make the world a better place."
She's contributed to that betterment with a range of projects that lean to the traditional: attractive low-rise condos in both new and established areas of town; a home in Ottawa's tony Rockliffe Park neighbourhood that, once completed, will have a New England look and, she promises, will appear to have always been where it is; a major renovation that's transfigured the Irish ambassador's residence into an award-winning, 12,000-square-foot space whose elegant presence suggests it has no plans to vanish anytime soon.
Even if weren't for the optimism factor, Murray was probably genetically programmed to become an architect.
Her father, two uncles and a brother are all in the profession. That's reinforced on her husband's side, where a grandfather, parents and an uncle have plied the same trade. "It's like a compulsion in our family. Someone's always building something."
Heck, even the family dogs seem to have the designing bug: Jato, a Hungarian vizsla, and Sweeper, a Rhodesian ridgeback, are regulars at the architectural office, a former contractor's warehouse in Little Italy.
With architects ubiquitous in the Murray family, it's not surprising that one of her projects is an addition to a building her father's former firm (Murray, Murray, Griffiths and Rankin) created some three decades ago.
The Gillin Residence Phase II, completed in 2007, is an 8,500-square-foot brick addition to the original boarding house at Ashbury College in Rockliffe Park. With its distinctive tower mirroring the existing one, the new building features bay windows where students can read a book and gaze out over the grounds.
There's also a new entrance: "I wanted an entranceway facing the playing fields so the girls have a nice sense of entering the building," Murray says.
Once inside, they are in a space that blends the private and public or shared elements that distinguish any residence, whether a boarding house or a personal home. That blend is one that excites Murray.
Noting the North American evolution toward open-concept homes and the omnipresence of high-tech devices, she says we live in a time when the family is often together in one large space even if each member is doing his or her own thing — one texting and another listening to an MP3 player, for example.
"We're herd animals, so we want to be with the herd but not necessarily interacting. It's like at Starbucks where everyone is gathered together but working on their own laptops.
"So when you put a shared space into a home, an open-concept kitchen and family room and dining room, you are connecting people. I think that's important."
Referring to the notes she's made before our interview (being prepared is important to Murray), she adds that we humans are both physically and emotionally connected to our architecture.
"I used to think of architecture as a luxury, but now I think it's essential for a good, healthy environment."
Murray almost didn't become an architect. She initially studied science at the University of Guelph, thinking she might even become an organic farmer. However, genetics and optimism prevailed, and she swung her attention to Carleton University's architecture program, graduating in 1987.
Keen to promote the presence of women in architecture — her firm has six female architects or architectural interns and three male — Murray notes that back in her day female architecture students were a rarity. That's changing, she says, a statement borne out by the Ontario Association of Architects, which reports a total of 31 new female architects registered from 1970 to 1979 while in 2010 alone 35 new females joined the profession. Of the roughly 3,000 architects now practising in Ontario, 583 are female.
After graduating, Murray worked on urban planning and other projects in Montreal and Ottawa before founding the current firm with Caragianis in 1993. The couple has three children.
Her husband tends to work on out-of-town commercial projects while she focuses on residential gigs (in Ottawa, he jokes, "I get called Mr. Murray").
It works well, she says. "He does his stuff and I do mine. The staff just keep their heads down when the bullets do start flying."
Murray's projects include The Station, a 46-unit condo being developed by Campanale Homes at its Longfields Station site in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven, and a low-rise condo for the same company on Bank Street in Old Ottawa South.
You could drive by the latter, which includes some ground-floor commercial space, without giving it a second thought, which is exactly what its designers and the developer wanted.
"It's only four years old, but it looks like it's been there forever," says Vince Campanale, the company's vice-president, who stresses the role also played by his company's in-house design team. "The building really conforms well with the area. When you can accomplish something like that, you've done something remarkable.
"Sarah is very nice to work with. She'll give you her opinion, but she also listens to what you want."
Her big project has been the $6-million renovation of the Irish ambassador's residence in Rockcliffe Park, which last year won an award from the City of Ottawa for infill and restoration of a heritage property.
"It was a beautiful old house that hadn't taken advantage of the site."
In addition to important improvements, like the removal of asbestos and replacement of dated insulation, the renovation saw the demolition and rebuilding of the home's east and west wings.
Murray also ushered in natural light by reglazing the vestibule and constructing a loggia, or gallery, that links the new wings and serves as a viewing area for the artwork along one of its walls and the drama of the changing seasons through its other, glassed wall.
"One of my goals was to connect (the home) more to the outside. One of my design philosophies is to connect with nature, to bring in lots of natural light."
When it comes to Ottawa itself, Murray says it's a "beautiful city" where we are constantly reminded of nature, but that we should take more risks with urban planning and architecture — think of the bold addition to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, she says. "How fun is that!"
We could also connect more with our rivers: "Where are the places to sit and have a cappuccino?
"Everybody should be shaping our environment," she says. "We should all be participating in this city."
Primordial architects indeed.


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TUSCALOOSA | One of the largest auctions of construction equipment in the state's history will be in Tuscaloosa this week, with more than $26 million worth of equipment ranging from pickup trucks to heavy earth-moving equipment going up for bids.
TUSCALOOSA | One of the largest auctions of construction equipment in the state's history will be in Tuscaloosa this week, with more than $26 million worth of equipment ranging from pickup trucks to heavy earth-moving equipment going up for bids.
As many as 1,000 people could show up for the two days of bidding, according to the auctioneer, and an untold number of additional bids are expected to be made online.
But the story behind the auction is not a pretty one. It's the story of tough times in the construction industry and in particular hard times for a Tuscaloosa company that once employed about 600 people and was involved in some of the area's largest construction projects over the last several decades.
The equipment is being sold by Racon Inc., a Tuscaloosa company that was established in 1981 and that has done about $1.1 billion worth of construction projects over more than three decades, according to its president, Keith Andrews.
"We are selling our earth-moving assets and getting out of that business," he said. "But we will be keeping our bridge-building division."
Racon took a severe hit during the recession and has not recovered, he said, noting the company has not had a profitable year since 2009.
Much of its work over the years involved clearing and leveling land so sites could be developed, Andrews said.
Racon crews help prepared the Mercedes-Benz site in Vance in the 1990s and, before that, the site for the JVC manufacturing plant. It also worked on bridges and highway bypasses in Tuscaloosa, plus projects elsewhere.
But when the recession hit, no one was building new subdivisions or shopping centers, he said. And both state and local governments faced budget shortfalls, which affected funds for highway construction.
What highway work was being done amounted to paving and maintaining existing roads rather than building additional lanes or roads, Andrews said. Racon didn't have paving equipment, so it couldn't bid for the limited work available, he said.
"We went from 600 employees to 80 employees now," he said. "The hardest part is when the business slowed down and I had to lay off people, some who had more than 20 years with us."
He said a lot of good workers were laid off and that he tried to help them find jobs with other companies.
Rebuilding Racon to what it once was will be difficult, maybe impossible.
"We got enough work to do through 2013," Andrews said. "In 2014, we will analyze the situation and decide if we can hang on."
If there is not enough work, the bridge division likely will be sold off, too, and Racon will go out of business, he said.
The auction, which is open to the public, will be four-day event at the company's plant at 7300 Commerce Drive in Tuscaloosa's Airport Industrial Park. "Everyone is welcomed," Andrews said.
Most folks might not want a big piece of earth-moving equipment, but "it is a good chance to get a good price on a pickup truck," he said.
On Monday and Tuesday, potential bidders will be able to examine the approximately 675 pieces of equipment that will be sold. The equipment includes 45 pickups and 300 to 350 pieces of earth-moving equipment that Andrews called the "big, yellow, iron Caterpillar" items, many of which are expected to sell for six figures.
The company's lot will be open for public inspection of equipment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, but Andrews said if employees are there earlier or later, the public will be allowed in.
Potential bidders will be coming from out-of-town. On Monday at 11:30 a.m., Racon's shop will set up to serve barbecue to 200 guests coming to check out items, he said.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the auction will start at 9 a.m. It is expected to continue at least through the afternoon.
Andrews said he expects about 30 to 35 percent of the items will be purchased for overseas use and a like percentage of bids will come via the Internet.
People coming into town for the auction could generate additional business elsewhere.
Denny Wiggins of Alabama Truck & Equipment LLC, which sells heavy earth-moving machinery at 4400 Joe Mallisham Parkway about a mile from the auction site, said he is hosting a pre-auction hospitality party at his business for people coming to the auction.
"The size and magnitude of this auction will bring buyers worldwide to bid on this construction equipment," he said. ..."I'm expecting to have anywhere from 200-400 buyers stop in to eat, drink and meet and greet."
He said he hopes to sell some of the $1 million of equipment in his inventory plus $500,000 of construction equipment that Bryant Bank took possession of and assigned to his company to sell.
As for the Racon auction, a list of some of the bigger items being sold is available for viewing at Myron Bowling Auctioneer's website at http://www.myronbowling.com under the upcoming auctions tab.