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In the split second it took Laura Russell to squeeze the trigger on her 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol, Andrew Morello's fate was sealed. Russell, an off-duty Metro-Dade police officer, says lethal force was necessary to keep Morello from killing her and her husband outside their home. Morello, she claims, was trying to run her down in a van after he and three of his friends were caught burglarizing a neighbor's car. She fired once, hitting the sixteen-year-old square in the chest. He died an hour later at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Passions escalated after the February 1 shooting in North Miami. Violence returned to the neighborhood just hours later when a drive-by gunner mistakenly shot into the house of Laura Russell's next-door neighbor. Police said it was in retaliation for Morello's death. Candlelight vigils and demonstrations were organized by Morello's friends and family, who decried the officer's actions. The dead boy's parents launched a relentless personal crusade to ensure that justice would be done.
Emotions aside, the question for investigators seemed simple: Did Laura Russell need to fire her weapon? Was she in imminent mortal danger? If the van was moving directly toward her in a threatening manner, the answer would be clear - she was justified in killing Andrew Morello. And importantly, if it were determined that Morello's death was justifiable, then two of the three friends with him that night - seventeen-year-old Anthony Vincent and sixteen-year-old Bjorn DiMaio - would likely be charged with murder. (Under Florida law, if a person dies during the commission of a felony, his accomplices can be held liable for murder. If convicted, the teen-agers could spend the rest of their lives in prison. Prosecutors granted immunity to the third friend, sixteen-year-old Ralph Scocco.)
On the other hand, if Laura Russell's life appeared not to be in danger, if the van was not a threat to her, if the shooting of Andrew Morello was not clearly justified, then serious doubt would arise regarding the propriety of her actions, exposing her to charges of criminal negligence and manslaughter.
To answer these questions, Dade State Attorney Janet Reno followed her standard policy when a police officer kills someone. Her office requested a court hearing known as an inquest, an unusual process in which a prosecutor presents complete and impartial evidence to a judge, who then determines whether there is probable cause to believe the police officer committed a crime in discharging his or her weapon.
On Monday, March 30, after an inquest that lasted all day, Circuit Court Judge Morton Perry issued a ruling. He said he believed the van driven by Andrew Morello was going forward and that Officer Laura Russell was forced to shoot in order to defend herself. Although his decision was solely advisory in nature, the State Attorney's Office accepted it as definitive. The investigation of Russell was officially closed.
Judge Perry also urged that charges be filed against two of Morello's partners that night: Anthony Vincent and Bjorn DiMaio. "It is my recommendation that the state attorney, in effect, deliver a message to all car burglars and other felons, both teen-agers and adults alike," Perry said sternly, "that when such conduct results in death, felony murder charges should be filed." Within 48 hours of Perry's ruling, the State Attorney's Office charged both boys with the murder of their best friend.
With so much at stake in such a proceeding, an exhaustive and rigorous search for the truth would seem obligatory for any prosecutor presenting the evidence. For the judge hearing that evidence, a thorough knowledge and understanding of all the facts would likewise seem a mandatory prerequisite to a fair hearing. The inquest of Andrew Morello's death was, however, neither exhaustive nor rigorous. And for the surviving friends and family of the teen-ager, it was anything but fair. A detailed investigation of the case by New Times revealed numerous problems. Among the findings:
* The State Attorney's Office failed to introduce critical information in its possession regarding the trajectory of the bullet that killed Morello, information that would have raised profound questions about Laura Russell's version of events.
* The State Attorney's Office did not make available to Judge Perry a copy or transcript of a 911 tape recording in which Russell told an emergency operator that the van "kept backing up," and in which she failed to mention that she had fired her weapon.
* Firearms tests conducted by the Dade County Medical Examiner's Office, which Judge Perry said he heavily relied upon in making his decision, were not conclusive, according to the man who performed them.
* The Medical Examiner's Office was never called to the crime scene, even though it is standard procedure for law enforcement agencies to do so after any homicide. (Though a medical examiner was not called, police reports indicate that an attorney working for the police union, the Police Benevolent Association, was summoned to consult with Laura Russell.)
* Morton Perry was not the original judge assigned to the inquest and had only been transferred the case on the Thursday before the Monday hearing. Perry admitted later that as a result, he had to prepare on very short notice. Although the judge said he believed he was ready, it is now obvious he was not entirely familiar with the facts, and was largely unaware of important inconsistencies.
There was no confusion, however, regarding what Andrew Morello, Anthony Vincent, Bjorn DiMaio, and Ralph Scocco had in mind when they pulled into the 800 block of NE 144th Street at approximately 3:15 in the morning. According to the other boys, Morello wanted the speakers from a Jeep Cherokee parked on the block.
As they sat in the van Morello had borrowed from his father, they debated who would get out and break into the Jeep. DiMaio later said he went because he had the most experience in such matters. He walked across the street, saw that the Jeep was outfitted with a burglar alarm, and kicked one of the tires to see if the alarm was activated by motion. It wasn't, so DiMaio quietly broke the small triangular window on the passenger's side, reached in, rolled down the side window, and carefully crawled inside.
In the house next door, George Russell, a Miami police officer, had just gone to bed when Thor, his German shepherd, began barking. Russell followed Thor into the living room and looked out the front window. Across the street, parked off the road on a grassy swale, he could see a black van. To the side, he later recalled in a sworn statement given to investigators, he saw someone near his wife's car, which was parked in the driveway.
The neighborhood had recently been troubled by auto thefts and burglaries, so Russell walked back to the bedroom and woke up his wife, who had gotten home from work at about 1:30 a.m. and had gone to bed a short time later. "Somebody's screwing with the cars out front," he told her. They grabbed their guns, put on robes, and headed for the front door.
"The fucking van's running," Russell said to his wife as they stepped outside. In an effort to get a license plate number, George Russell tried to circle around behind the idling van. Morello, in the driver's seat of the van, saw the Russells coming out of their house and initially drove forward a few feet. Anthony Vincent, sitting in the back, told him to stop and go backward instead so they wouldn't see the tag number. Morello changed gears. As the van backed up, Ralph Scocco crouched down in the passenger's seat and covered his face with his hands.
Laura Russell, in a sworn statement, said the van began backing up "at high speed, real high speed." Her husband, however, said the van was moving "very slow," an "absolute creep." They both said they screamed over and over again, "Stop! Police!"
Morello backed the van down the street and pulled alongside the Jeep, which was parked next door to the Russells' house. Laura Russell told detectives she moved into the street, in front of the van. Her husband testified he was a couple of feet behind her, standing in the middle of the street. (See diagram A, page 12.) Their attention was concentrated entirely on the van, specifically on Morello, the driver. At this point, Laura and George Russell both have said, they had no idea someone was inside the Jeep.
Bjorn DiMaio, having removed one speaker in the Jeep, was quietly working on the second when he noticed Morello's back-up lights. As the van pulled even with the Jeep, several things happened almost simultaneously. Anthony Vincent opened the sliding side door of the van, and as a result, the van's interior dome light came on. DiMaio then opened the back door of the Jeep, setting off the alarm. He jumped out and leaped into the van through the sliding door, moving so quickly he literally jumped out of one of his sneakers. Laura and George Russell told investigators they were startled when the door to the Jeep opened and a figure came bounding out. "I was completely surprised," Laura Russell said. "I had no idea there was anybody over there at all."
According to her sworn statement, Laura Russell was less than ten feet from the van when it stopped and the dome light came on. She said she was standing directly in front of the van, between the passenger's-side headlight and the center of the van. A Metro-Dade homicide detective later asked her to describe what happened next.
Part Two
When the dome light came on inside the van, the detective inquired, was the vehicle stopped or moving? "Well it was...it's hard to say," she answered in her sworn statement. "I don't know. I don't know if it was, you know, it was like a transitional phase. It wasn't like it stopped for any length of time. It's like it was in reverse, it stopped for a second and then it started forward, and at some point during that, the light came on, because I saw it."
Russell was asked to describe the change in gears and the movement of the van. "Well, like I said, it was kind of all one thing," she explained. "The van never really completely, I guess, stopped motion, but it stopped and then it changed directions and it came at me.... I had my gun pointing at the driver and I remember screaming, `No!' and it came forward at me, the van did, and I shot him." Russell said that after she fired, the van came to a sudden stop about five feet from her. The driver, she claimed, then threw the vehicle into reverse and backed down the street.
Why did she shoot? "Because I thought I was gonna die and I thought my husband was gonna die," she replied. If she hadn't shot, she was asked, did she believe Morello would have run her down? "Absolutely," she responded, "beyond the shadow of any doubt."
In sworn statements given to investigators, all three of the teen-agers with Morello contradicted Russell's scenario. (Morello's friends were questioned separately, under oath, within hours of the incident. Laura and George Russell also answered investigators' questions shortly after the shooting, though they didn't provide sworn statements immediately. George Russell was questioned under oath a couple of days later, but Laura Russell did not provide her sworn account until March 12, nearly six weeks after the shooting.)
The van never moved forward toward the officer, the boys told police. They said Morello was backing up to get DiMaio, came to a rolling stop, and kept backing down the street after he'd been shot. Detectives asked Anthony Vincent if Morello changed gears after DiMaio leaped into the van. "No," Vincent answered. "He had stopped and then proceeded backwards." The van, he said, was in reverse the entire time, and when Morello was shot, the wounded teen immediately hit the gas and sped off backward. "He was just yelling, `She shot me in the chest! She shot me in the chest!' over and over again," Vincent told detectives.
Morello steered the van in reverse to the end of the block and then spun it 90 degrees to the right. The left front tire blew out under the pressure of the sharp turn, but Morello kept control of the vehicle and began driving south on NE Eighth Avenue. About a block later he passed out. From behind the driver's seat, DiMaio leaned over Morello's body and grabbed the steering wheel to avoid hitting a tree. The boys told investigators the van was still accelerating because Morello's foot was pressing down on the gas pedal. Morello's foot was pulled from the pedal as DiMaio continued steering for another block, to 142nd Street, where he turned the corner and pulled into the front yard of Carla Izzo, Morello's cousin. In order to stop the van, DiMaio said he slammed the gearshift into the "park" position.
Despite repeated calls from Izzo's house to 911, it took almost twenty minutes for paramedics to arrive. By the time Morello was finally airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, internal bleeding had drained him of two liters of blood. There was nothing doctors could do.
Although the shooting occurred within the city limits of North Miami, Metro-Dade detectives immediately took over the investigation of their fellow officer, Laura Russell. "It's been an established policy that they handle shootings anywhere in Dade County that involve their officers," North Miami Police Chief Kenneth Each said not long after the incident. "Metro-Dade has jurisdiction all over the county."
North Miami detectives were perfectly capable of conducting the investigation, Chief Each noted, but he saw nothing wrong with Metro-Dade handling its own case, and he expressed confidence that county detectives would do a "very thorough investigation." As a safeguard, he pointed out, the State Attorney's Office would review the evidence and an inquest would be held to present all the facts. Added the chief: "There is always an outside audit."
On March 30, the day of their son's inquest, Andrea and Joseph Morello stood outside Courtroom 5-2 on the fifth floor of the Metro Justice Building, and saw Laura Russell for the first time. She was dressed in a pink jacket, a floral-print skirt, and white stockings. Her brown hair was held back with a couple of pins. She was prettier than they had expected. Then again, they would say later, they didn't really know what to expect.
The hallway that morning was crowded, though the lines were clearly drawn. At one end of the hall more than a dozen Metro-Dade police officers - some in uniform, others in plain clothes -milled around, waiting for the courtroom doors to open. At the other end stood at least two dozen of Andrew Morello's friends and family members, many wearing black T-shirts with Andrew's name printed on them along with the song title, "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye." Filling the gap were television camera crews and newspaper reporters, who drifted back and forth between the two groups, gathering pictures and quotations for their stories.
When the doors opened, the police officers filed in unmolested while Morello's friends and family were forced to walk through a metal detector, their bags and pocketbooks searched. Once inside the courtroom, Laura Russell sat in the front row of the gallery, flanked by her husband and Police Benevolent Association attorney Michael Cornley. The visiting officers filled the seats around the trio, and from time to time during the inquest leaned over and patted Russell on the back or whispered words of encouragement.
Because of the speed with which the police officers had filed in and the delay caused by the metal detector (standard in all courtrooms), Andrea and Joseph Morello were only able to find seats in the second-to-last row. They were tired from not having slept the night before, but sitting there holding hands, they prayed that the inquest would answer their questions about what had happened the night their son was killed.
For two months they had lived with anonymous letters sent to their home, telling them it was their fault Andrew was dead. "Put the blame where it belongs," one person wrote, "on the parents and the family." They'd lived with notes from one particular man who kept writing to say that Andrew got exactly what he deserved for burglarizing a car: "If this bastard isn't asking to be killed," the man wrote, "what is he saying?"
They had lived with the dreams that caused them to wake in the middle of the night calling out their son's name, and with paralyzing bouts of self-doubt. "I think about how we treated Andrew and what we tried to teach him," Andrea Morello would say later, "and I don't think there was anything we could have done. He was punished when he did something wrong and praised when he did something right. We thought we were heading in the right direction. It's a tricky age."
This wasn't a day for recriminations, however. It was a day for revelation and justice. At least that's what they had hoped. But even before the judge had finished announcing his decision, they left the courtroom in tears, angry and disgusted, feeling no closer to the truth than when they walked in the door.
The inquest got off to a shaky start. Assistant State Attorney Gary Rosenberg's first witness, a sixteen-year-old boy who overheard Morello and the others talk about breaking into the Jeep before the shooting, was so nervous he kept contradicting himself. His testimony, even Judge Perry would later admit, was completely irrelevant. It was, though, indicative of Rosenberg's approach to the case.
During the morning session, homicide detective Steve Parr recounted that all three boys believed the van was in reverse when Russell fired, but at least half of the testimony revolved around the planning and execution of the burglary rather than the shooting. It reached an absurd level when the judge and one witness argued about whether the man who provided the tools for the burglary was or was not mad about having to leave his girlfriend in a bar while he retrieved the tools from his shop.
Rosenberg, who says he has prepared about a half-dozen inquests during his career as a prosecutor, repeatedly pointed out that the stereo speakers DiMaio was stealing were intended for Morello. "Who is he prosecuting?" asked Carla Izzo, Morello's cousin, in a voice loud enough for others in court to hear. Rosenberg glared at her. In fact, he wasn't supposed to be prosecuting anyone; his job was to present all the facts in an objective fashion.
If Rosenberg was hoping to establish that Morello and the other boys were not novices at breaking into cars, he succeeded. As Judge Perry would later say privately: "These were no choirboys." But judgments about Morello's character would seem irrelevant; the narrow question at hand was the shooting itself. And regarding that issue, the pivotal testimony, in Perry's opinion, came from Dr. Charles Wetli, deputy chief medical examiner.
Based on the bullet's path as it entered Morello's chest, Wetli had determined that the boy was sitting in the driver's seat of the van with his body twisted to the right. The prosecutor asked Wetli if the position of Morello's body would be consistent with him looking back toward the sliding door (through which DiMaio jumped into the van). Wetli said yes.
What the prosecutor didn't ask was whether this position was also consistent with Morello looking out the van's rear window while backing up. After the inquest, New Times put the question to Wetli. His answer: "It could support easily the contention that the van was backing up." (Even accepting Laura Russell's claim that the van was moving forward, another important question was left unasked: Russell said she shot Morello after he began driving the van toward her, yet Wetli's physical evidence showed the bullet struck him while his upper body was turned sharply to the right, as if he were looking to the rear. How could Morello be turned away from Russell while trying to run her down at the same moment?)
Part Three
Wetli then presented the initial results of an experiment he had recently conducted, the point of which was to determine the position of Morello's right arm and hand at the time of the shooting. When Russell's bullet blasted through the windshield, according to Wetli, its casing broke away from the core of the slug. The slug went into Morello's chest and the casing struck his right arm, causing a bruise. Wetli tried to re-create the shooting by firing several bullets into a windshield to see where the casings would strike. Two possibilities emerged: For Morello's right arm to be hit by the casing, it would have had to have been positioned either at the back of his seat's right armrest or stretched out in front of him, with his hand possibly on the gearshift at the van's steering column.
Earlier in the inquest, Ralph Scocco, testifying under immunity but with reluctance, said he believed Morello's right arm had been extended behind the passenger's seat while Morello was turned to his right. Scocco was the only eyewitness called to the stand to describe this particular moment. (Neither Anthony Vincent nor Bjorn DiMaio testified at the inquest.) While questioning Wetli, Rosenberg returned to Scocco's recollection and used it to bolster the validity of Wetli's experiment while selectively undermining Scocco's credibility.
If it were true, Rosenberg pointed out, that Morello's arm had been extended behind the passenger's seat, then it would not have been in one of the two positions Wetli described. And if, as Scocco had indicated, Morello's arm wasn't on the armrest, then it only could have been hit by the shell casing if it had been stretched out ahead of him, which would have placed his right hand on or near the gearshift. The doctor's experiment proved that. Finally, without explicitly saying so, Rosenberg implied that if Morello's hand had been near the gearshift, he might have been poised to put the van in "drive" and proceed forward toward Russell.
After the hearing, Scocco was in tears. He hadn't really given much thought to his answer about the position of Morello's arm; he didn't think it was that big a deal. "They put so much pressure on you," he said in the courthouse hallway. "They only want to hear what they want to hear."
At least twice while announcing his ruling, Judge Perry commended Dr. Wetli and emphasized the importance of his testimony. He said he found Wetli's experiment to be "of great help" and called it the "most objective evidence" presented at the inquest. But in an interview after the hearing, Wetli repeatedly stressed to New Times that the results of his experiment were only preliminary and that more testing was needed before it should be considered conclusive. Wetli, who is not a ballistics or firearms expert, said he had never attempted this experiment before and was trying out things as he went along.
Wetli also revealed that that he was never called to the crime scene, a fact that was not presented at the inquest. "They were going to call me to the scene," he said, "which would be routine, but as things got busy they just forgot." Perhaps more important, Wetli never even saw the van upon which he based his test. "I never did get to see the inside of the van," he admitted, "which was something I really wanted to do."
Perhaps if Wetli had had time to refine his experiment, and if qualified ballistics experts had verified the results, it might have proven that Morello's right hand was indeed on or near the gearshift. But shouldn't that have occurred before Wetli was allowed to testify, especially in light of the significance Judge Perry attached to the experiment? Yes, Wetli acknowledged - if the Morello hearing had been a real trial. This, however, was only an inquest. "I was able to provide the amount of evidence the court needed for the purpose of the inquest," he said. "Now, for the purposes of a criminal trial, your standards have to be a lot higher."
Pressed about the impression his experiment had made upon Judge Perry, Wetli countered by saying there was other important testimony at the inquest: "You also had another witness that heard three different transmission modes."
Wetli was referring to one of the truly strange moments of the inquest. In an apparent effort to support the argument that Andrew Morello was driving the van forward toward Laura Russell, prosecutor Rosenberg called the Russells' next-door neighbor to testify. (Laura Russell herself declined to testify at the inquest.) Larry Trach said he heard three distinct engine noises he described as "revving" sounds. Rosenberg asked if the revving noise could be the sound of gears changing, such as when a car goes from forward to reverse. Trach agreed.
Through a series of labored questions, the prosecutor tried to establish that Trach, from inside his house, had heard Morello change gears. "Your opinion," the prosecutor said, "is that the first sound and the third sound are the same, but different from the second." (The prosecutor seemed to be leading Trach to conclude that the first engine noise was the sound of the van backing up to the Jeep, the second was Morello changing gears in an attempt to run down Russell, and the third was the van being placed in reverse again and retreating.) Trach pondered Rosenberg's question and then nodded in agreement. "But if it was going forward or backward, I could not tell you," Trach added. Later, after Judge Perry joined the questioning in an effort to clarify what Trach may have heard, Trach became flustered. "The whole thing," he said, "happened in five seconds."
Rosenberg's presentation of events would have required Judge Perry to believe that Trach was able to distinguish three separate engine noises after being awakened from a sound sleep at 3:30 in the morning, amid a great deal of commotion: Thor was barking, the Jeep's car alarm was blaring, the Russells were yelling, "Stop! Police!" During these moments, Trach, who said he was startled by the gunshot, was also racing around his house looking for his keys so he could open the front door. Furthermore, Trach's wife, Irene, didn't mention during her testimony hearing any engine noises. And Terrence Trach, the couple's 33-year-old son, who was also home, testified he heard only two engine noises.
Closer scrutiny of Larry Trach's testimony exposed a more substantial problem. Prior to the inquest, both Larry and Irene Trach told New Times their household was awakened by the sound of the Jeep's alarm. During questioning by investigators three days after the shooting, Larry Trach was asked that very question: What woke him up? "The car alarm went off on the street," he said.
All testimony from the Russells and the teen-agers with Morello corroborated the fact that the car alarm was not triggered until after the van had backed up to the Jeep. Which would mean that when Larry Trach claimed to have heard the first revving (or "gear change," as Rosenberg described it), he would still have been asleep. "That's a good point," Judge Morton Perry acknowledged in an interview not long after the inquest.
In the days following the Morello hearing, Judge Perry allowed New Times to review all the sworn statements entered into evidence, none of which had been made public prior to the inquest. He also spent several hours discussing his involvement in the case and his rationale for ruling as he did.
Perry had only been assigned the inquest on the Thursday before the Monday hearing, which forced him to study intensely and quickly. "I spent Friday night, all day Saturday, all day Sunday, into Monday, reading all this crap, making notes," he explained. "I just want you to know that I spent a lot of goddamn time on this thing." Despite his weekend efforts, the judge apparently still did not have enough time to prepare completely. For instance, throughout the hearing, prosecutor Rosenberg repeatedly made reference to a party the boys had attended the night of the burglary. In discussing the case, Perry was asked if he was under the impression Morello and the other boys had been drinking that night. "They must have had a drink or two, I guess, I don't know," he answered. "It was not that significant. I don't think they were roaring drunk."
It's doubtful that Perry's decision in the case was strongly influenced by his belief the four boys had been drinking. But his assumption that they had been drinking demonstrated that he had not studied the autopsy report in depth. The Medical Examiner's Office determined there was no evidence of alcohol or other drugs in Morello's system. Moreover, friends and family members of the other teen-agers said none of them had been drinking that night.
The autopsy report wasn't the only piece of evidence that did not receive careful scrutiny. Another example: After the shooting, Laura Russell ran to her house and dialed 911. The call was interesting for several reasons. First, Russell never mentioned that she had just fired her weapon; she simply told the emergency operator she and her husband had interrupted an auto theft and her husband was in his car trying to chase the van. She also didn't inform 911 that the driver of the van had tried to kill her, which presumably would be important information for other officers so they would be cautious in approaching the van.
At another point during her call, Russell said, "One of them came at us," although it was not clear to whom she was referring - Morello driving the van or DiMaio startling them when he bolted out of the Jeep. A few seconds later she said, "They came at us," which could support the contention that the van had been moving toward them. Finally she said, "They kept backing up. We kept trying to get their tag, and they kept backing up." The Morello family thought it was significant that Russell told 911 the van "kept backing up," hopeful it would lend credence to their belief their son was driving in reverse the entire time. In interviews prior to the inquest, the Morellos said they were eager to hear the tape played and discussed in court.
And what did Judge Perry think of the 911 call? Unfortunately, he was not in a position to form an opinion. The tape was never played at the inquest, nor was a copy or a transcript provided to Perry. The judge saw the 911 transcript for the first time three days after issuing his ruling, when New Times provided him with a copy for review. (Prosecutor Rosenberg said later he didn't play the 911 tape or provide a transcript because it was not relevant and "didn't have anything to do with what happened at the shooting.")
Part Four
Laura Russell didn't tell the 911 operator that the driver of the van had just tried to kill her and her husband, but she did reportedly say that to next-door neighbor Terrence Trach, who came outside within a minute of the shooting. Judge Perry said he felt this was important because Russell wouldn't have had time to concoct a story. George Russell made similar statements, according to Terrence Trach, after returning home from his unsuccessful effort to find the van.
As much as Perry placed a high value on what he described as Laura and George Russell's "excited utterances," he seemed to discredit statements made by Andrew Morello's friends soon after the shooting. "I don't think they said, `He was shot while we were in reverse,' or anything like that," the judge said. "I wasn't too interested, very honestly, in what happened later."
Even though Perry didn't believe the boys made any relevant statements immediately after the shooting, documents in his possession included sworn statements from DiMaio, Vincent, and Scocco - taken separately less than ten hours after the incident - in which each of them said the van had been in reverse when Morello was shot. (The teen-agers had little time to confer before they were questioned by detectives. Soon after police arrived, all three were isolated and interviewed separately.)
In addition, Perry had been given the sworn statement of Carla Izzo, Morello's cousin. After Morello's friends quickly drove two blocks from the scene of the shooting to Izzo's house, they came banging on her door for help, screaming that Andrew had been shot. In her statement, Izzo noted that at least one of the boys said the van was going backward when Morello was shot, but the issue was not explored by investigators questioning her. Assistant State Attorney Rosenberg said later he discounted Izzo's statement because the boys had lied to her, initially claiming they hadn't been doing anything wrong. On the other hand, Dana Klier, a sixteen-year-old friend of Bjorn DiMaio, said in her statement that DiMaio walked over to her house shortly after the incident and told her about the burglary, as well as stating that the van was moving backward.
Joseph Morello, Andrew's father, also corroborated the consistency of remarks made by his son's friends. When he learned of the shooting, approximately ten minutes after it took place, he raced to Izzo's house and talked to the boys even before police had a chance to question them. He asked Ralph Scocco what had happened when his son was shot, and the boy reportedly replied over and over again, "I don't know, I don't know. We were going backwards." However, Judge Perry could not have known what Joseph Morello had been told. Neither the police nor the State Attorney's Office bothered to take a statement from him.
For the Morello family, perhaps the most troubling aspect of the inquest was the absence of any testimony regarding the trajectory of the bullet through the van's windshield. When the police returned Joseph Morello's van to him, both he and his wife sat in it, hoping that might bring them closer to Andrew. It didn't. But the experience did provoke disturbing questions about the path of the fatal bullet. As they sat in the front seats, they recalled what Anthony Vincent had told them - that the shot did not come from in front of the van but from far off to the right side. And they began to develop a suspicion that today has become a firm conviction: Laura Russell, they concluded, could not have been standing where she said she was when she shot their son.
The fundamental basis for Russell's claim of self-defense, as she repeatedly noted in her sworn statement, was that she was in the path of the van as it bore down on her. She had no choice but to shoot. The physical evidence, however, appeared to contradict that. The bullet hole in the windshield was located on the passenger's side in the lower right-hand corner. If Russell, as she said, was standing in front of the van near its center, a shot aimed at the driver would have left a hole much closer to the driver's side of the windshield. (See diagram B, page 12.) Police photographs, in fact, show that crime-scene technicians placed the position of the shooter at the extreme right side of the van, not in front of it.
"I'm not going to comment on that," Metro-Dade homicide detective Steve Parr replied when asked about the trajectory of the bullet. Parr, who supervised the police investigation of the shooting, said that any interpretation of the physical evidence by New Times was merely "your opinion. You can present your point of view in your own way, any way you want." And he insisted that New Times had misunderstood Russell's sworn statement. For emphasis he added that he should know the statement's contents - he was the one who questioned Russell.
Following the interview with Parr, four days after the inquest, New Times returned to Judge Morton Perry in an effort to clarify the matter of Russell's position at the time she fired. Using a piece of paper on a table in his chambers to represent the van, the judge pointed to a spot directly in front of the van's passenger's-side headlight. "Here," he said. Would she have been about seven to ten feet in front of the van? Yes, he replied, definitely in front.
The judge then retrieved a copy of Laura Russell's statement, in which Parr asked Russell where she was standing when the van purportedly began moving forward. Russell stated under oath: "I was still in front of the van. I was slightly to the right - my right - of the headlight of the passenger."
At that point Parr said, "Still on the passenger side but...." Russell interrupted: "Yeah, between the center of the van and the headlight." And after she shot, Parr asked, where was she standing in relation to the van? "I was probably less than five feet in front of it," Russell answered.
Judge Perry then examined photocopies of the police crime-scene photographs, provided to him by New Times, which re-created the bullet's trajectory and clearly indicated that the position of the shooter must have been to the right of the van, not directly in front of it. Perry looked at the photographs and wondered aloud: "Did I see these? I don't recall if I did or not."
The judge asked where New Times got the photographs. When informed that they were on file in the evidence room at the court clerk's office, he realized these were photos he himself had accepted into evidence four days earlier. Perry then modified his expression of doubt about having seen them before. "I don't want to say if I did or I didn't," he hedged, adding that his current court schedule had caused him to be tired.
The photographs easily could have been overlooked by Perry, considering the manner in which they were presented in court. Prosecutor Rosenberg submitted them to the judge as part of a packet of photos, including pictures of DiMaio's sneaker in the street, an aerial view of the block where the shooting occurred, and photographs of the burglary tools found inside the Jeep. (Rosenberg later told New Times he didn't draw attention to the photos depicting the bullet's trajectory because he didn't think they proved anything. The angle of the bullet was open to interpretation, he said, and if Judge Perry had wanted to know more, he could have asked.)
Did the photographs cast any doubt on Laura and George Russell's claims that she had to shoot? That she was standing directly in the van's path? "But she said she was," the judge answered with a confidence that suggested certainty.
Recalling from memory the inquest's testimony, Perry accurately noted that there had been no testimony whatsoever concerning the trajectory of the bullet through the windshield. The judge then surmised that if the State Attorney's Office had felt it important, prosecutor Rosenberg would have presented an expert witness to discuss the bullet's path.
Was it possible that officials from the State Attorney's Office chose not to call such an expert because they didn't want to contradict Laura and George Russell's statements? Judge Perry had no response.
If Laura Russell wasn't in the path of the van, and Andrew Morello wasn't about to run her down, then was it possible Russell shot Morello for some reason other than self-defense? Was it possible the shooting might not have been justified? Was it possible Russell was startled by Bjorn DiMaio suddenly jumping from the Jeep and the van's dome light coming on? Was it possible she squeezed the trigger in a moment of fright or panic? Perry's expression grew serious, but he remained silent.
Because these questions weren't even broached during the inquest, was it unreasonable for the Morello family to believe the hearing was unfairly slanted in favor of Laura Russell? Was it unreasonable to believe that the inquest was unfair to Anthony Vincent and Bjorn DiMaio, who have now been charged with murder? "I see what you're saying," Judge Perry answered slowly.
A few days prior to the inquest, Bjorn DiMaio sat in a friend's living room, fidgeting, nervous. He tapped a pen on the table, looked around, smiled, looked away. His friends say this is normal for DiMaio; "skitchy" is the way one friend described him. Skitchy or not, on this day he had good reason to be nervous. DiMaio knew the State Attorney's Office was considering filing murder charges against him. "I'm scared. I don't know why they would do that," he said. "It wasn't my fault it happened. I didn't do it. Nobody deserves to die over some speakers."
A gawky, immature youngster from a broken home, DiMaio has no record of violence, but he is familiar with crime. He broke into his first car when he was fourteen, he was good at it, it made him popular. "It's not the money," he explained. "I guess you could call it exciting, fun." He'd been arrested a couple of times, once for breaking into a Corvette, another time for trying to sneak into an amusement park without paying. His punishment had always been light - community-service programs. Now he was facing hard time. "I don't want to get locked up for twenty years for my best friend's death," he said. "I know I should get what I deserve for doing the burglary, but I don't think it's right that I get charged with any of that other stuff." (More than a week after murder charges were filed against him, DiMaio had not surrendered and police had not located him.)
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Part Five
Ralph Scocco wasn't facing murder charges. His agreement to testify at the inquest, and his peripheral involvement in the burglary, had led the State Attorney's Office to offer him immunity from prosecution. But he concurred with DiMaio that further charges seemed unfair. And he added that no one seemed to remember that he, DiMaio, and Vincent will forever have to live with the horror of that night. "It was hard to watch him die," Scocco said through tears.
The shooting and the consequences of the inquest have affected the families as well. Hours after Anthony Vincent was booked on murder charges, his mother anxiously waited in line at the Dade County Jail to post her son's $25,000 bond. Wiping tears from her face and visibly trembling from fear and anger, she said, "You don't want to hear what I have to say about the media and the justice system."
For Andrea and Joseph Morello, the loss of their son was excruciating. They were always convinced he should not have been shot and that he would never have tried to kill Laura Russell by running her down. But their frustrating search for the truth has led only to cynicism. Joseph Morello put his faith in the State Attorney's Office but was forced to conclude that he was naive to believe prosecutors would be aggressive in questioning the actions of police officers. "It's just too easy to throw that cloak over them and protect somebody when they are wrong," he said with disdain. "When they are wrong they should clean it up, not cover it up." As for the inquest itself, Morello has resorted to a four-word description, repeated loudly and often: "It was a farce.


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Change is a daily mantra in today's world, and the cleaning industry is no exception.
The new professionalism that has come to define the industry over the last few years requires different skill sets and has attracted new faces.
More opportunities mean more executives crossing over from other industries, an increase in women at senior levels and a more diversified workforce in general.
New faces mean new perspectives and a need for collaboration to produce the best results.
To illustrate this, let's take the case of Dion.
Dion started as summer help on a college campus when he was 18.
By age 44, he'd worked his way up to supervisor of one of the campus quadrants.
He was surprised, and a little annoyed, when his Operations Director hired a new supervisor, Sharon, who had no experience working at a college and couldn't tell the difference between a buffer and a burnisher.
Dion was even more annoyed when the Operations Director insisted that he take the time to show Sharon around the campus and teach her the ropes.
"She's got a lot to learn, but she's also got some good ideas and can teach us a thing or two."
Sharon proved to be an enthusiastic learner and asked a lot of questions, but Dion still wasn't sure how it came to be his job to teach this new supervisor about cleaning.
When they got back to the office, Sharon told Dion that she had a few things to show him as well.
She logged into her computer, and Dion watched as she started pulling up reports on capital outlay, production rates and daily productive minutes (DPM).
"The Operations Director wants all the supervisors to know every aspect of the cleaning operations. He figures we can make better decisions that way. I'm a numbers person. I'll teach you the numbers stuff. You teach me the cleaning stuff."
Dion felt a little hurt at first and wondered why the old way of doing things wasn't good enough anymore, but with time, as Sharon sought out his ideas and opinions while showing him how her reports could improve efficiency, they both came to value the collaboration.
More important, Dion began to see himself not just as a cleaning supervisor but as a cleaning professional.
Success In A Changing Environment
To succeed in today's constantly evolving cleaning industry, keep these important points in mind:
Every Person Brings a Skill Set. If you respect the skills others bring to the table, then together you will create a much better service.
Cooperation Is Key. As the industry becomes more complex, no one person can be an expert at everything. Cooperation and partnering fills the gaps in each individual's skills.
Be a Life-long Learner. Systems continue to evolve and change. Don't bog yourself down with expertise in a system that is no longer being used.
Expect Change. Life is not a straight line. Expect continual change in your career and work expectations. Don't get stuck in the idea that life is not fair just because you are expected to change the way you do things.
Play Nice. First impressions are powerful. Be careful how you treat people when you first meet them. If you appear arrogant or like you know it all, others will see no reason to share their valuable knowledge with you.
At some point all of us were new on the job.
Personally, I would never have stayed so long in this industry without insights and guidance from "old timers."
Now that I've been in the industry for awhile, I find that the new folks have something to teach me, too.
From both perspectives, working together in a unified, collaborative manner is the only way to succeed in the new world of cleaning.
Judy Gillies is the founder and president of The Surge Group Inc., a cleaning consulting company located in Toronto that helps facilities managers improve their cleaning operations. She is one of the authors of "Behind the Broom, A Manager's Guide to a Professional Cleaning Operation." For more information about Gillies or to get your own copy, visit www.BehindTheBroom.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posted 5 years ago
(753 items)
Here is the latest find. I am not sure about this one. Looks to be older, but I don't think it is too old. Perhaps the outside is tarnished tin? The inside looks to be hand cut wood at least. Not sure, but I wanted to see what others thought before I clean it up. My guess would be a small jewelry box.
6 inches long
4 1/2 inches wide
1/2 inches tall
15.2 oz.


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April 7-11, 2014
For its 4th year, Financial Literacy Month in Minnesota is getting a new name - on April 1, 2014, Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed April as Financial Capability Month. Ten state agencies have planned nearly 40 outreach and education events across Minnesota for Financial Capability Month. For more information about these events and more throughout the month, visit the Minnesota Department of Commerce website.
As part of the month-long financial literacy effort, April 7-11 has been designated as "Higher Education Financial Capability Week." Events have been planned throughout the week to address key issues regarding saving, financing and paying for college.
Monday, April 7th
Higher Education Commissioner Pogemiller on Commerce Commissioner Rothman's Podcast
Commissioner Larry Pogemiller (Office of Higher Education) and Commissioner Rothman (Department of Commerce) sat down to discuss the challenges and issues concerning paying for college. This release is a part of The Department of Commerce series of podcasts featuring tips and guidance on financial literacy and highlight scams and pitfalls to avoid. Commissioner Mike Rothman will be joined by Office of Higher Education Commissioner Larry Pogemiller will discuss their respective efforts for Financial Capability month.
Tuesday, April 8th
Paying for college experts from the Office of Higher Education will be hosting a Twitter chat
Financial aid experts from the Office of Higher Education are coming to you live from the Twittersphere. We will be available to answer questions for students, families and institutions via Twitter. Follow along and interact with our Twitter handle: @MNOfficeHiEd. The conversation will include resources available from within and without of our agency to help families pay for college and more importantly, understand what goes into financing post high school education in Minnesota. Tweet us your questions, comments and concerns regarding your strategies!
Join us:
Tuesday, April 8th
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
On Twitter (@MNOfficeHiEd)
Wednesday, April 9th
WCCO financial capability phone bank
Tune into WCCO (channel 4) during the 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m newscasts for our financial capability phone bank. There will be several financial aid experts available to answer all of the questions you call to ask. Commissioner Pogemiller will be in the newsroom to share the Office of Higher Education's efforts in financial capability and financial aid awareness in Minnesota. Stay tuned for the 10:00 p.m. newscast to hear Ginny Dodds, Manager of the Minnesota State Grant at OHE, who will answer the Good Question about financial literacy and capability in Minnesota.
Thursday, April 10th
MN Dream Act workshop at Normandale College
Students, families and financial aid advocates are invited to participate and learn about the Minnesota Dream Act. This event is open to the public and will be filled with information about eligibility and steps to applying for state financial aid. There will also be opportunity for students to apply during the event.
Friday, April 11th
MN Dream Act workshop in Coldspring
Students, families and financial aid advocates are invited to participate and learn about the Minnesota Dream Act. This event is open to the public and will be filled with information about eligibility and steps to applying for state financial aid. There will also be opportunity for students to apply during the event.
Fourth Annual Financial Capability Roundtable (4/23/2014)
Financial Capability Month will conclude with the 4th Annual Financial Capability Roundtable sponsored by the Interagency Work Group on Financial Literacy.
This year, Camille Busette, Assistant Director of the Office of Financial Education, of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will join us as our keynote speaker. Ms. Busette will bring a wealth of financial-literacy insight and share some of the CFPBs findings on best practices for strengthening financial capability. The roundtable will focus on how financial institutions, government, non-profit, and private organizations can empower all Minnesotans on the path to Financial Literacy and Capability.
Fourth Annual Financial Capability Roundtable
Date and Time: Wednesday, April 23rd, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Keynote speaker: Camille Busette, Assistant Director for the CFPBs Office of Financial Education
Location: Wilder Center, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 451 Lexington Parkway North, Saint Paul, MN 55104
More Information
Note: documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view.


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A Study of Retrovir in the Treatment of Psoriasis in HIV-Positive Patients
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|HIV Infections Psoriasis
|Drug: Zidovudine
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Retrovir Capsules in the Treatment of Psoriasis in HIV Antibody Positive Patients: A Pilot Study
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
Study participants must have biopsy-proven psoriasis with 3 distinct psoriatic lesions. (Biopsy-proven Reiter's syndrome patients with 3 distinct cutaneous lesions may be included.) Documented HIV antibody (by federally licensed ELISA test) positive patients.
Prior Medication:
- Zidovudine (AZT).
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following are excluded:
- Presence of any active opportunistic infection.
- Presence of any AIDS-defining neoplasms (excluding Kaposi's sarcoma) such as central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma.
- Known hypersensitivity to zidovudine (AZT).
- Impaired renal function.
- Significant hepatic dysfunction.
Concurrent Medication:
- Topical steroid, anthralin, or tar preparations. Etretinate, methotrexate, or psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy. Psoriatic treatment such as systemic agents or topical steroids (emollients used distal to the control lesions and antipruritic shampoos are admissible).
Patients with the following are excluded:
- Presence of any active opportunistic infection.
- Presence of any AIDS-defining neoplasms (excluding Kaposi's sarcoma) such as central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma.
- Known hypersensitivity to zidovudine (AZT).
- Impaired renal function.
- Significant hepatic dysfunction.
Prior Medication:
- Other antiretroviral agents (e.g., suramin, ribavirin, HPA-23, dideoxycytidine).
- Excluded within 2 weeks of study entry:
- Topical steroid, anthralin, or tar preparations.
- Any other experimental therapy drugs which cause significant bone marrow suppression such as antifolates or pyrimethamine.
- Cytolytic chemotherapy.
- Drugs which cause significant nephrotoxicity or hepatotoxicity.
- Rifampin or rifampin derivatives.
- Excluded within 4 weeks of study entry:
- Etretinate, methotrexate, or psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy.
- Excluded within 8 weeks of study entry:
- Immunomodulating agents, including steroids, interferon, Isoprinosine, and interleukin 2.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00002286
|United States, North Carolina
|Glaxo Wellcome Inc
|Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States, 27709
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00002286 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 2, 1999
|Last Updated:
|June 23, 2005
Keywords provided by NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service:
Pilot Projects
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous
Skin Diseases
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Anti-HIV Agents
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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The West Village is one of New York's more receptive neighborhoods to lingering breakfasts, from busy coffee shops to lazy cafes, no shortage of all-day bistros and a wealth of bakeries. So where do we go to start the day while we're there? That depends on the mood: doughnut or croissant, French scrambled eggs or Cuban heuvos rancheros?
To cover them all, here are 13 of our favorite breakfast options in the neighborhood, whether you're looking for a quick bite or a full sit-down meal. Hit them all up in the slideshow or jump straight to what looks tastiest below.
Jump Straight to a Slide
- Steamed Eggs at Buvette
- Scones and Pastries at Bosie Tea Parlor
- Oatmeal from Oatmeals
- Old School Doughnuts at Donut Pub
- Cuban Diner Redux at Coppelia
- Toast at Blue Ribbon Bakery Market
- French Pastry at Mille-Feuille
- Granola with a Side of Charm at Doma
- Breakfast Breads and Pastries at Bien Cuit
- Quiche at Patisserie Claude
- Bread at Amy's Bread
- Bagels at Murray's
- Scones at Myers of Keswick
In the East Village? More breakfast picks this way.
About the author: Linnea Zielinski is the person in NYU's Publishing program that talks about food and food publications all class long, fueled entirely by double espressos and fresh-pressed juices. For a glimpse into the highly-caffeinated, vegetarian world of a foodie grad student, follow her on Twitter.


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IRVINE – Soccer balls poked into the back of the net on Saturday at one of four pristine soccer fields at the Great Park's new South Lawn, marking the official opening of the 30-acre sports and fitness complex.
The $22.8 million South Lawn also includes basketball courts, giant chess sets and pingpong tables. It joins the park's trademark orange balloon, North Lawn and other features.
The debut was marked with a ribbon-cutting by Irvine Mayor Steven Choi, who was joined by Great Park and other city officials.
"Just over one year ago, this area was a mix of dirt and runways," Choi said. "Today, we see an incredible new addition to our community."
After his remarks, Choi gave the signal for four young soccer players to unleash a volley of balls into the goal behind him.
One of those goals was made by Kelli Palta, 13, who was excited to break in the park's new equipment.
After the ceremony, the Great Summer Games II kicked off. Children sprinted and hurdled as Great Park's balloon floated overhead. Others took to the fields to practice soccer and lacrosse.
The South Lawn's public opening was long awaited by Michael Ellzey, chief executive officer of the Great Park Corp.
The project's planning began in 2009 and faced immense financial challenges through the recession, he said.
"We put our blood, sweat and tears into this project for many, many years," Ellzey said. "To be able to accomplish this despite all of those difficulties and constraints brings it all home for many of my staff, my consultants and the City Council. It's a very emotional day for a lot of us."
But their work isn't over, he said. On Tuesday, Ellzey said he will propose a $26 million project to build on the park's amenities over the next few years.
Ellzey also said Great Park officials will weigh a proposal by FivePoint Communities, a housing developer, for a $175 million project to build 688 acres of park features in exchange for land to build 4,606 homes just east of the park.
The Great Park Corp. has so far spent about $273 million to build about 230 acres of park on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The Great Park is off Marine Way near the I-5.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7815 or email@example.com


text:
I have to remember to place a comment next to every memory element so that I can quickly know its size. This is especially important because I can't get to the property window if I'm viewing the vi outside of the FPGA Target Scope. I can view the data type of a memory/FIFO element by hovering over the wire that goes into a read/write property with the context help window open, so I don't really care about that. However I cannot view its size. This could be fixed in one of two ways, add it to the context help when you hover over the element or display it directly on the memory element.
My vote is for the context help. I don't need more stuff to clutter my diagram.
i agree with crossrulz, i think it would be very handy to put the info in the context help. if a block diagram presence is desired, i think it would be ok to put a right-click option to expand the node and have the extra information captured below the name (perhaps in smaller font).
Having parameters in context help is already implemented in xilinx ip's, so there is no reason why it should not be in fifo and ram blocks as well. Same argument for IO nodes and their configuration would be handy in context help. In short: More consistency in context help layout would be good.
You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.


text:
CDE planning small-group dairy meetings
Pennsylvania's Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE) is offering to host mealtime meetings with dairy producer groups across the state for informal, roundtable discussions about dairy profitability and associated topics.
CDE is scheduling meetings in February, March or April. Producers can identify the topics which they would like to discuss, from business planning to current dairy markets to the farm bill and dairy policy.
Producers and small groups interested in scheduling a meeting with the center are encouraged to call 717-346-0849 or email email@example.com.
NEDPA Conference is March 19-20
The Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) Conference will be held March 19-20, at the Holiday Inn, Liverpool/Syracuse, N.Y. The event, coordinated by PRO-DAIRY Program at Cornell University and presented by the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, is designed for producers and agriservice professionals to interact and relate to the latest thinking and issues in the dairy industry.
For a program agenda and registration information, visit ansci.cornell.edu/prodairy/nedpa
Cornell plans 2014 Winter Dairy Management program
Cornell's PRO-DAIRY program will host winter dairy management meetings at eight New York locations in March. Speakers and topics include:
• David Kammel, University of Wisconsin-Madison ag engineer, will present information on the economic and design considerations of "Low Cost Parlors."
• Dr. Rick Watters, DVM, PhD - Sr. Extension Veterinarian, Quality Milk Promotion Services, will discuss parlor efficiencies and equipment maintenance.
• A panel will address business planning for successful projects. Presenters include: Betsey Howland, PRO-DAIRY Extension Support Specialist, Dairy Profit Monitor, PRO-DAIRY, Cornell University; Caroline Potter, Coordinator, PRO-DAIRY, Dairy Acceleration Program, Cornell University; and Beth Dahl, Dairy Modernization Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
• a panel will discuss robotic milking systems. Presenters include: Beth Dahl, Dairy Modernization Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension; and Kathy Barrett, Senior Extension Associate, Dairy Management, PRO-DAIRY, Cornell University.
For dates, locations and registration information, visit http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/prodairy/wdm/dates.html
Cornell: Dairy profit trends monitored
The Dairy Profit Monitor (DPM) is a tool that farmers can use to measure Net Milk Income over Feed Costs on their farms. Uses of the program include tracking progress of the farm over time and making comparisons to other farms using the program.
Data from the DPM was used to create graphs that show how 46 farms using the program from October 2012 to September 2013 changed in: pounds of components produced per head per day, pregnancy rate, feed conversion (lbs of milk per pound of dry matter),cost per pound of dry matter fed, net milk income over purchased, and total feed costs using actual and fixed milk prices. Farmers can use these graphs to compare how their farm changed over the same time frame as other farms using the program and to identify differences. Once differences are identified, a farmer should look at current operations to determine if changes need to be made to improve operating performance.
Net milk income over feed costs represents the amount of money left over to cover all other cost after feed costs, the single largest cost on dairies, has been paid. During the time frame highlighted in the graphs NMIOFC increased some in the beginning of 2013 and then tailed off some during the summer months.
Of the various measures used to track feed costs or feed program performance, Net Milk Income over Purchased Feed Costs has consistently shown the highest correlations to overall farm profitability when related to return on assets. The trend in income over feed costs likely indicates that profits from the last quarter of 2012 to the third quarter of 2013 will be flat to slightly increasing.
For more information on the Dairy Profit Monitor or for a free three-month trial, visit www.dairyprofit.cornell.edu or contact Betsey Howland, PRO-DAIRY Extension Support Specialist, at firstname.lastname@example.com
Vermont: Organic dairy conference is March 5
Talks by three nationally acclaimed scientists top the agenda of the 2014 Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference, March 5, at the at Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, Vt.
The theme of the conference is "resiliency as a strategy for organic dairies to optimize and maintain soils and high quality forages". University of Vermont (UVM) Extension's Northwest Crops and Soils Program and NOFA-Vermont's Organic Dairy and Livestock Technical Assistance program will host the day-long conference at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center.
The $25 per person fee covers lunch and all materials. Registrations are due by Feb. 26 and will be accepted online at uvm.edu/extension/organicdairy or by mail. Checks should be made payable to University of Vermont and mailed to UVM Extension, attn: Organic Dairy Conference, 278 South Main St., Ste. 2, St. Albans, VT 05478.
Keynote speakers include: Dr. Silvia Abel-Caines of Organic Valley/CROPP in La Farge, Wis., on high forage diets for optimal animal health and milk production; Dr. Fred Magdoff, UVM emeritus professor, on building farm resilience through soil health and crop diversification; and Dr. Tom Kilcer, Advanced Ag Systems LLC in Kinderhook, N.Y., on wide-swath (hay in a day) haylage harvesting and other best practices for harvesting and storing hay.
In addition, Willie Gibson, a NOFA-Vermont dairy and livestock advisor, will lead a motivational exercise designed to help farmers learn how to cope with stress. Dr. Heather Darby, UVM Extension agronomist, speaking on key management strategies for high yields and quality forages, will be joined by a panel of organic dairy farmers who will discuss how they maintain soils and forage quality on their farms.
For more information, visit uvm.edu/extension/organicdairy or contact Deb Heleba at email@example.com.
Organic dairy producer to address Vermont grains conference
Jack Lazor, co-owner of Butterworks Farm in Westfield, Vt., has been tapped as the keynote speaker for the 10th annual Vermont Grain Growers Conference, March 13, in Essex, Vt.
Lazor's talk will focus on grain production in cold climates, based on his experiences with growing grains for human consumption and feed for his Jersey herd. The organic dairy farmer is a co-founder of the Northern Grain Growers Association (NGGA).
Registrations are due by March 10. The fee, which includes lunch, is $45 per person and $40 for NGGA members. Conference details and online registration can be found at www.uvm.edu/extension/grainconference. The registration form and payment also may be mailed to Grain Growers Conference, UVM Extension, 278 South Main St., Ste 2, St. Albans, VT 05478. Please make checks payable to University of Vermont.
Farm Credit East: 2014 Pulse of Ag Survey
Farm Credit East is conducting a brief survey to learn more about Northeast producers' 2013 results and expectations for the year ahead. Anyone engaged in the business of agriculture, commercial fishing or forest products in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York or Rhode Island is invited to participate. Survey participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of four $250 Visa gift cards.
The survey will take no more than 15 minutes to complete and the responses are mostly multiple choice. Responses will be kept confidential and be used only for statistical purposes.
To be entered into the drawing, producers must participate by Feb. 15. For more information and to provide your input to this survey, visit FarmCreditEast.com.
Farm Credit East to host ag economy, labor outlook webinar
Northeast producers are invited to participate in a webinar providing a 2014 agricultural economic outlook and an update on ag labor. This webinar, hosted by Farm Credit East, will be held Thursday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m.
This webinar will feature Dr. Terry Barr, economist with CoBank, who will take a look at agricultural markets in 2014 and the road ahead. Barr will cover global agricultural trade in major commodities including feed, grain and dairy, and how international markets affect us here in the Northeast.
Monte Lake, attorney and agricultural labor expert, will join the webinar to provide an update on the agricultural labor situation. His presentation will focus on legal issues and regulatory compliance, including a look at the status of the H-2A program.
This webinar is free. Visit FarmCreditEast.com/webinars for registration information.
Farm-to-Institution grant funding available
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) announces $40,000 available to agricultural producers and food hubs serving institutional markets through the Local Food Market Development Grant program for 2014.
Any Vermont producers, processors, community food organization, or food hub interested in a Local Food Market Development grant can find more information and download an application at http://agriculture.vermont.gov under the 'Grants' tab on the homepage.
Maximum grant awards will be $7,500 with a 25% cash or in-kind match requirement by producers, and 50% match requirement by community groups and food hubs. All applications must be received by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture no later than 4:30 pm on Monday, March 3, 2014.
For more information about the Local Food Market Development Grant program visit the VAAFM website http://agriculture.vermont.gov or by contacting Abbey Willard, Local Foods Administrator, 802-828-3829 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Demi Moore Photo 400x600
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher (born November 11, 1962), known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the television drama series General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and in the early 1990s became one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood with her successes in Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), and Disclosure (1994).
Demi Moore news
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Posted Wed Mar 13th by Jon Heath
The Denver Broncos had a busy day on Wednesday, ultimately signing four free agents.
The team started by landing All-Pro receiver Wes Welker to a two-year, $12-million deal. The signing sent shock waves across the NFL.
Next came the signing of linebacker Stewart Bradley to a one-year deal. Bradley is expected to compete for the starting MLB gig in Denver.
Another defender, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, agreed to a two-year deal. Knighton figures to become a starter after being reunited with Jack Del Rio.
The team finished their busy day (presumably finished, anyway, it's only 9:30 p.m. MT), by signing cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a two-year deal.
Denver will hold multiple press conferences tomorrow at Dove Valley to introduce Welker, Knighton and Rodgers-Cromartie. Welker's press conference will be streamed on DenverBroncos.com and we will provide coverage on Facebook and Twitter.
Yesterday, the team locked up defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson for two years and brought in Chargers guard Louis Vasquez with a four-year deal.
Meanwhile, Jason Hunter has left Denver and signed with the Raiders and Elvis Dumervil's contract situation remains unresolved. There are several candidates on the market if the team chooses to release Dumervil.


text: Winfield native helps NASA rover land safely on Mars By Kate White August 9, 2012 Story Share Courtesy photo Winfield native Chris Kuhl is chief engineer of the Mars Science Laboratory's Entry Descent and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI) Program. The tools, located on the Curiosity rover capsule's heat shield, allowed Kuhl to monitor atmospheric conditions during Sunday's descent through the Martian atmosphere from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Valencia, Calif. AP Photo The heat shield that protected NASA's Curiosity rover and its supporting hardware -- sky crane, the space capsule nose cone and parachute -- falls toward the Martian surface after being ejected from the spacecraft during Sunday's successful landing on the red planet. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After rehearsing the robot's landing on the red planet hundreds, if not thousands, of times during the past six years, Chris Kuhl got a text message from one of the many co-workers with him in a control room late Sunday."One of the people I'm reporting data to sends me a message saying, 'This is for real, exclamation point'," said Kuhl, a Winfield native. "At that point, it started hitting home."During the "seven minutes of terror," the length of time it took NASA's Curiosity rover to get from the edge of the Martian atmosphere to the ground, Kuhl, 41, was collecting temperature and pressure readings, among other things, while at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Valencia, Calif.Kuhl is chief engineer of the Mars Science Laboratory, Entry Descent and Landing Instrumentation program (MEDLI). MEDLI is a set of tools fastened to the rover's heat shield, which monitored atmospheric conditions during the robot's entry and descent.At about 10:30 p.m. in Pasadena, a signal reached Earth notifying the control room that the rover had landed successfully."I'm nervous, trying to make sense of it all and, before I know it, while I'm still looking at data, they've called touchdown," Kuhl recalled Tuesday. "At that point, I knew the heat shield survived. Our worries diminished and everyone started jumping for joy."Curiosity was launched on Nov. 26, 2011, to study whether Mars' environment ever had conditions suitable for microbial life. Moments after the rover's landing on Sunday, pictures were sent back from the surface confirming that the landing had been a success."Somebody screamed, 'Here comes a thumbnail!' "Kuhl recalled. "We had no doubt whatsoever it was successful at that point." The landing on Mars, which employed a new technique, had been especially tricky. Budget constraints added more stress to NASA's mission, and the communication delay between Mars and Earth meant the rover's spacecraft was on autopilot, according to The Associated Press."We were almost in shock that nothing went wrong," Kuhl said. "The spacecraft itself actually was performing better than anyone expected."The MEDLI data is stored on the rover and will send readings back to Earth to help design future heat shields and spacecraft, he said.Kuhl said he always knew he was interested in space exploration, even as a student at Winfield High School. When he attended West Virginia Wesleyan, though, he still wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to focus on. "When I first went to Wesleyan, I really didn't know what I wanted to do," he said, "so I got a degree in engineering physics."For graduate school, he majored in mechanical engineering at Purdue University."He's always been really good in all the math and sciences," said his mother, Dottie Kuhl, who still lives in Winfield. "I don't know where that came from but it wasn't from me," she said with a laugh.Kuhl flew to California last Friday from Hampton, Va., where he now lives and works for NASA's Langley Research Center. His two kids stayed up to watch the landing on TV."I got a text from my daughter the next morning that said, 'you did it," he said.Dottie Kuhl meant to record the NASA Channel to watch the landing on Monday, but hit a wrong button. She's watched reruns, though. Now that the landing on Mars is completed, going back to a regular work routine might be challenging, Kuhl said."Realistically, not everything we do is going to be like Sunday." Still, he hopes the Mars mission excited a younger generation about space exploration."It's very math- and science-oriented, but it really takes everything -- knowing history, culture," he said. "And with so many thousands of people working on it, it brings in the best of society and puts them together to produce something like this."Reach Kate White at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-1723. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Derek Redd: Marshall thinks outside the cable box for broadcasts 2 Philanthropist Betty Schoenbaum of Shoney's fortune turns 100 3 DHHR report: No neglect, criminal charges in death of ResCare client 4 'Heroin(e)' spotlights women helping combat Huntington's drug crisis 5 New company planning $73M synthetic fuel plant in Greenbrier County 'Girls Night Out' hosts shining stars Previous Story Attorney for Democrat candidate to high court seeks to block 'rescue' funds for Republican Next Story


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Role-Specific Abilities
Action Points
Every character gets 1 + Level Action Points. You use Action Points to add a 1d6 to any roll at any time. You do not have to specify before the roll that you wish to use an Action Point. You can only use 1 AP a round, but you can trade an extra Action Point to upgrade your die. Example, if you have 2 Action Points, you may use both to give you a 1d8 instead of the normal 1d6. If you have 3 Action Points you can spend all three to give you a 1d10 instead of the normal 1d6.
At 5th level, the default 1d6 is bumped up to 1d8. At 10th level, the default 1d8 is bumped up to 1d10.
Weapon Damage/Breakage
Rules for weapons taking damage and being broken:
Knowledge (Homeland)
Each character has special knowledge of their homeland. They know major cities and well-travelled roads, distinct landmarks and geographical features, famous kings and infamous criminals. To represent this knowledge, each character receives +2 ranks on Knowledge (Homeland).
This bonus stacks with any other ranks put into this skill.


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Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppession
Mail: Thanks for helping Aiden
More opinion
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
Robertson and Delsing re-elected chair, vice chair of NWB
More Ag News
The creation of a mega-water farm in southern Lincoln County would hamper important government services -- such as roads, schools and fire departments, officials said Monday.
Tax money would dry up for Lincoln County and the Wallace School District if the cropland on 20,000 acres is seeded back to grass, as expected.
Changing the big privately-owned crop farm into a government-owned water farm would sharply reduce if not eliminate the taxable value of the land.
The commissioners want the farm to continue to pay all the taxes as though the land generated crops.
Big deal
In the deal, four Natural Resource Districts are buying the farmland for $83 million.
The Twin Platte NRD, with offices in North Platte, is one of the four resource districts that have agreed to buy the land. The other three districts cover the western Republican River Valley.
Nearly 15,000 acres of that land are irrigated by 117 center pivots.
The four NRDs will equally pay for the land and the development of the wells, pumping stations and pipelines. The four NRDs will likewise share the water rights. In the Twin Platte NRD -- consisting of Lincoln, McPherson, Arthur and Keith counties -- that cost will be paid by a $4-6 tax that will be levied on each of the 350,000 irrigated acres in the district. Most of those irrigated acres are in Lincoln and Keith counties.
Kent Miller, the general manager of the Twin Platte NRD, said the purchase is necessary so Nebraska can meet federal requirements to keep water in both the rivers.
The alternative -- regulating every well -- is expensive, time consuming and highly controversial, Miller said.
"It makes more sense to affect a piece of land on the fringe of the district rather than to regulate (and restrict) every well, he told the Bulletin when news of the deal broke -- the day before the first agreements were signed.
The deal came about in mid-October. Already, short-term bank financing is arranged. Miller said the goal is to issue long-term financial bonds.
The financial agreement must be approved by the 11-member board of directors, Miller said. That is expected to happen during a special meeting that starts at 3 p.m. Nov. 8. The meeting is public. Questions and comments will be welcome.
The meeting will be held at the TPNRD office on the second floor of the Great Western Bank building at 111 So. Dewey in North Platte.
The hastily-arranged, multi-million-dollar deal not only raised eyebrows, but also a wide range of concerns.
School and county officials see tax revenues slipping away. Lincoln County could lose $312,000, the commissioners said, just from real estate taxes. That doesnt include money on personal property -- the five homes on the land.
The loss of these (tax) revenues to Lincoln County would be devastating, the commissioners wrote Oct. 30 in a letter to Miller and the Twin Platte NRD. Not only would Lincoln County possibly suffer loss of jobs, services and safety, but the school districts included would be forced to downsize their services.
The Wallace school district currently collects nearly $135,000 from the land, the commissioners said. Also, the community college, fire departments, cemeteries, hospitals, educational service units and the NRDs themselves rely on tax money from the property.
Miller responded Monday.
He reiterated what hed said before -- that the NRDs dont intend to harm schools or government agencies -- but he didnt promise.
Miller said adding the water to the rivers would benefit a great deal of Nebraska, and there should be some way for other parts of the state to contribute to the loss of taxes.
I believe we can figure out a way not to harm these agencies, Miller said, but I cant say for sure what it will be.
In other discussion, Miller and his counterpart Dan Smith of the Middle Republican NRD said the existing 100 or so irrigation wells on the land would probably be converted to stock wells and/or monitoring wells, and dozens of new high-capacity wells would be dug that would pump water into 20-inch mainline pipes running both north or south.
Smith said some of the water would run 7-10 miles to the Medicine Creek, and from there on into the Republican River. In the other direction, Miller said water would probably be pumped into a Nebraska Public Power District canal leading to the South Platte River.
Farmer Roric Paulman of Sutherland asked if a pending special masters ruling on the Republican River compact would negate the need for water to go to the Republican. Smith said no, that the water will be needed in the Republican River even if the ruling is in Nebraskas favor.
Nebraska does not have to put water in the Republican every year, Smith said. The need arises every 2-3 years.
Paulman said he had several more questions. He asked for more public information meetings.
Miller said he would set up some meetings in December or January.
Commissioner Joe Hewgley said that isnt soon enough.
People dont want to learn more about it after the deal is all set, Hewgley said. If you really wanted to find out what people think, you could have had a meeting last week.
Miller took the criticism.
"I accept that," he said.
Then, Hewgley specifically asked the four NRDs to adopt a binding regulation assuring all taxing entities that there would be no loss of tax revenue.
Miller made no promises.
Lost crops
Weve only known about this for a couple weeks, said cattle rancher Dan Estermann, who lives on the Medicine Creek. Weve asked about the effects on the creek, but nobody can tell us much.
Estermann said the economic impact goes far beyond loss of taxes. He said lost corn production will adversely affect three feedlots -- North Platte Feeders, a feedlot owned by Don Oppliger and Southwest Feeders -- as well as the recently-built ethanol plant near Madrid.
It will increase the costs of corn and raising cattle, Estermann said. Nobody has talked about that.
Estermann predicted that the community of southern Lincoln County will pay the price over many years.
Estermann also said he would like to see how the land purchase, the new wells, the piping and related costs (including re-seeding to grass) can be financed with a $5 per acre tax on irrigated acres.
After the meeting, Ken Anderson, who works at Lincoln Farm, said the farm:
Generates nearly 2 million bushels a year of corn and soybeans, plus millions of pounds of potatoes -- enough potatoes to fill two warehouses before loading on rail cars for shipment out of state. A third potato warehouse is under construction just west of Dickens, he said.
Employs 14 full time workers for corn and soybean production, most of whom live in North Platte, plus part-time workers during planting and harvest.
Employs about 25 full- and part-workers just for potato production.
Buys significant amounts of supplies, including new machinery and thousands of bushels of seed, from North Platte businesses.
Contains three modular houses and two mobile homes, in addition to grain bins that can store one million bushels of crops.
People are just starting to realize the economic impacts of putting the place out of business, Anderson said. This year we bought four new combines. We have to have up-to-date equipment; we trade every year.
He said the employees havent been told what will happen to their jobs yet.
We have a ways to go to finish harvest, he said. And, there will be 1 million bushels of crops in bins on the farm that will have to be hauled to terminals later.
Anderson said the harvest has been good one, despite the dry summer. One center pivot of soybeans yielded a whopping 78 bushels per acre, irrigated with 10-12 inches of water.
We had some good fields and some bad ones, he said. The point is we can raise crops under water (pumping) restrictions.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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- Large stretch mesh pocket
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don't know what happened but the Fox news just dropped whatever story they were covering and said "breaking news just now coming in Colts running back dominic rhodes under arrest, we'll have more on that story as it develops."
what is it with the pacers and colts not able to stay out of trouble? Is it the city?
At any rate
EDIT: They said he was doing 81 in a 55...oh well at least he didn't get in a fight. They also said he either refused a breathalyzer test or was above the legal limit....doh


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Make your experience count
Experience Assessment is a rigorous, time-efficient and rewarding way for HR and L&D professionals, practitioners and consultants to become a professional member of the CIPD.
Experience Assessment is a great choice if you:
- Have current HR or L&D experience appropriate to the level you're applying for.
- Want recognition for your HR or L&D contribution to organisational success.
- Seek a flexible route into professional membership that works around your lifestyle without having to study a full qualification.


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NEW YORK — Macy's has announced Teen Vogue as the latest fashion-forward collection to launch exclusively in Macy's Mstylelab department. Aimed at the most discerning teenage fashionistas, Teen Vogue will bring Macy's customers the latest trends from the combined fashion eye of Macy's and "Teen Vogue." The collection will be available in approximately 150 Macy's stores nationwide and on macys.com this March.
"We are very excited to be expanding 'Teen Vogue' even further with our collection for Mstylelab. As part of our Brand Everywhere approach, we've created a fashion line that really resonates with our style-obsessed audience," says "Teen Vogue" editor-in-chief, Amy Astley. "We've had terrific success with our branded mobile game, Teen Vogue Me Girl, and with our bedding collection, so apparel was the next logical step and Macy's is the ideal partner."
Curated by the editors at "Teen Vogue," Teen Vogue will feature maxi dresses, jumpsuits, printed leggings, short dresses, chambray shirts, bandeaus, shorts, bralettes, jackets and tanks. This spring, the brand will focus on five key trends: bejeweled, neon, sheer, vests and denim dressing. With an eclectic mix of pieces, this collection will allow for creativity and individuality when dressing. Continuing throughout the year, approximately 15 new pieces will rotate onto the floor every month, offering up-to-the-minute fashion for style setters. Available in approximately 150 Macy's stores nationwide and on macys.com, Teen Vogue will be priced from $20 to $60.
"Macy's collaboration with 'Teen Vogue' is another way we are reinventing our merchandise assortment for this important customer," said Tim Baxter, Macy's executive vice president of fashion, lease and multicultural offices. "The collection will provide the latest trends styled to look like the innovative and eclectic pages of the magazine, and will provide a compelling new reason for Millennials to visit our stores."


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|Click here to see if this item is eligible for FREE SHIPPING!
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|The Wall Oval Rack is the perfect balance of form and function. This Wall Rack features an oval shap and curved supporting arm which lends an appealing grace. This wall rack is excellent for smaller spaces and includes 6 angled hooks. Mounts on 16 inch centers.
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What is impossible with men is possible with God. —Luke 18:27
Providence means that God overrules. He sets aside something to take over. He works through evil and through our weaknesses. Do you know why He does it? It is so He receives all the glory and honor.
Are you presently in a situation where there seems to be no way out? God says, "Give that one to Me." Are you trying to make it easy for God? He says, "No, I want a difficult case. I want something that humans cannot possibly do. Leave it to Me! I'll do it!" Will you let God do it, or do you have to pull a string here and there and say, "Remember me? My name is ... "
Humanly speaking, there was no way your situation could turn out for good, but God loves to work when everything looks absolutely bleak. God's providence sorts out the sore spots in our lives.
Do you have a sore spot? Of course you have. Could it be your pride that's getting you into trouble all the time? Are you hypersensitive? Is it your jealousy? Is it your negative spirit? Is it that you love gossip? Could it be sexual lust or some addiction? Have you stepped on people to get where you are? Do you have an inability to handle money? God has to deal with you. Do you want to be exalted? That's all right. There's nothing wrong with that. God wants to exalt you—in His due time—but the sore spot will have to be dealt with first.
Excerpted from All's Well That Ends Well (Authentic Media, 2005).
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›› Photos: UTEP men's basketball vs. SMU
›› Replay coverage from today's UTEP vs. SMU men's basketball game
UTEP did what it had to do Saturday afternoon -- took a home game and stuffed it into the win column.
The Miners solved the early puzzle of SMU's zone defenses, forced the Mustangs into a man-to-man and steadily pulled away ... taking a 63-54 Conference USA victory in front of 8,154 fans in the Don Haskins Center.
SMU came out in a very active 1-3-1 zone, mixed in some 2-3 zone that forced the Miners to use much of the shot clock on their opening possessions. But Jacques Streeter bombed home 5-of-5 3-pointers in that first half and the Miners gradually picked the zones apart as they romped away to a 35-21 halftime cushion.
UTEP is now 10-7 on the season and, more importantly, the Miners protected their home court with a win, improving to 3-1 in Conference USA play. The Mustangs dipped to 11-9 overall and 1-4 in league play.
This one was not quite as close as the final score might indicate. UTEP expanded its halftime lead to 17 on a couple of occasions -- once when Konner Tucker rained home a 3-ball to make it 42-25 with 16:30 to play, and yet again when Cedrick Lang banked in a layup off a rebound, making it 45-28 with 14:12 to go. UTEP led by 16, 55-39, with just over six minutes to play. It got a little ugly down the stretch ... with fouls flying and the clock stopping and all rhythm and flow to the game gone into the desert afternoon air.
"It wasn't a very pretty second half," UTEP coach Tim Floyd said. "Not a whole lot of flow. We tried to speed the tempo up in the first half, using a full-court press. But the key to our victory today was our backcourt -- Jacques Streeter and Konner Tucker. They made shots, they took care of the ball, they allowed us to play at the pace we wanted and they did a good job at the 10-second line defensively."
Streeter got into one of those proverbial zones against the Mustang zones, knocking down everything from 3-ball land. He finished with 18 points. Tucker had 12 points. Cedrick Lang played his usual physical role inside, setting screens, playing defense, scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds.
Julian Washburn had a poor shooting day, making just 3-of-11 shots, but he had a career high six assists and played his usual leather-tough defense. His brother Chris Washburn came off the bench to add eight points, four rebounds in 14 minutes. McKenzie Moore had something of a quiet game with six points and six rebounds.
"I think we played pretty well," Lang said. "We've still got some things to work on offensively. But, I thought we defended pretty well. I don't know what the rebound totals were (almost even, SMU leading 28-26), but I felt we rebounded OK. The main thing is we won. You don't want to lose at home in conference play."
Streeter, who recently went over the 500-assist mark for his career, smiled and said, "In the first half it felt like the rim was bigger than usual. Everything went down. Early on our offense was a little stagnant against their zones. But, we figured out where to go and how to attack it and forced them out of the zones and into man-to-man and that changed everything."
From a statistical standpoint, the Miners did have another good defensive outing. They held the Ponies to just 40.9 percent shooting for the game, held them to just 54 points. The Miners also had nine steals (though that sometimes has nothing to do with good defense) and forced 20 Mustang turnovers.
"I thought overall we played very good defense as a team," Julian Washburn said. "We rebounded OK. We did a better job guarding the screen and roll. We still need to do a better job executing plays. I felt we did a pretty good job breaking down their zone defense ... forced them to go to man-to-man. But the real key was Jacques. He was amazing in the first half. Jacques made everything and he was very aggressive, and if he keeps that up, I think he can be the best player in the conference."
To their credit, the young Mustang team kept coming. They scrambled and fought. Shawn Williams had 16 points, Jalen Jones 15 and Nick Russell 12. They kept chasing and chasing and the Miners went a span of more than nine minutes without a field goal -- from the 12:43 mark when Julian Washburn hit a short jumper until the 3:09 mark when Lang hit a short jumper.
But, even though the lead was shrinking a bit, the Miners never truly got in trouble because they were defending well and dropping in plenty of free throws during the disjointed run. That final nine-point deficit was as close as SMU would ever get.
"Chris Washburn was able to get some minutes," Floyd said. "Cedrick Lang rebounded the ball well for us."
UTEP has Wednesday off this week and will next play at East Carolina on Saturday night. But, on this sun-splashed Saturday afternoon, the Miners got what they needed -- a home-court victory.
Bill Knight may be reached at email@example.com; 546-6171. Follow him on Twitter @BillKnightept
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Posted 6 years ago
(2 items)
This fan is quite rare and i really would like to know more about it. I do know that it is from the 1880s in Brazil. It has a real stuffed hummingbird in the center, surrounded by a star burst of wired real beetle shells. the handle is intricately carved mother of pearl. It is in its original box too. There is one very similar to it in the Victoria & Albert museum. Any info would be greatly appreciated, including monetary value of the piece.


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A Break Here Could Open a Can of Worms
On Monday, the E-mini S&P 500 futures confirmed the completion of last week's diagonal pattern at the 1471 high. Now the question is whether that diagonal completed the entire yellow wave 1 in a much larger ending diagonal, or if it represented only wave 1 in wave (5) of wave iii of wave 3. If it's the first option, that would indicate a downward trajectory into month-end in a larger wave 2 retracement.
At this point, the jury is still out on that question. We are looking for the market to maintain support above 1456, which would keep us confidently looking up and above 1500 in short order. But 1456 really must hold, and if it does not, the ultimate answer rests in whether 1445 will hold as support. Any break below 1445 would put the Es in a relatively clear larger diagonal pattern, with the potential to head back down toward the 1400 region in a wave 2. In this case, the last top would be marked with a yellow 1 as wave 1 of a larger ending diagonal....174 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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