text:
Author Affiliations: Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (Drs Spencer, Bates, and Glushchenko); and Departments of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester (Drs Spencer, Goldberg, and Gore and Mss Lessard and Emery), and University of California–Davis, Sacramento (Dr White).
Our study objective was to describe the frequency, indications, and outcomes after inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement in a population-based sample of residents of the Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan area who had been diagnosed as having acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in 1999, 2001, and 2003.
A retrospective chart review of inpatient and outpatient medical records was conducted. Recorded indication(s) for IVC filter placement was determined among a subset of cases from 3 Worcester tertiary care hospitals. Three thrombosis specialists assessed the appropriateness of IVC filter placement.
Of 1547 greater Worcester residents with validated acute VTE and without a prior IVC filter, 203 (13.1%) had an IVC filter placed after acute VTE. Patients with an IVC filter were older, had more comorbidities, and had a higher mortality rate during 3 years of follow-up. There was unanimous agreement by panel members that the use of an IVC filter was appropriate in 51% of cases and inappropriate in 26% of cases, with no consensus in the remaining 23%.
In this community-based study, IVC filters were frequently used in the treatment of patients with acute VTE. Placement was deemed to be appropriate in approximately 50% of the patients but was not appropriate or debatable in the remaining cases. Given the increasing use of IVC filters, prospective studies are clearly needed to better define the indications for, and efficacy of, IVC filter placement.
Historically, insertion of an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the last therapeutic option to prevent pulmonary embolism (PE). The 2001 American College of Chest Physician (ACCP) guidelines recommended placement of an IVC filter only if there was either a contraindication to or a complication of anticoagulant therapy or if recurrent thromboembolism occurred despite adequate anticoagulant therapy.1 Insertion of a filter has never been recommended as a primary treatment of VTE.
There are risks associated with the use of IVC filters, including bleeding, incorrect positioning or dislodgment, local thrombosis, and a 2-fold increase in the risk of recurrent lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT).2The most recent 2008 ACCP guidelines for the treatment of VTE have narrowed their recommendations for filter placement even further, advocating that an IVC filter be considered only in patients with acute proximal lower-extremity DVT in whom "anticoagulant therapy is not possible, because of the risk of bleeding."3
Unfortunately, there are very few population-based data describing how frequently IVC filters are inserted in patients with acute VTE and how often these patients have a documented failure of, or contraindication to, anticoagulant therapy. The objectives of the present study were to determine the frequency of IVC filter use in the setting of acute VTE, to ascertain the indication(s) for filter placement, and to determine whether patients treated with an IVC filter met existing guidelines for filter placement.
The Worcester VTE study is a retrospective population-based surveillance study of VTE in Worcester in 1999, 2001, and 2003.4,5 The study years were chosen based on funding cycles, resource considerations, the desire to track events over time, and correlation with publication of updated ACCP guidelines for the management of VTE. Computerized printouts of all Worcester residents with health care encounters during calendar years 1999, 2001, and 2003 who were coded as having any of 34 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, diagnosis codes possibly consistent with VTE were obtained from each of the 12 hospitals serving the Worcester metropolitan area.4,5 These data queries not only were limited to discharge diagnoses but also encompassed all outpatient activities.
The medical records of all patients who met the geographic inclusion criteria were reviewed and validated by trained abstractors. Each case of VTE was classified as being definite, probable, possible, or not acute or negative based on a modification of the classification schema used by Silverstein et al6 (eAppendix). If the classification of VTE was not immediately clear using the specified criteria, the principal investigator (F.A.S.) reviewed the medical record. For purposes of this study, patients in whom an IVC filter was placed before the index VTE event were excluded from further analysis.
The paper and electronic medical records of each patient's index, as well as previous hospitalizations and/or outpatient visits at participating Worcester hospitals, were reviewed to determine whether the index VTE event represented an incident (initial) or a recurrent case and to obtain additional information about patient comorbidities and risk factors for VTE. Follow-up hospital record reviews to ascertain the specified outcomes of recurrent VTE and bleeding complications were conducted at a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 3 years after the index VTE event. State and national mortality records were reviewed on an annual basis (last reviewed in 2007) for the purposes of assessing each patient's vital status; follow-up of vital status was obtained in more than 99% of all patients.
Information abstracted from medical records included demographic and clinical characteristics, results of all tests for VTE, and hospital treatment and management, including the date of IVC filter insertion. Medical history variables defined as recent were those occurring or active in the 3 months before the index diagnosis of VTE. Medical records for each individual at the other Worcester area hospitals were also screened in case the patients sought treatment for their initial VTE event or subsequent complications at more than 1 area hospital.
Major bleeding was defined as any episode of bleeding that required transfusion or hospitalization or was life-threatening (resulted in myocardial infarction, stroke, or death). The nurse abstractors were instructed to include only those cases of bleeding that met 1 or more of these criteria as outcome events. For the 1999, 2001, and 2003 cohorts, major bleeding events were not independently reviewed by the lead investigator.
Potential recurrent VTE events were classified using criteria identical to those used for incident cases, with the exception that a definite recurrence of DVT or PE required the documentation of thrombosis in a previously uninvolved venous or pulmonary arterial segment, respectively, by diagnostic imaging (compression ultrasonography, ventilation perfusion imaging, or computed tomographic scan). The lead investigator reviewed the medical record and diagnostic imaging reports in each case of potential VTE recurrence; only definite or probable recurrences were included in this study.
In the subset of patients (n = 165) seeking care at 1 of the 3 participating major tertiary care centers in Worcester, indication for IVC filter insertion was ascertained by an additional careful retrospective review of the medical record. Admission, progress, and discharge notes written by the primary care physician or by any consultant involved in the placement of an IVC filter were reviewed to identify the documented indication for IVC filter use or the attending physician's rationale for insertion of the IVC filter.
Using these abstracted data, the lead investigator classified the documented rationale for IVC filter placement into the following 9 groups: (1) perception of increased bleeding risk with anticoagulant therapy; (2) bleeding within 30 days before VTE; (3) major bleeding after initiation of anticoagulant therapy; (4) minor bleeding after initiation of anticoagulant therapy; (5) suspected PE occurring after initiation of anticoagulant therapy; (6) DVT occurrence or extension despite anticoagulant therapy; (7) perceived high risk for subsequent PE despite anticoagulant therapy; (8) planned interruption of anticoagulant therapy for future operations or procedures; and (9) other. These categories were created to simplify analysis and reporting of our observations but were not strictly defined or necessarily exclusive.
Three experts in the field of thromboembolism (F.A.S., S.M.B., and R.H.W.) independently reviewed the data pertaining to rationale or indication for filter placement for each of the patients in whom an IVC filter was placed; each of these cases was categorized as meeting or not meeting 2001 ACCP guidelines. The criteria for appropriate filter placement were (1) documented recurrent VTE during adequate anticoagulant therapy; (2) presence of a contradiction or complication of anticoagulation in a patient with, or at high risk of, a proximal lower-extremity DVT; (3) chronic recurrent embolism with pulmonary hypertension; and (4) concurrent performance of surgical pulmonary embolectomy or pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Agreement was measured as the proportion of cases with complete agreement for placement of an IVC filter, the proportion with complete agreement for not placing a filter, the proportion with 2 raters favoring the use of a filter, and the proportion with 1 rater favoring the use of a filter. The results were analyzed using the Fleiss κ nominal scale agreement among many raters.7
The prevalence of prespecified baseline comorbidities in patients with VTE in whom a filter was placed was compared with that in patients in whom this device was not placed using χ2 tests of statistical significance for categorical variables and t tests for continuous variables. The incidence rates of our principal study outcomes among patients who received and did not receive an IVC filter were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. The patients were censored at time of event, death, or date of last medical chart documentation, whichever came first.
The study sample consisted of 1547 male and female residents of the Worcester metropolitan area with confirmed acute DVT (66%), PE (19%), or both (15%). Of these, 203 patients (13.1%) had an IVC filter placed during the index hospital stay after diagnosis of acute VTE. The median duration of follow-up was 926 days. During 1999, 2001, and 2003, IVC filters were inserted in 63 of 472 patients (13%), 75 of 547 patients (14%), and 65 of 528 patients (12%), respectively.
Patients who received an IVC filter were more likely to be older, male, diagnosed as having VTE after hospital admission for a different principal medical condition, have a medical or surgical hospitalization within the prior 3 months, require care in an intensive care unit before VTE diagnosis, or have other illnesses or comorbidities (Table 1). Patients who received an IVC filter were also more likely to have a platelet count lower than 100 × 103/μL (to convert to × 109/L, multiply by 1.0) at the time of the VTE diagnosis, to have been diagnosed as having a recurrent VTE, to have had a recent episode of bleeding, and to have been diagnosed as having DVT together with PE (rather than isolated DVT or PE). Seven patients who underwent IVC filter placement had an isolated calf DVT.
Of the patients who were discharged from the hospital, those with an IVC filter were much less likely to be discharged on a regimen of anticoagulant therapy (low-molecular-weight heparin sodium or warfarin sodium) (Table 1). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among patients who received an IVC filter compared with those who did not receive a filter (9.9% vs 5.1%; P = .01). Cumulative incidence rates of recurrent DVT, new PE, major bleeding, and death are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. The 90-day incidence of objectively confirmed PE was similar among the patients treated (1.7%) and not treated (1.4%) with an IVC filter. However, after 90 days, no further PE events were diagnosed in the patients with an IVC filter, whereas the cumulative incidence of PE had increased to 5.3% among the patients without a filter (P = .18). Three years after the index event, the incidence of recurrent DVT was 21.0% among the filter-treated patients and 14.9% among those without a filter (P = .009). The incidence of major bleeding (including bleeding only after initiation of anticoagulant therapy in the nonfilter-treated group and after placement of the IVC filter in the filter-treated group) was not significantly (P = .17) different between the 2 groups. All-cause mortality was significantly higher (P < .001) in patients in whom an IVC filter was placed compared with patients who did not receive an IVC filter.
Cumulative incidence of recurrent deep vein thrombosis. Kaplan-Meier analysis censoring for event, death, or date of last medical record documentation. IVC indicates inferior vena cava.
Cumulative incidence rate of subsequent/recurrent pulmonary embolism. Kaplan-Meier analysis censoring for event, death, or date of last medical record documentation. IVC indicates inferior vena cava.
Cumulate incidence rate of major bleeding. Kaplan-Meier analysis censoring for event, death, or date of last medical record documentation. IVC indicates inferior vena cava.
Cumulative incidence rate of all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis censoring for death or date of last medical record documentation. IVC indicates inferior vena cava.
The indications for filter placement were determined in 160 of 165 patients who had an IVC filter placed in 1 of 3 area hospitals. In 5 patients, some or all of the chart information required was not available. Based on medical record review, 57 patients were deemed to be at high risk for bleeding (but had no recent bleeding), 39 patients had a history of recent bleeding, 26 patients had major bleeding after starting anticoagulant therapy, and 9 patients had minor bleeding after starting anticoagulant therapy. Seven patients had a presumed PE after starting anticoagulant treatment (1 to 44 days) after the index VTE event. In 1 patient, warfarin therapy had been stopped for unspecified reasons for 6 days before a PE that occurred on day 44. In 2 other patients, the initial partial thromboplastin time was less than 55 seconds and PE developed on days 1 and 2, respectively. An additional 7 patients received an IVC filter after the index VTE because it represented "failure" of anticoagulant treatment (for prior VTE [n = 5], atrial fibrillation [n = 1], or stroke [n = 1]). Two of the 7 patients had a subtherapeutic international normalized ratio at the time of admission. Eight patients who were treated with full-dose anticoagulant therapy also received a filter to prevent PE; 3 patients had a filter placed because of a planned procedure; and 4 patients had another "indication."
Overall, the 3 reviewers agreed that there was an indication for IVC filter placement in 81 of 160 patients (51%), but they also agreed unanimously that an IVC filter was not indicated in 41 patients (26%) (overall agreement, 122 of 160 patients, or 77%). In 20 cases, 2 of the reviewers thought that an IVC filter was indicated, but 1 reviewer disagreed. The Fleiss κ score was consistent, with substantial agreement between multiple raters (κ = 0.65).
Table 2 shows the agreement and disagreement between the reviewers about whether the indication for IVC filter placement was consistent with the ACCP 2001 guidelines. All 3 reviewers agreed that filter placement was appropriate in 34 of the 39 patients (87%) with a recent history of bleeding. Similarly, there was agreement that use of a filter was indicated in 23 of 26 patients (88%) who had major bleeding after starting anticoagulant therapy. There was also unanimous agreement among the reviewers that an IVC filter was indicated in 21 of the 57 patients (37%) who were simply judged to be at increased risk for bleeding and that an IVC filter was not indicated in 21 of the 57 patients (37%). Regarding the appropriateness of IVC filter placement in the remaining 15 patients (26%), there was disagreement among the reviewers.
Regarding the 14 patients who had recurrent DVT or new PE, there was agreement among the reviewers that a filter was not indicated in 6 patients, whereas there was no agreement as to filter placement in the remaining 8 patients.
There was universal agreement that filter placement was not indicated in the 8 patients in whom the rationale for filter placement was to prevent PE (in addition to anticoagulant therapy).
Our study suggests that approximately 1 in every 8 patients with a documented episode of VTE will receive an IVC filter in their early treatment. As far as we are aware, no other population-based study has reported on the frequency of IVC filter use as an acute management strategy for VTE. However, a number of studies have suggested that the utilization rates of IVC filters overall (for VTE prophylaxis and/or treatment) are growing rapidly. In a retrospective study using the National Hospital Discharge Survey database, the overall use of IVC filters was estimated to have increased from approximately 2000 in 1979 to more than 49 000 in 1999.8 In a more recent single-center study, placement of IVC filters in patients with VTE approximately doubled between 2004 and 2007.9
While the rate of IVC filter use as an acute management strategy for VTE in our study was higher than we had anticipated, our data suggest that in most patients this treatment strategy was appropriate. Patients in whom IVC filters were placed were significantly older, were much more likely to have had recent bleeding, and had an increased prevalence of a number of comorbidities (eg, recent surgery or intensive care unit stay, active malignancy, prior cerebrovascular accident) that may have predisposed them to an increased risk for serious bleeding during anticoagulant therapy.
Given the complexity of these patients, and to gain a better understanding of specific indications for IVC filter placement, we performed an additional chart review in a subset of patients. Approximately 40% of patients had bleeding after their index episode of VTE or had bleeding in the prior 30 days. Our review panel agreed unanimously with IVC filter placement in most of these cases, as such placement was clearly consistent with prior ACCP guidelines.1
The ACCP guidelines also indicate that IVC filter placement is appropriate in patients deemed to be at high risk for bleeding or who have a contraindication to anticoagulant therapy but do not define what constitutes high risk. Indeed, being at increased risk for anticoagulant-related bleeding was the listed indication in 35% of our reviewed cases. Interestingly, all of the experts agreed with filter placement in only 1 of 3 of these cases; they unanimously disagreed with filter placement in an additional 1 of the 3 cases; and they failed to reach a consensus in the remaining cases. This finding highlights the fact that guidelines that use implicit phrases such as "at risk for bleeding" or "have a contraindication to anticoagulants" are subjective and that interpretation of these terms may vary widely. Although the reviewers were cognizant of these limitations, in one-third of the cases they unanimously agreed that a trial of anticoagulant therapy was justified before resorting to placement of an IVC filter. Included in this group were patients who were deemed to be at high risk for falling, patients with a remote history of bleeding, and patients who underwent a major operation more than 2 weeks before being diagnosed as having VTE.
Admittedly, predicting which patients will have major bleeding during anticoagulant therapy after VTE remains difficult. Decision tools to better define the risk of anticoagulant-associated bleeding have been developed.10- 13 To find out whether such models can be used to help clinicians decide on whether anticoagulant therapy is contraindicated (and an IVC filter is appropriate) will require further prospective studies in various at-risk groups.
Prevention of PE (in addition to anticoagulant therapy) or "anticoagulation failure" was the indication for IVC filter placement in 22 patients (14%). The expert reviewers unanimously agreed that an IVC filter was not indicated in 14 of these 22 patients (64%). Given the efficacy of available anticoagulation strategies, all reviewers thought that placement of an IVC filter to "protect" a patient from PE (in addition to anticoagulant therapy) was not an appropriate indication for use. Among the patients who received a filter because of "failure of anticoagulant treatment," the reviewers thought that this rationale was not supported in 6 cases because anticoagulation was subtherapeutic at the time of the recurrent event (n = 5) or because the recurrent event was considered to be presumptive (n = 1) .
Despite the relatively frequent use of IVC filters, clinical data about their efficacy and safety in patients with acute VTE are sorely lacking. The relative lack of such data has led to somewhat vague guidelines regarding indications for filter use and the potential for overuse. As far as we are aware, no clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy of IVC filters alone as an acute VTE treatment strategy. Use of an IVC filter as an adjunct to standard anticoagulation was compared with anticoagulation alone in the PREPIC (Prévention du Risque d'Embolie Pulmonaire par Interruption Cave) study, a randomized clinical trial of 372 patients with documented lower-extremity DVT.2 At the 2-year follow-up visit, use of an IVC filter was associated with an increased risk of recurrent lower-extremity DVT without any effect on survival.
In a large population-based case-control study, White et al14 compared outcomes after acute VTE in 3632 patients who had a filter implanted and 64 333 patients who did not receive an IVC filter. Similar to the results of the current study, the patients who received an IVC filter were older and had more comorbidities. Nevertheless, the incidence rates of recurrent PE at 1 year did not differ significantly between the patients who received an IVC filter and those who did not. In the current study, however, we observed a trend toward a higher incidence of recurrent PE in the patients who were not treated with a filter over longer-term follow-up. The IVC filter–treated patients had a lower cumulative incidence of PE at 3 years (1.7%) than patients who did not receive a filter (5.3%). A similar finding was also reported by the PREPIC study group after 8 years of follow-up.15 Any firm conclusions about the efficacy and utility of IVC filters alone as a therapy in patients who develop DVT will require a randomized trial of patients who meet agreed-on criteria for bleeding risk associated with the use of anticoagulant therapy.
Like any observational study, the present investigation has several limitations. Although we conducted a broad screening for all possible cases of VTE in the greater Worcester population, we cannot claim complete case ascertainment of index VTE events, episodes of VTE recurrence, or episodes of major bleeding. As in any retrospective study based on medical record review, the quality of data abstracted with respect to other medical conditions is limited by the quality of the medical documentation itself. Another limitation of this study is that we did not analyze any patients diagnosed as having acute VTE after 2003. During our study period, retrievable filters were not commonly used in the greater Worcester community; we suspect but cannot yet verify that the introduction of the retrievable IVC filter has resulted in even more liberal use of this treatment modality. Interestingly, in several studies, rates of removal of temporary IVC filters have been quite low (5%-20%), suggesting that most of these devices are in fact permanent.9,16
Finally, it should be noted that our results may not be generalizable to other communities because it is likely that IVC filter use rates in a given community are likely affected by local physician practice. Such local variation suggests the need for health care systems to evaluate practice within their own communities.
In conclusion, the results of this observational community-based study document that an IVC filter is frequently inserted as part of an acute management strategy for acute VTE. In approximately 50% of all cases, placement of a filter appears to be appropriate and consistent with contemporary guidelines, whereas in approximately 25% of all cases, the use of a filter was deemed to be inappropriate. Guidelines for IVC filter use could be improved by developing explicit criteria for contraindications to anticoagulant use and identification of patients who might benefit from the receipt of IVC filters.
Box Section Ref ID
Spencer et al have highlighted an important area of "Less Is More": the inappropriate use of IVC filters. In a retrospective analysis of a large cohort, only half of all IVC filters placed for prevention of acute VTE were found to be placed for appropriate indications by professional society guidelines. In a recent online article in the Archives, Nicholson et al1 found a high rate of fracture with serious adverse consequences associated with vena caval filters. The combination of invasive devices being placed in persons with no expectation of benefit and having clear risks leads to this "Less Is More" classification.
1. Nicholson W, Nicholson WJ, Tolerico P, et al. Prevalence of fracture and fragment embolization of bard retrievable vena cava filters and clinical implications including cardiac perforation and tamponade [published online August 9, 2010]. Arch Intern Med. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.316.
Correspondence: Frederick A. Spencer, MD, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiology and Hematology/Thrombosis, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1200 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Accepted for Publication: February 8, 2010.
Author Contributions: Dr Spencer had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Study concept and design: Spencer, Goldberg, and Gore. Acquisition of data: Spencer, Bates, and Emery. Analysis and interpretation of data: Spencer, Bates, Goldberg, Lessard, Glushchenko, Gore, and White. Drafting of the manuscript: Spencer, Goldberg, Emery, and Glushchenko. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Spencer, Bates, Goldberg, Lessard, Gore, and White. Statistical analysis: Goldberg, Lessard, Glushchenko, and White. Obtained funding: Spencer. Administrative, technical, and material support: Spencer, Bates, and Emery. Study supervision: Emery and White.
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Funding/Support: This study was supported by a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01-HL70283). Dr Spencer also has a Career Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Role of the Sponsors: The sponsors had no role in the design and conduct of the study; in the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Internal Medicine editors. You will be notified when your comment has been published. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest*
Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers' bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
More Listings atJAMACareerCenter.com >
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password.
Enter your username and email address. We'll send instructions on how to reset your password to the email address we have on record.
Need assistance?
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.


text:
ASICS Women's B455N Gel-Rocket 7
Buy 24 or more for $47.20 each
Buy 72 or more for $45.35 each
The ASICS GEL-Rocket 7 brings exceptional value and performance season after season. This season offers a lighter weight upper and increased gum rubber on the outsole for improved traction. Updated styling and design will continue to make this series the shoe of choice for recreational court sport players everywhere.
- Multi-court shoe was designed for the athlete who leaps, lands, and makes quick lateral movements
- NC Rubber Outsole compound that contains more natural rubber content than traditional solid rubber, resulting in enhanced traction on the court
- Forefoot Gel Cushioning System reduces shock
- Trusstic System reduces the weight of the sole unit while retaining the structural integrity of the shoe
- Weight: 9.2 oz.
- Please Note: There are subtle differences between the Black/Silver and Onyx/Silver colorway of this shoe. If you are combining the two styles for a team order you will not be able to see a big difference in the shoes.
This item is stocked at our St. Louis, MO facility.
Stocked items/orders placed before 1pm CST are shipped that day (business days only, Mon-Fri.).
Stocked items/orders placed after 1pm CST ship the next business day (Mon-Fri., no holidays).
Standard delivery time is between 1-4 days (see map below for delivery estimates).
We will notify you via email within 1 business day if there is any expected delay.
If there are non-stocked items on your order those will be shipped separate from your stocked items at no additional cost.
Team orders and orders paid with PO's may take additional processing days (between 3-5 business days).
Printing requires additional processing days. Please visit our Uniform Printing page.
For more information please visit our Shipping page and our Shipping Practices page.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Call it a Dunne deal.
In a scene dreamt up (and photographed) by director David Fincher, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike grace the cover of Entertainment Weekly's 2014 preview issue (on newsstands Friday) – as their Gone Girl characters, Nick and Amy Dunne.
While it's not a film still from the adaptation of Gillian Flynn's bestselling thriller, the ominous image teases this dark telling of love gone awry.
Nick and Amy are two unemployed magazine writers whose marriage falls apart once they depart New York City for Nick's native Missouri – but on the couple's fifth wedding anniversary, Amy vanishes and Nick becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance.
Soon, Nick is being eyed for murder, but it's unclear what's happened to Amy, keeping readers (and come fall, viewers) in suspense until the last moments of this twisted, two-sided tale.
As for Flynn – a former EW writer herself – turning her story into a screenplay was as exciting as writing the novel itself.
"There was something thrilling about taking this piece of work that I'd spent about two years painstakingly putting together with all its eight million LEGO pieces and take a hammer to it and bash it apart and reassemble it into a movie," she tells EW.
Gone Girl also stars Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Missi Pyle and Casey Wilson and comes to theaters Oct. 3.
Ben Affleck Cozies Up to a Corpse in Gone Girl-Inspired Shoot
Courtesy Entertainment Weekly


text:
"Gloss" by Ida Stewart (Perugia Press, 2011, $16)
Ida Stewart's "Gloss" is a remarkable book of poems by a poet who is a native of West Virginia.
In "Gloss," Stewart's central concern is to make the reader aware of mountaintop removal coal mining. She educates without preaching or becoming mired in polemic. In fact, the poems responding to mountaintop removal coal mining are often playful and even exotic. Many of the poems engage in word play and give voice to the concerns of the ravaged mountain itself.
Article Photos
These poems of Appalachia are of such a fine texture and resonance that Stewart never lets us forget for a moment that in spite of its presumed limitations, Appalachia, too, can be a subject of contemplation leading to universal truth. These poems which chronicle destruction are also poems of community. The rage and sadness we feel as we read of damaged nature also lead to hope if the community of readers takes action and lobbies against the pillaging of the natural world.
In "Point Blank," Stewart sets the tone of this poem resisting mountaintop removal coal mining by supplying us with an epigraph from Larry Gibson, who says, "You can have my right arm, but you'll never get my mountain."
The poem itself is about Gibson, who listens to "the sound of their machines, he thinks,/brainless as barking://that ceaseless ghost dog of his/filling in the blank of night."
Scattered throughout the volume are poems that give voice to the mountain itself. "The Mountaintop As Expression Or Choking on Her Own Words," "The Mountaintop As a Magician Falling for Her Own Trick," "The Mountaintop Unmoored" and "The Mountaintop Sends a Postcard from the Breaks Interstate Park" all give voice to the mountain, who is depicted as a female entity.
In "Hold," Stewart paints a vivid picture of the miners themselves:
Conditions were perfect 300 million years
ago, so now, a thousand feet of darkness
below us, men are paid by the ton to haul
out pieces of the dark, a handful of coal
as black as emptiness, as our mountain holding
its shape against the sky tonight.
In a subsequent poem, "Bless Out," Stewart laments the difficulty of finding the right words to express reality: "The trouble is finding a language that tells the truth." She elaborates on the difficulty of poetic expression as she says, "This is the land of afterthoughts and wildflower ideas, complicated/root systems choking one another in, clinging on/to interpretation."
In "Appellation," Stewart elevates her quest to the level of the existential: "Where does the self originate,/and do I hear only what I want to hear?"
In "Mayhem," language itself becomes a burden as she seeks to express herself. "You hem, I haw./We're cruel, dragging//syllables/along with us."
In the concluding poem, "Enough," Stewart rounds off her perceptions and is satisfied with her role as defender of the mountain: "A mountain of song and dance." She defines herself and us in terms of the mountain: "This mountain,/this is me and you."
As the poem concludes, she offers both her readers and herself a moment of closure: "There is no more, no more than this/song and dance has a climax,/has a peak or an end."
Because Stewart leaves no loose ends at the end of a book full of openings, gaps and fissures, it is with a sense of satisfaction that we leave her book. She has given us sorrow and uplift, despair and hope, in language that satisfies our yearning for beauty even as we read of destruction.
"Gloss" is a fine and worthy book that will motivate the reader to experience the mountains of West Virginia as living entities that are as necessary as air and water.
- Sonja James is the author of "Baiting the Hook" (the Bunny & the Crocodile Press, 1999), "Children of the Moon" (Argonne House Press, 2004), and "Calling Old Ghosts to Supper" (Finishing Line Press, 2013).
Poets are invited to submit recent books for review consideration. Contact Sonja James at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
A listing of daily and weekly support groups
September 23, 2012
Various times North Central Sight Services offers a variety of support groups throughout the month for visually impaired residents of Lycoming and Clinton counties. Call Lori Love at 323-9401, ext. 123, for more information. HAVEN of Tioga County offers free and confidential services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and sexual abuse. For more information, call 800-550-0447, 24 hours a day. Alcoholics Anonymous, several meetings every day in all areas of Lycoming County. Call 327-2860 for times and locations. Narcotics Anonymous, call 327-2678 for times and locations. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Center offers individual and group counseling for military veterans. Call 327-5281 for more information. Individual counseling for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, and other violent crimes, adult and children, along with Community Safe Touch for Children, self-esteem and empowerment counseling available for children to protect themselves against sexual abuse. Call the YWCA's Wise Options at 322-4637 for more information. For domestic violence, sexual assault or other crisis services, call 800-326-8483. Sex Addicts Anonymous, a 12-step-based support group for recovery from sexual addiction. For meeting time and location, call 800-477-8191. Eating Disorder Support Group for females, affiliated with the national Association of Anorexia Nervosa and other Disorders (ANAD). Group is confidential and led by a master's level therapist. For more information, call 649-6855. The local Al-Anon website is www.cpaafg. org. All contact information and inquiries are anonymous. Christian-based sexual addiction-sexual anorexia support group. Call 419-2120. Sunday Alcoholics Anonymous, noon to 1 p.m., Wood-Mode Conference Room, Evangelical Hospital, Lewisburg. MOPS, a group that provides a caring, supportive atmosphere for mothers of preschoolers, 6 to 8 p.m., Muncy First United Methodist Church, 602 S. Market St. Child care provided. For more information or to register, call 546-8030 or visit www.firstumcmuncy.org. DivorceCare and DivorceCare For Kids recovery seminar and support groups, 6:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Evangelical Center, 2 Ross St. For more information and to register, call Lou Anne at 323-5146 or the church office at 322-3572. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Faxon-Kenmar United Methodist Church, 1225 Clayton Ave. Alateen, a support group for children of alcoholics and teens of alcoholic relatives and friends, 7 p.m., Faxon-Kenmar United Methodist Church, 1225 Clayton Ave. Monday TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) No. 1188, private weigh-in, 2:30 through 6:30 p.m., meeting, 6:30 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 1971 Lycoming Creek Road. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) No. 1571, private weigh-in, 4:30 p.m., meeting, 5 p.m., New Covenant United Church of Christ, 202 E. Third St. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 102 E. Third St. Child care provided. Overeaters Anonymous, 7 p.m., Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 40 S. Third St., Lewisburg. Nar-Anon Family Group, 7 to 8 p.m., Newberry Church of Christ, 822 Diamond St. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 7 p.m., Faith Lutheran Church, Route 45, west of Lewisburg. Breast Cancer Support Group, 7 p.m., Susquehanna Cancer Center waiting room, Williamsport. Adult Children of Alcoholics, 7:30 p.m., Light and Life Chapel, 1680 Four Mile Drive. Tuesday TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), Chapter 1306, private weigh-in, 8:35 to 9:15 a.m., meeting, 9:30 to 10 a.m., Pennsdale Trinity United Methodist Church, Pennsdale. Stroke Support Group and Head Injury Support Group, 2 p.m., social room, 400 Lycoming St. For more information, call Mary Ann or Nancy at 321-2656. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), private weigh-in, 4:30 p.m., meeting, 5:30 p.m., Masonic Lodge, 28 Brummer Pond Road, Muncy. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), private weigh-in, 5:30 p.m., meeting, 6:30 p.m., Evangelical Friends Church, 137 S. Third St., Hughesville. Heartworks, a free bereavement support program provided by Susquehanna Health Home Care & Hospice, holds support group meetings September through May at Divine Providence Hospital on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, or to register, contact Cherrie Serra or Linda Bryant at 320-7691. Autistic Spectrum Disorder Support Group meetings, social hour 6 to 6:30 p.m., meeting 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Winters Room, James V. Brown Library. "Dare to Be Bald" empowerment group for women, 6:30 p.m., Virtuous Women, 230 W. Third St., Suite 101. For more information, call 321-0252 or 506-6139. Alzheimer's Association Support Group meeting, 6:30 p.m., Muncy Valley Hospital's Skilled Nursing Unit, cafeteria. For more information, call Mark Britton, social services, at 546-4040. Al-Anon for adult children, 7 p.m., Pine Street United Methodist Church. Geisinger Medical Center for Cancer Patient Support Group, 7 p.m., Pine Barn Inn, Danville. Call 326-4149 for more information. Grief Support Group, 7 p.m., Community Baptist Church, 1853 Route 87, Montoursville. For more information, call the church office at 433-3002. Grief Support Group starts Sept. 25. A new 13-session seminar offering support for those experiencing grief will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Muncy First United Methodist Church, 601 S. Market St. "GriefShare" includes a video presentation featuring top experts on grief and recovery subjects, as well as real-life stories of people who have experienced loss. Featuring biblical teaching on grief, the group is non-denominational. Experienced facilitators guide the group discussion. Books are provided for a donation only. For more information or to register, contact the church office at 546-8030 or muncyumc@wind stream.net. Family Promise, 7 p.m., St. Mark Lutheran Church, 142 Market St. For more information, contact the Rev. Kenneth Elkin at 323-4619. Wednesday Free blood pressure screenings, VNA Health System, 10 to 10:30 a.m., Woodward Meadows community room; 11 to 11:30 a.m., Rockledge Apartments community room; 2 to 2:30 p.m., Church Street Commons community room. Bereavement Support Group, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital lobby, 32-36 Central Ave., Wellsboro. For more information, call 723-0760 or 800-808-5287. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), private weigh-in and meeting, 6 p.m., basement of Oval United Methodist Church, 6796 S. Route 44. Alcoholics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 40 S. Third St., Lewisburg. Overeaters Anonymous meeting, 7 p.m., Agape Fellowship, 485 E. Third St. Nar-Anon family group, "Seeking Our Serenity," 7 p.m., Greenview Alliance Church, 1955 Warrensville Road. Support group for family and friends of people with substance addictions. Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Wood-Mode Conference Room, Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg. Co-Dependents Anonymous "One Day At a Time" support group, 7 to 8 p.m., St. Luke Lutheran Church, 1400 Market St., white house in rear of the church. Grief Share Support study group (recent or non-recent loss) presented by Donna Hill, 7 to 9 p.m., Pine Street United Methodist Church Library, 440 Pine St. Registration requested and may be made by calling the church office at 323-4604. Hepatitis Outreach Inc., 7 to 8:30 p.m., Third Street United Methodist Church, 931 E. Third St. Parking in the rear. For more information, call 244-1384. Weight Management Support Group, 7 p.m., Abigail Clinic, gastroenterology-surgery clinic, second floor, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. Amputee Support Group, 7 to 9 p.m., Penn State Geisinger Rehabilitation Hospital, inpatient dining room, Danville. Alcoholics Anonymous, 7:30 p.m., Muncy Baptist Church, corner of West Penn and South Market streets. Thursday Free Blood Pressure Screenings, VNA Health System, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Bi-County Office of Aging Senior Center, Clinton County. GAPAC (Grams and Paps as Caregivers), a support group for grandparents who are parenting their grandchildren, 1 to 2 p.m., James V. Brown Library. Stroke and Head Injury Support Group, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Williamsport Regional Medical Center. Grief Support Group, 2:30 to 4 p.m., SUN Home Health Services' Williamsport office, 1601 Sycamore Road, Montoursville. For more information, call James Taylor at 800-634-5232, ext. 6175. Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital conference room, Wellsboro. Call 724-3549 or 800-550-0447 for more information. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), Chapter No. 1628, private weigh-in, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.; meeting, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Faith Wesleyan Church, 1033 Tucker St. Shades of a Rose Support Group, a nonprofit group for women of all ages to discuss social issues, self motivation, trust, relationship and health issues, 6 to 8 p.m., 345 Market St. Visit www.shadesofarose.org or call Tenice at 974-7038 for more information. Amputee Support Group, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Inpatient Gym of the Rehab Hospital, 2 Rehab Lane, Danville. For more information, call 800-232-8260. Muscular Dystrophy Association Support Group, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., boardroom at Candlewood Suites, 1836 E. Third St. For more information, call Christi Atkinson at 234-2450. Pointman International of Montoursville for combat veterans of all wars, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Community Baptist Church, Route 87, Montoursville. For more information, call Frank Ritter at 447-0330. Bereavement Support Group of Community Nursing Service, 7 p.m., Susque-View Home, conference room B, Lock Haven. Al-Anon, 7:30 p.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, South Williamsport. Friends and Family of Sexual Assault Victims, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital conference room, Wellsboro. Call 724-3549 or 800-550-0447 for more information. AHIV-AIDS Support Group for patients, caregivers and-or family, 7:30 p.m., St. Luke Lutheran Church, intersection of Market Street and Grampian Boulevard. Friday Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living weekly Autism support group, led by an autistic adult and autism coordinator, 10:15 a.m., 24 E. Third St. Call Steve McAnnaney at 327-9070 to register. The group is confidential and open to all ages. Celebrate Recovery, a free Christ-centered, 12-step program for anyone with hurts, habits and hangups, 6 p.m., Pine Creek Valley Christian Church. Call 398-5533 for more information. Reformers Unanimous addiction program, 7 to 9 p.m., Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1730 Four Mile Drive. Saturday Overeaters Anonymous meeting, 8:30 a.m., New Covenant United Church of Christ, 202 E. Third St. Autism Support Group, 10:30 a.m. to noon, third-floor meeting room, children's wing, James V. Brown Library. Child care will be provided by wrap-around service providers in the Red Story Room. Sex Addicts Anonymous, a 12-step-based support group for recovery from sexual addiction, 6 p.m., Sojourner Truth Ministries, 501 High St. Use the Center Street entrance. For more information, call 800-477-8191. Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 40 S. Third St., Lewisburg.


text:
Quality Education in the Benedictine Tradition
May 9, 2012
Saint Vincent College Service Corps for Exceptional Children Club completed its project to gather books for the NHS School-Latrobe. Members of the Club recently met to prepare more than 600 books for delivery to the school.
Follow us on Twitter: @SVCPublicity Like us on Facebook: Saint Vincent College Public Relations


text:
The White House on Monday ramped up its call for Congress to act on the looming sequestration budget cuts by releasing a state-by-state analysis of how the cuts would hit home.
Survey says
A survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics found that 60 percent of economists polled now expect "sequestration," which will slice about $85 billion from the federal budget, to begin March 1 in full or partial form.The survey of 49 professional economists, representing industry, government and universities, indicates experts don't see a recession scenario as a result of the cuts.More than half predicted that the effects of sequestration and other budget uncertainties would shave economic growth by less than half a percentage point this year. Another third said the pain would be greater, with real Gross Domestic Product, or total economic output, sliced by up to a full percentage point.Either way, that's not a small number given the mediocre pace of GDP growth since the Great Recession of a little more than 2 percent on average. Source: Tribune Co.
But South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was among the governors meeting with President Obama, said she "could not be more frustrated" with the Washington standoff.
S.C. impact
Teachers and schools: State will lose $12.5 million for primary and secondary education, putting 170 teacher and aide jobs at risk.Children with disabilities: Lose $8.6 million for 100 teachers, aides and staff.Work-study jobs: 830 fewer low-income students would receive aid to help finance college, and around 270 will not get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.Head Start and Early Head Start: Services eliminated for 900 children in S.C.Clean Air/Water: S.C. to lose $1.7 million in environmental funding covering clean air and water and to prevent pollution from pesticides and other waste. Could lose funding for fish and wildlife protection.Military: 11,000 civilian Defense Department employees facing furloughs, reducing gross pay by around $59.5 million total.Army: Base operation funding cut by $62 million.Air Force: Funding for Air Force operations cut by $19 million.Law Enforcement/Public Safety: Lose $278,000 in grants covering crime prevention, prosecution, drug treatment, etc.Job Search Assistance: Lose $550,000 covering referral, placement and assistance, affecting 18,780 people.Child Care: Up to 300 disadvantaged children could lose access to child care.Vaccines for Children: 1,860 fewer children would receive vaccines covering such diseases as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough and others as funding drops by $127,000.Public Health: Loss of funds to cover responses to disasters; loss of more than $1 million in grants to cover substance abuse; loss in funding means fewer HIV tests.Stop violence against women/ seniors: Victims of domestic violence could lose service funds while $791,000 in funds for meals for seniors would be cut.Source: The White House
"It's unfair to the American people who elected all these leaders," she said. "I would challenge the president and the leadership in Congress to sit at a table and quit talking in the media about what needs to be done. They need to solve this so the governors and the people of this country know what to do."
The Charleston region would be among the hardest hit, according to the administration's estimates, with much of the blow being felt by Department of Defense civilian workforce employees.
The expected reliance on furloughs, for instance, would force some 11,000 DoD workers statewide — with about half from the Charleston area — to stay home one day a week, probably beginning in April through September. It would take about $59.5 million in gross pay out of circulation, the report said.
"This is going to affect our military readiness," Jason Furman, principal deputy director of the Obama administration's National Economic Council, said of the cuts. "This is going to affect everything we do to defend our country."
He added, "there is no good way to do cuts of this magnitude."
In total, the sequester calls for $85 billion in spending cuts over the next seven months, across both federal defense and non-defense budgets.
South Carolina may still fare better than some other states in overall effect, as Virginia, California and Texas are regularly named as benefitting the most from DoD funding in recent times.
S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis said Monday that South Carolina might be among the three to five states hit the hardest if one factors in both military and social spending in the state. "And that's not good."
Loftis said the White House's state-by-state analysis was a scare tactic in its bid to avert sequestration — an idea that it put forth.
Haley said there's finger pointing on both sides but that governors got no insight Monday into where the president thought spending could be cut.
"Across-the-board cuts, we know, are not good for anybody," she said. "He was very quick to say he wanted more government money. He was totally quiet on where he wanted to go on cuts. That's the problem."
Beyond military cuts, the White House listed numerous hits to public services in South Carolina if nothing is done by Friday, ranging from fewer teachers to less money for environmental protection duties and cuts that mean the state providing nearly 7,000 fewer HIV tests.
Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771. Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.


text:
Cheap Fun for the Kids
With the kids out of school, I know there are a ton of parents out there trying to think of ways to keep them entertained without draining the family's coffers. I know I remember my mother having the same problem with the three of us. At the beginning of every summer, we'd get bored and slowly tear up the house looking for stuff to do. After a few days of driving her nuts, we got used to playing on our own outside and she took us on a few frugal trips every summer as well. Here are some ideas for cheap fun for the kids.
(Click to continue reading…)


text:
CRESSON - Anger and frustration - most of it directed toward Department of Corrections Secretary John E. Wetzel and Gov. Tom Corbett - dominated discussion during a public meeting to discuss the closure of the State Correctional Institution at Cresson.
The public meeting at the Cresson Volunteer Fire Company drew about 200 individuals, including corrections officers, business owners and local government officials. Many expressed outrage over the way the closings of SCI Cresson and SCI Greensburg were announced in early January and state officials' lack of response to inquiries behind the move.
State Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Patton, expressed his outrage at Corbett and other state officials' continued indifference to hardships faced by employees and nearby residents affected by the closure of the prison.
Article Photos
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Lilly Borough Mayor Pat Podrasky shares his concerns for the community affected by State Correctional Institution at Cresson closing during the town meeting at Cresson Volunteer Fire Company Thursday evening as state Sen. John Wozniak listens.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
More than 170 SCI Cresson corrections officers and area residents attend a town meeting at the Cresson Volunteer Fire Company on Thursday evening.
But with the governor's office, state House and state Senate controlled by Republicans, Haluska said lawmakers' pleas to justify the prison closures have not been answered.
"We can kick, scream, yell, give our viewpoint, but that's about it," Haluska said.
Corbett campaigned on ending crime and promised not to raise taxes, Haluska said.
"He didn't tell us he was going to sell the state."
The prison received about $60 million in upgrades during the past decade, Haluska said.
Numerous corrections officials echoed Haluska's remarks. The prison, despite its age, is a modern facility with extensive mental health services and dozens of other upgrades, employees said.
State Sen. John Wozniak, D-Cambria, said prisons were strategically located in rural Pennsylvania.
"It was a real economic boost to rural Pa.," Wozniak said.
Shuttering the prison is akin to a huge manufacturing plant suddenly pulling about 500 employees out of the work force - something the state would normally fight to keep in the area, Wozniak said.
During a Senate judiciary hearing on Jan. 22, Wetzel said the way employees were notified of the prison closure was wrong, Wozniak said.
"I think they continue to handle it completely wrong," Wozniak said.
State Rep Frank Burns, D-East Taylor, said he shared residents' frustration over the "unprofessional" way the news was announced.
"They've been avoiding this," Burns said of Corbett and Wetzel.
Cambria County Commissioner Thomas Chernisky said he still had yet to receive a response from the governor.
"I think our governor is very arrogant on this," Chernisky said.
In a letter to Corbett, Chernisky outlined improvements to the prison and reasons why the facility should remain open.
"After King Coal abdicated his throne in Cambria County in the 1980s, a whole generation of former miners retrained themselves as prison guards and helped salvage what remained of the region's economy," the letter reads. "Never did those hard-working men dream they'd see those prison jobs pulled out from under them overnight in a move as traumatic as any mine closing ever was."
Both Corbett and Wetzel were invited to attend the meeting, Burns said. No representatives from the governor's office or the Department of Corrections attended Thursday evening.
About 15 individuals spoke before the panel of Wozniak, Haluska, Burns, Chernisky and Joe Fox, president of the local Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association at Cresson.
Numerous local officials, including Cresson Mayor Patrick Mulhern, Cambria County District Attorney Kelly Callihan and Cresson borough and townships representatives were in attendance.
"It's a travesty," one man said, which drew loud applause.
"They don't have answers to all these questions," Haluska responded. "That's the way this administration works - they just don't care."
Patrick Podrasky, Lilly mayor and a maintenance repairman at the prison, said the Corrections Department's estimated savings were really a "smoke screen" to eliminate jobs for political gain.
"There is no guarantee that the inmate population will consistently decline ... why would Cresson and Greensburg be closing when inmates from Rockview could be moved to Benner, causing the least amount of negative impact to employees, as well as their respective communities?" Podrasky said.
Gerald F. Stevens, board member of Cresson Area Ambulance Services, said the emergency medical service would lose about 80 runs to the prison annually and could be forced to downsize staff.
Stevens said he was shocked to learn that Cresson inmates - and not the corrections officers - were mailed letters of apology for having to be relocated.
The crowd erupted into applause, as one man shouted, "priorities."
"That's nice," Chernisky said of the letters, shaking his head.
"One term and out" and other cries could be heard throughout the evening as residents voiced their distrust and anger at the governor.
"Our security is being played with" for the sake of saving money, Podrasky said.


text:
quote: Volvo? You bring up Volvo? The world's most popular car?
quote: I don't remember them having higher prices than Toyota/BMW/Ford.
quote: when there is a new regulation re: logistics (a la the clean truck fee) I have to modify my selling price
quote: Are you confusing Volvo with Volkswagen, or am I missing something here?
quote: They had to sell at the market value
quote: In this example, this cost applies to every manufacturer equally. That's an entirely different circumstance.


text:
- Text Size:
- ASmall Text
- AMedium Text
- ALarge Text
The Atchison County Sheriff's Office said it seized multiple wild animals from a property owner over the weekend.
Click here to see images of the animals, including a tiger
Investigators said they found a 360-pound tiger, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, serval and skunks on the property near 262nd Street and Neosho Road. They said the animals were being kept in filthy dog cages without food or access to clean water. The enclosures were also not secure, stable or in compliance with regulations for exotic animals.
The Sheriff's Office said it seized the animals this weekend with the help of the Humane Society of the United States, the Kansas City Zoo and Big Cat Rescue. The animals have been moved to approved facilities in Florida, Texas and Linwood, Kan.
The owner, Mathew B. Baker, 54, has been cited for numerous animal violations and was taken into custody on unrelated charges. Officials said he cooperated with authorities and allowed them to take the animals.
Atchison County Undersheriff Joe Butner said Kansas needs to strengthen its laws against keeping exotic animals. While the state prohibits keeping dangerous regulated animals as pets, people can currently get a license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to do so.
"Most private individuals cannot provide humane and safe care for captive wild animals, which leaves law enforcement, taxpayers and sanctuaries left to shoulder the financial burden. We are thankful for the assistance and expertise of the organizations that helped rescue these animals," Butner said.


text:
Here is some of the special equipment used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Paoli Hospital to treat and care for premature and seriously ill newborns.
A special bed permits easy access to the infant while maintaining the baby's correct body temperature. A sensor, taped to the child's skin, records and regulates the amount of warmth generated by an overhead heating hood.
When babies improve, they are moved into this familiar incubator. The baby is sustained comfortably by a continuous circulation of warm air. The infant stays in the Isolette until he or she is large enough to maintain body temperature without weight loss. At that time, the baby is moved to an open bassinet.
Special patches, or sensors, are placed on the baby's skin. These are connected to a cardiorespiratory monitor to continuously record heart and breathing rates. A catheter, inserted either in the umbilical artery or in the peripheral arteries of the wrists or feet, continuously records blood pressure. A special machine with a miniature blood pressure cuff for the arm or leg is used, as needed, when babies no longer need continuous monitoring. Portable bedside electrocardiographs, attached by leads to the infant's arms, legs and chest, monitor the electrical activity of the baby's heart.
All the intravenous (IV) fluids a baby receives are administered by a pump that delivers small, accurately measured amounts of liquids, nutrients and medicines as needed. IV lines may enter either a large artery or vein in the baby's umbilical cord. Other IVs may be placed in smaller veins or arteries in the hands, feet or scalp. The arterial lines are used to monitor blood pressure and obtain blood samples. The venous lines are used to deliver fluids, nutrition and medication. A central venous line may be inserted, for example, into the umbilical vein, a peripheral vein or the jugular vein to serve as a route for major nutritional support. To prevent the infant from accidentally pulling out the IVs, the lines are stabilized by special boards that are cushioned with bandages and applied to the baby's arms or legs.
Many infants in the NICU become jaundiced or yellowed due to an excess of a substance called bilirubin, which comes from the breakdown of red blood cells. To correct this imbalance in the blood, a baby may be exposed to overhead phototherapy lights. The baby's eyes are covered by protective eye patches during exposure.
New Appointments
or 484.580.1000
Paoli Hospital
255 West Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301
General Information
Online or 484.565.1000
Main Line Health
Copyright 2011 Main Line Health
Printed from:
The information provided in this Web site is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. All medical information presented should be discussed with your healthcare professional. See additional Terms of Use at www.mainlinehealth.org/terms.
For more information, call 1.866.CALL.MLH.


text:
on January 24, 2013 - 11:55 PM
, updated January 24, 2013 at 11:56 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. — Patrick Kaleta admits he's a little paranoid on the road now. He no longer has a roommate because of a new rule in the collective bargaining agreement, and he's worried he'll miss a meeting, team meal or bus ride to the rink.
"The past two times I've had guys make sure that I'm up," the Buffalo Sabres forward said Thursday. "It's just the paranoia of making sure you're up and not being able to rely on your roommate in case you do forget."
The Sabres have taken two trips so far, and everyone's shown up for their assignments. But the CBA addition has changed the road dynamic.
"Fifty percent of me likes it, 50 percent of me wishes I had a roommate to talk to and hang out with," Kaleta said.
The players have traded camaraderie for privacy with the new rule, which entitles every player who is past his entry-level contract to his own hotel room. While guys no longer have to deal with heavy snorers or someone who likes to sleep with the television on while they prefer silence, there's also an aspect of loneliness.
There is ample downtime on the road — especially after nighttime arrivals and between the morning skates and games — and teammates typically bonded during the breaks.
"Now it's a lot of hours where you're spending time alone," coach Lindy Ruff said. "You have nobody to talk to. We've even had one request where guys want to room together still, so I think it's funny when you're offered something and all of a sudden you're rooming by yourself and think, 'You know, this isn't as fun as it used to be.'
"In the history of the game, you had a roommate that you could sit there for a couple hours with and kibitz, talk hockey. Now you're sitting in a room all by yourself for a couple hours, and I think that's a lot different."
The only Sabres on their entry-level contracts are forwards Cody Hodgson, Marcus Foligno and Mikhail Grigorenko. The other 20 players are free to have their own room, though Thomas Vanek and Andrej Sekera elected to share a suite in Raleigh. The old rule for a room was 600 games or 10 years in the NHL; only defenseman Robyn Regehr (905 games) and forward Jochen Hecht (789) met that criteria.
Regehr occasionally misses bonding with roommates and says players need to take steps to ensure teams stay tight.
"When I really enjoyed them was after a game," Regehr said. "You're traveling and you get into some other city, and it's very hard to get to sleep anyway because you're wound up. We sit around, talk a little bit — we call it the hot stove — so we just sit around and have a little hot stove. You talk about whatever. Usually it is hockey, but you can just talk about whatever you feel like. Usually, you get a chance to really get to know that person a lot better.
"There is an element there that I think we'll miss out on."
Hall of Fame broadcaster Rick Jeanneret, who has not called a game this season while recovering from an illness, is not expected to return to the booth until Sunday in Washington at the earliest.
He didn't make the trip to Carolina for Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes, and he will miss the rematch tonight in First Niagara Center.
The Sabres have placed forward Ville Leino on injured reserve with a leg injury. The move is retroactive to Sunday. Leino, who did not accompany the Sabres to Carolina, is eligible to return after seven days.
The move cleared a roster spot for forward Nathan Gerbe, who was activated from IR and made his season debut. Gerbe had a rough welcome to the lineup. He dumped the puck into the Carolina zone midway through the first period and was rudely crushed into the boards from behind by winger Drayson Bowman.
Gerbe said Wednesday he was looking forward to the first test on his surgically repaired back, but being the recipient of a boarding penalty was obviously not what he had in mind. He angrily joined a scrum after the hit to go after Bowman.
"That's something that made me go in for the back surgery from the start," Gerbe said. "I'm expecting to be sore. Right now it's not too bad, but I'm sure [today] it'll be a different story."
The Sabres' second annual "Bowl-A-Rama" will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at Transit Lanes. Entry for a team of five bowlers, age 21 and over, starts at $1,000 and features an opportunity to bowl with a Sabres player or celebrity. See Sabres.com/bowling for details.
Buffalo fans had a record-setting response last week to the Sabres' 50 percent off sale to welcome back the NHL. The Sabres sold nearly 50,000 pieces of merchandise, a total that eclipsed the entire 2010-11 season. More than 8,000 jerseys and 9,000 hats were sold at the Sabres Store in the arena.
email: email@example.com


text:
First Energy, why not cut consumers a break instead?
January 22, 2013
Instead of reaching a deal for naming rights to Cleveland Browns Stadium, First Energy should have taken the money and given its Northeast Ohio customers a price brea....
Good article, couldn't agree more. It's like the USPS spending ad money when they're bankrupt.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I agree 100 percent. I also think allowing these companies to advertise is a waste of our energy money. The cost gets passed along to the consumer, and even though there is what politicians call competition it is a meaningless term. Most of the competitive companies are owned by the same parent, and even if it was different you still pay transmission fees and service fees, and taxes. Ready Kilowatt is no bargain in or budget, nor was it years ago when they had the market sewed up.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Must be why they are laying off employees - up to 400. Some have already been laid-off. Too bad they couldn't invested more in developing their employees. They should also invest in better safety training for their employees. Too many deaths over the last 5+ years.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Post a Comment
You must first login before you can comment.


text:
Convertibles Near Miami, FL
Convertibles let drivers put the top down and feel the wind in their hair. Models range from small sports cars to expensive, high-end exotics.
Most Searched Convertible ModelsNear Miami, FL
Search Convertibles by Brand
Articles & Reviews
2014 Jeep Wrangler: Used Car Review
Buying a used 2014 Jeep Wrangler gets you a multipurpose vehicle that can go just about anywhere in any condition, be it rain, snow or sun.
2014 Nissan 370Z: Used Car Review
Performance, style and power are the hallmarks of a great sports car, but with the 2014 Nissan 370Z, you also get value and reliability.
2016 FIAT 500: 5 Reasons to Buy - Video
The 2016 FIAT 500 has a European vibe and a reasonable price. Check out our five reasons this fun Fiat is a saver across the board.
2016 Chevrolet Camaro: 5 Reasons to Buy - Video
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro has evolved into today's world while still maintaining its muscle car roots. We have five reasons to buy one.
Car Review
2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe: Overview
Here's everything you need to know about the ridiculously luxurious 2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.
Car Review
2016 McLaren 570S: Overview
The McLaren 570S is new for 2016, and despite its entry-level position, it packs a mean punch.


text:
When compared with students worldwide (PISA), 18.5 percent of the state's 15-year olds in 2009 were proficient in math (on a par with Bulgaria; only Alabama, New Mexico and Mississippi had lesser percentages) and 2.2 percent were advanced in math (only Mississippi had a lesser percentage).
When compared with students nationwide (NAEP), 18 percent of the state's eighth-graders in 2009 were proficient in math (only Alabama and Mississippi had lesser percentages) and 3 percent were advanced in math (no state had a lesser percentage).
In assessing student academic readiness for college (The ACT), state students tested 13 percentage points below the national average in math, and 6 percentage points below the national average in science.
In 2008, the Legislature had a "vision" that eight years hence, in 2020, student achievements in West Virginia would exceed international and national averages on these three tests, PISA, NAEP and The Act. The Legislature's "vision" was more akin to that of a "visionary"- engaged in fantasy and utopianism.
National appraisals of the state's public school system are no better than our student achievement. The appraisals (1) ranked our students 40th among the states on a science and engineering readiness index, ahead of only Mississippi, both described as "far below average" (SERI); (2) gave the state an F in K-12 achievement with only one state ranked lower (Education Week); and (3) graded the state as D in teacher quality (NCTQ).
The state's science standards have been described as "a confusing and unsatisfactory hodgepodge. - (Thomas B. Fordham Institute.)
The obstacles to significant improvement in student achievement and national appraisals are formidable, and we should not delude ourselves by believing otherwise.
There are far more bases for pessimism than optimism when we consider our public school predicament forthrightly without political gloss.
The state's public school system is gigantic (enormous in size), intricate (having many complex, interdependent elements), intimidating (discourages efforts to understand it), controversial (subject to many opposing views), intractable (difficult to manage, govern and change), and is perceived by many as inalterable.
The school system is like invisible quicksand giving those a sinking sensation who are bold enough to try to understand it, much less reform it and repels reform initiators and drains the spirit of those who would try.
Accordingly, we procrastinate and console ourselves that somehow the school system will be improved in our endless talking, talking, and more talking; in conducting public forums; in establishing "visions" and more "visions" (amounting to avoidance and escapism); in having "dreams" and more "dreams"; and in establishing "goals" and more "goals" that have no realistic expectations of being met, in part, because there is no real push, especially by the Legislature, to achieve them.
We are experienced in being evasive and avoiding the hard and difficult work that needs to be done to improve the achievements of our public school students.
The Legislature is directed by the State Constitution to "provide for [an] efficient system of free schools." It has failed. Rather than providing for an "efficient" system of management and administration of our school system, it has provided for an "inefficient" system of micromanagement.
The Education Audit describes the state's education system as being "detailed to the extreme in statutory language that results in an education system that has little flexibility to modify policy and operations without changes to Code." (p. 15)
The state Legislature has been counterproductive to, rather than a promoter of, improvements in our public school system. Almost yearly it adds bits and pieces (morsels to those who advocate them) to already cluttered and overreaching laws governing the system, many of which are antiquated, inconsistent or redundant, confusing and of dubious value, or by creating a second Department of Education (known as the Department of Education and the Arts) after having apparently concluded that one Department of Education is not enough.
In the meantime, our student achievement scores in science and math languish (in a disheartening condition) at or near the bottom when compared to scores achieved in other national and international school systems.
The state's citizens and their political and civic leaders have been, are and may well continue to be, largely in an inertial state (at rest and wanting to remain so) in relation to our school system.
There exists no easy fix. Make no mistake about it: Any real commitment to address deficiencies in our existing school system will involve hard work and much critical thinking over an extended period of time (more than a year in my opinion, if done right); it will be complex to execute; it will involve controversy; it will call for tough decisions; and its success cannot be assured. But is there an alternative to facing up to these challenges? I think not.
The "real commitment" of which I write should originate with an aroused citizenry (with emphasis on young adults politically unbeholden) who have been stirred out of their apathy and indifference to school affairs to become passionate about improving the achievement of our public school students.
It is they who should steadfastly beseech the occupant of the office of governor, the chief public-policy initiator of the state, to become a leader, a bold, persistent and tenacious one, a person who will accept the risks involved and push on with comprehensive, inclusive school reform in the interest of our kids and the welfare of the state.
The time to start a commitment is now, with a carefully designed, rationally sequenced, comprehensive identification of the essential components or constituent parts of the public school system for subsequent citizen in-depth analysis, evaluation and recommendations, the subjects of a subsequent article.
This story aptly states my point: The great French Marshall Lyautey asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow-growing and would not reach maturity for a hundred years. The marshall replied, "In that case, there is no time to lose, plant it this afternoon."
- McElwee is a Charleston lawyer with the firm Robinson & McElwee, PLLC. The views expressed are his own.


text:
on March 27, 2013 - 5:42 PM
, updated March 28, 2013 at 7:24 AM
So this is what's it's like to be a second-class citizen. This is what it's like to have government, the one you pay taxes to support, turn its back on you and blatantly discriminate in favor of someone else – all under the color of law.
This is what it's like to be childless in New York State.
We now have "separate and unequal" revived in the name of pandering so blatant they can even schedule it a year ahead of time. Hence the budget scheme being finalized this week to shower $350 in tax relief on families with kids – and nothing on the rest of us.
New York's clear violation of the equal-protection clause not only institutionalizes bias – lending credence to those who say discrimination is worse in the North – it's also bad social policy.
Basic economic theory says that when the government subsidizes something, you get more of it. Do we really want more people, in expectation of future such tax credits, creating more little brats who wreak havoc, don't graduate and who can't find jobs if they do? No wonder Mr. Wilson was so grouchy. Imagine if he'd also had to subsidize Dennis the Menace.
Welfare reform was supposed to eliminate this perverse incentive. But leave it to liberal New York to undo all of the gains we've made in instilling personal responsibility in the pro-procreation crowd.
Beyond the policy implications, there's also the timing of the expected checks, which – no doubt fortuitously – will be mailed to parents shortly before the governor and legislators run for re-election next year.
But that's a minor concern because the retort is so obvious: Challengers should send election-year mock checks to childless voters at the same time – just as a reminder.
No, the real issue is equal treatment under the law. African-Americans fought long and hard to overcome discrimination. Women are approaching equality in the workplace and the tax code. And gays are on the verge of being treated just like every other American when it comes to the spoils of marriage.
The only group it's still acceptable to single out are the childless, who – requiring no schools, day care centers or family leave – make few demands on society and, in all fairness, should be rewarded, not gouged.
And make no mistake, we will get gouged. Budgets are like balloons: Squeeze them in one place, and they expand someplace else. Rob the treasury by buying off parents, and nonparents will have to make up the difference. As Martin Luther King Jr. warned in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Don't get me wrong; it's not that I'm biased against kids. Honestly, when I look at people, I don't see age.
But great Scott! How can we not dread the implications of a policy that suggests that childless people have no economic rights the government is bound to respect?
Nevertheless, I'm not worried. The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward tax cuts for all.
In fact, in his final days, King – killed while in Memphis to fight for garbage workers – had turned increasingly to economic equality.
Guided by his spirit, we shall overcome. It just shouldn't require the fruits of pregnancy to do it.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
5 Upbeat Songs You Didn't Realize Are Depressing (Part 2)
#2. Beck -- "Girl"
Most Deceptively Fun Lyric:
Why It Makes People Happy:
Beck is an enigmatic guy. He's a Scientologist, which is creepy and should make him pretty easy to make fun of. But he also makes some pretty great music and seems like he'd be just the most adorable person ever to hang out with, provided Xenu would allow it. So it's hard to muster up the same kind of joke power for him as it is for, say, John Travolta. Maybe Beck will ask a male masseuse for a handy at some point and that will all change, but for now, he's frustratingly enjoyable to have around.
He's also pretty mysterious when it comes to his music. Take the song "Girl," for example. Forget trying to figure out what the lyrics are about; most people can't even settle on what the song is called. One popular choice is "Summer Girl," likely because it sounds like he's saying "summer girl" during the chorus. But he's not. On the record, it sounds more like "sun-eyed girl," but people who've heard the song performed live swear he's saying "cyanide girl." It doesn't help matters much that Beck censors the lyrics in the liner notes of the album that "Girl" is featured on. They simply read "my ________ girl." Here, see if you can figure it out:
Whatever the case, one thing we can all agree on is that, as far as Beck songs go, this one is ridiculously upbeat. It's the kind of song you listen to when the sun is out, the wind is in your hair and you're relaxing with a drink in your hand, preferably paying little to no attention to the fact that Beck is clearly singing about killing a little girl.
Why It's Secretly Depressing:
Don't let the electronic bleepity-bloops from the intro and the irresistibly catchy chorus fool you, "Girl" is an absurdly dark song. It's hard to pinpoint the most disturbing line because it's just all kinds of harrowing. Here's an especially troubling bit:
I'm just going to level with you here. I'm not 100 percent sure what all those words mean. But someone has their hands tied behind their back, and there's a landfill, and since when has anyone ever "scrawled" their name while something good was happening? Oh, and sounds like someone's going to be hanged. So that, too. And he's probably talking about a kid, judging from this line:
Sounds like Beck was in an odd mood the day this tune was penned. Probably nothing that an old-fashioned thetan cleanse wasn't able to nip in the bud.
#1. Hanson -- "MMMBop"
Most Deceptively Fun Lyric:
Why It Makes People Happy:
This song is about absolutely nothing, right? It must be, 80 percent of the lyrics aren't even actual words. What kind of meaning can we be expected to glean from that? And you know, that's exactly the kind of intellectual investment you want in a feel-good song like this:
Besides, everyone in the band was like 8 years old when this song was written (except for the "older" one, who has always been the exact same age he is right now, 31). What could they possibly have to teach us about anything?
Why It's Secretly Depressing:
Kids can be a bummer sometimes, and not just because having them means you'll never have any fun ever again. Apparently, Hanson had some pretty grown-up thoughts about life way back when they were just getting teased for looking like girls instead of tapping tons of groupies for looking like girls.
Once you sift through all of the nonsensical parts, "MMMBop" is a fairly sobering look at the fragile nature of relationships and the importance of keeping the people you love close to you, because they'll be gone before you know it.
There are also a bunch of lines about how we'll all get old and lose our hair:
Hey, you know what? Fuck you, kids. You think you're so damn special with your luxurious 1970s-era Farrah Fawcett hair. Talk to me when you hit your late 20s and things start getting a bit thinner up top for you, too.
Fine, I guess they've held up nicely. So, whatever. This song is about your friends stabbing you in the back and your pets and parents dying. And Hanson thinks your thinning hairline makes you a total dipshit. Keep that in mind next time you reach for "MMMBop" to put a little pep in your step on some gloomy morning. It's a far more perfect choice than you've likely ever realized.
Adam hosts a podcast called Unpopular Opinion that you should check out right here. You should also be his friend on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.
For more from ATB, check out 6 Awful Hip Hop Slang Terms (That Are Way Older Than Rap) and The 12 Most God Awful Tribute Albums Ever Recorded.


text:
Another unique feature of the Shuswap Lake Region is, that there are six award winning wineries in our region! They are all family run and produce special cool climate wines that are not available from other areas of British Columbia.
Even though the Shuswap region is considered part of the Okanagan wine growing season, the climate here is cooler than in the Southern interior regions of BC and therefore creates unique challenges (and incredible tastes) for these producers.
Shuswap Lake region wineries
- Larch Hills Winery
- Celista Estate Winery
- Granite Creek Estate
- Ovino Winery
- Recline Ridge Winery
- Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery
Some handy tips for your wine tours:
- Check corresponding website for tour and tasting room hours
- Designate a driver to have a more relaxed and safe touring experience
- Remember that some wineries only produce wine in limited quantities, so if you like something, stock up as you're there!
- Some wineries have a picnic area that will allow you to enjoy a glass of wine with the lunch or snack you brought along.


text:
Snuggle Boots
This item is currently not available.
Additional Information
Exclusive | Snuggle Boots are a Mini "Spa" for Aching Feet
- Pamper tired, sore feet with warmth and aromatherapy
- Just pop inserts into the microwave to warm them and release the fragrance
- Ideal way to soothe and relax after skiing or shoveling
- Fits women's sizes 5 - 11
- Note: Snuggle Boots are designed for lounging and are not intended for walking
Whether après-ski or after work, these plush chenille booties are the cure for tired feet. Inside each one is a removable sachet filled with a soothing blend of clove, chamomile, and lavender. Just pop them in the microwave to release soothing warmth and fragrance.
Product Details
- Made with soft cozy chenille
- Outer bootie machine-washable, gentle cycle
- Do not wash microwaveable pouch
- Imported
- Gardener's Supply Exclusive
There are no special shipping restrictions or charges associated with this item. For detailed information about our delivery methods and charges, click here.
We're proud of the fact that this item is shipped to you directly from our warehouse in Vermont, by one of our 250 employee-owners. In-stock items are packed with care and shipped within the next business day to ensure prompt delivery to your home and garden!


text:
Hoard's Dairyman: Pennsylvania updates custom and rental rates
Pennsylvania updates custom and rental rates
Determining if a quoted custom rate is a fair price can be somewhat challenging especially with today's higher fuel costs. To help give all parties perspective on custom prices, Pennsylvania's National Agricultural Statistics Service field office updates its publication "Machinery Custom Rates" each year. Released this March, the latest edition tracks 82 services.
Compared to last year, custom rates rose 1.9 percent. Just one year earlier, the same rates were down slightly. Of the 82 rates reported in the year-to-year comparisons, 52 rose, 24 fell, and 6 remained virtually unchanged.
Because of the potential variation in size and overall productivity of equipment, a range was reported by Pennsylvania NASS specialists. Those ranges are shown in the table. The range represents the middle 80 percent of all reported rates for each job. That means the lowest and highest 10 percent of all reported values were excluded. Differences in rates also occur due to terrain, soil, and competition for services.
The reported rates are based on voluntary reports by custom operators and farmers throughout Pennsylvania. When looking at the table, be sure to look at the column "Basis of charge." Most of the rates are per acre, hundredweight, ton, bale, or bushel rather than per hour to reduce variation due to machinery size. The rates include the cost of hiring the machine with fuel and operator and exclude the cost of seed, fertilizer, and other materials used unless specified.
We only included rates more specific to the dairy industry. A complete report can be found by going to www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Pennsylvania/Publications/Machiner...


text:
It's warm today, almost muggy. I can see into the backyards of the homes around us and across the way leaves left over from the melted snow swirl then run off in a line, like school kids, in a row. They scurry past my window and I think they are small animals. They walk with legs and swinging arms. Marching upright, soldiers. But they are just leaves.
Ivy giggled in her sleep this morning, her head on my pillow. I wondered how many fairies were born right then. I think dozens. Upon dozens.
It smells different here, and I can't put my finger on it. Later in the day I decide it smells like the past, like home or Easter, a time that I've never spent in Ohio before. This is the first time I've been here for this kind of scent in the air, this season, this month, this weather. This should be home now, but it's confusing because I know it's only temporary so I kind of shrug it off even though it keeps nudging me to notice.
I think if I had the energy and wherewithal to compose a really long post I'd like to write about how I'm a chameleon and I've always been. Some people might call it easy going or a adaptable but they don't see my handwriting, how I can make it look like hers with just a glance. They don't know what book I just read to make me write like this or maybe I'm underestimating my observer and they really can tell by this phrase or that. Who I've been watching to make my voice sound like that even though I don't even mean to. It just happens. Maybe they are just nice and don't bring it up.


text:
Tuition Petitions
Tuition Petitions and Medical Withdrawals
Students sometimes face circumstances or situations that prevent them from finishing a course or semester. A Review Committee meets monthly to examine petitions made by students regarding full or partial charges of tuition and fees. A student's petition, which includes a detailed letter and appropriate documentation, can be submitted to any member of the Review Committee from the following offices: Student Account Services, Registrar's Office, Financial Aid, and the Dean of Students.
If the petition is based on serious health problems where a student is unable to complete the semester and is not eligible for grades of incomplete, the Review Committee requires a written verification from a physician or licensed mental health professional. The Dean of Students serves as a resource for such requests. Nearly all medical withdrawals require withdrawal from all courses for the semester, as it is difficult to be medically unfit for one course but medically fit for others.


text:
More than two dozen people have expressed interest in the soon-to-be vacant 1st Congressional District seat, but the field might not be quite so large when filing closes Jan. 28.
Some contenders already are bowing out, including newly elected state Sen. Paul Thurmond, R-Charleston.
Meanwhile, the special election — including the March 19 primary and May 7 special election — could cost taxpayers almost $1 million, and it will be the first major election conducted under the state's new photo ID law.
Thurmond said Monday he was humbled by the number of people asking him to run but that he could best serve his District 41 constituents by ending speculation that he will seek the seat being vacated soon by Rep. Tim Scott.
Thurmond came closest to Scott in the crowded GOP congressional primary in 2010, and he was among almost two dozen possible Republican candidates to seek the seat again, Charleston County Chair Lin Bennett said.
Thurmond said he hoped his announcement would free up his supporters to rally behind other candidates.
"I also hope that this announcement assures the people of my district that my focus is on serving them not on political opportunity," he said.
Scott was appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley to serve in the U.S. Senate for the next two years after Sen. Jim DeMint resigned.
Scott will be sworn in Wednesday. Filing for his vacated congressional seat will begin at noon Jan. 18 and conclude at noon Jan. 28, State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said.
While many Republicans are testing the water about a possible run, only Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, is looking at it, Charleston County Democratic Chair Richard Hricik said.
"I'm testing the waters and crunching the numbers," he said Monday.
Hricik said he is not sure if the Democrats will have a primary. "I've heard rumors about people, but nobody has called me and said, 'Hey, I'm really interested in running,' " he added.
On the GOP side, potential candidates include former Gov. Mark Sanford and his ex-wife, former first lady Jenny Sanford; state Sens. Chip Campsen and Larry Grooms; state Reps. Chip Limehouse, Peter McCoy, Jim Merrill and Andy Patrick; Charleston County Councilman Elliott Summey; Dorchester County Councilman Jay Byars; Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings; Mount Pleasant Town Councilman Ken Glasson; former state Sen. John Kuhn; former Charleston County School Board member Larry Kabrovsky; former Charleston County Council members Curtis Bostic and Joe McKeown; and Lowcountry businessmen Keith Blandford, Carroll Campbell, Mark Lutz, Bob Menges and Teddy Turner.
Such a potentially crowded field makes three elections — a primary, runoff and special election — more likely, and Whitmire said the State Election Commission did not anticipate the approximately $900,000 cost of these congressional elections in its 2012-13 budget.
He said the commission will approach state budget officials and lawmakers about the shortfall.
"It's required by law, and the state has to pay for it," he said. "I don't know how it gets done, but the state is obligated to conduct a special election."
Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771.


text:
Customer Reviews
|Sort by:
|3 Item(s)
|Show per page
Great for JK-sized snacks Review by Michelle
Price Value Quality
We use ours almost daily - they're great for snacks, and they wash up beautifully. The size is perfect for smaller items, and it's easy for our JK-er to use. The prints are awesome! (Posted on 3/21/13)Would you recommend this product to a friend? Without hesitation!
|3 Item(s)
|Show per page